A love song, or a moritat, for a stray cat

Bragging about being tough and dangerous has a long tradition in music. There is the moritat- a murder ballad of a dangerous character and his amazing misdeeds- Stagalee, Staggerlee, Tom Dooley, Magali, or one of the most famous examples, the Moritat vom Mackie Messer- Mac The Knife from Brecht and Weil's Threepenny Opera. But at what point did the "I'm so tough," rather than "he's so bad" version of the moritat come to dominate popular song?

When I was young, and even more lost than I am now, I heard a rumor that Bo Diddley is Jesus. He would never have said that of himself, but he did spend a lot of time explaining his fighting skills, his gunslinging ways, and even if he didn't originate the art of bragging about one's toughness, Diddley took it to a whole new level, when he bragged about having a chimney made from a human skull. In Bo Diddley, the murder ballad became something new; when Bo posed as a gunslinger for the album of the same name, an entire alter ego of danger was born. Hank Williams also transformed the murder ballad from mere song into a way of being, and resorted to recording under the pen name Luke the Drifter to release the spiritual songs that clashed with the popular image of a man adrift on the lost highway.

But whether it's Luke the Drifter or Bo Diddley the Gunslinger, cries of "get away, I'm dangerous" often have a tinge of 'wounded cat' about them. You know that cat- it very slowly moves into your house, into your heart, and one night you wake up to find it peacefully sleeping on your chest.

Here is a little tribute I wrote to wounded cats. Holly and I performed it as a twosome the other night at the Gladstone, at the Blocks Recording Club night:

"Suitcase Full of Trouble"

After our set, dreamy Michelle McAdorey played with a band that included Eric Chenaux and Ryan Driver, then The Phonemes took the stage. Magali was backed by John Tielli on kick drum, guitar and theremin, and Stephanie Markowitz on vocals and keys. Magali's new songs are amazing, and the Stephanie and John lineup brings out the other worldly quality, as well as the beat, in Magali's songs. I'm looking forward to the next Phonemes record with anticipation.

Now I'm off to see if that old stray cat is on the front steps again.

We're playing a gig on Thursday!

On Thursday, November 26th Betty Burke will be playing a gig at the Blocks Recording Club night at the Gladstone, with The Phonemes and Michelle McAdorey. With Shaun Brodie and John and Jon (the amazing Newfoundlanders who played rhythm at our last two gigs) away on tour, this show will feature Maggie and Holly as a twosome, ripping it up. "Revolution girl style now!!"

It's been a while since the last blog entry, so there's a backlog of things to address, such as the growing "no pants" phenomenon in pop music, the need for The Kingdom III to be released to the public in some manner, and upcoming gigs with bands that have been silent for years but never really broke up. Now is not the time to address these topics, the wind just isn't right, so I'll sign off with the conversation incomplete, in the hope that a small nagging suspense might grow behind your eyes, leading you to check in again sometime in the future.

xoxo

El Dorado's ghost on a Port Hope pier

My friend Magali and I recently took a Sunday drive to Port Hope, Ontario, to see what we could see. We met some artists, and stumbled on an excellent independent bookstore, which I was compelled to write about for an upcoming issue of Broken Pencil. But there was something I saw in Port Hope I didn't mention in the article- the ghost of El Dorado.

As well as luring a few lost souls through the jungle, and inspiring songs and art, the mythical city of gold once lent its name to a Canadian mining company.

Twenty years ago I paid a visit to the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, and I had to ask the staff why there was no mention of the bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the World War II exhibit. I was told that Canada hadn't been involved "in that." But the uranium used to make the bombs was refined by El Dorado in a warehouse on a pier in Port Hope Ontario, and today you can walk along that pier on a Sunday afternoon and cast your line into the lake to fish.

Here is a picture of Magali by the fence on the pier, maintained by Cameco, the company that took over El Dorado in the 1990s. The barrels in the shot contain wastes from Cameco's operations, and the little black trefoil symbolizing radiation is stamped on each one.

Q and A with Holly Andruchuk

Betty would call Holly Andruchuk Toronto's best kept secret, except that Holly doesn't belong to Toronto exclusively, she also belongs to a few corners of Alberta, Nova Scotia, and a little Hamlet in Nunavut. She's a great guitar player and, as for her voice, tired metaphors cannot describe it. There's a little interview floating around youtube in which Gram Parsons describes his first time playing music with Emmylou Harris; jamming with Holly gives you a sense of how Parsons must have felt at that moment. After spending the better part of a year (literally) with Holly, Betty realized there was a lot more she wanted to know about Holly Andruchuk, and that it would also be good to share some facts about H.A. with the world.

BB: You are from Standard, Alberta, formerly a town of 300. What was it like growing up in Standard? I hear you taught a lot of girls how to play guitar.

Holly: It's best to think of my developing years in 6's. 6 years in Winnipeg, 6 Years in Calgary, 6 years in Standard.

I was born in Winnipeg at the Grace Hospital. Moved to Calgary after my dad got a job as an industrial arts teacher on the Siksika Nation reserve east of Calgary. Moved to Standard, Alberta to be closer to the rez for dad's commute. Growing up in Manitoba and Alberta was home; big skies, lots of people with similar last names, traditional prairie food, country music and classic rock, countless drives on the No. 1 Highway.

As for the girls and the guitars, extra-curricular activities in Standard are simply referred to as "Hockey and Calving" in the winter and spring months and "Baseball and Harvest" in the summer and fall. A handful of moms approached me about teaching their daughters how to play guitar, and the customary thing to do is say "Yes, of course!" For me and the girls, it was a fun way to pass the time after school.

BB: Between leaving Standard, and settling down in Toronto in 2007, you lived in the Arctic, South Korea, and Halifax. Tell us, Dear Rambler, a little bit about this.

Holly: I think it's the Heinz 57 in me. Each German, Mennonite, Polish, Ukrainian, Czech, Irish and British-Loyalist gene in me possesses the same trait: The eternal quest for the New World. My ancestors traveled the world for farming, politics, religion, mission work, new beginnings, to flee cultural and religious discrimination, and most importantly opportunity. I ramble for the off chance I will stumble upon opportunity.

BB: When did you start playing guitar, and what was your inspiration? What music were you exposed to in Standard?

Holly: The guitar was first introduced to me when I was seven, after a biannual family trip to Winnipeg. My dad re-claimed his 1950s Jumbo acoustic Kay guitar while visiting with my cousins and aunt. On the drive back to Alberta dad tuned down the guitar to an open chord so I could strum and bar the frets. I wrote my first song, "When I First Moved to Cal-gary" and the dream and fantasy began - "I'll strap some wheels on my guitar, so I can be a big, big star...uh huh, ummm hmm, oh yeah."

Music was part of the family culture. You sing in choirs, listen to CBC radio in the car, LP's at home, Gordon Lightfoot on Saturday mornings, Moodie Blues and other rock doc's on TV, and just general excitement from parents and siblings about live music performances. Dad played piano like Jerry Lee Lewis, Mom liked to sing Doris Day's "Que Serra" and the score from "My Fair Lady", and the whole family loved Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.

Music from Standard, was a mix of country, classic rock, and 90s alternative. My sister would take me to Tragically Hip concerts, and mosh at Metallica and Pearl Jam shows. The high school boys would blare CJ 92 Calgary radio in their trucks and Country 105 in their combines. And my folks would play vinyl at home: Doobie Brothers, Valdy, Beatles, The Band, Fleetwood Mac, Moodie Blues, The Rolling Stones, Stan Rogers and Gordon Lightfoot.

BB: What other bands do you play in?

Holly: In addition to Betty Burke, I play with the following bands:
The Booth Avenue Band
Benjamin Elliott
The Buffalo Builders
Holly Andruchuk & The Brothers Elliott

BB: Tell me about your guitars. Every time I go to a shop with you, you want to buy another acoustic- but you have seven already? What's on your gear wish-list these days?

Holly: Guitar's to Keep Forever:
1950s Kay Jumbo Acoustic
1994 Simon and Patrick Lauthier 12 string acoustic
1980s Norman acoustic 6 string
2000 Taylor 415 Jumbo 6 string acoustic
2000 Gretsch Junior Country Classic electric guitar 179 of 200

Gear Wish list:
Gibson 1950s acoustic auditorium
Gibson SG vintage or re-issue cherry top satin finish
Gibson Les Paul Standard Gold Top front Maple back
Gibson Explorer Dark Maple with white pick guard
3 more solid leather guitar straps
New Harps
Vox AC 30
Rat Peddle

BB: I've been learning a lot about folk and country music from you, but you also have a lot of the rock n roll and blues in your iPod- the Kinks, Elvis, Muddy Waters- so I know you have diverse tastes as far as listening goes, but playing in a more punk/rockabilly style is a change for you. What do you enjoy about this style of music?

Holly: Rambling in new music genres is educational and a wonderful exercise in co-writing and arranging. It also forces me to think about different voicings and concepts for songs. More importantly, I play with Betty Burke because Maggie MacDonald is one of my dearest friends and truth tellers. She is my muse, my artistic sister and mentor, my personal confidant and I really believe in her ability, efforts and contributions to the arts community!

BB: Maggie is one of your biggest fans actually, and you've improved her life a great deal. She told me herself. Oh happy day! Thank you for doing this little interview, Holly. We love you!!

Get Rhythm

We have a couple of gigs coming up that we're super excited about, and the band is expanding in order to make our tall tales sound even taller.

On Sunday, October 4th, we will be playing our first Wavelength at the brand new venue The Garrison, at 1197 Dundas Street West. Comedy rappers Sherpafeast, and Brooklyn/New Orleans band Home Video will be playing, and Sean Ward will DJ between bands. Our set is at 10pm. The new venue is being opened by a former Sneaky Dee's booker, and we're very excited to be part of the festivities.

On Thursday, October 8th, we will be opening for Octoberman at their album release party at the Dakota Tavern, at 249 Ossington Avenue. The Dakota is one of our favourite venues. It's the kind of place you can expect to find great music without consulting listings in advance.

Now about the expansion of Betty Burke... We've been playing as a threesome recently, giving some the impression that we're folkies. As I explained in an earlier blog, we're actually skids (though we clean up real nice!), and when we are hanging around our respective homes amusing our ears, we're more likely to be spinning The Clash or Johnny Cash than Pete Seeger. In order to express what's on the tips of our tongues, we really need a rhythm section, and at the upcoming gigs, there will be drums!!

John Power is a Newfie from Paradise, Conception Bay, who plays with Brutal Knights and The Hidden Cameras. You may have seen him around town, wearing his "Municipal Waste" t-shirt. In keeping with the "play what you can carry" spirit, John will be kicking away at a suitcase and tapping a snare for Betty. We can't wait.

Wiki has the best music writing... probably by accident

What's the difference between Ira Louvin and Bill Monroe?

On the Wikipedia page dedicated to the Louvin Brothers, an unknown author (or authors?) writes the following:

"Ira would sometimes become angry enough on stage to smash his mandolin; otherwise his style was heavily influenced by Bill Monroe"

Take that, Paul Simonon. Decades before the iconic "London Calling" album cover photo was snapped, Ira Louvin beat you to it.

But who would smash a mandolin? That would be like squishing a butterfly or kicking a bunny rabbit. Come to think of it, it pains my heart to watch a guitar getting smashed too. If it angers you that much, give it away! Set it free! Such violence is unnecessary.

What's all this guitar rock aboot?

Due to that curious phenomenon linguists call Canadian raising, Canadians have an accent, imperceptible to ourselves, that makes our "about" sound like "aboot." I have no idea what friends from other countries mean when they talk about this, but apparently it's for real.

This makes me wonder if Canadians have a similar condition when it comes to our guitar rock. As a nation, we're pretty deeply immersed in guitar rock, and bands that might fill a bar somewhere else fill stadiums here. Is this because we can't hear something in our guitar rock that sounds overblown and possibly comic to persons from other nations? Is there a musical version of Canadian raising? Is this why the Hip are worshiped North of the 49th parallel, between the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic waters that insulate us from a possibly transcendental experience of minimalist playing styles?