stylusmagazine.ca
December / January 2023 - 2024 Stylus Magazine
1
2 Stylus Magazine December / January 2023 - 2024
DEC/JAN
2023-24 VOL 34
NO. 6
Production Team Editor . . . . . . . . . . . Keeley Braunstein-Black
editor@stylusmagazine.ca
Assistant Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . Myles Tiessen
assistanteditor@stylusmagazine.ca
Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kelly Campbell
design@stylusmagazine.ca
Cover Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kimberly Wiesner Advertising Contact . . . . . . . . Rob Schmidt
manager@ckuw.ca
Print by JRS Print Services . . . 204-232-3558
On the Cover KIMBERLY WIESNER is a current communications student striving for a career in music. Music photography at local shows has become a fun hobby for her over the last year. She also loves writing and learning about her favourite local musicians through interviews. Always trying to be better, she takes risks and tries new things. The cover image shows Royal Canoe performing with Begonia.
Contributors Mykhailo Vil’yamson Niqui Lampa Paul Newsom Steph Kolodka Michael Duboff Angelo Lamsen Bradi Breckman
Stiff Wiggle maggie astrid clark Khammy P Len Bowen Cary Bilcowski Mike Thiessen Derek Brueckner
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.
stylusmagazine.ca
Table of Contents Blah Blah Blah: Live Music Happenings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 The Business of Music: What is an Entertainment Lawyer and How to Hire One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03 Space Jam: Living Hour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 07 CKUW 95.9 Program Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 CKUWho: Soft Robotics with host Victoria King . . . . . . . . . . 14 Local Releases: Paige Drobot, Death Cassette, and more . . 14
Features
Interview: Len Bowen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 04 Concert Review: Beaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08 Review: Gentlefest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 09 Concert Review: Another Place: an evening of trans + queer sound art and poetry at aceartinc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Show Review: Pop Punk Party 4! Live at the Park Theatre . 13
December / January 2023 - 2024 Stylus Magazine
01
Blah Blah Bla h Live Music Happenings
Kieran West + STELLAR + Sam Gardener at Times Change(d) on Dec. 14 *** Honeysliders + Bloc Parents at Times Change(d) on Dec. 15 *** Steve Bell at the West End Cultural Centre on Dec. 15 *** Veneer album release the Good Will on Dec. 16 *** Red Moon Road:Simple Kind of Christmas at the West End Cultural Centre on Dec. 16 *** The Perpetrators at Times Change(d) on Dec. 22 *** Knife Hunter + the Rules + the Castagnes at Park Alleys on Dec. 22 *** Winter Formal! at the Handsome Daughter on Dec. 23 *** A Very Sassy Xmas at Park Alleys on Dec. 23 *** Neighbour Andy at the Good Will on Dec. 26 *** Animal Teeth + The Polyglots + The Castle at the Handsome Daughter
02 Stylus Magazine December / January 2023 - 2024
on Dec. 27 ** Ego Spank at Times Change(d) on Dec. 28 *** Anna katsina Hull band at Park Alleys on Dec. 28 *** Novillero + Leaf Rapids at Times Change(d) on Dec. 29 *** VVonder + the Benefits at Park Alleys on Dec. 30 *** The Windups at Times Change(d) on Dec. 30 *** The Funky Miracles and Friends at the Good Will on Dec. 31 *** The Hot & Dirty Dance Party at the Park Theatre on Dec. 31 *** Little Mountains with Purpleton & Matlock at the Handsone Daughter on Jan. 5 *** Songwriters Circle at the Park Theatre on Feb. 28 *** Roman Clarke album release at the West End Cultural Centre on Feb. 1 *** Close Talker May 1 *** Winterruption Helena Deland + Fontine at the
Good Will on Jan. 23 *** Bry Webb + Shotgun Jimmie at the Good Will on Jan. 24 *** KANDEKT at the Good Will on Jan. 25 *** Field Guide + BURS + Amos the Kid at the Good Will on Jan. 26 *** Meule + Rayannah at the WECC on Jan. 26 *** Waahli at Bulldog Event Centre on Jan. 27 *** Jane Inc. with Boniface + Alex A. at the Good Will on Jan. 27 *** Greg Macpherson on Jan.27 *** Sunny War at the WECC on Jan. 27 *** French Class + Bicycle Face at the WECC on Jan. 28 *** Making Movies + El Leon & the Strangers at the WECC on Jan. 28 *** Have a show you want to see in this section? Email editor@ stylusmagazine.ca
What is an Entertainment Lawyer & How to Hire One BY MICHAEL DUBOFF, AN ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER AT EDWARDS CREATIVE LAW – CANADA’S ENTERTAINMENT LAW BOUTIQUE™ Hiring an entertainment lawyer can be a critical step in the career of an artist, producer, director, writer, developer, or entertainer in Canada. This guide will walk you through the process, answering key questions, such as “what is an entertainment lawyer”, and providing insights into the world of entertainment law.
Why Do I Need An Entertainment Lawyer?
What is an Entertainment Lawyer?
An entertainment lawyer can help protect your rights, negotiate better deals, and ensure that you are following industry-specific laws and regulations.
You may be wondering, what is an entertainment lawyer? How is an entertainment lawyer different from a “regular” lawyer? An entertainment lawyer restricts their practice to the needs of client in the entertainment industry. They work with clients in various sub-industries: for example, music, film, television, video games, visual arts and theater, and help navigate complex legal issues, protect intellectual property rights, and negotiate contracts. What Does Lawyer Do?
An
Entertainment
Contract Negotiation and Review One of the primary responsibilities of an entertainment lawyer is to negotiate, review, and draft contracts for their clients. This may include negotiating contracts for record deals, film and television productions, talent management, and licensing deals. Intellectual Property Protection Entertainment lawyers also help clients use the Canadian legal system to protect their rights, such as copyright law and trademark law, ensuring they are properly registered and enforced. Litigation and Dispute Resolution In cases where disputes arise, most entertainment lawyers represent clients in court or alternative dispute resolution processes, such as mediation and arbitration. stylusmagazine.ca
You may be asking, “do I need an entertainment lawyer”? Hiring an entertainment lawyer is essential for anyone in the entertainment industry because of the unique legal challenges and complexities it presents.
An entertainment lawyer possesses the knowledge and experience necessary to navigate the legal landscape of the entertainment world, which can be invaluable for all entertainment professionals. How Much Does an Entertainment Lawyer Charge? Lawyer’s Hourly Rate Most Entertainment lawyers charge an hourly rate for their services. This rate will vary based on experience, location, and the complexity of your case. It’s important to discuss the hourly rate with your prospective entertainment lawyer to ensure you have a clear understanding of the costs involved. What are Hourly Services Hourly services involve billing clients based on the number of hours an entertainment lawyer spends working on their case. This billing method is common for matters with an uncertain scope (such as negotiating contracts), as it allows for greater flexibility in addressing evolving legal issues. What are Fixed Fee or Flat Fee Services? Some entertainment lawyers may offer fixed fee services, where a specific task or project is completed for a prospective client at a predetermined, flat rate. This billing method provides clients with certainty regarding costs
and can be advantageous for matters with a well-defined scope (corporate law, for example). Estimates for Legal Services Can I Get an Estimate for my Legal Matter? An estimate for legal services is a rough projection of the total cost of legal representation based on the entertainment lawyer’s understanding of your situation and the anticipated scope of work. While it can be difficult to provide precise estimates due to the unpredictable nature of legal issues, a well-informed estimate can help clients budget for legal expenses and set realistic expectations. It is essential to discuss estimated costs with your entertainment lawyer and be prepared for the possibility that actual costs may differ from the initial estimate. Conclusion Navigating the entertainment industry can be complex and challenging, but with the right legal guidance, you can protect your interests and maximize your opportunities for success. In summary, hiring an entertainment lawyer is a wise investment for anyone in the entertainment field. They can provide expert guidance and assistance in navigating the unique legal challenges and complexities of the industry, helping you to protect your rights, secure better deals, and ensure compliance with industry-specific laws and regulations. Now that you’re equipped with the knowledge to find the ideal entertainment lawyer for your needs, take the next step and contact our law firm by booking a complimentary discovery call. Our team of experienced professionals provides personalized, effective legal representation for clients in the entertainment industry.
December / January 2023 - 2024 Stylus Magazine
03
ANGELO LAMSEN The following is an interview with Len Bowen, a Rap artist hailing from Winnipeg. Known for his lyrical prowess, Len has crafted a diverse catalogue of songs, ranging from soulsearching meditations to electrifying battleready verses. Here, we discuss his latest project, NTHN4GRNTD, and dive into what influenced it.
Interview: Len Bowen
So between the start and the end and everything in between, it’s just really going through different phases, whether it was relationships I’ve had, ups and downs of the game, and just the moral support that I’ve had over the years, not to quit and continue to make music.
Stylus: Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the project? Len Bowen: The inspiration behind NTHN4GRNTD was the challenge of letting people know, first of all, my humble beginnings. Everything I’ve gone through and the support system that I had, being my mother, my friends growing up, my group members from the Shades who still support me even though I’m a solo act at this point, and all of the relationships I’ve built and the ups and downs I’ve gone through to get to this point. That’s really it. It hasn’t been an easy road. Along the way since the pandemic, I’ve got my manager in place now, Wayne Booth, who’s helped accelerate what I’m trying to do dramatically. And the work I did with Fourth Quarter Records early in the pandemic, putting out Flow Nostalgia, one and two EPs, and the years in the making EP following that, which led me to Nothing for Granted. So it’s just been a natural progression and staying consistent with everything I’m doing. S: How do you go about choosing the tracks for a project like this? How do they all tie in together? Len Bowen: I wanted to paint a picture. I wanted to make this picture cinematic. I wanted, when you hear the
04 Stylus Magazine December / January 2023 - 2024
PHOTO BY KHAMMY P AND LEN BOWEN
first track to the last track, it painted a picture. So Black Orchid is basically the outset where I’m starting my day, and I’m in a good mood, and I’m kind of reflecting on things I’ve gone through, looking back at days when I was first getting into studios, being young, naive, and hungry, and people seeing that and kind of taking advantage of it for their own personal gain, whether it was making money off me for studio time or a grant or what have you, and just meeting people over the years and growing from experiences to the last track, where I’m basically late to the party talking about the city needing more self-pride and confidence in themselves and cheering for the home team more instead of the visitors. No one’s going to respect Winnipeg unless we respect ourselves. So until we start supporting each other, whether it’s DJs, MCs, rap artists, B-boys, whether the DJs are playing the local artist’s music, or whether everyone’s coming together for one common cause, nobody else is going to respect us. You go to other cities, and it’s like they might as well have their own flag because of how hard they rap it, so we’ve got to get on that page as far as Winnipeg goes.
S: Listening back to the songs you picked for this project, were there any that stood out to you afterward, maybe something that surprised you? Like this could be a real hit, this could get millions of streams, or was it just like, this is a good body of work, I like it, boom, let’s put it out. Len Bowen: “Oceans and Beaches”, for sure, with the right machine behind it, I think that could be a global hit. I think the production, the hook, the way everything came out, just the lyrics, the sequence, everything just came together and fell into place. I think it just makes sense, and the irony is that the track was ready, the project was dropping in the summertime, and it’s totally geared towards summer and getting people on the dance floor to enjoy themselves and have a good time. Also, “Big Dreamer 2”, which is basically me coming full circle from the original Big Dreamer that came out on my first EP, Long Story Short, over ten years ago, is like my Rocky V story, where I’m sitting there having a conversation with my mother and talking about everything I’m still going through and reflecting on her support
through the years and the jewels she’s dropped on me, the advice she’s given me, and also having the perspective from an up-and-coming artist who’s on fire right now from my city as well. So it’s kind of like the OG and the young gun going back and forth. S: So yeah. Yeah, I mean, those two songs are really like, as far as a vibe, like two different vibes, but both dope. Len Bowen: Yeah, two completely different vibes, but still, I mean, “Big Dreamer 2” is saying a lot, and I know a lot of people, no matter who you are, can relate to that song in one way or another or at least appreciate the sentiment of the song. And “Oceans and Beaches” is basically, there’s no song on this project that replicates itself. Whether it’s production or subject matter, every song is a life in itself, and it’s basically giving you eight chapters of my life condensed into a project. So that’s really what I was trying to accomplish, and I think I did that. S: That goes into your collaborators. How did you go about choosing your collaborators? I know YSN Fab is on the “Big Dreamer 2,” and you have JRDN on the Million Dollar Baby. Also, Andrew O of The Lytics. So, how did you go about choosing people to collaborate with? Len Bowen: The majority of the collaborations on the project are relationships I’ve built over the years with artists. I’ve known JRDN for years before he blew up and won the Juno. And we’ve worked together in the past on previous projects I’ve released. So it was basically reaching out to people that I have a rapport with because I wanted it to feel, I wanted it to be organic. There are only a couple of artists on the project that I really haven’t worked with before. Aeson Eastwood and YSN Fab, but I built a rapport pretty quickly with them, and we got it done. Basically, when I’m making music, I see the outcome, and I’m pretty good at curating. So it was a situation where I had tracks where
stylusmagazine.ca
I was telling stories, tracks where I’m just giving you bars. But, the majority of the project is story-based. And I wanted there to be a lot of dynamic in the sense where you weren’t hearing me over and over again. And that’s what I tried to do: create a rollercoaster ride of emotions, vocal tones, and production. And where I saw this artist fitting into a particular track, I honestly just reached out. I told them the concept. I gave them the beat, whether they were on a verse or a hook. And I’m really good at painting the picture. So, nine out of ten times, the outcome is what you hear. S: Moving into lyricism, after you’ve written the rhymes and everything, do you ever think back, are people going to get this? Do you ever wonder if it will take a while for people to understand what you’re actually saying? Len Bowen: I already know when I’m writing a song whether people are going to get it right away or they might have to listen to it a few times before they catch everything. So I just make sure when I’m writing, I’m being honest with myself, and I try not to do anything too deliberate. I want it to be organic and natural, and if a track is straightforward, so be it. If a track is more lyrically complex and you have to listen to it a few times, so be it. And the great thing about that is it keeps people coming back and listening to what they didn’t catch the first time. So, I just unintentionally have a healthy balance of both on this project. I’ve been doing this long enough that when I do a track, I kind of know where I’m going with it. So it just so happens to turn out like that. I might do a track where you might think the lyrics are straightforward because of how I’ve delivered it and not catch a clever line or double entendre or metaphor or cliche or analogy the first time. I treat writing for music as if I were writing for a script or a movie where there’s such a thing as lazy writing. Where the outcome is predictive, and I’m doing the same thing when I make music. I
can lead you in a direction and think it’s going to end like this, and it doesn’t. S: With that approach of Martin Scorsese, as in you’re the director and this is the story you want to tell. Do you think that there are any issues with people writing and rapping like that but have not lived that specific life? Len Bowen: I’m from the era where it’s all about your street cred, and if you say it, you should have done it, lived it, or experienced it in one way or another. Fortunately, Hip Hop and Rap have gotten so big to the point where it’s pop music, and unfortunately, fake is the new real. So people look at this as entertainment. People are okay if you don’t write your own lyrics. People are okay if you don’t live the life that you portray in your music because it’s just entertainment. It is entertainment, but if you want to take it back to the foundation of Hip Hop and what this is really about, as far as the emceeing aspect goes, it’s about being clever, it’s about battling, it’s about saying something dope. It’s about being a voice for oppressed people, but it’s also about being who you say you are. So from that aspect, yes, but it’s a grey area now because the genre is so big where it’s entertainment, and it’s acceptable to just literally be a character. S: Now, production on this project. Who produced the album, and how was the process of choosing the right producer? Len Bowen: So the project is exclusively produced by TOUGH DUMPLIN, a.k.a. MC Collision of the legendary group Nefarious. I’ve known TOUGH DUMPLIN for years. We’ve worked together in the past on songs like “Slip Away”, which was a collaboration with my old group, The Shades, and Mood Ruff, that made the soundtrack for the movie How She Move, which was a dance movie out of Toronto. He’s done tracks where he’s produced for The Shades and been featured on songs with The Shades, as well as myself, Len Bowen, as a solo artist. So we always
December / January 2023 - 2024 Stylus Magazine
05
kept in touch and, again, going back to building relationships. I’ve known him for a long time. I first met him when he came to Winnipeg for an old hip hop festival out here called Peg City Holla that was put on by Mood Ruff. And we just kept in touch over the years, and the opportunity presented itself for us to work together on a full length project. So he did everything on there as far as the production goes. S: The meaning behind the title. Can you walk us through the choice of that and how it’s spelled? Len Bowen: There’s no vowels. So it’s broken down, and NTHN4GRNTD is taking nothing for granted on my road to get to this point. Building relationships with artists, friends, strangers, anything that’s happened to me along the way that’s gotten me here, whether it was an opportunity or a disappointment, knowing everything happened for a reason. The four, the number four, instead of spelling the word out, F-O-U-R, it’s kind of a numerology thing. I was born on November 4th. My mother was born on June 14th. My dad was born on June 24th. The apartment that I grew up in 16 years of my life in Central, I lived on the fourth floor, apartment 409. The number four has basically followed me around my entire life. And I wanted to implement that in the project somehow or some way. I was looking for titles, and I had a few, but nothing really felt right. Then all of a sudden, nothing for granted came to me because I knew before this project started, honestly, how good it was going to be. I told TOUGH DUMPLIN before I picked a beat, before I even had a topic that this was going to be great. I put it in the air. And when it was finished, I was like, I don’t want to have a title that is basically blowing my own horn before people hear it. I wanted to remain humble and hope that people give it a chance because, at the end of the day, I’m coming from Winnipeg, Canada, where it’s tough enough to make headway in the city, never mind outside of the city. And I’m trying with
06 Stylus Magazine December / January 2023 - 2024
this project. I worked harder on this thing than I’ve worked in a long time on anything else. Not that I didn’t work hard, but I really isolated myself to create this body of work. And I think it’s overdue for Winnipeg, whether it’s myself or another artist or group, to be a part of the conversation on a national level. You know what I mean? S: Absolutely. So, like you said earlier, you’ve been doing this for a really long time, especially considering how short of a lifespan careers are in hip hop or people just rapping it. Let’s just say rappers in Winnipeg, right? They rap for a couple of years. Nothing hits. They quit. They move on with their lives. How have you stayed relevant within the city? How do you keep continuing to rap? Because there’s so much discouragement out there, like after five years, after ten years, after 15 years of rapping. Len Bowen: Just never giving up on myself, putting out consistent quality in the music that I make, and not lying to myself about where I am as far as making music. Always looking at it objectively. I go to the same people every time I make music, and I share with them, which is my group, the Shades, Bigs, and Bad Manners. Once I get the call sign from them, you know, my cousin out in New York, Rohan, who’s basically my brother, who I’ve been going back and forth from here to Brooklyn for like 17 summers straight practically. My older cousins, Chubby D, and Ryan Facey, are people that I consider family and their opinion of my music. I respect their opinion on another level of what I’m doing, and there’s no one to yes man around me. So if something’s whack or could be better, they’re going to let me know. This is like a discipline to me that I’ve been doing for so long. It’s a muscle that I’ve developed, and I always listen to my previous body of work to ensure whatever I put out next is better. Because if it’s not better, there’s no point in putting it out. So that’s the added pressure that I put on myself
every time I make new music that I’m going to share with people in the form of a project. So not a lot of people are willing to do that, and life, let’s be real, for as long as I’ve been doing it, life gets in the way. It could be your health, it could be your relationship with your spouse, it could be your job. A lot of things can happen to people over the years that make them walk away from this. But I’ve been fortunate to be able to balance life with the music. Maybe because I’d be lying to myself if I acted like this was just a hobby because it’s not to me, and it’s not about the money. I do it because it’s a huge part of who I am. It’s an extension of my personality, and that’s why I continue to do it. Whether other people’s motives or agendas were different, whether they were doing it for clout, to be popular, to make some money, whatever the case may be. Those weren’t mine, and maybe that’s the reason I’m still around. Or maybe I just don’t know what to say; maybe my mental stamina is just different from others. But whatever the reason people walk away, it’s their own personal reason, and I’m on my own personal journey with my music. S: Alright, that’s all the questions. Any shoutouts you want to give or message you want to put out there? Any last things you want to mention? Len Bowen: Shoutout to my team, my manager Wayne Booth, 4th Quarter Anthony, and The Shades. I wouldn’t be who I am as an artist if it wasn’t for my brothers, Baking Bad Manners. Shoutout to TOUGH DUMPLIN for working with me on this project and helping me grow as an artist and take my music to another level that I didn’t think was possible. And to everybody in the city, just remember this is a brotherhood, and we’ve got to start working together and not against each other and growing as a community. And supporting unconditionally is the first step.
Space Jam:
WORDS & PHOTOS: STEPH KOLODKA Living Hour is a Winnipeg-based indie band that has been around for almost a decade, and with the group having been in various jam spaces over the years, it was a pleasure to see their current setup in a beautiful living room in the heart of Osborne, filled with natural sunlight. Living Hour consists of members Sam Sarty, Gilad Carroll, Adam Soloway, and Brett Ticzon. It was through his links in the music scene that Carroll found Sam Sarty, who became the singer for Living Hour. Other members of the band, Adam Soloway and Brett Ticzon, were longtime friends with Carroll and visit the space regularly to write songs and jam. There were tons of interesting items, instruments, and gear around the space, and notably, a few prized possessions that Sarty and Carroll pointed out.
Living Hour
Overall, as the band Living Hour has moved around in the past decade from different jam spaces, from a storage unit on Wall Street to the upstairs of a strip club on Garry, they are very happy in their current space. As Caroll states: “I hear Sam playing guitar sometimes, and I come down, and we write a song together.” And as the group hunkers down to record their fourth full-length album, it seems like they are in the best place they can possibly be. The keyboard pictured, a Casio Tone 501, was acquired by Living Hour off Kijiji near the beginning of the band’s time together. This is a highly coveted piece by the entire band.
Pictured is an overview of Living Hour’s jam space, set up in a rental house where Carroll and Sarty reside. Carroll mentioned that this setup is very convenient, as all they must do to practice and write songs is get out of bed and go into the living room—the downside is noise complaints from the neighbours. Living Hour gets around this by having sound boards set up in the space, which can be seen on the walls in the photograph. Between sound boards, rug hooking projects are hung up, a COVID pastime that Sarty thought as she put them up–“They’ll a b s o rb sound!”
While in LA on tour, Living Hour was invited to a famous recording studio by a friend in the music scene who saw their show. The studio is called “Mutato Muzika,” and while there, they encountered Mark Mothersbaugh from the iconic band Devo. They then traded a vinyl of their latest album for the “Kissing Love Tester” pictured. This whimsical item now lives in the jam space as a reminder of that fateful encounter. stylusmagazine.ca
December / January 2023 - 2024 Stylus Magazine
07
Concert Review: The Beaches MYLES TIESSEN “Even if it’s the Lord’s Day, who gives a fuck?” screamed The Beaches lead vocalist Jordan Miller to a sold-out crowd at the Burton Cummings Theatre. A unanimous response from the Gen Z crowd roared back at her; they certainly did not. TikTok’s latest rock stars took The Burton Cummings Theatre by storm on a particularly rainy Sunday at the start of November. With their exaggerated stage presence, striking lighting, and perpetual movement, the four-piece played with the intensity
of an arena rather than the vestige building they occupied.
And with equal kinetic energy, the attentive and chaotic audience ate it up. Seemingly, a mix of new and old fans piled on top of each other, fighting for space as close to the stage as possible. It’s honestly a surprise some didn’t try to pose as media just to get in the photography pit. Under the purple and blue lights, The Beaches effortlessly flaunted their talents for bringing old-school rock, new-wave, and power-pop into an accessible music language. Their vigorous performance of “Cigarette” made you feel like you were in the crowd for Stop Making Sense, while the intoxicating dissonance of “Back Of My Heart” played to those (like me) who have a disturbing need never to leave a show with their hearing.
ALL PHOTOS OF THE BEACHES PERFORMING AT THE BURTON CUMMINGS THEATRE ON NOVEMBER 5TH BY MIKE THIESSEN. 08 Stylus Magazine December / January 2023 - 2024
What’s most stunning was that although The Beaches are masters of musical inclusivity, they were uncompromising in their racket. They played loud, fast, and hard. In another
venue–with low ceilings and a floorlevel stage–some of these songs would have come across as straight-up punk. “Everything is Boring,” “Me and Me,” hell, even “Blame Brett” all resonated with the sonority of grunge melodies. But, not to be tagged as the “Gen Z Foo-Fighters,” the quartet spent a good chunk of the performance leaning into the sensuality of their songs. “While I’m not ready for love, I am ready for lots and lots of sex,” announced Miller before launching into a duet of “My Body ft. Your Lips” with opening band Beach Weather. As the two lead singers embraced, crowd members started throwing bras toward the performers. The Beaches bassist, Leandra Earl, started sporting one as a hat while other band members hooked them to their microphone stands. The fandom around The Beaches is honestly quite something to witness. After the show, a particular group of fans confessed to “paying sixty bucks just to hear them play ‘Blame Brett,’” while others fawned over and compared notes on the last time they saw the band in Winnipeg. The pandemonium of admirers aside, The Beaches put on an honest-to-god rock show: unpretentious and loud, but when it comes down to it, most importantly, it was fun.
STIFF WIGGLE
Review: GentleFest
I attended GentleFest 2023 as a performing musician and received a complimentary ticket. I would be remiss not to mention this bias. Despite that, this review presents a sincere reflection of my experience.
reflected in every aspect. It’s the kind of weekend where, if you open your heart and let the love flow in, you could be transformed. Jaded cynics may find this laughable. I still have hope for them.
It’s natural to scan a festival’s lineup and immediately form an opinion. Judging the Winnipeg Folk Festival roster the second it drops is practically a tradition.
Perhaps the fest’s roots account for its truly lovely vibes. GentleFest began quietly and humbly in 2020 to keep a group of artists and their friends hopeful during the pandemic. And more so than any other festival I’ve attended, a genuine sense of community unites the experience. I met countless friendly people at my first GentleFest. I was subsequently inspired to begin a new musical project, and I’m proud to say we performed at this year’s incarnation.
Resist this urge. Festivals are immersive experiences that are unlike anything we typically do as adults. There are more important aspects to consider.
Consider your fellow attendees. Festivals have communities, not merely crowds, which coalesce in temporary tent towns. Having cast aside the It’d be impossible to list every treasured drudgery that society forces them to moment. I’d like to say that my endure, festival patrons are devoted to twenty-minute set was the highlight of Dionysian revelry. What emerges is a everyone’s Friday, but that distinction culture unique to each festival that indisputably belongs to NKDBODI’s frames the whole experience. What you deft tapestry of a DJ battle, woven from get for your memory palace is a new incongruous genres such as glitch-hop, cabinet and, hopefully, some memories to keep there. AMI CHEON PERFORMING AT GentleFest seems GENTLEFEST ON AUGUST 26TH. unremarkable PHOTO BY CARY BILCOWSKI among the growing @CARYBILCO ON INSTAGRAM. multitude of prairie festivals. Innocuously slated at August’s end, it almost echoes Real Love Summer Fest, held two weeks prior on the same land. Real Love arguably had the more attractive lineup, but there’s an ineffably human factor to the festival experience where GentleFest truly shined. The passionate spirit of the volunteers who make it happen is stylusmagazine.ca
DnB, and electro swing. Music gently infused my Saturday, but it was not my focus. (There’s so much more to a festival than music!) As I roused, Lounge FM’s cozy tunes wafted through the campground like incense. In the afternoon, I visited the Love Post to write some fan mail and brighten someone’s day. Then, I was invited to bare it all for a life drawing workshop. That wasn’t the only costume change. I dressed down for a competitive round of lingerie croquet; then I covered up before the chill of dusk arrived, and then the music enticed me again. Ami Cheon had hundreds eating from her palm before Sassy Mellows had us begging them to give up the funk. Sundays are often bittersweet at a music festival (I always cry at endings), but Stubbs And The demanded we party hard to the bitter end. We said our farewells, and we left, empty yet full.
December / January 2023 - 2024 Stylus Magazine
09
Concert Review
Another Place: an evening of trans + queer sound art and poetry (October 1 @ aceartinc.) maggie astrid clark As evidenced by September’s so-called “1 Million March 4 Children” and by recent legislation in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, we are living through a time of escalating fascist rhetoric against trans people and related political efforts to strip the most vulnerable of us of access to safe medical and social transitions. Amidst a backdrop of great uncertainty for the
ABOVE: DASHA PLETT PERFORMING AS PART OF ‘ANOTHER PLACE’ future of our communities, it was truly refreshing to attend an evening of Two Spirit, trans, and queer sound art and poetry at aceartinc. (206 Princess St.) on October 1. 10 Stylus Magazine December / January 2023 - 2024
PHOTOS BY DEREK BRUECKNER Event curator Misha Stone opened the show by invoking the long history of queer experimental music and how little attention has been paid to this history in mainstream curations of 2SLGBTQ+ art. The evening, she hoped, would be a necessary corrective to such omissions and an attempt to broaden public awareness of musical horizons. Art, while in itself incapable of fixing the problems we face, is nonetheless a crucial instrument through which audiences can engage with radical ideas for a liberatory future. In explaining the show’s title, Stone said that–although she is drawn neither to utopian nor nihilistic frames of understanding queer existence – “Another Place” was simply “the best I can do right now.” As Misha is a close friend of mine, her endearing tendency to undercut her perceptive analysis with a lightly self-effacing remark is very familiar to me and, as such, elicited a chuckle. Upon the completion of this provocative introduction, the room’s
attention turned to Dasha Plett, the evening’s first performer. An intriguing setup was laid out on the floor of the gallery — two radios in a wooden case attached to raised antennae and plugged into a turntable. She launched into a plunderphonics-influenced piece that began with a brief, disorienting mashup of classic rock-style song snippets and radio drops. The composition then settled into a slower collage of warm synthesizer chords and fragments of orchestral pop ballads, punctuated by electronic clicking and hissing. The most arresting section occurred towards the end when Plett introduced isolated vocals from David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream,” heavily chopped and distorted, accompanied by a low digital rumble that gave way to EDM drums before transitioning back into the same low rumble as the Bowie vocals faded out. This set the tone superbly for the performances to follow. Up next was Mutable Body, the solo project of Alison Hain. Their set began with “256 Steps,” a song that I overheard them describe before the show as being performed at the “lowest possible threshold of entrainable rhythm:” 30 beats per minute. It was an eerie piece of dark ambient drone. Shrill keys contrasted strikingly with thunderous bell-like sounds. The presence of “chance elements” that Hain had described was borne out in my subsequent comparison of the live
performance to the song’s recorded version available on Bandcamp. Though I recognized its broad outline, I was surprised by how little the latter resembled what I recalled of the former — which, in retrospect, further enhanced my appreciation of the piece’s stochasticity. Mutable Body’s second composition (as yet untitled) was a more up-tempo, dream-like composition of flanged keys, slightly dissonant yet pleasantly melodic, buoyed by a propulsive electronic drum sample. The crowd was entranced throughout the performance and was left abuzz for minutes after its conclusion. “Holy shit,” I heard several people mutter in unison.
would say that MELODY MCKIVER PERFORMING AS PART OF certain sections of ‘ANOTHER PLACE’ the piece reminded me of latter-day Godspeed You! Black Emperor drones. I make this analogy with admiration as a huge fan of the band, which renders McKiver’s performance all the more astonishing given that they were just one performer to GY!BE’s ten. As the last few notes continued to ring through the venue for a minute or two, did the pace of her strumming before McKiver stood up and slyly announced they returned to the synthesizer to that the piece was played with a close the piece with a single highprogression of “A-C-A-B,” prompting pitched note — a final cry into the a burst of laughter and applause. They night. She ended her performance with commented afterward that it was the an impassioned plea for trans solidarity first time an audience had recognized in dark times and for cis people to join the struggle as well. the statement as a joke. Multidisciplinary artist Hassaan All told, Another Place offered a Ashraf gave a rousing performance varied, ambitious, and profoundly to end the show, her song straddling unique collection of performances. It several genres from synth-pop to metal was a balm to the proverbial soul to with a touch of musique concrète. A witness a full bill of Two Spirit, trans, string-like drone persisted throughout and queer performers and to spend as Ashraf alternated between a an evening in the company of my cascading, xylophone-like synth line fellow travellers. This was especially and mournful vocalizations. Partway appreciated in light of the intensifying reactionary mobilizations that threaten
Dividing the evening neatly in half was a recitation of three poems by m. patchwork monoceros. As they were not present in the venue, their audio was piped into the speakers over a Zoom call and reverberated across the walls. The effect was imposing and more than a little ominous. Sitting still with my eyes closed, I found myself entranced by the warmth of their voice and fluidity of their cadence, so much so that I often forgot to pay attention to the actual words. From what I could tell, their poems dealt with themes of sex, pain, desire, struggle, and the intersection of these experiences–classic terrain of queer artistic expression. (Personally, I can’t get enough of that sort of thing!) They closed with a “The crowd was entranced throughout the chipper sign-off of “thanks for being gay!” to much delight from the audience. performance and was left abuzz for minutes Anishinaabe composer after its conclusion. “Holy shit,” I heard and university professor Melody McKiver was several people mutter in unison.” the evening’s penultimate artist. Their selected piece was a tense, captivating through the piece, a mid-tempo drum composition performed on the electric loop kicked in, and Ashraf rose from our collective safety. I was moved viola. A blinking effects pedal on the their chair to pick up the bass guitar to tears on multiple occasions and floor — which they would occasionally that had been lying on the ground. The frequently rapt with attention. More tap with their right foot–prolonged the resulting instrumentation was harsh than that, the event challenged us all to decay of the notes, filling the air with a and discordant, producing a sublime remember life’s many peculiar beauties haunting, almost apocalyptic feeling. interplay with the trudging percussion. and to hold onto them as we fight for a To make reductive comparisons, I As the drums picked up speed, so too brighter future. stylusmagazine.ca
December / January 2023 - 2024 Stylus Magazine
11
6AM 7AM
8AM 9AM 10AM 11AM NOON 1PM 2PM 3PM
4PM 5PM 6PM 7PM 8PM 9PM 10PM 11PM MIDNIGHT
1AM 2AM 3AM 4AM 5AM 6AM
The Sentinel's Marvellous Kaleidoscope
Folk Roots Radio Free City Radio
World - Island Music
Green Planet Monitor
THE SATURDAY MORNING SHOW
CKU-Speaks
Indigenous in Music
CANQUEER Wooden Spoons
Worldbeat Canada
Radio Ecoshock Harbinger Media Hour
TICKLE MY FANCY Blues
Dead Medium
!EARSHOT DAILY
(pop\rock\eclectic)
GLOBAL RESEARCH NEWS HOUR
HOW TO SURVIVE A TORNADO
Lived Experiences of Homelessness
Local Music
Electronic
MANITOBA MOON
Local Hip Hop
Electric Dance Party
THE WONDERFUL & FRIGHTENING WORLD OF PATRICK MICHALISHYN
For Kids (Adults too)
THE ELECTRIC CHAIR
TEMPLE TENT REVIVAL
Medicine Wheel of Music
NEON BEIGE SOUND EXCHANGE
8
MUSIC
LOCAL SPOKEN WORD
WEEK
12 SPOKEN WORD
ALTERNATING
The Green Majority
Active Voice
OFFICE: 204-786-9782
WWW.CKUW.CA
Temporary Programming Eclectic Mix
GroundSwell Radio
YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM GOD Gospel
Eclectic Residents
ON AIR: 204-774-6877
NEWS DESK : 204-786-9998 Progressive Rock
6
Star Road Junction
Circle One
Punk
The Completely Asinine Radio Program
The C.A.R.P. Hip-Hop
WE BUILD HITS
RED BOX Hip-Hop
THE GASHLYCRUMB TINIES
FAX: 204-783-7080
EMAIL:
CKUW@UWINNIPEG.CA
Caribbean
Some programs are on hiatus and/ or airing different content due to university closure for COVID-19.
ISLAND VIBES Dancehall and Reggae
Rainbow Country
New shows are marked with a star -
DANCE HALL FEVER
ShrimpFarm.Crypto
R�V�L�T�O� R�C�
Live shows are marked with a lightning bolt -
Your Show Here
Collages by Silas (Experimental)
GIRLIE SO GROOVIE
12
9
This is Hell
THE IVORY TOWER
Classical and New Age
Behind the News With Doug Henwood
Roots Music
SUNNY ROAD
DEMOCRACY NOW! Viewpoints
BRIDGING THE GAP
B�R�I�G D�G
The Sean Show
NO FIXED ADDRESS
Past 'n Present Folk 'n Roots
LET'S PLAY DJ!
ACCESSIBILITY MATTERS
ALTERNATIVE RADIO
SQUAREWAVE
Jazz
The Meta World Stoopaloop Show
VIDEO GAME MUSIC AND HISTORY
SPACE CADET
Racket!
MUSIC, OUT OF THIS WORLD
(Electronic\Ambient)
Soft Robotics EAT YOUR ARTS & VEGETABLES
PAGES
So Bad, It’s Good
THE HOW DO YOU DO REVUE
AMATEUR HOUR
TWANG TRUST
World & Variety
Hip Hop
Adult Kindergarten
QUADRAFUNK
Hip Hop 50
Dub City Steppers
StreetKil�iaz Generatio�
Da Show
PHASE ONE
Pop/Rock
TAWNY, THE BRAVE Country/ Roots/ Big, Dumb Rock ‘n’ Roll
S.A.N.E. * RADIO
Local Experimental Music
ROMPE Latin
! E A R S H O T D A I LY
Two Princes Princes ShrimpFarm.Crypto Replay
Winnipeg Arena is on Fire Replay
Thrash Can - Replay Meta World Stoopaloop Show Replay
MUD PUDDLE RADIO
SHADES OF CLASSICS
FanTasTic fRidaY
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY S U N D A Y JULIAN TAYLOR'S JUEXBOX
Shortwave Report
Earth Riot Radio
(POP\ROCK)
Daily News with Nora Loretto
WINGS
! E A R S H O T D A I LY
VOYAGE
DEMOCRACY NOW! DEPARTMENT 13
This Way Out POP/ROCK
The Reminder
Winnipeg Arena is on Fire
(Music and interviews)
Radio Free Winnipeg
The Little Big Tent (Jazz)
THE GREEN MAJORITY
C�M�D�O�O�O�I�A� R�P�R� outSPOKEn Truth Before Reconciliation
GroundSwell Radio NewFound Records
Music from Newfoundland and Labrador
The Vulcan's Hold Trip Hop YOUTH IN CARE
SYSTEM KIDZ
Thrash Metal
Sonic Blanket
Thrash Can
THE WORLD MEGGPunk
(Queer & Trans music history)
On My Way Home Local Indie
DESTINATION MOON Sock-Hop-A-Go-Go
TranceLand
! E A R S H O T D A I LY
LISTENING PLEASURES
Electronic\Dance
BREAK NORTH RADIO
World Music
The Freedom Principle
METAL MONDAY
BACKBEAT
The Motherland Influence
NIGHT DANGER RADIO
MODERN JAZZ TODAY
AMPLIFIED RADIO
12 Stylus Magazine December / January 2023 - 2024
TOOL PERFORMING AT THE CANADA LIFE CENTRE ON OCTOBER 29TH. PHOTOS BY DEAGHAN MCLEOD.
Show Review: Pop Punk Party 4! Live at the Park Theatre BRADI BRECKMAN On October 19, I had the pleasure of attending the Pop Punk Party at the Park Theatre. The show was held as a fundraiser for mental health awareness and suicide prevention in memory of Zach Huchall, who was tragically lost in 2016. The fundraiser was put on three years in a row before it was halted due to Covid-19. Thankfully, it returned this fall with a passion! The proceeds from this year’s show went to Klinic Community Health and the Robb Nash Project, totalling over $35,000 through ticket sales, silent auction tickets and donations. Although the night started slow, the crowd filled in as Single Player Campaign took to the stage. Playing mostly Blink-182 covers, the audience was swept back to the late ’90s, and old and young sang every word to “All the Small Things.” The band chatted up stylusmagazine.ca
the crowd between covers, making us feel like friends sitting in on their jam session. It was a nostalgic performance and a great kickoff to the night. Single Player Campaign was followed by the 12/21, who had a standout set. Covering songs by Green Day, We the Kings, and many more fan favourites, they did the early 2000s justice. Their original songs were just as good as their covers, and they felt at home in the pop-punk scene. Between the band’s electrifying rhythms and the venue’s flowing alcohol, there wasn’t a head in the crowd that wasn’t banging. The 12/21’s excellent stage presence made their performance even more special, and it was clear that they were having just as much fun as the audience was. The final band to perform was Bad Friend, and everything from their fashion to their vocals encompassed
the pop-punk genre. They had excellent chemistry on stage, and it was clear that this was not their first show together. The lead singer never stopped moving, which may have affected his vocals, but was a worthy sacrifice for the enthusiasm the performance exuded. The band closed the night on a high note, singing Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar, We’re Goin Down,” and I’m certain that every voice in the crowd sang the chorus with them. Between the funds raised, the excellent local talent, and the good times had by all, the night was undoubtedly a success. I hope to hear more from all three of these fantastic bands soon and will do my best to attend all their shows in the future. The only thing better than good music is good music for a cause, and if you agree, well, I’ll see you at Pop Punk Party 5!
December / January 2023 - 2024 Stylus Magazine
13
CKU W h o ? KEELEY BRAUNSTEIN-BLACK Stylus: Can you tell me a bit about your show?
started. And why did you name it Soft Robotics?
Victoria: It’s an hour-long music show–an hour of soft electronic music. It’s usually broad in terms of genre but has this gentle, easy-going vibe for Friday afternoons.
V: I was a long-time volunteer with CKUW. In 2019, I stopped volunteering and stepped away because I needed a break and was pretty burnt out. After having an extended break early this summer, I I think it runs the gamut or goes across wanted to get back involved because the span: broad electronic music. So I wanted a creative outlet. Reconnect I’m not going for super niche or super with music and community. It’s nice to hardcore or anything. I play pop. I play have a connection with people. I like dance music, indie, all of that. that CKUW is like that; I’ve made so S: Tell me how Soft Robotics many friends over the years. It’s nice to have a connection PHOTO PROVIDED BY point to people, and VICTORIA KING as I get older, it’s nice to see people once in a while and catch up on their lives. I did the show because it was just a way to reconnect with the community. The name Soft Robotics …. I did a show for almost nine years called Now Sounds. After that raft, I did a very short-lived early morning show, and I did a 6 to 8 am show
Soft Robotics WITH HOST
Victoria King Fridays 5-6 PM on Thursday mornings. The first hour of that show, from 6 to 7, was called soft. The theme was soft robotics, which was the idea that you were easing into the day, and it was kind of gentler. I just always like the sound of it. I thought it sounded nice. I think it’s a category of robotic study, but I know nothing about that at all, so I just coopted that term. S: How do you choose your music? How do you plan your show? V: I scan. I use Spotify as a necessary evil, but I kind of crash into a bunch of stuff. It’s like a web; you listen to one thing that’s related to it, I’ll get a name, and I kind of go from there. I try to have a mix of things, some recently released, and sometimes I look at past episodes of other shows and use them as a starting point. I know this artist had a sound that I like, or there was a record that matched the tone of my show, and then I do that. I am still figuring out the right format for this show: the right rhythm. It’s taking a while to figure out the right tempo for everything. It’s funny like I volunteered for so long, and I know how to build a show, but then come back to it after an extended break and just make something new.
Local Releases
VVONDER NOW AND AGAIN VVonder is a rock band born out of a noteworthy musical tie in Canada. A veritable mixture of the best local talent the heart of Winnipeg has to offer, this band consistently guarantees and 14 Stylus Magazine December / January 2023 - 2024
lives up to soulful and highly entertaining rock music that resembles the early ’70s and late ’60s. VVoner takes the listeners on an existential journey throughout their new album Now And Again. VVonder is fronted by lead vocalist, songwriter, and
guitarist Micah Braun ( Jicah, the Nods). Alongside Nate Jacobucci (Campfire Sigh, Butterfist Funhouse) on keys and vocals, Joey Penner (Trampoline, Jicah, The Waking Eyes) on bass and vocals, and Steve Martens (Trampoline) on drums.
Now And Again is carefully written and illustrated, truly mastering the art of internal monologue, making their music more intimate and personal. Listening to the album repeatedly makes me reflect on life and all my own experiences. I imagine these songs will appeal to people experiencing coming of age, easily helping them transition from childhood to adolescence and into adulthood. One song from their album that really impressed me was “Hurts So Much.” I think this is a song that shows a different side of VVonder because all the other songs on their album are very upbeat. Then there’s this song that really slows down the tempo. “Hurts So Much” resembles rock music from the late ’60s and early ’70s, making it hard not to sing along. When Micah Braun sings, “Why does everything hurt so much?” kept echoing in my head. It made me feel a certain emotion you only get when you’re feeling depressed. My favorite song from Now and Again is “Mistakes.” Growing up, I learned that making mistakes is something everyone experiences, but my parents never talked about the consequences of making mistakes. This song captures the feelings of guilt, betrayal, and self-loathing after making a mistake. I found the bass throughout the song, the drums, and the guitar solo at the end to make this song really engaging and keep me going. I think when Micah Braun sings “No More Excuses to Romance,” it really ties everything together. That’s why this
song is easily my favorite on the album. If you’re looking for a catchy and upbeat album, this one’s for you! Niqui Lampa
PAIGE DROBOT THE PSYCHICS ALBUM The first full-length album by Paige Drobot is a veritable time machine, but not only because of its largely 70s-inspired aesthetic. She definitely took her time on this one, as all of the songs on the project first came into existence many years ago with her band, The Psychics. In fact, all of the songs on The Psychics–except for “Each Another’s Creation”–can be found on the 2016 release Live at the Graffiti Gallery, which was captured on the fourth anniversary of the original band’s formation, bringing us all the way back to 2012. So why did it take so long for The Psychics to be released? And whatever happened to The Psychics’ You Don’t Have to Be Afraid album we were promised? Were these songs ever studio-recorded before the band’s final show in 2018? Was the record clandestinely redacted from the internet by a secret society that didn’t think the world was ready for it? Or was Drobot simply too busy entrancingly shredding at live shows, masterfully
stylusmagazine.ca
teaching the way of the axe to apprentices, and deservedly winning a 2021 Manitoba Loud Music Guitarist of the Year Award? It’s a mystery. As for The Psychics album itself, it’s a trip. These seven tracks provide listeners with an experience of feeling like one is in the exact same room as the band, including Drobot and reunited members Cody Rey Valentonis–on bass, keys and vox–and second-generation Psychics drummer Nolan Hildebrand. Songs like “Alright” and “Nicotine Smile” lean heavy into funk, “Space Music” and “Formula of Grand Design” venture into the psychotomimetic realm (featuring lead vocals by Valentonis), which leaves “Spare Time,” “Each Another’s Creation” and “Each Passing Day” to round out the thirtyminute collection with various elements of folk, rock, jazz and pop. Expect many iconic guitar solos throughout as well, which, as they say, are alone worth the price of buying the album on Bandcamp. Mykhailo Vil’yamson
JUST SO FOXWELL Foxwell’s Just So EP is equal parts wacky and soulful, alien and human. The Winnipeg group are
masters of orchestration, from stirring strings through mysterious feedback. Every hi-hat trill, every chiming synth, rings out clearly and deeply through a voluminous four-song setlist. “Running” is the record’s most urgent song, anchored by energetic bass and synthesized weirdness. “You’ve gotta try/Keep holding court just to stay alive,” echoes in a cheering chant. “Not a Worry” centers on unison backing vocals and curious strings. Heightening the previous track’s echoey production further still, the song is defined by moving parts shifting in and out from each other in an ambiguous form. Synths seem to become strings; the violin takes over to play the bassline at turns. Elaborate lyrical lines return to the song title’s soothing mantra. “Abode” begins purely acoustic and swells to a bridge whose guitars flow like theremin tones. The backing vocals are harmonic; the lead vocals ever so slightly distorted to a warm hum. “Abode” is a lullaby, sounding simultaneously as homelike as its title would imply and as otherworldly as 60s psychedelia. “Bit of That Going Around,” the EPs live closer, feels fittingly active and extroverted. Its synth tune would hardly sound out of place in a Sonic the Hedgehog level. Strings pick up from the synths at turns, echoing their waves in punctuated tones. The bridge rings with church-choral vocals, and the record sees itself out with a soaring guitar solo.
December / January 2023 - 2024 Stylus Magazine
15
Foxwell has fashioned one of the more compelling and articulate pieces of modern psychedelic music. And they’ve done it with just four songs. Paul Newsom
DEATH CASSETTE GET RID OF IT When a band releases their debut album in March of 2020, it’s got to have felt like a shoulder thrown right into the asphalt. However, the members of Death Cassette are back on their feet with the follow-up EP Get Rid of
It, and it’s hard-hitting. All four members are the same since their formation back in 2018, led by frontperson Amanda Sousa, Lindsey Hawkes on guitar, Chuck Barchuk on bass, and Brock Macpherson on drums. As for the audio master of this project, it’s none other than John Paul Peters from Private Ear Recording (who – name drop — has recorded and produced for other bands such as Cancer Bats, Propagandhi, and Yes We Mystic). As recently shared in episode #836 of the podcast Witchpolice Radio, Sousa declared: “I feel like it’s the first time I actually sound like myself.” Comparing Get Rid of It to their eighttrack Grim, this is definitely apparent, as vocals this time around sound markedly less like Courtney Love, and
more like … Mandy. The EP clocks in at exactly 18 minutes and 18 seconds, providing listeners with a predominantly upbeat foray into alt-punk rock and roll. Anchored by drums and bass, the songs dually feature Sousa’s growling vocals, as well as a confident and more playful Hawkes on electric. Thematically, much of the content — as alluded to via the album art by Hannah Blu — seems to be centred around holding people to account for oppression, hypocrisy, greed, misuse of power, etc. Song-wise, “Solstice” has to be the one that most demonstrates the dynamic range of the band, with its
FACING PAGE: DEATH CASSETTE (LEFT) AND MOSA (RIGHT) PERFORMING AT THE GOOD WILL SOCIAL CLUB ON NOVEMBER 17TH. PHOTOS BY KEELEY BRAUNSTEIN-BLACK.
STEEL BEANS PERFORMING AT THE CANADA LIFE CENTRE ON OCT 29TH. PHOTO BY DEAGHAN MCLEOD.
16 Stylus Magazine December / January 2023 - 2024
sullen introspection building in intensity to the point of ultimate detonation. It’s also the longest track on the EP and the one that most syncs with the term “grunge.” The other five songs are significantly shorter, punchier, and more punkrock-forward (including the final track, “Leech,” that’s reminiscent of older Single Mothers material…especially with the sarcastic but sincere phrase, “Not sure if you miss me or hate me”). All in all, the extended play–put out by High End Denim Records in Red Deer–delivers what it promises: it’s sharp, poignant, deep, and moody. And perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s also available on cassette. Mykhailo Vil’yamson
stylusmagazine.ca
December / January 2023 - 2024 Stylus Magazine
17
tickets on sale now WINNIPEGFOLKFESTIVAL.CA
18 Stylus Magazine December / January 2023 - 2024