Winnipeg music & culture since 1989
Words & Photos by Liam Walker
It was still cloudy when I finally got to the house at 5 o’clock. I had just made the walk across the UofM’s “Smartpark” to get there, Strawberry Punch Band’s jam space. The memory of seeing two girls there holding hands together on a boulder overlooking the park’s pond stands out to me for whatever reason.
Continue reading “SPACE JAM :: Strawberry Punch Band “
by Paige Drobot
Stylus Magazine interviewed Kyle Halldorson, the artist and producer behind Winnipeg’s Dr. Rift, about the instruments and inspiration he uses to create music.
Continue reading “THE DORK REPORT :: dr.rift”
by 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.
Continue reading “Space Jam: sundayclub “
By Nigel Webber
“Rap is something you do, hip-hop is something you live.” – KRS-One
2017 was the year hip-hop took over the music industry. With huge hits by Cardi B and Kendrick Lamar among others, it seems only natural for Vulture Magazine to call 2017 “the year hip-hop won the music business.” Through streaming platforms like Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube, hip-hop now reaches it’s biggest audience ever. The music has come a long way from DJ Kool Herc throwing jams in Cedar Park in the Bronx, but hip-hop still struggles to find acceptance in the mainstream pop radio world. Continue reading “Winnipeg State of Mind”
by Kaitlyn Emslie Farrell
It’s early in the morning, too early. You drag yourself out of the house into the smoke filled city streets of Winnipeg. Summer is burning it’s way out across the country. Nothing but the quiet lull of traffic is to be heard as there hasn’t been enough time for humanity to consume their coffee intake just yet. Whether going to school or going to work, you have somewhere to be. As the days go on these mornings get darker, and colder. The smoke clears and invites a mist of frozen water to crystallize on your scarf as you continue to go, still needing to be somewhere. Continue reading “Prairie Punk Perspective”
By Omri Golden – Plotnik
The sun slow roasts Winnipeg patio-goers, and a damp heavy air blankets the city. I am sitting with a beer in one hand and a pen in the other, scratching notes onto my legal pad. Across from me, my companion Dave Quanbury explains the logic behind his song selections for his 90-minute radio program on CKUW, Exile Files. His tendency is to focus on jazz and blues, and particularly songs with an emphasis on brass instrumentation and big vocals.
Continue reading “CKUWHO: Exile Files”
By Selci
Recently I ran into local musicians Raine Hamilton and Rayannah at Thom Bargen and we discussed all the women releasing albums in May. It seemed like a great idea to get everyone together at Munson Park and talk about music and being women in the scene in Winnipeg. Raine, Ray, Carly Dow, Basic Nature, and I spent an afternoon in the sunlight and had a lovely and productive discussion about music and equality. It all began with one question: Continue reading “Retrospectives on May Releases from Manitoba Musicians: Basic Nature, Carly Dow, Raine Hamilton, and Rayannah”
by Jenny Henkelman
I started writing this piece on October 23, when things seemed so much simpler. Back then, I thought CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi was just a garden-variety creep, not a serial abuser. As Melissa Martin so brilliantly elucidated in her Nothing in Winnipeg post on the subject, those of us in music/CBC circles Knew About Jian, even if we didn’t know about the alleged punching, choking and rape.
If Jian seems like an outlier, a rare case of narcissism and misogyny enabled over decades with devastating results, I’m here to tell you you’re wrong. Rare is the man with the kind of fame and power Jian had, but abusers like Jian exist everywhere. And they definitely exist in our music scene. Continue reading “Fear of Music :: Time’s Up for Creeps, Abusers and Sexist Jerks”
by Gil Carroll
Here at Stylus Magazine, we’re proud to be celebrating 25 years of music coverage in Winnipeg. Over this quarter century, Stylus has seen editors, artists, and volunteer writers come and go, as well as changes in direction, tone and aesthetic. What were once wicked band photos gracing the cover page now are local, oftentimes abstract or subtly morbid original artwork, a change that came around in the mid 90s. Continue reading “CKUWho :: Stylus celebrates 25 years of independent music coverage”
by Harrison Samphir
In 2008, Ava DuVernay’s documentary film This Is the Life chronicled the rise of LA’s alternative hip hop community from the vantage point of the Good Life Health Food Centre’s weekly open-mic night. Founded in 1989, the event attracted emcees, poets and heads alike. It was a place to freestyle (cuss-free), practise the art of rap and celebrate hip hop culture with the serious disposition of an aspiring artist. Jurassic 5, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Skee-Lo and the Pharcyde were all schooled at Good Life. Continue reading “Nonstophiphop :: Open Mike Eagle and the LA sound”