Furnaceface
Encyclopedia
Furnaceface was a Canadian
indie rock
band formed in Ottawa
, Ontario
, Canada
which was active from 1989 to 1999. The group consisted of vocalist and guitarist Pat Banister, vocalist and bassist Tom Stewart, and drummer Dave Dudley. In 1993, Furnaceface won the Canadian Music Video Association Award for best independent video for “About to Drown" from Just Buy It., and another one a couple of years later for Best Editing for “How Happy Do You Want to Be?” (which Dave Dudley's daughter appears in) from This Will Make You Happy.
in 1989, consisted of vocalist and guitarist Pat Banister, vocalist and bassist Tom Stewart and drummer Dave Dudley. Furnaceface evolved out of Fluid Waffle, which also included guitarist and vocalist Steve D'Annunzio. Furnaceface started playing shows late in 1989 and released their first single, “Sucked into Drugland,” on Skull Duggery Records. After releasing this and the “New Pad” single, they toured across the U.S. and Canada. Their first full-length release was the Let It Down cassette, which was recorded by Andrew McKean, mixed by Marty Jones, and released in 1990. Jones recorded their second cassette in 1991, Just Buy It., and went on to engineer all the Furnaceface releases. At some point the members decided to use the stage names Pat Badmister/Badminister, Mr. Poopyhead (Tom Stewart) and Dave Deadly. After the first national tour for "Just Buy It" Jones (as "Smarty Moans") joined the group as a fourth member playing keyboard and guitar (after trying and promptly discarding the name DJ Gimmick). After the original cassette version of Just Buy It. was released, Furnaceface signed to Cargo Records to release a remixed (by Bob Wiseman of Blue Rodeo fame) and re-sequenced version of the album on CD and cassette.
Furnaceface also released their next two albums, This Will Make You Happy (1994) and unsafe@anyspeed (1996), with Cargo. Around the time of Just Buy It.s re-release, Furnaceface decided to start a festival, called Furnacefest, to promote local bands as well as larger acts. In 1995, after two years of performing with the group, Marty Jones decided to leave the band to concentrate on being a producer and co-running Sound of One Hand Studios. After Cargo Canada folded, Furnaceface would release a fifth and final album in 1999 titled And the Days are Short Again… on their own label Upright Records, which had the single “Heartless” on it. Around 1999, Pat Banister moved to Vancouver to work as an art director in the film industry. In Banister's absence, Dave Dudley and Tom Stewart have joined with Blake Jacobs of Hot Piss to create Manpower, who perform occasionally around Ottawa. The last Furnaceface recording released to date was 2000's Clobbering Time, a compilation CD of songs from their out-of-print pre-Days releases, from two songs from Let It Down released on CD at last to their cover of the Jam
's “But I'm Different Now,” the B-side of the “Biff, Bang, Pow!” single.
Other area musicians, including Ian Tamblyn
and Jim Bryson
have also contributed as guest musicians. During a live performance in 1997 Tom received burns due to an onstage pyrotechnic effect; the show was halted but the musician made a full recovery with no scarring. Tom also performs occasionally as a country & western singer under the name "Slo' Tom". His band, called Slo' Tom & The Horseshit Heroes (Jim Bryson
, Dave Dudley, Geoff Taylor and Graham Collins) released an album, Liquor’s My Lover.
, Mexico
) “Biff, Bang, Pow!” (a cover of the Creation
song), “Ode to Grant Hart
” and “Heartless.” They also made a video for “In Love with the Lie,” but only released it in RealMedia format on their now-defunct official website.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band formed in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
which was active from 1989 to 1999. The group consisted of vocalist and guitarist Pat Banister, vocalist and bassist Tom Stewart, and drummer Dave Dudley. In 1993, Furnaceface won the Canadian Music Video Association Award for best independent video for “About to Drown" from Just Buy It., and another one a couple of years later for Best Editing for “How Happy Do You Want to Be?” (which Dave Dudley's daughter appears in) from This Will Make You Happy.
History
The band, formed in OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
in 1989, consisted of vocalist and guitarist Pat Banister, vocalist and bassist Tom Stewart and drummer Dave Dudley. Furnaceface evolved out of Fluid Waffle, which also included guitarist and vocalist Steve D'Annunzio. Furnaceface started playing shows late in 1989 and released their first single, “Sucked into Drugland,” on Skull Duggery Records. After releasing this and the “New Pad” single, they toured across the U.S. and Canada. Their first full-length release was the Let It Down cassette, which was recorded by Andrew McKean, mixed by Marty Jones, and released in 1990. Jones recorded their second cassette in 1991, Just Buy It., and went on to engineer all the Furnaceface releases. At some point the members decided to use the stage names Pat Badmister/Badminister, Mr. Poopyhead (Tom Stewart) and Dave Deadly. After the first national tour for "Just Buy It" Jones (as "Smarty Moans") joined the group as a fourth member playing keyboard and guitar (after trying and promptly discarding the name DJ Gimmick). After the original cassette version of Just Buy It. was released, Furnaceface signed to Cargo Records to release a remixed (by Bob Wiseman of Blue Rodeo fame) and re-sequenced version of the album on CD and cassette.
Furnaceface also released their next two albums, This Will Make You Happy (1994) and unsafe@anyspeed (1996), with Cargo. Around the time of Just Buy It.s re-release, Furnaceface decided to start a festival, called Furnacefest, to promote local bands as well as larger acts. In 1995, after two years of performing with the group, Marty Jones decided to leave the band to concentrate on being a producer and co-running Sound of One Hand Studios. After Cargo Canada folded, Furnaceface would release a fifth and final album in 1999 titled And the Days are Short Again… on their own label Upright Records, which had the single “Heartless” on it. Around 1999, Pat Banister moved to Vancouver to work as an art director in the film industry. In Banister's absence, Dave Dudley and Tom Stewart have joined with Blake Jacobs of Hot Piss to create Manpower, who perform occasionally around Ottawa. The last Furnaceface recording released to date was 2000's Clobbering Time, a compilation CD of songs from their out-of-print pre-Days releases, from two songs from Let It Down released on CD at last to their cover of the Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
's “But I'm Different Now,” the B-side of the “Biff, Bang, Pow!” single.
Other area musicians, including Ian Tamblyn
Ian Tamblyn
Ian Tamblyn in is a Canadian folk music singer-songwriter and record producer, adventurer, and playwright.-Music career:...
and Jim Bryson
Jim Bryson
Jim Bryson is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Briefly a founding member of the band Punchbuggy, he moved to a musical life under his own name with the release of his debut album, The Occasionals, in 2000....
have also contributed as guest musicians. During a live performance in 1997 Tom received burns due to an onstage pyrotechnic effect; the show was halted but the musician made a full recovery with no scarring. Tom also performs occasionally as a country & western singer under the name "Slo' Tom". His band, called Slo' Tom & The Horseshit Heroes (Jim Bryson
Jim Bryson
Jim Bryson is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Briefly a founding member of the band Punchbuggy, he moved to a musical life under his own name with the release of his debut album, The Occasionals, in 2000....
, Dave Dudley, Geoff Taylor and Graham Collins) released an album, Liquor’s My Lover.
Music
Their music includes everything from heavy riffs to classic pop as well as ska, punk, dance and 60's garage. Their lyrics can be humorous, as in “I’m Getting Fat,” and “Too Many Nuts.” They also have lyrics that comment on local and global issues such as “Nobody to Vote For,” a commentary on the 1994 Canadian federal election, and “We Love You, Tipper Gore” about the PMRC and the censorship debate in the 1980s.Videos
In 1993, Furnaceface won the Canadian Music Video Association Award for best independent video for “About to Drown" from Just Buy It., and another one a couple of years later for Best Editing for “How Happy Do You Want to Be?” (which Dave Dudley's daughter appears in) from This Will Make You Happy. The other videos they released were “I Don't Think,” “She Thinks She's Fat,” “If You Love Her (Would You Buy Her a Gun?)”, “Slip & Stumble” (shot in the rough waves of various beaches in Cabo San LucasCabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas , commonly called Cabo, is a city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, in the municipality of Los Cabos in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. As of the 2010 census, the population was 68,463 people...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
) “Biff, Bang, Pow!” (a cover of the Creation
The Creation (band)
The Creation were an English rock band, formed in 1966. The most popular Creation song was "Painter Man", which made the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart in late 1966, and reached #8 in the German chart in April 1967. It was later covered by Boney M in 1979, and reached the #10 position in the UK...
song), “Ode to Grant Hart
Grant Hart
Grant Hart is an American musician, best known as the drummer and co-songwriter for the influential alternative rock and hardcore punk band Hüsker Dü. After the band's breakup in 1987, Hart formed the alternative rock trio Nova Mob, where he moved to vocals and guitar...
” and “Heartless.” They also made a video for “In Love with the Lie,” but only released it in RealMedia format on their now-defunct official website.
Singles and EPs
- “Sucked into Drugland” 7" single (1990)
- “New Pad” 7" single (1990)
- “Nobody to Vote For” CD single (1994)
- “You Poison My Cup” 12" single (1995)
- “Overcome” 7" single (1995)
- “Biff, Bang, Pow!” 7" single (1997)
Albums
- Let it Down cassette (1991)
- Just Buy It. (cassette, 1992; CD, 1993)
- This Will Make You Happy CD (1994)
- unsafe@anyspeed CD/cassette (1996)
- And the Days Are Short Again... CD (1999)
See also
- Music of CanadaMusic of CanadaThe music of Canada has influences that have shaped the country. Aboriginals, the British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. The music has subsequently been heavily influenced by American culture because of its proximity and migration between...
- Canadian rockCanadian rockCanadian rock describes a wide and diverse variety of music produced by Canadians, beginning with American style rock 'n' roll in the mid-20th century. Since then Canada has had a considerable impact on the development of the modern popular music called rock...
- List of Canadian musicians
- List of bands from Canada
- :Category:Canadian musical groups