You may not immediately recognize the name Lonnie James, but if you’re familiar at all with the Canadian indie rock scene of the1990s, he was a ubiquitous presence, playing drums for a seemingly endless array of artists.From iconic Vancouver punks D.O.A. to Toronto cult heroes The Lawn, and from Montreal legends The Nils to Halifax’s Super Friendz, James was an important contributor to what remains the most vibrant and influential period of Canadian rock and roll.However, James’ artistic vision always extended beyond playing drums, and before the end of the century he began releasing his own music under his own name with the Toronto-based label Teenage USA. The songs on the albums This Land Is Your Land and Dee-O reflected a love of traditional folk and country anchored to an unwavering indie rock foundation, an approach that has since become commonplace among a new generation of troubadours.After a lengthy hiatus,and back home near Calgary,Lonnie James has now returned with a new project dubbed ModernFolkRevolution, whose self-titled debut album was released in the fall of 2021. Its 10 tracks are, on one hand, a throwback to more innocent pre-Internet days, and on the other hand are a reminder that an organic approach to making music still packs an emotional punch. With James on lead vocals and guitar, ModernFolkRevolution also includes Lindsay Sorell on co-lead vocals, Craig Galambos on guitar, Nick Caron on bass and Leroy (Tic Tok) Jones on drums. Together, theypresent James’s songs inall their rough-hewn glory,recalling in the process the lo-fi majesty of The Vaselines and Guided By Voices, coupled with Byrds and Kinks-style paisley-tingedflourishes.Above all, ModernFolkRevolution exudes experience. Whether it is facing the hard truth about relationships in “Ain’t That Funny About Love” (“Feeling pretty low now I just want to be alone/But there’s a million people on the phone, that I’d wish I’d never known”), or facing the hard truth about changing times in“As For Me” (“Where are the sons of the heroes, who gave it all for the sake of those yet to come?”), James captures it all with an unflinching eye. Some of a certain age will get it immediately, while some who came later are sure to recognize ModernFolkRevolution as a direct extension of their favourite artists who are directly responsible for the latest wave of psychedelic roots music.However the album might beclassified, ModernFolkRevolutionis a pure reflection of Lonnie James’s life—and life in music—after more than three decades.More importantly, it’s the sound of an artist finding a previously untapped well of creativity and using it to sow the seedsof future endeavours. Indeed, the ModernFolkRevolution’s time has come.
credits
released October 22, 2021
Lonnie James: Guitar and Vocals
Lindsay Sorell: Vocals
Craig Galambos: Electric Guitar
Nick Caron: Bass Guitar
Sam Bagley: Piano/Keyboards
Leroy(tic tok) Jones: Drums
Kate Boothman is one of Canada's best kept secrets.Her songs are personal in nature but her genius is that said songs are also totally relatable to anyone who has put their heart on the line. ModernFolkRevolution
Long Branch take me to the same place that the Velvet Underground,Neil Young,and the Young Marble Giants take me, and that's a very good thing ModernFolkRevolution