DlSicORDER 7A guide to CITR fm 102 Why live minutes of my time" is how Art Bergmann describes "Hawaii," the underground hit he wrote while in the Young Canadians. Those five minutes have hounded him since. Like the time in 1983 when Bergmann was onstage with Los Popularos at UBC: some rabid drunk, recognizing Art from the YCs, spent an hour howling at the top of his lungs, "Young Canadians ... fuckin' Hawaii .. play fuckin' Hawaii ... leschogo to fuckin' Hawaii-i" "It bothers me," says Bergmann, "because I think I've written a lot better songs than that. Not just that, but that EP sold about 5,000 copies, and I never saw a cent of it. The guy who owned Quintessence must have ... no, I better not say that. I don't need a lawsuit." It would be easy to accuse Bergmann of being ungrateful for past success, but he has a point: he has written better songs, and none have received the attention given "Hawaii." After seven years and four records with three different bands, he's in the unenviable position of being, as one wit put it, "a semi-legendary folk hero of the Vancouver alternative music scene.'' Roughly translated, that means that while there may be a loyal audience who will look forward to hearing the songs he's recorded with his new band Poisoned, there are a great many more people out there who will, at least for now, continue to say, "Oh, yeah ... Art Bergmann ... wasn't he the guy? ... yeah, let's go to fuckin' Hawai-i-i-" It shouldn't happen that way, and maybe it won't. The songs Bergmann's recorded with Poisoned are as good as anything that has come out of Vancouver: sophisticated, well-crafted songs that still have a raw edge. Bergmann's voice cuts through with emotion and intensity, a mixture of sincerity and cynicism. The tapes have a lot of people saying that this could be the big break for Art Bergmann, the one that brings him to a big audience. Bergmann is more cautious. "Could be, could be; right now, we're still underground. I mean, I always think that a new band is going to be the one that makes it. You might say I never let my dreams die." Looking back on his career, it's easy to understand the guarded optimism. Great things have been predicted for Art Bergmann, and not without basis. But in the end, something always seems to go wrong, and the prophecy and the potential remain unfulfilled. The Shmorgs were the first Bergmann-led band to make it to vinyl, with a record released on their own Stray label in early 1978. "That was a bunch of guys from White Rock and Surrey. We started out as a really basic three-chord rock 'n roll and went on from there as I learned to write songs. We went through a bunch of different lineups, and I ended up doing all the writing for the band, which was a real burden. And then we were stupid enough to put out a record.'' The LP, simply entitled Shmorgs, is an uneven, but nonetheless interesting, record that, despite Bergmann's disclaimer, is well worth looking for. Considering how the album sold, however, the Bergmann basement might be a good place to start your search. After the Shmorgs, Bergmann went on to form the K-Tels with Jim Bescott and Barry Taylor. K-Tel International was not amused: the people who brought you Veg-A-Matic and Myron Florens' Greatest Hits threatened legal action, and the band was renamed the Young Canadians. It was with the Young Canadians that Bergmann came closest to success. The band released two excellent EPs (including that "five minutes of my time" that continues to plague Bergmann), toured with the Boomtown Rats, and collected impressive notices and fans across North America. Yet for all their apparent success, the Young Canadians remained an underground band; , Disorder 4uly19«4, This Man a Star? CD Gets POISONED Isn't radio ignored them, as did the big record companies. As with any other underground" act in the mass-media world of North America, they reached a point where they had to break into the mainstream or break up. "It was time for a change," is Bergmann's reply to queries about the split. "Besides, we weren't big enough. I like to work in a band, a situation where there's a lot of creative argument going on. Maybe that's my problem. But the Young Canadians were just too small for us to rub off on each other.'' He got the band he wanted soon after, forming what was unfortunately described as "Vancouver's first punk super-group:" Los Popularos. The band first emerged as a "fuck band" on the Bud Luxford compilation and featured Gord Nicholl and Tony Bardach (ex-Pointed Sticks), Buck Cherry (ex-Modernettes), Zippy Pinhead (ex-Dils), and Bill Shirt (ex-Active Dog), along with Bergmann. Originally dubbed Los Radicos Popularos, the band played for the hell of it, more often than not for free. The "Radicos" was dropped when the band became a serious project. Burdened by inflated expectations, the band almost didn't survive their first tour. Cherry left, and the band laid low long enough to shed the ludicrous "supergroup" tag and coalesce into a pretty decent pop band. Los Pops managed to put out a moderately interesting single and an EP, Born F.ree , which, although spoiled by muddy production, showcased Bergmann, Shirt and Nicholl as talented and capable tunesmiths. "Like all great bands, we were really awful sometimes," says Bergmann of Los Popularos. "In the end we broke up because we couldn't record anymore. We'd signed a three year contract with these people, and after Born Free didn't make them a million bucks, they decided that they wouldn't give us any more money to record, but they wouldn't release us from our contract. And you can only play live without a record for so long before you end up banging your head against the wall. So we wrote them letters, which got no answers. Finally, we just decided to call it quits. But I still get together with Bill and Gord to write the occasional pop tune about sex, death and religion." Which brings us, and Art, to the present, and Poisoned. Bergmann is back up front, singing his own songs, supported by a band made up of Ted Rich, Fred Hamilton and Taylor Nelson- Little (all of whom most recently appeared with Psychic Healers) and Murray Anderchak. He's recorded 10 songs for a demo tape (three of which can be heard on CITR) and is planning to play around Vancouver as a prelude to taking another grab at the gold (maybe brass?) ring. There are a lot of people pulling for Bergmann, a lot Of people saying that Poisoned is 'the one. Anticipation is in the air, inflating expectations once again. We'll have to wait and see if Poisoned can avoid the pitfalls Bergmann's other bands have encountered. Bergmann seems to be taking it pretty much in stride. "I don't know. I just want to get back to playing live and then do some recording in a 24-track; then we'll see what happens. It's tough to get back to being the focus of a band, singing and so on. It's a lot easier just staying in the back playing guitar and doing backups. But yeah, we'll see what happens ..." And, if it happens, maybe Art Bergmann can leave that particular five minutes of his time behind and say once and for all - "Fuck Hawaii." -CD Poisoned will be appearing July 20th with the Actionauts aboard the good ship ' 'Hollyburn'' in yet another Boating with Bud extravaganza. [You owe me one, Luxford. ] Discorder July 1984 Discorder July 1984 /=£> CinnFtDiSfcORDER fmlQ2 Cable 100 July 1984 Vol. 2 No. 6 DISCORDER is a monthly paper published by the Student Radio Society of the University of British Columbia. DISCORDER provides a guide to CITR Radio, which broadcasts throughout the Vancouver area at FM 101.9. CITR transmits its 49 watt signal from Gage Towers on the UBC Campus. For best reception be sure and have an antenna attached to your receiver. For those of you with persistent reception problems, CITR is also available on FM cable at 100.1 in Vancouver, West Vancouver, Norifi Vancouver, Burnaby, Rjchmond, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge and Mission. DISCORDER is distributed throughout the Vancouver area. Enquiries aoou. advertising in DISCORDER or distributing free copies of DISCORDER a; a new location can be made by calling 228-3017. General CITR business enquiries or information about renting the CITR Mobile Sound System is also available at 228-3017. The request line is 228-2487 or 223-CITR. Contributors: Steve Robertson Mike Dannls, Jim Main RobSimms Gordon Badanic Michael Shea Larry Thiessen Fiona Mackay Dave Jacklin Jim Main Alex Waterhouse Hayward Chris Dafoe John Giles Dave Ball like Mines Distribution: Advertising: Dave Ball Harry Hertscheg free at these locations POINT GREY Duthie Books Frank's Records University Pharmacy Video Stop The Video Store KITSII.ANO Bill Lewis Music Black Swan Records Broadway Video & Sound Check-It-Out Clothing Deluxe Junk Hollywood Theatre Lifestream Natural Food Store Neptoon Records Octopus Books Ridge Theatre Scorpio Records Soft Rock Cafe X-Settera Clothing Yesterdays Zulu Records GASTOWN Be-Bop Beatwear Cabbages* Kinx Deluxe Junk Golden Era Clothing He-Runs Recycled Appa Sissy Boy Clothing Video Inn WEST END The Bay Theatre Benjamin's Funky Cafe Benjamin's II Breeze Record Rentals Camfari Denman Grocery Downtown Disc Distributors English Bay Books Little Sister's Manhattan Books Melissa's Records EAST SIDE A & B Sound - Car Stereo Collectors' RPM Records Highlife Records Joe's Continental Cafe Kelly's Records (Oakridge) Memory Lane Records Neptoon Records Octopus Books East Roxy Theatre Savoy Cinema Treacher's Records Vancouver East Cinema Vancouver East Cultural Centre The Waterfront Western Front DISCORDER is also distributed throughout the UBC campus and some of the ottier Lower Mainland campuses, as well as various community centres and Vancouver Public Libraries. DOWNTOWN A&A Records Arts Club on Seymour Black Market Collectors' RPM Re'cords Concert Box Offices Duthie Books Kelly's Records Odyssey Import Records Railway Club The Edge Towne Cinema Vancouver Ticket Centre NORTH SHORE A&A Records (Park Royal) Kelly's Records (Park Royal) Rave Records (Lonsdale) Sam the Record Man (Cap Mall) Deep Cove Bicycle Shop RICHMOND A&A Records Cubbyhole Books Kelly's Records Pauls Music oK-HftAfc c/o CITR Radio Vancouver, B.C. 6138 S.U.B. Blvd. V6T 2A5 Dear Airhead, First of all, I'd like to dedicate the entire playlist show to a dear friend (whom I'll call Mr. E), because at the present time he can't p!ck it up on his receiver, and he just doesn't know what he's missing. Secondly, after reading Tom Harrison's many reviews and listening to his silly pubescent voice on "Soundproof" ... I think you should continue your ''Sneer of the Month" episodes and throw his pitiful face in it. For "Occupation," you can fill in "Superficial Suckwinder" and for "Likes," "Only his own taste in music." I've got to hand it to that Jason Grant fellow. Before reading the write-up in the Sun, I had no idea he was so young, yet he's brilliant, very literate, and dedicated to CITR. His reviews and random notes top Harrison's any day. I'm impressed. Regards, Anacin P.S. - I noticed the address for information on Jonathan Richman printed up in a previous issue of Discorder. Do you happen to have one for The Cure? Take it easy on poor Tom. It can't be easy writing for the ugliest newspaper in Canada. For information on The Cure write: P.O. Box 2al London, England W.la 1al Dear Airhead, Who is this Sukhvinder Johal, hater of all he does not understand? In his interview, turned editorial, with Linton Kwesi Johnson, I was disgusted to read his needless views on Rastafari. Does Sukhvinder really believe that the Rasta- influenced reggae does not make political statements? I was also shocked to be called naive and myopic by someone who does not know Rasta or the beneficial effects the Rastafarian lifestyle has had on countless non-Rastas. Rastafari is not only the following of an Ethiopian king, but a complex and caring lifestyle. Please, in the future, stick to the facts, and if you feel it and know it, only then say it, because such prejudice is really the root of the world's troubles. Now look here Praises, ol' chap, it'd be all too easy for I & I to get into a theological discussion in these columns. I mean, it's hard to actually discuss religion with a zealot (ask the Sikhs and Hindus in India, ask the Catholics and Protestants in Ulster)! Suffice to say that apart from 'myopic' and 'naive,' which, I'll be the first to admit, are merely my opinions, the rest of that paragraph is true: I did 'stick to the facts.' By the way, what's more the root of the world's troubles: a questioning analysis like mine or religious zealousness like yours? (Clue: You may find the answer in LKJ's Age of Reality off Forces of Victory.) —SJ MOBILE SOUND 228-3017 /'/GRILL 1/QAiLepiii/cA dtol'Caur&u'tfrj£„ 'fecduutr/Aj meujuxfe qriUtA teyuwU ousuie^ <ud- (M'frriuk-iti/Ie beftntfes. 3 20 4 w. broadway 736-8481 Discorder July 1984 </> Imagine it. You're in a hot, sweaty little basement closet with about 100 other people. You forget what this club's name is, but it doesn't matter because, aside from the fact that bands play here from time to time, there is nothing here to suggest that this place keeps regular hours. The decor is decidedly concrete. There's warm beer for sale until it runs out or the cops arrive. You sip your tepid brew and hope the band will be good, all the while remembering that you missed The Darby Crash Home Movie Festival to be here. You've heard that these Minutemen are good. Good and hardcore! The lights go down and bodies start nudging toward the stage. Three rather nondescript fellows walk on, two of whom are rather large. They must be the road crew or something. You don't have a chance to conjecture any further... The Minutemen have launched their mutant punk funk barrage. The best bands are always the most difficult to pin down with labels. The Minutemen are widely regarded as part of the California hardcore music scene. It is true that the band is from San Pedro, California (or "Peedro," as they like to call it), but in terms of their music, "hardcore" is a bit of a misnomer. White funk on fast dope might be a better description of a typical Minuteman song. Breakneck quasi-funk rhythms with jagged shards of sharp, trebly guitar jumping in and out like a sing-stringed pogo stick; short, intense and to the point. The Minutemen are D. Boon on guitar and vocals, Mike Watt on bass and vocals and George Hurley on drums. Boon and Watt started playing together some 12 years ago and eventually formed a band called the Reactionaries. "When we were just starting out, we couldn't really play. I learned guitar by listening to CCR, Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult," says Mike Watt. According to Watt, the Reactionaries was just speeded up rock and roll influenced by Sex Pistols, Clash and Jam. "We never knew you could write your own songs. We thought we were too lame." The band only lasted for eight months. It was January, 1980, when Boon and Watt formed the Minutemen. "We wanted to get rid of a lot of the standard 3 • ■A HAPPY PERSON ^ ^ fl^v ■ - -. V „ 1 rock trappings, so we stripped the songs down to the bare bones." Watt cites Wire, The Pop Group and Captain Beef- heart as primary Minutemen influences. "When I first heard The Pop Group, I was really floored. Here were these guys playing this kind of funk stuff that sounded really white. I didn't know that that kind of music existed." Boon and Watt jammed without a drummer for a short time before recruiting George Hurley, who had played with them before in the Reactionaries. Since 1980, they have released numerous discs, including the highly acclaimed LP What Makes a Man Start Fires? Although Watt is the principal songwriter, all three contribute tunes. "Soon we're going to be releasing a double album," says Watt, "45 songs in 35 minutes. We figured that, just for fun, we'd intersperse it all with car noises. None of the songs are about cars, though." The band are planning extensive touring of North America over the next few months. Last year they supported Black Flag on a European tour and came away rather disillusioned by the British hardcore scene. "They're very conservative over there. The crowd was strictly black leather and porcupine hair. They didn't know what the hell to make of us, that sort of thing. I think that if we'd looked like them, we'd have had half the battle won." If you don't like hardcore, that does not necessarily mean you won't like the Minutemen. They play hard and fast, but it's not thrash like so much British and American hardcore these days. They'll be appearing in Vancouver on Friday, July 6 at the Waterfront. Tickets are available at Zulu, Odyssey and Collectors' RPM. If you've never heard the Minutemen, phone 228-CITR and say "I wanna hear about five Minutemen songs" (since most of their songs average about one minute in length, such a request probably wouldn't be deemed excessive) or, better yet, catch them live. I hear they're devastating. Just like the missile. \ j /\ . \> J! Radio Wants Remember how much you HATED Boy Scouts? Dib dib and all that stuff. Or Girl Guides? Or any of those clubs your parents MADE you join? "It's good for you," they said, right? "You'll learn something," right? CITR isn't like those clubs. It's not good for you at all. In fact, joining CITR will do absolutely nothing for you, except increase your capacities for abnormal behavior, expand your musical tastes and knowledge and -oh, here it comes, right?-- Hell You you can learn something. About radio, and how it works. And --put down that knife, Earl- you could get involved in on-air work. Interested? Fill out and mail in this membership application. Summer membership fees are $10.00 for UBC students, $12.50 for others, until September. And you don't have to be a UBC student to join. But -- when you do join, don't tell your parents. This is one club they won't want you to join. Membership Application NAME '_ AGE ADDRESS POSTAL CODE PHONE STUDENT? Y N UBCSTUDENT I'M INTERESTED IN SENDTO: PROGRAMMING. TELL CITR RADIO ME MORE. 6138SUB BLVD., UBC VANCOUVER, B.C. V6T 2A5 Discorder July 1984 J,rr) MQil Discorder July 1984 Vinyl ***¥¥***¥*¥ 4¥¥*¥¥^¥4^¥*^*¥ Verdict You may often wonder why CITR never reviews local demo tapes in DISCORDER. Well, wonder no more, for in this issue we take a look at 15 songs by seven local artists. Although this reviewer readily admits having a strong bias towards music with fast, driving guitars and machine gun drumming (i.e., The Enigmas), the music reviewed here shows, in places, certain songwriting ability, well-crafted textures, and promises much listening enjoyment. (But then again, other bits are kinda dull.) • •••• The two most upbeat demos are those by the Mike Club and Procedures For Approval, or P.P.A. for short. P.F.A.'s two songs, "Decadence" and "Waiting for the Wind to Blow" are very reminiscent of early stripped down versions of Ultravox or Simple Minds, with not quite as much drive (perhaps due only to the stark production). Both songs are melodic, with emphasis on catchy rhythm hooks. Hopefully, the band will continue to record. The Mike Club's two songs revolve around Rachael Melas' brilliant basslines and Michaela Arrichello's effervescent vocals. The heavy bass/drum funk rhythms in both "Riff Rapp" and "My Dream" establish a fluid tempo, with the squeaky-high rapping phrased around and around the twisting synchopations. Very good. major record deal. With at least one company sniffing now, we can only cross our fingers and hope the Actionauts get what they want. "Down at the Beach" by the Sound Surfers is a somewhat slowish, typical melody with fairly standard arrangement and delivery. The playing and production are up to stratch, but the band's songwriting ability seems below their playing ability. At this point the best thing about the Sound Surfers is still their name. The last two artists, Emily and Family Plot, have both put out their current material as cassette-only, limited edition releases. The tapes are available at most independent record shops (like Zulu). Family Plot is Madelaine Morris (ex-MOEV) on vocals, and the Addington clan (ex- Insex) on drums, synth and two basses. Their four-song tape was recently recorded on a 4-track porta-studio, but the sound does not suffer for the lack of heaps of technology. There are three slower paced songs, and the sinister "Grave- digger," which made it to the CITR Top 5 a few weeks ago. If you liked Madelaine's vocals when she sang with MOEV, combined with the sound of The Cure circa "Pornography," you'll love this. Hiroshi Yano's "House" and "Step Down" are both finely structured instrumentals which (strangely enough) seem too short. Just as one is beginning to relax to these slow, layered mood pieces, they rather abruptly fade out, leaving the listener definitely wanting more. "Bushwacked," by the Actionauts, although by no means a monster master rockin' tune like their previous "Hash Assassin," is nevertheless a fine mid-tempo pop song. The overly slick production is a deliberate attempt at getting a Emily's three songs on the CITR playlist ("My Wife, She Married a Butcher," "Doomed to Fail," and "I've Got a Steel Bar in My Head") are all from her recent cassette release on the MO-DA-MU label. Drum machines and layer upon layer of synth programs are used to weave a rich, pulsing sound that rolls along. "Steel Bar" is the catchiest of the songs, but "Doomed to Fail" is my personal favorite. Eerie, macabre, stylish, but neither shallow nor detached. Dare I say it? This is synth with guts. Recommended. --Gordon Badanic Lou Reed resurfaced recently to speak about his latest release, New Sensations. During the course of the conversation we covered music, love, politics, New York, and various other subjects. It was only later when transcribing the interview that I realized that all of Lou's responses were culled directly from the lyrics of his new album. Discorder: The new album is a real comeback for you. Did anything in particular prompt this resurgence? Lou Reed: The President called me to give me the news/I've been awarded the Nobel Prize in rhythm and blues,/ and Stevie Wonder wants to record one of my songs. D: That's quite interesting, about the President and all. LR: Don't want to talk about politics today,/I feel too good, let me have my way. D: All right, let's talk music, then. Have you been keeping track of the "New Music?" LR: There's not too much you hear on the radio today. D: Very true. New Sensations is very basic compared to some of the current over-produced songs on the radio. LR: I really hope you like it, it isn't very long./It's rooted in the '50s, but it's heart's in 1984. D: Is there an overall theme to the album? LR: It reminds me of the movies Marty made about New York/ Those frank and brutal movies that are so brilliant/They're very inspirational, I love the thing they do. D: New York: the most dan gerous city in the world and damn proud of it. LR: I got my Mace and you got yours/You gotta protect your own life. D: Do you still hang out there? LR: The other night we went to see Sam's play/ It was very physical; it held you to the stage/ Here's to Travis Bickle and here's to Johnny Boy/ Growing up in the mean streets of New York. D: Sounds like you're mellowing. Where do you stand on nuclear arms? LR: I would not run from the holocaust/1 would not run from the bomb/I'd welcome the chance to meet my maker/and fly into the sun. D: Any last words? LR: When it's all too much you turn the TVset on/and light a cigarette/Then a Public Service Announcement/Come creeping on./You see a lung corroding/ Or a fatal heart attack? Turn to me. Turn to me, turn to me. -Jim Main ^^Bom^rTugga^hugga^onk chomp-wizzle wizzle-womp ... speed it up, slow it down, spin it around, throw it up ... nonstop dancing, a little head bashing to the side and oh, so cool. Jam Science is 40 minutes of repetitive concrete bunker beat ... slap it on and practise the latest groove moves and don't worry about sweat collecting on your brow -- like the weather, this record is cool and dry, Subtle variations in tempol abound, but not enough to distinguish any one track re-j markably from the next. The! vocals breathe heavily up front, driven by an understated bass score and the pervasive bunker beat. Shriekback may have lost the shriek that gave them an interesting edge on their first imported release, Tench, but they can still weave a seductive musical maze. Shriekback Jam Science To cop a quote from Aaron Copland: "The simplest way of listening to music is to listen fof the sheer pleasure of the musical sound itself -- that is the, sensual plane." With that mind, pick up a copy of Jam Science and let your body do the thinking. -Michael Shea Two years ago amid an unusually hot summer in England, Shriekback released their first single, "Sexthinkone." It sounded like its title -- provocative, sinuous and insinuating, alluring and slightly dfsturbing. / Now, the summer of 1984, and ' the group, primarily composed of Barry Andrews, Dave Allen and Carl Marsh, have finished recording their, second long- playing disc to date, Jam Science. The weather forecast: cool and dry. While Jam Science may sound so contrived that it could have been composed by a computer program, Shriekback once again succeeds in constructing a textural aural sculpture (sorry, Hugh) that adds depth to the rigid melodic formula they have confined themselves to. The lyrics are suitably arcane, but who is going to spend the time to decipher their cryptic messages while sliding on the dance floor anyway? After listening to the album several times, I can think of only two conclusions ~ either Shriekback has fallen prey to the easy allure of the electronic white funk that left Cabaret Voltaire wailing in the wings OR they have recorded THE dance disc of 1984. PAGE 6 Nocturnal Emissions Crowning in a Sea of Bliss Does anyone remember the movie "Fantastic Voyage?" You know, the one in which Raquel Welch, Donald Pleas- ance and the other human microbes are injected into an ailing scientists's body and subsequently do battle against all sorts of antibodies, organs and other resident bile before taking on the ultimate inner space foe, the big bad brain tumor? If you do, you'll probably agree that it is the all-time greatest -if not the only- B-grade bio- anatomical thriller. We know that poor Donald loses his life at the hands (?) of a massive white corpuscle, but one has to wonder at the sequels that might have been spawned had Raquel & Co. foregone that teardrop of deliverance and set up a household inside Dr. Banish's carcass — "East of Intestine" or perhaps "Indiana Jones and the Orifice of Doom?" Any filmmaker with enough guts (sorry) to undertake such a project would find himself with a ready made soundtrack in Nocturnal Emissions' "Drowning in a Sea of Discorder July 1984 Bliss," required listening for pre-med students and a must for all emetic fans. To its credit, this marrow- curdling record has tremendous potential as a motivational tool. It will certainly discourage small children from putting foreign objects into their mouths. Unwanted relatives overstaying their welcome? Just slap Nocturnal Emissions onto the turntable, and they'll be waltzing out the door before you can say Pepto-Bismol. The fact that "Drowning in a Sea of Bliss" tends to evoke esophageal imagery makes its extremely dangerous listening for compulsive overeaters; "no brekky" appears to be the central motif here. Hunger pangs and gastric juices aside, there really isn't that much happening on this record. There's plenty of rhythm, but it all reeks of excessive technology; not that I have anything against technology, it's just that so many records of the "industrial" genre are devoid of any human element whatsoever. As Snake- finger so succinctly puts it: "The content gets lighter and more superficial as the technology gets heavier and more predominant until we get to our present situation, where technology is art and the artist just the poor slob that pushes the buttons." Anyone familiar with Snakefinger's work on Ralph Records knows that his attitude toward music is hardly anti-progressive. Speaking for myself, I find ' 'Drowning in a Sea of Bliss'' to be a rather lazy record. There are more than a few interesting noises, but it doesn't sound like much thought or inspiration went into the album as a whole. I can live quite comfortably without this record, but, who knows, it might be your cup of bile. Just make sure you give it a listen before you shell out the measly arm and leg it's going to cost you to own your own copy. Technology doesn't come cheap. Steve Robertson / Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds From Her to Eternity rom the wreckage ot the Birthday Party, Nick Cave emerges with his gothic horror show intact, albeit much refined: from the Sex-Horror-Vamp- ire-BIIITE of a Bram Stoker to the oh-so-subtle terror of an Isak Dinesen. As usual, Cave delves into stuff we all would rather not think about: death, fear, desertion, loneliness; and, for a change, he has his emotions barely under control, except for that incredible eruption at just the right moment. Nick admits to calculated excesses in both singing and music in the past, but this record is largely free of them. This is not to say that old Nick has wimped out; From Her to Eternity will grip your vitals until it hurts. The Bad Seed's consist of ex-B.P. drummer and guitarist Mick Harvey, ex-Magazine bassist Barry Adamson, Blixa Bargeld of Einstuerzende Neubaten on guitar, Hugo Race on guitar, and Cave's paramour Anita Lane on piano. They play as well together as anyone could in trying to interpret tj Cave's baroque, dense mater- Every song on this record has j something going for it, mostly in the effective interaction be- y, tween the rhythm section (bass and drums) and the guitar and piano at the high end. Bar- geld's and Race's guitar work is at times understated, leaving the rhythm section to carry the feel of the song (as in "Avalanche"), and at times like a buzzsaw. As with the Birthday Party, the sound is usually bottom heavy. Nick's vocals are, at times, a dissertation, and, at times, a shamanistic chant. I don't claim to understand everything in the lyrics, so the readers will be spared a literary analysis. A lot of it is obscure, but I don't know whether this obscurity is deliberate or the normal labyrinthine product of Cave's bent mind. The lyrics do, however, have an unmistakable spiritual feel to them, considering god (God), spiritual passion, and the life everlasting malevolently but enviously. He won't be able to have his true love love him on "Wings Off Flies" until he finds a one-winged fly. An interesting predicament. \ ' Altogether a twisted, bizarre, / sick album, but an overpowering and compelling one. Great! Bats Belfry " '/ Legendary Pink Dots The Tower People who expect to be totally dumbfounded by anyone with a name like The Legendary Pink Dots should approach their latest LP with less trepidation than first reactions might indicate. The group makes wide use of mechanical and electronic gadgetry - each song immediately comes across as "really different"— but everything about the album is treated so carefully that a first-time listener is struck by its intimacy more than anything else. There is nothing worse than having someone sit you down in the middle of a room, stick on an unfamiliar record and say "Listen to the WORDS!" or "Ignore the electronic noise and listen to the MELODY in the TREBLE!" If one aspect of a new musical encounter requires special emphasis in order to be appreciated, other facets are in danger of being regarded as weakened. Artists who try to incorporate MEANINGFUL prose into their music often succeed only in appearing maudlin or self-indulgent. The Legendary Pink Dots have avoided this situation. All the lyrics are placed where they can be understood perfectly; but it's also possible to flow with the mood set up by the music. The use of violins and other conventional instruments in pre-set, classical forms lends an exotic, slightly world-weary appeal which is never allowed to lapse into cornball. Just when you're about to say, "Uh, oh ... that sounds like early Tuxedomoon" or "Hmmm ... shades of Fad Gadget," some subtle or not-so-subtle effect interrupts your constant search to find a slot for this album. None of the cuts on the "Tower" are harmless. Suicid al tendencies abound; but by underplaying the production end and opting for a "small" sound with relatively simple mix-downs, the Dots have kept from resembling something from the distant psychedelic world of early Pink Floyd and other creative but prehistoric giants of the early '70s. Legendary Pink Dots will not suit everyone's taste. They are different. However, they are not, despite their name, an obscure band that some frustrated audiophile has dredged out of self-imposed oblivion solely to inflict some new musical wound on a public which it sometimes seems will listen to anything while at other times subsists on a diet of commercial FM. Buy this album. Listen to it alone. The Legendary Pink Dots have many things to tell you. -Larry Thiessen PAGE 7 Discorder July 1984 ... more Vinyl R.E.M. Reckoning Reckoning: aka File Undei Water. The music of R.E.M. has a rich and pastoral quality about it which sets the record apart from most others. Their sound, though an amalgam of so many recognizable elements (from the Byrds to the Allman Brothers) is, conversely, individual. The band itself is composed of a group of likeable, hard working, thoughtful, sincere people. Yet the whole is much more than the sum of the parts. I could never confuse R.E.M. or their music with any other band. And so we encapsulate R.E.M. But there is also more. There is, for instance, Michael Stipe. And there is Peter Buck. In a sense, R.E.M.'s energy derives from the contrast of these characters. Stipe, of the mournful, almost monochromatic, but expressive voice, is the lyricist. Stipe's lyrics always touch me, but I must admit: I don't know what the hell he's on about. It seems his lyrics vacillate (roughly) between the extremes of emotional involvement: distance and warmth, trust and mistrust, revelation and concealment. Stipe recently told of a time when he would not allow his songs to use "I" and "You" — those were too personal. Stipe's lyrics always deal with the general and the ambiguous and the abstract (for several reasons): a) they undergo an Miles Davis Decoy and, it being his album, gives himself space to develop a few interesting solos: not great, mind you, by his previous standards, but at least they're decent. Unfortunately, Miles has also taken up the synthesizer along with his sideman/ co-producer Robert Irving III. It sounds as if one of them is chained to the controls at all times, for synthesizer is everywhere. People should be issued iicenses to use these things, after they've passed a test that keeps gratuitous noodling like this in check. The problem with "emotional editing" with the R.E.M. avoid being staid be- rest of the band identifying cause they take a chance. Most parts they don't like or suggest-bands don't take that chance ing alternatives; b) Stipe wants with their second album, his lyrics to be "emotionally R.E.M. do. They have consci- true but yet leaving room for ously decided to move away broad interpretation;" c) "at from the dense sound of their the end of the day they are just first, Murmur. Instead, they more pop songs." reveal their songs to a much Peter buck is the "rock" side greater extent, both lyrically of things. He is the musical and musically. For R.E.M., this historial and archivist. He is a extension and expansion re- stage hound. He fires the band veals the depth of their writing with the energy which has them and playing ability, constantly touring, writing and R.E.M.'s Reckoning reflects recording. It is his sense of the the growing maturity of a band, past, balanced with Stipe's R.E.M. provide, for a second idealism and freedom from the time, that rarest of albums: one past which gives R.E.M. that which, in a subtle, almost sub- wonderful sound: a sound that versive way, challenges the is, at once, familiar and com- listener. Reckoning is for think- forting yet involving and in- ing (interpreting as you will), or ventive. for relaxing, or, further yet, for The sound is composed of: a cleaning the house. Put their fluid rhythm section, ringing stories, however obtuse, to guitars, accents of piano, and good (and varied) use. There splashed of "other" sound are few others so worthwhile, which occasionally, fill the spaces. It is much much finer No. 1 and accessible pop music than the appealing but staid likes of Orange Juice, Big Country or (more favorably) Aztec Camera ^^^^^^^^^^M We've all heard the predictions that in 10 years time technology will be an omnipresent force in our lives. Comput - ers will be in every home and the synths as used here is that office, regulating everything the intensity of single notes that we do. There will be no doesn't vary; this flattens some ion that a person in the beautiful sounds being produc- °H h" tho nthpr musicians. funct Western Wor.d can perform H**,-" That's Right" has some lovely trade-offs between Marsalis without the aid, or interference, of synthetic gimmickry. llaue"una uciv,com .».».—..- It looks like a lot of people and guitarist John Scofield that creating music these days settle down into a great blues would like to herald in the age groove; what's stuck on top are of technology right now. Count- synthesizer bits that to me have less musicians have indulged in absolutely no purpose. I wanted their own private techno-trips to take an icepick to the grooves in the past couple of years and try t0 Peel those bits right (need I name names?); their off- '* happens again and again success in the use of synthesiz- on Decoy's seven tracks, and ed instruments has depended it's frustrating as hell. as much on their attitude to- N°t only is it annoying to try ward the synthesizer's place in to listen to Decoy closely, as music as on their technical one w°uld a jazz album, it ability in playing it. doesn't work as funk music Miles Davis has entered the either; it simply doesn't move. techno-camp as well on his last The on|y Place I would listen to few LPs; Decoy reveals that a record llke this is driving he's stuck firmly in those around in a car, like so much chrome-lined trenches. Using a otner cow fodder music. That's few funk musicians (on this a shame, 'cause the players on record Darryl Jones is on bass; Decoy could be capable of Marcus Miller has appeared in something so much better, the past) and a few people who Fiona MacKay have real potential as jazz players (e.g., Bill Evans and Bran- ford Marsalis on soprano saxes), Davis has put together songs with such titles as "Robot 415" and "Code M.D." Miles plays trumpet, of course, Discorder July 1984 lftiH»*1*g, alow oris Go* Lapped- .d .NOl wait a «*» tooKott my ^ people star | VSfeg»-;3^S8aei res■'-ssss S,» tr s~ ss'S-■ VwsrTSuo?BS 9-rt^ sicnaaf rela „«*! Keren" O^^Sa, Hayes £ up * J» ■** the aud»-l fcandmaior >a^T 0a, ^ e-l Ichordson < Driver" an° ■ pirate's delight with: Fly by Night T H E A T r"1 by Christopher Durang BEYOND OPENS JULY 4 NCOUVER EAST LTURAL CENTRE 895 VENABLES ST NDRES 254-957 PERSUASIONS DISCOGRAPHY Acapella, 1967, Reprise Re- I Just Want to Sing with My cords (RS 6394 Straight), out Friends, A&M Records of print (MCA 3656), out of print We Came to Play, 1971 and Chirpin', 1976, Elektra/Asylum 1975, Capitol Records (ST Records (1099) 79andSM791) Street Corner Symphony, 1972, Capitol Records (ST 872) Spread the Word, 1972, Capitol Comin' At Ya, 1979, Flying Fish Records (FF093) (Flying Fish, 1304 W. Schubert, Chicago, IL 60614) Records (ST 11101), out of Good News, 1980, Rounder Records Just Us, 1984, Rounder Records (3083) (Rounder Records, 186 Willow Ave., Somerville, MA 02144) Records (MCA 3635), out of m town, records by The Persua- Pnr|t sions can be found at Scorpio, Highlife and Black Swan. print We Still Ain't Got No Band,' 1973, A&M Records (MCA 326), out of print More Than Before, A&M TWl place -to eppetfteuAeppededl vWcauvVs miUj "Btj Mmo> ^ ujltffilub - {jAJ\es (jood -to c/cedt, <We mod. omA^€£\ fS^T^eW i(ecu& €\lt, eVe«a| ruqUT. CreaJtuie. TXvW^ fr<nfK (cxt/e bars 125 5w.pender 681-5201 Discorder July 1984 The Hot Air Show Returns EXPOSE YOUR Every Monday Nite at the Savoy in Gastown Sept. 10 to Dec. 17 you can WIN recording time or equipment Bands may apply NOW at CITR 228-3017 MOBILE SOUND SYSTEM For any^event call 228-3017 50 Most PJpyf^y Bonds oil Wfc ' 1. Lou Reed 2. Laurie Anderson 3. Public Image Limited 4. David Bowie 5. Poisoned [with Art Berg mann] 6. The Clash 7. Peter Gabriel 8. The Cramps 9. Echo and the Bunnymen 10. The Cure 11. Mike Club 12. New Order 13. Brian Eno [and friends] 14. Siouxsie and the Banshees 15. Special AKA 16. Shriekback 17. Gang of Four 18. Iggy Pop [and the Stooges] 19. R.E.M. 20. Nina Hagen 21. Holger Czukay 22. Kraftdinner 23. King Crimson 24. Elvis Costello [and the I m poster] 25.X 26. The Residents 27. Trevor Jones 28. Rank and File 29. The Beverley Sisters 30. Violent Femmes 31. Malcolm X 32. Simple Minds 33. Hiroshi Yano 34. Dead Kennedys 35. Kraftwerk 36. Talking Heads 37. Roxy Music 38. Fabuion 39. Family Plot 40. Killing Joke 41. Tones on Tail 42. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark 43. Actionauts 44. Bauhaus 45. Joy Division 46. The Stranglers 47. Emily 48. Shanghai Dog 49. Bill Nelson 50. Kate Bush After a prolonged absence, the blurb returns. Soon to be made into a major motion picture, starring: Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, and a group of men in tuxedos wearing enormous ocular organs. Yes, folks, it's the CITR Mole Show, with the Residents tunnelling their way to number 26 this month! What a group! What a concept! An LP with George Gershwin on one side and James Brown covers on the other. Lou Reed (no relation) leads the moles, with a New LP doing very well. Did you ever wonder why he wears sunglasses all the time? He and Peter Gabriel struggle in the darkness, new releases succeeding and vaulting them into the top 10. Confused? Good. Notes ... Poisoned perpetuates Mr. Bergmann's reputation as a local hero and jams the reception of Psychic Healers somewhat ... The Mike Club, another local act, make a hit with their two demo-tape songs, sadly, they're now defunct ... Who the hell is Kraft- dinner anyway? ... If they're so anonymous, perhaps they're related to Malcolm X, who's not even alive. Keith Leblanc is the man with the skeleton in his closet (or his studio, one could say) ... The Mole Show welcomes back the Actionauts, but we are left with one burning question ... What's an actional? Coming soon to a bedspread near you. Catch it! -Jason Final Vinyl They say that home-taping is killing music, but then they say a lot of things, don't they? Albums in their entirety and other deviant fun -- every night at 11 p.m. Mon. -- Jazz album Tues. and Wed. -- Hot off the banana boat - New Playlist Albums Thurs. - Mel Brewer Presents - all the dirt on local noise -- interviews, new releases, demo tapes, gossip, scandal... Fri. - 1-2-3-FunkRockNSoul Albums Sat. - This week's model -- CITR's #1 Playlist LP Sun. -- Fast Forward's Neglected LP -- the mail brings many «surprises - you'll hear 'em here. Mon 02 Tues 03 Wed 04 Thu 05 Fri 06 Sat 07 Mon 09 Tue 10 Wed 11 Thu 12 Fri 13 Sat 14 Mon 16 Tue 17 Wed 18 Thu 19 Fri 20 Sat 21 Mon 23 Tue 24 Wed 25 Thu 26 Fri 27 Sat 28 Mon 30 Tue 31 High Profile Rockpilers Peter Hamill American Garage Pt. 2 Durutti Column Jayne County David Jones Presents Jerry Lee Lewis Pt. 1 Flag of Convenience Art Bergmann -- This Is Your Life John Foxx Oingo Boingo "Punk and Disorderly" Jerry Lee Lewis Pt. 2 Deviant States of Mind American Garage Pt. 3 Nick Cave and friends Wild Man Fischer Swell Maps Jerry Lee Lewis pt. The Residents Johnny Cash Ian Hunter The Zombies Rock Fashion -the 1970s Jerry Lee Lewis Pt. 4 Rip, Rig, And Panic Public Affairs MONDAY-FRIDAY AT 9 A.M. Jump start your mind without the use of harmful stimulants. CITR PUBLIC AFFAIRS brings you up to date and inside the issues in the news, in entertainment, and in sports. i FM102 CABLE ICO * m i» * * *m n 1 s» H -\ H \ h 't :i t ."k i A \ Discorder July 1984 UBC RADIO 6138 SUB BOULEVARD VANCOUVER, B.C. V6T 2A5 228 -2487 10 new music, local and international MUSIC OF« OUR TIME.* • for the • listener. MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT BREAKFAST REPORT: 8am • makes you a well informed early riser. ^ PUBLIC AFFAIRS: 9am9:20 Contemporary MORNING NEWSBREAK 10am for the not so early riser. Q NEWS SUN. BRUNCH poets, plays & • presentation MUSIC r4 musics roots are explored by Lawrence, or Vijay. Np_0_N_NEWS REGGAE FOR RASTA! ROCK ERS I'RIE MON LUNCH REPORT: 1pm news and info, to munch by. daffy fun & gratuitous frivolity... SUNDAY* AFTERNOON • SHOW SUNDAY MAG special news feature. 10 11 12 SUN. NIGHT *.*LIVE!.% host Mark Mushet delves weekly into. ..fASr.. his bag of alternatives to give you the0-w^ music Album* 11pm *2 k: MUSIC jt~ .,-»"■«?"' —I NEWSBREAK: 3:30 pm SPORTSBREAKMMHips & hoorays for the sportier International» .<& CITR's top 40 albums I DINNER REPORT: 6 pm news and info, to digest & discuss listener. & singles with the MD's SATURDAY • • MAGAZINE special week- ' news. <• HIGH PROFILE: 8 pm- Various artist and their music highlighted *unkown tracks •career facts JAZZ ALBUM FINAL VINYL: 11pm. NEW PLAYLIST ALBUM I W 10 mixing.. • ' ! PA JAMA the l,2,3f PARTY — •SHOW • ...MATCHING. funk, rock ti' soul. ■ .\- BLENDING.... . ....SCRATCHIN BEDTIME FOR BONGO'S. If you live in an area that doesn't offer CITR on cable at 100.1 call your local cable company and request it. number album ion the playlist!! AGAINST MEDICAL ADVICE+ , on the Y HIIII MB ZULU RECORDS ' 8TfL. w^8-3232™ DOMESTI C/ I MPORT/USED RECORDS CONCERT TICKETS/OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
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Discorder CITR-FM (Radio station : Vancouver, B.C.) 1984-07-01
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Title | Discorder |
Creator |
CITR-FM (Radio station : Vancouver, B.C.) |
Publisher | Vancouver : Student Radio Society of the University of British Columbia |
Date Issued | 1984-07-01 |
Extent | 13 pages |
Subject |
Rock music--Periodicals |
Genre |
Periodicals |
Type |
Text |
FileFormat | application/pdf |
Language | English |
Identifier | ML3533.8 D472 ML3533_8_D472_1984_07 |
Collection |
Discorder |
Source | Original Format: Student Radio Society of University of British Columbia |
Date Available | 2015-03-11 |
Provider | Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library |
Rights | Images provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy, or otherwise use these recordings must be obtained from CiTR-FM: http://www.citr.ca |
CatalogueRecord | http://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=1190017 |
AIPUUID | 7ad166d0-e23a-4c83-b09a-e9841d478f38 |
DOI | 10.14288/1.0049800 |
AggregatedSourceRepository | CONTENTdm |
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