Uae
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Flashing
      lights
      turn
      on
      in
     
     
      five-week
      concert
      tour
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Sean
      Smith
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Source:
      excalibur
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Flashing
      Light,
      Matt
      Murphy
     
    
   
   
    
     
      TORONTO
      (CUP)
      -
     
     
      "Yeah,
      I'm
      in
      the
     
     
      bathtub,"
      admits
     
     
      singer,
      guitarist
      and
     
     
      musical
      wonder
      Matt
     
     
      Murphy
      of
      the
     
     
      Flashing
      Lights,
     
     
      purveyors
      of
      some
      of
     
     
      the
      finest
      pop
      music
     
     
      this
      town
      has
      to
      offer.
     
     
      "T
      hope
      you
      don't
     
     
      mind."
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      Murphy
      speaks,
     
     
      the
      gentle
      splish,
     
     
      splash
      of
      the
      water
     
     
      around
      him
      only
     
     
      reminds
      me
      of
      the
     
     
      fact
      that
     
    

    
     
      he
      is
      freshening
      up
      for
     
     
      the
      five
      weeks
      his
     
     
      band
      will
      be
      on
      the
     
     
      road.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Front
      Man
      War
     
     
      tour
      was
      supposed
      to
     
     
      be
      a
      send-off
      for
     
     
      Thrush
      Hermit,
      who
     
     
      were
      to
      call
      it
      quits
     
    

    
     
      at
      the
      end
      of
      the
      last
     
     
      show.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      However,
      a
      high
     
     
      white
      blood
      cell
     
     
      count
      in
      the
      veins
      of
     
     
      their
      lead
      singer
      Joel
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Haskett
      forced
      Thrush
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Hermit
      to
      stay
      at
      home.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Front
      Man
      War
     
     
      ended
      up
      being
      a
      one-
     
     
      two
      attack
      with
      the
     
     
      Flashing
     
    

    
     
      Lights
      and
      Montreal's
     
     
      Local
      Rabbits.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Thrush
      Hermit,
      Jale,
     
     
      Hardship
      Post
      and
      the
     
     
      Inbreds
      were
      all
     
     
      friends
      of
      mine
      who
     
     
      started
      in
      the
      same
     
     
      place
      and
      at
      the
      same
     
     
      time,"
      says
      Murphy,
     
     
      pondering
      the
      list
      of
     
     
      bands
      from
      the
     
     
      Murderecord's
      roster
     
     
      who
      have
      all
      broken
     
     
      up
      over
      the
      past
      few
     
     
      years.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Tt
      makes
      you
      think
     
     
      about
      where
      you
      are
     
     
      in
      respect
      to
      them.
      It's
     
     
      too
      bad
      really.
      It's
     
     
      lonely
      when
     
    

    
     
      someone
      in
      your
      neck
     
     
      of
      the
      woods
      calls
      it
     
     
      quits."
     
    

    
     
      Murphy
      is
      no
      stranger
     
     
      to
      breaking
      up.
      His
     
     
      former
      band,
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Super
      Friendz,
     
     
      called
      it
      quits
      in
     
     
      1997
     
    

    
     
      after
      releasing
      two
     
     
      long
      players
      and
     
     
      an
      EP
      to
      critical
     
     
      acclaim.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      move
      from
     
     
      the
      Super
      Friendz
     
     
      to
      the
      Flashing
     
     
      Lights
      was
      a
     
     
      smooth
      transition,
     
     
      according
      to
     
     
      Murphy,
      as
      the
     
     
      Lights
      picked
      up
     
     
      where
      the
      Super
     
     
      Friendz
      left
      off.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      with
      Super
     
     
      Friendz,
      the
     
     
      Flashing
      Lights
     
     
      rely
      heavily
      on
     
     
      Murphy,
      whose
     
     
      penchant
      for
     
     
      straight
      up
     
    

    
     
      rock
      and
      roll
     
     
      which
      borrows
     
     
      from
      the
      best
     
     
      traditions
      of
      the
     
     
      last
      three
     
     
      decades,
      remains
     
     
      unchanged.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      group
      recently
     
     
      released
      Where
      the
     
     
      Change
      Is,
      an
      album
     
     
      plump
      as
      the
      ripest
     
     
      fruit
      with
      sweet
      pop
     
     
      tunes
      that
      are
      as
     
     
      melodically
      catchy
      as
     
     
      they
      are
      lyrically.
     
     
      While
      his
      hooks
      are
     
     
      simple,
      Murphy
      has
     
    
   
   
    
     
      no
     
    

    
     
      fear
      of
      walking
      the
     
     
      fine
      line
      between
      ripe
     
     
      and
      rotten
      when
     
     
      pushing
      for
      all
      the
     
     
      sweetness
      his
      songs
     
    
   
   
    
     
      can
     
     
      handle.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "I
      try
      to
      make
      my
     
     
      songs
      sound
      as
      trite
     
     
      as
      possible,"
      states
     
     
      Murphy
      bluntly.
     
     
      "There
      are
      a
      few
      on
     
     
      the
      record
      that
      are
     
     
      just
      throw-aways
      but
     
     
      I
      wasn't
      afraid
      to
     
     
      make
      them
      really
     
     
      gooey.
      If
      you
      are
     
     
      going
      to
     
    

    
     
      write
      a
      pop
      song,
     
     
      you
      might
      as
      well
     
    
   
   
    
     
      make
      them
      as
      catchy
     
     
      and
      simple
      as
      can
      be.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "The
      kind
      of
      music!
      .
     
     
      want
      to
      make
     
     
      changes
      all
      the
      time,"
     
     
      he
      adds.
      "It
      has
      to
      be
     
     
      melodic
      for
      one.
      Not
     
     
      alot
      of
      things
      I
      am
     
     
      hearing
      these
      days
      is
     
     
      really
      inspiring
      me.
      I
     
     
      heard
      the
      new
      Beck
     
     
      single
      and
      it
      was
     
     
      really
      predictable
      and
     
     
      almost
      cliché
      even
      for
     
     
      him.
      My
      instinct
      is
      to
     
     
      go
      for
      more
      sparser.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Simpler
      might
      be
      a
     
     
      better
      word
      for
      the
     
     
      Flashing
      Lights,
     
     
      although
      Murphy
     
     
      confesses
      to
      be
     
     
      currently
     
    

    
     
      enjoying
      a
      binge
      of
     
     
      more
      complex
     
     
      recordings
      including
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Brian
      Eno
      records.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Any
      one
      who's
     
     
      heard
      Where
      the
     
     
      Change
      Is
      will
      find
     
     
      this
      funny,
      but
      there's
     
    
   
   
    
     
      amillion
      things
      you
     
     
      can
      do
     
    

    
     
      with
      your
      record,"
      he
     
     
      says.
      "You
      don't
      have
     
     
      to
      have
      freaky
     
     
      sounds
      on
      it,
      or
      some
     
     
      prominent
      Moog
     
    

    
     
      bit.
      The
      bass-drums-
     
     
      guitar
      combo
      isn't
      the
     
     
      be
      all
      and
      end
      all
      of
     
     
      rock
      music
      but
     
     
      there's
      so
      much
      you
     
     
      can
      do
      within
      that
     
     
      combo."
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      that
      note,
      Murphy
     
     
      pulls
      the
      plug
      on
      the
     
     
      interview
      and
      the
      tub
     
     
      simultaneously.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      With
      anew
      album
      to
     
     
      brag
      about,
      High
     
     
      School,
      the
      band's
     
     
      second
      single
      in
     
     
      rotation
      at
      Much
     
     
      Music
     
    

    
     
      and
      with
      a
      fresh
      new
     
     
      scent,
      at
      least
      for
      the
     
     
      moment,
      Matt
     
     
      Murphy
      prepares
      to
     
     
      hit
      the
      road.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ta
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Be
      j
      Hang
      on.
      You
     
     
      Of
      ON
      Anew
      ey
      te
     
     
      »
      eee,
      weer
      pee
      “4o
      embark
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      You
      are
      on
      the
      cusp
      of
      completing
      your
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ———$
      er
     
    
   
   
    
     
      degree.
      There
      are
      good
      jobs
      now
      and
     
     
      in
      the
      future
      for
      IT
      experts.
      Consider
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      possibilities.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Take
      your
      fortune
      into
      your
      own
      hands
      by
      choosing
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      12-month,
      full-time
      program
      designed
      to
      get
     
     
      results.
      University
      of
      New
      Brunswick
      and
      the
     
     
      Software
      Human
      Resource
      Council
      of
      Canada
      have
     
     
      created
      an
      intensive,
      one-year
      Information
     
     
      Technology
      Professional
      Program,
      which
      gives
      you
     
     
      the
      specific
      skills
      needed
      to
      get
      a
      good
      job.
      ITP
     
     
      is
      an
      intensive
      training
      environment
      with
      a
      three-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      OS
      anwer
      nay
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Information
      Technology
      Professional
      Program
      at
      UNB
     
    
   
   
    
     
      month
      work
      term,
      providing
      real-world
      experience
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      adding
      specific
      skills
      to
      your
      resumé.
      Skills
      like
     
     
      project
      management
      that
      industry
      is
      crying
      out
      for.
     
     
      Skills
      that
      command
      top
      price
      in
      the
      marketplace.
     
     
      ITP
      prepares
      you
      for
      Microsoft,
      Cisco,
      Novell,
      and
     
     
      A+
      certification
      exams.
      At
      other
      sites,
      where
      the
      ITP
     
     
      program
      is
      already
      running,
      many
      grads
      are
      recruited
     
     
      before
      their
      year
      is
      even
      complete.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Tumon:
      $15,000;
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Next
      Intake
      —
      ITP
      2
      —
      Starts
      MARCH
      13,
      2000
      i
      ae
     
     
      PUBLIC
      INFORMATION
      SESSIONS:
      a
     
     
      TwuRsDAY,
      JANUARY
      20,
      2000
      7:00
      PM
      PenOR
     
    
   
   
    
     
      —
      ITP
      Lass,
      D’Avray
      Hau,
      UNB,
      FREDERICTON.
     
     
      THURSDAY,
      FEBRUARY
      17,
      2000
      7:00
      PM
     
     
      —
      Hitron
      Hore,
      Downtown
      Saint
      JOHN.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Zils
      UP
      EIRIC
      ag
      eri
     
    
   
   
    
     
      oe
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UNIVERSITY
      OF
     
     
      WEW
      BRUNSWICK
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PPTL
      LES
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      hi