Actually, to be precise, they’re made out of lynx. Because lead singer Hatch Benedict loves lynx and thinks lynx are amazing. (Though, me personally? I’m kind of a bigger fan of the Manatee-Tarsier-Platypus triangularium.)

This clip was once again birthed into the world by Brett Harvey and  BKS Crew Productions, who’re responsible for SWS’ other fab videos, including THE ONE THAT I AM IN, “New City Anthem“. And it includes a Boba Fett bobblehead, an item sorely lacking in most modern-day moving pictures.

And the song? It’s pure Manatarsipus, and it comes from SWS’ new album Frontier Justice. Enjoy. \m/

SPIN magazine favourites, SXSW chaos-inducers, robot dance pop pirates and bocci-loving friends to the BSR,  Sex With Strangers today officially launch their third album Frontier Justice out on label Boutique Empire. It’s a good’un, folks, filled with sounds that will make you bump, grind and want to drink whiskey. It’s dirty dance with some delicious technicolour new wave spunked over it.

Frontier Justice is the conceptual/spiritual/literal follow up to the most awesome Tokyo Steel, and features a rather quite stunning bit o’ front art from the same dude who did the cover of TS – artist Rob Edmonds. Rob’s the same guy, you may not recall, who played the crazy painter in SWS’ last video for “We Want The Fire“. (Speaking of videos, did I mention that YOURS TRULY is in an SWS video? NO? Yes? Check it here.)

And as SWS are obsessed with robots, a futuristic society, urban decay, synthesizers and lynx (though I always argue the superior merits of the tarsier or platypus), it seemed only fitting that we ask singer Hatch Benedict and guitarist Wedge Beavers to provide BackstageRider with a suitable Top 11 to celebrate the launch of the new album. Ladies, gentlemen and robots in between, I present:

Top 11 Clues Your Girlfriend is a Robot…by Sex With Strangers

1) The cold, cold touch of her hand

2) Her parents never existed

3) She’s writes everything in capital letters

4) She knows every word to the Ewok song

5) Your friends are constantly nagging you with, “Hey man, she’s a robot”

6) Your cat has been missing for a week.

7) In your browser history, you stumble upon a Google search for ”Why is my vagina beeping?”

8 ) She celebrates Lorne Greene’s birthday.

9) She’s secretly pissed you never wear the “I’m with robot” t-shirt she bought you.

10) She has an unusual aversion to water and pancake batter.

11) She whispers in your ear “I’m a f-cking robot”.

Shit. I THINK MY GIRLFRIEND IS  A ROBOT!  I love you, SWS. Bocci soon? You bring the balls, I’ll bring the booze. \m/

Sex With Strangers launch Frontier Justice tonight in Vancouver at the Biltmore Cabaret.

This little bit of slick is directed by Brett Harvey from BKS Crew Productions, whom I have a creative crush on. It also features amazing artist and designer Rob Edmonds as a creepy, uh, artist who drags the band onto his white canvas to paint around them. I also have a crush on him. I’m all over the crushes.

Keep an eye out for the reproduction of Edmonds’ art from the Tokyo Steel album cover, and pics and (alert! Marketing wank word!) synergy from SWS’ last video “New City Anthem”, starring yours truly dancing about and grinning like a loon somewhere around 1:22.

For more on SWS check out their MySpace or see what I’ve written about ‘em before, here. Request their video or songs today! Buy now! Exclamation marks!!!

But for now, summer’s about finding a long lawn upon which to play bocci. Enter Sex With Strangers and Guilty About Girls.

See, these Vancouverite robot rockers have been making a habit of getting their balls out after a rehearsal. And this time, the BackstageRider was invited. There were green balls and red balls. Two teams: 4M (Mark-Mark-Mikala-Mike) and DoubleDanBobCor (Dan-Dan-Bobby-Cory). Otherwise known as Hatch Benedict, Mark Henning from Guilty About Girls/Combine The Victorious, The BackstageRider and Magnus Magnum) vs. Dallas Archangel, Non-Band Dan, Isabelle “Bobby” Dunlop and Wedge Beavers. You know…them.

Here’s what transpired:

First, everybody gots to get a drink. The default drink of the summer in the UK is Pimm’s, so why not in Vancouver? It seems fitting if you’re gonna be chucking miniature deathstars around a lawn. Wedge (in red) insists that one’s throwing improves if one holds a drink in the other hand. Not sure.

Hatch throws out the first ball. He’s a champion first-ball thrower. Anyone can see that.

Note the elegance and the positioning as Wedge takes his shot. It’s a beaut. A BEAUT! It comes close to the others, but who’s closest? Quick! Despatch Bobby to determine who’s in the lead!

Bobby has a habit, it seems, of estimating that her team’s balls are always closest. This won’t do.

There are jeers and arguments. Wedge, several Pimm’s to the wind, is insistant that his BocciMate is correct in her highly scientific estimation. We yell louder. (And actually play better and win!)

THREE CHEERS FOR 4M!

Happy summer, y’all.

Oh and by the way, Sex With Strangers are currently recording some demos to the follow-up of the fabulous album Tokyo Steel. Apparently the first seven tracks have been labelled “Death Funk”. Check out theirs and Guilty About Girls’ MySpace pages (linked above) for gigs and news. \m/

Jay K., The Manvils

You’ve come a long way since I last went through the doors of a Toronto music festival like NXNE.

In 1999, I did CMW (Canadian Music Week). I recall drinking, not sleeping, checking out the Lo-Fidelity Allstars, putting a “♥” next to The Sadies in my diary entry and eating nachos at midnight at Sneaky Dee’s. But I also remember only going to about 10 different venues. About the same amount for NXNE around that time. Now there’s, what? 650+ bands playing at 40 or so venues? Makes me almost wanna return back to the T.dot, stop in at Poutini’s, have a burger at Oddfellows, check out some music and yeah, okay, mum, come visit you, too.

Some of the bands playing at Toronto’s big music/film/interactive hipster fest have graced the digital pages of BSR in the past five months since our launch. Have a look:

Eagles of Death Metal – Three-chord rock wonders. “Boots Electric” Jesse Hughes once gave me the nickname of “Sexy Red Genius”. Watch the video.

Japandroids – Punk’s not dead. It’s just made out of two nice boys from Vancouver.

The Pack a.d – Punk’s not dead. It’s just made out of two nice girls from Vancouver.

Sex With Strangers – Robot Rock. Armadillos. AND A GUY WHO EVERYONE THINKS LOOKS LIKE JACK BLACK. (Plus, I’m in their video for “New City Anthem”, which makes them even more awesomer.)

The Manvils – They rock. And they’re bonkers. How do I know? Read the interview with Mikey Manville.

Smile Smile – It’s not all about rock, here. It’s also about alt-folk. And what’s better? A TEXAN ALT-FOLK BAND DOING ROCK HANDS!

Check your local listings, you lucky TO-based (or bound) people, for who’s playing, when, where and how often. And be sure to buy them a drink and say hello from the Backstage Rider!

Photos: Sex With Strangers by Lindsay Elliott, Jay Koenderman of the Manvils by The Manvils

I go so far back with Jordy Birch and Mark Henning from ’90s  BC band Pure, that I can practically limbo. Used to hang out with the band in Toronto, still do with Jordy and Mark in Vancouver. I think I have seen the band live, oh, about 14,345 times live. We met here:

The show was called Rollercoaster Halloween. Pure played the Skydome in Toronto on a rather fab bill of Curve, Spiritualized (Jason Pierce came backstage – the Toronto Argonauts dressing room – looking for a lighter) and the Jesus and Mary Chain. I’ve been at awards shows, in the back of cars, donut shops, clubs, bars and hotels (no, not like that – but see pic above from ‘93) with the band so often that they’re kinda family.

Mark and I share a love of The Mighty Boosh and talking incessantly and excitedly about music – he runs local record label/collective Boutique Empire (home of my other friends, Sex With Strangers) and has his own band, Combine the Victorious. Jordy’s a loveable West Coast flake who keeps writing hooky little pop songs. I am very fond of them both.

Which makes it also cool that these two musicians/music fans have found their way back to each other with their project Guilty About Girls. Their new video was shot on April 24 and through the miracle of modern technology and via a love of simplicity and let’s-not-fuck-about-ness, “Candy Candy” now has a home on YouTube. Watch with your eyes.

And if you fancy checking out some Vancouver fare, Boutique Empire’s compliation REC 10 feature all the aforementioned bands (minus Pure) as well as locals Piper Davis, Marc Wild, Mince, Ten Suns, Gilles Zolty, Chiwawa and Ingrid Schroeder. \m/

Sex With Strangers are an awesome synth-pop robot-rock band from Vancouver. Their new album The Tokyo Steel was released in October on local label Boutique Empire – read my review about the launch for Guttersnipe News. They’ll also be playing at the equally awesome-for-indie-bands (and initialled) SXSW in Austin this March.

A while back, I was invited to attend a house party. SWS are friends of friends (and now friends of mine) and they were filming their first-ever rock video for a hells-yeah catchy ditty called “New City Anthem.” It’s all, like, Depeche Mode meets New Wave meets Robot Rock.

Thirty of us packed into a basement with a mountain of free beer, some sweat, and some hot, 18-year-old girls, many of whom get a lot of face time. But that’s okay, cos they were nice.

Shameless Media Whore Moment: I’m in the Video
This is what came of it. A brilliant, expensive-looking-but- no-budget, crisply and professionally directed video from BKS Crew Productions. As SWS singer Hatch said: “it’s like they took a $5 bill and stretched it around the corner.” Check it out.

I’m in the background in black next to a chap with a cap at around 0:33 and then again at 1:22ish with a grinning head, just after the dude who’s into the blonde chick.

Does anybody request music videos any more? Or does anyone here know how to get this thing seen by The Masses? Suggestions welcome. Support CanCon and spread the word.

Sex With Strangers play at the Lamplighter in Vancouver on January 28, along with Fake Shark-Real Zombie!, Accost and Lengthy List of Lovers. Tourdates and more at myspace.com/sexwithstrangers \m/