Winnipeg music & culture since 1989
by Jakob Sheppard
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.
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by Jakob Sheppard
Winnipeg’s own Yes We Mystic’s third and final album, Trust Fall, was released on October 21st, 2022. The group describes it as (in addition to being heavily inspired by Kate Bush) “the songs were most proud of, and that we fought the hardest to bring into the world.”
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by Mykhailo Vil’yamson
Anyone who is familiar with the Winnipeg music scene has surely happened upon Joel Klaverkamp’s music over the years. But one could be forgiven for perhaps not knowing his name since his projects since 1989 have been multitudinous. From the teenage hair metal band Breakneck Inferno to the indie-forward cyberpunk project Robojom, to the latest broody dance-rock outfit Cookie Delicious, Klaverkamp is perpetually involved in the process of reinvention. Is he now the armour-clad Reynard first seen on the cover of his 2022 single Forget It? And how long before the next iconoclasm? That remains to be seen. In the meantime, Fox in Golden Armour provides listeners with nearly 36 minutes of what has been self-described as “hypnotic creamsicle,” which aptly describes the swirl of tasty beats, sweet hooks, and biting lyrics.
Continue reading “Album Review :: Cookie Delicious :: Fox in Golden Armour”
by Gabriel Fars
Tin-Eared typically means someone who is insensitive to or lacks the ability to appreciate or make good judgments about music. But I can tell you that Tin-Ear is anything except that.
Continue reading “Album Review :: Tin-Ear :: Cadastral Maps”
by Jakob Sheppard
Winnipeg art-pop duo, Bicycle Face, describes their sound as “the most whimsical side of Metric, or Joanna Newsom with effects pedals.” Their new album, Bicycle Space, is centred around the theme of space and constellations to paint a picture of life, loss, and going through changes.
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by Jaclyn Weseen
Toot Toot is the latest album from Hamilton-based electronic musician Graham Kartna. Known by indietronica fans for his collage-like style of incorporating various sound bytes, voice recordings, and the occasional robot voice within his music, Kartna is a unique talent and a prolific artist, having released over 20 albums since 2011.
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by Gabriel Fars
In most parts of his music, he doesn’t need lyrics; the melodies say it all. The small comforts of this album make it feel incredibly warm and welcoming. It has almost a nostalgic haze type of vibe to it. I think the best part about it is that this isn’t some pretentious ass shit. It’s complex and beautiful, but it still doesn’t feel as though it’s trying to aim too hard for that target audience of ‘snobby hipsters who listen to folk music and probably think that they’re both better than you AND too smart for you.’
Continue reading “Album Review :: Dil Brito :: Fences Glimpses Glances”
by Daniel Kussy
I’ll remember Living Hour’s performance at the Winnipeg Art Gallery at the tail end of last year for two reasons: those spinning chairs the audience was seated in and the sonic expansion within the band’s sound across a collection of new songs that dug into my brain. With the release of Someday is Today, the Winnipeg indie darlings’ third LP is their most diverse release yet. My brain rests easy knowing the songs recorded sound just as good as they did in the Muriel Richardson Auditorium.
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by Sam Doucet
Jacob Brodovsky has been doing a lot of thinking. At a time when many artists are pumping out material at breakneck pace to keep their names in the conversation, and most of them are already working on their second or third pandemic-driven album, this Winnipeg troubadour has taken his time in releasing his debut full-length, the ever-so-cloyingly titled I Love You and I’m Sorry. It’s the first recordings we’ve heard from him since 2019’s Sixteen Years EP, which introduced many local ears to Brodovsky’s pensive and unhurried brand of indie folk.
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by Ryan Haughey
Montreal’s sweetheart band TOPS builds on their already sparkling discography with their most recent EP, Empty Seats. After their previous full-length record, we’ve come to expect their usual driven, bubbly pop style – and on Empty Seats, the band delivers. But it’s never tired or recycled. All five songs hold something new to discover for TOPS in both storytelling and composition.
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