Talented Canadian Bums
Years ago I worked at Yesterday & Today Records in Rockville, a verrrrry well known (former) record store, the former place of employment for lots of local musicians like Henry Rollins, Ian McKaye , Guy Picciotto & Joe Canty from Fugazi, several members of that shitty group VELOCITY GIRL (!) as well as that cool guy Jon Bass (whatever happened to...). I got fired, as did everyone who worked there eventually. Anyways, they had a bin in th e "W" section marked "Talentless Canadian Bums", which upon inspection was actually the section for THE WACKERS featuring The Nick Lowe of Canada, Bob Segarini. This blog ain't about him, or Nick Lowe for that matter. I'm gonna talk about this OTHER Canadian group I discovered several years ago in the Music Trader in the halcyonic youthful optimistic record selling days. THE PLASTIC CLOUD were a Toronto area (actually I think they were from Hamilton) psychedelic-garage four piece, I glommed on to the import dub copy of the CD in the stores meager CD assortment, not like anyone was ever going to buy it anyways, but lost it not long after that, and always looked for a replacement only to find that nobody in the world had ever heard of it. Had I imagined it? It seemed that may have been possible as I cannot imagine more perfect psych-rock OUTSIDE of my own head, it's an amazing sounding record full of great fuzzy-buzzy guitars, association-like vocal harmonies, semi-topical seeming "issue" lyrics with a Dylanesque vagueness, banging drumming, the best "Keith Moon style" drumming outside of a reel-full of out-takes of COBWEBS AND STRANGE. THe vocalist was named Don Brewer and I always wondered if he was the same guy from GRAND FUNK RAILROAD (answer: no). This track in particular always stayed with me, it's got everything I like, different time signatures, repeating refrains, references to glue sniffing (the ESSENCE of rock + roll!) and a great punk title "YOU DON'T CARE". I never made a tape of it. When it went missing it was ...just gone! Imagine my relief last year when Tracey & I were in Baltimore & stopped by that great store in Fell's Point SOUNDGARDEN , and lo and behold there was a major excellent vinyl reissue! In replica gatefold cover, heavy duty binding- the sleeve itself weighs like a pound, made from the same heavy duty construction as those old PROJECT THREE and London records PHASE-4 STEREO ping-pong album gatefolds, label replica,200gr. vinyl- the works. Just beautiful and a limited edition deal of 250 to boot! Listening to this cut makes me wonder, was there actually something in the air back then, bands & musicians just "got it", or is it just coincidence, all this the results of a grand naive experiment: the music of that era is timeless, even most of the stuff you've never heard of. Like The PLASTIC CLOUD. Enjoy, man!
