CKXU shows their love for records this weekend with Love and Records

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Everybody loves records especially University of Lethbridge based community radio station CKXU 88.3 FM who are excited to present the fourth annual Love and Records at Galt Gardens, Sept. 13.Five Alarm Funk  was a highlight of Love and Records 2013. photo by Richard Amery
“CKXU is, in my eyes, a vital part of the community and we’re always prepared to provide the community with lots of engaging and culturally saturated events,” said CKXU station manager Aaron Trozzo.


 In addition to a killer line up running from 10:40 a.m.-9 p.m. in Galt Gardens featuring Lethbridge acts Treeline and Shaela Miller, Leeroy Stagger, Dave McCann and the Firehearts, the Utilities, HBO3, Global Drums steel drums and Young Medicine, there will also be excellent Edmonton acts the Wet Secrets and headliners Shout Out Out Out Out plus DJ Skratch Bastid, Calgary's Highkicks and the Outlaws of Ravenhurst and heavier acts the Invasives and Toronto's Biblical.

There are also specially themed after parties at the Slice featuring War Baby and Black Mastiff, a blues party at Plum featuring Papa King, Paul Kype and Texas Flood and Marshall Lawrence band from Edmonton and a folk after party at the Owl Acoustic Lounge featuring Savk and Ben Everyman.
 There will also be a dance after-party at Studio 54 featuring Shout Out Out Out's Nik Kozub and Jason Trook performing DJ sets with local DJs.
There will also be a local art gallery and attractions for families and children and lots of vendors selling records, DVDS, sunglasses and various musically related items. There will also be food trucks, family activities and much more.


 CKXU is funding this event through sponsors and various grants which will allows them to simulcast the main stage music on community and campus radio stations from across Canada from Vancouver to St. John's as well as release a 12 inch vinyl compilation of some of the main stage highlights.
“We received a grant from the CRFC (Community Radio Fund of Canada) to build a live compilation of the musical entertainment,” he enthused adding that has allowed CKXU to hire some local talent to put this project together.


“ It’s $30,000 and it’s allowed us to expand our festival significantly. We‘re able to hire people from the local community. So we’re creating jobs for people in the arts.”
The compilation is tentatively scheduled to be released in February 2015. It will be completely locally produced from mixing to album art. It will be sent to other stations who are part of the NCRA (National Campus Radio Association) and possibly sold.


He is excited about the simulcast.
“We’ve got five stations so far who want to be part of it. We will be doing shout outs from the stage to other stations in other cities. So we’re really pleased to share what we’re doing in our community with other communities,” he said.
 Edmonton bass and drum powered dance party band Shout Out Out Out Out is a prominent figure at Love and Records.


“We’re a regular cottage industry. There’s a lot of bands within this one. And we do cross pollinate,” said bassist Lyle Bell, who is excited to explore both sides of his musical brain by performing in  Shout Out Out Out Out as well as the Wet Secrets.
“Most of the bands I’ve played in have been dance party bands, but I also grew up on bands like the Buzzcocks and 1977 punk, so The Wet Secrets are more of a straight ahead rock band ( powered by bass and a wicked horn section). So in this case, I get to do both and use both sides of my musical brain. So I’m totally stoked to do both,” he said.


As an avid record collector, Bell is excited to be part of Love And Records.
“I’ve been collecting records for 30 years and really never got out of it,” he said.
“ I’m also a graphic designer, so I like looking at the covers,” he said.
 “There is nothing like holding it in your hands and reading the lyrics as the song plays. They are very much more tangible than CD and downloads,” he said.


 He is always on the look out for records new and old.
“I was on tour and we landed in Utrecht and there was this record fair and I couldn’t help myself, I spent my entire per diem on records and was begging for food,” he said.
“ They were cheap too. They would have cost a lot more in Edmonton. But I had to haul these records all over Europe,” he said.

“We might take a red eye so we can be there in the morning and spend my per diem again,” he continued.
They will have a replacement drummer for this show as Clint Frazier has a wedding that same weekend.

 


 He’s our stand by guy while Clint goes to a wedding. He's been with us for 15 years. We once did a show with all three drummers, but won’t this time. We’ll be playing all of our more up tempo tracks so it really will be  fairly dancy set,” he said adding he is proud of  the Wet Secrets set for  Love and Records as well.


“ I Love and Records attracts a diverse audience. Photo by Richard Ameryhave a couple of new songs. One of them is the best I’ve ever written and I’m very critical of myself, but this one, I’d be happy to play at my wake. It would put a smile on my face.


 We wrote a couple of new songs for PEAK. And we’ve got a couple off kilter covers because we have this awesome horn section. So we’re playing  25 or 6 to 4 by Chicago. It’s one of my favourite and some Foreigner as well but I don’t want to give too much away,” he said.


Toronto rock band Biblical are excited about coming to Lethbridge for the first time to play  CKXU's Love and Records 2014 on Sept. 13.


They have had a great summer so far.
“I’ve never played Lethbridge before. But I was in a band called the Illuminati and we came to Alberta a lot,” said Biblical bassist Nick Sewell.


  He is excited about Love and Records.
“ I love vinyl. I love the set break you have when you have to turn over the album.
 It’s not like a CD or a playlist. When you flip over the album, you take a breath and think about the music. Like on Led Zeppelin IV. Stairway To Heaven is the last song on the first side. It makes you really listen to the music,” he said.


 He said he can’t choose his favourite record.
“That’s impossible question. There's so many and it changes daily,” he said.


 He noted they plan to make an impression while playing Galt Gardens for Love and Records.
“We’ve never been there before. You can expect a lot of guitar solos and to hear a lot of jams. We’re just going to play our hearts out,” he said.


“It’s our mandate to appeal to a wide variety of people of all ages. It's kid friendly. It’s not just snobby music lovers, it’s for anyone who wants to have an awesome time in the park,” Trozzo said.


“CKXU is, bottom line, a radio station, so we want to bring an amazing musical experience. But it doesn’t stop there. We are open to bringing different styles of arts be it theatre art and lifestyle hobbies,” Trozzo continued.


There are a core of 15 co-ordinators who have been taking care of various aspects of the event who volunteer their time year round to pull this off, but the event itself will require close to 80 on the day of the show to  actually pull it off.


 If you are interested in volunteering, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
“We’re excited to see the community gather,” he said.
“I’m hoping to see  people rally and take in events in the community and get out and take part it in.
“It is really up to the Lethbridge public to attend these events if they want to see more of this type of event,” he said.
 We pay a massive price in time and energy, spreading the love,he said.
“ We basically start planning the next one the day after this one ends. A year is almost not enough.”
 There is no charge to attend any of the events.

 A version of this story appears in the Sept. 10, 2014 edition of the Lethbridge Sun Times
— by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 10 September 2014 11:20 )