Saturday, January 8, 2011

OLD AMAZING TORONTO BAND COVER #2

Ok.. I was going to wait a little while to post this to let the last song and option to buy the record sink in, but I can't wait anymore. A few years ago me and marvelous Mark Fosco (darlings) recorded a YOUTH YOUTH YOUTH cover song called Domination for the BYO boxset anniversary edition. It was the best song on the comp, and amazing song altogether and we never got our copies of the boxset. But through the connection Fucked Up did end up playing the BYO bowling fest thing in Vegas last year where Damian witnessed a certain lead singer of Nofx get his ass eaten out at a fetish sex party (thats all i'll say about that). This was also my first and only slamming appearance as a hardcore vocalist since we broke up No Warning, and I must say - I am still The King. Jk. (not). Brian Taylor of Rotate This (or Mean Guy Brian as we used to call him growing up due to his curt nature as a record store guy [hear me yell "MEAN GUY" in the cover song below !!!!!!RESPECT!!!!!]) fronted Youth Youth Youth and I heard that when he heard the cover he hoped I would come down to the store and perform it with my shirt off. I am still considering doing this.

anyways.. here's the next old Toronto cover

when i was about 13 or 14 my favourite band from Toronto was a band called The Stiffs (not to be confused with this band who are also bomb). i also definitely never liked the Bare Naked Ladies when i was 10, i did like hayden though when i was 12. they were a 3 chord pop punk band influenced by green day and screeching weasel. the singer was short (like me) but had more of a hunch back. he had a pretty cool uni-brow too (uni brow = COOL SINGER). I saw them at battle of the bands shows before they started playing "real" punk shows at Club 360 with bands I never thought were any good (marylins vitamins, tire kickers) but everyone else in Toronto and on the local college radio punk shows (that damian and sandy from fucked up hosted!) loved..

I remember seeing Rob the singer at an empty battle of the bands in the east end of T.O smoking a cig in the club with a shirt that said "vampires suck". so cool. they covered "veronica hates me", i think, which I still think was a weird choice to this day.. great song though. their demos were lightening fast, and even sped up by the tape recorder sometimes (accidentally) to make them sound faster. It was like listening to a 35rpm band on 45rpms at all times. Their "RUMORS" demo is in my opinion one of the best Toronto releases ever (good luck finding it) and recently in exchange for recording a RAP VERSE for Damian on a certain Canadian rappers song featuring MOKA FUCKIN ONLY!!!! (i dont care this song is SICK), he gave me a cd of the demo he transferred from his cassette collection. The band eventually had to change their name and became Dead Letter Dept and put out an amazing EP on Ductape Records (RIP). Good luck finding THAT as well.

Rob the singer has a new thing called Rob Moir. Find it here. Not sure what the other dudes are up to, but I'm sure they are doing it at 45rpms. Also if the stiffs/dld ever do a reunion and don't invite me up to play 2nd guitar on a song ie, Rumors... actually, i won't care at all! I'll be psyched.

Naturally, I had to do a cover. Below you will find the original (AMAZING, listen to those drums) and my version which I tried to make sound like The La's or something with Anthony's 12 string lying around the studio. Also Vassil from City Sweethearts had come by the studio that day to go over some mixes I was doing for them. I made him play drums on the track very quickly before working on his stuff. I don't think he minded. Also, below you will find the YYY cover song (you can also download that from soundcloud, I think.. i made it available for everyone).

The "rumors" cover will be the B side to an upcoming 7" on Pleasence Records from Toronto. The single is called "Bedroom Eyes" and it will be the first Young Guv & The Scuzz record featuring all the band members, a new organ lady by the name of Robin who plays in a female weezer cover band called Sheezer (they are famous, look it up) and also Aerin from the Bitters on horns.

Also coming up on the same label is the Tropics "Pale Trash" record (best record of 2010 that never came out) I recorded for them a long long time ago that never came out on the label that agreed to do it, and a Huckleberry Friends 7" which is straight GINA BEATS as always.. More on Pleasence and the funny story about how I am connected to the dude that runs the label. Wow.

Rumors by Young Governor (stiffs [from toronto] cover) by youngguv

The Stiffs - Rumors by youngguv

Domination by YYY feat. Marvelous Mark & Young Guv by youngguv



4 comments:

Keith said...

Should be the A side

Robin in AZ said...

I got that Dead Letter Dept. "Yes you can't" 5 song EP.

Anonymous said...

"This was also my first and only slamming appearance as a hardcore vocalist since we broke up No Warning"

molested youth tape

Anonymous said...

this has to be the best example of much music/mtv music video horseshit, from that period..

to take a talented musician like cockburn [te-hee] and make him look like a total tool shows you what the music industry can and will do..

god bless rock and roll..

" "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."

hunter thompson..