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Attack in Black: from the gutter, to indie rockers

If you were to
first hear that
Attack in Black,
a Canadian
ee indie band,
were Originally a couple of punkers
from Ontario, you’d quickly question
your line of thought. Initially a fast and
furious punk group, Attack in Black
changed their style to better fit their
relaxed “indie” attitude. The band has
had five studio albums since 2005,
and on their most recent release Years
(by One Thousand Fingertips), this
quartet has most definitely reinvented
themselves,

Gaining popularity after joining
the many bands on the Ontario indie
circuit, Attack in Black continued their
recording career and never lost touch of
their roots. Influences that span as far
back as blues and sounds as intricate as
psychedelia are still present in the licks
and melodies of this musical tapestry.
Both old styles and new techniques
were employed during the recording

  

 

of Years last summer and after many
months in production, the final cut was
released.

Acoustic guitars come to the
forefront in the kick-off track on the
album of the same name. Harmonizing
voices tell the story behind the music
with slow, listenable passages, while
steady simplicity in the rhythmic

 

aspects helps to keep the song together.
The disc then picks up with several
heavy indie-style tracks that provide a
backbone on the album.

Using slow ballads and Latin
groves, Years continues to get even
more interesting and intricate with
every ear-catching changeover. Like
most of today’s indie bands, Attack

in Black relates to folk music with a
focus on the acoustic guitar and song
writing over catchy and complex riffs.
It is sometimes hard to believe that
indie bands record any music at all
considering their apparent hatred for
electricity.

In the past few weeks, I’ve
criticized Canadian music and the
pathetic quality-to-crap ratio. Of decent
Canadian music, there are two genres
worth mentioning: the underground,
and the indie scene. Underground
music basically refers to any type of
music that doesn’t receive regular radio
play, or isn’t largely promoted. Music
of this type is usually played in small
venues, and listened to on my space.
Good indie music has shied away from
too much mainstream influence and
keeps things original. Attack in Black
fit this description perfectly and does so
in a tasteful fashion.

For indie buffs, or people just
looking for a good listen, this album
has something for just about everyone.

 

What’s wrong with Canadian music
Part two of a two-part rant

By Jay Schreiber

In last week’s article, I discussed the
good and the bad of Canadian music
pre 1980s. To recap, here’s a few brief
words to jog your memory: Neil young
ruined Crosby, Stills and Nash, Rush
enjoy long division more than quality
music and the bulk of the decent music
to come out of the Great White North
were folk gems and rock riffs from the
60s.

So where does that bring us now?
Since the mid 1970s a lot has changed.
The late 70s were full of progressive
rock that took music past the day of
classic gods such as the Guess Who and
Led Zeppelin. The 1980s brought on
heavy metal and a boom in electronic
music as well as that Dark Age we
know as “disco.”

Canadians in popular music
with regards to the last 30 years
have stuck to three main genres (not
counting country): rock, folk and pop.
Contemporary folk artists have a small
niche; one that is full of quality music,
but due to under promotion, the music
is stopped at customs. Most folk artists,
much like indie musicians, are not very
well recognized past a 50 kilometre
radius from where they originate.

In a previous article I stated that
The Tragically Hip is the worst band
in the history of Canadian music.

I still stand by that, but do I really
need to rehash on it? Honestly, it’s

like punching out an eight year old.

In a similar article, | hammered on
Nickelback (more specifically Chad
Kruger) for being overrated white trash
that should get out of Vancouver for
good. Again, like punching out an eight
year old.

I have lived the last few years of
my life free of a nuisance that sends
shivers down my spine and makes
me want to eat tin foil. 1 am of course
talking about the one and only Celine
Dion.

In the mid 1980s a new breed of
pop musician was born: the diva. The
diva is a character that gets whatever
they want, whenever they want. Almost
exclusively female, the diva has a team
of five people working for her at any
given time just so they can keep their
pretty little heads empty of all thoughts
and focus on their ego

To put it short, Tina Turner,
Whitney Houston and Cher weren’t
good enough and as usual, the
Canadians had to follow suit. Celine
Dion has an atrocious personality, and
a terrifying voice which interestingly,
every soccer mom seems to love. The
Quebecois singer has perhaps the
most annoying song in the history of
pop music, “My Heart Will Go On,”

a catchy melody and repetitively
pointless lyrics are only the kindling

in the fire, and the fact that Madame
Dion didn’t even write the bloody
thing makes her look like an air-headed

pawn.

Like I stated earlier, Celine Dion
has been out of this country for the
last few years after signing a multi-
million dollar deal to perform at The
Colosseum at Caesars Palace Las
Vegas. Again, another strike against
her; she doesn’t even want to stay in
Canada and has more or less rejected
her life here. Honestly, I’m glad. If she
doesn’t want to be associated with us
then, hell, let the Americans have her.

My mother was watching part
of her performance in Vegas (she’s a
soccer mom, it’s okay) and as I walked
into the room, I heard Celine pronounce
Quebec as Que-bec. Seriously? I
have nothing to do with that side of
this country and I even know that it’s
pronounced Ke-bec. My cousins who
live in Texas can even pronounce
it properly, despite the drawl.
Assimilation much?

Another diva wannabe from the
north is Nelly Furtado. Nelly had a
promising career as a vocalist, but once
Timberland sunk his teeth into her, she
turned into another hip-hop star with
a top 10 hit. Furtado didn’t write any
of her own music and yet she ends up
with a top 10 hit of fluff pop. If there’s
one thing in music that I can’t stand,
it’s lazy musicians, especially the
untalented ones.

Canadian Diva’s can also be male.
Case in point, Bryan Adams. The
lollygagger trotted off to England and

made a new life over there, but still,
I’m stuck hearing about his first real six
string. I’m all for supporting Canadian
content, but how many times can
someone put up with “Summer of ’69?”
So where, is Canadian music
heading? In my opinion, Canadians
aren’t going to be at the forefront of
any musical revolution any time soon.
If our trends from the past continue,
then it looks as though we’re just
going to copy everything else that’s
happening in the music world a few
years behind whoever sets the trends.
After all, by the time American Idol had
lost its zing, out comes the Canadian
counterpart input directly to your boob
tube. I hope to God that the future
of Canadian music begins to look up
because otherwise, like all the winners
on the last three seasons of Idol, our
music will shortly be forgotten.