The Canons

Extraterrestrials and Tribulations

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote that, “In a real dark night of the soul it is always three o'clock in the morning, day after day…” In a matter of fact way he reduced one of the sinister complexities of life to simple terms and revealed a greater universal truth. In the same way, the best rock n’ roll has chronicled the same po-faced theme in short two and a half minute sonic blasts. Johnny Cash made a career out of it and so did Joe Strummer. Enter the Canons to take this subject matter to another level for a whole new time; it comes through in their lyrics, in their live shows and particularly on their latest album, The Bitter End of Man. As the title infers, the record is concise in its presentation yet sprawling in its scope. Consequently the band traverses even darker territory than their significant progenitors did. It’s the smell of stale smoke, piss and decay, which permeates the layers of the Canons’ particular brand of music and the unique world they bring to life. No surprise that the band once made their home in a run down flop-house on the wrong side of the tracks.

The Canons’ music itself covers a lot of the same gritty territory; from straight ahead rock to post-punk: Indolent rhythms, beer soaked harmonies and seasonally affected vocals - an aural salvo similarly employed by bands such as Pavement and The Replacements. As well, conspicuously present in the mix is the proto-punk of the Pixies and the cartoon humour of the Ramones, (with just a dash of Iron Maiden and Pink Floyd)- bands that inspired The Canon’s darker song writing impulses and tendencies toward concept pieces filled with seedy tales of emotional impairment, extraterrestrials, Heaven and Hell. The quartet's guitar/vocal/bass/drums line-up is relentlessly intense and vibrant; as adept at playing dark discordant bursts as they are at melodic pop songs.

Formed in London, Ontario in 2003 by ex-members of Two-Minute Miracles and the Mike Clive Foundation, The Canons independently released their first two EP’s in May 2005, Vices and Death and Love, followed by their first full length album The Bitter End of Man in 2006. These represent only a fraction of the huge catalogue of original material the band has amassed during their three years of existence.