D.O.A.'s Dave Gregg Passes Away

I only got to catch D.O.A. with Dave Gregg once. But I have always loved those early D.O.A. records. To me, Something Better Change and Hardcore '81 meant punk rock. I knew next-to-nothing about the Sex Pistols or Ramones or whatever you call punk rock. But I knew D.O.A. When I first heard The Dickies, I thought, "That's not punk rock! They sound NOTHING like D.O.A.!"

Gregg played guitar with D.O.A. from '80 to '88, opening my ears and mind and heart to a whole new strain of music I didn't know existed.

Sadly, Gregg died yesterday.


 The Enemy

General Strike

The Prisoner

Waiting for You

Watcha Gonna Do?

Slumlord

Unknown

War

Photo at top by Alex Waterhouse-Hayward.

The Juno Awards - Best New Band Over the years

The Juno Awards are happening in Winnipeg this year, and Robin Thicke was supposed to come but dropped out at the last minute. A fellow I know tweeted, "Thicke's absence opens the door for 13 Engines". I wish.

I went swimming through some history on the Juno Awards, mostly on the category which began as Most Promising Group and morphed into Best New Group/New Group of the Year/Breakthrough Group of the Year. It's easy to find fault in hindsight, but I still think there have been a few odd choices. Some nuggets for ya:

 In 1977, Burton Cummings won for most promising male vocalist. One of the his competitors? Winestoned Plowboy Nestor Pistor.


In 1980 and 1981, Bryan Adams lost out for most promising male vocalist, to Walter Rossi in '80 and Graham Shaw in '81.

Graham Shaw is pretty good though.


In 1998, Age of Electric received a nomination for Best New Group. The band had been releasing albums since 1990. Strangely enough, AOE members Ryan and Kurt Dahle formed a side project called Limblifter, put out a self-titled album in 1996, and managed to get nominated for the Best New Group award - the year BEFORE their old band did.

Age of Electric


Limblifter


1983 saw Rational Youth, The Box, and Images in Vogue lose out to Idle Eyes for Most Promising New Group.

Rational Youth




The Box




Images in Vogue


In 1979, Max Webster lost out for Most Promising Group of the Year to some group called Hometown Band.

Max Webster


Martha & the Muffins and Red Rider lost out in '81 AND '82. One year they lost to Powder Blues Band.

Martha & the Muffins


Red Rider


In 1991, Spirit of the West, Crash Vegas and National Velvet lost out to Leslie Spit Treeo.

Spirit of the West


Crash Vegas


National Velvet


Have the Junos ever gotten this award right? Maybe. Like The Stills and Wintersleep, for example. Rush, Skydiggers, The Hip and The Payolas won, so I am sure some people feel that there have been a few worthy wins.

The Stills


Wintersleep


Skydiggers



However, in 1986 Chalk Circle went up against Cats Can Fly, Eye Eye, One to One, and Glass Tiger. Chalk Circle was robbed, robbed I tell ya.

Chalk Circle
 

Deer Tick - Negativity and The Curtain

Deer Tick have the power to make a person believe in rock and roll again. At least they do for me, much like The Hold Steady did a few years back. If you appreciate that band, or Drive-by Truckers, or The Replacements, then you owe it to yourself to give Deer Tick a listen or two or three. The band's newest album Negativity is at turns precious, abrasive, delicate, fiery, pretty, and ragged.


Actually, those adjectives might all be relevant even if you just listened to the first song, The Rock. These Deer Tick boys have got it all covered.

But second track The Curtain is the song that calls me back to it every day. I don't even want to talk about it, it's so good. Do yourself a favour and go get it. All I can offer you is some live versions below, but make sure you track down the album version. It is sublime.

The Curtain

The Curtain

The Curtain

The Dream's in the Ditch/ The Rock

Mirror Walls

Big House

Mr. Sticks (Live at KDHX)

Some older stuff for ya. Born at Zero

20 Miles

The Bump

Main Street

Deer Tick - Beautiful Girls (Sean Kingston cover)

Blood Moon

Baltimore Blues No. 1

In Our Time (Live at KDHX 8/9/13)

Piece by Piece and Frame by Frame

Deervana