Saturday, May 29th, 2010
CONTEST – Gord Downie & The Country Of Miracles / The Grand Bounce
AmazonWhen Sloan sang, “it’s not the band I hate, it’s their fans” in “Coax Me”, they were referring to Consolidated but the sentiment could well have applied to their fellow Canadian rock icons The Tragically Hip, who have the dubious honour of possessing some of the most obnoxious fans north of the 49th. My last run-in with them was thankfully some 17 years ago (whew!) but I still shake my head at the memory of them essentially booing Daniel Lanois off the stage at Molson Park, as though it would have brought The Hip out to play any sooner. And amazingly, all these years later, they still come out in throngs and sit through all the new material that the band continue to produce, just waiting to hear “50 Mission Cap” and “New Orleans Is Sinking” and high five one another.
So while I’m sure that Gord Downie appreciates his fans and the fact that they’re loyalty pays his mortgage, it’s not surprising that he’s felt the need to craft a solo career, separate from The Hip, that in theory allows him to explore his art without worrying about how it might be received by his band’s less open-minded fanbase. His third such solo endeavour The Grand Bounce finds him backed by a new band called The Country Of Miracles and produced by Death Cab For Cutie’s Chris Walla. With its bright, faintly country-rock vibe and Downie’s ever-evocative lyricism, The Grand Bounce is honestly the first Hip or Hip-related project I’ve listened to since the turn of the century and, if they’ve all been nearly as good as this is, perhaps I shouldn’t have let those aforementioned fans put me off their more recent works. That said, you still couldn’t pay me enough to go to a Hip show. No sir.
The Grand Bounce is out on June 8 on CD but the double-vinyl edition was quietly released yesterday and courtesy of Universal Music Canada, I’ve got a copy of the LP to give away. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want The Grand Bounce” in the subject line and your full name and mailing address in the body and get that to me before midnight, June 8 – contest open to residents of Canada.
Video: Gord Downie & The Country Of Miracles – “The East Wind”
Tags: Gord Downie, Tragically Hip
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5/30/10 12:31 am
.: chromewaves.net v7.5 » Blog Archive » CONTEST – Gord Downie … | Mark Guerrero Music says:[…] Continue reading here: .: chromewaves.net v7.5 » Blog Archive » CONTEST – Gord Downie … […]
5/30/10 9:48 am
Hesitantly, and while protecting my face: I’m pretty sure all 3 or Gord’s solo albums have credited his backing band as “Country of Miracles.” Runs away!
5/30/10 9:50 am
could well be; think this is the first one with them credited in the title, though.
5/30/10 11:38 am
You are correct. :)
5/31/10 2:55 pm
First off, Frank, I think your comments regarding Tragically Hip fans displays your ignorant mindset and will likely subject your career to a lifetime of blogging. I once admired this website for the content that it provided, however, after reading your entry I find myself disappointed. Clearly you ran into one or two “Captain Canucks” at a show 17 years ago and now you feel as if you have the right to critique fans as a whole. Seeing that you claim to have not heard any Hip or Hip-related material since the “turn of the century”, I would question whether you should be reviewing Gord Downie’s new album at all.
Quote: “…perhaps I shouldn’t have let those aforementioned fans put me off their more recent works. That said, you still couldn’t pay me enough to go to a Hip show.”
Perhaps those aforementioned fans are the reason the Tragically Hip are able to continue making music for Canadians to enjoy, the reason the Hip can make money in a Canadian music market and the reason you, sir, have a job today.
As a Tragically Hip fan who is not high-fiving at concerts, or singing the lyrics to Fireworks, I find your prejudice unnerving and would be honored to attend a Hip show in which you did not buy a ticket to. That ticket could go to a fan who enjoys the Hip’s music, both new and old, and I would hate to see it wasted on the likes of a poor music blogger like yourself.
6/1/10 2:16 pm
^ amazing.
6/5/10 6:25 pm
Whoa. I guess your views on the Hip kind of sting some people, Frank….
6/30/10 9:54 am
OH YES!
7/22/10 1:49 pm
When I saw Downie at a show a couple weeks ago for this album, the only high-fiving was initiated by Downie himself.