Britney's Krack

VIEW Magazine
musicnotes@viewmag.com
Issue # 6 Volume 9 | For the week of February 6-12, 2003

By Ric Taylor
Conceived as a lighthearted attempt to introduce a bit of grit to over-produced Top 40 irritants, Britney’s Krack have spent the last year lambasting pop poster children like the Backstreet Boys, Crash Test Dummies and smearing the aforementioned pop princess in a a limited run EP and in sloppy, silly sets of covers in an original setting. With a new guitarist in tow and a new EP on the way, the band celebrates its first year of salacious satire.

“Our exposure on the Toronto media scene has been great,” chuckles drummer Bruce Hotchkies, explaining some of the adventures he’s encountered since he, Ryan Ginger, James Spalding and original guitarist Olaf Alders took to the stage as BK. With barely a mittful gigs underneath their collective beer-soaked belts, BK are memorable in a drunken morning-after kind of way and presumably pack a loaded promotional punch, though the industry doesn’t always understand exactly what they’re doing.

“The bar that we were banned from in Toronto, banned us because of our stage show,” Hotchkies blurts. “I couldn’t believe it when the owner of the bar phoned me to tell me that we took things a little too far!”

Andre “Dr. Dre” Filippetti is the latest BK recruit and brings with him a more serious outlook that the other members are prepared to distort. His musical travels found the St. Catharines native move to Toronto. There he ended up in the band Maquette, an outfit that worked with producers like Bob Luhtala (I Mother Earth, Edwin, Glueleg) and Terry Brown (Rush). “It’s funny - he’s the only one in the band with any talent. I still can’t believe he accepted to replace Olaf,” explains Hotchkies. “Olaf was there at the beginning and he’ll always be credited for that, but I think that even he would admit that he just didn’t fit in with the BK thing.”

“We’ve played in original outfits until we were blue in the face,” admits Hotchkies. “We’re not rock stars and we don’t want to be rock stars. Britney ’s Krack is about self-mockery. While playing in the band, I’ve had beer bottles straight in the face, smacked-up equipment, gear stolen - and most of that was just from other band members.”

Their novel marketing approach and laissez-faire attitude seems to be working. Hit Me Baby One More Time, their first five-track release, is usually offered up free if you buy a T-shirt.

“We’ve sold a couple of hundred discs, which may not sound like a lot, but we’ve only played nine or ten shows, and we’re lucky if we get our merch display up before we get kicked out of the bar.”

The revamped quartet is reportedly heading into Burlington’s Music Gym next month to record a follow-up EP, Oops, We Did It Again. But as rumours of hired strippers and their own potential arrests abound, Hotchkies and Britney’s Krack seem ready to shift the attack into fourth gear for their triumphant return.

“I think we are both good for each other, Hamilton and The Krack,” grins Hotchkies. “We’re all really hyped about this show and have actually booked a rehearsal.”

The Goalies, Britney’s Krack and The Crystal Lake Campers play Home Saturday, February 8. $5 gets you in.
- VIEW Magazine

Oh Jesus, do they have to have a picture of a g-string clad, skank woman's ass up in the air on every piece of material? (Kimmie's attempting not to be ultra-feminist but is a little fed up with the T&A overkill in media lately. Try using an overweight woman, or a dog butt, hey, it's just suggestions!)

The band covers "crap 90's pop songs and make them sound good." (In other words, you should already know all the lyrics.)

They claimed their coverletter and accompanying CD was a "cheap ploy at trying to get some promotion, recognition...anything". I thought that was pretty cute. Maybe not an interesting factoid, but cute none the less.

I was having a conversation with my friend Marsh today. We were discussing the fizzle-factor of pop-punk and this disc in particular. I felt that the song choice was pretty fun, which was the only reason I chose to review the CD to begin with. I honestly almost didn't get past the slutty chick cartoons (as all the guys run over to check out the website... you're all shameless!) But again, the track list was enough to intrigue me. Something about hearing "One More Time", "Larger Than Life", "Kids In America" and "Careless Whisper" pop-punk style lured me in. Even though I do believe this genre is a dying breed, I thought it might be a hoot. (Though for the record I think their decision to remake The Crash Test Dummies "Superman's Song" borders on blasphemy - ridicule me if you must). So I flip the CD into the player and start to tell Marsh about what I'm hearing. I pretty much wrote my review of this CD in a short paragraph to him on IM "Keep your power sound... keep the tough rock, but do something about your damned off key angry vocals... ack." I know this is a trademark of the genre, but this gave me a flash of what my little brother would sound like at Thursday night karaoke! This is constructive criticism I'm offering here, so take it for what it's worth, but I suggest tightening up those vocals, work on some of the harmony and focus on the rock. Or hell, even go the other way and make it old school punk, and this stuff could be really great! Beyond that I think their personality (minus the chick asses) is muy entertaining and I'm pretty sure they'd shine brighter live. And heck they'd probably be a hell of a lot of fun to hang with. While they admit that they're not in this to be rock stars, and that it's about "self mockery", a quick visit to their website shows that they know how to party like rockers and drink as much as the Sirens, so you have to give them points for that! - www.scorerocks.com

Britney's Krack..., what are the first thoughts that rush through the neurons in your brain when you read those letters? What came to my mind at least was that this must be some kind of non-serious punk / rock act and I was pretty close to the real truth. Non-serious is not really the correct word to use because I do not mean that they are not serious about their band. Instead, what I mean is that their visual and lyrical approach is humoristic. It is not really the kind of humor that appeal to me but I am sure many people who are into punk rock will enjoy this band. According to the band themselves they "tend to play crap 90's pop songs and make them sound good". To some degree they have managed to achieve their goal because the songs presented on this demo (or self-financed album if you prefer) are somewhat entertaining, entertaining in the sense of parody. Hailing from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, this is not exactly the type of music I would expect them to play. Unfortunately, by covering old pop classics, the band is kind of digging its own grave, because they are in my opinion often ruining what once sounded wonderful. Anyway, thumbs up for trying. - www.tartareandesire.com

I do not know how to judge this Canadian quartet, why if you took them seriously I would risk throwing the CD in the waste basket, but with a name like Britneys Krack and with those faces it is impossible sorridere of forehead to this band grown with the poster of "Backstreet Boys, Crash Dummies Test". Like already said, we spread a pietoso veil on the sonorous yield of the songs and pass to the cover directly: it is begun with "One More Time" (Britney Spears), a mix between new RAMONES and METALLICA, is continued with "Larger Than Life" (Backstreet Boys), but much best the versions of Tsar and Jaded Heart. To the third trace we find "Supermans Song" (Crash Dummies Test) always riarrangiata in punkeggiante version, same speech for "Kids In America" (Len). George closes "Careles Whisper" (Michael) with the voice not too much intonata of the vocalist Canadian. Idea divertende that one of rielaborare celebrates pieces POP in version punk, but the quality is not the maximum. MILILITER - www.slamrocks.com