This week we've got an awesome interview with Calgary's Fast Romantics, which includes some fun pictures from our photo shoot with them this week. Make sure to go to the web site where you'll see all of it in its glory. ENJOY!
| kMNR... October 25, 2007 ~ In This Issue: |
| You may recall hearing of a Calgary band called The Mood a few years back. You didn't necessarily need to live in Calgary either, as they garnered a decent amount of national exposure. But in 2005, the band called it quits and most of them started working on a new, nameless project. By late 2006, Matthew AngusMatty Kliewer (lead guitar) and Jeffrey Lewis (bass guitar) teamed up with new drummer Alan Reain and dubbed themselves the Fast Romantics. Having already gained some exposure under the new moniker (they appeared on X92.9 FM's Exposure program this past Sunday night), the band continue to introduce themselves at local live gigs and are hard at work on a new album. kMNR recently had a conversation with the two Matts with the following results in full; (vocals, keys and guitar), What really brought the band together? Or was it truly the desire to escape 'roid monkeys and navigating the seven seas? Matthew Angus: "It's true that we were getting tired of being pirates, geeks,  male models and hot dog eating champions. It's only natural that you can't be those things forever, so it may have played a role in bringing us all together. Beyond that, it was a lot of good fortune, a little trial and error, and nearly six years of patience. Matt and I met through an ad in a local paper, which is nothing glamorous really. We had both put ads out at the exact same time, and were both thinking of leaving town if we didn't find anyone. Once we started playing and writing together, we knew we needed to find a full out band. Jeff was a lucky find, he just happened to be a friend of a friend, and has been with us since the beginning. The three of us have always had a lust for music that I hadn't really been able to find in anyone else up until we met. We all agreed we couldn't really imagine doing anything else, so we did this. We worked with several talented drummers over the course of the last six years, but we met our match with Alan. He had just moved from Ottawa last October, and within a week of his arrival we had our first session with him. I think we'd all agree that it's taken a lot of different incarnations, a lot of different sounds to get to this point. But for the first time, collectively, we're all feeling like we're in a band where everybody knows what the other is thinking, and we all appreciate each other for what is brought to the table. We wouldn't sound like the Fast Romantics if any one of us left this band, that's for sure." It's natural to want to refine your sound. However, is there any truth that you didn't like being compared to other successful musicians? MA: "Sure, it may be a little strange hearing which bands various people thought we sounded the most like, but it had nothing to do with why we changed our sound. We know it's just part of the industry, that people need to compare you to other groups in order to understand you or write about you. It didn't really make us want to change our sound. Our sound changed because after the Mood's album was out there and we had some time to reflect on it, we didn't really feel like it was the real us. I think if anything, once and a while, we had been comparing ourselves to other musicians, or people that we looked up to, and in the process, the music would sound kind of homeless. We're more confident now. The music we're making now is coming from our guts, and it shows. Of course, we still have big crushes on other bands, and there's nothing wrong with getting linked up to them once and a while. Music is just one big inspiration machine. After one of our shows the other day someone came up to us and told us we reminded them of The Clash. I'll admit it, it made us giggle like school girls, just a little bit." What were some of the more ridiculous band name suggestions and what ultimately led to the Fast Romantics? MA: "We had some good ones. My favourite was The Tasty Shapes, but some of the guys thought it sounded too much like breakfast cereal. In hindsight, they were absolutely right. We were also going to call ourselves The Sleep Eaters, The Mathematicals, and a whole lot of names that in the end were just far too dirty. We wanted to be able to play all-ages shows, you know? The Fast Romantics happened with us all sitting in a room, half-cut on whiskey and wine and smoking grape Shisha. I had a little computer and we were typing out random names. It's one of those things that just happened, and when it came out on the screen, everybody knew that it was perfect for us. Some people like to think the name means that we suffer from a condition that makes us high-speed lovers. What? I mean, come on. Really?" What did you do in the year or two aside from reinvent the band? Was there some downtime not associated with musical interests at all? MA: "I don't think for any of us there was ever any musical downtime. We're the sort that is always writing and playing. We certainly didn't waste any time... about a week after the old band called it quits, Matt and I moved all of our instruments into a spare room in a basement. The room couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 feet squared, and we managed to stuff three guitars, a drum set, an upright piano, a synth/sequencer, and a home studio in there. It always got really sweltering really fast, and between that and booze we certainly went a little crazy, but a lot of the songs on this album came out of those demo sessions. There was some kind of special magic in that little suburban cave, and now with the new band, it's just getting better and better. Nobody really went on a mission of self-discovery to Mongolia. One of us probably should have, it would have been good for our legend. We do all have hobbies. Music just kind of permeates them all, and it always comes back to picking up guitars and microphones." In the time it took for you to form The Mood, re-evaluate the band's direction and your current incarnation, a lot has changed in this city. Do you feel there's a correlation, an impact, neither or both? Matthew Kliewer: "Yes and no. We haven't changed our music in correlation with any current trends; in fact we sort of took a step back from attempting to be anything at all that wasn't our true form as songwriters. The Mood was simply a stepping stone for Matt, Jeff and I to start up the Fast Romantics with Alan. Fortunately for us, Calgary seems to be less judgmental of its local music scene than when the Mood was together so we're getting a lot of support from the local media, radio and the people that come to our shows. There seems to be a little more pride in people supporting local acts these days and it's really cool to see the same people come out to our shows, each time bringing more friends." Do socio-political and/or environmental issues (like the current boom in Calgary, the state of Canadian politics or Climate Change) factor into the content of your lyrics? MA: "Sometimes. Back in the Mood days, I really wanted to be deep with my lyrics. You know, deep, like Oscar Wilde or Andrew Lloyd Webber, or that guy who wrote Star Wars. After the Mood disbanded it kind of struck me that the lyrics I'd been writing were mostly about outside things. With this new album, I think it's changed. I still care about outside things, but it usually comes out in more personal ways, and only if it stirs me up. I may write about former Alderman Madeleine King eating homeless children with a glass of thousand-dollar brandy, and that works just fine, because it truly does get my goat. I have lots of built up emotion when it comes to issues like the homeless, climate change, war, idiot politicians, or religious wackos, so it comes off the right way on this album when it's present. But I'm just as likely on this record to write about how much a particular girl turns me on, or how good it feels to brush my teeth with hot water. I think in the end, it connects with people in a more honest way, and that's all I really want to do when I'm writing lyrics is connect with whoever happens to be listening, and get things off my chest." What drives the decision to remain independent? Have there been any offers to go to the dark side (sign to a label) past or present? MK: "The thought of signing with a label has certainly crossed our mind, but in  reality we've only been out in the public for two months - so the offers haven't exactly been pouring in. However, the do-it-yourself approach is one of our precious luxuries and biggest headaches. Because we have our own studio called Post/War, we are able to work as late as we want - being able to write as we record if the notion strikes us. We are in complete control of our own output, so in exchange we are completely accountable for our own progress. There are no deadlines other than what we want to accomplish, we don't have anyone telling us to change our style based on current popular trends in radio either which ends up making us feel completely comfortable with our material. When we're finished recording the upcoming album I'm sure we'll be open to talking with smaller indie-labels to help us with distribution and promotion." What other passions influence you musically? MK: "Pie is a major passion for all of us in the Fast Romantics. When we've worked hard for a while, we'll blow off some steam by having a "Plastered Poker and Pie Party." We each bring a different kind of pie, play poker and drink way too much. Nobody ever wins at poker because the night will end in a food fight with people getting seriously injured. I slipped and fell on a piece of strawberry-rhubard pie at our last party after having a gin-shot face-off against Jeffy ( a la Indiana Jones). I have a huge gash over my right eye now and if that isn't rock 'n' roll, I don't know what is." What plans do you have for fans in the near future? MK: "Our goal right now is to complete the record. We have over 30 songs written for this album, and want to give as many of them as possible a good chance of making it on to the final album. After that we're going to organize a national tour, and hopefully find a way of taking our show over to Europe as well." Any other thoughts, stories or anecdotes relating to your past and/or current endeavors? MK: "Pie. We just want people to know about our music and pie. We do want to raise pie awareness, it seems as though it's a desert that has unfairly lost its stature in the food community." Make sure to check out the Fast Romantics on November 1st, 2007 at the Liberty Lounge and on November 10th at the Marquee. You can also hear three of their new songs at their web site, www.fastromatics.com. More photos from the shoot can been seen here. | For the most part, Serj Tankian Սերժ Թանգյան in his native tongue) has been the voice of System of a Down. That's what some fans will know of him, until now. Since the announcement of SOAD's indefinite hiatus, the four musicians have gone off to do their own thing and Tankian delivers first with his debut solo album " Elect the Dead". (You may recall that Tankian had also released an album under the name Serart, but that highly eclectic 2003 self-  titled release features his collaboration with Arto Tunçboyacıyan, so it doesn't technically qualify as a solo album for him.) (Immediately, you'll recognize the elements that made SOAD so unique and popular. Tankian's vocals are striking and his lyrical content drives right to the core of the world's current political and social state. This is no surprise, coming from the Lebanese born Armenian-American who's been extremely vocal, especially with he and Tom Morello's organization, Axis of Justice. With lines like "Anti-depressants, controlling tools of your system, making life more tolerable" from the quirky track, " The Unthinking Majority" and the even more direct "we are the cause of a world that's gone wrong, nature will survive us human dogs after all" on "Honking Antelope ". It's not all about war and injustice though. Tankian displays a side that we haven't been privy to on "Baby", referring to him missing a troubled love. Of course, it's delivered in a very poetic manner, so you need not worry that he's gone all sappy on us. And although the music bares a significant resemblance to his former band, it's not a carbon copy of alt-metal. There are plenty of eclectic elements strewn about, as fiercely heard on " Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" as well as on "Lie Lie Lie". Where the sound is much closer to the rock styles of SOAD as on " Beethoven's Cunt", there exists a grand, orchestral feel to it. This is truly an excellent solo effort from Serj Tankian. It's peculiar, entertaining, funny and serious, granting the listener hours of discovery. Don't go in expecting the next chapter in System of a Down; approach it as another story altogether. This is the fourth album from New York State rock group Coheed and Cambria, and it continues in the vien of all their other releases. It's another concept album that continues the story of The Armory Wars, a comic book series created by front man Claudio Sanchez. One of the many interesting things about "Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow " is that it and it's prequel "Good Apoloo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness" make up part four of The Armory Wars. Also of note is that The Armory Wars is a tetrology, but the first chapter has yet to be released, so it's likely that the beginning of the story will follow this album. Enough about the meaning behind these elaborate albums though. Along  with the story-line comes the 'concept' aspect of this album. Much like all of it's prior releases, these songs don't easily fit into the mould of a three-minute radio wonder. Each song takes its sweet time unraveling itself musically. It allows for a grandiose, orchestral sound (the string sections in songs like " Mother Superior" certainly help too.)What is also apparent is how refined Coheed and Cambria have become on this record. That's not to say that their previous works were rough by any means, but when you hear "The Hound (of Blood and Rank)" or "Feathers", you can tell that, not only a great deal of work was put into this recording but that they've progressed quite well. The album concludes with the five-part finale, "The End Complete". In true concept album fashion, each song is a unique part of a larger piece that works well both alone and as a collective. " II – Radio Bye Bye" contains a hooky rhythm that one can't deny while the string orchestra returns on "IV – The Road and the Damned" which also features Sanchez's harmonious vocals. The closing track, " V – On the Brink" leads with a guitar solo that's reminiscent of Pink Floyd. It changes gear at its mid-point, this time sounding like a cut from "The Wall". Could this possibly be their homage to the foremost progressive rock band of all time? The group didn't return with the same line-up as in "…From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness". Late in 2006, Josh Eppard Chris Pennie (formerly of the Dillinger Escape Plan) wrote the original drum parts for the album but due to a conflict, he was unable to record with the group. In his place, Taylor Hawkins (of the Foo Fighters) sat in on the recording session but Pennie is playing live and will record future albums. announced that he would be leaving the band indefinitely. "No World for Tomorrow" is a pretty solid album. It portrays the maturity the band has undergone over the past ten-plus years and is rather entertaining. Some may not enjoy Sanchez's vocals but one cannot deny his talent. If you don't include yourself in that camp, you'll certainly enjoy this chapter of The Amory Wars. Coheed and Cambria ~ " The Running Free"; Cyclone Records has been home to quite a few Calgary bands. Creature Republic, Inner Surge, BlackSky, Caveat and Wormbox have all called the Toronto based label home for some time now, as has Montreal's Eternal Infidels, Toronto's Tripchord and Windsor's Pitch Union. Although every band has their own distinct sound, the range is fairly specific in the alternative to heavy metal range. So, the addition of Toronto's twelve34 may not fall into that mould perfectly but it's not too far off either. The five-piece band consisting of Eric St-Cyr, Jason St-Cyr, Jasen Colson, Dave Doran and Chris Amos have been together since 2003 and simply put, play a retro-rock sound that harkens back to the old school. It's no surprise as they cite influences like Led Zeppelin, Guns N' Roses and Yes. They've been hard at work building a fan base in and around Toronto playing live shows and last year released an EP titled " Sinful Melody". Now, after signing with Cyclone, the band is set to release their debut full-length album, "The Only Cure". They plan to do so at their album release party on October 27th at Barrymores in Ottawa and the album will be availalbe to download online shortly afterwards. Yes, it's true. Snow fell here in Calgary last night. It was pretty crazy , but it is Calgary. What can warm your cockles now that winter is fast approaching? Well, how about these new releases hitting stores next week:
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| October 26, 2007 | the Raveonettes, Gliss, the Neighbourhood Council, Manraygun | Broken City |
| October 26, 2007 | Necrobiosis, Nusquam Esse, Strings of Mass Destruction, Celestis | the Underground |
| October 26, 2007 | the Mark Birtles Project, SIDS, Gloom Room | the Palomion |
| October 27, 2007 | Tetrix CD Release Party with Lexington, Whatevski | HiFi Club |
| October 27, 2007 | the Raveonettes, Gliss, the Neighbourhood Council, Manraygun (Early Show) | Broken City |
| October 27, 2007 | Forbidden Dimension, the Browns, BDFM | the Stetson |
| October 27, 2007 | the Scorched Banditos CD Release Party with Hypnopilot, Stonehocker | the Palomino |
| October 27, 2007 | Do Make Say Think, Apostle of Hustle | MacEwan Hall |
| October 28, 2007 | Sunset Robdown, Magic Weapon, Johnny and the Moon | Broken City |
| October 28, 2007 | Henry Rollins | Jack Singer Concert Hall |
| October 29, 2007 | Grenadiers | Broken City |
| October 30, 2007 | White Cowboy Oklahoma, the Wildbirds | HiFi Club |
| October 31, 2007 | Hey Ocean (Early Show) | Broken City |
| October 31, 2007 | Band vs. Band II: Secret Broadcast vs. $2 Ties | the Underground |
| October 31, 2007 | the Details, Ghostkeeper | the Palomino |
| November 01, 2007 | Fast Romantics, Plastic Parachute | Liberty Lounge |
| November 01, 2007 | the Azymyth, the Square Waves | Broken City |
| November 02, 2007 | Boys Like Girls, All Time Low, The Audition, Valencia | the Warehouse |
| November 02, 2007 | the Ex-Boyfriends & Forbidden Dimension CD/Album Release with the Ex-Girlfriends | Broken City |
| November 02, 2007 | Caveat, Divinity, Persepolis | the Underground |
| November 03, 2007 | Caribou, Born Ruffians | the Warehouse |
| November 05, 2007 | Jully Black | HiFi Club |
| November 05, 2007 | Elliot Brood, the Acorn, Sunparlour Players | Broken City |
| November 06, 2007 | Wintersleep, Wooden Stars | the Warehouse |
| November 06, 2007 | Moses Mayes, Girl Nobody | HiFi Club |
| November 07, 2007 | Band vs. Band II: Newbourne vs. Tree Burning | the Warehouse |
| November 08, 2007 | Cranston Foundation, Jakarta | Broken City |
| November 09, 2007 | Lily Frost, Jessica Beach, Rebecca Ramone | Liberty Lounge |
| November 09, 2007 | the Ramblin' Ambassadors, the Rowdymen | Broken City |
| November 09, 2007 | Lisa Lashes and Anne Savage | the Warehouse |
| November 10, 2007 | Cuff the Duke, Land of Talk | HiFi Club |
| November 10, 2007 | Gredenko | Liberty Lounge |
| November 11, 2007 | Pride Tiger, the Ostrich | Broken City |
| November 11, 2007 | Cuff the Duke, Land of Talk | HiFi Club |
| November 13, 2007 | the Stanton Warriors | HiFi Club |
| November 14, 2007 | Band vs. Band II: Traced Image vs. the Pine Tarts | the Underground |
| November 14, 2007 | Skratch Bastid | HiFi Club |
| November 15, 2007 | Boats!!, Racoon, K-Walice | Broken City |
| November 15, 2007 | Stretch Armstrong | HiFi Club |
| November 15, 2007 | Hayley Sales | Liberty Lounge |
| November 16, 2007 | the Most Serene Republic, Dragonette, Small Sins, Mother Mother | Broken City |
| November 16, 2007 | Big John Bates | Liberty Lounge |
| November 17, 2007 | Tittsworth, Dave Nada | HiFi Club |
| November 19, 2007 | A Northern Chorus | Broken City |
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~~ kMNR v2007.189 ~
