Tuesday, January 26, 2010

V.A. Clam Chowder & Ice vs. Big Macs & Bombers


It's hard to explain Nardwuar the Human Serviette, journalist, singer, record label honcho, to non-Canadians. While he is peculiarly Canadian, his peculiarity is not nation-specific. His interviews, full of non-sequitors and wildly off-topic questions, sometimes become like a Bizarro Antiques Roadshow, with Narduwaur confronting his celebrity guests with items (or trivia) from their past. The results can be hard to stop watching.



Nardwuar also leads a garage-punk band The Evaporators (a bit like a cross between Weird Al and the Shadows of Knight) as well as playing in Thee Goblins. While often dismissed as a novelty act, The Evaporators know their way around a catchy song and have kept getting better as they've gone on.



Nardwuar also heads an eponymous record label. His label picked up on the work of Canada's eighties garage-rock label, Og Records (lots more here) though on this compilation he donated half the vinyl to American bands (!) Regardless of your nationalist bias it's a hell of a cast list, including the Mummies, NoMeansNo, The Muffs, The Smugglers, Mudhoney, The Gruesomes, and Beat Happening et al.


Clam Chowder & Ice vs. Big Macs & Bombers L.P

10 comments:

  1. This looks awesome! Thanks for posting!

    You don't happen to have Track 1, do you?

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  2. Anon

    D'oh I knew SOMEone would notice but I didn't think it would happen so quick. The rip I found was missing track 1 ("Friendship Intro: Nardwuar & The U-Men Vs God") but as it was just ANOTHER Nardwuar talking track I figured it was worth posting anyhow.

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  3. The first time I saw Nardwuar the Evaporators were opening up for Pavement. I wish I could say I was cool enough to have loved them from the get go but, truth be told, their wacky take on garage rock was really irritating to me at the time.

    I remember that Nards nearly got his clock cleaned for knocking over some frat-slacker's beer in one of his hysteric take-the-audience-by-storm-and-force-them-to-Chicken-Dance moments.

    Truly, he is one of Canada's greatest showmen and seeing the video for that (catchy as hell!) lil' tune has made me long for the days when I could play to half empty halls.

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  4. ha! awesome!

    proud to say i have this one on vinyl too!

    killer...

    cp

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  5. I have to say, I never like Nardwuar's interviews. I guess it just seems like a platform for him to show off his esoteric (albeit, impressive, but still esoteric) knowledge of pop culture, and/or pop culture merchandise. It seems like less of an interview and more of a- hey, look how much I know about this stuff, and "aren't you impressed by the random shit that I have that I can pull out of my bag." It always seems more sad than anything to me.

    NIck

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  6. You got a fine vinyl collection cp, these Nardwuar comps are definitely fun.

    CPB
    Awesome Nardwuar recollections. He is annoying, no question but I think one learns to appreciate it - see next comment.

    Nick
    I can't disagree with most of what you say, you've described him fairly accurately. But since, to some degree, I trade in trying to show off my obscurities too (maybe it's a fellow rock nerd solidarity thing) I've learned to cheer for the guy after a long time of wanting to punch him. Plus that N.E.R.D. interview is an example of his 'random-shit-pulling' being kinda heart-warming.

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  7. Thanks for the intro to The Evaporators and Nardwaur.

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  8. Mr. Sauve

    You are ever-so-welcome for being introduced to the Narwuarian World, escape is now impossible.

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  9. Jeffen-

    I would say what he does, and what you do are two completely different things.

    I think that he is being obnoxious and a show-off. Meanwhile, I think you are sharing music that you love, with people who aprreciate it. You aren't just spewing off obscure, pop-culture minutia for it's own sake. I for one appreciate what you do-and Narduar, well, I think Naruar is just annoying.

    Nick

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  10. Nick

    Thanks for coming to my defence. It does make me happy when I can infect others with my love of obscurities. So I'm just glad to have you along for the ride.

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