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      Page
      9
     
    
   
   
    
     
      December
      2008.
      ENTERTAINMENT
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PANTHER
      POST
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      From
      ‘Roberts’...
      page
      2
      _—
     
    
   
   
    
     
      You’ve
      placed
      an
      empha-
     
     
      sis
      on
      the
      significance
      of
     
     
      history
      in
      this
      album
      and
     
     
      some
      of
      the
      songs
      suggest
     
     
      there
      has
      been
      a
      severance
     
     
      with
      music’s
      past.
      Do
      you
     
     
      really
      think
      modern
      rock
     
     
      music
      has
      abandoned
      its
     
     
      roots?
     
    

    
     
      I
      don’t
      think
      modern
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘music
      has
      struck
      out
      in
      an
     
    
   
   
    
     
      entirely
      new
      direction
      with
     
     
      completely
      a
      new
      palette
      of
     
     
      sounds
      and
      rhythms.
      I
      mean
     
     
      we
      will
      always
      be
      indebted
     
     
      to
      the
      traditions
      of
      the
      past.
     
     
      Nobody’s
      inventing
      any-
     
     
      thing
      new
      its
      kind
      of
      ar-
     
     
      ranging
      the
      same
      old
      com-
     
     
      ponents
      in
      your
      own
      way
      I
     
     
      guess.
      So
      I
      don’t
      think
      I
      can
     
     
      say
      with
      any
      accuracy
      that
     
     
      we
      have
      completely
      lost
      our
     
     
      way
      but
      I’m
      not
      inspired
      by
     
     
      what
      I
      hear
      on
      the
      radio
      a
     
     
      lot
      of
      the
      time,
      you
      know,
     
     
      and
      it
      comes
      down,
      as
      it
     
    

    
     
      so
      often
      does,
      to
      your
      own
     
     
      personal
      taste
      and
      the
      things
     
     
      that
      inspire
      me
      about
      rock
     
     
      and
      roll
      music
      is
      it
      being
      a
     
     
      real
      reflection
      of
      the
      world
     
     
      we
      are
      living
      in.
      A
      sort
      of
     
     
      ear
      to
      the
      ground,
      finger
      on
     
     
      the
      pulse
      of
      society
      phe-
     
     
      nomenon
      and
      I
      think
      that
     
    

    
     
      it
      has
      strayed
      from
      that
     
     
      absolutely,
      in
      my
      own
      mind
     
     
      anyway.
      It’s
      weird
      because
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      as
      the
      world
      gets
      more
     
    
   
   
    
     
      troubled
      or
      less
      troubled
     
     
      the
      importance
      of
      rock
      and
     
     
      roll
      music
      specifically
      place
     
     
      tends
      to
      shift,
      you
      know.
     
     
      When
      the
      world
      is
      good
     
     
      people
      listen
      to
      disco
      and
     
     
      when
      it
      gets
      bad
      again
      all
     
     
      of
      sudden
      you
      people
      need
     
     
      it
      to
      reflect
      something
      real.
     
     
      “Can’t
      sell
      my
      songs
      so
     
     
      I’m
      gonna
      have
      to
      give
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘em
      away”’’-
      that
      statement
     
     
      carries
      a
      lot
      of
      weight
      with
     
     
      it,
      yet
      Love
      at
      the
      End
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      World
      hit
      No.1
      on
     
    
   
   
    
     
      its
      first
      week
      of
      release
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ’
      in
      Canada.
      Do
      you
      think
     
    
   
   
    
     
      downloading
      has
      had
      a
     
     
      negative
      impact
      on
      the
      —
     
     
      industry?
     
    

    
     
      I
      think
      it’s
      hard
      to
      say
      right
     
     
      now.
      We’re
      still
      in
      transi-
     
     
      tion
      and
      we’re
      in
      that
      shift
     
     
      between
      the
      old
      order
      where
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      selling
      records
      was
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      norm
      and
      where
      you
      could
     
     
      rely
      on
      making
      a
      living
      as
     
     
      an
      artist
      if
      you
      were
      doing
     
     
      well,
      whatever
      that
      is,
      top
     
     
      of
      the
      charts.
      As
      a
      band
      you
     
     
      could
      rely
      on
      deriving
      some
     
     
      sort
      of
      income
      on
      that
      where
     
     
      as
      now
      that
      is
      no
      longer
      re-
     
     
      ally
      the
      case.
      Because
      even
     
     
      if
      you
      debut
      at
      No.1
      and
      I
     
     
      mean
      we
      sold
      9,000
      cop-
     
     
      ies
      across
      the
      country
      and
     
     
      that
      was
      enough
      to
      put
      us
      to
     
     
      No.1.
      That
      is
      about
      a
      tenth
     
     
      of
      what
      it
      used
      to
      be
      to
      have
     
     
      a
      No.1
      debut.
      So
      clearly
     
     
      there’s
      a
      major
      shift
      hap-
     
     
      pening
      and
      it
      just
      forces
      us
     
     
      as
      a
      band
      to
      be
      adaptable
      to
     
     
      finding
      new
      ways
      of
      mak-
     
     
      ing
      this
      our
      livelihood,
      not
     
     
      just
      a
      hobby.
      But
      you
      know
     
     
      it’s
      definitely
      shaking
      up
     
     
      the
      industry.
      Unfortunately
     
     
      right
      now
      one
      of
      the
      results
     
     
      of
      that
      is
      that
      from
      a
      record
     
    
   
   
    
     
      company’s
      standpoint
      is
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      people
      are
      a
      lot
      less
      will-
     
     
      ing
      to
      take
      risks
      to
      sign
      new
     
     
      bands
      who
      may
      sort
      of
      have
     
     
      a
      few
      more
      question
      marks
     
     
      attached
      to
      them
      and
      in-
     
     
      stead
      always
      go
      for
      the
      safe
     
     
      bet
      which
      kind
      of
      brings.
     
     
      us
      back
      to
      your
      first
      ques-
     
     
      tion
      which
      is
      why
      is
      it
      that
     
     
      I
      don’t
      find
      music
      inspiring
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Canadian
     
     
      photo
     
    
   
   
    
     
      today.
      Well,
      the
      music
      out
     
     
      there
      is
      inspiring,
      it’s
      just
     
     
      that
      you
      have
      to
      look
      a
      lot
     
     
      harder
      for
      it.
      And
      you
      can’t
     
     
      just
      turn
      on
      the
      radio
      to
      find
     
     
      something
      that’s
      new
      and
     
     
      exciting
      anymore
      because
     
     
      that
      stuff
      is
      by
      its
      very
      defi-
     
     
      nition
      and
      nature
      these
      days
     
     
      always
      a
      safe
      bet.
      Always
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      thing
      that
      has
      worked
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      past
      and
      they
      just
      sort
      .
     
     
      of
      try
      to
      reconfigure
      it
      you
     
     
      know
      or
      give
      it
      anew
      name
     
    
   
   
    
     
      but
      it’s
      essentially
      the
      same
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      thing
      and
      that’s
      very
      much
      a
     
     
      result
      of
      people
      not
      selling
     
     
      records
      anymore
      and
      people
     
     
      being
      unwilling
      to
      take
      risks
     
     
      in
      positions
      of
      power
      where
     
     
      they
      are
      actually
      footing
     
    

    
     
      the
      bills
      for
      the
      records
      are
     
     
      scared
      of
      losing
      their
      jobs.
     
     
      Although
      you
      present
      a
     
     
      critical
      standpoint
      on
      soci-
     
     
      ety
      in
      songs
      like
      Stripmall
     
     
      Religion
      and
      Them
      Kids,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      j
     
    
   
   
    
     
      rock
      superstar
      Sam
      Roberts
      plays
      to
      the
      Wave
      November
      27
      Bysterveldt
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      album
      still
      maintains
     
     
      an
      overall
      sentiment
      of
     
     
      hope
      and
      gratitude.
      What
     
     
      is
      your
      main
      source
      of
     
     
      optimism
      in
      life?
     
    

    
     
      I
      don’t
      really
      know
      and
      I
     
     
      don’t
      think
      watching
      the
     
     
      news
      has
      helped
      me
      out
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _either.
      I
      think
      I'll
      have
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      stop
      watching
      the
      news
     
     
      essentially,
      I’d
      probably
      be
     
     
      a
      far
      more
      optimistic
      per-
     
     
      son.
      I
      think
      I’ve
      just
      been
     
    

    
     
      a
      very
      forward-looking
     
     
      person
      from
      the
      beginning
     
     
      and
      despite
      the
      setbacks
     
    

    
     
      we
      face
      on
      a
      collective
     
     
      level
      almost
      everyday.
      Like
     
     
      yesterday,
      we
      watch
      more
     
     
      news
      and
      that’s
      ten
      steps
     
     
      back
      for
      humanity
      and
      you
     
     
      know
      there
      just
      seems
      to
      be
     
     
      some
      sort
      of
      light
      out
      there
     
     
      that
      shines
      brighter
      than
     
     
      darkness.
      For
      me
      that’s
      just
     
     
      kind
      of
      always
      been
      there
     
     
      in
      my
      life
      just
      being
      alive
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      +4
     
    
   
   
    
     
      general
      makes
      me
      feel
      good.
     
     
      It’s
      a
      hard
      thing
      to
      describe.
     
     
      I’ve
      always
      been
      happy
     
    

    
     
      to
      be
      alive
      and
      I'll
      always
     
     
      appreciate
      the
      fact
      that
      I’m
     
     
      alive
      and
      that
      sounds
      pretty
     
     
      fundamental
      but
      I
      think
      the
     
     
      fact
      that
      I
      get
      to
      play
      music
     
     
      all
      the
      time.
     
    

    
     
      I’m
      connected
      to
      one
      of
     
     
      the
      things
      that
      I
      think
      again
     
     
      kind
      of
      pulls
      you
      out
      of
     
     
      the
      muck
      and
      I
      get
      to
      do
      it
     
     
      everyday
      and
      that’s
      why
     
     
      I
      want
      to
      do
      it
      everyday
     
     
      because
      every
      time
      you
      turn
     
     
      on
      the
      news
      and
      you
      see
     
     
      something
      evil
      you
      know,
     
     
      you
      get
      to
      experience
      this
     
     
      thing
      that
      is
      so
      far
      on
      the
     
     
      opposite
      end
      of
      the
      spec-
     
     
      trum.
      And
      to
      see
      the
      best
     
     
      in
      people
      and
      to
      bring
      out
     
     
      the
      best
      in
      people
      and
      have
     
     
      them
      bring
      it
      out
      in
      you
      it’s
     
     
      a
      reaffirmation
      of
      the
      things
     
     
      that
      are
      good
      in
      life
      .