25th anniversary - artists
To celebrate 25 strong years on the FM dial, CJSW has invited some of the most beloved Calgary bands of the past and present to perform for Calgary’s biggest music fans on January 23 throughout three floors of MacEwan Hall. For more details on the event click here, or head over to our schedule to start planning the route for your evening.
Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir
Yup. They’re a quartet. And they’re not from the mountains... The music, on the other hand, is not a joke. People often mention whiskey, brimstone, the Mississippi Delta and the Appalachian Mountains when they talk about their music. There are few bands who conjure the intensity of the original blues and folk music pioneers while uniting roots and rock audiences. The Agnostics are one of them.
Hollering, growling, and high, lonesome keening. Duelling slide guitars, tin can banjo, frenetic finger picking, sheet metal percussion, and pounding upright bass. That’s The Agnostics.
Tuesday, January 21st on Soapbox Derby (9-11am)
Anne Loree
Acoustic/rock/pop sensation Anne is a chanteuse with an attitude who enthralls and delights with her occasionally challenging, but ultimately listenable tunes. She wrote Jann Arden’s hit “Insensitive,” but still managed to save the best for herself. Anne’s live performances are at once warm, witty, expressive and entertaining. Truly enviro-political alt-rock never sounded so smooth.
Tuesday, January 14th on Folkcetera (7-9pm)
The A-Team
Tuesday, January 16th on Double Entendre Preserves (12:30-2:30pm)
Chad VanGaalen
The world-renowned artist, Soft Airplane pilot and Calgary-based singer-songwriter is guaranteed to thrill and amaze with his signature brand of quirky, fantastical alt-rock. Mustering his post-everything genius for a performance that promises to crystallize 25 years of angst and ecstasy, Chad embodies the radical free-thinking energy that glows in CJSW’s soul.
Clinton St. John
The Cape May’s vocalist shows just what Calgary’s Flemish Eye record label has hidden under its massive, bloodshot lid. Lifting the veil and piercing your eardrums with his massive chops, Clinton is a one-man radio station. Commercial-free, naturally.
The Corta Vita
Leaders in the Alberta post-punk screamo scene from 2000-2004, The Corta Vita were revered for their red-faced, visceral, sonic temper tantrums on stage. Comprised of Tyson Lennox (vox), Stephen Glasgow (guitar), Glenn Alderson (bass), Chris Vanderlaan (guitar) and Jordan Lane (drums), the band released a demo before their abrasive debut EP, Communication is Nothing Without Feedback, on Edmonton’s Farway Records. Borrowing from the canon of Drive Like Jehu, Shotmaker, Slint and Don Caballero, TCV delivered sharply executed post-punk with a younger feral attitude. While The Corta Vita was short-lived, their biggest fans still proudly sport the scars from gigs that were some of the most memorable abuses of venue sound systems and stages in the early 2000s. CJSW is proud to welcome them back for a reunion show as part of our 25th anniversary bash!
Tuesday, January 12th on Each One Teach One (9-10pm)
Difference Engine
A tip of the hat to science fiction author William Gibson, the forward thinking entity known as Difference Engine was Calgary’s answer to the whole Anthrax meets Public Enemy equation. Add a hint of Bad Brains’ positive aggression and Nirvana-esque angst (uber-stylish Cobain mop-top included) and you have the explosive live performances that steadily drew audiences to Difference Engine shows via word of mouth. Parlaying their campus cabaret antics into full-blown on-stage rock meltdowns, these old Republik regulars held court with the best Calgary had to offer in the ‘90s and will once again win over fans and critics alike with surging dance floor rug-cutters like “Swim” and saxophone infused “Remind Me.”
Dojo Workhorse
The Dojo Workhorse is a special band from Canada. They play songs from deep down inside where we're soft like women. The songs were recorded in some of the filthiest basements in Alberta. The Dojo Workhorse has been 50 different people, is currently less than 50 different people and will undoubtedly become half-centurions of beauty rock in the future. In 50 years, we predict a great war between Robots and Wizards, blurring the lines separating good and evil. When that time comes, you had better have a song in your heart and lightning in your fists.
Dragon Fli Empire
Unraveling one of their stratified tracks is akin to opening an Xmas present to yourself. A blizzard of skillfully manipulated sounds and samples fall into place with a seemingly effortless precision as Teekay (Tarik Robinson — emcee and producer) and Cosm (Adam Hicks — DJ and producer) weave their magic. CJSW fans of the highest order, these turntablists have steadily distinguished and defined Calgary’s club scene since their 2002 inception.
The Everymen
Asking someone to describe The Everymen is like asking someone to describe a rub n' tug when they're in the middle of a five-alarm panic attack. The answer will be nigh unintelligible, and probably won't bring you any closer to understanding. This is a band who, during their 10 year existence, played hundreds of shows all over North America, wrote more than 100 songs, broke thousands of drumsticks, hundreds of guitar strings and probably more than a few hearts. Fast, energetic, uncompromising, funny, witty, but still earnest, The Everymen were unwilling to be pulled out of retirement for anything less than ludicrous sums of money or the 25th anniversary of Calgary's best radio station, CJSW.
Field Day
This is your invitation to take a permanent vacation with the rockin’ skater-punk brainchild of the blonde and once dreadlocked John Hiebert. Buddy-up with lionheart for an all-out-rock-riot alongside Field Day classmates, who may include, drummer Jay Kreway (Ninth Configuration), bassist Jonas Smith (a.k.a. Joner Baloner), Jonas Smith, Brock McAndless, Roger Nilson, and Paul Gerber. Who will show up to claim the honour of performing for CJSW’s dear and devoted? Maybe Elaschuk again!? Have your permission slips ready!
Tuesday, January 19th on Who Let Me On The Radio? (12-2pm)
Jay Crocker
His journey comes with many hats; that of composer, arranger, producer, singer-song writer, collaborator, tinkerer and thirsty improviser. Originally schooled in Jazz, Jay has fashioned himself a successful, multi-faceted solo career that spans a large spectrum of styles, sounds and genres.
Jordan Klassen
A relative newcomer to the Calgary scene, Jordan Klassen's full length debut skyrocketed up the CJSW charts last year getting spins on a wide range of shows. His simple, beautiful indie-folk has quickly placed him among the ranks of artists such as Laura Leif of the Consonant C, Brock Geiger and Woodpigeon. If you haven't had a chance to check out this fledgling young artist yet, the 25th bash is your chance. And if you have already seen Jordan in town, then we'll see you in the front row during his set.
The Mants
Featuring the pierce-your-thorax goodness of Andy Mant on guitar/vox, Cory Mant on drums and Cam Mant on bass, this antennaed ensemble will systematically dismantle your brain and haul it back to their hill hive for recalibration. A nod to the Primrod-era of yore, the return of The Mants is an epic affair for CJSW. According to the band, they sound “like something broke.” According to their fans, they’re the perfect fix. Besides, no one ever looked sharper or shredded harder in an ant helmet mask.
“The frequency modulation of CJSW's broadcast transmission warms our thoraxes,” asserts Andy Mant. “CJSW has been more effective than Cam Mant's trouser explosions as a method for the Mants to pollute the airwaves.”
Tuesday, January 18th on Aubrey's Shindig (4-6pm)
Matt Masters
A gentleman of the rodeo in the most earnest sense, Masters’ commitment to the spirit of Albertan music is as manifest as CJSW’s. Earning an impressive following through his steadfast pursuit of authenticity, this country-western singer-songwriter is a legend in the making.
“CJSW is an inspirational Calgary story,” says Masters. “A story about a community working together to build something better. It’s an extraordinary success story, and it’s ours.”
Mico
Hailing from Calgary/Vancouver/ Winnipeg/downtown everywhere, Mico are an explosive favourite that Calgarians recall with joy and enthusiasm. A tasty treat in the form of the collective efforts of Johnny (guitar, bass, keys, vocals, loops), Todd (guitar), Mark (drums), Sonya (violin, viola, Maya violin, viola, piano), Troy (drums), Pat (bass, guitar), David (trumpet), and Al (samples, mixing) will be presented as Mico transports us to another dimension via winged-unicorn and auditory hallucination.
Tuesday, January 21st on Pillage the Village (12-2pm)
Miesha and The Spanks
Miesha Louie on guitar/vox and Justin Landstorfer on drums will lend a heaping dose of their wild-child brattitude to the event’s proceedings with a no-nonsense drum and strum break-down. Keep one hand on your heart and the other on your wallet as these local crooners are apt to walk away with both.
Plaid Tongued Devils
One of Canada’s most original and entertaining bands, The Plaid Tongued Devils have been together since 1990 becoming one of the country’s most respected acts. Having toured Canada countless times and Europe 4 times, they are no strangers to the stage. Their innovative sound combines elements of Klezmer (Jewish), Roma (Gypsy), and middle eastern music with rock, pop, and ska. The Devls have released 5 CDs and 1 DVD which receive good airplay on national CBC Radio and community and college stations across Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Their live show is a showcase of musical virtuosity, performed with extreme energy and a megadose of fun. Think Fiddler On The Roof on steroids with a Jewish Eddie Van Halen on violin and a Romanian guy with horns singing. Then dance!
Rembetika Hipsters
The band was formed by the duo of Nick Diochnos and Allen Baekeland in 1996 as a means of spreading the word about the underground music they love - rembetika, which some have called the "Greek blues" with its songs of poverty, dislocation, heartache and hashish. Over the past decade they have released two CDs, Architects of Narghile and Dinner In Polidroso and toured festivals, clubs and concert halls from the Maritimes to the Yukon. In 2004, Network Records in Germany licensed a track from Architects for their brilliant compilation of modern rembetika music, The Diaspora of Rembetiko. The Hipsters' third album will be released in summer 2010.
The Rembetika Hipsters have twice visited and performed in Greece, most recently in June 2006, where they met outstanding Greek musicians such as clarinet maestro PetroLoukas Halkias and rembetika revivalists Giorgos Xindaris and Manolis Dimitrianakis. Wednesday evenings for close to eight years, the Hipsters have returned rembetika to its intimate and natural element, sitting around the table singing and playing at the well-loved Calgary Greek restaurant, Pegasus.
The Ripchords
Reuniting to rock the masses like it’s 1980 all over again, the new Ripchords are riding high on the second wave of the boom, bust tsunami. The ‘evolved’ edition of this homegrown favourite aims to recapture that same old inflammatory punk rock chemistry. Embodying the rebellious old-school spirit of Calgary, these basement rockers inspired local barroom patrons to look beyond the borders of their own preconceptions about musical and political identity. Hitting the stage with a freshly charged sense of purpose, the Ripchords promise to keep on pumping out the DIY riffage just like the kind they cooked up back in the day at their jam space in the legendary 10 Foot Henry’s nightclub.
Same Difference
Back in 1989, no Calgary folkster’s cassette collection was complete without a Same Difference album. A staple of the local scene, these roots-lovin’ movers and shakers brought a distinctly Albertan edge to their modern-trad arrangements courtesy, in part, to Chantal Vitalis on guitar. Folk Fest acolytes will rejoice at the momentous reunification of Vitalis with her coffee ‘n’ cigarette counterparts: vocalist and keyboardist Janine Bracewell, percussionist Dave Follett, drummer Lori Kennedy and bassist Diane Kooch. According to Station Manager Chad Saunders, the demand for their down-tempo meets down-home groove is as strong now as it was some twenty years ago.
Shecky Forme
Shecky Formé is an experimental pop band from Calgary, Canada that made plenty of friends in 2000-2001 but has since splintered and evolved into a long-distance recording project. SF released three albums between 1999 and 2001. They are currently working on a fourth, aptly named "004", based on improvised, raw material conceived in December 2004 while all band members were home for the holidays.
Smokin’ 45s
Formed out of veterans of the Detroit music scene, the Smokin' 45s are bringing fans their special blend of Rock and Blues. Their live show takes the music up a notch, making for a night of lively entertainment including songs from artists like Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Little Charlie and the Nightcats as well as their own music which stands tall next to that of their well-established influences. There's no room in these sets for long, drawn-out, self-indulgent solos. These sets are packed with heart-pumping, foot-stomping rock and blues with a distinctive Detroit drive.
Tuesday, January 12th on Tombstone After Dark (7-9pm)
The Summerlad
The Summerlad are three men who are determined to rise above the mediocrity of contemporary indie rock music. Their songs are sometimes intricate and often loud. You might describe them as, “Shoegaze grows up and bares its teeth,” or “Noise-rock hunkers down and makes a case for songwriting.” Their fourth album "Blue Skinned" will come out this February.
Tariq
Tariq has been writing, recording and performing his songs for over a decade now and he takes his musical cues from country, pop as well as folk and folk inspired music. He has released four full-length albums and earned one Juno nomination. After living in Calgary for ten years, Tariq recently relocated to Vancouver where he is currently working on new songs and playing guitar in the west coast band Brasstronaut.
Tinderbox
Golden Calgarian Kris Demeanor rekindles the creative bonfires of his youth once again performing with his sister Monika as the disarming nu-folk phenomenon known as Tinderbox. Combining their shared skills as singer-songwriters, the dynamic duo earned a reputation for bending their sibling rivalries into heavenly harmonics alongside original percussionist Ron Burland. A pleasant detour from Kris' usual post-pop acoustic guitar mash-ups, Tinderbox delivers winning numbers like “I Will Never Play Violin” and “Bucket of Frogs” with an earnest innocence that recalls a simpler era. Tinderbox’s deceptively adolescent storytelling and an equally sophisticated array of shimmering strings coalesce into one masterful presentation of innate aptitude and intuitive, almost telepathic, musical collaboration.
Wagbeard
Venturing forth from the desolate, Hoth-like fury of Ice Station Debra to the frigid heart of the Canadian prairies in mid-winter, Wagbeard is a classic-Calgarian rock ‘n’ roll entity that has been frozen in time for your entertainment. Their only demand — that we alter their pants as the current fashion dictates.
"CJSW has been the best place for bands to get heard in Calgary, “ explains Steve Elaschuk (bassist for Wagbeard and fellow 25th anniversary performers, Field Day). “It was an awesome milestone for Wagbeard when CJSW started playing our stuff. It definitely helped get our name out there and people at our shows. I still think it’s the best way for new bands to get exposure in Calgary."
Woodpigeon
Ripping the pages from Calgary’s collective songbook, Mark Hamilton’s nu-folk/neo-pop brigade is a polyphonic spree of equally capricious proportions and portent. Darling of local scene and well-received envoy to Europe, Woodpigeon is the roost for numerous CJSW affiliates. A rotating collective of largely homegrown talent, Woodpigeon’s orchestra boasts a veritable yearbook of names: Kenna Burima, Daren Powell, Annalea Sordi, Aimee-Jo Benoit, Peter Moersch, Mike Gratton, Foon Yap, Brent Follett, Shane Turner, Ian Somers, Arran Fisher, Chris Dadge, Louise Hull, Joe Porn, Malcolm Benzie, Bart Bartholomew, Clea Foofat, Rob Ranger, Aaron Meyer, and others.
CJSW DJs
CJSW’s own DJs will also be stepping up to strut their stuff live as they lay down the solid beats and stone cold grooves that are the backbone of the radio station’s legendary volunteer-based programming. Trip the light fantastic in-person as DJ Rob Faust, magnanimous host of Flashlight Fridays at the Hi-Fi Club and CJSW’s The Electric Company (airing 2-4pm Tuesdays), works his mixological magic. Host of the longest running drum and bass show, the Lotus Queen (of Remote Emissions, airing 10:30pm-midnight Fridays) will provide a beguiling DnB and dubstep fix. Our favourite Brit and the Prime Minister of Vibe, Sideshow Sid of The Musiquarium (airing 6-7pm Fridays) will be dishing out a mesmerizing education for dancefloor lovers. Lastly, reggae fans will assuredly recognize the booming bass of DJ Leo C’s good vibrations as the Reggae Fest co-founder and host of CJSW’s Caribbean Link-Up (airing 4-6pm Saturdays) entertains the throbbing masses with his island rhythms. Wear comfortable footwear since each DJ boasts years of experience of packing dancefloors and creating the perfect soundtrack for the party that’s impossible to leave.
