Music
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A home invasion most civilized
Who would have thought an idea developed in order to thwart the McCarthy era’s blacklisting of artists declared to have communist leanings would emerge as one of Winnipeg’s latest forays into the arts?
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Aren’t they darling?
Singing murder ballads and songs about chickens at various cafés and pubs is how Winnipeg’s blue-grass sweethearts, Oh My Darling, are redefining the way Canadians think of old-time country music.
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Sometimes quicker is better
Plenty of musicians from Winnipeg’s roots community have made their way to Texas to perform and record. Hell, Twilight Hotel is moving there.
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Not a solo project
Although Laura Smith’s band is her namesake, she makes it clear her work is not a solo project.
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Keeping up their end of the deal
“It’s a pretty captivating piece of rock.” Sights & Sounds bass player Matt Howes is talking about the gargoyle-esque Indonesian statue pictured on the cover of Monolith, the band’s first full-length CD, but he might as well be describing the music itself.
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Noise display: the artistry of sound
Our days are perpetually scored by noise. This reality is one we are so accustomed to, we only take notice of the ubiquity of sound when it becomes ear-splitting or so negligible that we are forced to hear every solitary note, such as the metronome-like drip of a leaky tap.
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West End relaunches following renos
In the wake of its recent $4 million facelift, the West End Cultural Centre is set to relaunch May 25. But although many a Winnipegger is thrilled to have the iconic music venue open once again, one has to wonder what will happen to the smaller venues that picked up the slack while the WECC’s renos dragged on.
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A great place to be a musician
Whether it’s indie rock, pop, hip-hop or raging hardcore, Winnipeg musicians have seen a surprising amount of commercial success for a city of only 700,000 people.
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City of potential
Winnipeg’s The Weakerthans may be busy playing sold-out venues all over Canada, in some cases having to add more shows to meet the high demand for tickets, but that doesn’t mean they’ve lost touch with their hometown.
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Brothers from another mother
Forget about The Jonas Brothers’ July appearance at the MTS Centre, there’s only one set of musical siblings Winnipeggers should care about – The Other Brothers.
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Avoiding Ukrainian cops
In the 1996 novel Fight Club, an anonymous protagonist escapes the monotony of a nine to five job by bare-knuckle fighting other men.
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A ridiculous, goofy time
Whether breaking toilets in recording studios, being hassled by Czech Republic border guards or playing shows in a rat-infested squat house in the deep south, Under Pressure have always maintained an obsessive work ethic and genuine passion for hardcore punk rock.
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Music for nothing and the hits for free
Remember when we all thought Radiohead had the shittiest business model ever when they decided to sell In Rainbows for, well, whatever you were willing to pay for it? Proving a good many people wrong, In Rainbows was surprisingly successful and profitable.
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Caught in a mosh
Ten years ago, there were maybe seven metal bands in Winnipeg, and there were only two big metal shows a year, where a crowd of 30 would be a blessing. In 2001, Cory Thomas and Chris Leskiw wanted to change that.
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Awesome experiments
While finishing up their debut EP in the summer of 2008, local rock four-piece Crosstown Rivals were feeling less than confident.
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Youth of the nation
Winnipeg musicians talk of forming bands because there’s nothing else to do in the city during the winter, but in Wasagamack, Manitoba, there’s really nothing to do.
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The banger’s embrace
With the release of Propagandhi’s new record, Supporting Caste, and their impending CD release concerts, I can’t help but mirror singer-guitarist Chris Hannah’s sentiment on The Banger’s Embrace, the 11th track on the new disc: “We were fucking stoked unlike we’d been since we were pimpled, pubeless teens.”
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Heart and soul
This is not a tribute to GroundSwell, although it should be for bringing the Penderecki String Quartet to Winnipeg.
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The reluctant piano man
Armenian-Canadian pianist Serouj Kradjian is a lot like most people who play the piano – he didn’t like it at first.
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Local band makes a dent in the American market
For Canadian bands, charting on American radio and having their music appear on television shows are but mere fantasies right next to private jets and gold plated Jacuzzis. For Winnipeg’s Tele, cracking the American market is becoming a reality – but their journey hasn’t been easy.