Music
Press
ÒWhoÕs ready for some real fuckinÕ music?Ó Rev. Alabaster T. Kent, songwriter and tambourine player for the fantasy rock band Fashion Tips, wants to know. He and his fellow bandmate Judas Renegade (lead singer and songwriter) have some passionate ideas about what live music can offer.
T. Kent and Renegade, along with their three bandmates Johnny Go (lead guitar), Thunderheart (drums) and Frank Delrose (bass, keyboard and guitar) have created a real spectacle. As a stage band, their number one goal is to make sure their audience has as much fun as possible. ÒWe want to see the audience sparkle,Ó explained Renegade.
The band began performing as a country band at York University Music StudentsÕ AssociationÕs showcase, but have transformed into pop alchemists (self-described on their MySpace page) since then. Their influences include, but are not limited to, Bruce Springsteen, the Barenaked Ladies, Kanye West, Dead Prez and The Last Waltz.
These five musically talented men have not constrained themselves to just playing shows. They are also working on a variety of other projects, one of which is a musical stage show entitled Jehovah YouÕre the Witness.
If youÕre interested in finding out more about the Fashion Tips, you can visit their official site at www.hookersandexplosions.com/fashiontips. If you would like to experience the bandÕs musical panache live, check out their show on Dec. 3 at The Boat (158 Augusta Ave.).
But be aware, Renegade and T. Kent have issued a warning to potential audience members: ÒThis is for you bad guys out there [É] someone will die.Ó
NOTE: Thunderheart has since left the band while Alabastor T. Kent and Johnny Go have changed their names to Bugs Potter and Chip Novak respectively. - Excalibur (York University)
http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/06/fashion_tips_close_the_pitter_patter_music_festival/
'The Pitter Patter Festival', Keith Hamilton's bold, pay-what-you-can indie music experiment, closed with a whiplash thundersmack on Sunday night.
It was 1am at the Bread & Circus when a young group of sweaty exhibitionists, Fashion Tips, took to the stage with their unique brand of comic pop rock.
The festival, in its third year, was sprawled across eight southern Ontario cities over four days. It's always an interesting mix of grassroots talent; freak folk, bubble-gum pop and indie-rock fill out the diverse roster of mostly young artists. This year every show was pay-what-you-can, making it "the most accessible major music festival in the country" (according to their website). The list of Toronto venues this year was certainly creative; a number of shows were held in the kitchen of a Kensington Market house.
I first saw Fashion Tips at The Boat last summer; so far they've been a seasonal band as their lead vocalist, 'Judas Renegade', has been attending University on the east coast during the year (the entire band adopts macho alter-egos for their appearances.)
Half music, half 'Saturday Night Live' comedy routine, Fashion Tips concerts stand apart in the crowded Toronto music scene. Their showmanship, banter, and unbridled energy can be a refreshing change from many young bands who take themselves and their work way too seriously.
The songs are well-crafted, tongue-in-cheek pop ditties; I'd say the Fashion Tips sound lies somewhere between The Bicycles and Guns and Roses. Of course neither of those bands have a song called 'Don't tell the Dean'.
They're recording an E.P. right now and don't have too much of their music on their MySpace page, but this live recording of 'Cute Girls on Bikes' from 2007 should give you an idea of what they're about.
I got a chance to interview Judas after the show in the equipment van.
blogTO: How long has Fashion Tips been together?
Judas: Oh well, we're not gay.
blogTO: How long have you been playing music together?
Judas: Well, we're not gay. I believe we are currently in our fifth year now.
blogTO: How would you describe your style of music?
Judas: Well if you take a bit of the party, and a bit of jello, Kodak film and the 'new coke', then you've got a Bill Cosby album and we're nothing like that.
I would say that we are party rock if I was telling my parents, but, uhhh... overall I would say we are more cock rock. (pause) I should reiterate that we're not gay.
blogTO: Do you have a title for your upcoming E.P. yet?
Judas: We're knocking around some titles. 'Victoria Secret vs. Playboy 2'... 'Dinosaur Boner'....'Asstronaut' with the double 's'...
blogTO: How did you get involved in the Pitter Patter festival this year?
Judas: I was trying to look up the lyrics to that Broken Social Scene song, 'Pitter Patter something something'. Then I realized that it's an instrumental song. (pause)
blogTO: That doesn't make any sense.
Judas: We'd rather make dollars.
blogTO: What's Fashion Tips favourite thing about playing Toronto?
Judas: Traffic. It's the ability to watch the movie Traffic whenever we want.
- Blog T.O
Discography
Fashion Tips EP (Self-Released)
We Control The Banks EP(Self-Released)
We Rule The School EP (In Progress)
Photos
Bio
Welcome to the Fashion Tips Revolution.
The entity we now know as FASHION TIPS was born on a small island on the Mississippi River. The island, dubbed Aantrekkelijke Vrouwen Stad by Dutch settlers in the early 19th century, was adjacent to Hannibal and divided down the middle by the state lines of Ohio and Missouri.
To this day, speculation remains as to what happened on the night FASHION TIPS were commandeered into existence. Initially, citizens of Hannibal as well as several crewmen of THE SILVER TEAR, a riverboat heading to St. Louis, reported hearing strange noises and a neon glow illuminating from both banks of the Island. The noises were described as sounding like feedback, but of an almost pleasurable nature. Local farmers and veterinarians also reported a massive influx in pet and livestock births; all of which survive to this day with the exception of one cow that was slaughtered in May of last year. The meat of the beast was discovered to be an aphrodisiac of such potency that a study at John Hopkins University is now underway; findings thus far are inconclusive. Unfortunately, the owner of the cow and the butcher who slaughtered the animal now suffer from two unique strains of consumption that affect their tear ducts and bowels respectively.
Even under close scrutiny by citizens and local law enforcement agencies, no one was seen coming or leaving the island after the initial reports. When the Island was swept the following day, no trace of FASHION TIPS was found; save for several discarded bags of chips and an antique barrel full of cigarette butts, pizza crusts and several bearcats (a species indigenous to Southeast Asia and one banned by both Ohio and Missouri legislation). It was noted that the bearcats seemed to be severely inebriated; their movements unsteady and their hisses slurred. The tactical team also reported several inscriptions of WE RULE THE SCHOOL and various permutations sprayed painted on rock, fauna and birds. No empties were discovered.
The initial investigation was cut short however, as several team members noticed the quickly rising shoreline accompanied by instances of loud rumbling (initially attributed to a nearby Civil War Recreation, but later attributed to explosives). Before any evidence could be recovered, the team abandoned the island as the water swiftly over took them. After several hours, it became apparent that the island itself was sinking. Investigators would later find traces of dynamite in the wake. The Hannibal City Council nearly broached bankruptcy with attempts to dredge the river, however the mayor received an anonymous donation in the form of a novelty oversized cheque, which effectively saved the town from financial collapse.
The oversized cheque was tracked and discovered to be mailed from within the city; prompting local and state authorities to put up blockades on every road in a hundred mile radius around the town limits to no avail. However, the purveyor of a local fireworks stand reported a group of dudes attempting to buy a large quantity of his product with a similar giant cheque. He claimed they were driving a large purple travel van with the silhouette of two foxy witches making out airbrushed on the right side. The licence plate number, caught by security cameras at a Kansas City soda factory, was registered to a John F. Kennedy, presumably some sort of alias. The van was later found in the factory, submerged in a vat of Dr. Pepper. Again, no traces of FASHION TIPS were found, aside from several bikinis, later understood as belonging to the daughter of the soda factory owner as well as several of her friends from the local all female university. They refuse to speak about the matter, only responding in blushing and giggling.
Investigators continued their search for the perpetrators of largest case of geographical vandalism in US history for several years until the cause was given up due to lack of any physical description, cooperative witnesses or even a coherent narrative of what exactly happened. In fact, most citizens of Hannibal regard FASHION TIPS as folk heroes, the popular sentiment being that Aantrekkelijke Vrouwen Stad was obtrusive, too hard to spell, and full of rattlesnakes and goats too mean for the rattlesnakes to bother with. The case was closed, until now.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Fashion Tips Revolution.
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