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Biographical Info - Brock PytelBrock Pytel is a singer songwriter best known for his work behind the drums with Montreal pop-punks the Doughboys circa 1986-89. Lauded as “the overlooked hero of their best records”†, Brock's energetic drumset playing, singing, and well constructed tunes helped establish the Doughboys as a national act through two acclaimed Lps and three North American tours.Since touring briefly with (diy ween-punks) Mongoose last fall on the drums, Brock has been writing and recording new songs on the cheap in his East Vancouver basement. He’ll release a batch of them on limited run 10” vinyl in the next few months in conjunction with Boss Tuneage Records in the UK and is planning the full-length domestic release for 2005. “Science Fiction”, which appeared on the Boss Samperage #4 compilation, gathered praise for its “savvy and literate”‡ lyrics and “promises to be a hum-dinger when it eventually appears”*. Brock also emerged from the basement to organise a benefit for Percy Schmeiser, a Saskatchewan farmer who unsuccessfully battled Monsanto in the Canadian Supreme Court, and to play another benefit for AIM activist John Graham with his band the Cormorants. Boss Tuneage recently licensed Second Choice for release in the UK/Europe as well. A “tasty and eclectic mix of rockers and folksy acoustic ballads”† , Second Choice was Brock's first full length release in over a decade, and featured guest appearances by two other former Doughboys (John Kastner, Jon Asencio) plus veterans of Big Drill Car, SNFU, and Robert Fripp's League of Crafty Guitarists. The album spun on college stations across Canada and made brief chart appearances, but sold poorly due to lack of tour support. Brock began writing acoustic songs as a teenager, inspired by Neil Young. He eventually joined up with Kastner in 1986 and got turned on to the Minneapolis post-punk bands and songwriting of Paul Westerberg and Bob Mould, which had a particularly strong influence on Brock's contributions to the Doughboys 1987 debut Whatever. Hailed as “an exhilheratingly rough-hewn punk rock gem”** , Whatever yielded Brock's first publishing deal and film placement with the single & Muchmusic video, “You're Related”. The song appeared in director Robin Spry's Obsessed, playing in theatres and on TV throughout Canada and abroad. Brock also wrote the title track and three more songs for the 1988 Restless Records release, Home Again while on tour in support of the Descendents, Rollins Band, etc. The album has since been praised as “an absolute classic”, and “one of the genre's strongest statements of purpose”ƒ . When he is not in the basement, Brock can sometimes be found striking stages at GM place, dropping into the shallow end at Hastings skateboard park, or making Annie’s macaroni and cheese for his 6 year old son. ### †Exclaim! Oct. 2000
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