Winnipeg music & culture since 1989
What started as a small snowball of an idea bouncing between two friends has built itself into an avalanche of creativity within Winnipeg’s DIY music scene. After a few months of bouncing around, the No Label Collective was rolling and picking up speed. Continue reading “Profile: No Label Collective”
by Sheldon Birnie
Gordie Tentrees is a singer-songwriter from Whitehorse, Yukon. For the past ten years, he’s been honing his craft in the land of the midnight sun, and spending months riding the Hillbilly Highway across North America and beyond. He’s currently cranking out dates across Canada to launch his latest album, North Country Heart, which hit the streets this week. Stylus caught up with Gordie at the World Famous Alaska Hotel in Dawson Creek, B.C. (my hometown) at the beginning of his tour that takes him into Winnipeg Thursday, August 9th. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Gordie Tentrees hits the road”
by Sheldon Birnie
Founded in 1980 in Cerritos, California, Channel 3 were among the first wave of hardcore bands to burn thousand and thousands of miles of highway to play in basements, sketchy clubs, and backyards long before Warped Tour made such doing so seem like a rock n roll circus. After slowing down during the 1990s, CH3 have been ramping up their game since the release of their eponymous LP in 2000. For the first time in almost 30 years, CH3 will be returning to Winnipeg for two shows this weekend. Stylus caught up with founding member and guitar player Mike Magrann via email to discuss the changes he’s seen and the places he’s been living the hardcore dream for over 30 years. Continue reading “Channel 3 – Legendary hardcore band returns to the ‘Peg”
by Sheldon Birnie
A favourite Sherbrook Street watering hole will be opening its door again tonight, under new ownership and a new banner. Formerly the Standard Tavern – itself formerly Hooligans, etc – the new Rose n’ Bee Pub is promising to *ahem* “raise the standard of service and expectations” for the iconic West Broadway live music venue. Matthew and Michael Rosenby, brothers and co-owners, took time out of their busy renovating schedule last night to give Stylus the lowdown on their new enterprise. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – The Rose n’ Bee Pub opens its doors”
Fronted by the baptist born son of a preacher man, Slim Cessna belts out gospel infused punk-country tunes along with his wing-man Munley the yodeling, zombie-looking, banjo picking badass, and other strange purveyors of the Denver sound: Danny Pants, Lord Dwight Pentacost, Robert Ferbrache and Todd Moore. All of them combine into Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, a rapturous, circus-like live show that will have you whiskey soaked and speaking in tongues. Continue reading “Slim Cessna’s Auto Club”
by Sheldon Birnie
Bookworm is the one-hour, one-man show written and performed by Toronto’s Corin Raymond. An engaging meditation on reading, childhood, family, school, the Twilight Zone, and Ray Bradbury, Bookworm has been drawing crowds during its run at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, and is totally worth seeing if you have time before the Fringe winds down on Saturday. Being a bookworm myself, and a young acolyte of Bradbury, Stephen King, and the Twilight Zone, Raymond’s monologue had me laughing, moved, and goosepimpled throughout the whole hour. Stylus sat down with Corin after his Monday afternoon performance for a couple beers at the King’s Head to talk about the play, his music, and to nerd out on books for a while. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Toronto Troubadour shares Bookworm with the Fringe”
By Andrew Mazurak
Buck 65 made his way through town an enlisted Winnipeg’s Rob Crooks and Edmonton’s Colleen Brown who helped Buck with their endearing cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Who By Fire”. Here’s some photos and we’ll have a review to follow in our upcoming August/September issue out August 9th, which is also the same day as our second Stylus Launch Party at the LO PUB featuring pretty much everyone from NO LABEL COLLECTIVE!!
Continue reading “Buck 65 + Rob Crooks // 07-14-12 // LIVE @ Pyramid Cabaret”
By Adrienne Yeung
Beirut’s latest album, The Rip Tide (released September 2011), is a distinct departure from their previous records’ literal-interpretations-of-world-music-mixed-with-indie-rock. Apparently, the upbeat, pop sound of this album was a natural and deliberate next step. Stylus made a phone call to bassist Paul Collins in New York to chat about touring, favourite tracks, the members of Beirut, and how they put their new sound together. Continue reading “Beirut :: En route to Winnipeg!”
One album in, and seemingly busy as a band could be, Montréal’s The Barr Brothers continue to ride an exceptional wave of success. On a blistering hot day at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Stylus sat down with Brad Barr after their workshop with The Head and The Heart, Blitzen Trapper, and Bahamas. The following is an edited transcript of the interview, covering everything from the band’s inception to playing on David Letterman. by darcy penner
by Sheldon Birnie
Tomorrow marks the beginning of the Brandon Folk, Music and Art Festival in the Wheat City. Boasting an impressive line-up of artists, including Judy Collins, Kinnie Starr, Geoff Berner, Nathan, the Crooked Brothers, and many more, this year’s festival promises to be another great time. Running from Thursday, July 19 through Sunday, July 22, the Brandon Folks, Music and Art Festival offers onsite camping at the Keystone grounds, a main stage that is beautifully shaded, as well as a kids’ tent and a site for spoken word poetry. The Wheat City’s version of the Birds Hill whoop-up is an underrated and over looked gem in the beautiful province of Manitoba. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Folk Fest in the Wheat City”