Hey folks...episode 50 (can you believe it? 50!) continues The Ruckus' wandering through Canada's rock and roll past, with the first of a three-part series on Thrush Hermit. They were one of the finest bands to erupt from the mid-90s Halifax alt-rock scene. For those of you who aren't quite sure who they were, you may know their most famous member, Canadian folk-rock-poet Joel Plaskett.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Joel, Ian McGettigan, and Rob Benvie at a tea shop in Ottawa before they did their soundcheck during their quickie reunion tour in March 2010. In this episode, you'll hear all about how they started the band when they were young teens in Halifax. For a bit of perspective, you'll also hear me chatting with Chris Murphy from Sloan, producer Steve Albini, and their mutual friend, Laura Borealis (who managed to hook all these guys up).

Enjoy!

Thrush Hermit - www.joelplaskett.com

Laura Borealis - www.lauraborealis.com

Sloan - www.sloanmusic.com

Steve Albini - www.electrical.com

Kevin McGowan (your host) - www.kevinmcgowan.ca

Bonus Track: And to hear my entire conversation with Steve Albini, which was really interesting but not all about Thrush Hermit, check out my blog entry here: http://kevinmcgowan.ca/steve-albini-interview-in-three-parts/