by MARK BIGNELL
Here's a quick look at a few amazingly,individual and unique Local CD's:
MISTESS JEN-NAKED ORGAN:
If you've been to Chris Houston's "CATTLE CALL" on
Sunday nights at THE MARINE CLUB (Homer, just off Dunsmuir),you've witnessed
the hilarious unbridled fury of Mistress Jen.
Once she gets behind her keyboard, and all the quirky sounds she has at her
disposal, she'll leave you dumbstruck ,yet thoroughly entertained, with her
songs of yet another www.com internet company, writing songs for the hell of
it and utter disgust of being messed around. Armed with only her voice and
her keyboard, Mistress Jen leaves you with songs that are far more memorable
than some done with with a full band, and fancy production. For further
info,
e-mail: mistressjen@telus.net
BOTTLENECK:
The latest and greatest purveyors of Roots/Cajun/and just plain
ambitious songcraft.
Robyn Carrigan, once a back-up vocalist for Sarah McLachlan, and with Daisy
Duke, has a voice that can start off as a gentle whisper, then, blast you out
of your seat. She also plays guitar, accordion, banjo, and along with Scott
Smith,of The Bughouse 5 and Auburn, writes some of the most memorable songs
in recent times. Bottleneck plays THE MAIN (4210 Main-E. 26) on March 15!!
Check out: "Don't Cut Me Loose"," Jay Woods", "I Hate To See You Cry", "Tired Of
Doin' Wrong" and "High Prairie" with Jesse Zubot on fiddle, for starters.
E-mail them your raves at: bottleneck@angelfire.com
AUBURN-"Is It You?" EP:
Lead vocalist ,songwriter, and head of The RANCH
Society which supports local Roots artists(www.ranch.ipfox.com),
Shelley Campbell, has a gentle and inviting voice on such tracks as: "Dreamin'" and
"Simple Prayer", and a full-throttle soulfullness on "New Years Eve At The
Legion" which includes Vancouver's very own Bocephus King as guest vocalist.
The addition of "Al Lang Sign" in "New Years..."adds to it's allure. I've
been playing it to death on "Radio Bandcouver". The CD also includes guest
appearances from other important local artists like: Ken Beattie from
Radiogram, Ida Nilsen from The Beans, Golden Wedding Band etc, Nicole Steen
from Coal, Butch Murphy from The Bughouse 5,and Randy Forrester, among others.
Jon Wood, from Coal and Flophouse Jr., and his sympathetic production is
perfectly suited to Campbell's muse, giving it a warm resonance. AUBURN plays
THE MAIN (4210 Main-E. 26th) on Thursday, March 7th.
E-mail Shelley at: ranchsociety@direct.ca.
JACK HARLAN - "scintilla" EP: Ambient Folk with the odd experimental tendencies
is the best way I can describe the music. "Down To The River" starts off a
lovely acoustic number, then builds to an amazing, wide, expansive finish. There's also a couple of stompin' tunes such as "Ain't No Satisfaction" and "Burning Star". Along with Jonathan Incs'
imaginative guitar work and production, Jack Harlan's EP should be up there
with such heavily played fodder as Nickelback. Please, wake
up, Vancouver, before it's too late!
Go to: www.jackharlan.com.
JANET PANIC-"THE GIRL WHO PASSED FOR NORMAL": Former frontperson of TEN FOOT
HENRY, with her second solo outing, produced by a variety of people including
John Shepp (Bocephus King, Solarbaby tc.). There's variety in the music
too: Trip-Hop, Dark Ballads, and a couple of songs sung in French. Don't let
her sometimes easygoing vocals fool you, Janet means business. On "Hockey
Song", she warns: "You better get out of my way or it won't be my fault" and
there's a tale of poisoning a lover. But don't be scared off, there's
gentler tunes such as: "Du Calme" to balance things out.
Visit her site
at: www,janetpanic.com.
FLOPHOUSE JR.-"HOUR GLASS HOUSE": Not your standard Roots album here. There's
clips of Reveen urging you to relax, voices fed through an organ's
speaker, Jon Wood's gifted songwriting and production, Susan Young's lucious
backup vocals and... her toys. The songs flow seamlessly together with a
wash that brings back the days of the Byrds' and other 60's acts more
experimental days, and Beach Boy-like la-la's. Just beautiful!
Check Out:"Year In The Life", "Time Has Come", "Lonely at The Top", "Morning
After"
Check out their website:www.flophousejr.com
RADIOGRAM-"ALL THE WAY HOME": The CD isn't out till March 19th. Their CD
release shows are at The Railway Club, Thursday, March 21st and Friday, March
22nd. CFRO's "Radio Bandcouver" has been playing tracks from it since
February 22. An impressive new release from the ambient folk collective
which includes multi-band player Ida Nilsen. Songs range from the upbeat
electric 12-string chime of "Summer Song Summer" with Shelley Campbell
adding her wonderful, earthy vocals, to the ambitious string section on "Buy The Farm". Other guests include: Robyn Carrigan, Jon Anderson, along with Carolyn Mark who guests on "Cemetery
Summer" and "Love Vigilantes". There's also what sounds like
a kinder,gentler song about the US annexation of Canada called "Can
America", and the fitting closing track
"Not Here". Is that Veda Hille I hear in the background?
IF YOU WANT TO HEAR A WIDER VARIETY OF LOCAL/INDEPENDENT MUSIC ON YOUR
RADIO,TUNE INTO THESE COOL SHOWS:
CFRO 102.7FM (Co-op Radio)
Mondays 2:30pm-4pm: "BLUE MONDAY" Music by women,that includes local acts.
Wednesdays 9am-10:30am:"CHASIN' THE TRAIN" The latest in Canadian
Jazz,including local jazz.
Wednesdays 2:30pm-3:30pm:"NO APOLOGIES NECESSARY"
Wednesdays 3:30pm-5pm:"CLAMDIGGERS ANONYMOUS"
2nd and 4th Wednesdays 5pm-6pm: "MAIN & HASTINGS"
Thursdays 2:30pm-4pm:"BROKEN RECORDS"
Thursdays 4pm-5pm:"THE AMAZING ALT-COUNTRY COUNDOWN"
Fridays 10pm-MIDNIGHT: "RADIO BANDCOUVER" The flagship local music show! (www.mp3.com/bandcouver on the net!)
CITR 101.9 FM (UBC Radio)
Sundays 3pm-5pm:"BLOOD ON THE SADDLE"
Mondays 1pm-3pm:"PARTS UNKNOWN"
Wednesdays 9pm-10:30pm: "THE FOLK OASIS"
Thursdays 11:30am-1pm:"CANADIAN LUNCH"
Thursdays 6pm-7:30pm:"OUT FOR KICKS"
Thursdays 9pm-11pm:"LIVE FROM THUNDERBIRD HELL"
CBC Radio 2 105.7 FM
Weekdays Minight-4am:"BRAVE NEW WAVES"
Saturdays 7pm-Midnight:"RADIO SONIC"
Saturdays Midnight-4am"RADIO ON"
TUNE INTO RADIO BANDCOUVER,
FRIDAYS, 10pm-MIDNIGHT,
CFRO 102.7 FM, with: MARK
BIGNELL
Take out or re-new your CFRO membership every Friday night this month, at
604-684-7561,and you're off to see MARTIN TIELLI and LUKE DOUCET, March
30th,at RICHARD'S ON RICHARDS.
CFRO is a listen-sponsered radio station that's supported by people like
you.
It's only $50 a year for a regular membership.
That's less than $1 a week.
You get lots of regular incentives, AND: MARTIN TIELLT/LUKE DOUCET tickets.
A small price to pay for a dedicated local music show!
For now,
MARK BIGNELL
bandcouver@hotmail.com
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