Jared Brown

Prolific Nova Scotia-born/Montreal-based tunesmith Jared Brown has released a couple of albums in 2014, most recently Shee. Now, he's got fellow Canuck indie rocker Mac DeMarco to help him out with a video for Shee's opening cut, "Son of a Gun."

The clip is every bit as raw and ramshackle as the rocking tune itself. It's a DIY affair filled with creepy puppets and cheap-looking psychedelic effects. DeMarco doesn't show up until near the end, when we see an extended shot of him tidying up cables on a stage and a poorly grammaticized quote about Deafheaven's Daniel Tracy pops up on the screen. It's not entirely clear if this quote is being credited to DeMarco or if it's a complete non-sequitur, but it's a strange moment either way. - Exclaim

Who is the real Jared Brown?

The real Jared Brown, woah….. I guess I am a human, living on planet earth, trying to do what God wants me to do, whatever that is, I can sense things, I am very sensitive to energy, my own and others, and the supernatural, I don’t really understand it…..maybe it’s a 6th sense that only people who are bat shit crazy understand. I really need to stay sober right…..

What can we expect from your Barfly performance at POP this year? Anything new? This is your first time playing the fest, right?

Well its a new line up, based out of Halifax, with 2 new friends Alex Macdougall and Keith Doiron who are both pretty amazing musicians and of course my pal David Cowan who played with me when I lived in Montreal, David is also incredible, so I think it’s going to be pretty good, I learnt how to sing without sounding like a high pitched Daniel Johnston, got lots of new songs I’ve never played live, oh and I just learn’t Heroes by David Bowie, totally playing that and maybe another cover, something I never really do. First time playing the Barfly and yes first time playing POP Montreal, really stoked to be getting that $100 check, all jokes aside it’s probably the most I’ve been guaranteed for a show sinse we stopped playing covers for 4 hours a night at shitty bars in highschool.

What are you most looking forward to during POP 2014?

I’m not really sure, I imagine there are some sick bands I have not heard yet and of course all my sweet friends bands like Freelove Fenner, The Group Sound, Homeshake, Each Other etc… Whether I go or not, we are only in town for the 19th and 20th because of conflicting tour dates but there are a ton of sweet bands, I am totally going to check out Construction And Destruction, on the 19th at 1am at some bar I never heard of…. I recorded 3 albums with those guys including the new one, love them to death, they have been great to me, musically and friend wise too….I would also really like to see P.S. I Love You, I ran into them at Sappy Fest this year and they are both stand up dudes!

If you could play anywhere with anyone, where and with who would it be?

Mac Demarco in Berlin November 23rd if that’s the date, I’m not sure and too lazy to check haha.

What has been a day in the life of Jared Brown since leaving Montreal to live in Nova Scotia?

I work a lot at this construction business I started, so pretty much that, I mow lawns, do landscaping and masonry and some carpentry, I really dig building flatrock patios and retaining walls, I try to make time for music too, things are pretty busy with that, trying to somewhat properly release the new album and planning this upcoming tour….I like living in Nova Scotia but I change my mind a lot….. I did way to much MDMA when I lived in Montreal, almost every day and went kind of insane, as you probably know ;-) Trying to stay sober, it feels good…. day by day right.

Will we be able to catch you at the Deafheaven show? Tell us more about your plans to hang out with the drummer.

I’m still undecided, to be honest it’s kind of a bit too satanic for me, and the last time I was at Il Motore, was the most insane night of my life, I kind of took 10 hits of MDMA after arguing with Mac on stage about Obama and freaked out during Jef Barbara’s set I basically broke into a girl’s room (roommate let me in) I went on her computer married her on Facebook, then she comes home and is like why the fuck are you in my room and I was so out of it I guess I really scared her, maybe I really never intended on doing anything harmful but confess my love to her, it probably would of been alright if I never stayed for 4 hours….. I sent her flowers like a week later, they where a lot of money to me at the time, basically half of what I had…. but I might go, ya a little bird told me the drummer is apparently a shape shifting demon but I really don’t believe it, I thought the bird was joking but after I asked the bird multiple times if he was joking he said this, and quote “when he looked at the crowd his face seemed normal, and then when he looked down and off to the side, in the direction of where we were sitting, his eyes went like gray/white and his forehead furrowed and his mouth got all twisted” so I guess the cats out of the bag now, sorry bird know you didn’t want me to leak this…. I don’t think hes a shape shifter, but it is possible he has a demon in him, hopefully we can be friends, I been praying for Deafheaven, they would be an awesome addition to Jesus’ team, fuck Obama Is The Antichrist right….. God will protect Russia until the Rapture, I hope anyway, I don’t really know, but I think they would of already taken Russia out if they could. I saw a thing on the news today with all the NATO leaders meeting about funding Kiev with weapons to fight Russia, its kind of insane, they all looked really evil and had disgusting grins on their faces, especially Obama. Fuck Harper too, I was hoping he would be a good guy in all of this but he’s probably a shape shifter too. The current Ukrainian government are basically Nazis and anyone with half a brain should be able to understand, it’s really about taking out Russia entirely and having a one world government, that is what this is really about….. world domination isn’t easy, oh yeah the drummer from Deafheaven also plays in a band called World Domination.

Finally, tell us about your latest record coming out in just a few days…

I’m pretty stoked about this new record, I’ve made my fair share of them and I think this is totally the best one yet, I started writing it in the winter while I was in Montreal then finished it up around the end of May, I recorded it in Port Greville, Nova Scotia with my friends Dave and Colleen, I really like working with Dave as an engineer and he helps with the production, he really brings out the best in me recording wise…. He played drums on a few tracks and Colleen played keyboards on a couple songs. Their house is super awesome too, and has an amazing view of the ocean. I really like recording guitar and looking out their window at the water its beautiful…….. Who is the record dedicated too? Well the world I guess, Jesus is my home boy, and of course you Roxanne…. I hope we get to go on a date at Taco Bell when I’m in town, you can just eat taco shells, lettuce and sour cream, but I’d be down to go anywhere you want dear, but I don’t really want to live in Montreal anymore…. It’s just I hate being so poor, but maybe I seem to always find myself back there….. I’m technically a Quebec citizen…. - Pop Montreal

Nova Scotia-born/Montreal-based songwriter Jared Brown released his album Help back in March, but he's already back with another full-length. Before Shee drops on September 15 through Dog Records & Tapes, it's available to stream on Exclaim.ca.

Brown and co-producer David Trenaman cut the album during a five-day session in Port Greville, NS, back in June. It's made up of ramshackle indie rock tunes which contrast their upbeat punchiness with wonky, brittle guitars and murkily muffled vocals. Even when Brown strips down the arrangement for an acoustic folk number, as on "Down the Road," his raw croak means that the results are as curious as always.

Scroll past Brown's tour schedule to listen.

Tour dates:

09/19 Montreal, QC - Bar Fly (Pop Montreal)
09/21 Wakefield, QC - Black Sheep Inn
09/23 Ottawa, ON - Le Troquet
09/24 Peterborough, ON - Red Garnet
09/25 Toronto, ON - Silver Dollar Room
09/26 Kitchener, ON - The Out Post
09/27 London, ON - APK
09/28 Hamilton, ON - Doors Pub - Exclaim

Jared Brown comes from Nova Scotia and is now foisting his crazily infectious and hyperactive rock jams on us unsuspecting Quebecians. We’re blessed, as this kid carries the musical DNA of the best of early-90s east coast can-rock. You can hear the Eric’s Trip, the Peter Parkers even a ghost of The Superfriendz in his music. That isn’t to detract from it’s joyous, balls-out idiosyncratic awesomeness, which Jared has in spades. - Big Take Over Magazine

It’s getting harder and harder to categorize music, but perhaps that’s a good thing. Whereas at one point one could easily say “this is country” or “this is rap” or “this is punk,” we now have in our arsenal adjectives that solely describe one band (Elephant Stone’s “hindie rock” or Yamantaka//Sonic Titan’s “noh-wave”) to genre fusions like “electro-folk” or “roots-rock.”

Some of the adjectives that The Lobs, a duo out of Montreal, uses to describe themselves on their Bandcamp page are “no wave,” “noise,” “experimental” and “pop.” A listener probably won’t be prepared simply by those adjectives for what will ensue, though maybe “experimental” might help a bit.

The EP, which will shortly be followed up by a full-length, is full of so many sounds that it’s almost hard to figure out what’s what. A challenging listen is always a good thing. Take for example, the opener “The devils here.” It wastes no time in going full-out with what sounds like horns over synths over percussion, all accompanied by vocals from Jared Brown that sound a bit like Paul Saulnier of PS I Love You. In terms of recording quality this sounds a little rougher, but it’s perhaps the most thrilling song on the EP and opens it with a punch.

The music dramatically shifts to a creepy vibe with the song “Just you.” The song this time features vocals from Kate Heffring, as well as some synthesizers that sound like they could be the theme music for a horror movie. The creepiness continues with “Noise Amongst Aliens,” an instrumental number that swirls with strange sounds.

And the music keeps shifting and shifting until the end of the EP. For some listeners it will be a “What did I just listen to?” moment, and here’s hoping it’s one that will compel them to listen again and pick out all the nuances. The EP is available for download, and on cassette, from Bandcamp. Look for the full-length LP which comes out February 28.

Top Track: “The devils here”

Rating: Strong Hoot (Good) - Michael Thomas Grey Point Owl

The Lobs are one of those bands that seem to take great pleasure in putting out a ton of music in a short period of time. In a span of less than a year (more accurately, in the span of about half a year), this Montreal band has released an EP and in May just released a full-length. The band must be taking a page out of Expwy‘s book.

While the Lobs’ EP was very much the sound of the band playing around with a whole slew of sounds, Mowing Lawns sees them settling into a grungy, sometimes manic rock sound. There’s a large focus on fuzzy guitars, Jared Brown’s crazy vocals, and occasionally a badass vocal touch from Kate Heffring.

At times, a listener might be forgiven for thinking that they’ve accidentally switched on a 90s grunge album. There’s definitely quite a bit of gloom on these tracks. But at the same time, the listener might also be forgiven they’ve stumbled onto some scuzzier tracks by PS I Love You. Brown’s vocals sometimes have that madman-esque quality that Paul Saulnier also employs.

The album starts off, though, with a song sung by Heffring, called “Watch Tower.” It’s a good introduction to the Lobs for those unfamiliar, employing the static-y guitars right off the bat before Heffring comes in on vocals.

From there, the next seven songs bring Brown into the vocal centrefold. One could get the sense that this album is the soundtrack to a breakdown. In “Medications,” the “madman” vocals are on in full force over heavy guitars. Brown sings “Where did you go? I don’t know.” The next song “In your brain” goes unexpectedly soft, this time with Brown’s vocals closer to a whisper, and one of his lines is “Get me the fuck out of here.” It moves on later to “Don’t Sink,” which sounds like giving up hope, featuring a line like “We’re all fucked anyway.” Clearly the Lobs enjoy the f-bomb, particularly in the song “What the fuck” which starts with the line “What the fuck is going on in this town of the dead?”

But then there’s a weird dose of positivity with “Cats and Spoons.” Among its heavy guitars (as you’ll hear in most songs) there are lines less about resigning oneself and more about looking on the bright side of things. “It’s all gonna be over soon,” says one line from the song, though the line could be interpreted in many different ways.

Heffring returns for vocal duties with “Trees,” and it’s refreshing to hear her voice among the grungy guitars. Ditto “the end,” which is a totally badass closing number.

The drone of the Lobs is a good drone, if slightly distressing as well.

Top Tracks: “Cats and Spoons”; “Trees”

Rating: Strong Hoot (Good) - Grey Point Owl

We’ve been all Montréal this; Montréal that in recent weeks, and it’s to Québec we again return this afternoon. Born and raised in Springhill Nova Scotia, Canada as his adorably humble, unsolicited email informs – he ‘couldn’t really afford the 300 dollars’ his carefully selected PR firm were after, you see – wily songsmith Jared Brown has inhabited said city since 2011, tranquilly self-releasing lo-fi opera as and whenever he’s felt compelled to do so. And it’s from his latest, titled Help and due March, that Don’t Go sprung to our attention a little earlier on, beyond gloopy guitars recorded in gloriously ramshackle fashion enveloping haywire lyricisms of spaceships colliding underneath the sea. But the song’s ethos is clear as the most pellucid body of water: “We all need to help each other out, that’s what life’s all about.” Hence we essentially felt beyond intent on lending a helping hand or two to Brown’s cause this afternoon… - Dots & Dashes (January 2014)

Nova Scotia-born musician Jared Brown is gearing up for the release of his album HELP, coming out soon via Blueberry Honey. Brown currently resides in Montreal (when he’s not on tour with Mac DeMarco) and cranks out lo-fi, jangle-ridden bedroom rock with idiosyncratic, warbling vocals in a similar vein to King Tuff, though Brown’s are perhaps a shade darker and have a sharper edge — his voice cuts like a knife through mossy guitar, drums, and bass. “Where Did We Go Wrong” opens with some jazzy, cymbal-heavy drumming before the sly guitar and offbeat vocals join in; the lyrics turn into gibberish while the song escalates before ending at just under three minutes. Jared Brown also runs Dog Records & Tapes, and you can check out music videos for the album as well as some live recordings on his YouTube. - Decoder Magazine

DIY weirdo Jared Brown strikes again with Shee, a brand new album of unhinged, jangly power-pop jams somewhere between Weezer’s first album and the frazzled, fractured genius of acid casualty Skip Spence. - Pop Montreal