Born Ruffians: Fade To Black

By Kerry Doole

Born Ruffians - "Fade To Black" (Paper Bag):  So much indie rock today is formulaic and pedestrian, but Born Ruffians bring a refreshing vitality to the genre. This has deservedly earned them a large and loyal fan base, one that has been charmed by the band's most recent album, Uncle, Duke & The Chief. The band recently finished up their most successful North American tour to date including five sold-out hometown shows at Toronto's Lee's Palace,

One of the record's highlight tracks, "Fade To Black" is now out as a single, with an accompanying video. Directed by Roger Galvez and shot with a handheld MiniDV camcorder, the clip shows us the group's life on the road. A label press release notes that "a montage of candid moments, performances, and daily routines carry us through the first act. We transition through television and phone screens featuring footage from Born Ruffians' recent North American tour through the second act: Images begin to get more unsettling: blood, spit, beady eyes. By the end, we have fully emerged in the dark world."

The energetic pacing of the clip matches the song well. The frisky guitars sound a touch Strokes-like, and the Born Ruffians trademark of quirky melodic touches is in evidence. The jaunty tune belies the darkness of such lyrics as "I'm just impatient, watching your emotional immolation."

Born Ruffians are currently on a tour of Europe and the UK, returning home for Ontario gigs beginning at Burlington's Sound Of Music Festival on June 15. See the itinerary here 
 

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Publicity: Stage Fright - Darryl Weeks