Music

HIGH FIVES: Danko Jones

by Sam Sutherland

Every week, High Fives asks five bands fives questions over five days. To celebrate the recent North American release of the latest Motorhead album, we’re talking about late-career releases from classic bands.

Danko Jones is the poster boy for not letting the man get you down. Initially hoisted on Canadians as the next savior of True Rock Music, Danko Jones (the man, and the three-piece band) managed to attain a solid level of radio success, in part thanks to the help of Universal Music, and mostly due to the word-of-mouth massive rager that was their live show. When Universal dropped the band, they did what any good rockers should – got insanely famous in another country. So far as I can tell, Danko Jones is the Mick Jagger of Sweden, and only marginally less iconic across the rest of Europe. Through a string of strong releases and the continued sonic pummeling of the band’s live show, they’ve also maintained a dedicated fan base in North America, and Danko Jones (the man) does stuff like write multiple columns for multiple European metal magazines and host a national radio show in Sweden called The Magical World of Rock (which also airs in Canada in Winnipeg and Saskatoon). Danko Jones (the band) is currently in the middle of a national tour, playing in Edmonton tonight and playing their way to Toronto next week. Check their website for dates and details.

Have you ever aspired to Lemmy-esque levels of fame and excess?

Every band, regardless of genre, wants to be as successful as possible or else they wouldn’t take it out of their bedroom/basement/garage. Once they take their music into a public forum they’re asking for recognition, approval, validation, praise and a lot of it. If anyone says otherwise they’re lying. Fake modesty is such a waste of time.

How do you feel when you hear a classic band from your youth is releasing a new record?

Always intrigued and always willing to listen.

Do you ever ponder the potential longevity of your own career?

Everyone does, whether they’re a plumber, weatherman, administrative assistant, lawyer, beekeeper or professional baseball player.

Has a band you love ever produced a record you liked more than their older material late in their career?

If you’ve bonded with a band or singer on a certain album it’s hard trying to surpass it on future releases, but it has been done. One usually just hopes for consistency.

Neil Young and Tom Waits are two musicians who are undeniably consistent. Waits putting out Mule Variations in ’99 and Blood Money / Alice in ’02 were some of my favorite albums of those years and rivaled his earlier works like Swordfishtrombones and Blue Valentine. Young’s more recent albums like Broken Arrow or Silver & Gold sit comfortably alongside Zuma, On The Beach, and Tonight’s The Night.

The Melvins are another band that have remained consistent throughout their 25 years. The argument can be made that their records today like (A) Senile Animal, Nude With Boots, and The Bride Screamed Murder outweigh older records like Ozma, Houdini, and Lysol. And I might have to concur, although Lysol does Rock serious balls.

Metal is a genre where no bands seem to die and rightfully so. Bands like Celtic Frost, Sacrifice, Exodus, Death Angel, Annihilator, Testament, Overkill and Kreator are putting out their strongest material to date.

Do you think you’ll still be releasing music when you’re in your sixties?

Ask me when I’m 59.