Vancouver has produced a number of high quality bands and the latest one to come across our desk is no exception. Elias generated some good buzz when Spin.com chose them as one of of “Eight must-hear bands from B.C.” alongside well-known acts such as Black Mountain, The Organ and You Say Party! We Say Die!,  Comprised of Brian Healy (vocals/ piano/guitar), lead guitarist Rob Tornroos and drummer Stefan Tavares, Elias have won over their fans with their dynamic live performances, and mysterious, unique and eerily comforting recorded rhythms. Their latest album, Lasting Distraction, released earlier this month, was produced by all-star duo Sean Penner and Aaron Nordean (Hot Hot Heat) and mixed by Mike Fraser (Franz Ferdinand, ACDC). We had a chance to ask Rob Tornroos a few questions about their home town, touring and influences.

What local Vancouver band are you guys really diggin on right now?

Rob: My favourite local band/artist at the moment would have to be Hannah Georgas. Having played a few shows in her band I had to learn all of her old and new songs and now I can’t get them out of my head if I tried. Her songs are so catchy and quirky and her vocals are just phenominal! Also recently got the Dan Mangan CD (from himself on the side of the highway outside of Canmore BC when we stoppped to meet up for 5 minutes) and I must say the first song”Road Regrets” is the song of the moment for me. It is truly a “gem” of an opening track!

What’s your favorite part of touring?

Rob: My favourite part of touring is getting to leave the everyday routine at home and not having to do the same job day after day that I have done for the past 6 years. Having just got back from a short tour I still don’t know what day it is nor do I care. Things get fun when everyday feels like a Friday! 

What’s you favourite Radiohead album and why?

Rob: Tough question! This is probably one of the hardest questions to answer. Every Radiohead album represents a specific time in my life and I feel very nostalgic when listen to each. The Bends is the first album I ever became obsessed with. It was my bible back in 1995 and to some degree still is today. It sums up perfection to me. But this question is still so tough because everytime they release an album it becomes my favourite to some degree. Every album is so smart, unique and mindblowing it has people saying “why didn’t I think of that?” Some of it is so simple but so genius…. The way they have introduced new instruments into mainstream music is just incredible. I think my favourite at the moment would have to be “In Rainbows”. In kind of represents a perfect album to me; it has everything I would wish my own album would have….

What’s the best and worst part of the Vancouver music scene right now?

Rob:
Best: The best part of the scene right now is how close knit it all is. For the first time in along time, everyone is friends and there to support eachother. Vancouver use to be uber competitive so it is great when you can go to a show or a house party and run into members of Said The Whale, Hey Ocean, Dan Mangan, The Zolas, Adaline, The Painted Birds, Hannah Georgas etc.. all there having a good time together. It’s a pretty fun time……
Worst: The constant closure of music venues. This problem has been spoken of a lot over the past few years but it’s getting worse and worse….If we were a starting out band there would be no clubs available for us to play and learn how to get comfortable on stage. It is a huge problem in Vancouver at the moment. I think a major change needs to occur or else the city will lose its identity and be over run by generic rock radio nickleback bands…….. which would kill any credibiltiy that Vancouver had gained over the past 20 years….. Matt Good speaks a lot about this issue, check his blog and see what he says……

If you could steal anything from a girl’s closet what would it be?

Rob: Skin Care Products! Working outside in the sun constantly, stressing out to the max and wearing a constant frown has given my face some premature wrinkles so I would love to steal some rejuvinating lotions and creams to smooth out my crows feet and give me that tight wrinkle free complextion you see in all those biore commercials.

Written by Brendan Kane

Photography by Brendan Kane and Ryan Monty

What I was able to gather by the halfway point of my first cab ride in Portland went beyond the knowledge of how busy the night was for the driver or if it was supposed to rain later in the evening.  It was the opening night of MFNW (Music Fest North West) in the city and my friend, Monty and I were on our way to a place called the Kennedy School to watch Deer Tick perform three sets in a gymnasium. That was all I needed to know. An hour earlier, an eavesdropping Buffalo Exchange clothes-fetcher overheard me talking them up to a fellow employee as I tried on a pair of women’s jeans. He said the show was free and affiliated with the festival; however, it was dubbed as a halfway to St. Patrick’s Day bash.

The cabbie shot dialogue like a cannon when I told him the Kennedy School address, “Oh yeah, that’s a McMenamin’s,” he began. This was the second time I had heard this phrase; the first was the night before. We were in Centralia, Washington and about to see Deer Tick (but they had to reschedule). Suffice to say, becoming fond with four Olympia cool cats, drinking absinthe from a crystal chalice, and proceeding to close down their McMenamin’s haunt built a strong first impression.

According to the cabbie, the Kennedy school is an elementary school from 1915 that the McMenamin’s franchise revived from abandonment for the sole purpose of filling it with as much cool shit as possible. You feel like you’re in a school and it creeps you out right up until point when you realize that every classroom is a bar, restaurant, cigar room, theatre, micro-brewery, pool or suite and a wicked band is playing all night in the gym to a dinner crowd. The mere sight of seeing a mother swinging her young daughter upside down by the ankles (to the delight of the child) as Deer Tick ripped into a Hank Williams tune triggered a sense that community in Oregon was of a deeper essence than much of North America. This seemed special; this was new; and Portland is the place to be for art in September.

Our home base for the festival was the artist-friendly, Ace Hotel. It was easy to feel at home since the place was stacked with a youthful (and like-minded) clientele and staff. We were also within walking distance from many of the venues and a block away from the enormous, Powell Bookstore. After the Deer Tick anthology and before Will Sheff, Jill arrived to meet us outside Ace and the four of us strolled to see the Okkervil River front man take the stage at Berbati’s Pan – a pub that also makes Greek food and neighbours the psychedelic Voodoo Doughnuts (maple glazed topped with bacon anyone?).

Sheff’s voice, I have often found (wait for the cheese…) is kind of like a river; the lyric delivery is rolling, unpredictable and, at times, looking like it’s going to fall right off a cliff or out of the song. His range, tone and mostly, his attention to romantic detail seem to address every whimsical thought in the mind of someone young and in love. Portland, he mentioned, was a groundbreaking spot for his career – it was only fitting that the kick-off event belong to Sheff, his acoustic guitar, and the small brigade of cellists in the encore.

Day two started with an early-morning skateboard to the nearby market for some juice and muffins. If the earmark of a truly logistical city lies in its non-motorized transport options, every throughway in downtown Portland included a painted bike lane. The morning rain was also enough to extract the city’s trademark weather comment from my barista: “Do you know why they say Oregonian’s refuse to wear umbrellas? Because it’s never going to rain enough to get you wet!” Really? Bastards.

We were dining at the Clyde Common (attached to Ace) when Lindsay arrived. Seating is at long, Euro-inspired tables that encourage talking to strangers,goblet sliding and - during happy hour - pints are $3 and popcorn is a featured entrée. We hailed a cab to take us to an early performance from Philadelphia’s, Dr. Dog at the Wonder Ballroom. Yet another historic venue, packed to the brim with around 800 in broad daylight and a set-piece of harmonies from Taxi, Tables, Text, Trouble and Thanks. Soon to be Indie cult-classics like The Breeze and Hang On, both from their summer record, Fate got a rouse from the crowd.

We were steadfast in snatching up a cab, and destined for Saburo’s Sushi for our fill of cheap rolls, each with the median size of a balled fist. The girls and boys respectively (and respectfully) ditched one another for Girl Talk and Explosions in the Sky/Dirty Three - the latter’s shocking awesomeness took (approximately) one week to truly sink in. It was in San Francisco while talking to the clerk at Recycled Records on Haight-Ashbury; a classical instrumental band crackled in the speaker next to his face as he ate a wrap and wrote down directions for me to find a vintage record player.  The band was Mono and they are Japanese. Quickly we talked about Explosions and Dirty Three synonymously. When I said that I saw them back-to-back, he had to swallow whatever sandwich and say, “That’s life-affirming shit, man.”  I responded with something to do with my mind being blown, and in handing me the directions he said, “Everything has to happen.”

Explosions in the Sky played in my third visited McMenamin’s establishment - the massively multi-tiered and diamond orientated Crystal Ballroom. The old hardwood floor panels in this venue flex bounce and shift with every kick drum, bass line or hopping audience member, extenuating every thunderous breakdown that makes them the premier instrumental act in the west. They were, however, only a precursor for the Dirty Three of Melbourne, Australia. Warren Ellis plays the violin, sometimes the piano and tells stories in between songs. He does not sing; his violin does, and I usually catch myself calling him the ‘lead singer’. All of the songs deal with specific subject matter and he lets the audience know this. One song was simply about “when your girl tells you to go get fucked, and you know she’s right” and another dealt with “what it’s like to do so much amphetamine that your brain is literally the size of a pea and you can’t move from off your back for three days.”

We sat on the cast iron fire escape back at Ace that night and (hours later) watched below as Ellis marched down the empty road with tremendous pace in his stride – a true mad scientist, always at work. The girls stumbled in drunker than 40 cats, so I went downstairs and crossed the street to the Roxy Diner to get everyone some replenishing grub. The entryway was partially blocked by a young girl making out with a transvestite; the bathrooms were soaked in graffiti; there was a gigantic crucifix; there was an incredible jukebox; and best of all, there was Warren Ellis eating a salad with a friend and talking to about the state of America.

Friday was my first Urban Outfitters experience; in that, aside from getting some nice things, I felt genuinely jealous to have not come up with many of their gimmicks. We ate at the Rams Head – another McMenamin’s to further that feeling and arranged to interview John McCauley (Deer Tick singer) before their show at the quaint, Mississippi Studios.  McCauley had been drinking when we spoke in the afternoon and things didn’t happen to stop being fun for him. He called me an hour and a half before their set with a voice like a bucket of rusty nails, asking to postpone the conversation.  I bumped into a few other members of the band in the pub across the street who told me they had never seen him like this – as his voice was reeling from several consecutive multi-hour sets.

Sure enough, big John and the Deer Ticks emerged from the back room with McCauley dawning a plastic bag on his face, a pleated red miniskirt, camouflage t-shirt and had sharpie dicks drawn on his thighs. McCauley apologized for his voice to the crowd - but what he lacked in his typical Cobain/Hank tone, he made up for in escapades – leading the band members off stage mid-way through Dirty Dishes to get beer from the bar and scaling the balcony to walk it like a tightrope. These very escapades also inspired those of us in the crowd (me included) to push our drunk – never a negative.

It was Saturday, so we woke up and drove to the ocean. Portland seems like an ocean town – it did before I knew the geography and it did on this visit. However, it takes just under two hours to drive to the coast. This day journey was to greatly overshadow our Sunday adventure, which originally was to be Crater Lake (6 hours was too far) but ended up being Mount Hood (2 hours and much to the dismay of the girls). We were all informed by Monty that the Timberline Lodge on the mountain was actually the Overlook Hotel from the Shining. But when we arrived, the girls saw no sign of verification of this from the tourist stands and a mutiny began to brew. Apparently a secondary crew shot the Timberline for “a few exterior shots” in the Shining – not good enough.

Saturday evening I took in crusty punkers, the Dillinger Four who got me back to basics – straight forward punk - no bull shit and tons of ranting. First, front man Patrick Costello ripped vegans who move to Brooklyn and start punk bands without a bass player by saying that they will: a) Never get laid and b) Are directly insulting Otis Redding. He then focussed his afflictions upon Christians, saying that he intends on burying Batman comic books with the hopes that someone in the future will dig them up and start a religion based upon them. 

Modest Mouse might be the perfect headliner for a bar hopping music festival – their credibility is enough for casual music fans, yet they’re small enough to not attract said fans. Your parents haven’t heard of them and what the hell, they’re from Portland! The show was at the Crystal Ballroom, so the floor was shaking and we got the pleasure of standing next to the most fun people ever that were also on the most fun drugs ever - it all seemed to just trickle down.

As my first MFNW came to a resounding close, so much of the experience can be traced back to that very first cab ride. When the cabbie proudly spoke of the Kennedy school, I wished badly for a piece of that kind of history and community back home – where you can be enriched in community and not just shuffled in and out. The Portland he explained from a decade ago sounded a lot like Calgary – a downtown to work in and then scurry away from at quitting time. He said everyone had enough – they wanted markets, shops and a bustling nightlife. They wanted to take back the metropolis from vagrants and make people confident for their safety – committed to leisure. We were in the middle of Seattle and Sanfrancisco and that didn’t matter; I told him, “we want that in Calgary” and he said, “Do it then.”

For the record, it was a busy night because it was supposed to rain.

Written by: Isis Graham

If you haven’t heard of DirtyPhonics it’s because you haven’t been paying attention. This five man super group from France consisting of members: Playte, Capskod, Pho, Pitch In and MC Youthstar dish out the future of drum and bass with their live performances. Their live shows and follow up productions have earned them big time spots on stages all over the world and gained them the “Best Newcomer Producer” award in the 2009 Drum & Bass Arena awards. You can expect all five guys twisting knobs and jackin tracks on MPCS, samplers, turntables and mics for the entire show. It’s nothing less than a hype mixture of the dirtiest drum and bass, dubstep, hip hop and even some 4/4 tossed in for extra flavour for the dance floor. Their next smasher release “The Shadow Knows” is expected to drop on Ram records by the end of this year. Check out their self titled promo video on Youtube to get a little dose of what they’re all about and we will see on the dance floor for their first ever North American performance on September 23rd at the Warehouse Nightclub. This is an 18+ show and tickets are available at Giant 45, aluminum planet, and grassroots! Don’t sleep on this people, come get dirty!

IG: What does it mean for Dirtyphonics to win the “Best Newcomer-Producer Award?” in 2009?

DP: Well, for one we are all really happy to have won the award!

It’s great to know that we have the support from so many people, and being recognised for ” best newcomer producer” means that people are really into what we are doing, which is always good motivation to carry on and push forward!

IG: Do you get more attention from the girls now or are all of you guys tied up in relationships?

DP: You know, the stage life in general demands attention all on its own, we just add to it coz we’re 5 great looking guys, “haha”!

But yeah, some of us are in relationships and the ones that aren’t have got twice the choice!!!

IG: It has been said in other interviews that Dirtyphonics performances “leave their competitors in the dust”. What is it about you boys and your powerhouse show that is more innovative and powerful than others?

DP: The thing with our LIVE, is we wanted to bring something different to the table that had not been done before. A mix between the DJ, the MC and machines. The idea is to deliver the energy and filth of a Rock show in an electronic environment. We don’t like to tie ourselves down to any one style of music, we try and broaden our horizons and leave the doors open to any new ideas, which in turn reaches out to a much wider audience.

IG: Where do you see Dirtyphonics in 2 years?

DP: To be honest, that is always a question that gets us, I mean, so much has happened for us in the last year alone, we really cant say apart from that the sky’s the limit!

IG: What is the Parisian translation for “Hey girl I like your socks?”

DP: “Hey mademoiselle, j’aime tes chaussettes !” But to be honest, we reckon that must be a Canadian chat up line because if you dropped that line to a French girl, you are not gonna get anyway hahaha!!!

IG: For all the gear-heads who read our magazine, what kind of gear are you using and what is going on behind the scenes to deliver the live-show?

DP: On stage we use 4 CDJ 1000, A DJM909, a DJM800, 2 MPCs, a Moog filter, a Kaos Pad. None of this equipment is synced so everything you hear is played live !

To deliver the live show, we obviously rehearse a lot and then it’s a lot of communication between us when playing. We like to improvise new stuff at every gig and surprise each other so each show is unique in it’s own special way.

IG: If you could recommend one or two of your own personal favourite producers or Deejays to someone you just met who would they be?

DP: There are so many producers now days it’s hard to cut down to just one or two, but we would have to say guys like “Subfocus”, “Noisa” production wise and DJ’s like “Andy C” & “Spor”.

IG: This is your first Canadian tour, when you think of Canada what comes to mind first?

DP: Snow, Maple Syrup, Hockey and the funny French accent of Quebec!

IG: Nike or Adidas?

DP: Both

IG: When can fans anticipate your next album release?

DP: As soon as possible, but we are so busy at the moment with our finger’s in a whole lot of pies. An album is definitely in our sights, so keep your ear’s to the streets for the end of 2010.

IG: The funniest thing that has happened to you on tour so far?

DP: Too many to mention, all we can say is wait ’till we hit Canada…

… check back on Thursday after the show for some photos from what is sure to be an amazing performance!

Clea Anaïs has collaborated with many of Calgary’s top performers including, Woodpigeon, Dojo Workhorse, Thighs, Brock Geiger and the former Consonant C. Her solo work is delicate and soothing in voice, kissed with cello and piano. She performs at Higher Ground at 9pm this Thursday.

You have been involved in so many significant musical projects in town, as well as your own solo work; who inspired you to take the plunge as a performer?

Well, really I have performed since I was little. I started playing cello when I was 3, and performed and competed in various capacities during my entire childhood. I still get nervous though. I would say my mother, Dulcie Foo Fat is a big influence on me because she is so dedicated to being an artist. I guess this year I owe a lot of credit to Mark Hamilton and Brock Geiger, who have helped me gain enough confidence to play my own solo stuff.

What Calgary artist would you like to see more people aware of?

Well yikes. Calgary is oh-so full of amazing artists, to pick one wouldn’t be fair. Right now I am super into FreeNudeCelebs which is Jordon Hossak from Azeda Booth. Also I am in constant admiration of Laura Lief when she plays. Brock Geiger just released an awesome album and is doing super creative new things. Jacqueline Bell and Chris Dadge are working on a record for the project called A Relative Distance. They are a killer duo. That’s the tip of the iceberg, if you want to know more awesome Calgary musicians just find me and ask!

What is your favourite way to spend a sunny afternoon in town?

I love biking to spots by the river and laying in the grass. Also having slurpees.

How do you feel now about this city, that you maybe didn’t last summer?

Hmm. On a personal level, this summer was a bit rough compared to last summer. However, I have never looked forward to September and another year in Calgary so much and this is the of awesome collaborative projects - first time I have had no obligations to make me stay. I am so grateful for the awesome sense of DIY community that is being built in our city. I love that it is inclusive and is based on people’s excitement about projects instead of dictated by organizations. I’m looking forward to a fall and winter

What was the first record you owned?

Well my older sisters had music that I loved as a child but didn’t own. When I was in grade 3 I fell in love with Bell and Sebastian. That was probably a good start.

Dan Guiry is one of Calgary’s sickest standup comics; but when he’s not harshin’ inappropriate jokes, he’s usually shreddin’ his unique brand of darlingly sensitive cock rock. Guiry will be performing in the 7pm slot at Higher Ground tonight. 

What do you like better - comedy or tunes?

I like listening to a great comedy album on a road trip… But that road trip will usually start with “LA Woman” as we hit the highway.

Music and comedy mean so much to me that I can’t really choose. I’ve been debating this question ever since I started performing. Some people have told me that I should choose one and focus on it. that way I have a better chance at success.

I was in Moncton, NB a year or so ago, and after a show I went to this bar. There was this great band playing your standard east coast songs and when they took a break I told them who I was and that I was in town on tour doing stand up, but I’d really like to play a few songs. The guys we’re so friendly they let me get up and play. After just a few chords the drummer had to join in and we rocked that bar till 2 in the morning. Its nights like that that I’m glad I never choose.

I used to play in a band called “flatbed” when I first started stand up… and I remember the first time I “killed” at stand up it felt just like ripping out a great guitar solo. So when that band crashed and burned as most bands do… (crackhead drummer bullshit) I felt that stand up was a great way to go. As a comic they only person I got to worry about is me. And as long as I can keep the booze and drugs and sexy time under control, I can do stand up as long as I want. In a band you have to worry about your band mates being able to get to the show, and what happens if they don’t make it?

My Main focus as a performer is playing to audiences, and sharing what I have written with them. This far in my career, Stand up has giving me the most opportunity to travel and see new audiences. But if there is something in my heart that I just can’t laugh at, I play music…

Which celebrities would be huge fans of yours, if they only knew?

The only person that ever out right told me that they are a fan is actually a celebrity. Not that you would know who he is because he’s a Canadian comic… Peter Anthony… I was opening for him in Mississauga in May and at the end of the weekend “I’m a fan” And that was it. It was really good to hear… no one says that  - especially not your peers.

I’d like to think someday I’ll be able to make Jim Carrey laugh.

What was your favourite part-time job and why?

My Favorite part time job, I’ve had so many it’s hard to choose. I’ll tell you one thing though; Starbucks is great if you’re an artist. They transferred me out to Toronto for two months on my first cross Canada tour, just so I could keep the job and make a few dollars on my off nights.

But my favorite had to be my first job ever. I started as a dishwasher for Perkins family eatery… I was 14 and I got to work with my older brother and all of his friends… we got into so much trouble every shift. The pranks, the dares, the girls… everything about that place was a blast. I worked there for two years until finally after all the shenanigans they had to close the restaurant…

Here’s a tip if you have a time machine… do not go back in time and eat at Dalhousie Perkins.

Do you still hang with the Moffats, why or why not?

Honestly I never really “hung out” with the Moffats. They had a bar in Bragg Creek called El Gringo’s. At the time I had my high school band, when we first met, I was 17… They were doing an open jam type of thing for a wedding reception. Bob and Clint Moffat were playing some tunes, and when they finished I asked to play and they said the jam had just ended, I told them I had just driven all the way from Calgary in my parents car without telling them that I was borrowing it… and they let me play three songs. Bob Moffat ended up playing drums for one of my songs.

I ended up playing at El Gringo’s once a month until I graduated high school. Our band “Empty Echoes” would have massive house parties in Bragg creek after the shows at Rob’s (keyboard artist) house. It was great because all the girls from our school thought they were going to meet the Moffats… so they all turned up and because all the girls were there all the guys followed… our band ended up having a huge following, but we broke up when all the members except me went to university.

I remember one night when rob and I tried to sneak into another bar in Bragg Creek, and we were going to chill out with Bob And Clint, but they just played golden tie, and rob and I got ID’d so we left.

Last I heard of the Moffats was when they sold El gringo’s to a guy named Christian. They were moving to the interior of BC and starting a band called “Sparrow”

What do you eat before a show?

I don’t eat before a show. I’m so high energy that if I were to eat I’d probably cramp up mid bit and shit my pants. I usually wait till I get off the stage to eat something, and then it’s mostly beer and whiskey.

Stuart Wershof and Errol Halberg of Edmonton/Calgary hybrid band, Type Monkey Type will be performing the 8pm middle slot at Higher Ground this Thursday. With an evolutionarily up-beat sound derived from the indie bands of yesteryear, this duo is shockingly entertaining, with breakdowns, improvisations and Stuart can even beatbox.

Whats a fact about monkeys you know of that most people don’t?

Monkeys do it monkey-style

Why should everyone own a typewriter?

For their rhythm section!

How do you spend your days off in Calgary?

Throwing poop from the top of the Calgary tower at passers by

What does the band miss about Edmonton?

Our drummer

What is the album of the year (so far)?

100000 Years… the Type Monkey Type EP (objective)

Come down to Higher Ground in Kensington the last Thursday of each month for some free live music and delicious Steam Whistle!

Our three talented musicians this month are:

Dan Guiry
http://www.myspace.com/danguiry

TypeMonkeyType 
http://www.myspace.com/typemonkeytype

Clea Anaïs
http://www.myspace.com/cleaanais

Music starts at 7pm! Cheap Steam Whistle only five buck!

[View with PicLens]

Photography by Gabriel Knight

I had the privilege to speak with Halifax recording artist, Classified on his last Calgary visit - ch-ch-check it out.

Kane: From listening to the new album and then reading over the lyrics of songs like Trouble, you bring up your own inner battles. How do you feel they influence your listeners?

Classified: I think it makes people more comfortable in themselves. With this album, I talk about a lot of things that usually I wouldn’t talk about because it wasn’t cool in hip hop, you know what I mean. With this one, I kind of felt like I wasn’t looking for something other than to be honest and say normal, everyday living shit that a normal guy can relate to.

Kane: When you mention drugs, hardships and being judged, what is it about making music makes you feel better about those things?

Classified: Where I was coming from – which I grew up in Enfield - is 25 minutes from Halifax. I was first doing music with two other guys before we moved to Halifax and that was where we kind of got into the scene. Even then, I always felt like I had something to prove and had to prove to these guys, who were doing it for a awhile, that I could hang and my shit was tight. Once you fight so many of those battles, it just comes to a point with anybody or anything where you’re like ‘forget everybody else – I’m not worried about what they feel like’. If you feel like you’re giving it your all, what else is there to do?

Kane: Was there an “aha!” light bulb moment in the early days? Where you changed the way you did things before getting signed?

Classified: Ah no. It was always kind of grassroots. I started out writing my own lines and when I couldn’t get any beat makers to give me beats, I learned how to make beats. Then when I couldn’t get any record labels to put out my records when they were done, I started my own record label. It went from there to setting up my own tours and just kept rolling. After you’ve done it 12 times, you learn it, man! Then Sony got involved after seeing that I had some success on my own.

Kane: You also never had a group; it was always a one-man show.

Classified: But that’s just the way it was, in Canada; no one was tripping over themselves trying to discover rappers. Coming from Enfield and then Halifax in the Maritimes, this shit wasn’t going to happen on its own. And once you realize that, it’s like: ‘alright lets go to work’… and it’s a lot of work, but I’m glad I did it.

Kane: Was there a lot of support in Halifax for hip hop?

Classified: Yeah, just like any scene in Canada. It’s a big country of communities of tight-knit people.

Kane: What specific beauty in life keeps you going?

Classified: Well I just had a baby girl.

Kane: That’s a solid reason.

Classified: Oh yeah. Well I guess now it’s my job, so I want to make sure I push this as far as I can. This all started as a hobby of just making music and hanging with my boys. Just making sure I’m working really hard and doing as many interviews. Once I decided to make this into a career, then yeah, there was a lot of grinding and maybe doing things that I didn’t want to do. But I did them if it helped get the music out…and I may have just forgotten the question and kept blabbing.

Kane: No I don’t mind, that’s the lyricist in you talking.

Kane: I was talking with a group of friends the other day about the idea of radical truth. Basically, you become a living, walking ball of honesty – regardless of how harsh things come off. You have directness to your style we’re not always used to.

Classified: There are a lot of people, like K-Os, who say a lot of things you have to listen to again and again and sort of dissect. His lyrics can be taken different ways – sometimes I wish I wrote more like that. I’m not a kid who grew up reading a bunch of books; I don’t know a bunch of crazy words; I didn’t take sociology; I’m a regular dude who loves hip hop and I’m gonna write it. It comes across so blunt because I’m gonna say things just like in this conversation when you ask me a question. I’m not gonna go: ‘well, the stars are connected to the sun…’ – I just don’t get that shit. Sometimes it sounds cool. But I’m not gonna sugarcoat it or make anything sound deeper than it really is.

Kane: But then, of your creative element, you made the new album into a choose-your-own-adventure concept. How did that idea come about?

Classified: It was an idea that cracked in my head one day. Those books, from back in the day - those were the books I read, because you could read them in two hours. It was something that was different because it was like a day-in-the-life of Classified. If you want to go to a club after one song, go to track 18; if you want to go for a bike ride, go to track 7. It just brings more of the full album back. With ringtones, singles and beats being so big right now, with this, you need to get into the full album or it won’t make sense.

Kane: Yeah, in so many hip hop records there are always skits and intros and voice clutter.

Classified: And that’s what I mean, I’ve had skits on albums but on this one, I didn’t want some stupid skit on it where people would listen to it once and be like: ‘ha ha, that kind of funny’. I wanted to make the choose-your-own-adventure aspect a side story in the entire album.

Kane: Aside from your own stuff, what makes a good listenable record for you?

Classified: If I can tell that an artist really poured their heart into it and really wanted to say some shit, I can always get into it. That’s why when Kanye’s first record called, the College Dropout, came out a few years ago, I was like: ‘shit, this guy’s doing exactly what I want to do’. He was just so direct; he said what he wanted. He just said the shit in hip hop no one else would say. I like honesty. I think the cool factor and swag is so corny now.

Kane: You’ve been working with a huge slate of Canadian-bred talent, like Joel Plaskett. How did you find that collaboration?

Classified: We always bumped into each other and I always thought he made cool music.

Kane: Thrush Hermit was so good.

Classified: Yeah, that’s when I first met him. So one day we just said, ‘let’s go into the studio one day’. So we showed up at his studio one day and he did a little piano run, he played that and we just kept moving. He was probably the most exciting guy I’ve ever seen in the studio. He would be like, ‘check out this!’ and then he’d run over and grab this echo machine from the 1960s and be like, ‘check this shit out!’ He must have shown me a hundred times, but all it would do was echo. Then he’d just keep running around, plugging things. He just had a good energy that made it exciting to be making music and it was cool to see that with a guy who has been doing it for that long.

Kane: You also had Buck 65.

Classified: When I did my first show in Halifax in ’95, it was with Stinkin’ Rich, which was Buck’s original rap name… Choclair and Maestro, I’ve worked with both those guys over the years and Chad Hatcher’s a guy on my label who’s from back home.

Kane: What will it take to break into the states or, at least, have an internationally known Canadian sound?

Classified: I think that’s what’s wrong with us. I think we need to stop thinking about breaking into the states. Why do we need to break in there when there is the whole rest of the world? Even since the Choclair days, with Let’s Ride, everyone was like: ‘this is our time’. I’m a very opinionated person, but the hip hop music I see in the States is not what I’m into, anyways.

I just have a bad vibe. I had a manager from the States about two years ago – he was only my manager for two weeks and he was always like: ‘you really gotta do this and no no take this, you really need to make your money’. There were just a lot of really money hungry things that just showed me that the horror stories were true.

I think Canadians are making great hip hop, I don’t think we need to break into the States.

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The Lazy Mks and friends recently played a show over the August long weekend on a Saskatchewan ranch for ChriStock. The aptly named shin-dig, hosted by Chris Prpich (Electric/Stand-up Bass) of the Lazy Mks, is now into it’s 4th year, where friends and family alike come from all over the country to cater in good food, good times and real good music.

I had a chance to sit down and talk with Tyler Hammer, to offer some insight on what these boys are up to next. And for those of you in the Calgary area, you can check them out at the Spaghetti Western Festival on August 22nd, (3-10pm) Olympic Plaza and The Legion #1 (9pm-2am).

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Photography by Jessica Wittman

Written by Brendan Kane

Brandishing a right arm that indicates either a heavy touring regiment or a cool rich kid’s concert bragging rights – Benjamin Grubin, singer of Portland new wave band, Hockey, kind of has both. It seems rare for a band – especially such a young band – to have attracted so much attention from both Capitol and Virgin in the UK, but Hockey has musically scrimmaged at practically every major festival, starting at Sasquatch, where I saw the bracelet-fangled front man.

“They’re just random shows…South by Southwest…some show in England,” said the 26 year old, adding that there is no formula to how long he’ll keep them on. “This one’s really old - I just really like bracelets.”

The Hockey namesake is instantly gratifying to Canadian fans – mostly because one of us should have thought of it and taken it before these guys. At least bands like Georgia’s Of Montreal, have the insightful and often changing chronicle of Kevin Barnes’ scorned romance with one of our women. Hockey (the band) not only possesses the foggiest notion of the frozen game, they also approach it with an almost smug disinterest. They were not pleased when another media outlet tried to get them to pose with sticks.

“It just appeals to our sense of humour, it’s actually just a joke,” laughed Grubin. “Hockey is not a part of our lives negative or positive, at all.”

The band was created in Los Angeles as a project between Grubin and bassist, Jeremy Reynolds that would show off at parties as the two attended the University of Redlands – a highly touted, highly private, liberal arts institution where student make their own major. Later the band packed up and moved to Spokane and eventually Portland to settle into they’re vibrant scene. What came as a surprise, though, was the attention the band would garner overseas in around last December.

“We moved all around, but we basically got our first jump over in England because they played our songs on the radio,” he said adding that they feel relatively unknown in their native North America.

Hockey’s new album, Mind Chaos will be released on August 24^th and will be followed by a two month, European tour with a back-to-back assault on the Leeds and Reading festivals. Grubin describes the material as “dirty dance songs”.