Since 2021 when hopscotchbattlescars released their first widely available single, “god hates straight pride flags,” fans have been waiting and begging for a full-length album from the band.
It has been quite a year for Edmonton-born hip hop superstar Cadence Weapon. Following the deluxe edition release of his latest studio album, Parallel Words, he is not only heading back to live events, but also promoting his memoir, Bedroom Rapper. Stylus Magazine had the chance to catch up with Weapon ahead of his performance at the Big Blue @ Night stage at the 2022 Winnipeg Folk Festival.
TEKE::TEKE took to the Big Bluestem stage after a long and hot day in Birds Hill Provincial Park at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. Heat exhaustion and dehydration were taking hold of the crowd, and engagement was low. But, as the band launched into the first song of the buzzy and feedback-heavy set, a wave of jubilation washed over attendees and everyone was locked into the mesmerizing talent of TEKE::TEKE.
*We are excited to cover the Winnipeg Folk Festival again! Here is some of our highlights from last year!*
by Isabella Soares
Indie trio Wild Rivers might have started their career in 2016, but their music reached other parts of the world through streaming during the pandemic. Now that touring and playing festivals are back on the table, Devan Glover (vocals), Khalid Yassein (vocals and guitar), and Andrew Oliver (guitar and bass) have been witnessing crowds singing along throughout Europe, the US, and Canada. After the band members left the Snowberry Field Stage at the 2022 Winnipeg Folk Festival, they talked to Stylus Magazine about their favourite songs to play live, the process behind their latest album Sidelines, and weighed-in on writing love and heartbreak songs.
*as we gear up for this years Winnipeg Folk Festival we thought it would be fun to revisit some of our highlights from last year!*
by Myles Tiessen
On Saturday afternoon, nestled in the far back reaches of the Winnipeg Folk Festival grounds, Richard Inman performed a set as thoughtful and pensive as his reflective songwriting.
Nickybaby’s self titled album was a very intriguing listen. It has elements of folk and indie rock that combine to form one of my favourite indie releases of the year so far. It has almost deceptively good production, meaning that it sounds very rough, but that lack of fidelity only aids in conveying the theme of the record.
In the song “Pennyroyal Tea,” Kurt Cobain once sang, “Give me a Leonard Cohen afterworld, so I can sigh eternally.” Not every artist possesses the ability to impel listeners to breathe deeply, but this is definitely the case with Tinge’s debut EP Big Deep Sigh. The project hearkens back to when Indie was more Punk than pretentious and when Emo was less of a post-goth fashion statement than an angst-ridden, authentic, and worthy successor to Grunge-era music.
Winnipeg singer-songwriter Noah Derksen makes strikingly earnest music. It’s probably thanks to this fact that seeing his most recent album come up marked “Explicit” on streaming services feels momentarily surreal – if only for the presence of several pointed and beautiful breakup songs on the record.
Stylus caught up with Softswitch at No Fun Club. Their self-deprecating sense of humour might only bleakly shine through in print compared to the way it does in person.
This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness.