An Interview with Jose Contreras (of By Divine Right) (February 2023):
Otto Motto is the latest album released by Toronto’s By Divine Right. A now legendary proto-indie rock band, By Divine Right is fronted by Jose Contreras and the band has seen many lineup changes throughout the years, in their previous lineups they featured Feist, Brendan Canning (of Broken Social Scene) and Brian Borcherdt (of Holy Fuck). The lineup of Jose Contreras (guitar/vocals), Geordie Dynes (drums) and Alysha Haugen (bass) had been together since 2010 (the lineup changed slightly in mid 2023). In 2016, the band recorded a full album cover of Depeche Mode’s Speak & Spell album in their rehearsal space, calling it Speak & Spell U.S. Otto Motto is a sprawling double album containing 14 tracks and features haunting psychedelic pop textures to the songs as the lyrics dig deep and are contemplative. We spoke with Jose covering the making of Otto Motto and a bit of the band’s history for Revolution Rock’s theme month based programming in February.
Listen to the full interview here:
An Interview with Chris Jack (of The Routes) (February 2023):
An Interview with Evan Uschenko (of Ghost Woman) (May 2023):
Ghost Woman’s Anne, If was released in January 2023 on the Full Time Hobby label. Following 2022’s critically acclaimed self-titled debut, Anne, If picks up where that album left off. The music was written/recorded/performed by multi-instrumentalist Evan Uschenko on a Tascam 388 tape recorder in a large, expansive house. The press release states that when recording the album there was not much to do “except record music, watch old VHS movies, and cook meals over an open fire in the backyard.” Recording songs at different times of day also influenced the sounds and nuances present on Anne, If. Influences such as songs from 60s garage Nuggets compilation, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, Love, Safe As Milk-era Captain Beefheart, Can, Neu!, and 60s Kinks/The Creation all float around in the musical atmosphere of these songs, however, these all add to the chemistry of the songs to expand Ghost Woman’s sound. In November 2023, Ghost Woman released Hindsight is 50/50. This album was recorded in a studio in France adding a moodier live feel, this time in collaboration with drummer for the group Ille van Dessel. We did a short interview with Evan for the website about Anne, If.
Read the interview here.
An Interview with Mononegatives (June 2023):
Crossing Visual Field is the second full-length album by London, Ontario’s Mononegatives. Their sound has been described as “raw punk meets new wave” and with 2021’s fast selling and critically acclaimed Apparatus Division, Mononegatives set themselves apart as a band experimenting with the punk meets new wave genre. Featuring Rob Brake on guitar/synth/vocals, Aaron Wallis bass and David Cereghini on drums, Crossing Visual Field was recorded once again with producer Preston Lobzun, but this time at a home studio in Scarborough. The band spent two years writing, recording and preparing for this record. With extra sonic details this time around, Crossing Visual Field brings a new atmosphere and broader scope to Mononegatives previous anxious nervous energy dynamic. We spoke with the members of Mononegatives for this website and covered the making of the album and a bit of the band’s history.
Read the full interview here.
An Interview with Don Pyle (of Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet) (July 2023):
In 1993, Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet released their third full-length album titled Sport Fishin’: The Lure of the Bait, The Luck of the Hook. Prior to recording the album the band was quite busy. Whether it was touring, rehearsing, recording music for the Kids In The Hall TV Series or recording singles, it was a whirlwind of activity for the band. Before the recording of Sport Fishin’, SMOASP recorded some singles with Steve Albini at his home studio. Some of these tracks would wind up on a few different releases such as the Dog & Squeegie single released in 1992 on the Estrus label and the Take Outs single released on the Derivative label in August of 1993. Just before Christmas of 1992 however, they recorded and mixed over a five-day period with Steve Albini at the Chicago Recording Company studio. The results would be the Sport Fishin’ album. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the album’s release we played the album in full on the program (in July) and also spoke with drummer Don Pyle about recording the album during that time period.
Listen to the full interview here:
Read the original post here.
An Interview with Bry Webb (September 2023):
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Listen to the full interview here:
An Interview with Chris Jack (of The Routes) (February 2023):
The Routes have been releasing music since 2007, but lately they have been putting out two, or sometimes more releases a year. The band is lead by multi-instrumentalist/main songwriter Christopher Jack and currently features drummer Bryan Styles. In 2022, they released The Twang Machine, a surf tribute to Kraftwerk that works so well, in 2021 two instrumental albums (Instrumentals II and Shake Five) were released in addition to Mesmerised, a psych, reverb doused collection of tracks with vocals. While they are a garage punk band, they often blur the lines of that title pulling other influences creating something different each time. At the end of 2022, the instrumental album Get Past Go! was released and in February 2023, the garage-psych album that pulls in post-punk influences titled Lead Lined Clouds was released. Later in 2023 they released the all surf tribute to Buzzcocks titled Reverberation Addict. We spoke with Chris about The Routes history and making their recent albums as part of Revolution Rock’s annual theme month based programming in February.
An Interview with Evan Uschenko (of Ghost Woman) (May 2023):
Ghost Woman’s Anne, If was released in January 2023 on the Full Time Hobby label. Following 2022’s critically acclaimed self-titled debut, Anne, If picks up where that album left off. The music was written/recorded/performed by multi-instrumentalist Evan Uschenko on a Tascam 388 tape recorder in a large, expansive house. The press release states that when recording the album there was not much to do “except record music, watch old VHS movies, and cook meals over an open fire in the backyard.” Recording songs at different times of day also influenced the sounds and nuances present on Anne, If. Influences such as songs from 60s garage Nuggets compilation, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, Love, Safe As Milk-era Captain Beefheart, Can, Neu!, and 60s Kinks/The Creation all float around in the musical atmosphere of these songs, however, these all add to the chemistry of the songs to expand Ghost Woman’s sound. In November 2023, Ghost Woman released Hindsight is 50/50. This album was recorded in a studio in France adding a moodier live feel, this time in collaboration with drummer for the group Ille van Dessel. We did a short interview with Evan for the website about Anne, If.
Read the interview here.
An Interview with Mononegatives (June 2023):
Read the full interview here.
An Interview with Don Pyle (of Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet) (July 2023):
In 1993, Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet released their third full-length album titled Sport Fishin’: The Lure of the Bait, The Luck of the Hook. Prior to recording the album the band was quite busy. Whether it was touring, rehearsing, recording music for the Kids In The Hall TV Series or recording singles, it was a whirlwind of activity for the band. Before the recording of Sport Fishin’, SMOASP recorded some singles with Steve Albini at his home studio. Some of these tracks would wind up on a few different releases such as the Dog & Squeegie single released in 1992 on the Estrus label and the Take Outs single released on the Derivative label in August of 1993. Just before Christmas of 1992 however, they recorded and mixed over a five-day period with Steve Albini at the Chicago Recording Company studio. The results would be the Sport Fishin’ album. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the album’s release we played the album in full on the program (in July) and also spoke with drummer Don Pyle about recording the album during that time period.
Listen to the full interview here:
Read the original post here.
An Interview with Bry Webb (September 2023):
“Thunder Bay” was the first single released by Canadian singer/songwriter Bry Webb from his album Run With Me. Inspired by a desire to sing and play music again after not releasing music for quite a few years, the songs that make up Run With Me are made up with inspiration to play again and the connections/contributions from different musicians over Webb’s career. Also known for being the lead vocalist in Constantines, Webb’s album Run With Me is his third full-length release and his first new album since 2014’s Free Will (there was also a live album, Live at Massey Hall in 2015). We spoke with Bry Webb about making the album Run With Me and the challenges that came along with it, we spoke of The Constantines, his early bands, and Webb’s earlier solo albums.
Find the original post here.
Listen to the full interview here:
An Interview with Tommy Stinson (October 2023):
Listen to the full interview here:
An Interview with Tommy Stinson (October 2023):
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Tommy Stinson’s Cowboys in the Campfire released their debut album Wronger in June 2023. The album collects a mix of alt-country, rockabilly, folk songs and features musicians Tommy Stinson and Chip Roberts. Stinson and Roberts’ history goes back many years, he even helped co-write a song on Stinson’s Bash & Pop album Anything Could Happen in 2007. But, for those of you who don’t know Tommy got his start playing bass in the Minneapolis band The Replacements, then went on to play in numerous groups such as Perfect, Guns n’ Roses, Soul Asylum, Bash & Pop. Wronger got its start with some sessions recorded in Texas with Christine Smith around 2016/2017 with John Doe on bass, the rest were recorded in Stinson’s New York studio. There are several different musicians on this album that all add to its makeup, but overall it comes off as a stripped down collection of songs that flows together so naturally. Revolution Rock spoke with Tommy Stinson about Wronger's creation, a bit of his musical history with Perfect, The Replacements Let It Be reissue and more.
Listen to the full interview here:
Listen to the full interview here:
Show 1020 (Originally Aired On January 6th, 2023)(The 2023 Interviews Playlist):
1. By Divine Right - I Climb (Demo) (OTTO MOTTO DEMO - 2023)
2. By Divine Right - East Side Anthem (OTTO MOTTO - Fortune Stellar Records - 2022)
JOSE CONTRERAS (OF BY DIVINE RIGHT) INTERVIEW CLIP
3. By Divine Right - It's Not Over (OTTO MOTTO - Fortune Stellar Records - 2022)
4. The Routes - Opinions (Lead Lined Clouds - Ottis Media Records - 2023)
5. The Routes - In A Rut (Get Past Go! - Ottis Media Records - 2022)
CHRIS JACK (OF THE ROUTES) INTERVIEW CLIP
6. The Routes - Fast Cars (Reverberation Addict - Topsy Turvy Records - 2023)
7. Ghost Woman - Street Meet (Anne, If - Full-Time Hobby - 2023)
8. Ghost Woman - Broke (Anne, If - Full-Time Hobby - 2023)
9. Mononegatives - Living in the Future (Crossing Visual Field - Dowd Records - 2023)
10. Mononegatives - Disappearing Architecture (Crossing Visual Field - Dowd Records - 2023)
11. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet - (Relax) You Will Think You Are A Chicken (Sport Fishin': The Lure of the Bait, The Luck of the Hook - Cargo Records - 1993)
12. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet - Peas Porridge Rock (Sport Fishin': The Lure of the Bait, The Luck of the Hook - Cargo Records - 1993)
DON PYLE (OF SHADOWY MEN ON A SHADOWY PLANET) INTERVIEW CLIP
13. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet - Plastic for 500, Bob (Sport Fishin': The Lure of the Bait, The Luck of the Hook - Cargo Records - 1993)
14. Bry Webb - AM Blues (Free Will - Idee Fix Records - 2014)
BRY WEBB INTERVIEW CLIP
15. Bry Webb - Outbound Only, No Return (Run With Me - Indee Fix Records - 2023)
16. Bry Webb - Modern Mind (Run With Me - Idee Fix Records - 2023)
17. Tommy Stinson's Cowboys in the Campfire - We Ain't (Wronger - Done To Death Music, Inc. - 2023)
TOMMY STINSON INTERVIEW CLIP
18. Tommy Stinson's Cowboys in the Campfire - Mr. Wrong (Wronger - Done To Death Music, Inc. - 2023)
19. The Replacements - Kiss Me on the Bus (Demo) (Tim: Let It Bleed Edition - Rhino Records - 2023)
To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the January 6 file to download/stream the episode.