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August / September 2018 Stylus Magazine
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AUG/SEPT 29 NO. 3 2018 VOL
Production Team
On the Cover
Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gil Carroll
EKENE MADUKA is a fine artist whose practice focuses on large scale oil paintings. Her works focus on topics related to nostalgia, memory, culture and feminism.
Assistant Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . Jen Doerksen
See more of Ekene’s work on Instagram @ekenemaduka.
Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kelly Campbell Cover Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ekene Maduka Advertising Contact . . . . . . . . . Rob Schmidt manager@ckuw.ca Print by JRS Print Services . . . 204-232-3558
Contributors Zoe Lebrun Olivia Michalczuk Chris Bryson Lexi Minuk Ryan Haughey Alex Hodor-Lee Nigel Webber Greg Arcade Renee Batson Matt Harrison Graeme Houssin
Stylus is published bi–monthly by CKUW 95.9 FM, 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 Writing submissions: editor@stylusmagazine.ca Graphics submissions: design@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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Table of Contents Blah, Blah, Blah Events Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CKUW Program Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CKUWho Barking Dog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Space Jam Sophie Stevens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Winnipeg State of Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reviews Kakagi // ATLAAS // + more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CKUW Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Features Girls Rock Winnipeg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Homesick for Winnipeg Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hoot Owl Music Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Winnipeg Folk Fest 2018 Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Winnipeg Folk Fest Saturday Night Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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August / September 2018 Stylus Magazine
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BLAHBLAHBLAH ***Check out all this amazing live music from summer music festivals to the best back to school events***Start off your August with Cassidy Mann, Arenas and Philip Nduwku at The Good Will on August 1***Islendingadagurinn, or Icelandic Fest is back in Gimli with a stacked weekend of music at multiple stages from August 3-5***August 10 at the Good Will catch Shotgun Jimmie with Spooky Eyes and Veneer or over at Forth check out Urban Vacation and Baseball Hero (First show!) celebrate the
release of UV’s debut album***Bands as Bands is back August 11 at The Good Will***August 15 at Rookies Sports Bar catch Whalehammer, Doors and Fours, and the Strange Things*** Rainbow Trout Music Festival celebrates 10 years with an incredible lineup and a beautiful atmosphere and vibe featuring Anemone, Living Hour, Black Cloud, Odd Outfit, Petra Glynt, Housepanther, Sebastian Gaskin and many more***The Inaugural Hoot Owl Festival runs August 24-26 in Kerry,
MB featuring locals like Red Moon Road, The Middle Coast, Skylar Bouchard, and more***September 1, Baltimore’s Future Islands take over the Burton Cummings Theatre***September 4-7 is Roll Call presented by the UWSA on the front lawn of the U of W featuring an amazing group of local bands and artists***King Buffalo, Tusk, and Dizzy Mystics rock the Handsome Daughter on September 8 also on the same date is Shrebrook Street Festival featuring live music from Retro
Rhytm Review, Moon Tan, Veneer, Mulligrub, Dana Lee, Olivia Lunny, Jazz TV, and many more***Andrew W.K. brings the party to the Park Theatre on September 13**The 17th Perennial Harvest Moon Festival kicks off September 14 in Clearwater, MB***Scenic Route to Alaska stops in town September 16 at The Good Will with Olivia Lunny and FINN opening***
OLIVIA MICHALCZUK
I started drum lessons at 9 years old. I wanted to be like... well, I’m not sure who I wanted to be like. My parents listened to a healthy blend of local rock, classic hair metal, and 80’s pop. Hence, the women I looked up to in music were Whitney Houston, Heart, and the Spice Girls, none of which had a female drummer. My dreams of being a drummer faded quickly when my friends (boys and girls) teased that drumming was for boys, to which I had no response other than the 9-year-old equivalent of “kiss my ass,” which has since left my memory. Are girls not strong enough to hit a drum? Are girls not a rhythmically inclined? Is it unattractive for a woman to play drums? I had nobody to ask these questions to nor the childhood emotional stamina to continue. I opted for ditching the sticks and practicing girl power via singing in to a hairbrush like my idols. “God help the mister that comes between me and my sisters,” and “I’d rather be alone than unhappy,” was more empowering at the time then my hours of right, left, right, right, left, right, left, left. I still have my sticks and I still beat on things every
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PHOTO: LEXI MINUK,
once in a while but the anxiety behind a kit stops me from hitting the drum. I just freeze. “Drumming isn’t for girls.” Mannon Smalley, Jodi Dunlop, Claire Boning, Fever Rose, Kelly Campbell, Stefanie Blondal Johnson, Natalie Bohrn, Sam Sarty, Talula Schlegel, Romi Mayes, Lindsey White, and the list goes on! These folks are carrying the dreams of too many women and non-binary people that were told they couldn’t, didn’t have the platform, or didn’t have the role models to play. Watching Dunlop and Boning do what I couldn’t is inspiring and powerful. Girls can hit the drum hard. Girls can hit the drum in time. Girls can hit the drum and make amazing music for everyone to enjoy. Dunlop, drummer of Mise en Scene, will be volunteering as a drum teacher at the first ever Girls Rock Winnipeg Camp, which provides young girls, trans, and gender non-conforming youth between the ages of 10 and 14 with the opportunity to create music with their peers and with the assistance of local womxn that are furiously grabbing the scene by the horns. “As someone who grew up constantly doubting their abilities as a female drummer in a sea of men, I want to do my part in making sure that all female, trans, and gender non-conforming individuals feel comfortable and empowered behind a drum kit,” said Dunlop. “Girls Rock Music camp is an important stepping stone in that direction.” Brandi Olenick, founder of Girls Rock Camp Winnipeg and Off Henderson Guitarist said the camp is more than meets the eye and goes much deeper than
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learning to play instruments. “This is a music camp, however. We really are using music as the vehicle to teach these youth empowerment, along with how to support each other through our differences and our commonalities,” said Olenick. “We want to teach them that there is space for everyone, that this isn’t a competition. And as well, to speak up, that their voice matters. They do possess power to make changes in the world.” Mannon Smalley of Silence Kit also finds value in the program by looking back on her own experience. “Imagining myself at a young age, this camp would have been a game changer for me,” said Smalley. “My high school music teacher really influenced the early beginnings of my musical curiosities through relentless support, and I’ve never forgotten that. To think that Girls Rock Winnipeg will do the same for these kids is real exciting. Not to mention the opportunity for young girls to bond, learn and create with fellow girls.” Girls Rock Winnipeg is an opportunity to distribute the weight of being a female musician to the shoulders of our sisters by raising a generation that does not leave making music to the boys. Supporting this cause is not just supporting girls in music but supporting confident girls with the platform to share, create, and be loved in an environment where they are not compared to anyone, including their peers. Support this cause and these girls any way you can because they will one day be teaching my daughter to hit the fucking drum.
August / September 2018 Stylus Magazine
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HOMESICK Winnipeg Music for RYAN HAUGHEY
This summer, I lived in the beautiful province of Quebec for five weeks on a French Language Program. I was having the time of my life, meeting people from all over Canada, and learning a language I would’ve never thought I could speak. Though the night life is something to behold in Montreal, it was hard to find live music in the small town of Trois-Rivières, where I was living. I wasn’t quite homesick, but I was craving that unique flare that could only be found in the prairies by the longitudinal lines of Canada – Winnipeg. I couldn’t help but think about the performances back home that I was missing out on. My time away from home helped me realize that most of my favorite music comes out of Winnipeg. So I compiled a list of my top ten favorite Winnipeg songs. Just listening and relistening to songs from some of the best bands from my hometown cured my homesickness for the time being. This list of songs only includes tracks that have publicly released recordings by bands that are currently active in Winnipeg. Starting with:
and when the chorus arrives, the major seven chords create the perfect cadence with the vocal melody. By the end of the song, when lead singer Elizabeth Burt is singing ‘la-las’ over the song structure, you’ll have experienced exactly what Basic Nature wants you to.
10. Basic Nature “Love Won’t Always Be There” This duo’s ability to fill a room with only guitar, drums, and vocals is ever-present in this song. It’s nostalgic and empathetic and lyrically glows over relaxing yet engaging instrumentation. The chord structure leading to the chorus builds anticipation,
8. Merin “Peace and Boredom” Though the recording of “Peace and Boredom” is fairly bare-bones to begin with, more instrumental puzzle pieces join in to create a toes-on-the-edge, barely contained wildness. When Merin performs this song live, that wildness completely breaks loose,
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9. Animal Teeth “Made My Bed” As one of the saddest songs I’ve ever heard, “Made My Bed” brings me close to tears every time I hear it. The humble voice of singer Stefan Hodges tells a story of “half-assed” and unassured lovin’ over familiar chord changes. When the band brings up the volume over a vamp section, it gives the listener time to let the song sink in. This simple song packs so much emotion into small musical gestures that when it hits you, it’s like a wave overtaking you in an ocean of mixed feelings. One thing is for sure: you’ll be listening to more Animal Teeth after hearing this song.
affecting not only the band members, who fling themselves all over the stage, but the audience, who can barely comprehend the tune’s transformation from gentle to berserk. One of the reasons I love this song so much is the musicality of the instrumentation. Every piece that is added into the recording is the perfect addition, creating a mountain of a climax for the song. 7. Micah Erenberg “Unlucky” Little is needed instrumentally for this song to impact the listener in a colossal way. The recording showcases Micah Erenberg’s signature chorusing vocal overdubs and a rich, resonant guitar sound. Lyrically, “Unlucky” is touching and heart rending, while melodically soaring over treetops like a ghost. When Micah plays this song live with a full band, you can always expect roundabout guitar licks and a “Freebird”-esq solo. No matter the format in which you experience “Unlucky”, it’s assured that you’ll recognize it as the anthem that it is. 6. Yes We Mystic “Odessa Steps” There are a few versions of this song, one on Yes We Mystic’s Floods and Fires Ep and the newer version, on their latest album, Forgiver. The earlier version takes a more folky approach; a bursting string sec-
tion and a quicker pace make for an exciting backing to an excellent story. Much of the lyrics depict the famous scene from Sergei Eisenstein’s film “Battleship Potempkin”. The craze and clutter of the scene is clearly represented with the continuing growth of unsteadiness in the song. The version on Yes We Mystic’s LP is a more polished version with more to hear and experience than you could imagine. 5. Shoal Lake Kid “Mountain View” Amos Nadlersmith shows that music doesn’t have to be polished to be powerful. This recording of this song sounds as though it was recorded with minimal equipment. There are vocal overdubs and a bassy acoustic guitar. The Shoal Lake Kid paints a picture with his folk singer voice of a pastoral memory. The nostalgia seeps through the speakers and slides into the listener’s emotions to crack at any wall they might have up. When played live backed by a full group, dubbed SOUP, this song loses none of its folky emotive power. 4. Tunic “Disappointment” Manic, rushed, angry. Tunic never fails to garner a reaction when “Disappointment” swoops in. Tortured words repeat over two minutes – the fastest two minutes of your life. The bass is rampant, the guitar is tormented, and the drums tumble. The whole song is like an avalanche. It’s a release of pent up rage, and listeners can indulge in unleashing their own feelings like a rampant angry canine.
vocals meshed with the constant roll of guitar picking lays the groundwork for Richard Inman’s captivating folk-country storytelling abilities. 2. Warming “White Lies” Brady Allard’s project Warming is fairly new to the public, but “White Lies” is already a staple in Winnipeg music. In my opinion, the track is perfectly constructed, both instrumentally and lyrically. From the odd rotary synth sounds to Allard’s clear, dripping vocals – it’s like fresh honey, absolutely delicious. For the song’s main hook, there are seemingly endless overdubs of synth and guitar sounds underneath the forefront of sound. Though lyrically simple, the poetic lines continue to be exactly what should come next as you listen. Acoustic guitars play throughout to ensure that there is some sort of consistency, while Warming somehow manages to make every bar fresh and new. 1. Mulligrub “Homebody” Earnest and honest, Mulligrub widens the margins of possibility with their creative simplicity. With a repetitive guitar line that never gets old and a lyrical hook that will leave you singing along, possibly in tears, “Homebody” is about appreciating introversion. All three members of the band sing on this song but it’s difficult to tell as their voices meld together so perfectly to create harmonious rounds. The soft to harsh dynamic turns so quickly, ending the song in a climactic chorus followed by a fading outro until silence… until you play the song over again!
3. Richard Inman “Redemption” Inman prefaces this song by describing it as a ‘cowboy song’. The slow, rocking chair, western sensation “Redemption” provides is more than special. A smooth, dark voice tells the story of an outlaw hanging up his saddle and settling down, only to be hunted down and executed for a past crime. The gospel like arrangement of backing
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TOPS CHRIS BRYSON Not many bands can make music that moves with such elegance, ease, and bounce as TOPS. Surely this is no easy feat, as the band has been honing their formula over the course of three albums, plus another in progress. Last year’s Sugar at the Gate, TOPS’ third full-length, found the band pushing their soft indie rock a la mellow disco-funk into a further refined breezy luster. Earlier in the year, Jane Penny, singer and keyboardist for TOPS, spent a couple months in Berlin. Since then she says she’s been thinking about spending more time there, and has been. The band was originally working on their new album in Montreal when unexpected circumstances made it so a couple of them had to move out of the home they were living and recording in. So after finishing up a tour in Europe, Penny decided to stick around in Berlin for a while. And it’s there that she and the rest of TOPS have continued to work on their next album. Speaking over Facetime Audio, Stylus chatted with Penny about what’s been in the works. Penny explains how they’re “like a 5-piece band now with the writing and recording,” finding this to be one of the most exciting aspects of the new album so far. “So we actually have been going into studios and doing stuff off the floor, which is really fun. And yeah I think that approach is going to have a pretty big impact on it,” says Penny. “Also just like we’re trying to do it in kind of a condensed fashion I would say. We’ve been trying to do it in a few months. Because everyone is kind of spread out like Riley (Fleck, drums) stayed in L.A. after we made our last record and stuff so we kind of all came together and we’re writing like a song a day and just kind of really slammin’ it out for awhile. Which is actually really fun and surprisingly I think a very productive way to do it, rather than spending months and months and months drawing it out.” Talking about intent behind lyrics and what she chooses to put out into the world, Penny says that “I guess I feel it’s kind of like a lead by example of just
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PHOTO: ALEX HODOR-LEE being a positive, sincere, sensitive person, and then have the songs kind of be the same where people have something they can connect to. I feel like people connecting to each other is really important, so I guess that’s probably the main thing. I don’t know if I could take credit for doing anything beyond that really.” Having played Real Love Summer Fest with TOPS in 2016, Penny seems to be looking forward to their return to headline this year. “We had a lot of fun there so that was a big part of why we wanted to do it when they offered this show because I remember it being a really nice atmosphere and really cool people and just like a good time,” remarks Penny. “I feel like these kind of forest fest things, especially in Canada are really relaxing kind of like a getaway style of thing. You usually don’t have cell phone service. Everyone’s kind of in it together. It’s a nice vacation/show.” When talking about how her perspectives have changed since being in TOPS, Penny says that “I guess one thing I’ve been thinking about lately is when I first started with music and maybe just being younger I always wanted to prove that I could do something or was always trying to get better, like practice, practice, I wanted to learn how to do this, that. And I still am trying to seek out knowledge but I’m kind of more relaxed about the way that I approach things and I’m feeling more and more like I’m just doing things for myself or that I like.” “I guess maybe the more you do things the less you feel the need to show that you can do them. And that can be a freeing thing,” explains Penny. “But I don’t know if that has to do with music or just generally feeling more comfortable. But definitely I feel like TOPS, that people appreciate it gives you the confidence to not overthink things as much. And you can kind of just be more inspired and follow that kind of energy.”
New Name, Same Place, Familiar Spirit CHRIS BRYSON
IMAGE: GREG ARCADE
Continuing tradition can be a great thing. Apply that to music festivals and you’ve found many people’s version of heaven. Areas of the world have so many memories spread across what eventually becomes sacred musical land. The first ever Hoot Owl festival makes its home in Kerry, Manitoba at the old locale of the legendary Shine On festival and sets out to continue tradition while being its own thing in the process. Hoot Owl’s inaugural year boasts an eclectic blend of Winnipeg and area’s finest. From Red Moon Road to Solhounds, Moon Tan to The Middle Coast, Greg Arcade to Deep Dark Cave, and many more to list, there’s something to satisfy a broad range of musical tastes. It all happens in the last weekend of August, the same weekend that Shine On would end off the summer months. Lisa Mills, main organizer behind the festival, who up until Hoot Owl, says she’d only undertaken smaller events for friends and none of them music related, has been adapting well to the new enterprise. Explaining the continuation at the Kerry campground location, Mills describes the owner’s love for what the festival became and meant to him, and his desire to keep it going. “When they announced that Shine On was going to stop, it was because the organizers grew up and started families, they got new jobs, they moved away,
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so many things happened in their lives so they just didn’t have time for it anymore. So they announced that last year was going to be their last year,” explains Mills. “And actually the owner of the property where Shine On is based, he didn’t want it to end. He loves having everybody come out every year. He loves having all the people there, meeting everybody, seeing everybody, getting to know everybody. When you see the same 500 people every year for 13 years, you don’t want to let that go.” Mills had worked at Shine On for several years leading up to the moment she was asked if she’d help run the festival that would take its place. She was asked around the beginning of last year’s Shine On, and she took a bit of time to see what all was involved before making her decision. “So as the weekend went on I started paying more attention to what people were doing and how they were doing it, where they were going for these things, how it was being put together,” says Mills. “So by the Sunday he came up to me again and he’s like, ‘So what do you think?’ and I was like ‘Yeah, I think we could do this. I think it would be fun and something new, a brand new adventure to get started.’” With the owner of the property wanting the festival to be something new, Mills says one of the hardest things has been separating it from Shine On. “We
want it to be on as much as the same lines as possible as far as music and atmosphere goes. But we wanted to get different activities going just things you can do during the day,” says Mills. “We’re looking into having somebody come out and possibly do a yoga session the Saturday afternoon like earlier in the day, and maybe fire dancers and stuff at night. Just to kind of break it up and put something new in there.” There’ll also be vendors that Mills will be rolling out the details of in due time, a café and small secondary stage, and a pig roast on the Saturday night that any attendee that wants will have to pre-buy tickets for. In filling out the festival’s lineup, Mills says she initially started getting traction by herself but things really picked up when she got some help from someone who knows a lot of people in the local music scene, who is also in one of the bands she already booked. Unsure of how behind the scenes this person wanted to be at the time of print, she chose to leave their name unknown. Ending off the conversation, Mills reminisced about the scene of arriving at the Kerry campground site in past years, and leaves a story for continued tradition. “People are so shocked when they come out, like if they come out early instead of showing up Friday night at 10 o’clock when everything is going on. If you show up a day earlier it’s quiet, it’s huge and open. And you don’t realize that when you have so many people there.” “When it was Shine On it did start out with like fourty-five people that came out, and just a few bands or whatever. They were doing a barbeque off the back deck of his house before he actually built off the garage and built the other café. It’s definitely grown from there,” Mills says with a laugh. “I was looking through pictures and there were pictures of them standing on the deck serving ice cream one year.” The best traditions are those that start from somewhere that feels like home.
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Winnipeg folk fest 2 0 1 8 R E V I E W courtney barnett :: waxahatchee :: sheryl crow KELLY CAMPBELL FRIDAY My friend and I weren’t able to go into the fest until the evening, which offered some relief from the sweltering heat of the afternoon. Real Estate, playing at Big Blue, was the first band we caught. A close friend of mine loves this band, but before putting them on, she generally feels the need to deliver an apologetic disclaimer that she knows they are pretty boring but that they sound nice and she likes them anyway. After seeing them live I completely agree.
COURTNEY BARNETT
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Lots of pleasant, sunny guitar noodling, and vague but deep-seeming lyrics about nature or love or sunrises or something. After some pizza, a beer tent IPA, and some time spent wandering around wondering if every shirtless man wearing sunglasses was staring at me, it was time for our main draw of the night: Courtney Barnett! On her third full length, Tell Me How You Really Feel, the angsty Australian singer-songwriter lays out her frustration with misogyny, anxiety, de-
pression, and self-doubt using her clever but unflinchingly raw and vulnerable wit. I love this record and have been listening to it as much as I can stand since it came out this past May. After seeing it performed live, I somehow managed to fall even more in love with my favorite from these new songs, “Charity.” This upbeat tune explores feeling doubtful and insecure about your life decisions while feeling social pressure to perform positivity and happiness for others – a particularly relatable
WAXAHATCHEE
feeling for a depressed person attending folk fest (haaiii). Screaming along loudly to the chorus of “Nameless, Faceless” (I wanna walk through the park in the dark / Men are scared that women will laugh at them / I wanna walk through the park in the dark / Women are scared that men will kill them) also felt special because the lyrics speak to a common fear and rage held by many women and gender oppressed folks, one that we can rarely express in public for fear of our own safety. Seeing the young folks at the front of the dancing section who knew all the words and were singing along softened my bitter heart by a degree. Still, I felt conflicted – I wondered how many other folks in the crowd knew the lyrics, of those who did who felt the intent I was feeling, and how much space the boys and men in the rowdy dancing area were taking up. I couldn’t help but think about Margaret Atwood, whose quote inspired the chorus of Nameless, Faceless, and who was criticized several years ago for her support of Steven Galloway, an author who was suspended from teaching at UBC due to sexual assault allegations. I tried to allow myself to feel both my good feelings and bad feelings concurrently as I watched the rest of the set. Some personal highlights included: the grindcore cookie monster vocal delivery of the ‘yous’ that ended the first two lines of the chorus of “Pedestiran at Best;” the alteration of a line in “Nameless, Faceless,” from “I’m real sorry / ‘bout whatever happened to you” in the recorded version to “I’m not sorry / ‘bout whatever happened to you” live; and the drumhead, which had ‘TELL ME HOW YOU REALLY FEEL’ printed on it in all caps in baby pink Arial bold italic. The set left me feeling both energized and drained. Barnett’s musicality is fun and poppy, and while her lyricism is steeped in wit and humor, it is also depressive and self-analytical. Her deadpan vocal delivery is laced with frustration; she sounds so tired, like she would rather take a depression nap than play a show for thousands of people. But she keeps going, because she has to: the vulnerability and determination with which she stares down misogyny, or anxiety, or depression, or her Crippling SelfDoubt and General Lack of Confidence, is a necessary tool in loosening herself from their all-consuming grip. Barnett reminds us that figuring out how we really feel is important work; that we are capable of making space for hope while feeling hopeless, and perhaps most importantly, that we are not alone in our struggle. As the lesbian lyricist lamented herself: “You don’t have to pretend that you’re not scared. Everyone else is just as terrified as you.”
Katie Crutchfield, took the Shady Grove stage all by her lonesome Saturday afternoon, playing mostly acoustic guitar with a few songs on keys. Her strong voice with its distinctive timbre, combined with simple but confident playing, was definitely enough to hold the attention of the audience for the entire set. The simplicity was reminiscent of American Weekend material, and having seen her previously with a backing band, her performance had more impact stripped down – the singularity of her clear voice adds to the lonely and introspective nature of her songs. Although I have been a bigger Waxahatchee fan in years prior – by the time the fourth record of minimalist mournful songs about relationships came out I wasn’t listening as intently – I nonetheless enjoyed the set and felt quite mournful and introspective myself. If I went to a Waxahatchee concert and didn’t leave feeling at least a little indulgently melancholic, I would feel kind of ripped off. My most memorable moment was during the performance of “Fade.” When Crutchfield sang, “I laid down next to you / For three years shedding my skin / Dreaming about the potential / The person I could have been,” I was struck by hearing such intense regret and burnout from a person so young and successful. I was like damn, I don’t want to carry that kind of regret around. I better get down to becoming the person I could be, whoever that is. SUNDAY The weekend before folk fest, I had a discussion with some friends about the intent behind the lyrics of Sheryl Crow’s “Soak Up the Sun.” I had always held on to this idea that the lyrics to the chorus were facetious – that the whole “I’m gonna soak up the sun / I’m gonna tell everyone / To lighten up” bit was from the perspective of some annoying rich
person, perhaps the communist in the first verse or the owner of the car in the third, patronizingly repeating to Crow the tired line of learning to be happy with what you have from their position of privilege while Crow was living in poverty (scraping the mold off the bread, so to speak). After hearing a bit of her vague political banter, I have to say think I was wrong. Crow mentioned that it was nice to take a break from America to hang with some cool and chill Canadians, who are not as bad as Americans, which is exactly the kind of nicetiesbased nationalist narrative most Canadians eat up as eagerly as a grizzly bear would eat a lumberjack. She then stated that ‘lots of bad things’ were happening and the news cycle was scary these days, but that we need not worry, for those bad things are not reality: this (folk fest), dancing with your children to feel-good radio hits, was reality. Though I don’t think Sheryl Crow can will interred migrant children out of material reality, she darn well tried, and got a pretty good cheer for doing so. This is the part about folk fest that left me the most uncomfortable: the desire to escape reality into a peaceful place of non-conflict, a place that has such guilt with its easy existence that in order to maintain this peace, the suffering of those who are not so lucky must be metaphysically erased. So, a PSA to Crow and all folks feeling guilty about their happiness and privilege: it is a lot more helpful to acknowledge the suffering in the world and use your social power to diminish it than to pretend it’s not happening for your own peace of mind. Also, don’t soak up too much sun, you might get skin cancer. TOP PHOTO: BNB STUDIOS ALL OTHERS: KELLY CAMPBELL
SATURDAY Ex-punk singer/songwriter Waxahatchee, AKA
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August / September 2018 Stylus Magazine
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Caramel Sunshyne
WITH
Sexy Sundays
MANITOBA MOON Metal Mix
AMPLIFIED RADIO 6AM
5AM
SYNDICATED - WORLD MUSIC
GLOBAL-A-GO-GO
4AM
MODERN JAZZ TODAY
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THE HAPPY STATION SHOW
THE MOSH MIX
THE WONDERFUL & FRIGHTENING WORLD OF PATRICK MICHALISHYN THE MOSHPIT NIGHT DANGER RADIO
METAL MONDAY 2AM
1AM
MIDNIGHT
Trip Hop
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Day for Night Psychedelic Trip
11PM
MONKEY SPARROW
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10PM
CheezePleeze
11 AT 10 Sports: Proper Footaball
BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Flailing in a Time Warp
DESTINATION MOON 9PM
Brain Drainer Radio
DANCE HALL FEVER Electric Dance Party
Hip-Hop
QUADRAFUNK Dub City Steppers
Funky POP/ROCK
Local Experimental Music
S.A.N.E. * RADIO Garage, Punk, Surf,and R&R
PLAYING THE BLUES
BLUESDAY
THE TONIC 8PM
PHASE ONE
THE GASHLYCRUMB TINIES
RED BOX
CHECK CA
25TH FLOOR JUKE JOINT
Pop/Rock Country/ Roots/ Big, Dumb
Rock ‘n’ Roll
TAWNY, THE BRAVE
TWANG TRUST Lost Chunes
World
THE WORLD
7PM
ISLAND VIBES
9
EMAIL: GROUNDWIRE
TALKING RADICAL RADIO
RADIO FREE WPG
THE C.A.R.P.
Hip-Hop
WE BUILD HITS Latin Urban
6PM
Check out new shows, 12 marked with a star!
CKUW@UWINNIPEG.CA
FAX: 204-783-7080 The Completely Asinine Radio Show
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MAS FLOW PAGES
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AMATEUR HOUR
Home and No Home
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2PM
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Eclectic Mix
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SHORTWAVE REPORT
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1PM
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WINGS THIS WAY OUT
DEPARTMENT 13
11AM
CACOPHONE
YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM GOD
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99 BALLOONS
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HOW TO SURVIVE A TORNADO
THE ELECTRIC CHAIR LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HOMELESSNESS
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WEEK ALTERNATING
12 SPOKEN WORD
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MUSIC
8
CKU-Speaks THE SATURDAY MORNING SHOW FANTASTIC FRIDAY THE MOSH MIX
Cafecito Latinoamericano
PEOPLE OF INTEREST
9AM
10 Stylus Magazine August / September 2018
A TRIBE CALLED RED
8AM
A TRIBE CALLED RED
WHITNEY
full band accompanying the usual guitar and vocal melodies. Bahamas was next, bringing their folk-gospel style in a very rock and roll way. Dueling muted guitar licks sent chill thrills down spines. Afie Jurvanen’s lyrical flow followed the band, and the band followed him. It was harmoniously and rhythmically impeccable. The group was so together that there was no trace of shakiness. All instruments were as one, like light going through a prism. Bahamas brought back some “shoobie doobies” on backing vocals on songs like the cleverly written “Depression”. Bahamas knows how songs want to be written, and performs them how they want to be performed. By the time their set was over, it was clear this Saturday was going to be a highlight of the festival. But no one could expect what came next. A Tribe Called Red began with a mindblowing intro, the DJ duo was accompanied by traditional First Nation dancers, moving beautifully to a mix of heavy hip hop and traditional singing. By this time, the entire tarp area was dancing to the empowering and inspiring set. Using traditional song, drums, and throat singing as beats for their remixes make A Tribe Called Red an automatic party scene. Reprising and reusing themes throughout their set, the First Nations duo makes you realize how difficult what they’re doing actually is, all while making it look so easy.
EARLY MORNINGS WITH EMMA
WHITNEY
clouds and lit up Folk Fest one last time on Saturday – a magical moment for Las Cafeteras and the Folk-goers. Soon after, Whitney took to the stage to share their unique melancholy sound with Winnipeg. Whitney always has an interesting set up, with the drums front and center stage so singer Julien Ehrlich can belt out or softly croon falsetto vocals while wailing on snare and toms. Whitney played almost all of their first album, Light Upon The Lake, but each song was performed better than the recording. Drum fills that were not on the album surprised precedential fans of Whitney, throwing the beat into more wild waters. Many newer songs were performed as well, possibly hinting at a new record. The title song of their previous record, “Light Upon The Lake” started out softly, only to grow into a huge highlight with the
MORNING BREATH
As the sun began to set on Birds Hill Provincial Park, and the air cooled off (as much as it would on such a humid day), the field in front of the Winnipeg Folk Festival’s Main Stage began to fill up with tarps and folks, ready for a night of headliner after headliner. The evening started with Las Cafeteras, a Californian group who perform traditional Mexican music. The band burst through the heat with song and dance, bringing lawn chair dwellers to their feet. Though the music was very fun loving, there were serious moments as well. “This is a movement song,” said one of the many vocalists. “I don’t care about borders, I care about being with my Mama.” The crowd sang along to their Johnny Cash cover of “Ring of Fire”, and by the end of the set, very few tarp pass holders were left sitting down. During their last song, the sun peaked out from behind the
PHOTOS: BNB STUDIOS
7AM
RYAN HAUGHEY
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY F R I D A Y SATURDAY S U N DAY
Las Cafeteras :: Whitney :: Bahamas :: A Tribe Called Red
6AM
Winnipeg folk fest saturday night
August / September 2018 Stylus Magazine
11
ckuwho? Listen to: Barking Dog
Space Jam: Sophie Stevens WORDS & PHOTOS: MATT HARRISON
2-4 PM on Thursdays
ZOE LEBRUN Stylus: What got you into radio? Juliana: I’m not really sure, I was interested in it for a long time. I hope to intern at Smithsonian Folkways, and I feel like having a Folk radio show is something that could help me with that. I was in Toronto last year for school and I tried to do radio there, but they had no volunteer positions available, which was really strange to me. Stylus: How did your show start and how has it changed since then? J: I started filling in for people in February, and then I applied for a show and got it. It was pretty straightforward. Stylus: Tell us about the show itself! What sort of things do you do and when does it run? J: I play a lot of music from a lot of different time periods from all over North America; a lot of east coast folk and a lot of North Carolina Appalachians folk. I also like to do one segment where I play a bunch of different versions of the same song, which sounds boring, but it’s not because there are so many different versions of the same folk song and they sound completely different, like even having different lyrics or melodies! It’s also interesting how some of the things throughout the history of folk music have stayed the same, until now, or how folk songs have transferred over to different genres. Stylus: Is there a story behind the name of your show? J: Yeah, I was looking at like, old hobo code on the internet a long time ago, and I came across a diagram of the different symbols that indicated different things and locations where homeless people would stop. One of them was to indicate that there
was a barking dog at certain houses, so they would mark this one symbol into something like a tree or door on their way just to let others know. I thought it was a neat symbol, so I tattooed it on myself and then continued to use it for different things! I’m also just a fan of dogs, they’re the best. Stylus: If you could have one special guest of your choosing host a show with you or to interview, who would it be? J: I’m going to restrict it to living people, so I’d say either Bob Dylan or Davengere Vampire. Stylus: Do you have a pre- or post-show tradition? If not, what would it be if you did start one? J: I don’t know if I have one exactly, but it’s an interesting thing to think about. I usually caffeinate before, it doesn’t always have the best effect, but I always do it anyway. Stylus: Who is your favourite artist to play on your show? J: Right now, Kacy & Clayton they’re a duo from rural Saskatchewan and they played at Folk Fest. They’re a great band. I think I might try to get in touch with them about an interview at some point. Stylus: What do you hope that listeners will get out of your show? J: I hope that they gain a better understanding of folk music and why it’s so important that we continue to preserve and play it. I hope people enjoy it as a music listening experience and learn a few facts about the people who played it. There’s so much to folk music, you can’t really define it, like even some bluegrass or country could also be considered folk music, there’s just a lot and it can’t be put in a box. Stylus: What’s your favourite thing about host-
ing a radio show at CKUW? J: I like learning about the artists that I’m playing because often I don’t know a lot about them, so I research them. I also really like talking to people who call in while I’m playing music, I talked to a guy just a few weeks ago about Maritimes folk music and the Maritimes in general which I’m really passionate about, and it was just really nice to chat about that. It’s like you’re connected with people even though you’re in this tiny room with no windows! Stylus: Did you go to folk fest? What was your favourite part? J: I did, I volunteer there. For my favourite part, I’d say everything! My favourite artist wasn’t even really a folk artist, it was Courtney Barnett, but she has some folky characteristics as well. But I really just like the community there and I don’t know, lying in fields and stuff. Barking Dog broadcasts every Thursday from 2:00pm – 4:00pm.
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Upon stepping into the space Sophie Stevens spends most of her time making music, a few things will become abundantly clear. The first, she sleeps in the very same room. Her bed sits only a few feet from an electric piano(1), taking up much of the room on its own. Sophie says this can make mornings a challenge when the job of the day, as is the case every day, is to sit down and practice or write music. The desire to slap the snooze button is tenfold for those whose office is the same room they woke up in. There’s an unmistakable aura in this room. One that feels bright and somehow gentle. Rainbow coloured Christmas lights skirt the ceiling on all sides. Their soft glow, along with the pink blankets on the walls, guide the atmosphere toward a place of calm. Playful art, created and collected over the years, hangs on every wall. A headshot of Winnipeg North MP Kevin Lamaroux (2) sticks to a sheet of Star Wars themed note paper. There’s no real story behind that and somehow that makes its being there all the better. Under Kevin on the wall is a Japanese advertisement with a less than enthusiastic Harrison Ford holding a can of Kirin Beer (3). The ad, never meant to be seen on this side of the world, was found in Japan by Sophie’s father. “My dad was in Japan,” Sophie went on to tell me through a laugh, “and he said hey man, can I have that?” The ad is one of a series that can be found with a quick Google search, and that all of which have an equally energetic Ford. Sitting at eye level, right next to the entrance way, sits a creepy, staring little monkey baring a crash symbol in each hand (4). The little primate acts not only as primary Gatekeeper of Nightmares but also as a music box. My ignorance of the stage kept me from knowing this to be a piece from The Phantom of the Opera. “It was my first real introduction
diculous.” to music,” Stevens explained of the show. “I used to Sophie Stevens makes her bedroom her workspace. have the script memorized.” The music monkey has The room acts as an easy place to enjoy being and been hers since she was about 10. create freely within. The vibes are calm, relaxing, What made the monkey creepier than it may have and above all unique. All of this leaks into the music otherwise been was the doll it had tucked under its she creates within its confines. arm. A little doll with little sunglasses. I wouldn’t have guessed, but once I was told I could see immediately, that the doll was Lou Reed. “I made [the doll] one night when I was a little sad and thought well, I couldn’t be sad if there was a tiny Lou Reed with me. I was really into his music and still am. 4 I was so inspired by how many fucks he just did not give and just wanted to do something really ri-
3
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August / September 2018 Stylus Magazine
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Local Spotlight NIGEL WEBBER “Chillin’ in my b-boy stance” - Cassidy Hip-hop culture has a place for everyone. The culture’s physical art form is breakdancing, also known as b-boying and b-girling. Breakdancing is the dancer’s way of moving to the rhythmic beat laid down by the DJ. The symbiotic relationship between the DJ and the dancer goes back to the origins of the culture. In 1970s New York City, DJ Kool Herc discovered that the dancers went wild during the short drum break between bridge and verse. Kool Herc invented mixing the drum break on two copies of the same record in order to extend the break to several minutes. Dancers wanted to show off their best moves and have the best style and a battles began occurring naturally. Although dance crews are common and they may battle each other, most dance battles are one-on-one. The dancers each get their chance to shine and the crowd or judges decide the winner. The style of dance has evolved since then from mostly up rocking, where a dancer does not bring their body to the floor, to the elaborate and mystifying head spins and freezes of today. The breakdancing story in Winnipeg begins in the 1980’s, but in recent years, some of the top names in the local break dance community includes Genie
Baffle. Dancing for over ten years, Genie has been organizing break dance battles since 2014. Genie’s love for Winnipeg breakdance has led him to make a movie about it. Our Scene, which premiered July 28, is a documentary about the local hip-hop dance scene dating back to the early 1980s, showcasing dancers from across Manitoba. Genie helped organize the successful dance battle at the recent Northern Touch Music Festival. At the event, the dancers battled in front of the stage while artists performed on stage behind them. Traditionally the DJ would select tracks that work to move the crowd and motivate the dancers. Without that usual model, dancers were forced to work with the performing artists songs, whether fast or slow tempo. Genie describes this helping the dancers learn a “brand new skill set,” and that “in order to respect the energy and vibe” of both the MC and the dancer, “the music and dance has to be co-ordinated.” As a dancer, Genie describes the feeling of how “the music will bring the performance out of you in a genuine way if you connect with it.” Emphasis is placed on the music because “without it, we out here just clapping.” Despite this, Genie is a “big believer” in the concept of dance and live music integrated into a single event, the way Kool Herc used to do it.
Genie Baffle, the director of B.O.S.S. Dance Team is also actively involved in teaching youth about breakdancing and hip-hop dance. Genie teaches dance classes locally and has traveled all across Canada with dance. Closest to Genie’s heart is the time in Naujaat, Nunavut teaching youth of all ages. Over the past four years Genie has been returning to the same community and says of the the kids “they love hip-hop.” Asking for assistance on moves they have seen online, Genie teaches the young people as much as possible in the short time there, leaving them with homework to practice until next time. Genie sees areas and communities like Naujaat as the future of hip-hop because there “the culture, be in dance, music or art knows no limits or borders.” Also Genie says it’s worth noting the fact that hiphop is the most listened-to genre of music, but that casual fans remember that hip-hop is a culture that is bigger than music. It is an incredibly fast moving culture. Genie leaves it up to the reader to decide if the rapid change hip-hop is experiencing is positive or negative. Regardless, the pace is part of the takeover. For Genie, what makes hip-hop exciting is “our refusal to remain stagnant in our evolution of our own culture.” The future only holds change for hip-hop with no one quite sure what will happen.
MISE EN SCENE LIVE AT THE FORKS JULY 1 PHOTO: GRAEME HOUSSIN
ILA BARKER & HERA NALAM LIVE AT THE FORKS JULY 1 PHOTO: GRAEME HOUSSIN
14 Stylus Magazine August / September 2018
KAKAGI Live Show and Album Review The usually crowded Times Change(d) High and Lonesome Club was extra crowded on this Saturday Night. Indie-folk Winnipeg band Kakagi returned to the stage with a bunch of new songs to wow the audience with. When Kakagi hit the stage with a lineup of three beautiful guitars, their songwriting and performance proficiency immediately drew the audience in. With intriguing language choices for lyrics and subtle backing vocals, this band showed some possible inspiration from John K Samson. Quick breaks between songs made for a flowing performance with dynamic changes throughout each song. Some songs’ earnest lyrics, as lead singer Jacob Brodovsky explained, came from his time working in a popular diner for breakups, where he would hear customers’ conversations and write songs about them. It’s a hell of a good way to write a breakup song! The rhythm and lead guitars varied their strumming and melody, the lead guitar playing sparse shining licks over the emotional chord changes. Slick, smooth guitar solos showed skill and practice, knowing exactly what to play and when, while remaining original and unique on every song. Kakagi set the pace by leaving little room between tunes and introducing them as the music started. As the set went on, the songs got more and more intense, finally ending with wild drums flailing and ripping guitars dancing around the stage, making for a very exciting performance. The group has just released their newest EP Stay Up Late, which not only features aesthetic neon-beachvibe artwork, but also five well-constructed, thoughtfully written songs. Their creative rhyme schemes and unique sound makes it easy to tell that Kakagi is a Canadian group, as the EP has a classic Winnipeg presence throughout. The first song, “Fait Accompli” is
straightforward, but not in a way that you might have heard it before. Lightly chorused guitars fill in the backgrounds, creating a basis for melodic guitar licks and vocal lines to layer upon each other. The title track, “Stay Up Late”, is soft and honest, all while driving itself forward. Drum rim taps roll in time with acoustic guitar strumming, all while Brodovsky switches seamlessly from falsetto to chest voice. The main hook is simple, but it flourishes as it reprises throughout song. Without raising the intensity to any extreme, Kakagi captivates with songwriting expertise and straightforward common-sense musicality. Ryan Haughey
“Nobody Knows” moves like a reverie as cryptic lyrics of personal difficulty are suspended over soft drums and glistening guitar. “Interlude one” of “side two” feels like being trolleyed through an abandoned amusement ride funhouse of tinkering clocks and difficult to decipher clinking metal that move in abrupt and arrhythmic turns, before the coiling chords and alt-punk pulse of “Fait Accompli” comes in from the distance. The lurching bridge of “Oh I Know” flows through ornate rhythmic shifts to a shimmering chorus. The groaning clatter of “interlude 2” transitions into the acoustic breeziness of “Champagne.” The song ends spare as Bohrn lulls the listener out alongside light finger-plucked guitar. With this short EP Slow Spirit evolve their experimental sound with widening dynamics that continue to exhibit their dreamy and propulsive pastel lustre. Chris Bryson HEARING TREES Quiet Dreams
SLOW SPIRIT Idle Two tracks juxtaposed with equal time to expand within the aural space of the mind. Idle it’s called, but idle it’s not. Slow Spirit’s follow-up EP to last year’s Unnatured finds the band returning with all the elements of their sound more finely tuned than ever, showcasing once again their knack for cohesive sonic diversity, while still pulling at emotions every note along the way. Unnatured took listeners through an array of musical motifs. Idle picks up beautifully where that album left off. Split as “side one” and “side two”, within these two tracks are distinct roving suites that follow through unexpected and seamless transitions. “Unknown” opens “side one,” taking the bones from Unnatured’s sparse number and amping it with a swaying melody and a heavy bounce while still retaining its dreaminess. The lyrics are cleverly fragmented from the original and show how malleable Slow Spirit’s artistry can be. “Unknown” fuzzes and crackles into “Sleep Into the Afternoon,” where Natalie Bohrn’s reverbed vocals float over sauntering lounge grooves as Eric Roberts’ subdued sax wails with an uneasy quaver.
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Hearing Trees describe their music as anxiety-laced indie alt-rock. Like the murky waters of the album cover for their debut full-length, whose deep-sea diver is shown connected to the world above and shines a light towards the viewer/listener, so too does this music attempt to illuminate the cloudiness of those encompassing feelings. Album opener “Lights Out” is bolstered by contrasting moods as pummelled drums and churning and squiggly chords act as a restless foundation for lyrics that seem to look for calmness. “Telling Peter” follows a similar rhythmic pulse as the guitars whirl and flail with Hnatiuk, whose voice can bear a resemblance to Ben Gibbard’s intimate croon, singing how he’s “in love with his mistakes.” “Fishing” evolves from light drum taps, spare piano and chiming notes to slowly build a serene space. Sprightly drums and buzzing riffs spur the swirling tension of “I’ve Got Magic.” Melancholy keys and a solemn drumbeat unfurl within an exquisite soundscape on “City of Lost Love.” “Let It Be Colours” follows in similar mood until pattering drums and a coiling guitar melody kick up the momentum into a shimmering reverie. The album closes out with the sonar-like pulses and descending and distorted guitar of “Nobody’s Talking.” Hnatiuk reprises the line “nobody’s talking anymore” with sober
admonition, like an urging to open up to the world, leaving the listener in a fuzzy warmth, ready to go back to the surface. Quiet Dreams’ efflorescence comes from aquatic hues of blues, purples, and greys. Some shades are sharper than others, some more mottled or hazy like a dream. Hearing Trees have crafted a batch of songs that follow a similar approach throughout. And although this works well with the anxiety-laced concept that pervades the music, some added sonic diversity could lend itself in their favour. Nevertheless, with their debut full-length, Hearing Trees have given us a good place to dive into the depths of their world. Chris Bryson ATLAAS Atlaas The second EP from the Heather Thomas led project finds ATLAAS’ dreamy R&B and soul-infused electro-pop with sharpened songwriting, bigger hooks and broader dynamics. Pattering drums amid sonar pulses accompany Thomas’ soulful soprano on the slow celestial waltz of “Moon Tan.” Thomas sings of the relinquishing disarmament of love’s expansive thrust. Her high notes throughout the album ring like sharp beats of the heart. The murky synth bass and pitapat percussion of “Sleep” expands with a twinkling aura and Thomas moving through weaves of elegant vocal turns. The slow intro of EP centerpiece “Stop Leaving Me Alone” takes glistening guitar and a percussive loop and opens them up to subterranean bass, spacey synths and rampant drums. Thomas’ expansive range singing of her desire for a lover to stay with her, the song’s peak swirling out with a frantic and stellar synth. Thomas’ cadence intricacies flutter and flow through the R&B bounce of “The One Who Looks Down.” The song builds into jubilant electro soul that’s filled out with Eric Roberts’ sax whirling atop the mix. “Breaking My Own Heart” finds Thomas asking the question of why she does just so, with the song trailing out on a guitar solo that itself feels like it’s trying to bear its own. ATLAAS’ self-titled EP is a starborn collection of heartfelt tunes that’s more diverse than its predecessor, and shows the band refining its strengths while bringing new elements into the fold. Chris Bryson
August / September 2018 Stylus Magazine
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Mental Notes
CHILDISH GAMBINO This is America The United States of America has been in a state of crisis. With the increase of police shootings of unarmed black men, mass school shootings, racially motivated hate crimes, and a president who has been likened to past dictators, in walks Childish Gambino with a song called “This is America”. I don’t think anyone predicted that this song, accompanied with the video, would generate the most views in such a short period of time. The song depicts the current state of what is going on in America, and in the video we see a lot of metaphors that become the distraction, which people often tend to focus on more than what’s really going on in today’s world. At the end of the video we see Childish Gambino running away from a mob of people, which could be interpreted in many ways as well. My interpretation is based on the racism that has yet to be addressed by the US president. It showcases how things are gradually going backwards as opposed to forwards. The black man has become the enemy! We see this daily from black people being the highest proportion of inmates in prison, African American men and women are assaulted daily by police and law enforcement suffers no consequence; we have been in this position before now it’s coming full circle. “This is America” shows us the dark underbelly of the United States and what they are facing as a nation which, in turn, affects the rest of the world. On top of its message, the song and video is what I would call a work of art. Not many artists provide us with work that puts our minds to work. Childish Gambino did just that. With over 233 million views, the video is a must hear and see. Renee Batson
16 Stylus Magazine August / September 2018
SILENCE KIT LIVE AT THE FORKS JULY 1 PHOTO: GRAEME HOUSSIN
95.9 FM CKUW CAMPUS/COMMUNITY RADIO TOP 30 ALBUMS ( April 5 - July 30, 2018) !=LOCAL CONTENT * =CANADIAN CONTENT re=RE-ENTRY TO CHART #
ARTIST
RECORDING
LABEL
1 ! Housepanther Club Soda Lows Self-Released 2 ! Trampoline Twins On Fire Self-Released 3 * The Pink Noise House Of Cards Sounds Escaping 4 * Suuns Felt Secretly Canadian 5 ! Dave Quanbury Still Life With Canadian Head In The Sand 6 * Adonis Puentes Dicen Warner 7 * Minor Empire Uprooted World Trip 8 ! Campfire Sigh Brother Sun Self-Released Self-Released 9 ! Patrick Alexandre And The Nor’west Players In The Blood 10 ! Inflatable Band Discount Everything Self-Released 11 * Ought Room Inside The World Royal Mountain 12 Orquesta Akokan Orquesta Akokan Daptone 13 ! The Young Pixels Fever Of Becoming Self-Released 14 * Avi Granite Orbit Pet Mantis 15 The Decemberists I’ll Be Your Girl Capitol 16 ! Black River Drifters Drive By Feel Self-Released 17 Black Moth Super Rainbow Panic Blooms Rad Cult We Rise And Dance We Sleep And Dream Self-Released 18 ! Twin 19 * The Faps Grimelda Self-Released 20 Spacemen 3 Playing With Fire Superior Viaduct 21 ! Hearing Trees Quiet Dreams Self-Released 22 Wire Pink Flag [special Edition] Pink Flag 23 ! Boniface Phantom Limbs Ep Transgressive 24 George McMullen Boomerang pfMENTUM 25 ! Jo Passed Their Prime Royal Mountain 26 ! Hekla Island Spinning Star Kick Self-Released 27 * Peach Kelli Pop Gentle Leader Mint 28 * Yamantaka//Sonic Titan Dirt Paper Bag 29 ! Johnny Sizzle Creepy Domain Self-Released 30 * Frog Eyes Violet Psalms Paper Bag
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August / September 2018 Stylus Magazine
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WINNIPEG FOLK FESTIVAL
UPCOMING EVENTS TICKETS AVAILABLE AT TICKETMASTER.CA | WINNIPEG FOLK FESTIVAL OFFICE (203-211 BANNATYNE AVE.)
GREAT 26 LAKE SWIMMERS SEP
OCT
27
THE MILK CARTON KIDS WITH THE BARR BROTHERS
WITH MEGAN BONNELL CRESCENT FORT ROUGE UNITED CHURCH
WEST END CULTURAL CENTRE
OCT
8
JONATHAN RICHMAN
REUBEN AND THE DARK
OCT
27
FEATURING TOMMY LARKINS ON THE DRUMS!
WEST END CULTURAL CENTRE
THE GOOD WILL – SOCIAL CLUB
OCT
9
FORTUNATE ONES
NOV
6
BURTON CUMMINGS THEATRE
PARK THEATRE
OCT
NOV
17
18 PARK THEATRE
OCT
21
AN EVENING WITH
THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
THE GARRICK 18 Stylus Magazine August / September 2018
THE GARRICK
DEC
1
STARS
WITH DIZZY THE GARRICK