Revolution Rock: The 2023 Interviews & Show # 1020

In 2023, Revolution had seven interviews featured on the program. Five audio interviews were done and two email based interviews specifically for this website. As we have done in recent years, we did an episode containing highlights (or clips) from each of the audio interviews that we did and played some music/music relating to each of those artists. Below you will find some info about these interviews in addition to the playlist and download/streaming links to the episode.

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:

Read the original post 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.

Listen to the full interview here:

Read the original post here.

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):

“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):

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:

Find the original post 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. 

For those keeping track episode 1019 (which aired on December 30th) was a repeat of Revolution Rock's Shane MacGowan special for Joe Strummer day.  You can hear that episode here and the playlist here.

2023 Album Highlights & Shows 1017, 1016, 1014

For our annual albums of the year episodes, Revolution Rock once again did not rank any of the albums with any specific number. The following selections for the two episodes posted here feature a mix of albums from 2023 in no specific order, but all of them were albums that we enjoyed. Below you will also find four write-ups from albums that were released in 2023. Following these words are playlists and download/listening links to two episodes featuring music released in 2023.

Psychic Void – Cemetery Eyes

Described as psych punk, mixing in elements of 80s hardcore, punk and psychedelia, Cemetery Eyes is the third full-length album from Windsor, Ontario’s Psychic Void. Picking up where 2019’s Skeleton Paradise left off, guitarist Josh Kaiser, bassist Matt Menard and drummer Sean Carpenter add more grit to their sound as Jesse Knight’s vocals bring another element to the music tapping into themes of paranoia, the surreal, authority, brat boys and existential emptiness. Recorded and produced by guitarist Josh Kaiser, Cemetery Eyes is just eight tracks long and was self-released on cassette/digitally. 

“In My Head” starts Cemetery Eyes off with fuzzy guitar and bass that sound both like hardcore punk and the burnt out sounds of Goggs. Driving drums and bass propel this track as vocalist Jesse Knight howls throughout adding even more atmosphere to this opening scuzzy track before “Wash It Down” begins. Psych driven garage riffs drift overtop of floating drums and deep cutting baselines as lyrics “This very strange world’s got you feeling like you’re stuck in a rut/Rock in your head/ They keep coming for you, man” taps into a world of paranoia and lack of thought. “Something Sweet” features lyrics such as “I’m dancing every night while I laugh in the dark/be better to yourself/ That’s a good place to start” and the chorus of “So let the poison hit my tongue/It’s what I need to have some fun” that conjures euphoric existential themes in between an overall grimy psych punk groove, “Back 2 Reality” is a faster track featuring intense guitar and bass riffs, punk drums that brings scuzzy hardcore punk influences, “Brat Boy” ignites punk and fiery psych vibes with character driven lyrics about a bratty kid that can’t seem to break bad habits, “The Man” features venomous socially critical lyrics and punk saturated tempos, while synth wave and horror punk dominate “Hear Me Out” and the haunting title track. Cemetery Eyes delivers grittier psych punk sounds and an introspective look that reveals the cracks in our modern world of malaise that is hard to escape.

Mononegatives – Crossing Visual Field

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.

“North Carolina Atomic Bomb” was the lead off single for this album. Described as an atmospheric dark synth-wave track, this song features what sounds like a malfunctioning synthesizer, buzzing bass and crunchy guitar sounds tuning into an almost post punk electronic frequency as Brake sings lines such as “Splitting an atom/Flicking a switch,” “Frequencies shifting frequently” and “A clock moving backwards/The world spins in reverse/Never a moment/You can afford to waste” describing a wasteland of the future and technological ruin. The way the song is executed here is tense, restless and sounds like it is about to implode at any minute. Living in the Future” is a bass and midi-sounding synthesizer driving track with lyrics that convey a post-apocalyptic world, while “Deficit” ends Crossing Visual Field. The post punk/garage track with a thought provoking chorus of “Tomorrow is hand to mouth” leaves open a bleak, yet fragmented outcome between the apocalyptic worlds described throughout this album and our modern day dystopia. With Crossing Visual Field, Mononegatives combine elements of post punk, synth rock, punk, garage and the lo-fi genre into its own thing. With a deeper sense of complexity and experimentation, themes of distant and not so distant dystopias, nuclear paranoia and the apocalypse, all wrap around a new sense of atmosphere and musical structure. The songs found here are not just one thing, but many things at once. They are a bit cryptic and can elicit different meanings on repeat listens. Crossing Visual Field brings Mononegatives into a new focus as they travel across different sonic landscapes.

Ghost Woman – Anne, If

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.

“3 Weeks Straight” features 60s sounding guitars, heavy drums and deep bass grooves hold down the beat, while lyrically the song searches for meaning in the complex glow of the light and darkness of a relationship. The chorus of “I can feel you under my skin” creeps and crawls with an eeriness emphasizing a presence that is omnipresent. “Anne, If” pulls from the large pool of garage psych sounds of the Nuggets compilation with a touch of The Yardbirds as lyrically, “Anne, if you're lonely/Listen to your words/There's nothing I can say/Living yesterday” deals with nostalgic complications that are hard to break free of, while the chorus juxtaposes this with the words “I am yours/I am yours too.” “Tripped” features vocals by Nick Hay (the bassist from the Ghost Woman live band) that evoke a Mark Lanegan howl as the bass, guitar, drums and background harmonies (all supplied by Evan Uschenko) offer a hypnotic psychedelia groove. The lyrics conjure up themes of haunting isolation and contemplation. On Anne, If we are presented with music that was described as being created during a “strange new chapter” in Uschenko’s life. The songs that we gravitate towards on this album feature lyrics that are sometimes cryptic and open ended. It is something that travels with you after and during each listen. If this was a strange new chapter for Uschenko, then we are also a part of it by extension of this album. With Anne, If the music is saturated with an analog warmth and feel that provides nuanced musical moments that pull you into the world that it creates.

Ghost Woman - Hindsight is 50/50

At the end of November 2023, Ghost Woman released their 3rd full-length album and second release in 2023. Hindsight is 50/50 changes up the dynamics of the first two Ghost Woman albums, which were recorded on 4 tracks by Evan Uschenko, who also performed all the instrumentation with the exception of a few tracks. This album as Uschenko stated in press releases “is meant to be played live.” Ghost Woman seems to have had a relentless touring schedule, but that seems to have benefited this album greatly. Adding drummer and co-songwriter Ille van Dessel into the mix, the songs take on a more live spontaneous direction. There are heavy guitar tones and drums throughout the record with bass looming in the background and lyrics that are a bit cryptic once again, but the mood and atmosphere of these tracks cut deep with reverb and heavier psychedelic grooves. 

Although Uschenko has stated “Vocals are not important. We prefer to not be understood. If you’re looking for meaning in these lyrics, might I suggest buying a Lenny Bruce record instead?” the lyrics and songs evoke a meaning and arrive on edge with the music found here. “Alright, Alright” features psych guitar lines loaded with reverb as drums and tambourine add to the groove and twang while hazy lyrics such as “Take a little walk with me/Just a look inside/It might even set you free/I won't lie” that seem to either be searching for something in the dark sonic tones here, or just emphasizing a feeling, “Highly Unlikely” is intense and arrives with some blues textures as lyrics tangle in another layer of subtle complexity, “Otessa” is a faster track featuring heavy drums and abstract vocals from van Dessel and Uschenko’s tense, psychedelic guitar work, “Yoko” swaggers as it builds up to an erupting moment of blistering guitars and drums, “Juan” with its atmospheric guitar parts, solid yet characterized drumbeats and cryptic catchy choruses captures the essence of the band, while the title track simmers in the darker noisier textures. On Hindsight is 50/50, Ghost Woman develop a sound that is complex, yet simple that is layered in different psychedelic and garage inspired tones with no need for evaluation of past efforts. In this new band dynamic, Ghost Woman find themselves. 

  

Show 1017 Playlist (Originally Aired On December 16th, 2023) (Albums of 2023 Part Two):

1.  Spiderbite - Human Body Human Brain (The Rainbow and The Dove - You've Changed Records - 2023)
2.  Golden Shitters - I Don’t Wanna Go to the Mall (Golden Shitters - Memorable But Not Honorable Records - 2023)
3.  The Hives - Countdown to Shutdown (The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons - Disques Hives - 2023)
4.  Dion Lunadon - I Don’t Mind (Systems Edge - In the Red Records - 2023)
5.  Protomartyr - Make Way (Formal Growth in the Desert - Domino Records - 2023)
6.  Joanna Sternberg - People Are Toys to You (I've Got Me - Fat Possum Records - 2023)
7.  Shana Cleveland - Bonanza Freeze (Manzanita - Hardly Art - 2023)
8.  PJ Harvey - Autumn Term (I Inside the Old Year Dying - Partisan Records - 2023)
9.  Mitski - The Frost (The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We - Dead Oceans - 2023)
10. The Clientele - Lady Grey (I Am Not There Anymore - Merge Records - 2023)
11. Autogramm - Plastic Punks (Music That Humans Can Play - Stomp Records - 2023)
12. La Securite - Hot Topic (Stay Safe! - Mothland - 2023)
13. Priors - Daffodil (Daffodil - Mothland - 2023)
14. Mononegatives - North Carolina Atomic Bomb (Crossing Visual Field - Dowd Records - 2023)
15. Osees - Blank Chems (Intercepted Message - In the Red Records - 2023)
16. Teke::Teke - Gotoku Lemon (Hagata - Kill Rock Stars - 2023)
17. Water From Your Eyes - True Life (Everyone's Crushed - Matador Records - 2023)
18. feeble little horse - Steamroller (Girl With Fish - Saddle Creek - 2023)
19. Horse Chops - Comely Girl, Machine Operator (Horse Chops EP - 2023)
20. Sonny & The Sunsets - Waiting (Self Awareness Through Macrame - Rocks In Your Head Records - 2023)
21. Wilco - Cousin (Cousin - dBpm - 2023)
22. Cat Clyde - Mystic Light (Down Rounder - SecondPrize Records - 2023)
23. Colter Wall - Little Songs (Little Songs - La Honda/RCA - 2023)
24. A.Savage - Out of Focus (Several Songs About Fire - Rough Trade - 2023)
25. Galen & Paul - Lonely Town (Can We Do Tomorrow Another Day? - Sony Music - 2023)
26. Ghost Woman - 3 Weeks Straight (Anne, If - Full Time Hobby - 2023)
27. Ghost Woman - Juan (Hindsight is 50/50 - Full Time Hobby - 2023)
28. Galen & Paul - Room at the Top (Can We Do Tomorrow Another Day? - Sony Music - 2023)

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the December 16 file to download/stream the episode. 

Show 1016 Playlist (Originally Aired On December 9th, 2023) (Albums of 2023 Part One):

1.  Tough Age - Scattered (Waiting Here - We Are Time - 2023)
2.  Sweeping Promises - Shadow Me (Good Living is Coming For You - Feel It Records - 2023)
3.  Hotline TNT - Stump (Cartwheel - Third Man Records - 2023)
4.  Yo La Tengo - Until It Happens (This Stupid World - Matador Records - 2023)
5.  Private Lives - Anything For Love (Hit Record - Feel It Records - 2023)
6.  The Routes - Lipstick (Reverberation Addict - Topsy Turvy Records - 2023
7.  Bloodshot Bill - Guess What (Psyche-O-Billy - Goner Records - 2023)
8.  Mudhoney - Little Dogs (Plastic Eternity - Sub Pop Records - 2023)
9.  King Khan - Sliver of Silver (The Nature of Things - Khannibalism/Ernest Jenning Record Co. - 2023)
10. Uh Uh - Citrus Song (Uh Huh - Telephone Explosion - 2023)
11. Marnie Stern - Plain Speak (The Comeback Kid - Joyful Noise - 2023)
12. Boygenius - $20 (The Record - Interscope - 2023)
13. Wednesday - Quarry (Rat Saw God - Dead Oceans - 2023)
14. Packs - Abalone (Crispy Crunchy Nothing - Fire Talk - 2023)
15. Moonwalks - Cherry Shade (Western Mystery Tradition - Fuzz Club Records - 2023)
16. The CIA - Inhale Exhale (Surgery Channel - In the Red Records - 2023)
17. Model/Actriz - Mosquito (Dogsbody - True Panther Sounds - 2023)
18. Ron Gallo - At Least I’m Dancing (Foreground Music - Kill Rock Stars - 2023)
19. Sparklehorse - It Will Never Stop (Bird Machine - Anti- - 2023)
20. Jeff Rosenstock - 3 Summers (Hellmode - Polyvinyl Record Co. - 2023)
21. Tommy Stinson’s Cowboys in the Campfire - Dream (Tommy Stinson's Cowboys in the Campfire - Done To Death Music, Inc. - 2023)
22. Tea Leaves - Fare Thee Well (Whistlin' Past the Graveyard - 2023)
23. Bry Webb - I Can’t See You (Run With Me - Indee Fix - 2023)
24. Tunic - Sounds Repeat (Wrong Dream - Artofact Records - 2023)

25. Psychic Void - The Man  (Cemetery Eyes - 2023)

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the December 9 file to download/stream the episode. 

Show 1014 Playlist (Originally Aired On November 25th, 2023) (The Minutemen, The Falls, The Chills, The Beatles, Bog Moss, The Bug Club, James Brown):

1.  The Minutemen - Little Man with a Gun in His Hand 
2.  The Fall - I Feel Voxish 
3.  Ghost Woman - Ottessa 
4.  U.S. Girls - 28 Days (Live) 
5.  The Routes - What Do I Get 
6.  The Bug Club - Marriage 
7.  Susans - Hands 
8.  Bog Moss - Candle Magick 
9.  Dion Lunadon - Rocks On 
10.  The Beatles - Not A Second Time 
11. The Beatles - All I’ve Got to Do 
12. Bentwood Rock - It Won’t Be Long 
13. Jaime Vernon - I Saw Her Standing There 
14. Guided By Voices - The Race is On, The King Is Dead 
15. Paige Drobot - Alright 
16. Hippie Hourrah - Les Murs 
17. The Chills - Wet Blanket 
18. The Chills - I Think I’d Thought I’d Nothing Else To Think About 
19. Dear Vandal - A Ripple in the Pond 
20. Brainrust - Schizoid Embolism 
21. Autogramm - Born Losers 
22. Native Cats - My Risks is My Art 
23. The Fruit Tones - MSG 
24. Bloodshot Bill - Tell Me To Go 
25. James Brown - Stone to the Bone 

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the November 25 file to download/stream the episode. 

For those keeping track, Show 1015, which aired on December 2nd was a rerun of episode 1014 from the week before. You can find that playlist and download/stream link to the episode in this post. 

Crossing Visual Field: An Interview with Mononegatives & Shows # 991, 990 & 989

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.

“Neutral Solution” starts off Crossing Visual Field with a Devo-meets-Gary Numan sound that intersects with garage punk. The song begins with a drumbeat and urgent guitar riff before everything kicks in. The fast verses pause with synthy atmosphere at various points, but never overstays its welcome as this song, just a few seconds under a minute and a half, illustrates the abilities of Mononegatives in the opening moments of the album. “Faculty” is an anxious blast of guitar riffs and features an overload of synthesizers that sounds like an apocalyptic meltdown as cryptic lyrics “Zero time/Zero mind” repeat over punk guitar riffs. “Disappearing Architecture” brings in paranoid lyrics “Surface/Routine/Automatic/Terrestrial location” operates with a controlled frenzy pulling in catchy melodies as the song floats around the sci-fi and all too real themes of the song’s title, while “North Carolina Atomic Bomb” was the lead off single for this album. Described as an atmospheric dark synth-wave track, this song features what sounds like a malfunctioning synthesizer, buzzing bass and crunchy guitar sounds tuning into an almost post punk electronic frequency as Brake sings lines such as “Splitting an atom/Flicking a switch,” “Frequencies shifting frequently” and “A clock moving backwards/The world spins in reverse/Never a moment/You can afford to waste” describing a wasteland of the future and technological ruin. The way the song is executed here is tense, restless and sounds like it is about to implode at any minute. “Implicit Obedience” subverts lyrically as musically the song mixes noisy synth punk sounds with driving destructive rhythms, while “Cro-Magnon” is an infections gem that describes a reverse dystopia with catchy fuzzy bass, synthesizers and drums that lock in with a new wave/post punk garage/shoegaze fashion.

“Second Self” appears next. Originally part of the New Exit in Shards EP in 2022, this track features catchy post-punk guitars, while the chorus features lyrics such as “See parallel Lives/Opposite of sides/Framework falls apart/New exit in shards” reflecting introspective paranoia as the song picks up in a grimy punk fashion before ending in pulsating synthesizers. “Second Self” hits differently as part of this album, track seven and the halfway point of Crossing Visual Field. “Bel-Pre” brings a dark synth mood here as guitar arpeggios laced with effects, fuzz bass and atmospheric drums add to the make up of the song found here. The lyrics of “Nothing comes easy/Nothing comes cheap,” and “All roads lead Rome/No roads lead to home,” evokes a sense of isolation despite the vastness of the world around you. “Outcome Unknown” brings a sense of uncertainty and an uptick in garage punk rhythms, “Television Funeral” is 70s punk/garage and synthy new wave blast drawing comparisons to The Spits and Wire that brings forth a caustic tale lyrically. This song pulls in complex subject matter and in press releases for the single puts forward the idea of “Now that everything can be recorded it’s usually nothing we want to remember.”

“Testing Capacity” calls out with deep cutting synthesizers as guitar, bass and drums attack in the choruses while lyrically “Crash testing/Falling from the second story/Manufacturing with confidence” and “Transducer test device/Static stability factor/Frontal impact force” paint a cryptic, yet glitchy picture touching on communication in the modern age. “Living in the Future” is a bass and midi-sounding synthesizer driving track with lyrics that convey a post-apocalyptic world, while “Deficit” ends Crossing Visual Field. The post punk/garage track with a thought provoking chorus of “Tomorrow is hand to mouth” leaves open a bleak, yet fragmented outcome between the apocalyptic worlds described throughout this album and our modern day dystopia. With Crossing Visual Field, Mononegatives combine elements of post punk, synth rock, punk, garage and the lo-fi genre into its own thing. With a deeper sense of complexity and experimentation, themes of distant and not so distant dystopias, nuclear paranoia and the apocalypse, all wrap around a new sense of atmosphere and musical structure. The songs found here are not just one thing, but many things at once. They are a bit cryptic and can elicit different meanings on repeat listens. Crossing Visual Field brings Mononegatives into a new focus as they travel across different sonic landscapes.

 

Continue reading for an interview that Revolution Rock did with the members of Mononegatives:

RR: How/when did Mononegatives form and who is currently playing in the band?

MN: We formed in May 2019 playing our first show in June of that year. Currently the members are Aaron [Wallis] on bass, David [Cereghini] on drums, and Rob [Brake] on guitar/synth.

RR: In 2021, you released Apparatus Division. It sold out quickly. What do you think it is about this album that people responded to so much?

MN: It was the excitement of something new at a time when everything creative was in stasis. The releases we did before that album had momentum behind them leading to an anticipation for the album.

RR: When did you record Apparatus Division and with who? What do you remember of making the record?

MN: We recorded the album at Watershed Studio with Preston Lobzun in July of 2020. We recorded a lot of material in a very short session, but we were prepared and excited. We mapped everything out and managed to get it all done in about ten hours.

RR: In 2022, you had three singles out on Dowd Records. How did you get connected with this label and were all these songs recorded around the same time?

MN: Rob is a fan of The Cry, a band big in the skateboarding community, and noticed they were on DOWD. Contact was made about that band and in the process DOWD found us, liked what they heard and wanted to work with us. Those singles were recorded over various sessions we did at our practice space over the course of a year or so. It has been a very wonderful time working with the label.

RR: What is the songwriting process generally like for songs in Mononegatives? Does it differ with each song?

MN: Most of the time a member has an idea and after it is presented it is built up from there as a collaboration. Members are always working on something new so ideas come to us often. We pull ideas from different genres and styles and see how well it all works together.

RR: Dowd Records put out some different types of singles in advance of your second album Crossing Visual Field. “Cro-Magnon” had a game/contest and then “Television Funeral” was a record and a DVD. Maybe you can tell us about how these ideas came to be and maybe you can talk a bit about what inspired the songs themselves (“North Carolina Atomic Bomb,” “Cro-Magnon” and “Television Funeral”)?

MN: We wanted to do something different and interesting with those singles so we wanted to have presentations that complimented the song. “North Carolina Atomic Bomb,” a song both about a lost nuclear warhead and living life feeling like the bomb went off, naturally should have a pop up mushroom cloud that goes on the record as it spins. “Cro-Magnon” lyrically deals with how we are going backwards into a dystopia so we just played that out through the artwork. “Television Funeral” is about watching a funeral over the computer. The video is more of a play on just the song title and it made sense to include it with the record, hence the record grooves being cut into the DVD. You can play the song on the turntable or watch the video on the tv. It’s all connected.

RR: Crossing Visual Field is out now. How would you compare the recording process of this album as opposed to Apparatus Division? In the press releases for the album it stated that the songs expanded the band’s scope and have more experimental elements – do you feel this is an accurate description of the songs?

MN: The difference is this time we took a bit longer recording in a more focused way. We went to Scarborough for a long weekend recording in a home studio, a different vibe and approach to how we recorded the first LP. We absolutely feel that is an accurate statement about the songs. While there is still the familiar there are also songs that gravitate towards a new atmosphere for us. We spent two years working on them and finally recorded it when we felt fully satisfied with them. The extra time we had allowed for more experimentation and focus on the little details. The new album had different dynamics and ideas.

RR: What’s next for Mononegatives?

MN: A bigger focus on touring, travelling, and live shows. While before the situation allowed us to exclusively write and record we are embracing the opportunity to present the songs in person.

Show 991 Playlist (Originally Aired On June 10th, 2023)(Mononegatives, Siouxsie and The Banshees, The Nerves

1.  The Nerves - Hanging on the Telephone 
2.  The Nerves - Paper Dolls 
3.  The Nerves - Letter to G (Demo)
4.  Jack Lee - Give Me Some Time 
5.  Sloan - Blackout 
6.  Sloan - Can’t You Figure It Out? 
7.  Mac DeMarco - 20180701
8.  The Sadies - Wasn’t Born to Follow 
9.  Reigning Sound - Here Without You
10. Dinosaur Jr. - Feel a Whole Lot Better 
11. Husker Du - Eight Miles High 
12. Patti Smith Group - So You Want to Be a Rock n’ Roll Star 
13. Bully - Hard to Love 
14. Audry - 100 Years 
15. Teke::Teke - Yurei Zanmai 
16. Mononegatives - Disappearing Architecture 
17. Mononegatives - North Carolina Atomic Bomb 
18. Mononegatives - Deficit 
19. Mononegatives - House of Cards 
20. Protomartyr - We Know the Rats 
21. Tunic - Protected 
22. King Krule - Pink Shell 
23. Squid - Swing in a Dream
24. Siouxsie and The Banshees - Christine 
25. Siouxsie and The Banshees - Spellbound
26. Siouxsie and The Banshees - Slowdive 
27. Siouxsie and The Banshees - Happy House (Demo)
28. Siouxsie and The Banshees - Painted Bird (Workhouse Demo)
29. Jale - Hey Hey 

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the June 10 file to download/stream the episode. 

Show 990 Playlist (Originally Aired On June 3rd, 2023)(Talking Heads, Yo La Tengo, Magazine):

1.  Talking Heads - Girlfriend is Better 
2.  Talking Heads - I Get Wild/Wild Gravity 
3.  Odonis Odonis (Feat. Actors) - No One Left
4.  Flipper - Talk’s Cheap
5.  Cat Clyde - The Hawk in the Tree
6.  Knitting - Baby Carrots
7.  Les Lullies - Zero Ambition
8.  The Exploding Hearts - I’m A Pretender (King Louie Mix)
9.  The Goldstars - My Money
10. The Thrashers - Doing Crime
11. Trophy Knife - Jet Jerk 
12. Phantom Sender - Same Dance
13. Slowdive - When the Sun Hits
14. Yo La Tengo - Brain Capers
15. Wednesday - Bath Country 
16. Yessica Woahneil - Cuntry Quest 
17. Magazine - The Light Pours Out of Me 
18. Magazine - Permafrost 
19. Magazine - Because You’re Frightened 
20. Magazine - Sandwiches (1977 Demo) 
21. Magazine - Touch & Go (1977 Demo) 
22. Magazine - Shot By Both Sides (1977 Demo) 
23. Priors - Optimizer 
24. Single Mothers - Roy 
25. Divorcer - Leech 
26. Softlung - Don’t Say No 
27. Atsuko Chiba - Link 

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the June 3 file to download/stream the episode. 

Show 989 (Originally Aired On May 27th, 2023)(Tina Turner, The Saints, Tough Age, Freewheelin' Bob Dylan 60th Anniversary):

1.  PONY - Peach 
2.  OLD - Life 
3.  Monsoon Moon - Circulating 
4.  Jon McKiel - Swing Lo Magellan (Lagniappe Session)
5.  Co-op - Reality’s Veil 
6.  Tough Age - Which Way Am I? 
7.  Blessed - Felt 
8.  Bob Dylan - Blowin’ in the Wind (Witmark Demo) 
9.  Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash - Girl from the North Country (Take 1) 
10. Bob Dylan - Masters of War (Live) 
11. Bob Dylan - Down the Highway
12. Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan’s Blues (Witmark Demo) 
13. Bob Dylan - A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall (Live 1975) 
14. Bob Dylan - Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (Demo) 
15. Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan’s Dreams 
16. Bob Dylan - Oxford Town
17. Bob Dylan - Talkin’ World War II Blues (Live) 
18. Bob Dylan - Corrina, Corrina (Original B-Side Version) 
19. Bob Dylan - Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance (Live) 
20. Bob Dylan - I Shall Be Free 
21. Ike & Tina Turner - Such a Fool for You 
22. Ike & Tina Turner - Funkier than a Mosquita’s Tweeter 
23. The Saints River Deep - Mountain High (International Robot Sessions) 
24. The Damned - Love Song 
25. Packs - Laughing Till I Cry 
26. Tunic - Protected 
27. Ancient Teeth - Out of Time 

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the May 27 file to download/stream the episode. 

New Exit in Shards & Shows # 963, 962, 961

Mononegatives are a band from London, Ontario. Featuring Rob Brake on guitar/synth/vocals, Jon Lamont on bass/synths and David Cereghini on drums/synths, they put out a few self-released EPs (Sure Shock & 5 Second Future) in 2019. Mononegatives released their debut album, Apparatus Division, in 2021 on No Front Teeth Records and Big Neck Records. The album quickly sold out, garnering critical acclaim for its distinctive take on the punk meets new wave genre. Bursting with nervous energy and themes relating to technology, boredom, alienation, anxiousness and suburbia, the songs also feature strong hooks in-between all the synth-punk chaos. Their sound has been described as “raw punk meets new wave.” All members have been active in numerous bands in the London music scene such as Isolation Party, Klazo, Curb, Telegenic Pleasure and The Syndrome Disleksick.

In 2021, they released several singles and an EP (Facsimile, Frequencies Rotating Clockwise, a split single with Mystery Girl). The Facsimile EP is getting a re-release. It was originally released on cassette through the Mimetics Zine label in Italy and is now coming out through the US label Dowd Records on vinyl, who released three singles and one EP from the band in 2022. “Role Reversal” opens 2022’s Counterclockwise Interjection, starting with a dizzying array of synthesizers before an electronic sounding bass drum, fuzzy guitar and vocals and lyrics come through. “Consumer Trust” attacks like a Devo-meets-garage punk song, while lyrically the words are hard to decipher at times, they tackle consumerism themes. New Exit In Shards is a three-track maxi-single. Released on Dowd Records, “Second Self” features catchy post-punk guitars, while the chorus features lyrics such as “See parallel Lives/Opposite of sides/Framework falls apart/New exit in shards” reflecting introspective paranoia as the song picks up in a grimy punk fashion before ending in pulsating synthesizers. “Psychogenic Prison” sounds influenced by Tubeway Army and 70s/80s punk, while “House of Cards” ends the single in less than a minute as synthesizers and guitars battle each other for space while reverby vocals and drums float overtop and in-between. A limited run single entitled Retroaction was also released in 2022, it featured a different (radio edit) version of “Second Self” and the song “Consumer Trust.” Mononegatives are currently at work on their second full-length album.


Show 963 Playlist (Originally Aired On December 3rd, 2022)(Blondie, Sloan, R. Ring, Special Interest, Mononegatives, OFF!):

1. The Surf Hermits - Showdown 
2. The Rumblers - Boss 
3.  Black Angels - Vermillion Eyes 
4.  The Volebeats - All I'm Asking 
5.  Dana Gavinski - Strangers 
6.  The Velvet Underground - Story of my Life 
7.  Sunglaciers – Avoidance
8.  White Lung – Hysteric 
9.  Otoboke Beaver – I Don't Want to Die Alone 
10. The Linda Lindas – Tonite
11. Blondie - The Disco Song (1974 Demo) 
12. Blondie - X Offender 
13. Blondie - In The Sun
14. Blondie - I Didn’t Have the Nerve To Say No
15. Blondie - Detroit 442 (Take 2) 
16. Blondie - Moonlight Drive
17. Sloan – Nice Work If You Can Get It 
18. R. Ring – Still Life 
19. Apollo Ghosts – Golden Teacher 
20. Archers of Loaf – Saturation and Light
21. Teenage Art Scene – Dynastic Dialogue 
22. Sunday Morning - Junkie Don’t Care 
23. Fake Palms - Flags 
24. Mononegatives - Vision Out Of Scope
25. Mononegatives - Trauma Tourist 
26. Mononegatives - Time Warp 
27. Preoccupations – Fix Bayonettes! 
28. Special Interest – Concerning Peace
29. OFF! - Circuitry's God

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the December 3 file to download/stream the episode. 

Show 962 Playlist (Originally Aired On November 26th, 2022)(Can's Ege Bamyası, Wilko Johnson, Self-Cut Bangs, Bill Callahan, Johnny West):

1.  Fruit Tones - Back In The Night (Again) 

2.  Urkimsher - Lonely Touch 

3.  Self-Cut Bangs - Stargazer

4.  Trophy Knife - Headspace Saver

5.  Mononegatives - Second Self 

6.  Can – Vitamin C

7.  Stephen Malkmus and Friends – Spoon 

8.  Beck – I'm So Green

9.  Dr. Feelgood - Talking About You (Live) 

10. Dr. Feelgood - Roxette 

11. Dr. Feelgood - Ohyeh! 

12. Dr. Feelgood - Going Back Home

13. Wilko Johnson - Bottle Up & Go 

14. Wilko Johnson - Barbed Wired Blues

15. Weary – Wax 

16. Bill Callahan – Bowevil

17. Julianna Riolino – Long Feeling

18. Carson McHone - End of the World (Camera Varda) 

19. Johnny West - Losing Light

20. Tim Swaddling - Little Timmy

21. Skye Wallace – Tear a Piece (Bite Me)

22. Built to Spill – Gonna Lose 

23. Heaven for Real – Take It Away 

24. Young Guv – Scam Likely

25. Art d'Ecco – Get Loose 

26. Bonaparte - Beat It

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the November 26 file to download/stream the episode. 

Show 961 Playlist (Originally Aired on November 19th, 2022)(Dick Dale's Surfer's Choice 50th anniversary, Keith Levene, Dead Kennedys, PJ Harvey, White Lung):

1.  Dick Dale and the Del-Tones – Surf Beat 
2.  Dick Dale and the Del-Tones – Surfing Drums 
3.  Bloodshot Bill – Jangled 
4.  The Surfrajettes – El Condor Pasa 

5.  Tuff Darts - Head Over Heels (Live At CBGB 1976)

6.  Robert Gordon with Link Wray - Fire 
7.  Robert Gordon - Rock Billy Boogie 

8.  PJ Harvey – Somebody's Down, Somebody's Name 

9.  Big Joanie – Taut 
10. Courtney Barnett – Words and Guitar 
11. Temps – Fomo 

12. Public Image Limited - Public Image 
13. Public Image Limited - Memories
14. Public Image Limited - Radio 4

15. Public Image Limited - Flowers of Romance

16. Keith Levene – I'm Looking for Something 

17. Katy DiTondo & Keith Levene - London 1976

18. Dead Kennedys – Forest Fire

19. Dead Kennedys – Moon Over Marin
20. Bad Waitress – Racket Stimulator 
21. White Lung – Tomorrow 
22. The Berries - Night Winds
23. Threads of Fybre - Mama 
24. Allison Brown - Old Fires 
25. Ghost Woman - Broke

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the November 19 file to download/stream the episode.