The Sub-linguals

Arriving with some degree of trepidation on an unnamed rooftop patio to interview Kamil Krulis and the rest of the members of Calgary’s Sub-linguals - self-described as “Calgary’s Best Rock ‘n’ Roll Band” - is a taunting feat to even this veteran music journalist. All night drug and alcohol benders, random and senseless acts of civic vandalism, and sharing prostitutes like your last cigarette is all in a day’s work in this business. Yet somehow, agreeing to perform this interview seems like the gestalt of every despicable feat I’ve ever done.

What exactly are The Sub-linguals? “We are not punk rock and not garage rock!” barks Krulis, slamming his pint on the table to punctuate his statement while his silent, brooding band mates feign a nod in agreement. What genre exactly then? “Exactly nothing!” he says, and empties his pint. In my now humbled opinion, I would say The Sub-linguals are a rock ‘n’ roll band comprised of Krulis on vocals, and two brothers, Ryan and Eric Sadler, on organ and drums. Finally there’s guitarist Pete Roe, who according to Krulis, also goes by the moniker of “the best riffer in the world”.

The Sub-linguals metastasized from Krulis playing “torrid punk rock in bands that broke up.” He and Sadler had a chance encounter at the now defunct Castle Pub. “I asked Ryan to be in a band with me because I noticed the shift on indie rockers liking rock ‘n’ roll again. I thought Ryan and Eric were awesome and together, we thought we could rule this town!” finishes Krulis, with characteristic tears of modesty flowing generously down his cheek.

From such simple beginnings, the average audience member should expect a “torrid as fuck live show!” according to Krulis. The torridity of the live show is complimented by “a light bulb of ever changing colour” says Ryan Sadler, “and Kamil is electrocuted by it every single show”.

When forced to sum up The Sub-linguals experience, Krulis feels they musically personify “sex and fucking danger!” In this day and age of post-Stampede STDs, the words sex, fucking and danger are practically synonymous. It’s much like how the terms ‘live show’, ‘torridity’, ‘light bulb’ and ‘electrocution’ will become etched in the minds of music fans everywhere when attempting to relay The Sub-linguals experience to their coffee drinking, cigarette smoking, and slack-jawed friends the morning after.

Fully self-aware of their potential prior to the existence of the band, Krulis states, “we started the band in May 2008 and began booking immediately. Our first show was Sled Island, before we’d even practiced.” The future brings much promise. Included in this promise is a single. No ladies, not a single band member, but The Sub-linguals plan “to record in Ryan’s studio, Spectratone, and there will be two songs on a seven-inch. 45 rpm. Pressed in my country of origin (Czech Republic),” Krulis explains.

So there you have it, a seven-inch single featuring The Sub-linguals, recorded by The Sub-linguals, and pressed in one of The Sub-lingual’s homelands. One must note the faith the band place in themselves in all aspects of the recording aspect of their beloved music.

Almost exhausted by the inhalation of so much greatness and my attempt to keep pint pace with The Sub-linguals in the course of the interview, I am regretfully, fearfully, forced by editorial policy to put a quick, but not painless, end to the proceedings. Withholding deep, meaningless sobs, I slowly, carefully ask Krulis if there is anything else he’d like to contribute to the rest of my scratch-the-surface teaser of an article. Sadly, with the flock of young, nubile women surrounding The Sub-linguals I cannot make-out his exact words, but I believe it went something like this: “We put on the best live show in the world! We make Fucked Up look like bald, fat, hairy, Toronto-dwelling geriatrics!”

Working for a cut-rate publication in a two-horse town such as Calgary makes me appreciate the rare brushes with greatness I occasionally, usually by accident, receive as an assignment. Vowing to commit this article to print somehow, somewhere, someday, perhaps as soon as August 2008, I stagger down the street. I am drunk, but not from the pints of lukewarm lager. Rather, my intoxication comes from the abundance of artistic greatness that has doubtlessly become absorbed into my own body by way of some kind of divine osmosis, simply from spending 20 minutes with The Sub-linguals.

WHO: The Sub-linguals
WHEN: August 9th
WHERE: The Royal Canadian #1 Legion (upstairs) - BEATROUTE

Kamil Krulis led the freshly-christened Sub-linguals through a seven-song scrap with the mellow lilac-scented eve. The band did not disappoint, channeling first-show jitters into an urgent, nerve accelerated blitz of punk riffs and desperately expurgated psycho-babble.

May 16, 2008. Jesse J. Powell
(this was our first show, no jitters, lots of beer)

- Beatroute Magazine

.....the Subs played a typically caustic set to a packed room on the upper level while Matador recording artists and headliners Fucked Up took the stage downstairs...

April 11, 2009. Cain Haley - Beatroute Magazine

We’ll be serving up a profile on a different local band every Tuesday (Who-they?-Tuesdays?) from now until the festival kicks off. Consider it the musical equivalent of ginger beef and the Caesar. First up, a band who absolutely stole the show at the Sled Island pre-fest party and wow’d our guest curator, Colin Newman…Sub-linguals. In Calgary’s current wave of weirdo garage rock, the Sub-linguals are one of the brashest, trashiest and best of the lot. Onstage, frontman Kamil Krulis can be seen smeared in lip-stick, sporting fingerless gloves and a leather jacket as a cape like some kind of superhero/villain hybrid; your wildest dream and worst nightmare realized at the same time. He’s joined by riff-lovin’ guitar shredder Pete Roe, who alongside Krulis is also a former member of local legends the El Caminos. These battle-blasted veterans have pumped some fresh blood into their latest collaboration in the form of brotherly duo Ryan and Eric Sadler, squelching away on organ and holding down the drumkit, respectively. Their sound is just as intoxicating as their live show, so keep your ears open amidst the chaos for some timeless, animalistic tunes.

Don’t miss these guys — the live show is jaw-dropping. And while you’re at it, befriend them on myspace!

May 12. 2009. - sledisland.com

Aside from hailing from Calgary, opening for King Khan, and playing ferocious live shows, there's not a whole lot of background on the Sub-linguals out there. So we're left to infer the origins of "Better Than Me": First, the quartet shoplifted the first two Replacements albums, drank a lot of Mad Dog, streaked through town, knocked over some mailboxes, picked a fight with another band called the Sublinguals, stole a car, pushed it into a flooded quarry, stumbled home, and recorded the song before the buzz had even worn off.

Of course, that's unverifiable, but this scrappy basement-punk pounder has the 'Mats and boozy hijinks written all over it. The vocals are slurred with bleary insouciance a la Westerberg, delivering a snarling chorus that might be a "Taxi Driver" quote into a surprisingly smart hook. Meanwhile, the guitars start loud, remain emphatic throughout, and pause only briefly for an intentionally sloppy solo. The lo-fi quality at first makes "Better Than Me" sound like a quickie demo, but the song is so self-contained that its messiness becomes an end in itself, not simply a genre decision but an extension of their just-don't-give-a-fuck attitude. But I call bullshit: The Sub-linguals obviously give a big fuck. - Pitchfork