Winnipeg music & culture since 1989
by Sheldon Birnie
Take a fuckton of pure raw rocking talent, age with thousands of cold road kilometers, season heavily with equal parts Fu Manchu, Scorpions, Alice Cooper and Dolly Parton, free pour in some whiskey and blood, two girls, one drum kit, and shake it up, hard.
Voila: Chica Boom Boom. Continue reading “Chica Boom Boom :: Two Girls, One Drum Kit”
by Sheldon Birnie
“Where the germ of the idea comes from, to me, isn’t very remarkable,” explains Nick Liang, of Conduct, one afternoon at Little Sister Coffee Maker. Liang, along with bandmates Rob Gardiner (drums) and Stephen Kesselman (guitar), are here to discuss their upcoming LP Fear & Desire, as well as their new split 7” with their pals and tour partners Tunic. “What I think is interesting is what we bring to the songs or ideas, which is completely collaborative.” Continue reading “conduct :: all the rest is irrelevant”
by Martyna Turczynowicz
Finn is releasing their debut EP on Friday December 5th at the Goodwill Social Club. The band is made up of Daniel Baron on vocals and guitar, John Baron on bass and backing vocals, Matthew Baron on keyboard and backing vocals, Darren Hebner on guitar and Cody Iwasiuk on Drums. Stylus sat down with Darren Hebner, John and Daniel Baron to talk about the debut album and the band’s beginnings. Continue reading “Finn :: Blowing Minds Three Chords at a Time”
by Anastasia Chipelski
Holed up in a hotel in Philadelphia, billed by the front desk reception as “America’s most historic square mile,” Alvvays lead singer Molly Rankin spoke to Stylus about touring, the long road behind their album, and what it’s like to do what you love as part of the “adult baby” generation. Continue reading “Alvvays :: Passionate, realistic, pleasantly surprised”
by Martyna Turczynowicz
The Crooked Brothers have been making a name for themselves since the release of their previous albums Deathbed Pillowtalk (2009) and Lawrence, Where’s Your Gun? (2011) and proved to not be just another folk trio. Their songs range from foot-stomping tunes to heart wrenching ballads, many of them with a special focus on their hometown, Winnipeg. Continue reading “The Crooked Brothers :: Thank You, I’m Sorry Winnipeg, Manitoba”
by Jillian Groening
Rising up from the ashes of venues past comes your new favourite hangout spot.
Sitting at the end of the über-cool Sherbrook strip, on the crossroads of West Broadway, the West End and the University of Winnipeg lies The Good Will Social Club. With those dreamy salvaged Lo Pub ceiling tiles above the bar and the city’s best sound guy manning the board, it was destined to be a Winnipeg institution well before the gender-neutral bathrooms were installed. The only thing missing is a pole in the middle of the stage. Continue reading “The Good Will Social Club :: Pizza, beer, coffee and music”
by Sheldon Birnie
Consider, for just a moment, Winnipeg’s music scene as something of a forest. You have gnarled old veterans and spry young saplings growing side-by-side, competing for light and resources, yet also dependent on each other for survival in the ecosystem web. With Last Ditch on the Left, a duo made up of Brent Warren and Kerri Stephens, you have a bit of both. Each are veterans in their own right. But the project is something new for each of them. A truly collaborative work, Last Ditch on the Left builds off of their previous musical lives while bringing something fresh and new into the world. Like when you see a budding young pine tree growing from the stump of an old oak or out of the a felled length of birch. With the release of their debut, self-titled record coming up this weekend, Brent and Kerri took the time recently to chat with Stylus about Last Ditch on the Left, and what it takes to make raw, honest music without regard to commercial success. Continue reading “Last Ditch on the Left :: Eyes & ears on the road ahead”
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 Anastasia Chipelski
He’s followed the railroads back and forth across the US and held forth at the Sidewalk Cafe as part of New York’s storied anti-folk scene, but Shakey Graves is returning to Winnipeg to collect something he couldn’t find anywhere else: his best friend’s soul. Continue reading “Shakey Graves :: Back to Winnipeg to retrieve a lost soul”
by Martyna Turczynowicz
The Strumbellas have won a Juno, Folk and Traditional Album of the Year, toured the U.S. and Canada and held residencies at the Cameron House and Dakota Tavern in Toronto. Not bad for a band from Lindsay, Ontario that got together over Craiglist. Continue reading “The Strumbellas :: From small town to big time and back again”