BeatRoute Magazine [AB] print e-edition - [November 2017]

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ROCKPILE DEATH FROM ABOVE rock nomads are ready for outrage The beloved Canadian duo is back with a different sound. Since unexpectedly returning to the Canadian rock scene in 2014 with their second album The Physical World, Death From Above has been busy making up for lost time. Even as we talk on the phone, bassist Jesse F. Keeler can’t help but tinker with his new instrument. “Roland gave me a synthesizer. I’ve been waiting for it for a month and a half,” he says giddily. New gear isn’t the only thing DFA has to be excited about. Their latest record Outrage! Is Now dropped in September and they’ve already road tested many of the new tracks. Keeler says fans can expect a good mix of fresh cuts and old favorites when they tour North America this fall. “We’ve got the record with the stuff that needs to get played. We’ve been playing a bunch of the new songs already. We’ll probably play more than half the record. It’s tough when you’ve got this many songs now, you gotta start making tough decisions.” Outrage! Is Now is a tight collection of songs filled with fuzzy bass riffs and heart pounding drums, and is the first release under their shortened moniker, which originally ran as Death From Above 1979. Songs like “Nomads,” “Never Swim Alone,” and “Holy Books” are destined to grab listeners with their punchy, overdriven melodies and fist-pumping fast tempos. But there are also hints of experimentation, like the catchy piano hook that drives first single “Freeze Me.” Keeler says the reaction to the album has been fantastic so far. “I didn’t expect it to be so positive, but I never do,” he says. “You hope, but you don’t know. It’s been awesome. I couldn’t really ask for anything more. There’s been a lot of great stuff said to us and about us.” “Freeze Me” has quickly become a force on Canadian radio. The piano segment of the song has actually been in Keeler’s back pocket for a while but he only recently sent it to bandmate Sebastien Grainger for consideration. “To be precise, in 2012 I had that piano idea. It was just a matter of trying to decide when to use it, but I never thought it would be appropriate. But as it turns out, I sent it to Seb and he was into it. We would have never made “Freeze Me” if we hadn’t made “Trainwreck” before that because that showed us that we could have piano on the stage sound wise; triggering things with a sampler opened up the whole world.” Keeler says there’s less scrutiny regarding the by Trevor Morelli band’s sound in general and that nowadays they feel free to create whatever kind of music they want. “The simplest way to explain it is that from the beginning with our band, we always had, I don’t want to say pressure, but an interest in us adding more shit all the time,” he explains. “You know, I guess from a lack of confidence in the context of not having as many instruments. And over the years that pressure is gone and we’ve clearly established that we can be fuckin’ louder and more full than a seven-piece band if we want to. So no one asks us that shit anymore and we’re not thinking that way.” Despite an almost 10-year gap between their celebrated groovy punk debut You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine and much more dance oriented, synth heavy second album The Physical World, Death From Above has affirmed their importance in the rock cannon. Can we expect to hear more from DFA in the near future? Keeler believes so. “I hope so. I don’t like taking breaks for that long. I don’t know if it helps. Oh yeah, I mean at this point, at a certain point, you kind of accept that this is what I do and I’m not going to start from scratch again at this point in my life.” Death From Above perform at the Commodore Ballroom on November 21 (Vancouver), Union Hall on November 23 (Edmonton), The Grey Eagle Event Centre on November 24 (Calgary), O’Brian’s Event Centre on November 25 (Saskatoon), and the Burton Cummings Theatre on November 27 (Winnipeg). DANKO JONES still rock’s wildcat after two decades If bands like AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, and Black Sabbath are staples of your vinyl collection, then Danko Jones is your man. More than 20 years into his career, Jones is still Canada’s main purveyor of rock n’ roll and with good reason. Released last March, Jones’ eighth album Wild Cat is heavy on big guitar riffs, deep thumping bass, and furious drum beats. It’s an album meant to be turned up loud at a Saturday night house party and Jones says the band’s upcoming live shows will bring the good times to life. “We’re a rock band, we’re going to play a rock show,” he says. One track from Wild Cat that’s been turning heads is first single “My Litte RnR,” which makes good use of the cowbell. As cliché as it is, it’s the kind of song that would make Christopher Walken proud. “Well, we usually incorporate cowbell on at least two or three tracks on every album of ours, so that one just happened to be the single,” Jones offers. “”You Are My Woman” is probably my favorite song off the record but it’s like the third single off it. I mean that’s just how it rolls. Everybody thought “My Little RnR” was the way to go for a first single and I didn’t really debate it.” Even though the band takes its eponymous name from Jones, the front man says writing Wild Cat was a group effort, just as it was on previous records. “It’s a collaborative effort. I mean, we are a band, so you know, maybe I’ll come in with a guitar riff, and maybe we’ll work it out from there and everyone will have their say, or maybe come up with a different part here and there.” For Wild Cat, Danko Jones worked with acclaimed producer Eric Ratz (Billy Talent, Big Wreck). It’s their second time working with him following their last album Fire Music in 2015. “Well this is our second album with him but we’ve known him for a very, very, very long time. With Fire Music, we finally got him on board as producer. He’s been making a name for himself as a producer while we’ve by Trevor Morelli been touring and our reputation, our profile has been rising alongside his. So it’s good that we were finally able to work together.” Jones says working with Ratz was a natural fit. “For me personally, it’s a good meeting of the minds. We’re a pretty self-sufficient band when it comes to songs. We can write all the songs. It’s not something that he has to come in and put his producer hat on and start you know, helping us write the songs, like some producers do and like some bands need.” He continues, “What he does bring is a really good ear and he knows how to get good sounds and tones, especially for me, as a guitar player. He knows how to get a good guitar tone, probably the best guitar tones I’ve had on some of our studio albums.” After two decades, the goal for Danko Jones is the same: keep making solid rock anthems no matter how hard it gets. “I guess I have my eye on the practical prize which is just being able to continue to make music and make albums,” suggests Jones. “Because it’s really actually getting harder and harder to make a record these days. As easy as it is to record the album, I mean anyone can record now in a bedroom and make it sound pretty top shelf, but the fact that, you know, it’s leveled the playing field to the point where there’s just so many albums being put out. Your album gets lost in the shuffle so I don’t even know if people make albums anymore. So to be able to make music is a goal in itself.” Danko Jones will be playing Better Than Fred’s on November 7 (Grande Prairie), The Starlite Room on November 8 (Edmonton), The Gateway on November 9 (Calgary), and Nashville’s on November 10 (Winnipeg). 28 | NOVEMBER 2017 • BEATROUTE ROCKPILE
R. ARIEL Phoenix native thirsty to create Solo creator gets extravagantly personal on upcoming album. R. Ariel is a multi faceted artist. After exploring her creativity through photography for many years, she recognized herself lacking the same satisfaction that her art-form once provided. So she looked to a new platform for creative expression. Already surrounded by musicians and filled with a love for music, she began writing songs and producing. Eventually these songs formed her first full-length album Histories. The album has a solemn tone and largely features guitar while heavily leaning on vocal melodies to focus the tracks. There’s a crucial lo-fi experimental theme throughout the album that has become an R.Ariel signature. Since Histories, R.Ariel’s albums have leaned heavier on electronics progressively more and more through each album. “I feel pretty flexible when it comes to my musical choices and I don’t really feel stuck to any one thing but this next album is definitely more electronic. Electronics for the win.” Despite infusing electronics into her upcoming album Oh, independently released on November 1, the lead single “Told” maintains familiar aspects of past works. The vocals hold a lo-fi tone, but on this track in particular, it sounds more purposeful than in the past. This is chiefly a result of the improved production from her last album Identified Demon, which was released in 2016. Unlike many artists who have gone through this progression, R.Ariel has not lost the rawness that is key to her discography. The beats glide through the track parallel to trip hop beats, maintaining dynamics and not getting carried away or distracting in the low-key vibe of the rest of the song. In the past R.ariel has attributed much of her inspiration to her hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. However, her upcoming release will be the first instance where the city no longer holds primary sway over the artist. “I don’t actually feel as closely connected to Phoenix as I have with past albums. It’s the first album that is definitely not Phoenix based and I didn’t even notice that that had really changed,” she considers. “I think with this album I wrote a lot more inwards than I normally do, rather than writing by Kennedy Pawluk about external experiences. This album is a lot more about myself and so I guess it’s a reflection of a positive thing. I think it’s more about fiercely loving myself.” Since releasing her first album in 2014, R.Ariel has been known for expansive touring. It’s rare to see independent artists at her level put such an emphasis on touring internationally, especially when they originate from the U.S.A. where there’s such a large market to be tapped. “I really just wanted to see what other music communities are doing and I really like sharing with an international community. My huge goal would be to tour Japan or Mexico, but financially this shit is insane a lot of the time and I’m always running off such low finances that I’ve kind of stopped the dreams for a little bit. I feel like being from the U.S., you can get stuck in this little bubble rather than trying to see outwards and what other people are getting into.” This upcoming tour includes 37 dates over a six-week span. “There are so many good bands on this tour and I’m really excited to perform again,” she says of the trek. “I haven’t really performed for a year so I’m excited to get into that and just share my shit with people” R.Ariel’s new album Oh is out on November 1. She will perform at the Sewing Machine Factory on November 12 (Edmonton), the Nite Owl on November 14 (Calgary) and at a location TBA on November 15 (Lethbridge). Hear her at rariel.bandcamp.com THE RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE showing off their wild side There will be some significant changes for The Rural Alberta Advantage as they embark on a cross-continent tour in support of the release of their fourth album, The Wild. Although the music is in the same vein of their frenetic indie rock sound, the addition of a new member has pushed their music to new heights. Original members Nels Edenloff and Paul Banwatt welcomed long-time friend Robin Hatch behind the keys after the departure of original member Amy Cole. Hatch’s formal musical education has brought a fresh perspective to The Wild. A cleaner, simple sound that has amazing vocal layering predominant on many tracks. The first single “White Lights” is a perfect example of this; Edenloff mentioned that he really enjoyed the learning curve that comes with a new member of the band. “You get to develop a new collection of experiences that build a backstory you base your relationship on. Ways of talking and thinking that make sense to you,” he says. Frequently, song-writing inspiration comes from what is close to you. Edenloff wants to convey emotions that result in earnest and honest music. A listen to “Beacon Hill” from the new album will definitely expose you to the emotions that caught him off-guard when he learned about the massive forest fire that devastated the town of Fort McMurray where he spent his teenage years. ROCKPILE The single “Tornado” from the band’s sophomore album Departing conveyed the memories of the ‘87 Edmonton twister, demonstrating the usage of personal experiences which helps their music “cut through the noise” of all the new music generated these days. So the road beckons and the tour will reach the West Coast on November 24. The RAA are excited to be back playing some of the best “rooms with character” like the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, but with their surge in popularity some other favourites like the Doug Fir in Portland are now too small. They will take the trade-off of bigger venues and bigger crowds. They will also look forward to building a camaraderie with tourmates Yukon Blonde. “It will be fun to have someone else’s songs running through my head,” Edenloff says. Another perk to the road is looking forward to local cooking, from BBQ in Atlanta to sushi in Vancouver. “You just cannot eat at McDonald’s every night, right?” You can say that again! The Rural Alberta Advantage perform November 24 at the Commodore Ballroom (Vancouver). November 25 at the Kelowna Community Centre (Kelowan), at Union Hall on November 29 and 30 (Edmonton), at O’Brians on December 1 (Saskatoon), and the Pyramid Cabaret on December 2 (Winnipeg). Prairie troubadours riding the wave of their fourth studio album. by Tom Paille BEATROUTE • NOVEMBER 2017 | 29
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