Oh dear, what a year it has been. Live gigs were suddenly halted in March and started again sporadically with predictable cancellations etc. As a result, countless venues across the country have shuttered their doors for good. Props to local watering holes the Caveau and the Timber Lounge for trying to make it happen.
Radio Radio. How times have changed. Local musicians Ken Kelley (Monoxides), Nathan Jones (Motorleague) and Brock Gallant (ex- Divorcess) can now be heard as DJ's on the local classic rock station. Some welcome respite from the usual dross.
Shane Mazerolle of Earth AD. has released a 5 song CD EP of dystopian, dissonant, prog-industrial metal under the name Expired. Recommended for fans of Prong and Voivod.
Local atmospheric, psychedelic shoegaze noise merchants the Peter Parkers have recently came out of a long slumber and have a new album up on bandcamp called Maybe I'm The Drought. Check it out
The Robins, the city's punk pioneers have been rehearsing new songs on a semi-regularly basis in a nearby basement.
Well-travelled prodigal rocker Yves Bourque recently played his first solo show of original music consisting mainly of country, blues and pop oriented material. Check him out the next time he plays.
Dig the new breed. Moose Boys, DogsnotGods, LeBaron and Another Dose (ex-Grosse Bouche) are bands that I hope to get to see play locally some day.
2020 Local Vinyl Roundup: We have again been blessed with some great wax output from our little city.
Phone Jerks - Out of The Gate 7" (February 20)
More trash rock and roll noise for your eviction party. Crank it up.
Elevator - Darkness-Light 2LP (April 20)
First time on vinyl. Reissue of 2002 CD. Dark, heavy, foreboding psyche rock featuring fourth member Dallas Good (the Sadies)
Elevator - August (Extra) 2LP (August 31)
Another fantastic reissue by Rick White and co. Originally released in 2004, this remastered version includes a second full album featuring 11 unreleased tracks from the original sessions. Stellar packaging.
Nerve Button - Volume 2 LP (September 18)
Sophomore effort of 77 punk meets glam stomp from these wise guys. Proudly still lacking finesse.
Slashdance - Everything Goes With Black LP (October 1)
Debut solo album by Which Witch Is Which bassist Dan Cadera. It's goth, industrial and punk.
Alexander - Runes LP (November 1, 2020)
Drone doom duo featuring Kyle McDons (Zaum) and Jörg A. Schneider (Jealousy Mountain Duo). Very percussive, highly listenable.
TJ Cabot and Thee Artificial Rejects - s/t LP (December 15)
Mysterious Ramones worship, lo-fi budget rock. On Alien Snatch from Germany. Ignore at your peril.
As part of our annual tradition, we've asked local music freaks to list off their faves of 2020. Read 'em and weep. (some late submissions may be added at a later date)
AKG 2020 YEAR POLL:
Ray13 (AKG editor, street walker)
Top Ten Albums (in alphabetical order)
1) Bloodshot Bill - Get Loose or Get Lost LP
2) The Chats - High Risk Behaviour LP
3) The Lurkers - Sex Crazy LP
4) Outtacontroller - Sure Thing LP
5) The Pogues - BBC Sessions LP
6) The Ramones - It's Alive II 2LP
7) Redd Kross - Red Cross EP 40th Anniversary Edition LP (reissue with bonus tracks)
8) Voivod - Lost Machine Live 2LP
9) Wire - Mind Hive LP
10) X - Alphabetland LP
Top Five Live Shows (in chronological order)
Hard Charger January 4 (The Caveau)
Outtacontroller January 24 (The Caveau)
Booji Boys January 31 (Thunder and Lightning/Sackville NB)
Les McKeown's Bay City Rollers March 7 (Riverview Arts Centre)
Yves Bourque December 12 (Timber Lounge)
Ken Kelley (time keeper at the Monoxides)
1) Brendan Benson - Dear Life (CD)
2) Bob Mould - Blue Hearts (CD)
3) Fleet Foxes - Shore (digital)
4) Jeff Tweedy - Love Is The King (digital)
5) Matt Berninger - Serpentine Prison (digital)
Remi LeClair (thee Comic Hunter)
10) Gargoyl – Gargoyl (mp3, waiting for LP)
9) Protest The Hero – Palimpsest (mp3, waiting for LP)
8) Slift – Ummon (LP)
7) The Ocean – Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic (LP Box Set)
6) Transit Method – The Madness (LP)
5) Huntsmen – Mandala of Fear (LP)
4) Dead Quiet – Truth and Ruin (LP)
3) Motorpsycho – The All Is One (LP)
2) Psychonaut – Unfold the God Man (LP)
1) Elder – Omens (LP)
Top Ten Albums
1. Local H - Lifers LP
2. Metallica - S&M2 CD
3. Like A Motorcycle - Dead Broke CD
4. Partner - Never Give Up CD
5. Thick - 5 Years Behind CD
6. Idles -Ultra Mono CD
7. Nerve Button - Volume 2 LP
8. Slashdance - Everything Goes With Black LP
9. TJ Cabot and Thee Artificial Rejects - s/t LP
10. The OBGMs - The Ends CD
Top Ten Singles and E.P's
1. Expired-Expired CD
2. Mitchie Dagger-2 Song Snack Demo Digital Download
3. Misanthropic Minds-Welcome To The Homeland, Greetings From The Wasteland 7"
4. The Peter Parkers-Maybe I'm The Drought Digital Download
5. TJ Cabot and Thee Artificial Rejects-Digital / Tape Cassette
6. Impulse items-S/T Digital Download
7. Phone Jerks-Out The Gate 7"
8. Fu Manchu-FU30 Part 1 10"
9. Thunder Queens-S/T 7"
10. Fourfivefour-Demo EP CD
Sonia Noel (local visionary)
1. Taylor Swift - Folklore LP
2. Daniel Romano’s Outfit - How Ill Thy World Is Ordered LP
3. Tough Age - Which Way Am I? LP
4. Dog Day - Present LP
5. Outtacontroller - Sure Thing LP
6. Jon Mckiel - Bobby Joe Hope LP
7. Jill Barber - Entre Nous LP
8. Elevator - August (reissue LP)
9. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia (Apple music)
10. Taylor Swift - Evermore (Apple Music)
2. Cry Out - More Echoes of a Question Never Answered ... Why ? LP
3. Muro- Pacificar LP
4. Slashdance - Everything Goes With Black LP
5. The War Goes On - Assisted Armageddon LP
6. Dissension - Amazing Disgrace LP
7. Outtacontroller - Sure Thing LP
8. Nerve Button - Volume 2 LP
9. Neighbourhood Watch - s/t LP
10. The Wanderers - Only Lovers Left Alive LP (reissue)
10. Thee Primitive Sound - Turn It Up LP
9. Norma MacDonald - Old Future LP
8. Ryan Hamilton and the Harlequin Ghosts - No Where To Go But Anywhere (stream)
7. Hank Von Hell - Dead. Streaming.
6. Geoff Palmer and Lucy Ellis - Your Face Is Weird. Streaming.
5. Nerve Button - Vol 2. LP
4. Mom - Pleasure Island. Streaming.
3. The Speedways - Radio Sounds LP
2. Brian Fallon - Local Honey LP
1. The Yum Yums - For Those About To Pop LP
Sonic HZ – Paradigm (digital release)
Outtacontroller – Sure Thing LP
Slashdance – Everything Goes With Black LP
Brad Marino – Subterranean Jungle LP
Chubby and The Gang - Speed Kills LP
Thee Primitive Sound – Turn It Up LP
Queers – Save The World LP
Itchy Self – Here’s The Rub 12" EP
Celebrity Handshake – Bottom of Your Bucket LP
Battlebeats – Search and Destroy (digital/CD)
2) Sarah Harmer - Are You Gone
3) Ron Sexsmith - Hermitage
4) Fiona Apple - Fetch The Boltcutters
5) Kathleen Edwards - Total Freedom
6) X - Alphabetland
7) The Lemon Twigs - Songs For The General Public
8) Clive Gregson - 2020
9) Pretenders - Hate For Sale
10) Rufus Wainwright - Unfollow The Rules
10. Black Pumas - s/t
2 - Bob Mould - Blue Hearts LP
3 - Thurston Moore - By The Fire LP
4 - Protomartyr - Ultimate Success Today LP
5 - Fontaine’s DC - A Hero’s Death LP
6 - Sharhabil Ahmed - The King of Sudanese Jazz (bandcamp)
7 - TJ Cabot and Thee Artificial Rejects - s/t (bandcamp)
8 - Death Valley Girls - Under The Spell of Joy (bandcamp)
9 - Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters 2LP
10- Elevator - August (Extra) 2LP (reissue)
