FEATURED IN THE FALL 2005 ISSUE

Cover Story / Special Section
O Canada: With Glowing Hearts We See Them Rise

It’s no secret to those who pay attention to indie rock that there have been a lot of great bands coming out of Canada in the last few years. Under the Radar decided to shine a spotlight on what is arguably the most vibrant indie rock scene in the world right now with a 35-page special cover story section on Canadian music. The issue features a fold-out cover, a first for Under the Radar, that is adorned with a group shot that includes members of various notable Canadian bands. Featured on the cover, from left to right, are: Sara Quin (Tegan & Sara), Amy Millan (Stars), Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene), Emily Haines (Metric), Murray Lightburn (The Dears), Natalia Yanchak (The Dears), Leslie Feist, Carl Newman (The New Pornographers), Tegan Quin (Tegan & Sara), and k-os.

The Canada section opens with a group photo that is spread across two pages, that was taken by Wendy Lynch at the Hillside Festival, in Guelph, Canada, and that features members of the following bands all-together: Apostle of Hustle, Broken Social Scene, Metric, The Most Serene Republic, Stars, and The Stills. The section features one main intro article written by August Brown, as well as separate articles on many of the Canadian bands, and includes articles on the following:

Apostle of Hustle: Writer Marcus Kagler interviewed Andrew Whiteman about Apostle of Hustle and collaborating with Broken Social Scene. Features a new photo taken by Wendy Lynch at the Hillside Festival.

Arts & Crafts Records: Arts & Crafts records is home to some of the best Canadian bands, including Broken Social Scene (the band’s Kevin Drew helped found the label to put out Broken Social Scene’s records), Apostle of Hustle, Feist, The Most Serene Republic, and Stars. Writer Frank Valish spoke to the label’s main-man, Jeffrey Remedios, about the challenges of running an indie label and Arts & Crafts’ future plans. Features a new photo of the label’s staff, taken at the Hillside Festival by Wendy Lynch.

Bell Orchestre: Writer August Brown spoke to Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry about his Bell Orchestre side-project and the challenges of balancing being in two bands at once.

Black Mountain: Writer John Srebalus interviewed this Vancouver based band about their acclaimed debut album, touring with Coldplay, and being influenced by Black Sabbath. Includes a photo of the band taken in Los Angeles by Ejen Chuang.

Broken Social Scene: Writer Matt Fink talked to Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning about the difficult and lengthy process involved in recording the Toronto-based band’s self-titled third album. “I thought it would be our last chance to gamble with sound and max everything out and make a beautiful mess. And that’s what it is. I feel like it’s this really beautiful mess,” Kevin Drew tells us in regards to the band’s third album. Features new photos taken of the collective by Wendy Lynch at the Hillside Festival.

Constantines: Writer Chris Tinkham interviewed this Toronto based band about their third album, Tournament of Hearts. With new photos of the band taken in Toronto by Davida Nemeroff.

The Dears: Senior Editor Mark Redfern interviewed Dears’ frontman Murray Lightburn about the band’s plans for their next album (the follow-up to 2003’s acclaimed No Cities Left), his recent marriage to fellow Dear Natalia Yanchak, and the recent birth of the couple’s first baby. Includes new photos of Lightburn and Yanchak taken in Montréal by Wendy Lynch.

Feist: Writer Gary Knight spoke to sometime Broken Social Scene collaborator, and Calgary native, Leslie Feist, about the success of her Let It Die solo album. Features new photos of Feist taken in Los Angeles by Wendy Lynch.

Final Fantasy: Writer Kate Mercier de Vriend interviewed Toronto-based musician Owen Pallet, who is known to some as Arcade Fire’s string arranger, about his Final Fantasy project. Photo by Davida Nemeroff.

Hank: Writer Marcus Kagler interviewed this crazy Toronto-based collective. Photo by Davida Nemeroff.

The Hidden Cameras: Writer Frank Valish spoke to Hidden Camera’s Joel Gibb and Maggie MacDonald about the Toronto-based band’s forthcoming new album Awoo.

The High Dials: Writer John Srebalus interviewed this Montréal -based, ‘60s-influenced band.

Hot Hot Heat: Writer Frank Valish interviewed Hot Hot Heat’s Steve Bays about his thoughts on the Canada scene and their early plans for their third album. Features a photo taken in Los Angeles by Wendy Lynch.

k-os: Writer August Brown interviewed this Toronto-based rapper about Canadian hip-hop, Kanye West’s presidential bashing, and more. Includes new photos taken in Toronto by Bryan McBurney.

Metric: Senior Editor Mark Redfern spoke to all of Metric about their second album, Live It Out. “I think as a band, we all feel like we’ve fought our demons and we all lost,” frontwoman Emily Haines tells us. Includes new photos of Emily Haines taken in a Canadian lake by Wendy Lynch.

The Most Serene Republic: Writer Frank Valish interviewed this young Milton, Ontario, based band about their frantic debut album, Underwater Cinematographer. Features a “human pyramid” photo taken at the Hillside Festival by Wendy Lynch.

The New Pornographers: Writer Jason “Fish” Fischer interviewed Carl Newman about The New Pornographers’ third album, Twin Cinema. “I’m trying to make music that works on a level like The Monkees. It’s just catchy music that people will want to listen to on repeat. But at the same time, I also want to give it that strange vibe that so many bands that I admire have,” Carl Newman tells us. Features new cinema-themed photos taken in Los Angeles by Wendy Lynch.

Pony Up!: Writer Frank Valish spoke to this Montreal-based all-girl band.

Stars: Writer Laura Ferreiro interviewed Stars’ Amy Millan and Torquil Campbell about the band’s recently released album Set Yourself on Fire, Canadian politics, and much more. Includes new photos taken of the band at the Hillside Festival by Wendy Lynch.

The Stills: Writer Gary Knight interviewed The Stills’ lead-singer Tim Fletcher about the departure of guitarist Greg Paquet and the recording of the Montréal-based band’s forthcoming second album.

The Squires of Pop: A Brief & Incomplete History of Canadian Rock: Writer Ryan Gillespie chronicles the musical history of Canada, from Neil Young and Joni Mitchell to Sloan and God Speed! You Black Emperor. Features an illustration by Foxmarnick.

Tegan & Sara: Writer August Brown interviewed Tegan & Sara’s Sara Quin about the success of their So Jealous album and the future of the band (who also includes Sara’s twin sister, Tegan Quin). Includes new photos of the duo taken in Los Angeles by Wendy Lynch.

Wolf Parade: Writer Marcus Kagler interviewed this Victoria, B.C., originating band about their acclaimed debut album, Apologies to the Queen Mary, which was partly produced by Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock.

Main Features

The American Analog Set: Writer Nick Green spoke to Andrew Kenny about The American Analog Set’s sixth album, Set Free.

Belle & Sebastian (in the studio): Writers August Brown and Gary Knight visited Belle & Sebastian in the studio in Los Angeles, as they were finishing up the recording and mixing of their new album, The Goal Keeper’s Revenge. Features new in the studio photos of Stuart Murdoch and Stevie Jackson taken in Los Angeles by Wendy Lynch.

Depeche Mode: Writer Marcus Kagler interviewed Depeche Mode’s David Gahan, Martin Gore, and Andrew Fletcher about the band’s new album Playing the Angel and about the secret to remaining relevant two and a half decades into their career. “We’ve never had an adult relationship. It’s like we’re still these fumbling late teens at school, awkward mates who kind of hang out together at night but then go home to their moms. We still have that relationship,” Dave Gahan tells us.

Directors Label Feature: The Directors Label DVD series showcases the work of music video directors. Writer Nick Hyman spoke to the latest music video directors to be showcased by this series: Anton Corbijn (Depeche Mode, Joy Division, Nirvana, U2), Jonathan Glazer (Blur, Jamiroquai, Radiohead, UNKLE, Sexy Beast, Birth), Mark Romanek (Fiona Apple, Johnny Cash, Jay Z, Madonna, Nine Inch Nails, One Hour Photo), and Stéphane Sednaoui (Bjork, Garbage, Red Hot Chili Peppers). Features a new photo-shoot with all four directors together, with photos taken in New York by Crackerfarm.

Richard Hawley: Senior Editor Mark Redfern interviewed Richard Hawley (formerly the guitarist for Longpigs and the touring guitarist for Pulp) about his third solo album, Coles Corner. Features a new photo taken in New York by Michael Lum.

Iron & Wine / Calexico: Writer August Brown interviewed Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam and Calexico’s Joey Burns about their new collaborative EP In the Reins.

Ladytron: Writer Joseph Ragusa interviewed Ladytron’s Daniel Hunt and Helen Marnie about the British band’s new album Witching Hour, touring China, signing to a major label, and much more. Features new photos of Ladytron taken in London by Derrick Santini.

My Morning Jacket: Writer Matt Fink spoke to Jim James about My Morning Jacket’s acclaimed new John Leckie produced album Z. Includes new photos of the band taken in New York by Michael Lum.

Rogue Wave: Writer Marcus Kagler spoke to Zach Rogue about Rogue Wave’s second album Descended Like Vultures, the band’s new fuller sound, and their multiple dream side-projects. “People were debating whether or not we’d sold out. I was like, ‘what are you talking about? I spent less money on this record than the first one. It’s us. It’s just louder,’” Zach Rogue tells us. Includes new photos taken in Chicago by Hayley Murphy.

Sigur Rós: Writer Matt Fink spoke to Sigur Rós’ Georg Holm and Orri Páll Dyrason (as well as to Sólrún Sumarlioadóttir of their string section) about the Icelandic band’s fourth album, Takk. “I don’t think you have to sing in English to make people understand music. I guess I can be quite proud that we are sticking to our native language and people still want to listen to us,” Georg Holm tells us. Features new photos taken in Los Angeles by Wendy Lynch.

Supergrass: Writer Matt Fink spoke to Supergrass’ Gaz Coombes about the Britpop survivor’s fifth, and darker, album, Road to Rouen.
Artists to Watch

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Writer Matt Fink spoke to this hyped Brooklyn-based band on the eve of their first major tour. Includes a new photo shot in New York by Derrick Santini.

Moonbabies: Writer Frank Valish interviewed this Swedish band.

Pilotdrift: Writer Marcus Kagler interviewed this eclectic and theatrical Texan band, who are signed to The Polyphonic Spree’s personal label, Good Records.

Chris Walla Explains It All

In his regular Under the Radar column, Death Cab for Cutie’s guitarist Chris Walla fittingly discusses some of his favorite Canadian bands, including bands like Destroyer, The Flashing Lights, Hot Hot Heat, and others.

Reviews

Over 120 albums, EPs, singles, DVDs, and books reviewed. Some of the bands reviewed in this issue include:

The American Analog Set
Angels of Light & Akron/Family
Animal Collective
Devendra Banhart
Bell Orchestre
The Beta Band
Beulah
Big Star
Black Dice
Boards of Canada
The Boo Radleys
Brakes
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Broadcast
Broken Social Scene
Broken Spindles
Ian Brown
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Clue to Kalo
Constantines
Deerhoof
Dengue Fever
Depeche Mode
Dios (Malos)
Rob Dickinson
Dirty Three
The Double
Greg Dulli
Dungen
Echo & the Bunnymen
Faithless
The Fall
The Fiery Furnaces
The Flaming Lips
Franz Ferdinand
Freakwater
Gang of Four
Mark Gardener (plus an album review section Q&A with him)
Giant Drag
Grandaddy
The Greenhorns
Matthew Herbert
Her Space Holiday
Idlewild
The (International) Noise Conspiracy
Iron & Wine / Calexico
The Joggers
Calvin Johnson
The Kingsbury Manx
Lake Trout
Lambchop / Hands Off Cuba
Le Tigre
The Like
The Long Winters
The Magic Numbers
Matt Pond PA
Metric
Malcolm Middleton
Moonbabies
Ennio Morricone
Morningwood
Mount Eerie
Mouse On Mars
Mum
My Morning Jacket
M83
Sinead O’Connor
Odiorne
OOIOO
Liz Phair
Pilotdrift
Pixies
Portastatic
The Rakes
Rogue Wave
The Rosebuds
Saint Etienne
Sigur Rós
Silver Jews
Sixteen Horsepower
Spacemen 3
The Standard
Stereolab
The Sun
Sun Kil Moon
Supergrass
Swords
Rosie Thomas
Thrice
Chad Van Gaalen
Tom Vek
Voyager One
Why?
Wolf Parade