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• the wedge [+ Show ]
  

  The Wedge Playlist for Friday, April 20: Muse (Invincible) Travis (Closer) Aqualung (Pressure S...The Wedge Playlist for Friday, April 20:
  
  Muse (Invincible)
  Travis (Closer)
  Aqualung (Pressure Suit)
  Kinky (Sister Twisted)
  CSS (Off The Hook)
  Jin By Jin (Letter From Somewhere)
  Cursive (Big Bang)
  Maxïmo Park (Our Velocity)
  Katie Melua (I Cried For You)
  Four Day Hombre (The First Word Is The Hardest)
  Idlewild (No Emotion)
  The Radical Dudez (The First Place)

• Radical Dudez bid farewell to Kingston [+ Show ]
  

  By Meghan Harrison, A&E Editor Left to his own devices, Adam Bell would only give you three reaso...By Meghan Harrison, A&E Editor
  
  Left to his own devices, Adam Bell would only give you three reasons to attend The Radical Dudez farewell-to-Queen’s show at Clark Hall Pub on Wednesday: cake and party favours, a fun time full of “hijinks,” and the warm karmic glow of helping his band recover from the recent theft of cymbals worth $1,000. He wouldn’t try to convince you that the last of about 75 Dudez shows in Kingston is a momentous occasion. He wouldn’t say anything self-important about their contribution to the campus music scene. He wouldn’t claim that the Dudez were going to rock as they had never rocked before. He’s just going to offer you some cake.
  
  Of course, you can afford to be a little laid-back about self-promotion if you also happen to be something of a pop genius.
  
  The Radical Dudez have spent the last four years refining their ultra-catchy power pop, with Bell balancing out tongue-in-cheek cleverness and emotional neuroses over melodies that might have driven a lesser band into Brian Wilson-like hibernation. Most famous in Kingston for combining hip-hop with a ukulele, the Dudez are equally adept with buoyant keyboards and big guitars, while remaining smart, sentimental and summer-obsessed. But since the release of their self-titled independent album in 2005, they’ve been working further off the radar from the campus music scene and concentrating instead on a handful of Toronto shows, including a well-reviewed concert at Canadian Music Week and multiple engagements at the infamous Horseshoe Tavern.
  
  Singer, songwriter and guitarist Bell told the Journal this was partly due to personal schedules that allowed less time for rehearsal, and partly because “I think we exhausted people in Kingston—they’re like, “Oh, not that band again.’”
  
  Bell said the band’s approach to booking success in Toronto was straightforward.
  
  “I e-mailed the show guy, and I said, ‘I know Bedouin Soundclash,’ and it worked! And I do know them, so it wasn’t a lie. Eon [Sinclair] was in my frosh group, and he told me he plays bass, and I said ‘Are you gonna play in a band?’ and he said, ‘Probably not.’”
  
  The band recently demonstrated their close ties to the campus music scene while filming a video for “The First Place.” Phil Troop of Whiskey Steve and the Steves plays a boy cast as a tree in a highschool production of Robin Hood trying to win the love of Emma Hunter, who plays Maid Marian. He also gets some help from a dancing guitar ensemble featuring members of the Steves, The Laginsky Reunion, Tomate Potate and the Clark Hall Pub staff.
  
  “We’re really hoping that people can request to see it on [Much Music’s] The Wedge. I know they will be able to. I don’t know when … but that’s the plan, to get some play and get some attention.”
  
  Despite the Dudez and all of the aforementioned bands either breaking up or leaving Kingston next year, Bell and drummer Steve McKay still aren’t concerned about a sudden drought of live local music.
  
  “If there’s an opportunity to play, somebody’s gonna put a band together,” McKay shrugged.
  
  “Not to sound like a jerk, but there’s an endless supply of guys who want to impress girls with their guitar.”
  
  “Whereas before bands were more kinda like, polished … people thought you had to be way better to play in a band … now it seems like people are like ‘Yeah, whatever, let’s play,’” Bell said. “And I think as long as indie bands are cool, that’ll keep going for a while. You can suck, and it’s alright!”
  
  “Those bands are way more fun, ’cause they’re relaxed,” McKay added.
  
  While the Dudez have developed into a consistent live act, Bell’s favourite shows “are when we’re just awful and out-of-tune and people don’t care, and we have pinatas, or something like that.” Reflecting on a live history including everything from women’s figure skating costumes to a 2004-2005 QEA Battle of the Bands win, along with countless fundraising events, he’s grateful that they kept finding an audience.
  
  “As one of the guys that’s been around for four years, I would like to say thank you to anyone who ever came to more than one of our shows, because it means that they either got dragged out to two charity functions, or wanted to come back.”
  
  In September, McKay and Bell plan to move to Toronto and rejoin former-turned-current bass player Andy Landen. “I think we’re going to try to keep playing, if possible. We’re old,” Bell said, who’s finishing his M. Ed., “so who knows.”
  
  “Dire Straits broke through when they were all like 40 years old,” McKay said.
  
  Bell laughed. “And we easily write better songs than them.”
  
  For one last time on Wednesday night, The Radical Dudez get money for nothing and the chicks for free. Let them eat cake.

• CMW Chart Report Card [+ Show ]
  

  Monday March 06, 2006 @ 02:00 PM By: ChartAttack.com Staff Band: The Radical Dudez Hometown: ...Monday March 06, 2006 @ 02:00 PM
  By: ChartAttack.com Staff
  
  
  Band: The Radical Dudez
  Hometown: Kingston, Ontario
  Venue: Rancho Relaxo
  Date: March 4, 2006
  Reporter: David Missio
  Background/
  Composition: Orchestral, offbeat indie rock with a unique spin.
  
  Grade: 80
  
  Comment:They're like new wave Weezer but with heart, wit and intelligence. The Radical Dudez may not look like the biggest party animals in the room, but they could aptly provide the music for one. So long as it was filled with sensitive boys and girls who like to draw pictures.
  
  Achievement of Rock 'n' Roll Expectations
  
  80-100: Exceeds skill and knowledge expectations, i.e. rocked us so hard we peed our pants.
  70-79: Achieves required skills and knowledge. Meets rock 'n' roll standard.
  60-69: Demonstrates some skills. Approaches rock 'n' roll standard.
  50-59: Demonstrates some required skills and knowledge in a limited way.
  00-50: Has not demonstrated required skills or knowledge.
  
  
  Learning Skills: E=Excellent, G=Good, S=Satisfactory, N=Sad Really
  Oral And Visual Communication
  
  Eye Contact: G
  Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step: G
  Pronounciation: G
  
  Lead singer Adam Bell has the sweet, soft type of voice that make nerd girls squirm in their seats and has the self-conscious stage presence of someone not fully comfortable being there, which makes him that much more endearing. The band needs to get out of the practice space mentality when playing a show though.
  
  Stage Presence: G
  Stage Banter: G
  Image: G
  Appearance: G
  Use Of Stage: G
  
  Musical Analysis
  
  Level Of Participation: E Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step: E
  Problem Solving: E
  
  Theirs is an extraordinarily fun sound made for the beach on a lazy Sunday morning. Inexplicably, it's somehow written by a bunch of guys more used to snowdrifts than drifting out on the ocean. Bouncing bass lines, catchy little guitar hooks and witty "into the great wide open" type of lyrics that seem hopeful and reflective make The Dudez a welcome addition to the Canadian musical landscape.
  
  Teamwork: G
  Work Habits: E
  Organization: E
  Audience Participation: E
  Sound: E
  Composition: E
  Songs: E
  
  Other Skills And Areas Of Interest
  
  Charisma: S
  Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step: E
  Problem Solving: E
  
  While playing a cover of "Love Hurts," the lead guitar suddenly cuts out just as the drummer cum guitarist is about to launch into the solo. What does he do? Sings it while pretending to play. Then, as the vocal solo finishes, the guitar problem is fixed and they launch right into the actual solo. Bloody brilliant. The Radical Dudez are a hugely fun live show that sounds like
  one hell of a good time.
  
  Teamwork: E
  Sexiness: E
  Haircut: E
  Indie Rock Footwear: E
  Nods To Disposible Fashion: E
  Cool Equipment: E
  Level Of Inebriation: S
  Actual Ability: E
  

• CMW showcases fresh new talent [+ Show ]
  

  by Tyrone Warner The Radical Dudez performed to a laid-back crowd on College West at Rancho Relax...by Tyrone Warner
  
  The Radical Dudez performed to a laid-back crowd on College West at Rancho Relaxo. Despite starting at 9 p.m. (early by rock and roll standards), the band played hard and impressed the appreciative fans present. The Owen Sound (by way of Kingston) quartet's music is playful and combines loud rock and roll guitars with melodic keyboard lines, all of which highlights lead singer Adam Bell's sensitive voice and heartfelt lyrics.

• CD Review [+ Show ]
  

  THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2005 - ISSUE 40, VOLUME 132 R E V I E W - By Matt Hartley, Co-Editor-In-Chief ...THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2005 - ISSUE 40, VOLUME 132
  R E V I E W - By Matt Hartley, Co-Editor-In-Chief
  
  If you’ve been out to see as many concerts as you have fingers on your left hand during the last few years at Queen’s, chances are, you’ve seen the Radical Dudez at least twice.
  This year’s winners of the prestigious QEA battle of the bands recording debt championship have just emerged from the studio, with a finished EP of sweet, university-tinged pop rock tunes.
  I’m not sure if the reason I have started tapping my feet and singing along like a bad John Fogerty to the new Dudez record is because it’s really a great record or because every song on it fondly reminds me of drunken nights spent singing along to the Dudez at Clark Hall or Alfie’s.
  Every song on the Dudez record is complete with danceable basslines to get your bum moving and catchy guitar riffs to have you rocking out. The Dudez set staple “Girls Who Play in the Snow” is as catchy as anything on the CFRC playlist, and like most of the songs on the record, comes complete with an extended outro perfect for recreating a drunken sing along whether in the bar at Clark or in your car.
  All your favourite Radical Dudez hits are here, from the longing “The First Place” to the summer time blue number “I wish August was Longer.”
  One of the standout tracks on the record is the “ukulele” song, for which the Dudez are probably most well-known. On this record, the Dudez have managed to capture the essence of their live show, complete in all it’s hilarity and sincerity. When Bell sings that he “Used to think the ghetto was a stereo,” it’s funny and when he sings to some lost girlfriend from Owen Sound that he “never had you in the first place,” we all understand where he’s coming from. The Dudez play out the songs, letting them linger in your ears, and when Adam Bell plays that ukulele, you can almost hear the rattle of pint glasses on wooden tables in the background.
  With perhaps the exception of the track “Blame,” Bell’s vocals carry the record adequately throughout. He’s not going to overpower you with his voice, but it’s strong, and stable without wavering, and he sure sings a sweet melody.
  The last track on the EP, “autobiography,” is arguably one of the most perfectly poetic expressions of a youth spent at Queen’s I’ve ever heard; it had me balling like a first year after a turkey drop in my room the other night. I know, I’m lame.
  Everytime I hear the Dudez, I feel like I'm watching myself on some university-aged television show, it’s like an out of body experience where I’m suddenly so aware that I’m a young twenty-something, going through the "best times of my life" and all of a sudden essays, mid terms and presentations seem almost laughable.
  Maybe it’s fitting this record comes out just as the Dudez are preparing to graduate; instead of a debut, for those who have watched the Dudez progress, this CD listens more like a retrospective. Their sweet tunes, polished by rehearsals in ghetto houses and performances to audiences drunk on $9 pitchers can’t help but have you feeling nostalgic.
  God bless the guitars of the Radical Dudez, and may they take them far.
  

• Radical Dudez release CD [+ Show ]
  

  THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2005 - ISSUE 40, VOLUME 132 Radical Dudez release CD S T O R Y - By Pras Rajag...THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2005 - ISSUE 40, VOLUME 132
  Radical Dudez release CD
  S T O R Y - By Pras Rajagopalan, Staff Writer
  
  
  Stitch some Motown arms and New-Wave legs onto a Beach Boy body. Accessorize with surfer hair, ukulele and a Weezer t-shirt. Add a hint of hip-hop swagger and tongue-in-cheek drollery. Lo, the Frankenstein you have just created is a Radical Dude!
  
  Churning out clever, melodic guitar pop for the past three years, the Radical Dudez have firmly established themselves as one of the premier campus bands in the Queen’s community. The Journal caught up with guitarist Brent Ferris, bassist Nick Kaars-Sijpesteijn, drummer Steve MacKay and guitarist, singer and songwriter Adam Bell as they mused about the impending release of their self-titled debut and reflected upon their Queen’s careers.
  
  You recently recorded for the first time in a studio. How did you find the recording process?
  
  Adam: It was good, everything was done in one or two takes.
  Nick: Yeah, the recording wasn’t that hard.
  Is there anything you’d like to do differently next time you record?
  Nick: Have more money—a bigger budget.
  Adam: What people don’t realize is that mixing is equally important as the recording part. On average, each song only got about an hour of mixing, which is nothing, really. So there were so many compromises.
  Where do you see the sound of the band progressing?
  Adam: Um, well, Brent’s getting pretty proficient at the banjo.
  Nick: Nu-metal! It’s going to be all nu-metal.
  Steve: I actually think we should head in more of a prog direction. More Yes, less no!
  Nick: Actually, we’re going to hire Li’l Jon to work on our next record.
  The Radical Dudez get crunk?
  Nick: Sure, why not?
  Adam: We should just record a rap album.
  Nick: Yeah, I’m down!
  What do The Radical Dudez plan on doing next year?
  Steve: I plan on being CEO of Universal records.
  Awkward pause. Nick: Umm...we’re all going to be in Kingston, which is pretty cool.
  Brent: I kind of hope we are not only going to be playing in Kingston, though.
  Steve: We should probably try and play in Toronto and Montreal and Ottawa.
  What has been the highlight of your short career to this point?
  Brent: My personal highlight was when I was up on stage drunk yelling “Radical Dudez!” at the show we played with Cuff the Duke.
  Nick: Don’t forget the guy who smashed that beer bottle over his head and bled all over the stage.
  How do you hope graduating students who have seen your shows would remember you guys?
  Brent: Well, I guess as the campus band from their time in university.
  Nick: Or just to be remembered at all, really.
  Most of you guys have already graduated or are graduating this year. Any valuable lesson learned in your time here?
  Steve: Don’t run for the AMS, because it will always be cliquey no matter what the platform is. Even if they’re “cracking the clique”, it’s still a clique anyway. And don’t expect a job when you leave.

• Evolution of the Radical Dudez [+ Show ]
  

  TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2005 - ISSUE 30, VOLUME 132 Evolution of the Radical Dudez Interview: The Ra...TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2005 - ISSUE 30, VOLUME 132
  Evolution of the Radical Dudez
  Interview: The Radical Dudez, Tonight @ The Grad Club
  T O P S T O R Y - By Tricia Summers, Assistant A&E Editor
  
  On any given night on campus, if there’s live “homegrown” music, odds are The Radical Dudez are on the bill. Fresh off of their win at last term’s QEA Battle of the Bands, the Dudez are poised to record their first studio album.
  
  Members Adam Bell, Brent Ferris—minus Anna Hasek, Steve McKay, and Nick Kaars-Sijpesteijn—and former bassist Andy Landen joined the Journal for a cup of coffee this past weekend to discuss the past, present and future of the band.
  
  JOURNAL: So how did it feel to finally win the QEA Battle of the Bands this year?
  
  BRENT FERRIS: [The final round] was just a strange sight. They pulled all of these kids out of the audience to judge and they were all just extremely biased [towards another competitor, Linehaul]. I was in the washroom at one point and heard one of the kids—he was really drunk—and he was really excited that they got free beer to be a judge. It was during one of the other bands sets, and I was like, “Aren’t you supposed to be out there judging?” And he was like, “I’m done, man, Linehaul won. I’m just drinkin’ now.” It was really bad. But in the end it came down to a cheer-off ... they basically had [something like] an ‘applauso-meter’ as far as I could tell. I guess it was between us and Average Lime, and we won, but I think it was because one of our friends made the loudest noise I’ve ever heard a human make. And the guys from Khaki Snack turned the music on while everyone was cheering. I was still excited to hear that we won, though. I guess our prize is going to eventually maybe be a loan from the QEA ... yeah, we haven’t really got anything yet. So really, we won debt I guess, which I have a lot of, and it’s sort of strange.
  
  So when do you start working on your studio album?
  
  ADAM BELL: We’re hoping to record at the end of February, and have it ready for people to pick up at the end of March. We’re going to record in a real studio. We haven’t picked one yet, but there’s a place in Perth that looks pretty cool.
  
  Andy, you were an original member of The Radical Dudez, and now you’re no longer with them. What happened there?
  
  ANDY LANDEN: I went to pursue my dreams in the big city. [Laughs] I was doing some film work in the summer in Toronto in a sort of commercial place and they gave me a job. It was a hard decision and I kind of regret it in a way, but I chose to try film and I’m going to see where that goes, I guess.
  
  How far do you guys go back?
  
  ADAM: I started writing and recording songs in my second year [at Queen’s] and I went on exchange the next year. [Brent and Andy] heard the recordings and Andy was learning bass at the time and Brent already knew how to play the guitar. So I came back for my fourth year and the three of us started a band. We brought in two other friends from Owen Sound [where Bell and Landen hail from] and brought them all together and made a band and that was The Dudez: Phase One. For The Dudez: Phase Two, our original drummer, Chippy, went to college in London and Jay [former drummer] joined our band and he was with us for a year and a half. He had some other serious commitments—like, he’s married and has a child—so now we have Steve McKay drumming with us, and he’s a fourth-year Music student.
  
  So who is responsible for penning the lyrics?
  
  BRENT AND ANDY: Adam.
  
  ANDY: Adam’s what you could call a Dave Grohl. He plays all the instruments ... he has recorded all of the songs on his own, and has just kind of created everything.
  
  A lot of people associate you with the ukulele in that “Ukulele” song.
  
  BRENT: It’s kind of cool to have that sound, and it kind of means that no matter what happens, after shows, people are like, “Hey, that [song] with the ukulele, that was really good.”
  
  It’s become like, your signature song or something.
  
  ADAM: Yeah.
  
  BRENT: It’s a cool song and I really like it, but ... it’s almost kind of gimmicky now, which is kind of sad.
  
  ADAM: I’ve always had a fascination with Hawaii and the beach and stuff. One of our friends had a ukulele and I brought it [here] one summer and wrote a few songs on it.
  
  You guys have become a staple on the Queen’s campus circuit. What’s the best thing about developing a fan base?
  
  BRENT: The thing that’s cool about having a fan base is that it makes us feel like it’s not a waste of time.
  
  ADAM: There’s some random guy on the internet who lives in New York state or somewhere, and [a Dudez song] is on his top-40 singles of year list. [Laughs.] We beat out “Vertigo” by U2. But people singing along [at our live shows] is pretty awesome, because it means that they were listening to some budget recording we made on a computer, memorizing it and stuff. And there’s graffiti in the Clark Hall Pub washroom with our name in it.

• The Dudez and Kerouac are back [+ Show ]
  

  TUESDAY, JULY 27, 2004 - ISSUE 3, VOLUME 132 The Dudez and Kerouac are back Top two campus bands ...TUESDAY, JULY 27, 2004 - ISSUE 3, VOLUME 132
  The Dudez and Kerouac are back
  Top two campus bands sit down with the Journal to discuss their rise to the top
  S T O R Y - By Karen Jackson and Tricia Summers, Assistant A&E Editors
  
  Over the past year, the Radical Dudez have made their mark on the Queen’s music scene, playing countless shows and developing a devoted following. In March, they placed second at the 2004 Battle of the Bands competition at Clark Hall Pub.
  
  Band members Adam, Andy, Brent, Anna, and Jason credit a strong friendship for their solid sound. The Radical Dudez intend to continue playing in the Kingston area for the foreseeable future, giving first-years an opportunity for a taste of the Dudez experience. Brent sat down with the Journal for a cup of coffee and a chat about the past, present, and future of the Radical Dudez.
  
  JOURNAL: So Brent, tell me a bit about the band. How long have you guys been together?
  
  BRENT: As a band we started in September of 2002. We had a different drummer the first year...and we were more of a sideshow act—stupid costumes, etc. This year we got Jason, and we’ve been really able to learn more songs and be more serious about music, but we still have a good time...our songs still aren’t political or anything, but we are more diverse, and we use a lot more instruments.
  
  Where did you meet?
  
  Adam and Andy are from Owen Sound, so they grew up in the same town. They knew each other in high school, but weren’t great friends. Adam was in my res during first year, and while he was in England during third year, he wrote a lot of songs and sent them back to us. [Meanwhile,] Adam and Andy lived with the drummer in 2002. It was rough at the start, and our first show was a month later, in October.
  
  Who came up with the band’s name?
  
  This guy we lived with, named Matt Smith, went to Whistler for a year and snowboarded, and his group of snowboarders came up with the name, and “Smitty” told us that we should use it [as the name for our band]. It’s the easiest way to make sure that people don’t take us too seriously.
  
  You guys seem to have become a pretty solid fixture on the campus circuit. Do you have a favourite venue to perform at?
  
  Personally, people-wise, Clark is sort-of—not to sound lame, but—homier. They’ve always treated us very well, and were very accommodating...but when we played the Grad Club with Cuff the Duke, having the soundworks guy there was awesome too.
  
  At the 2004 campus Battle of the Bands, the Radical Dudez placed second to Jack Kerouac. Was it a major upset?
  
  No, I love Kerouac. I’m a pretty big classic rock fan, so it’s great to see people doing that these days. It wasn’t our best set, and theirs was the best of theirs I’d ever seen . . . it was cool that both of us [took the top two] because it meant that we could hold our own against bands who had already achieved moderate success.
  
  It’s been a long time since you first set foot on the Queen’s campus. Is there anything that you know now that you really wish you had known back then?
  
  I wish that I had been better at spending an appropriate amount of time on schoolwork. I was on West Campus, and I loved it...one time I was visiting Chown, working on a project with two girls that lived there. I went to go get a pop, and some girl tried to kick me out, which was very different than what I was used to on West.
  
  I was in Chown! I remember that—male visitors had to be escorted everywhere, or they’d usually get reprimanded. It was really annoying.
  
  [Laughs.] Yeah. If you’re a guy, watch out for Chown, I guess.
  
  How difficult do you think it is for Queen’s kids to form a band? There are constantly signs up with people looking for other musicians to round out an ensemble.
  
  I was really lucky, because the guys in the band are my best friends. Here, it’s easier than in high school to start a band, I’d say. Meeting people at concerts is a great way, because you’re at least with people of a common interest. And we didn’t start until our fourth year, so it’s never too late. Res is great too, though—I think Bedouin Soundclash started practicing in the basement of their res at first.
  
  Did you find it hard to budget your time between schoolwork and the Radical Dudez?
  
  Adam was in the Queen’s Players, so I don’t know how he did it. Even when he was doing the Players shows, the nights he had off he’d be with the band. Personally, the band was more important to me than school, so it never really felt like a time commitment.
  
  What’s your take on the Queen’s and Kingston music scene?
  
  What I’ll say about Kingston is that it has a great bar and pub scene, so there’s no shortage of places to play if you really want to...It seems like it’s easier to get in with promotional groups here, than in Toronto where bands are a dime a dozen. Kingston’s also central to the “Big Three” (Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa), so if we got a gig in any of those places, we could get there much more easily than if we were on one end or the other.

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