Tricky Woo

by Jennifer MaerzLike many of the garage rock revivalists in the '90s (the Unband, the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs, the Gaza Strippers), Montreal, Canada's Tricky Woo take the MC5/Stooges guitar rock sound of the '70s and rework it for future generations. Tricky Woo formed in 1996, with frontman Andrew Dickson, bassist/vocalist Eric Larock, guitarist Adrian Popovich -- who has since left the band -- and drummer Pat Conan. In the years following, the band has blazed a trail of good time rock & roll with their infamous live shows, non-stop tours, and a collection of indie label releases. Between 1997 and 1999, Tricky Woo released three full-length albums in just as many years: Rock and Roll Music Part One (1997); The Enemy is Real (1998); and Sometimes I Cry (1999). Of the three, Cry proved to be the record that gave the band their biggest buzz. With a psychedelic cover painted by frontman Dickson, the disc fuses sexually charged lyrics with grinding psychedelic punk, garnering the Canadian band a stack of press from the United States and Europe.