Categories
Live music galleries

Live music galleries: Fanclubwallet [2024]

(I got the idea for this series while sifting through the ‘piles’ of digital photos on my laptop. It occurred to me to share some of these great pics from some of my favourite concert sets from time to time. Until I get around to the next one, I invite you to peruse my ever-growing list of concerts page.)

Fanclubwallet at Ottawa Bluesfest 2024

Artist: Fanclubwallet
When: July 14th, 2024
Where: River stage, Ottawa Bluesfest, Lebreton Flats Park, Ottawa
Context: Just over a month ago, I was deep into the enjoyment of attending the local music festival, Ottawa Bluesfest, and as I often do, I spent more time at the side stages than I did partaking the main event on each night. In fact, some of my favourite sets were not just native to Canada but were local to the city I currently call home. And I thought I might like to give props to some of these over the next few weeks, starting with local indie pop outfit, Fanclubwallet. Hannah Judge originally started making music in her bedroom during the pandemic, got some attention on the streaming services, and after a full length album and a couple of EPs, put together a full band to collaborate with on her latest outing. She had said band with her when she performed on the River stage on the last day of the festival, a set I had penciled in the moment I purchased my pass. I had enjoyed pretty much everything by her project that I’d heard thus far, a quirky brand of dream pop with plenty of hooks, and it was just as fun live. Hannah and her crew obviously felt comfortable on the stage, perhaps emboldened by the family and friends and hometown built fan club (not intended to be funny). The frontwoman was just as novel as I had imagined, playing her guitars by times and at others, a toy apple. And still others, dancing like no one was watching and singing in those cheerful tones that help make Fanclubwallet’s tunes so bright and full of sunshine. Perfect for a warm summer evening.
Point of reference song: “Band like that”

Hannah Judge aka Fanclubwallet
Eric Graham playin’ guitar
Luka Malatestinic also playin’ guitar
Nat Reid the bass man
Michael Watson banging on drums
Hannah playing the apple
Hannah and her band
Categories
Vinyl

Vinyl love: The Organ “Grab that gun”

(Vinyl Love is a series of posts that quite simply lists, describes, and displays the pieces in my growing vinyl collection. You can bet that each record was given a spin during the drafting of each corresponding post.)

Artist: The Organ
Album Title: Grab that gun
Year released: 2004
Year reissued: 2024
Details: 20th anniversary reissue, 2 x LP, 45 rpm, translucent brown marble, translucent green marble, 2nd disc contains ‘Thieves EP’, gatefold sleeve

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The skinny: You can chalk this one up to one of those records that I had all but given up on adding to my collection. And then, just a month or so ago, I was shocked to see a 20th anniversary reissue announced and I didn’t hesitate for one millisecond before pulling the trigger. The Organ was a short-lived indie pop quintet out of Vancouver, BC. They were part of that 2000s explosion-slash-renaissance of indie rock here in Canada. Most wouldn’t call it a scene because it was happening simultaneously in three urban centres (Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver) but there really was a sense of community and collaboration betwixt them all. The Organ was on the same label as The New Pornographers but they shared similar post-punk space with The Dears and Arcade Fire (both of Montreal). Sadly, “Grab that gun” would be The Organ’s only long player* and they would disband only five years after forming. Still, this album is considered a cult classic of the era and is definitely one of my favourites to come out of that Canadian ‘scene’. This reissue is pressed to two discs of two different translucent colours with marbling, both at 45 rpms, the extra disc with a bonus EP never pressed to vinyl before, and the packaging is just smashing.

Standout track: “Brother”

*To go along with three EPs, one of which, “Thieves”, is included as the second disc for this reissue.

Categories
Tunes

Eighties’ best 100 redux: #87 Wall of Voodoo “Mexican radio” (1982)

<< #88    |    #86 >>

At song #87 is Wall of Voodoo’s hit “Mexican radio”, easily the most accessible track in the band’s early catalogue.

Wall of Voodoo was an American New Wave band whose beginnings in film scores informed the band’s early spaghetti western-infused sound, along with original frontman, Stan Ridgway’s dark lyrics and easily recognizable droll vocals. “Mexican radio” took the band’s normal dark and unique sound further, almost to an oddball or kitschy place, and produced for Wall of Voodoo their only radio hit, boosting record sales of their second album, 1982’s “Call of the west,” to their highest charting. Ridgway left the band shortly afterwards for a solo career, was replaced by Andy Prieboy, and the band’s unique sound was lost to a more conventional New Wave sound. The group would release two more albums before disbanding for good in 1988.

I discovered/rediscovered “Mexican radio” on a retro compilation I purchased in 1999 called “Retro 80s volume 2: Rare and brilliant” and it quickly became a favourite of mine. It’s quirky and vibrant, and has inflecting lyrics that drum up images of picking up foreign language radio signals, a repeating chorus line that you really can’t help but digest and join in. I distinctly remember drunkenly dancing-slash-stumbling and shouting along to this song one Sunday retro night at Studio 69, a long-defunct downtown Toronto bar with my old housemate, Ryan. This one’s for you, buddy, wherever you might be.

Sing it with me: “I’m on a Mexican whoa-oh radio”

Original Eighties best 100 position: #95

Favourite lyric: I wish I was in Tijuana / Eating barbequed iguana” That’s some serious rhyming…

Where are they now?: The last we heard from Wall of Voodoo was in 2006 when Stan Ridgway resurrected the name, put together a band that included none of the other original members, and toured in support of Cyndi Lauper. No other real reunions have been serious discussed, especially since Marc Moreland, the other founding member died in 2002.

For the rest of the Eighties’ best 100 redux list, click here.