Evaporators - Gassy Jack and Other Tales

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Where's the Butterknife?	01:17
	2	You Got Me into This, Now You Get Me Out!	02:25
	3	Gassy Jack	02:34
	4	E.J. Hughes	02:17
	5	Shakin' with the Shaggy Shaker	01:43
	6	Do the Eggbeater	02:21
	7	What if I Care about The People who live in the Seas around Me?	02:45

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Float Plane	01:39
	2	Tellin' Youth the Truth	02:31
	3	Evatone Sound Sheets	02:28
	4	Desolation Sound	02:21
	5	Sasquatch and Me ate Berries for Free	01:52
	6	Crispy Space Bacon	02:15
	7	St. Roch	02:51
	8	Interview : Nardwuar vs Kortney	01:32

Photos

Videos

No Video

Information/Write-up

In less capable hands, the various stunts by Nardwuar the Human Serviette would be deemed the work of a self-serving media whore, but for 20 years, the squeaky-voiced, tam-wearing musician/TV personality/radio DJ/historian/Vancouver institution pulls it off, whether it’s bewildering celebrity musicians with his confrontational (yet weirdly charming) interviewing style, his unparalleled knowledge of Canadian rock music history, and his always fun band the Evaporators. Modeled after fellow West Coast punks the Smugglers and the Subhumans, Nardwuar and his bandmates churn out short, catchy, upbeat punk/garage/pop nuggets with remarkable consistency, and while their new album might not have anything as uproarious as “Addicted to Cheese” and “I Feel Like a Fat Frustrated Fuck” from 2004’s Ripple Rock, Gassy Jack and Other Tales is still worthwhile. Accompanied by Narwuar’s always-fascinating liner notes, the songs touch on such eccentric topics as Vancouver’s folk heroes (“Gassy Jack”), Evatone soundsheets (uh, “Evatone Soundsheets”), distinct slices of Canadiana (“St. Roch”, “Float Plane”), and the most infamous, bizarre moment in Vancouver punk rock history (“Where’s the Butterknife”). What’s most interesting, though, is how Nard has toned down his nasal whine on this record, and that his three-piece band, which includes New Pornographer John Collins, is willing to try some new ideas, such as the furious groove of “What If I Care About the People Who Live in the Seas Around Me?”
-Adrien Begrand, Popmatters, 5th Feb, 2008

If you’ve heard any of the Evaporators’ previous four releases, or even seen one of Nardwuar’s gonzo interviews on TV, then Gassy Jack and Other Tales will come as no surprise. Fourteen tracks of giddy, up-tempo power pop and punk rock, the record covers a variety of historical peculiarities, including Vancouver’s Gassy Jack statue, vintage vinyl Evatone Soundsheets and BC-based nature painter EJ Hughes. To avoid getting too gimmicky, the record benefits from fantastic songwriting courtesy of ex-Smuggler Dave Carswell, New Pornographer John Collins and new recruit Stephen Hamm (of Canned Hamm and proto-grunge legends Slow). Complete with eight bonus music videos and a detailed essay from Nard himself, Gassy Jack is too fun to resist. (Mint)
-Josiah Hughes, 26 Nov, 2007

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