JJ Ramone's Top 25 Albums of 2009 #'s 25-11

2009 was a fantastic year for music. Of course you had to wade through a lot of shite and drivel to find most of the good stuff but there were tons of options for people of all tastes (and lack thereof). Usually it's pretty easy for me to narrow my "album of the year" choice to one or two albums. However, this year proved to be quite difficult for me because there were some absolutely stellar releases by some incredible bands at the top of their games. Every album in my top 5 could potentially be my favourite of the year depending on my mood, but due to the nature of these lists I will designate numbers.

Year-end lists are primarily meant to spark discussion and encourage people to go back and take a chance on some music they either overlooked or never had a chance to sink their teeth into earlier in the year. I aim to do the same with my list. What impressed me was that I had a lot of trouble narrowing down my list to 25. Sadly, there were some worthy albums that were just on the cusp of making this very influential and esteemed list. ;-)

My list is by no means definitive. I have probably listened to more music this year than I ever have in my life but I know I have to check out albums by the likes of The Dead Weather, Dinosaur Jr., The Monsters of Folk, and The Flaming Lips, to name a few. So with all of this in mind I give unto you, our loyal and devoted audience, a humble scribe's picks for Top 25 Albums of 2009. Enjoy.

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25. Scatterheart - The Masterpan

24. Steve Earle - Townes

23. Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You

22. Ohbijou - Beacons

21. Bat For Lashes - Two Suns

20. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

19. The Deep Dark Woods - Winter Hours

18. Amy Millan - Masters Of The Buriel

17. The Minus 5 - Killingsworth

16. Bruce Springsteen - Working On A Dream

15. Melissa McClelland - Victoria Day

14. Spinnerette - Spinnerette

13. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand

12. Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications

11. Bif Naked - Purge

JJ Ramone's Top 25 Albums of 2009 #'s 10-6

10. Jay Reatard - Watch Me Fall

Jay Reatard is an artist I desperately wanted to hate. The guy looks like a complete D & D loser crossed with Meat Loaf and his name (yes, it IS pronounced THAT way) is bordering on juvenile. But after giving this album a chance, I am hooked. The best I can think of to describe Mr. 'tard is to imagine what would happen if The Buzzcocks went crazy on mushrooms and put out a psychedelic album. It shouldn't work but it does. He definitely deserves the buzz of the indie press.

9. Immaculate Machine - High On Jackson Hill

There is nothing fancy with Immaculate Machine: just simple, infectious power pop with hooks galore... but rarely done this good. If you dig The New Pornographers, check these guys and gals out. Highlights include "Sound The Alarms" and the sublime "And It Was."

8. Joel Plaskett - Three

In an age where people are heralding the death of the album, Joel Plaskett goes out and makes a triple album consisting of 27 songs. Either the guy is crazy or has balls the size of grapefruits. Either way, he pulls it off with little, if any, filler. Plaskett mixes styles often enough to make this album listenable in one sitting. There are traces of rock, pop, country, folk, Celtic, soul and blues throughout. "Through & Through & Through" has to be the catchiest song of the year.

7. Pearl Jam - Backspacer

After almost a decade of toying with experimental self-indulgence, Pearl Jam have put together another excellent back-to-basics album, following 2006's self-titled effort. The quality of songs taper off a wee bit after the punked up energy of "Gonna See My Friend," "Get Some", "The Fixer" and "Just Breathe" but not enough to prevent this from being a great, concise and compact album. At only 37 minutes this album just breezes by, leaving the listener wanting more. Pearl Jam are definitely back.

6. You Say Party! We Say Die! - XXXX

These dance-punks from Vancouver have delivered their most "mature" album to date, but they still leave plenty of room for herky-jerky dance tunes like "Glory" and "There Is XXXX (Within My Heart)." However, the morose "Heart Of Gold" and "Laura Palmer's Prom" can make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. This is an absolutely brilliant album that probably should have made my Top 5.

JJ Ramone's Top 25 Albums of 2009 #'s 5-1

5. Tegan And Sara - Sainthood

Tegan And Sara can do no wrong. Every album they release is always different enough from their prior release and this one is no exception. After the generally mellow, keyboard heavy The Con, Sainthood cranks up the guitars and beats for a dancier, punkier feel. One thing that does not change is their incredibly catchy, yet quirky melodies. Highlights include "Hell," "The Cure" and "Northshore."

4. Metric - Fantasies

Emily Haines and company have come out with their strongest album to date, the self-released Fantasies. As in the past, Metric keep this album to a slim and trim 10 tracks and 40 minutes, which keeps the focus on their killer hooks. The guitars are less prominent than they have been on their last couple albums but it is easily their most uptempo and fun album to date. "Gimme Sympathy" is definitely a contender for single of the year.

3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!

Largely ditching their punked out guitars in favour of more textured and dance-oriented synths paid off handsomely for these New York art punks. Karen O's distinctive spastic Banshee-esque yelps are transcendent over dance floor ready songs like "Zero" and "Heads Will Roll," as well as over subdued tracks like "Little Shadow." The 4 alternate acoustic bonus tracks prove that great songs exist beneath the fancy electronic embellishments.

2. U2 - No Line On The Horizon

U2 are on the hottest streak of their career, pulling off quite the artistic hat trick with All That You Can't Leave Behind, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, and now this undisputed classic. This album requires a little more patience than some of U2's prior releases, which is probably why it's been somewhat of a commercial flop, but it definitely rewards the listener with repeated listens. "Magnificent" and "Breathe" are classic U2 stadium-ready songs while "Moment Of Surrender" and "White As Snow" give the album a contemplative, meditative feel.

1. Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown

Green Day have come a long way from singing about jerking off and smoking pot. Billie Joe Armstrong and company have officially joined the upper echelon of classic "important" bands with American Idiot and now 21st Century Breakdown. The 18 songs collected here flow better than any album I've listed to this year, while the band combines the melodies of the Ramones, the politics of The Clash, the power and grandiose of The Who and a few hints of The Beatles for good measure. Fittingly, the band covers Social Distortion and The Who as iTunes bonus tracks.

Tom Waits Is 60 Years Old Today

Today marks the 60th birthday of one of my favourite artists of all time: Tom Waits. Waits is a man who seemingly has no sense of the normal process of time because he somehow gets cooler and more relevant with each passing year. In a world where youth is king, Waits has forged an incredibly long and consistent career making music and movies while hovering just on the periphery of mainstream pop culture. Yet, artists as wide ranging as Bruce Springsteen, the Ramones, Scarlett Johansson, Tori Amos, the Eagles, 10,000 Maniacs, Diana Krall, Steve Earle and Rod Stewart have covered Waits tunes over the years. For me, he is the prime example of how to grow old gracefully.

I can't think of another artist who has remained this vital at 60. Neil Young and Bob Dylan come close but those guys aren't putting out the best music of their careers at this phase of their lives. Case in point is Waits' recent double live album Glitter And Doom Live, culled from shows on his brief 2008 tour. Far from a greatest hits album, Waits focuses on songs from his stellar recent albums such as Orphans, Real Gone and Mule Variations. His rollicking version of "Goin' Out West" is probably the best thing to blast out of my speakers all year.

I'll be the first to admit that Waits is an acquired taste. I can see how his gruff voice can be a bit off-putting for a first time listener and his Swordfishtrombones era might be too avante garde for the average rock/pop fan but he definitely rewards a listener with patience and an attention span. I liken it to developing a taste for Guinness or Scotch.

So Happy Birthday Tom. I'd rather a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy indeed.

... submitted by JJ

Jimmy Fallon as Neil Young...

Last night on Late Night, Jimmy Fallon did an amazing, and hilarious, spot-on impersonation of Neil Young covering the theme song for The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air. Yes... you read that correctly. And Jimmy Fallon doesn't even crack up half way through.

Check it out below.

... submitted by JJ

Ohbijou @ The Exchange

Indie darlings Ohbijou made their way through our neck of the woods Monday, bringing their brand of orchestral chamber dream pop to a decent sized crowd. Ohbijou have been getting lots of buzz across the world since their debut album Swift Feet For Troubling Times came out a couple years ago. After seeing them live and listening to their two albums, I can definitely say the acclaim is well deserved.

Ohbijou are a band that are not going to leap out at anyone. Their music, which is infused with violin, cello, horns, and lush keyboards, is ideal for movie soundtracks or for chilling out at a coffee shop. If you are a fan of Stars, Broken Social Scene or Metric's more mellow offerings I would highly recommend this band.

The band, which is based out of Toronto and led by sisters Casey (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards) and Jennifer (violin, vocals) Mecija, perfectly replicate their layered sound onstage. Casey's voice is very soft, but shows flashes of gutteral power every now and then. This is pretty impressive considering the diminutive size of the singer.

Overall, I was really impressed with the show. My only complaint, which is very minor, is that their music might be a bit TOO mellow for a live performance. That being said, after listening to their two albums on my iPod for the last couple of weeks I knew what to expect. But it might be a bit off-putting for a newbie to the band.

The band were pretty serene and sedate during their performance. However, given the music they play, you can't exactly expect scissor kicks and windmill guitar strokes. Casey kept her onstage banter to a minimum but when she did speak she was extremely soft spoken, exhibiting a hint of shyness. However, this added a certain charm to the performance.

Long story short, it was a great way to spend a Monday night. You can check them out at their myspace page here.

... submitted by JJ

The Flaming Lips - "Watching The Planets"

The Flaming Lips are a band I appreciate more than I actually like. I only own one album, 2008's At War With The Mystics, and think it is mostly self-indulgent psychedelia. However, I hear that that was the wrong album to get properly introduced to the trippy world of The Flaming Lips. One thing I will give them credit for is that they are never boring. Their live show is legendary, particularly Wayne Coyne walking over the crowd inside an oversized bubble. Plus, any band that backed up Beck on a tour is ok in my books.

Well The Flaming Lips have another album that just came out, Embryonic, that is getting some mixed reviews. This is probably due to that fact that it's a double album... That is probably way too much weirdness in one sitting for my liking.

However, at their best, The Flaming Lips are one of the most fun and adventurous bands out there. Probably because they are so" out there." Case in point is the first single and video from Embryonic, :Watching The Planets." I first heard this song when The Lips performed on Letterman or Conan. It was an absolutely stunning performance of a killer tune.

I saw the video for the first time a couple days ago and it is hands down the craziest, trippiest video I have ever seen. It's as if the promo posters for Queen's "Bicycle Race" came to life while you are tripping on magic mushrooms. It truly has to be seen to be believed. There are naked people riding bicycles. There are naked people coming out of some sort of embryo/vagine that looks like something out of Where The Wild Things Are. And Wayne Coyne even whips out his roll of "coynes" for all the world to see, which takes a lot of balls. (So needless to say, this video is VERY NSFW!!!!!)

You can check out the video exclusively at NME. Don't say I didn't warn you.

...submitted by JJ

You Say Party! We Say Die! w/ The War Doves & Patrick Swan @ The Lazy Owl

You Say Party! We Say Die! are a fantastic band from Vancouver that I have been listening to nonstop lately. Their recent album XXXX is easily one of my favourites of the year so needless to say I was pretty stoked to see that they were playing a show in town. Their music is a blend of electro pop, punk, new wave and dance music. Lead singer Becky Ninkovic has a distinct voice that reminds me of Nico on speed with a hint of Cat Power thrown in for good measure.

Apparently CBC Radio 2 chose this show at the Lazy Owl as one of the top 5 things to do that night... in CANADA. Unfortunately, only 50 or so people in Regina shared that sentiment. People bitch and complain that “no good shows ever come to Regina,” but when a cool band does come no one shows up. It’s usually the same 20 or so hardcore music fans plus a handful of others. But I digress. I’ll save this subject for another article. The people that DID show up saw three amazing bands/artists for a mere $8. If that’s not a helluva deal I don’t know what is.

The night began with a jaw dropping performance of spoken word poetry by Saskatchewan’s own Patrick Swan. I am a relative newbie to the whole spoken word poetry scene, but I was completely blown away by Swan’s charismatic, manic performance. His words just exploded out of him, with perfect rhythm, metre and the perfect amount of humour for levity. He had a percussive delivery that had the majority of the audience transfixed to the stage. I had no idea what to expect but you can now count me as a huge fan. He is definitely worth checking out. Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg would be proud.

Up next were Regina’s own War Doves. This was the first time I had a chance to see a whole set from these guys and I was really impressed. Their brand of melodic indie rock isn’t overly thrashy but it definitely still rocks. I really like their set up of two co-lead vocalists. The lower voice of John De Gennaro blends very nicely with Dagan Stoody-Harding’s higher Perry Farrell-esque voice. The War Doves strike me as a band that might take two or three listens to truly “get.” As a result, I would probably be way more into their live show if I listened to their album a few times (which I plan on doing). However, despite not being overly familiar with their material I thought they sounded great and can’t wait to see them again.

You Say Party! We Say Die! hit the stage and sounded great, considering the circumstances. The band sounded great for the first three or four songs but it was really hard to hear singer Becky Ninkovic in the mix. I first thought it might have been the sound but it soon became apparent what was going wrong: there was something wrong with her voice. The band bravely tried to soldier on with other band members picking up more of the vocal slack but they eventually made an “executive decision” and pulled the plug on the set due to Ninkovic having laryngitis. I know from experience that not being able to sing or talk when that is your job can be one of the most frustrating things ever so I definitely feel for Ninkovic. Apparently they have cancelled the next couple shows on their tour so hopefully she gets better soon. In the mean time, the band said that they would play for free next time they swing through town, which is a pretty cool move on their part. I can’t wait to see them when they are firing on all cylinders.

Below is a promo video for YSPWSD’s XXXX album along with links to each artist’s Myspace pages.

http://www.myspace.com/yousaypartywesaydie

http://www.myspace.com/thewardoves

http://www.myspace.com/patrickswan

...submitted by JJ

Library Voices w/ In-Flight Safety @ The Exchange

Library Voices are a pop band from Regina. According to the t-shirts at the merch table they are "pop as fuck," which I presume is about as pop as you can get. However, after seeing them for presumably the eighth or ninth time, Library Voices are definitely "pop" in the classic sense of the world. These guys and gals are definitely more Talking Heads than Britney Spears.

It's been a few months since I've seen Library Voices in action and they didn't disappoint. They keep getting better and better as a live act, and they were fantastic right from the get go. The band has been trimmed down to "only" eight members from the ten or so they have had in the past, which may be a contributing factor in the band sounding a little more tight musically.

One of the standard criticisms of indie rock is that most of the bands don't put on a show, preferring to gaze at their shoes. While this is true in some cases, Library Voices definitely cannot be accused of this. The entire band just oozes energy. It's obvious the band is having a blast onstage every time they perform and this fun energy is contagious. Primary singer, Carl Johnson, has so much natural charisma and the rest of the band follows suit. Simply put, the band knows how to put on one helluva show.

No matter how good their show is, the main reason Library Voices have been getting so much buzz from the likes of Spin is that they write and perform absolutely killer tunes. Their lyrics are intelligent, referencing Kurt Vonnegut and Tom Waits, and are delivered with undeniable pop sensibilities. It should be a crime that a band should have this many hooks in their songs. They played most of the tracks from their debut EP, Hunting Ghosts & Other Collected Stories, and a good chunk of new songs from their forthcoming album. While I'm not familiar with the titles for these new songs, every new song was instantly memorable. Every song could conceivably be a single. In particular, I was blown away with a song about an apocalyptic dance party, possibly called "2012."

I also noticed that their newer songs are a lot punchier, showcasing a lot more soft/loud dynamics reminiscent of the Pixies. This is particularly noticeable in their new single "Drinking Games," which the band recently shot a music video for.

Halifax's In-Flight Safety opened up the night, putting on a really solid 10 song set of jangly guitar pop with an 80's new wave influence. I was only familiar with a video these guys put out a few years ago, "Somebody's Been Watching You." However, perhaps because the song is a bit of a dirge, the band excluded it from the set and focused instead on more uptempo and danceable material. The guys from In-Flight Safety later joined Library Voice onstage for an unbelievable cover of Neil young's "Unknown Legend." These two bands are midway through a cross Canada tour so a certain camaraderie has been established between the members and it certainly showed during this song. It was probably the highlight of the night.

Below are clips of Library Voices' "Step Off The Map And Float" and In-Flight Safety's "Model Homes."

...submitted by JJ

Everybody hates you when you love rock n' roll

Well, maybe not everybody... but everybody at the City Limits Inn in Yorkton.

I'll start off by saying the title if this entry comes from one of the finest rock songs to ever come out of this nation, 'Rockstar' by Vancouver sleeeeeeze rockers Crystal Pistol. Ever since I've seen CP live, I've had a ping pong game in my head as to whether it is they, or Black Halos, that are my fave band ever from Van, either way, Crystal Pistol is VERY much worth checking out.

I wish they were the reason for this entry...

So let me tell you about my weekend.

Last Monday morning I get an e-mail from (my cover band project) Rhymes With Fun's drummer, saying we have a gig in Yorkton THIS weekend if we wanted it. Now usually, gigs are booked at least a couple months in advance, and scrambling to get a Friday off work and change any weekend plans isn't an appealing prospect, but the money was good and I've really enjoyed every minute I've ever spent in Yorkton, and we're still a very new band that needs all the stage time we can get so, I was all in.

It should be noted at this point that every other time I've played Yorkton, was at a club called Holly's... great crowds, staff, management... eeeeeeasily in my top fave three non-Regina rooms to play in all of western Canada.

This time, the booking was at a place called City Limits Inn. (A room I renamed City Limits Inn Tavern, so I could call it CLIT)

The whole rest of the week, I heard nothing but horror stories about this place from many people in Yorkton I know... some said "Yeah we'll come... I guess", some said in no way would they set foot in there.

I know now why that is, when you can tell who the classiest person in the place is by locating the person with the least amount of urine stains on their pants... yeah. (although, I DID learn that in some places, playing VLTs is a career)

We got this last minute show to help out another band who couldn't do the show. I've seen this other band @ The Drink a couple times before... and they are so MOR (middle of the road) that little yellow paint lines would be jealous listening to them, but they were MOR rock.

Rhymes With Fun's song list isn't entirely MOR, but we have enough of that material to draw on when we have to that I would've thought we'd be well accepted there.

Apparently, this band we replaced also does a LOT of country music.

The first words the bar night manager said to me: "Bands here play all country early in the night, go half country half classic rock in the middle, and by the end, you can play all rock if you want".

Um thanks... here's my (in my head) counter offer, "We'll play 'Cadillac Ranch' somewhere in our first set and refrain from playing Rage Against the Machine."

Now, this little "pep talk" from this staff guy already put my punk rock back up... but whatever... in my 10 years on the scene, there's not a lot I haven't seen and had to deal with, so I've gotten pretty good at brushing that off... oh, and we all managed to brush off the ridiculous set times/breaks the bar insists on, and even managed to adhere to the INSANE "No guests in the rooms after 11pm" rule. On top of it all, we kept the first couple of sets as MOR as possible, played a couple country songs we never really played before to show we were trying to accommodate everyone, all that stuff.
(although admittedly, I did have the crowd yelling "Fuck country" in unison by the forth set... but most joined in) :-)

The next morning at about 10 am I was out on the fire escape having my morning smoke (another rule I adhered to) and the manager comes up to get the guy in my band that booked the gig, called him down to his office. (for those of you who have never played in a band, no staff ever comes up to a band room at 10 am to say "Hey, nice job last nite boys!". :-)

So... the bar manager proceeds to tell our band spokesmen that we are a really good band, really good guys, but they want a country band, here's less than half the money promised, have a nice trip back to Regina. (we did by the way, we had vodka)

For the second time ever in my career, I was in a band that was fired. (the first time, back in 2000, it was REEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAALLY deserved... a story for another entry)

Now as much as I appreciate the "It's not you it's me" approach, (and the guy is right, for as new as we are, we a damn good band, one of the pluses of having four guys all with 10+ years experience, been rebooked for every gig we've played so far) I was still pretty steamed.

So, after enjoying a cigarette in my room while packing, I went down to help load out. (we singers don't usually like doing that, but this was an unusual situation) :-)

As much as I didn't want to give that bar another penny (this is the ONLY bar, and I've toured from Vancouver to southern Ontario, that didn't give the band staff prices on drinks), I put a couple bucks in the jukebox, which at the time was playing Keith Urban and Toby Keith (surprise!) so we could have some Skid Row and Bad Religion playing while we worked.

This all sounds negative, but friends, I write this to get to a positive ending... you see, "rock guys" might not like country as a rule, but we do tolerate it, and many of us even agree to cater to it a couple times a night, it IS Saskatchewan after all right.

Well, all a person should or can ask for in life is the same respect they show... I wasn't. WE weren't.

So... I Chris Real, do solemnly swear, to never, ever play another country song as long as I live, so help me Bowie, Amen.

I've always known country music fans don't generally tolerate things like Democrats, black people, readers, etc... but this is the first time I personally was actually discriminated against because of who I am and what I love. It sucks. I've been looked down on before... something about a guy in eye liner and nail polish still offends some people, it's beautiful, but I've never been literally discriminated against. So the other positive I can take from this is empathy.

My rock n' roll fires have been ignited now... like you wouldn't believe.

Fuck you I won't do what you tell me, fuck you I won't do what you tell me.

fin

Oh wait... one last thing, I realize I haven't done a "Monday FUNishment" since like the second week of this blog, it was meant to be a weekly thing, my apologies, life has been nuts the past couple weeks... a

As an act of contrition, next week's "Monday FUNishment" will be Chris Real getting in the ring with... himself. Should be a good read.

Rawk.

Chris F'n Real.

Album Review: The Minus 5 - Killingsworth

The Minus 5 are a band which began around a decade ago as a side project for singer/songwriter Scott McCaughey. McCaughey has received critical acclaim, if not exactly commercial success, for his work with the Young Fresh Fellows, the Baseball Project and as an unofficial member of R.E.M. for the last 15 years.

Based out of Seattle, McCaughey got lumped in with the grunge movement in the early ‘90s, primarily based on the fact that he happened to live in the same city as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and company. However, McCaughey’s songs have far less to do with Neil Young and fuzzed out guitars than they do with the pristine classical melodies of Big Star and The Beatles.

The Minus 5’s most recent album, Killingsworth, definitely strays from his Big Star influences. Featuring lots of acoustic guitars, steel guitar and female backing vocals reminiscent of Emmy Lou Harris, this album is far more Gram Parsons than Alex Chilton. However, this stylistic shift definitely works in McCaughey’s favour since it highlights his intelligent, witty and literate lyrics.

This album features contributions from Peter Buck of R.E.M., Colin Meloy of The Decemberists and Ken Stringfellow of the Posies. Highlights include “Scott Walker’s Fault,” “Dark Hand Of Contagion” and “Your Favourite Mess.”

4 out of 5

The Minus 5 - "The Lurking Barrister"

...submitted by JJ

A Chat With... Chris Real from Rhymes With Fun

Rhymes With Fun are a relatively new band on the Regina music scene. In fact, they are so new that they are still in their original packaging. Although the band itself may be new, the four members are all veterans of the Saskatchewan music scene. There is a good chance you have seen Chris Real, Jayson Ford, Matt Mann and Eric Stone in prior projects such as B*!*L*F, The League Of One, Bazooka Joe, SuperJuice, Parlour Trixx and Another Wave, to name a few.

As the guys prepare for their first official gig at The Plains this Saturday, I had a chance to sit down with singer/guitarist (and 4RMusic scribe extraordinaire) Chris Real to discuss what people can expect.

4RMusic: So Chris, what rhymes with fun?

Chris Real: Wussy, Scratch, Cleaver, Blunt, Moonsang (???), Dot… and for the ladies out there, Rawk.

4RM: How did Rhymes With Fun get together? I ask this because a complete stranger looking at a picture of you guys would probably see a punk rocker, a beatnik, an 80’s hair metal dude and a heavy metal drummer. It’s almost a Rock n’ Roll version of the Village People. ;-)

CR: Ahahaha I sorta like that. “It rhymes with fun at the F… U… CK…”

Aside from being a clever observation, it’s also a good indication of what you get for songs at a RWF show. If we had a tambourine player dressed in legwarmers with a Flock of Seagulls haircut, it’d be perfect. None of us really like the same kinds of music… I think U2 and Guns n’ Roses and Billy Idol are the only three artists everyone in the band digs, after that, song choice is somewhat a battle, but a fun one. It makes for a set list that’s all over the place, but we like it that way. The only rules we have with song choice is, you gotta be able to dance to it, and the majority of any crowd should know enough words to sing along.

We got together because we all liked each other’s former projects… I’ve wanted to work with our guitar player Matt for a long time, so when the chance came, I was all in. Also, we all like the same kind of beer so stopping at the offsale to prepare for rehearsal is never stressful.

4RM: You guys are focusing on covers for the time being. Do you have any plans to do any originals in the future?

CR: We had decided as a band to start off with strictly covers… it’s a great way to get familiar with your teammates. Plus, it’s the only way to make a buck and play shows you don’t have to set up yourself. However, we’re finding that harder to stick to than we thought… we’re already taking time out of preparing for shows to work on some riffs and the creativity is flowing very well… we might start to see a couple originals creeping into our set in a few months time.

4RM: What are your thoughts about playing originals vs. playing covers?

CR: I’ve been in original projects all my playing life… one of which took me all across the country, got my songs on the radio, a vid on MuchMusic (when they still like, played videos), and allowed me to meet many of my heroes… I love to play guitar, I love to sing, but I LIVE to write songs, so that part of what I do is never going away. Still, a cover band gives a guy the chance to hang out with his boys, play some great music, chat up club waitresses after everyone else has gone home, and most importantly, stay busy with music… it’s a great way to play lots and keep your chops up – and unless you’re a big time act, being in a cover band allows you to play in front of way more people, way more often, and make more coin which you can then use to support your original music habit.

4RM: You guys are playing at The Plains this Saturday. What are your thoughts about this venue closing it’s doors later this year?

CR: Honestly, it sucks more than anything has ever sucked before. Clubs come and clubs go and usually my reaction is “meh”, but that room was a huge, huge part of my development into the musician, and in a way, the human being I am today… and I know I’m not the only one who feels that way in Regina. I have been promised the clock that has hung on the wall and is visible from the stage for the better part of 30 years… man, I’ve looked at that clock a LOT over the past 8-9 years.

I’ll be sad as hell to see it go, but in the meantime, I’m resolving to be on that stage as much as they’ll let me until they shut down… that starts this Saturday. Everyone come out and help us say good-bye to a Regina institution (and support a local band that should be in one).

4RM: Since The Plains is closing, I guess you guys can always get a gig at JD’s...

CR: Who was this question MEANT for???? ;-)

No thank you. Yuck. I love to play, but I have my pride. The clientele of that room is… a gene pool that needs more chlorine.

4RM: Tell us about some your previous bands and projects.

CR: In grade 6 I made a model of the solar system. I went to the crafts store and bought various sizes of Styrofoam balls and… oh… do over.

It seems I’m always in several different projects at once… a band whore in the truest sense of the word. To talk about them all would break the internet. On a national level, I found the most success with the band I alluded to in a previous question, -another wave-. We made more of a name for ourselves outside of SK than we did in it, which to this day I find very odd… On a provincial level, I’m probably best known as the frontman from B*!*L*F. It’s been almost two years since we’ve been a band, but it’s still the project most people know me from and want to talk to me about… which I have zero problem with, I frigging LOVED being a part of that band. Right now, it’s all about Rhymes With Fun for the covers thing, and my original project I’m calling ‘Chris Real and the Others’.

4RM: Music runs in your family. What is your earliest musical memory and when did you know you HAD to be a musician?

CR: My earliest musical memory is hearing Blondie’s ‘The Tide Is High’ in my grandma’s basement when I was maybe 3. Oddly enough, that is also my most recent musical memory, I should really stop drinking.

I knew I had to be a musician three months after I picked up a guitar toward the end of grade 10. Two different things happened in one week that summer. #1, my dad called me up on stage to play a song with his band at this big country music fest in Innisfail, AB. My first time onstage… was in front of 5,000 people. #2, I went to a pawn shop in Edmonton and bought my first amp with a distortion channel. I got it home, plugged it in, hit the switch, played one chord, and it was all over. Lifer.

4RM: Should Kanye West get a “swift” kick to the family jewels for his stunt at the MTV MMAs?

CR: I’ve always detested Kanye West, so this latest F-up of his was a great springboard for me to go off on the guy. However, when I think about it… there’s been a fair amount of pretty young blonde girls I’ve made cry by mentioning another female before they had a chance to finish too… so maybe I’m being too rough on him.

Naaaah, Kanye is garbage. Definitely kick him in the balls… if you can locate them.

4RM: Lastly, who are you most proud of sharing the stage with, besides myself? ;-)

CR: It’s pretty hard to think of a major Canadian rock act I haven’t been on a bill with… except OLP, that’s the one band I’ve never got to play a show with… and they’re my favourite Canadian band of all time… maybe someday. I really loved playing a few shows with Robin Black… what that guy did on the Canadian music scene a few years back influenced me and inspired me in a profound way, so to be part of it for a few shows was intense.

This past August, we got to play a show with Econoline Crush. That was very, very big for me. I’ve also got to jam with a couple guys from Prince’s band when they were through Regina a few years ago, which was incredible.

I think my favourite on stage moment ever was playing a rock fest in northern SK a couple years ago. Jet Set Satellite was on the bill, and during our set, JSS singer Trev came up on stage with us and we traded off lines of ‘Rebel Yell’, the crowd response was electric. All that aside, this Saturday at 10 pm, and ideally for a long time going forward, I will be most proud to share the stage with Matt Mann, Eric Stone, and Jayson Ford.

RAWK. \m/

http://virb.com/rhymeswithfun

Make sure to check out Rhymes With Fun at The Plains this Saturday.

...submitted by JJ

Running With The Devil... or at least with my iPod.

Today I participated in the Queen City Marathon as part of a relay team. A lot of my friends think I'm crazy for running but I find it to be one of the most relaxing, healthy and stress reducing activities I can do. Next to being on a stage or at an amazing concert, running is the best natural high I can experience. However, running requires motivation and a main factor that keeps me running year after year is that it gives me a prime opportunity to drown out the world and listen to music. And choosing some bitchin' tunes to throw on my iPod is essential to the running experience. So here are some of my favourite tunes that get me cranked up while hitting the pavement.

Frank Black - "Headache"

This insanely catchy song from The Pixies main man always puts a smile on my face with its bouncy guitars and stream of conscious lyrics. Frank Black is the man.

Tom Petty - "You Wreck Me"

Tom Petty is one of the most consistent artists in rock n' roll and this simple, driving tune from Wallflowers is the perfect song to start a run with.

The Primitives - "Crash"

This one hit wonder is my idea of a perfect song. Great hook, fun, uptempo. Plus it always reminds me of Dumb and Dumber.

Ramones - "I Don't Wanna Grow Up"

The Ramones covering Tom Waits. Enough said.

Motley Crue - "Kickstart My Heart"

I pride myself on being a music snob but Radiohead just doesn't quite cut it for running.

Robin Black - "Why Don't You Love Me?"

It probably sounds bizarre to have a glam rocker on my list but Robin Black is now a MMA fighter and he could definitely kick my ass. I'm a huge fan of Robin and his band but this song just erupts and leaps out of speakers and headphones.

The Black Halos - "Some Things Never Fall"

Trashy, sleazy punk rock from one of Canada's most underrated bands. In a perfect world they would be huge. Unfortunately, our world is pretty messed up so we have to suffer with Nickelback.

R.E.M. - "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"

No matter what mood I am in, this song always puts me in a good mood. This song basically says, "Life sucks, but we're all in it together so we might as well make the most of it." This is perfect for getting in the right frame of mind for running.

So there you go. If you see me running around Wascana Park and I am not responding to your wave or "hello" it is because I am zoning out and listening to my tunes. I may be a music snob but I am not regular snob. ;-)

...submitted by JJ

Immaculate Machine at O'Hanlon's Irish Pub

Immaculate Machine swung threw town on Monday, playing a fantastic set of their indie power pop at O’Hanlon’s. Until recently, all I really knew about this band was that this was Kathryn Calder’s “other” band. I am a huge New Pornographers fan so I have seen her more than ably fill the big shoes of Neko Case. A friend of mine recently ripped me a copy of Immaculate Machine’s album Fables and it has been on constant repeat on my iPod ever since. So needless to say I was a little excited for this show.

My expectations were initially a little dashed when I heard prior to the show that Kathryn Calder would not be part of the band’s lineup on this tour due to an illness in her family. I had a weird sense of deja vu because when I saw the New Pornagraphers two or three years ago, Neko Case was not part of the lineup and Ms. Calder filled in. However, Calder had more than a few people asking, “Neko Who?”

I never caught the name of Calder’s replacement but she did a stellar job filling in on backing vocals and guitar. No attempts were made by the band to replace Calder’s keyboards though. On a side note, Calder’s fill-in also did a rousing rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance WIth Somebody” later on in the night at karaoke. I can’t say I’m a big Whitney fan but she did a great job, with tongue firmly in cheek.

Definitely a fun part of the night.

Basically this version of Immaculate Machine was primary singer/songwriter Brooke Gallupe and some hired guns. However, they have obviously played enough times together because they sounded tight, with guitars interweaving around each other and displaying some tight harmonies.

Highlights included Gallupe’s intro about bullshitting Sook-Yin Lee on CBC’s DNTO for “He’s A Biter,” a rollicking version of “Sound The Alarms” and the Beatle-esque “C’mon Sea Legs.”

Being a relative newbie to the band, I am still in the early processes of delving into their catalogue but I love everything I’ve heard so far. I purchased their excellent new album High On Jackson Hill at the show and have probably played it from start to finished about eight times so far and counting.

Brooke Gallupe is definitely one of Canada’s most underrated songwriters. It’s a shame there weren’t more people at a FREE SHOW(!!!!!!) but it was definitely worth the money (on the CD and beer anyways) and time.

Below is a video for their single “Sound The Alarms.”

http://myspace.com/immaculatemachine

...submitted by JJ

Who Thought This Was A Good Idea???

Nirvana has some songs featured in the new Guitar Hero 5 video game. THAT idea is great. But whose idea was it to create a Kurt Cobain screen avatar singing/rocking out to Bon Jovi's "You Give Love A Bad Name"??? Will the next version of the game have Johnny Rotten singing a Nickelback tune? Surely this must be a sign of the apocalypse.

Kurt Cobain must be be reaching for another shotgun right now...

Courtesy of Rollingstone.com, here is a preview of Guitar Hero 5. Viewer discretion is advised...

...submitted by JJ

Beauty Queen - A Live Review: The Fury

I wasn't planning to see a show this past Wednesday @ McNally's. I was planning to play one of my own, and see a few other bands... but not a "show".

So I walk into McNally's guitar in hand and band mates at side, and see 5 individuals we didn't recognize setting up... not a common occurrence on the Regina music scene. Turns out there was a reason, they were in from Vancouver.

The punk rock purist in me didn't want to like them before they even played a note... their gear was too nice.

They came on stage and introduced themselves as The Fury. (a name I sincerely hope they have copywrited... searching for this band on MySpace is a pain in the ass... it's like there's a The Fury in every country in the free world)

To save you the trouble: Click Furiously here

When they started, they had my attention, but not for the music... frontfem Chase had me riveted to my seat - partly because it would've be awkward to stand up ;-). I'm fond of saying "I miss when people were sexy because they were on stage, not on stage because they're sexy". (that's generally followed by a "so go to hell Miley Cyrus and Pete Wentz and all the other talentless whores...")

By the middle of the first song, it was clear the face (and abs) of this group was a fine combination of both. Vocal chops, incredible voice control, and that certain "It" factor in her stage presence that can't be defined nor should be.

Still, I wasn't 100% sold... honestly, two songs in I was thinking "Meh, it's Paramore".

This should teach me not to make snap judgements, because The Fury's "Misery" was about to get down to "Business" as their set went on.

From the opening tapped harmony guitar intro of their first song leading into a riff and groove that would make Bif Naked proud... or maybe jealous, it was clear the band, comprised of Jon and Royce on shared lead guitar duties, and ultra tight rhythm section of bassist Colin and drummer Jay were more than competent... but as the set went on it became clear they were much more than that.

As a guitar player, I tend to focus more on that side of things, and generally only notice the rhythm section if there's a train wreck or monster groove (there were none of the former, lots of the latter).

The guitars crunched when they had to, were delicate when they needed to be, and the shared solos were traded off expertly, both men shredding, WITHOUT letting the context of the song get lost - a rare trait, and a huge feather in their caps.

The Fury's songwriting chops also became clearer and clearer, and the hooks stronger and stronger as the set went on, and most importantly, carved out their own sound and vibe. ParaNOmore.

You'll forgive me for not knowing titles, but the songs that stood out the most were the ones intro'd with the words "This one's not on the CD". I good sign of things to come.

In the meantime, check out the three tunes on The Fury's MySpace page (again Click Furiously here ).

My personal fave is 'Just This Time', which is not the best representation of what this band is about sonically, but the songwriting and structure of the song is just so, so strong...

Check it out, the only thing better than supporting Canadian rock n' roll, is supporting Canadian rock n' roll that deserves it.

Oh yeah, the other bands, mine included, were alright as well.

Rawk.

Chris F'n Real

1994: 15 Years Later...

Certain years stand out more than others. When it comes to music, this is no exception, especially given the gift of hindsight. Every few years there seems to be a plethora of fantastic albums that come out which help shape the soundscapes of years to come.

For me, one year particularly stands out: 1994. It may be because I was transitioning from highschool to university, but there was so much great music during that period. 1994 may not have been the best year in terms of groundbreaking artists releasing innovative albums, but it seems to me that so many artists put out brilliant albums that have aged extremely well. Despite no Never Mind The Bollocks, it was one helluva year for music.

What sparked this topic for me was perusing Rolling Stone’s website where they had an article reminiscing about Oasis’ debut album Definitely Maybe, which was released 15 years ago. Oasis’s debut is arguably their best, boasting such classic tunes as “Live Forever,” “Supersonic” and “Rock N’ Roll Star.”

However, Oasis’s album is just the tip of the iceberg. I cannot think of another year before or since where so many essential albums were released... R.E.M.’s Monster, Pearl Jam’s Vitalaogy., Liz Phair’s Whip-smart, Green Day’s Dookie, The Offspring’s Smash, Veruca Salt’s American Thighs, Elastica’ debut, Bad Religion’s Stranger Than Fiction, Weezer’s debut, Jeff Buckley’s Grace, Hole’s Live Through This, Beck’s Mellow Gold, Blur's Parklife, Tom Petty’s Wildflowers, Soundgarden’s Superunknown, Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral, etc etc etc. Let’s just say I spent a lot of moolah on CDs that year!

Of course, 1994 was also the year that Kurt Cobain died. Much like the Beatles breaking up, Cobain’s premature death definitely defined the end of an era in music. The mainstream acceptance of grunge and punk would inevitably lead to watered down versions of Nirvana, unfortunately leading us to the Nickelbacks and Defaults of the world today.

15 years ago was a pretty great time for music. Damn I feel old now. ;-)

Here's a clip of Blur's "Parklife."

...submitted by JJ