Grassy Knoll and the Magic Bullit

2004-12-26

The 2004 London hit parade can stand with any year's best music from the Forest City.
This personal Top 10 includes sparkling debuts, always vital veterans and performers with international reputations.
My thanks to all the London music community folks who sent along the dozens of fine CDs. It was a pleasure listening to them and trying to narrow the sonic bounty down to this list.
The 10 that strike my soul and ears as the best of the best are listed by artist, title and, where appropriate, label. Most of them are indie efforts and should be available at local independent retailers.


#6 GRASSY KNOLL & THE MAGIC BULLIT: SHE WOKE UP IN A FRANTIC (Train RECords) -- College radio lives with a band that sounds like a more upbeat Velvet Underground -- sarcasm, irony, deadpan anguish and uplift; a good erratic beat. GKATMB (the band's charming acronym) has them all. A nod, too, to producer Andy Magoffin for getting all the Magic and the bullets onto the record.

-James Reaney - The London Free Press

From the opening chords of the Grassy Knoll & the Magic Bullit album "She Woke Up In A Frantic", you can feel a unique and focused energy unlike any other I've heard, locally, recently. The vocals are delivered in a quirky, dark way reminiscent of early Talking Heads (listen to "Stuck On You" for instance). Lead singer Noel Greaves provides the obvious signature atop their driving beat, carving out a sound that ignores musical genres, rules and conventions. What a breath of fresh air when a rarity like this comes along. The song "Broken Community" is sung perfectly and performed with the emotion and care the lyrics demand. These guys really gave each track extra attention, and good friend of the LMC, Andy Magoffin, helped the group out with the production at his House of Miracles Studio. It only took them 4 days to construct this baby. The Ramone-like "Bacon" moves full-throttle for a little over 2 minutes the way a rock&roll song is supposed to... a familiar riff with a perfect little change in the middle. To the point, without excess, or excuses. The band has played the LMC twice now, and both times the walls of the Big Hall have barely held in the energy these guys create. Make sure you catch them in action, in a club near you, or on this indie gem.
- http://www.londonmusicclub.150m.com/LonMusicClubNews.htm

2004-05-24

London's Grassy Knoll and the Magic Bullit will join Victoria BC's Immaculate Machine to showcase an unforgettable independent music experience.
Formed in 2000, London's Grassy Knoll and the Magic Bullit have become one of the best bands by combining exciting and spontaneous live shows with witty song writing. The band has since produced two independent releases, Live at CHRW and their own self-titled album. They have progressed by playing every possible venue in London and Toronto and creating their own festival series, known as "Grassy Fest." The band was nominated for a 2003 London Music Award and has made several local radio and television appearances.
The band joins BC indie-pop trio Immaculate Machine for a spectacular show at Suz Blues House in London. Immaculate Machine, acclaimed for their three-part harmonies and strangled shouts above crashing drums, catchy keyboard lines, and electric guitar will be promoting the independent release of Transporter, their debut full-length album.
The show takes place at Suz Blues House, 566 Dundas Street (at William) on Saturday June 5th, 2004. The doors open at 9 PM and the show starts at 10 PM. There is a $5 cover charge and the show is 19+.
- http://www.citymedia.ca

Richard Moule
September 16, 2004

Ask Noel P. Greaves of Grassy Knoll and the Magic Bullit an obvious question and you may not get the answer you expected. Like, does the band’s psychedelic name relate in any way to the Kennedy assassination?

“The best explanation we have come up with is that my name is Noel and Sean’s [sic] the Magic Bullit,” explains the guitarist/vocalist. “Sean [D.McDonald] is a magical guitar player and grassy would be our general mood. Not to say that we’re glorifying it or advocating it but that’s how we feel about every day of our lives.”

After he stops laughing, Greaves fesses up. “It’s obviously a homage [to the assassination]. Both Sean and I believe that the day Kennedy was shot was the day that democracy died all around the world.”

There you have it. Within those two quotes you have several of the elements that make up this three-year old Forest City alt.pop rock quintet: whimsy, intelligence, despair and wit.

These characteristics are displayed on their debut CD, She Woke Up In a Frantic. Recorded by Andy Magoffin at his House of Miracles studio, the CD is a compilation of new tunes, plus material updated from its first two free CDs – 2002’s Live to Air on CHRW and 2003’s Grassy Knoll and the Magic Bullit EP. McDougall [sic] and Greaves’ thorough knowledge of classic pop and indie rock are well represented on She Woke Up In a Frantic. It is an album informed by mid-60s jangle pop, alt.country as well as early Talking Heads and New Wave, with Greaves sounding remarkably like Television’s Tom Verlaine. (Drummer Sean McNabney, bassist Ryan O’Driscoll and keyboardist Dan Ross round out the group). While the music is largely upbeat, the lyrics are anything but.

“I’m basically writing stories about sadness and despair but with a smile because we all have to keep on living, says Greaves. “She woke up in a frantic because life sucked and she had to keep on going.”

The former UWO graduate (most of the members are Western graduates) derives his lyrical inspiration from personal experience and observation. But not all of the group’s lyrics are concerned with glum underachievers. Take the humorous, Canada Arm, for example. It deals with Canada’s famous contribution to the space shuttle.

“I decided to write a song about a failing nerd who somehow invented the Canada Arm and made himself big. A guy loved this girl but she didn’t think he was special enough and one day he made something great. The mood of the songs keeps changing and there is a different atmosphere to each one of them.

We like to think of ourselves as songwriters but we don’t want to be pinned down to one genre. We want to make music form all over the spectrum, from blues to alt.country to rock’n’roll to fast bear. We’re up for trying anything.”
- Scene Magazine

Jeff Bercuson
September 24, 2004

Grassy Knoll and the Magic Bullit is one of London’s hardest working bands. After three years of relentless gigging around town, the band is ready to release its first full-length EP, [sic] She Woke Up In A Frantic.

The Gazette hooked up with lead singer Noel P. Greaves to talk about the upcoming album, the London music scene, marathon recording sessions and, naturally, the Kennedy assassination.

The Gazette: You are a notoriously hard-working band. Your gigography reads like a comprehensive listing of all the music venues in London. Could you talk a bit about what it’s like being an indie rock band from London, Ontario? Does the song “Broken Community” have anything to do with this idea?

Greaves: We’re definitely what you would call a “working band” – you kind of have to be because London isn’t a real tight community. I mean, over the past three years we’ve seen a lot of the bands we’ve played with break up and reform. It’s not always easy to stay afloat, to not go broke. In a way, “Broken Community” is kind of our way of saying that we’re not quite fed up but it’s definitely a backlash to the unresponsiveness of this town.

The Gazette: We read on your website that all 12 tracks were recorded at the House of Miracles in one day. That’s a pretty intense pace. What was the recording process like?

Greaves: It was kind of a crazy process. We recorded it in a live-off-the-floor format, where all five of us played at the same time. Andy [Magoffin, producer] was impressed at how we could just jump into character. We recorded the album in 30 straight hours, and after all that, I don’t even know what Andy thought of the band. By the end of the recording session, he said, “If I’m looking for a freak show, I’ll call you guys.”

The Gazette: The music off the album meanders through a ton of different genres: ‘60s psychedelic pop, alt-country, even elements of punk. How did you mediate between all those influences?

Greaves: Well, I grew up through all these different phases of music. I’m 25 now, so I was around for the heyday of grunge and then I kind of worked deeper and deeper into the classics. Of course the many influences we have inform our songwriting; that’s just the way we’ve always written songs. We like to think of ourselves as the Frankenstein of rock ‘n’ roll.

The Gazette: Although the music is generally upbeat and poppy, a lot of the songs are about sadness, confusion and alienation. Was it a conscious choice to make the lyrics contrast with the music?

Greaves: Every time I write a song, I try to capture a particular story or mood to go with that. For us, the story is very important. We like to think of ourselves as murder with a smile. It’s about recognizing that all things are horrible but finding a niche, a way to laugh at the world and then go out and juxtapose it with some great music. I realize that everything’s not so great. I mean, I’m not a preacher by any means. I once believed in a revolution but now it’s dead. I’ll just say that I definitely appreciate the darker side of life.

The Gazette: What can we expect for Saturday night?

Greaves: Of course, it’s going to be a hell of a party – great time, great music. We’re going to play some songs from our old EP, lots of stuff off She Woke Up In A Frantic, and even some new material. We always try to write music so that people can have a great time listening to it. Oh, and we’ll be wearing suits.
- The Gazette

Grassy Knoll and the Magic Bullit had been a staple of the London music scene since 2001 and with She Woke Up In A Frantic comes its long-awaited first full-length album.

From the hillbilly twang of the opening track, the album is full of frantic energy that is guaranteed to keep heads nodding throughout. "Summer's Almost Gone" is a wonderful, waltzing piece of pop music while "World Stops Spinning" practically dares listeners to break out into some kind of spontaneous and twisted indie rock square-dance.

Although the album's lyrics range from predictable to immature, the music is undeniably catchy. While the album is not without flaw ("Bacon Reprise"), Grassy Knoll and the Magic Bullit will likely make you proud to hail from the Forest City.

-Jeff Bercuson
- The Gazette

By Mardy Bacigalupo

Meaghan Bent (left), Noel Greaves, Shawn McDonald and Sarah Digout of the band Grassy Knoll and the Magic Bullit prepare for their Saturday performance at Victoria Park.

A spontaneous, combined effort between London rock band Grassy Knoll and the Magic Bullit, the London Unicycle Club and Londonindie.com will roll into Victoria Park bandshell this Saturday, Aug. 28.

The first of its kind, the London Unicycling Club Expo promises to be an event of great opportunity. On Saturday, GKATMB will rock the stage from 2 to 3 p.m. From 1 to 4 p.m., unicyclers will demonstrate some of their skills, techniques and tricks. All the while, Londonindie.com will be filming the talent.

Everyone is invited, free of charge, to watch.

And when the tape, wheels and rockers stop rolling, the images, sounds and stunts will be compiled into a DVD.

“We are doing the event because we were working with the band that is doing the sound show and we are releasing the DVD to get unicycling more well-known,” explains Brian MacKenzie, founder of the unicycle club. “We will be doing trial demos, the kinds of things you would see happening in a skateboard park. It’s going to be some very cool stuff and add to that a live band. It is going to be a cool show.”

He’s been riding his unicycle in London for about two years. He moved to the Forest City from Toronto, where he also rode the one-wheeled bicycle. When he arrived here, he found himself involved in the Santa Claus parade. There, he met other uni-enthusiasts. Together, the formed the club. There are currently about 30 members ranging in age from 10 through 50.

Noel Greaves has been with GKATMB since they were formed in 2001. He is the lead singer and songwriter alongside lead guitarist Shawn McDonald. They say the free weekend gig will appeal to Londoners looking for some fun.

“Nothing like this has been done in London before,” Mr. Greaves says. “We don’t swear; we just try to make really good music. Our music is all over the map, from slow to really upbeat type music. If there is an intense segment on the DVD, we will have faster music playing along with it.”

All schooled professionally, Londonindie.com has the expertise needed to make the film roll smoothly.

Meaghan Bent builds websites with Londonindie. She says when all is complete, the final product should be pretty cool.

“We have worked with Grassy Knoll in the past and we always try to support London acts through promotion and Noel knew we would be a good fit.”

Four cameras will film the riders, the crowd and the five-man band simultaneously. The release date for the DVD is set for February.

“This event will give us some interesting merchandise, make us better known internationally and will keep building up our band resume,” Mr. Greaves says. “It will also show we are capable of putting together our own stuff, we are not lazy.”

WANT MORE INFO?

London Unicycling Club Expo will be held in Victoria Park Saturday, Aug. 28, 1 – 4 p.m. Grassy Knoll and the Magic Bullit will perform 2 – 3 p.m. Free admission. For more information visit www.londonindie.com and follow the links, or visit www.londonunicyclingclub.ca.
- The Londoner