Kid
Sniper
Kitchens & Bathrooms
Hannah
Lederhosen Lucil
Surface Of Eceon
Landing
Bunkbed Nights
The
Phases
Slinky Kellogg
More Plastic
The Peter Parkers
DJs
KID
SNIPER
WAVELENGTH 103
SUNDAY MARCH 3, 11PM
Purveyors of:
Scientist rock
web: www.highschoolchampion.com
Political or apolitical. Preferences? Either/or situation? Should other
musicians who shoot their mouths off in the press just SHUT THE FUCK UP?!?
My friend Steve Shiffman (who was a member of the first Kid Sniper lineup) once said to me, "your lyrics are political... aren't they?", which I thought was funny because I don't see my writing as political, more philosophical maybe. Do you buy the argument that "everything is political"? Or, to be "political" in music, do you have to play only benefit shows, participate in anti-globalization rallies, and write didactic lyrics about specific social issues? I don't buy into the on-off logic of "either/or". Our new record, Landlocked (out in a month? we'll see), is less "topical" than the first one (no songs about popular culture, at least). Heck, it's all painfully "personal", and the cover art is linked thematically to landscapes and nature. Which means I'm guilty of pathetic fallacy, so my record will get trashed by literary critics and music critics! But despite this, I don't consider it an "apolitical" record. It says something, but I'll slip through the relativist escape hatch of saying that it's up to the listener to interpret what that is. As far as mouthing off in the press goes, I'd like to see more of it actually. Where's the juice? Everyone is so damn polite, it's sickening. I don't want to read another ambiguous account of a band being "hated in their hometown"... I want the haters' names, dammit!
Jonathan, you were quoted in eye weekly as saying "Rock'n'roll is doing just fine. Stop trying to save it." Even things that are doing fine need to be doing something... what are some things rock should be doing?
Rock'n'roll is a living art form that should be created and presented at an independently funded, local or grassroots level, and doesn't need to be hailed as the Messiah in order to be enjoyed. Of course it has to be honest and challenge some parameters, but also give the listener some strong melodies or lyrics to grasp onto.
One time, I heard someone say Kid Sniper was like watching scientists attempt to unravel rock. While the person who said this was likely "attempting" to be derogatory (no comment), I felt it was a good analogy -- and I'd like you to expand upon it if you would.
We need a new term that is the opposite of "backhanded compliment"! That is one of the coolest things anyone has said about us, and I think it's true. We do try and break down music and extract the best elements -- whether it be a riff, a chord change, a beat, a drone -- and then build something beautiful and perfect out of it. It is an unabashedly Apollinian rather than Dionysian approach to art (I took PHL 100, eh?). I've heard this criticism before -- that our music seems "contrived" -- and though I respect that opinion, I think it comes out of a bullshit philosophy. Namely, the idea that rock'n'roll is some kind of noble savagery, that you're not supposed to know what you're doing, that you just start flailing and it just "comes out of you." Look: every band is contrived. It's just that some are better than other at making a show of being primal or "in the moment." Our music demands total concentration and involvement on behalf of listener and musician. As the Minutemen said, "our band is scientist rock." If we look like we're concentratingly seriously, we are. The raw elements of music are dangerous and not to be toyed with by mere amateurs! (cue mad scientist laughter...)
Your old material was like a frothing, bubbling goo, melting particles coming together like, shoot, I dunno, a frothing bubbling goo. Then, last year, the Snipe turned into a smooth, green liquid. Are the even newer songs you've played live lately the result of drinking that post-goo liquid, and if so, what in God's name were you thinking and what did the stuff do to your insides?
Though your hypothesis is admirable in its audacity, the actual formula is quite different. The current Kid Sniper configuration, which we shall refer to as KS Mk III, is a dynamic combination of the two previous configurations. KS Mk I contained two guitar isotopes, while the dual-bass molecule occurred rarely. As membership oscillated and Mk I metamorphosized into Mk II, this ratio became inverted, as the 2x4-stringed isotope came to dominate over its now-singular six-stringed counterpart. The only thing preventing this mixture from exploding was a gaseous layer of antique synthesizers acting as a stabilizing agent. Following six months of dormancy during the year 2001, it was decided that the experiment must be taken to a new level -- one that would risk a violent reaction to generate a higher yield. The second guitar isotope would be re-established (in female form), creating equilibrium between four- and six-string valences, yet the resultant increase in heat added more power to the drum turbine. Also, certain circumstances, such as November's U.S. mini-tour, saw the chemicals removed from their protective synth gas. These instances saw Kid Sniper at the brink of total combustion -- one of the bass isotopes was particularly unstable, and quickly collapsed into a rest state known as "Milton". Though the students in the lab were most entertained by these pyrotechnics, we prefer to maintain KS Mk III as a "controlled chain reaction" -- which appears, using your layman's terms, as "a smooth, green liquid." Despite its deceptive smoothness, this liquid froths and bubbles at an even greater rate than before, and is undergoing further testing before being disseminated for public ingestion.
--
interview by Buddy of the Pines
KITCHENS
& BATHROOMS
WAVELENGTH 103
SUNDAY MARCH 3, 10PM
Purveyors of: Saran-wrap rock
web: www25.brinkster.com/kandb
NOTE: K&B
WERE FORCED TO CANCEL DUE TO VAN TROUBLE.
THEY
WERE REPLACED BY I AM ROBOT AND PROUD.
Following the belt-tightening that saw them reduced from quartet to trio, Hamilton's Kitchens & Bathrooms have undergone an intense transformation, foregoing their metallic past for a more ferociously jazzy instrumental attack. Craig Fraid Dunsmuir corresponded with guitarist Phil Williams in the midst of the band's east-coast tour and forced him to refer to himself in the third person.
Last time K&B shared a bill with Sniper, there was some pretty ridiculous Saran-wrap mummification action going on on the part of your guitarist/main singer. I bring this up to ask whether anybody else in the band ever gets stuck with the all-important (especially for a music as foreboding and potentially dour as yours) jester role, or if they'd rather try and look menacing while staying out of the spotlight...?
The Saran wrap was kind of a play on how we were wrapping ourselves up as a product to sell to everyone. No one bought it. We would have all been wrapped up if there were another 400 feet of Saran wrap. Alas, there was nothing of the sort. There is no real spotlight on a specific member of the band, we try and distribute the fame equally: none for you, none for me, none for you, etc... Adrian (bass) is really good looking though. I don't know what that means.
One of the things that makes your band, er, stand out is the towering nature of the two guitar players -- I mean, even your drummer compensates for his more average height by practically floating a foot off the drum stool when in full-on attack mode. Is this in any way similar in vertical logic to a prehistoric bird's horizontal-space encroachment threats, ˆ la "GRRAAA! You cannot defeat me! Look at my wingspan! GRRAAA!"?
Clever. Are you calling us birds? In Hamilton that means... Not clever. Basically, we're just tall and Lee is small. A small, small maniac. I don't know anything about pterodactyls, but I do know that I like commas. And I play in a band.
Finally, I've noticed that for a band who gives off the impression of being instrumental, you guys actually trade off vocals between the drummer and guitarist quite frequently. Was this a conscious structural sleight-of-hand since the line-up change, or something stumbled upon and then exploited for sheer rawk drama value?
We're pretty damned instrumental, but yeah, it's for the rawk drama value of zero. We just don't want to have a main singer who ends up being the centre of attention when he doesn't deserve to be, just because he wraps himself in Saran wrap and dances like a parapalegic. You know? We like to sing. About as much as you like words that make us go "blah." I must be suffering from brain damage, and when I say "I", I mean "we," but we have no idea what "dour" means... See you at the show.
HANNAH
WAVELENGTH 104
SUNDAY MARCH 10, 11PM
Purveyors of: Not-so-naive "naive pop"
email: hannahfans@hotmail.com
Equation: Knockout Pill minus one equals Hannah. Contextualise. Take us from mathematics to history.
Mark: Knockout Pill
was just a front. This is the real thing, just with a half-baked name.
Deb: Mark is right, Knockout Pill had some shady secrets and we're now
in the witness protection program with a name that will draw absolutely
no attention to us whatsoever.
What makes a "good" pop song good and a "bad" pop song bad?
Mark: Well, I guess
as someone who writes pop tunes, I don't really know. I think, like with
movies, my favourites are the ones that steal from other genres. Pop/country
or pop/quirk/synth or pop/rock, even. Better, but far beyond my ability
is the opposite, like country with a pop twang, or groove/alt.ambient
with pop flavour. Bad pop songs are not always inherently bad, just mediocre
ones that were played to death.
Kirk: Well, a good song has rhythm and melody and a bad song has, well,
rhythm and melody.
Deb: I'd have to say that a bad pop song is anything that is sung through
a headset instead of a regular microphone. Good pop songs are all about
melody and words I'd be proud to sing on a stage.
You've been selected (whether you want to or not) to record a dozen covers for a cover album project. What twelve songs do you pick by what twelve artists? You can say a word or two about your reasons, but bear in mind that space is limited.
1. "Summer Babe" by Pavement. One of those that I wish I had written. 2. "King Of Carrot Flowers" by Neutral Milk Hotel. Just when I thought there was nothing good on the radio these days, this song comes along and proves it. 3. "Box Full Of Letters" by Wilco. If Wilco were a trolley, I would ride all day long. Do not die before hearing this song. 4. "From A Motel 6" by Yo La Tengo. Inspiring music. Killer song. 5. "Sunday Morning" by The Velvet Underground. It's like honey, ya know? 6. "Bad Moon Rising" by Credence Clearwater Revival. Early on, this one made me want to play music. 7. "A Salty Salute" by Guided by Voices. What is the point of picking a GbV song to cover when I want to cover them all? RP, I love you. 8. "Lee Remick" by The Go-Betweens (sublime pop). 9. "Positively 4th Street" by Bob Dylan (every cover album needs a Bob song). 10. "Books About UFOs" by HŸsker DŸ (love it). 11. "Dark As A Dungeon," that ole country standard (love the pain). 12. "California (All the Way)" by Luna.
You've been recording. Tell us all about it.
Mark: We've been recording
with Dave Newfeld at his place called Stars And Suns. He's a great guy
with great ideas, and he seems to get what we're doing even if we don't.
We've done six days so far and have most of the bed tracks down and a
couple of rough mixes on the go. I love the studio process. I would love
to marry it and move in and have kids with it.
Debbie: With enough of the right effects, we can be fabulous singers.
Kirk: The recording has been far out man, far out. Where can people find
out more about you? You can email us at hannahfans@hotmail.com, or you
can come to see our Wavelength show on March 10/02 and just walk straight
up to us and start talking. We'll tell you anything you want to know.
What is the single most remarkable thing about Hannah?
Mark: HANNAH is a
palindrome. You can spell it the same forwards or backwards.
Deb: It took us three years to agree on this name that we don't really
like -- recurring theme of this interview.
Kirk: The fact that between the three of us we have seven nipples.
Leave us with a lyrical fragment from Hannah. Thanks.
Mark's choice: "And
I don't feel very real, at the moment/ And you smell like he did, last
night/ You flew underneath my radar/ You flew underneath my radar."
Kirk's choice: "I'm not a musician yet/ I'm not a musician yet/ Bah Bah
Da Da Ba Ba Ba Ba..."
Deb's choice: "She breaks her favourite pillows/ And dances in the down."
-- interview by Paddy O'Donnell
LEDERHOSEN
LUCIL
WAVELENGTH 104
SUNDAY MARCH 10, 10PM
Purveyors of: Polka-punk, new-wave style
web: http://artists3.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Lederhosen_Lucil/
email: lederhosenlucil@hotmail.com
Wavelength assigned trusty Junkshop producer/engineer (and Fembot) Dave
MacKinnon the task of interviewing one of his former projects. We thought
since he recorded, produced and played on the Fršzenhosen release, he
might have known what the right questions to ask were. Looks like we were
right. (Dave MacKinnon will also DJ the night LL plays.)
Who am I speaking to? Is this Lederhosen Lucil or her alter ego Krista?
Krista/Lucil: Both! Over the internet, both of us can have das chance to speak aut!
How does this whole "alter-ego" thing work? Is it a time-share arrangement or more like a demonic possession?
Krista: A bit of both,
really. I usually only let Lucil out at night for shows and to practice
the music/songs for her. Once I get into her skin (i.e. her lederhosen/hair),
I get taken over by her spirit. It's very disturbing to watch, so I usually
do it alone in a bathroom stall. Once, however, Sarah Harmer saw the transformation
with her naked eyes...
Lucil: Ja. I lie dormant most of die zeit. I like to sleep und dream so
it works aut quite well. I've noticed certain recurring themes in your
songs.
Can you explain the link between candy, illness and bad office jobs?
Lucil: Diese subjects are really daily struggles that mein alter ego Krista faces und so they come through in many of her songs. But, if you think about it, they are definitely related... she has been known to overdose on sucrose in order to bring her up (i.e. a "high") at her bad jobs and as ein after-effect becomes ill. My diet is definitely besser -- ich bin ein vegetarian und rarely indulge in das candy.
You write and perform your music using the preset rhythms and bass lines on your Yamaha organ. What will happen when you've used up all the presets? Could this spell the end for Lederhosen Lucil?
Krista: Well, the spirit of Lucil can never die, but her earthly incarnation might be at risk. And when the presets are used up, there are always the other 340 models of Yamaha keyboards to explore... Also, I play music as myself as well and if Lucil becomes tired of earthly politics und such, perhaps she will return to her own planet. You just never know with that fraulein...
Is there an organ preset you have so far found unusable?
Krista/Lucil: YES! #98 NEW AGE ROCK! It is obscene...
I've noticed you get at least one marriage proposal per show? What is it about Lucil that makes the men go crazy?
Krista: Her big bright eyes, crazy smile, and sexy lederhosen. Oh! She also has a brilliant sense of humour and a strange confident demeanour that causes swooning...
Is there a certain type of man that is more likely to propose?
Lucil: Nein! I get all types! Und even all genders... Many of die men, however, propose to Krista und she reminds them that she is not Lucil und then they get confused. But, really... I've had proposals from ein troll-esque chap, a big hairy older fellow, a young bright-eyed gangly student, and an angelic fellow musician. You just never know... like mit mein musik, I seem to attract all types auf people...
Are the Germans down with Lucil?
Lucil: Ja! At every show there seems to be at least one fellow Deutchlander und they love it! Some even think I'm from their country... It is sehr exciting...
Having already invaded and conquered the rock'n'roll strongholds of Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa and MontrŽal, do you have further plans for world domination?
Krista: Yes! We have many plans... and world domination is number two on our list. First we're going to start with the release of Hosemusik, Lucil's/my first official album freshly re-mastered complete with three bonus tracks. Then... THE WORLD!
SURFACE
OF ECEON
WAVELENGTH 105
SUNDAY MARCH 17, 11:45PM
Purveyors of: Cresting waves of blissed-out sonics
web: www.surfaceofeceon.com
LANDING
WAVELENGTH 105
SUNDAY MARCH 17, 10:45PM
Purveyors of: The calm ocean beneath those waves
web: www.surfaceofeceon.com
Two glorious space-rock ensembles (in the FSA tradition of "rural psychedelia")
from Connecticut touch down at Wavelength on the 17th. Surface Of Eceon
contains Aaron Snow, Dick Baldwin, Daron Gardner, Adam Forkner and Phil
Jenkins, while Landing sees Snow, Baldwin and Gardner joined by Adrienne
Snow. Both bands have recordings available on Olympia, Washington's Strange
Attractors Audio House.
Your bands are linked by membership. (Please explain.) What other connections are there?
Forkner: We are a
part of loose-knit collective of musicians known as The Vessyl. We all
believe that through improvising music collectively (known as "playing
thru the vessyl") we can achieve a creativity beyond above our separate
individual egos. This is the music of The Golden Vessyl of Sound. It speaks
through us and into you and into the world around us, elevating us to
a higher realm of sound, colour and light.
Gardner: Besides having 3/4ths of Landing in Surface, we are all good
friends, and share a similar vision of what we want to achieve with our
music.
The names seemed linked as well. Is something "landing" on the "surface of Eceon"? If so, what? And where is Eceon exactly?
Gardner: When we decided
to name the new band Surface of Eceon, there was no intentional connection
to the name Landing... the fact that the names could actually be linked
is something I hadn't even thought of.
Forkner: When in a Vessyl-enduced state of trance, one has visions of
a fantastical city in the sky. We call this city Dryystn, and it has the
form of a cypress tree. Beyond the furthest reaches of this tree city,
wisping through the longest tallest branches like mist to an early morning
hill, is the Surface of Eceon. "Landing" is a verb. It means to touch
down on a surface, though no specific surface is specified in their name.
Is drone music all about returning to the womb? (Outer space vs. inner space?)
Forkner: The use of
drone to enter into The Vessyl of Sound is a return of sorts. A return
to a more primal, less rational mode of both expression and consciousness
in general. Therefore it could be seen as a move away from a more Patriarchal
mode of thought and production towards a more "feminine" or "Matriarchal"
mode of being. The drone envelopes us, womb-like, and can have extremely
emotionally healing powers. Catharsis, release, embrace, forgiveness,
warmth, fuzziness, love, escapism, projecting positive futures for ourselves:
these are all encorporated into the drone, and into The Vessyl of Sound.
Snow: That's a good analogy. The way I look at it is that Landing is all
about sleep. If I can fall asleep within 10 minutes of putting on any
Landing, we've done our job. The womb also seems to relate to comfort
and a form of sleep, so it all makes sense.
Tell us a bit about Strange Attractors Audio House and how you connected with them.
Forkner: Chris Scofield,
who runs the label, also works at K Records, who put out records by Yume
Bitsu, founding members of the Vessyl Collective. Adam Forkner of Yume
Bitsu and Surface of Eceon introduced Chris to Landing, Surface and also
Planetarium Music (Alex Bundy of Yume Bitsu's solo electronics work),
all members of the Vessyl Collective. He, in turn, has agreed to help
us on our path to tell the world about our Vessyl Sound Philosophy.
Snow: We (Landing) had recorded our second full-length Oceanless in mid-1999
for release on a little label in Maryland, but the guy who wanted to put
it out dropped off the face of the earth. After we met Adam, he gave Chris
(who runs SAAH) the EP and he decided to put it out. We added a live recording
and a song previously released only on cassette, and that became Oceanless.
Chris is really great. He is really into the droney stuff that Landing
does, so whenever we do something droney, it goes straight to him.
It seems that drone-friendly venues are few and far between in North America. What are some of your favourite rooms to play?
Snow: Bars generally
really suck, unless the bands you are playing with draw a similar audience.
We really enjoyed playing at the Knitting Factory with Windy & Carl on
our tour with them, and we love playing at Windy & Carl's record store
(Stormy Records). Really, anywhere where people are respectful and a little
quiet, that's where we like to play.
Forkner: Anywhere where people can sit down in comfortable seats or couches
and drift off. Bars are the worst, with people standing and drinking and
talking and smoking. We like more "loft" or "warehouse" or "cafŽ" or "record-store
after-hours" or "house-show" or "all-ages punk collective" type venues
over bars.
Would you agree with the assertion that drone-rock is better when "massive" and "assaultive"; rather than "wispy" and "ethereal"? Or should all these adjectives just be chucked out?
Snow: I think those
adjectives are fine, but all of them can work for any given band. Landing
is a quiet band. We find that when we play loud, it wrecks the feeling
of the music. With SOE however, the volume becomes another member of the
band. Bands that are unneccessarily loud are awful, but I think it is
important for a band to think about their volume and how it relates to
the music.
Forkner: Music that comes forth from The Vessyl is entirely linked to
the people creating it in each moment of time. Sometimes this can be a
loud wall of sound that perhaps assaults the listener with fuzz-wah destruction.
Other times it's a more gentle enveloping of sheets of glimmering colour-sound
beauty. Often one leads to the other. These are all valid and vital forms
of Vessyl-expression.
Do Landing and Surface of Eceon ever compete in intramural sports?
Forkner: Landing is
really good at volleyball (sand and hard-court). On the other hand, Surface
kicks ass at home-run derby and touch/flag football. When it comes to
T-ball, Ultimate Frisbee, Capture The Flag, smash-ball, darts, bowling
or other more "soft" sports, it's anyone's game really.
Snow: Landing is very competitive within the band, be it dominoes, bowling
or Uno. Surface is more into lovey crap. That is probably because Adam
and Phil are so afraid of Landing's incredible girth and strength.
-- interview by Jonny Dovercourt
BUNKBED
NIGHTS
WAVELENGTH 105
SUNDAY MARCH 17, 9:45PM
Purveyors of: Acoustic campfire pop
web: littlesounds@hotmail.com
Bunkbed Nights are a lovely acoustic trio from Grand Rapids, a nice town in western Michigan. Nora Charles talked to Juan from the band; here we go:
Tell us a bit about the band, where you're from, how you formed, who you are, etc.
Bunkbed Nights is Ben on guitar, Peter on dobro, and I play banjo. We all sing sometimes. And sometimes, we play whatever instruments are onstage at the time. Also Peter & I just both got lap steels, so we might bring those on the road with us, who knows. Bunkbed Nights started last January for real. Then it was Ben, Sarah, Mary, Mark, and me. We played two shows in one week and then our singer Ben moved to Boston for six months. When he got back, I moved to Ann Arbor for the summer. Between those times, Sarah, Mary and Mark all left for different reasons. In the fall we decided violins and cellos and stuff were lame, so we got a dobro player, Peter. And it's stayed the same for about three months now.
Your set feels like trading tunes around a campfire, have you ever thought about lighting a fire on stage?
It is true that we are not known to always keep a setlist, but we have yet to play in a bar sleazy enough to go through with doing that kind of thing.
Is there a Longitude connection or are you guys all about (l)attitude?
Of course! Ben went to school with Stevie D. Joe lives in our town, both Bunkbed Nights and Longitude are managed by the same dude. And I guess he lives in the same room that Rob from Longitude lived in. One time Rob and Steve actually put bricks and stuff up in their shower to make their own hot tub.
Who gets the top bunk?
Ben and Peter are both fortunate to have enough money to live where they each have their own room. I sleep on the bottom bunk. My roommate Dickson sleeps on the top bunk. For the last four or five weeks, though, he has been staying up until like 10:30am Ôcuz otherwise he can't wake up for his classes on time at all. So he doesn't usually go to bed until about 3 in the afternoon on most days. Needless to say, he's missed over 20 classes in just three weeks of classes this semeseter.
What's in a border?
Not really sure. I work with all Canadians in a cafeteria, Ôcuz they can't work anywhere else Ôcuz of legal stuff I don't understand. They'll probably ask me to get them cheap du Maurier cigarettes, but then of course I'm going to run out of money (spring break) and smoke them. du Mauriers don't react well with my throat/voice, so we'll probably have to cancel Wavelength.
Any favourite Bill Murray moments?
At first I was really opposed to this question, but I remembered that part in Scrooged where the girl is trying to get the little antlers on the mouse and Bill Murray just says to staple them on.
Who are the great new songwriters?
Well, I think Phil Elvrum/The Microphones are getting up there. Fred Thomas, Julian from The Music Tapes, Will Oldham, Julie Doiron, and Andrew W.K. for sure.
What does Bunkbed Nights look for in an audience?
It
can really depend, we've been happy playing for loud crowds when no one
can hear us, but mostly our shows go like, everyone is insanely quiet,
which is very flattering, but we don't really expect that from an audience.
We like when people talk to us, though.
THE
PHASES
WAVELENGTH 106
SUNDAY MARCH 24, 11PM
Purveyors of: Noise-jam canals
Pictured: Jeff Sinbaldi (guitar), Phil (behatted) Demers (drums), Mono
(bass).
email: the_phases@hotmail.com
If your music was to be described as "spacey", would you find this offensive
or complimentary, and why?
Our music is "spacey" only in the sense that we fill "space". "Space" is the canvas that we paint with our musical language. Our musical language is derived from stepping up on the stage (or up to the microphone) with nothing more than a few phrases, lines, themes and melodies in our back pockets. Our music is very much music of the moment and we've contracted out our souls to the ridiculture of risk.
Where do you live? How do you like living there?
The Phases live on the margins of Toronto in the "rose city" of Welland, Ontario (a city in decline). We choose to live and make music here (for now), as opposed to there, because we're closer to the wine, and because as artists we can live more comfortably and affordably down here, and we're a mere stone's throw away from Mecca.
You have two discs floating around. One is called Sep 01, the other Oct 01. How did this happen? Are Nov 01, Dec 01 and Jan 02 in the offing?
The "month" album titles are just convenient ways to "document" the time and place the music was created or compiled. Since our music is always created without intent, time has become the best way to arbitrarily title our releases. I guess we're also trying to subconsciously reveal the sounds of the seasons, because we're seasonal creatures by nature. And since our songs are edited snippets from hours and hours and hours of archived jams, we had to find a way to systematically keep track of all the recordings. I guess the method just fit the means.
In how many senses are we to take from your group's name? Is it "phase" as in stage of development, "phase" as in the phasing of sound, "phase" as in phaser pedals, etc. etc.
"Phase" as in a stage of development that is continuously in flux. (Note: no phaser pedals used. The Phases use only one effect on the records, a Boss digital delay pedal on the guitars. All of the other sounds that sound like effects are a result of the way the sounds were captured in the room live.)
Why make the music you make? Why choose the sounds you choose?
We make the music that we make because it is what comes out of us when we pick up our instruments to play. Our goal as musicians is to try and document (and present) that instant of creation unfiltered. Our records are documents of this spontaneous creation, and our live shows are even further testaments of our dedication to creation. We demand that our approach to making music be simple, we don't ever want to have to write a song that we have to go up night after night after night after night to play it the same way every night after night after night after night.
-- interview by Paddy O'Donnell
SLINKY
KELLOGG
WAVELENGTH 106
SUNDAY MARCH 24, 10PM
Purveyors of: The serious popular song (the deconstruction of)
email: aliengirl_records@yahoo.com
D (Slinky Kellogg had these fragments to send to curious Wavelength onlookers regarding their "sound", "direction", and all such matters.
***
"In the blackness forming to the Southwest came the first rumblings. We ran to the studio and set up our microphones."
***
In this collection, Slinky Kellogg demonstrates the winning qualities of their playing and offers their fans yet another heart-warming collection of fine songs. Music as smooth and polished as old mahogany, as fresh as a meadow in spring. This music is presented by outstanding personalities, chosen for their warmth and intelligence. They vary their musical moods as the different song contents demand.
***
I knew them back in the old days when they recorded commercial jingles. It may surprise you to learn that they also compose most of their own material. They started a band and soon found out it was all a terrible mistake. Musicians had temperaments; bookers had trouble finding the right places.
***
I sometimes receive phone calls from them offering me new versions of recordings already supplied by them -- like the tireless beast of all work, the burros, clip-clopping over the cobblestones of the square of a tiny sunlit town.
***
Slinky Kellogg present a generosity of sound, a light but authoritative emotional message, a firm feeling for what Americans want in their music, yet the freshness and perspective of the long distance viewpoint. Once you have the basic feel of the music, the actual steps will follow with ease.
***
Tambourine fans will pop their corks!
***
In the two bouncy fun-filled novelties, you'll find the apex of abandonment. They are noted for the great verve and animation that characterize their dancing, always up-to-date in capturing new dances and sounds, thereby maintaining appeal for royalty, fine dancers and the general public alike.
***
Such drastic changes have taken place that artists and artworks of only a short time ago seem strange and dated, as if from another world. When the telephone and the doorbell haven't rung, when television has become a meaningless hodge-podge of nondescript faces and sounds.
***
Come apart for a while.
***
In this rapidly changing world, this is a necessity.
MORE
PLASTIC
WAVELENGTH 107
SUNDAY MARCH 31, 11PM
RANCHO RELAXO, 300 COLLEGE ST.
Purveyors of: The Revolution (Prince style now?)
web: www.moreplastic.com
Wavelength asked Moncton's Peter Parkers to interview Toronto's More Plastic and vice-versa. This is the result of The Peter Parkers interviewing More Plastic.
Having gotten to know you gentlemen over the course of the last couple of years via living together for week(s) at a time and touring, I got to thinking about all the fucked up, gross and inexplicable things my friends used to do when I was a kid. In a few short phrases, how would you best describe yourselves as children? (Sorry George, you can't answer this one... I had a friend just like you growing up. He smashed the shit out of every toy he ever owned.)
We were all born full grown adults simultaneously on a full moon the night Al Green was ordained a minister of the Baptist Church. Our "childhood" was spent swimming peacefully in the smoky ether coming out of Serge Gainsbourg's mouth.
Boys: enema or catheter? (This one should be a no brainer unless you are into some weird crap you've never bothered mentioning to us... Answer democratically.)
I dunno...every time we find a hole we plug it.
Does Possum Squad stand a decent chance at world domination (or at least a really cool western flick soundtrack) or should they NOT quit their day jobs?
Possum Squad stands a highly indecent chance of world domination, but that was at least partially the point. If those damn right sheep call Ôem God, how far behind could the human sheep be? It's a photo finish, in fact.
What did you boys think of Cap Enrage, N.B.? (for y'all unfamiliar with the Maritimes, it is an immense cliff located about an hour and a half from Moncton, N.B., overlooking the Atlantic Ocean... Breathtaking even without sniffing glue.)
If you hadn't taken us there to soak up the salty wind and the gorgeous view and then stuffed us full of seafood mayhem in Alma, we would never have gone to bed with you.
My favourite thing about playing in the Peter Parkers is the fact that I get to act like an 18-year-old a few weeks out of the year, as opposed to always looking like an 18-year-old. (I get carded a lot for smokes and booze.) Also, my mom used to go to the dentist's office with me... by my request until I was 18... I hate drills, especially a dentist's drill. Did your parent(s) do similar things for you in the name of the love of their weenie excuse for a son?
How in hell did you get to the end of that question from the beginning? Anyway, I think we covered this childhood business earlier... but our sunny excuse for a weenie sells bootleg cartons of Gauloises [pronounced "Galatasaray"] and cans of 50 outside the cop shop on Dundas and they don't even know.
If Old Blue and Rope got together, do you think they would have mini-vans? Would they have two side doors or just one? (Please elaborate.)
General Motors would get a much-needed case of jungle fever.
Of all the Peter Parkers; tell me which one: a) Appears (deception is a bitch) to be the brightest one of the lot? (Sorry boys... excluding Chas)
Cam has been as luminescent as the Morning Star ever since his brain was removed. Errol's candle is dimmed by luscious black locks the size of Portugal.
b) Has the most annoying laugh? (OK... including Chas)
We are all joyless automatons. There is no laughter, only grim satisfaction.
c) Seems to have the best Hygiene? (again... excluding Chas)
Oh come now, we were all bathed in lye for equal periods of time. Let us not be so competitive.
d) Would be most likely to work at Toys-R-Us (by choice)?
Errol, definitely. That's where they sell the booze, right?
Andy vs. and-Eye: best cook?
I don't even know which one is which anymore. "Shortly To Follow" Zalameda does a mean lobster thermidor aux crevettes. All I ever cook is Doritos.
Favourite action star: Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris (pre-Texas Ranger era) or Christopher Lambert?
John Goodman in Delta Force.
If you had to compare both Sesame Street and Mister Dressup to political parties or regimes, which ones would they be? Did this have a major influence on you as a child in the decision-making process of which one to watch? (They say kids are smarter than you think.)
Sesame Street was like a hippie commune in the socialist paradises of Northern Europe, Mister Dressup was like Mahatma Gandhi and his puppets were the separatist Muslims who created Pakistan. Mister Rogers, by the way, actually is Pinochet. Won't you be mine, indeed.
Any thoughts on the present state of the civilized (poot!) world?
Dismantle the arms industry. Pay everyone a living wage. Feed the childen. See if it's still possible to educate Americans.
THE
PETER PARKERS
WAVELENGTH 107
SUNDAY MARCH 31, 10PM
Purveyor of: Maritime what-the-hell-is-in-the-water-out-there space epics
email: www.thepeterparkers.com
Toronto's More Plastic were given the task of interviewing Moncton's Peter Parkers and vice-versaÉ here's how it all worked. More Plastic interview The Peter ParkersÉ
Yer delicious The Regular Urchin EP is charting at some disreputable college stations. What is the capital of Suriname?
What?... Suriname isn't even a... whoops! Yahoo says it is. The capitol is Paramaribo. I had to look that sucker up, but I'll tell you the one thing I do know about Suriname. In the Ô88 Olympics, they had a kick-ass swimmer (don't remember his name) that beat the crap out of heavy USA favourite Matt Biondy in the 100 m Butterfly event. I think it was their first medal ever (or maybe just for swimming), but they were so impressed by this that they put his face on their dollar bill. He was considered a national hero... But seriously, the Urchin EP charted? At disreputable schools? My old school??
You maniacs can mesmerize hundreds of drunken teenagers in Sydney, N.S. Has (mostly) living together under one roof made The Peter Parkers Experience so intimate that people don't know what to do with themselves?
Frig off, bye! That's crazy talk! We are hundreds of crazy drunk ÔBretonner teenagers! That's what's made us PP's so close! That and celery! You know, celery! For the pheromones... Nevermind...
How green was my valley?
Don't really care about that. Kinda too kinky for my blood. Can't remember, anyway!
How chocolate was my river?
But here, oh yes, oh yes... pretty gooey. Did you change your phone number or something?
Do keyboards dream of electric guitars?
For God's sake, what? Maybe if you're a keyboard in Kraftwerk, then I guess so! I guess you would. I think if you were a keyboard in let's say.... Nickelback, you wouldn't dream of being anywhere else but!! Wait... that's not fair. We got to meet their roadies and they were pretty cool L.A. rocker-types!!!
Just what the crap is More Plastic's collective trouble?
Repressed rock-stardom aspirations. I mean, come on! Look at you guys. You think we didn't catch on in Ô99? Give us a little credit. You's ain't foolin' nobody... Haha!! Gotcha! I think your collective poop is that you can't take jokes like a good ole' Maritimer. Still love ya's, though. That last part was a joke, also.
What are your hopes and fears concerning More Plastic's future without Delko? Do you even give a flying fuck at a rolling donut on a slippery slope?
We have no fears for y'all whatsoever. We're happy that Delko is happy, and that he's happy that you guys are gonna keep making wonderful love-making music, and keep on bein' buddies!!! Anyone know when the wedding is?
Personally, I feel like I could happily tour with you folks indefinitely. In an indie-rock world crammed so full of high-fat ego and limp-dick posturing on boring Wonderbread, why do us two bands seem to go together like hot curry and explosive bathroom breaks?
Brilliant wording! I have to agree. My bathroom breaks are as explosive as a round of "Let's Grope Juri!"... Wait, lost track. You guys just shoot us our musical faith right back. It's so good. Just keep cooking for us.
Both of us bands are self-recorded, self-designed, self-booked, self-conscious, and oft-overlooked by the indie-rock powers-that-be (oh, whine, whine, whine). Where do you get your Scenester I.D. Card?
We got ours off of the Internet. Just add a bubble jet, laminate and Bingo! Instant cred.
Do you hear the ghost of an Elevator rising and falling in your happy Moncton home?
Haven't dropped a hit here yet, but my closet makes scary, mouse-poop noises at night. Must be the coconut.
When's Cam gonna play some of his songs?
He just needs a little Ôverb. But the guy's songs are nice, aren't they? I'm gonna email his MP3s to everyone without telling him. Then we won't have to twist his nipples as hard.
Rob Tyner or Bon Scott -- who wins the chess tournament?
I'd venture to say the Bon would get it -- after waking from his nappy-poo. Bon is one smart cookie! Rob'd put up a helluva challenge, though. Yes? We don't talk out of our arses. We don't talk out of our arses. We don't talk out of our arses. We don't talk out of our arses. We don't talk out of our arses. ... pp-pp-please stop the voices!!!! #@%^&*(%!
March
3
DJ The State
Hip-hop, J-pop, electro, excess, love, friendship, betrayal.
March
10
DJ Bargain-Bin-Vinyl
I will be playing my best bargain-bin vinyl.
March
17
DJ Jonny Dovercourt
Music, like its spinner, that is either inordinately ornery or inexplicably ecstatic.
March
24
DJ Hi-Karate
Music for Kata.
March
31
DJ Eric John Abboud
I will play music that reminds me of living. ÔCause if you got the money honey, I got the time.