Hypnotize and Devastate

No feelings, eh?

“The Plan . . . don’t have any feelings,” states a No Records employee, trying desperately to explain why band members Mike Catano and Mackenzie Ogilivie would neither fit, nor be inter- ested in participating in Teresa Doyle’s “Songwriter’s Circle.” No feelings eh? Well, one would be hard-pressed to convince anyone who’s ever seen The Plan perform of this claim. They play with an urgency and intensity which, in my eyes, is lamentably absent from most contemporary music, be it corporate or independent. This intensity is fur- ther magnified by the almost breathtaking proficien- cy with which the band manipulates not only their instruments, but the atmosphere and audience as well. I’ve seen The Plan play a half-dozen times since their inception in 1999, and with every per- formance I become more impressed with their abili- ty to offer a mind-blowing live set.

I suppose such glowing accolades behoves me to offer some reasonably value-neutral descrip- tion of their music for those of you who need more to go on than my own impeccable taste. In the most accessible terms I can manage, The Plan combine

Mike Catano: Rock Icon.

by Jonah CAMPBELL

the calculated fits, starts and tempo bending tenden- cies of math rock with the energy and edge of hard- core punk to create a sound that weighs in some- where too loud for your average weak-hearted indie kid but too artsy and confusing for many punks. They artfully blend melody and mayhem in such a way as to simultaneously hypnotize and devastate the listener. If that means anything to you.

Tracing the past musical affiliations of The Plan’s individual members provides one with a ver-

Mackenzie Ogilvie laying down the bass.

itable who’s who of the Halifax indie/punk scene, including such bands as North of America, Equation of State, Led By Regret, and the State Champs, run- ning the gamut from Thrush Hermit to Snot Party. Lyrically, The Plan is pretty abstract for the most part, but in a way that is still poetically satisfying.

Fucking rock.

The writing often contains revolutionary overtones which create an atmosphere that brings to mind the clandestine romance of subversive intellectuals. In other words, they can occasionally be artsy to the point of pretentiousness. But it’s good, real good. Adding to their year 2000 releases, This

a fA . patj

Time Is Not This Place (Matlock Records) and the Ante Up the Essay/Give Me the Theory 7” (The Jesus Sanchez Endeavour), The Plan have just put out a new CD Only These Movements Remain, also on Matlock records, to be released on vinyl in Europe by Rewika records.

Again: fucking rock.

ATTENTION STUDENTS!

Any students who are interested in attending the Sustainable Campuses Conference put on by the Sierra Youth Coalition from October 11 to 14 in Halifax should get in touch with Cynthia Dennis at the Student Union.

Email suprez@upei.ca or call 566-0398.

You can also check out the website at www.sierrayouthcoalition.org.

It’s going to be super duper interesting and tons of wicked fun!

THE CADRE

JAGAD SHT