Winnipeg music & culture since 1989
by Maggie A. Clark
Clicking around on Bandcamp again, I stumbled upon a local indie-rock outfit known as Witch Hazel. Now, maybe I should have heard of them by now; I am, after all, a writer for Stylus Magazine. But what you might not know about me is that I am a lousy, no-good dilettante, so it takes me a while to catch on to small details like “what bands exist in Winnipeg in 2025.”
Continue reading “EP Review :: WITCH HAZEL :: CASA ROSSO”
by Daniel Kussy
Built out of the ashes of Abbotsford post-punk quartet Blessed comes Ritchot Textiles, the latest project from longtime collaborators Drew Riekman, Mitchell Trainor and Reuben Houweling. Their first release as a group, i is born out of love for droning synthesizers and loaded sequencers, all while crafting a minimalist yet rich pairing of industrial electronic and krautrock. It’s not at all surprising to know that it was created entirely using only analogue equipment.
Continue reading “EP Review:: Ritchot Textiles :: i”
By Mykhailo Vil’yamson
It’s not unprecedented for an artist to put out material that moves from heavy to significantly more sedated – take, for instance, Dallas Green’s mid-to-post-Alexisonfire solo project City and Colour (or alternatively, the conventional yet banal trend of most musicians to progressively mellow over the years). However, it’s refreshing to hear a move in the entirely opposite direction in what is the debut EP by Long Fall, which is the brand-new punk outfit that’s fronted by none other than Nic Dyson.
Continue reading “EP Review :: Long Fall :: Self-Titled”
By Mykhailo Vil’yamson
Ever wonder what you would get if you folded a piece of paper twice and then cut the creased lines? Me neither. But maybe I’ll do it sometime and make a pamphlet from those four double-sided pages about how much I dig Fold Paper’s debut EP 4TO. Until then, you’ll have to settle for what’s written here.
Continue reading “EP Review :: Fold Paper :: 4TO”
by maggie astrid clark
Aside from my partner and a handful of friends with impeccable taste, one of my go-to sources for locating new music is Cam Scott’s UMFM program “Radio State.” In March, this was how I first encountered the ambient drone stylings of Hazel Fog. After some digging—which is what I like to call “doing a cursory Google search”—I found that they’d released a self-titled two-song EP on Bandcamp on February 6, 2024, uploaded to the page of local label Makade Star. I’m always on the lookout for things obscure, mysterious, dissonant, and unsettling, so I was hooked immediately.
Continue reading “EP Review :: Hazel Fog :: Hazel Fog”
By Mykhailo Vil’yamson
It’s not often that one is privileged to hear demo recordings as a band’s first release, as so much of the “music industry” remains built on making public only the most curated versions of an artist’s material. But there’s something alluring about being able to hear the earliest incarnation of a group – before the stratification, calcifying and polishing of fully-produced albums. It’s reminiscent of bygone days when musician friends would share cassettes with each other of the latest songs they wrote, asking: “What do you think of this?” As for this collection, I’d say: “Sounds bloody brilliant! Can’t wait to hear what’s next.”
Continue reading “EP Review :: Prairie :: Prairie (demos)”
by Nischal Karki
What is better than immersing yourself in raw, indie, and emotive vocals? Yes, the Prairie Joggers bring a fresh vibe to the music scene. Their new EP, Going Nowhere, released on June 9, 2023, is different from what I usually hear. Each of the songs on this album feels like a journey through moods and emotions.
Continue reading “EP Review :: Prairie Joggers :: Going Nowhere”
by Paul Newsom
Foxwell’s Just So EP is equal parts wacky and soulful, alien and human. The Winnipeg group are masters of orchestration, from stirring strings through mysterious feedback. Every hi-hat trill, every chiming synth, rings out clearly and deeply through a voluminous four-song setlist.
Continue reading “Ep Review :: Foxwell :: Just So “
by Bradi Breckman
Local alt-rock band Merin released their third EP this past August, and I had the pleasure of giving it a thorough listen. Full of pop-culture references and galactic metaphors, this album is the soundtrack to an epic space adventure — even referencing the classic sci-fi film Dune in the opening track, “Fear is the Mind Killer, Nerd.”
Continue reading “EP Review :: Merin :: Merin – EP”
by Mykhailo Vil’yamson
There is an Anishinaabe story about the Aandeg (a.k.a. the Crow), who is said to have once been without purpose, but who uncovered their raison d’être by helping others. In this way, crows are seen as exemplars of finding meaning through the process of continually seeking, deliberately pushing forward, and tenaciously not giving up; this bird is also suitably regarded as a welcome travelling companion. Perhaps there is soul resonance here between the flyer and frontperson of the band Status/Non-Status – community worker Adam Sturgeon – whose latest album, Surely Travel and its companion EP/B-Sides January 3rd, dive headlong into such themes. After all, most songs from this project deal with life on the road in the contrived nation of “Canada” and one’s distance from feeling at “home.”
Continue reading “Album Review :: Status/Non-Status :: Surely Travel & January 3rd”