April / May 2014

MORE DANK. LESS TANK.

217 Osborne st.* 204-956-4400 Shop online @ wildplanetmusic.com

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Stylus

Apr/May Issue2 2014 Volume25

Production Team Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sheldon Birnie Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew Mazurak Assistant Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gil Carroll

On the Cover

SHAWN FEDORA is a factory of ideas, colours & noise, fuelled by music.

He takes photos, designs, illustrates, paints and can tie his own shoes.

Someday he would like to travel through time and ride a dinosaur.

If you would like to find him, have your computer send an email to: fedora.noise@gmail.com Check out more of his stuff on the internets: www.facebook.com/ElFedoraDesign

Advertising Managers . . . . Birnie and Maz editor@stylusmagazine.ca, andrew@mazmedia.ca Cover Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shawn Fedora Printed by JRS Print Services: 204-232-3558

Contributors Martyna Turcznowicz Mister Jan Kaitlyn Emslie Farrell Shanell Dupras Matt Williams Janel Chau Ginaya Jesmer Broose Tulloch Harrison Samphir James Korba Jenna Priestner Dave Guennette Jeremy Johnson Devin King

Stylus is published bi-monthly by the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association, with a circulation of 2,500. Stylus serves as the program guide to 95.9FM CKUW and will reflect the many musical communities it supports within Winnipeg and beyond. Stylus strives to provide coverage of music that is not normally written about in the mainstream media. Stylus acts as a vehicle for the work of new writers, photographers and artists, including members of the University of Winnipeg, of CKUW and of the Winnipeg community at large. Stylus reserves the right to refuse to print material, specifically, that of a racist, homophobic or sexist nature.

All submissions may be edited and become the property of Stylus.

All opinions expressed in Stylus are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors. Contributions in the form of articles, reviews, letters, photos and graphics are welcome and should be sent with contact information to:

Stylus Magazine Bulman Student Centre, University of Winnipeg 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2E9 Phone: 204-786-9785, Fax: 204-783-7080 editor@stylusmagazine.ca www.stylusmagazine.ca Contributions will be accepted in the body of an email. No attachments please. All submissions may be edited and become the property of Stylus. Unauthorized reproduction of any portion of Stylus is strongly discouraged without the express written consent of the editors.

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TableofContents Blah, Blah, Blah Events Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Live Bait The Pack A.D. // Big Freedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 CKUWho Winnipeg Arena’s On Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 CKUW Program Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Hip Hop Retrospective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Local Spotlight Distances // Kevin Roy // Naysa // Sebastian Owl . . . . . . 19 Root Cellar Lydia Loveless // Gunner & Smith // Kim Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Ulteriors Illum Sphere // Mark McGuire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Under the Needle Kevin Drew // Kim Churchill // Secret Colours . . . . . . 22 Fear of Music Righteous Sounds: Determining the Surprising Success of PonoMusic . . . 24

Features The Head & The Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Slow Dancers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Lukewarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 The Reverend Rambler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Dub Ditch Picnic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 So You’ve Formed A Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Zags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

April/May 2014 Stylus Magazine

01

IS OUR TIME TUNNEL TAPE THIS ISSUE! JOHNNY SIZZLE’S PERVERT TEENBURGER (1994) LOAD CODE ON STANDS AT INTO DOWN YOUR FOR S STYLU OF FIND A REISSUED COPY UW. THE AND , PINTS HALF T, THE MUSIC, WILD PLANE ZINE -PRESENTED BY THE UWSA, CKUW, AND STYLUS MAGA

Blah, Blah, Blah Hard as it may be to believe, spring has sprung. Now let’s shake off the frost-bite and get fuckin’ wild! *** Mondays are a party with Jicah, while Real Love Tuesdays go down at 555 Osborne, while down at Shannon’s Irish Pub J. Williamez gets right greasy, weekly *** Wednesdays Andrew Neville & The Poor Choices take to the Cavern stage for some whisky soaked good times *** Friday, April 4 Slates take the stage at the Windsor with Warsaw, Ian LaRue, and Union Stockyards, while over at the Times Change(d) Sweet Alibi start a two night stand *** Ridley Bent’s long awaited album Wild Card gets an official release at the Park Theatre April 5 *** Hey, remember Fefe Dobson? She’s playing the Pyramid April 7 But more importantly, The Head and the Heart [pg. 5] play the newly run Burton Cummings Theatre tonight! *** Winnipeg Jazz Festival are bringing in Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings to the Burt on April 8 while Kataklysm are at the Zoo with Aborted, Endless Chaos, Vathek, Commencing and Human Desperation, oh and The Zolas and James Younger are over at the Park Theatre *** April 10, a little delayed, we celebrate the release of this issue with our pals at the Union Sound Hall! Vampires, Naysa, and Lukewarm [pg. 9] will be there to rock your socks off! Contributors get in free, and all proceeds are split between the bands and our fund to keep Stylus rocking past our 25th anniversary *** April 11 the Garrick Hotel hosts a Rock and Roll show with Phantomcrasher and Valley Girl Special *** April 12, the Reverend Rambler [pg. 10] releases

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his long awaited debut at the Park Theatre, while Sebastian Owl hosts a CD release at the Times, while Stylus presents the West Broadway Hip Hop Orchestra and Naked Sex take the stage at the Windsor (It’s also Peg City Groove Host Kent Davies’ birthday!) *** Prepare to lose your fuckin’ minds, heavy music aficionados: Dillinger Escape Plan hits the WECC April 13 with Trash Talk *** The Blisters are raising funds to release their album down at the Windsor April 19th. J. Riley Hill & The Magik Bears, Basic Nature, and Palm Trees support. Across the alley at the Pyramid, the Creepshow are in town ***April 23 + City Walls + Pyramid Cabaret. *** April 24, Ladyhawk return to the Windsor to blow minds into the stratosphere with special guest Shotgun Jimmie, and Union is bringing in the straight thuggin’ Kitty and you bet SMRT will be opening up *** As Winnipeggers, we should pay homage to two of our most travelled songwriters down at the Times Change(d) April 25, as Brandy Zdan and Scott Nolan share the stage.

If you’re more into banging your heavy head, hit the Zoo for Solanum, Epi-Demic, Power Trip, Plague, and Endless Chaos *** Or help raise some funds for the first ever Real Love Summer festival at 555 Osborne, featuring The Hours and Boy Prince *** May 1 at The Windsor Hotel, tour kickoff party for Palm Trees and Naysa with sets from Paincave and The Unbelievable Bargains as well, while The Garrick hosts The 1975, Sir Sly and Bad Suns *** Fuck The Facts, Entity, Putrescence and Pafumerie are all hittin’ up the Windsor,

although The Skydiggers take a two-night stand at the WECC May 2 and 3rd *** Onnnn May 5 Pennywise and Teenage Bottlerocket are both at the Garrick *** Tuesday, May 6 Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra makes a special appearance at Union Sound Hall. Get ye there, friends. Fear not the thorns. Do not tarry. *** May 12 the Milk Carton Kids play a SOLD OUT gig at the WECC and Hopsin will take on Union Sound Hall *** May 14, local hardcore heroes Comeback Kid celebrate the release of their new album Die Knowing at the Park Theatre, along with Counterparts, Back Track, Alpha & Omega. And Bestie plays the Pyramid *** Jonathan Byrd takes to the stage at the Times May 16. Don’t miss out! *** Saturday May 17 catch a night of dark backcountry flavours at the Windsor with Cheering for the Bad Guy and the Party Dress and on the other side of the fence is Neko Case and The Dodos at the Burt *** May 23, Bands vs Filmmakers returns to the West End for a fun filled evening *** May 24 Head of the Herd plays the Pyramid with The Balconies, but who cares cuz The Zags [pg. 17] are releasing a tape at the Purple Room *** The Perpetrators close out the month of May with a two night stand the 30th-31st at the Times Change(d) *** Keep your eyes peeled for our festival preview issue of Stylus coming to stands around Winnipeg on June 5th.

Until then, get out and enjoy some motherfuckin’ sunshine, y’all!!!

April/May 2014 Stylus Magazine

03

ILLUSTRATION BY MISTER JAN

BY MARTYNA TURCZYNOWICZ

and The Heart is an indie folk-rock act Tfromhe Head Seattle, Washington. They’ve recently released their sophomore album, Let’s Be Still, which guitarist Josiah Johnson describes as a move from the

“more traditional, foot stomping, hand clapping, folk, to a BIGGER sound.”

The band’s extensive touring inspired the change in sound. Before, they were just playing to the people around them and busking on the street. Now that they’re playing bigger venues “it feels right to play songs that have a wider palette and a more expansive sound.”

Johnson says that the change in sound was inspired in part by some stops they played on their tour last year with Death Cab for Cutie.

“I remember watching them play and being inspired by the way that they fill a room with their sound.”

One song in particular, he recalls – “Transatlanticism” – “had this long build just before everybody’s favourite part. I remember watching them and realizing how long they were making us wait.” On their first album, Johnson says “there was no making anybody wait; it was just one thing after another after another.”

Watching Death Cab made him realize how “powerful it is when the release comes and everyone’s just like ‘ugh, it’s so good!’”

Now, they’re filling bigger venues with their sound in places like Paris.

The earlier shows they played in Paris would always be “at the ‘wrong’ side of Paris, in the dingier places because we’d only be playing for a hundred people,” Johnson recalls. “I didn’t like

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Paris for the longest time, but it was because I always saw the uninteresting, ugly parts of the city.

Now, that they’re playing in the cool, romantic, and beautiful parts of Paris, he says, “I take it back, Paris! You are actually cool.”

Let’s Be Still shows not only a change in sound, but of attitude. The first album, Johnson explains, was about “how we’ve left home and moved to Seattle, which is where we all met and formed the band. There was this excitement about starting

over in new place, but it was bittersweet leaving the people you love behind.” It was full of folky ballads like “Down in the Valley” that were nostalgic for the people and places they’d left.

Johnson says that the idea behind Let’s Be Still is that “the pace of the world is going faster and faster and not necessarily in ways that you understand, and the importance of taking a step back and being still.” The second album has also changed the band’s relationship. In the beginning, Johnson explains, Touring gave the band’s relationship more depth. He admits that

“It was a fun re l ation sh ip, but there was not a lot of depth. Everyone’s good and stoked to be there and play music.” even though “it can be frustrating to be around people 24/7, it’s just a function of being on the road.” He learned to appreciate the differences in people and their strengths and he feels “more like I would take a bullet for any of them, they’re like family now.”

The Head & the Heart perform in Winnipeg at the historic Burton Cummings Theatre on April 7 before jetting down to California for a pair of performances at Coachella.

April/May 2014 Stylus Magazine

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Day After Rain

BY SHANELL DUPRAS

Things have gotten off to a bit of a slow start for Slow Dancers. Guitarist and songwriter Jesse Hill, bass player Marie-France Hollier, and drummer Cole Woods first entered the studio and recorded their debut full length two years ago, but the album was never officially released. This May, Day After Rain is finally going to come out of the darkness.

“I’m excited that it’s finally getting released. It was recorded a long time ago. I sort of have a weird distance to the whole thing because of the time,” said Hill.

The band don’t have any extravagant plans for the album release; they just want to share the music with others.

“I wanted to release it because I’m proud of it, and also because I have friends who want to hear it,” Hill told Stylus. “I guess with these band promo pictures, it just seems like there’s a lot of vanity in it, and I’m reluctant to do that sort of thing.”

That’s exactly what Nick Liang of Departures likes about Slow Dancers: “Most bands fall prey to outside considerations, be it expectations, willingness to satisfy an audience, or vanity. Slow Dancers are instead insular and not concerned with anything but satisfying their own artistic whims.”

For Hill, the whole point is to move slowly. “I started touring when I was 15 years old and went hard into music and doing that sort of thing. I kind of almost burnt myself out doing it. [With] Slow Dancers the whole idea was to do things slowly and not force it, just have it be as it is.”

Hill will be leaving for grad school next Fall, so it was time to share Day After Rain with Winnipeg. But don’t worry, even though Hill is leaving, he doesn’t expect Slow Dancers to stop.

“Realistically with me going away, it’s not really going to slow us down. We’re already going so slowly. I’ll be back in Winnipeg every few months probably, so I assume we’ll jam at those points and continue being as much of a band as we are.”

Hill wrote all of the songs on Day After Rain and some of them were even written when he was only 18. “I’ve always written a lot of songs since early adolescence, so this is just some of them. I wouldn’t want this to be stressed too much, but a lot of the songs were written immediately after a break up with a long-term girlfriend of mine.”

Otherwise, Hill said there aren’t any recurring themes within the album.

Since Day After Rain was recorded two years ago, Slow Dancers has almost a full album’s worth of new songs as well, and while they do want to record their new songs, they won’t be releasing another album for at least another year from now.

Hill reminises that the recording process for Day After Rain was easy and they recorded all of the songs in a couple days with producer Cam Loeppky, who’s also worked withWinnipeg musicians like the Weakerthans and Greg MacPherson. “The

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best thing about the band is that we have a certain chemistry. I think that the three of us just play well together, whether that’s just because we’re old friends or whatever. It was easy to record, we just recorded it live,” Hill said.

Liang adds that each of the band members offer their own personality to each of the songs. “Jesse, Cole, and Mef, inject their own personalities into each song, which in turn makes their music an extension of both their attitudes and selves,” he said. “Jesse is the sweetest and perhaps most well-read person I know. MarieFrance is the coolest and has perhaps the best taste of anyone I know. Cole is one funny motherfucker.”

While an official release party wont be announced until sometime in May, Liang recommends seeing the band whenever you have the chance: “Slow Dancers’ existence, like most great bands, will likely be ephemeral. You’d be doing yourself a favor if you saw what they are about while you can.”

finally sees the light of day

For more information on Slow Dancers, you can check them out at www. disintegration. ca/artists/slowdancers-2/.

ICONOGRAPHIC MANIPULATED

BY ANDREW MAZURAK

April/May 2014 Stylus Magazine

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8 Stylus Magazine April/May 2014

BY

MATT WILLIAMS

In the West End of the city, a wobbly stumble from the Palomino Club, down a flight of slanted stairs, a furious onslaught of noise creeps out through the sides of a couple basement windows, snow still blocking out the sun in mid-March. Surrounded by dirty laundry and discarded bike tires, the amps making that noise stand atop old wooden slabs covering the cold and cracked concrete floor, where Lukewarm is going through the songs they’ll be playing when they open for Syracuse’s hyper-buzzy, raucous, and un-Googleable Perfect Pussy.

Between sips of Big Wheel and shouts of “we have to pull up our socks!” and “don’t fuck it up!” singer and bassist Hart “Wildman” Koepke ends up having to re-tune his instrument, which guitarist Zach “Tha Saint” Kornelsen fiddled with while his back was turned. Just one of the downsides to being a “fascist dictator,” it seems. A “no fun” symbol is the lone personal touch on drummer Ryan “Groucho” Marques’ kick drum, which must feel especially apt to him today, after his birthday turned the night before from “one beer” to many, many beers, which led to him puking all over his housecoat. But a little hair

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ILLUSTRATION BY

JANEL CHAU

of the dog is helping things move a little smoother, and the band runs through a blistering set of their personal brand of cosmic punk rock with few hiccups, leaving Koepke finally satisfied enough to sit down and talk over beers at Cousins.

So what’s with the name?

“It sucks,” says Marques, as soon as the words hit the air.

“Ryan doesn’t like the name, but Ryan doesn’t like a lot of things because he’s an artist,” says Koepke, rolling his eyes.

But Marques likes the name a lot better when he finds out Koepke had nothing to do with it.

“I was trying to think of names at home, and (my girlfriend) Mel was making fun of me,” says Kornelsen. “And she said we should call it Lukewarm because of our lukewarm personalities.”

The tunes, though, can hardly be considered anything but boiling, between Kornelsen’s wall-ofsound guitar blasts, Koepke’s swerving bass lines and the loud-and-fast pounding of Marques’ drums.

How it all got put together reveals some more band dynamics, or lack thereof.

“Me and Zach are really tight, but we both kind of hate Hart,” says Marques.

“Ryan has many bastard children, so we need to supplement his income working at a shitty hip-hop bar,” says Koepke. “That’s why Lukewarm started.”

The band’s first release, a cassette tape available for, basically, whatever you’re willing to give them, takes its title (Out of the Womb, Onto the Hook), from a day Koepke spent at the river where his friend caught a baby fish. The themes on the tape reflect that simple event, but are conceptually larger.

“A lot of it is the struggle between man and nature – how we’re supposed to have nature incorporated into our lives,” says Koepke. “Are we supposed to be stewards? Are we supposed to be Christians, and take advantage of it, because we think the world belongs to us and was give to us by God so we can piss all over it? Basically, reconnecting with the fact that we’re animals and we’re nothing special.”

The band’s sound, lyrics aside, is indicative of that – animalistic, simple, primal, destructive.

But if there’s any reason for it, it’s subconscious.

“Let’s be honest: none of us really know how to play our instruments,” says Koepke. “Maybe Ryan.”

One of the most distinct elements of Lukewarm’s sound is Kornelsen’s guitar playing, which features a heavy amount of slide and distortion, as well as some interesting tics.

“For the most part I don’t like to use actual chords or anything,” says Kornelsen. “It’s a lot more fun. Less pressure. You can’t miss a note if the note doesn’t exist.”

But how all of it gets put together and becomes a song is something entirely different.

Here’s Koepke’s complete, un-edited explanatory analogy for how the band develops a song: “It’s fucking in a new relationship. You meet someone, it’s super heavy, it’s super hot, and it’s right.

But eventually you lose that hot and heaviness, and you have to understand their sexuality, their needs, their wants. You can’t just get ‘em off as easy as you did before. So you need to find and build a way to discover each other’s rhythms, their hot spots, and mold a wholly sexual union.”

“So you’re saying we have to start trying harder to write songs?” says Kornelsen.

“We’re gonna have to start fucking,” says Marques. “It’s very deep,” he adds “It’s not supposed to be deep! I talk in layman’s terms. We’re a punk band, okay? We’re not Rush.

We’re not Santana. We’re a band of the people.”

You can catch Lukewarm at the next Stylus launch series, April 10 at Union Sound Hall. Buy Out of the Womb, Onto the Hook at lukewarmsounds. bandcamp.com.

April/May 2014 Stylus Magazine

09

THE REVEREND

RAMBLER gets down and dirty on debut disc

BY SHELDON BIRNIE

In the dark shadows beneath the canvas of a large

tent, bodies move, dancing, pressing together towards the stage. The pounding of an insistent bass drum leads hundreds of stomping feet, moving hips, clapping hands beneath the fuzzed out run of a down and dirty guitar lick. A disheveled man on a harp wails and a blonde gal shakes a tambourine in rhythm with the otherwise one-man-band on the drums and six strings. As the harp subsides, Matt Colpitts lets loose an intense blues howl. The crowd roars in praise to the Reverend Rambler.

Such was the scene at the Festival du Voyageur recently, as well as many other stages—be they an outdoor festival, rural honky tonk or downtown blues bar—since the good Reverend began performing in Winnipeg about five years ago. And, with every raucous performance, be it at Dauphin Countryfest, the Times Change(d) or the Park Theatre, the Reverend’s flock of faithful has grown. After years of waiting, patient or not so, for an official release that fans can bring home from these sweaty gigs, the time is finally here. After some false starts and lots of work, on April 12, the Rambler will release his long-awaited, self-titled debut disc.

“We already recorded the album once,” Colpitts explains to Stylus over a Sunday afternoon cold one.

“But it didn’t really work out the way I’d hoped.”

Rather than give up, or release an album he felt he couldn’t stand behind, a chance encounter between Colpitts and local rockabilly wunderkind Greg Arcade shone a light on the path to musical redemption for the Rambler.

“I was a fan of what [Greg] was doing. He approached me and was into what I was doing. So he took on the role of producing the album, and we’ve been working hard on it ever since.”

Indeed, Colpitts was on his way to finish tracking the final harp overdubs before sending the album off to be mastered when we sat down to talk.

Recording in Colpitts West End basement with Arcade and engineer Bobby Hill has allowed Col-

10 Stylus Magazine April/May 2014

PHOTO BY JENNIFER LEE

pitts—rounded out when performing with sister Karli Colpitts and longtime pal Sean Multan on harp—to get the eight songs on the album down in a way that both satisfies his inner-perfectionist while staying true to the gritty, down and dirty blues that form the basis of Reverend Rambler’s sound.

But it’s a balancing act that’s taken Colpitts some getting used to.

“It’s a balance between it being exactly what you want it to be and letting it be what it is. I still struggle with that. But I drive for three hours every single day so I’ve been listening to the album a lot and when I hear the songs, it’s something that I’m proud of.”

“The craziest part about Matt and his talent is that he is unaware of just how bloody talented he really is,” says sister Karli Colpitts, who performs regularly with her brother, a vital part of the highenergy stage show. “He really strived to make the album sound exactly like what he wanted. But from the first time I heard a recording of him, I was more than happy with it. The best part about it for me too, is that we are now able to share his music.”

As to what defines the Reverend Rambler, what goes into brewing up a Rambler original and sets it aside from the wealth of quality, contemporary roots music in Winnipeg, the Rev’s recipe is time tested, true and simple.

“I’m not reinventing the wheel,” admits Colpitts.

“A lot of the songs on this album are party blues stuff … That’s what I like, that’s what I’m into. I’m taking all these parts of styles that I’m into, all sort of under the umbrella of Americana: rockabilly, gospel, country, blues, and just picking my favourite parts from them. Whether its music, the rhythm, the feel, the words, and then just kind of mashing it all together. I like to think that whatever comes out is the Reverend Rambler.”

Indeed, The Reverend Rambler is a potent punch of just those ingredients, punctuated throughout by Colpitts’ trademark holler and backed up by Sister

Karli’s harmonies. “The Rambler” and “Red River Blues” might as well be theme songs for the group, the latter track going back possibly even to Colpitts’s days with the Red River Ramblers, a rockin’ bluesy quartet in the vein of the Perpetrators. The rest of the album keeps the smoky, booze fueled garage party rockin’ in a way that is sure to (somewhat) satiate the appetites of longtime fans, while fueling demand for the Reverend to take his act to larger stages, and farther afield.

Which, while Colpitts is keen to do so, could pose a bit of a challenge for the bearded, tattooed Rambler.

“I’ve started a teaching career,” he says. A shop teacher, at that. How much more of a manly, creative career can you ask for? “I’m a first year teacher, which some people may be able to relate to out there. So that doesn’t give me the time I would like to have to concentrate on music. With any job like this, it makes it difficult to have any steadfast plans.”

That’s not to say he has any intentions of slowing down. Rather, the Reverend tells us he’s already got a second album of material waiting in the wings.

With a desire to share the current new album, as well as get the next batch of songs down, he’s definitely making artistic goals for himself.

“I’ll just keep playing shows and see what next year brings,” he says. “The bigger shows are motivating and giving me more confidence. It makes me think about playing bigger festivals. I hope, one of my big goals is in a few years to play the Winnipeg Folk Festival. Whether that will ever happen, who knows, but I’m starting to think Why not?”

See for yourself what all the fuss about the good Reverend Rambler is all about, if you don’t already know.

The good news regarding the CD release is that it all goes down on April 12 at the Park Theatre. Get ye there early, friends, and be ye forsaken no longer from the fold.

PRESENTED BY

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THE PACK A.D. AT PARK THEATRE PHOTO BY GINAYA JESMER

BIG FREEDIA AT UNION SOUND HALL PHOTO BY ANDREW MAZURAK

Winnipeg Arena’s On Fire

Running Midnight Sundays to 6:00 a.m. Monday morning on CKUW 95.9 FM or ckuw.ca

Martin Howell has been a dedicated contributor to Winnipeg’s independent music scene now for decades.

Some may remember him performing as JohNNy SiZZle, or his cable access TV show from the 90s.

Or you may well know him from his late-night hangout from Sunday night to the early hours of Monday morning on CKUW 95.9 FM, the Winnipeg Arena is On Fire, which has been on the airwaves for three years. Stylus sat down with Martin to talk about his show. This is but a part of our conversation. For a complete, unabridged version of the interview, check out www.stylusmagazine.ca.

Stylus: How did you first get involved at CKUW? Martin Howell: I’ve always listened to CKUW since moving back to the city in 2005, 2006. I did have prior radio and television training from Tec Voc from the early 90s. Of course, I did my cable access television show back in the 80s and 90s … [At CKUW ] it started off with me taking little hour spots, or two hour spots, filling in for a show. And then the station realized I’d already had the training and knew how to work a soundboard and such.

They had Sunday, midnight till six, open. And it had been open for a long time. It’s tough to fill that spot. I took it immediately, because one of my favourite shows from before they needed a replacement was Don Bailey’s (Scratching the) Surface Noise. I figured, a late-night radio spot wasn’t so bad. I thought I could totally spend the time doing it. That’s really where it started out.

Stylus: Tell us about your show, how does it work every week?

MH: There was no real agenda to the show, other than I wanted to do radio. There was a side of me that felt there wasn’t enough punk and heavy metal, music that I enjoy. Whenever somebody brings up the music genre known as “punk,” a lot of the time it’s stuff that was released in the 2000s, Green Day or Good Charlotte [laughs]! So I wanted to play a lot of earlier punk, 80s punk, and stuff you really had to dig for.

The first two hours is very conversa-

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tional, other than you get spots of music here and there. I’ve thought of ways to have conversations with the listening audience. It’s always different, it’s always new. It could work, it could not … At 12:30 or so is Weekend Talk. I talk about my weekend …

Then at 1:30a.m. I do what is called Facebook FindOut, where I read from my newsfeed on my Facebook account … Whatever random posts come up at that time, could be good, could be awful, we just have to see! Around 1:50, we do a small sports report, whether that’s local, national, or international, I do a little rant on sports. Then it’s 2:00a.m. Music Spotlight. It’s a little like a musicologist’s class.

Every Sunday, we have a profile of anything to do with music. Could be any singer, could be any band,

could be any scene. Could be anything you can relate from one thing in music to another … Starting at 3:00a.m. and going for between half an hour and two hours is probably one of the most infamous radio segments in all of Winnipeg. Maybe in all of late-night radio in all the country? And that is Comic Book Radio Theatre. What I do is I go to a used bookstore, pick up these cheap comic books that they’re selling, and I read a comic book to the audience. I use my trusty Casio keyboard as backup, and for sound-effects … To end off my show, after Comic Book Radio Theatre, around 5:00a.m. in the morning, we do Album Side. I pick out a piece of vinyl I found around the station, or I own myself, and we do early morning Album Side.

Stylus: Do you ever have guest hosts on your show?

MH: When I’ve had guests on the show, it’s always been someone close to me. Like my roommate from the apartment I live in.

Or my girlfriend. But I’m all for somebody coming in and being my guest. I’m all for it. Someone just has to say yes, they want to do it. But I want to keep the show pretty much conversational.

Stylus: Anything else about the show you want to add?

MH: I pretty much have an attitude with my show that if you don’t like my show, there are other radio stations you can go to, in the same way that if you don’t like me as a person, there’s another person out there to go meet and converse with. It’s fine to go to them, too. I want to be a good host and everything like that. But if I’m not ringing your bell, I’m not taking it personally … And we are pro-wrestling fan friendly!

We do not put people down for liking pro-wrestling!

Winnipeg Arena’s On Fire starts at midnight on Sunday nights and runs until 6am Monday on CKUW 95.9FM or online at ckuw.ca. To read our complete conversation with Martin Howell, checkout www.stylusmagazine.ca

DUB DITCH PICNIC

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I

there is tons of physiotherapy, doctors, and neuropsychologist appointments. It’s a full time job,” he says.

Newly married and with a new baby on the way, time was already in short supply before the accident, now there wasn’t enough time in the day to be family man, run a record label and recuperate.

In addition to closing down PFT, which was more noise and drone, Jacques seriously considered shutting everything down until Taylor Burgess joined the fold. “[He] is my right hand dude and the new and younger face of the label,” says Jacques.

While Burgess is in the early stages of a new compilation, Jacques has somehow found the time to start a new label, Sundowning. Its first release will be a retrospective of seminal Winnipeg band The Dub Rifles.

“I’m super excited,” he says. “I’ve known [Dub Rifles’ frontman] Colin Bryce a long time and I really like and respect him. This is a high point for me.” Given the popularity of the Rifles and scarcity of their recordings, this is sure to be a high point for fans as well.

“Why make things easy?” laughs Jacques as he explains the need for separate record labels. “Dub Ditch Picnic is everything that Prairie Fire Tapes wasn’t. PFT did noise and drone; DDP is more of an extension of my record collection, Winnipegfocused post-punk, psychedelia, and dub.”

And the story behind the label name, Dub Ditch Picnic?

“It was a place on the northern coast of Jamaica. I was headed into town with my (now) wife and another couple. I saw this place and wanted to eat there, but one of the people we were with said, “I’m not eating in a DITCH!” So they went to Margaritaville and I went to have beans and rice and Red Stripe in this little place with crazy Rasta dudes howling over a beatbox. Lunch = picnic, [so it’s] a Dub Ditch Picnic.”

For more information on Dub Ditch Picnic, visit online dubditchpicnic. tictail.com and look for the new DDP compilation I’ll Hang With God, But Not Today on their bandcamp page, dubditchpicnic.bandcamp.com

BY GILAD CARROLL

In less than four years, local music label Dub Ditch Picnic has reached a pivotal milestone, releasing its 50th album, err cassette, April 1st. The compilation of 50 artists includes several local acts that have enjoyed some success on Campus/Community radio, such as Dead Ranch, Beef Donut, and Kindest Cuts.

More than a celebration of 50 releases, the compilation will be a celebration of life. In November, a serious car accident nearly claimed the life of Dub Ditch Picnic and Prairie Fire Tapes (PFT) co-founder Chris Jacques. The record companies went on indefinite hiatus while Jacques struggled to regain control of his own body and get on with his life. Already winding down, PFT was unceremoniously shut down, leaving behind a legacy of 65 cassette tapes. Aside from the novelty and nostalgia of the pretty much obsolete device, Jacques has his reasons for cassette releases.

“I like cassettes,” he proclaims.

“They were a big part of my childhood/adolescence. On a pragmatic side, they are not too expensive to produce.” But easy to find, they are not. Jacques sources his tapes from a supplier in Montreal. The tapes themselves are the garden variety “Normal,” not the fancy Type III or Chrome.

“I use normal tapes because I use pro-grade high speed duplicators.

The metal in chrome or cobalt tapes would chew up my record heads in no time. Try to replace those these days.”

Besides, the real attraction back in the day wasn’t the quality of the more expensive tapes, it was having the extra buttons on your stereo or ghetto blaster. The difference was negligible.

Being old school means having a tactile relationship with your music; holding the box, reading the notes, hearing the hiss, not just playing a file.

“None of our releases are strictly digital. I find that a cop out. Our benefit release has 50 artists and is hours long. We are doing a run of DVD-R mostly for the bands, but may keep it in production if demand is high.”

Artwork for the appropriately titled I’ll Hang With God, But Not Today features a photograph of Jacques’s car after the accident. Five months later, it still rules his life. “[I’m] still healing and learning how to walk and think again and

take it to the next level, and hosted several bands (from) across Canada.”

These two spots, of course, provide different atmospheres; however both are great spots for bands to dip their feet into the Winnipeg scene.

First shows are always up in the air.

Will there be enough power outlets?

Will there be monitors? Can anyone actually hear the keyboard? But both these bars provide a great and comfortable space for the bands and maintain an easy to use and solid sound system, which is all a band can really hope for when it is starting out.

The Garrick Hotel is a particularly great spot for cultural Winnipeg as these shows brings young people to the downtown area.

“We have a vintage hotel with a vintage decor, perfectly designed acoustics and a great room that easily transforms from punk to jazz to blues to DJ scene,” says Birshtein.

The Garrick is a great place for a show at any time, but it is a particularly great place to book one on the same night as a Jets game. The hotel, as well as the Windsor Hotel, also located on Garry Street, often benefit from the captive downtown audience after a game, especially when the Jets win. The amped-up and rowdy crowds flock to these bars after the game and enjoy cheap, often times enjoyable live music.

King over at 555 Osborne, however, has a different take on the Jets. He says that having the Jets back in town is not so great for the music scene and has posed difficulties for smaller venues like his.

“Since the Jets have come back, venues at every level have been hit,” he says. “People in Winnipeg have lost a lot of the disposable income which used to be put into the arts and is now focused on the Jets,” he says.

Regardless of the hockey season, there are always shows being planned at 555 and the Garrick, as well as other smaller venues and emerging bands rehearsing that tricky time signature change. Jets or no Jets, Winnipeg will always be in need of places for bands to play shows and experiment. The fact is that there is an overwhelming number of bands and artists in Winnipeg, as well as new bands forming every day.

BY BROOSE TULLOCH

Winnipeg is home to an extremely diverse underground music scene featuring any and every genre, sub-genre and mood. But all Winnipeg bands have something in common: they all have experienced the excitement and the ice-cold nerves that come with playing their first shows in small, dark, not always crowded Winnipeg bars.

Before many bands can take the stage of the Park Theatre, Union Sound Hall or West End Cultural Centre, they will likely play a mini tour of all the smaller spots that host regular shows in the city. There was a time when the list of these small venues was greater in numbers. But even with diminished numbers today, music in Winnipeg gets played.

New small venues are always emerging, underground spots are still being submerged, and there are plenty of welcome living rooms and basements abound.

Recently, an exciting amount of live music has come out of two bars that are optimistically and confidently booking up-and-coming bands and artists to play. These two bars are the Garrick Hotel, located at 287 Garry Street and a fixture in downtown Winnipeg since 1906, and 555 Osborne, located at that address in the basement of Sawatdee Thai restaurant.

Everett King, who manages the bar and books acts for 555 Osborne, believes strongly in the power and promise of the Winnipeg scene.

“Every venue in Winnipeg is important,” he says. “We have an absolutely amazing music scene, which is the reason I stick with this city.”

555 hosts an incredible Songwriters’ Explosion every Wednesday night and has The Family Planners, a local soul and funk inspired group, perform and dance every Friday night.

Gary Birshtein, who books and manages the bar for the Garrick Hotel, confidently asserts the importance of his venue in the development of many of these local bands. “We have a way of providing musicians with tools needed to allow them to concentrate on their performance (because) we take care of other important things leading up to the show,” he says.

“We’ve given many musicians their head start, helped several to further

REBUILDING, MOVING FORWARD WITH 50TH RELEASE

WHERE DO YOU GO TO GET YOUR FIRST BAR GIG?

SO YOU’VE FORMED A BAND 16 Stylus Magazine April/May 2014

THE ZAGS Just when you think you know who we are...

BY KAITLYN EMSLIE FARRELL

There’s zigging and zagging and, unfortunately, some

people are swagging. When it comes to Taylor Benjamin Burgess, David Skene and Steph “what the fuck” Kolbuck and their band, The Zags, there’s no confusion. Forming in December of 2012, The Zags have been hiding away and only popping up to tease the city every once in awhile. Stylus met up with Taylor and David at a local Tutti Frutti and they told us some stuff.

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casettes anymore, let’s release it on that because it’s so anachronistic.” We’re living in a time where the physical media you release your songs on is either a) meaningless or b) secondary, cause hardly anybody is actually going to interact with it in it’s physical medium.

Stylus: Any plans for the future other than the album?

DS: One of the philosophies of The Zags is that just when you think you know who we are we’re going to zag.

TBB: We want to record with Riley Hill again. He’s so awesome.

DS: Good producers have a little bit of Jedi mind reading power.

TBB: Yeah, he gets us.

DS: And sometimes they’re also a little Batman with being the producer you need, not the producer you want.

DS: We brought him here [Tutti Futti] and we made him an ice cream Sunday. We put the first spoonful in his mouth, and we said, “We want our album to sound how that tastes.”

TBB: And he’s doing it and it’s awesome. It’s pretty sweet and sugary.

Stylus: Anything on behalf of Steph?

DS: If Steph was here she’d be saying something like, “Oh, you know, stuff.”

TBB: She keeps getting complimented that she just sticks bubblegum in her mouth and plays drums. It’s the best act The Zags have going right now, is when she does her spaced out bubblegum chew.

Keep an eye out for the cassette release show of The Zags coming up May 24th at the Purple Room PHOTO BY KAITLYN EMSLIE FARRELL

Stylus: What are The Zags all about?

Taylor Benjamin Burgess: Right now we’re playing really poppy tunes. Really poppy/punk tunes.

Not pop-punk. Kind of post punk. It was a really natural fit for us to start playing. We just started jamming. And what we’ve been jamming has been the direction we’ve headed so far. We’ve been pretty quiet about things.

David Skene: Yeah, I’m not like, beating anyone over the head with our band. We’ve actually been trying not to play a lot of shows for a couple different reasons. One, it keeps a show special and exciting. Also, it has like given us time to work on our sound and playing as a band in a way that you don’t get when you get heavy into playing shows. When you know what you’re doing, you just go right into shows. Shows end up taking up all your time.

Stylus: Once you’ve got more stuff are you going to play more shows?

TBB: I think we have a good pace right now.

DS: We just really wanted to get ready to record, that was the big thing for us for that time period.

And who wants to play shows in the winter? It’s really cold.

TBB: I’m ok with how few shows we play.

DS: I like playing shows at non-traditional venues.

TBB: Not to rag on traditional venues, but you’re

a band in a bar playing your music that sounds like rock and roll or punk.

What is the draw for someone to see you? So we’re just trying to get outside of that little box.

DS: There’s only so many venues in Winnipeg that you can play. There’s still a couple that I haven’t played. There’s a couple that I can’t play again.

TBB: [laughs] Have you been banned from venues?

DS: Two or three. But the cool thing about playing non-traditional venues is it’s a different experience and the way things go is very different. It’s a different thing when you show up. You show up and you don’t know what’s going to happen. Is there a PA there? Are people going to be able to find this place?

And then also the most important reason about not playing a traditional venue is it puts the focus on the music, not on alcohol sales. And there’s a focus in the audience that you just don’t get at a bar.

Stylus: Say hypothetically Taylor booked a show somewhere David was banned from.

What would you do?

DS: Buy a fake moustache. A lot of the venues I’ve been kicked out of aren’t around anymore. Red Cactus I got thrown out Uncle Phil style. They grabbed me by the strap of my pants and threw me out the back door. And then Manic Shakes accidentally put a hole in the stage at The Cheer, so we can’t go back there.

Stylus: So your first release in on cassette?

TBB: This is our first release. We had some songs up on Souncloud but those are just demos to let people know what we sound like and to make it easier to book shows.

DS: When we started we had a meeting where we set a bunch of goals and one of them was to do a cassette release. Our sound just feels better on cassette tape. It’s not an ironic “oh nobody listens to

April/May 2014 Stylus Magazine

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BY HARRISON SAMPHIR

1994 was an important year for hip hop. Nas dropped Illmatic. Biggie released Ready to Die. OutKast ushered in a new era of southern rap with its debut Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. It was the last gasp of hip hop’s Golden Age: the pinnacle and apex of rhyming, beat selecting and political consciousness that combined to produce some of the choicest cuts and finest albums of all time. Not every one of them was a commercial success, but many of 1994‘s underground releases gained critical acclaim, lasting recognition and major props. In this installment of Stylus Magazine’s Hip Hop Retrospective, we look into the not-so-distant past and dig up some memorable, if not lucrative, albums of that period. Word is bond...

Artifacts Between a Rock and a Hard Place Big Beat Records “Deep dark and black like the magnum I pack/It’s that Artifacts chat from the wrong side of da tracks” Long before they were known as the Artifacts, emcees Tame One and El Da Sensei were tagging trains in the Newark, NJ rail yard, spitting battle raps and celebrating the four elements of hip hop. Between a Rock and a Hard Place is the duo’s debut album produced by Buckwild (Diggin’ in the Crates Crew) and T-Ray (Soul Assassins), and celebrates b-boy and graffiti culture with hard-nosed rhymes over roughneck beats. On “Wrong Side of da Tracks”, Tame and El rap about colour tips, ink spray and running from the cops, while “Lower da Boom” is a dusky, reflective joint about the benefits of blazing herb. These Brick City Kids split up after the release of That’s Them in ’97, but like their all city burners, the hits on this record won’t soon be forgotten. Listen on vinyl for a transcendent experience.

Casual Fear Itself Jive “Once I get in it, I’ll put my soul in/I believe I deceive just to leave your ears swollen” There’s no denying that among Oakland’s Hiero-

18 Stylus Magazine April/May 2014

glyphics crew, Del tha Funkee Homosapien enjoyed the most commercial success, but who can forget the collective’s second-highest charting (and arguably best) album, Casual’s Fear Itself? Regarded for its sinuous lyrical delivery, freestyle battle raps and innumerable metaphors, the 16 track record isn’t just a rhyme showcase, but a relic of the drum heavy, raw sound that characterized West Coast underground rap in the mid-‘90s. Casual’s greatest strength lies in his poetic ability to spit stream of consciousness raps while maintaining a cohesive narrative in songs like “That’s How It Is” and “Lose in the End.” The effortless movement and unshakable poise led to a well-known beef with Golden State Project emcee Saafir, but you already know who came out on top.

Da Youngsta’s No Mercy EastWest “Spillin’ lyrics like Exxon in the ocean/I got the potion, stoppin’ you in your motion” It’s hard to imagine a trio of fourteen year-olds devised the intricate rhyme patterning and raucous delivery on No Mercy, but Da Youngsta’s are also somewhat of an anomaly in hip hop history. Despite coming up at the same time as fellow teens Kriss Kross, the Illy Philly Funkstaz displayed a ruggedness and maturity well beyond their years.

Tarik Dawson, Taji “Taj Mahal” Goodman and his brother Quran released four records from the earlyto mid-‘90s, earning top-10 status on the Hot Rap Singles chart until disbanding after the commercial failure of I’ll Make U Famous in 1995. No Mercy shines with production by Marley Marl and K-Def, and each track unfolds with strong verses and topdrawer hooks. The video for leadoff track “Hip Hop Ride” is especially memorable – in it Taji sports a vintage Winnipeg Jets jersey.

M.O.P. To the Death Select Records “M.O.P. goin’ out till the end/This is how we separate

the boys from the men” Although M.O.P. is best known for its party anthem “Ante Up”, the duo composed of emcees Billy Danze and Lil’ Fame chose 1994 as the year to lay the groundwork for hip hop’s strongest hardcore rep with To the Death. Produced almost entirely

by Brownsville, NY native DR Period (Darryl Pittman), this debut record is 15 tracks of rough rhymes, rugged beats and a take-no-prisoners disposition. The banging kick drums and horns on “How About Some Hardcore” demonstrate the aesthetic, while “Drama Lord” is one of the greatest two-verse joints in rap history: “Creep through the town, checkin out the scene/Index finger on the trigger of a submachine/So don’t ever harass me, or put nothin past me/Cause you’ll be the next when I blast, gee.”

Paris Guerrilla Funk Priority “Listen to the man cause the man is coming right/PDog is in the house until them brothers see the light” Oscar Jackson Jr., otherwise known as Paris, once said “Hip hop is supposed to be a discussion between the artist and the audience... Hip hop, to me anyway, is at its best when it’s aggressive and when it’s topical; when it touches on issues that are of concern to people.” Forever an artist who defied convention, Paris never compromised his political views and integrity for major label riches. On Guerrilla Funk, the Bay Area rapper’s third album, his fusion of militancy, intellect and self-produced G-funk beats reaches a powerful crescendo. Paris, like the Black Panthers before him, speaks about the anxieties of poverty, class and inner-city violence, looming with the confident flow of a wise storyteller. From street bangers like “It’s Real” to true school musings on the spread of mindless gangster rap (“Whatcha See?”), Guerrilla Funk remains a West Coast classic brimming with timeless and vital messages. “How many brothers gotta die before we see? United we stand, divided there’s misery.”

Local Spotlight

GREG REKUS Punkoustic You may have heard of Greg Rekus on account of his Winnipeg birth and all. Winnipeggers just happen to know Winnipeggers. You know how it is. There are only so many hot spots where all the music lovers go, so chances of missing each other are slim. If so, you probably drink too much. Anyway, Punkoustic is pretty self explanatory. It’s Rekus on an acoustic guitar, belting out punk songs. There’s also some other people playing back up instruments but like, whatever, who cares, punk. If you’re a veteran punk growing up, you’ll enjoy this calmer version. If you’re young, you’ll probably enjoy it too. Sometimes it’s nice to have a break within the genre without having to change the genre. It opens the punk world up to a lot more people who say, might not dig the loud, sloppy feels of yelling about life and politics and booze all the time. Personally, though, I always dig em. (Deafwish, deafwish. com/) Kaitlyn Emslie Farrell

ROCK LAKE III I find that lately there are so many bands cramming my social networking with claims of being rock and roll.

“We’re rock and roll,” they say. A great man once told me you can’t try to be rock and roll, you just are. Rock Lake does it best and III is a showcase of that. It’s no nonsense from guitarist Jan Quackenbush, bassist Daniel Pangman and drummer Joe Warkentin. The riffs on III are the sweetest they’ve ever been. “Monotone” is short with fantastic melodies and a nice little solo thrown in. I find Jan’s guitar

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work always satisfying with little fills strewn throughout. What I like about this record and this band is the lack of posturing. They just play music that they like and they play it well. Pangman is constantly in the pocket driving the songs forward while Warkentin keeps it all together. For me it all really comes together on “Fartheast Reaches” and “What Time Is It.” “Fartheast Reaches” is the shortest epic rock song I’ve ever heard. I felt the journey that it took me on was amazing and it was under two minutes, kinda like I’d imagine what being on Salvia would be like. The album closer “What Time is It” is that album closer that so many bands strive for but ultimately fail to achieve. There’s no bullshit here, just 23 minutes of great music. It makes my 16 Selkirk bus ride all that much better. Listen to it twice in a row, it’s even better that way.

One of the best albums of 2014 from any band on any planet. (Eat Em Up Records, eatemuprecords.bandcamp. com) James Korba

KEVIN ROY Taller Than The Trees Kevin Roy’s debut EP is pure bluegrass bliss of the singer-songwriter variety. Despite his considerable guitar talents (Roy was Kayla Luky’s lead guitarist), there are no new grass breakdowns or old time high lonesome moans. The sound is crisp and clean, the notes are bright and clear as day, a perfect match for his country boy next door vocals. Roy sings a song like he telling a story for the first time over morning coffee. Taller Than The Trees is very pleasant set of tales that are just as enjoyable and engaging no matter how many times you hear them. It’s worth noting that it was recorded with Lloyd Peterson, who has a real ability to zero in on the elements in the music that resonate with an audience and bring them to the forefront. Overall, it’s an upbeat album. Even when love is lost or the environment is threatened, Roy’s looking at the road ahead with a sense of optimism. (Independent, kevinroymusic.com) broose tulloch

DISTANCES Boulders If you haven’t heard of Winnipeg band Distances yet, this EP will be putting them in the spotlight. Boulders is a melodic pop-punk fan’s wet dream. In just three songs, Distances are able to bring you right into the heart and soul of their band.

Think you’re good at coming up with harmonies? Chances are they’ve already got it covered. They are dead on and extremely powerful. They have four members who contribute to vocals on this album, each with a very distinct and complimenting sound to one another. It makes this EP ideal for the sing-along lovers, which we know is a must have for this genre. Even their guitars are singing perfectly in harmony.

With the many different parts and interludes in each song, it’s obvious these five guys are not new to the game; even though the band has only been together since 2012. Distances have the pop-punk/melodic posthardcore sound dialed, they are definitely showcasing some serious talent that’s right up there with the best of them. It leaves you wanting more, which I’m sure was part of the plan for the Boulders EP. This is a musthave. (Independent, distancesmusic. bandcamp.com) Jenna Priestner

NAYSA Troubled Heart Naysa isn’t an unfamiliar band to me.

These guys and gal are a lot of fun to hang around. You’ll get the same feeling starting off with the first track “Troubled Heart” on their third release, an EP of the same title. This is

a song you wanna clap along to. With poppy-rock feels Naysa is the music you’d want playing on the radio while relaxing in your Wolseley home on a bright, sunny Sunday afternoon. The second track, “It’s Nice to Meet You,” calms things down a bit from track one and allows you to swing your head back and forth. It finishes with a bit of quick plucking on the guitar, which speeds you into track three “Friday on my Own.” The feeling gets brought back up again to a little more upbeat and you start bopping again.

But when the final track, “Push me Aside” comes around, which is mainly Hailey’s keyboard skills and vocals, you’re reminded that Naysa can get serious. “Push me Aside” doesn’t sound like the rest of Naysa songs, being slower and melodic, but who’s afraid of a little change? I like Naysa.

(Airis Productions, thebandnaysa. com) Kaitlyn Emslie Farrell

SEBASTIAN OWL Nowhere In Particular Sebastian Owl delivers a gem of album with Nowhere In Particular. 11 tracks of dreamy Band/Byrds psychedelic roots-rock without a stone in the lode. The reverb and harmonies warm up the songs like a fireplace in the winter, contrasting with darker titles like “Rotting Road” and “The Disease.” It’s a nicely layered and full, but not oversaturated sound. And sometimes they just rock out, as in “Between The River And The Bridge” or the western-flavoured “Pretty Poison.” It’s so easy to get lost in the laid back sound that the depth of the lyrics can catch you off guard, albeit in a good way, not too abstract or heavy.

Their third album in as many years is a gritty mosaic of real people dealing with everyday struggles, usually affairs of the heart, such as difficult love, longing just to be home, or pining for the country in the wistful ballad “City Bird.” Recommended for fans of the Micah Erenberg, the Band, The Byrds, and JD Edwards. (Independent, reverbnation.com/sebastianowl) broose tulloch

April/May 2014 Stylus Magazine

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Root Cellar

LYDIA LOVELESS Somewhere Else Lydia Loveless has dealt with a constant stream of critics going on and on about how much she sounds like Neko Case, but I’m sorry: Somewhere Else is way, way better than the latter’s most recent effort. Loveless has a penchant for dark, romantic narratives, and while that kind of thing can be easily fumbled with lesser songwriters, she hits the mark straight from the first guitar blast of “Really Wanna See You,” a rollicking first-person fistpumper detailing a coked up drunk dial to a former lover. On “Verlaine Shot Rimbaud,” she comes right out and confronts that obsessive, irrational sort of love (that’s the good stuff ): “Well Verlaine shot Rimbaud ‘cause he loved him so/honey, that’s how I love you/well Verlaine shot Rimbaud ‘cause he loved him so/honey, that’s how I wanna go.” And on “Head” she manages to find a way to make oral sex sound paradoxically sad and awesome when she wails, “Don’t stop, get in my bed/well, honey don’t stop getting undressed/don’t stop, get in my bed/well, honey don’t stop giving me head.”

What carries Somewhere Else is, simply, Loveless’ magnetic voice – able to make leaps and bounds from painfully, delicately nimble and tragic to ferociously powerful. By the time she sings “Please stop tellin’ me to turn it down, ‘cause it ain’t that loud/and I haven’t felt like singin’ in a long, long time,” on the sparse standout “Everything’s Gone,” you’ll be more than ready to clock anyone who tries to touch the volume knob. (Bloodshot Records, lydialoveless.com) Matt Williams GUNNER & SMITH He Was Once A Good Man Wind whips across the icy prairie in the silence between stories on Gunner & Smith’s debut full length. In the narrative tradition that flows, beneath frozen rivers, from Robert Service to the Deep Dark Woods’ Ryan Boldt (who serves as producer

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here) and back up countless tributaries, Geoffrey Smith & Co lay out ten tales full of cold cabins, loaded guns, and heart-ache. While looking, unflinching, at the bleak melancholy of a neverending winter, Gunner & Smith still find the flash and spark that make life worth celebrating. While there are no outright barn-burners here, “Open Door” is bound to flood the dancefloor of any worthwhile honky tonk and “River of Stone” opens with a Sadies-like riff before unfolding into a hootenanny ready duet. Boldt’s influence is subtle, giving the songs room to breathe, as in the brooding “Nothing That’s Mine,” though his touch can certainly be felt on the slow burning lead guitar tones throughout. Overall, a powerful debut from yet another band that’s bound to put Saskatoon on the musical map. Would love to check these folks out live, either inside the cramped walls of the Times or out beneath some summer stars. (Independent, gunnerandsmithmusic.com) Sheldon Birnie

KIM HARRIS Only the Mighty “In the woods, I find peace.” Thus begins Kim Harris’s debut album Only the Mighty, and what a peaceful journey it is. Originally from Newfoundland but now based in Halifax, Harris brings to the table East Coast earnesty, honesty, and sensibilities, while producer Dale Murray (Cuff the Duke, Christina Martin) creates a beautifully warm sound that brings out the emotional nature of the instruments and Harris’s soulful, humble voice.

One of the highlights of the album, “In the Woods,” is upbeat, catchy, and supported by superb backing vocals.

A great example of the potential that this new artist can achieve, the track is reminiscent of a childhood run in the forest; carefree, unknown, and adventurous. The following track and lead-off single “The Weight of it All” is a distinct change of pace.

Beautifully expressive piano drives this song as it builds up to tell the story of abandonment and reunion. A

subtle slide guitar passes in between Harris’s stunning vocals and lifts the song to new heights. “Dust” sounds like a song you would hear from a local band at a Halifax pub, prompting you to grab your drink and get up and dance alongside everyone else.

“Oh my love is a lion, where bravery stands / with a heart like a bison fell to my waiting, wavering hand,” Harris and Murray sing on another amazing standout track “Oh Lion,” an ode to a lover, either current or past.

Overall, Only the Mighty is a strong debut from a talented new artist. It does, however, suffer from a slowed down pace in the second half, coupled with repetitive musical themes that prevent this album from being more solid front to back. A good pick-up for anyone who loves that authentic East Coast sound. (Independent, kimharris.bandcamp.com/) Dave Guennette WHITE ASH FALLS Over The Night The press release included with this CD calls Andy Bishop (who is White Ash Falls) “one of Vancouver’s most sought-after sidemen,” but that should soon change. With his sophomore solo effort Over The Night, Bishop makes it clear that there’s no reason for him to be relegated to the side of the stage. He deserves to be right up at the front.

It seems like a mostly country record, due in no small part to Bishop’s twangy, wavering vocals, but that would be simplifying it too much.

There are elements of gospel (“I Have Been Received”), ‘70s rock (“When She Rides”), hit-the-road honky-tonk (“Lock The Door”), and straight-up, down-home, foot-stomping blues (“Ain’t It Gone My Home”). Like a lot of seasoned sidemen and session players, Bishop clearly has a kung-fu grip on production and arrangement, both of which feel organic, meticulously crafted, and lush without being muddled. A laundry list of solid collaborators, such as Louise Burns (ex-Lillix), Erin Passmore (Rah Rah), and three members of Yukon Blonde does the album no disservice either.

All of these elements come together best on “That List Is Too Long,” a slow burning waltz that floats along on thick organ tremolo, leading each verse to a knock-out chorus heavy on crystal clear harmonies, with Bishop’s big voice calling down the spotlight, eyes to the sky. (Light Organ Records, whiteashfalls.com) Matt Williams

NUDIE Remember This Veteran Canadian country picker and songwriter Nudie returns with a sophomore solo release, Remember This. Nudie is contemporary country music written, recorded and performed as an homage to classic country—think Daniel Romano or Jonny Fritz—and he accomplishes the task admirably. His songwriting is strong throughout the album, the arrangements tasteful and the performances tight. “Sex Kisses” would get the dust up off most honky tonk dance floors. “Pawn Shop” is a clever down and outer, while the title track has all the makings for a tear-in-your-beer ballad. What Remember This lacks, though, is the flash of a spark to ignite the whole package, to burn it into the listener’s memory. Nudie comes dang close with this one, but then again this ain’t horseshoes we’re playing, here. (Independent, nudiemusic.com) Sheldon Birnie STEPHEN

FEARING & ANDY WHITE Tea and Confidences Tea and Confidences is the second collaboration between Irish folksinger Andy White and Blackie and the Rodeo Kings’ Stephen Fearing, who met backstage at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. As successful and well-respected artists in their own right, they have nothing to prove, and only themselves to please. The music and words come so naturally, as if by instinct over the course of a conversation that you never guess the songs were hammered out over the course of two short writing sessions. They aren’t reinventing the wheel, just giving you a smoother ride with subtle wordplay and phrases that are beautiful in their simplicity and a full sound that doesn’t overpower their voices. Over the course of 11 tracks, Tea and Confidences, Fearing and White go from gentle harmonies (“Another Time Another Place”) to Blackie-lie rockers (“We Came Together”) to toe-tappers (“Secret Of A Long Lasting Love”). All in all,

it another fine blend of blue-rock and folk for the duo. (Near North, fearingandwhite.com) broose tulloch LIVINGSTON Artificially Intelligent Folk Songs Of Canada, Vol.1 Livingston is the musical experiment designed by a folklorist and a computer scientist with the goal of

generating new distinctly Canadian folk music with a computer. Their computer program has access to the “totality of Canadian folk music” and then produces lyrics and chord progressions, along with “supplementary instructions.” Interpreting and performing this computer-generated music is left to actual humans. Funded by the Ontario Arts Council, this

man-machine collaboration has released the results, Artificially Intelligent Folk Songs Of Canada, Vol.1, and made them available as a free download from their website folksingularity.com. To some extent Livingston is successful. They’ve identified and reassembled the main components of Canadian folk music, and it’s not bad. But there’s something missing,

the hook. While entertaining enough, none of the songs is able to make a real connection with a listener. It’s a fantastic experiment though, and from that perspective an interesting body of music. The entire process is well-documented online and worth checking out just for the neat-o factor.

(Independent, folksingularity.com) broose tulloch

Sphere’s human name), you’ve got my attention. Not that I’m an electronic music expert, but what really kept me interested throughout Ghosts of Then and Now is the transitional pace between songs. You just never get bored.

No two songs are alike and there is no quick build or slow decline from one side to the other. The inconsistencies are it’s strength. This album, really, is composed like the structure of a film.

And I’d watch that film, but it probably wouldn’t make it to the Oscars, cause it’d scare the shit out of Hollywood. (NinjaTune, ninjatune.net) Kaitlyn Emslie Farrell

magnificent moments of beautiful and meditative psychedelics. Electronics, mandolins, and guitars wind through each other and grow grand and tall. It is exciting to discover just how good McGuire is at playing the guitar. He is an excellent guitarist who has great taste in electronic samples and field recordings that are spliced throughout his dreamlike electric guitar tone. Along The Way is inspiring yet simultaneously disheartening for any aspiring musician.

Listening to his understated and cool guitar playing you immediately want to start a band, only to discover that you will never be able to make your guitar sound so delicate and heady.

The liner notes of the album state that “this story is an odyssey through the vast, unknown regions of the mind.”

Since this is a mainly instrumental

album, these words flood one’s mind and act as their own individual textures playing subconsciously as the album progresses. For an album of deep exploration, the sounds remain consistently positive and upbeat, which is a welcome step outside of the heart wrenching sounds of most postrock that could be compared to McGuire’s work. Along The Way sounds a lot like the work of Ducktails and Real Estate but without the slacker vibe. Instead of using old reverby guitar amps and pedals to sound like a smoky basement, McGuire dances around with boundless electronics and synthesizer textures interwoven with his guitar, resulting in a majestic listening experience that does not tire.

(Dead Oceans, deadoceans.com) Gil Carroll

supposed to be a letter from Martel to his granddaughter, Kit. In a blog post, he explains that the album idea came to him when he was walking across Spain and found a place called the deadcoast. Martel is more of a concept album than anything else.

The narrative doesn’t really make sense without checking Malinowski’s website or blog. Its eighteen tracks are divided into two parts: Atlantic and Pacific. On the website and cover art, each song is numbered is placed on a different spot on the map, making every song a letter from Martel to Kit about the places he has been, from “The Shadow of St-Malo” to “Dying Californian.” Not surprisingly, the most of the songs sounds like sea chanties. Although some of them are come off as a little strange and short, like “Main-a-Dieu” and “Les Bas Fonds (Paris Syndrome),” which both run no longer than a minute and

thirty seconds. Martel goes through everything from sea chanty “Dying Californian,” which was the standout track for me, to the flamenco inspired “Carnival Celebration #2.” While it can seem a bit confusing and runs a little long, the album features some winners and makes for an easy listen.

(Pirates Blend Record Inc, jaymalinowski.com) Martyna Turczynowicz

Ulteriors

ILLUM SPHERE Ghosts of Then and Now I picked up this album for its Psycho, Hitchcock-esque looking album art.

When I popped it in it began with an appropriately ominous and eerie track “Liquesce,” that sounded straight out of an experimental, horror movie. It even ended with the quick draw of a breath. Alright Ryan Hunn (Illum

MARK MCGUIRE Along The Way Mark McGuire’s debut album explores space and sound by using moments of silence, which expand into

Under the Needle EAMON MCGRATH Exile, Part 2 Getting drunk in a dive bar in the bad part of town. Waking up on a hard, filthy floor. Dusting yourself off and taking a long, cold look in the mirror before gearing up for more. That’s the vibe this dirtbag gets from Exile, Part 2, where Eamon McGrath continues his year long campaign of digital releases with this rollicking installment.

“Canadian Shield” hammers home barren road imagery with the force of meteorites hammering the barren, prehistoric landscape beneath the aurora borealis. “Paper Boats” is a delirious rocker, reminiscent of Nick Cave’s work with Grinderman. The EP’s closer is the very Boss-like acoustic affair “Running from the Cops.”

Combined with the three tracks off Part 1, the ambitious experiment that is Exile is shaping up to be a worthy follow-up to 2011’s excellent Young

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Canadians, and has this writer itching to hear the third installment. (Aporia, eamonmcgrath.ca) Sheldon Birnie

JAY MALINOWSKI & THE DEADCOAST Martel Jay Malinowski & The Deadcoast’s latest album, Martel is a collection of fictional letters-as-songs. Moving away from Bedouin Soundclash, the singer’s project pays homage to his grandfather, Martel. Each song is

SALLY SELTMANN Hey Daydreamer The vivid, saturated colours that surround the lone sepia tone woman on the front of Hey Daydreamer are no visual miscues – the record maintains a sonic equivalent to their same brightness and vibrancy. Sally Seltmann’s second album released under her own name spills over with upbeat and diverse instrumentation, sometimes betraying the more serious lyri-

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cal sentiments that the tunes are dealing with.

Hey Daydreamer weaves a whimsical path through bells, whistles, chimes, and every other instrument you could likely find in an elementary school music classroom. Sometimes it can seem a bit saccharine, but that’s usually quickly turned around by a turn of melody. Seltmann is a brilliant arranger, and it’s not hard to hear how much work went into a record that feels so effortless and breezy. The album really hits its stride around the middle, starting with “Dear Mr. Heartless,” a gorgeous pop gem that finds a way to conjure up a hazy new millennium Beatles feeling thanks to some well-crafted orchestration and a little bit of harpsichord. “Right Back Where I Started From” is a delicate, sparse track that opens up in the middle to layers and layers of wordless sighs, throbbing piano, and chimes that make you feel like you’re ascending through some massive, neon green forest until you hit the tops of the trees and– there it is. The sun.

In spite of its (mostly) light instrumentation, Hey Daydreamer deals with some heavy concepts, with offkilter breakup song “Billy” and the not-at-all-vague “I Will Not Wear Your Wedding Ring.” But Seltmann heads out on a positive note in the closing bars of “States and Spaces,” as she sings “a heart that’s wild is what I’m drawn to/and I’ll never regret falling in love with you,” to the twinkle of piano keys. (Arts & Crafts, sallyseltmann.com) Matt Williams

KIM CHURCHILL Silence Win Australian Kim Churchill delivers his third studio album, the haunting and exceptional Silence Win. Churchill’s soaring beach rock vocals are well paired with skilled producer Warne Livesey (Midnight Oil, Matthew Good) to offer a well crafted work.

The lead track, “Single Spark,” lights the fire and sets the tone for the album, while “You Are Lost” and “Rage” have an achingly authentic feel that put Churchill’s storytelling and songwriting abilities on full display. Silence Win has remarkable musical depth and clarity to make it a breath of fresh air in a world of over-produced, radio ready pop singles. Although

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Churchill is an emerging talent with far more room to grow as an artist, Silence Win is a commendable and memorable effort. (Fontana North, kimchurchill.com) Jeremy Johnson

THUMPERS Galore Galore, the full-length debut from London-based (UK) band Thumpers is kind of like swiping through the aural equivalent of the Instagram feed of someone who is on a really “cool” vacation – everything is rosy, washed out, and completely devoid of much substance at all. While the duo lyrically aim toward a “don’t let tonight end” sort of attitude, you get the feeling that neither of these guys could convince a would-be lover to watch the sun come up with them on even the most epic of all-nights. In short, it’s tame, sterile, and lacking any sort of guts.

There are tracks that evoke a bit of Broken Social Scene (without the heart-wrenching emotion) sonically, or Japandroids (without a shred of the immediacy) thematically, which kind of renders it a drip in a gigantic sea of the same sort of indie-pop they seem to be imitating (Animal Collective and whatever electro-pop band of the moment). It’s all very bouncy and full ‘o spunk, but to no affecting end.

The lyrics are cringeworthy at best, nauseating at worst – “by the field, on the park, I broke my arm/and when I did it made a precious sound” (“Sound of Screams”).

I will give it this: there is a cool guitar break partway through “Dancing’s Done.”

If you wear collared shirts with the top button done up but no tie (seriously, how is that comfortable? The first thing you do when you walk out of a wedding or something that necessitates a suit is to loosen your tie and undo your top button) then you might be into this. (Sub Pop, thumpers.com) Matt Williams SECRET COLOURS Positive Distractions Parts I & II Originating from the Windy City of Chicago, Secret Colours are set to release the newest version of their psych-pop sound in the form of a double-EP, Positive Distractions Parts I & II, their third and fourth efforts

after 2010’s eponymous debut and 2013’s Peach. Having slimmed down to a four-piece from the sextet that graced the previous two releases, the band looks to put together a “leaner, meaner” sound.

Highlights of Part I include “Take it Slow,” a delightfully bouncy psychpop tune with beautiful flangerdrenched guitars and a catchy bass line that surrounds an uplifting chorus full of angelic harmonies that lead into an uptempo outro that will leave you tapping your foot and singing along, mostly because you’ll have the song stuck in your head for days after you hear it. The fourth track “Monster” is a slight change of pace from the first three songs of the album.

A more laid-back acoustic track, the song shows how the band is not a onetrick pony of upbeat pop songs, and can truly work with different dynamics within the band to create different moods and feelings. “Get to the Sun” sounds like what would happen if you locked members of Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Sleepy Sun in a studio and had them record a song. It has all the grandiose and space of the former, mixed with the studio production and depth of the latter. “Rotten Summer” closes Part I, which almost sounds like a song The Black Angels would do if they decided to take a “sunnier” approach to their sound.

Part II is a similar affair, understandable since both of these EPs were recorded around the same time and with the same ideas in mind. “Into You” opens up the second part with the upbeat bounce that is found on most of both of the EPs, which is then followed by “I Know What You Want,” which sounds like a song The Beatles could have released in their early years, especially when the vocal harmonies in the chorus kick in. The whole affair is ends with the title track “Positive Distractions,” which starts of with an acoustic guitar reminiscent of Led Zeppelin’s “Gallows Pole,” but quickly gets back to the consistent

sound that permeates the rest of these two EPs. Overall, Positive Distractions Parts I & II are collections of enjoyable pop songs that are perfectly suited for a warm summer’s day or night. Though there’s nothing that really jumps out in the sense of innovation, Secret Colours is a band that should be kept on the radar for future releases. (Independent, secretcolours.com) Dave Guennette NO El Prado Before releasing its 2011 debut EP, Don’t Worry, You’ll Be Here Forever, Los Angeles six-piece NO was a relatively unknown indie rock band with few aspirations beyond writing atmospheric songs buttressed by evocative songwriting. But after a series of successful years touring with the likes of Best Coast and Father John Misty, the group led by Bradley Hanan Carter (vocals) has released a memorable full length debut on Arts & Crafts called El Prado. Carter’s voice has already been compared to those of Matt Berninger (The National) and Paul Banks (Interpol), but NO’s impact is felt through a combination of organic parts: the swelling guitars of Reese Richardson, Ryan Lallier and Simon Oscroft, the adept drumming of Michael Walker and proficient bass lines of Daniel Stentz provide an elegant constellation of forces revolving around the vocals. Of the storytelling on El Prado there is much to say, and upon multiple listens it becomes difficult to reject any likeness to Berninger. Carter unabashedly exposes listeners to his self-consciousness and regrets, but harmonizes them with hopeful, confident tunes. On “What’s Your Name,” an example of the former, Carter recalls a fleeting romance, “Tell me darling I can’t stay/Turned around and she said/Can’t you tell me what’s your name/I’m singing of a lonesome/Of a lonesome day.” El Prado is at once a charming display NO

PHOTO BY CASEY BENNET

of songwriting, and again a gratifying piece of music that proves comparisons can tell only half the story.

Indeed, NO has perfected a sound all its own. (Arts & Crafts, arts-crafts.ca) Harrison Samphir

KEVIN DREW Darlings The newest solo offering from Broken Social Scene’s de facto ringleader does nothing to dispel the notion that he’s still indie-rock’s biggest hearton-your-sleeve (and, self-admittedly, failed) romantic. From the first lines on the album’s excellent quick-draw opener, Drew makes it apparent that some things just don’t change: “get the body butter, baby let’s go party all alone/you can feel the lights, they’re comin’ on and off and on.” He’s still singing about “bad business transactions, bodily fluids, and courage,” but

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it’s tighter, more streamlined, and somehow, even more intimate than it’s been in the past.

Darlings is full of the bedroom rock made Drew’s other projects, K.C. Accidental and BSS, famous, but with less sonic stitching than the former, and less bombast than the latter. It has a special kind of force and intimacy, one less suited to mass musical love-ins than sitting across from someone in the dark with your clothes off, fumbling through a moment. First single, “Good Sex,” with its heavy background synth, pounding drums, and simple piano keeps things literal: “good sex, it never makes you feel hollow/good sex, it never makes you feel clean,” juxtaposed against the sweet but heavy coda, “I’m still breathin’ with you, baby.” “Bullshit Ballad” is maybe the closest it gets to a BSS song on the record, a layer-theguitars and keep-the-drums-simple head-nodder. “You In Your Were” might be the best track on the record: a big, hazy-but-straight tune, with call-to-arms kick and toms holding together a slurry synth lick, building and building until it explodes, with background vocals courtesy of the inimitable Leslie Feist.

While Darlings doesn’t break any new ground, it’s an excellent example

of why breaking new ground isn’t always good or necessary. Remember, you have to feel it in your stomach first, and amidst a sea of sometimes soulless wankery and posed intimacy, Darlings shines as something that will punch you right in it. (Arts & Crafts, arts-crafts.ca) Matt Williams

YELLOW OSTRICH Cosmos The inspiration for Cosmos comes, literally, from a place that’s not of this world: singer/guitarist Alex Schaaf spent nine months devoting himself to exploring the galaxy in a small room in which the lighting was altered to reflect the arrival and passing of daylight in the morning and night, and studying astronomers such as Carl Sagan and Frank Drake. The result is a thoroughly engaging disc full of guitar-driven alt-rock that pulses,

expands, and collapses through a sincere amazement of day-to-day life.

“Shades” is a little slice of swagger on the record, built on a brutally simple, jagged guitar riff, echoey synth and heavy percussion, thumping its way to the end with a climactic piano breakdown. Unfortunately, directly after, Cosmos lags a bit with some slower numbers (“My Moons”, “You Are The Stars”) that are good but don’t hold up well against the other tracks. The ‘70s psychedelic pop influence is big in a good way, pumping along on tunes like “Any Wonder” and “How Do You Do It.” “Things Are Fallin’,” the penultimate song, is one of the best on the album, starting as a sweet, sparse ballad, and evolving into a reverb-laden noise monster of wailing guitars and spastic drums.

On an album with its head in the stars, the most grounded song is saved for last. “Don’t Be Afraid” sends Cosmos out on a soft note, trading in the noise for a single, striking melody laid on top of gentle finger-picked guitar and synth, with Schaaf reassuring the listener at the end, “you bring all your friends/when you reach the end/so don’t be afraid.” (Barsuk Records, yellowostrich.com) Matt Williams

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PHOTO MANIPULATED BY ANDREW MAZURAK

FEAR OF

MUSIC Righteous Sounds: Determining the Surprising Success of PonoMusic

By Devin King

It’s March 14th at 8:33pm – three days into Neil

Young’s one month funding drive for the new Pono Music Player. The goal was $800,000 but in the first three days it’s already raised an extraordinary $3,315,512. What does this mean? Upon reflection, I see three possible answers.

First, the overwhelming success thus far might be attributed to the overt celebrity endorsements that came along with it. With Neil Young as its champion, Pono attracted names such as Bruce Springsteen, Jack White, Emmylou Harris and more. By bringing musicians to the forefront, the attempt is being made to show Pono’s credibility. It’s not just record label tools who want to make money trying to sell you this; musicians actually think this is a good thing. Related to this Young himself seems to be trying to save music itself from the horror of low encoding rates. In this, it’s another sort of rockist retreat to the past; a glory time of music. The musicians selected are generally of the Great Old Age of music, with some exceptions. If we’re not suckered in by celebrity endorsements, maybe this is part of our subconscious attempt to reclaim rock’s greatness.

Most will say that this campaign is popular due to a desire for higher fidelity of music. Pono isn’t the first to the HD music game, with sites like HDtracks existing for awhile, to say nothing of the various releases that claim to have higher quality of sound (such as the 24k Gold CDs.) While it might be the first to make it easily portable, there’s still many questions around how high fidelity these files will actually be. Some have noted that given the 128 gigs of storage may not hold a significant amount of music, depending on how the songs are compressed.

Though PonoMusic CEO John Hamm (no, not that one) seems to be saying that the high-quality .flac files sold on PonoMusic will not be compressed, there is some skepticism. The claim that the PonoPlayer can hold 500-1000 albums doesn’t square with the fact that uncompressed albums stored in a similar 128 gig player often top out at 500 – which seems to indicate that the Pono files aren’t as HD as

24 Stylus Magazine April/May 2014

can be. If it is fidelity people are after, they ought to be answering more questions.

Most likely, though, we’re seeing some combination of the two, with a healthy element of living in an age of excess where we lay down our money for any shiny new product. There’s a reason that every piece of technology, from video game consoles to phones, sell out – because the hype around them is so huge, and our propensity to spend is so high, that part of the societal narrative is that we must buy these items. It used to be – in that golden age of

music – that everyone would go out and buy Harvest and listen to it and talk about it and experience it at once. Now, we’re all buying the tools to listen to Harvest. And we’re probably re-buying Harvest too, in some sort of HD format.

As I was sitting writing this, another $5000 was contributed to the Pono Kickstarter. It’s pretty remarkable, since the player itself mostly looks like a baby toy with headphones attached. There’s a lot of compelling reasons to jump onboard; even if they don’t have anything to do with music itself.

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