Andy has partnered up with the Unison Fund which helps out those in the Canadian Music industry that are going through tough times.
Andy has some pretty cool stuff lined up and is doing his part so I reached out to him late last week to see if he wanted to come on the show and talk about it.
So tonight live at 7pm, Andy joins myself and Mikey for a chat on this and perhaps a few other questions we will toss Andy’s way…
Special Thanks to Tee Bone who was whipped up another cool ad for Scotch On The Rocks!
With copies of Slash Puppet’s first demo and first EP going for ridiculous amounts of money on Ebay, lead singer Mif decided to do something about it. It was time for a new release; a compilation this time, with one unreleased track for the collector.
Studs & Gems features 10 tracks from the band’s previous releases plus an unreleased live track called “Stranger Danger” recorded at Rock N’ Roll Heaven in Toronto. And what a track it is! An energetic, stuttery riff of the AC/DC persuasion serves as backing for Mif’s overloaded live vocal workout. This accelerated rocker stands up with Slash Puppet’s recorded works, and makes one wish for more live tapes. The tail of the track includes a nod to AC/DC’s “Danger” in a brilliant end twist.
As for the studio material, the album is top-loaded right off the bat with three of Slash’s Puppet’s most accomplished pieces of songwriting, all from the EP. “When the Whip Comes Down” is first, stomping fast-paced and unstoppable. The irresistible “na na na na” pre-chorus just sets you up to be knocked down again! Outstanding guitar work helps frame some of Mif’s coolest lyrics about overcoming adversity. Then it’s “Rippin’ on a Wishbone” which takes things back to a nice rocking groove accented by slide guitars and hooks galore. The whole while, Mif’s unique rasp keeps the sound from being generic. This string of solid gold is capped by “Eyes of a Child”, a truly special acoustic ballad that, in a just world, would be a million seller. Taking things seriously and singing from the heart, Slash Puppet should have had a massive hit on their hands. If only the 90s weren’t the 90s. “Eyes of a Child” has every ingredient, housed within a majestic, carefully constructed, classic power ballad.
With “Evil Woman”, the compilation dips back into 1989’s The Demo. In terms of remastering, things sounds pretty even between the two eras, so well done there. “Evil Woman” is one of Slash Puppet’s fast head-bangers. However they always had a knack for backing vocals to sweeten up the hooks. This was actually the closing track on the original demo, but it works fine where it is. “Hard On Love”, also from The Demo, goes slower and sleazier. Mif’s growl has plenty of bite, but note the backing vocals always there when you need ’em.
Back to the EP, “Stop Tellin’ Me Lies” is one of the most classic-sounding Slash Puppet tunes, reminding us a bit of songs that London Quireboys used to have hits with. The backing vocals are really laid out with care. This could be the most flat-out instantly catchy of the tracks. Note the tasteful use of classy slide guitar once again. Staying on the EP, “Hitch a Ride (On a Train)” is a special song. Contemplative acoustic guitars and philosophical lyrics set it apart from the other tracks. Everybody loves train metaphors, but once again there’s just something special here. The acoustic guitar arrangement and the heartfelt lyrics set it apart.
The last three studio songs are all classics from The Demo. “Slowdown” is just balls-out. Everything to the max, from the tempo to the rasp. The band made a well-received music video, in a time when bands often couldn’t make music videos to support an independent release. “Squeeze It In” was the other demo tune that made waves, and it takes things back down to the gutter. A slow grind with innuendo spilling over the rim. Memorable as hell; tasteful guitar work keeping things from going completely to excess. Finally “Overload” takes the tempo back to top gear. If you’re going to call your song “Overload”, you better deliver.
Slash Puppet always delivered. 32 years ago, the band played their first gig and now we finally have an official live track for the CD collection. “Stranger Danger” closes the CD on a resounding note: we want more.
Studs & Gems can be obtained directly from Mif Entertainment, but act fast as this is a limited edition, and paying $200 on eBay for a copy of the EP is just unfortunate.
5/5 stars
Slash Puppet:
Mif – Lead Vocals Frank Bartoletti – Guitars and Backing Vocals Lou Garscadden – Guitars and Backing Vocals Franklin Wylse – Drums and Backing Vocals Pete Dove – Bass and Backing Vocals (1989-1992) Dave Carreiro – Bass (1992-1995)
We are nothing if not perfectionists! Tee Bone was determined to get every single guest* we’ve ever had on the LeBrain Train into this intro vid, and I present to you the new updated version that we’ll be using on the next episode. This time Tee Bone started using actual show clips in place of screen grabs in some shots, and I’ll tell you, seeing all that smiling and laughing brings warmth to my heart.
September, 1989: I raced home from school to watch the Pepsi Power Hour’s big Alice Cooper interview, called the Trash Hour. Alice picked the songs, but they are edited out for YouTube. You can see what he picked for yourself, as Alice literally takes out the trash.
Host Laurie Brown had a great rapport with the Coop. Driving a brand new Trash Truck, Alice is funny and informative on the following subjects:
Trash rock
New album and signing with Epic
Writing 22 songs with Desmond Child
Saving the Hollywood sign
Cameos in Prince of Darkness and Shocker
Horror as comedy, staged violence
Band alumni gone solo
The Trash Hour works out to a tidy 15 minutes without the music and ads. Make sure you catch the ending. Have a good Sunday!
This video is from 30 years ago: in the MuchMusic studios with Eric Martin and Erica Ehm, talking Mr. Big! “Thank God for Pat Torpey!” they say as the praise the (late) great drummer. Lots of ground covered here:
Formation of the band
The blues and their roots
Touring as a “long camping trip”
Singing lessons and demonstrations!
More carrots, celery and radishes
You’re gonna love this. Also note, it’s one of my few non-Power Hour recordings.
BONUS: Today’s appearance on Tim’s Vinyl Confessions’ Mr. Big special
The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike and John
Episode 86 – Dan Fila
In the early 90s, there were a number of great bands from southern Ontario that rattled my speakers pretty hard. Two of those bands were Sven Gali and Varga, who had their videos on rotation both on MuchMusic and my VHS collection as well. Today, one man occupies the drum stool for both bands, and that man is Dan! Please join my co-host John Snow and I tonight as we welcome Dan Fila to the show.
We’ll be quizzing him on both bands as well his other industrial rock project called Hypodust. We’ll be talking drums. We’ll be taking questions. This is no “Prototype”, this is as real as “Now”! Join us live tonight!
The internet (otherwise known as the “information superhighway” or “the weeb”) was just beginning to enter public consciousness in 1995. Hollywood struck while the iron was hot with Hackers, a pretty shitty movie starring Johnny Lee Miller, Matthew Lillard, and Angelina Jolie.
I saw Hackers in the fall of ’95 at a drive-in. It was so bad that when the film broke partway through the movie, I didn’t even care. “I want to see the rest of the movie!” complained my girlfriend in the other seat. She was mad; she didn’t want a refund, she wanted to see Hackers. They eventually got the movie back up and running, for what it was worth. We mocked the corny dialogue about “14400 BPS modems” and terrible visuals. “That isn’t what the internet looks like!” She was right.
The only lasting impact the movie had was its CD soundtrack, which was still in demand six months later. Featuring the Prodigy, Orbital, and Underworld among others, Hackers was popular with the growing electronica crowd. It was also hard to find used, and expensive new.
As discussed in Record Store Tales #795: A Case for Security, CD theft was a major issue for local stores in the mid-90s. There was a roving gang of thieves called the “Pizza Guys”* who ripped off CDs from major chains and then sold them all over town. The cops were aware of the situation, and instructed us to keep buying from them so they could collect evidence. We followed their instructions and they had pages and pages and pages of information on these guys. What they sold, where, and when — and what ID they were using.
Nobody liked dealing with those guys. They were rude, and drew attention to themselves with the massive amounts of new releases they were selling — multiple copies. They were cocky and got bolder week by week. But not as bold as the rookie employee dubbed “The Boy that Killed Pink Floyd”.
He wanted the Hackers soundtrack. He wasn’t willing to pay new prices and he had his name in the computer for a used one. Then he got a bright idea. He didn’t “ask” the Pizza Guys for a copy. He just made it really obvious that he wanted one.
One day when we were buying CDs off the Pizza gang, the kid asked, “No Hackers in here, eh?”
A few visits later, the gang was back. Entering the store, one of the leaders smiled, nodded and simply said “Hackers!” He had somehow acquired a copy, and even acknowledged the request. I don’t know how our kid didn’t get fired for that one. The boss was not impressed! He finally got his walking papers after special ordering an expensive Pink Floyd CD single, deciding he didn’t want it, and putting it on the shelves to sell as a used item. That was the end of the Boy Who Killed Pink Floyd!
Another short one from the Power 30 with Teresa Roncon. At Phase One studios, a quick visit with Russ Dwarf (Killer Dwarfs), Dee Cernille (Sven Gali) and Gord Prior (Blu Bones). At the time Sven were in the middle of touring with Def Leppard, and the Dwarfs were “takin’ ‘er easy for the summer”, but the new album mentioned by Russ never came to be.
You can see what I have been saying all this time, about the Power 30 having shorter content than the superior Power Hour. Sure, there were technically more minutes of metal per week, but not the kind of extended content that I’ve brought you recently, such as The Axemen Cometh and Waltzing With Helix.
Toronto’s Slash Puppet are back in the speakers, with a new “best of” CD called Studs & Gems, featuring classics and unreleased material! To pre-order your copy, contact MIF Entertainment ASAP, as this is a limited edition. Studs & Gems includes favourites like “When the Whip Comes Down”, “Slow Down” and the amazing ballad “Eyes of a Child”, one of the most intensely emotional ballads you’ll ever hear. Studs & Gems also includes the unreleased “Stranger Danger”, a live track previously unheard elsewhere. Finding original copies of their first two releases can be an expensive prospect, so Studs & Gems makes it easy to get some of these unsung classic songs.
For the occasion I’ve dug up this VHS tape of Teresa Roncon of the Power 30 talking to Mif, Dave and Franklin of Slash Puppet. It was summer of ’93 and the band were going the independent route. Teresa questions them on the pros and cons, and their musical influences. Wisdom is offered and bands are praised. Brief, but terrific interview with the band!
Studs & Gems track listing:
When the Whip Comes Down Rippin’ On a Wishbone Eyes of a Child Evil Woman Hard on Love Stop Tellin’ Me Lies Hitch a Ride (On a Train) Slow Down Squeeze It In Overload Stranger Danger (Live)
mikeladano.com 