Winnipeg music & culture since 1989
by Scott Price
Veteran Hamilton based rapper Lee Reed has released one of the most relevant EP’s of the decade, The Steal City EP. Lee sets his sites on the gentrification of Hamilton which has recently been subsumed into the Toronto housing bubble. Continue reading “Album Review :: Lee Reed :: The Steal City EP”
By Charlie Fraser
Creating intimacy at a live performance can seem like an impossible thing. There is this very distinct separation between the musician(s) on the stage and everyone else on the ground below them. The space where the audience members are is very dark so the musician(s) can’t see them; meanwhile, the musician(s) are lit up with intense fluorescent lights illuminating every single one of their features and even, flaws. Continue reading “Wares :: Creating Intimacy”
Considering the length of the drive, we made pretty good time and got into Edmonton early Thursday evening. After sorting out our accommodations, half our gang sought shut-eye while the rest of us headed to the Empress Ale House for a little hey-how-are-ya. Friday was a bit of running around, highlighted by a surprise invitation from the venerable CJSR to spend a couple of hours on-air. Then it was time to get down to what was planned as a very busy weekend. As stated in the Stylus festival preview, we had our collective sights on kicking it off with a punk show presented by Solidarity Rock at Brixx. Continue reading “Festival Review: Up + Downtown 2015 in Edmonton, AB”
CKUW’s Robin Eriksson was at UP+DT in Edmonton this past weekend. Read all about it! Continue reading “Adictox, Jessica Moss, JIMH :: UP+DT 2015 in Review”
The pizza, the party, and the place. Here are Victoria’s UP+DT Highlights: Continue reading “The Long and Short of It :: Up + Downtown 2015 Festival Highlights”
by Daniel Emberg
Most guitar slinging party pigs have, at some point, talked themselves into thinking a spontaneous band would turn out great. How could it not? Get a few pals together, crack a couple bottles, don’t plan anything and just bang out a quick record. It’ll be legendary, man! Of course, this method rarely spawns anything worth sharing outside the basement where it starts, but once in a looooong while, someone catches lightning in a bottle. Continue reading “The Wet Secrets :: Bring Free Candy to Winnipeg”
Matthew Angus, who writes all the songs for Fast Romantics, says the songs on their second album are largely about breakups and generally written in such simple language there is no mystery about the fact. Continue reading “Fast Romantics – Afterlife Blues”
by Victoria King
It’s July. You’re driving to the sounds of your favorite CD. You pop the disc out and put it in its case, leaving it on the front passenger seat. Before you remember to find a shady safe spot for your tunage, you exit the car and forget your beloved in the direct light of the summer rays. You return three hours later to a hot, steaming CD – blow that steam off and pop it back in. The sounds have warped and twisted into a contorted soundscape of drumbeats, displaced vocals and other eerie dancey crashes and bashes. Continue reading “Zebra Pulse :: Riffin’ on a Nice Groove and Free Form Chaos”
Confident vocal work, deft arrangements, and tasteful restraint mark the sparse debut solo EP from Edmonton musician Amy van Keeken. Continue reading “Amy van Keeken – So Long”
