CANADIAN MUSICIAN SHOWCASE FEBRUARY'97

Showcase - February 1997
By Karen Bliss

Knockout Pill
Style: Mischievous pop
Lineup: Shannon K. Fitzgerald (lead vocals, guitar); Kirk Hudson (drums); Mark Gabriel (bass, vocals); Debbie Lillico(lead guitar, backing vocals)
Contact: PO Box 68523, Walmer Postal Outlet/Shoppers Drug Mart, 360A Bloor St. W., Toronto, ON M5S 3J2.
Info line: (416) 280-6219, Mgt: (416) 967-1067;

[Picture] Mark Gabriel talk-sings the lead on two tracks, including the acceptance-seeking "Hopscotch" and the gals handle the chorus. The album was produced by musician/journalist Paul Myers, who mixed it along with Neil Exall at Umbrella Sound, except for a few tracks which Myers mixed with Daryl Smith at Chemical Sound.

Sugar Push
Style: Seductive Pop
Lineup: Catalin Calinescu (voice, guitar); Robert Varga (guitar); Pete Williams (bass); Georg Feil (keyboards); Jonathan Agensky (drums, percussion)
Contact: (416) 481-7375, FAX (416) 481-6121,

[Picture] Glib, the debut album from the newly-named SugarPush, is one sexy mofo. Getting past the Billy Idol-ish vocal of "Spring Day", the song has a twangy pop cool. But it's the sexy pain of the next cut, "Collide", that really sends shivers up your spine. It's all in the voice - Catalin Calinescu's voice. Damn sexy it is. It's that whole pleasure from pain thing. The song is a hit if ever there was one. "Chickie"'s vibe is quite different, though; a thicker, funky, nasty number with a rap vibe and raw melodic rock chorus. "Babies", on the other hand, begins with a gorgeous soft acoustic guitar and faint atmosonics, which rises to a glorious organic rock `n' roll chorus, then settles again to the soft, plaintive beauty. "The Wait" rumbles and twangs underneath its recitation, while "STG" is a sexy, slow meander. In all, it seems that the Toronto band's history together - seven years under the name Beggar's Choir - enables the guys to subtlety and they intuitively sit behind Calinescu's enticing vocal delivery, while adding their own cool soundscape. The album (inlcuding a hidden track, likely called "Sister Moon") was mainly produced by Peter Cardinali (The Boomers, Rick James) and Juno-Award winning engineer Lenny De Rose (Crash Vegas, Philosopher Kings) at Highland Studios in Hamilton and assisted by Dan Koetsier. It was mixed at McClear Pathe Studios, assisted by Dennis Tougas.

elycium
Style: black t-shirt rock
Lineup: Alex Roque (vocals, guitar); Gordon Andersen (drums); Chris Ayotte (bass); Steve Coombe (guitars)
Contact: Robert D'Eith Management, 880 Calverhall St., North Vancouver, BC V7L 1X9 (604) 984-2111, FAX (604) 984-2042 or (800) 307-INFO,

[Picture] So Vince Neil and David Lee Roth may be out in cold, so what? Rush is still going strong; Metallica is secure on the charts and classic rock bands are still reuniting at every op for their time-warped fans. Doesn't take a genius to figure so-called alternative rock might have to nudge over a fraction to let some straightforward heavy stuff in - new stuff, from new hard rockers, to satisfying all those black t-shirt-wearing youth who have been dying to punch their fists in the air, instead of mosh. And when they do, four young lads from Vancouver might be on the receiving end of those fists. elycium, as they're called, put out its debut indie CD two years ago, and for its sophomore effort, sink (distributed by Page), brought in San Francisco's Mark Hensley (Four Non-Blondes, Pure) to produce, engineer and mix it (with assistance from Paul D'eath, Paul Schmidt and Joe Varkey). It was recorded at Greenhouse and Camelot, mixed at Hipposonic and mas

Credit: Karen Bliss is a Toronto-based freelance writer.