We just got a nice little pile of fresh 7-inches from London, Ont. trashmeisters It's Trash! Records.
It's Trash! put out the Marshmallow Generation 12-inch last year that featured some Guelph and Hamilton bands as well. All killer punk garage stuff!
In store now are:
--It's From London (feat. The Glebes//Chachi on Acid//Disleksick//Excelsior//Don't Touch the Dancers//Bath Salts//Johnny Terrien and the Bad Lieutenants.)
--Noise Pollution EP (feat. Flesh Rag//Jimmy and the Jerks//Get Off the Cop//Noble Savages.)
--Flesh Rag s/t EP
--Punk Floyd EP by Excelsior
--Heart Attack Kids s/t EP
--Terminal Licks s/t EP
The little big record shop in Guelph. We buy and sell vintage vinyl!
Showing posts with label canadiana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label canadiana. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Album Design: The Dean Motter Project
Album Design: The Dean Motter Project
"tracking the dean of design"
Album Name: Warriors
Artist: Warriors
Label: Attic Records
Year: 1984
Warriors was a Canadian metal act originally from Serbia (Yugoslavia). They moved to Canada after signing to Attic Records before unceremoniously disbanding in 1986. Originally known as “Ratnici” (Serbian for “Warriors”), the members were Dušan Nikolić Splića (vocals), Slobodan Svrdlan Sloba (bass), Dragan Deletić Delta (guitar), Miroslav Milatović Vicko (drums), and Zoran Konjević Zoki (guitar) –on the album they are listed only by first names, perhaps to appeal more to English-speaking audiences.
The cover art was created by another Serb, Zoran Blazina, who I think is currently an art professor in Serbia? Recorded in Toronto and Elora, Ontario. The design is credited to Dean Motter, the creator of the Mr. X comic book series. Motter had a lucrative career as an album designer for many major clients in the U.S. and Canada during the late-1970s and 1980s. I assume he did the lettering for the title design and layout of the back cover. (Full Credit: art direction and design by Dean Motter/Modern Images illustration. Band photo: Patrick Harborer.)
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
25 Holiday Records: 9: Christmas with The Chippers
We're counting down to Christmas Day with a list of 25 records we have in the shop at Royal Cat Records! Why? Because vinyl rules!
This next one is another novelty oddball record, with a Canadian twist.
#9
Christmas with The Chippers
by Various Nameless Artists
Arc Records
AX-3
196-???
Arc put out at least two versions of this record, with different covers but the same songs. The songs here are classic Xmas fare, with orchestral and big band accompaniment and the cute Chipmunk-sounding voices singing along. As background music it could almost be ignored if not for those voices! And you know the kids are just going to play this over and over until we go crazy!!! We're not sure if this was actually produced and recorded in Canada or if it was a package that Arc bought from a U.S. outfit. No credits as usual with these things. Check out the youtube clip below for the actual music.
Tracklist
A1 Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer
A2 There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays
A3 Frosty The Snowman
A4 Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
A5 Let It Snow
A6 White Christmas
A7 Jingle Bells
B1 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
B2 Winter Wonderland
B3 Sleighride
B4 Deck The Halls
B5 O Tannenbaum
B6 Good King Wenceslas
B7 Twelve Days Of Christmas
Sunday, December 6, 2015
25 Holiday Records: 20: Country Christmas by Various Artists (Arc)
We're counting down to Christmas Day with a list of 25 records we have in the shop at Royal Cat Records! Why? Because vinyl rules!
Our next record is kind of a rare gem from one of the most infamous Canadian labels!
#20
Country Christmas
by Various Artists
Arc Records/Arc Sound
AC-9
This is kind of a rare record. It's an early offering from a pure Canadian institution.
We have a special place in our hearts set aside for ARC Records, the budget Toronto label famous for its country output and ripoff pop records made to cash-in on trends in the U.S. music industry. There were a surprising number of great records produced by this label, including some rock records, although the vast majority of their output is pretty lacklustre. But it is the album sleeve design that we have come to appreciate as an example of a “classic Canadian aesthetic.” Overall fairly generic, their covers are nontheless often bold and colourful with simple graphics and clear iconic layouts. Their basic, stylish lettering is usually a variation on 2 or three fonts and their liner notes are very bare bones, either non-existent or almost so. Usually penned by an ARC executive or a forgotten local dj and typeset using a typewriter, they are charming paeans to obscure Canadian country performers or long-gone lounge acts.
The album at hand is a perfect example, sporting a beautiful yellow cover with red and green highlights, and a black and white clip-art style 1950s cowboy couple in the bottom right corner. Canadian vernacular album design perfection!
The tracks are typical of an Arc offering as well. No songwriting credits are usually given on these records. Most of them are covers of Christmas standards but they show a professionalism and zippiness unique to this sort of low-budget production. The lead track, "New Baby For Christmas," is a peppy number with a good steel guitar solo and fun lyrics: “she’ll kiss me on a hayride and take me on a sleighride and turn my white christmas to blue.” "Christmas Roses" is a slow waltz about a long-distance romance with some more nice steel. The only clunker here is "Jolly Old St. Nick" —it kind of has the structure of a love ballad/hurtin' song but it’s from the pov of a dumb little kid in the form of a half-talking letter to Santa about filling his stocking.
The highlight of the record are the numbers by June Pasher. Pasher, the pride of New Waterford, Nova Scotia, was a fixture on the Toronto country scene from the 1950s through the 80s, with long residences at The Horseshoe Tavern and other venues. She and her husband also had a couple solo LPs on Arc. "Silver Bells" is June's solo number here, a nice Patsy-Cline style version of one of our favourite Xmas tunes. She also teams up with her hubby George Pasher for a quality duet on "White Christmas." A fun little package that you never see in the wild!
June Pasher and the boys:
AC-9
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
25 Holiday Records: 25: Santa Claus is Canadian
We're counting down to Christmas Day with a list of 25 records we have in the shop at Royal Cat Records! Why? Because vinyl rules!
We're going to kick off with a doozy, maybe a candidate for all-time worst Christmas record.
#25
Santa Claus Is Canadian: A Taste Of Christmas In Canada
Various Artists
ONT 100
1981
This is one of the most common records ever, at least in our area of Southern Ontario. Almost every collection of records you see seems to have a copy of this LP. It was produced, and we think given away for free, by The Ontario Lottery Corporation (packaged by Quality Records) in 1981. The cover image of Santa’s gloved hand grasping a half-finished glass of milk next to a couple of half-eaten maple cookies should be burned into the retina of every vinyl collector and bin diver from here to Kapuskasing.
As it is described on the liner notes, this “Canadian cultural product” was made using an all-Canadian cast of composers and musicians. The composers are a grab-bag of pros from the Toronto scene, the most notable being jazzman Guido Basso. We're betting it was produced in one session using an orchestra under the direction of three of the composers listed here, Tom Fleming, Robert Wadsworth, and Pete Coulman.
Like many, although we have seen this album all our lives and even owned multiple copies (20? 50?), until now we have never listened to it, although we have to assume that this was “the” Christmas record in many households, dutifully played every December by kids growing up in the 80s. But as we shall see, it ain't much to listen to. And we don't think it even comes close to being "a taste of Christmas in Canada" as advertised, since, beyond the personnel, and the fact it was funded by the government, there is nothing distinctly Canadian about it.
Are you curious? Don't be. We listened to this record so that you don’t have to. You’re welcome.
Overview: This is a very slick, over-produced album that tries it’s best to impart some Christmas spirit into a collection of really generic compositions. It would almost be tolerable as background music during the holidays. Almost. The problem is it’s so bland and dated-sounding that it is actually annoying and offensive. Christmas music is notoriously awful and most of us are sick of the standards because they are overplayed on radio and in shopping malls for months before we actually get any time off to enjoy the holidays. In the world of Xmas records, there are actually a few really great compositions out there and even some great modern interpretations, but despite an annual glut of new challengers, only a tiny number become standards. The creators of "Santa Claus is Canadian" don’t seem even to be trying to enter this Christmas pantheon. It’s almost like they were told to be as boring as possible. Or maybe they were just paid crap money, although the OLG was and is one of the richest government agencies.
We know how much skill and training go into any major multi-instrumental piece; all the more reason to at least expect some originality or fun here.
We know how much skill and training go into any major multi-instrumental piece; all the more reason to at least expect some originality or fun here.
Side One
1. Fanfare for Christmas (composer: Fred Stride): This instrumental piece starts sort of like the theme for a 70s sci-fi tv show but turns into a trotting muffled bass-driven thing with a bit of piano/sleighbell percussion. Mostly a lot of “dun-da-da-da” horn fanfare with strings. Starting the record off with this very long, seemingly endless track (it clocks in at 4:09) is not a good sign.
2. It’s Christmas (composer: Dorothy Lees-Blakey): Vocal with a catchy repetitive musical theme. Basically a list of generic things that are “signs of Christmas.” Most of the songs on this album are made up of similar lists. (The composer is quite proud of this one and we think you can still hear it on the radio this time of year.)
3. Christmas Pictures (composer: Tom Fleming): A spoken word intro with musical accompaniment morphs into a choral song listing what happens Christmas day, from a nostalgic point of view. Moronic, brain-killing music.
4. Country Christmas (composer: Paul Miner): Orchestral instrumental. There are hints of more classic holiday compositions here but the piece never veers into outright copyright infringement.
5. Old Fashioned Christmas (words and music: Tommy Banks/Colin MacLean/Al Oestin): Male-female duet with romantic overtones. Syrupy. It took three people to write this?
6. Christmas Samba (composer: Pete Coulman): Instrumental disco number with a trumpet lead. Think, “Do the Hustle” but about one hundred times lamer.
Side Two
1. Christmas is for Children (composer: Delbi Smart): A peppy disco production with strings that could be played over the credits for a movie of the week. A female lead vocal. Has choral chorus with some warbling overtop by the lead singer.
2. What is Christmas? (composer: Robt. G. Wadsworth): Alternating male and female vocals with piano, flute, harp and strings topped off with a horn solo. Another list song.
3. Christmas is Here (composer: Michael Maxwell and Heidi Kuld): Instrumental. A fairly jaunty sleigh-ride style piece with orchestra.
4. Images of Christmas (words and music: Guido Basso/Jackie Rae): Smoky romantic number with female vocal, strings and “ahhs” in the background. Muted trumpet solo. Maybe the most tolerable track on the record!
5. Christmas Time is Coming (composer: Michael Maxwell): Male and female vocal group are up front here with a thrumming slightly-propulsive electric bass but also lots (too much!) of triangle and strings.
6. Home for Christmas (words and music: Pete Coulman and Tom Fleming): Choral vocals are kind of echo-y here with a dreamy orchestral accompaniment. Sounds kind of 1950s.
7. Christmas Toast (words and music: Pete Coulman/Robt. G. Wadsworth/Tom Fleming): Another, mercifully short, disco number where the female-led vocal chorus repeatedly wishes you a “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” Fades out on some disco clapping.
------------
And that's it! The verdict: listen at your own risk. (Please help us! Now that we've listened to it, we can't stop!!!!)
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)