Meet The Band: Milks & Rectangles

Rita MacNeil lookalikes, Anne of Green Gables quoters and sprawling green terrains. These are things Milks & Rectangles are not—despite the several stereotypes from their home province of Prince Edward Island. Instead these Charlottetown boy wonders play rollicking guitar tunes that tickle the sensual part of your ears and make you wish you had an ass to shake. Christian Ledwell, Michael Carver, Brandon Williams, and Justin Uyterlinde are the members of this fine, up and coming band and have already released two very solid EPs in 2010 called Dirty Gold and Troubleshooters that are available for free on their website for your listening pleasure.

But let’s let them speak for themselves, shall we? Welcome to the first edition of Meet The Band, a new regular column here at The Little Red Umbrella.

Little Red Umbrella: How do you describe your music to someone who hasn't heard you before?

Christian Ledwell: We’re a rock ‘n roll band who would be new wave if we bought keyboards but have post-punk guitar parts in the meantime.

Little Red Umbrella: What was the craziest live show you've ever seen?

Mike Carver: If craziest means awesome then I will say Caribou at Republik in Calgary.

CL: The Retribution Gospel Choir at St. Matthew’s Church during the Halifax Pop Explosion a few years ago was pretty crazy. The lead singer looked like Heath Ledger’s Joker and played about half the songs with his teeth. They were the second loudest band I’ve seen (Dinosaur Jr. was louder), but because it was a church, it got completely silent between songs and they had these really civil conversations with the audience.

Little Red Umbrella: What was the craziest live show you've ever played?

MC: When Christian's glasses stayed on his face.

CL: That never happened.

Little Red Umbrella: What was the first record you ever bought? When was the last time you listened to it?

CL: I bought Blur’s self-titled record on tape for “Song 2" because my grade four music class was having karaoke and I didn’t want to play “Lukey’s Boat” on the spoons again. Other than “Song 2" it’s still my favorite record of theirs; it has the perfect balance between oddball songwriting and their pop sensibility.

MC: The cool answer is: Diamond Dogs by David Bowie. The truth is: Diamond Dogs was purchased at the same time I bought Play by Great Big Sea, and I think I bought Diamond Dogs because of the name.

CL: And your coked-out pre-teen lifestyle.

Little Red Umbrella: If you absolutely had to get a face tattoo of album art from one record, which record would you want to have on your face for the rest of your life?

MC: This would never happen. I would fight my way out, but to answer the question: Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures.

CL: I feel like Devastatin’ Dave the Turntable Slave’s Zip Zap Rap would be good for my confidence, but Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Mother’s Milk is awfully sexy.

Little Red Umbrella: If you could have one musical superpower, what would you want it to be?

MC: To not get a face tattoo of anyone's album art.

CL: The ability to manipulate radio waves with my mind so that no one ever has to hear Theory of a Deadman’s “Hate My Life” again.

Little Red Umbrella: Seriously, how much do you hate your hometown?

MC: My teen angst has left my body, and now I plan for the future and pay taxes.

CL: My teen angst is like a Scientologist body-thetan and has most certainly not left my body. Thanks for the interview, I’ve gotta go quit Facebook.

Photo: Milks & Rectangles

Cody McGraw is many things but the thing you can actually call him to his face is the Managing Editor of The Little Red Umbrella. See more posts from him here or follow him on Twitter (@cody_mcgraw).