around then it was just like, Sex Pistols...Yawn. I’m from the desert, right?- And I just thought, “See you in hell.” I just . didn’t care. I just never met anybody that looked that good in leather. [Fast forward] The banjo turned me on to the way instru- ments are developed and people’s natural tendency to want to make music and how melody is derived and the influences on it that culture plays. You know, how blacks | were brought here and all of this and it turned me on to history. And then I got that rock and roll was the fucking cult of self indulgence. It took punk rock to reinvigorate rock and roll as well, that it was this thing that, you know, squirted out of your loins. And then I got Elvis and the whole nine yards. And suddenly it was like, “Oh, I get rock and roll now.” Because I had never really gotten it. I didn’t really like it that much in the seventies because I wasn’t exposed to the cool side of it. I was too in- volved with these other kinds of musics which led us into being the playerly little noodges that we are who are able to make our fancy-schmancy little records and in- fluenced everybody so much because we had that other side to us. This thing that’s more connected to like history or culture or just some older crap. Yeah, that’s something that I feel is important that most bands don’t seem to get is that rock music has a history or a sort of cultural signifi- cance. A lot of people don’t care to investigate that. Right, because it’s not that cool. I think that has to do with rock and roll’s relevance. Maybe it isn’t worthwhile. It has to do with just circumstance. I think that’s what eve- rything has to do with is just the social in- fluence, the cultural influences, the times people are living in, the circumstances they’re living under. I just don’t think right now that rock bands do because that’s not where rock is at. It doesn’t need to be that vital. It doesn’t need to be that self-vindi- cating or that aware or that important. It really is pretty much just throw-away crap — these days but it’s bathed in this impor- tance. You know like, “We’re not doing vid- eos.” Or the statement is like, “We’re suing Ticketmaster because they’re charging to much for tickets.” But it’s not like, “We’re stopping a war,” which is the last time popu- lar music was infused with this kind of self awareness, this historical awareness and that generation did a lot. They fucking pushed some big buttons. It was because people were dying. Oh, I get it, life and death. A lot of the rap these days is very fucking well informed and really political, really pur- posefully aimed at specific fucking hard core thoughts. That’s definitely not just some guy looking to make some money. I mean, it is but it’s still got a really big charge to it. It’s still pop crap most of the time, though. It’s some fucking retard in the studio using really expensive machinery to make a little plastic music disc. So I think that rock and rollers aren’t that informed these days be- cause rock isn’t that important. It’s impor- tant enough to make the stars a little more self conscious, supposedly, to have this, “I care,” stance or, “I don’t care,” just the right way. But nobody finds out about how they don’t care without the help of millions of dollars in advertising and a huge corpora- tion behind them and without the wonder of TV. Well, what do you think about, as a sort of counteraction against that, the rise of what people call indie type music like Beat Happening and all these small labels who are ada- mant about remaining so? I think the whole point is missed. I think that they’re warring over something stupid. That’s not where I ever came from with music. My music isn’t something I want to use to fight this or that particular little war. You know, that little detail. Obviously, the whole fucking plianet is run by corpora- tions and they own the whole place and they have nuclear bombs aimed at everybody and they can do whatever the fuck they want and it’s the electric spanking of war babies. OK, Mr. Big Shot independent record conr- pany. How about you stop using electricity to do your gig. You’re so fucking independ- ent, let’s see you stop using their roads. Fucking stop using their language. Defy convention. Quit wearing clothes. .Learn how to fly. Become invisible. I mean, at some point, they get in their car, which is run by gas which allowed us to have our glorious Gulf War. Little American doo-wops who got shitty grades and decided to join the army actually got to go die so we can get in our Car .and. espouse “independentism.” I don’t care. You know, they’re all just wanna be David Geffen. who’s just less of a turd about it because he doesn’t pretend to be anything else. I’ve been on the independent thing and I’ve never been fucked with as much. There’s nothing back handed about the David Geffen Company. They’re just fucking flat out about money. It’s a really open and honest relationship. I’m only interested in the big picture. I’m alive and soon I'll be dead. And, oh look, there are all these details. Shorts or long pants, which is better? Dr. Seuss. It’s the butter battle wars. We butter our bread on top and they butter theirs on the bottom so we war. INTOXICATING MUSIC Recently, a friend passed on a tape by a local group called Toxic Garden. The tape was self-produced by the band under the direction of 54-40 sound engineer, Glen Riley. The music I heard was truly intoxicating and provocative. Some of the sound engi- neering work had aresemblance in structure to 54-40’s last album, but was indeed different. The group, which I understand just formed six months ago, is inmy mind...mature and professional. Their sound reflects this maturity. The music is deep, dark and wicked—it may sound a bit like the Doors and TeaParty. The lead singer, Lee, has aforeboding voice that can spiral. The band does not produce a wall of sound but rather, complex layers that are distinct and: melodic. The rich tones that are pro- duced cannot help but draw you in. I was extremely pleased that my friend took the initiative to lend me the tape, and as a result I intend to catch Toxic Garden at the Town Pump on Tuesday Nov.8th. My only-regrets are that I must rely on friends to tell me abut new and happening bands. I truly miss Coast 1040 radio and hope an alternate way will arise so that we all can be exposed to Vancouver’s local band scene. The. music continues to thrive here, althmugh hearing about it is another story. THE CRAZY WILD) REINDEER mM 7 S : C around then it was just like, Sex Pistols...Yawn. I’m from the desert, right? ‘And I just thought, “See you in hell.” I just didn't care. I just never met anybody that looked that good in leather. [Fast forward] The banjo turned me on to the way instru ments are developed and people's natural tendency to want to make music and how melody is derived and the influences on it that culture plays. You know, how blacks were brought here and all of this and it turned me on to history. And then I got that rock and roll was the fucking cult of self indulgence. It took punk rock to reinvigorate rock and roll as well, that it was this thing that, you know, squirted out of your loins. And then I got Elvis and the whole nine yards. And suddenly it was like, “Oh, I get rock and roll now.” Because I had never really gotten it. I didn’t really like it that much in the seventies because Twasn’t exposed to the cool side of it. Twas too in- volved with these other kinds of musics which led us into being the playerly little noodges that we are who are able to make our fancy-schmancy little records and in- fluenced everybody so much because we had that other side to us. This thing that’s more connected to like history or culture or just some older crap. Yeah, that’s something that I feel is important that most bands don’t seem to get is that rock music has a history or a sort of cultural signifi- cance. A lot of people don’t care to investigate that. Right, because it’s not that cool. [think that has to do with rock and roll’s relevance. Maybe it isn’t worthwhile. It has to do with just circumstance. I think that’s what eve- rything has to do with is just the social in- fluence, the cultural influences, the times people are living in, the circumstances they're living under. I just don’t think right now that rock bands do because that’s not where rock is at. It doesn’t need to be that vital. It doesn’t need to be that self-vindi- cating or that aware or that important. It really is pretty much just throw-away crap these days but it’s bathed in this impor- tance. You know like, “We're not doing vid- cos.” Or the statement is like, “We're suing Ticketmaster because they're charging to much for tickets.” But it’s not like, “We're stopping a war,” which is the last time popu- lar music was infused with this kind of self awareness, this historical awareness and that generation did a lot. They fucking pushed some big buttons. It was because people were dying. Oh, I get it, life and death. A lot of the rap these days is very fucking well informed and really political, really pur- posefully aimed at specific fucking hard core thoughts. That’s definitely not just some guy looking to make some money. I mean, itis but it’s still got a really big charge to it. Iv’s still pop crap most of the time, though. It’s some fucking retard in the studio using really expensive machinery to make a little plastic music disc. So I think that rock and rollers aren't that informed these days be- cause rock isn’t that important. It’s impor- tant enough to make the stars a little more self conscious, supposedly, to have this, “I care,” stance or, “Idon't care,” just the right way. But nobody finds out about how they don’t care without the help of millions of dollars in advertising and a huge corpora- tion behind them and without the wonder of TV. Well, what do you think about, as a sort of counteraction against that, the rise of what people call indie type music like Beat Happening and all these small labels who are ada- mant about remaining so? I think the whole point is missed. 1 think that they're warring over something stupid. That’s not where I ever came from with music. My music isn’tsomething I want to use to fight this or that particular little war. You know, that little detail. Obviously, the whole fucking plianet is run by corpora tions and they own the whole place and they have nuclear bombs aimed at everybody and they can do whatever the fuck they want and it’s the electric spanking of war babies. OK, Mr. Big Shot independent record com- pany. How about you stop using electricity todo your gig. You're so fucking independ- ent, let’s see you stop using their roads. Fucking stop using their language. Defy convention. Quit wearing clothes. Learn how to fly. Become invisible. I mean, at some point, they get in their car, which is run by gas which allowed us to have our glorious Gulf War. Little American doo-wops who got shitty grades and decided to join the army actually got to go die so we can get in our car and espouse Sindependentism.” Idon’t care. You know, they're all just wanna be David Geffen who's just less of a turd about it because he doesn't pretend to be anything else. I've been on the independent thing and I've never been fucked with as much. There's nothing back handed about the David Geffen. Company. They're just fucking flat out about money. It’s a really open and honest relationship. I’m only interested in the big picture. I'malive and soon ll be dead. And, oh look, there are all these details. Shorts or long pants, which is better? Dr. Seuss. It’s the butter battle wars. We butter our bread on top and they butter theirs on the bottom so we war. INTOXICATING MUSIC Recently, a friend passed on a tape by a local group called Toxic Garden. ‘The tape was self-produced by the band under the direction of 54-40 sound engineer, Glen Riley. The music Theard was truly intoxicating and provocative. Some of the sound engi- neering work had aresemblance in structure to 54-40' last album, but was indeed different. The group, which I understand just formed six months ago, is inmy mind...mature and professional. Their sound reflects this maturity. Themusic is deep, dark and wicked—it may sound a bit like the Doors and Tea Party. The lead singer, Lee, has aforeboding voice that can spiral. The band does not produce a wall of sound but rather, complex layers that are distinct and melodic. The rich tones that are pro- duced cannot help but draw you in. Iwas extremely pleased that my friend took the initiative to lend me the tape, and as a result I intend to catch Toxic Garden at the Town Pump on Tuesday Nov.8th, My only-regrets are that I must rely on friends to tell me abut new and happening bands. I truly miss Coast 1040 radio and hope an alternate way will arise so that we all can be exposed to Vancouver's local band scene. The, music continues to thrive here, although hearing about it is another story. THE CRAZY WILD) REINDEER o=-o0cs3