Despised Icon : Tightening the Cords that Bind

What comes naturally

Despised Icon undergoes Healing Process
by Christine Leonard

Revered for their blistering guitar work and pummeling percussion, Despised Icon confirm Quebec’s status as a bubbling cauldron of molten metal. At the same time that the six-piece grindcore specialists from Montréal have been building a name in the competitive Eastern market, they have taken a decidedly hands-on approach to managing their musical careers.

Pulling triple duty as the band’s manager, booking agent and vocalist, Alexander Erian is looking forward to finally hitting the road and enjoying the experience of performing for new audiences in strange places. Or, strange audiences in new places, as the case may be.

"The last year has been really hectic," says Erian "We’ve gone through some pretty significant lineup changes and have now rebanded, if that’s a word." 

Replacing singer Marie-Helene Landry at the mic, Erian came out from behind the drum kit and the band enlisted the help of another Alex, drummer Alex Pelletier. Having built a reputation as a technical but fun-loving band, the roster change came after recording their nine-track monstrosity The Healing Process.

"We released a two-song EP last April and shopped it around to a number of labels. But we got tired of waiting on someone else to make things happen," says Erian. "We decided to do our own thing and went on to record a rough mix of our new album over that summer."

The album caught the ear of Century Media, which subsequently generated interest for Despised Icon with Relapse Records. Since the band had admired the label for some time, when it offered to release a split album for Despised Icon and Bodies in the Gears of the Apparatus, Erian and company jumped at the chance.

"It was a now-or-never kind of proposal, so we went for it and it’s selling better than we could ever have imagined. So, what more could you ask for?"

Despised Icon started playing in 2001, but all the members have been part of the Quebec metal scene for some time. Erian used to play with Neuraxis and, in fact, is still neighbours with two of their members. "There are a few other metal musicians on the block as well," he says. "We’re takin’ over!"

Taking over the hood is one thing, but making the switch from percussion to vocals is another. Undaunted, Erian has stretched his talents and his vocal cords and come to revel in the intensified level of audience interaction that comes with being the frontman.

"I loved playing the drums, but you get a different view of the shows when you’re behind the kit," says Erian "As a singer, I’m much more exposed, there’s more showmanship involved. I get to move around and have a lot of fun. I’m really enjoying the sense of change, and I don’t have to worry about mounting and dismounting my drum kit in a 15-minute period with some tour manager breathing down my neck."

Despised Icon perform at The Alexandra Centre April 14, 2005

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - An interview with Troy Van Leeuwan by Christine Leonard-Cripps

No one knows they’re insane...

 Queens of the Stone Age rock the cradle with fatalistic fables

You know you have made the big time when warming up before the big show is the only way to get daily musical practice in, but for guitarist extraordinaire Troy Van Leeuwan, it’s his preferred mode of operation.

With bands such as A Perfect Circle, Enemy and Failure to his credit, Van Leeuwan takes the pressure and adulation that comes with being in Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA) in stride. In fact, it was while on tour with Failure that Van Leeuwan initially made the acquaintance of QOTSA’s front man, space cowboy Josh Homme. At the time, Homme was playing for the Screaming Trees and the two made an instant connection, due in no small part to Van Leeuwan’s admiration for Kyuss, the groundbreaking stoner-rock giant formed by Homme and his longtime collaborator Nick Oliveri. Van Leeuwan’s past experiences put him in the enviable position of knowing what he was getting into when he signed a deal to team up with Homme for his next foray into rock ’n’ roll history.

"I’m just doing the music thing until I can launch my own accounting firm. That’s where the real money is," Van Leeuwan says, with dubious sincerity. "But seriously, being in A Perfect Circle and Failure was like polar opposites. Failure didn’t get its due. We were broke the whole time. And the whole process was driven by the sheer love of music. A Perfect Circle was something that Billy (Howerdel) had been working on for years. I was one of the last to join and was only there to record two songs at the end…. It just shows how much you can achieve when you know how to orchestrate art and commerce.

"This situation… is somewhere in the middle. It’s more chaotic, which in turn creates energy. It’s more intense."

Diagnostically speaking the departure of bassist Oliveri was a gaping wound in the Queen’s side and could be considered a mortal blow for a band who’s previous album, Songs For the Deaf, signalled a swift and steady rise to success. But Homme was not about to give up the ghost, and splitting with Oliveri afforded the hard rockers the freedom to take on fresh players and a new sense of style.

"It’s something that we grew into," says Van Leeuwan, who now shares bass duty with Homme and Alain Johannes. "It doesn’t feel like I’m replacing anyone. We’re still evolving as a band. We all write and we all like to stay busy. The last thing you want to do is to become stagnant. Because then you’re just treading water."

The addition of Natasha Shneider on keyboards brings a "space-country-rock-ambient kind of a thing" according to Van Leeuwan. "Not typically the way things were supposed to go," he says. "The one thing we discussed was making different colours and shades and dark and making space – something I’ve been known to do."

Indeed, at the time he was invited to play guitar and electric piano for the QOTSA, Van Leeuwan was already well reputed for his ability to create an instant sense of atmosphere in the studio on recordings for A Perfect Circle, Failure, Orgy and Deadsy. Van Leeuwan‘s talents made him the perfect fit for Homme’s re-banded circle of merry men.

"We were still finding out new things about each other while we were recording the last record (Lullabies to Paralyze)," he says. "When you do most of your playing in the studio, the intensity is at a much higher level. If something had a character or a vibe we liked, we would get to go off the page and explore it. You put pressure on yourself to do your best, but you have to be aware that you’re only competing with your own expectations. The temptation is to over analyze every song, because you’re so focused on it. If something requires more than five takes it’s not working. It’s like beating a dead horse."

Ex-Screaming Trees branch Mark Lanegan has also ventured across the bridge to bring his vocals along for the ride with the Queens on the new album and on tour. Bonding during the production of Lullabies to Paralyze, the album’s central story was modelled after a fairly twisted tale akin to the fatalistic fables penned by the Brothers Grimm.

"The theme of this album was our own dark fairy tale. Most of the old stories were really dark and now people are trying to clean them up for the kids. But that’s so wrong. Sometimes when you’re searching for something you wind up going into the dark and you have to do that in order to see that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel — and it’s not always a train that’s about to hit you."

by Christine Leonard

Originally published in FFWD April 2005

ROBIN BLACK : Interviewed by Christine Leonard-Cripps

Tighter than a pair of leather pants! Glam Rock freak and MMA pundit Robin Black spits out an  nstant Classic for the masses

Love him or hate him, Canada’s most notorious media whore (next to Jian Gomeshi) is back with his second full-length album Instant Classic. While some may shy (OK, flinch) away from the Boy George-meets-Alice Cooper look that Robin Black and the Intergalactic Rockstars have chosen, there’s no denying that he gives good interview. "Riff-laden, arena-style rock music is our big thing and when we started out nobody else was doing it. By now we’re getting pretty damn good at it. Inside I’m just a 14-year-old rock ’n’ roller. And what I love best is going out on the town and flirting with girls," says Black. "After hearing a lot of the new stuff that’s out there, I’ve come to the conclusion that rock music is a really lowbrow form of entertainment – like comic books. It entertains all kinds of people and it’s all based on fun… and on the groin!" Strutting his stuff with fellow glam rockers "Killer" Ky Anto (lead guitar-vocals), Starboy (guitar-keyboard-vocals), John "The Creep" Kerns (bass), and percussionist Chris "The Kid" Kidd, Black and company have already made a name for themselves with their unbelievably loud, pyrotechnic-filled stage performances. Adhering to all that is cheap and smutty about their preferred musical genre, they extol the virtues of sex, drugs and the pursuit of hedonistic pleasures of every description – a common thread, which has ensured that despite the passage of time this quintet has remained as tight as a well-worn pair of leather pants.    * MMA commentator and practitioner of Tae Kwon Do and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Robin Black returned to the cage in November of 2012 after a 2-year hiatus. He brought his professional fighting record to 4-5 (W-L) with his second-round Kimura armlock submission of vetted opponent Derek Charbonneau at the inaugural SLAMM: Tristar Fights event. "I’m proud of the five of us," Black says. "I have the pleasure of playing with four really talented guys. We wouldn’t have survived for 10 years otherwise…. Our skills have developed around one another and we’re working harder now than ever before in our lives. We write, play, tour and try to improve. I think it’s very admirable and noble trying to be the best rock band in the world. It’s all about drinkin’ beer, smokin’ pot and playing rock ’n’ roll… and I get to bang a lot of pretty girls!" Making an album with the dude who produced Pink Floyd’s The Wall and KISS’s Destroyer is a dream come true for any aspiring rocker and Black is no exception. Hammering out the final details of Instant Classic with legendary producers Bob Ezrin and GGGarth Richardson was definitely a highlight of a career that has put the Winnipeg-born Black and his band on the fast track to (increased) notoriety. Already well known for their onstage antics, glamorous makeup and bravado, Black sees Instant Classic as a timeless tribute to all the things he loves most about good old rock ’n’ roll. "We’re so used to touring all the time, people know us as a super exciting live act," he says. "But we wanted to go beyond being the drunkest band in Canada, so we decided to take a huge leap forward and make a great record." The band minted Instant Classic in the hopes of capturing that essence of joie de vivre and distilling it for purely commercial purposes. The technically polished version of their manic mayhem may be one side of the story, but Black admits he and his bandmates just love driving around with the tunes cranked and needed a "special" new disc for the ol’ Trans Am. Instant Classic delivers everything we’ve come to expect from the larger-than-life Robin Black. "People go nuts at our shows," says Black. "If you love MuchMusic, Elvis Costello and introverted indie-rock bands who sing sad songs about their parents – don’t come to our show. If you love KISS, Aerosmith, pounding beers, smoking joints, beating your chest, wearing low-cut tops and tight pants – we’re the band for you." Originally published March 2005 in FFWD Weekly Magazine By Christine Leonard  @Nocturntable

Habib Koité : Global Griot

Malian magic

Musical storyteller Habib Koité  makes a Big Noise for impoverished countrymen

by Christine Leonard

Known for his technical precision and flair for blending diverse musical styles, Malian guitarist Habib Koité has a rich personal history to draw upon when it comes to his art. Tuning his modern day instrument to the pentatonic scale and playing with open strings, he consciously echoes the sound of the ancient African harp known as kora. Originally from Senegal, Koité continues to pay tribute to the popular rhythms of his native city of Keyes. While studying under the legendary Kahlilou Traore, of the Afro-Cuban band Maravillas du Mali, Koité quickly learned to incorporate elements of flamenco and the blues into his repertoire. Now an accomplished instructor at the National Institute of Arts in Bamako, Mali, Koité strives to bring together the most powerful aspects of the old and the new, developing a truly pan-Malian approach that reflects his innovative spirit as well as his reverence for the past.

"My family name is Khassongke griot. A griot is a storyteller, someone who keeps the stories in their mind and tells them to others. Griots perform ceremonies for marriages and deaths, and in times of war, and at other times they carry messages between villages. Griots are a bridge between the people and the musicians. It was easy for me to take up guitar in my family," says Koité. "My brothers play guitar, and my parents have always been involved with making music. What I play is not exactly the music I was brought up on, but it’s close." Ultimately he takes his musical inspiration from the many different languages of Mali. "Everywhere you go people are speaking in different tongues," he says.

Discovering that his multi-album international success as a musician gave him access to a universal language and a larger global audience, Koité has keenly focused his efforts to help alleviate the economic hardships that have impacted many of his countrymen. Using his influence to bring attention to the plight of Malian cotton farmers, he has organized with artists such as Colin Firth, Michael Stipe, Alanis Morrisette, Chris Martin, Minnie Driver and Youssou N’Dour in joining with Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair: The Big Noise movement to protest U.S. and developed national policies that dump commodities on poor countries that depend on fair competition to make a living from their basic commercial crops.

"My country has grown some of the best quality cotton in the world," says Koité "But Malian farmers are finding that they cannot sell their crops because they are too expensive. Our government has too many things to do in such a poor country. That’s why it’s expensive, because people from outside of Africa can supply the same product for so much less. Our people cannot stay in poverty. We have to do something to equal out the prices in the world market so that consumers can choose quality. This money is very important to Malian farmers – it means being able to feed and shelter their families. I don’t know why people would want to keep them down."

After 20 years of raising spirits and awareness with his deeply intimate singing style and mesmerizing guitar work, Koité looks to the future with the knowledge that anything is possible. Gearing up his earthy rhythm section, Bamada, for a grand 34-city North American tour, he eagerly anticipates the opportunity to bring the sounds of his beloved homeland to new ears.

"I don’t teach like I play. I’m not the put-your-arm-like-this-and-your-fingers-there kind of instructor. I listen when I teach," says Koité. "I believe in co-operation in music. I don’t know what people hear when they listen to my music, but I hope that they gain some understanding of where I’m coming from in my expression. That’s what drives me as an artist to say ‘Yes, I can improve.’"

Habib Koité  performs at Eric Harvie Theatre (The Banff Centre) and Jack Singer Concert Hall March 11-13, 2005

GFK : Gunk Rock

No time to waste

GFK liberates metal-core from its mental shackles and gets political

by Christine Leonard
February 21, 2005

Ready to challenge new audiences via their signature barrage of punk-metal-might-with-a-message, GFK are riding high on the success of their latest album. Released on Propagandhi’s much revered G7 Welcoming Committee label, GFK lead vocalist Jessy Baron is proud of what his band has accomplished.

Not only is their new album, If Liberty Isn’t Given It Shouldn’t Be Taken, a shining example of French-Canadian headbanging know-how, it also strives to reach beyond the obvious melee of thrashing guitars and animalistic vocals to drive home issues of import to the band’s five members.

"We try to be very political with our music. But sometimes we get a bad answer from the crowd," says Baron, with a Québécois drawl thick enough to put Chrétien to shame. Mixing metal, art, punk, rock and jazz, they can be classified as metal-hardcore, but each member has their own influences. Their diversity, with a bit of a punk edge, must have been what drew G7 to the band.

"Being on G7 is a real dream for us. We thought it would be cool to send them one of our demos for their suggestions. They wrote back asking us to join the family. You don’t know how exciting that was for us. We don’t care about selling records. We care about integrity, and political intent."

Since forming in 1996, Baron, bassist Sonny Letourneau, guitarists Mike Beaudoin and Remy Verreault, and newly recruited drummer Yannick Simard have been touring relentlessly. Their earlier albums The Social Responsibility Theory (2000), and In Defense of Politics (2002), released on their own New Horizon label, firmly established GFK as one of Eastern Canada’s bands to watch – and not just because of their high-flying onstage antics. GFK are determined to inform the masses beyond the mosh pits.

"We are really picky about our lyrics," says Baron, the principal songwriter, "We ask ourselves about life – think about the events that surround us. On our new album, we took the time to ask the right questions. In the metal scene, there are not many bands who talk about politics. But why should we waste our time?"