Winnipeg music & culture since 1989
by Paul Newsom
Toronto’s Burs wrote a record as distinct and enduring as an army of their namesakes. Holding Patterns is purposeful, mixing curiosity, confession, and metaphor to startling effect. The album’s production is eminently clear, leaving empty space to haunt as opaque edges demand scrutiny.
Continue reading “Album Review :: Burs :: Holding Patterns”
by Daniel Kussy
Built out of the ashes of Abbotsford post-punk quartet Blessed comes Ritchot Textiles, the latest project from longtime collaborators Drew Riekman, Mitchell Trainor and Reuben Houweling. Their first release as a group, i is born out of love for droning synthesizers and loaded sequencers, all while crafting a minimalist yet rich pairing of industrial electronic and krautrock. It’s not at all surprising to know that it was created entirely using only analogue equipment.
Continue reading “EP Review:: Ritchot Textiles :: i”
By Mykhailo Vil’yamson
It’s not unprecedented for an artist to put out material that moves from heavy to significantly more sedated – take, for instance, Dallas Green’s mid-to-post-Alexisonfire solo project City and Colour (or alternatively, the conventional yet banal trend of most musicians to progressively mellow over the years). However, it’s refreshing to hear a move in the entirely opposite direction in what is the debut EP by Long Fall, which is the brand-new punk outfit that’s fronted by none other than Nic Dyson.
Continue reading “EP Review :: Long Fall :: Self-Titled”
By Mykhailo Vil’yamson
Ever wonder what you would get if you folded a piece of paper twice and then cut the creased lines? Me neither. But maybe I’ll do it sometime and make a pamphlet from those four double-sided pages about how much I dig Fold Paper’s debut EP 4TO. Until then, you’ll have to settle for what’s written here.
Continue reading “EP Review :: Fold Paper :: 4TO”
by maggie astrid clark
Aside from my partner and a handful of friends with impeccable taste, one of my go-to sources for locating new music is Cam Scott’s UMFM program “Radio State.” In March, this was how I first encountered the ambient drone stylings of Hazel Fog. After some digging—which is what I like to call “doing a cursory Google search”—I found that they’d released a self-titled two-song EP on Bandcamp on February 6, 2024, uploaded to the page of local label Makade Star. I’m always on the lookout for things obscure, mysterious, dissonant, and unsettling, so I was hooked immediately.
Continue reading “EP Review :: Hazel Fog :: Hazel Fog”
by Mykhailo Vil’yamson
When does an explosive become a drug? Scientifically, this happened with nitroglycerin – that highly volatile chemical compound that is used to both produce dynamite and treat heart conditions. But I would also contend that a similar power and instability is found in emogaze, and I’m addicted. The latest release in this subgenre is the three-song EP Seeds by Winnipeg locals Guilty Sleep (a.k.a. Eric, Haise, Nic, Liam, Los), which is their follow-up to last year’s Passenger. And it’s equally heartbreaking and vicariously curative.
Continue reading “Album Review :: Guilty Sleep :: Seeds”
by Keeley Braunstein-Black
Lana Winterhalt released her third full-length album, Recovering Theatre Kid, a 31-and-a-half-minute emotional rollercoaster of genuine vulnerability, on March 22. In the lead-up to the full album, parts of it were released as EPs: Act I & II.
Continue reading “Album Review :: Lana Winterhalt :: Recovering Theatre Kid”
By Mykhailo Vil’yamson
It’s not often that one is privileged to hear demo recordings as a band’s first release, as so much of the “music industry” remains built on making public only the most curated versions of an artist’s material. But there’s something alluring about being able to hear the earliest incarnation of a group – before the stratification, calcifying and polishing of fully-produced albums. It’s reminiscent of bygone days when musician friends would share cassettes with each other of the latest songs they wrote, asking: “What do you think of this?” As for this collection, I’d say: “Sounds bloody brilliant! Can’t wait to hear what’s next.”
Continue reading “EP Review :: Prairie :: Prairie (demos)”
by maggie astrid clark
Unless you’re really dialed into the local music scene (although, given that you are currently reading Stylus Magazine, this might be a fair assumption!), it would have been easy to miss a pair of records released last year by Vivat Virtute. You might not know the name, but you definitely know its members – Winnipeg indie rock mainstays Christine Fellows and J.S. Fellows.
Continue reading “Album Review :: Vivat Virtute :: Hold Music and June First”
by Nischal Karki
What is better than immersing yourself in raw, indie, and emotive vocals? Yes, the Prairie Joggers bring a fresh vibe to the music scene. Their new EP, Going Nowhere, released on June 9, 2023, is different from what I usually hear. Each of the songs on this album feels like a journey through moods and emotions.
Continue reading “EP Review :: Prairie Joggers :: Going Nowhere”