Danny Vacon believes in rock \’n roll.
In Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he\’s the elder statesman of rock, fronting seminal local bands The Dudes, which should be known around the world; The High Kicks, whose mission is quite simply, to just rock out; and The Dojo Workhorse, a project which displays Vacon\’s more sensitive and sensual side.
I heard an early Dojo Workhorse demo when I was living outside Calgary and occasionally doing radio shows on CJSW, the college radio station. Vacon\’s voice is strange and vulnerable, with odd phrasing and vibrato behind it. You wouldn\’t expect it to work in all of his musical iterations, but it always does. In the video below, Vacon plays an impromptu sidewalk show, and you can hear the ladies fawn over the sound of those pipes at around 1:50.
As a songwriter, Vacon explores love and sex, wild parties and fits of loneliness, fighting and making up — all rock \’n roll themes examined through the lens of his own life. For Vacon, a life unlived makes for a boring song.
“I just try and live an interesting life full of question marks and fun times,\” Vacon said in an interview. \”There’s so many things going on if you’re available to have them happen to you. Then I write about them.”
He\’s definitely worth a listen, and his music picks are worth a listen, too. See them below…
Dan Vacon\’s 10 Albums
- Wet Secrets – Free Candy: Edmonton\’s most magic sons and daughters. The funnest Canadian album released all year.
- The Bronx – IV: SO MANY HITS! I listen to \”Torches\” to pump me up before I leave the house at night.
- Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Self Titled: \”Ffunny Friends\” is the song I listen to to pump me up before I leave the house in the day.
- Justin Townes Earle – Midnight At The Movies: Steve Earle\’s son. He plays country the way it is supposed to sound. New country is poison. And probably EVIL.
- Chixdiggit – Safeways Here We Come: \”I\’m hot and horny in Calgary and I\’m ready to f*** tonight…\” Non-stop fun. Love this album.
- Turbo Negro – Apocalypse Dudes: Classic. If you hate singing along to fun rock, do NOT play this album.
- Archers Of Loaf – Vee Vee: Weirdly beautiful and scary and so rock. There\’s no way I\’d be the same person if I hadn\’t heard this album when I was young.
- The Pharcyde – Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde: My favourite hip-hop is the sort that\’s able to make fun of itself. Most real MCs in rap history?
- Bill Withers – Live At Carnegie Hall: Best live soul album ever recorded. Holy eff, the extended version of \”Use Me\” is a heart shaker.
- Thrush Hermit – Clayton Park: This album was so good it nearly made me quit making music. It only sold a few thousand copies and I was like, \”I will never make anything this good, I don\’t have a chance in hell.\” I didn\’t quit, though.