May. 12, 2010 - Issue #760: The Meat Issue
Music Notes
Danko Jones
Canada's venerable rock 'n' roll export Danko Jones will be bringing its sweltering, sexed-up live show through town Tuesday night, promoting their new album Below the Belt. Unlike 2008's stadium-ready Never Too Loud, Below the Belt sees Danko Jones blending the band's roots as a scrappy, diesel-charged three-piece with 14 years' experience—which was the band's intent.
"The idea was to make it heavy and punch someone in the face with it," he charges over the phone. "It's got some of our heaviest and fastest moments; one thing we learned from our last record was the melodic aspect, as well as bringing back the screams. That's a different thing for us."
Though the band may sound like it's reaching back to its younger sound, it still carries the maturity and pop chops of years spent touring the globe. Having shared the stage with everyone from Axl Rose to Lemmy, with comparisons to AC/DC and KISS, these are opportunities and accolades that don't simply come from staying home practising. These come from getting on stage night after night and kicking ass.
"We're like the tortoise and the hare—slow and steady wins the race," he laughs. "We just got confirmed to open for Ozzy this September in Paris. It's long ago that this was just a hobby for us. But we've always had our eyes on a bigger prize.
"I remember people telling us we just need that one song to bust out, and I've always thought, 'One song? Fuck, I wanna make 25 albums.'" (Starlite Room, $15)
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