Don’t let me forget to mention their incredible cover art, a bambi-esque cartoon of a rabbit sniffing a young deer’s butt. It is absolute genius.
Don’t let me forget to mention their incredible cover art, a bambi-esque cartoon of a rabbit sniffing a young deer’s butt. It is absolute genius.
BRAN VAN 3000 (Montreal, Canada) Albums: Glee 1998, Discosis 2001
There is just something SO DAMN ALLURING about Canadian acts. That is clear in the fact that I can’t seem to get away from liking them, seeking them out and listening to them without even knowing. Top of my play list this month is Montreal’s Wolf Parade and when the editor asked me to do the editorial for this month’s "Why Aren’t You Listening", I thought I was in the clear by selecting an old music crush of mine, BRAN VAN 3000, a band who I thought was from the US of A. I mean I just assumed they were from California, but I shortly stumbled once again, realizing that my new Canadian/Montreal music fetish was not anyone near over.
Bran Van 3000 was formed in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1995 by James Di Salvio. The band was a collective of musicians, producers, singers, and hip-hoppers from Montreal. Together they made some of the most unique music that we will ever hear. The most fascinating thing about the two albums that Bran Van 3000 produced is that they still sound superb and not a day out of date. Bran Van 3000 (or BV3) mixed together, hip-hop, rock, funk and jazz, blues, dance music, reggae, folk and country which is kind of a 90’s clique no-no, but somehow it worked for them.
Joining Di Salvio was the core troupe of soul singer Stephane Moreille, Jayne Hill and Sara Johnston (singers), E.P. Bergen (DJ), MC Steve "Liquid" Hawley, Rob Joanisse (drums), Nick Hynes (guitar), Gary McKenzie (bass), and John Kastner. Other collaborators included; Curtis Mayfield, Jean Leloup, Momus, Youssou N’dour, Big Daddy Kane, and Eek-A-Mouse
1998 saw the world release of Glee. The album was a total of 19 tracks and including the hit single Drinking in L.A., a spaced out sarcastic pop anthem with a gospel chorus and the lyrics, "we did nothing, absolutely buckets that day, so I ask you what the hell am I doing drinking in L.A?" Willard is a song that starts off as a live studio outtake and then blends into a liquidy jungle beat, while the girls sweetly sing the hilarious lines, "I smuggle guns for you, dear Willard". Then there’s the groovy folk song Everywhere and the rock-hip-hop-reggae goodness of Rainshine. Last but not least is the acid jazzy Forest and indie-rock magic of Exactly like Me, which are two more of my favorites.
Glee also contains an incredible cover of Quiet Riot’s C’mon on Feel the Noize, (and Slade, surely? –ed) sung by the ladies of BV3 and has fuzzy noisy guitars and hand claps. Don’t let me forget to mention their incredible cover art, a bambi-esque cartoon of a rabbit sniffing a young deer’s butt. It is absolute genius.
In 2001 BV3 arrived with Discosis. It was slick and produced as they were now working with a new cast of big names like Mike D. The album was released Beastie Boys’ label of choice Grand Royal. This album featured the single Astounded with Curtis Mayfield. This amazingly vibrant dancey track goes from soul/R&B into Latin and back and is impossible not to boogie to it. Speed is also one of my favorites from this album and Go Shopping features Eek-a-Mouse and has a wicked old school beat.
This was a completely unique and significant band that should never be forgotten. Bran Van 3000 is rubber-band-sound-collage of so many different music styles without being annoying and there’s something for everyone in there. From the ashes of the late 90’s rose a collective who took full advantage of the new age of experimenting in home studios using computers and samplers and of course everyone you know and their mothers. You too could start a collective… a Canadian tradition that is still actively in use today.
Bran Van 3000, giving Montreal a good name, back before Montreal became the new music Mecca. Back before Rufus Wainwright made it big, or the Arcade Fire, back before Wolf Parade, back before The Dears or the Moonrakes, there was Bran Van 3000.
Words: Zoe E Gottehrer.