Tuesday, November 30, 1993

Propagandhi "How to Clean a Couple 'o Things" ep

This came out on Fat Wreck Chords. The songs on here are:
1. All Cops are bad, You Know...
2. Stick the Fucking Flag up your Ass, you Skinhead Creep

Blundermen "Blunder on Bikini Island" 10"

This is a record I put out on my label Ragamuffin Soldier Records. The band featured Pat Laso on bass, who used to sing in Kops for Christ, Niall Carsons on vocals and guitar, and Jon Harvie on drums and vocals. Jon and Niall went on to play in the Blastcaps and Warface and a few other side projects. They released a demo before this and recorded this at Rumenal studio, which had more to do with knowing Mike Pedrow from the Soup Club. Rumenal was his next venture. The songs on here are:
1. Don't Wanna Hear
2. Wasted Days
3. Atrophy
4. My Train's (Still at the Station of the Crass)
5. Objector
6. Fears of Yesterday
7. Greedy Hands Reaching

Friday, November 19, 1993

Release - SNFU “Something Green and Leafy This Way Comes” LP

Taken from excerpts in Chris Walter's "SNFU...What No One Else Wanted to Say".

"Something Green and Leafy this Way Comes" was recorded in August 1993.The album was recorded at Westbeach Recorders which is Epitaph's studio.

The band had waited months for Donnell Cameron to produce the record who after one day of recording checked himself into rehab. The band defaulted to using Joe Peccerillo who was Cameron's engineer. In hindsight the band feels that they should have waited on recording this.

The record was not the furious blast of old school punk that earlier albums had been, it capably demonstrated that SNFU was not ready to call it quits. Unfortunately fans did not immediately grasp the experimental tone of the album, and it would never get the props it desrved.

The band would shot a promotional video for "Reality is a Ride on the Bus" back in Vancouver. The band hired Dave Rees` brother-in-law who took live footage and random scenes of people riding the bus and blended them together. the video also has band members sitting in a bar wearing bus driver uniforms. In the last scene the band members chase a bus down the street and it fails to stop.

"Something Green and Leafy this Way Comes" was released in Mid-November by Epitaph Records. This was the first release on this label.

Although "Something Green and Leafy this Way Comes" wasn't what some people expected, the release is not without charm. The album opens with the catchy "Àll Those Opposed" in which Chi Pig thanks his parents for the support they offered him as a kid. Rob Johnson's bass leads the track.

"Reality is a Ride on the Bus" was written by the singer on his way to practise while riding the bus. The song starts off slow and then picks up to what folks are use to hearing form this band.

"Joni Mitchell Tapes" was inspired by a man who survived a bad car accident only to be trapped in the wrecked vehicle while Joni Mitchell played endlessly on the tape deck. This is one of Chi's favourite on the album.

"A Bomb" is not a song about nuclear war. It is a song about AIDS, which has killed mor people.
"Tin Fish" recalls subversive  submarine that fails to save the song's protagonist.

"Painful Reminder" concerns a crush the singer had on his grade eight teacher. He changed the sex of the singer from male to female to make it more palatable to the hetero world.

"Costume Trunk" refers to Chi's box of props, which he would dip into when the band performed live. The song is a metaphor for his sexual orientation.

"Gladly in Gloom" is about Chi's mom, but seems to reflect his own reclusive lifestyle.

"This is Goodbye" was written for Jon Card who the songer had all but given up for lost.

"Strangely Strange" is a song about Chi's mental state in which he declares being "Happier than a shit covered fly".

"X-Creep" is a revenge story in which an abused woman turn the table on her tormentor and sounds inspired by his mom's experience.

"Trudging" describes the need for the singer to get away from his band mates.

"The Great Mind Eraser" is a song about a man who had the power to wipe his mind of unpleasant thoughts.

"Limping Away" deals with the physical and emotional pain.

"Seven Minutes Closer to Death" is a 30 second piece about smoking.

"The Watering Hole" ends the album and is an ode to community bars.

The album is well written with loads of songs but lacks a stand alone hit. With exception of "All Those Opposed", the album does not have a song like "Time to Buy a Futon" or "Victim of a Womanizer". The gems on this record tend to blend in with the rest.

This was the band's first album in five years, it was the band's fifth album and their first on Epitaph Records.

01. All Those Opposed
02. Reality Is a Ride on the Bus
03. Joni Mitchell Tapes
04. A Bomb
05. Tin Fish

06. Painful Reminder
07. Costume Trunk
08. Gladly In Gloom
09. This Is a Goodbye
10. Strangely Strange
11. X-Creep
12. Trudging
13. The Great Mind Eraser
14. Limping Away
15. Seven Minutes Closer to Death
16. The Watering Hole