Minds Boggle as the S Returns to the Web!

September 1, 2006, Kingston, Toronto and Djemaa-El-Fna - Global pop music cyber-scenesters have been gratified and alarmed to learn that those cretins of cool, "Miscellaneous 'S'" have revamped their web site as a first step in a possible attempt at a comeback. There are only rumours at the moment, but there are hints that a new album may be in the works using material recorded in Montreal during the early noughts. These songs purportedly include an attempt at creating an entirely new musical genre, "Islamic Country." Might George W. Bush and the jihadists find common ground in enjoying songs such as the tantalizingly titled "Ain't no God but Allah?"

However, private comments by some band members can be taken to suggest that there is a negligible risk that "Miscellaneous 'S'" will ever again burrow their way into the collective unconscious of the world, both non-Communist and Communist, as they did during their heyday in the late 1980s and early 1990s. (Is it a coincidence that the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War also occurred during this time? We think not.) Most importantly, the passing of Toby "Sid Vichysoisse" Steel in the summer of 2004 dealt a punishing blow to the band, as Toby was the undisputed musical leader of the band, as well as the only member ever to score the band gigs. More fundamentally, most members feel it would be disrespectful to his memory to try to re-form the group without him. He was a much beloved friend of the remaining members and his absence is still keenly felt.

However, that does not mean that we cannot indulge in nostalgia by reliving those golden moments when "Miscellaneous 'S'" were the undisputed rulers of the musical cosmos through the website, which features photos, interviews, a more-or-less complete discography, and, in an astonishingly generous gesture, easily downloadable MP3 files of most of the group's biggest hits. As well, those wishing to remember both Toby and Alan Wright, who was a sometime member throughout the group's meteoric rise to the top, can find a place to share some memories.

So, get to www.miscellaneous-s.com and get hip to this new trip. However, be reassured (or perhaps alarmed?) that while the look is better, the sound (and the smell) remains the same.

Pepi Webyehko

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