by
      Alec
      O'Hanley
     
     
      Arts
      &
      Entertainment
      Editor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Whereas
      typical
      jam
      bands
      are
      content
      to
     
     
      sit
      in
      a
      groove
      ad
      infinitum,
      Slowcoaster
      pos-
     
     
      sesses
      a
      song-minded
      approach
      that
      many
      of
     
     
      their
      peers
      lack.
      Being
      a
      player's
      art,
      groove
     
     
      music
      sometimes
      struggles
      to
      maintain
      the
      lis-
     
     
      tener's
      interest,
      but
      this
      is
      simply
      not
      the
      case
     
     
      for
      this
      Cape
      Breton
      collective.
     
    

    
     
      Slowcoaster
      came
      into
      existence
      with
      the
     
     
      1999
      return
      of
      singer/guitarist
      Steven
     
     
      MacDougall
      and
      drummer
      Devon
      Strang
      from
     
     
      Vancouver
      and
      the
      addition
      of
      Mike
      LeLievre
     
     
      as
      bassist.
      The
      trio
      later
      became
      a
      quartet
      when
     
     
      percussionist
      Darren
      Gallop
      joined
      the
      group
      in
     
     
      the
      summer
      of
      2002.
      In
      their
      four
      years
      as
      a
     
     
      band,
      they've
      released
      four
      self-produced
     
     
      recordings
      and
      show
      no
      signs
      of
      letting
      up.
     
    

    
     
      Their
      2003
      release
      Accidents
      and
     
     
      Excuses
      is
      an
      eccentric
      mix
      that
      runs
      the
      gamut
     
     
      from
      hoedowns
      (read:
      "My
      brakes
      don't
      work
     
     
      in
      the
      pickup
      truck
      of
      life")
      to
      modern
      funk.
     
     
      Catchy
      hooks
      veer
      towards
      atonality,
      showing
      a
     
     
      level
      of
      sophistication
      that
      seems
      absent
      in
     
     
      most
      other
      Maritime
      groove
      bands.
      Maybe
      it's
     
     
      a
      jazz
      influence,
      maybe
      it's
      drugs,
      but
      it
      sure
     
     
      sounds
      good.
      The
      Scofield-influenced
      "421"
     
     
      conjures
      images
      of
      kids
      running
      around
      with
     
     
      dollar
      store
      whoosh
      wands.
      With
      two
      drum-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      mers,
      careful
      attention
      is
      paid
      to
      the
      percussive
     
     
      side
      of
      the
      album.
      The
      production
      seems
      a
      little
     
     
      light
      on
      the
      bottom
      end,
      but
      this
      seems
      almost
     
     
      refreshing
      in
      a
      genre
      dominated
      by
      slap-happy
     
     
      bass
      wanks.
      Slowcoaster's
      songs
      possess
      a
      cer-
     
     
      tain
      strangeness,
      providing
      a
      fine
      complement
     
     
      to
      MacDougall's
      manic
      brand
      of
      vocals.
     
    

    
     
      In
      addition
      to
      being
      a
      part
      of
      Craig
     
     
      Mercer's
      Below
      Me
      Music
      (Jimmy
      Swift
      Band,
     
     
      Servo),
      Slowcoaster
      is
      also
      associated
      with
      the
     
     
      Sydney,
      Cape
      Breton
      House
      of
      Rock
      record
     
    
   
   
    
     
      label
      (Rock
      Ranger,
      The
      Squatters).
      Since
      their
     
    
   
   
    
     
      formation,
      the
      band
      has
      played
      hundreds
      of
     
     
      shows
      throughout
      the
      Maritimes
      and
      is
      not
      sur-
     
     
      prisingly
      in
      the
      thick
      of
      an
      extensive
      Maritime
     
     
      tour.
      Their
      talent
      has
      definitely
      garnered
      some
     
     
      industry
      attention,
      as
      they
      are
      slotted
      to
      play
      an
     
     
      ECMA
      Showcase
      on
      the
      13th
      of
      February
      in
      St.
     
     
      John's.
     
    

    
     
      Slowcoaster
      has
      found
      a
      niche
      where
     
     
      they
      can
      play
      their
      brand
      of
      slightly
      obscure
     
     
      music
      and
      still
      have
      a
      crowd
      hopping.
      So
      get
     
     
      off
      your
      feet
      this
      year
      and
      start
      dancing
      to
     
     
      something
      intelligent.
      They
      play
      Charlottetown
     
     
      on
      a
      regular
      basis
      and
      should
      definitely
      be
     
     
      sought
      out.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Student
      Union
      Hiring
      Board
      will
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      soon...
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      UPEI
      Cadre
      February
      24,
      2004
      page
      19