New Website

This blog hasn't been updated in a long time.  In fact, I'd kinda forgotten about it. Snowsuit Sounds has a new website! I'll keep this one around because it had some good interviews. 

Baby Eagle

This week saw the release of No Blues, the new album from Baby Eagle, otherwise known as Steve Lambke. Yes, the same guy who plays in the Constantines. I sent him some questions and he found the time to answer them.

When was Baby Eagle born?
Steve: I made the first record September 2005 in Winnipeg. Started playing shows January 2006 with an east coast tour with Jessie Stein/SS Cardiacs. That's when I called it Baby Eagle.

Who first turned you on to folk singing?
Steve: All this racket, all this singing is folk singing, right? Patti Smith says that rock and roll is the people's music; let's take it back, she says. Sometimes I like the acoustic sounds, when there is no amplifier. Same thing as punk rock I guess; it's there it's possible lets do it, but what do you have to say? What's the song going to be about?

Do you remember the first song you wrote? How did it go and would you be caught playing it today, in either the Constantines or Baby Eagle?
Steve: I do remember the first song I wrote. It's actually an alright song. I haven't played it in years. It's very much a teenage angst song. Yet it ends with a declaration of redefinition; the idea that the self and the relationship of the self to the world can be recreated. In that way it is like most of the songs I've written since, I guess. I've played it in a couple of bands but I can't see why the Constantines or Baby Eagle would ever want to play it.

The Constantines' song "Thieves" is one of my favourite songs, period, and I'm curious to find out more about what that song is about. It seems that song is about one particular experience, is that true?
Steve: 'Thieves' was very much based on a particular experience. Some of the specifics I made up, and some of the geography is a little confused. Some of the dialogue is real. Some of it is imagined. Every word is true.

What musicians do you listen to today?
Steve: I don't know man, we're in the middle of recording the Cons record and my head is spinning and I just want to go read a book or watch a movie or something.

This new album features even more guest players than your first one, all of whom you've toured and played with in the past. How did they end up accompanying you on the album?
Steve: All the musicians were in Shotgun and Jaybird. Our paths had been crossing for years. I was a fan. A very underated band. And a bunch of solid dudes. When you could see them play and how free they were with their approach to the songs, it was different from the records. Baby Eagle had played with them, the Cons had played with them a bunch of times. We met Fred up in the Yukon a couple of years back. There's some history. I was excited about playing with them. Those guys have a lot of feel. Jim had just moved into a 150 year old farm house out in the marsh. There was hardly any furniture yet. But good walls, and lots of space. I went there over Christmas holidays. Everyone was looking for an excuse to use that time for something out of the ordinary routine. Let's make a record. Julie only really got to come out one day, because she was spending the holidays with her family. But she was great. The track she sings lead on brings it all together. I got Will to play on that song when I came back to Toronto. His organ part is great.

I find with most Canadian albums I buy, I'll open up the sleeve and find that a bunch of other Canadian musicians I like have played on the album. I don't see that so much with music from other countries. What do you think it is about Canada that breeds collaboration like this?
Steve: It's the Canadian way. We're all in this together. Pool the resources. Pay your taxes.

Since there are so many people on this album, does this mean that you'll have other musicians with you live?
Steve: Shotgun will definitely be playing with me on this upcoming tour, and hopefully the Construction and Deconstruction folks. I think I might be playing a couple of shows later in the year with Christine Fellows and I think she'll be willing to help me out on stage.

Do you have a specific goal that you'd like Baby Eagle to achieve?
Steve: I want it to keep changing. I feel like it could be anything. I'd like people to hear the records. I want to keep making them.

Tunes: myspace.com/dreambabyeagledream

End of Chapter

I just finished saying goodbye to Darrin. This is the third time I've had to see Darrin off, but this year is different. We've never had unfinished business before. Our goal was to finish five episodes of Snowsuit Sounds by the end of summer. After finishing up with Episode #3, we realized that just wasn't possible. Still, we were hoping to have at least one more podcast done for you before he had to leave, but it just didn't happen. We had the whole episode planned out, and had already filmed one segment. You'll see it one day I'm sure, we're not just going to abandon it. I'm proud of what we've created, and we're excited to keep it going. Though we'll be in separate cities, we're going to try our hardest to continue with the podcast. Even if we don't get any episodes completed, keep your eyes on our YouTube page for other videos.

So that's all I had to say really. Thanks to everyone who has watched so far, or has helped get the word out, or even been featured on the podcast. It's been fun. See you again next summer.

We're Still Here...

There haven't been any updates for a while because Darrin and I have both been working full time at our actual jobs. No worries though, we've still been hard at work on Episodes #3, in fact, it should be ready soon. So hold tight, we're counting on you...

Importing Our Own

I just picked up the July issue of Exclaim which contains an interesting article about how many Canadian musicians find they get more attention from international labels then Canadian labels. They cite examples such as London Ontario's Basia Bulat, whose brilliant album Oh My Darling is only available in Canada as an import.

Read It Here

André Ethier

This week, André Ethier is releasing his third solo album, On Blue Fog, appropriately enough on Blue Fog Recordings. It's the follow up to last August's Secondathallam, and it was engineered and mixed by Paul Aucoin, who also played vibraphone on a couple of the tracks. Other guests include longtime collaborator Christopher Sandes, as well as former Deadly Snakes members Chad Ross and Matt Carlson.

Yesterday I saw André play an in-store set recently at Soundscapes in Toronto. I'm glad I finally saw him play since it makes up for the time a few years back when he came to Oshawa but I missed his set since it was a school night and I wasn't supposed to be out too late... and legally I wasn't supposed to be in a bar! Anyway, when I got home last night I decided to send André a few questions. Now I'm sharing his answers with you:

What's new in your life?
André: Not much is new. I sang the Canadian national anthem at Dodgers Stadium a couple of weeks ago. I met Lisa Loeb, who sang the American national anthem, and I think she was coming onto me. Do you know who Lisa Loeb is?

I was surprised to hear that you already had a new album coming out this week, how come the turnover rate between these albums was so quick?
André: The turnover happened quickly, yes. I guess that now that the Snakes have broken up, and I don't spend much time touring, I have more time to spend writing new music. Actually I have all the time in the world. For the past year or so, my job has been to paint. There is a gallery in New York that sells my paintings, and I have shows in America or Europe every few months. The sales of the paintings sustain me well. So I'm in my painting studio 5 days a week. I have a guitar in there, so a lot of writing gets done. Also I'm into putting out shorter records (9 songs ish) every 10 months or so. I just think that this process lends itself to a less labored recording.

How come this new album is on Blue Fog as opposed to Paper Bag Records?
André: I switched to Blue Fog because they seem more my speed. I'm into making records cheaply and efficiently and I'm really not into touring or talking about promotion. The bar is set slow and low with Blue Fog and that's how I feel about music biz stuff these days. I was feeling kind of like I didn't fit in at Paper Bag.

Who came up with the idea for the video for Mean Old World? I think the video is hilarious and want to know more about it.
André: I came up with the idea of ripping off Jimmy Page's dream sequence from Led Zepp's THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME, but the moment to moment nuts and bolts, and the references to the masons and stuff is all the directors Adam and Dave. They are the best. They are totally insane and want to make videos that are rad.

Exclusive Video:


Tunes: myspace.com/andreethier

It's Finally Here!

The first episode of Snowsuit Sounds has been released onto the internet. It took just over two weeks to make and I must say I'm very happy with the end product. Sure, it's not perfect, but I'm going to take everything I learned making it and make sure the next episode is that much better!