The Tibaldos & Plunt 12" Reviews

The scan above is from a local Montreal alternative called Hour Community. It used to be called just "Hour", but there was an editorial shake up and it was renamed. Sadly, the weekly has called it a day, and we would like to thank Steve G. for all his wonderful and kind support for the band. In the same week, there was another review printed of the 12" in the other English alternative weekly, The Mirror by the ever-so-fabulous Lorraine Carpenter. What struck me as so strange, is that in both reviews, Plunt and The Tibaldos received a higher rating than the last Leonard Cohen album. Yep. The Man who is the darling of the Montreal press and critics far and wide. Made us feel real good.

THE TIBALDOS & PLUNT RECORD LAUNCH - FEBRUARY 3RD, 2012 @ CASA DEL POPOLO

$5 COVER / $12 INCLUDES SPLIT 12"

The Tibaldos + Plunt – 12” split Record Launch



February 3, 2012 - Casa del Popolo – 4873 Boul. Saint Laurent

The Tibaldos are the newest Italian-Canadian family music sensation since the 70s spawned the hit making DeFranco Family. Drawing their inspiration from other musical families like The Carpenters and The Ramones, The Tibaldos’ tight knit sound can only be the product of large family gatherings filled with food, drink and heated arguments.

Formed in 2005, The Tibaldos have been a Montreal fixture in the punk, theatre and arts community, and have performed extensively for many Italian community events which were not weddings. In 2010, with great demand from other non-musical family members, The Tibaldos recorded five songs, which they are proud to share with their family and fans on a new vinyl split 12” with their friends Plunt, who are not Italian by any means. Please join Emma, Joey, Michele and Credenza on February 3rd at the Casa del Popolo, where everyone from every background will celebrate the release of this long awaited record.

Emma Tibaldo – Vocals

Joey “Thumbs” Tibaldo – Bass, Vocals

Michele Tibaldo – Guitar, Vocals

Credenza Tibaldo – Drums

Formed in 2006, Plunt is a Montreal band that has somehow survived from being hyped as the next big thing. With none of the members playing their original instruments, they recorded a full-length CD “cowpunkcockrock” (Bongo Beat Records, 2008) to mostly critical acclaim. A Feminist Reviewer called their debut “schizo” because it musically jumped between country, punk & indie-rock in 36 minutes.

Between day jobs, weekend shows and a backlog of 20 songs, Plunt finally managed to record and mix 5 songs with the intent of releasing it as a split vinyl 12” with their friends The Tibaldos. Recorded at the Hotel2Tango and their own Plunt Planet studios, these five new songs mark a new direction for the group. There’s still a lot of country & punk, but elements of 60’s French chanson, 70s punk & 90’s Pavement has crept into the mix. Please join Plunt & The Tibaldos as they celebrate their two year labour of love at the Casa del Popolo February 3rd, 2012.

Peeps G – Drums, vocals, keyboards

Brian Arsenault – Guitars, vocals, keyboards

Ryan Eugene Newman – Bass, vocals, keyboards

Kevin Komoda – Guitars, vocals



The Tibaldos + Plunt split 12” is available at all fine independent records stores in Montreal: Cheap Thrills, Phonopolis, Sound Central, Atom Heart, Sonik, Beatnik

The 12" split can also be ordered directly from the band: http://pluntplanet.blogspot.com/
For more info, please contact us at pluntplanet@ca.inter.net

THE NORMALS, PLUNT & ALLAN FINE - JANUARY 7, 2012 @ CASA del POPOLO

 

THE NORMALS & PLUNT 
 and special guest ALLAN FINE (The Chromosomes)

ONE EVENING, TWO GENERATIONS OF PUNK ROCK

SATURDAY, 7 JANUARY, 2011 @ CASA del POPOLO

Formed in 1977, the Normals are arguably Montreal’s first punk band. Inspired by the UK punk scene (The Clash, Sex Pistols & The Damned), the Normals only lasted a year and a handful of gigs before disbanding in 1978. Thanks to the ambitious film “MTL Punk-The First Wave”, everything punk is new again. The Normals regrouped after 33 years, and has bragging rights since the band contains all three original members: Scott Cameron, Robert Labelle (American Devices) and Tracy Howe (Heaven Seventeen, Rational Youth). Fresh from their slash and burn debut show at the Cabaret Playhouse, the Normals promise to rip it up again with no song over 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

Plunt, Montreal’s self-proclaimed “cowpunkcockrock” quartet, made their recording debut in 2009 and have since been doing more recording, playing & generally trying not to get fired from their day jobs for skipping work so often for out of town gigs. The band has announced a forthcoming 12” split release with fellow local ensemble “The Tibaldos”, which will be officially launched February 3^rd at the Casa del Popolo. Plunt are honored to be sharing the stage with The Normals, but they can not promise that there will be no songs over 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

Special guest, Allan Fine, of the infamous Montreal 77 punk outfit The Chromosomes, will perform a short exclusive solo punk acoustic set. A historic snapshot of the songs they once played, 33 years ago. The Chromosomes were also featured in the Erik Cimon-Alain Cliche documentary MTL Punk The First Wave, along with The 222s and The Normals.

RAMBLE ON: THE NORMALS & AMERICAN DEVICES LIVE!!! NOVEMBER 24, 2011

The Normals November 24th 2011 at Playhouse, Montreal

2006-2010

I would never, in 30 years, seen this coming. A few years ago, a couple of film makers came by my loft and asked me about the Montreal punk days. I was a little young at the time and fresh off the boat from Flushing Queens NYC. A little late in participating in the well documented 364 St. Paul loft parties that witnessed the birth of late 70s Montreal punk rock scene as we know. Besides the three issues of Surfin' Bird and a box full of reel tapes, I really had nothing to offer them. 

Maybe about a year prior of the filmmakers' visit, Peeps and I had one of our most memorable evenings. She was hellbent on buying a drum kit, a beautiful set of Slingerlands, which she purchased from one of the guys who ran the studio Treatment Room, which was located just outside Little Italy. Feeling high from the released endorphins of spending money, we walked down St. Laurent and stumbled on a weird gathering in the park on the corner of St. Laurent and St. Joseph. Musicians and singers were encased in these round objects above the ground, singing and performing, while families milled about, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows in the middle winter. We took in the vibes, and then sauntered down the street, thinking that we could catch the metro back to Verdun. Passing in front of the famous Casa del Popolo, we noticed that the American Devices were playing. Impulsive beings we are, we decided to take in a show. Little did we know, that it was their 25th Anniversary, an event in itself. They started by showing a B&W film of Montreal's first punk band, The Normals, which American Devices' Rob Labelle was a member of. Peeps & I couldn't believe it. That actually happened in Montreal?! Fuck. And then the American Devices came on stage and rocked, zig-zagged, and rolled over their career in 12 chords or less. Just incredible.

To shorten an invariably long story, The American Devices, or the D-Vices as they were known back in my day, was my introduction to the Montreal underground scene. I've seen them countless times in 25+ years, from the Broadway Live to Playhouse, and they've never ceased to amaze. Plunt has even played with original D-Vices front man Phil, with his latest band The Sacramentos (thanks Rick for the correction), coincidentally at Playhouse.

Tracy Howe, The Normals, November 24, 2011

At this time the MTL Punk movie was nowhere to be seen, rumored to be held up with the lack of funds. Knowing that many of the bands featured were long gone, I would never have thought that these bands would re-emerge. But, last year (or was that the year before?), Peeps G and I were fortunate to catch the 222's and Asexuals (with original frontman John Kastner) at Cabaret. It was a good show, if only for Chris Barry's posturing and his frothing around his mouth (it's not rabies, but a milkshake before the show, as I was told).

Fast forward to 2011.

The MTL Punk movie made a huge splash locally and maybe Internationally.. Don't know. It's a world that's foreign to me. I spent my summer months archiving tapes from the early 80s. Punk, post-punk, new wave bands from Montreal's lost years: The Blanks, Ulterior Motive, Blueprints, The Chromosones, Heaven 17, 222's, Rational Youth, Monty Catnsin, Cham-Pang, Alan Lord - the list is staggering. Hopefully, one day, these archives will make it out there. (Thanks to Thierry Amar for the rental of his Tascam 4-track reel deck!) - but it's in fate's hand now..

Missing from these archives, were any references to Montreal's first punk band, The Normals. During the late summer of 2011, there was a rumor that The Normals have reunited and would play a short set at our fave dive, Barfly. It was slated as a great evening. The Nils have reformed under the banner Nils F.C., American Devices and rumours of The Normals, which were confirmed by TH. Unfortunately, Peeps G and I couldn't make it (early morning work start), but Plunt guitarist Brian, caught it, and said it was packed and punk. And with constant communication with Normals drummer Tracy (because we played in band together in the early 80s), he mentioned that the Normals will be playing Playhouse as part of a film festival.. Musically, I don't know much about The Normals. But I researched, found tracks, and basically played it around the house, in-between CDs by The Clash, Buzzcocks, GBV and Pavement. So on November 24th, being fashionably late because I missed my bus stop, I sauntered to Playhouse to witness The Normals.

The Normals, 11/24/11

 To say the least, it was a total mind-fuck of 30 years gone by. The Normals: Rob, Scott & Tracy - slashed and burned through 10+ songs in under 40 minutes. Songs like "Noisy Neighbours" and "Work To Rule" totally rocked! I was immediately transported back to what I could imagine '77 punk would sound like. I was probably covered in more beer from reunion hugs than the days of yore when Montreal punks spat beer because that's what  they did it in the U.K. back in 1977. And in a totally weird moment, I found myself singing along to their songs. This is a group who had no official release, and only did a handful of gigs. But thanks to the power of the internet, some of their songs have crept onto my playlists, and fit nicely between The Buzzcocks and The Tibaldos. And in another surprise, the film-maker who shot the Normals B&W film, appeared on stage and shouted the best fucking French language punk song I've ever heard. The word "punk" barely appears in today's French Quebec music. And to witness this? There's a bunch of 15 year old kids thrashing in the front, some punks thrashing on stage, and a bunch of old guys in the audience spilling beer over each other: "Wow!  You're alive? Cool!!!!!"

D.I.Y.! THE TIBALDOS & PLUNT SPLIT 12"

at the warehouse - amtech duplication worker and mike t.

loading the car

About 30 days ago, Michael Tibaldo and myself went and picked up our goods from the kind and patient people at Duplication Amtech, who brokered our long-awaited split 12" vinyl record. We loaded the boxes into MT's car, shook hands, took pictures and agreed that we should keep new bought booty at the Tibaldos HQ. I took a small box of 30 home, out of sheer excitement. I wanted to slap this labor of love on the turntable and blast it to high heaven on my studio speakers. Well, I kind of flipped out in a bad way when I pulled the first 12" out. There was no dust sleeve! And then when I played, there was this weird static sound. I checked several other discs, and there was that sound again! I paced around the room, trying to figure what I should do. I emailed MT quickly and mentioned my situation. I then went back to the turntable, changed the stylus, and played it again. It sounded awesome. I was so elated. MT emailed a little while later, and said his box contained dust sleeve, so obviously I was a target of some cruel practical joker who didn't think a stuffed bunny with his hands down his pants was tasteful.

covers with vinyl, inserts, dymo

MT and I decided to meet again a couple weeks later since he was going to get the inserts photocopied and I had to cut all the small Dymo pieces, which is best done in front of a TV and a beer. I don't know how many I cut and punched, but my hands were sore. And beers consumed? Luckily, punching Dymo letters isn't an exact art. Oh well. Good enough for now. MT wanted to give a few out as Christmas presents, which is a cool idea. A hand assembled gift not unlike your Aunt May's macrame plant holder.

#000 / 500 

The hard part was trying to figure out where to start. The first decision was NOT to have beer. 30 minutes later, we finally developed a system. Number the sleeves, peel and stick Dymo on the label, insert the insert. And even without beer, we managed to forget the insert a few times.

Joey Thumbs Tibaldo with 12"

 Joey "Thumbs" Tibaldo (a.ka. Clank!) joined us an hour later and congratulated us on our hard work. Our assembly party went up a notch when MT took out his video camera and had Clank! (who is vision impaired) filmed us putting together the 12": "OK guys, keep talking! I wanna know where to point this thing!".

KK & MT, photo by Clank!

I chose the above picture (and the one from the warehouse), because the camera on loan from Peeps G., it's flash keeps wanting to censor where the bunny has his left...um...hand. Or paw. MT and I got 90 copies assembled, and will probably do another batch soon. Mike has to get more inserts copied and I've got to get more Dymo cut. If only 90 were done that day, from the start of recording this EP to the sticking of tiny Dymo letters onto the label, it was totally worth every cent and effort. DIY should exist in every part of our lives, from buying groceries at your local market to making gifts or cookies for your friends & family.

QUEBECOR = BULLSHIT!

October 29 2011, Occupy Square Victoria, approx. 9am

One of many handmade signs - misspelled, but the message is clear

Square Victoria Metro, Banner placed over the Metropolitan metal sign.

Square Victoria Metro October 29, 2011

Occupy Square Victoria, Saturday October 15 2011, approx. 11h30

Occupy Square Victoria, Saturday October 15 2011, approx 16h00

Personally speaking, I am enthusiastic about this Occupy Montreal movement. It's kind of punk with a hippie edge, and exhibits the courage these people have to withstand the damp cold of Montreal's impending winter, with no clear agenda save for the fact that everyone wants change. Within the last two weeks, the Occupy Montreal movement has developed a vibrant community, complete with Porta-Potties, a First Aid center, communal kitchen area and a central area for meetings. And although I've only seen and heard a few hours of talking during my curious visits within the last two weeks, there are a multitude of positive ideas about improving what we, as human beings can do (that's the hippies talking about the environment) and vocal frustration with the system and big business (that's the punk edge) - Ironically, probably the only time hippies and punks can co-exist.

Compared to Toronto, Montreal financial sector is small and sequestered within a few square blocks in Old Montreal. It's where the original larger financial district used to be, along with the Montreal Stock Exchange (now the Centaur Theatre) and the beautiful Royal Bank building, which was the first "skyscraper" in Montreal, but the Royal Bank is not renewing their lease and moving elsewhere. That's entirely another story. The target for me (and this is a personal rant), is the man they call PKP, who resides over the Quebecor building across the street. I'm using this person's initials for now, only because he's a well known "sensitive" businessman who has no qualms in directing a lawsuit when he's having his daily crap.

And I literally mean crap in every sense of the word. It's like he's the Quebec version of Paul McCartney without having been in The Beatles. PKP and his camera ready blonde, has a stranglehold and tentacle in every media and social outlet of anyone living in Quebec, and probably unknowingly, to millions of people across Canada:

Videotron (digital internet & media cable network), Sun Media (including the Journal de Montreal), Archambault (music & media retailer, instruments and crap a la Indigo), TVA (Television & film), plus numerous print magazines (7 Jours, etc.)

The chain of command over the public goes something like this: TVA produces shitty reality programs like Occupation Double and Star-A-Crap Of Me. The hype ends up in every trash magazine they publish. Most likely, a soundtrack and DVD is produced and front-racked at Archambault. Fluff articles will be written daily on these programs in the Journal de Montreal, all to direct the pure-laine Quebeckers to spend their hard earned cash on the double shit Quebecor are brainwashing them with.  In a free world, we should be able to choose what we watch, what we listen to and what we purchase. But in PKP's case, he's built this entire complex highway empire, with all the money and roads leading back to him. Oh, and his blonde.

This is an open plea to the people who think this Occupy movement around the world is a passing fad. I'm sure these disenfranchised souls wanting to make a change do NOT participate in the crap that commercial media is feeding them. The change can come from not buying into the shit that these corporations are shoving down our throats. If those one million people shut off their TV set during Occupation Double and went for a walk with the dog, played cards with their friends, or even picked up a book (Twilight, Harry Potter or even Faulkner - yeah...I know, it's Hollywood crap, but you can buy the books for $2 used and the books are always better than the movie), our world be richer, because one of the richest would a few million dollars poorer. And if we stopped buying major corporation crap, we'll have saved enough money to help people less fortunate than us.


I was originally going to call this "Occupation Double Shit", but then thought otherwise, thinking that our kind and patient readers would think that I was against this Occupy Montreal movement. But what the original blog title was meant to express, was in due respect to that "WALL STREET = BULLSHIT" placard carrying dude, and merging it with that horrendous Occupation Double program...but now I realize that I have to go out there to Square Victoria and create a big sign that says: "QUEBECOR = BULLSHIT". And then we can go ahead and occupy Paul McCartney's pot stash and Justin Bieber's hair.

Sneak peak

Here's a sneak peak of what our artwork will not look like: