by JOHNSON CUMMINS

If you Google "ian blurton rock god," you'll come up with pages and pages of people testifying to the veracity of that description. The soft-spoken Torontonian quickly laughs it off, but the fact is, it fits Ian Blurton like a glove.

Having played in bands for almost a quarter century, Blurton is saving the best for last, or at least latest. His current band is more driven than any of the previous (including Change of Heart, Blurtonia and my own band Bionic, of which Blurton was temporarily a member). C'mon - that's right, their very name is an invitation to rock - is filled out by Katie Lynn Campbell, formerly of Nashville Pussy, on bass and ex-Swallow Randy Curnew on drums, and they currently boast a debut disc called Midnight Is the Answer.

Many know Blurton first and foremost as the hot producer-for-hire, the beard behind the board for everyone from the Weakerthans to Dayglo Abortions. "Producing is really a learning experience as a musician," says Blurton. "You get to see how to do things right and how to do things wrong. I'm really into producers that are more into getting to the real essence of a band, as opposed to trying to make the label money, and that's what I try to do."

His skills in the producer's chair are one thing, but if you've ever had the pleasure of watching the man strap on a guitar, you've seen why Google has been so good to him. "What can I say? I like to rock. I'm almost 40 and I'm proud to say that. I saw Bo Diddley recently in a small club in Illinois and he was telling the ladies in the crowd that he could satisfy them all, and just tore the place up. I also saw Link Wray, at almost 70 years old, destroy half a P.A. because his guitar was so loud and he was still yelling at the sound man to turn it up.

"When you see stuff like that, it makes bands like the Killers just seem so horrible. With less and less soul and passion happening in the mainstream, people are going to want to get sweat and blood in their music again - and that's what real rock 'n' roll is."

With Starvin Hungry and Shikasta at El Salon
on Friday, Dec. 10, 9 p.m., $12

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