Uncut
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Uncut

Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2004 | INDIE | AFM

Toronto, Ontario, Canada | INDIE | AFM
Established on Jan, 2004
Band Rock Alternative

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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"Song Review - Day Breaks Red Light"

Here's one to share with the neighbors, whether they assent to it or not. At first, you can barely hear it-- some little padding drums whapping away on the threshold of hearing... then... BOOM! Hope you didn't get too close to the speakers. Simply put, this song soars with all the slippery drumming and searing guitar melodies of the best road anthems, a bit of jangle mixed in there with the fuzz to make the rush that much more euphoric. It's so infectious and raw and loud that it's hard to even notice that there's no real chorus, and only two verses, which are both about feeling like hell in the morning. "Day break/ Red light/ Sheets pulled/ Last night," seems to imply a nasty comedown, and I'm pretty sure his girlfriend leaves him in the second verse, but the only lesson learned is: Being lonely and hungover never felt this good. 4.5/5 - Pitchfork


"Song Review - Day Breaks Red Light"

Here's one to share with the neighbors, whether they assent to it or not. At first, you can barely hear it-- some little padding drums whapping away on the threshold of hearing... then... BOOM! Hope you didn't get too close to the speakers. Simply put, this song soars with all the slippery drumming and searing guitar melodies of the best road anthems, a bit of jangle mixed in there with the fuzz to make the rush that much more euphoric. It's so infectious and raw and loud that it's hard to even notice that there's no real chorus, and only two verses, which are both about feeling like hell in the morning. "Day break/ Red light/ Sheets pulled/ Last night," seems to imply a nasty comedown, and I'm pretty sure his girlfriend leaves him in the second verse, but the only lesson learned is: Being lonely and hungover never felt this good. 4.5/5 - Pitchfork


"Album Review - Those Who Were Hung Hang Here"

Rarely does a band’s break-up equal success for more than one ex-member. But Toronto tech-rockers the Uncut provide another happy break-up story. After garnering a reputation as one of the most startling live propositions in Toronto, one half of the act (Jake Fairley) left Ian Worang with nothing but an email, a drum machine and a band to rebuild. Luckily today the two are still tight and Fairley’s ripping up the German techno circuit while Worang and his new band (still the Uncut) are turning heads with an intense live show and a record deal with hot shit indie label Paper Bag. And deservedly so since the quartet (Worang recruited Hawaii-collaborator Sam Goldberg, bassist Derek Tokar and drummer Jon Drew in just two weeks after Fairley left) run the full gamut of Joy Division incarnations, from Warsaw (the ultra-heavy “Copilot”) to New Order (the pop-oriented “Day Breaks Red Light”) while hitting all of the lovely yet dark moments in between. Quite simply, Those Who Were Hung Hang Here is the best album to come out of Toronto this year, and if you haven’t heard, we’ve got quite a nice little coterie down here. - Exclaim


"Album Review - Those Who Were Hung Hang Here"

Rarely does a band’s break-up equal success for more than one ex-member. But Toronto tech-rockers the Uncut provide another happy break-up story. After garnering a reputation as one of the most startling live propositions in Toronto, one half of the act (Jake Fairley) left Ian Worang with nothing but an email, a drum machine and a band to rebuild. Luckily today the two are still tight and Fairley’s ripping up the German techno circuit while Worang and his new band (still the Uncut) are turning heads with an intense live show and a record deal with hot shit indie label Paper Bag. And deservedly so since the quartet (Worang recruited Hawaii-collaborator Sam Goldberg, bassist Derek Tokar and drummer Jon Drew in just two weeks after Fairley left) run the full gamut of Joy Division incarnations, from Warsaw (the ultra-heavy “Copilot”) to New Order (the pop-oriented “Day Breaks Red Light”) while hitting all of the lovely yet dark moments in between. Quite simply, Those Who Were Hung Hang Here is the best album to come out of Toronto this year, and if you haven’t heard, we’ve got quite a nice little coterie down here. - Exclaim


"Album Review - Modern Currencies"

When Canadian dance rockers Uncut decided to put away the computers and crank up traditional instruments, no one expected their transition would literally and legitimately take it to 'eleven.' Manufactured beats are now heavy-handed percussion and lingering sound effects come care of super-strong electric guitar and percussion by hand. These tight arrangements are showcased on the band's sophomore outing and latest effort, Modern Currencies.

Album opener "Dark Horse" an art-rock opus, beginning with a strangely harsh, but endearing lead guitar composition that evolves into a work that sends the listener on sharp curves between verse and bridge. Uncut accomplishes something that feels wildly driven and existential thanks to the song's spoken-word lyrics and persistent hi-hat/bass drum percussion a la Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart." Frontman-turned-producer Ian Worang beckons, "I'll show them all how far I'll go" -- and on "Dark Horse," he certainly proves how far Uncut has come indeed. Cash in on Uncut's Modern Currencies now via Paper Bag. - Spin.com


"Album Review - Modern Currencies"

When Canadian dance rockers Uncut decided to put away the computers and crank up traditional instruments, no one expected their transition would literally and legitimately take it to 'eleven.' Manufactured beats are now heavy-handed percussion and lingering sound effects come care of super-strong electric guitar and percussion by hand. These tight arrangements are showcased on the band's sophomore outing and latest effort, Modern Currencies.

Album opener "Dark Horse" an art-rock opus, beginning with a strangely harsh, but endearing lead guitar composition that evolves into a work that sends the listener on sharp curves between verse and bridge. Uncut accomplishes something that feels wildly driven and existential thanks to the song's spoken-word lyrics and persistent hi-hat/bass drum percussion a la Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart." Frontman-turned-producer Ian Worang beckons, "I'll show them all how far I'll go" -- and on "Dark Horse," he certainly proves how far Uncut has come indeed. Cash in on Uncut's Modern Currencies now via Paper Bag. - Spin.com


"Album Review - Those Who Were Hung Hang Here"

David Bowie and Robert Smith are, by all counts, icons. In my mind’s eye, I can’t help but envision them singularly on stage, spotlight magnetically following their presence. They have a certain something - perhaps charisma, perhaps drama – that won’t allow you to look away.

While I may never have known, Uncut’s Ian Worang has the same undying allure. It’s hypnotic, really; he steals the show away from raucous guitars and intentional violence with his breathy, perplexing whisper.

It makes sense, then, that the two kindred spirits closest to Warong’s heart seem to be Bowie and Smith. For each, their music remains steadily loud and melodically indelible, but their mesmerizing character-acting always stands front and center.

To state it simply, Those Who Hung Hang Here is a really great album - it only underscores the fact that Canada is the current fountain from which phenomenal music springs.

From there, however, we find that their brand of high-energy, guitar-heavy New Wave is propulsive, addictive, and above all, cutthroat. Uncut redefines obsessive, fashionable depression and Burgess-inspired Ultraviolence, and does so to the tune of bewildering dance beats.

From the thumping distortion of their first single, "Understanding the New Violence," you’ll note that something is different. These four chaps aren’t content in being just another dance punk band, they want to blaze a trail. The slick, death-obsessed rhythms come off as bizarre and unhealthy – in much the same manner as their gloriously drug-riddled forebears – but Uncut’s pioneering nature is forever apparent as they look to breathe new life into the scene.

"Buried with Friends" places them in the same caliber as their touted countrymates, Broken Social Scene, birthing unending layers of style with obtuse, churning rock and rebellious guitars. While the understated vocals may not have you singing along right away, as you might for "Cause=Time," by the time the album concludes, you’re easily as hooked.

Despite the attention-thieving attitude of the lead vocalist, the disc is also marked by an unwavering, blistering sense of energy. Uncut’s relentless attack is enough to confound one’s heartbeat; the unyielding volume comes dangerously close to drowning out our pale, emotive troubadour, but such a perilous interplay provides ceaseless thrills throughout the album.

The band broaches many sounds, meeting each with finesse and trouble-seeking charm: "In This Morning Gray" is surprisingly surfy, lazy and washed-out though undeniably bright. "Day Breaks Red Light" is unwittingly optimistic despite its tight, yowling guitars and jettisoned pace – it seems a strangely fitting place to find happiness.

The closing cut, "When For Now," is one of triumph. It is the defining moment that sweeps them into heroism and builds on each prior track to reach final acclaim. At this point, the melodrama and hysterics formed from weeping, expressive vocals and uproarious noise reaches a true purpose: Those Who Were Hung Hang Here is a compelling, ecstatic affirmation – and for Uncut, it is evidence of victory. - Lost At Sea


"Album Review - Those Who Were Hung Hang Here"

David Bowie and Robert Smith are, by all counts, icons. In my mind’s eye, I can’t help but envision them singularly on stage, spotlight magnetically following their presence. They have a certain something - perhaps charisma, perhaps drama – that won’t allow you to look away.

While I may never have known, Uncut’s Ian Worang has the same undying allure. It’s hypnotic, really; he steals the show away from raucous guitars and intentional violence with his breathy, perplexing whisper.

It makes sense, then, that the two kindred spirits closest to Warong’s heart seem to be Bowie and Smith. For each, their music remains steadily loud and melodically indelible, but their mesmerizing character-acting always stands front and center.

To state it simply, Those Who Hung Hang Here is a really great album - it only underscores the fact that Canada is the current fountain from which phenomenal music springs.

From there, however, we find that their brand of high-energy, guitar-heavy New Wave is propulsive, addictive, and above all, cutthroat. Uncut redefines obsessive, fashionable depression and Burgess-inspired Ultraviolence, and does so to the tune of bewildering dance beats.

From the thumping distortion of their first single, "Understanding the New Violence," you’ll note that something is different. These four chaps aren’t content in being just another dance punk band, they want to blaze a trail. The slick, death-obsessed rhythms come off as bizarre and unhealthy – in much the same manner as their gloriously drug-riddled forebears – but Uncut’s pioneering nature is forever apparent as they look to breathe new life into the scene.

"Buried with Friends" places them in the same caliber as their touted countrymates, Broken Social Scene, birthing unending layers of style with obtuse, churning rock and rebellious guitars. While the understated vocals may not have you singing along right away, as you might for "Cause=Time," by the time the album concludes, you’re easily as hooked.

Despite the attention-thieving attitude of the lead vocalist, the disc is also marked by an unwavering, blistering sense of energy. Uncut’s relentless attack is enough to confound one’s heartbeat; the unyielding volume comes dangerously close to drowning out our pale, emotive troubadour, but such a perilous interplay provides ceaseless thrills throughout the album.

The band broaches many sounds, meeting each with finesse and trouble-seeking charm: "In This Morning Gray" is surprisingly surfy, lazy and washed-out though undeniably bright. "Day Breaks Red Light" is unwittingly optimistic despite its tight, yowling guitars and jettisoned pace – it seems a strangely fitting place to find happiness.

The closing cut, "When For Now," is one of triumph. It is the defining moment that sweeps them into heroism and builds on each prior track to reach final acclaim. At this point, the melodrama and hysterics formed from weeping, expressive vocals and uproarious noise reaches a true purpose: Those Who Were Hung Hang Here is a compelling, ecstatic affirmation – and for Uncut, it is evidence of victory. - Lost At Sea


"Album Review - Modern Currencies"

Every wannabe rocker who took a side alley left of the dial just to avoid Nickelback Drive and Metallica Terrace, has wished they could be in a band as cool as Uncut. Modern Currencies is a tour de course of tracks that intrigue the popular girl toward the marginal man. Christian Slater would pump Uncut on pirate radio, just as boys with mod cuts, black suits and sunglasses should make this car stereo fodder for onlooking babes.

"Darkhorse" sets an ambitious mood for Modern Currencies, blasting off with nothing more than four counts on a cymbal as precursor. This track immediately establishes the importance of guitars by layering at least three tracks over tom-filled beats. The energetic angst of the music is vindicated by Ian Worang's lyrical suggestion: "Let's just kill all the living/They're not all made to live." "Darkhorse" reaches perfection on the outro, which pays tribute to Swervedriver's "Rave Down", the band most noted for brilliantly layering ridiculous amounts of guitar tracks in the studio. Uncut provides a clear indication that simple pop rock is not in the forecast for this album, yet, through its frank and powerful delivery, mass appeal will be possible. The intricacies can be enjoyed by some without forsaking the many.

Modern listeners will undoubtedly find that songs like "Hideaway" and "The Night Can See" sound like the newest new wave (Interpol, The Bravery, and so on), but the attitude (on top of the sound) of the overall product reminds me mostly of Girls Against Boys circa Park Avenue. Of course, this album may have a little more sustenance since it goes beyond the topics of sex and money, but, like any band that sounds too cool to put down, we tend to overeat until the disc loses taste. "Kiss Me" and "Never Say Never" change up the new wave scenery, although they gravitate further into the pop realm of The Jesus & Mary Chain and New Order, which doesn't solve the pop dilemma of consume and destroy.
I would have given my right ear to make an album like GVSB in the mid-90s and feeling (for one moment) as hip as they must have felt while writing and performing. Uncut evokes a similar mindset. My only concern is that being "too cool" is a bubble reputation, and, as I no longer think about GVSB in the same way; Uncut could find difficulty evolving from this point. Regardless of the unpredictable future, Modern Currencies is a sonically fantastic adventure from a band with impeccable taste in music. - antiMusic


"Album Review - Modern Currencies"

Every wannabe rocker who took a side alley left of the dial just to avoid Nickelback Drive and Metallica Terrace, has wished they could be in a band as cool as Uncut. Modern Currencies is a tour de course of tracks that intrigue the popular girl toward the marginal man. Christian Slater would pump Uncut on pirate radio, just as boys with mod cuts, black suits and sunglasses should make this car stereo fodder for onlooking babes.

"Darkhorse" sets an ambitious mood for Modern Currencies, blasting off with nothing more than four counts on a cymbal as precursor. This track immediately establishes the importance of guitars by layering at least three tracks over tom-filled beats. The energetic angst of the music is vindicated by Ian Worang's lyrical suggestion: "Let's just kill all the living/They're not all made to live." "Darkhorse" reaches perfection on the outro, which pays tribute to Swervedriver's "Rave Down", the band most noted for brilliantly layering ridiculous amounts of guitar tracks in the studio. Uncut provides a clear indication that simple pop rock is not in the forecast for this album, yet, through its frank and powerful delivery, mass appeal will be possible. The intricacies can be enjoyed by some without forsaking the many.

Modern listeners will undoubtedly find that songs like "Hideaway" and "The Night Can See" sound like the newest new wave (Interpol, The Bravery, and so on), but the attitude (on top of the sound) of the overall product reminds me mostly of Girls Against Boys circa Park Avenue. Of course, this album may have a little more sustenance since it goes beyond the topics of sex and money, but, like any band that sounds too cool to put down, we tend to overeat until the disc loses taste. "Kiss Me" and "Never Say Never" change up the new wave scenery, although they gravitate further into the pop realm of The Jesus & Mary Chain and New Order, which doesn't solve the pop dilemma of consume and destroy.
I would have given my right ear to make an album like GVSB in the mid-90s and feeling (for one moment) as hip as they must have felt while writing and performing. Uncut evokes a similar mindset. My only concern is that being "too cool" is a bubble reputation, and, as I no longer think about GVSB in the same way; Uncut could find difficulty evolving from this point. Regardless of the unpredictable future, Modern Currencies is a sonically fantastic adventure from a band with impeccable taste in music. - antiMusic


"Album Review - Modern Currencies"

Rating: 7.7

No matter how much my tastes change or how many different types of music I discover, I always make room for a good rock record. The feeling inspired by a sharp riff and a big, grabbing melody is always welcome. There's a ton of that on Modern Currencies, Uncut's second album and a worthy follow-up to 2004's outstanding debut Those Who Were Hung Hang Here (don't believe All Music Guide-- two of the four albums they list are by completely different bands named Uncut). Around that time, they were pegged as the Toronto chapter of the post-punk revival or, more lazily, a Canadian Interpol.

The latter label wasn't really fair or accurate, though the two bands do share a knack for propulsive tunefulness. It's even less accurate now, as the quartet's sound has grown measurably since the debut. They're sharper and less reliant on sheer volume to make an impact, though the band's self-production still keeps the needle in the red most of the time. They've also added a songwriter from within, as bassist Derek Tokar has taken up the pen alongside guitarists Ian Worang and Sam Goldberg. And they managed to rope in ex-Hole/Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf der Maur for some backing vocals.

The record opens with a massive guitar hook that plays against Worang's sing-speak vocal. It's odd-- he doesn't even sing the chorus to "Darkhorse", instead delivering the line "Let's just kill all the living/ They're not all made to live" in an oddly memorable chant. The band's three writers have distinct, complementary styles, a la Sloan, Fugazi, or the Beatles (comparing methods here, not music). Worang tends to write his biggest hooks into the guitar parts, delivering lyrics in a reserved tone that borders on speech while the rhythm carries him. Goldberg's approach is just the opposite; he's the purest singer in the band, and there's a satisfying tension between his soft delivery and the thunderously loud music around him. Tokar falls somewhere in the middle, with a tendency to set things spiraling at an extremely high tempo and thread his gentle vocals through it all.

It's hard to pick a standout from this batch of songs-- it's an album where it depends on which song you're listening to at the time-- but Goldberg's "Kiss Me" is as good a candidate as any, with its chiming guitar melody and counterintuitively hushed vocals. Goldberg and Auf der Maur sound so natural together that it's difficult to even notice at first that they're both singing on "Never Say Never"-- it almost sounds like double tracking. The band saves the three quickest tempos for the record's last third, unleashing them in a row before splashing down into "Prison Waltz", which features a guest vocal from Ndidi Onukwulu and ends the album with the guitars groping skyward.

It's tough to find much to fault on Modern Currencies, but while it's very consistent in quality, it can also be over-consistent in tone and overall sonic character; all those soaring, searching guitars can bleed from one song to the next. As weaknesses go, though, a band could certainly do worse, and this is an album I can certainly see myself finding time for in the future. - Pitchfork


"Album Review - Modern Currencies"

Rating: 7.7

No matter how much my tastes change or how many different types of music I discover, I always make room for a good rock record. The feeling inspired by a sharp riff and a big, grabbing melody is always welcome. There's a ton of that on Modern Currencies, Uncut's second album and a worthy follow-up to 2004's outstanding debut Those Who Were Hung Hang Here (don't believe All Music Guide-- two of the four albums they list are by completely different bands named Uncut). Around that time, they were pegged as the Toronto chapter of the post-punk revival or, more lazily, a Canadian Interpol.

The latter label wasn't really fair or accurate, though the two bands do share a knack for propulsive tunefulness. It's even less accurate now, as the quartet's sound has grown measurably since the debut. They're sharper and less reliant on sheer volume to make an impact, though the band's self-production still keeps the needle in the red most of the time. They've also added a songwriter from within, as bassist Derek Tokar has taken up the pen alongside guitarists Ian Worang and Sam Goldberg. And they managed to rope in ex-Hole/Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf der Maur for some backing vocals.

The record opens with a massive guitar hook that plays against Worang's sing-speak vocal. It's odd-- he doesn't even sing the chorus to "Darkhorse", instead delivering the line "Let's just kill all the living/ They're not all made to live" in an oddly memorable chant. The band's three writers have distinct, complementary styles, a la Sloan, Fugazi, or the Beatles (comparing methods here, not music). Worang tends to write his biggest hooks into the guitar parts, delivering lyrics in a reserved tone that borders on speech while the rhythm carries him. Goldberg's approach is just the opposite; he's the purest singer in the band, and there's a satisfying tension between his soft delivery and the thunderously loud music around him. Tokar falls somewhere in the middle, with a tendency to set things spiraling at an extremely high tempo and thread his gentle vocals through it all.

It's hard to pick a standout from this batch of songs-- it's an album where it depends on which song you're listening to at the time-- but Goldberg's "Kiss Me" is as good a candidate as any, with its chiming guitar melody and counterintuitively hushed vocals. Goldberg and Auf der Maur sound so natural together that it's difficult to even notice at first that they're both singing on "Never Say Never"-- it almost sounds like double tracking. The band saves the three quickest tempos for the record's last third, unleashing them in a row before splashing down into "Prison Waltz", which features a guest vocal from Ndidi Onukwulu and ends the album with the guitars groping skyward.

It's tough to find much to fault on Modern Currencies, but while it's very consistent in quality, it can also be over-consistent in tone and overall sonic character; all those soaring, searching guitars can bleed from one song to the next. As weaknesses go, though, a band could certainly do worse, and this is an album I can certainly see myself finding time for in the future. - Pitchfork


"Album Review - Those Who Were Hung Hang Here"

Those quick to dismiss Uncut as Canada's answer to Interpol just may count themselves out of one of 2004's best post-punk offerings. In fact, Those Who Were Hung Hang Here might be nearly as exhilarating as the Killers' Hot Fuss if it weren't for frontman Ian Worang's tendency to hush his vocal delivery when he isn't brooding like the '00s answer to Andrew Eldritch. In fact, "Copilot," complete with a swirling guitar rumble built atop a pulsing techno foundation, sounds like a dead-ringer for Sisters of Mercy circa First and Last and Always. Largely fabulous, tracks like the dark, thumping "Understanding the New Violence," and the flat-out magical "Intentions Change" — both boasting jagged guitar lines in the vein of U2's the Edge or Echo & the Bunnymen's Will Sergeant — make for one hypnotic disc. Fans of Joy Division, Lowlife, And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Hot Hot Heat and any of the aforementioned acts are sure to delight in Those Who Were Hung Hang Here. - All Music Guide


"Album Review - Those Who Were Hung Hang Here"

Those quick to dismiss Uncut as Canada's answer to Interpol just may count themselves out of one of 2004's best post-punk offerings. In fact, Those Who Were Hung Hang Here might be nearly as exhilarating as the Killers' Hot Fuss if it weren't for frontman Ian Worang's tendency to hush his vocal delivery when he isn't brooding like the '00s answer to Andrew Eldritch. In fact, "Copilot," complete with a swirling guitar rumble built atop a pulsing techno foundation, sounds like a dead-ringer for Sisters of Mercy circa First and Last and Always. Largely fabulous, tracks like the dark, thumping "Understanding the New Violence," and the flat-out magical "Intentions Change" — both boasting jagged guitar lines in the vein of U2's the Edge or Echo & the Bunnymen's Will Sergeant — make for one hypnotic disc. Fans of Joy Division, Lowlife, And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Hot Hot Heat and any of the aforementioned acts are sure to delight in Those Who Were Hung Hang Here. - All Music Guide


"Album Review - Those Who Were Hung Hang Here"

About four minutes into Uncut's "Taken In Sleep," there's a moment that exemplifies everything the Toronto band does right that most Joy Division/My Bloody Valentine disciples don't. The song opens strong, with a canyon-filler riff and offhandedly mumbly Ian Worang vocals. Right before the end, the guitar doubles up, burying the words and then steamrolling into the bank of warmly buzzing synthesizers that cushions the climax. The result sounds atmospheric, danceable, dramatic, and genuinely inspired.


The rest of Uncut's debut album, Those Who Were Hung Hang Here, displays comparable strength, though most of the tracks provide variations on a single arrangement: Worang generates a long, thick guitar lick which his bandmates cover with general sonic rumble and an incessantly chugging rhythm. Since Uncut began life as a techno-punk hybrid before replacing the drum machines with a live rhythm section, the group knows how to explore the nuances of repetition. Worang and company charge through songs as short and wicked as "Intentions Change" and as abstractly drifting as the album-closing "When For Now," all while holding on to the confidence of the record's opening credo: "This is the new violence." Actually, it's not all that new and it's not all that violent, but as loud, melodic, percussive rock goes, it's top-shelf. - The Onion A/V Club


"Album Review - Those Who Were Hung Hang Here"

About four minutes into Uncut's "Taken In Sleep," there's a moment that exemplifies everything the Toronto band does right that most Joy Division/My Bloody Valentine disciples don't. The song opens strong, with a canyon-filler riff and offhandedly mumbly Ian Worang vocals. Right before the end, the guitar doubles up, burying the words and then steamrolling into the bank of warmly buzzing synthesizers that cushions the climax. The result sounds atmospheric, danceable, dramatic, and genuinely inspired.


The rest of Uncut's debut album, Those Who Were Hung Hang Here, displays comparable strength, though most of the tracks provide variations on a single arrangement: Worang generates a long, thick guitar lick which his bandmates cover with general sonic rumble and an incessantly chugging rhythm. Since Uncut began life as a techno-punk hybrid before replacing the drum machines with a live rhythm section, the group knows how to explore the nuances of repetition. Worang and company charge through songs as short and wicked as "Intentions Change" and as abstractly drifting as the album-closing "When For Now," all while holding on to the confidence of the record's opening credo: "This is the new violence." Actually, it's not all that new and it's not all that violent, but as loud, melodic, percussive rock goes, it's top-shelf. - The Onion A/V Club


"Album Review - Those Who Were Hung Hang Here"

So not only does Canada have half-priced prescription drugs and an overabundance of flu shots, but they also have a seemingly never ending stream of great new music. The next in an uber long line of great stuff to come out of Canada in the last couple of years is Uncut. The band began as a techno meets indie rock project between roommates Jake Fairley and Ian Worang. Fairley was already an established techno producer in Toronto, but both men shared a desire to blend the aggressiveness of punk with the precision of techno. They released a single titled "Understanding The New Violence" in 2003, but shortly after agreeing to put out a full length, Jake decided to go to Germany, where he became the toast of the town. Needless to say, he ditched out on his pal and Uncut. However, undeterred, Ian recruited some of his buddies and formed a more traditional rock unit out of Uncut. Still incorporating elements of their electronic-inspired past, Uncut now focuses more on making toe-tapping rock music. Dark and heavy on the guitar, Those Who Were Hung Hang Here clocks in at under 40 minutes, but Uncut proves that that's enough time to develop a complete album. Starting out with an electronic blip-type intro, the album quickly leaps into a new version of "Understanding The New Violence". With a driving bass line, steady, pounding drums and crunchy, choppy guitar work, the song sets the tone for the rest of the album. Throughout, the understated drone of Ian's vocals blend into the mix, sometimes being totally enveloped by it. "Copilot"'s verses are filled with soft vocals and programmed percussion, but it instantly erupts into a chorus of feedback drenched power chords. There's something about "Intentions Change" that reminds me of Billy Idol's "White Wedding", but I'm pretty sure that's not the vibe they were going for. As a whole, this record is well worth spending time with. Fans of Longwave, Interpol, The Stills, and New Order will have no trouble adopting Uncut. - The Tripwire


"Album Review - Those Who Were Hung Hang Here"

So not only does Canada have half-priced prescription drugs and an overabundance of flu shots, but they also have a seemingly never ending stream of great new music. The next in an uber long line of great stuff to come out of Canada in the last couple of years is Uncut. The band began as a techno meets indie rock project between roommates Jake Fairley and Ian Worang. Fairley was already an established techno producer in Toronto, but both men shared a desire to blend the aggressiveness of punk with the precision of techno. They released a single titled "Understanding The New Violence" in 2003, but shortly after agreeing to put out a full length, Jake decided to go to Germany, where he became the toast of the town. Needless to say, he ditched out on his pal and Uncut. However, undeterred, Ian recruited some of his buddies and formed a more traditional rock unit out of Uncut. Still incorporating elements of their electronic-inspired past, Uncut now focuses more on making toe-tapping rock music. Dark and heavy on the guitar, Those Who Were Hung Hang Here clocks in at under 40 minutes, but Uncut proves that that's enough time to develop a complete album. Starting out with an electronic blip-type intro, the album quickly leaps into a new version of "Understanding The New Violence". With a driving bass line, steady, pounding drums and crunchy, choppy guitar work, the song sets the tone for the rest of the album. Throughout, the understated drone of Ian's vocals blend into the mix, sometimes being totally enveloped by it. "Copilot"'s verses are filled with soft vocals and programmed percussion, but it instantly erupts into a chorus of feedback drenched power chords. There's something about "Intentions Change" that reminds me of Billy Idol's "White Wedding", but I'm pretty sure that's not the vibe they were going for. As a whole, this record is well worth spending time with. Fans of Longwave, Interpol, The Stills, and New Order will have no trouble adopting Uncut. - The Tripwire


"Live Review - Pop Montreal"

Uncut was next. This was my second time seeing them. The first time they were the first of three to perform at the Rainer Maria (one) and One Candle Power (two) show. They were amazing then and my expectations for tonight are huge.


The stage looks relatively uncluttered and the band starts a guitar echo riff while the drummer builds the steam fro the first song to truly begin. Wow. Fuck. What a powerful first song (New Slow Sammy)…These guys are even better than last time. And last time…they were great.


Uncut will one day be recognized for the talent at their disposal. They should be up there with Broken Social Scene. Check out their music at www.paperbagrecords.com if you want to get a grasp of what they sound like. Then, if you like what you hear even remotely, see them live (they’re so much better than even their record implies). Oh, and buy the album too. No sense in wasting time listening to bad music while waiting for them to tour again! To truly understand the magnitude of goodness, you have to watch the ending of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure where they’re playing the rock music in heaven.


These four individuals are off in four distinct little worlds when they’re working together. They seem so strong alone a-la-cream but together, they just melt into melody. Our drummer is so focused to keep a beat and seems almost robotic in his consistency, but far from that with the heart he shows every time he snags a snare. Ian, our guitarist and singer (one of two) swims with the flow of the stage through his feet and always taps along unless he’s singing heartfeltly into his microphone with an innocence and passion that tells us he means every word. Next, our bassist is the calmest of this incredible voyage. He dances through his hair and the way he loves his bass. And finally, our Liam (Gallagher) look-alike and other guitarist/singer has the feel of relaxed jeans as he works his machine and pelts his lyrics. - Wetlabel


"Live Review - Pop Montreal"

Uncut was next. This was my second time seeing them. The first time they were the first of three to perform at the Rainer Maria (one) and One Candle Power (two) show. They were amazing then and my expectations for tonight are huge.


The stage looks relatively uncluttered and the band starts a guitar echo riff while the drummer builds the steam fro the first song to truly begin. Wow. Fuck. What a powerful first song (New Slow Sammy)…These guys are even better than last time. And last time…they were great.


Uncut will one day be recognized for the talent at their disposal. They should be up there with Broken Social Scene. Check out their music at www.paperbagrecords.com if you want to get a grasp of what they sound like. Then, if you like what you hear even remotely, see them live (they’re so much better than even their record implies). Oh, and buy the album too. No sense in wasting time listening to bad music while waiting for them to tour again! To truly understand the magnitude of goodness, you have to watch the ending of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure where they’re playing the rock music in heaven.


These four individuals are off in four distinct little worlds when they’re working together. They seem so strong alone a-la-cream but together, they just melt into melody. Our drummer is so focused to keep a beat and seems almost robotic in his consistency, but far from that with the heart he shows every time he snags a snare. Ian, our guitarist and singer (one of two) swims with the flow of the stage through his feet and always taps along unless he’s singing heartfeltly into his microphone with an innocence and passion that tells us he means every word. Next, our bassist is the calmest of this incredible voyage. He dances through his hair and the way he loves his bass. And finally, our Liam (Gallagher) look-alike and other guitarist/singer has the feel of relaxed jeans as he works his machine and pelts his lyrics. - Wetlabel


"Album Review - Infinite Repeats"

Uncut,Infinite Repeats (Independent). The “soft” online launch of Uncut’s third album, Infinite Repeats, on July 16 was sufficiently soft that I had no idea it had even happened until bassist Derek Tokar dropped me a file of the damn thing earlier this week. Lurking just far enough beyond the radar to remain unnecessarily obscure, while perpetually frustrating evangelical admirers such as I who desperately wish more of the people who should know about Uncut actually knew about Uncut, has been this underappreciated Toronto quartet’s modus operandi for a decade. So I’ll be pleasantly surprised and delighted if the band finally takes its ass-whuppin’ live show on the road long and hard enough to put Infinite Repeats over the top. Where, for the record, it rightfully belongs. The first half of Infinite Repeats might be mistaken for merely an exhilaratingly faithful homage to the more-more-MORE guitar splendours of, say, Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation and Swervedriver’s Merge, but the second sets it to “kill” circa “Stay Gold” and pins it there through the amped-up, Darklands-esque candy-cacophony of “Wasted Daughters” and the anthemic battery of “Shrouds.” It has a go-for-the-throat aggression that points up how wussy-by-comparison a lot of the “nü-gaze” noise that’s surfaced since Uncut’s 2004 calling card “Understanding the New Violence” has been. Meet the new violence, same as the old violence. - Toronto Star


"Album Review - Infinite Repeats"

Rating: NNNN

Despite leaving Paper Bag Records and losing a member to Broken Social Scene, Uncut's long-awaited third album is everything holdout diehard fans have been hoping for from these acclaimed local guitar rockers. Strong from start to finish, the album picks up right where the hard-charging, eardrum-rattling quartet left off seven years ago, combining the shimmering strands of the early 90s indie rock they explored on their 2006 sophomore, Modern Currencies, with the urgent post-punk noir of their 2004 debut, Those Who Were Hung Hang Here.

Drummer Jon Drew returns for production duties, and as his credits on Fucked Up and Tokyo Police Club records attest, he's an expert at making loud rock sound full, clean and crisp. Moments like the wistful and slow-building anthem All Hands, the ominous energy on Two Moons and the soaring chorus on Thieves Watch signal slightly new directions, while Older By The Line and Washed Out capture classic Uncut with complex drums, fuzzed-out bass, shouted vocals and driving stabs of melodic guitars. Now, how about some shows? - Now Magazine


Discography

Still working on that hot first release.

Photos

Bio

After a protracted absence, Toronto's Uncut Jon Drew (drums), Chris McCann (guitar), Derek Tokar (bass, vocals) and Ian Worang (guitar, vocals) have returned with their third album, Infinite Repeats.

Following the release of two albums and supporting tours with the likes of Death From Above 1979, Bob Mould and Dinosaur Jr., guitarist Sam Goldberg left Uncut to join Canadian idols Broken Social Scene. With fast approaching live dates, Chris McCann was quickly drafted into the band. McCann soon found himself on tour in the US and Japan, and a crucial factor in what turned out to be the lengthy and at times arduous process of writing a third album.

In the end, it was worth the effort.

Recorded and mixed by drummer Jon Drew, who has previously manned the console for Fucked Up, Tokyo Police Club and Arkells, Infinite Repeats represents an evolution rather than a radical departure from its two predecessors, building on Uncuts trademark feedback-heavy guitar squall, fuzzed out bass and rhythmic urgency. The result, weaving together stylistic strands of post-punk aggression and shoegaze wall-of-sound, pays homage to 90s college radio touchstones such as Fugazi, Swervedriver and Dinosaur Jr. without ever devolving into mimicry.

Band Members