By Steve Newton Back in July of 1991 the Tragically Hip played five straight sold-out nights at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver on its Road Apples Tour. The band was smokin' hot--at least on the night that I saw them--but also impressive was the opening act, Flies on Fire, a little-known guitar-rock band from L.A. … Continue reading That time “Mess” Messal of Flies on Fire told me that the Tragically Hip were the best band in the world
The Lowest of the Low’s Ron Hawkins thinks the Weakerthans’ John Samson is the best lyricist in Canada
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 10, 2001 By Steve Newton After releasing just two albums—1991’s Shakespeare My Butt… and ’94’s Hallucigenia—Toronto guitar-rockers the Lowest of the Low called it quits on a career that was fast making them one of Canada’s most popular club acts. The breakup was sudden and acrimonious, and partially … Continue reading The Lowest of the Low’s Ron Hawkins thinks the Weakerthans’ John Samson is the best lyricist in Canada
Jesse Cook thinks the best of Crowded House is right up there with the best of the Beatles
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 16, 2000 By Steve Newton Jesse Cook is the first to admit that Celtic music isn’t his forte, but that doesn’t mean he won’t give it a shot. The Toronto flamenco-pop guitarist got the opportunity to sit in with one of the genre’s legendary groups recently when he … Continue reading Jesse Cook thinks the best of Crowded House is right up there with the best of the Beatles
Bill Priddle says Treble Charger had a mandate to rock with Wide Awake Bored
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 12, 2000 By Steve Newton Treble Charger’s current record-company bio states that for its latest CD, Wide Awake Bored, the Toronto power-pop quartet was “united with a singular vision: to follow in the footsteps of the old masters of the true rock song—bands like Cheap Trick, Steve Miller, Todd Rundgren”. But … Continue reading Bill Priddle says Treble Charger had a mandate to rock with Wide Awake Bored
The Carson Downey Band proves that the blues are alive and kickin’ in the Maritimes
The band has been plugging away on the Maritime blues scene for more than a decade, but things are starting to pay off for the group.
David Wilcox lauds the atmosphere Colin Linden created on Rhythm of Love
"Colin [Linden]’s such a wonderful artist in terms of understanding how mikes and equipment work—and being able to bring that to the artist."
Christopher Thorn thinks comparing Unified Theory to Blind Melon is an easy out
“Obviously, it’s gonna come up—because, hey, Brad and I were in Blind Melon—but in six months or a year or whatever, it won’t even matter."
The Reverend Horton Heat confesses that he used to drink a lot of Jack Daniel’s
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 6, 2000 By Steve Newton Jim Heath, aka the Reverend Horton Heat, has had some pretty impressive folks produce his records over the years. Back in ’93, Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers put his stamp on The Full Custom Gospel of the Reverend Horton Heat, then a … Continue reading The Reverend Horton Heat confesses that he used to drink a lot of Jack Daniel’s
That time some chick called me “a Skynyrd-loving moron” so I hummed a few bars of “Free Bird”
By Steve Newton Back in June of 2000 the Vancouver newspaper I'm still working at (god willing), the Georgia Straight, introduced a new column called Payback Time, where ticked-off readers could write in and vociferously complain about the music critics' opinions, before the scribe under attack was allowed to defend himself with a potentially witty … Continue reading That time some chick called me “a Skynyrd-loving moron” so I hummed a few bars of “Free Bird”
Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre says it’s “outrageous” that Johnny Winter isn’t in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
go Johnny, go! By Steve Newton A couple months ago I interviewed legendary rock guitarist Martin Barre, best known for his work on all of Jethro Tull's top albums and hits. At one point in the conversation we got to talking about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which has famously refused to induct … Continue reading Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre says it’s “outrageous” that Johnny Winter isn’t in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Atlanta’s Forty Fives employ Lennon-style screams and guitars to Get It Together
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 15, 2000 By Steve Newton Atlanta’s Forty Fives were hugely influenced by the British Invasion of the early ’60s, so it’s no big shock that singer-guitarist Bryan Malone winds up sounding a lot like “Twist and Shout”–era John Lennon on a couple of tunes from the band’s debut … Continue reading Atlanta’s Forty Fives employ Lennon-style screams and guitars to Get It Together
Michael Hill say fans were eyeing the skies when Jimi Hendrix played the national anthem at Woodstock
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 20, 2000 By Steve Newton Ever since Woodstock happened, the music world’s been hearing about Jimi Hendrix’s performance at the fabled ’69 rock fest. I’ve seen some of the film footage and heard the recordings, and indeed the legendary guitarist appears in good form—but sometimes I wonder if … Continue reading Michael Hill say fans were eyeing the skies when Jimi Hendrix played the national anthem at Woodstock
Jet Set Satellite connects with high-octane hit “Best Way to Die”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 11, 2000 By Steve Newton Kids these days. They rarely seem able to deliver the kind of energizing tunes needed to get this jaded guitar-rock junkie’s blood apumpin’. But Winnipeggers Trevor Tuminski and Dave Swiecicki, aka Jet Set Satellite, are another story. Their three-minute blast of high-octane riff … Continue reading Jet Set Satellite connects with high-octane hit “Best Way to Die”