Sloan's One Chord To Another 20th Anniversary & Shows # 642, 643, 644

Following the release of 1994’s Twice Removed, which received little promotion due to a number of factors, Sloan broke up as a band. Sloan would still play shows periodically, but drummer Andrew Scott relocated to Toronto and the members of Sloan became involved in other music projects. Although Twice Removed has been critically acclaimed, due to artistic differences from Sloan’s label at the time, Twice Removed never received the promotion that it should have. Unlike 1992’s Smeared, Twice Removed did not have the “grunge sound” of that time period. Sloan wanted to move away from that and do something different. The idea came to record another Sloan album for their own label Murderecords with their own money and worry about the other details later. Without major label pressure, Sloan set about recording what would eventually become One Chord To Another in 1995. The album would be released on Sloan’s own label, Murderecords in June of 1996.

The album was recorded with Laurence Currie at Idea of East Recording Studio in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Since drummer Andrew Scott lived in Toronto, the band would send Scott demos so that he would be familiar with them. In December of 1995, he recorded his drum tracks in Sloan’s rehearsal space to save money and time in Halifax. The drums were recorded on a 4-track cassette recorder to make them sound tougher, as opposed to the bigger, more produced drum sound of Twice Removed. This was a bit unorthodox to do at the time, but wound up giving the album a certain “character”, as stated in the booklet that comes with the 20th anniversary vinyl box set of One Chord To Another. Two additional tracks for this release, the songs written and sung by drummer Andrew Scott, were recorded in Toronto with Brenndan McGuire. Recording also continued into January of 1996. The sound of One Chord To Another differed in the fact that it pulled in more influences such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and featured a more power pop oriented sound.

Since each member of Sloan was a songwriter, One Chord To Another featured four different vocalists and different styles to make up its overall aesthetic. The album opens with crowd noise that was lifted from a videotape recording that was made at the band’s last show at the time at Edgefest in August of 1995. The song “The Good In Everyone” then kicks in. Penned by guitarist Patrick Pentland, it was inspired by bands such as the Sex Pistols and The Damned’s “New Rose” musically. The song, which has a certain anthemic quality, has since become a Sloan standard. “The Good In Everyone” is also notable for its music video, which features an extended intro that is a spoof of the 1969 film, Easy Rider. “Autobiography” is one of many Chris Murphy originals, filled with words loaded with double meaning and a sound that is very Beatles influenced. Lyrically, this song like many on this album, reference Sloan’s own history and struggles with being on a major label. “Junior Panthers” is a Jay Fergusson penned track that lends itself to a more mellow sound with harmonies reminiscent of The Beach Boys. “The Lines You Amend” is melancholic track reminiscent of CCR, with lyrics that reference a friend’s suicide and The Beatles’ Ringo Starr. This is another track on this album that is one of the standouts, not only by Jay Fergusson, but on the album as a whole.

“G Turns To D” is an up-tempo garage song sung and written by bassist Chris Murphy. Lyrically the song is about someone using the skills you helped them learn to put you down. This song was inspired by real life events featuring Chris Murphy and Laura Borealis/Chapo. “Everything You’ve Done Wrong” was another Patrick Pentland song that the band has been known for. The song was one of the first Sloan songs to feature trumpet/horn sections and is more on the pop/ballad side of things. Lyrically, the song seems to be about finding success on your own terms and not being put down by past mistakes. “Take The Bench” is a slower, T.Rex inspired song by Chris Murphy. Filled with puns and double meanings, the song tells a story of a woman who sits on the same piano “bench” in her childhood and as her parents get a divorce. “A Sides Win” and “400 Metres” each end one side of this album. In addition to this, both songs are written and sung by drummer Andrew Scott.

“A Sides Win’ features saloon-styled piano and strong Beach Boys vocal harmonies, along with dirty sounding electric guitar. “400 Metres” ends the album complete with woozy piano and 60s sound guitar licks. Musically the song is pretty much a one-chord jam with a few surprises. The theme of the band’s past, present and potential future situations seems to be referenced in this song. The words used in the lyrics such as “I know I said I had a good time/But now I’m sprawled across the finish line” and “The situation’s heavy and the competition’s thin/Now I’ve got to wake up so I can get back on my feet again” seem to serve as evidence of this. These themes pop up throughout all the songs on One Chord To Another, usually in subtle ways. But, after repeat listens the little details pop out at the listener.

One Chord To Another won a Juno award in 1997 for best Alternative album. It serves as a period in the band’s career where they could have stopped being a band altogether, but instead they found success without major label pressure and started to do things their own way, from the music right down to the artwork. As stated in the lyrics to “G Turns To D”, on this album Sloan really could “go from one chord to another” in terms of music and style for something that was retro-influenced, but completely their own. This was the beginning of the future of Sloan’s long career, which with eleven albums in their discography, still resonates to this day.

Sloan's 20th anniversary vinyl box set edition of One Chord To Another has now sold out. A single LP edition of One Chord To Another is currently available via the Sloan Store.

Playlist For Show 644 (Originally aired on December 17th, 2016):

1. The Black Angels - Watch Out Boy
2. Pink Floyd - Flaming (BBC Session 1967)
3. South River Slim - Dirty Pool
4. Lost Patrol - So Strange (The 1991 Sessions)
5. Tea With Lincoln - Space Between The Defect
6. Pissed Jeans - Romanticize Me
7. Hot Snakes - Audit In Progress
8. The Ripps - Loco
9. Propagandhi - This Is Your Life
10. Mystics - Can't Be Happy
11. The Rationals - Feelin' Lost
12. Pet Sun - Web Of Man
13. Paul Jacobs - Born In A Zoo
14. Tea Leaves - I Want To Live In The Dirt
15. Merle Haggard - California Blues
16. Neil Young - Can't Stop Workin'
17. Cass Mccombs - Cry
18. Headache24 - Big Star
19. The Feelies - The Boy With The Perpetual Nervousness
20. The Gories - Queenie (LIVE At CJAM 1989)
21. The Gories - Hidden Charms (LIVE At CJAM 1989)
22. The Dirtbombs - Chains Of Love
23. Danny & The Darleans - Soul On Ice
24. Danny Kroha - Cannonball Blues (CJAM Session 2016)
25. Jeff Rosenstock - To Be A Ghost…
26. Oromocto Diamond - Gold
27. The Nature Boys - Can't Think
28. Tim Presley - Underwater Rain
29. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Ain't No Chimneys In The Projects

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for December 17.

Playlist For Show 643 (Originally aired on December 10th, 2016):

1. Tuns - Mixed Messages
2. Sloan - Nothing Left To Make Me Want To Stay
3. Sloan - 400 Metres
4. Gloria - Shelter
5. Permanent Mistake - Device
6. Holy Void - Climb
7. James O-L - The Pollution Is Killing Me
8. Colleen Brown - Try It Again
9. Toy - Another Dimension
10. Wolves From Dogs - Disappear Completely
11. Kestrels - Suspect
12. Thee Rum Coves - Over And Over
13. Wreckless Eric - Grown Ups
14. The Pandoras - It’s About Time
15. Cheetahs - Dynamite
16. The Future Primitives - Have You Been To Mars (Bo-Weevles Cover)
17. The King Khan & BBQ Show - What’s For Dinner?
18. The Iguanas - Walk Don’t Run
19. The Black Lips - Cruising
20. The Cramps - Can't Find My Mind
21. The Evaporators - I Can’t Be Shaved
22. Public Image Limited - Fodderstompf
23. Mission Of Burma - Fame And Fortune
24. Fugazi - Target
25. The Black Angels - Bad Vibrations
26. Knots - Rhythm and Motion
27. King Khan - Strange Ways
28. Danny & The Darleans - Bug Out Bag
29. Danny & The Darleans - Let’s Stomp

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for December 10.

Playlist For Show 642 (Originally aired on December 3rd, 2016):

1. Lost Patrol - Mister, You're A Better Man Than I
2. The Only Ones - Lovers Of Today
3. Fire Engines - Plastic Gift
4. The Haig Trading - In My Dynamite
5. Lesbo Vrouven - LL
6. The Pixies - Plaster Of Paris
7. The Seams - Hung Up
8. Sloan - Imagine All The Songs
9. Sloan - Flexible Flyer
10. Howlin' Wolf - Just Like I Treat You
11. The Rolling Stones - Hate To See You Go
12. The Rolling Stones - I Gotta Go
13. The Rolling Stones - The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man
14. Chuck Berry - Louis To Frisco
15. The Gories - Give Me Some Money
16. The Monkeywrench - Bottle Up & Go
17. Bralizian Money - In The Real Worldl
18. Foxhart Fishman - Hwy 26
19. Women - Shaking Hand
20. Tim Presley - Solitude Cola
21. Thee Oh Sees - Gelatinous Cube
22. Thee Oh Sees - You Will Find It Here
23. Pistol Rays - Enforcer
24. Nevegans - Downey Surf
25. Jimmy Reed - Little Rain
26. Magic Sam - All Your Love
27. The Rolling Stones - Dandelion
28. Mark Sultan - If I Had A Polaroid
29. Mark Sultan - Blodd On Your Hands

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for December 3.

Chemical Sound Radio Special & Show # 423

 

When talking of albums that were made at Chemical Sound, Sloan’s Navy Blues usually comes to mind. The album was released in 1998 and was the album to feature their breakthrough Canadian hit “Money City Maniacs”, but there were so many factors that added to the studios dynamics and to why people liked it so much. Chemical Sound was known for its vintage sounds and analogue gear and this spoke to artists that wanted to record there. The studio had its beginnings in 1992 with Daryl Smith who worked closely with Ian Blurton, who is a producer/musician, as was Daryl. Ian has been involved in the studios development since its early beginnings, he has recorded numerous albums there with the bands he has been involved with C’MON, Blurtonia, Change of Heart. The two built up not only an array of quality vintage equipment, but also the reputation of the studio. Chemical Sound has produced many albums by artists to name a few Sloan’s Navy Blues, Death From Above 1979’s You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine, and Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven by Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

The second set of owners of the studio were Rudy Rempel and James Heidebrecht, who produced recordings by The Constantines, and Royal City, and in 2006, Dean Marino and Jay Sadlowski took over as owners and operators of the Chemical Sound facility. The studio also moved locations in 2006, the original site of the studio was torn down in order to make way for condominiums. Relocated in Riverdale, Toronto Dean and Jay would produce recordings by artists such as Tokyo Police Club, Born Ruffians, an i-tunes session for The Black Keys, The Schoemberg Fair, C’MON and many others. When they announced they were closing their doors in 2012 this message appeared on their website:

Chemical Sound has been in business for 20 years. Over the years the studio has played host to many important Canadian and International recording artists. Since 2006 Dean and Jay have worked with great bands like The Black Keys, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Tokyo Police Club, Born Ruffians, C'MON, Sweet Thing, The Elwins, EIMIC, Attack in Black and many many more.

We want to thank everyone who has supported us over the years.

One of the last recordings recorded at Chemical Sound was the Inferior Ghost EP by Papermaps. The EP was recorded at Chemical, but also parts of it were done at Vespa Studios and mixed in what is now Central Audio, a new name for the space that used to be Chemical Sound. The EP represents perseverance through difficult times. Many reasons have been thrown around as to why the studio closed its doors, one being it not being economically viable, but the truth is all things must come to an end at some point. Chemical Sound retired while people still had an interest in it, and at a time where music recording is in a state of transition, the EP literally represents this, it was recorded at two places, one of them being Chemical Sound. It is a rather poignant and fitting release if you consider the EP in that respect.

It is nearly impossible to sum up a studio that for twenty years (from 1992-2012) has had produced so many recordings in a few odd paragraphs. You could say so many things, but the biggest factor that made people return to the studio was the fact that Chemical Sound was always devoted to quality, regardless of the genre of music or band that was recording there and the products spoke for themselves. So when you’re looking through an album and check out to see where it was recorded you can be sure that if it says Chemical Sound, something interesting was done there. I can’t help but return to Sloan’s Navy Blues, which is an album that showed off a different yet exciting side of the band which brought them new successes. But the band also recorded their next album Between The Bridges there as well (it was mixed elsewhere) a fact that few people know without checking out the linear notes, but you can hear it in the sound of the drums on that record. The drum sounds at Chemical were always something of note when considering the studio, they were often referred to as getting really good, if not some of the best drum sounds in Toronto and when you listen to a song such as “Money City Maniacs”, “She Says What She Means”, or even songs by C’MON, Godspeed! You Black Emperor or from any of the albums recorded there, you can hear the room, you can hear the sound of a band playing in that moment when the sound of a band/making music was all that mattered and that’s what you got from Chemical Sound a moment captured and what a great moment it was.

The following interview was done between myself (Dave Konstantino host of Revolution Rock) and Dean Marino and Jay Sadlowski musicians and the owners/operators of Chemical Sound from 2006-2012. We talk of recordings made there, a bit of its history and more.

RR: When did you first hear of Chemical Sound and what was it that interested the both of you about the studio?

D - I was a client. I made my first professional recording there in 2000. I heard that Sloan's Navy Blues was recorded there.

J - I knew about the music that came from the studio, but didn't know about the studio itself till I started talking to Dean about it.

RR: How, why and when did you guys become involved with the recording aspects of Chemical Sound?

D - Both Jay and myself have been recording since we were teenagers (we were in a high school band together). We would rent / steal and borrow equipment to make cassette recordings in our basements or in the music room at school - eventually we graduated from 4-track tape machines to semi pro and then fully pro stuff. After being a client at Chemical for a few years I built up the nerve to ask to intern there. I interned for a few months before they started paying me - all that high school tom foolery and experimentation paid off. I started at the studio in 2003, bought the gear and name in 2005 and we closed in 2012.

RR: Chemical Sound is known for their vintage gear and analog recording techniques, when was Chemical Sound first established as a recording studio and why do you think that the studio put this recording mandate in place to begin with?

D - The studio was established by Daryl Smith in 1992, when analog recording was really the only option - I guess ADATs had been around or a few years, but they were considered sub-standard. The studio just stuck to what worked. They didn't acquire a ProTools rig until 2004! Ian Blurton (Change of Heart, Blurtonia, C'MON) had a lot to do with the gear selection because he was/is heavily into the classic heavy rock sound - he knew what kind of gear works best for that sound. He's the one who tracked down the API console.

J - Yeah, Daryl and Ian really shaped it based on their love of classic records. It's cool. At the time, the 80's, they were really going against the grain in terms of popular sound. A lot of records then were thin and very clean sounding, meanwhile they were building this classic, gritty distorted sound.

RR: Chemical Sound was originally located elsewhere in Toronto for many years. When and why did Chemical Sound switch locations?

D - The location change happened late 2005 early 2006. The original location is now a swank condo.

RR: What are some of your favourite recordings that have come out of Chemical Sound? More specifically, out of all the recordings that you both have worked on which ones are some of your favourites?

D - Black Keys iTunes Session - because it was done so purely, quickly and sounds so good. EIMIC's (Everything is Made in China) first two records, because Jay and myself had full creative production and Tokyo Police Club's Elephant Shell because I made some life-long friends on that gig.

J - Yeah. I like most of the records that came out of Chemical. For sure everything Dean has mentioned. There's really too much to even list, Ruby Coast, Born Ruffians, The Elwins, Dilly Dally... I love all of them! It's been great to be so proud of it. And we've totally made new friends.

RR: Could you both describe a positive recording experience that you have both had during your time working at Chemical Sound?

D - Most of them are positive because you get to witness and aid in someone's creative child being birthed. It's a nice feeling. I really enjoyed meeting and working with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - they were some of the nicest people.

J - I liked working with a lot of people: Graham Wright, EIMIC, Eight Bit Tiger, Ian Blurton, Mike Rocha, The Elwins, etc. too many to mention.

RR: Alternatively, do you have any stranger moments that have occurred during your time at Chemical Sound that you remember fondly?

D - Yes, but why name names?

J - There were many strange moments; band members fighting, laughing etc. We once recorded a karaoke version of an opera song in return for some architecture work!.

RR: What do you remember of the first recordings that the both of you have worked on, whether it was in the producing or engineering role?

D - Jay and I made 3 records together with our high school bands. Then we didn't see each other until after university - we just ran into each other randomly. We reconnected and then when I thought about buying the studio I asked Jay to help me out with some sessions. We did our first proper record together, as a team, at old Chemical I think it was Tugnut's album Ode to Pete. Or it could have been a Magneta Lane track.

J - Yeah, either Magneta Lane or Tugnut was the first time we worked together in Chemical. They were both awesome sessions actually. We did do a lot of stuff before that too.

RR: When and why did you guys take over operations at Chemical Sound? Was owning and operating a recording studio something that you both wanted to do?

D - I've always dreamed of doing that - working in a studio. When I was a kid and I listened to records, I would imagine a studio scene, not a concert scene - if you get what I mean.

J - We took over around 2005 - 6. A combination of factors lead to this. The old space was being sold, the owners were making life changes, Dean was working there, we were both recording a lot.

RR: In February 2012, it was announced that Chemical Sound would be closing for good and retiring their name, what was it that led to this decision and now that Chemical Sound is over with do you plan to continue recording bands?

D - I will always produce records (be them my own or with artists I really like). I've got a new studio setup which I'm keeping private. I'm keeping the location a secret because I'm not in the "commercial studio" game anymore. No phones - no website. My new studio is smaller, with a much smaller overhead, but still quite substantial - for example, the live room is 400 sq ft with 12 foot ceilings and I can still record whole bands live off the floor. I share the space with two other bands I'm involved in. My goal is to cherry pick my clients from now on. If people want to work with me, they can write me.

J - There are many reasons why we closed; we just both agreed it was time for us to try other things. We are already working with other projects. Both Dean and I have been recording forever, I don't think that we will ever stop.

RR: What was the last recording to be officially made at Chemical Sound? When was it and what do you remember of that last recording session?

D - I want to say it's the forthcoming Papermaps EP, Inferior Ghost. Most of it was done at Chemical (with the exception of 3 bed tracks) and I mixed it in what used to be the Chemical Sound control room (Now Central Audio). It was strange to work in that room, not being the owner and not using the API console, which was sold to Rogue Studios.

J - Truth is, it took us a while to move out of the space and in that time we did as much recording as we could, so it really depends on what you count as the end.

RR: Chemical Sound is often referred to as a legendary studio from Toronto with a unique no frills recording approach. Do you agree with that statement and what do you think it was that appealed to so many bands to record their music at Chemical Sound?

D - Yes. I agree. Our rates were incredibly inexpensive for what you got in terms of equipment and especially in terms of service. No we were not posh - we had a very "workshop" or "garage" vibe going and we liked it that way. Graham Wright once told me he liked working with us because he didn't feel inhibited, he liked how we didn't scold him for touching the Hammond organ or playing around with gear - we/are were easy-going.

J - We tried to build the studio to be a comfortable place for artists to work. I think most musicians recognized that we were focused on making the best records we could. We built it knowing what it's like as the person being recorded.

RR: Both of you make music on your own and have lots of recording experience, what are your plans for the future, whether that is in music, recording or both?

D - I plan to concentrate on my band, PAPERMAPS and my songwriting and I would like to produce a few records and EP's each year by bands that I admire and respect.

J - I have a new "Jay Sad" record that Dean produced, recorded on tape at Chemical. It's mixed already, and I'm hoping to release it soon. I also have plans to mix and produce a few records. I recently did the music for a web animation for Amnesty International, and I'm working on a record with James Hicken (Wallscenery Demos).

Chemical Sound Play List:

1. Sloan – C’Mon C’Mon (We're Gonna Get Started) - Navy Blues (1998)
2. Invasions – Atlantic Blvd - Magic EP (2009)
3. C'MON – The Messenger – Midnight Is The Answer (2004)
4. Tokyo Police Club – Nursery Academy - Elephant Shell (2008)
5. Born Ruffians – Hummingbird – Red Yellow & Blue (2008)
6. Everything Made In China – 4 – 4 (2007)
7. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Storm - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven (2000)
8. Jay Sad & Dean Marino - Best Friend - Chemical Demo (2009)
9. EX~PO – Remember (Live At Chemical Sound April 12, 2008) - Central Meaner Street (Bonus Track) (2008)
10. Jay Sad – Krazy – Krazy (2009)
11. The Superfriendz – Absurd Without It – Slide Show (1996)
12. The Inbreds – T.S. Elliot (Youth Mix) – Hilario (1993)
13. Tricky Woo – Fly The Orient – Sometimes I Cry (1999)
14. Death From Above 1979 - Cold War - You're A Woman, I'm A Machine (2004)
15. Orphan Choir - Burning Ash Again- Unwelcome Guests/Orphan Choir split 7 Inch (2008)
16. The Schomberg Fair – Can’t Go Home - Gospel (2009)
17. Graham Wright – No Hard Feelings – Shirts Vs. Skins (2011)
18. Tin Star Orphans – Let You Down – Yonder (2009)
19. The Black Keys – Chop & Change - i-Tunes Session (2010)
20. Suckerpunch – Let’s Get Evil – Carols From The Canyon (1995)
21. Jay Sad & Dean Marino - Waiting For The Man - Chemical Outtake/Demo (2007)
22. Ride Theory - Dead Radio, Love - In This City (2005)
23. Papermaps – There Are Wolves - Inferior Ghost EP (2012)

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for September 25. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

2011 Highlights & Show # 384

The following is a collection of reviews of eleven of my favourite albums of 2011, a top 11 of 2011 if you will. I’d like to note that while these releases are technically my top 11 albums, all of the songs featuring on today’s program I enjoyed and encourage you to check them out (info can be found in the play list below).

1. The Black Lips – Arabia Mountain

Arabia Mountain features sixteen tracks, all of which sound fresh and exciting while at the same time staying true to the bands ethics. Working with producer Mark Ronson has helped Black Lips and their songs to reach their maximum potential. Lyrically the album features many songs that reflect a narrative based nature, sounding mature while at the same time keeping true to the unique tenacious style. Amongst the sixteen tracks found here you will find elements of Surf, 60s Garage, 70s Punk, and Psychedelic music. After six albums this album serves as a new starting point for the group, while fans often choose 2005’s Let It Bloom and 2007’s Good Bad Not Evil as the bands best work, Arabia Mountain serves as a new contender. The band has never sounded better on record and as a result, this may be not only one of the bands strongest produced efforts, but also one of their best albums so far.

To read more of my thoughts on this album visit http://revrock.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-direction-black-lips-arabia.html

2. Indian Wars – Walk Around The Park

Indian Wars are a band that comes from Vancouver, BC. Walk Around The Park was released in April 2011 and has an interesting array of influences. While the band is often labelled as a Garage Rock band, drawing comparisons from bands such as The Black Lips and King Khan & BBQ Show, they also have underlying Country Rock influences. They have been said to also be influenced by The Band, George Jones and Dead Ghosts (another Vancouver Garage Punk band). The combination proves for a an interesting blend of Garage Rock and Country with tracks such as “Old Hotel”, “20,000 Cans”, “Bullfrog”, “Won’t Do A Thing”, their influences are diverse and at times hybridic. Lyrically and musically the album conjures up images that are reminiscent of songs once heard by artists such as Johnny Cash, Neil Young, and Crosby, Stills and Nash with a dash of Garage Rock and Punk mentality for good measure, this certainly is one interesting walk around the park.

3. The Mark Inside – Nothing To Admit

In 2010, Toronto's Mark Inside released their False Flag EP, and in November of this year they released Nothing To Admit, their second full length album. In 2008, the band went to the UK and began work on Nothing To Admit, over the course of six weeks. The album was produced by Jim Abbiss, an acclaimed UK producer who has worked with artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian. Signing to Jim Abbiss' own Metalbox Recordings label (and Sony Music Canada in Canada), the False Flag EP followed in October of 2010. Nothing To Admit came out on November 1st, 2011 and adds to the EP expanding it adding more depth than on False Flag.

The album features great Post-Punk themed tracks “There Is Nothing To Admit”, “Lime Green Monkeys” and “Questions”, while at the same time dipping into Garage Rock on tracks such as “House of Cards”. “The Bottom Line” is a track that is worth the price of admission of the album alone, the song which has charted on the Canadian Alternative Rock charts at # 31, is a slower soulful track that is lyrically a different kind of working mans anthem one that addresses issues surrounding big corporations. “Shots From A Broken Bottle” a single released from the album is another track that makes this album not only unique, but great. It is a song that simmers with elements of Blues and builds to a soulful roar. The album ends with the bands usual live set closer “The Sky Is Falling Down”, the song captures the bands live energy, which is never short of explosive and it clocks in at over seven minutes. Nothing To Admit features a variety of influences from Garage Rock, Post-Punk, Blues and Alternative, it is the sound of a great Canadian live band coming into their own.

4. Papermaps – Papermaps

In April 2011, Papermaps released their first full length album, simply titled Papermaps. Like a paper map, the Papermaps album charts into new musical territory using Central Meaner Street as a starting point, the band has currently ventured into Power Pop influenced territory. Papermaps features ten well crafted Pop songs mixed in with other elements that gives you something that keeps you on your toes.

The albums opener “Angela” sets a tone for the overall album building as it progresses, it features predominately guitar/bass and drums. Near the end there is a splash of synthesizer which gives the listener a tasty bite of what’s to come. The second song featured on the album is the piano driven sing-a-long “Reunion”, which has done very well on Independent campus radio based charts, the third song on the album is the guitar driven and energetic “Can’t Make A Living” which moves the listener along the albums ten track course. “Complicate Things” is a moody yet synthesized anthemic Dance Rock track, while “Exit” is one the heaviest tracks on the album. “Coddled” is a song that starts off like a solo John Lennon outtake, reminiscent of a lullaby before it picks up in to all its loud glory, “You Are My Gallows” ends the album with a call and response dynamacism. Papermaps blurs the lines of their musical territories for a sound that is all their own. A second full length album is due to be released in the fall of 2012.

I did an interview with Dean of Papermaps in November just before a show they played in Windsor, it can be heard here:



5. Sloan – The Double Cross

This May Sloan released their 10th full length album The Double Cross, which also marked their 20th anniversary as a band. The album features twelve new tracks building on their addictive Pop Power formula. The Double Cross starts off with "Follow The Leader" a song penned by bassist Chris Murphy, the drum and tambourine heavy Rock song has a seventies flavour. The song segue ways into "The Answer Was You" which is a Pop song written by Jay Fergusson, it sounds as if it would have fit perfectly on their 1996 release One Chord To Another. The album also features "She's Slowing Down Again" a song by drummer Andrew Scott, which sounds like it could have been from the 1998 album Navy Blues. According to Scott, the song has been around for a while. Other interesting tracks include "Unkind", a Patrick Pentland number, which is the first single for the album and "It's Plain To See", which is yet another high energy Pentalnd song. In addition to these, other tracks of note include "Shadow of Love" a song in a similar vein as “G Turns to D”, the acoustic Pop of "Green Gardens, Cold Montreal", "Beverly Terrace", and "I've Gotta Know". There is also the song "Traces", a song written by Andrew Scott that features bassist Chris Murphy on drums. The Double Cross which in Roman numerals is XX means twenty, has many songs that fans can identify with and love, but at the same time it also has a fresh sound and feel to it. Sloan has now been around for twenty years and with yet another album and tour underway, they show no sign of stopping anytime soon.

In May I Interviewed Sloan's Chris Murphy live on my program, it can be heard here:











6. Brazilian Money – This Is Not A Dream

This album kind of came out of nowhere this year. Brazilian Money are based out of Edmonton, Alberta and are essentially just one person Garrett Johnson. This Is Not A Dream is filled with catchy sometimes weird junkyard gems, displaying elements of Garage Rock and Lo-Fi music such as Pavement at times. Brazilian Money has garnered other comparisons to bands such as Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols and are labelled as experimental when loading their music in itunes, but they are difficult to pin down. This album has great tracks such as "Give Up That Dog", "Then You'll Know", "Party Till I'm Dead", and the gritty "Nobody's Coming". An EP also followed this year titled Jive With The Killer Instinct that is six tracks long, it is essential if you liked This Is Not A Dream. Check them out for yourselves at http://brazilianmoney.bandcamp.com

7. The Strokes – Angles

Is This It? with songs from their second album Room On Fire. The song could be described as “Last Nite” meets “Reptilia”. It is a strong song found on the album, which shows off many different colours, sometimes leaning in the experimental electronic sounding direction. As a whole, Angles is heavily rooted in the 80s, the first track “Machu Picchu” is a song that was originally conceived by guitarist Nick Valensi and has a Reggae flavour in the verses with Rock sounding choruses, sounding fresh and retro at the same time. The first line “I’m putting your patience to the test” is a declaration of what is to come musically, the songs are at times familiar sounding, at other times different leaning either in an 80s influenced or electronic influenced direction.

Many critics hailed this album as a return to form when The Strokes released their first single from the album “Undercover of Darkness”. While the song is a return to form of sorts, it sounds as if it combines elements from the bands first album Critics have also been fast to attack the album, but it has many strong moments. “Two Kinds of Happiness”, another Valensi original sounds like an 80s song from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, exemplifying The Strokes slower, but catchy groove, while “Taken For A Fool” sounds like an outtake from The Strokes Room On Fire album, “Gratisfaction” is a guitar heavy track, sounding like classic Strokes, but at the same time sounding like a song that could have been on their last studio effort First Impressions of Earth, “Life Is Simple In The Moonlight” ends the album and ties up all the loose ends. It is an encompassing, catchy track with lingering synthesizers, dual guitar lines, and lyrics from Casablancas stating “Don’t try to stop us, get out of the way” that brings the album musically and lyrically full circle. The Strokes have returned with Angles an album of many eclectic shades and colours, but also one with elements that fans have come to identify and love. To read more of my thoughts on Angles visit http://revrock.blogspot.com/2011/03/strokes-angled-show-345.html

8. The Pack AD – Upersons


In September 2011, The Pack A.D released Unpersons. This album further displays the bands evolving sound and adds different elements into the mix. Unpersons elevates the Pack A.D’s sound making them sound bigger most likely due to Detroit producer Jim Diamond, who adds edge to the bands sound. On this album the band truly have evolved at a sound that is both different and as fascinating as their past. The albums title originates from the novel 1984, which is a form of “newspeak” meaning someone who has been stripped of rights, identity or humanity. While The Pack A.D have not been stripped of their musical identity, they do venture into new and different music territory and lyrically the songs reflect a dystopian view and plays into the titles meaning. Unpersons finds the band exploring the very elements of their sound, reconstructing themselves with their brand of raw Blues, Garage and Punk which has made them a Mint Records artist to watch.

9. The Horrors – Skying

On The Horrors 2009 full length released Primary Colours they took their Garage/Punk influenced sound into a Post Punk direction and on Skying they advance their sound into yet another direction. Combining elements of Post Punk stylings with elements of Shoe Gaze, this album shows the band coming into their own. Recorded at their own studio in the UK, songs such as “Still Life” which has drawn comparisons to Simple Minds, “I Can See Through You” features over driven guitars, and “Monica Gems” to name a few that add to this albums aura. Skying shows The Horrors building on the atmospheric and Jesus and The Mary Chain influenced sounds that first appeared on 2009’s Primary Colours while at the same time re-focusing themselves musically into a clearer stronger image.

10. Deer Tick – Divine Providence

The fourth full length release from Rhode Islands Deer Tick bites down hard and adheres to their rowdy, beer drinking image. This album shows a band embracing their roots and having a good time doing it. While there are still elements of Country and Folk which the band are known for having, the band is also much heavier, in a good way. The albums feel and themes are set forth by the lyrics to the first track on Divine Providence “The Bump”, in which singer John McCauley says “we’re full grown men, but we act like kids”. The strongest track on Divine Providence has to be the song “Main Street” in which the band flexes their Rolling Stones influences musically and lyrically.




11. Thee Oh Sees – Carrion Crawler/The Dream EP

This album snuck in just before the end of the year. Thee Oh Sees already released an album in 2011 titled Castlemania, which was also great, but Carrion Crawler/The Dream is a tighter more cohesive sounding release. Thee Oh Sees have been releasing music for years and are known for being quite prolific, two albums in one year even without prior knowledge of the band hints at that. The band started as a vehicle for John Dwyer, who is the driving force behind this band, they were started by Dwyer in order to release instrumental and experimental home based recordings, but it evolved into something else in the process. Dwyer himself has been part of numerous bands (Coachwhips, Pink and Brown, Burmese, The Hospitals to name a few), and this version of Thee Oh Sees on Carrion Crawler/The Dream is perhaps Thee Oh Sees at their best.

As for the rest of my picks, check out my play list below it can also be downloaded as it is a radio show. There are a few other albums that deserve a mention and although they didn't make my list they would have if time permitted. The other albums I’d like to mention are John Doe - Keeper and Tom Waits – Bad As Me.

2011 Play List:

1. The Black Keys – Gold On The Ceiling (El Camino, Nonesuch 2011)
2. Beastie Boys - Lee Majors Come Again (Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, Capitol 2011)
3. Johnny West – Purgatory Waltz (Medium-Fi Music For Mentally Unstable Young Lovers, Tosteestostas Music 2011)
4. Ty Segall - Booksmarts (Singles 2007-2010, Goner Records 2011)
5. Chang-A-Lang – Monday Again (No Clean Rock and Roll, Self Released 2011)
6. Wire – Clay (Red Barked Tree, Pink Flag 2011)
7. The Rapture – Miss You (In The Grace Of Your Love, Red General Catalog 2011)
8. Reigning Sound – Lyin’ Girl (Abdication...For Your Love, Scion AV 2011)
9. Ry Cooder – Lord Tell Me Why (Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down, Nonesuch 2011)
10. Dum Dum Girls – Just A Creep (Only In Dreams, Sub Pop 2011)
11. Luger Boa – Lazy (New Hot Nights, Stuka Records 2011)
12. The Polymorphines – Anna Lee (The Slip EP, Self Released 2011)
13. Thee Oh Sees – Chem-Farmer (Carrion Crawler/The Dream, In The Red 2011)
14. Deer Tick – The Bump (Divine Providence, Partisan Records 2011)
15. The Horrors – Wild Eyed (Skying, XL Recordings Ltd. 2011)
16. The Pack A.D. – Sirens (Unpersons, Mint 2011)
17. The Strokes – Gratisfaction (Angles, RCA Records 2011)
18. Brazilian Money – Then You’ll Know (This Is Not A Dream, Self Released 2011)
19. Sloan – Shadow of Love (The Double Cross, Yep Roc Records 2011)
20. Papermaps – Complicate Things (Papermaps, EMI Music Canada 2011)
21. The Mark Inside – House of Cards (Nothing To Admit, Metal Box Recordings/Sony Music Canada 2011)
22. Indian Wars – Bullfrog (Walk Around The Park, Bachelor Records 2011)
23. The Black Lips – Modern Art (Arabia Mountain, Vice Records 2011)
24. The Black Lips - Raw Meat (Arabia Mountain, Vice Records 2011)

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for December 27. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Sloan ... The Double Cross Interview with Chris Murphy & Show # 352

On today's program I interviewed bassist Chris Murphy of Sloan. The interview occurs at about the half hour mark into the program and can be downloaded in the links below at the end of the play list. But first some info on Sloan's newest album The Double Cross. More info on the band and their tour can be found at http://www.sloanmusic.com/.

This May Sloan released their 10th full length album The Double Cross, which also marked their 20th anniversary as a band. The album features twelve new tracks building on their addictive Pop Power formula. The Double Cross starts off with "Follow The Leader" a song penned by bassist Chris Murphy, the drum and tambourine heavy Rock song has a seventies flavour. The song segue ways into "The Answer Was You" which is a Pop song written by Jay Fergusson, it sounds as if it would have fit perfectly on their 1996 release One Chord To Another. The album also features "She's Slowing Down Again" a song by drummer Andrew Scott, which sounds like it could have been from the 1998 album Navy Blues. According to Scott, the song has been around for a while. Other interesting tracks include "Unkind", a Patrick Pentland number, which is the first single for the album and "It's Plain To See", which is yet another high energy Pentalnd song. In additon to these, other tracks of note include "Shadow of Love" a song in a similar vein as “G Turns to D”, the acoustic Pop of "Green Gardens, Cold Montreal", "Beverly Terrace", and "I've Gotta Know". There is also the song "Traces", a song written by Andrew Scott that features bassist Chris Murphy on drums. The Double Cross which in Roman numerals is XX means twenty, has many songs that fans can identify with and love, but at the same time it also has a fresh sound and feel to it. Sloan has now been around for twenty years and with yet another album and tour underway, they show no sign of stopping anytime soon.

The Play List:

1. Sloan - It's Plain To See
2. Sloan - Beverly Terrace
3. Johnny West - I Must Be Your Prey
4. Chocolate Watch Band - Are You Gonna Be There (At The Love In)
5. The Sonics - Dirty Robber
6. The Music Machine - The People In Me
7. Nick Lowe - Cracking Up
8. HIdden Pictures - Working On A Way Out
9. Square Root of Margaret - So Far Gone
10. Prehistoric Cave Strokers - My Baby and Me (Fast Version)
11. The Vagrants - Oh Those Eyes
12. XTC - No Thugs in Our House
13. Richard Hell & The Voidoids - Down At The Rock and Roll Club
14. Sloan - Shadow of Love
15. Sloan - She's Slowing Down Again
16. The Strokes - Machu Picchu
17. The Fall - Rebellious Jukebox
18. Magazine - Recoil
19. Radio 4 - Dance To The Underground
20. The Papermaps - Can't Make A Living
21. Mark Inside - House of Cards
22. The Hives - The Hives Declare Guerre Nucleaire


To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for May 17. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

2009 Highlights...Show # 281

Today's program was composed entirely of albums that were released in the year 2009. The last nine songs on the show constituted my favourite nine releases from 2009. While re-issues were included in the list (The Beatles Remasters, Nirvana's Bleach 20th Anniversary Edition, and The Vaselines - Enter The Vaselines), I did not count them in the top nine list, due to the fact that they have already been released prior to 2009. The following are my favourite nine releases from the year 2009:

1.  The Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand

200 Million Thousand was the follow up to 2007's Good Bad Not Evil. This album differed from their 2007 release, instead of continuing with a similar sound the band went for a dirtier and darker Garage/Psychedelic sound. While the album does feature many great Pop moments ("Short Fuse","Drugs", Just Like Staring Over", and "I'll Be With You" ), the album has more of sleaze element than their previous album (Good Bad Not Evil). The 14 track album even features a Rap song "The Drop I Hold" and a cover of The Iguana's (Iggy Pop's first band) "Again & Again", that is mixed in with The Black Lips unique blend of fuzzy Atlanta, Georgia Garage Rock.


2.  Sloan - Hit & Run EP

Released fairly close to the end of 2009, this five track EP was released in digital form only. Of the five songs featured here two are from Bassist Chris Murphy ("Take It Upon Yourself", "Oh Dear Diary"), and one each from the other Sloan band members "Midnight Mass" (Jay Ferguson), "It Is Never" (Patrick Pentland), and "Where Are You Now?" (Andrew Scott). Overall the EP is a mix of Pop, 70's and 60's Rock, and is a great example of Sloan's excellent musical output of the last few years. A must for any Sloan fan and essential for anyone looking for a great underrated Canadian band.



3.  Julian Casablancas - Phrazes For The Young. 

This was the first full length solo release from Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas. The album is comprised of eight songs, all of which reflect a love for the 80's. While there are only eight tracks here, it still features some great enjoyable tracks that stand out on their own such as "Out of the Blue", "River of Brakelights", and "11th Dimension". This track seems like a nod to the New Wave influences employed on The Strokes album Room On Fire. The albums title Phrazes for the Young, is referencing Oscar Wilde's Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Young.



4.  Pearl Jam - Backspacer


Backspacer is Pearl Jam's follow up to 2006's Pearl Jam. The songs on this album reflect more of a Pop and New Wave nature, the album was also produced by Brendan O'Brien (he hasn't worked with the band since 1998's Yield). Recorded at a variety of places in the US, Backspacer is said to be the bands most rehearsed record and the one with the most positive lyrics from front man Eddie Vedder. The album was released on the bands own Monkeywrench label and through Universal Music Group internationally. Cover art for the album was designed by editorial cartoonist Tom Tomorrow (real name Dan Perkins) and it features nine images created by Perkins. 


5.  The Almighty Defenders - The Almighty Defenders


Released in September 2009, The Almighty Defenders is a group made up of two bands King Khan & BBQ Show and The Black Lips. This 11 track album was recorded in Berlin (where King Khan was living) after The Black Lips had to cancel their tour of India following an incident on stage. In eight days, this new supergroup laid down the eleven tracks, it was released on Vice Records. The music on this album can be described as Gospel influenced Garage Rock.





6.  King Khan & BBQ Show - Invisible Girl

Released in November of 2009, Invisible Girl is yet another R &B and Garage Rock album, on my list, this one comes from King Khan & BBQ Show. While this duo (Originally from Montreal) has released several albums, this album is the bands third full length.  Elements of Sam Cooke, The Sonics, Chuck Berry, good old fashioned R & B, (not the new overproduced kind) and trashy elements of 60's Garage are all over this record.  





7.  The Dead Weather - Horehound 

In 2009, a band popped up featuring Jack White and Alison Mosshart of the Kills. The band consists of Jack White (drums/vocals/guitar), Alison Mosshart (lead vocals/guitar), Dean Fertita (guitar/organ/piano), and Jack Lawrence on bass. The group formed in January 2009, from a Jam session at Jack White's Third Man Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Following the session, the band began writing material and recorded quickly. Horehound was released in July of 2009, and did very well on the charts. The band was said to have been halfway done their second album in October of 2009.



8.  War Child: Heroes Compilation

This album is comprised of 15 bands doing cover songs. It features artists such as Beck (covering Bob Dylan), Yeah Yeah Yeah's (covering Ramones), The Kooks (covering The Kinks), and Franz Ferdinand (covering Blondie). The album also features a cover of "Straight To Hell" by Lilly Allen featuring Mick Jones of The Clash. Another interesting fact is that each song that was to be covered was selected by the original artist themselves. Artwork for the album was done by John Squire, former Stone Roses guitarist. For more information visit the Warchild Homepage. 



9.  Franz Ferdinand - Tonight

Produced by Dan Carey, Tonight draws on the bands earlier sound, bringing in elements of electronica, dub/reggae, 80's synthesizer music. The album is based around the concept of a night out partying and the morning after. The album cover photos (taken by Søren Solkær Starbird in Glasgow) have the look and feel of Berlin-era David Bowie. The album was well received and released by Domino Records in January of 2009, a bonus disc of Dub remixes was released in June of 2009 titled Blood.




Other interesting releases from 2009 were The Beatles re-issues.  This is an obvious choice, but these re-issues have been a long time coming.  The design and packaging are of excellent quality, and I highly recommend any of these albums.  The Vaselines - Enter The Vaselines, is an excellent collection of all the material that The Vaselines have put out, it is complete with demos, live material and studio recordings.  Rhino released the Where the Action Is box set.  This four CD collection features 100 songs from the Los Angeles area from the time period of 1965-1968, this is yet another great addition to the Nuggets series.  As far as new releases go, The Crocodiles released an eight track album titled Summer of Hate that seems very new wave influenced, and The Howlies released a great 60's Garage influenced album called Trippin' With The Howlies. 

Best of 2009 Play List:

1. Portugual. The Man - Everyone is Golden
2. John Doe & The Sadies - Stop the World and Let Me Off
3. Spiral Beach - Domino
4. The Vaselines - Dum Dum
5. Arctic Monkeys - My Propeller
6. Nirvana - About A Girl (Live Pinestreet Theatre 1990)
7. The Beatles - Think For Yourself
8. The Mustangs - That's For Sure
9. Neil Young - Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (45 Version)
10. Ex-Boyfriends - Born To Be Kicked Out
11. Yellow Wood - Chinese Women Unite!
12. The Crocodiles - Refuse Angels
13. The Horrors - I Can't Control Myself
14. Franz Ferdinand - Send Him Away
15. The Howlies - Sea Level
16. Beck - Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat
17. Dead Weather - 60 Feet Tall
18. King Khan & BBQ Show - Zombies!
19. Almighty Defenders - I'm Coming Home
20. Pearl Jam - Got Some 
21. Julian Casablancas - Out of the Blue 
22. Sloan - Where Are You Now?
23. Black Lips - Short Fuse

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for January 5th. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Album Art Clash!....Show # 258

This week my program featured a selection of some of my favourite album artwork. This included single artwork and album artwork. There was also a co-host this week, Adam from Fear of Music (on Tuesdays from 1-2:30 PM). I was also featured as a co-host on his radio program where he also did a show on artwork. You can check out his list on his Fear of Music blog. Below is a description of the choices made as well as some that did not make it onto my show this week due to time restraints.

Album Artwork Selections:

The Dead 60s - The Dead 60s (2005)


This album was released in the UK in 2005 and several months later in the US. The track listing differs from the UK and US versions and so did the artwork. The actual artwork is a pop art styled version of an actual building in Liverpool, where the band comes from. The Concord House is the office building on the cover and it is located near the Liverpool Lime Street railway station. The UK version of the album features a red background while the US version has a yellow one.






XTC - Go 2 (1978)


Designed by a group of British album artwork designers known as Hipgnosis, Go 2 features a different kind of artwork. In fact there is an essay on the front of the albums cover instead of any picture or artwork. Originally released in 1978, this album featured a different track listing in the UK than in the US. The albums title (Go 2) was named in part due to a Japanese strategy game called Go. The two was put after the word go because it was the bands second album.






U2 - 11 O’clock Tick Tock (Single 1980)

11 O’clock Tick Tock was U2's third single. It was released just before the release of their first full length album Boy. Produced Martin Hannett (known for his work with Joy Division), this single featured the bands early post punk influenced sound. The actual artwork features a close up picture of a clock (pointing to 11) with a blue/purple coloured background. Along the side of the single cover the words "U2 11 O’clock Tick Tock" are featured in blocks. Three versions of the song exist, all of which are different takes of the song. There is the original single mix, a slightly longer mix for a Martin Hannett tribute album and a version of the Pride single.



Devo - Be Stiff EP (1977)

The artwork for this six track EP was created by Barney Bubbles (a graphic designer) and Brian Griffin (a photographer). The cover featured a man holding up a letter "E" with his hands over the top of his head. The EP was produced by Devo themselves and features some different versions of songs that would be found on the bands first album. "Jocko Homo", "Mongoloid", "(I Can't Get Me No) Satisfaction", and "(I Saw My Baby Gettin') Sloppy". There are also two songs "Be Stiff" and "Social Fools" not featured on any of the bands original albums. All of these tracks can now be found on various compilations, anthologies and reissues of the bands albums.

The Cure - Boys Don't Cry (1980)


This album was actually a US version of the bands first album Three Imaginary Boys. It also features a different track listing than the original UK album. The albums cover features palm trees, a sun and burned/frayed looking bottom. The cover always reminds me of Egypt, maybe it's because of the song "Fire in Cairo", but either way it is an interesting album cover. This album is also an early representation of the band, who would later be known as Gothic. At this point in the bands career they were making Punk/New Wave sounding tracks.






Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better (2005)


The album artwork for Franz Ferdinand's second album is similar to artwork by Russian avant-garde photographer Alexander Rodchenko. It was inspired by his portrait of Lilya Birk. The album itself reflected a more punk inspired Franz Ferdinand than their first album.








The Diodes - Action-Reaction (1980)


The third album by Canadian punk band The Diodes showed off a more Power Pop and Hard Rock style. The albums cover is a variety of space looking ray guns, one is missing. It is another interesting cover from a Canadian band that is underrated. The album will be re-issued on CD in September. Currently it is available on itunes.







The Nils - Green Fields in Daylight (1997)


This album is in fact a compilation album from the Canadian punk and pop band The Nils. The Montreal band lasted from 1978 until 1994. The band started at a young age by Alex Soria and his brother Carlos. The compilation features more than 20 tracks collecting early demos, recordings, songs from the bands EP's and full length album. The artwork on the albums cover is a spilled over can of contact cement. Shades of green dress the albums cover.






The Professionals - I Didn't See It Coming (1981)


Formed by Steve Jones and Paul Cook (of Sex Pistols), The Professionals released I Didn't See It Coming in 1981. The album was actually a re-recorded version of the bands first album which was never released (it was eventually released in 1990 and in 1997). The cover is pretty simple, a guy getting punched in the face. An effective and eye catching album cover.








The Damned - Don't Cry Wolf (Single 1977)


Don't Cry Wolf was a single taken from the bands second album Music For Pleasure. This album would be The Damned's last with guitarist Brian James, it was also produced by Nick Mason (of Pink Floyd). The B-side to Don't Cry Wolf is the song "One Way Love". The B-side (which is also on Music For Pleasure) has some almost country like guitar licks on it. The song is an excellent example of the guitar work of Brian James. The single artwork features what looks like scalpels in a star shaped pattern surrounding the bands name and the songs title.






The D4 - 6Twenty (2001)


The 2001 album from New Zealand Garage Rockers, The D4 was named after a guitar amplifier. The cover features the band members silhouetted in black and red, while guitarist Dion Palmer aims his guitar in a gun-like fashion. The album itself is great representation of high energy Rock and Roll. The album had six singles released, none of which charted in the US. Some singles from the album did make it on to the UK singles charts.







Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris (2007)


The artwork for Era Vulgaris features two light bulb characters, one which is a green light bulb that has an eye patch (known as "Patchy") and Bulby a yellow bulb smoking a cigarette. The light bulb cartoons were created by Liam Lynch and the overall art direction was done by Jason Nato & Doug Cunnigham of Morning Breath Inc. Josh Homme has stated in an interview that light bulb represents an idea that you think is really great, but in reality it is not. Era Vulgaris was the fifth album by Queens of the Stone Age.






Sloan - Navy Blues (1998)


Sloan's follow up to 1996's One Chord To Another was Navy Blues. The album featured songs such as "She Says What She Means" and "Money City Maniacs". Navy Blues combined elements of the bands 60s Pop/Beatles style with 70s Hard Rock. The albums artwork features a picture of each band member separated by lines that are similar to work done by Saul Bass (American graphic designer and film maker). For an animated, filmic extension of the album cover check out the video for "Money City Maniacs".






Neil Young - On The Beach (1974)


This was an album that has interesting things to pick out on the cover. There is part of what looks like a Cadillac buried in the sand, a patio table and chairs, a person out in the distance and a hanger hanging under the umbrella (there are more things too if you look closely). This album was originally released in 1974 and for a long time it was out of print on vinyl and it not available on CD. In 2003 it was finally released on CD.







Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Streetcore (2003)


The artwork to the third album by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros is credited to Art Dog and Joe Strummer. The album which was released posthumously showed the Mescaleros returning to a more Rock/Clash like form. Streetcore featured songs such as "Coma Girl", "Get Down Moses", "Long Shadow" and "All In A Day", all of which display differing musical styles while still staying true to the edge of Rock and Roll. The cover displays a coil that looks like it is dripping, five black stars placed in two different locations on a bright orange background.





The Strokes - Room On Fire (2003)


The Strokes second album was panned by critics when it was originally released. The albums cover features what looks like a black jack card table (or some sort of card table that would be used in a casino), two hands of opposing colours firing at each other and the bands album title. The album musically was influenced by New Wave music such as Talking Heads, The Cars and the bands previous Garage Rock influences.







The Kinks - Kink Kontroversy (1965)


Originally released in 1965, Kink Kontroversy mixed early Kinks Garage Rock style with Blues. The albums cover features five squares. The main square features a close up Dave Davies playing guitar. Atop of it there are four squares each of which has a different Kinks band member inside. The albums title is a play on the bands onstage antics, and fighting which led to them being banned in the US.








The Hives - Walk Idiot Walk (Single 2004)


The single to the Hives song "Walk Idiot Walk" featured two B-sides "Genepool Convulsions" and "Keel Hauling Class of '89". The single is a song that comes from The Hives 2004 album Tyrannosaurus Hives. The single also contains the music video made for the song. The video features the band in a white room with a scrabble board that changes letters in the background. The cover is a shot of the band members holding their instruments on a white background, which is a similar style to the music video for the single.



Sex Pistols - Nevermind The Bollocks (1977)

The one and only album by Sex Pistols featured cut out ransom styled lettering. In the UK the letters were outlined in pink, while the background is yellow. For the US release the colours differ. The letters are outlined in green with a light pink background. The cover was designed by Jamie Reed and has since been copied by numerous punk bands. Without an album like this, who knows what rock music would sound like today?






Buzzcocks - Promises (Single 1978)


All of Buzzcocks early singles have interesting artwork designs. Promises is one of my favourites, it is designed in a pop art style and features a green square outlined by a purple circle on a black background. The song was recorded just after the release of the bands second album Love Bites and was originally titled Children. The song was also added to the Singles Going Steady compilation in 1979.







Wire - Chairs Missing (1978)


This album cover is simple, there are no chairs on the front cover and there is a table with purple flowers on top of it. There are also brownish grey curtains in the background. The covers concept was created by Graham Lewis and Colin Newman (of Wire), while the cover photo was taken by Annette Green and the overall art direction was created by Brian Palmer. The albums title is derived from a British slang for a person that is a little bit disturbed. For example, that man has some chairs missing from his front room. The album featured more pop oriented compositions than the bands previous effort Pink Flag.



The Clash - London Calling (1979)


The artwork is to 1979's London Calling is now seen as an iconic image. The cover is reminiscent of Elvis Presley's first album and they both employ a similar font style. Elvis's album features Elvis raising his guitar up while London Calling features Clash bassist Paul Simonon smashing his bass down to the floor. The photograph on the cover was taken during a Clash concert in New York by Pennie Smith. The graphic design was done by Ray Lowry. I enjoy almost all of The Clash's album covers and single artwork, some other interesting ones to check out are Radio Clash, Bank Robber, Magnificent Seven and of course their other album covers.




Other interesting artwork:

Elvis Costello & The Attractions - This Year's Model (1978)


The artwork to this album cover was designed by Barney Bubbles. The concept is simple, Elvis Costello standing in front of a camera with his right hand sticking out, the background is a golden brown colour. The US version of this album did not have the songs "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea" and "Night Rally", instead of those tracks the song "Radio, Radio" was added. A slightly different album cover was also used for the US version.







Talking Heads - Take Me To The River (US Single 1978)

Talking Heads were another band that had interesting album covers. The US version for the song Take Me To The River is one of my favourites. The song was actually a cover of a song that was originally by Al Green. The cover of the US single was of a gospel tabernacle and lttle wavy lines at the bottom for the water. The UK version was a variation of the cover for the album More Songs About Buildings and Food, which is also interesting. Other great covers by Talking Heads include the Fear of Music album cover, and covers for the singles Crosseyed and Painless, Road To Nowhere, Life During Wartime and Psycho Killer.

Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (1969)


Let It Bleed was a follow up to 1968's Beggar's Banquet. There are so many things that can be picked out on the cover. The cover displays a picture of a record player and spindle, on top of the spindle there is a variety of things stacked up. There is a stack of records, a reel to reel tape, a tire, a pizza and a cake. On top of the cake there are little figures of each band member.








The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night (1964)

You cannot discuss artwork by rock bands without bringing up The Beatles. While they have many covers which are seen as innovative, There are two in particular that have always been interesting to me. First, The UK version of A Hard Day's Night which was the soundtrack to the film of the same name. The US version featured a different track listing. The UK cover features photos of every Beatle member in different poses. The US version featured four large photos of each Beatle, from the nose up. This was also the very first full length album by The Beatles that had all original compositions on it.




The Beatles - The White Album (1968)

My second choice for Beatles artwok is one of my favourite albums ever, The White Album. The artwork is also quite simple and inventive. Designed by Richard Hamilton the cover was white, with the bands named lightly showing on the cover. While the album was originally going to be called A Doll's House, the band decided on just calling it "The Beatles", but because of the artwork it is usually referred to as The White Album. Since it's release numerous bands have had self titled albums with a plain colour for its cover.




The Play List:

1. Dead 60s - Riot Radio
2. XTC - Meccanic Dancing (Oh We Go)
3. U2 - 11 O'Clock Tick Tock
4. Devo - Be Stiff
5. The Cure - 10:15 Saturday Night
6. Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better
7. The Diodes - Polaroid
8. The Nils - Freedom
9. The Professionals - Madhouse
10. The Damned - Don't Cry Wolf
11. The D4 - Come On!
12. Queens of The Stone Age - Make It Wit Chu
13. Sloan - Stand By Me, Yeah
14. Neil Young - Walk On
15. Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Coma Girl
16. The Strokes - I Can't Win
17. The Kinks - The World Keeps Going Round
18. The Hives - Genepool Convulsions
19. Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant
20. Buzzcocks - Promises
21. Wire - Outdoor Miner (Single Version)
22. The Clash - Rudie Can't Fail

To download this week's show visit the CJAM archives and select the files 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM on July, 21st 2009.