Canard Music

It’s been a long time since I took a stroll, rock and roll, etc.

I have been immersing myself in making new noise. Hopefully soon there will be stuff to post.

I am currently enjoying working with a new band consisting of Pat Barousse, Jordan Myers, Brian Heath and myself. I am playing guitar, singing and writing some songs with the guys. So far it is going very well and we have about 8 songs already in various larval and finished stages. No band name yet. ‘Poncho’ was mentioned earlier. John Hintz would probably offer up the band name ‘Side’, which we thought was the worst band name ever!

In other bright and crispy news, The Exploding Madonna reformed after a year and a half and has been trying to bust out of its dormant state. Good things happening with that and possibly a new record coming up. Maybe some shows too, but it’s tentative at best right now and we’re just thankful to be back together and enjoying music and each other.

Newsboy Legion worked on some new tunes back in September/October,  but they are incomplete. It will probably take another session to wrap it up, but the stuff turned out a little more like “Jimmy Don’t Like That” then the electronic stuff.

It’s pretty raw and ragged as we shook the cob webs off.

Icon Mine disbanded for now with no plans for the future anytime soon. I would like to thank James and Larry for allowing me to participate in their music.

Trying to pull Canard and the Magnetic Band out of the ether. No firm plans, but the reunion show at the Legion Hall was kicking back in September.

That’s all for now… thanks!

Maybe new music posted here soon!

I again apologize for lack of posting last week. I am back on my feet and feeling as spry as a constipated salmon…however spry that is! I have a few tunes for digging on.

“Gazpacho” was recorded during an overdub session for the Canard ‘Self Portrait’ cd. Marc plays keys, Brent on percussion and I play Bon Jovi’s manicotti.

The horrifying “Chickenshit Man” was recorded about a year ago after being inspired by a guy filling his fertilizer van up with gas. He sells chickenshit for a living. He is in despair.

Finally, if you would like to enter a nightmarish world where a guy does an impression of William Shatner talking about the Ukrainian president’s dioxin poisoning…well look no further than the “Vegas” cut off of the forthcoming Pappas & McGee ‘Expressions of Space’ cd. Lester Pappas appears courtesy of Spatial Expressions records and George Macesich.

Back in the late 70′s/early 80′s my dad would take my brothers and I hunting out in Jefferson county. On the way there we would usually stop at this scuzzy truck stop place called “Mid-Continent”. It had to have one of the most confusing and improbable names ever. “Incontinent” would be more appropriate! Anyway, they had greasy breakfast food that was just okay, but they had absolutely the best gravy and biscuits ever consumed. So when Canard and the Magnetic Band were working on the ‘Self Portrait’ material, the only original tune was “Truckstop Gravy” . I imagined a kind “Truckin’” type of song. So it’s a pretty slight rip off, but I like this version recorded live at the Beta Bar back in 2003. Dig the bizarre beginning. I have no idea why we started it out like this, but I am pretty sure that it happened spontaneously. Brent… are those brushes for crying out loud?!?!

Here’s some more Canard. One track with Brent and Marc called “Ocean Wurm Theme” which was an older instrumental written right when Brent joined. This features the ‘Charlie Brown Principal’ guitar effect that disoriented audiences so much. As if we needed help!

The other two tracks were solo recordings made by me in late ’04 around the time we disbanded, went on hiatus, whatever you want to call it. I think the three of us are hearing that calling again a little bit and discussed it over at Marc’s last Saturday. The weather here in Tallahassee was so nice and Marc was obsessed about his brisket. Photo by Jamie Ito, Marc’s beautiful and gracious wife, at Marc’s Super Secret Meat Party.

“Tiny Ralph”

“Ever Heard Bloodrock?”

Bonus photo

Marc discusses his brisket smoking technique with my wife.

 I really don’t think that I could say enough great things about Marc and Brent and the time we spent together as a band. A lot of fun was had, but a lot of heartache too. I hurt myself pretty badly onstage in Atlanta in early 2004 and never quite recovered emotionally. We spent a lot of time getting our mojo back in the studio, but never played live again. I hope to rectify that in the future and really do it up nice. We suffered from a lot of insecurities about how old a person could be before they were ridiculous onstage. I think it really doesn’t matter and if we had felt that then maybe we would still be playing out. Anyway, I was listening to a lot of tapes and discs last night. If anybody isn’t moved by this     V-89 performance of “A Shovel” from 2003, well you don’t like Neil Young! But seriously I think this is a great, passionate performance. Marc goes off ya’ll!

If anybody has any old photos, news clippings, video or audio of Singing Spoons, Ultraboy, Bacon Ray, Ancient Brain,etc. Please let us know and we can post some of it.

For now we have a cut of two of Canard and the Magnetic Band’s last recordings. We spent a lot of time in the studio after I hurt my leg in Atlanta. We eventually kind of petered out, but I doubt you’ve heard the last of these guys.

Wigwam Hill

You don’t Believe

Marc, Brent and Mike