Greg Parke

Full of hard-charging drumbeats and dry-mouthed blues grooves, Black Phoenix Orchestra’s closest brethren comes in the form of its psychedelic West Coast acts: Black Mountain. Kyuss. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. While such associations don’t bother singer Darren McDade, he’s still irked by the comparative creativity of certain music pundits.

“Someone once compared us to the Stereophonics!” he says in disbelief. “That’s gotta be the worst thing you can say to me. I want to get that wall of sound like Nick McCabe from the Verve — it sounds like he’s not playing anything at all, but at the same time, it’s like he’s playing 100 guitars.”

McDade’s fine-tuned ear to all things British, however, isn’t coincidental. Born in Scotland, he moved to Calgary 11 years ago, and, as he admits, he still hasn’t shaken his anglophile tendencies. That was evident in his previous band, The Lions — which drew plenty of Oasis comparisons — but Black Phoenix Orchestra, McDade says, is exploring new sonic terrains.

“It’s all about the grooves. I like to screw around; I don’t like straightforward shit,” he says. “When I started this band, I wanted it to be more mellow, to concentrate on soft riffs and to be more vocal-oriented. But (we got) a little more psychedelic, a little more into background sounds. I think the visual aspect of a show is really important, too — we don’t want to be a regular little band playing a regular little show.”

While McDade says he “never envisioned it being this heavy” — he credits bassist Devan Forster for any Black Mountain tendencies — and he likely didn’t envision the Orchestra being this prolific, either. Formed five months ago, the band cut a rushed demo — something, McDade says, the band submitted to X92.9 and that the band “doesn’t even sell anymore” — and a live album, along with videos for “Oh Why Me?” and “Punch Drunk Lover,” both directed by Vancouver filmmaker Curt van Woerkem.

As for future releases, the band is preparing another EP with producer Brad Taylor, set for a tentative release in the winter of 2011. While still “in the production stages,” he says the young group will be expanding its sound and scope — expect to hear timpani drums, orchestral flourishes and standup bass added to the mix. That, and it hopes to take its psychotropic groove-show on the road.

“I’d love to be on tour six months of the year,” he says. “Being on the road, in a cramped van, drinking beer and playing a show every night. It’s the best thing.”