--taken from: Exclaim!
by Alex Hudson
In our 2010 review of Dearly Beloved's Make It Bleed, we noted that the band were "taking a big step forward on all fronts." The Toronto-based indie alt-rock outfit are now looking to keep that momentum going with their latest album, Hawk vs Pigeon, which they will promote with a Canadian tour with Die Mannequin.
The curiously named new LP was recorded at Rancho De La Luna studio in Joshua Tree, CA and at the band's own Phoebe Street Studios. It will be released via eOne Music on May 22.
According to the band's Rob Higgins, Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene/Cookie Duster plays guitar and piano on the album opener "Miles Around," while other guests include Sloan's Patrick Pentland and Eagles of Death Metal/Queens of the Stone Age contributor Dave Catching.
Scroll past the tracklist to see the schedule for Dearly Beloved's upcoming Canadian tour with Die Mannequin. The outing finds the bands travelling from Ontario all the way to the West Coast and back.
--taken from: Exclaim!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Sloan: Juno Nominees' Next Album Might Sound Like My Bloody Valentine
--taken from: Spinner
by Jenny Charlesworth
Jay Ferguson and Patrick Pentland of Sloan aren't too interested in winning another Juno. Their longtime band are up in the Best Rock Album category for The Double Cross but the guys are pretty blase about it. So are the Canadian indie rock veterans too cool for award season? Nope, they're just design snobs.
"Junos now are horrible!" Pentland tells Spinner. "You don't want to win one, aesthetically."
"Unless they go back to the old design," jokes Ferguson. "Then we'll consider accepting one."
"I have my Juno above my kitchen cabinet, it's prominently displayed," he adds. "But it's the old-style one, the weird three-dimensional isosceles triangle."
The bandmates can have a good laugh over the Juno award revamp but they agree there's no need to mock the honour itself.
"I don't mean to downplay it at all," says Pentland. "Our Juno nomination is for our album, which we made with somebody -- Ryan Haslett was the engineer, Gregory McDonald plays with us and we have management and road crew -- so it's not just about celebrating the band, it's about celebrating everyone involved in the record and who helped to promote it. We don't take that lightly, it's nice to be nominated."
Sloan has been around for longer than most of the groups who will be walking the red carpet at Sunday's star-studded award show in Ottawa. And for that, the guys are truly thankful -- though their gratitude may be concealed by perfectly-timed jokes.
"I'm grateful that our band has been together for 21 years and we're still being recognized," says Ferguson. "There aren't that many bands up for an award that have been making records that long beyond Blue Rodeo and Ron Sexsmith; it's a younger kid's game."
While they band are happy to see The Double Cross rack up some Juno fanfare, they are a bit worried about what that means for the next record.
"We tend to do records in threes and I feel like this record is the third -- Parallel Play, Hit & Run and this record all have a similar feel to them -- which means that the next one will suck and then we need another rebirth," says Pentland.
"Although, I made a demo the other day in my basement that sounds like My Bloody Valentine so maybe we're OK, maybe we'll make a louder record."
"Yes," says Ferguson, "we're due for one of those records."
--taken from: Spinner
by Jenny Charlesworth
Jay Ferguson and Patrick Pentland of Sloan aren't too interested in winning another Juno. Their longtime band are up in the Best Rock Album category for The Double Cross but the guys are pretty blase about it. So are the Canadian indie rock veterans too cool for award season? Nope, they're just design snobs.
"Junos now are horrible!" Pentland tells Spinner. "You don't want to win one, aesthetically."
"Unless they go back to the old design," jokes Ferguson. "Then we'll consider accepting one."
"I have my Juno above my kitchen cabinet, it's prominently displayed," he adds. "But it's the old-style one, the weird three-dimensional isosceles triangle."
The bandmates can have a good laugh over the Juno award revamp but they agree there's no need to mock the honour itself.
"I don't mean to downplay it at all," says Pentland. "Our Juno nomination is for our album, which we made with somebody -- Ryan Haslett was the engineer, Gregory McDonald plays with us and we have management and road crew -- so it's not just about celebrating the band, it's about celebrating everyone involved in the record and who helped to promote it. We don't take that lightly, it's nice to be nominated."
Sloan has been around for longer than most of the groups who will be walking the red carpet at Sunday's star-studded award show in Ottawa. And for that, the guys are truly thankful -- though their gratitude may be concealed by perfectly-timed jokes.
"I'm grateful that our band has been together for 21 years and we're still being recognized," says Ferguson. "There aren't that many bands up for an award that have been making records that long beyond Blue Rodeo and Ron Sexsmith; it's a younger kid's game."
While they band are happy to see The Double Cross rack up some Juno fanfare, they are a bit worried about what that means for the next record.
"We tend to do records in threes and I feel like this record is the third -- Parallel Play, Hit & Run and this record all have a similar feel to them -- which means that the next one will suck and then we need another rebirth," says Pentland.
"Although, I made a demo the other day in my basement that sounds like My Bloody Valentine so maybe we're OK, maybe we'll make a louder record."
"Yes," says Ferguson, "we're due for one of those records."
--taken from: Spinner
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Welcome!
Sloan Stuff was created on Saturday, February 25, 2012 by a Sloan fan who wanted to make it easier for people to dig up information about the band.
It's a work in progress. Adding things little by little.
OK, the background isn't that great yet - bear with me.
It's a work in progress. Adding things little by little.
OK, the background isn't that great yet - bear with me.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Audiobiographical: Sloan
--taken from: Musings On Music
by Matt Laforest
Hailed as Canada’s answer to Nirvana and all things grunge, Sloan shot out of the underground in 1992 with their debut album Smeared which featured future classics “Underwhelmed”, “500 Up”, “I Am The Cancer” and more. Fast forward two years and Sloan had moved away from the noisy, feedback drenched sound of their debut and had embraced a more classic pop sound (although the pop songs were always there on Smeared, they were just disguised a bit). 1994’s Twice Removed is consistently hailed as a one of the best Canadian records of all time, and rightfully so.
My first memories of Sloan are a little hazy. I moved to Europe in the fall of 1992 and wasn’t aware of their meteoric rise on the Canadian music scene. When I returned to North American shores a few years later I was fully immersed in the burgeoning Britpop scene that was coming out of England. Even still, I remember seeing the video for “Coax Me” and thinking it was a great song. The same can be said for “People Of The Sky”, with the half sung, half spoken vocal delivery of drummer Andrew Scott. In a landscape of post-grunge, post-Nirvana clone bands, the songs really jumped out.
The follow-up to Twice Removed arrived in the form of 1996’s One Chord To Another, a contemporary throwback pop/rock record (does that make sense?). It wasn’t until early 1997 that I became a full fledged Sloan fan. Something just clicked and I got it.
It was around this time that I became really interested in independent record labels and, to my delight, I discovered that Sloan had their own label, murderecords. Originally created to release their debut EP, Peppermint in 1991, Sloan had resurrected the imprint after their subsequent split from DGC (who released Smeared and Twice Removed).
Another intriguing aspect of the band is that they’re all songwriters. Listening to their records for the first time is always interesting as you’re never sure who’s song is up next or which member will have the most songs on the record. For the most part they divvy up the songs in equal parts, but their have been anomalies. In concert, watching them switch instruments so every member has the opportunity to take centre stage is something to see.
Some of my favourite memories ever involve Sloan shows. The first time I saw the band live was at Edgefest ‘98 (a huge outdoor travelling festival). There was a signing tent where fans could line up and select bands would make appearances and meet and greet with fans. Much to my dismay, Sloan were scheduled in the tent at the same time Foo Fighters were on stage. Suffice it to say, the line wasn’t moving as fast as I would have liked and I began screaming at the top of my lungs “Get out, get out, get out” along to the Foos tune “Alone + Easy Target”. Yes, I was that guy. Everyone in line ahead of me does a one-eighty and I even managed to draw the attention of a couple of Sloan guys. Woops.
Then, in 2001, at Barrymore’s in Ottawa, the band were touring in support of Pretty Together. I’m standing watching The Dears (how awesome is that for a opening band?) and look to my left and there, standing right beside me is Sloan drummer Andrew Scott, taking it all in. Being the fan that I am, I figure I’ll never get another chance to ask him a question again. Now, everybody always thinks “If I could only ask so-and-so one question, it would be (insert question here)”. When, on a seconds notice, you find youself in that situation, sometimes the results are less than stellar, as was my choice. The drummer for The Dears is tearing shit up on stage and I turn to Andrew and think I’m asking a pretty “cool” question, not the usual drivel. “Hey Andrew, how’s it goin’? Question for you: in a drum battle between you and George, who do you think would win?”. Andrew raises an eyebrow and very matter-of-factly states “Are you watching this, he’d fucking kick my ass!”.
--taken from: Musings On Music
by Matt Laforest
Hailed as Canada’s answer to Nirvana and all things grunge, Sloan shot out of the underground in 1992 with their debut album Smeared which featured future classics “Underwhelmed”, “500 Up”, “I Am The Cancer” and more. Fast forward two years and Sloan had moved away from the noisy, feedback drenched sound of their debut and had embraced a more classic pop sound (although the pop songs were always there on Smeared, they were just disguised a bit). 1994’s Twice Removed is consistently hailed as a one of the best Canadian records of all time, and rightfully so.
My first memories of Sloan are a little hazy. I moved to Europe in the fall of 1992 and wasn’t aware of their meteoric rise on the Canadian music scene. When I returned to North American shores a few years later I was fully immersed in the burgeoning Britpop scene that was coming out of England. Even still, I remember seeing the video for “Coax Me” and thinking it was a great song. The same can be said for “People Of The Sky”, with the half sung, half spoken vocal delivery of drummer Andrew Scott. In a landscape of post-grunge, post-Nirvana clone bands, the songs really jumped out.
The follow-up to Twice Removed arrived in the form of 1996’s One Chord To Another, a contemporary throwback pop/rock record (does that make sense?). It wasn’t until early 1997 that I became a full fledged Sloan fan. Something just clicked and I got it.
It was around this time that I became really interested in independent record labels and, to my delight, I discovered that Sloan had their own label, murderecords. Originally created to release their debut EP, Peppermint in 1991, Sloan had resurrected the imprint after their subsequent split from DGC (who released Smeared and Twice Removed).
Another intriguing aspect of the band is that they’re all songwriters. Listening to their records for the first time is always interesting as you’re never sure who’s song is up next or which member will have the most songs on the record. For the most part they divvy up the songs in equal parts, but their have been anomalies. In concert, watching them switch instruments so every member has the opportunity to take centre stage is something to see.
Some of my favourite memories ever involve Sloan shows. The first time I saw the band live was at Edgefest ‘98 (a huge outdoor travelling festival). There was a signing tent where fans could line up and select bands would make appearances and meet and greet with fans. Much to my dismay, Sloan were scheduled in the tent at the same time Foo Fighters were on stage. Suffice it to say, the line wasn’t moving as fast as I would have liked and I began screaming at the top of my lungs “Get out, get out, get out” along to the Foos tune “Alone + Easy Target”. Yes, I was that guy. Everyone in line ahead of me does a one-eighty and I even managed to draw the attention of a couple of Sloan guys. Woops.
Then, in 2001, at Barrymore’s in Ottawa, the band were touring in support of Pretty Together. I’m standing watching The Dears (how awesome is that for a opening band?) and look to my left and there, standing right beside me is Sloan drummer Andrew Scott, taking it all in. Being the fan that I am, I figure I’ll never get another chance to ask him a question again. Now, everybody always thinks “If I could only ask so-and-so one question, it would be (insert question here)”. When, on a seconds notice, you find youself in that situation, sometimes the results are less than stellar, as was my choice. The drummer for The Dears is tearing shit up on stage and I turn to Andrew and think I’m asking a pretty “cool” question, not the usual drivel. “Hey Andrew, how’s it goin’? Question for you: in a drum battle between you and George, who do you think would win?”. Andrew raises an eyebrow and very matter-of-factly states “Are you watching this, he’d fucking kick my ass!”.
--taken from: Musings On Music
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