home | news | shows | mp3/discography | store | photos | contact

DOERS REVIEWS

HIGH-RES DOERS TRIO PHOTO HERE
HIGH-RES ALBUM COVER OF 'GAIETY' HERE

The Doers are try-hards. A message for the Doers: do not attempt to incorporate
a jellybelly assortment of rock, pop, and jazz unless you have a bit more musical
training. And you’re not cool just because you managed to cram 18 tracks on an
album. Quality over quantity, guys. After about 15 seconds in, I felt like slamming
my iPod onto the dirty Fulcrum floor. The best way to describe this band is Cake
on crack. You have been warned.
by Jessica Young
The Fulcrum

Geez, I live in East Van and I’ve never seen the Doers. How lame is that? They’ve only been around for about a million years. Anyway, I scanned the promo sheet - I don’t know why since they’re always shit - and was amused to see that this one looks as if it was translated from Japanese. The spelling and grammar was very bad and then I realized that they were just taking the piss. How dare you make a mockery of music journalism, Doers! This is serious business, very serious business indeed! About the CD: for some reason I always thought that the Doers were some kind of satanic sludge band or something, which is why I never made the effort to go see them. I was surprised to learn that the Doers offer more of an offbeat, arty punk sound with no easy comparisons. If I knew more about music maybe I could fake it, but I just do this to get free records and really don’t know shit. Gaiety is kinda cool and different and I think I’ll go see the Doers at the bar.
- Chris Walter
Nerve Magazine

Every band, regardless of style and skill, desires critical acclaim, which ultimately is making the rest of world understand how serious you are to your music. A positive review or increased word of mouth engenders seriousness, which obviously reflects positively on the music, its message and how you go about disseminating it. Yet, there are a few diamonds in the rough who simply do not give much thought towards this process, let alone care about it. In some ways, this lack of seriousness can be seen as amateurish, but if one truly does not give a shit about the process, both musically and critically, then their focus remains internal, almost pure. The Ramones and The Minutemen both mastered this ethos, but unfortunately it is a dying art, one not practiced by many bands anymore. Thankfully, there are a few out there still trucking, and The Doers are one of the best. “We're a song band and we feel if we can't get our point across in a minute or two then it's probably too complex an idea,” replies Don L’Orange, who plays guitar and sings in the Vancouver-based trio. “Our goal is to have a good fucking time and enjoy the process of creating art together. It is not worth taking things all that seriously.” In April, the band recorded twenty-two songs in a week for their sophomore release, Gaiety. The title of the album reflects the music within. Fun,and never too serious, creating a roller coaster of the songs that gets their point across in about thirty minutes. Not all twenty-two made it onto the release though; sixteen were ultimately chosen. “We write a lot of songs and do not indulge in extravagant production and so it makes sense. This was done in the spirit of bands like the Minutemen and other punk legends of the past,” explains L’Orange. Yet, I am not sure if The Doers are a punk band. We do listen to a lot of punk, but I am not sure if that equates to us being one as well. It is in there, though.” Alongside punk, the trio – L’Orange along with drummer Shawn Mrazek and bassist Barry Higginson – mixes alternative country, rockabilly, rock and even hints of pop into the slop, creating an urgent, hard-hitting set of songs that take no time whatsoever exploding into chasms of sound. There is a relaxed feel about the recording as well, as the band never sounds too produced, glossed up or overly serious, as that has never been the trio’s intention. Instead, each song is given its one or two minutes to shine, forcing the band to write music that unleashes its fury immediately, rather than spelling out themes over four or five minutes. At times it is disorganized and overwhelming, but give each song a chance and the message will hook in. This is not all that serious, but it is extremely fun to listen to. “We set out to archive our work for the past seven or eight months to hopefully create something that is listenable in the process. I think we succeeded at that, as the record sounds exactly as we wanted it too,” adds L’Orange. The Doers will cross Canada this fall to promote the release that came out earlier this summer. Live, the band utilizes many of the same goals as in the studio. Live you get short, fast songs; lots of them. In addition, like the album, the band does it all acoustic. “We try and create sweat and acoustic noise amidst a set of songs we choose on the spot. By not writing a set list it adds a little chaos to the show to keep it exciting for everyone,” concludes L’Orange. “It also allows us to pick songs as to how we're feeling and everyone else is feeling in the moment. It is incredibly exciting.”
By Shain Shapiro
Echo Weekly - Guelph

Having somehow endured line-up changes, toured the country and written and recorded 16 new songs since the release of Whatcha Doin’? just last year, Vancouver trio the Doers show no signs of slowing down on Gaiety. Drawing from influences as disparate as the Violent Femmes and former collaborator Mike Watt’s Minutemen, the record showcases the Doers’ acoustic-but-oh-so-loud approach to punk rock. Whether they’re working with laid-back anthems like “I’m On Sale” or chaotic post-punk like “Art For $,” the Doers do it well and benefit from Jesse Gander’s lush production. Closing with a cover of Jonathan Richman’s “New Kind of Neighborhood” and a tasteful drum solo courtesy of new recruit Shawn Mrazek, Gaiety is the best the Doers have done yet. (Reluctant)
By Josiah Hughes
Exclaim

Sean Maxey and Barry Higginson have been friends since before you (and possibly even before they) were born. Living and making music together has been their foremost priority. After the demise of their under-appreciated art-rock band, STATIONa, they dropped the electricity and formed The Doers, East-Van's famous acoustic art/pop/punk/party band. Their climb in popularity has been steady and their live shows are now attended by pretty much everyone who lives east of Cambie Street. Several cross-Canada tours have molded them into the tightest musical machine possible and it's gotten to the point where they spew out new songs with more regularity than most people blink (they just wrote three more in the time it took to write the last sentence). Whatcha Doin?, is their first full-length album (after three EPs) and is easily the best thing they've done so far. Even though - for descriptive purposes - it should be noted there are definite echoes of the Minutemen, Violent Femmes, Dead Milkmen and Jonathan Richman running through their work, it does them little justice as it can be truly said they sound like absolutely no other band going today. This, of course, is a very good thing.
Zulu Records
Vancouver

Picture two gals and two guys who possess no shortage of energy and ambition, channelling the changes and intensities of Minutemen, Talking Heads and Mission of Burma into predominantly acoustic sing-song arrangements and you’ve got an idea of what Vancouver’s the Doers are all about. Whatcha Doin’? is the latest in the band’s speedy release schedule (they already have two EPs and a full-length under their belts) and it’s easily their most accomplished effort to date. Spaciously produced without sounding too clean or polished, Whatcha Doin’? presents the Doers in all their promising glory: fast-paced stop-start-filled tunes rush along with glee, bumping over vases and pedestals and laughing as they fall. To add further context, the Doers have a lot aesthetically in common with the ramshackle Blocks Recording Club and Ninja High School kids who are currently carrying a large portion of Toronto’s indie scene in their torn, proud pockets. The Doers seem to have no shortage of ideas for songs, either, as there are 19 filling out this album, and they’re all pretty dang good.
Exclaim!

By now the blueprint has been perfected–rhythmically knotty, acousti-punk with often whimsical themes ("Hello Horsey") knocked off in roughly two minute increments; 29 songs = just over 40 minutes. Excellent! The Minutemen comparisons still hold, but the addition of female and group vocals leaven the charming but limited yelp of guitarist Sean Maxey, as do the slight touches of instrumental colour–harmonica on "Crimes of Miss Disorder," keyboards on "Everyman." Mark this down as my vote for Proposed Party Album for the Summer of 2006.
See Mag
Edmonton

With a more refined sound, a shot of estrogen courtesy of the recently added Sarah Jane (vocals/recorder), the departure of Jeff Sebastian and some great new album artwork from the hand of frontman Sean Maxey (aka Shammy Doer), the doers are back with an impressive eight song EP that is sure to get people across Canada geeking up dance floors and bedrooms across Canada. Most significantly for the album lies with the above mentioned addition of Sarah Jane who adds a completely new dimension to their sound, exceeding expectations with her brilliantly executed vocals, and while their signature lightning quick acoustic strumming remains the same as ‘Ready Set..Do” their overall vision seems much more concise and fluid than the latter release making this EP much more atmospheric with an overall level of accessibility never reached by the band until now. There aren’t to many acts out there that can write a great and catchy song about something as inane as ‘Doin’ yr taxes”, but they’ve pulled it off. It’s reasons such as this that make the Doers one of Vancouver’s most entertaining and energetic acts around. .
Brand X Media

With The Plastic Bass, one of Vancouver's most promising bands continue to refine themselves and broaden their range. Where Ready, Set... Do and the I Can Enjoy Almost Anything EP captured the Doers' roots that were as indebted to Minutemen style acoustic punk as they were to silly and fun indie rock, The Plastic Bass finds them heading further into upbeat realms of goofy fun. Singsongs about "sweepin' those leaves" and "doin' yr taxes" are fleshed out with off-the-cuff vocal harmonies, the occasional pennywhistle or flute and a whole lot of pop energy. With eight songs whipping by in a mere 17 minutes, The Plastic Bass acts as both a jam-packed effort and a solid and fulfilling teaser for the full-length they'll be dropping next spring.
Exclaim!

The Doers make the kind of music that nerdy college DJs currently wet their pants over. You know the sound - quirky and oddball in nature, with obtuse subject matter (such as doing your own taxes), warbly, whiny vocals, the inclusion of extraneous instruments barely mastered (in this case a recorder solo provides the prime example), acoustic instruments bashed with punk abandon, the whole nine yards. Different, but often not good. Fortunately, The Doers play on a level above their peers - hell, they even lured bassman and post-punk auteur Mike Watt onto one of their previous releases - and know the difference between geeky and garbage-y. The production is basic and no-frills, but of a quality that does your home stereo justice. The musicianship is the same. Purposely devoid of virtuosity, but ably played from start to finish, The Plastic Bass EP definitely has the "now sound. " And considering this is a limited edition EP, it's a "now purchase," too.
FFWD Weekly

This CD a real testament to Mike Watt's bass influence. He plays bass on the tracks taken from a Doers EP included on "Ready, Set... Do". The music has boy/girl vocals and travels a vast musical landscape. It's actually the non-Watt session tracks that have even more Watt-esque sounds to them. (DI)
Punk Planet

There are all kinds of deists and fatalists who will tell you that we are not doers. In the West, we have the Aristotelian nation of the "unmoved mover" or "first cause" who does who does all the doing in the universe without breaking a sweat. Sri Chinmoy, guru to Springsteen's buddy Clarence Clemons, has this to say about doing: "If we go deep within, we see that we are only taking a conscious part in God's Cosmic Game. We see that we are not the doers; God is the Doer. We are only his instruments." The Doers are a punk-folk rejoinder to just these kinds of theological and onto-theological repressions of human potential and their denial of human fragility, mortality and finitude. The Doers are existentialists with a smile. "Get some doing done," they enjoin us in Ready, Set... Do! And they give us musical motivation to get on with our human doing. They warn us to stay away from would-be gods who take away our power to do (Uncle Sam & his Pals, The General, Oh Fearless King). Their music grows out of the barely-contained chaos of punk rock. But rather than relying on volume or the sonic stereotypes that represent the idea of "punkness" (snotty distorted guitars, sneering pseudo-British vocals), the Doers put twin acoustic guitars in front of a typical rock rhythm section. The listener hears the frantic scrubbing of wood and wire, a fragile human sound. This sound would seem too weak to or tentative to take on the political and personal inertia against which the Doers set themselves. I Can Enjoy Almost Anything is a collaboration with Mike Watt, ex-bassist of fIREHOSE and the Minutemen. Here, the band stretches its instrumental chops, laying out more complicated math rock-y structures than those on Ready, Set... Do. Here the Doers approach dissonance of Archers of Loaf or Superchunk, but Watt manages to provide a melodic and funky centre to the guitarists' experimentation with chords and arpeggios. Like Pere Ubu before them, The Doers use words and sounds to undo fatalism and apathy and to open up new spaces for doing.
Broken Pencil (Issue 29)

Released in the interim between 2004’s Ready, Set... Do and the upcoming Whatcha Doin’, The Plastic Bass EP finds the constantly mutating Vancouver quartet knocking off eight short, thorny numbers in their still-developing acousta-punk style. Lots to recommend here, including Sarah Jane’s singing and charmingly woozy recorder playing, the insistently buzzing bass lines, and a poker faced sense of humour that lets them get away with song titles like "Salutations, Captain Fightey" and the self-explanatory "Doin’ Yr Taxes."
See Mag
Edmonton

6. THE DOERS, "A LITTLE HEAVY ON THE LORD" Eight songs, 17 minutes, two days to record ... it's tempting to describe this Vancouver band's new EP strictly by the numbers, partly because the words prove frustratingly difficult to pin down. The pivotal verse could be, "Accident with your motorbike all the way/It left you that weird gait in your step as you move on/Dropping out of Jesus as he still preaches." Or not. The music is marginally easier for which to establish reference points: the Smashing Pumpkins' "1979" and "Bled White" by the aforementioned Mr. Smith.
The Eye
(#6 on Toronto's Anti-hit List)

The Doers—a genuine subcultural Vancouver phenomenon that traffics in a frenetic, twisty genre all its own—subsequently cleaned up. The “acoustic punk” act doesn’t get a whole lot of sustain out of its instruments, so wiry bassist Barry Doer fills in the spaces with an impossible number of notes. He also looks like he might kill and then eat you if you hopped the wrong boxcar, but that only deepens the band’s mystique. In short, the Doers? have crystallized a certain moment in Vancouver’s cultural life and won the cultish devotion of their fans. This was the last show for drummer Jerf—“Tall and drunk and gross and moist”, cooed newest member Sarah Jane in tribute—and he gave us a clattering and quintessentially Doers-esque drum solo between beers.
Led by singer-guitarist Sean, the Doers typically write short songs that end in a punch line or lots of shouting. The procession of in-jokes and Dadaist humour can come off as a little exclusive, but their quantum timing as musicians is inspiring. A sense of occasion seems to follow this band around, and though Victoria’s Hank and Lily closed the evening with more overcooked wackiness, this was both the Doers’ show and a very satisfying way of reaching out to God’s littlest waterlogged creatures.
Georgia Straight
Vancouver