Artificial Joy Club with Velveteen
Tuesday, September 30
Republik

It’s both appropriate and ironic that when Sal (no last name), the smoky throated vocalist of Ottawa’s Artificial Joy Club, rings up Fast Forward for a little mandatory press chat she’s not calling from the one of the exotic climes you’d expect from a member of the Cancon FM radio posse (Kitchner or Moose Jaw, for example), but rather chilling on a cell phone on a beach in Los Angeles. 

Ironic because Sal’s lyrics (as evidenced on their new platter, Melt, featuring the hit single “Sick and Beautiful”) are so chock full of pop culture references – the Bionic man, the Brady Bunch, Godzilla, lesbian porn (?), etc. – you’d expect someone more used to the dull blue flicker of the tube as opposed to the blazing California sun.

“Of course I watch too much TV,” quips Sal, reinforcing the notion of cathode-ray victim. “I’m just a product of my twisted upbringing – well not that twisted. It’s just that I watch television quite late at night and I don’t know if any one else has noticed, but Sunday nights suck because all they show are infomercials and I get pissed off because I pay extra money for cable and now they’re showing me commercials all night long!”

Anyway, Sal hasn’t really had much time to be irritated by Richard Simmons, Tony Robbins and Co. lately. Which brings us to the appropriateness of the picture of Sal frolicking about in the land of silicon and surf. See, the Artificial Joy Club (who sound like an agro update of the ’80s Cancon pop sensation, One to One) have just wrapped up three incredible months of climbing the post-alternative ladder of success. Besides the hit song, the quintet managed to score a second stage slot on Lollapalooza (sure it’s kind of sucked since… well, alright, its always kind of sucked – but you probably wouldn’t complain if your band was asked to play).

“It was great,” recalls Sal. “Although I was really kind of freaked because I thought, ‘Oh man, we’re way too pop to be on Lollapalooza – we’re going to get killed.’ But, people liked us. The last show we played there must have been 3000 people watching just us.”

Of course, the touring life inevitably has its downsides; Sal cites the mosh pit uber goons pelting them with stuff as one, and being holed up in a van with her all male bandmates as another.

“There’s probably a part of me that will never understand men,” she explains. “When you’ve been on the road for three months without a break it definitely does wear you down; all guys talk about is chicks and sex. Constantly. It’s so tedious and boring. Like, oh my God, they could have had sex five minutes before and they’re looking to have it again. It’s like, ‘Don’t you have anything else to think about.?'”

All in all, though, Sal’s pretty content with her lot in rock and roll life at the moment. For the time being, at least, she seems more concerned with sunscreen than Nick at Nite.

“It’s been an amazing summer. I haven’t seen one day of rain – except when Lollapalooza went to Toronto. Other than that, though, it’s been 90 degrees every day. I’m definitely having a good time.”

FFWD Weekly
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