Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Tyranna LP

This is a new Tyranna LP, but it contains the band's collective recordings over their year and a half existence. Johnny Buibblegum was telling me that the first side was recorded at the band's second practise. Pretty incredible, that a band could write four songs in two practises. These songs were recorded on the guitarist four track at their Wade Studio practise space, which as a prcatise space has it's own stories. More like a big warehouse room with dividers. And I passby it everyday at Lansdowne subway station. I look at those buldings trying to figure out where the Wade Studio Artist Collective building was. The songs recorded there include these from the album:
1. Shockface
2. Unfaithful
3. Divorce 1
4. Johnny
5. Where the Boys Are
6. Test Tibe Babies
7. Unfaithful - Divorce (take 2)
8. Toranna Boys

Tyranna were a punk band from 1978 through until 1980. The band was fronted by a girl named Rabies. Her idea was to have a band that looked like a gang and she would be the female leader. That's where the name comes from too. I female version of the word tyrant. And I thought it was a clever re-name of the city. I was wrong.

Rave Up has done a retrospectuive collection of another little known punk band from Canada. Paolo, came across the band after the 2007 release of five songs that came out on Boppa Do Down. These songs are found on here, which includes the "No Pedestrain" comp song "Back Off Baby", which has become the band's hit song. But there are a lot of other great little numbers not heard before. Songs like "Sex Ray Eyes" and "Test Tibe Babies". The band also does a cover of Wire's "1 2 X U" and there re-make of "London Girls" called "Toranna Boys".

The other studio recording was done at a $5.00 an hour studio in Hamilton that was used by the Forgotten Rebels, which is how Tryanna found out about it. Those songs are:

9. Sex Ray Eyes
10. Neighbour
11. Test Tube Babies
12. Revenge
13. Back Off Baby

There are three live songs that fill out side B. This too has an interesting story. Tyranna played a last minute show with Jayne County at the Edge. Jayne was recorded a live record for Attic and it was a show on December 31st, 1979. The idea was that the record would be the first album for 1980. Well Tyranna was able to take advantage of the recoprding equipmnent and record their opening set. Jayne was pissed off and took away the good recording mics. But Gary Topp found some mics that could be used. It is better than a soundboard tape. If Jayne recorded the first album of 1980, Tyranna recorded the last album of 1979. That's way cooler in hindsight. These live songs are:
14. Suzi's Back
15. Dying in the Suburbs
16. Neighbour

The artwork was designed by Don Pyle who was the band's unofficial band photographer and number one fan. Don just put out a book of photos of shows in Toronto and quite a few of them had Tyranna in them. Don was best friend's with Rabies' younger sister Roger. He took loads of photos of the band. He made the Tyranna logo on the cover out of signage letters and is actually a piece of art that has been made into the band logo on the cover. I want to see this is real life if it still exits. Every bit of this record is incredible, with exception of the missing liner notes. Hopefully those get included in re-presses.

No comments:

Post a Comment