Looking for a Fall lineup of Ruckus episodes / Taking Requests
Hey folks...If anyone out there has a band to recommend, or would like to get their band featured on The Ruckus, contact me ASAP. I'll be doing monthly shows in Sept-December, possibly extra if I get a lot of material.
It's wide open now, I'd be glad to mix anything from pop to punk, jazz to folk, and anything y'all might like to hear.
Drop me a line at kevin@canadianruckus.com and I'll get ya hooked up.
K
Episode 51: Thrush Hermit Part 2
All the same deets as last time, but in this exciting episode, I chat with the TH guys about their love affair with Steve Miller, and about signing on with Elektra Records for their first full-length album, Sweet Homewrecker.
Enjoy the episode at rabble.ca!
Episode 50! Thrush Hermit Part 1
Hey folks...episode 50 (can you believe it? 50!) continues The Ruckus' wandering through Canada's rock and roll past, with the first of a three-part series on Thrush Hermit. They were one of the finest bands to erupt from the mid-90s Halifax alt-rock scene. For those of you who aren't quite sure who they were, you may know their most famous member, Canadian folk-rock-poet Joel Plaskett.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Joel, Ian McGettigan, and Rob Benvie at a tea shop in Ottawa before they did their soundcheck during their quickie reunion tour in March 2010. In this episode, you'll hear all about how they started the band when they were young teens in Halifax. For a bit of perspective, you'll also hear me chatting with Chris Murphy from Sloan, producer Steve Albini, and their mutual friend, Laura Borealis (who managed to hook all these guys up).
Enjoy!
Elyse Weinberg Documentary – now available
Hey folks,
Here it is, the long-awaited documentary about Elyse Weinberg. I hope you enjoy it!
Production took a bit longer than anticipated. I talked to Elyse, along with Andrew Reiger (from Elf Power) about how and why he reissued her lone LP. I tried to get in touch with some other folks for this production. Yes, it was a LOOONG shot, but I even tried to get in touch with Neil Young to see if he'd be willing to participate. After several phone calls and faxes to his management, and zero responses, I gave up. 
Still, this is a great story, and it features some amazing music. Enjoy!
http://rabble.ca/podcasts/shows/ruckus/2010/05/47-my-own-sweet-time-story-elyse-weinberg
Raising this Ruckus
It is now safe to say that my Bududah project is dead. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with that, but for the time being, I'll be dropping it. I think it would be a good idea to present a 10-minute podcast featuring music from disparate areas of the globe, from distinctive genres...but the problem would be in the marketing. I don't have time to work on another project and actually try to "get it out there."
So, bududah, thanks for coming out, but you'll be on hold for the forseeable future.
That said, I've considered folding that concept into The Ruckus instead. I would like to expand The Ruckus somewhat and start incorporating sounds from the rest of the planet, so that's what I'm going to do. The Ruckus is already quite random and unpredictable, so it won't be hard to throw in the odd cool track from the rest of this beautiful musical world.
In fact, I've started reaching out to a few American indie record labels to see if they'd like to have tracks featured on the show. I've already found a handful, so here's hoping that something cool comes of this.
In other Ruckus news, we're about to hit the 200,000 download mark. I'm thrilled with this, obviously. I honestly figure that I'm the only one who knows about the show, so it brings a big smile to my face, to think that so many people listen in.
Speaking of unpredictability...here's a few of the projects that will be coming up in the next few months:
Thrush Hermit documentary (this has been reduced in scope a bit, but you'll hear Joel, Ian, and Rob, as well as Chris from Sloan, Steve Albini, and Laura Borealis talking about the band. Final configuration is TBD, but expect a 2-3 episode series about the band.)
Elyse Weinberg (this one is done, I just need to record my intro/outro segments. Expect it online by the end of May.)
80s Canadian Thrash Metal (you'll hear old tracks from a pile of 80s-era metal bands, such as Sacrifice, Sudden Impact, and many others. This one will be LOUD.)
Mix Tapes (there will be more of these coming too, featuring any number of acts from Canada and elsewhere.
If you'd like to get your song on the show, drop me a line at kevin@canadianruckus.com. I'd be glad to get your tunes out there to my (small, dedicated) audience.
The Ruckus Episode #47: We Need More Reverb!
Hey folks...Episode 47 is online now. Ottawa-based spy-fi surf outfit, The Reverb Syndicate, take over and guide you through some of their favourite surf, garage, and indie rock from around Canada, and with a quick pitstop over in Scotland.
Here's the tracklist. Enjoy!
00:00 Intro, and welcome to the world of The Reverb Syndicate
01:26 The Evil Farm Children - Cone of silence
05:49 The Bible All-Stars - Jesus, Don't Let Me Down
08:49 The Diabalaros - Wandering Dry
12:14 My Dad Vs. Yours - Amplants Soleil
17:34 The Robots - Red Cup
19:40 The Von Drats - Phantom Chop
23:10 The Nukes - March of Gwanti
26:19 Los Fantasticos - Spy
30:20 The Havocs - Gotta Have Soul
33:47 Elvyn - I guess I was Wrong
37:55 The Lipstick Machine - Song 15
Band of the Day: Laura Borealis
In my research for the Thrush Hermit documentary, I came across Laura Borealis. She's now based in Montreal, but knew the boys from Halifax a bit back in the mid-90s, as she directed their video for a track called "French Inhale."
Not only did she help connect Thrush Hermit with Steve Albini (whom she had dated while he was producing, amongst others, Nirvana's In Utero), she introduced a young Joel Plaskett to his future wife, Rebecca.
So, give her a listen. Ethereal, poppy, folky. This is beautiful music.
The Ruckus Episode #46: The Montreal Underground
Hey folks,
Matt Lee from Devil Eyes takes over the microphone on this episode (LINK!). He's taking you on a tour of the intense world of Montreal rock and roll. This music is intense and crazy. For the uninitiated, it can be a challenging listen, but you will appreciate the power and soul of this music.
You'll hear the following tracks:
Crabe - Cigarettes Indiennes
Desert Owls - Lips
Merle's Gitar Band - Power of The Blood
Nutsak - Innuendo Schminnuendo
The Brabazons - Julie B
Shyny Diemindz - Blood
Miss Fortune - Dark Sun
Key of K - I Could Lose
Devil Eyes - Rip My Heart Out
Enjoy!
Band of the Day: Michael Franti and Spearhead
I love this guy. My wife loves this guy. We even sing "Yell Fire" to our son when we're trying to brush his teeth at night (which makes him laugh like crazy).
If you don't know Franti's music yet, you should.