Windsor DIY Archive

Brown Hornet- Greatest Hits (1995)

2011-10-10T17:35:00.000-07:00

Visually reminiscent of Boris the Sprinkler, and sonically comparable to some Angry Samoans records, Brown Hornet were a cherished Essex County anomaly that i get requests for regularly. Ladies and Gentleman, Brown Hornet front man Ed LeBlanc:

"Brown Hornet got its start when JEFF (bass) and I (ED, guitar), skateboarded together back in high school in the early 1990’s. We’d skate Jeff’s mini-ramp in his backyard out in LaSalle and then jam out song ideas on his guitars. Jeff had already been playing guitar for a while and I had recently picked up a few lessons from another skate friend, Brad Matthews (RIP).

Influences around that time included many punk, indie and hardcore bands (think SST, Dischord, SUBPOP) we discovered through reading Thrasher or watching skate videos. The band name was borrowed from a character on the old Fat Albert cartoon from the 1970’s (look it up on YOUTUBE). The concept was to write short songs about random, weird topics and not take ourselves too seriously.

We eventually recruited two other L’ESSOR classmates, FRANK (vocals) and SCOTT (drums) to round out the Brown Hornet lineup. At first we played classic rock covers at school functions and assemblies. Eventually we built up the courage to play original tunes. Our first non-school show was an open-mic jam at a place in Leamington. We sat patiently through about 7 or 8 other bands. Then, right before we were about to play, a fight broke out and the place emptied out. Not an encouraging start.

The next show was at Jimmy’s Pub and it went over a bit better. It was memorable due to one band member drinking a bunch of whisky beforehand and starting off the set by puking in a bucket on stage. Despite initial worries we would not be invited back to Jimmy’s, we did go on to play there several more times between 1994 and 1995 with other bands such as The Implants, Evil Mind, Plastic Gary, and Shun. Besides Jimmy’s, we also played Windsor venues like the Coach, the Spotted Dog and the Masonic Temple.

We released one cassette towards the end of our run. It was recorded in Scott’s parents’ garage in St. Joachim, where we used to practice. It was recorded on a Ghetto Blaster style tape recorder, so the sound quality was decidedly “lo-fi.” (We had approached Leone’s about renting a 4-track machine but found their overall attitude and customer service skills unsatisfactory).

Brown Hornet pretty much dissolved after high school. Jeff and Scott left Windsor to pursue post-secondary education. Frank and I played a few more shows with JOHN on bass and GAVIN on drums before calling it quits.

Brown Hornet was great fun. Much love and respect to Jimmy’s Pub and everyone there who made that scene possible."

Related: Flying Bears of Vengeance, Way Too Gigolo, Hogfat, the Vaudevillianaires, etc.

Download.

Holloway Roberts- S/T (2007)

2011-07-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

In all honesty, when this band was active and this CD first came out, all i could think was 'Hot Cross'. The screamy back up vocals and some of the guitar noodling really reminded me of a mathy Philadelphia hardcore band called Hot Cross that was active in the early 2000's. Now that a few years have passed and I've listened to it with "fresh" (severely damaged) ears, the CD seems to have a lot more in common with celebrated Edmonton group Choke, with a little Drive Like Jehu lurking in the periphery. Like most young ambitious bands, they pressed way too many CD's and broke up soon after, so if you'd like a physical copy for free, contact this guy: deadmellotron@gmail.com

Related: Dinosaur Bones, Kid Brother, the Archives, Orphan Choir, Ocean Born, Radio Adelaide, etc.

Download.

July 2011

2011-07-03T17:37:00.000-07:00

hello all,
gonna be back in action this month. some upcoming highlights include Holloway Roberts, Pudfuzz, Machines, Brown Hornet, the infamous Face Down 'sign me' demo, and a whole lot more. Keep in touch and check back later in the month. Send any requests or contributions to jimxmeloche@gmail.com

Bag- Barf (1998)

2011-02-18T19:08:00.000-08:00

Originally 'Superbag' and quickly shortened, Bag was another Amherstburg export. This is Bag's second record 'Barf'. It's a doozy. A pummeling amalgamation of rock, metal, and grunge. I hear Tad, Jesus Lizard, some 'Bleach'. From the desk bassist of Andrew Buckie:

"Barf was our second album, it was recorded in Dan Iovino’s basement. We setup a makeshift 8’ x 8’ room with chipboard, we were experimenting with having a really live room sound and I think it gave the album a distinctive sound, you can notice the early reflections in the guitar sound. We recorded it straight up analog on to 1/2" Ampex 456 with a TEAC 80-8 reel to reel 8-track and then mixed it down to VCR tape. I made some notes below on what I can remember about some of the songs:

Bag- The vocals sound really crunchy because the song was sung through a Boss “Heavy Metal” HM-2 distortion pedal. If you listen closely at the very end after the sample you can hear us laughing our asses of because we hadn't heard the sample before, only Dan had.

Hitting a Cow in the Head with a Sledgehammer Until it's Dead- Apparently this song is about a traumatic experience Dan had while he was a kid.

The Last Song Ever- We had a mix-down party and invited a bunch of friends over. We hid a mic in the room where everyone was partying and that is where we got the sample at the beginning. For the end of that song when we were mixing it down we had a mic recording us smashing beer bottles, I think we broke about 2 cases. When we went back to listen to the results we realized that hadn’t pressed record and had to smash another 2 cases of bottles.

Sloth- This song was never released because we did some crazy mix down of it with laser and space ship sound effects or something like that and weren't happy with it. I dug the reel out a year or two later and mixed it down so we could have a decent copy of it."

Related: Ton, Blastphemy, Blackbarn, etc.

Download.

Why Be Something That You're Not

2011-02-13T19:04:00.000-08:00

No matter how hard some folks try to shake it, Windsor and Detroit are forever synonymous, both geographically and musically. Fans of early 80's hardcore from both sides of the border would be wise to pick up last years book by Tony Rettman published by Revelation Records. 'Why Be Something That You're Not' focuses on the American side of the river, but a legendary Windsor venue gets a brief but worthy mention. Hardcore history in our back yard.

From the book:

Coronation Tavern
Sleazy dive bar across the border into Windsor, Ontario infamous for its skillet swinging proprietor and lax attitude towards underage patrons.

5/23/1981- D.O.A/Necros
8/2/1981- Minor Threat/Necros/Meatmen
9/5/1981- the Fix/Meatmen
10/17/1981- Necros/Negative Approach/Youth Patrol/Suburban Anger

the Wrestlers- "Plantasia" Demos (1994)

2011-01-26T13:01:00.000-08:00

When first approaching people about getting material to post on this blog, my first request was usually the Implants. I'm not gonna kiss their asses too much, but suffice to say I'm excited to bring you unreleased music recorded shortly before they disbanded (by then, renamed 'the Wrestlers'). What we have here is a quick mix by Andrew Buckie of 8-track recordings intended for an unreleased album (presumably titled 'Plantasia' which is embedded in the tracks). Below is a brief history of the band by vocalist Shane Knapp:

"I think we started around 1992. I was about 17? These guys we know were putting on a show at a church, we wanted to play, so we started a band. I used to scream about high school shit. Girls, school buses, etc. I was just discovering death metal, but remember being mostly into stuff like the misfits, red hot chili peppers, descendents, sick of it all, MOD, black flag, etc, because that was what skateboarders listened to then. Anyway, I used to bug Kevin to play faster all the time. To me, every riff he wrote sounded like it was stolen from the first danzig LP. I swear Jamie played a different bass line every time, but it usually worked. Tom was just a solid as fuck drummer and a solid guy, period. I was young and naive. People told me I was a good singer, and I started to believe them. I used to try to "sing" after a while, of course it sounded terrible. We played our second show, and just about every one after that at Jimmy's pub in Amherstburg. People started to show up in droves. I cant help but think that it was only out of small town boredom, but who cares. It was great being able to skate the curbs across the street, then go in and play. Someone told us there was another band called the IMplants, so we changed our name to the wrestlers. LAME! For a while, Kevin used to play our tape at every party, or get together. I hated it, I was so embarrassed and hated the sound of my own voice. I really got sick of, and couldn't stand these songs for years. There were a lot of fights and bullshit; of course it wouldn't last. I'm glad it didn't. The jocks showed up, and beat up my friends. The skinheads came, and beat up my friends. The bikers that were already there didn't really say too much. Here are a few highlights:

-played a frat party, ten minutes in were told that all our equipment will be smashed if we don't stop.
-opened for the murder junkies in Detroit, they didn't show up. the Detroit punkers hated us.
-played Spinners, everyone stood and stared, we got paid 200 dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Related: the Implants, Godinaheadlock, the Best, Val Killmore, Booga Nose Funk MC's, etc.

Download.

Contradict- Banging Our Heads Against These Walls Again (2001)

2010-12-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

Packaged in a nice little 8.5 x 5.5" zine, this was Contradict's third and final release, following their demo CD and split 7" with thee Outcasts. The music falls somewhere between Frail and Fugazi. Brutally honest, sincere, and self explorative, these fine young fellows really believed what they were singing about and stuck with social justice issues when the band ended and they hit the real world.

Related: Hope in the Wings, Searchingforchin, etc.

Download.

Lennigan- EP (2002)

2010-11-17T20:20:00.000-08:00

Harrow area melodic punk. I love and can closely relate to county born bands. They have to dig a little deeper, work a little harder to make it to the ‘big city’ to play shows and make a name for themselves. Heavily influenced by Fat and Epitaph classics, this brief slice of pop punk gold holds up quite nicely compared to most of their contemporaries. Against the pop punk backdrop and occasional metal riff, James’ voice reminds me of Rory from the Impossibles. ‘On a Curb’ is unreal.

Related: James O-L and the Villains, the Sean Connery Super Group.

Download.

Sewing With Nancie- Discography (1998-2002)

2010-09-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

Possibly my laziest entry (because it just links to another site), but an essential one nonetheless. Leading up to SWN’s farewell tour, the fine folks at Juicebox records posted their entire discography up for free (donation suggested) download. That includes the following releases: Out for Gary, Lod Rudos, the Same Three Chords, Value Pack, Take a Look at Yourself, Silence is Bliss, and a few B-sides. In case you’re not familiar, Sewing With Nancie started playing pop punk when it was slightly frowned upon within the local punk scene. They stuck with it, and a huge all ages following was their reward. If you were present in the years that followed, their influence was very apparent, and dozens of copycats filled the community centres and high schools of our fair city.

Related: the Reason, Uma.

Download.
(links to juicebox, scroll down and hit the download link)

Monolith- Demo (2009) + Bonus

2010-08-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

Fans of Meshuggah, here ya go. And I could be full of shit, but I believe this is our second entry of unreleased music as well. Monolith was a short lived pummeling monster that featured a who’s who of Windsor’s heavy musicians. Tracks 1-3 were featured on the ‘demo 2009’ release, but 4-5 were intended for an unfinished CD and are new to your ears if I’m not mistaken. Thanks to Gary for the contribution.

Related: Royal Dose, Grand Marais, Machines, Shinje, Closed Casket Funeral, Woods of Ypres, Days Fade, Shot Down Stars, False Hopes, etc.

Download.

Soyl- That (1994)

2010-08-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

This CD came out when I was 14. I wasn’t too in tune with this side of the local music scene in ninth grade, but Soyl was one of the names that I’d always hear/read about at the time. An even mix of mid 90’s alternative rock influences. ‘Tinfoil Ring’ reminds me a bit of Hum. The opening guitar part on ‘Slipping’ brings to mind some of the first Placebo LP. Expect a lot more of the ‘Loaf’ records catalog to turn up on here soon.

Related: Fjord Rowboat, etc.

Download.

Ron Leary- Lapse (2002)

2010-07-04T20:12:00.001-07:00

Hands down, Ron Leary is in my top three for local favorites. Though he moved on to Toronto last year, his songs are simply saturated in thoughts and images of Windsor in the greatest possible way. To celebrate the release of his brand new album ‘Dependent Arising’, we dug up this EP from 2002. Much like the new album, ‘Lapse’ saw Ron accompanied by longtime producer/collaborator Dean Drouillard (another fantastic Windsor export). Take a listen to a younger/greener version of our most consistent and hard working musician.

Download.

Prehistoric Cavestrokers- Let's Id! (1985)

2010-07-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

I’m familiar with Windsor’s punk timeline to extent, but there’s a big gap for me between the first wave stuff (the Spys, the Dry Heaves, etc) and the mid 1990’s when I dove in. That’s a solid 15 years give or take. Thus began my research, and I know that one key piece to the puzzle was this little gem. Here’s some real info straight from the horses mouth. Ladies and gentleman, PHCS vocalist Marc Fedak:

“The Prehistoric Cavestrokers formed in Windsor in March 1985. The original lineup was Dan Moriarty on lead vocals, Jono Fiddler on drum (yes, at that time he only had a snare drum) and cymbals and backing vocals, Lyndon Way on bass and backing vocals and occasional lead vocals, and myself on rhythm guitar and backing vocals and occasional lead vocals. Later members included James Nemeth on bass and backing and occasional lead vocals, and Jerry Rozon on drums (a full kit!).

I was the only one who was previously in a band, so needless to say, we were pretty naive and low-tech, low-fi when we first started -- in fact, when we played our first show at a gong show at the U of Windsor pub three days after forming, we got gonged twice. Fortunately, that did not dissuade us from performing again, and as time went on, we became better performers, but we always retained the garage rock element ‘til our dissolution in 1991. We usually played in the few bars that tolerated (some only barely) original music back in the day like Stanley's, Changez, Faces on College, the Whispers, U of Windsor, and the Coach n Horses, and occasionally played in Detroit as well and even played twice at the Freedom Festival.

We had one of our songs "Urine You're Out" appear on a 1986 Detroit compilation album called "It Came From the Garage vol 1", and also had a few songs appear on two issues of a late 80s garage rock magazine/cassette based in Kingston called "What Wave". The CD (pictured above) actually was a series of four track cassette recordings that we did in the mid 80s, but we didn't actually publicly release it, except for a few copies that I gave to friends during the past year or two after I had it converted to CD format. You are correct though that the original title was "Don't Forget About Us When You're Famous".

The last time we played as a regular band was in August 1991, but we did a well attended 15th anniversary reunion show at the Coach in Dec. 1999, and I am trying to organize a 25th anniversary show that hopefully will be at the Coach sometime after Christmas (when us out of towners are most likely to be in Windsor)".

Related: 100 Year Champions, Spacecraft 7, Yolassi, the Wanted, etc.

Download.

Recension/Searchingforchin- Split 7" (2001)

2010-06-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

Ah, wasn’t it nice to be young and idealistic? Full disclosure: I was in searchingforchin so I won’t talk much about those tracks. Basically two tracks of me and my friends screaming and yelling over complicated metal/hardcore. The recension tracks are more akin to (what was referred to as) power violence. Great sound clips between songs, lots of time changes, fans of Spazz take note. Much faster and shorter that the sfc tracks, which is why they could fit seven (seven!) songs on their side verses our two. The best part of this split is the labor intensive, hand cut, clear vinyl, spinning pin wheel layout. Released by Windsor’s own Sounds of Revolution records, who set the standard for diy record labels in this city. Better scan soon, that jpg doesn't do it justice.

Related: Thee Outcasts, Linus, Ox Baker, Orphan Choir, Buried Inside, Sedatives, Haunts, etc.

Download.

Elk- Demo (2005)

2010-05-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

This is the first entry on here featuring music that was never officially released in any physical form. Elk was an incredibly short lived project featuring Kyle and Kevin from WSWS, and a handsome fella named Sean Cruise. These four nameless songs are the only proof that this project existed, and fans of the Hydra Head records catalog will recognize the influences.
(note: there is nearly a solid minute of silence before the first track starts)

Related: What Seas What Shores, Yellow Wood, Orphan Choir, the Birds, etc.

Download.

Full White Drag- Ambassador (2000)

2010-05-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I was always very aware of them (especially after Matt and Ryan joined), but in the year 2000 I was fully immersed into much different music. Here we are a decade later, and I wish I had been paying closer attention after digging ‘ambassador’ out this week. Somewhere between indie and post hardcore, and often compared to ‘Girls Against Boys’, FWD worked hard and achieved things most Windsor bands (should) still strive for to this day.

Related: Missiles, Yellow Wood, Bloemfontein, Bangkok Palace, Basslaser, Searchingforchin, etc.

Download.

Disco Assault- Demo (2006)

2010-05-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

So I guess the point of this thing is to delve into the past a bit and make older music available to a new generation. Well, I like this demo and the band is breaking up soon, so you’re getting a recent release instead. Disco Assault play fast 80’s style hardcore/punk, whose sound/ content/ authenticity hasn’t been seen around these parts in some time. Listen, learn, and when you’re done, check out their ‘Saturday Night Bleeder’ seven inch.

Download.

Dave Dubois- Polaroids & Other Little Visions (2004)

2010-05-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

Dark, haunting roots music intertwined with spoken word/poetry pieces on this remarkably realized concept album of sorts from current Locusts Have No King front man. Dave has released solo material since, but this is a great snapshot of a younger man fleshing out rough sketches of some eventual LHNK tracks. Imagine Morrison reading ‘An American Prayer’ between Black Heart Procession records. Top notch view of what was to come.

Related: the Locusts Have No King, Theory of Everything.

Download.

Kill Everyone- XXX (2004)

2010-05-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

Windsor’s first and only straight edge band? It’s midnight and my memory is shit, but I really can’t think of any other straight edge band in our city’s history. Face Down vocalist Ozzy and guitarist Lear switched duties, recruited two Americans, and Kill Everyone was born. The FD breakdowns are still present, but the metal riffs have been toned down a bit and mixed with fast, pissed, late 90’s hardcore not unlike Path of Resistance.

Related: Face Down, Evolution of the Kill, Apathemy, Dumpster Drunx, Counterfeit, xTyrantx, etc.

Original recording that appeared on the CD release:
Download 1.

Redux version with (better quality) music re-recorded by Chris (Lodown) and Lear:
Download 2.

Closed Casket Funeral- A Special Thanks To The Man Who Invented The Wheel (2005)

2010-05-11T19:54:00.000-07:00

CCF took what was going on in the Windsor metalcore scene at the time and elevated the level of technical proficiency... considerably. This three song ep was recorded in the band’s infancy when the Dillinger Escape Plan, and Between the Buried and Me were obvious influences. A few split releases followed, but the real lost gem is an entire LP worth of new material (recorded by Antoine of Ion Dissonance, at the top of the band’s game) that remains unreleased to this day.

Related: Monolith, Cleansed by Fire, Woods of Ypres, the Burial Surface, Corprophemia, etc.

Download.

Clusterfuxx- Peace E.P. (2001)

2010-05-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

Usually seen out front with a mic in hand, this was a brief project that saw Posers front man Rayny Forster behind the drum kit instead. I could be mistaken, but I believe this ep (with clever double entendre title) was their complete recorded output. For a basement recording circa 2001, the production is solid, and packaging is great diy work. Fast paced songs about Jason Voorhees, anti-racism, war, & the religious right; your usual punk rock meat and potatoes.

Related: Repetitions, the Posers, the Paranoid, Hulluus, Deadite, etc.

Download.

Lager Lads- Rose City Boot Boys 7" (1996)

2010-04-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

The Lager Lads played a mix of early UK style street punk/oi with some ska influences, that blended lyrics akin to English reggae singer Judge Dread, and vocals reminiscent of Sheer Terror’s Paul Bearer. The undisputed leaders of the street punk/oi renaissance that took place in Windsor in the 90’s, this was the first in a series of 7” vinyl releases after three self released cassettes. Like many of their vinyl releases, this was released by a European label, and later collected on the ‘the Good and the Bad’ CD.

Related: the Posers, Tension.

Download.

Big Daddy 'A' And The Merves- We Stole Your Wallet (1997)

2010-04-07T10:50:00.001-07:00

Yet another release from 1997, can you tell when I was a teenager? A sense of humor can sometimes be hard to come by when you’re talking about ‘artists’ and ‘musicians.’ Part Dead Milkmen, part Village People, Big Daddy ‘A’ and the Merves knew how to entertain and put humor first. Costumes, props, and classy song titles like ‘piece of shit’ were their trademarks, and the boys live show was a celebrated spectacle. Fun, energetic alt-pop, that varies in influence from song to song on this massive 25 song CD release.

Related: the Vaudevillianaires, the Golden Hands Before God, the Unsettlers, etc.

Download.

Tension- We Hate... Destroy (1997)

2010-03-28T20:47:00.001-07:00

This isn’t exactly a reoccurring story in the Windsor music scene. After playing bass on ‘Beat the Bastards’, the 1996 release by legendary Scottish punk band the Exploited, Jim Gray somehow made his way to our backyard in Leamington Ontario. There, Tension was formed with Lager Lads drummer Rob and this debut CD was soon to follow. Fast paced, unrelenting metallic hardcore punk that isn’t a far cry from Jim’s past projects. A follow up CD and European tours came thereafter, but the boys called it a day after a few short years.

Related: the Lager Lads, Combat 84, Filth, UK Subs, the Exploited.

Download.

Village Idiot- Gutter (1997)

2010-03-21T21:22:00.000-07:00

If I recall correctly, pop punk wasn’t exactly the prevalent subgenre within said community in Windsor circa ‘97. Most of the punk coming out of the Coach, the Spotted Dog, and Acapulco Delight was closer to UK street punk and Oi in sound. Village Idiot was one of the exceptions, having more in common with All, Bad Religion, Descendents, and early Fat Wreck Chords bands. Tight musicianship and solid songwriting from a hardworking band that crisscrossed the country and even played the legendary CBGB’s.

Related: the Dickheads, Klingons, From the Room, Another Joe, Orphan Choir.

Download.

Various: Sound Proof [ROOM] Sessions (1999)

2010-03-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

Basically, [ROOM] magazine was the predecessor to Up Front and WAMM. Started around ’94, it was Windsor’s monthly independent paper highlighting our arts and music scene. The folks at [ROOM] were also behind this comp. An ambitious undertaking, and a great (partial) snapshot of what was going on musically in Windsor in the late ‘90s. From the sleeve: “We’re celebrating 5 years of celebrating local music by celebrating local music. Enjoy.” 13 bands, 14 tracks, including Citywide Vacuum, Ten Indians, Jimmy Bronco, Royal Dose, Phil Whitfield Trio, Luxury Christ, Pleasure, Train 45, Julie Kryk, Dean Drouillard Group, Dirty Harry, The Shannon Brothers, and Village Idiot.

Related: Far too many to list. The massive web of bands these collective musicians have been a part of is pretty ridiculous in scope. Many are still very active in Windsor’s music community today.

Download.

Bloemfontein- Improvisational Session Volume One (2002)

2010-03-14T22:58:00.000-07:00

If you’re a fan of Slint, Tortoise, and the late 1990’s Constellation records catalog, Bloemfontein is for you. Improvised, instrumental post-rock that varies from subtle soundscapes to swelling frenetic climaxes. An unnecessary and gross description for a fantastic band, whose live shows were locally unparalleled.

Related: Bangkok Palace, Full White Drag, 87 Things For The Future, What Seas What Shores, the London Apartments, Searchingforchin, Basslaser.

Download.

Anais Nin- Demo One (2004)

2010-03-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

In certain circles, there was a time when ‘screamo’ wasn’t (isn’t?) a bad word. Not the kind of barf you see on the cover of AP these days, but something closer to the early 90’s San Diego sound. Formed as a side project of sorts, Anais Nin was only around for about a year, and I think I literally saw every one of their shows. Reminds me of a great summer with way too many people stuffed in two little vans spreading debauchery across Canada’s east coast. If you need a reference point, think of bands like Orchid and Saetia.

Related: Searchingforchin, Day Late Hero, Repeat Until False, Apparatus, Orphan Choir, Summon the Martyr, Buried Inside, Sedatives, Last Communion.

Download.

Thieves- Wake Up The Unborn (2005)

2010-03-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

In their brief existence, Thieves released this really solid EP. Rocking, mid paced melodic punk that wouldn’t be far out of place in the current ‘no idea records/punknews.org’ type scene. It’s hard to pin down one band to compare them to, but there’s almost an older Doughboys/ Seaweed/ Samiam feel to some of it, and coming from me, those are huge compliments.

Related: Death or Comber, Majority D, October in Maine.

Download.