Stylus Magazine Oct/Nov 2023 by Stylus Magazine

www.ckuw.ca/stylus

October / November 2023 Stylus Magazine

2 Stylus Magazine October / November 2023

On the Cover OCT/NOV 34 2023 VOL NO. 5

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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ally Gonzalo Advertising Contact . . . . . . . . Rob Schmidt

manager@ckuw.ca

Print by JRS Print Services . . . 204-232-3558

Contributors maggie cheal-tarr

Acknowledgement of the power relationship between the subject and the photographer allows Ally to get closer to his clients as they let their guards down while I photograph them. This is what lets them tailor each portrait sitting and genuinely connect with their subjects. Ally’s most recent work was their very first public art installation commissioned by Culture Days Manitoba for Nuit Blanche Winnipeg 2023. Called “Mailiw,” which is Pangasinan for homesick, it is a tribute to my fellow Filipino/a/x immigrants who desire to go back to our motherland but can’t do so for many reasons, most of the time being tied to money or lack thereof. It is a threedimensional representation of the flag of the Philippines in its symbolic colors and quantities. They continue to expand upon this body of work by slowly getting to know the members of the Filipinx community through their portrait work. By day, Ally works at a local camera store; they have also been freelancing for almost eight years now. Some of the clients/organizations they worked for are GreenPeace Philippines, Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Philippines), Boniface, Yes We Mystic, Pride Winnipeg, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Synonym Art Consultation, Gorge Festival, The Tallest Poppy, and CBC arts, to name a few. To see more of Ally’s work, follow them on Instagram @jhapes. Cover image description: Growing up, conventional, Eurocentric beauty standards bombarded my everyday life. Intergenerational trauma has made people who look like me to be ashamed of how we look because we don’t fit their definition of what is attractive. This self-portrait explores the long-repressed ideas that I have only recently begun to embrace. I want to know how it feels like to be in an editorial shoot that’s dynamic and expressive. Having grown tired of not seeing enough representation of bodies and identities like mine, I decided that I’d do it instead.

Mykhailo Vil’yamson

Mike Thiessen

Scott Price

Michael Duboff

Bradi Breckman

Jakob Sheppard

Steph Kolodka

Gabriel Fars

ALLY GONZALO is a queer, Filipinx settler in Treaty 1 Territory and has been here since the summer of 2016. A graduate of History and Political Science from the University of the Philippines, as well as a valedictorian of PrairieView School of Photography, Ally’s work revolves around exploring the idea of queer Filipinx History and Diaspora by way of portraits and street photography. Ally’s work relies on the vulnerability and honesty of their subjects, which they are able to accomplish through various trust exercises throughout his shoots.

Rob Knaggs

Paige Drobot 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.

www.ckuw.ca/stylus

Table of Contents Blah Blah Blah: Live Music Happenings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Business of Music: AI in the Music Industry . . . . . . . . . Space Jam: sundayclub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CKUW Program Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CKUWho: Hip Hop 50 - The Culture with host DJ Rock Tha Block . . Local Releases: Super Duty Tough Work, Virgo Rising, & more . . . Releases From Away: Andy Shauf, Only a Visitor, & more . . . . . .

02 03 06 11 12 13 14

Features Show Review: Destroyer live at the Park Theatre . . . . . . . . . 04 Concert Review: William Basinski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 05 The Dork Report with French Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08 Artist Spotlight: Bush Lotus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 09 Ham Reunion Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 SOS Fest Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17 Hot Goth Fest II Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 October / November 2023 Stylus Magazine

Blah Blah Bla h Live Music Happenings *** howtoboilwater with Guilty Sleep and Synthetic Friend at Darling Bar Oct. 14 *** The Land League,Wolf Willow, and Amby at Times Change(d) on Oct. 14 *** WiL at the WECC on Oct. 16 *** Erika Fowler and The Red River Ramblers plus Taylor Jackson at Times Change(d) on Oct. 18 *** Good Lovelies at the Park Theatre on Oct. 18 *** POP PUNK PARTY 4 - Fundraiser Show for Mental Health Awareness & Suicide Prevention at the Park Theatre on Oct. 19 *** Larysa Musick EP Release with Sierra Noble, Mise en Scene, and Diaphanie at Times Change(d) on Oct. 20 *** Ego Spank at Park Alleys on Oct. 20 *** 8th Annual PettyFest feat. Damn The Torpedoes plus Sweet Alibi at Times Change(d) on Oct. 21 *** MORGUE BREATH, FERTILIZER, ARCHAGATHUS & JUG at the Handsome Daughter on Oct. 21 *** Gili Yalo

at the WECC on Oct. 21 *** His His with Francis Rae and Billy Hue at the Handsome Daughter on Oct. 21 *** Julien’s Daughter, Big Loser and Hut Hut at the Good Will on Oct. 26 *** Old Time Dance and Honky Tonk Special feat. Mitchell Makoons and Desiree Orvis at Times Change(d) on Oct. 26 *** Sean Burns “Lost Country” Album Release plus Amy Nelson at Times Change(d) on Oct. 27 *** Tie Guan Yin, Heavy Visions, Bloc Parents & Cheap Heat at the Handsome Daughter on Oct. 27 *** Matt Foster at the WECC on Oct. 28 *** Amy Nelson at Park Alleys on Oct. 28 *** Jeremy Dutcher with Zoon at the Burton Cummings Theatre on Oct. 28 *** Make Acoustic with Bush Lotus, Thierney Dignadice, Stefan Hodges and Rae Swan at MAKE Coffee + Stuff Nov. 2 *** BOTFLY (Halifax) w/ Fold Paper, Crime Cellar, Knife Hunter at the Good Will Nov.

3 *** NOLA night feat. Dirty Catfish Brass Band at Times Change(d) on Nov. 4 *** Stellar, Taylor Jackson and Katie MacDonald at the Handsome Daughter on Nov. 4 *** Blond(e) Goth, Chris Sleightholm & Lighter Thief at the Good Will on Nov. 9 *** The Remedies with The Sun Runner at the Park Alleys on Nov. 10 *** FIINN with Cerulean Drift at the Handsome Daughter on Nov. 17 *** Sam Singer at the Handsome Daughter on Nov. 18 *** Casati at Park Alleys on Nov. 18 *** Royal Canoe at the Park Theatre Nov. 22 & Nov. 23 *** Dust Rhinos (Marymound Fundraiser) at Times Change(d) on Nov. 24 *** Boy Golden with FONTINE & Kris Ulrich at the Burton Cummings Theatre on Nov. 24 *** Living Hour with Advance Base and Jamboree at the Good Will Dec. 9 ***

^^^ THE HAILEYS PERFORMING AT HOT GOTH SUMMER FEST II, BLUE NOTE PARK, FRIDAY, AUG 11, 2023.

02 Stylus Magazine October / November 2023

PHOTO: KEELEY BRAUNSTEIN-BLACK

Current State of the Major Labels on the Role of AI in the Music Industry BY MICHAEL DUBOFF, AN ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER AT EDWARDS CREATIVE LAW – CANADA’S ENTERTAINMENT LAW BOUTIQUE™ By now, you have probably been inundated with stories of generative AI making songs that sound like they were performed by famous artists such as the “faux-laboration” between The Weeknd and Drake, “Heart on My Sleeve”. So, were these musical recordings that seem like original works using voices of famous musical artists copyright infringement? The major record labels to which these artists are signed to are certainly taking that position. On a quarterly earnings call in April 2023, shortly after the “fake Drake”, Universal Music Group’s Chairman, Lucian Grainge, commented, “Much of the latest generative AI is trained on copyrighted material, which clearly violates artists’ and labels’ rights and would put (streaming) platforms completely at odds with the partnerships with us and our artists.” Grainge then issued a warning to the streaming platforms that “should platforms traffic in this kind of music, they would face the additional responsibility of addressing a huge volume of infringing AI-generated content.” Sony Music has acknowledged the threat/ opportunity posed by AI. On June 23, 2023, Sony Music appointed Geoff Taylor as its EVP Artificial Intelligence, a newly created role. It is telling that Taylor has worked in various industry legal and anti-piracy roles over the last two decades. But the major labels have not been slow to move towards the use of AI in the creation of music. Universal entered into a deal with Endel, a prominent AI music production company. The

www.ckuw.ca/stylus

joint press release describes Endel as “strategic relationship to enable artists and labels to create soundscapes for daily activities like sleep, relaxation, and focus by harnessing the power of AI”. Where catalogue is used to train the AI, the original catalogue artists will be involved creatively, signaling the more human centred approach that is being advocated for by creators. This is not inconsistent with what Grainge had said in the April earnings call: “We’re open for business with businesses which are legitimate, which are supportive, and which we can create a partnership for growth.” Sony Music has also signaled its cautious embrace of AI. The internal Sony memo confirming the appointment of Taylor read that “Artificial intelligence has great significance for the future of the music industry and, as a result, more focused attention on it is required.” Sony’s technology arm has also set up a team that works on the future of AI-assisted music production. Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl has also hinted that they may build their own generative AI tools for its artists in the future. Comparisons have been made between AI’s threat to the music industry and the time in the late 90s-early-2000s when technologies like Napster and LimeWire disrupted the music market with free peer-to-peer streaming. I think this situation is more like Google’s early evolution. As part of its business model, Google was engaged in the wholesale copying of practically the entire available

Internet to cache and index it, and make for a faster user search engine experience. There was a lot of debate and litigation as to whether Google had the implied license to do this. Much of this has been sorted out by case law in the USA and Canada, as well as legislation, such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the Copyright Modernization Act (Canada). Ultimately, the world decided that having powerful search engine tools was desirable but not at any cost to copyright protection. Has the industry learned anything from the disruptive market events of the past? It has to some extent. It is applying the lessons learned from Google by preventing AI from being trained on its intellectual IP without a license to do so. It is cautiously embracing AI technology in the production of generative AI music in order to maintain some control over the destiny to that technology, to avoid another Napster situation where the industry failed to convert the 2 million plus peer-to-peer users into a paid service, causing the near collapse of the music industry. But, is this the right course of action, for labels, label signed artists, independent artists, the music industry, and/or music consumers? Ask ChatGPT, maybe it knows, and maybe it wants to know what you think. If you have any questions, Michael can be reached at michael.duboff@edwardslaw.ca

October / November 2023 Stylus Magazine

Destroyer

live at the Park Theatre WORDS & PHOTO: MYLES TIESSEN “Here’s a song that might have debuted in Winnipeg back in 1999 or something,” mumbled Dan Bejar of Destroyer before gently playing a solo rendition of “Destroyer’s the Temple.” With his flaming red acoustic guitar, Bejar softly sang, “You are familiar with these terms, I trust/ Don’t you mind/ Our children go unseen to us/ The popular singers, they’re mean to us/You’ll find there’s joy in being barred from the temple.” The rest of the set followed suit as he primarily played old material to a relatively filled Park Theatre on a balmy Monday night in late September. The Vancouver-based musician may be more popularly known for his soft-rock/goth-disco muses like the definitive Kaputt or last year’s LABYRINTHITIS. Still, he has, for a long time, been a dedicated scholar of solo tours. Seeing Destroyer material brought to life through the isolated acoustic guitar was an experience that felt considerably intimate-yet because of Bejar’s reserved aloofness-amorphous. Detached on stage, Bejar stood surrounded by poetry and prose that floated and spun above him. He pulled them down, mixing and matching words until they strung together some syntax that sounded both spontaneous and deeply considered. Although I couldn’t tell you what the songs and lyrics mean, and truthfully, I’m not sure Bejar could either, they are profoundly affecting. It comes down to a wholly visceral and impulsive response to lyrics and melody. As he somersaulted through dizzying lyrics, you couldn’t help but feel he was going to run out of words in the English language. Enigmas like: “And I’m reminded of the time that I was blinded by the sun/ It was a welcome change from the sight of you hanging like a willow/ Off the arm of yet another visionary Prophetess East Van punk,” sang on “Painter In Your Pocket” from 2006’s Destroyer’s Rubies were definitely puzzling but enthralling. His referenced laced, stream-of-conscious lyrics were clearly the set’s focus, but how he played guitar in response to those lines was equally fascinating. Semi out-of-tune, Bejar rhythmically strummed and shifted tempo to reflect the importance of one line over others but also added some variance to the set. Just as the sloppy guitar tone became a bit much, Bejar used one of his few moments of stage banter to say, “My guitar is making a growly sound, which means it’s going to stop working any second. But it’s pretty cool. Makes it kinda edgy.” Bejar’s veteran experience as a performer was evident, as, after every song, he gave a sizeable arching bow to the crowd and, at some moments, casually hummed

04 Stylus Magazine October / November 2023

or sang the melody of the backing instrumental like you would if you were in a car alone, singing along to your favourite song. The older material–undoubtedly because of their inception on the guitar–reflected better when played solo than a lot of his new material. “Tintoretto, It’s For You” didn’t hit with the same emotional urgency as the recorded version and the empty space that would usually be filled with cracking drums and pulsating synths after he repeats the line “And ringing…” felt deflated. It seems Bejar felt similar, considering he followed that hit up with “The Music Lovers” from 2004’s Your Blues. The convergence of these distinct songwriting styles came together during

his encore performance of “Chinatown.” The rhythmic guitar held its own without the driving drum, and Bejar’s airy melodies captured the clandestine vulnerability of the track. “I can’t walk away, you can’t walk away,” echoed off the walls into the ears of the half-dancing crowd.

Concert Review: maggie cheal-tarr

William Basinski

(September 2 @ WECC)

William Basinski – the Los Angeles-based composer most famous for his Disintegration Loops series – made his triumphant return to Winnipeg at the West End Cultural Centre on September 2. Billed as “The Last Symphony,” the performance came with the hint that we were witnessing Basinski’s farewell to music or the end of his current phase of art, but maybe he just thought the title sounded cool–who’s to say?

laid back yet attentive, many people with arms crossed and all staring straight ahead at the stage. As I scanned the crowd, I noticed a lot of fades and mullets–a heuristic that I, a transsexual, can use to set myself at ease; the preponderance of gaycoded haircuts let me know that these people are likely to be pretty chill. Put simply, the vibes were immaculate.

For the unfamiliar, I would describe Basinski’s compositions as the musical equivalent of “semantic satiation,” their motifs repeating over and over until you become numb to the sound. As each piece progresses, the loops warp and decay–slowly, almost imperceptibly–leaving you disoriented and feeling as though you’ve fallen behind. The present moment merges with the past and future to create an everlasting horizon, a beautiful torment from which there is no immediate reprieve. Upon the conclusion of this sensation, you might feel a momentary relief, but you quickly come to realize that the notes are still reverberating in your head and that you’ve become comfortable with their presence there. Perhaps you even mourn the music’s absence or rue the fact that its terminus has cast you once again into the unknown.

Opener pure pulp, the synth drone solo project of Living Hour’s Sam Sarty, began promptly at 8:00 pm. She played a hypnotic arrangement of chords similar in sound to a church organ and sang a brief series of wordless vocalizations reminiscent of those in Brian Eno’s Ambient 1: Music for Airports. At 12 minutes into her first (and only) piece, Sarty produced a trombone seemingly from the aether and began hooting softly into it. I only realized once she set it back down that it had been resting on a stand the entire time. A little while later, the light technician cast an ominous red glow on the stage, coinciding with what seemed to be the song’s climax. It was an arresting, haunting effect. Once the piece finished after roughly 28 minutes, Sarty waved in acknowledgement and left the stage without a word. A sublime opening set, laying the groundwork impeccably for the headliner.

This wasn’t the first time I’d seen Basinski play. That distinction would go to his appearance at the Winnipeg New Music Festival in February 2017. There, a hush descended over the crowd as the composer sat down at his laptop, tapped a few buttons, and proceeded to sit practically motionless for the next 40 minutes as “Cascade” played over the Centennial Concert Hall speakers. I’d already heard the full piece several times previously, but the setting, lighting, and acoustics of the venue transformed it into something truly astonishing–a breathtaking new experience created from an identical work. Naturally, as soon I found out he was coming back to town, I leapt at the opportunity to see him a second time.

Around half an hour later, Basinski materialized on stage in a tight leather jacket, white gloves, and thick sunglasses, radiating pure cool. “There’s a lot of shit in this world that just gotta stop, honey!” he proclaimed in an eminently queeny vocal affectation that I found instantly endearing. He launched into “The Wheel of Fortune,” a song from 2020’s Lamentations, whereupon he began voguing and tilting his head around robotically. He would continue to do this sporadically throughout the evening. I later found myself, in my intoxicated state, imitating his mannerisms in the middle of the crowd. This piece faded out into a playlist of compositions, most of which I did not recognize by title but which were exquisitely arranged.

At the WECC that evening, several rows of tables were laid out roughly equidistant from one another, each with four chairs surrounding them. This created a sense of distance, appropriate given the spacey quality of the music. The audience was

In contrast to the WNMF show six years earlier, Basinski made extensive use of his mixing board this time around. As each piece approached its conclusion, he would turn to the board, pressing buttons and turning knobs to fade his loops in and

www.ckuw.ca/stylus

out. These moments of transition were among the most transcendent of the performance, with each song blending almost seamlessly into the next. As my friend Sky told me after the show, “I could’ve sworn that some of the sounds were coming from someone’s phone, the way they were situated in the mix – but not in a bad way!” This gave the music a clipped, slightly tinny character that produced an intentional ambiguity and unease. But the absolute pinnacle of the evening, in my view, was toward the end when “All These Too, I, I Love” (also from Lamentations) came up in the playlist. Its indecipherable operatic vocals, recycled orchestral swells, and noisy tape scratches gave me chills. The last few songs proceeded from there. As the final piece faded slowly into nothingness, the only sound audible was that of the whirring duo of ceiling fans, the rapt audience sitting in total silence for what felt like a minute before finally breaking into enthusiastic applause. At this point, Basinski joked, “Well, we got through that one together!” and commended the crowd: “I didn’t hear a peep out of you!” As his “encore” (for which he never actually left the stage – another decision that endeared him to me!), he fiddled with the mixing board while making a self-effacing comment about how he had to “take off all the crazy EQs that were on my nasty old tape loop shit” before playing a slowed-down interpolation of David Bowie’s 1977 instrumental “Subterraneans.” Ultimately, one of the things that sets ambient music apart from other genres is its approach to live shows. The thrill of a concert often lies in witnessing a band reinterpret its own music on the fly. Although the band will have carefully rehearsed its setlist, every performance retains a certain spontaneity, a controlled chaos. This is not as much the case for ambient. The genre’s reliance on the looping of effect-laden samples often renders live recreation impossible. To produce a similarly cathartic experience, the pre-recorded compositions must be striking in their own right, and Basinski’s certainly fit the bill.

October / November 2023 Stylus Magazine

Space Jam: sundayclub

WORDS & PHOTOS: MIKE THIESSEN

Sleeping is, without a doubt, the secondary purpose of Courtney Carmichael’s Beausejour bedroom. For the past several years, it has functioned primarily as the practice space and recording studio of sundayclub, an alternative-dream pop duo comprised of Carmichael and Nikki St.Pierre. sundayclub has spent the past several months

recording their debut self-titled album, much of it in this space. “We honestly spent most of the summer down here, not in the sun,” laughs Carmichael. “We did a lot of hibernation.” The technical aspect of the music is absolutely crucial to sundayclub, as anyone who’s seen them do their own live sound at shows will have realized.

St.Pierre, who has been recording since he was thirteen years old, wouldn’t have it any other way. “Every single point of the recording chain is optimized and well-thought-out to be exactly what we need it to be,” he explains. The guitar built by St.Pierre is a central feature of the band’s new record. “It has a sound to it that I don’t think you could get [with anything else],” Carmichael says. “As soon as he plays something on that guitar, it draws me in, and I automatically feel like I’m compelled to write something.” “It sounds like me,” agrees St.Pierre. Their Line 6 Helix modeler is also instrumental to their sound – almost everything the band uses is run through it, both in the studio and when playing live. “Everybody we play with seems to be mesmerized by the Helix,” says Carmichael. For St.Pierre, it allows him to get the exact sound he wants. “There are a million effects on this thing,” he says, “but I use four. It’s the same four every time.” The day St.Pierre nailed down these four effects, after months of experimentation, was the day sundayclub’s sound really came together, in their opinion. “I stopped using it like a modeler and started treating it like hardware,” he says. Universal Audio’s LUNA is sundayclub’s DAW of choice, with everything run through the Universal Audio API console, an emulation of the sound desk used by Prince, Fleetwood Mac, and Radiohead. sundayclub keeps the mixing simple, though. “I think with our dense mixes and arrangements, it would be really hard to make it work if the workflow wasn’t fast,” says St.Pierre. One piece of gear essential to sundayclub’s upcoming album which does not reside in their basement

06 Stylus Magazine October / November 2023

studio is the Mexican P-bass of Kris Ulrich, with whom the band has been working extensively — anything not recorded in sundayclub’s basement space was done at Ulrich’s studio. The duo says that Ulrich, who they met at the 2022 Folk Fest Young Performers Program, has played a major role in increasing their confidence in their own work, as well as in laying down some thoroughly satisfying bass riffs on the record. The duo is excited to put out the new album, slated for a spring 2024 release, but glad to have postponed coming out with music for such a long time. “We didn’t ever feel like the songs fully represented us, and we didn’t feel like they were good enough to be released,” says Carmichael. “I don’t think we had figured out how work, and we were still in the process of discovering our sound.” The vast majority of this discovery process happened in this very bedroom studio over the course of the past year. “All of that indecision and jumping back and forth … it was all done in here,” says St.Pierre. “I haven’t really thought about that before, but this space is everything.” Carmichael agrees – “I think the most important thing about a space is being comfortable, and we’re both very comfortable.”

www.ckuw.ca/stylus

October / November 2023 Stylus Magazine

THE

DORK

REPORT with French C l as s PAIGE DROBOT Today I’m talking with Megumi Kimata, the artist and producer behind Winnipeg’s French Class, about the instruments she uses to create music. Paige: I think when you have spent a lot of time with an instrument it becomes more than a tool for your creative practice. It turns into a relationship. I get this vibe about you and your synth. Megumi: We’ve been best friends, it’s been great! I’m used to it and I know how to use it. It’s a great tool to build a song. I like it because it has a song mode so you can program a whole song. I start with programming each drum part — kick, snare, percussion — then the bass part, then the synth part. Then I sometimes add effects — and there you go! P: Do you ever have trouble with it? Do you get along? How’s the relationship?

rough on things!! Or maybe playing with too much INTENT (or not enough?! Ahh!) Can you tell me when and where you got it? (and which one it is again?) M: It’s a Korg ElecTribe EMX-1 music production station. It’s a sequencer. I got it about 10 years ago in Japan at a thrift store for electronics called Hard Off. It’s a chain and it still exists. My friend had it and it does what I needed to do, so it was perfect and I got it. P: (Oh my god “Hard Off?!” You’re telling me Japanese Value Village is almost named “Hard On” ?!?!?!) … I looked it up and it’s much better than a Value Village. Anyway, I love that it has tubes!! I love tubes, I feel like they could put a tube on anything and I consider impulse buying it. Just kidding but, sort of not. Is there anything else you use or is this really the best machine on the planet?

M: The EMX has had some issues where the knobs have started getting janky, and one time it actually stopped working which was very stressful because I rely on it, but I sent it in for repair and it was thankfully ok. I’m trying to take better care of it now and to tweak the knobs more gently etc.

M: I also use a Zoom R-16. It’s a 16-track recorder with 8 inputs. I sometimes use it for backing tracks at shows. And before getting the EMX, I used the Kaossilator for drum samples and wrote basslines with a Microkorg. I also wrote “Bon Bon Bon” with a Yamaha RX7. I think Aphex Twin also uses this one.

P: Major Stress!!! Funny, I also have a problem with breaking gear . Pedals, and knobs. Too

Yamaha RX7 (1987).

RIFF ZONE Let’s play “Robot Tune” by French Class on guitar e --------------------l----------------------------------b --------------------l----------------------------------g --------------------l----------------------------------d ---------10---------l----10---10------10--9-----------a --------------------l----------------------------------e --8--8-----8---7---l-8--------------8------------7----

P: Cool! The Psychics did some recordings on that machine! I believe Campfire Sigh tracks through that also. Kaossilator is cool, always sort of trips me out though, I prefer a linear timeline or something. I don’t know! There are a lot of RX numbers … I lose track. Dig that you can reverse on this thing! Pretty sure that’s the one on Prince’s “Sign ‘ O ‘ The Times,” like he totally got one right away. When did you start making music, and was it similar to what you are doing now? M: I wrote songs as a kid, but my first band

08 Stylus Magazine October / November 2023

was in high school. We played ska punk. I played guitar. Then I started noticing synths in music that I was listening to, like The Getup Kids, and the synth bass line at the very beginning of the Beastie Boys song “Super Disco Breakin,” and Radiohead’s album Kid A, and Kraftwerk’s song “The Robots,” and Royskopp, etc. I felt inspired by all of this and that’s when I bought my first synth. With French Class there was a journey of figuring out how to bring my electronic music to a stage performance, as well as how to release it. The first releases were purely instrumental (Tape 1-3). I started collaborating with singers and other musicians, namely Gabi Ocejo, Tiana Garcia, Lindsay Woolgar and Kevin Waters; so now I have musicians to perform with as well. P: NOW YOU ARE THE ROBOT! Aww lil’ Punk Megumi, I knew it! I feel like I can always tell who wrote punk songs as a kid, game recognizes game. Right! In the past, your live performances have featured a rotating cast of talented collaborators, but I recently saw you perform mostly solo with a lot of guitar, and singing. Can we expect to hear more of that? Is playing more guitar changing your songwriting process on the synth at all? What kind of guitar are you using and what do you like to run it through? M: The live performances are often a bit experimental. Depending on the gig and who can make it, I’m always trying different things. I want to play more guitar and to keep getting better at the instrument. In some ways, it can express things better than the machine. I do want to write songs on guitar and perform with guitar and continue exploring collaboration between acoustic and electronic instruments. My guitar is a handmade Telecaster from Japan. It sounds good. So far, I just have a distortion and reverb pedal but I want to explore more of the pedal world. P: If you had unlimited money and power … hahahah … what gear would you buy? M: I want a gong and a xylophone.

Artist Spotlight: Bush Lotus

MYLES TIESSEN

PHOTO PROVIDED BY BUSH LOTUS

Bush Lotus has had one hell of a summer. Between months of tree-planting in the heat and thick smoke of forest fires in Northern BC, Arielle Beaupré played her first headlining show, did a triple on the Manitoba festival circuit, and released her debut EP, Floating Kitestrings. Her performance at The Harvest Moon Festival in Clearwater proved to be a culmination of all those months spent living in the world of the EP. As the crowd filtered in to watch the performance, she fed off the energy of friends and collaborators who came to witness her pensive tracks brought to life. After the show, she hugged, laughed, and swapped stories with those same people backstage, embracing the community of friends around her. Originally from

Quebec, Beaupré may be a transplant in Manitoba, but she has clearly made it her home. Speaking with Stylus under an oak tree following her Saturday afternoon set, Beaupré sat in the slowly dying fall grass, sipping an ice-cold draft as the autumn wind swept down the leaves from above. Her relaxed joy–no doubt still reeling from the set–was boundless as we settled into the scenery reflective of her fanciful EP. “Part of what writing music is to me is touching on something that’s slightly ethereal and resolving feelings that are too hard to talk about or comprehend,” says Beaupré. Whether it’s a therapeutic process or just for the joy of putting words to melody, making music isn’t really an option

for Beaupré; “It’s a necessity.” That sort of instinctive urgency is found all throughout Floating Kitestrings. Beaupré prefers candid balladry over the flowery language often found in modern folk songs, editing out and removing the excess until all that remains is the purest, most intimate representation of emotions. It’s a literary approach to songwriting that is, without a doubt, and most obviously, laborious. It’s a practice that sees communication as art itself. When she sings: “I stretched my arms wide/ As through my fingers tips would reach the ends of the sky/ It didn’t matter that my feet were on the edge of the concrete parking lot,” on “Open,” you immediately feel the sober reflections of the mindfulness practices that inspired the song. “Breathing and being with the body and with the world is very grounding. And music does the same thing for me,” says Beaupré. Despite the lyrical clarity, there’s an imagistic rubric at the heart of the EP, and it all goes back to the way Beaupré approaches music or the way she says music comes to her. “It’s often like grasping at something beyond my reach, and the image that sticks with me is a kite floating far above me, where it’s just out of my reach, but it’s also quite beautiful that they are a little too far away, so you have to let them fly.” Although her music reflects her deeply personal experiences and heavy emotional sentiments, Beaupré is a deeply upbeat individual with unrelenting passion and excitement for the likeminded musicians around her and for performing live. After a season of playing with a full band, her approach and even outlook on songwriting has changed. “I want people to experience those ecstatic personal sentiments that come from music, but there’s another part of me that just wants to get people to dance,” she says with a laugh. Whether it be the groovy Latin upbeat “Dans Le Jungle,”–which features playful unaffected laughter–or the grungy “Running Away,” Floating Kitestrings hints at the intentional shift in modalities Beaupré has been experimenting with since playing with a full band. “What [the band] did was absorb the feelings in the songs on the EP, which I feel are pretty different from one another. We’ve reworked some, tightened them up, and something like playing “Hazy” live especially is almost more like what I wanted it to be at the start.” Beaupré sees Bush Lotus as a creative unit where collaboration is at the heart of the magic that’s reflected in their synergistic live performances. “Looking out over the crowds, I felt like everyone I’ve met from all walks of life has been there.” Beaupré’s well aware that though the songs come from her essential, spiritual nature, they’ve grown beyond what she could have ever hoped for. “They’ve become things that can walk on their own, so I had to let go of them and let them be in the world.”

www.ckuw.ca/stylus

October / November 2023 Stylus Magazine

Ham Reunion Show at the Good Will Social Club With Mahogany Frog

August 18th, 2023

WORDS & PHOTOS: SCOTT PRICE The first concert I ever went to was the Pixies Reunion show in the spring of 2004 at Burton Cummings Theatre. My friend and I were pretty excited to see the Pixies, who were one of the major influences of many of the bands we were doggedly gathering every detail on. It just so happened that the opening band for the Pixies that night was Ham, a band from Winnipeg. Neither of us knew a thing about Ham. At that point, we were voraciously reading about and listening to bands from exotic locales like New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Call it fate or just dumb luck that the first band I ever saw live was Winnipeg’s own Ham. When reunion shows were announced, I was chomping at the bit to see my first local heroes. Openers Mahogany Frog were the perfect fit for this show. I saw them earlier this summer at The Blue Note, and they were just as fine-tuned this night. It is something to behold when they play live. Their

10 Stylus Magazine October / November 2023

music is precise but still has a kind of haphazard quality to it. Not to say they are sloppy, but just that these are a group of musicians who so fully follow their muses with unabashed vigor that it is easy to forget how highly orchestrated their music is. We are all so fortunate this band calls Winnipeg home. The crowd was primed. Ham started their set with the thunderous “Who dropped the bomb?” From there, they played a mix of songs from the band’s history but played significant portions of their final album, Comrades Demand Conquest. The twin guitar work of Jim Demos and Paul Lafreniere is something only the frigid isolation of Winnipeg could spawn. Their riffs intertwine with each other, going from post punk, psych rock, noise, and prog rock. In the hands of lesser musicians, the riffs simply wouldn’t work or be

too esoteric to make a lasting impression. Instead, the riffs are memorable and something you can headbang to while also thinking to yourself, “What time signature is this?” Perhaps Ham is Winnipeg’s answer to those crazy Sweds Meshuggah. Original bass player Devin McCraken was not at the reunion show, but Scott Clarke of Ogimma filled in nicely. He came well prepared with a bass sound that had both presence and cut through the songs. I would compare Ham’s drummer, Brad Piggot, to Melvin’s drummer, Dale Crover. Both have a quiet virtuosic quality to their drumming. It can be easy to miss what they are doing on the first listen, but once you start paying more attention, the details start to dawn on you. Navigating the labyrinth of riffs that Demos and LaFrieniere construct is no small feat, but Piggot does so with grace. Many moments during the night, for a second, you thought that maybe someone missed a beat and the whole thing would fall apart, but Piggot was there with the downbeat or an ingenious fill that tied the whole song together. If you’re looking for a Winnipeg underdog story, Ham would be it. They went from playing to sparse crowds at the Albert to opening for The Pixies. Out of all the Winnipeg bands to be formed over the last 20 years, Ham seems the least likely to open for The Pixies, but they did it. Success can be thought of in many ways, but Ham was no doubt a success.

8AM

7AM

6AM

8PM

7PM

6PM

5PM

4PM

3PM

2PM

1PM

NOON

11AM

10AM

9AM

www.ckuw.ca/stylus

5AM

4AM

3AM

2AM

1AM

MIDNIGHT

11PM

10PM

9PM

October / November 2023 Stylus Magazine

6AM

Radio Ecoshock

Folk Roots Radio

The Sentinel's Marvellous Kaleidoscope

Harbinger Media Hour

CANQUEER

Indigenous in Music

LISTENING PLEASURES

BREAK NORTH RADIO

AMPLIFIED RADIO

MODERN JAZZ TODAY

METAL MONDAY

Free City Radio

BACKBEAT

The Motherland Inﬂuence

NIGHT DANGER RADIO

! E A R S H O T D A I LY

Electronic\Dance

TranceLand

Local Indie

On My Way Home

Blues

Balmoral Blues

Sonic Blanket

YOUTH IN CARE

SYSTEM KIDZ

Winnipeg Arena is on Fire

The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit Folk

The Reminder

World Music

The Freedom Principle

Sock-Hop-A-Go-Go

DESTINATION MOON

THE WORLD

Thrash Can Thrash Metal

The Vulcan's Hold Trip Hop

Music from Newfoundland and Labrador

NewFound Records

GroundSwell Radio

Truth Before Reconciliation

outSPOKEn

C�M�D�O�O�O�I�A� R�P�R�

The Little Big Tent (Jazz)

THE GREEN MAJORITY

POP/ROCK

VOYAGE

BRIDGING THE GAP

WINGS

DEPARTMENT 13

Replay

Meta World Stoopaloop Show Replay

Thrash Can - Replay

Winnipeg Arena is on Fire Replay

ShrimpFarm.Crypto

Two Princes Princes

! E A R S H O T D A I LY

Latin

ROMPE

S.A.N.E. * RADIO

Local Experimental Music

TWANG TRUST

Country/ Roots/ Big, Dumb Rock ‘n’ Roll

So Bad, It’s Good

AMATEUR HOUR

SPACE CADET

MUSIC, OUT OF THIS WORLD

The Meta World Stoopaloop Show

ALTERNATIVE RADIO

THE WONDERFUL & FRIGHTENING WORLD OF PATRICK MICHALISHYN

Electronic

PHASE ONE

Dub City Steppers

Adult Kindergarten

MANITOBA MOON

Local Hip Hop

StreetKil�iaz Generatio�

Electric Dance Party

QUADRAFUNK

World & Variety

Da Show

Hip Hop

Hip Hop 50

THE HOW DO YOU DO REVUE

TAWNY, THE BRAVE Pop/Rock

(Electronic\Ambient)

Soft Robotics

LET'S PLAY DJ!

EAT YOUR ARTS & VEGETABLES

PAGES

SQUAREWAVE

VIDEO GAME MUSIC AND HISTORY

The Sean Show

Past 'n Present Folk 'n Roots Local Music

Dollar Country

GLOBAL RESEARCH NEWS HOUR

HOW TO SURVIVE A TORNADO

Lived Experiences of Homelessness

NO FIXED ADDRESS

Roots Music

SUNNY ROAD

B�R�I�G D�G

TICKLE MY FANCY Blues

Dead Medium

!EARSHOT DAILY

ACCESSIBILITY MATTERS

Viewpoints

Jazz

Wooden Spoons

World - Island Music

FanTasTic fRidaY

DEMOCRACY NOW!

Behind the News With Doug Henwood

FrAÑOL

Worldbeat Canada

This Way Out

DEMOCRACY NOW!

CounterSpin

Shortwave Report

MORNING BREATH

Your Show Here

Collages by Silas (Experimental)

ShrimpFarm.Crypto

Dancehall and Reggae

DANCE HALL FEVER

Hip-Hop

RED BOX

Hip-Hop

WE BUILD HITS

Progressive Rock

Star Road Junction

Eclectic Residents

Eclectic Mix

TEMPLE TENT REVIVAL

THE IVORY TOWER

THE ELECTRIC CHAIR

For Kids (Adults too)

MUD PUDDLE RADIO

Green Planet Monitor

THE SATURDAY MORNING SHOW

GIRLIE SO GROOVIE

R�V�L�T�O� R�C�

Rainbow Country

Caribbean

ISLAND VIBES

THE GASHLYCRUMB TINIES

Punk

Circle One

The Completely Asinine Radio Program

The C.A.R.P.

This is Hell

GroundSwell Radio

The World

News, spoken word

Active Voice

YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM GOD Gospel

NEON BEIGE SOUND EXCHANGE

Medicine Wheel of Music

Classical and New Age

SHADES OF CLASSICS

CKU-Speaks

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY S U N D A Y

LOCAL SPOKEN WORD

MUSIC

WEEK

Live shows are marked with a lightning bolt -

New shows are marked with a star -

Some programs are on hiatus and/ or airing different content due to university closure for COVID-19.

EMAIL:

CKUW@UWINNIPEG.CA

FAX: 204-783-7080

ON AIR: 204-774-6877

NEWS DESK : 204-786-9998

OFFICE: 204-786-9782

WWW.CKUW.CA

Temporary Programming

ALTERNATING

12 SPOKEN WORD

Hip Hop 50: The Culture

CKU W h o ? DJ Rock Tha Block With Host

Fridays 7-8PM

SCOTT PRICE

Stylus: What made you interested in radio?

S: How long have you been involved at CKUW?

DJ RTB: I was doing a radio station that was in French for about three years. So even though I did Hip Hop on the show, I had a translator, and so I would DJ, scratch Hip Hop and R&B, and then we had a little talking segment. We would have a French translator translate it into English. It is about an hour show then our show went to two hours and that two hours went to three hours. It was the only Hip Hop show in Winnipeg on the radio for straight three hours, non-stop. Actually, it was the only Hip Hop on the radio at the time. It was a little community station. CKXL 91.1FM. So, I did that for a while. And then, while we were doing it, things got really complicated with the board on the translation because we kind of got sloppy. I had gone away for a bit, and when I came back, I was told, ‘Hey, you should check out CKUW.’ I think I had a conversation with Rob [station manager Rob Schmid]; we talked about it, and then it started to seem more interesting. Rob was really super open. No restrictions, just very inviting. You know, they had rules, but it was comfortable. PHOTO PROVIDED BY DJ ROCK THA BLOCK I could tell you from the day they started, we rocked out with them for a while, and then, while putting the show together and making it such a good show, allowed us to get picked to go on commercial radio. It was a very hard decision. It was basically I was trying to hold on to both at the same time. I wanted to kind of just make both work because commercial radio has a lot more restrictions than community and campus radio. So that was a hard thing for me to do. So, I had to take the opportunity. I took the opportunity to go to commercial radio. Then I ended up going on tour with a lot of artists and doing concert tours, and it just changed my whole spectrum of things. And then, in 2021, I had a major, horrific accident. I sat down and I said, you know what? I want to go back to radio. That was my love. That was my passion. But I want to go into radio at the same place where

DJ Rock Tha Block: I was an aspiring deejay. Every summer, I used to go to New York and used to listen to music on the radio. I would set up my records or my recordings, and my favorite DJ, who played on Hot 1970 York Kool DJ Red Alert, who ended up becoming my mentor. I would listen to him from grade six all the way to an adult every night, Monday to Saturday, 7 to 10. I would come home with like 90 to 100 mix tapes of just Red Alert on the radio. And it wasn’t just playing music and talking. He was cutting the scratching records. He just made it a big party for three hours straight. So that would inspire me when I would come home I would want to DJ. And my end goal was to be that guy on the radio to do exactly that. So that’s what really got me wanting to do radio. I basically took the art form of what Red Alert did on radio, and I would do that in the clubs, but I kept the same art form of radio. So, I attack any DJ night like that in the same way I would attack a radio show. As it got older, then, you know, opportunities just came.

12 Stylus Magazine October / November 2023

I was the happiest. I called Rob, who I couldn’t believe was still there, which is great because, I mean, Rob is the greatest. And then, he introduced me to Scott (program director Scott Price). Scott and I spoke, and he was like, you know, I could get you an hour on a Friday. And some other options, and I was like, No, I’ll take the Friday hour. I want that flavor of Friday, you know, unwinding. Your whole week is done, and you come in, you just listen to some good Hip Hop music. It was a commitment to help me get better because my mind was scrambled from the accident. So, CKUW gave me a place to become expressive again. And so I’m so grateful for CKUW and Rob, Scott and the staff and everybody there, the volunteers, the music people. They’re just a great bunch of people. S: Tell us about your show, Hip Hop 50 The Culture. DJ RTB: Hip Hop 50-The culture is a Hip Hop show that is designed to teach everybody about Hip Hop from day one. As you know, this year, 2023 is Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary. So we designed this show to really help people commemorate the culture from the beginning of Hip Hop to today. And, you know, as we evolve in Hip Hop, which is Hip Hop is totally evolved from day one. You got so many artists, and you get so many people’s points of view. So, as time has progressed, the music has changed in sound and lyrics in the whole nine yards. But we also want to make sure that we keep the preservation of the beginning. So I don’t just play the beginning of Hip Hop, and I don’t just play the middle, I play it all. I give you the transition from what this song sounded like back then to what it sounds like today and what it sound like in the middle of Hip Hop. So, its 50 years is a lot of music, especially for Hip Hop, because there were songs that just rocked in the club, never touched commercial radio, and never had a video. That’s why it’s Hip Hop 50, and it’s about the culture, because Hip Hop is not just music. Hip Hop is about the culture. S: What are the most compelling aspects of Hip Hop? DJ RTB: The most compelling to me about Hip Hop is a few things I think it represents to me, and most compelling is how it’s been able to feed people who were in a very hard struggle situation in life and find an outlet that was not the means of selling drugs and doing crappy things. Hip Hop is a culture. It’s a way of life. And it’s compelling to me because I’ve seen people come from rough situations and be able to make it. I also seen some people make it and go back to rough situations. But one thing is Hip Hop is an outlet that allows them to speak, and if they speak their true truth, they can have a

shot at changing their life and not have to resort to selling drugs or living in a very uncomfortable living environment. So Hip Hop, to me, is compelling because it changes lives. It’s a culture. But another major thing that I loved about Hip Hop when I was in grade 2 or 3, I remember we learned poetry. As we learned poetry, Hip Hop became a part of poetry. And Hip Hop just put it to music. That’s really what it is. Poetry that allows you to speak your intent and your will.

S: Do you have any special shows or topics planned? DJ RTB: Yes. Kool Herc is going to come on the show, Red Alert’s going to come on the show. Funkmaster Flex is going to. It’s just a lot planned. It just got delayed because of my accident, but starting mid-October, you’re going to see a huge facelift. You’re going to hear the difference. Like right now, the show is hot. It’s just going to level up ten times. So Hip Hop 50 the Culture has so much planned

like, and there’s going to be a live tour, and the tour is going to be crazy because we’re every stop we go we’re going to be talking on the radio live just like, Yo, we’re in such and such city with such and such artists and catching such and such vibes. So please keep it locked every Friday, 7 to 8:00 p.m. Hopefully, Scott gives us an extra hour somewhere in there. We could rock it out to two hours, but definitely keep your ears peeled. Look out for the website, but you have to tune in to the show, catch the show, and then you’ll catch everything else.

Local Releases The EP continues in an equally heartfelt fashion, with absolutely no filler, and every track makes a powerful statement. The lyrics on this album are emotional and relatable in many facets, and the single track “Nail Biter” was noted in the album release show announcement as being the band’s guide, or “North Star,” for creating the rest of the album, which indeed came together beautifully. “Nail Biter,” which features Liam Duncan (Boy Golden) on the banjo, foregrounds an emotional back story about childhood VIRGO RISING conflict with loved ones, matched with VAMPYRE YEAR powerful building instrumentals to Between hearing a lot of good things wrap up the album as the final track. about the Winnipeg-based musical This tune easily ranks as my other group and their band name aligning favourite on this EP. with my star chart, I thought it an Down to the well-thought-out auspicious sign to check out Virgo instrumental title track that serves as a Rising’s sophomore EP, Vampyre transition to the latter portion of the Year. The band, who is signed under album to the catchiness of every single the Winnipeg record label House of song, Vampyre Year is a lovely EP that Wonders, consists of four members: I would happily add to my “Emo Shit” Emily Sinclair (Vocals, Guitar), Lauren playlist on Spotify. Steph Kolodka Wittmann (Bass, Keyboards), Jenna Wittmann (Guitar, Violin), and Isaac Tate (Drums, Percussion). Their last iconic album from 2021 was described as “bedroom-indie-rock,” and currently, they use tags such as “bedroom pop,” “alternative,” and “indie” on Bandcamp to describe their upcoming album. The EP commences with a solid first track, “Shoes,” with minimal instrumentation and no percussion to start off the song, and then builds into an almost psychedelic vibe as the keyboards fade in. The vocals are whimsical despite a deep topic being portrayed in the lyrics. The second track, “Tristan,” is one of my favourites on the EP. It begins with a nostalgic feeling emo riff with perfectly accompanied vocals that make me want to blast this song and sing along in the car on my daily commute to work. Percussion and a spacey synth riff round this song out to have me putting this tune on repeat.

SUPER DUTY TOUGH WORK PARADIGM SHIFT No stranger to dropping weighty truth via their projects, Super Duty Tough Work is back with their muchanticipated second record, Paradigm Shift, and it delivers a heavy realitydosing ten tracks of hip hop content. Formed in 2014 by emcee Brendan

www.ckuw.ca/stylus

Grey, this from-the-floor rap outfit released their first LP back in 2019 (that was longlisted for the Polaris Music Prize in 2020). However, while there is continuity from Studies in Grey in leitmotif, there has also been a deliberate tightening and nuanced sonic scope. This not only includes scaling back the use of horns on Paradigm Shift – which was quite prominent on older SDTW recordings – but also slowing things down substantially tempo-wise. In fact, only two songs on this release could be described as more upbeat, namely “New Sight” and “Dirty Hands.” This opting for more of a chill vibe was conceivably strategic, though, since it functions to compel the listener to pause and consider more fully the voice of the artist. And Super Duty has some important things to communicate. Riffing off of Rage Against the Machine’s “Know Your Enemy,” Super Duty Tough Work’s most hard-hitting and quote-worthy song has to be “Guillotine Dreams,” which addresses a good number of deeply relevant issues related to colonialism and capitalism (among other problematic “-isms”). The music video is also top drawer, as are the other highly captivating and polished visuals created for the songs “First Strike,” “New Sight,” and “Quiet Strength.” Throughout the album, there are many thought-provoking samples included from people like Audre Lorde and Gil Scott-Heron, a clip from the 1973 film “The Spook Who Sat By the Door,” and several references to local people and events (that serve well to draw people into a bigger conversation about all things justice-related). From the opening setup of “Mission Statement” to the tobe-continuedness that’s communicated by “Far Away,” Paradigm Shift is worth many start-to-finish listens. The vinyl static that SDTW has integrated into various tracks is also a nice aesthetic of the collection.

One last feature of Super Duty’s latest project that merits pointing out is Grey’s honesty and maturity reflected in his lyrics about topics like maintaining a grounded perspective as it pertains to the music business, mental health, and movements that have value. It’s about unwaveringly following one’s heart, using good ideas and self-reflection as ammunition to spark positive change, and being willing to burn down old structures that merely benefit the rich few. And while SDTW may see themselves as “underrated” and “understated,” hopefully, songs from Paradigm Shift will increasingly populate online playlists, and it will provide many with a vision and soundtrack for survival in this busted-up world. Mykhailo Vil’yamson

TIRED COSSACK I KNOW, I GUESS It was once Guildenstern who said to Hamlet: “Dreams, indeed, are ambition, for the very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream” (Act 2, Scene 2). This, of course, is multilayered in its interpretation, as is Tired Cossack’s sophomore release, I Know, I Guess. From the initial notes strikingly played on what sounds like a tsymbaly in the opening track, one is drawn into an encounter with the shadows that frontperson Stephen Levko is imaginably bumping into while both asleep and alert. While hammering down the meaning of the often obscure lyrics throughout the twelve songs is akin to trying to decipher the details of a dream upon

October / November 2023 Stylus Magazine

waking, it might have something to do with generalized fatigue, partially veiled exasperation, routine and relationships, water and watching baseball. Regardless, this follow-up to their 2021 debut is exceedingly memorable – with equal amounts of continuity and progression of sound. While Hocus Pocus leaned more heavily into the post-punk realm, the latest album does what their Bandcamp aptly describes; namely, it “[flows] like a meandering path devoid of care,” as it pertains to genre. There are still songs that are inarguably inspired by bands like Joy Division, such as “Dingo Starr” and “Tin” (with their waveringly distorted guitar tones and distinctive vocals that are similar to that of the late Ian Curtis). But there are tracks that noticeably border on nu metal – like the hard-hitting “Cowboy” and its counterpart “Zubov” – and various others for which the category of early 2000s alternative most suitably fits. Both “Upper” and “Downer” are also similar in their unexpected chorus moves (that keep things surprising). The other feature that sporadically stands out is Levko’s backwoods twang that he carries forward from older songs like “Drink from the Don” and

Musically, the first thing I noticed was the lead singer’s ability to adjust his vocals to the mood of each track. In “Don’t Carry on, My Wayward Son,” the vocals exude excitement and confidence, contrasting the softness of the following track, “A Place Where Time Forgot.” The rhythmic guitar lines support the vocals and hold their All in all, I Know, I Guess delivers over own during the instrumental bridges. forty minutes of mesmerizing content The drums provide a steady base that is sure to thrill and challenge under every track, and each instrument both old and new TC listeners alike. blends together to create a unique Accordingly, the replay value of singles sound. from this project and the album as a whole is high. So–before you drift off Of the tracks themselves, three out of to the dream world tonight, be sure to the six stood out strongly. The third count sheep with Alexey on “Sardines.” track, “Don’t Carry on, My Wayward And don’t forget to set your sleepy Son,” grabbed me before it even started, as the title referenced the famous song beepy. Mykhailo Vil’yamson by the band Kanas. The crescendoing MERIN instrumentals and crunchy harmonies SELF-TITLED EP held my attention throughout the song, Local alt-rock band Merin released while the lyrics put a smile on my face. their third EP this past August, and I The fourth song, “A Place Where Time had the pleasure of giving it a thorough Forgot,” evoked feelings of nostalgia listen. Full of pop-culture references and presented excellent lyricism. Its and galactic metaphors, this album bittersweet feel definitely made it a is the soundtrack to an epic space memorable track, while the closing adventure — even referencing the song, “Psychotic Dream Land,” made classic sci-fi film Dune in the opening for a perfect finale. With emotional vocals and vivid lyrics that drew up track, “Fear is the Mind Killer, Nerd.” pictures of liminal spaces, it was hard “Pea Roll Along” (as can be heard prominently in the banger “Korean Baseball”). As for the darkest and most beautiful song on the project, it has to be “Casio” (that is thematically reminiscent of Björk’s “Hyperballad” or Frightened Rabbit’s “Floating in the Forth”).

not to feel emotional while listening to it. The instrumental ending left me wanting more — a cliffhanger conclusion to the album’s musical story. The only song that did not leave an impact on me was the fifth track, “I Kinda Hate It.” The lyrics were less original, and they lacked a certain energy that the others had. That said, the instrumentals remained steady and were excellent in the second half of the song. Overall, I can definitely say that I am a fan of this EP and this band. The creative lyrics, paired with the powerful instrumentals and impactful vocals, make this a must-listen. I hope to hear more from Merin soon! Bradi Breckman

Releases From Away other times it’s a complete reality check. Still Depths really wants to make you think about what the you’re doing with your life and the way that you’re living. Something about their music is just so relatable, that you can tell it’s meant for the average person.

STILL DEPTHS BEST PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE Still Depths has a very casual grunge sound to their music. If you’re a fan of Nirvana, or just 90s rock in general, I’d highly recommend this album. There’s a sort of half-angry, half-apathetic theme to the songs. Best Plan For Your Life will give you the existential crisis that you need and make you reassess your life plan. There’s something about their music that’s so aggressively self-aware that you almost wonder when it will stop. Sometimes it’s a half-ironic joke, and

Their song “Top 5 Reasons I’m Shit” has half-ironic relatability. Getting into trouble for something that’s not actually your fault. Being blamed for something you didn’t do, or something you can’t help. Or even when you’re generally just down on your luck and it ANDY SHAUF feels as though there isn’t a single thing NORM going your way. It happens to everyone If certain sections of Twitter (or, rather, at some point. X) are to be believed, we are currently “Best Plan For Your Life” has a very living through an epidemic of male grunge-rock type of guitar intro that loneliness. You might have seen op-eds, really helps to keep the head banging graphs, or surveys making the rounds, going. They slurred together words, supposedly demonstrating that North to the point where it’s kind of hard to American men in the 2020s have hear the lyrics. It’s not a very long track fewer friends, experience depression but you almost get the sense that it at higher rates, and are having less leaves you on a sort of cliff cliffhanger, sex than ever before. Whether this as though you’re meant to go back framing of affairs is true and what and listen from the beginning again. ought to be done about it is anyone’s Gabriel Fars guess. But almost as if anticipating the

14 Stylus Magazine October / November 2023

contentious social media discourse on the subject, Saskatchewan-based folk musician Andy Shauf released Norm on February 10, 2023. The singer and multi-instrumentalist’s eighth LP fits perfectly among his catalogue as another perceptive and affecting exploration of the psyche of lonely men. Sonically, Norm is softer, slower, and more synth-oriented than his indie folk hits The Party and The Neon Skyline. (If this worries you–fret not, Shauf-heads! He still makes room for several of his characteristic clarinet interludes!) The subtle evolution of his sound disappointed me at first blush, but then I recalled that his prior albums also needed a couple of listens to grow on me. My admiration for Norm, as with the rest of his discography, has only increased as I’ve familiarized myself with its lyrical and melodic turns. As has become a trend in Shauf ’s oeuvre, Norm is a concept album – one that tells a sustained, if ambiguous, narrative from three perspectives. It opens with “Wasted on You,” in

which the biblical God opines to Jesus Christ about humanity’s lack of appreciation for his eternal love. We are then introduced to the titular Norm via his narration of the songs “Catch Your Eye” and “Telephone,” which detail the character’s attempts to get the attention of his crush. In a clear instance of the author leaving the narrative open to interpretation, Norm’s love interest–whom Shauf referred to in an interview with Stereogum as “the pursued person”–is not gendered at any point in the lyrics and is described exclusively as “you.” Norm gets his wish after driving to a Halloween store and encountering the person sitting in their car, smiling at him. The album’s pivotal moment arrives in “Sunset.” The two characters have a pleasant chat in the store, but upon exiting into the parking lot, discover that the pursued person’s car is missing. Norm observes that, curiously, “you don’t seem to be surprised.” He offers them a ride home, and they immediately accept, thinking nothing of it, at which point Norm instead hightails it out of the city while professing his deep and abiding love for this person (whom, to be clear, he has spoken to precisely once). “It feels like I know you so well,” he thinks in one of the album’s many comically ironic lyrics. In the following song, “Daylight Dreaming,” Shauf turns back the clock to the sudden disappearance of the pursued person’s car. We discover that their ex-partner, our third and final narrator, has towed it away in a reenactment of a practical joke that the driver used to play on their ex

when the two were dating. This was some sort of attempt to win back their former lover or at least to hear their cherished “big laugh” again, but evidently, the gambit failed. It is at this point that the story becomes hazy. The remainder of the album plays out as an extended dénouement. The tow truck driver arrives at a Halloween party, expecting their ex to show up, but they never do. This is the last we hear of Norm or the pursued person. The fate of both parties is left to the listener’s imagination. Shauf ’s carefully structured songwriting makes itself apparent in the way his compositions’ meanings are altered by the accumulated context of previous songs or even reversed in retrospect with the addition of subsequent information. For instance, “Telephone” starts as a gorgeous paean to an imagined lover’s voice before we realize in the second verse that Norm is dictating it while standing outside their house, hiding in the bushes, and spying on them through the window. “Halloween Store,” the album’s most upbeat song, could have been read as the prelude to a parking lot meet-cute if we didn’t already know of Norm’s dubious intentions. Finally, “Don’t Let It Get to You” could be interpreted as a soothing meditation on rolling with life’s punches and learning to accept your place in the world–that is, only if removed from its placement within the album, which implies that the song is God’s reassurance to Norm and the tow truck driver that their appalling behaviour is simply the product of unforeseen circumstances and that they needn’t burden themselves by

SOS FEST AT THE PARK THEATRE SEPT 8 & 9 PHOTO: ROB KNAGGS

reflecting on it. With Norm, Shauf succeeds at crafting a sympathetic portrait of the titular character not in the sense that his actions are defensible but rather that the motivations for those actions are rooted in a profoundly human longing for intimacy and interpersonal connection. (To that point, the first line of “Paradise Cinema”–“Seems like he’s fallen in love / With every bright smile he sees along the way”– is especially poignant and personally relatable.) That the album’s central figure is an oblivious creep only adds to the resonance of its themes, inviting the listener to interrogate their own desires and the ways they go about satisfying them. Not everybody stalks their romantic interests through the aisles of a grocery store or kidnaps them from a Spirit Halloween, but maybe we’ve misread signals, made false assumptions, or upset a loved one with an ill-considered comment. The gulf between ourselves and those we cast as “evil” might not be as wide as we’d like to think.

ONLY A VISITOR DECAY I was fortunate enough to ask Robyn of Only a Visitor a few questions about their newest full-length LP, Decay, an indie pop album with “themes of the passage of time, connection, memory, and the possibility of regeneration that is inherent in the process of decay.”

The intro track “What Does Waiting Mean” kicks off the album with a groovy baseline. It sets the mood of the album perfectly. The poppy sound of the track demonstrates the theme The reprise of the opening song’s perfectly. Robyn named this their chorus in the closer “All of My Love” favourite track “because it exemplifies (“Was all [of ] my love / Wasted on the band’s style really well.” you?”) re-emphasizes the protagonists’ “I started writing the album during the fundamental misapprehension of love. early months of the pandemic while I It is not mere acquiescence to the was learning how to make recordings demands of an all-powerful God or on my own in a DAW. It was written to the advances of a supposedly well- in the quiet moments of isolation that meaning admirer; it requires effort, were so characteristic of that time.” patience, and reciprocation. For love to be received, it must first be given. The whole album just has a really Until the three narrators figure that chill vibe to it, which makes for a out, they will never find what they so relaxing listen. “All You’ve Held Since” desperately desire. maggie cheal-tarr is another standout song for me. The lyrical flows combined with the keyboard playing, which sounds great, especially when the drums come in the latter half. The following track, “Understand Nothing,” features awesome background vocals almost akin to a hymn. The whole is very cohesive; each track flows together extremely well, to the point where it’s sometimes hard to tell when one song ends and another begins. The closing track, “It’s Like Looking Down,” is a sombre conclusion, with a slow, drawn-out piano that perfectly captures the mood. Overall, Decay was a joy to listen to, front to back, and I look forward to more releases from the group in the future. Jakob Sheppard

www.ckuw.ca/stylus

October / November 2023 Stylus Magazine

SOS FEST AT THE PARK THEATRE SEPT 8 & 9 PHOTO: ROB KNAGGS

SOS FEST

AND HOT GOTH

SUMMER FEST II ~PHOTO FEATURE~ SOS FEST AT THE PARK THEATRE SEPT 8 & 9 PHOTO: ROB KNAGGS

16 Stylus Magazine October / November 2023

SOS FEST AT THE PARK THEATRE SEPT 8 & 9 PHOTO: ROB KNAGGS

HOT GOTH FEST II AT BLUE NOTE PARK AUG 11 PHOTO: KEELEY BRAUNSTEIN-BLACK

www.ckuw.ca/stylus

SOS FEST AT THE PARK THEATRE SEPT 8 & 9 PHOTO: ROB KNAGGS

HOT GOTH FEST II AT BLUE NOTE PARK AUG 11 PHOTO: KEELEY BRAUNSTEIN-BLACK

October / November 2023 Stylus Magazine

CONCERT SERIES OCTOBER 27, 2023

THE PARK THEATRE

Octob 28, 2023

BURTON CUMMINGS THEATRE

NOVEMBER 24, 2023

BURTON CUMMINGS THEATRE

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

CENTRE CULTUREL FRANCO-MANITOBAIN

MARTIN SEXTON TICKETS AND INFO AT WINNIPEGFOLKFESTIVAL.CA

18 Stylus Magazine October / November 2023