The second Obits CD has absolutely killer packaging done up in the colours of bottled acrylic paint, with the sleekness of thick, pristine graphic novels. I don’t think anything could more predictive of how the music sounds. Guitars and drums lash out a web of dense and muscular garage rock that takes you cleanly and boldly out of your head. The members aren’t new to the music scene: there’s Rick Froberg of Hot Snakes and Pitchfork, guitarist Sohrab Habibion of Edsel, bassist Greg Simpson, and drummer Scott Gursky of Shortstack. All songs are timed to get just the right amount of suspense and perfect finish, as on “Standards,” which slows down like a marathon runner majestically breaking through the ribbon. Obits know they’re good, and they’re not afraid to proclaim it in the thickest musical equivalent of black Sharpie they can find. “Naked to the World” is purely joyful yawling. Froberg’s vocals “I Want Results” has a great, rolling, rumbling bassline, and hell, I don’t even know what kind of results I want after listening to this, but I sure know I want them. “Shift Operator” is slow and sparse compared to the other tracks (but by no means would you call this ‘slow’ out of context), which doesn’t work too well with the record as a whole. “New August” has a turgid undercurrent of wickedness, a touch of devious guitar riffing darkness. This is an exciting listen that’ll get you pumped up and ready for a comic-book-worthy adventure. (Sub Pop, www.subpop.com) Adrienne Yeung
In the Lair of the Tiger and the Bandit
By Kyra Leib
Andrew Courtnage a.k.a. Smoky Tiger is Winnipeg’s own psychedelic funk wizard. Smoky Tiger recently focused on writing music about Manitoban history. I was able to lasso him along with his partner in crime Josey Krahn for an enlightening interview. I walked up the metal stairs to the top floor studio loft of Winnipeg’s own mystical tiger man. Once inside, I was generously greeted by the offer of a berry smoothie and Smoky Tiger’s beautiful cat. Josey, a member of Smoky Tiger and the Manitobandits sat on a couch as I entered the living room with Andrew. As I struggled to withhold my berry smoothie from Smoky Tiger’s cat, I began asking questions.
Stylus: What are some of Smoky Tiger and The Manitobandits musical influences?
Josey Krahn: Disco, Pink Floyd, the Beatles, anything with a beat and some weird lyrics.
Andrew Courtnage: The circa 1991 Korean Mac laptop upon which I record all the Smoky Tiger music mysteriously resets itself to December 1969 every time I unplug it. This is a perfect metaphor for the vibration which influences the Smoky Tiger sound. I feel a kinship for the great visitation of energy which shaped the culture and society of the golden-classic era, yet I cannot deny the appeal of our space age bells and digital whistles. The Smoky Tiger is mostly about spiritually transformational, shamanically positive, Manitoban vibrations.
Stylus: Do you guys feel like there is a deficit of music coming out of Winnipeg which discusses Manitoba’s history and historical figures? Continue reading “In the Lair of the Tiger and the Bandit”
Gorge on This Fine Art
What do you do with an evening? Do you spend hours online with all your buds, looking up pr0n and cooking up steaks? Or watch prime time television rom-coms (or porn), wishing they were really starring you and your friends? Sir or madam, you really need to get out this Friday evening, and get a dose of the real world.
Gillian King, 24, and Kara Passey, 23, don’t mind that their art might be a little hard to digest.
“Most of my work is about personal experiences that people don’t want to talk about,” says Passey, “like being in an abusive relationship, or just having body image issues. People think that you just need to shut up about it. But, why? These are problems that people should be discussing.”
The two women have even found some resistance from their families to support the topics they tackle: Passey paints nude and semi-nude and portraits of herself and her friends, and King portrays female bodies melded together with factory-farmed animals, which has been an active feminist observation since Carol Adams’ 1990 book The Sexual Politics of Meat.
King says, “I’ve been a vegan since July last year, and a long-time vegetarian before that. As a woman and a vegan, I’m really interested in those similarities.” She says that she is getting more comfortable with the concept of feminism as she learns more about it, and she can relate it to her animal rights politics. “I think animals are very oppressed, and hopefully in the future, that will change,” says King, “and people will view them in a different way and not something to be slaughtered or taken advantage of or tortured. And women throughout history have been taken advantage of.”
In her abstract paintings, King draws from slaughterhouse pictures and feminine images. Racks of dead lambs and dead chickens are nearly indistinguishable from vaginas and long legs.
Passey says, “I like the idea that I’ve made paintings that have made people turn to me and say that they could connect with it because they had similar problems. It just doesn’t make sense to me to keep things quiet, when talking about it could end up helping somebody.”
Passey is inspired by the idea of thrusting private emotions into the public eye, and by the relationships between specific people. She also says that those inspirations have recently included feminism, sexuality, and performative gender. And while much of Passey’s work involves showing off the beauty in everyone’s bodies, (like her nude self-portrait which graced the cover of The Manitoban, and the portrait of her boyfriend above) one of her new works is focused on the gluttonous: she dipped 12 cheeseburgers in wax. “I preserved these cheeseburgers in wax and it was symbolic of this person I had dated. I was like, ‘What was something about him that really disgusted me?’ And it was the amount of McDonald’s he ate.”
But the two are excited for their opening this Friday at the Edge Gallery, where they will being having a vegan potluck starting at 7 p.m. As Passey coolly put it to King, “Our colour palettes are going to look awesome together.”
Small Black – New Chain
As far as finding and signing solid indie is considered, Jagjaguwar is a ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ type figure to the music scene. Leading us out of the darkness with artists like Bon Iver, Black Mountain and Okkervil River, Small Black is another one of gems in the Jagjaguwar trove. Released in November of 2010, New Chain is 10 tracks of elctro-rock goodness. Complex and absorbing, I can’t deny that this album is a dream for anyone looking for something solid for his or her “Recently Added” list. I won’t pretend like I know exactly how they make their stuff so freaking good – my best guess is that little aliens were in the recording studio, shooting laser guns of cool while Small Blackness got hit by a few while jamming, using their bleeps and buzzes all along the way. The album flows with a distinguishable sound common to each track. Smooth yet edge-frayed vocals, sharp beats and casio (a la ’80s inspired) all adds up into one polished LP. As far as favorite tracks go, “Hyrda,” “Goons” and “Invisible Grid” are all on repeat for me. (Jagjaguwar, www.jagjaguwar.com) Victoria King
Admiral Radley – I Heart California
Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray (of Earlimart) together with Jason Lytle and Aaron Burtch (Grandaddy) have got together under the moniker Admiral Radley. It’s hard not to feel sunny when Admiral Radley proclaims their love in phrases like “I’m citrus in summertime / You’re haggis and cider,” on the title track, but it’s just as hard not to feel the awkwardness of the oddly placed, whispered ‘yeah’s. This is how it goes for the rest of the album: What are decent guitar-driven pop/rock songs full of solid drums and clear piano are often gussied up with unwarranted effects or too much care to be completely effective or even memorable. The good points: “Sunburn Kids” is a sunny, head-bopping track; “Lonesome Co.” and “Ghost of Syllables” have good composition backed with pleasant instruments passing by in the background; and Murray’s voice stands out on the very pretty “The Thread,” which sounds like the actual music that ballerina on your sister’s music box dancer dances to. It’s gentle, paced, piano-based, and tells a story of two young people thinking about growing old side by side. On the next few tracks things speed up again – or at least they sound like they do, until a minute in, when you realise things are going to stay at the same emotional level for a while. There are great guitars and stirring bass, but there’s no musical revelation, no emotional current in the wires. “I’m All Fucked on Beer” is an obnoxious and fuzzy 4 minutes of frat-house noise and gratuitous nasal vocals. I Heart California has some great moments, but Admiral Radley makes it too easy to feel indifferent about the vast majority of the record. (The Ship, www.the-ship.com) Adrienne Yeung
Paris Suit Yourself – My Main Shitstain
Well honestly, the title says most of it. This album is a pretty large shit stain, but cleans itself up quite nicely. It is one of those albums that when seen in a record store, you can’t even think of ever taking it seriously after reading their name and ever buying it. Even the cover is boring, but slightly cool! My first listen, I could not put my finger on how to classify this band, because their music is just so fucked up and confusing, but after a second round, I started to understand the craziness this album beheld. The first song gives a large tribal feel with the beginning beat, but then you are thrown off track with strange tribal vocals, but then in relief, there is a synth playing beautiful chords in the background. But do I like it? That was the question I had to ask myself again and again. I guess it’s safe to say that PSY has made their own unique sound containing rebellious punk, tribal, rock, and alt techno with some selection of French vocals here and there. I had to admit, one song, “Decadense” was stuck in my head for some time. If you’re into really intense music that’s full of life and confusion, Paris Suit Yourself’s My Main Shitstain could be something to look into. (Big Dada www.bigdada.com) Nicholas Van Doeselaar
KEN mode: From the Heart of St. Vital on
By Marc Evans
In case you have literally or figuratively been living under a rock, the name KEN mode has affectionately been hammered into your cerebral cavities. For a decade plus, this Winnipeg trio has been executing their wartime strategy with eerie precision. Gearing up for a relatively massive touring cycle in support of their fourth full-length album, I sat down over a lovely cup of Lavazza with drum ogre Shane Matthewson.
Stylus: Damn this coffee is great, good call. Can you sum up the timeline of the band for those not in the know?
Shane Matthewson: Well, we formed in the heart of St. Vital in 1999. At the core we are two loser brothers [Jesse on guitar/vocals] who refuse to quit because it’s all we know at this point (and we love doing it, and all that good stuff). Our first “studio” album was recorded in late 2001 but didn’t come out until 2003. Since 2002, we’ve been touring whenever our busy work and school schedules have permitted. We’ve been touring and putting on our own shows locally for a long time now, so I suppose people might say we’ve ‘paid our dues.’ I see it more as we just didn’t quit! [Laughs] Our newest album Venerable, which comes out March 15, is our first with our new label Profound Lore Records. We’re really excited to be working with Profound Lore!
Stylus: Speaking of Profound Lore, which happens to be one of my favorite labels right now, what sparked the change from Escape Artist, to your own label Arctodus Records, to now one of the hottest forward thinking aggressive labels? Continue reading “KEN mode: From the Heart of St. Vital on”
Parts & Labor – Constant Future
Parts and Labor’s sixth noise-rock album bursts into 12 electric-led and thunderous battles – and all of them sound like richly illustrated tales of victory. With 10 years behind them, Parts & Labor have definitely found a structure they like. Lack of variation works in their favour here: these songs are narrated by clear electric guitar melodies riding on top of drums pounding and kicking sound higher and higher until you’ve got a personal hurricane in your headphones. Dan Friel and B.J. Warshaw’s harmonies are magnified and deep, lending an almost religious and kingly feel to this record. “Echo Chamber” has a vaguely Irish intro, quickly punctuated by measured shots of pummelling drums. “Bright White” is pretty unremarkable with its constant fuzziness, but “Pure Annihilation” has no shortage of hooks. Definitely a must-listen for fans of Japanther, Obits, and Dan Friel. (JMZ records, www.jmzrecords.com) Adrienne Yeung
Ringo Deathstarr – Colour Trip
Austin’s Ringo Deathstarr has it tough. Before opening the case, I had already judged the bejeezus out of them. What a stupid name. What a stupid, stupid name. First hint to them: get a different name. Second hint: keep doing everything else the same. Any band that manages to essentially replicate My Bloody Valentine’s sound without sounding trite has me listening intently. It’s pretty common knowledge now because of the good old interwebs how Kevin Shields managed his groundbreaking guitar effects that propelled his band to eternal alt-music stardom (that’s what they called indie music back then, kids), and Ringo Deathstarr’s guitarist Elliott Frazier has spent his time tweaking knobs and placing speakers and whatever else you have to do to get that sought-after sound. The guitars sound exactly- exactly- like Loveless-era MBV. So do the drums and female vocals. Does this make the band as good or as groundbreaking as My Bloody Valentine? Good lord, no. No no no, no, an emphatic no. Lemme rephrase: NUP. I hate to make this review a straight side-by-side comparison to MBV, but Deathstarr’s asking for it. Look at what they’re playing! They want it. They want everybody talking about them to be forced to, even in passing, reference MBV. Even if you’ve never heard of My Bloody Valentine, somehow those words will escape past your lips if you’re talking about Ringo Deathstarr. So, here you go Ringos. You versus one of the best, most groundbreakingest groups of the last 30 years. Ahem. So, where MBV used their guitars in a nuanced, sophisticated way to create atmosphere, tension, rhythm and melody all in one, you, harnessers of this awesome power, have bent it to your own hipster-happy devices. You’ve used it to make poppy jams about getting really high and ex-girlfriends stealing your cardigans (“I’m So High,” “Imagine Hearts,” respectively, if you couldn’t figure that one). That being said, I still don’t know what the hell MBV were singing about. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t about getting high, even though Kevin Shields has been higher than your hipster brains could handle, for the last 15 years. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it. Don’t spill any on your cardigan though – such a disaster would probably spawn at least another EP’s worth of material. This just makes me want to listen to Loveless and scowl at this album. Wait, why am I putting it back in the CD player? Why has “I’m So High” been stuck in my head for the past week? Oh, goddamnit. (Club AC360, http://www.myspace.com/ringodeathstarr) David Nowacki
Major Organ and the Adding Machine – Major Organ and the Adding Machine
This Major Organ album is quite possibly the most confusing and alienating record born from the great womb of the Elephant 6. Suspected fathers from bands Neutral Milk Hotel, Of Montreal, Apples In Stereo and Olivia Tremor Control came together and… made… this! It’s definitely a pop-album, one slathered in sounds reminiscent of the “Combinations” from OTC’s album Black Foliage; spliced-up tape pieces, pastiches of perverted pop, “non-music” to some (or perhaps to most). Those who dislike the weirdness of OTC’s splintered weirdo songs or NMH’s bent carnival music would best ignore this; you won’t find what you want here. Here are a lot of songs, many ideas of songs, buried under electronic gauze and hazy shards of broken sounds. Anything that makes a noise is an instrument. It’s very strange and it’s very, very beautiful.
This reissue tacks on 8 bonus tracks, including the Christmas compilation contribution, a cover of “What A Wonderful World” (pretty tough to muck this one up) and a DVD of the same name. It’s a short film starring E6 luminaries, weird costumes, homemade creations and two cute kids plunked down in one of the weirdest situations committed to video. Both the album and movie are whimsical and childlike, expression without fear of rejection. That kind of innocent experimentation yields a bushel of aural happiness. And it’s a great bonus for the CD-buying consumer. There’s a lot of gold that there well, you just gotta go deep ’n’ dig. (Orange Twin, www.orangetwin.com) Patrick Michalishyn