After a couple weeks off, I’m back on the Contrarians live show tonight to talk about…what, exactly?
The idea here is to find 10 albums covers that send the wrong message musically. Maybe it’s a heavy album that looks too soft, or vice-versa. Maybe it’s a studio album that looks like a compilation. Perhaps it’s a record that looks like it’s from another genre. Join the usual suspects tonight to have a look at our picks!
THE CONTRARIANS – Huh?!? Album Covers that Send the Wrong Message – Wednesday June 18 – 7:00 PM EST
BUBBLES and the SHITROCKERS – Longhauler – The Best of Bubbles and the Shitrockers (2024 Swearnet)
It’s right there in the lyrics to “Home Is Where Your Shed Is” – kitties, liquor and dope. That about sums up the major singing interests of the Bubbles character from Trailer Park Boys. The album Longhauler – The Best of Bubbles and the Shitrockers accompanies the new movie, Standing on the Shoulder of Kitties. As implied by the the title, many of these songs are familiar from the TV show or online episodes.
The question is, can you sustain the jokes for an entire album? A TV series or a movie is an altogether different comedic vehicle.
Fortunately, Mike Smith (Bubbles) is a worldclass musician from the Halifax band sandbox. This album will probably land in more ears than his conceptual indi rock band ever did, and for that reason, it is produced and engineered by none other than Eddie Kramer. It also features Billy Bob Thornton and Ronnie Wood in the credits on backing vocals, not that you’ll notice.
The direction is, with the exception of two tracks, country & western. Musically, this album is legit. Mike Smith plays most instruments, including guitar, mandolin, piano, mellotron and more. His backing band provides pedal steel, dobro, hammond, stand-up bass and all the trimmings. Smith is a seasoned musician and songwriter, and he knows his stuff. There’s nothing jokey about the music; just the lyrics.
Perhaps the part that wears out soonest is the Bubbles character himself. Singing like that, and the limited subject matter of the lyrics, over the course of a full album is a challenge to take in.
Songs you’ll recognize:
“Who’s Got Yer Belly?” featuring Mike’s pal Alex Lifeson from Rush
“Kitties Are So Nice”
“Liquor and Whores”
It is also great to have a copy of Bubbles’ pirate shanty, “The Kittyman”. This is one of the songs that doesn’t fit the country direction, and is a highlight for that reason. Plus it’s also just great fun.
Even songs that seem “clean” and safe to share with your cat-loving friends, such as “Kitties Are So Nice”, may not be safe to share after all. “Every kitty I ever met likes to fuck with string,” sings Bubbles in an earnest voice.
The album closes with the movie theme, “Standing on the Shoulder of Kitties”. Immediately with the mellotron, and the backing vocals later on, it’s more Beatles than country. It might be overreaching. The lyrics about how awesome kitties are will keep most people from caring. If you want to hear somebody do music like this, there are probably Oasis songs you haven’t heard yet. That’s the impression anyway. It’s more Oasis than Beatles, and more Beatles than country. “A kitty’s love is all it takes, la la la la la.” Not hiding the influences at all, Bubbles even sings that “all you need is love.”
This is a novelty album. However, if you have a cat lover in your circle, who doesn’t mind a little beer and liquor, then consider Longhauler as a thoughtful gift.
On this day in 2023, June 16 fell on a Friday. As usual, Grab A Stack of Rock was scheduled to go live that night with our very first Iron Maiden episode (which I shall re-edit and re-broadcast in 2025). It was Iron Maiden rarities with Harrison, Aaron and a cameo by Jex Russell.
It almost got cancelled at the last minute. Why? See below.
I’m glad we re-ran the Adventures in Epilepsy episode last week so you can understand how it effects our lives every day of every week of every year since 2008. She fell, and as you can see, she took a faceplant. She insisted the show go on. She never wants to be the reason a show gets cancelled. And so the show went on.
On a brighter note, on this day in 2024, it was a completely different story. Well, not completely: Aaron was there with me once again, as we embarked to Toronto for our very best record shopping excursion to date!
Check out these episodes of Grab A Stack of Rock, and be sure to like and subscribe on YouTube! WordPress is fun but it doesn’t keep the lights on. If you could support us YouTube, it helps a lot!
RECORD STORE TALES #1194: You got exactly two words of that right.
I have a soft spot for Ian Gillan and Roger Glover’s Accidentally on Purpose. The Deep Purple Pair had a writing partnership dating all the way back to the 1960s and a band called Episode Six. Before Ian was fired from Deep Purple in 1988, he and Roger emerged from the sessions for The House of Blue Light with an excess of stifled creativity. These lighter, more summery tuned formed the basis for their only duo album. I found it on cassette in the mid-90s, right when I was seriously collecting Deep Purple for the first time.
It’s not rock. There are some songs that do rock a bit, but it’s more like fun pop with roots in rock and prog. There’s saxophone, and loads of programming. Very 1980s. It took a couple listens to adjust to this distinctly non-Purple album, but once certain songs like the floaty “Clouds and Rain” and the funky “Evil Eye” started to hit, they stuck. Programming aside, you’ll hear some cool instrumentation and musicianship on this album. Eventually, I grew to like it. As soon as I found out the CD reissue had three bonus tracks that were not on the cassette, I upgraded, as I often do.
The bonus tracks included a song that would have worked on a corny 80s Beach Boys album, called “Cayman Island”. It also had a sax-heavy cover of “Purple People Eater” which is the definition of guilty pleasure.
Shortly after I bought the CD, a used copy came into stock at the Beat Goes On. It always happened that way. If you bought something new, you’d see a used copy a matter of weeks later. It was eerily inevitable. Of course, when that used copy came in, I threw it into the rotation for store play one afternoon.
A guy walked up to the counter, intrigued by the music.
“What’s this that we’re listening to right now?” he asked.
I was thrilled to have someone ask!
“This is a side project by Ian Gillan and Roger Glover from Deep Purple,” I answered with inner glee, but also some trepidation as I’d personally prefer to keep listening to it!
He responded, “Roger Waters from Pink Floyd?“
What…? No! No! You got just two words of that right: “Roger” and “from”!
He sulked away upon learning it was not Floydian music. No sale that day!
Welcome to The Sequel To Success! In this series we will be looking at the album that came after a huge album for an artist and discuss whether the follow up was a success or failure both artistically and commercially. Today Mike Ladano from Grab A Stack Of Rock joins me to discuss Clutching At Straws by neo-prog legends Marillion. This was the follow up to their platinum selling (in the U.K.) album Misplaced Childhood which had also produced the hit singles Kayleigh and Lavender. We go through the album track by track, analyse where it succeeds (and maybe where it doesn’t) and discuss what came after (in this case, quite a lot!).
Originally broadcast on Oct 2, 2020 as two streams totaling 2 hours and 12 minutes. This new version has been re-focused down to a perfect 50 minute show.
In October of 2020, right in the thick of the pandemic, Jen had a seizure at a local fast food restaurant. She fell and broke her arm. We decided to make that week’s episode of the LeBrain Train all about epilepsy awareness. While we did our best, we had technical difficulties that night, and the episode didn’t turn out like we hoped.
It’s funny to go back and watch live streams from five years ago. So much has changed since then. The original 2020 show was split into two live streams as some viewers reported that the Facebook feed was freezing, so we stopped and re-started. Additionally, the original show was live and off the cuff, and was interrupted several times. This new edit has all the epilepsy content in one stream. As such, Adventures in Epilepsy episode has never been presented as one cohesive video before.
Hear all about missing out on a free U2 concert, having to leave movies and shows early with no refunds, and nearly walking into traffic! Also hear the lighter side of seizures. We learned early on, if you can’t laugh at these things, you’re doomed.
Join us tonight as we educate and illuminate living with epilepsy. Though a lot has changed since 2020, the experiences remain raw and true. Health has improved since then, which we also touch on with additional narration recorded in 2025.
Jen herself appeared in this episode, as good a sport as any. Good friend and author Aaron Lebold joined the show that night to discuss his own experiences with epilepsy, which he seems to have grown out of in his adult life. Rob Daniels from Visions in Sound and Kevin Simister from Buried On Mars also joined the show at the end to say hello. Though most of their parts were cut to shorten and focus the episode (some unboxings and other outdated content were cut), we always appreciate their support.
1. Prince. The royal single-monikered one was born epileptic and suffered a lot of taunting at school. He obviously came a long way from there
2. AdamHorovitz. This Beastie Boy is sensitive to flashing lights, which I am sure they use in their stage show. It certainly didn’t seem to hold him back from massive success.
3. NeilYoung. He was medicated for epilepsy as a child, but didn’t like the side effects of the meds, which can go all over the spectrum depending on you and your meds. Neil chose to make lifestyle changes instead, and has lived without medication since! And, obviously, rocked the world. Good on you Neil.
Brian Douglas Wilson was 82 years old. As sure as Beethoven and Bach were geniuses, so was Brian. Born, raised and embodying California, Brian Wilson and his music was entwined with my life from an early age.
When I was a kid, riding in the passenger side next to my Uncle Paul, he would always pop a Beach Boys tape into his deck. “Little Deuce Coupe” was a favourite. He loved that early Beach Boys; the surf rock. My mom grew up on that music too, but it was Uncle Paul who played it the most.
My wife Jen and her dad David always loved the Beach Boys. She danced to “Surfer Girl” with him at our wedding.
Last summer, my dad and I watched a Brian Wilson documentary on TV. We were both spellbound both by the man and his music. My dad told me that my grandfather considered moving to California in the 1950s. Imagine how different things would have been. I’d never have been born.
Brian was a visionary composer, perhaps to his own detriment. He was able to see forward, beyond what the producers of the time told him was possible or commercial. He stretched his boundaries in composition and production, creating layers of music previously unimagined. Unable to achieve his fullest visions at the time, the Smile album (1966) was shelved and Brian spiraled with depression and substances. He became the butt of jokes, which was tragic. It was good to see him return to making music before it was too late.
RECORD STORE TALES #1193: Do you believe in Car-ma?
For a couple years now, the neighbour across the hall has been messing with my side view mirror. As if to make a statement about parking too close to his car, he likes to push my side view mirror inwards. Sometimes I would be driving to work in the morning, not realizing I didn’t have the use of my passenger side view mirror. It was infuriating. In our Condo Facebook group, I kindly and then more aggressively requested that whoever was messing with my car, to stop.
There’s a cardinal rule I was raised with and stayed true though adulthood: you don’t touch somebody else’s car. You just don’t.
I’ve never seen this guy actually flip my mirror in, but I have seen him touch my car on purpose before. There is a general consensus that he’s the guy doing it, since he parks on that side of my car.
I’ve considered being vindictive before, and fucking with his side view mirrors right back, but that wouldn’t be winning, would it? It would be hypocritical as to the cardinal rule of not touching other people’s cars.
Fortunately, karma was in my corner. This was the hood of his car on June 10 2025. Nature took its course for me! Sometimes you gotta chalk it up as a win.
In 2025 we have seen spectacular new releases from The Darkness and Ghost, but have Harem Scarem topped them all? Chasing Euphoria could be the album of the year.
Harry Hess (vocals), Pete Lesperance (guitar/bass), Darren Smith (backing & lead vocals), and Creighton Doane (drums) have created a magnificent hard rock masterpiece in Chasing Euphoria, an album that sounds like a brother record to Mood Swings. A record we’ve been waiting for, for a long time. The logo and cover art match the Mood Swings era.
While it is a disappointment that Darren doesn’t play any drums on the album, you can’t really tell. (Bassist Mike Vassos is pictured in the booklet but does not appear on the album, while drummer Creighton Doane plays drums on every song but isn’t depicted inside.) Joining the band are ex-Honeymoon Suite keyboardist Ray Coburn, and Coney Hatch bassist Andy Curran (on “Better Than the Devil You Know”). The ten new songs here are among the best written by this band. The Japanese release includes four bonus acoustic renderings, plus a DVD with two music videos and an exclusive “Making Of” video. The album was, as usual, self produced by Harry and Pete.
One of Harem Scarem’s trademark sounds is the blend of Harry Hess’ vocals, layered in with Darren and the band. The opening title track is thick with that sound on the impactful chorus. Like classic Harem, this one boasts dark but still uplifting melodies with powerful hard rock. Importantly, Pete’s guitar tone is right in the pocket of what we loved about him back in 1993. His solo here could have fit on Mood Swings without a blink.
The upbeat “Better Than the Devil You Know” is a brighter song, with softer verses and a regal chorus. It brings warm feelings and nostalgia of happy days. Pete’s solo on this song is lyrical and dexterous. “Better the devil you know, than you angel you see,” advises Harry Hess.
Chunkier riffing characterizes the speedy “Slow Down”, but what I really like about it is the way Pete goes from rhythm guitar to tricky fills, seamlessly. This rocker is an album highlight, on a record filled with nothing but. The chorus is surprising when it hits, and catchy as the flu. Pete’s solo is an album highlight.
Darren Smith makes his only lead vocal on “Gotta Keep Your Head Up”, a mid-tempo groove with impact. Darren’s voice is a bit raspier than Harry’s, but they blend so well on the choruses. This is one of those inspirational rock songs about not giving up or backing down. The subtle backing keyboards really add texture. Another winner.
The first ballad of the album is “World On Fire”, which would be the side one closer in a vinyl world. This is a sentimental song very much like early Harem Scarem, possibly fitting best into the Voice of Reason era (1995). In a near-perfect album, this song ranks near the bottom, which isn’t really a bad thing on an album like this. The layers of backing vocals plus Pete’s solo adds some meat to the bones.
“In A Bad Way” returns the chunky Pete rhythm guitar to the forefront. The roaring chorus of “I’m in need of your love in a bad way,” is the song highlight. Pete’s solo is a little different, and a lot cool.
Softer is “Reliving History”, but it’s not a ballad. Even when Harem Scarem write a song that is a little more laid back, they manage to inject it with power. This is a Leppard-like song circa Adrenalize.
The heaviest song is “A Falling Knife”, a fast rocker with Harry giving it all vocally, sometimes breaking into a hoarse rasp, but without ever losing control. This is probably the only song that has a late-90s Harem Scarem vibe. It could fit on albums like Karma Cleansing or Big Bang Theory as well as this one. The lush backing vocals are a Harem Scarem trademark and the backing organ thickens the soup.
“Understand It All” dials the heaviness back a tad, and compensates with great verses and an absolutely killer chorus, dense with those Harem Scarem vocals. Pete’s guitars balance the rhythm parts with catchy fills in a tasty way, and his solo is killer as ever.
It’s all over before you know it. “Wasted Years” is the highspeed closer, an album highlight and an absolute smoker. It has the tension and the melodic power that classic Harem Scarem has always embodied. One of the best tracks, in an album with nothing but “best tracks”.
It’s all over before you know it, but Harem Scarem always give the Japanese releases a little extra. This release comes with four stripped back acoustic versions: “Better Than the Devil You Know”, “Slow Burn”, “In A Bad Way” and “Reliving History”. It has been said that if you want to know if you wrote a good song, play it acoustically and see. All these songs pass the acoustic test, though the album versions will remain the mainstays. These acoustic tracks are a nice coda. They give you a little extra, without compromising quality by including filler songs. It’s like a comedown after a wild ride, though Pete’s acoustic solos sure have spark.
The Japanese album also includes a brief DVD with videos for “Chasing Euphoria” and “Better The Devil You Know”. In an interesting twist, Darren Smith mimes the drums in these videos, even though Creighton Doane played them. Mike Vassos does appear on bass in these videos. There is also a “Making Of” feature that you will probably watch once. It’s nice to get these bonuses, but how often will you pop in this DVD? Rarely, because you need a multi-region player to see it.
Harem Scarem have made a lot of great albums over the years, that have been forgotten and swept under the carpet. This one deserves a better fate than that.
5/5 stars. Best album by Harem Scarem in a long time.
Please join me in congratulating “visionary bass clarinetist” Dr. Kathryn Ladano on her recent win of the 2025 K-W Oktoberfest Rogers Women of the Year, in the category of Arts & Culture. Dr. Kathryn, a professional musician and former teacher, suffered a devastating concussion that required five years (and counting) of therapy to function again, and the fight is still not over.
Hear all about it in her acceptance speech below. It’s not just about her.
They even pronounced our last name right. You can feel the emotion in the room.
mikeladano.com 