December / January 2019/20

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December / January 2019/20 Stylus Magazine

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DEC/JAN 30 NO. 6 2019VOL

Production Team

On the Cover

Assistant Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . Jen Doerksen

assistanteditor@stylusmagazine.ca

ALYSSA BORNN is an interdisciplinary artist, filmmaker, and organizer from Winnipeg, MB. Her practice regularly utilizes traditional photographic methods alongside alternative and outdated digital modes of image capture. In particular her work is centred around ideas relating to transference, interchangeability, medium non-specificity, language, failure, and the poetics of technical processes.

Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kelly Campbell

design@stylusmagazine.ca

You can find her on the internet at http://www.alyssabornn.com

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gil Carroll

editor@stylusmagazine.ca

Cover Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alyssa Bornn Advertising Contact . . . . . . . . . Rob Schmidt

manager@ckuw.ca Print by JRS Print Services . . . 204-232-3558

Contributors Ryan Haughey Jesse Popeski Nigel Webber Ryan Sorenson Daniel Kussy Victoria King Lily O’Donnell Michael Falk Keeley Braunstein-Black Sam Doucet Loc Trinh Kent Davies Olivia Michalczhuk Isabella Soares Mark Teague Grace Hrabi Andrew Mazaruk Lovisa Drever Joey De Castro Michael Elves Rachel Winslow Megumi Kimata Olivier LaRoche 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

Table of Contents Blah, Blah, Blah Events Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Space Jam: Jason Tait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CKUW Program Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CKUWho: Temple of Jazz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Winnipeg State of Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Local Spotlight: French Class, Smoky Tiger, Casati, and more . . . . . . . . . . .

CKUW Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

02 10 11 12 13 14 16

Features Stylus Decade in Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03-07 Brent Penny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 07 Woolworm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08 Virgo Rising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 09

www.stylusmagazine.ca Contributions will be accepted in the body of an email. No attachments please. All submissions may be edited and become the property of Stylus. Unauthorized reproduction of any portion of Stylus is strongly discouraged without the express written consent of the editors.

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December / January 2019/20 Stylus Magazine

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BLAHBLAHBLAH Congrats on surviving the 2010’s*** Get into December with Stylus’s 30th birthday celebration with karaoke and hits from the 2010s on December 1 at the Good Will Social Club***See the world premiere of Manitoba Skylines, a collaboration between Scott Nolan and Glenn Buhr at the West End Cultural Centre on December 6, or catch Rayannah and A La Mode at The Good Will Social Club for Real Love Thursdays***Party at the Tallest Poppy on December 6 with DJs Supershonek and Chairman Au

for First Friday Afterparty***Catch one of the last shows at The Cavern until their new location is open for a cover night with Nirvana, Rage!

Against the Machine and Weezer cover bands on December7***See Kacy and Clayton when they’re in town at Times Changed on December 10***On December 13 meet your new dad Hockey Dad at The Garrick Centre with Silence Kit, or have PIE: The music of Cake at the Handsome Daughter***December 14 Gabi Ocejo, Sophie Stevens and

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Little Myth will give you feelings at the Triple Tiger***Guilty Pleasures is back December 26 and 27 for your live band dance needs at The Good Will Social Club or head over to the Zoo Lights Festival at the Zoo where Real Love Winnipeg is curating a party featuring local band Spooky Eyes, Veneer, and Housepanther*** Experience NNAMDÏ live with support from French Class and Kandekt at a secret spot in Winnipeg on December 28***New Years Eve at the Good Will is Roman Clarke and at the

Handsome Daughter is Johnny and the Ball Droppers***Thursday January 23 at the Good Will is The Emu & Domo11, Hannah Epperson, and Urban Vacation or head over to the West End Cultural Centre for Coleman Hell***The following day on January 24 at the Good Will go check out Toronto’s Prince Innocence and celebrate with Chip’s Vintage***See you in 2020***

CKUW’S TOP 10 MUSIC SHOWS OF THE LAST DECADE CKUW PROGRAM DIRECTOR SAM DOUCET How do I preface a list like this without resorting to clichés about the hard work of our programmers, the variety of genres and eras represented on our airwaves, and the giant burlap sack of nostalgia potatoes that flattened me while I was looking through the CKUW program schedules of old? Maybe I can’t.

Furthermore, how do I avoid the fact that I oversee the station’s broadcast schedule, and could have a mutiny on my hands if I cherry-pick the wrong shows for this column? Maybe I just have to risk it.

Beyond that, how do I address the fact that I’ve only lived in Winnipeg for seven years, thus creating a blind spot for the first three years of the target decade? Uh… Now that we’ve established that I am singularly illequipped to present the following list, here are my top 10 music shows on CKUW this decade, arranged in ascending Scrabble scoring values.

Voyage (13 points) – Keith is one of our longest-serving programmers, and in the thousands of hours he has logged in front of the microphone, he hasn’t lost a hint of freshness. Every week, he brings a wealth of knowledge and an incredible breadth of jazz styles to the air. For the uninitiated, jazz can be a tough sell. Good thing Keith is a hell of a salesman.

Stylus Radio (15 points) – Shock and dismay rang out around Winnipeg when the incomparable DJ Mama Cutsworth brought her legendary afternoon soul show to an end a few years ago. I’m far from the only one to pine for the days of listening to her seamless mixes of Motown, funk, hip-hop. You can still groove to her stuff at dance parties around town, though.

Blast or Bust (15 points) – Yeah, this was my

show, so what? This is not so much me tooting my own horn, rather than looking back fondly on my earliest days at the station in 2013. They so kindly gave me an hour every Wednesday to play the harshest, fastest grindcore I could find. Forever grateful.

Destination Moon (18 points) – Rock. And. Roll. Repeat. I’ll never tire of bopping along to the most fearsome vinyl-flinging DJ duo of JP and K featuring the best milkshake-sippin’, sock-hoppin’, hair-slickin’ classic rockabilly. I swear these two could unearth two dozen songs about lasagna or jean jackets from 1962 if they wanted to.

Electric Sunrise (19 points) – Perfectly exemplifying our programmers’ passion for exposing listeners to their peculiar musical passions, Lilja’s presence on our schedule was tragically brief but singularly powerful. Featuring slushwave, vaporwave, and a variety of Japanese electronic treasures, hers is a voice we will always miss. RIP. Check Ca (20 points) – A natural rapport between co-hosts is crucial, just ask DJ Special K and SoulSYS. These sisters have been lining up all manners of funk, jazz, and everything in between for well over 20 years on CKUW. Every show is draped in a palpable easygoing and fun-loving atmosphere.

In The Pocket (22 points) – Is making a radio show as easy as showing up with a random playlist and pressing play? Not if you’re Kevin. This guy was the hardest-working music historian on the air until his adorable daughter snatched him away from us. Every week, he dove into a band’s catalogue, or a genre-wide exploration. Always painstakingly researched and lovingly presented.

Smorgasoundboard (23 points) – Short-lived but charming as anything, this show featured a

different sound every week. That’s right, a sound.

Daniel sometimes talked about an instrument and its implementations, or perhaps a musician. But listeners will fondly remember his episodes on tennis grunting, finger-snapping, or eefing (look it up).

‘Peg City Groove (25 points) – “It’s slightly after 5pm here on CKUW” crooned Darryl, and Kent wasn’t far behind outlining all the fun stuff to come that day on the show. Winnipeg will always look back smiling on these two fellas’ Blues Brothers-esque mission from God to hype the coming weekend’s happenings. Talk to a local music maker, and chances are they’ll have gotten the chance to hype their album release on ‘Peg City Groove.

Trouble With The Sandman (35 points) – It’s no easy feat hosting a show as CKUW’s Music Director – Mr. Mumbles needed to prove his musicnerd chops every time he took our night owl listeners on a six-hour midnight ride. Sometimes obscure, often weird, always entertaining. Long live the Hour of Suck (wherein he put on a record and vacuumed the studio with the microphone on).

Think you got what it takes to crack next decade’s top ten? Drop me a line at programming@ckuw.ca and we’ll see about that.

TEN ALBUMS FROM TEN YEARS AGO YOU NEED TO GO BACK AND RE-LISTEN TO MICHAEL ELVES Boats – Cannonballs, Cannonballs – I’m not just picking this one because I got an entry on Discogs because if it, but that doesn’t hurt. Be sure to keep an eye out for new material from Hut Hut (aka Boats 2.0) Royal Canoe – Co-Op Mode – Amazing to look back on the career of Royal Canoe and consider it started with this release.

Mise En Scene – Late Night Triple Feature – Here’s another band that have had quite the decade.

Stefanie Blondal Johnson and Jodi Dunlop have consistently shown growth as songwriters and rockers.

Nestor Wynrush – So High from The LO – Remember the LO Pub? Think of all the venues that

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have come and gone over the past decade.

Imaginary Cities – Temporary Resident – What a debut for Rusty Matyas and Marti Sarbit.

They opened for the Pixies around the release of this record.

High Watt Electrocutions – The Bermuda Triangle – In my opinion one of the most criminally underrated artists to have put out records in this city over the past decade. Always a headtrip listen.

Oh My Darling – In The Lonesome Hours – RIP OMD – all the talented artists have gone on to other projects and pursuits, but they were a super group.

Jackpine – Cabbage – Speaking of super groups, this one featured D. Ranger Jaxon Haldane, Sean

Buchanan, Jesse Reimer and recently elected MLA Adrian Sala.

From Giants – Wake Up Oh Sleeper – Technically from Marchand, MB, the band had a beautiful orchestral-folk sound and gorgeous harmonies.

Del Barber – Love Songs For The Last 20 – With the release of Easy Keeper, Del’s entering his second decade as a recording artist and in the liner notes he reflects on where he’s come over that time.

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A DECADE OF LOCAL WEIRDNESS: TOP TEN MOST BELOVED AMATEUR HOUR ALBUMS KENT DAVIES

The Famous Sandhogs - Paris Green (2018) – An absolute triumph. The mysterious and anonymous artist known as only the Famous Sandhogs has made impressive concept albums before, however a choose your own adventure role play game/album where famous Manitoban entomologist Norman Criddle takes on a Demon Locust is unlike anything ever released locally.

If you can find someone who has the game/album, bug them to play it. It’s super fun and a heck of a good album to boot.

Johnny Sizzle – Home Sweet Home (2012) – We are blessed to have Johnny Sizzle in this city and on the airwaves on CKUW. This is my favourite selection of his distinctive brand of abrasive and hilarious acoustic punk featuring songs like “Shania Twain Left Mutt Lange (For Me),” and “Dale Hawerchuk Drunk in a Strip Bar.”

Monday to Friday Idiots – Who done what now? (2019) – CUIF Media was an underground collective of talented weirdos that released lo-fi albums in the early 2000s. Finally some of those songs are being re-released with this newly formed band of original members and mariachi ghost. The results are rockin’ and hilarious.

JD and the Sunshine Band – S/T (2014) –The country band from sunshine house is a creative collaboration between musicians and street-involved people making some of the best songs about Winnipeg ever written.

The Psychics – Free Jazz Friends & the Macaroni Band (2013) – The Psychics let their inner Sun-Ra off the leash in this recorded performance at Negative space. I was at this show and all I can remember is people looking at each other in absolute disbelief. Glad they released it.

Sack of Shit – With Apologies to The Sound (2019) – This reckless grungy improvised album of reject songs from members of The Inflatable Band is a testament to enjoying the creative process.

Unbelievable Bargains – Fun Times Why Not (2013) – One of my favourite songwriting teams of all time featuring Marshall Birch, Steve Basham and JP Perron. Gleeful garage rock songs about food, animals, and poop.

Each of the respective members has amazing solo stuff but the Bargains is the most fun ever put on a local stage.

Smoky Tiger and Manitobandits – Great Western Gold (2017) – The Manitobandits are the combination of the mighty genre-busting artists that make up Ultra Mega, Blond(e) Goth and Smoky Tiger singing psych-partyrock history lessons about Louis Riel, The Jets, Tommy Prince, and more.

The No Label Collective – Songs in the Key of Hope (2012) – Emily and the artists of No Label produce a loving fundraising tribute to Degrassi star Neil Hope which is now included in the official Degrassi archive. The tracks are amazing. The cause is heartwarming. Get a copy.

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Kelly J Devoe - Where the Hotties at 2.0? (2017) – What’s better than Where’s the Hotties at? Where the Hotties at 2.0?! In which the legend known as Kelly J Devoe remixes and updates his songs with pages and pages of bewildering liner notes.

TOP 10 LOCAL SHOWS & PERFORMANCES FROM THE LAST NINE YEARS VICTORIA KING Explanation: I wasn’t going to shows until the end of 2010/beginning of 2011, so this list can only stretch back the last nine years.

CKUW 2011 Fundrive Launch & Imaginary Cities Temporary Resident CD Release w/ Cannon Bros. and Departures February 11, 2011 The Lo Pub This was my first experience of both CKUW’s annual Fundrive and ‘working door,’ both of which would go on to become constants in my life for the next eight years. We crammed so many people into the Lo Pub that night!

Cantor Dust Safaris I’ve Been On Album Release April 11, 2011 The Lo Pub The Lo Pub was decorated in a jungle-theme for this show, and there was a dramatic cover of “Eye of the Tiger.”

This Hisses (Opening for Miesha & The Spanks) May 27, 2011 The Death Trap The glitter and thrash of This Hisses alongside the spunk and nerve of Miesha & The Spanks, all framed within the grotesque terror of the Death

Trap made for a truly formative experience.

Royal Canoe October 31 2011 The Lo Pub I, as many Winnipeg music fans, have been to a great number of Royal Canoe shows. This one stands out for me because it was Halloween, so there were costumes.

Conduct Fear and Desire Album Release w/ Pleasure Dens and Basic Nature The Good Will Social Club December 19, 2014 Frontman Nick Liang lit his pants on fire at this show, and not by accident. Aside from that, Fear and Desire remains an enduring and terrific record.

Mise en Scene as Fleetwood Mac for Bands as Bands #6 (Also Bunny as Elton John, and Jill Lynott as Chrissie Hynde) May 27, 2016 The Good Will Social Club Where would music in Winnipeg be without Bands as Bands? This was an especially good iteration.

Stefanie Blondal Johnson as Stevie Nicks was lifegiving.

Omegas / SHIT / Genex / Skunk August 13, 2016 The Good Will Social Club Tremendous and loud, this was great.

Civvie Inheritance CD Release w/ Slattern March 16, 2017 Forth Beautiful and utterly haunting, Civvie is a gem in the Canadian music scene.

Basic Nature (Opening for Low) June 24, 2017 Knox United Church Slowcore at its finest.

Roman Clarke Scorcher Album Release October 25, 2019 The West End Cultural Centre This recent sold out show was hugely entertaining and fun. Music sounds like Hall & Oates meets Stevie Wonder, with just a dash of Supertramp.

TOP 10 SHOWS I’VE ATTENDED IN THE PAST 10 YEARS MICHAEL FALK SOUNDS DIRECTOR OF THE BRAND NEW CURRENT MUSIC FESTIVAL St. Vincent @ TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival, 2014 This might be the best show to ever happen in Winnipeg. She was a powerhouse.

Bon Iver @ Eaux Claires, 2016 Bon Iver surprise-released his “22, A Million” album with a massive set at Eaux Claires. Pretty cool seeing how they pulled all that stuff off live … such a massive band.

Other 2016 Eaux Claires bonuses: Vince Staples, James Blake, Beach House, The National’s Grateful Dead tribute, Erykah Badu … hands down the best festival I’ve ever been to. Glad they’re bringing it back in 2020.

Kanye West @ Bell MTS Place, 2016 It’s really too bad that he’s gone off the deep end, because up until Yeezus he was an unstoppable force and at the front edge of what I found exciting in music. Instead, today he just announced he’s playing a televangelist’s church in Texas. Its so weird, like he’s in his Andy-Kaufman-wrestling phase.

Noname @ Brooklyn Steel (NYC), 2018 I was already trying to book her when I got to see her in Brooklyn, where she sold out two nights of a

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massive warehouse venue. So much love, laughter, great vibes. Hope I can get her back to town someday to make up for the show we had to cancel.

Common @ TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival, 2019 Hands down the best show I’ve ever booked.

There aren’t any pictures to prove it, sadly, but I got a custom Winnipeg Thunder jersey done up for him.

A quiet gentleman backstage, and unlimited energy on it. That was fun.

Donny McCaslin @ Le Poisson Rouge (NYC), 2017 Donny is the nicest human, and an unreal musician, and has the best damn band, and I’ll take any chance I can get to give him some props. Everyone should be listening to his albums nonstop. He’s a gamechanger. This was the first time I saw him, back in 2017, and still unsure I’ve seen anything like it.

Fiona Apple @ Stubb’s (Austin), 2012 She only plays a couple shows a year, and our orbits happened to meet up one spring in Texas. She made such a big space feel so intimate. INTENSE. Killer band that extended the songs a lot further than I expected.

KMFDM @ M’era Luna Festival (Germany) Every now and then you need to play the same festival as some goth legends, and then have them just pound through a massive set of hits, surrounded by 10,000 crazed eastern europeans in leather and lace.

Mark Kozelec @ WECC , 2011 I booked Mark’s first show in Winnipeg after a couple years of trying to get him up here. This one was a thing of beauty. Plaintive. Intimate. Subtle.

He’s a much better guitarist than he gets credit for.

This show was part of a trio of bangers I left the WECC with back in fall 2011: Mark, TuneYards and Austra.

The National @ Red Rocks (Denver), 2018 I’ve been a big fan for a long time. Once waited an extra 6 months for them to finish making a record so I could keep working with their engineer.

Red Rocks is a pretty magical place and this was my first time there. The weather was shit and so it was tough to get into the show as much as I may’ve liked, shivering and wet, but still totally worth it.

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TOP 10 QUÉBÉCOIS ALBUMS OF THE DECADE OLIVIER LAROCHE 1- Philippe Brach - Portraits de famine (2015) The genuine beauty of this album alone secures its place at the top, but there is so much more to this album that makes it exceptional. With only his second studio album, Philippe Brach displays the songwriting and composing abilities of someone with decades of experience, despite his young age of 26 at the time. He offers a stunning array of rich instrumentation, from the soaring strings of Crystel to the gritty bass-line of “D’amour, de booze, de pot pis de topes.” Brach’s honest voice is the perfect vehicle for the vulnerable, raw content of his lyrics.

The result from this breathtaking combination of impactful songwriting and enticing musicianship is a warm, enveloping feeling that struck me on the first listen and remains impactful on the 36th.

2 - Les Louanges - La nuit est une panthère (2018) Vincent Roberge, better known as Les Louanges, knows how to write a début album. His 2018 release was nominated 9 times and won three major prizes at this year’s Gala de l’ADISQ, and for good reason. La nuit est une panthère is a melodious blend of jazz, r&b and pop, all while sounding psychedelic in all the right ways. There are funky, reflective and sensual songs, but they all share one distinct characteristic: they are ridiculously infectious. The melodies creep into your ear and stay there for days, but it’s not much of a problem because the songs are so enjoyable. This tight collection of smooth tracks is as sublime taken in all at once or one song at a time.

3 - Mes Aïeux - À l’aube du printemps (2012) With their sixth album, Mes Aïeux deliver a savoury blend of alt-pop and contemporary folk.

They seem to push the boundaries of both genres, creating a never-before-heard blend of traditional and modern sounds. The sweet vocal harmonies and often mystifying lyrics offer an immensely refreshing quality to this record. Each song manages to transport me somewhere far away, whether I am soaring in the sky during “Les oies sauvages” or traveling through a dark forest during “Viens-t’en.” This album is a must for people who enjoy being carried away in a dream by the music they listen to.

4 - Klô Pelgag - L’alchimie des monstres (2013) L’alchimie des monstres is the perfect marriage between voice and instrument(s). Chloé’s swift fal-

setto is backed by dense, orchestral instrumentation ranging from woodwinds to guitar on some songs.

On others, her voice and a simple piano dance along in harmony, birthing a sweet yet simple sound. As dark lyrics sometimes contrast the joyful instrumentation, this album is uniquely bitter-sweet.

These songs make you feel. What that feeling is will depend on the song, but there is no doubt that this album will touch you.

5 - Chocolat - Rencontrer Looloo (2016) With the help of traditional rock elements like heavy distortion and fast paced drumming, Chocolat created the perfect album to rock out to. That’s not to say it’s just your typical rock album, however.

Flavourful saxophone scattered through the track list and some slower, spaced out cuts add much depth to the record, and the band still managed to nail that grimy, garage rock sound with the heavier songs. Rencontrer Looloo will take you from head banging to daydreaming and back to head banging in the matter of minutes, and that makes it one of the most satisfying rock albums in recent years.

6 - Hubert Lenoir - Darlène (2018) Singer-songwriter Hubert Lenoir delivers an electrifying array of songs in the form of his début album, Darlène. This album is impossible to pin down. Is it Pop? Rock? R&B? All of them? Nobody can tell. What is clear is that this album is a shameless display of swaggering, unstoppable decadence.

Right from the three-part opening song “Fille de personne,” one might think this album is from the 1970’s. The obvious inspiration from that era coupled with the cutting edge production and writing from Lenoir make for an unforgettable experience.

This album will blow you away.

7 - Karkwa - Les chemins de verre (2010) In true alternative rock style, Les chemins de verre provides all the ups and downs one could ask for from an album of such genre. The tender piano intro and dreamy guitars of “Moi-léger” provide the perfect soft balladry while the captivating drums and guitars of the title track contrast the smoother moments on the record superbly. Its melancholic personality and subtle sadness make this album the ideal soundtrack for a rainy night in the heart of the city, while remembering the better times. The ability held by this album to paint a picture in one’s mind

is impressive, as it adds a whole new dimension to the sound.

8 - Émile Bilodeau - Rites de passage (2016) Bilodeau and his guitar spend most of this record telling stories of love and growing up, showcasing his competent songwriting ability. His songs are of such a sweetly relatable quality that you might get the impression you’ve been friends with Émile for years after hearing just a few songs. The strippedback instrumental approach this record takes makes for an engaging and highly enjoyable listen as it forces one to focus on the lyrical content. While his voice might not be the most gifted, his clever and sometimes comical lyrics more than make up for it.

Rites de passage is easily one of the albums I’ve had the most fun listening to in recent years, all while having a great replay value.

9 - Loud - Une année record (2017) With a solid mix of hard-hitting rap bangers and more laidback, atmospheric songs Loud delivers a much-needed breath of fresh air to Québécois rap.

Sometimes crossing over into English and back into French during a verse or chorus and with the incorporation of current hip-hop sounds, Loud also made his music more accessible to the masses. This is all managed while using multiple different flows on non-generic instrumentals, allowing him to stand out in a crowd of rappers in today’s saturated music market. On Une année record, Loud realizes a danceable, engaging rap record all while staying original, a feat becoming more rare than ever.

10 - Marie-Pierre Arthur - Aux alentours (2012) This is a true feel-good album, complete with uplifting melodies and lyrics. A delightful combination of pop and indie-rock, Aux alentours showcases Marie-Pierre’s vocal and songwriting talent, complete with compelling instrumentation behind her. The many joyful pianos, guitars and claps compliment the mood of the album wonderfully. Upon hearing the song “Emmène-moi,” you might feel obliged to dance around the room with a smile, a true testament to the cheerfulness of this record.

BANDS WE’VE WORKED WITH THIS DECADE: TRANSISTOR 66 Miesha and the Spanks Ultra Mega The Rowdymen The Deadly Hearts Mama SubCity Kids On Fire Phlegm Fatale High Thunderers This Hisses The Lonely Vulcans Bloodshot Bill Those Guys From Last Night Les Sexy Battle Snakes Black Thunder Scott Nolan Scott Nolan and Joanna Miller The Vibrolas JD and the Sunshine Band Hot Blood Bombers M&M Meats The Blowholes The Ativans This Hisses The Unbelievable Bargains The Thrashers The Zorgs Crooked Brothers Surprise Party 06 Stylus Magazine December / January 2019/20 Cripple Creek Fairies Sawchuk

Eve Hell The Catamounts No More Moments Unban Jace The Detractions The Noble Savages Iron Tusk Ultra Mega Holy Void Smoky Tiger The Shiverettes Surprise Party Eddy Blake The Hook Up Black Cloud Potatoes

Marshall and Some Buddies Herb & The Humans Frankie & Jimmy Satanic Rights Henchman GYM Tonic BA Johnston Paige Drobot HAAZE housepanther and Wrecker Man Candy Holy Void Absent Sound Dany Laj and the Looks The Quivers Johnny Sizzle

TOP 10 ART SUBMISSIONS TO STYLUS MAGAZINE THIS DECADE ANDREW MAZARUK (FORMER STYLUS ART DIRECTOR) 1.

Wild Planet Ads I can’t be alone in the fact that once I get a new issue in my hands I’ll rip it open to see what the hell Wild Planet thought up this time. Always changing and rarely repeating, Stylus’ inner cover page was always littered with boundary pushing statements aided by amazing illustrations and photos. These are the features that pretty much epitomized what I tried to showcase in terms of Art & Stylus during my reign.

2.

Greg Gallinger’s KENmode Photo from

BIG FUN Festival 2015 3.

Sarah Tonin’s Cover/Fundrive illustration from Feb/Mar 2014 4.

Ben Clarkson’s Cover Art from June/July 2012 5.

Adam Jelly Jaywood Photo from June/ July 2019 6.

Kevin Mozdzen’s Purity Ring illustration from Aug/Sept 2012 7.

Ainsley Sturko Cover Art from June/

July 2010 8. Chukwu-Dubem Mordecai Ukaigwe’s Cover Art from Apr/May 2017 9. Janel Chau’s Ought illustration from Oct/Nov 2014 10. Kustom Kulture Ads Check out issuu.com/stylusmagazine to see this art.

Brent Penny

BRINGS HIS ORIGINAL TAKE ON EXPERIMENTAL POP TO WINNIPEG

LILY O’DONNELL On October 11, 2019, Winnipeg received a massive, surprise snow storm. The skies were overtaken with white flurries. The ground was increasingly disappearing underneath a fluffy blanket of snow.

To celebrate, as well as mourn, this new fresh snowfall, people across the city made the pilgrimage to the Good Will to see Minneapolis-based Brent Penny (Pennington), to play his own version of lofi, sad boy pop.

As the beats began, Brent took the mic and graciously stood next to the speakers lining the front of the stage. He put a foot on the speaker, perching himself to be open to his audience and sang to our cold, red cheeked faces. It was ballad like in nature with dreamy synth beats. He spoke to the audience, it was very reminiscent of an RNB performance, with a slower and more personable connection with the audience.

He sang sad but uplifting songs. They had modern and satirical lyrics, made to hit the top of the pops in another dimension. The MTV top forty hit of the broken hearted alien. He sang slow and heavy songs that were beautifully dead pan. He also sang wonderful, simply poetic lyrics. “Now for songs

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PHOTO: RACHEL WINSLOW about queer break up,” he announced and the crowd swayed to lyrics about being a sad boy and the unbelievably poignant yet relatable experience of being a turbulent airplane. He switched from styles and genres so quickly yet his performance remained coherent and connected. He used humor in his lyrics as well moving from experimental, ambient sounds to more almost folk-like songs to reveal short spurts of personal narratives and give us an idea of a life filled with love, learning and celebration.

Afterwards, we chatted with the dream pop solo artist about some of his background, creating beats, and his main musical influences. Brent Penny discussed his humble beginnings as a musician through being a kid singing in the Mormon Church.

He cited the religious hymns as being a massive influence on him for his current music. They shaped his current ballad singing style. From working with Mormon music, he transitioned into being very into folk music, playing in the Awful Truth. From this early band, he began playing around with the parameters of music From this experience, he realized he wanted to create music under his own name, Brent Penny. He discusses the transition, “I realized

that it was important for me to go by my own name to have me be the face of it… I was afraid to take ownership of my art for a long time and this project has been very liberating and helped me grow and develop.”

Brent discussed his major musical influences, including John Maus, Deerhunter, Stereolab and Robin. He also cited many of his friends as being great inspirations for him, including the Winnipeg based Living Hour. He said in the future he will plan to have other artists join his project, while right now he basks in the glory and pride of his project.

The Brent Penny show was a really clever look at genre mixing within experimental music as well as a unique performance style that adds character and depth to the content and power of the music.

December / January 2019/20 Stylus Magazine

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woolworm

RYAN HAUGHEY

Woolworm again releases their inner beast with Awe, a record of which listeners can only grow more fond. The tall shadow of the band’s previous album, Deserve to Die, was a beast in itself in terms of tightness, bigness, and musicality – but somehow Woolworm spits out another collection of badass punk rock tracks with all the pop melodies and floating harmonies that we’ve come to expect from the band.

The lead single from the album is “Hold the Bow.” The song launches forward with a quick, laser-precise drum fill followed by the sonic wall of axe-like guitar tone, weighted with the momentum of every chop. The gritty, distorted bass on the track is balanced with poetic, yet glaringly honest lyrics delivered with passion by singer Giles Roy. When asked how the process of creating the new record differed from Deserve To Die, Roy says the band took a different approach this time around.

“Deserve to Die was meant to be very tight – most of the lyrics were through the lens of death, every song was in the same key, and it sounds fairly polished to me. Awe was envisioned as a more loose project with a wider scope. We tried some new musical styles, even played more instruments, and

08 Stylus Magazine December / January 2019/20

PHOTO: LOVISA DREVER

slowly chipped away at it all year long,” Roy says.

Woolworm takes their time with their music, perfecting it through practice and performance.

“Our writing process definitely relies on letting the songs evolve live. A song might show up at a rehearsal fully formed, but then it’ll change over the course of months or years before it’s recorded, just from each member putting their mark on it,” Roy says.

“That said, every Woolworm album has at least one song on it that we won’t have ever played live until it’s formally released.” Roy says that Awe has four tracks that were never performed before it was released on November 8.

If you’ve ever seen Woolworm live, you’d know how true to the recording the band’s performances are, the huge sound is somehow recreated with nearperfect accuracy- they even bring the intensity up a notch.

“If we succeed at all at recreating our recordings, I’m happy,” Roy says. “But playing live is a different thing entirely – everything’s so menacing and loud that it sometimes feels like we’re trying to tame a galloping elephant.”

“A lot of time and care obviously goes into the recordings, but live, for the most part, we’re aiming for… intimidation. For lack of a better word.” This might just come through on songs like “Dogman,” where Roy builds up the end of the track by bellowing powerful lyrics with awesome force.

Awe is definitely worth relistening to. Roy credits producer Jay Arner for the diversity in the mix of each recording. “It sounds different to me on every format. On one pair of headphones I might hear the acoustic guitar buried in “Let Me Wear The Mask” but on speakers it seems more like a vocally driven song,” Roy says.

He also notes the difference in the guitar sound from “Much Too Much” on digital, tape, and vinyl. “I hope that people will come back to the songs and try to find the little flourishes that are essentially hidden in there.”

Once again, Vancouver’s Woolworm mixes their pop sensibilities with their punk-like style to create an incomparable signature sound. Awe is a wonder to hear, each song stands tall on its own but is even stronger within the context of the record as a whole.

Virgo Rising ISABELLA SOARES You know those soft indie pop tracks that make you feel relaxed but at the same time extremely reflective about life and your surroundings? Well, Virgo Rising, a local trio formed in late 2018, will definitely bring you to this state of mind with their lo-fi indie folk sound. Stylus Magazine was able to sit down with Emily Sinclair (lead vocalist and guitar player) and sisters Jenna (guitar, violin and trumpet) and Lauren (percussion, key and harmonies) Wittmann to talk about the early stages of the band, their connection during the song writing and production process, and their next goals as a group.

While Jenna and Lauren grew up in a musical influenced background, and naturally picked up their instruments at a very young age, Emily looked up to bands such as Paramore, to find her own voice.

“I have always had support at home even though I didn’t have any musical influence so I had to draw it from myself,” she said.

Despite knowing each other five years before Virgo Rising came to be, it was only in 2018 that Jenna and Lauren reconnected with Emily through Instagram, while they were on a search for a lead vocalist.

When asked about the origin of the band’s name, Jenna quickly replied by saying, “I have a Virgo rising in my astrology birth chart, Lauren is a Virgo,

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PHOTO: JOEY DE CASTRO and Emily is a Virgo… I also believe that your rising sign is supposed to show how you present yourself and how other people see you.”

As a relatively new trio, their similar musical tastes and connection with other musicians, helped them to continuously develop their own sound. “At first we sounded a little cuter, and then we decided to make some heavier songs. Our first show had two ukuleles in it, and it was very soft,” said percussionist and keyboard player Lauren.

Even though they have only released one song online entitled “Winter Song”, their future goal is to put all their tracks out there. “Winter Song, was made in my phone through Garageband and it worked surprisingly well. When we tried the same method in another song it didn’t work out, but we had a couple people approach us and we will start to record.” [Emily Sinclair] Lauren added, “We are also working on a cassette tape, Isaac who drummed for us in our last concert, is going to record that for us. We will also do a split cassette with another local band, so that’s going to be fun… we have a couple songs and we are trying to get them together now.”

On live performances, the band brings out a very eclectic setup. Other than the traditional keys and guitar, they have a melodica, an egg shaker, violin, and an organ from time to time.

As for the song writing process, all the girls said in unison that it is very collaborative. “Sometimes we get an idea and Emily will send a snippet of the song, and then we work on it together. Lyrics too, we try to find a central theme and then we will go off of that,” said Jenna.

When listening to Virgo Rising you can’t help but notice the use of imagery and themes such as night time, seasons, and existentialism. Their poetic sound and heart-felt melodies, reflect their growth as a group and their urge to make their shows unique and especial for each of their audiences.

“We are so new and we are always evolving, which I think is super important. Since “Winter Song” is such an improv song, if we do it in a different way every time, people will experience something different in every show that they see with us” [Emily Sinclair] New, organic and constantly evolving, Virgo Rising is a promising band that will surely continue to surprise listeners both on and off stage. While the wait for other recorded tracks remains, “Winter Song” is available on SoundCloud and on their Instagram page @virgorisingmusic.

December / January 2019/20 Stylus Magazine

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Space Jam: Jason Tait WORDS & PHOTO: GRACE HRABI Taking a break from working on music and being a hockey dad, Jason Tait (of Bahamas and formerly of The Weakerthans) took some time out of his busy weekend schedule to show me around his garage jam space.

After moving back to Winnipeg from Toronto 7 years ago and becoming a father, Tait said it made sense to have his creative space be close to home.

“We always had unfinished basements in Toronto which we managed to get a lot of stuff done in, but

it was like Rocky V, where that one guy is training in a dungeon; it was really gross. It’s nice to be above ground.” Although he has fond memories of larger jam spaces, the convenience of having a smaller space in your own backyard can’t be beat, “especially when Julie [his wife] and I were playing with Slow Leaves…we’d put the kids to bed and bring the baby monitor in and have rehearsals in here.”

Back in 2016, Jason Tait and Christine Fellows produced John K. Samson’s album Winter Wheat.

“All the drums, a lot of the guitars and the bass” were recorded in Tait’s garage.

The space is surprisingly quiet once you get inside and close the door. “It was just a regular garage. There was a massive puddle in the centre of it and it was all sort of sketchy and I didn’t know how to do any of the stuff, but there’s YouTube now. I did most of it myself, but I hired

an electrician that worked along with me to make sure everything I was doing was up to code and he did the final tie in. You need a certain solid expertise to do that part.” To soundproof the garage, he worked with long-time Weakerthans sound tech Cam Loeppky, who “helped with the drywall, which is basically Safe and Sound Insulation, then two layers of 5/8ths drywall with this green glue stuff in-between…that’s the heaviest sheet of drywall you can buy. If a truck comes by it will wreck a take if I’m recording something sensitive; if you’re standing outside the garage you can just hear the murmur of the drums, but that’s about it.”

Full of every instrument one might need when chasing a creative idea, here are some highlights: THE BELLS: While searching kijiji for a piano for his son, Tait came across an ad for a “Baldwin piano and bells.” These bells originally hung inside a church and are connected to a small keyboard that triggers a hammer at the top of each bell. (side note: he plugged these in and they are LOUD and clearly intended for a huge church, not a tiny garage).

ELECTRIC VIBRAPHONE: “I was just setting this up to do some odd sounds and then the loop station came out. Next thing you know there’s an improvised piece of music done within half an hour. I’d never done this set up before, I just thought maybe I should try something different with the vibraphone. I got this in Madison, Wisconsin. Every bar has a contact mic on it so you can run it through electric pedals and through an amp.

There’s a whammy pedal, an octave pedal so you can pitch it way down so it sounds like a bass instrument. I’ve been making drum beats on it and then I started playing chords on top.” The sound of the vibraphone with effects is otherworldly and beautiful, perfect for soundtrack music.

DRUM KIT: “I hadn’t played drums in two months until last week. I’m working on a score for a short film with John K. Samson and Christine Fellows, so they said you should play drums on this song. I was like ‘nah, nah, it’s fine without drums’ but they were like ‘just play drums.’”

Current projects include the soundtrack for an NFB film about sledge hockey called Tournament, and the soundtrack for an audio app created with the Winnipeg Architecture Foundation that works with the Winnipeg transit bus 10 route.

10 Stylus Magazine December / January 2019/20

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ckuwho who? ?

Listen to: Temple of Jazz Alternate Saturdays 11am-1pm

KEELEY BRAUNSTEIN-BLACK Temple of Jazz airs on alternating Saturdays from 11 am – 1 pm. Prepared specially for you, by longtime ‘jazz gourmet’ Kits Temple – a delectable jazz brunch-for-your-ears featuring tasty morsels from platters of every variety of jazzy cuisine, serving up satisfying courses from a century of recipes for invention and innovation, from points both near and far.”

What are three words that define your program?

Kits does not have only three words to describe the program, rather a series of liners; “the usual unusual, expect the unexpected, all kinds of jazz for all kinds of years, and sometimes this, sometimes that.”

12 Stylus Magazine December / January 2019/20

When and why did you decide to do your program at CKUW? Temple of Jazz is Kits’s second program at CKUW. The first program was the Temple of Sound. The Temple of Sound started as a filler program for The Mystery Show and ended up running two and a half years.

However, Temple has a background in community radio, from Core FM with Artspace and at McGill University. Originally encouraged and given the opportunity by a long time friend Tim Brant.

What is the story behind the name of the program?

Temple is drawn from Kits’s stage name Temple

and wordplay; “we worship at the temple of syncopation and eat of jazzy cuisine” Kits jokes.

What artists have you discovered recently?

Cécile McLorin Salvant and Brian Blade. Kits credits the Winnipeg Jazz festival for those finds.

What are your favourite artists to share?

“There are so many,’ says Kits. Kits first into Jazz because of artists such as Billie Holiday, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingas, MJQ, John Colttrane, Oscar Peterson, and Gary burton.

What is it about this type of music that attracts you?

Kits is attracted to Jazz because the infinite variety, it’s long rich history, endless innovation, and it’s complexity. Kits says thoughtfully, “there is Jazz for every mood. Jazz for the hips, the mind, and the heart’.

How do you choose what makes the cut for your show?

To choose content for the show Kits relies on current events, song titles and often employs topics or themes.

Why is midday Saturday the best time to host?

“It’s perfect” says Kits, ‘ you don’t have to break out of the gate too early and when finished I still have the breadth of the day ahead of me.” Kits also elaborates that there aren’t really any other Jazz programs on FM radio on Saturday afternoon therefore a “lunch time Jazz” is a perfect fit.

How do you want to make your listeners feel?

Kits seeks to stimulate listeners with things that are new and interesting, as well as evoke feelings of peace and reflection, to make the day more interesting with Jazz.

Who would your dream guest be?

Kits would like to have any local artist that wants to be on the show. However, Kits’s dream guest would be Margaret host of Easy Street someone who kit has modelled herself after.

What was your favourite show of Temple of Jazz?

The first Temple of Jazz show was a filler show in the Summer of 2016. It ran 7-8 weeks on Tuesdays. Kits says it was the most memorable show, “all my favourite artists. It was exciting. I could play anyone I wanted.”

Best memory of hosting the show?

“Whenever someone phones” Says kits, “asking what that artist was. Saying that they enjoy the show. It is wonderful to hear from listeners, to get direct feedback”.

Anything you would like to add?

According to Kits, “radio is a wonderful medium to get involved in”. Kits encourages all of us listeners to “explore their radios thoroughly”.

Winnipeg State of Mind NIGEL WEBBER “Ice like Winnipeg” - Cam’ron As we approach the end of yet another year, we also approach the dawn of a new decade. Here, in the final Stylus issue of the 2010s, let us look back over the last ten years of Winnipeg hip-hop and find ten favourite albums. The list is more heavily weighted towards the last few years with no albums from 2013, ’14 or ’15.

In retrospect, this period can be seen as a transition not only in the city but also in hip-hop in general, in the sound but also in the way the music is consumed.

At the beginning of the decade, CDs were still a common way to release your music. I still own Skid Row and Hearts on CD. The music on this list spans not only years but also many different sub-genres of rap and even sub-scenes within Winnipeg. What’s in store for the next ten years of Winnipeg hip-hop?

Pip Skid - Skid Row (2010) The earliest album on this list almost feels like it’s from a different era listening in 2019. Pip Skid, Winnipeg’s angry rapper in resident, might not have released an album since 2011 but Skid Row still stands up as the former Farm Fresh rappers opus. Skid Row would be an oddity in any era but it packs a punch with some of the catchiest songs of the decade that was Winnipeg rap. Almost entirely produced by DJ Kutdown, Skid Row features subversive head bangers like “Tens of Dollars,” which flips the hyper commercialism of hip-hop into an anthem of frugality.

Winnipeg residents will notice the tongue in cheek nod to infamous real estate agent Rod Peeler on “I Can’t Sleep,” still an all time classic in the collective Winnipeg rap oeuvre. Skid Row, released only a few months into this decade, is well remembered as an important album in the history of Winnipeg hiphop. Favourite Track: “I Never Knew” Rob Crooks - Hearts (2012) Simultaneously, Hearts by Rob Crooks is the most hip-hop album on this list while being its least rap-centric album.

Those familiar with Rob Crooks will understand that supposed contradiction. Hearts isn’t a rap album, but it is hip-hop. Crooks, a former battle rapper and philosophy major, has razor sharp view of society and his biting critique on songs like “Not Cool” is among the more interesting perspectives of Winnipeg’s party culture. The first four tracks are generally dark and introspective while the final four are more energetic but in a frenetic and nervous way.

Closer “Hey!Hey!” is the least expectant fist pumping song but the Hearts wants what it wants. Favourite Track: “Ghost” The Lytics - They Told Me (2012) Of course the Lytics are on this list. The only artists listed here who were actively touring or releasing music every year of this decade, the Lytics have dominated the ‘10s. But They Told Me, released in 2012, is arguably the Lytics at their best. From their trademark tracks to get you moving like “Toot Your Own Horn” and “Ring My Alarm” to more cerebral songs like “They

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Said,” the sophomore album from the Lytics delivers it all. This album also features some of the best rap videos to come out of this decade. From Mike Maryniuk’s visuals for “Ring My Alarm” to Rhayne Vermette’s work on “They Said,” the quality of the visual content on They Told Me raised the bar to heights rarely met since. Favourite Track: “They Said” 3Peat - 3Peat (2016) 3Peat’s debut album is undoubtedly a bellwether in the last decade of Winnipeg hip- hop. The group brought a new, younger energy to a rap scene that had largely become either complacent or out of touch. Through the 7-song self titled debut and countless local shows, 3Peat quickly established themselves as heavy hitters. The groups best feature, the vocal interplay between rappers BBS Steve, E.GG and Dill the Giant, is on display on the closing track “Bout It”. BBS, also the groups producer, flips a Master P sample for “Bout It” giving a new flavour to their normal boom-bap sound.

The group has stayed active with singles, shows and solo releases and a follow up EP in 2019. Favourite Track: “Sheep” E.GG - Alverstone (2016) E.GG puts in work, there is no doubt about that. Alverstone, his debut solo project, came out only a couple months after the debut 3Peat album. Not afraid to bare his soul, E.GG reflects on his life growing up in Winnipeg’s West End, giving the neighbourhood the treatment and respect given to New York neighbourhood’s in the ‘90s. Keeping the features to his 3Peat brothers, this is clearly a deeply personal project for E.GG who uses the 10 minute outro to shoutout all that influenced and helped him along the way.

E.GG has continued to be prolific, releasing a solo project about once a year, but the raw immediacy of Alverstone makes it an immediate classic. Favourite Track: “East Ocean” Yy - An Uneven Eleven (2017) Winnipeg’s finest wordsmith, Yy, delivers the most thought provoking album on this list. The Peanuts & Corn rapper’s rhymes are dense with tongue twisters, double entendres and obscure rap references. With features from fellow P & C alumni like mcenroe, Birdapres and Pip Skid this album could feel like a throwback on the surface. Rapping might not be Yy’s full time gig any more but his rhymes have only strengthened in the seven years since his previous release Tape It Back Together. Produced entirely by mcenroe, An Uneven Eleven is one of the best records in the vast Peanuts & Corn discography, over a decade after their heyday in the mid 2000s. Favourite Track: “Take A Seat (even)” HAVS - Distortion (2018) HAVS is still a unique entity in Winnipeg. Her amazing voice matched with spacey trap beats provide HAVS a powerful combination. Since the debut of Distortion in fall 2018, HAVS has been grinding out shows in both Winnipeg and on tour. Her membership in EZ Clique means HAVS has a solid base

of collaborators in DIEmond and STMBLZ but don’t get it twisted, she is an artist in her own right.

Expect big things from HAVS in the coming years.

Favourite Track: “Lights ft. LOA” Charlie Fettah & Crabskull - Fettuccine Pharaoh (2018) A standout on this list, the unique combination of Crabskull’s dark beats and Fettah’s gruff voice equal one of the most interesting projects of this decade. Charlie Fettah, of Winnipeg’s Most fame, made his return to music with Fettuccine Pharaoh after five years without an album. The hunger and urgency of his return is most evident in “Resurrection,” a deeply honest account of Fettah’s struggles. Crabskull is arguably the best beat maker in Winnipeg but chooses selectively who to work with making this project that much more note worthy. The cohesion created by his beats and interludes coupled with Fettah’s voice gives Fettuccine Pharaoh it’s lasting and powerful impact. Favourite Track: “Resurrection” Myazwe - Things I Never Said (2019) The most complete album on the list. No argument. Myazwe is next, there is little doubt about that. The Winnipeg born rapper, who reps the South Side like none before him, recently opened for Tyga and YG at the MTS Centre. An impressive item for the resume but it all comes from his impressive work on Things I Never Said, released in May 2019. The album leads the listener on a journey, Myazwe’s journey.

Sometimes it is reflective, like on “Prayers for my Dawgs,” sometimes it is hype, like on “Us feat. YSN Fab.” Most importantly for Myazwe, it is all Winnipeg. Every rapper and producer on the project either lives or used to live in Winnipeg. Favourite Track: “Prayers For My Dawgs” Super Duty Tough Work - Studies in Grey (2019) Released in September 2019, Studies in Grey slides in as a late entry but one a long time in the making. The live band style of hip-hop has been perfected over years of performing by the rotating cast of musicians that is Super Duty Tough Work.

Always fronted by rapper Brendan Grey, the current group has coalesced around keyboardist/ vocalist Marisolle Negash and drummer Kevin Waters with a 3-piece horn section to help lay down the funk.

Studies in Grey is by far the most political album on this list. Grey references Colin Kaepernick, Colten Boushie and Rachel Dolezal and there is an extended sample of Ta-Nehisi Coates on Deep Dish.

“FTP” examines the role of police and power in society in an honest way that isn’t seen in most media.

Favourite Track: “FTP” Honourable Mentions: Birdapres - Catch an L (2010), Winnipeg’s Most - Goodfellaz (2011), Len Bowen - Goin’ Away Party (2016), Bazooka Joe & Rob Crooks - Schadenfreude (2018)

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Local Spotlight what medium they record their lives.

It highlights the importance of self reflection and how we summarize and find meaning from the busyness and humdrum moments of life. How do we remember and immortalize the activity of a Safeway trip and adjusting bike heights to find greater beauty and appreciation in life? Lily O’Donnell

of modernity, combined with an unmatched, natural musicality, come together to give Winnipeg music lovers a focal point to rally around. The band recently completed a tour of Western Canada and plays shows regularly in the city; this is something you must not miss. Mark Teague

SAMBANA Voice Memos, 2018-2019 Voice Memos, 2018-2019 by Winnipeg-based Sambana reads something like a short series of musical diary entries, giving us a glimpse at the small moments of one’s everyday life. The album has thirty songs, all of them no longer than 2 minutes and most under a minute long. Each song has a random, unexplained but seemingly mundane title followed by the date it was recorded. For example, the one minute and six second acoustic song, “Safeway Trip (September 27th, 2018)” that’s just enchanting and optimistic instrumental guitar. There are also other ominous, yet everyday titles like “Home 32 (May 10th, 2019)” and “363 Cumberland Avenue ( July 11th, 2019).”

The majority of the songs are acoustic instrumental. A lot of the songs have talking or laughing in the background. Some of them also seem to be a recording of a quick practice. They are very beautiful, intricate and personal songs made often casually and perhaps without the intention of being released. This gives the album it’s home-y, friendly feel. They seem to be created quickly and honestly and then left as a simple scrawling or reflection.

The songs feel like quick solo brainstorms that were recorded and then accumulated over the course of a year.

The songs seem like short and small windows into a grander story.

The album begins fast-paced and emotional with “May Back Music ( Jan. 26, 2018)” with lyrics about wanting someone back and missing a certain day in one’s life. The song is fast but melancholy. The lyrics in the songs range from being focused on relationships to a tent for cats and adjusting the height of a bike. Most of the songs are somewhat woeful in nature, they are sad but often hopeful. While he may be singing about adjusting the height of a bike seat, the way it rings adds new meaning.

Overall, the album is a quick listen and can make a listener consider

CASATI This is Just to Say Casati’s new album This is Just to Say showcases Winnipeg folk at its finest. The three members; Grace Hrabi, Jesse Popeski and Quintin Bart, combine an eclectic mélange of musical talents and diverse voices to produce a sound that roots itself in the folk cannon while transcending convention.

Their use of the hurdy-gurdy as well as the auto-harp provides the perfect musical base to uphold lyrics that present the illusion of comfort, while containing an existential undertone, representative of the precarious time in which they were written.

Although all three members of the band have songwriting credits and each is featured as lead vocalist in various songs across the record, This is Just to Say opens with Grace Hrabi’s vocals on the track “Crooked Road.” The minor key opening shocks at first before a calming melody comes in, but the lyrics persist with unsettled discomfort in the future. This effectively foreshadows the tones of persistence in the face of doubt and alienation that continue across the album. The three voices, with astounding synchronicity, could easily release an a capella record, but this is not to devalue the talent and passion the group shows for the various strings they highlight. They come together to produce a sound that is at once simple and pleasurable, but simultaneously reveals the skill necessary to produce melody that flows with ease.

Casati’s release comes at the perfect time. It’s themes and sound give the Winnipeg folk community a much needed revitalization. The expression and fear and skepticism in the face

14 Stylus Magazine December / January 2019/20

throughout the EP is expansive yet exposed and easy to catch. “Looking For God On Dancefloor in Steinbach,” the dance mix closer, best exemplifies this theme. The minimal percussion prior to the first bass drop is enough to engage any listener into a full blown dance.

Conrad Sweatmans brainchild is one of the most, if not the most, ambitiously creative pieces of art to ambush the ears in our city. I look forward to what the future of Bluebloods brings us.

For fans of: Miracle Musical, OutKast, Bastille. Daniel Kussy

BLUEBLOODS Make It Rain EP Make It Rain is the eclectic collaborative-based works of Conrad Sweatman, who creates music under the pseudonym Bluebloods. The 5-track EP is a subtle nod to Hawaii: Part II, the solo album released by Joe Crawley of Tally Hall as Miracle Musical. Make It Rain defies genre, pulling from any avenue of inspiration Sweatman chose to travel. Elements of jazz, electronica and funk are embedded throughout the EP atop an RNB foundation that sets the groove. The bow on top is a strong selection of artists curated by Sweatman providing vocals on each track.

Courtney Devon (Amadians) sings on the opening track which bares the same title as the EP. A melancholic ballad that Devon’s voice floats along, making a simple plea for rain. It’s as if to embrace the feeling of being trapped inside on a rainy day, but not being given that blessing from the clouds.

Devon also provides vocals on “Jabberwocky,” a bass heavy jazz infused RNB track reminiscent of a busy OutKast track that features a Snoop Dogg sampled verse.

Heather Thomas (ATLAAS) and Roman Clarke share a duet on “Past Perfect.” Their vocals compliment each other and mend with the stop-andstart pacing of the instrumental that picks up stronger after each beat.

“Bad Faith” features Elessar Thiessen’s soothing voice providing a playful melodie overtop haunting back up vocals. The instrumentation is stripped away at the pre-chorus, leaving the clanging of glassware before being plunged into a synth-based chorus.

The variety of instrumentation

FRENCH CLASS French Class EP Below is what I feel when I listen to French Class’s EP. “Ringo Oiwake Cover” sounds like you are in the club with a strong beat.

“Dub Raggae Dub” from 0:25 and on another great beat appears. This song feels a little wild, like you are walking in nature.

“Cream Core (inst ver)” sounds like sweet drums but they are made up of different materials.

“About moon landing” is very repeated with only 3 main rhymes but it’s totally suitable for usage in action video games because it makes the listener feel nervous.

“Robot Tune” sounds like you are in a club and is suitable for dancing with a lot of people or for use in movie soundtracks.

“Prairie Prairie Prairie” in the beginning sounds like this song is for listening to while driving a car on the highway, but from 1:00 on sounds robotic or related to robots. From 1:37 to 1:46 the song sounds like a gamer getting lost in a video game.

“Clown City” in the beginning the beat sounds like the introduction of a movie with a classical music flare.

“Charlie (inst ver)” sounds like two musical instruments play at the same time but the one with the repeated rhyme is more dominant over the

other.

Overall, all eight songs on this album are fairly short and are instrumental; each bringing different emotions to the listener. Moreover, some of these songs can also be used in video games and movies. Loc Trinh

surd experimental noise to torch songs about Manitoban folk heroes to laser soaked dance raves. However, I can honestly say if I would pick one album to represent the idea that is Andrew Courtnage’s one-man magic party band this would probably be it. This album sounds more polished, confident, and trippy than anything he’s done before. Just a fun catchy, candycoated acid-trip that had me reflexively bewildered and amused throughout.

Like his live performances it’s a good mix of originals and cover tunes. From the party anthem “Force of Revolution,” to an homage to the demolished waterslide paradise “Skinnerz Wet & Wild,” to a satirical lament towards a “Bike Thief ” which tackles the on-going realities of living in Winnipeg; each SMOKY TIGER track is unique in style and structure, The Premium Quality Royal Rumpus awash in layers of pleasant sounds and catchy choruses. In addition to CourtI have always struggled describing nage on vocals, organ and guitar, the Smoky Tiger’s allusive sound as you album features guest appearances by never know what you’re going to get Manitobandits: Gabriela Ocejo ( Juat a live show; it fluctuates from ab- vel), JD Ormond (Ultra Mega), T.J.

Talk the Talk

THE VINYL CAFE The Vinyl Cafe is a staple for long car rides and evenings with your family around the radio. People around the world have the chance to relive the stories of the Vinyl Cafe with their new production of a two volume set.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the popular and internationally broadcasted Vinyl Cafe.

“We couldn’t let the occasion pass without doing something to celebrate,” said Jess Milton, producer of Vinyl Cafe.

“I mean, that’s pretty much what we do at the Vinyl Cafe: shine the light on things that deserve to be celebrated.”

The two CD set comes with Volume I “Dave and Morley Stories,” and Volume II: “Postcards from Canada.”

The latter features 21 essays recited by Stuart McClean at live Vinyl Cafe concerts across the country.

One of the featured cities in “Postcards from Canada” is Winnipeg.

Stuart McLean shares his experience in Winnipeg on stage live at the Winnipeg Centennial Concert Hall.

McLean shares his love of the city with an enthusiastic crowd. Proud Winnipeggers will both learn something and be graced with warm familiarity. Every name drop of notorious local businesses is met with cheers laughs and hollars. It is a truly representative view of the city which makes you excited to listen to the other episodes.

“Everyone talks about Stuart as a storyteller, but the reason he was such a good storyteller is that he was a tremendously good listener. He listened.

He observed. He understood people.

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Blair (Blond(e) Goth) and Megumi Kimata (French Class). Kent Davies

Self-doubt permeates many songs on the album, but something about the buoyancy of the music, the honest, worn-out quality of Erenberg’s voice, and the self-deprecating humour of his lyrics prevent the album from ever being a downer. Micah Erenberg’s brand of dealing with despair is pretty fun.

Musically the album has many modes, always enhancing the meaning of the lyrics. The album opens with the lush folk rock of “Do It For Love,” with a wall of sound about as epic as it gets without being over the top.

On the opposite side of the arranging MICAH ERENBERG spectrum, the sparseness of the folky Love Is Gonna Find You “Bored” and the piano ballad “Love Is Gonna Find You” match the earnestMicah Erenberg’s sophomore al- ness of the songs. “Somewhere Beyond bum Love Is Gonna Find You is the The Ocean” and “Sunspill” explore yet songwriter’s most confessional album another facet of Erenberg’s creativity, to date, as he searches for optimism with noisy distortion and ambience. amidst the uncertainties of life. “Liv- The most successful marriage of muing a life of regret / Wish I were with- sic and lyrics on the album is the secout this crippling doubt,” he sings in ond track, “What Am I Doing Here,” “Just Who I Am,” perhaps the most another autobiographical song about autobiographical song on the album. life as a touring musician (“they call me a lucky man / but I don’t see my friends or family”), set to the tune of an electronic drum loop with an energetic acoustic guitar solo; this creative quirkiness is what prevents the despair from being too desolate.

Ultimately, optimism defeats pessimism on Love Is Gonna Find You. “Through all the daily trouble, you can rely on me…patience will set love free,” Erenberg sings in the title track. This kind of sweetness appears in surprising places throughout the album, combatting the darkness with an innocence that Micah embodies sincerely. The album is an ode to persistence, to dealing with life’s obstacles with quirky creativity, self-deprecating humour, and many layers of noisy guitars. Jesse Popeski

He understood the country. He was a conduit for other people’s stories. He was a mirror that was able to reflect the country back to itself,” said Milton.

“That’s why I’m so proud to release Volume II ‘Postcards from Canada’ in particular. Because, for the first time, those stories - the stories about the towns and cities that we visited, are being released on an album.”

The Vinyl Cafe has several local connections. Local violinist, Julie Penner, was music editor for the Vinyl Cafe. The show also had many local fans who petitioned to have the live Vinyl Cafe show at the Centennial Concert Hall. “For years they wrote and emailed us, asking us to add Winnipeg to our annual Christmas Tour,” said Milton.

“Eventually we did, and I am very glad we did. The audience in Winnipeg

was always so much fun.”

Music is still the central theme of the Vinyl Cafe “Every show had music as the pulse,” said Milton.

Dave, the fictional character featured in the “Dave and Morley Stories” is the owner of a record store called the Vinyl Cafe. “Music was central to his life, to our stories, but also to our radio show, and our live tours.”

Milton is proud of the music featured on the show and said over its run, Vinyl Cafe worked with dozens, if not hundreds of Canadian musicians.

“Their work made our work better.

That’s what all great music does - it makes life better.” Olivia Michalczhuk

December / January 2019/20 Stylus Magazine

15

Ulteriors

VINCE ANDRUSHKO BAND AT BELLA VISTA DECEMBER 30 PHOTO BY MEGUMI KIMATA

COMMON HOLLY When I Say to You Black Lightning With When I Say to You Black Lightning, Common Holly proves that minimalistic does not have to mean small.

Massively orchestrated with endless creative ways to make a sound, the record takes ‘doing a lot with a little’ to a whole new level.

Electric guitar melodies and countermelodies swoop and interweave around a soft, passionate vocal performance. Flutes and alternative percussion instruments are accompanied by various background noises on “You Dance,” like a police siren echoing off an empty street.

There are so many moving parts that are compressed and contained to the size of a marble, and then emitted through like a prism with laser-like focus to create a fully developed soundscape.

Silence is used strategically throughout the album. During the spaces between melodies and rhythm, Common Holly composes tiny breaths that make what comes next that much more meaningful.

On “Measured,” very deliberate bars of rest counter the bars of gentle contemplation on pain and suffering, until eerie, uneven guitar lines seep into the silence between bars – eventually accompanied by strings building and building until the song comes to a complete rest.

When I Say to You Black Lightning ebbs and flows, swelling in the most gracious ways. Common Holly communicates with the album’s listeners through a long line of diverse musical ideas, not once detaching from the clear vision it sets out to convey. Ryan Haughey

16 Stylus Magazine December / January 2019/20

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Rex Baby Self-Released Constellation Self-Released Calgary Folk Music Festival

Little Dipper You’ve Changed Six Shooter Boat Dreams From The Hill

Black Hen Self-Released Next Door / Saddle Creek

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December / January 2019/20 Stylus Magazine

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