Care
      to
      watch
      a
      good
      band
      anyone?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Too
      bad
      you
      mised
      it...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Grace
      Kimpinski
     
    

    
     
      On
      Monday,
      February
      6,
      I
      took
      a
      stroll
      into
      the
      Apothecaries,
     
     
      where
      the
      Ottawa-based
      band
      Furnaceface
      was
      playing.
      Excel-
     
     
      lent
      show.
      I
      had
      heard
      that
      this
      band
      was
      good,
      but
      I
      think
      that
     
     
      was
      an
      understatement.
     
    

    
     
      Thank
      God
      that
      Direct-Current
      was
      able
      to
      book
      this
     
     
      band,
      I
      don't
      think
      that
      I
      have
      ever
      seen
      a
      more
      exciting
      show
     
     
      in
      my
      life.
     
    

    
     
      This
      band
      has
      been
     
     
      around
      for
      a
      few
      years,
      and
      in
     
     
      that
      time,
      they
      have
      been
      able
      to
     
     
      become
      one
      of
      the
      most
      talked
     
     
      about
      bands
      in
      Canada.
      Through
     
     
      touring
      across
      Canada
      and
      ap-
     
     
      pearing
      on
      MuchMusic,
      people
     
     
      have
      grown
      to
      love
      them.
      As
      The
      National
      Chart
      of
      Torono
      has
     
     
      said,
      "...destined
      to
      become
      legendary
      for
      their
      live
     
     
      shows....entranced
      audiences
      dancin’,
      groovin',
      moshin',
      and
     
     
      lighting
      their
      lighters
      before
      the
      night
      is
      through".
     
    

    
     
      If
      anyone
      likes
      the
      funk
      side
      of
      alternative
      music,
      thay
     
     
      would
      not
      be
      disappointed
      by
      Furnaceface.
      It
      was
      the
      most
     
     
      energetic
      group
      I
      have
      ever
      seen.
      The
      music
      was
      always
     
     
      changing,
      one
      could
      not
      even
      begin
      to
      predict
      what
      the
      next
      tune
     
     
      would
      be.
     
    

    
     
      Not
      only
      did
      Furnaceface
      sound
      good,
      but
      they
      looked
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Rating
      System
     
     
      5...music
      of
      the
      gods
     
     
      CTE
      LA
     
    
   
   
    
     
      3...it's
      better
      than
      watching
      Full
      House
      re-runs
     
     
      IA
      PCO
      mC
      Nee
     
     
      1...the
      music
      of
      the
      dogs
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      think
      that
      the
      best
      thing
      about
     
     
      Furnaceface
      was
      the
      face
      that
      the
     
     
      audience
      could
      actually
      make
      out
     
    

    
     
      what
      is
      being
      said
      in
      the
      songs.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Gypsy
      Soul
     
     
      Prescribed
      Vibe
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Hypnotic/A&M)
     
    

    
     
      Canadian
      funk.
      No,
      that’s
      not
      an
      oxymoron.
      Ontario’s
      Gypsy
     
     
      Soul
      have
      discovered
      that
      one
      piece
      of
      disco
      that
      wasn’t
     
     
      disgusting
      and
      present
      it
      here
      beautifully.
      Don’t
      get
      me
      wrong,
     
     
      you
      won’t
      find
      any
      plastic
      drums
      or
      canned
      instruments
      on
      this|
     
     
      album.
      In
      fact,
      several
      of
      the
      songs
      were
      recorded
      live
      on
      the
     
     
      studio
      floor.
      Gypsy
      Soul
      is
      not
      lost
      in
      the
      seventies,
      but
      their
     
     
      powerful
      horns,
      heavy
      rhythm
      section,
      and
      competent
      vocals
     
     
      are
      undeniably
      retro.
      If
      your
      looking
      for
      a
      heavy
      dance
      groove
     
     
      without
      the
      electronic
      technodriod
      feel
      of
      most
      popular
      dance
     
     
      music,
      here
      it
      is.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (4)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ——
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kirst
      €Coll
      is
      not
      a
      new
      face
      in
      the
      music
      industry.
      With
      a
      career
      dating
      back
      to
      1978,
      she
      is
      definitely
      a
      veteran.
      A
      long-time
      star
      in
      Europe,
      it
      is
      difficult
      to
      comprehend
      wi
     
     
      autiful
      voice,
      great
      lyrics,
      and
      charming
      style,
      she
      hasn’t
      caught
      on
      in
      the
      New
      World.
      Although
      this
      question
      remains,
      her
      fortunes
      may
      change
      with
      the
      album
      Galore.
      While
      thé
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘selections
      will
      be
      new
      to
      most
      Canadians,
      this
      album
      is
      actually
      a
      compilation
      of
      Kirsty’s
      best
      recordings
      from
      the
      past
      fifteen
      years.
      The
      length
      of
      this
      career
      leads
      to
      a
      great
      diversity
      in
     
     
      the
      recordings,
      which
      is
      one
      of
      the
      album’s
      greatest
      strengths.
      From
      the
      country
      twang
      of
      ‘“There’s
      a
      Guy
      Work’s
      Down
      the
      Chip
      Shop
      Swears
      He’s
      Elvis’’
      to
      the
      early
      80’s
      pop
      innocen¢é
     
     
      ‘They
      Don’t
      Know”’,
      Kirsty’s
      voice
      captures
      and
      enchants
      the
      listener.
      The
      highlight
      of
      this
      album
      was
      the
      not-so-romantic
      love
      song
      ‘‘Fairytale
      of
      New
      York’’,
      originally
      released,
     
     
      8
      album
      Jf]
      Should
      Fall
      From
      Grace
      With
      God.
      This
      track
      captures
      the
      odd
      chemistry
      between
      Kirsty’s
      strong,
      clean
      voice
      and
      Shane
      MacGowan’s
      (poli
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
      fon
     
     
      Eyre
     
    
   
   
    
     
      really
      neat
      too.
      All
      ofthe
      members
      of
      the
      band
      wore
      sweat
      suits
     
     
      which
      looked
      like
      a
      basketball
      team's
      warm-up
      jersy.
     
    

    
     
      The
      lead
      singer,
      dreadlocks
      and
      all,
      was
      one
      of
      the
      most
     
     
      interesting
      people
      to
      watch.
      Not
      only
      did
      he
      sing,
      but
      he
      also
     
     
      played
      the
      bass,
      and
      to
      make
      his
      appearance
      even
      more
     
     
      noticeable,
      he
      did
      all
      of
      this
      in
      his
      bare
      feet.
     
    

    
     
      One
      of
      the
      highlights
      of
      the
      evening
      was
      when
      the
      group
     
     
      started
      playing
      "My
      girlfriend
     
     
      thinks
      she's
      too
      fat."
      Lighters
     
     
      were
      lit,
      the
      crowd
      was
      sway-
     
     
      ing,
      as
      they
      sang
      about
      the
     
     
      insecutities
      of
      their
      lover.
     
    

    
     
      I
      think
      that
      the
      best
      thing
     
     
      about
      Furnaceface
      was
      the
      face
     
     
      that
      the
      audience
      could
      actually
     
    

    
     
      make
      out
      what
      is
      being
      said
      in
      the
      songs.
      There
      isnothing
      worse
     
     
      than
      the
      singer
      being
      drownded
      out
      by
      the
      rest
      of
      the
      band,
      and
     
     
      -
      thankfully,
      Furnaceface
      knew
      how
      to
      avoid
      that.
     
    

    
     
      Overall
      it
      was
      a
      great
      show,
      and
      if
      you
      weren't
      there,
      all
     
     
      Ihave
      to
      say
      is
      too
      bad
      you
      missed
      it.
      Hopefully
      they
      will
      come
     
     
      again
      on
      a
      weekend,
      when
      everyone
      can
      go.
     
    

    
     
      By
      the
      way,
      speaking
      of
      weekends,
      Hemlock
      will
      be
     
     
      coming
      to
      the
      Apothecaries
      the
      weekend
      of
      the
      17
      and
      18
      of
     
     
      February.
      Hope
      to
      see
      you
      there--
      it
      will
      be
      a
      rocking
      show.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      vs
     
     
      God
      Lives
      Underwater
     
     
      |
      s/t
      |
     
     
      (Nitrus/Onion/American)
      |
     
     
      |
      This
      surprisingly
      listenable
      blend
      of
      modern
      punk
      and
      —
      |
     
     
      |
      techno/rave
      caught
      me
      completely
      by
      surprise.
      I
      make
      no
      |
     
     
      |
      apologies
      for
      my
      loathing
      of
      techno,
      yet
      I
      can’t
      help
      liking
      |
     
     
      the
      six
      songs
      on
      this
      self-titled
      release.
      The
      lyrics
      are
     
     
      admittedly
      bleak
      and
      cynical,
      and
      the
      plastic
      sound
      of
      the
     
     
      canned
      bass
      and
      percussion
      is
      unimpressive;
      however
      there
     
     
      are
      good
      melodies
      hidden
      under
      all
      the
      techno
      crap.
      It’s
      |
     
     
      |
      Alice
      in
      Chains
      that
      you
      can
      dance
      to.
      |
     
     
      (3.5)
      |
     
     
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kirsty
      MacColl
     
     
      Galore
     
     
      (IRS/EMI)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      lover.
      I
      hope
      we
      hear
      more
      from
      Kirsty
      in
      the
      future.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (5)
     
     
      --
      Rory
      O’Connor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ©
      eed}
      paige
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a)
      |
      }
     
    
   
   
    
     
      s
     
     
      @
      2
      2000080042900"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Oo
      o
      0
     
     
      No...
     
     
      GREAT,
     
     
      5
      bey]
      Yoo!"
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PUB
      Keats
      (oi
      A
      Ody
     
     
      Mike
      Began
     
    
   
   
    
     
      unless
      otherwise
      stated
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Pete
      Droge
     
     
      Necktie
      Second
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (American)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      is
      one
      of
      the
      most
      simplistic
      releases
      I
      have
      listened
      10
     
     
      in
      a
      very
      long
      time.
      With
      the
      exception
      of
      the
      almost
      hooky
     
     
      “‘If
      You
      Don’t
      Love
      Me
      (I’m
      Killing
      Myself)’’,
      each
      track
     
     
      is
      so
      formulated
      and
      predictable
      that
      I
      could
      successfull)
     
     
      sing
      along
      the
      first
      time
      that
      I
      listened
      to
      the
      album.
      Tht
     
     
      style
      is
      a
      very
      unappetizing
      light
      roots-rock.
      The
      instrumet
     
     
      tation
      and
      vocals
      are
      competent,
      however,
      the
      songs
      and
     
     
      lyrics
      are
      not.
      Unless
      generic
      acoustic
      pop
      is
      your
      thing,
     
     
      leave
      this
      disc
      on
      the
      rack.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (2.5)
     
    
   
   
    
     
          
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      put)
     
     
      if
      to
      any
      mus!
     
    
   
   
    
     
          
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      February
      7,
      19%