Category Archives: Gord Downie

REVIEW: Exclaim! on The Grand Bounce

Posted on by

“Exclaim! Canada’s Music Authority” just posted a great review of The Grand Bounce. Check it out here.

Gord Downie and The Country of Miracles
The Grand Bounce
By Vish Khanna

Seven years since The Battle of the Nudes, the informal charm of the Country of Miracles is refined on The Grand Bounce, another remarkable offering by Gord Downie. In an introductory essay, Downie playfully recounts the inspiration for these songs, tonally encapsulating his open mindset for this band. Since emerging with 2001’s Coke Machine Glow, Downie has explored a looser, relatively more lo-fi sound than that of the Tragically Hip’s. And by recruiting underground aces Julie Doiron, Dave Clark, Dale Morningstar, Josh Finlayson and John Press for his band, Downie is surrounded by friends who inspire risk. Overseen by Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla, there’s a hazy summertime vibe to The Grand Bounce that’s perfect for cottage escapes and easy evenings. The mood is best exemplified on “Yellow Days,” featuring a murky groove propelling its imagery to slow dance like no one’s watching. But it’s present elsewhere too; the festive stomp of “Moon Over Glenora” features a sweet Downie/Doiron duet and even the dynamic build of “The Dance and its Disappearance” is celebratory fun. Downie’s songs may be more structured on The Grand Bounce, but that doesn’t curb the Country of Miracles’ enthusiasm.

Why spill so many beans in that essay?
Downie: Well, probably like any good fox, to throw off the scent to more beans that could be spilled, I suppose. In the past, I’ve held onto them like a pie maker who doesn’t want you to see how I make it. But there’s connectivity; people make things and go through a long, beautiful process to do it. I’d be selfish to not allow people to be part of that.

Your solo work seems less rickety now.
I hear what you’re saying. On the earlier records, you could hear chairs scraping, doors closing, muttering and things that gave them a lot of personality. I was more interested in Chris getting together with these guys; his sonic sense with their spirit. It was a hunch that together we’d do something interesting and I think it does still hint at process.

Do you delineate songs for the Country of Miracles and the Hip?
No, I still adhere to the Raymond Carver adage: “Use it up; don’t save a thing for later.” That lets me sleep at night. I get it and use it and then whatever’s up next, I do. (Universal)

Gord Downie & The Country Of Miracles at Enoch Turner Schoolhouse

Posted on by

On a rainy and damp Thursday night, approximately 100 lucky guests experienced a great night of live music at the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse. This 170+ year old schoolhouse (the first free school in Canada) was rocked by Gord & TCOM. The songs sound terrific live, and loud. The Drowning Machine was a particular standout – with the veins on Downie’s shaven head looking ready to explode!

The loose on-stage atmosphere left me with the feeling that we’d been let into the band, their club. Being so close allowed us to see and hear the little back-and-forths that go on between band members as they’re finding their groove within each track. Dale Morningstar appeared at times to be completed possessed by his guitar and the sounds he was wrenching from it. Dr. P filled out the sound on keys and organ – and grabbed an acoustic for the set closer. Josh Finlayson looked completely chilled, sitting on his amp while laying down some sweet bass lines. Dave Clark drums with an entertaining style that really complements the songs; Julie Doiron worked the distortion and her Vox amp to perfection.

And a couple of clips from the show that I found on YouTube:

TOUR DATES: Gord Downie solo

Posted on by

Sat 06/19/10 – Belleville, ON – Big Music Fest

Thu 07/01/10 Mississauga, ON – Mississauga Civic Center

Fri 07/09/10 Ottawa, ON – Ottawa Blues Fest

Sat 07/10/10 Sudbury, ON – Northern Lights Festival

Sun 07/11/10 Winnipeg, MB – Winnipeg Folk Festival

Thu 07/15/10 Bala, ON – The Kee

Sat 07/17/10 Windsor, ON – Downtown Windsor
Appearing at “Blues Fest International”

Sun 07/18/10 London, ON – Downtown London
Appearing at “Blues Fest International

Sun 07/25/10 Guelph, ON – Hillside Festival

Sun 08/15/10 Salmon Arm, BC
Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival Grounds

From the CBC Archives…

Posted on by

Gord Downie: Musician at work
Broadcast Date: Feb. 11, 1999

The Tragically Hip is one of Canada’s favourite bands, selling out arenas with music powered by driving guitars and thoughtful lyrics. In concert, lead singer Gord Downie doesn’t just perform the songs: he inhabits them, always in motion and in the moment. In 1999, as the Hip launch a tour to promote the album Phantom Power, Downie tells reporter Laurie Brown it took just one rehearsal before the band felt like a success. “You come out of the place with a secret in your heart,” says Downie. “And that’s success, you know, feeling that you’ve got something in store.”

Click here to visit the CBC site which includes a video interview.

CANOE.CA: The Sadies team with Gord Downie

Posted on by

My how times flies….

The Sadies team with Gord Downie

By FISH GRIWKOWSKY – Sun Media

Given the Sadies secret status as one of the worlds wickedest bands – country, rock or otherwise – it was vaguely surprising to find them unscheduled on the mainstage at Folk Fest double-oh-eight.

But shucks – its just as easy not to complain right?, given their time among us has been subsequently partitioned throughout the weekend – including a gratifying whopper Canadiana session tonight at 7:30 p.m. on Stage 1, the eastern border of New Folkland.

The brothers Travis and Dallas Good call from between Canmore and Calgary, intending fully to have pulled up into town last night to sample our party culture once again. Their persistent friendliness has them in some spectacular collaborations coming up, but just read on …

SUN MEDIA: “New Seasons was one of my favourites last year. Can you tell me a little about what Gary Jayhawks Louris brought into the studio? Dudes a pro playa, obviously.”

TRAVIS GOOD: “He helped from the ground up. He helped with the writing, the arranging. Vocally, he really pushed us. He thinks of things Ive never really thought of when I sing. And he was there, looking over our shoulder, reading what we were writing.”

SUN MEDIA: “What would he suggest with your singing?”

TRAVIS: “Oh, to do another take. Laughs hard. In the earlier records, we would do a couple takes and Id say, Well, thats what I sound like. If its squawky, thats my voice. But hed get us to do it 10 times, a bit of a slave-driver, that man. For me the vocals are the hardest thing, so its the first thing I want to abandon … get right to the guitar as quick as I can.”

SUN MEDIA: “Eat your vegetables so you can have dessert.”

TRAVIS: “Yeah, exactly.”

SUN MEDIA: “You guys are obsessive collaborators – is there anything you can let out of the bag coming up youre working on?”

TRAVIS: “Oh, for sure We just did a thing with Garth Hudson and Mary Margaret OHara, a Band tribute record Garths throwing together. All Canadians, hes producing and playing on it. We just finished a country record with John Doe. And weve been chipping away recording with Gord Downie. Like with Gary Louris, weve been talking about how, Wouldnt it be nice if we did something one day? Weve been in the studio and done some work since. We did a couple songs thatll be on a compilation for the Waterkeeper Foundation.”

SUN MEDIA: “Part of making music together is friendship – you looking forward to hanging out with some musicians at the Folk Fest, onstage, backstage?”

TRAVIS: “Sexsmith should be pretty easy. Weve talked about doing stuff with him, too. So you never know. Laughs. We met Robyn Hitchcock at one of those and it went really good, we ended up recording with him. Same with Jim White. It can go either way, really good or really bad.”

SUN MEDIA: “As long as everyones joining in, its great.”

TRAVIS: “Yeah, I dont like the circle, going around, staring at the sun while a persons doing a solo thing. Not my bag. Hey, you want to talk to Dallas a bit?

SUN MEDIA: “If I have to. Just kidding – yeah. Extended phone rumbling. Dallas, whats the new album looking like?”

DALLAS: “Weve got a bunch of songs weve been working on with Gary, but I dont think well get a chance to revisit them until December. But considering the album that were working on with Gord is going to be original and with an equal amount of input, we dont want to sell anything short there.

“Even though we have three records on the go right now, not including our own or the stuff we did with Neko Case on her upcoming album, I still like to think of everything one project at a time. Last month in particular I was working on four separate projects simultaneously. Ive felt a little overwhelmed lately, because I do all the mixing, too. But Im a bully with that. But whatever. Dont cry for me, Im already dead. I dug my own grave and someday Ill gladly get to lie in it.”

The Sadies play tonight; tomorrow 1 p.m. on Stage 1 and 5 p.m. on Stage 2; finally, 11 a.m. Sunday on Stage 6.