TRACK FROM WAY BACK: Bringing the Mope Jams w/ Bedhead - "More Than Ever" (1998) & Additional Sadness Courtesy of the New Year

Ex-CJLOxican Georgia Wisdom-Kuhns used to co-host "Hooked on Sonics" with me and the results were always amazing (we even got nominated for a CJLO Diego Award for "Funniest Show").  We did a couple "Mopefest" episodes on "Hooked on Sonics" where the idea was to play the best in "depression-rock", even toying with one day hosting a late night show on the CBC called "Suicide Watch".  Ah, those were the days.  Anyhow...Georgia recently asked me to send her some depressing songs to help her out in a bad time, and immediately this came to my mind.  So this one's for you, Georgia. 

Bedhead and the New Year are two of my all-time favourite bands.  Forming in Texas, Bedhead was one of the originators of the slowcore genre, using "a polyphonic sound based on the interlocking of single-line melodies played by three electric guitars and one electric bass guitar (often played with a capo), nearly always using clean (undistorted) tones" (thanks, Wikipedia!).  Their last album, 1998's amazing Transaction de Novo, initially released on Butthole Surfers' King Coffey's Trance Syndicate label and since reissued on Touch and Go, has what I think is the most depressing song ever, "More Than Ever".  The build up to the end with the three guitars chiming like bells is pretty sigh-inducing (yeah, you read that correctly).  Serious headphone listening, my babies...

Here's another good one - After Bedhead broke up, Matt and Bubba (seriously, Bubba) Kadane formed the New Year which was pretty much the same band with a different lineup and maybe a bit more varied in their musical dynamics. Here's a video for the first single "Disease" from their sophomore album The End is Near.

Feeling that sadness swell? We here at the Sonics show share your pain.  Here's a fantastic video for the title track off of The End is Near, a record I called 2004's #1 "Record You Should Have Paid More Attention To" describing it as: "Not for the suicidal, the New Year's latest record is the most depressing thing I've heard all year. That's right kids, curl up into a fetal position, suck your thumb, and let them share your sorrow. Jeez, even the artwork is blue...literally."

Lastly, this is from the New Year's most recent album, 2008's fantastic The New Year which coincidentally was #8 on my top 10 list for 2008.

I had the chance to sit down and chat with Matt and Bubba Kadane about their music with the New Year.  Keep coming back to the CJLO site, eventually it'll get posted.

*Fun Sonics Fact: Amazingly enough, a year after we had become good friends, I found out randomly that she was the daughter of one of my all-time fave radio hosts, ex-CBC host David Wisdom, who's been called "the John Peel of Canada". Yes, I got to meet David Wisdom. Yes, it was awesome.