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Ep. #255: Shehzaad Jiwani of Greys

Shehzaad Jiwani is the lead singer and lyricist in the Toronto punk rock band Greys. Formed in 2011, they’ve released a handful of singles and two LPs, including 2016’s acclaimed Outer Heaven, which is out now via both Buzz Records and Carpark Records ahead of tour dates throughout Canada and U.S. this summer. Back in April, Shehzaad and I went on an adventurous walk around his neighbouhood in Toronto with the new Rotate This location, as our prime destination. On our trek, we discussed the heart of Toronto downtown city, Scarborough and North York, running into Christina and Alanna, a grade 12 trip to Montreal, Mr. Flamingo, Shehzad’s blonde hair in grade four, his memorable face, a mean thing, being single again, singers never know how to use microphones on my show, it’s all downhill or uphill from here, border guard trouble, picking up copies of the physical album, ex-girlfriend stuff, Julian Swift and the Red Light whiskey bar, the Cola Heads, the Balconies, Get Well and North of Brooklyn Pizza, the age of outrage, the Telegramme silkscreen print shop and Matt who works there, Rotate This as neighbours, Buzz Records, Rotate This is closed early, the chorus of “Complaint Rock,” the Sonic Youth song “Swimsuit Issue” from their album Dirty and its influence on “Complaint Rock,” people who opine just to opine on the internet, Greys’ trajectory over the past five years, the FACTOR debate, writing from a socially political standpoint, Vish is sad, weed stores, getting into music as a kid, the song “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones, the album title Voodoo Lounge, Bridges to Babylon and k.d. lang, Rick Froberg and Mick Jagger and being yowl-y, the songs “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “This Mystic Decade,” playing music, a supportive dad, playing drums first, the song “1979” by the Smashing Pumpkins, where Greys came from, a more timid Toronto, CBC Radio 3, how Greys serve and reflect their community in Toronto, glibness, looking for Lisgar, a deeper delving into Outer Heaven and its dynamic musical arrangements, a stray dog, my friend Mick Brambilla and the party at his house, touring, playing punk rock, Justin Small, googling your band name, the song “If it’s All the Same to You,” and then the ramble is over.

Related links: greysband.com buzzrecords.ca carparkrecords.com vishkhanna.com

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News Podcast

Ep. #147: TEEN Live at the Halifax Pop Explosion

TEEN is an inventive pop band from Brooklyn, New York consisting of sisters Teeny, Lizzie, and Katherine Lieberson and Boshra AlSaadi. Their latest album is called The Way and Color , which is out now via Carpark Records, and it prompted them to visit the Halifax Pop Explosion this past October to play some shows. We ended up doing a live interview at the HPX and I recorded it somewhat primitively for you to listen to ahead of their show with We Are Scientists at the Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday November 20. Here, TEEN and I discuss three sisters from Halifax who live in New York, Miami and The U, partying, SMU, Syria to Pennsylvania to New York, Halifax is cool, playing Halifax for the first time ever at the Carleton last month, perceptions of Halifax, Americans don’t know much about Canada, Newfoundland time, me and my son’s Ramones haircuts, things get personal, the Halifax pop explosion and Sloan, not going to many shows, when the music scene slowed down, VICE is taking over Williamsburg in Brooklyn, following Teeny, singing Broadway tunes as kids, musical careers, food in New York, Pizza Corner, Jane’s and Edna’s, good Indian food and then a bad room service call, double entrees, going to live boring and fun talk show tapings in NYC, I went to Letterman once, taking NYC for granted, Teeny’s tenure in Here We Go Magic and why it ended, Lizzie interning at a fashion magazine, fashion people are the worst, Katherine and taking up instruments to play in your first band, Boshra is an outta hand amazing bass player, Janka Nabay and the BuBu Gang, why Katherine followed Teeny’s lead, when the Lieberson sisters lost their father and came together in a band, the strength of Jen Turner, inspiring other women to make music, a dude, pros and cons of sibling-oriented bands, Boshra walks away, the road is weird, road managers can be useful, hating the band Live and Katy Perry, Madonna made me ill, The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, loving St. Vincent, Tame Impala, Pond, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Brian Eno, Kate Bush or David Bowie, the template is no template, this is TEEN, spelling The Way and Color, what are Foo Fighters, getting robbed of their gear in San Francisco, pledgemusic.com/projects/teen, the War on Drugs bring everything inside, not dying, knowing Islands, writing this winter, the song “Sticky,” and that’s it.         

Related links: teen-nyc.tumblr.com carparkrecords.com vishkhanna.com

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