THE ABSENT SOUND W/ POP CRIMES
@ Ragpickers’ Viva Libra Theatre
By Victoria King
Walking into Ragpickers sort of feels like walking into a real life version of Rocky Horror Picture Show. While the main floor holds a large assortment of vintage apparel, the rest of the building itself is an amusement park of eclectic art pieces, creaky staircases and an extensive used book collection. The place oozes of interest and unique authenticity. Moreover, seeing a show in the third floor Viva Libra Theatre is like sitting front row beside the speakers at a concert, no matter where you end up in the room. The space is so small, you are bound to leave with some kind of hearing impairment. Oh well. That’s what hearing aids are for.
After Saturday night, I am more than willing to go pick some aural assistance up after Absent Sound blew Ragpickers away for the release of their new EP Turn Them Off. The local experimental/psyche band definitely puts on more than your average show. If you haven’t checked them out before, I’m giving you fair warning that it’s more than just a concert, it’s an experience (fog machines, crazy lights, potentially moving image backgrounds). The show was one of the trippiest (and I use this word sparingly) experiences of my life. Holy mystic river, in three words: it was dope.
The night started off a little bit later than anticipated with Pop Crimes, a four-part experimental rock group and another local find, opening up for Absent Sound. Playing for an audience of no more than 40 people, they killed it. Relying mostly on heavy guitar riffs and some intense drumming, the band seemed to be totally channeling a Mission of Burma kind of vibe. Imagine all your favorite guitar openings, interludes and harmonies: that’s pretty much Pop Crimes.
With a room so small and intimate, it’s no wonder the band seemed to affect the audience so wholly. Absent Sound started up near midnight and the show opened with a steady progression into the opening song. Every note had its place. The fog machine started up, the lights were cued and with that it was more than a concert. The whole show was a full sensory experience. As mentioned before, the Viva Libra theatre is a tiny space. Seriously, it seems like no more than 60 people max at a time before the whole building would just crumble. With that being said, that music literally pulsed throughout the entire space. The whole show was a tight, focused, collective effort. It’s easy to get lost listening to Absent Sound. Also specializing in sound art, their music has a polished rawness to it. The whole show was nuts, right from beginning to end. Once the final song was finished, the lights fell and the audience, unsure whether to expect more, lay silent. Only until lead vocalist and guitarist David Fort clarified with, “That’s it.” Of course, clapping ensued as well as an encore. Not only did the show have the best closing I’d seen, the encore was incredible. Dedicating the song to a recent case of police brutality just outside the city, the tribute was wild. This was one of the coolest shows I’ve seen in a while.
While the EP doesn’t have the fog machine or the light show, Turn Them Off is a great stocking-stuff for any music fan on your Christmas list this year. It’s an epically haunting four-song trance/experimental/rock collection, available for purchase and download on the band’s website, www.theabsentsound.com. You can also check them out at Gio’s on December 21 at Element Sircus, also curated by Absent Sound themselves.
Karkwa – Out of the bleu
By Sabrina Carnevale
If it seems as though Montreal is churning out hipster rock like it’s going out of style, it’s probably because it is. Between Arcade Fire (who recently had the highly coveted musician slot on Saturday Night Live), the Dears, the Unicorns and the Stills, Montreal has taken over as Canada’s indie rock capital. The city can now add a Polaris-prize winning band to its list of accomplished musicians – Francophone quintet Karkwa won Canada’s highest musical honour, along with a cool $20,000, this past September against some major heavyweights including Shad, Broken Social Scene, Radio Radio and The Besnard Lakes.
“Montreal is a great community, there are a lot of dedicated fans and a great group of musicians that we are friends with,” says Karkwa vocalist and guitarist Louis-Jean Cormier. “The music comes very naturally, we’re influenced by many things, the weather, maybe even the winters; there is definitely a ‘Montreal’ sound.”
To make their Polaris win for their fourth album, Les Chemins De Verre, that much sweeter, they also managed to be the first Francophone act to take home the popular prize. “All the newspapers in Quebec and Montreal were talking about it, we were surprised just to make the short list and to be a part of it with many bands that we listen to and are fans of,” says Cormier. “We were so surprised to win, it was unbelievable, we had no expectations. But when we won, we had to speak in English in front of all those artists – that was pretty strange.”
Continue reading “Karkwa – Out of the bleu”
Dec/Jan Issue Preview: Diamond Rings
Hey folks! It’s the first Thursday of the month, which means there’s a shiny new issue of Stylus out on stands, and it’s a big one. In addition to our regular slew of reviews, we’ve got a whackload of features on folks from Jason Collett to John Waters. AND our annual rundown of the year’s best albums and shows.
To get you even more excited, here’s a preview of Stylus editor Taylor Burgess’s interview with the glam-tastic Diamond Rings. (Think a of a synthier, Canadian Patrick Wolf ,with occasional rapping.)
“I had this batch of songs written that I was performing, acoustically, for friends, at little hole-in-the-walls around town, just as something to do. You know, so [my make-up artist] was aware of the material, Colin Medley [my video director] was familiar with a lot of the work – just people who were really close to me, you know, they’d come and see the shows, and we just decided that we wanted to take it a step further. I had never done anything like that before – I remember the first time trying to put on mascara, I almost, like, passed out.”
Live Bait: Wintersleep win, Ra Ra Riot ra
Wintersleep & Ra Ra Riot
@ the Garrick
Saturday, November 20
By Victoria King
No matter what part of the country you are from, so long as you were born under the Maple Leaf sun you are instantly claimed as Canadian. As a musician, whatever success you encounter and however many Junos you win, you can bet that your hometown will honour you with a ceremonial street inauguration or concert venue to stand in your honour. As it stands, I would be willing to bet that the guys from Wintersleep may go through this in 20 years or so. Following the great Canadian music stigma of ‘WTF, they’re Canadian,’ Wintersleep recently released their fourth album New Inheritors, and made a stop in Winnipeg along with Ra Ra Riot on November 22.
For starters, I will be honest in admitting that I had never listened to Ra Ra Riot before that evening. I expected something loud and rowdy, as hinted to by their name, yet I was hesitant when I saw the band take the stage. Although they looked more like the type of kids that would be chilling outside the Garrick rather than playing onstage, this was definitely a giant “I told you so” moment. RRR kicked off the night with “Boy.” If you haven’t heard it, take it from me, I don’t suggest you listen to it in public. Trying to contain my bobbing head and bouncing knees at a socially acceptable pace was a difficult task, but I was thankful to see that I wasn’t the only one in the crowd who was totally down for RRR. They played a solid opening, and for those in the crowd who resisted the urge to dance; fail.
The stage for the night was minimal, excluding the stuffed dog sporting a wrestling belt, which was left as the one big question mark of the night. “Drunk on Aluminum” was the first track of the evening. Seriously, it was so good. The set included “Astronaut,” “Dead Letter and the Infinite Yes,” “Black Camera,” “Preservation,” “Weighty Ghost” and “Echo Location.” To be frank, I was actually quite surprised how much hard these guys rocked live. I went in expecting a balanced mix of an indie rock/folk sound, but definitely got more than I expected in terms of an indie rock influence. The guitar came through so strong while the vocals maintained the same raw quality that makes their music so recognizable. On a side note, their was a pretty great ’Peg city moment when lead vocalist Paul Murphy asserted, “Pretty cold in Winnipeg” only to be replied by “This ain’t nothin’!” by some dude in the audience. To whoever did so, major cool points. “Oblivion”, “Laser Beams” and “Breath Normal, Nerves Normal” made up the encore, along with Murphy’s “Thank you Winnipeg, this was fucking awesome!”
The one gripe I do need make about the night is in regards to whoever was in charge of the sound system. For at least the first seven songs, the sound at front stage was pretty shitty, with the guitar seeming to drown out nearly everything else. I refused to accept the possibility that the band may not be as awesome live as on recording, so I checked out the middle of the venue. Turns out it was just the front of the stage, as the middle sounded great. Kinda craptastic on my part, but still a solid show.
With that said, it is my prediction that Wintersleep will end up being one of those awesome bands that will forever be clumped in with all other eclectic Canadian groups; and while they may play in your cities and perform for your award shows, at the end of the day they’re still from our east coast.
((( send + receive ))) takeover
Starting today, send + receive is hosting a number of experimental and “out there” film screenings, art installations, and musical performances throughout the week.
To kick it off, Winnipeg’s favourite circut-bender Clint Enns has a video playing at Gallery 1C03 at the University of Winnipeg. It’s titled Prepare to Qualify, named after the banner that flies across the screen in Pole Position, the Atari game which Enns bent to make rhythmic pulses, nauseating squelches, and cathartic drones.
We asked him to choose a video that’s inspired him and why. Here’s what he said>>>
Chapters 1-12 of R. Kelly’s Trapped In The Closet Synced and Played Simultaneously (2006) by Michael Bell-Smith. A playful reinterpretation of a pop culture classic.
Chapters 1-12 of R. Kelly’s Trapped In The Closet Synced and Played Simultaneously (2006) by Michael Bell-Smith. Courtesy EAI. from Why + Wherefore on Vimeo.
If you can handle that, or better yet, if you dig it, you’d best check out Prepare to Qualify which runs until this Friday. send + receive is running all week long, and again, it is not to be missed. Mind alterations await you!
Live Bait: Stars lay golden eggs of love, etc.
Stars and Young Galaxy
@Burton Cummings Theatre
October 29, 2010
The Burton Cummings Theatre has played host to a huge number of exceptional artists over the years. October 29’s show was no different, with indie acts Young Galaxy and Stars gracing the stage for two stellar performances that stand up with some of the best the theatre has seen in recent years.
Young Galaxy was charged with getting the night started, serenading the crowd with their dreamy brand of pop. The Montreal four-piece is a Canadian band that is sounding more and more like a U.K. band, something not lost on the group as they focused their brief-but-powerful set around some of the more danceable numbers in their catalog. Stephen Ramsay and Catherine McCandless swapped vocal duties on the thundering opener, “Destroyer,” rousing the crowd to the front of the stage and making it clear that this is a band best experienced live.
“The Buzz In My Flesh” and “Outside The City” hooked the crowd with pulsing rhythms and McCandless’s icy vocals echoing out across the hall at all the right moments. She was never better than when clawing her way across the stage during “Queen Drum,” though her voice managed to bring the entire theatre to a hush with a crashing rendition “Firestruck.”
Ramsay gave his thanks to the headlining Stars, describing them as “golden eagles coming to drop golden eggs of love” into the audiences’ hearts. Joking aside, the bands’ huge crescendos coupled with McCandless’s mesmerizing stage presence made for the perfect lead up to the act to come.
Stars quickly took to the stage to deliver a tightly packed 100-minute set, launching into a haunting performance of “He Dreams He Is Awake” and calling the audience to their feet. Torquil Campbell illuminated the room from the stage with a handheld floodlight, announcing, “There’s a lot of beautiful ghosts in the building.” The band moved effortlessly between older pop numbers like “Elevator Love Letter” and newer electro cuts off this year’s The Five Ghosts LP, endlessly captivating the audience the whole way through.
Though much of the set was filled with swirling layers of synthesizers and electronic percussion, the best songs were those when the band took a reprieve from their posts to deliver an “unplugged” performance. Amy Millan and bassist Evan Cranley took presented and delicate acoustic rendition of “Ageless Beauty” while sitting centre stage upon a white bench. Shortly after, Campbell and Millan shared the mic on “The Woods,” flanked by Cranley and keyboardist Chris Seligmanon trombone and French horn, respectively. The crowd was silent during these two stunning numbers, lending even more intimacy to the moment.
Stars’ encore once again brought the audience to their feet, swaying and clapping along to “I Died So I Could Haunt You” and “Reunion” while Campbell and Millan danced across the stage, stomping their feet recklessly in time. The night was brought to a close with the softer “Changes,” and before the band bounded off the stage, Campbell was sure to graciously thank his audience, calling them the best Winnipeg audience he’s seen.
– Kevan Hannah
Story Time w/Rob Vilar: The Sadies
The Sadies
Darker Circles
While driving under and through a Roman aqueduct on the city’s main scenic strip, I ride shotgun with my main contact guy Tito behind the wheel.
“I’m really glad you’re able to take this job, Vilar,” says Tito as he cruises his Opel through the afternoon traffic. “I know when you get this done, it’s gonna be a beautiful thing.”
“Well, thank you for getting me here,” I reply to him. I take out a USB drive, hold it out towards the stereo and ask, “You don’t mind, do you?”
“You go ahead, Vilar. The road is all yours,” he answers.
I plug my USB drive into the car’s stereo and load the Sadies’ new long-player Darker Circles onto it. The swirling reverberation of opener “Another Year Again” blasts into this furnace afternoon with its tubular amp rattle. The sizzling heat from passing palm trees and national monuments assimilates itself onto the song and the narrative. I tap my foot on the car’s floor. I know this is good. I take a glance out my side window and notice a legless man pull his belongings up the street on a kiddie sleigh. I close my eyes. Not all sights are pretty.
“Do you think scoundrels like us ever make it to heaven, Vilar?” Tito asks.
“I think scoundrels like us only make it to the gates… to eventually set it all on fire,” I respond.
“Yeah bro, I hear you. You speak the truth,” Tito confides.
Continue reading “Story Time w/Rob Vilar: The Sadies”
Live Bait: Emailed reviews of things I never went to…
Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine
Oct 11 2010
Pyramid Cabaret
Now you must understand that the gig was totally amazing. Guitarist from Victim’s Family, Bassist and Drummer from Rollins band (and the drummer played with Helios Creed ex-Chrome), plus this kid on guitar named Kimo who did all these weird affected sounds like East Bay Ray. They played for almost 2 hours, got two encores, did tons of songs from the album plus a bunch of unrecorded songs and “Cal Uber Alles,” “Lets Lynch the Landlord,” “Holiday in Cambodia” and “Bleed for Me”!!!!!! The only bad thing about the show was the last song – some shitty lollapalooooka-like grunge thing that went on far too long – it is also the last song on the album – sheeesh what a stinker! The five or so fights – including a guy totally knocked out cold by a douche who hit him five times in the head with his fist from behind right in front of Jello who stopped the show temporarily- also sucked ass big time. I took the day totally off, so I didn’t see yer email until now. I called you on the way to the show, but I figured you either had a family thing or would be there, but alas the former was the case. Jello was in a crusty mood – not quite happy with his rider meal – he apparently hates yams and wonders why we celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada. He also wanted to know if any Canadian troops were deployed in Iraq while he was warming up backstage. He asked if his T-Shirt was appropriate. It had a slogan on it that only activists could love. He was amazing on stage. Great show!
-From Anon to Anon
Live Bait: Luminous Rays of F-L-A-M-M-A-R-I-O-N
We who are in-tuned to the fainter vibrations know of ghosts and ghouls around all the time–but now that all Hallow’s Eve approaches, the supernatural bubbles to the surface of the mire more quickly. But F-L-A-M-M-A-R-I-O-N is a video installation at aceartinc. by Susan MacWilliam that explores the validity of an infamous Winnipeg seance, or lack thereof–and the jump cuts and repetition will either make you feel sickly uncomfortable, or just at home.
Continue reading “Live Bait: Luminous Rays of F-L-A-M-M-A-R-I-O-N”
Live Bait: Wooden Sky @ WECC
Last week, our very talented (and prolific) photographer Cheyenne Rae took a bunch of photos of one of her fav bands, the Wooden Sky. All the photos after the jump!
