On the surface, Andrew W.K. and Nardwuar the Human Serviette couldn’t seem more different. The former is a classically trained pianist, best known for his high-energy party rock, all-white outfits and majestic mane of black hair. The latter is a famed Canadian interviewer and radio host, the frontman of goofy garage punk band The Evaporators and easily identified by his perpetual love of plaid — and his majestic mane of chest-hair.

Nonetheless, once you peel back the layers, there are several telling similarities between the two rockers. Both are endlessly positive, as excitable as newborn pups and as hyperactive as kids on Halloween. Both have supercomputers instead of brains, generating ideas so rapidly that they often end up stumbling over words like Porky Pig. Finally, both have taken on further levels of infamy, due to their television appearances — Nardwuar on MuchMusic, and W.K. as a VH1 host, Conan O’Brien guest and cartoon guest star on Aqua Teen Hunger Force. As such, it almost makes sense to describe them as Canadian and American counterparts, and their brand new 7-inch split as a truly magical collaboration.

“I would never try to compare myself to Nardwuar, because he is a truly self-actualized man,” says W.K., an admitted admirer since first witnessing the interviewer in action on a bootleg VHS tape. “He approaches what he does with an enthusiasm that I’d like to think I share, but I also think sometimes he’s even taken for granted. Maybe because I’m not Canadian, I have a bit more of a bird’s-eye view. A world without Nardwuar would be like a world without cheese.”

The 7-inch, cleverly dubbed A Wild Pear (see sidebar) and fittingly issued on all-white vinyl, follows the precedent set by Nardwuar’s previous output: referencing and paying respect to long-forgotten Canadians. On The Evaporators’ side, the band offers an original song, “The Bombs In My Pants,” and a cover of Montreal group Les Hou-Lops’ “Oh Non.” The flip finds W.K. tackling two Canuck covers of his own, with “Oh Canaduh” by The Subhumans and “Don’t Sell Hotdogs Tonight” by The Leather Uppers. It all sounds fresh, but the seeds for this Pear were planted years ago.

“Grant Lawrence from CBC Radio 3 interviewed Andrew W.K. the first time he was in Vancouver, when he rode an open convertible through a car wash,” Nardwuar says with a laugh. “I thought that was taking things to another level, but back then, I wasn’t allowed to interview him! I had upset Beck in 1994 and was still on his shit list, which apparently extended to Andrew W.K.’s record label.”

“Later, Andrew saw me interviewing Sonic Youth, when they broke a record by The Young Men that I had brought to show them. When I interviewed him for the first time, Andrew told me that he didn’t ever want to be mean like Sonic Youth and that’s why he’s the way he is now in interviews. Also, he told me that he loved The Leather Uppers, so that’s why I asked him to cover their song.”

To celebrate A Wild Pear’s release, the dashing duo is embarking on a series of Western Canadian dates this month, happily including appearances at Sled Island. Their jam-packed schedules likely won’t find them able to share a stage in Calgary this time around, but with Nardwuar presenting some of his finest and funniest all-time interview moments via his “Video Vault” at the Plaza Theatre (alongside performances from The Evaporators, Quintron Miss Pussycat and others) and whatever W.K. gets up to, they’re both bound to provide highlights of the 2009 fest.

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Prior to this team-up with Nardwuar, the majority of Andrew W.K.’s musical collaborations skirted slightly below the mainstream. However, while his CV includes alliances with artists as diverse as Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Lee “Scratch” Perry and the Boredoms, he has also happily lent his songs to un-indie sources as Kit Kat, Girls Gone Wild and the Arizona Sundogs.

“With my music as Andrew W.K., I don’t think a product, person or association can take away from its power,” he says. “Other kinds of music are more delicate and fragile, and could be affected by those kinds of contexts. This music is sturdy, and I think it’s benefited from all the exposure. I also really like television, commercials and movies — all areas of entertainment and communication really — and I want to be in all of it.”

Ever prolific, W.K. is following up on last year’s releases of a greatest hits collection and a disc of Japanese pop covers with ’55 Cadillac, an album that he describes as “spontaneous solo piano music.”

“The term ‘improvised’ doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing as ‘spontaneous,’” he explains. “I was trying to do spontaneous improvisations, where I really had no idea what I was going to play. I’ve always liked sitting around someone’s house, just listening to them play an instrument. It’s a very intimate moment of exposure, and I wanted to capture some of that.”

Perhaps even more exciting is the upcoming Cartoon Network live-action program Destroy Build Destroy, featuring W.K. as the host, which is just finishing filming. Following in the tradition of Snakes on a Plane, the show’s literal alignment between title and premise revolves around teenagers blowing things up, reassembling them into new creations and then blowing them up again.

“I’m a host, a ringleader, a sports broadcaster and a pep talker at times,” W.K. says with glee. “It’s a totally intense experience being around young children and 200-foot fireballs.”

This many projects may make it sound like he has little time for anything else in his life, but perhaps unsurprisingly, W.K. also moonlights as a motivational speaker. Bringing this interview to a close, he offers some words of wisdom for anyone hoping to realize their full potential.

“Everybody is truly unique in the most wonderful, mysterious way,” he says. “If you can allow your true self to come out and show itself, then you might end up like Nardwuar — so be careful what you wish for!”

Sidebar:

Andrew W.K.’s Top 3 Split releases

1) Napalm Death/S.O.B. split 7-inch

“These are both bands I’ve loved for many years, and they continue to deliver. S.O.B. is from Japan. The singer is no longer alive and several of the members have dissipated, but they’ve still been playing or have reformed, or something. Napalm Death is, of course, still going strong.”

2) Ottawa/Jihad split LP

“This was recorded before the word ‘jihad’ was so common and popular, and it’s just an incredible record. Both sides are great, but especially the Ottawa side. It’s some of the most exciting, energetic rock music of all time. They had no idea what kind of magical power they were tapping into, and over the years, this has become an extremely legendary, rare and sought after release.”

3) Lab Lobotomy/Galen split cassette

“Lab Lobotomy was one of my first bands in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Galen is also from Michigan, and to get to meet them — let alone record with them, just like with Nardwuar — was a dream come true. They don’t exist anymore but one of the main guys from the band, Aaron Dilloway, went on to form Wolf Eyes.”

Nardwuar’s Top 3 Split releases

1) A Wild Pair - The Guess Who/The Staccatos split LP

“Me and Andrew named our split after this one, except ours is like the fruit. I love this record for The Guess Who song ‘Haygood Hardy,’ which was pre-‘American Woman.’ I enjoy The Stacattos side from a historical perspective, because they became the Five Man Electrical Band, who of course had that hit song that went, ‘sign, sign, everywhere a sign.…’ I also recently found out that Randy Bachman has a whole box full of copies of this record at his home on Salt Spring Island.”

2) Blatz/Filth split LP

“I like this record because the band Blatz featured a guy named Jesse Luscious, who now works at Alternative Tentacles. They released The Evaporators’ Ripple Rock record and my DVD, so when I phone the label, he always shares stories about that music scene which included Green Day and Operation Ivy back in the day.”

3) Summer Games - The Smugglers/The Hi-Fives split 7-inch

“I like this one particularly for The Smugglers’ cover of a song called ‘Elite Manila,’ because that was originally by a band called Brent’s TV. They turned into The Ne’erdowells, who then turned into The Hi-Fives. Brent’s TV featured Al Sabrante on drums, who was also the original drummer for Green Day. I have no idea why I keep coming back to Green Day.”