.Gord Cumming and Richard Gregory from the
Lawn, Dave Clark from the
Rheostatics, Fred Robertson
and
Dan
Preszcator from UIC are the Can
Rock
Super Group Possum. They have been
playing their brand of enthusiastic rock for 3 years and this first Self
Titled cd is a joyful mix of 3 guitars, bass and drums. Top of the Toronto
scene and known widely across Canada for their previous bands ground breaking
efforts at creating the original Canadian music scene of the 80's, Possum
have played with everyone from Wilco
to NRBQ. They are full of catchy guitar
riffs melodies and melodic turns and their first CD, "Possum" is already
getting rave reviews just as goes out the door.
here is one from Toronto.....
*POSSUM (DROG) Rating 4/5 Now
Magazine - Tim Perlich
Speculation about a possible reunion of
the Lawn and a reissue of the innovative
Toronto combo's early recordings
always seemed to overshadow the
progress made by Lawn
singer/songwriter Gord Cumming and
bandmate Richard Gregory in their
Possum incarnation. That should change
with the arrival of the roaring great
Possum debut.
While comparisons to the Lawn's
avant-garage sound are inevitable,
mostly because Cumming's highly
distinctive vocal 'n' slide guitar interlock
is still without parallel in popular music,
the overall compositional smarts and
casual instrumental proficiency of the
hoser-savant ensemble (which besides
Cumming and Gregory includes Fred
Robinson, Dan Preszcator and Dave
Clark, along with input from DROG
cohort Lewis Melville) gives each
ripping jam surprising depth.
If Possum were lucky enough to have
the Elephant 6 collective's stamp of
approval on their disc, it would likely be
hailed as some kinda modern folk-psych
masterpiece. But then, luck is just for
rabbits. .
On the Road Again
Live Reviews:
NORTH BY NORTHEAST 1999
Featuring: Possum
June 10, 1999
Barcode, Toronto, Ontario
The five members of Possum — each of them a gifted songwriter and unique
singer in his own right — boast set of indie CanRock credentials that are
quite
unparalleled in this country. Slide guitarist, main singer and nominal
"frontman"
Gord Cumming led The Lawn to ragged glory in the late '80s, and The Woods
Are Full Of Cuckoos before them; his bandmate from those bands, bassist
Richard Gregory, is one of the most melodic players in Toronto; non-slide
guitarists Fred Robinson and Danny Preszcator fuelled the punk-garage fire
that was UIC; and drummer Dave Clarke provided the always-swingin' beat
for
everything that The Rheostatics played.
Possum not only do live up to the pedigree, but they consistently melt
such
nostalgic wax by surpassing all expectations. Despite a rather harsh mix
on
Cummings' sweet yowl of a voice (hey, sometimes it's about emotional
accuracy, not technical shit), his songs sigh and yearn with the best of
'em,
especially live. "The Telephone Song," in particular, is a stunning piece
of work,
and a new song, tentatively called "Chlorine," offered powerful stuff as
well.
Cummings is perhaps the most unique slide guitar player in Canada, playing
in
regular tuning (as opposed to the usual open tuning) with his characteristically
heartfelt, deeply emotional sound. It's a rough yet majestic texture, but
still
bespeaks the everyman spirit from whence his songs flow. And it's so
distinctive, you could recognize it from 90 miles away with a set of earmuffs
on
your head.
Robinson's songs are rock 'n' roll workouts that make their cogent lyrical
points
via some pretty wonky words. His songs never stray too far from the garage,
but come from the beautifully twisted perspective of, say, an indie-rock
David
Byrne: How his world isn't what you think, how you might never settle down
because you've let the days slip by unnoticed; and — in a punkier vein
— how
he don't care anymore. And he's not above using "la la la" as his chorus,
which
shows great judgement, I think.
Gregory's songs are more earthy and solid, rooted in those ineffable but
everyday moments where you discover that you're sitting on the edge of
some
sort of perceptual breakthrough. They're sung in his rheumy, catchy voice,
and
they can't help but mesmerize.
Yup, they rock. Some of it sounds like punk, some like garage, some of
it like
country-rock, some like indie guitar stuff. But all of it ends up distinctively,
unclassifiably Possum. They're perhaps the most original-sounding "rock"
band
you'll see in Toronto this year.
They have a new album out on DROG Records. It's the sort of timeless,
singular rock 'n' roll that I know is going to be riding my personal wheel
of steel
well into the next century.
— review by Howard Druckman (Chart Attack)
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