CMW Special — New Town Animals

by April LabineIf one thing can be said about Vancouver’s New Town Animals, it’s that they don’t take themselves too seriously. Ask guitar player Jeff McCloy what unites the New Town boys and he’ll most likely laugh."Nothing," he says. "We totally fight. Like, there’s no unity in the band at all. McCloy points out that their differences even extend to the way they like to party, explaining that two members are non-drinkers and the others are "total drunks."
New Town AnimalsWhile many bands like to preach a sort of admirable familial bond, New Town gives the impression that they truly are like a family in the sense that they're weird, dysfunctional and don’t always get along. Despite it all, Nick, Stevie, Bobby, Chucky and Jeff get along about as well as most families do."I can say something totally cheesy like 'punk rock unites us,' but you can spell it p-u-n – crock," McCloy offers with a laugh.New Town Animals are a bunch of goofy delinquents approaching their 30s. Even when McCloy refers to himself, he uses the word "kid." They haven’t abandoned those old-school punk roots that inspired them to get together in the first place. Rather, they embrace those roots and New Town are the first to point out that their music is a direct result of the tunes that they grew up on and still love till this day."We totally openly admit that we just play stuff we all like," McCloy says. "It’s not like we’re trying to change the world."And sure enough, listening to their debut CD, Is Your Radio Active? is like taking a trip in the punk rock time machine, destination London, England, 1977. In their defense, the snotty British vocals aren’t a poseur’s attempt to relive the good ol’ days. Lead singer Nick Newtown originally hails from merry old England.Of course, with such punk idealism, it's tough to make ends meet. Like their punk rock fathers before them, the band work crappy jobs around town. McCloy and his wife, Ingrid, also make buttons for punk bands. McCloy says that his idea of the worst job would be working at Starbucks, because his coffee vice has done some nasty business to his delicate prostate."I don’t know if you’ve ever had to deal with that, go to the doctor and they put on the rubber gloves and stuff," he says with considerable discomfort. "I just drank a lot of coffee and eventually, I was feeling sick all of the time, and I go there and the doctor’s like, ‘Yeah, your prostate gland is totally swollen.’"Swollen prostate or not, McCloy and his fellow band mates are hoping to do some touring soon. Is Your Radio Active? is being re-released in Germany and they have three singles and a new album coming out by the end of the summer.McCloy says that as long as they continue to get along and don’t drive each other crazy, chances are they’ll be sticking around. And, of course… as long as everyone is still having fun."We’ll keep playing it as long as it’s good," McCloy says. "And if it sucks, then we won’t."New Town Animals will be playing the Chart/CBC/Horseshoe Tavern showcase of Canadian Music Week on March 2 in Toronto, Ontario. They hit the stage just after 9 p.m.