I've been doing a lot of music-based 'research' lately.By which I mean, I've been sitting on my lumpy and unforgiving couch, eating entirely too much cold pizza, sedating myself with anything and everything I can find, and listening to non-stop CBC Radio 3. Basically I'm trying to bring out my inner Brian Wilson, without really immersing myself in the whole 'being really good at music' thing.
On a positive note, after having heard what seems like an infinite amount of new independent Canadian artists on CBC, I've found a couple I've really taken a shine too.
Dan Mangan, pictured above, while not busy sugaring random people's coffee, makes really good music, and recently became one such artist.
When I first heard his song "Sold", I thought he sounded like a sadder, lonelier Barenaked Ladies, if the Barenaked Ladies had spent their entire music careers chain-smoking, and shouting at things.
That said, Dan Mangan isn't emo. Dan Mangan doesn't write cheesy songs about having a million dollars, and Dan Mangan totally prefers puppies with heads to puppies without heads.
Make sure to click on any of the above links, or this one*, to check out Dan's song "Sold".
Animal Nation: What is your favorite thing ever out of: Puppies Without Heads, Acid Rain, or Rainbows Made of Shades of Grey?
Dan Mangan - Puppies without heads - because at one point, they were puppies WITH heads, and those are really cute.
AN: If you could be anyone, ever, for a day, out of the following people, whom would you be, and why? Rambo in the middle of fighting off 50 machine gun clad jungle warriors with no weapons other than your bare Rambo hands, The Terminator while he’s slowly being lowered into hot lava while giving a thumbs up to John Conner, or Vince from the ShamWow infomercials, before he got his tongue bit off my a hooker, but after he smoked too much crystal meth.
DM:Definitely the Terminator - because there was glory in his sacrifice to the Connor family - and because he was rad.
AN: Going to the hospital rules. It’s Universally loved. Out of the following, what is your favorite reason for being at the hospital:
a) You’ve just had your pelvis run over and broken by a drunken police officer, and it was all his fault. You’re going to cash in huge, and the only downside is that your legs have been replaced by metal rods... above the penis.
b) It’s abortion day at the old abortion mill, and they’re handing out dead fetuses, and the Food Bank is closed, and you’re hungry.
or! c) You’ve got perfect health, and you’re driving a fancy car that totally attracts millions of ladies, but you’re going to visit your girlfriend, and she’s got AIDS, and somehow you don’t have it, but she’s definitely planning on forcing sex on you when you get there, and she’s got nice boobies, and you’re not going to be able to say ‘no’.
DM: What kind of blog is this again?
AN: Captain Planet rules. He's our hero! He's going to take pollution down to zero!
But what’s the deal with 'Heart'??!
Q'est-ce que fuck?
What would the 5th element be if it were up to Dan Mangan?
Earth, fire, wind, water, and ___________?
DM: Internet.
AN: Anything else you want to talk aboot?
DM: Nah, I'm good.
AN: Perfect, 'cause I've gotta take a dump.
*All links go to the same place, so don't bother trying anything tricky, wise-guy.
If you enjoyed this make sure to check out our interviews with other Vancouver musicians such as Billy the Kid, Ali Milner, or Josh Martinez.
