Music

HIGH FIVES: The Meligrove Band

by Sam Sutherland

Every week, High Fives asks five bands five themed questions over five days. This week, we’re preparing for the Great Holiday Onslaught by talking about holidays, why the rule / don’t rule, and how great it is to talk about them, all the time, while they’re happening.

Apparently the Secret of Mayoral Immortality isn’t the only good thing to have emerged from the swamps of Mississauga, Ontario. There’s also The Meligrove Band, a high school buddy band-turned incredibly awesome grown-up band. Like a more jangly, distorted, left-field incarnation of Sloan with gang vocals and wilder instrumentation, the band recently returned from a lengthy recording hiatus, having last released an album in 2006 (the unbelievably great Planets Conspire). In September of this year, the band finally unleashed Shimmering Lights, their long-awaited fourth full-length, and first since they got caught up in the clusterfuck restructuring of their one-time home of V2 Records. Shimmering Lights, which just saw its first pressing on vinyl, picks up where Planets left off, offering the same off-kilter pop songs with a newfound sonic grittiness that recalls old Flaming Lips more than any east coast power-pop. It’s a fantastic record that you should buy on vinyl right now.

Do you celebrate any holidays during The Holidays?

Holidays, for my family and I, are more a time of togetherness than they are to celebrate Christmas or any other religious event per say. We have our own traditions, that, in a way, you could say were ripped off from Seinfeld, but pre-date the show. The best one is trying to wrap someone in wrapping paper without them waking up. This is usually done with the aid of sleeping pills and a good deal of time.

Do you have any particularly fond childhood memories from this time of year?

One year my dad was able to change into three different costumes; elf, reindeer and then Santa in what seemed like five minutes, but was probably much longer because I was young and mesmerized. I was 10 at the time, still thought Santa was real and as a result my mind was blown. Being 11 at Christmas the following year was a letdown as sometime during the spring I found out he wasn’t real and it shattered my ability to trust anyone for a very long time.

Do you have any particularly awful childhood memories from this time of year?

Not personally, other than maybe not receiving the gifts I would have actually liked at the time. Worst memory is that of a friend of mine. Her dad didn’t come home for Christmas one year despite being a very festive person. They ended up putting out a missing person report and about a week later she noticed a bad smell emanating from the fireplace. Needless to say, Dad, dressed as Santa with presents in his arms, had tried to go down the chimney, had fallen, died instantly, got stuck and then started to decompose. Actually, that was from the movie Gremlins.

What’s the best holiday film?

1. Cop and a Half

2. Santa Doesn’t Live Here (starring Martin Sheen, straight to VHS)

3. Hung For The Holidays

What’s the best food that’s only available this time of year?

1. Pemmican

2. Nutella

3. Candy cane-flavoured honey

Did you cringe when you were sent questions about the holidays?

More like embraced with open arms. See you in the winter/spring/summer/fall world!