NECK

Bio:

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For more NECK songs visit CHRISTIANA's myspace page ..
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MECHANICAL FOREST SOUND review of reunion show Feb/2010 ..
"like discovering a time-capsule filled with unheard early 90's alt.rock classics... [...] a musical compromise of catchy and rough textures. There was a pop sensibility at play here, though one that acknowledged the historic import of Hüsker Dü's power-chord ethos." ..
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EXCLAIM MAGAZINE review of reunion show Feb 14/2010 ..
Wavelength 500 – Neck ..
By Kerry Doole ..
As alumni of Wavelength 01, it was perfectly appropriate for Neck (aka Christina) to reunite for Wavelength 500. The Toronto quartet were cult favourites back in the day, and this set showed why. A touch of rust was audible early on, but they soon settled into their groove. Their songs are a little too short (two minutes or less) and abrasive to fit snugly into shoegazing territory, but their brand of noise pop remains refreshingly bracing. A rotating cast of vocalists added variety, with Andrew McAllister (now of highly touted Soft Copy) proving the most tuneful. Songs started and ended abruptly, but the momentum remained. The sonic equivalent of knocking back espressos. ..
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Neck formed in 1993 with guitarist/vocalist Dave Rodgers, bassist/vocalist Alastair Macleod, and drummer Paul Boddum. That lineup released one 7" single and two LPs / cassettes. Macleod departed the band and Rodgers' friend Andrew McAllister was brought in. They recorded the acclaimed album "Uncrated Distant Star" with producer Dave Newfeld in his basement studio north of the city. In 1999, The band was renamed Christiana. Jonny Dovercourt joined the band in 2002, and the band released two full length albums before disbanding in 2003. Neck were the first band to play the Toronto music series "Wavelength" in 2000, Neck are reuniting for the 500th anniversary show of Wavelength on Feb 14th, 2010. ..
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REVIEWS.... ..
UNCRATED DISTANT STAR..
(7 tracks, CD,1998, Teenage USA Records) ..
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IN MUSIC WE TRUST, March 1999..
"Toronto's Neck crams seven ragged around the edges pop gems into just under thirteen minutes on their latest EP. A little post punk, a little lo-fi, plenty of hooks and always straight to the point, Uncrated Distant Star is a winner."~Geoff Melton ..
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RFC(request for comments) MAGAZINE, WHEELING WEST VIRGINIA ..
"...Fuck! There is a God! Who the bloody well did this Punk + Mid 1960's cheer? This does blow me away in the manner I want to be blown away...cheery punk? what a concept. It is hard to imagine how this was done as one would be near 50 in order to have heard both mid-1960s plesantness music and punk and have catholic musical tastes to appreciate both...even more skill required to successfully combine both...sometimes life is miraculous, I hope they produce more" ~Steve Kudlak ..
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CHART MAGAZINE ..
"...add another name to the growing gang of Toronto indie-guitar pop bands doing cool, inventive things...discordant, noisy guitar strum into accessible pop shapes...catchy melodies and Bacharach-ian vocal sighs...embraces the hook...wound -up underground fuzz-pop that pretty much nails it" ~Howard Druckman ..
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BROKEN PENCIL ..
"...everything I liked-tight, fast drumming, catchy riffs, and lots of murky, anguished vocals"~KB ..
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EYE MAGAZINE INTERVIEW ..
"...When the apocalypse finally hits, two things will remain:cockroaches (duh) and Neck...Don't know what they put in the donuts out in Scarberia, but Woburn Collegiate's most esteemed alumni have survived grunge, cuddlecore and the Macerena with their 90-second melodious meltdowns intact" ~Stuart Berman ..
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MUSIC CRITIC.com ..
"...very punk influenced, but very melodic at the same time...Uncrated Distant Star is but a glimpse into what this band can be capable of...reminiscent of the less gritty side of Husker Du" ~ Mark Feldman ..
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EXCLAIM MAGAZINE ..
"...one of the most appealing of the legions of Toronto's noisy pop kids...tuneful songs with gleeful abandon...a production job (recorded by Dave Neufeld) worthy of their songs...tugs on the heartstrings...seven pop songs in the space of 12 minutes...Neck play pop the way they have to" ~ Chris Wodskou ..
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GRIP- BEST IN MUSIC 1998, ATLANTA ..
-Halo Benders-The Rebel's not in,Tortoise-tnt,Sterolab-Alumininum Tunes,Jad Fair and Yo La Tengo,David Grubbs-The Thicket, Blonde Redhead-In An Expressions...,Flu Thirteen-In the Foul Key, NECK-UNCRATED DISTANT STAR, Solient Green-Sewn Mouth Secrets, ~ Fred Denny ..
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CHART MAGAZINE-LIVE REVIEW NORTH BY NORTHEAST, 1999 ..
"...an art-rock sound that mixes indie and punk elements...one of the tightest sloppy sets of the festival...featured many of the shortest songs on record...if they continue to play sets like this, they will inevitably be one of the big fish in the little Toronto indie pond" ~ Keith Carman ..
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US & CANADIAN COLLEGE RADIO CHARTING FOR UNCRATED DISTANT STAR EP, 1998/99 ..
Canadian campus community radio airplay top 50 Neck reached 19. Selected US college radio charting: wuog Athens Georgia,wvfs Florida State University,kvcu University of Colorado Boulder,wmbr Cambridg Mass,kscu Santa Clara Calif,kalx University of California Berkley, wort Madison Wis ..
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REVIEWS....
ALL SEPTEMBER LONG..
(2nd album, 19 tracks, cassette, 1996, independent) ..
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VENUE MAGAZINE ..
"...It's third zillion hits cassette, Neck's future-pop unabashedly buries all melody underneath outstandingly distorted guitars...Frantic, and without a song over 2:24 in length, this Toronto trio will claim pop supremacy for the love song "Autistic" ~ Craig Thompson ..
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REVIEWS....
CHRISTIANA..
(1st album, 17 tracks, cassette, 1995, independent) ..
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NOW MAGAZINE ..
"...Local indie activists hammering out an impressive 17 bursts of wound-up fuzz pop and offering a scope of today's underground sound...explosions of no-fi...blips of grinning harmonies and thought out songwriting that should set Neck apart from the rest of the local pop horde"~Matt Galloway ..
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EXCLAIM-LIVE REVIEW "CHRISTIANA CASSETTE RELEASE, EL MOCAMBO>" ..
"...this Toronto three-piece presses all the pop buttons with me-Unrest, My Bloody Valentine and Wedding Present...gorgeous tunefulness, abrasiveness, and hearts laid bare...incessant exploration of unpredictable pop arrangements and chord patterns...Dave Rogers is the only Toronto band vocalist who sings in falsetto...Neck's songs are, resultantly, not only catchy, but also inventive enough to sustain the appeal of their hooks" ~ Chris Wodskou ..
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REVIEWS....
FORTY FIVE RPM..
(7 inch vinyl, 5 tracks, 1994, independent)..
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EXCLAIM MAGAZINE ..
"I like my pop noisy, and I likes my noise poppy...melody is a hook, and noise and distortion can be hooks as well-when noise is larded on to a solid pop song, well sometimes something magical happens..." ~Chris Wodskou ..
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REVIEWS....
LEISURE TERRORISTS..
(First tracks Neck released. Various Artists, CD,1994, Theta State Recordings)..
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EYE MAGAZINE..
"...Before declaring the gems on the (compilation) disc I might as well denounce the total losers first...whoever sequenced this album put the dogs on first and last so when your throw the thing on just skip the first track...Neck's "Floral Dress" should be hung out to dry-a sludgefest of mushy guitars poured like tar over really annoying sub-Lush vocals. A headache with your name on it" ~Perry Stern ..
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Member Since:

September 11, 2009

Members:

Dave Rodgers-guitar, vocals..
Paul Boddum-drums ..
Alastair Macleod-bass, vocals(93-97)..
Andrew McAllister-bass, vocals (97-99) ..
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1993-1999-NECK ..
1999-2003-band name change CHRISTIANA ..
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Other bands: ..
Dave RodgersSnowblind, Development Site, Folk Festival Massacre,Ghostlight,Picnic Boy, Mean Red Spiders, Christiana..
Alastair MacleodThe Michael J. Fox Tribute Band, Folk Festival Massacre ..
Paul BoddumThe Michael J. Fox Tribute Band, Folk Festival Massacre, Kid Sniper, Kilometre, Scarborough AV, Christiana, Soft Copy..
Andrew MacAllisterWholesome, Black Mission Figs, Kilometre, House Flaming, Scarborough AV, Christiana, Soft Copy

Influences:

Husker Du, Ramones, My Bloody Valentine,Syd Barrett, Love, The Velvet Underground, Mission of Burma,Minutemen,The Carpenters,Dinosaur Jr,Cocteau Twins,Slowdive,Motown,Erics Trip,Can,King Krimson,Black Flag, Jesus and Mary Chain,Pale Saints,Neil Young,NoMeansNo,James Taylor,The Stooges,Unrest,Swervedriver,Richard Hell,The Cure,Replacements,X,Pixies

Sounds Like:

DISCOGRAPHY ..
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UNCRATED DISTANT STAR..
1998, CD, 7 tracks. Produced by Dave Newfeld..

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.. .. .. .. .. 1. Ladybug (1:27)..
2. Projector Lamp (2:09)..
3. Your Caught Me Daydreaming (1:34)..
4. Your Are Not Alone (1:50)..
5. Today's Bride (1:28)..
6. Coup De Grace (2:17)..
7. So Much For Pathos (1:49)..
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ALL SEPTEMBER LONG....
1996, 2nd album, 19 tracks, cassette. Produced by Greg Chambers (Mean Red Spiders) at 9 Hanna St Loft..
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1.I'll Sleep Tomorrow..
2.Phone Sex..
3.Autistic..
4.Transplant..
5.A Change of Mood..
6.The Hulk..
7.Today's Bride..
8.Horseback..
9.One Lifetime..
10.Lilac..
11.The Only One..
12.Blurry Hand..
13.Your Mouth is Summertime..
14.All September Long..
15.F..
16.Cardigan..
17.Surf..
18.Fuck Off and Leave Me Alone..
19.No Fame..
20.Mayfly 3..
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CHRISTIANA....
1995, first full length album , 17 tracks, cassette. Recorded at Groundcovers Studio by Al Forte. ..
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1.Eat Me 1:26 ..
2.Downey 1:27 ..
3.Ice Cream 1:42 ..
4.Union Station 2:24 ..
5.Violet 2:07 ..
6.VCR 1:44 ..
7.Swept 2:47 ..
8.Christiana 1:52 ..
9.Pet Project 1:43 ..
10.Idiot Boy 1:39 ..
11.Mayfly 2 2:54 ..
12.Picture On Your Wall 1:56 ..
13.Ash 2:19 ..
14.Skin Game 3:04 ..
15.Bottle 1:36 ..
16.Trampoline 1:31 ..
17.Strangle Slow 2:13 ..
18.And I Stopped 1:21 ..
19.Let It Die 1:55 ..
20.Sunflower 1:43 ..
21.Naomi 2:07 ..
22.Hostage 2:15 ..
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FORTY FIVE RPM ....
1994, debut 7 inch Vinyl ,5 tracks, ...Recorded at Chemical Sound by Daryl Smith. ..
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LEISURE TERRORISTS CD..
1993, Compilation CD of Toronto indie noise acts, Theta State Recordings..
track-"Floral Dress" 4:42

Record Label:

High School Champion