I had been wanting to see this film for quite some time as it explores Vancouver’s explosive punk rock scene that started in the late 70′s and ended in the early 80′s. I was blown away at the films in your face and high energy approach of showing an incredibly important music history piece. After watching the great Bloodied But Unbowed the audience was given the extra special opportunity to be apart of a Q and A with panelist that included artists that had been featured in the film. The panelists were Brian Goble (a.k.a. “Wimpy-Roy”) of the Subhumans, Jade Blade of the Dishrags, Jimmy Cummins (I, Braineater), Nick Jones of the Pointed Sticks and Tunnel Canary’s Nathan Holiday.

Gillian Callander talks to Iconic Canadian Band.
“Men Without Hats” is one of my favourite Canadian New Wave bands from the 80′s. For years I have enjoyed their synthesizer electronic Pop music with songs like The Safety Dance and Pop Goes The World. After meeting MWH front man Ivan Doroschuk recently at Mushroom Studios (they were recording a new album there!) he agreed to answer a few questions for VanMusic.
VanMusic: Men Without Hats recently recorded new material at Mushroom studios, can you tell us a bit about what we should expect …

Interview by  Callander Girl.

 
VanMusic: Can you give us a brief history of Perplexity Of Things? How did this project start? Who is all involved?
 The idea of Perplexity of Things started when I was 18. I knew that I wanted to make music, but wasn’t quite sure where to start. All I could come up with at the time was the name. I’ve always jammed with friends, but didn’t have anybody I could really connect with— someone who shared the same taste and mindset. So I realized that I would have to …

VanMusic: I’m here with Jimmy Cummins aka. I Braineater, well known musician and artist in Vancouver and Internationally around the world.

Jimmy Cummins: In various circle yes.

VM: So my first question for you is what came first your desire to make music or your need to create art?

JC: I started drawing when I was 3 or 4 years old, so I loved drawing from an early age. It’s been kind of a drive, I think you just get born with it or you don’t. And if you are born with it, the urge is always there. When the punk rock scene came around it was great because it was a time when the idea was, who cares?! Who cares if you don’t know how to do this or that. If you want to do it, then do it! So I was like I want to do it!

Exclusive Interview with The Gay Nineties

The Gay Nineties are a Vancouver Rock n’Roll band that consists of Daniel Knowlton (The Good News), Parker Bossley (Fake Shark Real Zombie, Hot Hot Heat) and Malcolm Holt (Fake Shark Real Zombie, Malcolm and the Moonlight). I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with the very talented, insightful and fun three piece to discuss such things as touring, influences, their name and of course their music.

http://thegaynineties.bandcamp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Gay-Nineties/200057730039857

My idea of a fun time is having a good laugh during an enjoyable venting session (usually about boys) followed by a great discussion about music while drinking pints in a pub.

With the release of their first LP, Synthetic Order, Nihilate plans to overcome the current trends and divisions within the metal community and restore depth and integrity in songwriting and production. With the help of Garth Richardson (Rage Against the Machine, Mudvayne, Spineshank, Gallows), Scott Ternan (Fear Factory) and other staff and students at the Nimbus School of Recording Arts, Nihilate have created a hard hitting, ear punishing 40-minute war of art. From the deceptively acoustic driven intro Clearance, or the trial of endurance that is Mourn of Hate, to the thrash anthem title track Synthetic Order, this project will prove Nihilate stands above the rest.

SWS is one of this year’s Peak Performance TOP 20 Artists!
Since the 2007 inception of Vancouver based Sex with Strangers the band has been gaining local, national and international attention with a mention in Spin Magazine naming them one of “7 Undiscovered Bands Worth a Listen to” and now as a Top 20 Finalist in the 2011 Peak Performance Project. I sat down with the contest finalist (Hatch Benedict and Isabelle Dunlop) before their recent Peak showcase at the Red Room to talk about their third full-length album Frontier Justice, Isabelle’s fashion line (see their upcoming Fashion and Music for Memories event below!) and of course the Peak Performance Project Contest.

Gillian Callander from VanMusic chats with Chrystal Leigh from Jakalope

Once we got to the festival we were welcomed very hospitably by the festival organizers and soon after getting our media passes the three of us were off to explore! After hearing the first day of Live at Squamish (Saturday 20th) was a success I was in full anticipation mode for what lay ahead

I was first musically introduced to Melissa Auf der Maur in 1994 when she became the bass player for the band Hole. I was 16 and very excited that she was in my favourite band not only because she was a young rocking bass player (she was only 22 when she joined) but because she was Canadian, hailing from the great city of Montreal.

Melissa’s music career started to take off in the early 90’s when she met Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) after a Pumpkins show in Montreal when she apologized for her friend who had heckled him and thrown a beer bottle at the band while on stage

“We’ve been on tour for 2 months doing a square of the continent. But favorite shows…NYC and LA are always great, Long Beach especially. Our show in Charlotte, North Carolina was my favorite because we played with a band called Brain F that I really love. Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Oakland, Gainsville, Ann Arbour, Chicago, SF. It all kind of bleeds together now. This was an interesting tour.”

Back in 1979 the great punk rock band the Modernettes were formed, fronted by Buck Cherry (John Armstrong), Mary Jo Kopechne on bass and Jughead on drums. Known for such raw pop songs as Confidential, Teen City, Suicide Club and my two favourites Rebel Kind and their big hit Barbra. Now lets fast forward to 2011 with Buck Cherry still in the driver’s seat and a new backing band as his passengers. I was given the opportunity to ask Buck a few questions about his early influences, being a writer and the infamous Barbra.

VanMusic: For people who aren’t familiar with Music Waste could you go into the History of the festival. Tell us how it got started. How long it’s been going on for.
Dustin: It’s Music Waste’s 17th year. It was started by a couple bands in 94, as a protest against New Music West’s admission fees. Or at least that’s the legend as I heard it. Terminal City magazine took over the fest later in the 90s, and then Only magazine in the early 2000s… and now us. We don’t have a magazine.

From what I know and have heard about you Adam, you are currently in the following bands: Junior Major, The New Values, and Modernettes which I believe you only play with sometimes? And you also perform as a solo artist, a project called Sirens?