Funeral Mixtape

The Pack A.D. doesn't get alot of airplay hereabouts. I think though that it's because DJs don't know what to do with them. The Pack A.D. is a blues band, but not a just a 'blues influenced' band - a smoky bar in the desert with a dirt floor and a broken jukebox blues band. The band, on their Myspace page lists their influences as

"Blind Willie Johnson, Junior Kimbrough, Robert Johnson, Son House, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Leadbelly, RL Burnside, Billie Holiday, Scott Joplin, The American Civil War, snow, the north, cowboys, bandits, coffee, the years 1860-1920, Koko Taylor, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Buddy Rich, John Bonham, MC5, The Sonics, The Groundhogs, Gordon Downie, Jonathon Richman, Sam Raimi, Harrison Ford, Guy Pearce, Jeremiah Johnson, Clint Eastwood, Howlin’ Wolf, Mississipi John Hurt, Manhunt, Cold Mountain, Andersonville, The Thing, Highlander, Snake Pliskin, OZ, Chris Keller, George Romero and all of his Dead movies, Patrick Swayze (in Road House)

- The band (consisting only of Becky Black and Maya Miller) has brought real blues into the 21st century. Blending blues vocals, rhythms and sensibilities with a modern tempo and energy.

They have been favorably compared to everyone from the White Stripes to Janis Joplin, but while they'll certainly remind you of both at times I don't think either comparison does them justice.

You will just have to give a listen to them yourself Songs from their new album Funeral Mixtape (out yesterday - Review on Herohill) as well as last years release Tintype can be heard on Myspace, New Music Canada, Zunior, and LastFM but the best way to hear them is live. Niether of the albums to date captures the energy of the Pack A.D.'s live show - where they play all the fast songs and speed up the slow ones while barely pausing for breath. The Pack is almost always on the road (the new album must have been recorded in the van) - coming up you can catch them here:

16-Aug Richard's on Richards Vancouver, BC, CA
30-Aug Doc Willoughby's Kelowna, BC, CA
05-Sep Gus' Pub n Grill Halifax, NS, CA
06-Sep Kings Arm Pub Kentville, NS, CA
07-Sep Teazer's TBD Amhurst, NS, CA
08-Sep L'Escogriffe Montreal, QC, CA
09-Sep Mavericks Bar Ottawa, ON, CA
10-Sep The Phog Lounge Windsor, ON, CA
11-Sep The Horseshoe Tavern Ontario, ON, CA
12-Sep Criminal Records Toronto, ON, CA
12-Sep The Black Shire Pub London, ON, CA
13-Sep LadyFest Dayton, OH
15-Sep Wilbert's Cleveland, OH
16-Sep Smiling Moose Pittsburgh, PA
17-Sep D.D.P. Baltimore, MD
19-Sep The Taphouse Norfolk, VA
20-Sep The Jinx Savannah, GA
21-Sep Frank's Front Row Daytona Beach, FL
23-Sep The Cinemat Bloomington, IN
25-Sep The Shady Nook Saybrook, IL
27-Sep Lager House Detroit, MI
28-Sep The Boathouse Saugatuck, MI
31-Oct Railway Club Vancouver, BC, CA

the Pack A.D. - What's Up There

Sep 24, 2007 at the Apollo Bar in Thunder Bay ON



On Edit: P.S. CBC Radio 3 just posted an interview with Pack A.D.