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Apr / May 2017 Stylus Magazine
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APR/MAY 28 NO. 2 2017 VOL
Production Team Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gil Carroll Assistant Editor . . . . . . . . . Harrison Samphir Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kelly Campbell
On the Cover CHUKWU-DUBEM MORDECAI UKAIGWE is a Nigerian painter and sculptor based in Winnipeg, Canada. See more of Chukwu-dubem’s work on Instagram and twitter @dubeim, and on Facebook @ Dubem art.
Cover Art . . . . . Chukwu-dubem Mordecai Ukaigwe Advertising Contact . . . . . . . . . Rob Schmidt manager@ckuw.ca Print by JRS Print Services . . . 204-232-3558
Contributors Rachel Narvey Joey Senft Kaitlyn Emslie-Farrel Alex Parrott Kent Davies Colton Siemens Rosalie Loiselle Vanessa Heins Matt Harrison Ash Khan Doug Kretchmer Steve Louie Chris Bryson Caelum Rossell Jesse Warkentin Jen Doerksen Sam Swanson Topher Duguay 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.
Table of Contents Blah, Blah, Blah Events Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 CKUW Program Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 CKUWho Brain Drainer Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Reviews Apollo Suns // Civvie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 CKUW Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Features Joanne Pollock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 PUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Viewing Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 À La Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Haitia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Whitney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Manitobandits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 The Village Idiots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 OMNI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
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BLAHBLAHBLAH Spring has sprung. Please come out from your under your blanket fort and check out some amazing live music happening in our wonderful city ***April 1 at HMS Arlington get lost in dreams with Hush Pup (Toronto) Pout, and Joko Tea*** Every other Thursday at the Handsome Daughter is Real Love Thursday, bringing you live, local music and highlighting several awesome touring bands***April 4 at the West End Cultural Centre, Chicago indie soul heartthrobs, Whitney perform
(Sold Out)*** April 8 at the Good Will is the Apollo Suns EP release with Umami and The Flat Land Soul Band***April 12 at the Park Theatre, Hearing Trees release their new album alongside Moon Tan and Silence Kit***April 13 at the Handsome Daughter, Real Love Winnipeg presents Bad Thursday with Hut Hut, The Veleveteins, and Carman Hovey or head down to the Park Theatre for The Perpetrators and the Ripperz***April 14 gets heavy at the Good Will with Dead
Ranch’s second full length album, Brumation, release party with Black Cloud, THRONETORCHER, and ENDLESS CHAOS.***April 16 check out some Montreal art rock at the Good Will with Little Scream with locals Figure Walking***April 20, Real Love Winnipeg presents “Too stoned to sing” with music from Black Cloud, Odd Outfit, and Civvie***Silence Kit release their album on April 21 with Tusk and Spacebutt at The Handsome Daughter***May 7 at the Park The-
atre, Candian favourites Said t h e Whale and the Fast Romantics are in town***May 25, Winnipeg Folk Festival presents Amelia Curran at The Park Theatre***
LEONARD SUMNER AT FESTIVAL DU VOYAGEUR PHOTO BY JEN DOERKSEN
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Apr / May 2017 Stylus Magazine
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JOANNE POLLOCK BY CAELUM ROSSELL
PHOTO BY STEVE LOUIE Stylus had the chance to meet up with local dreamy electronic pop artist, Joanne Pollock, for an interview. Stylus: Who is Joanne Pollock? Joanne Pollock: Me Stylus: What is something that not many people know about you? J.P: I’m pretty into science. Stylus: Are there any local artists you’ve been listening too? J.P: Gutes Haar and Burden Stylus: Do any artists influence your sound? J.P: Ya, impersonally though, the artists that I listened to when I was a kid influenced what music is to me. The aesthetic of my early listening gave me the foundation of what music is to me and what it is. I’m inspired by how artists are pushing sounds and their artistry; their boldness translates into my music less than the sound. Stylus: Does Winnipeg influence it? J.P: Everything in my life influences me, Winnipeg allows me to have a studio. I have way less to worry about here, no neighbours and money. Stylus: How would you describe your music? J.P: Maximalist, electro pop.
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Stylus: What got you into electronic music? J.P: I’ve been making music in some capacity from age of 10 and 11, as I would write songs and listen to the classics. Then around five-six years ago I started writing more music and doing electronic music. First electronic music I listened to was Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, Björk and Venetian Snares. Stylus: Were you a fan of acid house? J.P: I wasn’t into acid house. Stylus: What inspires you to create? J.P: That’s a tough one, I think I make music as a choice, even if I was a doctor I’d still make music. I’m always trying to fill my reservoirs with ideas, conversations, movies and TV shows. I try to expose myself to different things in order to fill my reservoirs. Stylus: Is there a new project in the works? J.P: I’m doing stuff with mine and Aarons project Poemss, which will be released soon and I’m releasing a solo album on Timesig (Sublabel of Planet Mu).
PUP: You’ve probably heard of PUP by now. In just a few short years the band has established their importance to the Canadian punk scene, as well as solidifying a well-earned spot in Canadian music as a whole. Formed in Ontario, PUP has absolutely zero apologies about just how Canadian they are. As a Canadian, it is obviously important to recognize when a band born at home makes big splashes over our borders. It’s practically a part of our collective identities. We can all recall at least one time in recent memory when we have had a discussion with our friends about a great new band, and sure enough, someone chimes up, “you know they’re Canadian, right?” This usually stirs up a warm, almost celebratory reaction from everyone. This familiar feeling is key in understanding the tightknit attitudes and the strong sense of community that is so prevalent in the Winnipeg music scene. Last November, PUP played at the Good Will, ending the Canadian leg of their tour. 2016 saw the release of the band’s second album, The Dream is Over. The album is dripping with expressions of anxiety, uneasiness, insecurity and generally sombre themes. It’s amazing that somehow, they
PATHETIC USE OF POTENTIAL
manage to come off sounding hopeful because of just how honest and unrepentantly open it is. I can without doubt tell you that there was not a single sad face at the Good Will that night. Stepping outside into the familiar cold Winnipeg air for a moment, talking to friends and strangers about how content and happy the atmosphere made them feel, it solidified the sense of community and passion. The first step back inside the venue and you immediately melt back into exactly what the band wants to tell you. PUP refuses to hide from the negativity or monotony that life sometimes brings. They instead embrace it and express it confidently, more like a badge of honour than a battle scar. PUP has not just received acclaim here in Winnipeg. The band was nominated for a Polaris Music Prize, joining fellow Canadian punks Fucked Up in the national spotlight. The band, famously and hilariously, sent their parents to the Polaris gala in their place, as they were busy on tour in Europe. This perfectly embodies the kind of attitude PUP has toward their music and their energy. The band is accessible not just to punks, but has a broader appeal that has a unifying effect on their audience.
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BY ASH KHAN PHOTO BY VANESSA HEINS Sincerity, as well as sticking with some of the more fun and silly aspects of punk of has earned the band a truly endearing reputation. “PUP”, technically an acronym -- a “pathetic use of potential” -- is how some family members of the band described their dreams of becoming professional musicians. The band’s bold clinch of criticism, and obvious refusal to give in is what concretes them not simply as punks, but also as strong entertainers and musicians. We can learn a lot from a band that sticks so adamantly to its integrity. PUP may not be from Winnipeg, but they more than embody the attitude, community, and spirit of our city. It doesn’t matter what kind of music you’re into. If you’ve been to a hip-hop show at the Pyramid, or a rock show at the WECC, you have unquestionably felt the enthusiasm our city has to offer. PUP may not be from here, but they were phenomenal guests, and I cannot wait for them to come back and light Winnipeg up again. This feature was originally published in the Uniter.
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VIEWING PARTY
TV GUIDE
BY COLTON SIEMENS Sitting at the long table are four young people. Speaking to them, it’s obvious that there’s a strong unspoken bond between them. This is Viewing Party, a four-piece band consisting of bassist Samuel Lavergne, vocalist and guitarist Oliver Farkas, drummer and keyboardist Evan Fry Sykora, and guitarist and contributing vocalist Johnathan Seburn. Even though they have only been playing together since last October, there’s a shared vision that seems to be understood. They’re all “on the same wavelength” as Sam says. Drinking tea and talking about desert island albums, their musical influences, and favourite television shows, their differences begin to show. As they said themselves, these differences are what make them interesting as a band. They all bring new and unique ideas that they believe create a better future for the band. A future that looks bright. Hot off the release of their debut EP, on., Viewing Party have no intention of lazing around. Talk of future releases, songs in the works, and creative directions fly around the table as each member speaks of their ideas. The energy between them is palpable. Even though they admit that they have not sat down to discuss what they see for the future of the band, they all agree that there is a future. They even hope to release a full-length album sometime soon. When asked what it might sound like, they all agree they haven’t decided where they want to go sonically, but they all have their own ideas. Finding inspiration in various sources, anywhere from Royal Canoe, to Tom Waits, to Wagner. Lead singer Oliver describes what he’s been working on as sounding like “a funeral with confetti”. Not to be confined to any one topic or sound, they say that whatever comes next is going to be a fresh reinvention of their current sound. Television is a running theme is Viewing Party’s aesthetic. Why TV? According to them, it’s both an ode to it and social commentary. “It’s this entity that we all grew up with, […] It’s kind of raised our generation in a way,” says Sam. In what could be described as a postmodern repurposing, they like to use samples from old TVs shows and works from the past to make something new. Even their album cover is a thrifted photo, found in an antique store. They treat TV as a non-musical influence of sorts, with shows like Twin Peaks and Angelo Badala-
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menti’s score impacting their work in various ways. Also citing David Lynch and Mark Frost’s writing and use of surrealism as something they’d like to incorporate in their future work. To Viewing Party, their music is treated as a production, not unlike a film or television show. Equally important to their sound, they believe a live show should be a visual experience as well. John speaks about using TVs in their practice space and stage set up in order to get the mood right. on., is an incredibly strong work that pulls sounds from post-punk and art-pop together in a moody but danceable seven track EP. Rather than sides, it is broken into two separate acts, a nod to the fact they view their work as a production. When asked what their favourite track was most of them agreed they liked “Night Shoes”, but they all agreed that they preferred to think of the EP as a unified experience, like a single work meant to be heard from beginning to end. Their ability to combine poppy and somewhat upbeat melodies with gloomy vocals and surreal lyrics, make them a versatile and interesting band to experience. A new addition to their label, Birthday Tapes, they have nothing but gratitude for them. The group credits their manager, Austin Boultan, with getting them off the ground and helping them become what they are today. When they talk about how Birthday Tapes has affected the band, nothing but praise is heard at the table. Not only for their manager and label, they continue to speak about their love of the entire Winnipeg music scene. “It’s just so welcoming,” says John as they all agree. It seems Viewing Party is pas-
sionate and confident in themselves. Hopes of a full length being completed and released sometime in or around late 2017 to early 2018 are spoken about with feverish excitement and endless possibilities. One thing is for sure, the group has no intention of slowing down or giving up. Check out on. and An Evening With Viewing Party, the band’s new live recording, on their Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and Facebook pages. Also, be on the lookout for performances throughout the city, as they plan on playing gigs throughout the year.
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À LA MODE BY CHRIS BRYSON Dominique Lemoine’s À La Mode is a vibrant melding of indie, synth, and dream pop, old and new, that tows the tradition of light and dark dichotomy. Where brightness and optimism share space within a melancholic embrace, and does so seamlessly, blending styles for a bold, beaming, open and endearing emotional escape. Since its inception, Lemoine says that À La Mode “has gone through a lot of changes,” with “four or five configurations” in the mix. The band started five years ago where Lemoine says they played a few shows but stopped for whatever reason at the time. She then “decided to record some songs kind of for posterity,” in case she wanted to hear her songs when she was older. “And then that ended up leading to some interest,” says Lemoine. “So I was like maybe I should play some live shows, so I got a new band together. And then we played together for about a year. And then after about a year we had a good amount of songs arranged so we decided to record. And that was the band that did Perfection Salad which came out in the fall.” Lemoine says that when she found that “most of the people in the band couldn’t tour because of their job, their families, or where they lived,” she “put together a new band for the tour.” The new band at this point, Lemoine explains, “was more like hired musicians for the most part,” she then realized that what she needed was collaboration. “I wanted people a little more invested in the music,” says Lemoine. “It’s nice to play with professional musicians for sure but I prefer the collaborative, people putting the energy in to try to think of ideas together.” The band has now been pared down to a duo, with Lemoine doing synth, production, preprogrammed elements, and arranging electronic beats, and Ava Glendinning (who’s also played with Bicycle Face, Eagle Lake Owls, and Hearing Trees) on electric guitar, along with vocal harmonies in the mix. When Lemoine was young she discovered and fell in love with pop music. “When I was younger I got very obsessed with music kind of overnight,” says Lemoine. “I think music is pretty powerful, so I think it probably shaped me as a person and also my taste at the time. I think that I just fell in love with pop so hard, that I just never really fell out of love with it. I definitely don’t premeditate
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PHOTO BY DOUG KRETCHMER the genre or anything like that I just kind of do what I like.” À La Mode’s songs are sung in both French and English, which, at least to this listener, who only understands the latter, gives the sense of an added layer of depth and emotion to the sound. Talking about the inclusion of both languages, Lemoine says “I guess I just worry that people at my shows, our shows, will not understand what I’m saying a lot of the time. So hopefully the emotion can still come through because music is also a language. It’s nice to be able to be involved in both the Francophone and Anglophone communities. Because those communities exist in Winnipeg and they’re kind of separate right now. Hopefully they’ll kind of meld more over time. But it’s nice to be able to experience both.” With transitioning to being a duo, Lemoine also intends to transition her sound towards being fully electronic, but with a twist. “Once we have enough songs and we’re happy with the arrangement I would actually like to record them myself using a 4-track. So it would be running the electronic stuff onto one track, and then tracking the vocals and guitar and synth, and then getting it mixed from there,” says Lemoine. “But I would love to record it on tape. I think that would suit the sound. Because we use a lot of 80’s synth sounds, like sampled synths.” Taking the unconventional route of recording to tape will give À La Mode’s sound an idiosyncratic effect. “It would give it a warmer and more lofi sound. And I also just want to be able to do it myself,” says Lemoine. “Another thing that’s cool about recording to tape is that you kind of have to get it on your first take so you perform it differently because it’s like, I’ve got to go for it and you probably perform with more abandon because you’ve just got to go for it fully. So you’ve got to be super prepared, and then you have to kind of be in it when you’re playing, which is great.” In discussing dichotomies in her own music and music in general, Lemoine says, “I sort of want to make music that’s darker. I think a lot of the brightness comes from sort of being afraid of delving into the darkness of things too much even when that’s what originally wants to come out. I always sort of want to add a little bit of humor or brightness because I’m sort of anxious about that. And I actually would like to explore that a bit more and be okay with it.”
BY MATT HARRISON PHOTO BY ROSALIE LOISELLE
HAITIA
On the first day of this calendar year that felt remotely like springtime, I met with the folk singing duo Haitia. Comprised of the beautiful and talented voices of Dana Waldie and Avery Penner, Haitia blends the harmonious charm of traditional folk music with a timeless depth of lyric. With both singers coming from homes of music teachers, Dana and Avery each found ways to express their musical prowess from a young age. Learning instruments from the harp to the piano, these two performers have had an ear and a passion for music for as long as either can recall. Before forming Haitia, the namesake of which pays homage to Dana’s Haitian background, both have experience performing on stage and in front of crowds, albeit in entirely different styles. At 17 years old, Dana found herself on stage singing for the first time in front of a crowd in a church. From there, she went on to form the original rendition of Haitia, a project that later fell through and created a vacancy that led to what the band currently is. Avery, on the other hand, has spent a majority of her performing time on the stage of musical theatre. Coming together from entirely different realms of musical experience, Haitia combines the strengths of each singer to create a soothing aura of tranquility. As the band currently stands, all their songs have been written by Dana as the project was originally her own. In the future, the tandem plans to work cohesively to write songs and together develop a clear identity for their group. Avery has written songs in the past, however the two choose to perform the
songs written by Dana. As the two perform together more, the band becomes less of Dana’s own music project and becomes a band shared by friends. When explaining the songwriting process, Dana and Avery vehemently agreed the calm nature of folk music can at times make writing an intimidating task. Without the volume instruments lend in many other genres, the two agreed the lyrics of their songs are more exposed than in other genres. “It’s a little more vulnerable,” Dana explained, “when it’s your songs and you and your guitar.” When asked which artists they each look up to most, the singers described themselves to be inspired by both local artists as well as some unforgettable duos on the large scale. Among local inspirations, Dana and Avery counted Begonia and Royal Canoe, referring to the latter as simply “amazing.” Among comparatively mainstream acts, the two confess the Staves, First Aid Kit, and Simon and Garfunkel to being among their greatest inspirations. “Their harmonies were so simple but still so beautiful” Dana told me, referring to Simon and Garfunkel. “They’re a group my dad played all the time as a kid.” Coming off a busy month of performing live, which followed an equally hectic few months of performing, Avery and Dana plan to take their first moment to breathe since they became bandmates. “When Avery came in,” Dana said with a small laugh, “it was already go-go-go.” The two agree they have yet to fully have an opportunity to sit down together and work on a song as a duo. To this point, Haitia has been booked to play
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so many shows the two have yet to find the time to relax together and enjoy any other aspects of their friendship. Dana told me how the group hasn’t “had the chance to go slow” like most bands do at the start of a project. Since forming a group together, Dana and Avery have been in constant work mode, a mentality each of them looks forward to taking a break from this spring. The near future is set to be slower than the last five months have been for Haitia, Their immediate goals, after their brief break from performing live, include establishing a fanbase in order to have a market to cater an EP to. There is currently no set date for the release however the two are optimistic that once they see a strong enough base of fans for their songs they’ll be more encouraged to take on such a project. While talks of recording and releasing remain in the infancy stage, Dana and Avery plan to spend the spring sitting down to write songs and hone their performances to be as sharp as possible by the time summer rolls around. The powerful duo plan to begin applying for festivals such as WInnipeg Folk Festival and Real Love as soon as the time arrives to do so. This spring will be spent preparing Haitia for their next series of concerts. Check music festival listings this summer for Haitia and allow their music to soulfully move you the way oftentimes only folk music can.
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WHITNEY A CONVERSATION WITH MAX KAKACEK BY COLTON SIEMENS After the breakup of indie darlings Smith Westerns, guitarist Max Kakacek, and Julien Ehrlich found themselves sharing an apartment in Chicago. After writing some songs and playing together, a new band, Whitney was born. In 2016, they released Light Upon the Lake to critical acclaim. Combining elements of folk, country, and indie, Whitney’s sound is as fresh as it is timeless. The juxtaposition of happy sounding melodies and heartfelt, somber lyrics are just one of the things that make Light Upon the Lake so relatable and re-listenable. Simply put Whitney’s debut is a warm and stunning album that has introduced us to one of the most promising acts in the indie scene. Stylus got the chance to speak to guitarist, Max about Whitney, the new album, and what we can expect from them in future. Stylus: You and Julien are both former members of the now-disbanded Smith Westerns. How do you feel you guys transitioned from Smith Westerns, fuzzed out, indie glam rock to Whitney’s smoother cleaner folk-country sound? Was it something you’ve been interested in doing for a while, or was it more of a natural progression? Max Kakacek: I think it was it was kind of both. While on tour with Smith Westerns, all of us were listening to a lot of country stuff and getting interested [in it]. Some early Rolling Stones. I think that’s how it manifested first. Just like “Wild Horses” or something and then kind of finding New Morning era Bob Dylan then kind of finding Nashville Skyline and other artists. It was kind of a happy accident when one day Julian and I made a song kind of inspired by this stuff and were like, “This is it. Cool sound. We should try it out”, then came into a bigger project. Stylus: Obviously that’s worked out really well! Max: Yeah! Yeah, we’ve been very lucky. Stylus :You’ve also been touring a lot, this year and last. What are you guys listening to in the van? Or what have you been listening to personally? MK: We kind of toss a lot of stuff on in the van. The dude who’s been driving us listens to a lot of NPR, so a lot of talk radio at the moment. But lately, I’ve found that there’s been a couple blogs that I follow. There are a couple of blogs that I mixtape through, aquariumdrunkard.com is one of them, and I just kind of go through them and just find as many random songs as I can find and look them up and find the whole albums. Hold on, Julien’s just next to me “hey what the name of that song?” His names like crazy I can’t remember it. Labi Siffre! And the song is, “Crying Laughing Loving Sez Les”. I find random songs at random times and become obsessed with them until I find a new one. Stylus: What kind of artists would you say have influenced Whitney the most? Either past or present. MK: Um, I think when we were first starting this guy, Jim Ford, was really important to us and this band called Amanaz, this weird Zambian rock band.
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Stylus: Are there any Canadian influences find their way into your music? Max: Well, I guess like lots of the members are from Canada and we love them. Stylus: Whitney just released one of the most acclaimed and buzzed records of 2016. So even though a new release might be a ways away, can we expect new music from the band? MK: Yeah, actually I think there’s going to be, like in the next few weeks there should be an announcement of some newer stuff. Right now were just kind of in Chicago writing but we have a little project that we’re going to be releasing soon that will be announced sooner rather than later. Stylus: Light Upon the Lake was co-produced by Foxygen member, Johnathon Rado. Do you have any plans for future collaborations? MK: Not at the moment. I mean, I would love for him to come in and play keyboards on a few songs on the new album, he’s like really fun, he an amazing keyboard player. So it would be cool to see him and hang out again. Other than that, I think we’re just focused on writing the next album right now and we’ll just figure that out once it’s all written. Stylus: Cool. That makes sense. Do you have a dream collaboration? MK: I would love to do something with Chance the Rapper right now. He’s doing some awesome stuff for Chicago right now. He just donated a million dollars to Chicago public schools and he is a really talented individual and it would be awesome to do something with another Chicago person. He actually just won some Grammys. He’s killing it. Stylus: I think everyone would like to hear something like that. MK: We have some mutual friends. The guys in Twin Peaks went to High School with him and I think they know him a bit, but I’ve never met him. He’s a really nice dude, though. Stylus: So there’s a connection! That’s cool. I think the cover art for Light Upon the Lake fits the music really well, it has a clean and not overstated aesthetic. Where did the cover art come from? MK: That was from, when Jules and I had a mirror in our apartment that followed us around to different apartments as we were writing the album. It was just kind of always in the room as a wall piece, and we were trying to figure out what to use as an album cover so we just took a picture and sent it to the label and they were like “we can try to take the design” and it worked out perfectly. Stylus: I agree. It looks awesome! MK: Thanks! Stylus: The album seems to deal with breakups and heartbreak up quite a bit, do you have any suggestions for someone going through that? MK: Aww… man. Stylus: That’s a tough one maybe… MK: Yeah. My girlfriend and I are breaking up this week so it’s like the fucking shittiest. But I don’t know. I don’t really have any advice. I have no idea. Keep your head up!
Stylus: You’ve been touring a lot over the past year, do you have any favorite tour memories you’d like to share? MK: We were just in Australia and Asia […] I’m trying to think of something crazy that happened over there... One that we always use, that I think is really funny, is that our bass player drank our other guitarist’s pee. He like, slept in the van and our guitarist peed in a water jug, like a gallon water jug or something, and then our bassist picked it up and just like took a giant swig out of it and then later found out he drank pee. It was a really funny time for all of us. His name’s Josiah Marshall if you want to put his name in the article, he’d really appreciate it. Stylus: You’ve been involved in few successful bands now, do you have any advice aspiring musicians or artists just starting out? MK: I don’t know, just keep on working I guess. That’s one thing that I took from Smith Westerns into this, just like I didn’t stop making music. And like even if a certain band ends, you never know, something will pick up again. Stylus: Good advice. What would you say is your favorite city to play? MK: I love playing Chicago because it’s our hometown. […] I’m just going to go off of our last tour, which was in Asia and Australia, and there, one of the best cities was in Osaka in Japan, actually. The crowd was great and it was like really interesting. Stylus: Do you have a favorite Canadian city to play? MK: We actually played so much in Toronto with Smith Westerns. We played for the first time in Toronto at Lee’s Palace and it was awesome. I’d have to say Toronto. And I have an old friend who’s this guy that I’ve known since I was 19 that’s been booking bands so I like spent a lot of time in Toronto. So I think I’m most aquatinting with that. Stylus: Any hopes or dreams for 2017? MK: I’m just excited to be back to tour. We’re home for a month, so just you know, hoping we all stay safe on the road! Whitney played to a sold out crowd at at the West End Cultural Centre on April 4. If you haven’t already, check out their new album, Light Upon the Lake, and be on the lookout for new releases in the future! This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
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Apr / May 2017 Stylus Magazine
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the
manitobandits BY KENT DAVIES Like the musical equivalent of Voltron or maybe a modern day local Wrecking Crew, The Manitobandits are the combination of the mighty genre-busting artists that make up Ultra Mega, Blond(e) Goth and Smoky Tiger. The group features the core backing of Josey Krahn (Ultra Mega), Aaron Johnston (Pop Crimes), Richard Bolton (Reverend Rambler) and Dan Moroz (The Flaming Trolleys) with revolving frontmen; JD Ormond ( JD and the Sunshine Band), T.J. Blair (The Magnificent 7s), and Smoky Tiger/Andrew Courtnage/Nij (Youtube). The Manitobandits enthralling live set features darkly humored satirical songs, wistful love ballads, party rock anthems and tributes to Manitoba folk heroes. The powerhouse act recently played to a packed Good Will Social Club in support of their respective album releases. Stylus caught up with the Manitobandits at their secret hideout in south Osborne in the lead up to the big show. Stylus: There is so much Manitoba history and Winnipeg related stories in your music. What do you think it is about living here that makes it so ripe for storytelling? Nij (Smoky Tiger): We’re kind of like an Island, because we’re so isolated from every other place. We become a focus point for a particular type of isolated sound. Josey: These are unique stories (featured on Smoky Tiger’s Great Western Gold) that no one outside of Manitoba has heard, like the story of Cuthbert Grant or Bloody John Krafchenko or the amazing story of the Flying Bandit and one of the biggest gold heists ever right here in the Winnipeg international airport. Nobody has really heard much about these characters outside of Manitoba. ST: I wanted to fulfill one of the obligations of an artist and that is to tell stories and represent spirits. I just went looking for stories and I found all these incredible histories of people from Manitoba, some of which I had never heard of. It was the excitement of the stories behind the stories that gave me the obligation to make sure that people need to hear them. My songs are literally about these historical Manitoba characters but Ultra Mega and Blond(e) Goth songs are more outside the regular mainstream view of this place. It’s a view from the people who live here, political views, and more irreverent views.
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PHOTO BY JESSE WARKENTIN JK: There is definitely something about playing together for such a long time that humor plays a big part in what we do. We all have a similar taste in humor and in a lot of ways we’re hyperaware of our surroundings and situations and that let’s us have a good ear for each other’s jokes. That translates into the songs. Jokes make for good stories. Good stories make good songs. JD: It’s also proven to be a good marketing scheme to pander a bit to the locals with things that they may be into or they know. Stylus: How long have you all been playing together? ST: Joesy and I have been partying together since we were eating acid and listening to Pink Floyd. TJ is the new guy. An alien spacecraft did a fly by and jettisoned him out. JD: Josey and I grew up in Wolseley and our families were just naturally kind of friends. We were attracted to one another’s sense of outsider irrelevance or irreverence I should say. (Laughs). JK: We met Aaron at the very first Rainbow Trout. That was the first time JD played with Smoky Tiger and the first time I played with Ultra Mega. Stylus: You’ve been part of Rainbow Trout (Music Festival) since the beginning is that kind of like the glue of Manitobandits? JK: Some of the best shows we’ve played were at Trout. I loved that first time we played Trout as Blond(e) Goth. I lunged on a monitor for the first time ever. Not ironically, totally from heart. ST: For Rainbow Trout, it hasn’t really been up to that pinnacle since 2014. I had heard Blond Goth ten thousand times before but when Dan Moroz came up with his Hulk Hogan outfit with that sax solo - the moment he hit this note I just started weeping. Tears, snot, blood was coming out my ears. JD: Even before Trout was a thing, Josey, Nij, myself and even TJ a little later were always chilling at the Label Gallery on Portage across from the U of Winnipeg. That was very much a creative hub. That was around the first time Josey and I played out together. I was trying to teach Josey all my personal songs that were very chord heavy, very singer songwriter. Through the genesis of Ultra Mega it’s gone from a signer songwriter thing to sort of a more open like spacey ethereal thing.
Stylus: You’re releasing three albums simultaneously. When did you start recording these? JD: The album Ultra Mega is releasing now was actually recorded in 2011. Basically the Ultra Mega songs were our first foray into the studio. One of the reasons we did that album was just like it was a teaser for our live show. I’ve been hesitant and that’s the reason why this record has taken so long to come out. I always feel that something is lost in the production process. You lose the nugget that you think was the most valuable part of that song or creating it in the first place. So it becomes hard to put something out that isn’t exactly what you’re about. Some of those songs are ten years old. I wrote some of them when I was 19 years old. Very old stock. TJ: The Blond(e) Goth album was recorded through various sessions but one of the songs is old enough that there is a Stephen Harper reference. (Laughs) So we felt we just got to get this shit out because we’re losing the timeliness of it. Aaron Johsnon: At this point it wouldn’t seem appropriate to just release them individually. By doing a co-release it adds enough entertainment value to make it worthwhile. Once the albums are out there you can’t take it back. It’s taken a while to make that jump. Stylus: And it’s better to make that plunge with a group like this? JD: Absolutely. TJ: We can hide behind each other. (Laughs). JK: I think for all of us, since we started playing music together we’ve dreamed of having a group like this. As friends, the feeling that we can play each other’s songs and make something that’s greater than the sum of its parts. That feels fuckin’ rad. JD: I’m so happy to be playing these songs. They’re all so out there. Each leader has his own craft and there are similarities but we’re all very different. TJ: We’re crossing over three separate franchises. I just hope it doesn’t turn into that shitty Freddy vs. Jason movie. Ultra Mega’s self-titled full length and Smoky Tiger’s Great Western Gold is out now with the Transistor 66 record company. The joint Transistor 66 and Eat Em’ Up Records release of Blond(e) Goth’s self-titled cassette is out for its second run. Get it while you can.
the village idiots BY SAM SWANSON
PHOTO BY JOEY SENFT
Live @ the Roslyn’ reads across the night sky mural backdrop, across from a laptop and webcam, with a mess of cords and sound equipment in between. The orange building at the foot of the Osborne bridg,e long known for its cargo elevator and afterpartie,s is now the recording studio of Live @ the Roslyn. a popup show that livestreams via Facebook on Wednesdays like buzzed clockwork. Public access television died long ago, but the spirit of Wayne’s World is very much alive through digital production and distribution tools. Kevin Repay and Morgan Coates set up the audio and video before sound check. Today’s guests are the blues-rock outfit Wreckin’ So. Behind the mural is a portrait studio where Mike Osikoya photographs the visiting acts before the show begins. Joey Senft provides live-action performance photography. Host Rylie Saunders needs material for his extemporaneous intro skit. He finds a tiny toy guitar with hypnotic blackand-white swirls. Back stage and on-set is separated by a living room hallway, but the amount of electronics and wiring on the floor suggest the Village Idiots are plenty clever. But true to their name, they don’t take themselves too seriously. Everyone on set has a beer. Stylus: Who are The Village Idiots? Kevin Repay: So, the team is comprised of myself, Kevin Repay, Rylie Saunders, Mike Osikoya., Morgan Coates and Joey Senft. We’re a collective. We invite anyone into the group. It’s not just about being part of the team, but anyone that wants to associate themselves with the movement, to promote and appreciate what Winnipeg music has to offer … Really anyone that wants to call themselves a Village Idiot is a Village Idiot. Rylie Saunders: It’s literally thousands of people. We always say ‘we are a you’. It’s for the people who love music and life, or believe that music is life. It’s about spreading joy and love for music, for local music specifically. Mike Osikoya: The Village Idiots have been pretty much just a collective of creative souls. I think that’s the best way to describe all of us. Each of us personify an individual aspect that together creates this one beautiful, uh, I’m looking at you Rylie… RS: It’s a beautiful ride. MO: Yeah, a beautiful ride, yeah exactly. It started out just from an iPhone and now it’s this huge production in the middle of the living room, and every-
one brings such a diverse taste to this, it’s just been fantastic. Stylus: Using the iPhone as a segue, because it’s perfect for the next question, what’s up with Facebook live? MO: You’re welcome. Facebook Live, I’ll let Riley talk on this more ‘cause it’s his baby, but Facebook live was just our means of reaching the masses. RS: Essentially, you’ve got a venue that puts a show on, and you’ve got 70 to 100 or 200 people in that place. A lot of times people can’t make it ‘cause they’re busy, they’ve got kids, they’ve got work in the morning, they can’t afford it; there’s a lot of reasons people can’t make it to shows. Facebook live is
an opportunity just to throw something up, and it doesn’t matter where you are, what you’re doing, you can stop and you can hear what’s going on. There’s no fee associated to it there’s no strict timeline ‘cause you can watch it after it’s out, and it gives everyone that opportunity that hasn’t the means to get to a show to still appreciate the music that they love, see their friends play. It’s an untapped medium. RS: What Facebook Live is, is the audience. It’s the stage now, and that’s a very interesting thing. It’s evolution of music into the digital age, or the evolution of live performances into the digital age. KR: There are mediums out there that do that already like SoundCloud, but they’re not putting that visual aspect to it. They’re not putting a live show. You can go back and watch this live recorded any time you want. It’s mastered sound. We have an all-channel mixer. We’re bringing very high quality sound. It’s far off from someone just setting an iPhone in the room … it’s much greater production than that. Stylus: What are the highlights from Season 1? KR: I’ll always go back to Dick Lizard, our very first one. That one was just a simple iPhone, hand-
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held by Ryley and then stabilized on a stand with a wrench. Dick Lizard is our good friend, Sid Bellinger, who did the [Village Idiots] mural is their lead guitarist … they do such great music. Everybody that knows them and everyone appreciates, you can’t sit still during these guys. It’s so much fun, and they came in here with the right attitude, just to have some fun, see where it goes, and they were a big part in energizing us to keep this going. The energy that they brought, the confidence they instilled in us to continue to do this, that was a highlight. RS: Attica Riots had 18,000 views in one day. It was the epitome of what we’re doing. We were on CityTV in the morning. I brought them there, they did a live performance with Wheeler in the Morning. We had the advertising going that they were the biggest band we had, and it was everything that we worked towards was firing on full cylinders. We watched that show. We’re our critics, there’s not one thing I could criticize about that show. I absolutely love it. It was huge for us. It’s almost double the views of any other episode. MO: I’m probably in the same boat as a lot of our audience because I’ve never heard of any of these bands, but every Wednesday I’m like ‘okay, I’m gonna discover someone new today’ and it’s always been fantastic. I think the one that stuck out the most to me – Attica Riots was amazing – but I’m gonna go with Noble Thieves. They just had a presence. Especially the lead singer. Stylus: How is Season 2 shaping up, and do you think this program is sustainable in Winnipeg? RS: Pretty much the first season was like, we’re so fortunate to be friends with all the bands, so that’s how we kinda did this, because we’ve been supporting them for so many years. Season 2 is gonna be much of bands we’re discovering, bands that have reached out to us and bands we’re gonna be friends with in the future, and I think that’s really cool. ... We haven’t got into hard rock and metal yet because of being in our living room. KR: We’re looking at a number of different opportunities. It’s not just Live at the Roslyn. We’re gonna do some live-on-location stuff. We’re gonna take this in a number of different directions. Live at the Roslyn is just one piece of what the Village Idiots do in terms of music promotion and production, and art production, culture production. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Apr / May 2017 Stylus Magazine
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ckuwho?
Listen to: Brain Drainer Radio
BY KAITLYN EMSLIE FARRELL Brain Drainer Radio is one of the more fresh shows on CKUW. Every Friday from 10:30pm to 12:00am, two pals Alex and Spencer, delightfully shove their taste down your throat just like the hotdogs they’re eating while answering these questions. Actually, let’s talk about hotdogs for a moment. They’re a simple food really, everyone knows how to cook them and where to buy them. They’re complex if we want to know exactly what they’re comprised of, but that’s not on our minds when we choose to indulge. We buy hotdogs because of their convenience, their simplicity, and their great taste (open to discussion). So, that about sums up Brain Drainer Radio, straight forward and effective, simple and delicious. Alex describes it as “two dum-dums chattin’ it up” and Spencer adds “with some punk in between.” And that’s all you need on a Friday night. Alex and Spencer’s friendship is sincere though, and we can hear this on the airwaves. It sounds like a couple of best buds talking it up, which is easy to tune in to. It truly makes the listener feel like they are part of the conversation, without having to actually converse with anyone or even leave their home. It’s almost a service to the current generation. Not that everyone stays inside these days, but we know a lot of you prefer it. So where do two dudes who listen to loud tunes find each other? “We met in the pogo pit,” says Spencer. This is the kind of friendship that sounds natural, the kind developed by meeting in a stinky basement sometime
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GRAPHIC BY ALEX PARROTT listening to loud, live music. But it didn’t just appear out of thin air, right? After filling in for some open time slots at the station, Alex and Spencer expressed interest in making it a regular thing. Spencer did the grueling research, I mean, he asked the program director how to get a
show, they took the training and viola. Brain Drainer Radio is just four months old, still a baby, but a baby people kind of like. There’s a lot of radio shows that use the air as a platform for another objective. It’s equally important to have a lot of shows that strictly entertain. We need these breaks from everything that happens around us. We need good old fashioned listening to mu-
sic. Brain Drainer Radio is the one of those shows that’ll help you kick back, so long as you like to kick back loud. Offering sounds in the range of punk and hardcore, Alex and Spencer only intend to share what they like with you. Grabbing vinyl from their own collection, they make sure not to overthink it. “I just grab a fat ol’ stack of wax and head out the door,” says Alex. Spencer has a guideline however. “I choose the records with the least amount of cat hair on them.” The guys are musicians themselves, playing in punk and hardcore bands. This might be where the passion comes from, that and the endless experience of listening to music. “It’s nice to play music you like for people, and exposing some local bands to the airwaves,” says Alex. These boys sure are qualified and they make sure I know. “I’ve been listening to music for a long time, since I was a baby,” says Spencer. Who can argue with that? In the end it’s all about fun. They want to have fun doing it, and they want you to have fun listening to it. And that’s pretty important so we can probably all just have fun together. The objective is simple as Spencer states, “play records that we like and be doinks.” And Alex doesn’t over complicate it. “We like fun.” Thanks guys, fun is good. Everyone can always use a little more fun.
omni BY TOPHER DUGUAY Atlanta’s Omni has quickly become one of the most exciting post-punk bands making music today. They play in Winnipeg in April so Stylus called up guitarist Frankie Broyles to catch up. Stylus: What made you decide to come up here while on tour? Most bands skip it for Minneapolis. Frankie Broyles: Yeah, I think we’re going to Minneapolis as well. I’m not sure why it happened, I guess our booking agent got an offer, so it just happened that way. I’m excited to visit. Stylus: What made you guys move from Balkans to Omni? It seems like a logical evolution in some ways, but was there any specific reason? FB: I played guitar and sang in Balkans - Philip was in a band called Carnivores. I’m the only member of Balkans. But that project just kind of stopped happening, and Philip and I just casually started playing music together. Stylus: How is being the frontman of your own band different from working with Deerhunter? FB: I guess this band was something I started with
Philip, and Deerhunter hired me to play guitar, and they were already established. So it’s different in that way with this band I started from
the beginning and with that one I was coming into something that was already a well-oiled machine. Stylus: How was working with them, anyway? FB: It was great! I got to go play in a lot of cool places and meet a lot of nice people, it was a really rewarding experience. Stylus: You sound like you write songs extremely quickly, according to most of your interviews. Does your process create a lot of outtakes? FB: Yeah, we’re in the middle of mixing our next record and we have about fifteen songs to choose from, so we’re whittling it down. But we try to release everything. We just did a single with two songs that we had written for the first record but got left off - we’ve found uses for everything so far. Stylus: Speaking of live performances, how was playing with Protomartyr at CMJ? You said it was a high point and they’re a band I’m really into. FB: It was really cool! I love that band and they’re really fun to watch, and really nice guys. My friend,
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Chris Koltay, mixed their first record, so we had a mutual friend. Stylus: Since you said the next album’s going to have a Roxy Music influence, do you mean early or late period? FB: Probably early. Although I have been listening to, on our last tour, their album Avalon over and over again, so maybe a bit of both. Stylus: Is your song “Wire” named after the band? FB: Oh, no, it isn’t. I just picked a word out of one of the lyrics that Philip sang and made it the title, but yeah. Stylus: I like that you have a big Steely Dan influence. How do your influences affect your sound? FB: I think it all just naturally seeps in there, pieces from all kind of things, like Steely Dan, and Wire we love Wire. We hadn’t atually thought about how that song was called “Wire” until you mentioned it to us. But yeah, sometimes Philip will have some kind of bassline that’s influenced by something completely different than what I’m playing on top of it. It’s an interesting sound sometimes, hopefully. Stylus: So what else have you been listening to besides Roxy Music? FB: Let’s see, we’ve been listening to this band called the Social Climbers, some Gal Costa, I don’t know, a lot of things. Stylus: Finally, is pineapple on pizza acceptable, and if so, would you eat a pizza where the pineapple is the crust? FB: I’d try it, but I think I’d miss the crust.
Apr / May 2017 Stylus Magazine
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Local Spotlight
APOLLO SUNS Each Day A Different Sun I never thought I’d ever listen to modern jazz album, yet Winnipeg based band Apollo Suns have inspired me to embrace some modern jazz due to their stellar debut album Each Day A Different Sun. Blending classical jazz with elements of funk and post rock giving this project a very unique sound. As heard on the track “An impossible bond” which is a great rendition of the James Bond theme. The horns and grooving riff on “A study in red” are for sure highlights. “A lesson in sharing” was definitely my favorite track as it reminded me of classic progressive rock and the horns on this track are tight. As someone who usually isn’t too keen on recent releases, I was very impressed with this album and the sound that came from their debut. Each Day a Different Sun is also slated for a physical release and will be available on Spotify and Apple Music/ Itunes on April 8. Caelum Rossell
CIVVIE Inheritance There is something to be said about music that doesn’t facilitate multitasking. Even trying to send an IM while listening to Civvie’s Inheritance is a no-go. The experimental three-piece, consisting of Alex Eastley on bassoon, Natanielle Felicitas on cello, and Kelly Ruth playing a loom connected to loop pedals and contact microphones, have created something entirely arresting with their debut album.
16 Stylus Magazine Apr / May 2017
Recorded in one day, Inheritance is composed of seven segments of the three musicians improvised collaboration. To listen to the album is in a way to join the process, allowing emotions to rise in ways that cannot be predicted, that flow under and around what each musician is doing, and then align and join with bewildering clarity in sudden waves and flourishes. One track, “Encroachment,” begins serenely, only to shift to a sound that is devastating and violent as the cello rehashes a minor note and the bas-
soon wails dissonance. Eventually a consistent beat emerges and the song forays on, becoming darkly adventurous. “Empire i” evokes a Narnian lullaby, music suitable for a campfire stop on a long journey. The loom, ever reproducing familiar sounds in uncanny ways, initially mimics the sound of wind blowing through a campground, but later, morphs into tumbling rock, earth giving way to fissures and echoes. The last track of the album, “Humoresque Girls” is brief but sprinkled with
THE BELLE GAME AT THE HANDSOME DAUGHTER
wavering trills and more open air. This is Civvie at their most playful, but the trio’s excitement for making some wild noise together is palpable throughout the entire album. Inheritance is a rare moment to listen in on that excitement in a way that seems incredibly intimate. In the midst of an array of media that let’s us consume at a safe and comfortable distance, Inheritance demands that you step into the frame and try something new. And it’s well worth it. Rachel Narvey
PHOTO BY JEN DOERKSEN
95.9 FM CKUW CAMPUS/COMMUNITY RADIO TOP 30 ALBUMS ( January 31 - March 27, 2017) !=LOCAL CONTENT * =CANADIAN CONTENT re=RE-ENTRY TO CHART #
ARTIST
1 ! Personality Crisis 2 ! Stretch Marks 3 * Whitney Rose 4 * Century Palm 5 ! Steve Kirby’s Oceanic Jazz Orchestra 6 ! Begonia 7 ! Civvie 8 * Austra 9 * Japandroids 10 ! Futurekids 11 * The Jerry Cans 12 * B.A. Johnston 13 ! Smoky Tiger 14 ! Moon Tan 15 ! Viewing Party 16 * Striker 17 * The Real McKenzies 18 Thundercat 19 * Homeshake 20 Hanni El Khatib 21 Methyl Ethel 22 ! Hearing Trees 23 * A Tribe Called Red 24 * Lindi Ortega 25 ! Mohair Sweets 26 * Amelia Curran 27 Flaming Lips 28 Brad Pot 29 Ty Segall 30 * Fred Eaglesmith
RECORDING
Personality Crisis
LABEL
Sounds Escaping Who & What - The Complete Studio Recordings Sounds Escaping South Texas Suite Six Shooter Meet You Deranged All Over The Map Head In The Sand Lady In Mind Self-Released Inheritance Self-Released Future Politics Pink Fizz Near To The Wild Heart Of Life Arts & Crafts/Polyvinyl Like Like Self-Released Inuusiq Aakuluk Gremlins III Self-Released Great Western Gold Transistor 66 The Faceless Knight Self-Released On Birthday Tapes Record Breaking Records Striker Two Devils Will Talk Stomp/Fat Wreck Chords Drunk Brainfeeder Royal Mountian/Sinderlyn Fresh Air Savage Times - The Complete Collection Vol. 1-5 Innovative Leisure Everything Is Forgotten 4AD/Dot Dash Puppets Self-Released We Are The Halluci Nation Radicalized/Pirate’s Blend Til The Goin’ Gets Gone Pirate’s Blend Dream Filled Nights Self-Released Watershed Six Shooter Oczy Mlody Warner Brad Pot Slovenly Ty Segall Drag City Standard ILS Group
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Apr / May 2017 Stylus Magazine
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18 Stylus Magazine Apr / May 2017