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Miracle Fortress – A Little Less Green

Photo by Andre Guerette

By Victoria King

Miracle Fortress is the solo project of Montreal’s own Graham Van Pelt. In 2007, Van Pelt released Five Roses, which garnered him honorable mentions from the Polaris prize and wide-sweeping acclaim. Now 2011 sees the release of Was I the Wave? which  was long-listed for this year’s Polaris since this interview. Miracle Fortress corresponded via e-mail to talk about the new album.

Stylus: There’s a definite shift in both overall vibe and sound from Five Roses to Was I the Wave? What do you attribute this to?
Graham Van Pelt: I spent quite a bit of time between the two, putting a new palette of sounds together with which to write a record. I had little desire to make a similar record to Five Roses, which I enjoyed, and hoped instead to move on to ideas that would be new to me. Lots of time had passed before I really got into the new record, and my tastes have had a chance to evolve quite a lot.
Stylus: Since the release of Five Roses, what has changed for you as an artist and as a person?
GVP: I think any young person accumulates quite a bit of experience over a term like that. There wasn’t much chance of my staying in the same state of mind and wanting to work on a similar project over again. I do feel a little less green and a bit more comfortable making mistakes and taking risks.
Stylus: What are the creative advantages and/or disadvantages to working solo?
GVP: Avoiding compromise is the main benefit. Compromise can unlock new avenues between artists, but I also value the chance to follow my own ideas as far as they’ll go. I enjoy puzzling out a song over an extended period when necessary, which can be trying if collaborators are waiting to contribute. This is something I’ve had to learn about my process through experience, and it’s valuable to know.
Stylus: In recognizing the electronic influence that is strong on this album, does it change the way you approach writing?
GVP: Though this record is more traditionally “electronic” sounding than Five Roses, they were composed pretty much the same way. I used most of the same techniques, such as self-sampling, looping, my personal sound treatments, and drum programming. My approach in this project has tended towards feeling pretty unlimited in the studio.
Stylus: As we’ve seen with multiple artists with 2010/2011 releases (Sufjan Stevens’ Age of Adz and Iron & Wine’s Kiss Each Other Clean), there’s been a shift to experimenting with synthetic sounds. Does this reflect modern culture or is it merely a musical coincidence?
GVP: I’m unfamiliar with those records, but I would assume that the accessibility of digital instruments encourages artists interested in using new sounds. This has been true for at least a decade or two, though.
Stylus: When considering projects between Miracle Fortress and Think About Life, how does each outlet satisfy a musical/creative need?
GVP: I enjoyed Think About Life because I’m more of a supporting player. I felt less personal pressure and let go of expectations a little more easily. It’s fun to play on stage when your band has more energy than anyone else’s. I like the personal pressure of Miracle Fortress though, it satisfies like a solitary accomplishment does.
Stylus: What’s the best environment for listening to Was I the Wave?
GVP: I like it on walks at night, but that’s true of most music for me. There isn’t an answer to this.
Stylus: What is one thing you hope people can take from this album? What did you take from this experience?
GVP: I hope they feel free to take whatever they like from any music they hear. Pop music is best enjoyed independently. As for my own experience, I enjoyed finishing the thing, improving my talents, learning what there was to learn, feeling proud, listening occasionally, and moving on.

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Colin Stetson – Breathing History


By Riel Lynch

Colin Stetson is a saxophone player from Montreal who plays like no other. He released his Polaris-nominated sophomore album New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges in Feburary 2011 and it’s still making waves—because of his unusual techniques, which allow him to play notes continuously for several minutes. Besides playing solo shows, he plays in Belle Orchestre, has opened for Arcade Fire, collaborated with Bon Iver, and has played in festivals around the world. He took enough time to breathlessly answer the phone and talk to Stylus.

Stylus: How do you breathe in an entirely different fashion for extended periods of time and not pass out?
Colin Stetson: Well, you aren’t getting any less air then you are breathing regularly. It’s just a different way, like you said. Sometimes you actually get a little more oxygen than normal. You breathe through your nose while air is coming through your mouth, so there is no lack of air. After awhile, your muscles in your face start to break down, not so much in your lungs.
Stylus: Where was this technique learned?
CS: From my high school teacher, I was around 15. This was something he had just learned, and he found it difficult to do, because it was better to learn early on. The hardest part is tricking your body to allow air to come in down through your nose. I don’t think it took me anymore than a week to figure out how to do it. I don’t even remember not being able to do it. It definitely takes awhile to adjust and to find your equilibrium and not give so much air that you pass out.
Stylus: Contrasting between your first album New History Warfare Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, I found that in your first, you are telling this story… you can hear it. But in your second, you’re still telling a story, but it’s much more advanced in its details. How was this transition made? Continue reading “Colin Stetson – Breathing History”

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Polaris Prize 2011 Nominees Announced


Hooray! It’s finally time for the music awards that we identify with—the Polaris Music Prize, awarding the Canadian and the creative.
About an hour ago at the Drake Hotel, the long list nominees were announced, and Twitter is already aflutter with who should have made the cut, and doling out congratulations to those who did make it. Of the nominees, Imaginary Cities is the only Winnipeg band to have made the cut, (No Alpha Couple? What a travesty!) and ex-Winnipeggers Neil Young and Luke Doucet are also on the list.
This excitement will last a good 20 days before the short list is announced on July 6, and then we’ll hold onto and bicker over those ten titles until the Polaris Gala on September 19.
Of the nominees, Stylus readers should recognize Miracle Fortress and Colin Stetson from this month’s issue, and Arcade Fire, PS I Love You, Diamond Rings, the Rural Alberta Advantage, Braids, and Women from previous print issues. There’s also a number of weirdo records that the Stylus crew has been talking about this year that are on the list, like Destroyer, Dirty Beaches, Tim Hecker, Little Scream, The Luyas, Timber Timbre, and Young Galaxy. Not to mention there’s been the inclusion of the indie-ubiquitous Buck 65, Black Mountain, Stars, and Sloan.
The rest of these albums should make a bit of a splash over the next couple weeks, but they’re from somewhere in Canada, and someone nominated them—so do check them out!
In all consideration, my money’s already on Braids’ Native Speaker, if the award isn’t preemptively  surrendered to Arcade Fire (who have already had world-charting success and a number of awards) in the next couple days.
List is after the jump. Continue reading “Polaris Prize 2011 Nominees Announced”

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LOST: Under Pressure – Come Clean


Under Pressure were a significant Winnipeg hardcore group, and this album was their master offering. By the time Come Clean was released, the group’s members had been making music for years together, and this album perfectly represents a height for them as a group. Hardcore is an extremely formulaic genre that can be easily replicated. People take cues from bands such as Poison Idea and Black Flag, as Under Pressure initially did, and replicate them in their own way. This makes way for a lot of very mediocre representations. Over time, the music that these players loved was internalized and practiced in perfection, usually causing other bands to pale in comparison. Their devotion to form eventually turned into mastery and this album represents that moment in time. Come Clean is not just a hollow repetition of forms from the past. Rather, it is those forms mastered through dedication over time and presented for others to take cue from. A step away from their earlier, faster and more youthful hardcore sound, Come Clean lies in a darker, more serious territory on its own. Taking more of a rock direction, the listener is grabbed and assaulted aurally from the first riff of the album. Lyrically, the harshness of existence is presented in a notable step above average, further separating this album from the masses of thoughtless clones. Come Clean will leave an impact on those who hear it for years to come. As time progressed and line-up changes occurred, the quality of the band never diminished—Under Pressure’s conclusion in 2009 denied the band the time needed to surpass Come Clean, leaving it as their masterpiece to which heads will nod to in the future. (2006, Primitive Air-Raid, www.primitiveairraid.com) Kevin Strang

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Psychedelic Horseshit – Laced


Columbus, OH’s Psychedelic Horseshit want you to know what you’re getting into. From the multiple drug references in their name and album titles to the word ‘shit’ popping up in both their name and self-applied, made-up genre ‘shitgaze’, you should be prepared for what you hear when you pop their CD on. The psychedelia references are apt, with singer Matt Horseshit (pseudonym???) atonally mumbling out lyrics, mostly about what he likes, or on the flipside, doesn’t like very much (“I Hate The Beach”). From the horseshit end of things (horsebutt), their percussion reminds occasionally of a simulated trotting horse à la Monty Python, and almost everything else sounds like shit. Mind, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s an aural aesthetic, and these shitheads have a good handle on how to use it to their advantage, to orchestrate a cohesive album. The term ‘shitgaze’ is incredibly appropriate—Psychedelic Horseshit are mired in the early ’90s lo-fi pop sound, eliciting everything from the melodic arrangements and effects pedals of My Bloody Valentine, to the lackadaisical vibe, found-sound layering, and rhythmic spasticity of early Beck. But shoehorning them into that scene does them a disservice—while the aforementioned bands are their foundations, they’ve incorporated a wide variety of influences that make sure what you hear next is never predictable or boring. For a band so covered in ‘shit’, they are far from shitty. (Fat Cat Records, http://fat-cat.co.uk) David Nowacki

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Greg Arcade – In…Hawaii


It seems A1 label head Greg Arcade (Noble Thiefs) has traded in the ska for a solo album featuring a variety of ass-shakin’, rockin’ genres. Following in the footsteps of his Beach Bum Singles EP, In…Hawaii features blaring distorted Hives-like garage rock with lead off track “No! You Shut Up!” coupled with the classic surf rock sound in “Filament” and “Hawaii Electric.” It even has a couple rockabilly numbers with “I’m a Lion” and “Shake your Feet.” In…Hawaii may not seem unique because each cut is somewhat based on familiar song structures that we’ve heard before, but it’s in how Greg Arcade builds on them which makes it so perfectly conceived. Each track is a thought-out homage to rock ’n’ roll with great lyrics and attitude to match. Arcade even ends off this perfect party album with the whimsy-laden “After-Glow,” which sounds reminiscent of Skynyrd’s “Tuesday’s Gone.” Well done. (A1, www.gregarcade.com) Kent Davies

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Aunty Panty – AP EP // Lipstickface – Gimme


Both of these albums were handed to me at the Death Trap by Julia Ryckman, because they’re by her Saskatoon friend Tiffany Paige—who she did a 12” split with last year as Slattern. Yet another positive attribute we can add to Ryckman’s list—she keeps good company. Paige, as Lipstickface, blatantly sing-raps about sex, backed by blunt drum machines. So yeah, it’s a must-listen for all you riot grrrls/riot grrrl fans/riot boiiis out there. Thing is though, Lipstickface gives me such a raging hard-on while she’s doing it, and she does it with the haunting minimalism of Young Marble Giants or the Pop Group (which might add to the boner that I’m pretty sure that she’s intentionally giving me). Over 15 tracks and nearly an hour, Lipstickface has some sure-fire hits (“Make My Day”), exploratory sound art (“Oh Baby” and the intro and outro) and some house-referencing madness like that of Pictureplane (“Dirty Boy” and “Pretty Baby”).
And as if the mad post-punk respect didn’t stop there, Paige also drums in Aunty Panty, which rounds up all these aforementioned musical references but slanted the other way, guitar-driven, with drum machine-informed drumming. (i.e. 4 on the floor, and straight eighth or on a tightly closed hi-hat or cymbal, and tons of other rip-it-up-and-start-again aural treats.) Aunty Panty’s release is certainly way more cohesive than that of Gimme (although I really admire Gimme’s huge scope) and it doesn’t have a single hiccup for the entire six tracks and 15 minutes. If you’re into two-minute scream fests (“Mal Au Coeur”), or four-minute broods of a two-chord jam (“Mama Don’t Like You”), pick AP EP up or see them whenever they come into town, which I currently only assume they would. I mean, c’mon, it’s Saskatoon! I mean, yeah, Saskatoon! Fuck yeah, Saskatoon. (Independent, www.myspace.com/lalalalipstickface // www.myspace.com/auntypantpantpanty) Taylor Burgess

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In the Distance They’re Like: EEHHHRRRREHHH! Phone Calls with Sean Nicholas Savage

photo by Jasper Mandus

By Kyra Leib

I don’t like to toot my own horn but I worked my butt off to get this interview, traveling across the great city of Winnipeg with t-minus two hours until interview time to acquire equipment. And even once we did connect, Sean and I were disconnected on the phone three times during the course of this interview. Nothing could faze Mr. Savage’s winning charm, however. Here is what came of our conversation…

Stylus: Motown, disco and funk influences show up very clearly on Trippple Midnight Karma. How have your musical influences changed or progressed since you first started recording music?
Sean Nicholas Savage: I’ve been really into a few different albums for a period of a couple months and I’m really influenced by them while I’m making whatever I’m working on. I was listening to Marvin Gaye and ’80s rarities and singles. Things like less successful ’80s R & B.
Stylus: Was Marvin Gaye a main inspiration?
SNS: Yeah, hugely. Midnight Love, that album.
Stylus: What is it about his music that has inspired you so much?
Continue reading “In the Distance They’re Like: EEHHHRRRREHHH! Phone Calls with Sean Nicholas Savage”

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FOUND: Braids Play Paintball (not actually)

Braids are still off touring one of our favourite records of the year, Native Speaker, doing the NXNE and Sled Island bit before heading off to the EU. Check out this video for “Plath Heart” which takes place inside a paintball arena. Unfortunately, the Montreal-via-Calgary band doesn’t play paintball, or even get shot at (which is all the rage lately) but this is an extremely cinematic, colourful, high quality video of their intricate live performance.

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The Blowholes – The Blowholes


It’s the high school under-the-sea dance come to life. The Blowholes have been blowing people away with their lo-fi twangy strings and shrill screams since forming in 2009. It’s hard not to fall in love with a series of whimsy-laden songs about whales, sharks and octopuses. Unlike some of their local garage-rock counter parts, The Blowholes’ sound is disarmingly casual and almost hypnotic. Fluctuating between mid-tempo slow dance numbers like “Moonlighting” and breezy rockin’ tunes like “the Haunt,” the ferocious foursome have a knack for creating alluring numbers. Trying to pick out standout track in this sea of songs is next to impossible. From the pick-a-licious licks of “Poseidon’s Daughters” to rockingly-shockingly devastating “Huck Fin” to the playful theatrics of “Remember,” each cut is uniquely catchy and perfect for burning one down by the beach. (Transistor 66, http://theblowholes.transistor66.com) Kent Davies