Love Canal "Might" (1991 Demo; WVUM / WKPX)

From the three-song demo, Flush (1991). Their three-demo and one CD catalog were heard locally on WVUM and WKPX, as well as the local shows of WSHE and WZTA.
Fort Lauderdale’s Love Canal was an outgrowth of Beat the Press, a jangly power-pop concern that played many dates at the Reunion Room. Sadly, a well-deserved deal wasn’t forthcoming for their inspired, Elvis Costello, Brit-pop leanings, as alternative rock began its grunge transition. Realizing a change with the times was an artistic necessity, Beat the Press - with drummer Rob Costello replaced by Alan Mitchell (ex-locals A Perfect Murder/Purple Mustard) - vocalist Mark Scantiardo, guitarist Steve Carroll, and bassist George Fotiadias debuted their harder-edge sound at the Reunion Room. (Mark and Rob were formerly of The Terminals, which appeared in the Johnny Depp film, Private Resort.)
That first version of Love Canal was short-lived. Mark Scantiardo returned to the pop side of the spectrum, working with a solo-bound Mary Karlzen of Vesper Sparrow, which also featured ex-Talk of War drummer, Wayne Glass.
Love Canal’s new leader singer came in the form of North Carolina-transplanted vocalist Chad Pheobus (ex-Kidd Vicious). Jettisoning their Scantiardo/Carroll-penned tunes, the revitalized quartet penned a new batch of tunes that made up their first, self-produced EP demo, Flush.
By 1993, with two years of shows under their belts, Love Canal caught the attentions of Sony Records by way of non-com radio disc jockey Keith Macintosh, who sent a batch of local music to a friend at the label. Intrigued with the Flush demo - and the single-potential of “Might,” in particular - the label fronted money via a publishing contract for recording and touring of the Southeastern U.S. Sony paired the band with Tom Allom (Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Def Leppard, Krokus) and his go-to engineer, Patrice Levinsohn (Jetboy, Ted Nugent).
By the time of the Allom sessions, the band expanded into a quintet with the addition of ex-Some People’s Children founder, George Zhen. The new, keyboard-backed roster re-recorded new arrangements of “Might” and “Building God,” along with three new tunes: the popular “Ashes,” along with “Throw No Stones” and “High.”
While the Suburban Freezeplug sessions didn’t lead to a full signing, Sony continued to back the band’s recording and touring activities, which lead to Keith Rose producing the band at Miami’s Criteria Studios, during his 1989 to 1998 tenure (he also produced local releases by the Goods and Diane Ward, just to name a few). A new version of “High” was cut, along with three new ones: “Wormhole,” “Glass Car,” and “Home.”
For whatever reasons: after those two demos, Sony eventually passed on the band. Alan Mitchell was soon replaced by two drummers: one, quickly gone and forgotten soon replaced by Broward-born skinsman, Jody Martin.
While one of the band’s outtakes, “Shotgun Revolution,” in a live version - appeared on an edition of a Live at the (Washington) Square various artists compilation, “Wormhole” found its way onto a regional, unsigned artists compilation, Propaganda!, issued by Gainesville, Florida-based Phisst Records (1994). The label came to release the band’s full-length debut, Embers (1995). College and then-budding alt-rock stations in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, aired songs from the effort.
As result of Phisst going bankrupt and no other deals forthcoming, the band’s line-up returned to a keyboardless quartet for their self-released, second full-length effort, Home (1997), which brought back the songs “Throw No Stones” and “Might” from their ’93 Sony sessions.
Love Canal went through more changes as George Fotiadias (a Fourth Annual South Florida Rock Awards “Best Bassist” winner, 1992) joined ex-Saigon Kick founder Jason Bieler’s new concern, Super Transatlantic - which featured the rhythm section of Fort Lauderdale’s Naked Rhythm. Love Canal’s new bassist came in the form of Mick Who, from South Florida’s popular, The Itch. One of the band's major gigs during this time was opening the Subrosa (the ashes of For Squirrels) and Creed joint 1998 tour at the Chili Pepper in Fort Lauderdale for 94.9 Zeta’s T’aint Ball.
Founding members Steve Carroll and Chad Pheobus - with three new members - adopted a new moniker: Moonfarm with In the Unlikely Event . . . (2010). The duo also played locally as the acoustic The Mos Eisley Brothers with unplugged versions of their catalog.
Flush EP/self-produced demo (1991)
Monument
Might
Building God
Suburban Freezeplug EP/Sony Demo (1993)
Ashes
Building God
Might
Throw No Stones - Listen at: • Love Canal "Throw No S...
High
Remembrance of Love EP/Sony Demo (1993)
Wormhole
Glass Car
High
Home
Thirteen Floor Conspiracy (Theory) was the demo version/tentative title for their first full-length effort, Embers, on Phisst Records.
More Love Canal under PLAYLISTS at • Fort Lauderdale's Nect... .