GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and Professor Jexcalibur
Episode 27: Nigel Tufnel Top Ten Canadian Bands (Unknown Outside Canada)
It’s Canada Day Weekend, and let’s celebrate at a special time! The 3:00 timeslot has been a tremendous success for us here at Grab A Stack of Rock. Top Canadian Bands unknown outside Canada? A full Nigel Tufnel Top Ten? Don’t mind if we do!
This topic comes courtesy of the Jexciter. Back in the LeBrain Train days, we covered Canadian bands, but that was a long time ago and a fresh perspective is due. Expect the usual trademark “Grab A Stack Show & Tell” and lots of shenanigans. And remember: Even though it’s Friday at 3:00 PM, shirts are compulsory!
Friday June 30 at 3:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 4:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!
An unusually playful and jovial Queensryche joke around with Dan Gallagher while waiting for chicken wings at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo! The band show a rare comradery here and are absolutely having a blast laughing it up with Dan. It’s quite refreshing. Unfortunately, the whole interview is tinted in blue, because the 90s.
Topics discussed:
The Empire tour’s stage show.
Suicidal Tendencies opening.
The upcoming “Seattle Sound” and why Queensryche don’t sound like that.
Fall, 1991. A shy Chris and Geoff dropped by the MuchMusic studios to talk Empire with Erica Ehm. Topics addressed:
Being homesick for Seattle
Canadian connections – DalBello, Howard Ungerleider, Jaymz Bee
Playing Operation: Mindcrime on the Empire tour
What is the stage show like?
“Another Rainy Night (Without You)”
With 20/20 hindsight, it’s funny to hear Geoff Tate talk about the live Mindcrime set being a one time only event, considering how much he’s milked it since then!
SURPRISE! The first two-show weekend since 2021! Thank Jex!
I thought I lost all my cassettes from my youth: I assumed they were all thrown into a dumpster here in town, or up north in Thunder Bay. There was one box (Journey – Niacin alphabetically) that I discovered in my parents’ basement. Let’s have a look inside with co-host Jex Russell on a surprise Saturday morning show!
What we found inside was a variety of home made and store bought cassettes. The astounding thing is just how much effort I went to on some of the artwork! You will have to see for yourself, but a sampling of some cassette spines can be seen in the gallery below.
I used coloured paper, computer software, fine marker pens, coloured pencils, scissors, paste and photocopiers to create all the cassette art you see here. I’m pretty proud of all this.
What’s most remarkable is that I still had most of my original Kiss and Judas Priest cassettes! In some cases, I played these tapes at the cottage for the first time back then, and today unboxed them in the same location!
SHOW NOTES:
If you need context for our opening “topless” sketch, read this first! All is meant in jest and not to be taken as anything else.
If you don’t want to see us topless, you can buy a shirt at teepublic.com!
A massive thank you to Nurse Kat for spending her Friday night with Aaron and I, talking Arkells! Though none of us could be called hardcore Arkells veterans, our passion certainly came through. Since falling in love with the band roughly 18 months ago, Kat has seen Arkells 13 times. From New York to LA to Glasgow, she had a lot of cool stories to tell. Meanwhile, Aaron filled us in on the early years, as he saw them even before the Jackson Square debut album was out.
A common theme for this show was the power of music to connect with the human heart. Kat and I both had some pretty emotional experiences to an Arkells soundtrack. This is a band that really seems to have a direct line to the mind and soul.
I presented my Nigel Tufnel Top Ten Arkells songs (from the albums I own) and Kat provided some cool live clips and photos. We hope you enjoy!
Mike’s Nigel Tufnel Top Ten Arkells tunes:
11. “Savannah” from Morning Report – acoustic anthemic awesomeness.
10. “Passenger Seat” from Morning Report – what a falsetto! So much passion!
9. “Hung Up” from Morning Report – “The gatekeepers are keepin’ me out!” – what a hook!
8. “Coffee” from Michigan Left – Powerful lyrics with personal meaning.
7. “On Paper” from Michigan Left – killer chorus, powerful rock.
6. “Whistleblower” from Michigan Left – as hard as Arkells songs get, based on that riff.
5. “Michigan Left” from Michigan Left – “Decorations won’t be wasted” – one of their best choruses! And that percussion! Oh man.
4. “Come to Light” from High Noon – channeling 80’s Bowie? You be the judge.
3. “Leather Jacket” from High Noon – the song that got me to buy the album in the first place.
2. “11:11” from High Noon – so hard to narrow things down to only four songs from High Noon, but this one is just hook laden and nostalgic.
1. “Fake Money” from High Noon – This song is pure hooks, from start to finish, with an angry bent.
Honorable mentions – “Cynical Bastards”, “Crawling Through the Window”, “Book Club”, “Drake’s Dad”
Jen’s #1 – “Leather Jacket”
BONUS
Tune in 9:00 AM Saturday morning for an extra weekend live stream with Jex Russell! Cassette fans, don’t miss this bonus episode!
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike, Aaron and Nurse Kat
Episode 25: Arkells Appreciation
25 episodes! We’ve had ups, downs and cancelled episodes, but we finally made it to 25. This week we celebrate with a band I’ve recently fallen in love with: Hamilton’s Arkells! Just what is it about this band that resonates with people? The music, lyrics, Canadiana, or something else? The natural charisma of Max Kerman is a big factor. I’ll be talking about all this and more with fan Nurse Kat. She’s seen them THIRTEEN times in a year, and has some merch to show. I will be listing my Nigel Tufnel Top Ten Arkells tunes.
Joining Kat and I tonight will be Mr. Books from the KMA, who saw the band once, leaving me as the only one who hasn’t!
Friday June 23 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. Enjoy onYouTube or on Facebook!
RECORD STORE TALES #1066: Sausagefest Intro by Jeff Woods
Jeff Woods is a radio personality known for The Legends of Classic Rock, and the Records and Rockstars Podcast. Mr. Woods was kind enough to record a sketch for our Sausagefesting adventures, and you won’t believe what the guys got him to say.
Three cheers for Jeff Woods, a good sport and a great human.
mikeladano.com 