REVIEW: Blue Rodeo – Nowhere to Here (1995)

 BLUE RODEO – Nowhere to Here (1995 WEA)

This album, recorded during what I consider to be Blue Rodeo’s jammy psychedelic phase, is one of my favourites (it’s up there with the preceding Five Days and Tremolo, to which it is related). It isn’t an album to like instantly, but only through multiple listens.  It suddenly clicked with me after seeing the band play these songs live.

This album began life during writing sessions in 1993, but the band was so inspired with some spontaneous new songs, they ended up writing and recording Five Days In July in, well…five days in July.  That album was released first, and the band later returned to the other songs written during that period.  Five Days was a huge hit, so when Blue Rodeo  finally got back to making this album, the difference took fans by surprise.  (Some of the leftovers became the similarly jammy but acoustic Tremolo, such as  “Moon & Tree”, which was once more psychedelic and electric.)

When I  saw the band live on this tour, they blew me away. I hadn’t seen them live since  the 1991 Casino tour, so this was my first exposure to the new six-man lineup. Greg Keelor was on fire, playing gonzo Young-esque feedback-laden solos that lasted up to five minutes. It was incredible. This album distills that kind of  sound down to 5 and 6 minute songs.

The first two tracks, “Save  Myself” and “Girl In Green” were not about to become hit singles, as both are slow and melancholy.  “Save Myself” is  painstakingly slow, much like Greg’s first solo album, while “Girl In Green” is  funky with a powerful, almost yelled chorus, backed by James Gray’s organ. Both  songs are winners to this listener, because they are completely noncommercial,  while retaining melody and tons of emotion.

Interestingly:  There was both a 12″ and promo CD single of “Girl In Green”, a rare trance-y “Space Knowledge” remix.  Very cool, very weird — I have both.

“What You Want” sounds a lot  more like traditional Rodeo, Jim’s first upbeat rocker of the album. Greg’s hit single “Side of the Road” is track 4, a moody 6-minute tour-de-force with an  incredible chorus and plenty of solos.

Like a one-two punch, Jim comes  back with “Better Off As We Are”, possibly the best song on the album, if not the best rock song that Cuddy’s ever written. I love Jim’s lyrics; conversations with his brother and recollections of young adulthood.  Such power in the performance!

My older brother he left the day he finished school,moved down to New York to Washington Square.he calls me up and says you should come and see me,watch the waves of people rolling everywhere.

“Sky” slows things down a bit, a Jim ballad  with a slow tempo that sounds more like something from Greg territory. That ended side 1 of the original LP,
and side 2 began just as slowly with Greg’s “Brown-Eyed Dog”. Great chorus, with comatose verses that may put the unprepared to sleep.  Then Jim’s “Blew It Again” is a sad
ballad, lyrically similar to “Bad Timing”, but musically based on a catchy little piano line.

“Get Through To You” follows, which features Greg waking up and letting rip again with an uptempo rocker. This song, one of Greg’s best, is kind of similar to Jim’s catchy tunes on side one. Jim’s “Armour” is another plaintive ballad as only Jim can do, and perhaps should have been a single, as it could have been a hit.

The album closes with two more slow ones, “Train”  and the eight-minute-plus “Flaming Bed”. These songs drone off into the distance, meandering lazily, like the hot humid July that spawned them.  This ends an album that is largely misunderstood as ignored by the general record buying public.  And a shame that is.

As you can see, this isn’t the light-hearted countryfied Blue Rodeo of  Casino or Outskirts.  Greg’s health problems (diabetes) coincided with  an interest in slowing things down, and that’s what this album is. It will either click with you, or it won’t, depending on the setting. Find the right place and time, however, and you will enjoy a surprising listening experience, full of depth and emotion, melody and lots of meandering jams.

I suggest listening during an evening, on the porch.  In July.

5/5 stars

Of note, if  there’s a third voice in the background that’s sounds familiar, it should: It’s Sarah McLachlan.

REVIEW: Twisted Sister – The Best of the Atlantic Years (2016)

TWISTED SISTER – The Best of the Atlantic Years (2016 Atlantic)

Nobody likes buying the same thing twice, so Twisted Sister have ensured this “greatest hits” album is vastly different from their other stand-by, 1992’s Big Cuts & Nasty Cuts.  That album boasted a side of live B-sides, now collected as Live at the Marquee.  As such, it only had 10 studio tracks, whereas this new compilation has 17 plus a previously unreleased bonus.

The repeated songs are the obvious ones:

  • “I’ll Never Grow Up, Now!”
  • “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll”
  • “I Am (I’m Me)”
  • “The Kids Are Back”
  • “I Wanna Rock”
  • “We’re Not Gonna Take It”
  • “The Price”

That leaves a whole lotta songs, including a few singles, that you’ll find here but not on Big Hits.  Notably though, that means this compilation doesn’t have “Shoot ‘Em Down”, “Under the Blade”, or “Bad Boys of Rock ‘N’ Roll”.

What makes this compilation a little more special is that the tracks go almost chronologically, and don’t skimp out on songs from Come Out and Play, or Love Is for Suckers.  Founding guitarist Jay Jay French mentioned in the liner notes that Suckers was supposed to be a Snider solo album, but we do get two songs.

Opening with Twisted’s first Atlantic album Under the Blade, we are treated to the 1985 remixes of “What You Don’t Know (Sure Can Hurt You)”, “I’ll Never Grow Up, Now!” and “Sin After Sin”.  It’s a nice one-two-three punch, with “I’ll Never Grow Up, Now!” being a bubble gum punk sandwich, stuck between two heavy metal hard hitters.  It’s actually a nice change of pace, getting the echo-laden remixes this time.

The heavy metal assault continues with what might be my favourite Twisted song of all time:  “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll”.

“Like a charging bull, it’s a juggernaut,With steam at full, never to be caught,Incarnate power, roaring from the sky,While others cower, rock ain’t gonna die.”

The slow intro, the chugging riff, the pounding drums of the late great A.J. Pero (my favourite member as a kid) and the roar of Dee Snider made this the perfect heavy metal song to entice a young teenager back in the 80s.  “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll” is part of a trio included from the same-titled album, joined by melodic metal masterpieces “I Am (I’m Me)” and “The Kids Are Back”.  When Twisted went all melodic, they drew upon classic influences, but combined with the heavy guitars, they almost sound like precursors to pop-punk.  In many regards, Twisted Sister were ahead of their time.  It’s a simple recipe:  Guitars chug, bass joins them, drums throw in some catchy fills, and Dee Snider delivers the hooks with the band on backing vocals.  Simple, but difficult to master.

The largest clutch of songs obviously comes from Stay Hungry, with six.  The three big singles are the obvious ones, but also thrown in are the classic deep cuts “Burn In Hell”, “The Beast” and “S.M.F.”  In these songs, you get the heavier side of “Stay Hungry”, minus the title track itself.  People who don’t actually know Twisted Sister might be surprised how heavy Stay Hungry could get once you ventured outside the safe singles.  “Burn in Hell” is an exersize in intensity that deserves every listen you can give it.  Perhaps the oft-forgotten “The Beast” is the most welcome here, as a true red-blooded slow burner metal monster.

Despite the quality of the lesser-heard Stay Hungry songs, one remains the pinnacle of Twisted Sister’s finest moments:  “The Price”.  Twisted probably took guff from the press and the doubters for attempting a ballad, but “The Price” puts the “power” in power ballad.  Notably, A.J.’s drums are far busier and heavier that you expect from the average paltry power ballad.  Dee Snider demonstrates his expert-level versatility here on the high notes, rendering this song very hard to sing note for note today.

This album wastes no opportunity.  Come Out and Play is finally given a fair shake.  The dark ugly duckling of the Twisted discography is represented by the title track, “Leader of the Pack”, “The Fire Still Burns” and the forgotten sing-along “You Want What We Got”.  They didn’t skimp out here, and you get the full length version of “Come Out and Play”, including the Warriors homage of “Twisted Sister, come out and play!”  Pero’s final album, and his drumming on this track is as blazing fast as it got for Twisted Sister.  “Leader of the Pack” is campy fun, but it really had to be included, being an integral part of Twisted’s early history and eventual failure (at least according to Jay Jay in the liner notes).  “The Fire Still Burns” has an intense flame indeed, though did Dieter Dierks’ production do it any favours?  Of note:  “You Want What We Got” is not the album version.  It is longer at 4:21, and contains an outro with Dee Snider talking, and dropping a deleted expletive!  This version is not credited as being unique, and it’s currently unknown where it originated.

Love Is For Suckers is often neglected.  The Beau Hill-produced album was written to be Dee’s solo debut, and included members of other bands from the Hill camp, such as Fiona, Winger and Kix.  Reb Beach played lead guitar, which led to a sudden change in sound, away from the heavy metal of Twisted Sister’s roots, and more towards what was popular at the time:  the subgenre they call “hair metal” today.  Joey “Seven” Franco replaced A.J., and was so nicknamed as he was the band’s seventh drummer.  Franco also followed Dee into his solo band the following year.  “Hot Love” was the single, which should have been a hit, while “Love Is For Suckers” was the only cover the band ever recorded without playing live first.

The final song is the bonus track, “Born to be Wild”, the Steppenwolf cover that they have indeed played live (going back to 1976, but more recently on Live At Wacken: The Reunion).  This new studio version was recorded in 2005 and produced by Mark “The Animal” Mendoza.  It was used prior to this release in a reality TV series called Knievel’s Wild Ride.  It’s tremendous fun, with Twisted Sister ripping into it with their usual reckless abandon.  Mendoza’s bass is delightfully bass, but Dee Snider really lets loose at the end.

This set, being limited to the Atlantic years, gratefully doesn’t include anything from Still Hungry or Twisted Christmas.  That’s fine and dandy; they would unbalance this release.  The Best of the Atlantic Years is the best single Twisted Sister compilation on the market.

5/5 stars

#1131: Foxes & Fireworks: Five New Things This Weekend at the Lake

RECORD STORE TALES #1131: Foxes & Fireworks
Five New Things This Weekend at the Lake

After 52 years, it’s not always easy coming up with new experiences to have at the lake.  Sometimes it’s a fortuitous mixture of planning and luck.  I am always conscious  that every second at the lake counts.  Unfortunately, my energy isn’t what it was.  I don’t remember having so many naps back in those days.  I just remember going, and going, and going!  Gosh, when Peter Cavan used to come up to the cottage for a weekend, we’d go from one activity to another without taking a break.  We’d go from badminton to throwing around a football, to playing a video game to making a stir fry for dinner.  Then we’d be in the car to buy some fireworks.  We like it easier these days.

New thing #1:  Road tunes

Our weekend began on Thursday evening for the first spin of Arkells’ new album Disco Loadout Volume One on the road.  It was a singalong success from start to finish, but it only took us as far as Listowel.  For the rest of the trip, we played the Moody Blues Long Distance Voyager.  Another success.  It is always a pleasure to try new tunes for the road.  I am happy to report that both albums did very well, and voices were raised.

We settled in quickly for a quiet weekend.  Well, quiet for the moment.  I inaugurated the weekend with some Deep Purple on the porch.  This was done to celebrate Rock Daydream Nation’s excellent Deep Purple Stormbringer episode, which I was a part of.  The episode was well received and I had a blast doing it.  Of course, Friday night was Grab A Stack of Rock which I always love doing from the lake.  There’s only one issue with doing anything on the porch involving a computer.

As another hallmark of my increasing age, my back hurts plenty after a day of rocking out and a night of live streaming from the porch.  Writing?  Extremely difficult.  The deck chairs are very comfortable there, but only for leaning back.  For working with a keyboard and a screen, they are not so practical.  Not to mention, we just have these small glass deck tables to put my laptop on.  I’ve used a number of laptop stands, but none offered the height, position and stability that I needed to easy my aching back.  There must be a solution.  Enter:  Amazon.

New thing #2:  Amazon calling

I heard through the grapevine that Amazon were now delivering to the cottage, though sometimes they have problems finding the addresses.  Some of these places are not on GPS.  However, let’s give it a shot.  I picked a new desk that I thought would work on my front porch, and had it delivered straight to the cottage.

Much to my surprise, it worked!  The delivery truck backed into the driveway at 3:00 in the afternoon, and I went outside to find a cardboard box on the deck, waiting for me!

The game has changed.  With Amazon now offering next-day delivery to the cottage, imagine what things I will waste my money on when I’m bored!  When we were kids staving off boredom, we were limited to whatever toys and cassette tapes the local stores had to offer.  Not anymore!

Now, time to set up the desk!

New thing #3:  I have a desk on the front deck now

The desk was easy enough to assemble, though the included tools were no match for my dad’s ratcheting screwdriver.  It would have taken me an hour or more if I used the wimpy little screwdriver that came in the box.  Soon, I had my desk set up, and adjusted for maximum comfort.  The game has been changed.

I could spent all day typing now.  It was like I had my own little porch nook, surrounded by coffee, lego, potato chips and CDs.

With this new desk, I should be able to do more writing and more video editing than ever before.  If I want to!  That’s the key to remember.  The cottage is for relaxing.  I must remember to do what feels right, instead of pressuring myself to “produce”.  That said, it was great broadcasting Grab A Stack of Rock with such comfort.

I did want to produce a video short this weekend, and that was semi-successful.

New thing #4:  Slow-motion fireworks

My mom and dad left us some Roman candles from the May 24 long weekend.  Though not as practical as fountains, they would do for my attempt to get some slow motion video of fireworks.

The first one didn’t give me any footage.  The problem is the firework is mostly pauses between bursts of colour.  It’s hard to hit record at the exact right time to capture anything, and even at super slow-mo, it’s hard to get more than five seconds of footage.  Next time we’ll try a fountain, but for this experiment, I was able to get two videos up on Youtube.

I love it when a plan comes together!

The last new thing that happened was complete serendipity.

On the Saturday night, Jen and I went down to the beach after finishing our delicious ribeye steak dinner.  It was after sunset, but the glow of the sun lingers for hours, and you don’t need a flashlight at the beach during twilight.  I got up to have a pee in the bushes, and after doing my business, I sang a little song and turned around.  That’s what I saw him.

The fox was heading straight towards me.  He had a gait unlike a dog.  He was unmistakable.  With absolutely no fear of humans, he walked with intent right past both of us, and on down the beach.

New thing #5:  I finally captured the fox on camera

I’ve been trying for four years now, and I finally got him.  The pictures don’t do him justice, but you’re never expecting the fox until he’s right there in front of you.  I named this one Eric Caravello.

We didn’t even get into the Lego, the steaks, the fish fry!  That will eventually make it into the cottage video.

A wonderful weekend of firsts.  Maybe the next weekend will just be old favourites!

 

 

Rock Daydream Nation: Deep Purple – Stormbringer – Did this album push Blackmore to leave Purple?

I need to remember for fortunate I am.  Some time in 2023, I was approached by an Australian man named Peter Kerr to do a show on the Vinnie Vincent Invasion for his channel, Rock Daydream Nation.  He had seen me around on social media, and we hit it off immediately.  Meeting Peter has led to some of the best shows I’ve done, including a couple on Grab A Stack of Rock.  This week on Rock Daydream Nation, Peter and I went back to one of our core deep love bands:  the Purples.  Deep Purple Mk III in fact, and the sometimes maligned Stormbringer LP.

As per the deep dive format, we begin with first impressions.  Mine begin with a cheap cassette copy bought at Encore Records in Kitchener Ontario.  We then go track by track through the whole album, side A and side B.  By the time we offer our final thoughts, it is plenty obvious that we love Stormbringer.  Blackmore may have disliked the funk, but we like when he plays funky.  We touch on Rainbow,  Whitesnake and much more.

We drive into some Deep Purple history here, so grab a coffee and enjoy this deep dive!

That’s a Wrap: Top Five Albums After a Long Gap, with Metal Roger and John Clauser plus the Mad Metal Man!

A big thank you to Metal Roger for the topic, and thanks to John Clauser for an awesome show!  The topic tonight was Roger’s:  Top five albums after a long gap between.  There was no crossover on any of our lists.  I went mostly mainstream with my bands.  Clauser surprised us with a lot of bands I didn’t know, but were popular in the comments.  A nice Steve Augeri band too! Metal Roger did industrial, metal, and beardliness.

My list is below, and included two Japanese imports and a couple of special editions with DVDs.

At the end of the day, the mighty Harrison Kopp the Mad Metal Man himself turned up with a list of his own, which surprisingly lacked any Blaze Bayley.  A huge thanks to Harrison for coming on last night.

Tune in next week for the Battle of ’84 with Pete Jones:  Defenders of the Faith vs. Powerslave!

I cheated.

TIE

KISS – Sonic Boom (2009) – 11 year gap from 1998’s Psycho-Circus

Van Halen – A Different Kind of Truth (2012) – 14 year gap from 1998’s Van Halen III (8 year gap from 2004’s Best of Both Worlds)

Faith No More – Sol Invictus (2015) – 18 year gap from 1997’s Album of the Year

Deep Purple – Perfect Strangers (1984) – 9 year gap from 1975’s Come Taste the Band

Styx – The Mission (2018) – 15 year gap from 2003’s Cyclorama (13 year gap from 2005’s Big Bang Theory)

Extreme – Six (2023) – 15 year gap from 2008’s Saudades de Rock

Top Five Albums After a Long Gap, with Metal Roger and John Clauser

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Episode 61: Top Five Albums After a Long Gap, with Metal Roger and John Clauser

‘Twas Metal Roger who suggested this week’s topic.  What are our Top Five Albums after a Long Gap?  Well, Chinese Democracy is an obvious example, but there are many more, ecpecially from the last decade or two.  It took 24 years for The Who to release a new album (Endless Wire) and then another 13 years to release the followup Who.  For the sake of this exercise, we are arbitrarily saying at minimum, at least a five year wait to qualify an album for this list.

Joining us will be Johnny Clauser from My Music Corner, which is doubly good since Roger has no physical product to show off for his picks!  (Come on, Roger!)  I have eight picks and have to narrow it down to five, which I will probably do at the last minute.

This will also be John and Roger’s first shows at the cottage.  We hope for clear weather and chipmunks!  Join us live in the comments.  We love to talk to the audience!

 

Friday May 31 at 8:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 9:00 P.M. Atlantic.   Enjoy on YouTube or on Facebook!

MOVIE REVIEW: Role Models (2009)

ROLE MODELS (2009, 99 minutes, Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott)

Directed by David Wain

All those “bro” movies are from the same mold, aren’t they?  They still make them too, variations on a theme.  The same general plotline always applies:  there’s a pair of funny but crude friends, who have a love/hate thing going on.  There’s a girlfriend (or fiance), usually a professional of some kind, to win or win back.  There are usually dick and fart jokes.

Role Models is all this, so I won’t go and tell you that it’s different from Knocked Up, Superbad, or Mr. Woodcock in any significant way.

Except one way.

.

Role Models is a love letter to the Hottest Band in the Land.  One of the writers clearly loves them, and knew how to make that funny.

In one of the earliest scenes, Scott throws Love Gun into the car tape deck.  “Kiss?  Nobody likes Kiss.  Paul Stanley is sick of Kiss,” says Rudd.  Yet, the song “Love Gun” is a recurring motif in Role Models.

Here’s the plot in a nutshell:  Two guys work for an energy drink company called Minotaur (think Red Bull, but in gross green).  Their job entails doing presentations to kids in highschool to stay off drugs, and drink Minotaur instead.  (“We’re selling nuclear horse piss to kids” – Rudd.)  One day it all goes wrong for Rudd and his girlfriend Beth (get it?  See where this is going?), played by Elizabeth Banks.  Rudd goes a little nuts at a presentation, and his giant minotaur truck ends up mounting a horse statue in the school yard.

Luckily, Beth is a lawyer and cuts Rudd and Scott a deal with the judge (without the two even having to appear before him, how convenient for a 99 minute movie).  They have to volunteer with “Sturdy Wings”; sort of like a big brothers program.  They each have to mentor a child for a set number of hours.  The program, run by a hilarious Jane Lynch, is only mildly creepy.

As the two protagonists get to know their assigned “littles”, Scott teaches his new friend about Kiss.  “These guys look like clowns,” says lil’ Ronnie.  Scott explains that they’re not, they’re actually really rich Jewish guys, and all their songs are about fucking!  This interests his young friend, who then starts dancing to “Love Gun”.

“You pull the trigger of my…Love Guuuuuuuuuun!” goes the familiar song.

“See Ronnie?  His dick is the gun!” explains Scott helpfully.

Meanwhile, Paul Rudd’s little buddy Augie is played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse (known to you as McLovin).  Augie loves fantasy role playing (LARPing), and takes Rudd to a battle.  Rudd is not impressed (“I just spent the afternoon with Gleep-Glopp and the Floop-dee-doos”), but decides to help Augie when he needs battle companions.  There’s a memorable camping trip that ends with a naked Seann William Scott, but it’s balanced out by Wings jokes (including a fake Wings song called “Love Take Me Down to the Streets”).

Without spoiling the epic ending (complete with a sword battle, a siege, and  Ken Jeong), except to say that before credits role, you will hear at least two more Kiss songs, and see the four main characters dressed in Kiss makeup and battle armor.  No explanation is given for how the quartet threw the armor together in a mere afternoon, but details do not matter in a film like this.  Prepare for a climax that finishes the movie on a hilarious note.

Other great talents in this movie included Joe Lo Truglio and Ken Marino, so check it out if that sounds like your kinda thing.  And especially if you’re a Kiss fan.

4/5 stars

2/5 stars for non-Kiss fans

#1130: If I Had A Million Dollars? A Top Five List

RECORD STORE TALES #1130: If I Had A Million Dollars? A Top Five List

 

If I had a million dollarsWell, I’d buy you a fur coatBut not a real fur coat, that’s cruelAnd if I had a million dollarsIf I had a million dollarsWell, I’d buy you an exotic petYep, like a llama or an emu

 

Fur coats?  Exotic pets?  No thank you!  If I had a million dollars, I’ll tell ya exactly what I’d buy!

 

1. AV Designhaus Derenville VPM 2010-1

There goes half my money in one shot ($650,000)!  What do I get for my money? A belt-driven turntable on a Corian chassis, that rests on four feet that are supported and balanced through an air suspension system. Has an ethernet connection, and a HD-TV camera that monitors the diamond stylus.  Why?  To watch it on a high resolution monitor and make necessary adjustments. It would probably take two engineers to set up and test; I certainly couldn’t do it myself!  I doubt there is much you could do to improve the sound of a vinyl record that this turntable doesn’t already have packed in.

2. Vintage 1982 Nakamichi Dragon 3 Head Autoreverse Cassette Recorder

This one will cost me another $10,000 Canadian, but some consider it the Rolls Royce of tape decks. If you ever wanted to make a tape sound almost as good as a CD, this is the way to do it. It requires tuning, maintenance, and knowledge. But money is no object in this exercise, so why not? Dare I say why not? It’s a sleek, beautiful looking beast of 80s esthetics.  Just look at all those buttons and LEDs!  Might be more work than it’s worth, but the sound you can get from a high-quality blank tape and this machine are better than what my ears can discern anyway.

3. PS Audio FR30 speakers

$40,000 for the pair. Then I’d need the amplifiers and Paul McGowan himself to set it all up.  I’d also need to move into a bigger house.  They require a large, neutral listening space.  Which I’d like to have anyway!  By all accounts, these speakers (when set up correctly) provide a very real sounding experience, as if you’re in the room with the musicians.  The low end is supposedly amazing, aided by eight passive radiators.  Plus, don’t they just look gorgeous?

4. Iron Maiden – Best of the Beast vinyl (1996)

Needed for just a handful of tracks!  A live version of “Revelations”, and technically the Soundhouse Tapes EP.  In the condition I want it, it’ll cost me upwards of $1000.  Wish I bought it for $300 new when I had the chance back in 1997.  It’ll sound as good as CD, over my new AV Designhaus Derenville VPM turntable and PS Audio speakers!

5. Marantz SA-10

May as well grab a new CD transport while I’m at it!  This Super Audio player boasts a high-end DAC, and will play files from FLAC to MP3 via a USB stick.  It won’t connect easily with your iPhone, which means nothing to me anyway.  I’ve always wanted a Super Audio player, so why not go with the best?   This will set me back about a grand, and I’ll probably never use most of its features.  But that’s what dreaming is all about!

There you go.  500 words on what I could do with a spare million bucks just kicking around.  What would you buy?  Keep it fun – this is a fantasy exercise, so no need for serious answers.  Drop your comment below!

 

REVIEW: The Beaches – Blame My Ex (2024)

THE BEACHES – Blame My Ex (2024 FACTOR)

By now, everyone has heard the anthem “Blame Brett”, a song named for Jordan Miller’s ex, Brett Emmons of the Glorious Sons.   While we don’t have Brett’s side of the story, from Jordan’s POV, the relationship is to blame for the following “wild” phase.  “So sorry in advance, before you take off you pants, I wouldn’t let me near your friends, I wouldn’t let me near your dad.”  This exceptional single has been an earworm all year, and the band are now reaping the rewards with international touring and an appearance on Kimmel.  “Don’t blame me, blame Brett!” has become a rally cry.

“What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Paranoid” boasts a strong chorus, wicked fuzzy guitars and delectable melodies served on a plate of a great beat and fun lyrics.  “I think I’m becoming a conspiracy theorist…everyone says that love exists, but I think that it’s a myth.”  A great song that screams hit potential.

“Me & Me” plays with tempo, and goes for the accelerator with an 80s sound, and great shouted backing vocals.  One of the strengths of this band is the vocalizing by the band, making it a party atmosphere.  The party continues with “Everything is Boring” and its “ah, ah” vocals.  “Doctor please, just pill me,” sings Jordan Miller to the ADD generation.  The pace slows down on “My Body Ft. Your Lips”, a playful title.  This is a duet with an American band called Beach Weather, and the female/male vocal lines work really well.  Though it takes a minute to catch, this is a great soft, slow burner.

“Kismet” has a speak-sing style on the verses, before the chorus bursts out in exuberant upbeat excitement.  The choruses are great, with a disco flavour and a quick beat, but the verses take some getting used to.  Moving on, “Shower Beer” is a great title.  You may have heard of the concept of drinking a beer in the shower.  “I’ve got fear of missing out, I wanna get drunk and sit up, I need to be talked about,” sings Jordan Miller.

“Edge of the Earth” has proven to be a success for the band, and you can hear why.  This ballad with a beat has passionate vocals, amazing melodies and harmonies, and the right vibe for a summer cruising hit.  That’s followed by a mid-tempo number with acoustic undertones called “If A Tree Falls”, which has nothing to do with the Bruce Cockburn song of the same name.  This is a really pretty pop rocker with a nice little guitar solo that is played for vibe.  The album goes back to high-speed pop rock on the closer “Cigarette”.  “I wanna be your cigarette,” squeals Jordan Miller, on one of the album’s most fun tunes.

Here’s the big problem with this CD.  Two, in fact:

  1. Difficulty to purchase.  The only way I could get this CD was at a show (sold out) or on their website ($15 shipping).
  2. No booklet, no credits, no nothing.  Only the song titles are listed on the back, not even the band members!

This album should be in every store.  It’s a hit waiting to happen.

4.5/5 stars

#1129: Summer’s Here and the Time Is Right

Last summer was different.  I felt like I had something to prove.  I lost the co-host that was responsible for the lion’s share of my views, and I wanted to pivot back to music.  Grab A Stack of Rock was envisioned as an “easy” show, where I didn’t have to do any prep or homework.  I was ready to work hard again and I think we did that.  We brought back lists and deep dives and the show was so much better for it.

This year is a little different in another way, which is my old co-hosts are occupied.  Harrison is busy focusing on his health.  Other co-hosts have their own shows now.  Others still are focusing on family.  I can’t blame them for that.  In a way, my show has been a bit like the Alice Cooper backing band.  Just as he launched the careers of Kip Winger and many more, my show has launched others into the Youtube-sphere.  That show out of Thunder Bay Ontario wouldn’t exist without my rocket boosters.  With that in mind, I think this summer will be something of a slowdown.

This week we’re back at the cottage with John Clauser and Metal Roger.  It’ll be their first cottage show.

What will the summer bring?  Fewer shows perhaps, but Grab A Stack of Rock will still continue, perhaps with a few different faces that we didn’t have last summer.  Some familiar ones as well.  Grant from the Rock Warehaus wants to hang out on the front porch again this summer.  I’m also thinking of doing a midnight outdoors show.  We’ll see what the summer has in store, but one thing I don’t need to do is prove anything to anyone.  We did that last year and we’re better off for it.