Roger Kynard “Roky” Erickson’s entire life has been like an extended episode of HBO’s Carnevale. Complete with an early life in a rather psychically jarring family setting through to his voluminous drugs intake in the 1960s, proto-garage rock history-making leading to eventual incarceration in a twisted, cuckoo’s nest-like mental institute Erickson is far beyond being lucky to be alive. His formative work with the 13th Floor Elevators has stood the test of time and represents itself admirably to this day. His solo career has been a mish-mash of official releases and questionable bootlegs, all equally varied in musical approach but always full of Roky’s frenzied, at times messianic, musings and even some blistering, spunky, Texas rock and roll. With True Love, Erickson is back in the game with a vengeance, and with the jaw-droppingly feral support of new kids Austin’s Okkervil River he can no longer be labeled a desperate casualty looking to make a feeble comeback for some quick cash. Track for track this album is a stunner. Opening and closing with the sound of Roky, on gloomy acoustic guitar from a recording he made while locked up it’s apparent that this is going to be an interesting listen. The Okkervils add much heft to what can only be termed devastatingly poignant lyrics courtesy of Roky, or whatever being inhabits him presently. He is still the saviour sage in his mind and yet in these troubled times of media and digital communication overload you can almost understand why, for a time, he kept multiple radios and televisions blazing at full volume in his living space. It drowned out the voices in his head and, it seems, the other heinous life crap that Erickson was unfortunately destined to have to filter for the rest of us for some ungodly reason. Roky’s former gauzy reality has cleared of late and his shattered soul lyrical bent has been upturned toward some hopefulness, albeit with an almost childlike bearing. It is within these lyrics that Roky’s personal truth is revealed. The larger meaning is there on tracks like “Good Bye Sweet Dreams,” “Forever” and the stunning “Please Judge.” Okkervil River has apparently been working live with Roky for a while and they have created a respectful and boundary-pushing din that is perfectly suited to Erickson’s troubled personality. Guitars feed back with tight control; strings sluice through lyrical passages and the addition of a brass section makes this a hearty listen that is at once disturbing yet optimistic. At nearly 63, Roky Erickson remains something of a musical and creative wonderment. His weird, disembodied howl reeks of past injustices wrought upon him yet there is a sparkling hopefulness even in his darkest passages. He has come through his demon-filled past to be perfectly in the here and now and with the able support of a group of respectful younger musicians it gives one pause and the sincere hope that this man can yet reach the heights of creative power that were stolen from him all those years ago. (Anti-, www.anti.com) Jeff Monk
Review: Duplex! – Worser
For the little ones with discriminating tastes comes Worser, a clever collection of tunes for budding indie kids and indeed, their parents’ inner children, too. This second album from Vancouverites Duplex! features a wide and varied array of topics, from same-sex divorcees to the origin of species to sweater-wearing canines, served up with a healthy dose of genre-hopping. There’s a twee-pop ode to an older brother, a faux-Rush rocker about the seven noble gasses, a jaunty psychedelic fuzz-pop song about popsicles, a cheery instructional about how to make a sandwich and a bittersweet piano ballad about the changing of the autumn leaves. Plenty of tongue-in-cheek humour and a solid assemblage of musical talent only enhance this little gem of a kids record, resulting in cute, compelling stuff that will manage to engage wandering attention spans without being condescending. Parents will be perfectly pleased and the wee hipsters will eat this up, they’ll love it so. (Mint Records, www.mintrecs.com) Tiff Bartel
Review: The Lonely Vulcans – Night Date
The key influence of the mostly-instrumental band is Santo & Johnny’s “Sleepwalk,” which is, duh, a sleepy number. But that song and this album are far from lullabyes—they’re a real gentle form of rock and roll. But other than tracks which sound like the Lonely Vulcans’ patron saints, there’s much more to get excited about on Night Date than that, like T.J. Blair’s soulful wails on “The Lonely Vulcan” and on “Hymn,” or the group’s London Calling-esque rockabilly on “Western.” Guitarist/ band founder Daniel Pangman has said that he’s more inspired by movies than music, and he’s interested in invoking imagery. In my mind, there’s a handful of songs that evoke images of just laying back under an old Wild West sky sitting by a campfire, moving from one town to the next. All in all, it’s an easygoing disc with some bite. (Transistor 66, www.transistor66.com) Taylor Burgess
Review: Various Artists – Peg City Enterprise Vol. 2
I’ve been hard on rap music in this magazine before. So before I begin this review, I need to make something clear: I do not hate rap music. I appreciate the skill that goes into rap, and the rhymes that many of these artists can come up with are great. I think that one of the reasons I’m hard on rap is because the experiences that rappers have gone through are so far removed from my own that it is hard to relate to. But enough about myself, it is time for me to look at the newest release from Peg Town Entertainment. This CD functions similarly to a mixtape. It contains fifteen tracks from several different artists on the label, including Tha M.I.C, Zkilla, and Ed E Buk. The beats are well-constructed and don’t feel amateurish at all, and the raps are well done too. There are quite a few talented voices in the Winnipeg hip hop scene that haven’t been discovered yet, and this album highlights some of these voices. I would like to hear some solo albums next time from these artists. Definitely give this album a listen. (Peg Town Entertainment, www.pegtownentertainment.com) Charles Lefebvre
Review: Keith and Renée – Detours
Despite being named as musical ambassadors for both Manitoba Homecoming 2010 and Free the Children’s Adopt a Village Program, Keith Macpherson and Renée Lamoureux have still managed to find to put together this polished album. Detours is the fourth full-length record from these homegrown prairie popsters, and it finds them offering up a brand-new assortment of quality folk-rock.The duo take turns on lead vocals and songwriting duties, resulting in an interesting back-and-forth between the two that saves this collection from too much sameness. It also serves to showcase both Lamoureux and Macpherson’s individual strengths. Lamoureux’s impassioned Amanda Marshall-esque vocals contrast nicely with Macpherson’s introspective, at times almost coy, acoustic guitar-infused melodies. Overall, Detours is radio-friendly Can-pop at its best–clean production, hints of alt-country and folk alongside more straightforward pop/rock tracks, only with a humble, down-to-earth approach that is uniquely Winnipeggian. Keith and Renée may no longer be easily amused, but they know how to make a warm and satisfying record that’s a joy to listen to. (Easily Amused Music, www.keithandrenee.com) Tiff Bartel
Review: Canteen Knockout – Broken Down Town
This album is the sort of country that I think anyone can enjoy, given that they’re not a snobby curmudgeon. Tonally, it’s extremely pleasant, with all the trappings of a true country album. What I mean by that is that the family of country these guys belong to lost any common ancestry with Taylor Swift and the like about 40 years ago. They all play instruments (and well!), and the twang isn’t just a superficial wrapping for some cheesy pop music. These fellas country like Hank Williams was still kickin’ around, and do a damn good job of it too. As with most country in this vein, there’s not a whole lot in the way of original songwriting—the songs seem immediately familiar (and I have only a passing knowledge of country music) but it doesn’t detract from the album as long as you don’t expect some sort of futuristic avant-country. Also, I love the lyrics on this album. A single reference to “…feelin’ like a turd” won me over immediately, and if it doesn’t sell you too, I don’t think we should hang out. They have an awesome sense of humour, an excellent sense of musicality, and they’re Canadian to boot. (Weewerk, www.weewerk.com) David Nowacki
Review: Hedzoleh Soundz – Hedzoleh
Hot off the heels of last year’s Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds and Ghanaian Blues, Soundway gives us yet another terrific reissue with Hedzoleh, the 1973 debut disc from Ghanaian afro-jazz masters Hedzoleh Soundz. Better known as the back-up band for South African trumpeter Hugh Masekelah, here it appears the band was perhaps better off on their own, as the songs found throughout the record carry a wonderful blend of traditional Ghanaian sounds and a slight hint of 1970s rock. The record’s highlight is “Hedzoleh!”, a seven-minute afro-blues jam session that displays the creative energy the band had at this early point in their career. Consisting of a clever interplay between guitar and flute solos and an acute use of rhythm, the track develops to encourage even the most stubborn to get up and dance. With another solid release to add to their catalogue in Hedzoleh, Soundway has proven yet again to be one of the more exciting record labels currently working. (Soundway Records, www.soundwayrecords.com) Jeff Friesen
Review: Arab Strap – Scenes of a Sexual Nature
The first thing I ever heard by Arab Strap was their final release that coincided with their breakup. Bollocks!! Ever since then, I’ve been picking up albums and singles and trying to complete my collection. I found out about this fantastic box set while looking for the Girls of Summer EP, which is among the countless treasures found in this box. Here’s what you get: five LPs containing the first two fantastic albums, The Week Never Starts Around Here and Philophobia, as well as a two-LP collection of the first two Peel Sessions, rare tracks (that, with the Singles CD included here, make the expensive/rare Japan-only Singles CD unnecessary to track down) and a brand new song that the duo reunited to complete just for this box. You get a cassette repro of the demo that got them signed to Chemikal, in all of its lo-fi goodness. And there’s another CD with two full concerts, both recorded for the Peel show, including their first ever gig in full! The song “Gilded” from this show is pretty quick and rough for an Arab Strap song and was included on their farewell album, and that drunken energy is unleashed here. What a fantastic live band. And lastly, there’s a data disc included that gives MP3s of all of the vinyl and cassette only portions of this box. Having the Peel Sessions and the rare tracks digitally is great, but the best part is hearing the demo in full whenever I want to. And as if that’s not enough, there’s a SURPRISE! file on the disc that includes the other five bedroom demos not ever released before! Plus plenty of reading material in poster-form of clippings from the era collected here from local Falkirk papers, plus the autographed and numbered (out of 1000!) card from Malcolm and Aidan, well, you’d have to be completely knackered to not think this is a great find. If you love the emotional, out-there, thick-brogued Strap, then you’d be mental to pass this up. (Chemikal Underground, www.chemical.co.uk) Patrick Michalishyn
Review: Young Rival – Young Rival
Hamilton-based rockers Young Rival have put together a solid collection of songs in their self-titled debut disc. Recalling the likes of other Canadian rockers like Tricky Woo or even Thrush Hermit, Young Rival seek to do one thing, and one thing only: create a rock sound that pays tribute to the genre while avoiding the temptations to revert to rockisms overdone by many before them. In this sense the album proves to be a success, avoiding sounding completely like a period piece while still maintaining a solid eye for rock history. Of the eleven tracks, leadoff “Got What You Need” and “Modern Life” stand out the most. Both consist of simple yet catchy guitar riffs back by a solid vocal performance by lead vocalist Aron D’Alesio. The end result is a collection of works from which the band can continue to build on as they attempt to establish themselves as one of the country’s stronger rock acts. (Sonic Unyon, www.sonicunyon.com) Jeff Friesen
Face Value: Fully Loaded – Inside My Head
Note: Face Value are reviews based solely on the album art.
Out of all of the iconic album covers your shitty indie band could have ripped off (the Damned’s Damned Damned Damned, Elvis Presley’s debut, the Sex Pistols’ only good album, or anything by the fucking Beatles), you chose to pinch Queen II by Queen. I don’t know how it’s possible, but you took out Freddy Mercury and made your EP look even gayer. WITHOUT Freddy! Christ! They say that changing at least 25 percent of something puts you in the clear when it comes to intellectual or creative properties, but changing out the elegant “Queen” logo font with what looks like what I would call “jizz” font isn’t helping you at all. It adds insult to the already severely injured; writing out “Fully Loaded” in semen-dribble-on-black… That’d be like spelling out “Swollen Members” with bull testicles. Got me? You’re still “indie” “artists” (and probably will be for a while), so exercise your “creative control” and stop letting your nephew who’s “good with the computer” design your shit. He’s probably laughing at you anyway. (Independent, www.fullyloadedrock.com) Patrick Michalishyn