“Touring is actually way easier as a two piece. There’s more room, more money and more food. Besides, splitting 14 tabs of acid between two people is way better than splitting 14 tabs between four people.”

“We’re just truckin’ our freak flag up a pole and seeing who salutes it—and if nobody does, at least it’s a sweet flag,” explains Shields. “I’m a firm believer in hedonism. If you let pleasure be your guide, you can’t go wrong.”

There are just two more dates left in the tour, Nelson on the 25th and Vancouver the following day. For those of you who didn’t salute the freak flag, turn around for 40 lashings and then watch:

The month of June gave the electro-pop duo a chance to cool their jets and take a breather. In that time, the Chicos made some really lovely new friends. So, with Slow Action hanging tight in the Earshot charts nationwide for over four months, Run Chico Run figured that now is as good a time as any to bring their music back to the people — new friends in tow.

Run Chico Run, Old Soul (Universal) and Panurge (Last Gang) are heading out on the most extensive tour of Canada that can be crammed into 16 days. Don’t miss this triple threat treat when it rolls into a town near you.

Aug 10: Montreal, PQ - La Sala Rosa
Aug 11: Ottawa ON - Zaphod Beeblebrox
Aug 12: Toronto, ON - Silver Dollar
Aug 13: Hamilton, ON - Casbah
Aug 15: Thunder Bay, ON - The Apollo
Aug 17: Winnipeg, MB - West End Culture Centre
Aug 18: Saskatoon, SK - Amigo’s Cafe
Aug 19: Edmonton, AB - Sidetrack Cafe
Aug 21: Lethbridge, AB - Tongue ‘n’ Groove
Aug 22: Calgary, AB - Broken City
Aug 23: Red Deer, AB - The Vat
Aug 24: Canmore, AB - Canmore Hotel
Aug 25: Nelson, BC - The Royal On Baker
Aug 26: Vancouver, BC - Media Lounge

It was such a hit and we got such great feedback from it that once Run Chico Run started working on their new album Slow Action, we knew we wanted to do it again.

Run Chico Run’s fifth album, Slow Action, was released on March 21 and the brand new XLR8R virtual listening station was launched today. Slow Action is available for your listening pleasure alongside of new albums from Thievery Corporation, DJ Ese, Royksopp, Spank Rock, Takagi Masakatsu, a label compilation from Ghostly International and a collection of DFA Remixes.

You’re looking at about 5 tracks of steamable goodness from each of these releases. Head on over to xlr8r.com, click on the Caroline Distribution logo, and enjoy. If you like what you hear, you can click on “Click To Buy” which will take you to the mighty NewburyComics.com - super handy for our American friends but for you Canadians and overseas folks, might be better to buy them from your friendly neighborhood record store.

Then at midnight, you should go see Boompa’s newest band, The Hylozoists, at the Silver Dollar. The Hylozoists is a 9-piece mallet instrument mini-orchestra featuring members of Cuff The Duke, FemBots, Weakerthans, Old Soul, Fuermusik, Broken Social Scene, Hopeful Monster, Heavy Blinkers, Hayden, Minotaurs, Golden Dogs, Deadly Snakes, Andre Ethier, Sadies, Bodega and so on. On the friends of Boompa note: Edmonton MC, Cadence Weapon is on stage right before The Hylozoists and you should check him out too, because he is the dope shit and he just finished up a Catlow remix that you’ll hear sometime soon.

The thing that makes March such a crazy month, is that immediately following CMW is SXSW. This year three Boompa bands are heading south:

Run Chico Run will go all Celcius on your Fahrenheit asses at Zero Degrees on Friday, March 17 at 9pm.

Leeroy Stagger plays Creekside EMC at Capitol Place between Matt Mays and Cuff the Duke, on Wednesday, March 15 at midnight. Then on Saturday he’s playing the Vitriol BBQ.

Also check out Smalls Sins at the Astralwerks showcase at the Parish on Saturday, March 18.

Every month, Caroline will have 8 albums per month from their labels. These albums will be streamable (is that a word? No, probably not) on viceland.com from start to finish and on xlr8r.com. You’re looking at about 5 tracks.

Viewers will be able to click to the virtual listening station right from the publication homepage where there will be a Caroline Distribution logo. Once viewers click on this, they will be taken to a page that will host 8 titles in their own virtual listening stations. If you like what you hear, you can even click on “Click To Buy” which will take you to the mighty NewburyComics.com. Super handy for our American friends but for you Canadians and overseas folks, might be better to buy them from your friendly neighborhood record store. Or the Boompa Booteek online store, naturally.

And here’s the best part - the Run Chico Run album Shashbo is one of the first titles available on xlr8r.com! Check it out: www.xlr8r.com and click on the Caroline Distribution Listening Station link (on the right side of the homepage).

A couple of weeks ago while chit chatting with Matt on the phone I asked what the band’s plans for the summer consist of and he replied simply “quantizing the magic.” Thomas explained that this was a term for recording - turning sound into ones and zeros.

The band is recording in Matt’s basement studio with gear they borrowed and rented for the total sum of $400. “Last time we had semi decent microphone and a bunch of simple on/offs. Last time we never had a preamp. We played through a four-track for some distortion but this time we have a lot of hot gear.” The budget is targeted to be a 60/50 ratio of liquor to instrument rentals to make for “110 percent awesomeness” as Thomas put it.

The tracking for the albums is about half way done. The musicians both recorded the bed tracks and now are doing their individual over dubbing. When asked how the recording process was progressing Shields jested, “Matt’s songs sound really good and my songs could go either way.”

This is the first time the band is recording on a deadline; the process usually takes them about a year — they have a month and a half. “I guess it is just kind of different than in the past. I was used to just doing it (recording) when I was in the mood. But now when I am not in the mood I still have to do it. Those are the days I do tambourine or triangle. I still get excited to record. After playing for a while I get into it then the hours fly by.”

“We never really shoot for a feeling with our records we just lay it down then take a step back and see where it is. We are trying to make sound more like our live show. We played all the drums one handed so the recorded version is closer to the live version.”

Seeing Run Chico Run in concert can best be described as being tag teamed by music ninjas. Between the two of them Matt Skillings and Thomas Shields play drums, keyboard, guitar and sing.

The band’s live show set up is something that evolved as they made do after losing members. The Chicos started as a four piece and went through three different line-ups. “I had to teach all the new guitar players their stuff so I got sick of it. So we played without it and it seemed all right as a three-piece band. After we went down to two members we went on tour and tried it with just the two of us then we decided that we could work it. So yes we evolved out of necessity but the theatrical aspect of it is a bonus,” explains Thomas.

04-01 Vancouver, BC - Railway Club
04-02 Victoria, BC - Steamers
04-04 Prince George, BC - Fyre
04-05 Calgary, AB - Broken City
04-06 Edmonton, AB - Sidetrack Cafe
04-07 Moosejaw, SK - Library Auditorium (AA)
04-08 Regina SK, - O’Hanlon’s
04-09 Winnipeg, MB - Label Gallery (AA)
04-10 Thunder Bay, ON - TBA (AA)
04-12 North Bay, ON - The Evolution (AA)
04-13 Windsor, ON - The Phog
04-14 Stratford, ON - Curry On (AA)
04-15 Toronto, ON - Sneaky Dee’s
04-16 Montreal, QC - Casa Del Popolo
04-19 Ottawa, ON - Babylon
04-20 Sudbury, ON - Myths & Mirrors (AA)
04-20 Sudbury, ON - Townehouse
04-22 Thunder Bay, ON - Apollo (AA)
04-23 Winnipeg, MB - Royal Albert Hall
04-24 Saskatoon, SK - Bassment (AA)
04-28 Edmonton, AB - Queen Alex Hall (AA)
04-29 Calgary, AB - Brew Brothers
04-30 Canmore, AB - Canmore Hotel

Shashbo was released on Vancouver’s Boompa Records on Sept. 21st, 2004. Since then, the video for “Lifestyles of the Living Dead” has seen consistent spins on Bravo! and their CBC Radio 3 Session was recently broadcast nationally. While touring in continued support of Shashbo, Run Chico Run are also working on their next video as well as recording new songs for their fifth studio album, due out Fall 2005.

The Chicos will be dishing up new live in-studio session recordings of “Jacques & Madeline”, “Lifestyles of the living Dead”, “Sportscar” and “Ass Ravaged Beats”

In between the art-pop tracks of Victoria’s own two-piece, the Chicos will wax poetic on beats, beets and the joy of keys and then hit the road for a month-long nationwide tour with Red Cat recording artist The Doers.

The latest project from former Carnations frontman Thom D’Arcy, The Ladies and Gentlemen (“Canada’s answer to Grandaddy” Popmatters.com) will be kicking it off at 10PM followed by the alt-country leanings of Leeroy Stagger (“A musical breakthrough” Discorder) at 11PM. The Flaming Lips-inspired Run Chico Run (“Brilliant” Kiefer Sutherland) take the stage at midnight with Boompa’s flagship band The Salteens (“Energetic, joyous barrage of guitar-pop punches” Splendid) wrapping up the night. And it’s all happening at the much-loved SSSW venue Sake on Sixth.

With over 70 Canadian bands (and counting!) headed south, the Great White North will be undoubtedly be well-represented at this years SXSW. Needless to say, the complete listing is forever changing but you can get a good idea of what’s shakin’ at this years festival by logging on to www.sxsw.com.

Between February and May, our bands will be touring all over Canada and the USA. Please check out boompa.ca/tours and your local listings for up-to-the-minute dates and venues.

The Ladies and Gentlemen: March 3 at Silver Dollar, 10pm
Run Chico Run: March 4 at The 360, 9pm
Leeroy Stagger: March 4 at The 360, 12am

Between February and May, our bands will be touring all over Canada and the USA.