ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 28, 1995 Besides beer and back bacon, there’s nothing more Canadian than guitar rock and hockey. The Pursuit of Happiness combined those two Canuck ideals recently in its tribute to the Great One, “Gretzky Rocks”. Now local hard rockers Noise Therapy have answered with a pucky anthem of … Continue reading Russian hockey stars and broken legs inspire Vancouver’s Noise Therapy
Tag: 1995
Ian Moore’s social commentary stings like his Strat on Modernday Folklore
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 28, 1995 By Steve Newton On the cover of Ian Moore’s 1993 self-titled debut, he is pictured hugging his worn Stratocaster, perched on a beat-up Fender amp, a drum kit and large speaker cabinet looming in the background. That simple shot of the longhaired, cowboy-booted dude set the impression of Moore … Continue reading Ian Moore’s social commentary stings like his Strat on Modernday Folklore
Popa Chubby’s badass Big Apple life informs Booty and the Beast
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 28, 1995 By Steve Newton New York City blues-rocker Popa Chubby dedicates his latest release, Booty and the Beast, “to those who play loud and refuse to turn down”. In other words, he dedicates it to himself. “Absolutely!” spouts the 300-pound singer-guitarist from his Brooklyn digs. “What I lack in talent … Continue reading Popa Chubby’s badass Big Apple life informs Booty and the Beast
Face to Face chose the Offspring’s producer for its Big Choice
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 21, 1995 By Steve Newton You can’t believe everything you read in those record-company bios, and sometimes you can’t believe any of it, but now and again it’s fun to pick out intriguing tidbits and find out whether they’re true or not. Like the line in Face to Face’s Victory Records … Continue reading Face to Face chose the Offspring’s producer for its Big Choice
My first and last interview with underrated blues-guitar great Luther Allison
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 21, 1995 By Steve Newton Why would a gifted bluesman from the Windy City ever think to leave his sweet home in Chicago and take up residence in a place like Paris, France? Maybe so he could get some inspiration for a tune called “Nuclear Weapon–Testing Weasel Blues”, but that’s about … Continue reading My first and last interview with underrated blues-guitar great Luther Allison
Junkhouse at the Town Pump evokes the Beat Farmers’ Glad & Greasy
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 14, 1995 By Steve Newton It’s midnight on a Friday (September 8) at the Town Pump. The brew has been flowing freely for hours already, and the hard-rocking headlining band is about to take the stage. The crowd is definitely stoked for some good old...spoken-word performance? Apparently, Junkhouse singer-songwriter Tom Wilson … Continue reading Junkhouse at the Town Pump evokes the Beat Farmers’ Glad & Greasy
Collective Soul channels Peter Gabriel-era Genesis at the Commodore in Vancouver
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 21, 1995 By Steve Newton It’s a good thing that the folks who own the Underground—that slightly twisted clothes and accessories shop located underneath the Commodore Ballroom—had the foresight to install loosely secured windows that give with vibration, because those big panes were given a serious shaking by … Continue reading Collective Soul channels Peter Gabriel-era Genesis at the Commodore in Vancouver
Alex Van Halen on Hagar and Roth, the magic of Eddie, and finding Balance with Bruce Fairbairn
Sometimes it seems as if there are two kinds of people in the world: David Lee Roth folks and Sammy Hagar folks.
Moe Berg sings “Gretzy Rocks” but actually he likes the ‘Hawks
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 7, 1995 By Steve Newton When The Pursuit of Happiness made a splash on the Canadian music scene with its 1988 Love Junk album, it was signed to Chrysalis Records. When 1993’s The Downward Road came out, the band had hooked up with the Mercury label. Now that the group’s new … Continue reading Moe Berg sings “Gretzy Rocks” but actually he likes the ‘Hawks
Collective Soul’s Ed Roland wants to start over at the Commodore
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 7, 1995 By Steve Newton You might wonder why a band as popular as Collective Soul is playing the Commodore, when it’s obvious the group could pack in at least a few thousand more folks somewhere else. The gig next Thursday (September 14) sold out instantly, and scalped tickets will no … Continue reading Collective Soul’s Ed Roland wants to start over at the Commodore
Colin James took some funky pills for his new Bad Habits
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 31, 1995 By Steve Newton Some guys have it tough, and then there’s Colin James. When it came time to record his fourth album, the local blues-rocker didn’t hole up in any ice-encased northern studio. James ended up down in the Bahamas, poor guy. But it wasn’t like he went there … Continue reading Colin James took some funky pills for his new Bad Habits
Barstool Prophets rile the censors at the nation’s music station
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 31, 1995 By Steve Newton One of my favourite Canadian indie releases of 1993 was Deflowered, the debut disc by the Barstool Prophets. Quickly made but brimming with conviction, it ended with the particularly memorable “Robin’s Song”, a sweetly swaying, acoustic guitar–driven ode to the ravages of emotional abuse sung with … Continue reading Barstool Prophets rile the censors at the nation’s music station
Jim Heath can finally pay his bills as the Reverend Horton Heat
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 24, 1995 By Steve Newton Sometimes it’s tough coming up with decent opening questions when you’re interviewing rockers; other times it’s way too easy. When Jim Heath—aka Reverend Horton Heat—answers the phone at his Texas homestead, he’s in the middle of paying some bills. There’s a shuffling of … Continue reading Jim Heath can finally pay his bills as the Reverend Horton Heat