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Check
out what’s going on
around Winnipeg tonight! |
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Check
out this week’s
online CD reviews by our
music staff |
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Local
Heroes
To round out the year, Uptown serves up the last Local Heroes
instalment for 2005.
This quarter see releases from prodigal bands such as Propagandhi
and Jet Set Satellite but also welcomes debuts from the
likes of Jodie Borlé, The Morning After and The Attics.
There’s even a little chillout music and some rockin’
blues mixed in among the 23 discs. It’s a pretty solid
haul, so dig in.
If you’re a Manitoba musician and you want your disc
reviewed in Uptown, the next roundup of Local Heroes will
run in March. Send your submissions to:
Local Heroes
Uptown
202-63 Albert St.
Winnipeg, Man.
R3B 1G4
Please note: We don’t accept demos. People must be
able to purchase your disc somehow in order for it to be
reviewed. (Offstage and online sales are cool.)
All reviews by John Kendle and Mike Warkentin. |
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18 rabbit
our place in the shadows
(Indie)
D
Website: www.18rabbitrocks.com
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Bearing in on us from
Westman, 18 rabbit is a Brandon power trio that plays straightforward
rock ’n’ roll with prog-rock pretensions. Named
for a Mayan ruler of an ancient Honduran city, this is the
sort of pseudo-serious ‘project’ that wants to
make poignant, oh-so-dramatic observations about modern life
but ends up tripping over its thesaurus in a rush to be ‘Meaningful.’
Lines such as “Gone away my primeval clay was bleeding”
may be ‘poetic’ to some, but they’ll leave
most listeners (including this one) simply wondering ‘What
the fuck?’ The cause isn’t helped by life-sapping
production that makes guitarist Luke Mitchell sound as if
his amp is functioning on half-power and a mix which places
far too much emphasis on cheesy, Saga-style keyboards. Back
to the drawing board, I’d say. — JK |
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Karla Adolphe
Come Home
(Indie)
B+
Website: www.karlaadolphe.com
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Remember this name,
for it won’t be long before Karla Adolphe will be
mentioned in the same breath as others such as MacLachlan,
Arden and DiFranco. Springing from the same coffeehouse/Mennonite/faith-music
scene that has spawned many talented performers in recent
years, Adolphe rises above the rest on the strength of both
her beautiful, emotive voice and its application on nine
simple, aching songs. With arrangements that alternate between
stark piano, warm acoustic guitar and dynamic, full-band
treatments, Adolphe becomes an artist whose dramatic sensibilities
may come to rival those of Jeff Buckley. When she gets a
few more years of living under her belt and taps into that
experience in her songs, Karla Adolphe will be a major force.
— JK |
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The
Afterbeat
Personals
(Bacteria Buffet)
C+
Website: www.theafterbeat.com
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North American ska
can be fairly twee if it doesn’t have some sort of edge
or doesn’t incorporate another style or sound. Winnipeg’s
The Afterbeat are ska traditionalists and so must look inward
for their edge — but they just don’t have one.
On this, the band’s first full-length recording, they
offer up 13 songs of polite, true-to-form ska pop focused
mostly (as the title suggests) on love, its foibles and its
joys. Everything here is played well, and the production of
Greg Crowe is seamlessly professional, but these songs just
cry out for something to separate them from the pack of ska-formity
— a raw vocal, an arresting lyric, even a freaking guitar
solo. Hell, one distorted chord would do. On this recording,
the six-piece group has yet to develop that kind of personality,
although Jessica Brown should be encouraged to handle more
of the lead vocal duties. — JK |
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The Attics
Once a World
(Indie)
B-
Website: www.theatticsmusic.com
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This debut from The
Attics sees the band finding its sound and creating a solid
album of melodic pop-rock. The influences are European bands
for the most part (U2, Coldplay and Radiohead spring to mind),
but a touch of Canadian indie rock colours the mix on Once
a World. Room for growth exists (Turn [our hearts around]
is a great track that could end about 30 seconds sooner),
but The Attics are definitely moving in the right direction.
A few great moments can be found here, as on End of the Day,
and more will come. The weakest aspects are found in the high
vocal parts of Closing of the Mill and the earnest sections
of Labour of Love. The voices of Rob Mitchell and Rene Campbell
sound like they’re stretching just a bit, and a sweeter
delivery would add a truly ethereal presence to the tracks.
That’s a minor criticism of an effort the quartet should
be proud of. — MW |
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Jodie Borlé
and then I did…
(Indie)
B
Website: www.jodieborlé.com
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Jodie Borlé
comes at the world preferring songs from the pop canon to
taking yet another stab at a classic. She does so expressively,
injecting her sweet alto into songs from several local writers
as well as Squeeze’s Tempted, Blue Rodeo’s Hasn’t
Hit Me Yet, Tom Waits’ San Diego Serenade and Natalie
Merchant’s San Andreas Fault. Borlé handles Waits
and Merchant well, but the familiarity of the other two cuts
may work against her despite the swinging, funky arrangement
of Tempted. None of these is this 10-tracker’s best
song, though. That honour falls jointly to album-opener Round
and Angel, songs by producer Mark Reeves. The album’s
best moments come when Borlé finds the room and freedom
to make full use of her abilities — soaring with the
melodies and lapsing into free-form scatting, which doesn’t
happen often enough. Having just won $75K from Cool FM to
launch her career, Borlé should be able to open many
doors with this as her calling card. For more on Jodie Borlé
see our cover story on page 5. — JK |
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Castrati
Everything You Know Is Wrong
(Indie)
A
Website: www.castrati.ca
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Castrati is another
band under the tutelage of Harlequin guitarist Glen Willows.
The quartet plays a jangly blend of pop-rock/retro rock (think
of The Trews, Weezer, The Waking Eyes or maybe Sloan), and
these guys can craft a truly catchy gem at times. Album-opening
cuts Smart Car and Oh No! are the best songs here as they
really let the guys build to a climax and completely rock.
Other tunes, such as Plastic Actors, incorporate harmonies
and a basement-jam-space vibe that works well. This is straight-ahead,
rockin’ debut, and it’s done with a reckless abandon
that should serve the band well in a live setting. Castrati
proves you don’t need nuts to rock out. — MW |
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Crosley
Equal in Dust
(Indie)
C
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Crosley’s
fifth release is just about as offensive as his first one,
2004’s Greatest Hits. It’s ass-backwards to
call your first release “Greatest Hits,” but
Crosley doesn’t seem at all concerned with convention.
He’s more interested in writing rock songs about taking
a dump in your toilet tank (Upper Tanker) or comparing the
Catholic church to a bunch of fascists (Nazi Catholic Church).
Then there’s that song about all the dirty things
Rick Allen’s severed arm does to Keith Moon in hell.
This is musical satire at its most extreme, and not everyone
is going to find it funny. In fact, most won’t. Even
this open-minded liberal cringed at a few things on Big
Fun. That said, 2 Live Crew did sell a lot of records back
in the day, and Andrew Dice Clay was once a big deal. —
MW
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Grant Davidson
Freestyle Walking
(Indie)
C
Website: www.grant-davidson.com
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He wears flip-flops
and boasts a full beard on his album cover, so it’s
no surprise that Davidson is an earnest folksinger with acoustic
guitar. So how does he rise above the fabulous furry stereotype?
Most times he doesn’t, but this 24-year-old, well-travelled
Winnipegger shows promise in places on his 15-track debut
recording. With a voice that can recall Cobain at his MTV
Unplugged best, Davidson obviously has the chops to impress.
What he needs now is material. A solo acoustic album has to
rely on lyrics and melody for much of its dynamics, and Davidson
has yet to compress these elements into single songs on a
consistent basis. The emotional thrall at the end of Not Forgotten
is a nice touch, and you can almost imagine him standing up
to hit the crescendo, but these moments are few and far between.
At this point in his development, less is probably more, and
he should spend some time trying to recreate the vibe of his
two most effective songs — openers Breaking Free and
The Sound the Rain Makes When It Falls. All the rest just
blends together rather blandly. — JK |
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Dear Screaming
When Water and Wires Collide
(Indie)
B+
Website: www.dearscreaming.com
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This five-song EP
was released in spring but didn’t find its way to Uptown
until late in 2005. That’s a shame, because When Water
and Wires Collide is a clever little piece of melodic rock.
Aspects of Radiohead find their way into this project, particularly
in the dreamy atmosphere of songs such as Never Rose, and
the total package is a surging, pulsing affair. This quintet
knows how to build a song, which is surprising for a young
band. Most of these tunes take you on a journey and reach
powerful conclusions. I’m impressed, and I’m looking
forward to a full-length that is being promised for 2006.
Catch them Dec. 9 at the Collective Cabaret. — MW |
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Luke Doucet
Broken (and other rogue states)
(Six Shooter Records)
A
Website: www.lukedoucet.com
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Much has been made
of this being a breakup album, but Broken is not an unmitigated
wallow in the phases of grief. Yes, there are several tunes
documenting the disintegration of a relationship, but the
charm that keeps this record from becoming a claustrophobic
exercise is Doucet’s well-crafted lyrics, which are
sarcastic and sufficiently distanced enough from the grief
to hint at hope amid the pain. This is the case even on a
spare, acoustic lament called Wallow, in which our hero lies
amid empty bottles and broken records and sardonically contemplates
sending his ex pictures of better days. A couple of songs
later, he firmly declares his need to feel again on One Too
Many. So this isn’t so much a document of immediate
pain as it is a reflection on survival. The dour theme is
also offset by his breezy way with a melody — the
songs here are mostly gentle, mid-tempo roots rock, loping
along with the infectious distortion of Luke’s hollow-bodied
Gretsch. Far from being a downer, Broken is the excellent
album Luke has been threatening to make for a decade. —
JK |
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Dr. Rage and the Uppercuts
Hittin’ Wood and Diamond Hard
(Absurd Machine Records)
B+
Website: drrage.com
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The doctor says this
debut disc may result in a racing heart and the occasional
hard-on. This patient didn’t pitch a tent as such, but
Hittin’ Wood and Diamond Hard does prove that blues-rock
is alive and well in Manitoba. The 13 songs prescribed by
the angry doctor were mostly recorded live of the floor to
capture the band’s in-person groove, and this album
suggests that catching the quartet at The Windsor Hotel on
Dec. 13 wouldn’t be a bad idea. The arrangements here
reveal the experience of the band members because the guys
are confident enough not to flood the sounds but rather let
uncluttered tracks speak for themselves. Dr. Rage might be
encouraged to get even angrier on some tracks, such as Hey
Yeah. A few cuts here are just too laid-back for a band whose
album cover features a bleeding hand playing a guitar. —
MW |
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Eagle & Hawk
Life Is...
(Rising Sun Productions)
B
Website: eagleandhawk.com
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This eight-song outing
from Juno Award-winning Eagle & Hawk comes on the heels
of 2004’s Indian Summer single. The songs on Life Is...
make for an eclectic and ambitious mix, from the almost electronic
sounds of Wild West Show to the melodic rock of The Way to
the aboriginal chanting of opener Dance and closer Circles.
Does it work? Sort of. The aboriginal elements are present
throughout, but the stark changes from genre to genre are
a little jarring at times. That said, it’s nice to see
a band with a reputation for rocking trying its hand at something
new. E&H could do pretty well by branching out and maybe
even creating a new genre — aboriginal prog rock. —
MW |
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Jet Set Satellite
Vegas
(Indie/Fusion 3)
B
Website: www.jetsetsatellite.com
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Five years ago Jet
Set broke onto the scene with the album Blueprint and the
song Best Way to Die. Then came the crash as a result of label
problems and... well, it’s the same old story. Now Trevor
Tuminski and co. are back with Vegas, an indie disc that doesn’t
look or feel like an indie disc. It seems the boys learned
how to craft a solid album during their time with Nettwerk,
and it shows here. The CD is sleek and slick, with matching
production courtesy of local knob twiddler Brandon Friesen.
The music is along the same lines as the songs on Blueprint,
but Vegas is darker and a little bit grimmer. A few of the
12 tracks are a bit overwrought at times, but songs such as
the title cut and Among the Living are solid groovers that
showcase Tuminski’s raspy delivery and the riffing of
Dave (Bulldog) Swiecicki. Welcome back, guys. — MW |
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Lampshade
Modern Behavior
(Vinyl Republik)
B+
Website: www.vinylrepublik.com
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A pianist who has
studied jazz at McGill, Winnipegger Paul Shrofel is also a
skilled sampler, mixer and composer and has blended all his
talents into this wonderfully warm collection of essential
chillout tracks. Though he hasn’t overloaded the BPM
machine with these tracks, Shrofel is infinitely aware of
rhythm and metre here, giving each track a distinctive, head-nodding
groove that’ll have your foot tapping before you even
notice. Add the fact that he realizes electronic music can
also benefit from catchy, keyboard-driven melodies and you’ve
got a savvy cat whose music will perfectly accentuate your
next dinner party or cocktail gathering — any get-together
at which a premium is placed on conversation. You won’t
look a fool if you put on this Lampshade. — JK |
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The Morning After
I Do My Own Stunts
(Indie)
A
Website: www.themorningafter.ca
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Oh man. Get ready
for this one, people, because The Morning After is going to
blow you away with a 10-song, 34-minute blast of straight-forward
rock ’n’ roll that will hit you so hard it’ll
flatten your faux-hawk, straighten your flares and scrub the
trendy tribal tattoos right off your skin. Yes, this album
is that good — a no-frills, classic-rock-rooted record
from a five-piece which, like The Hold Steady and Marah, is
sounding a resounding call to arms to those who simply refuse
to let rock ’n’ roll die without a fight. What’s
the secret? Nothing other than tight playing; beautifully
raw, live production values and a fabulous singer/songwriter
in the form of Jean-Guy Roy, a stumblebum-looking dude whose
wailing voice is the essence of primal-scream passion. Picking
a fave tune from this 10-pack is a difficult task, but for
contrast’s sake, why not try the rave-up Not Your Fault
or the remarkably bittersweet, midtempo love/hate song Declaration
of Codependence? — JK |
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Old Seed
When You Laugh the World Laughs With You When You Cry You Cry Alone
(Sysiphus Records)
A
Website: oldseed.ca
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Former Vagiant Craig
(Old Seed) Bjerring checks in with a follow-up to last year’s
Old Seed. John Kendle hesitated to liken yet another folk/root/alt-rock
troubadour to Neil Young when he reviewed that disc, but the
comparison is proven accurate on When You Laugh... Bjerring’s
voice just has that warbling-falsetto quality to it, and his
lyrics and style are highlighted by the mostly acoustic arrangements
on this effort. Everything here — but especially tracks
such as Infinitely — is fragile and thoughtful, contemplative
and mourful. Old Seed continues to write clever and revealing
lyrics, as on the title track and album opener Evil Eye, and
the result is a disc that conjures images of grey, rainy nights
spent alone in coffee shops. — MW |
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Park-Like Setting
Craftsmen
(Peanuts & Corn)
B+
Website: www.peanutsandcorn.com
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Here in the ’Peg
we sit on one of the most prolific and proficient scenes anywhere.
On this latest serving from the crew, MCs John Smith (he’s
the deeper-voiced one) and Yy team up with label-head and
producer extraordinaire McEnroe as PLS and prove they are
indeed masters of their chosen craft. Smith is the ultimate
social observer, a guy who makes statements, not comments,
while Yy is the clever rhymester of the duo, a motor-mouthed
word-spitter who rarely wastes a vowel or consonant. McEnroe,
as ever, blends a magic bag of tricks that avoids all bombast,
rides the beats and urges these lyrics on. It’s solid-state
stuff from a so-solid crew. — JK |
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The Perms
Better Days
(Hugtight Records)
B
Website: www.theperms.ca
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You’ll need
a stick of bubble gum to listen to this release from Uptown’s
Oct. 27 coverboys. Playing a rich blend of pop and rock, The
Perms specialize in sweet melodies and a full retro sound.
Songs such as Bring You Down and Let’s Not Fight are
characterized by layers of bouncy instrumentation, with horn
punches adding a little flair to the proceedings. Vocal harmonies
abound throughout Better Days, and the result is a sugary
serving of good-time music. It’s almost enough to make
you roller-skate to the drive-in to get a cherry Coke. If
this album lacks anything, it’s lyrics. The words are
simply window dressing for the music and don’t show
a whole lot of depth. That’s not to say pop music has
to be serious and deep — some of the best pop songs
ever are dumber than a sack of hammers — but adding
a little more lyrical creativity would complete the Perms
package. — MW |
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Propagandhi
Potemkin City Limits
(G7 Welcoming Committee)
A
Website: www.propagandhi.ca
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“Anger is an
energy,” John Lydon once sang. And old JR knew a thing
or two about galvanizing shiftless youth. Nearly 30 years
on, Winnipeg punks Propagandhi also know that well-focused
anger is perhaps the only means of expression that can be
heard above the incessant noise pollution of pop culture commerce.
Though its been five years since the Winnipeg power trio scorched
the earth with Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes,
the new album from singer/guitarist Chris Hannah, singer/bassist
Todd Kowalski and drummer Jord Samolesky blisters eardrums
with visceral ferocity. This is the real deal — an album
that forcefully and purposefully strips away facades and gets
to the heart of human struggle in a for-profit world. Songwriters
Hannah and Kowalski pull no punches, offering withering assessments
of dumbass Canadian nationalism (A Speculative Fiction), music
for profit and glory (Fedallah’s Hearse, Rock for Sustainable
Capitalism), cultural imperialism (Bringer of Greater Things)
and the oppressive knowledge that history always repeats (Fixed
Frequencies). The music to which these themes are set is powerfully
produced, artfully played and captures a band at the height
of its ability to articulate its rage, power and evermore-nuanced
abilities. While the initial effect of PCL is that of an aural
blitzkrieg, it’s a juggernaut spiked with dozens of
humorous asides, thoughtful puns and brittle put-downs, all
set to the sound of three men playing for their lives. Again
and again, these 12 songs ask if this “is all there
is?” as if there’s got be more to this life —
or at least another way to live it. — JK |
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The Reception
Does It Keep You Awake?
(Indie)
B
Website: www.thereceptionwillfollow.com
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The Reception’s
debut full-length shows that this four-piece emo outfit has
the chops to create a polished sound. Comeback Kid producer
John Paul Peters helps with that, but the tracks on Does It
Keep You Awake are fully realized emo offerings. Don’t
let the emo label scare you completely. This is spiritual
music sung with emotion, and it isn’t angst-ridden whining.
A current of hope runs through this disc without being preachy
or overtly religious. Andrew Hedin, Jon Rash, Nick Mullin
and Jon Peters simply make catchy music that is what it is
— even if ‘emo’ is the best description
available. Keyboard work by Mullin adds something to the mix,
as do the string parts that show up on several tracks. Nice
work, guys. — MW |
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Sinfoni
Close Guantanamo
(Indie)
D
Website: myspace.com/sinfoni
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Sinfoni is the musical
vision of A. Michael D. As the title indicates, this debut
seven-track EP is a concept album designed to raise awareness
of the injustices occurring in the American-run Guantanamo
Prison in Cuba. In getting his message across, Michael D.
uses effects, synths, guitars and beats to create sounds in
the vein of Nine Inch Nails. The problem here is that Sinfoni
just sounds too chaotic and occasionally borders on unlistenable.
Whereas Nine Inch Nails is chaotic and out of control at times,
there is an underlying current of unity in Trent Reznor’s
work. Here we are presented with erratic music and poor vocals
that simply obscure the message of the songs. That said, heartfelt,
socially conscious DIY projects like this are important, and
A. Michael D. should be congratulated for trying to change
the world for the better. — MW |
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Swingsoniq
Love Wild
(Indie)
B+
Website: www.swingsoniq.com
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Greg Leskiw’s
a rare cat — a guy who plays out so infrequently he
often barely registers on the radar. Fortunately for us, the
former Guess Who guitarist, Mood jga jga founder and Kilowatt
leader also makes records. And he’s made a dandy with
this one — a 14-song collection of acoustic jazz and
blues tunes that shows just how deep his affinity is for the
swingin’ sounds of the ’30s and ’40s. While
Greg’s nasally croak won’t win him any awards,
it is the perfect voice for his lovelorn laments and uptempo
variations on ‘le jazz hot.’ In addition to his
own 11 offerings, Leskiw also dares to cover classics such
as Stardust, Our Day Will Come and It Don’t Mean a Thing
(If it Ain’t Got that Swing). As ever, his playing on
these songs is tasty, refined and all his own — a way
of showing that he does indeed inhabit and live this music.
In fact, the album is so fully realized that it’s hard
to believe it was recorded in Leskiw’s St. Norbert kitchen.
—JK |
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Various Artists
Northern Faction 3
(Balanced Records)
B+
Website: www.balanced-records.com
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Northern Faction 3
finds urban music meeting jazz. The result is 15 tracks of
electro soul that will sex-ify any holiday gathering. Even
though artists such as Ottawa’s Rise Ashen and Vancouver’s
Gavin Froome are featured on NF3, the disc still features
several locals and was put out by Winnipeg Balanced Records
label. Andrew Yankiwski, DJ Brace and Fascade@137db all throw
in tracks, with the strongest local offering being Yankiwski’s
Departures, which features ethereal vocals by Sherry St. Germain.
Brace’s contribution, Shades of Red, should also be
mentioned for it’s subtle build and seamless mix. Noteworthies
such as Kaskade and Pete Samples also check in, making this
a nice little gift idea for any electronic music fan on your
list. — MW |
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