APRA-cadabra! Calgary Recording Company is tracking magic

Calgary Recording Company:
Local studio loaded with expertise, great analog & digital gear
ready to rock!!! 

13 December 2017By Christine Leonard 

A hidden entrance, a secret knock, a whispered password. These are the trademarks of a prohibition-era speakeasy, but for audio engineers Ian Dillon and Jason Tawkin the concept of firing up a hard-to-find but worth-the-time recording studio is exactly the kind of underground operation they’ve been searching for. But make no mistake, this is no bootleg operation.  

“I’ve been working in recording studios for a long time, says co-operator Ian Dillon, who first met his business partner, Tawkin, when the two were both students at the Academy of Production and Recording Arts (APRA). “I started helping out at a family-run studio in Edmonton (Blue Room) as a teenager. My career has taken me around the world and established strong relationships within the music community both locally and abroad.”  

“When we finished those courses we went our separate ways,” explains Tawkin, who has worked with collections at the National Music Centre. “I started a studio in a slaughterhouse with another local engineer, Marcello Castronuovo, and Ian started his own studio Electric Park Studios. Years later we would meet again while helping a local vinyl pressing start-up get off the ground.” 

Having amassed a ton of high-end audio gear between them, Dillon and Tawkin came to the inevitable conclusion that they had best establish their own domain and set up a recording studio to beat the band – no pun intended.  

“It’s a collaboration of equipment and experience between myself and Jason,” Dillon affirms. “We’ve been collecting equipment and working in the music scene for many years, and when we had the opportunity to use a very unique space in the city, at a former vinyl record pressing factory, we took it. Since a lot of our recording equipment comes from a variety of now-defunct Calgary-based studios, we thought it would be fitting to honour the city’s vibrant music history with the name Calgary Recording Company.” 

“We have 50 years of recording technology that we can pull from in our toolbox of lovingly maintained equipment,” adds Tawkin. “Plus, we have enough room to record a band live off the floor, which we feel is the best approach when making a record. The results are fantastic because you’re capturing the magic of a moment.”

Veterans at directing studio sessions they have immortalized the creative essence of Goyte, Randy Bachman, Luke Doucet  Bloated Pig, Cowpuncher, Throne Of Vengeance, No More Moments, Citizen Rage, Oh Shit, The Electric Revival (Dillon’s own band) and Sean McCann, just to name a few. Dillon and Tawkin have also mastered and cut vinyl lacquers for big names such as The Misfits, Diana Krall, Muddy Waters, Oscar Peterson, Lightnin’ Hopkins, 54-40 and the Juno Awards. Calgary Recording Company also functions to provide a full range of digitization, restoration and preservation services. Through trial and error, the enterprising technicians have come to gain an understanding and mastery of those key elements that go into a successful studio project.  

“In the ever-growing world of basement studios and hobby engineers, we offer a refreshing spin to the project studio format,” says Dillion. “Our goal is to offer professional audio production services at reasonable rates, in a comfortable environment, using a wide assortment of technologies. One thing that sets us apart from the average project studio is our ability to record analog to tape directly, without the use of computers, for the entire project. We also have our analog system integrated with Pro Tools HD to get the best of both the analog and digital recording mediums. Our shop is designed to offer each client the appropriate methods required for them to achieve their artistic vision.”  

An exemplary blues-rock vocalist/guitarist in his own right, studio door-keeper Dillon knows firsthand the challenges and triumphs that come with the territory. Aiming to work hand-in-hand with their clientele, the minds behind CRC have tapped into a large network of artists, manufacturers, bookers, promoters, venues and promotional services to ensure that each release reaches its true potential.  

“Calgary has a great music scene with the infrastructure to properly support it,” Dillon concurs. “Talented artists, great locales and established music festivals call Calgary home. We are looking forward to playing our role in this very diverse and talented community.”

Turning their eyes and tuning their ears to the prohibitively long and dark nights of a frigid Canadian winter, Dillon and Tawkin are encouraging bands to consider a well-timed retreat to their studio sanctuary in preparation for a busy summer touring season. Pocket flasks of bathtub gin are, of course, entirely optional.

“It’s a great time to focus on your music and prepare for the year ahead,” A sage Dillon advises. “Winter touring can be difficult in Canada. The short days and cold weather are perfect for warming up to a nice analog recording console and getting lost in your art. With proper planning and execution, you can prepare new material now to take on the road in the warmer months.”

CALGARY RECORDING STUDIO is now open for business! 

CRC
4080 23 St NE, Calgary, AB
(587) 888-5453
Always Open

Free Fire: Best Films of the 2017 Calgary Underground Film Festival

Free Fire: 2017 CUFF Film Preview

10 December 2017
By Christine Leonard

 

Free Fire  

Although technically a 2016 release, this shoot-’em-up anchored the Calgary Underground Film Festival back in April of 2017. Once again extended the privilege of DJing live at the front of the theatre while the audience settled in, I hauled out a crate of cowbell-festooned power rock to compliment the film’s 1978 context. There, I was unexpectedly accompanied by a nimble-fingered VJ with a multitude of graphic samples at his disposal. And, so we wove an audio-visual tall tale that summited buxom mountain ranges and snaked through Technicolor bayous like a psychedelic locomotive. 

Finally winding down for the introduction of ballistic main feature we synchronously concluded our preshow sensory collage with Chambers Brothers’ “Time Has Come Today,” as giant ticking clocks crumbled in slow motion on the screen behind us. Sufficiently mollified, the audience turned their aspects and eyes to the backstabbing antics of three of the best-looking people to ever sport corduroy bell-bottoms and polyester disco collars; Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy and Armie Hammer. The hail of bullets and profanity that followed was all too familiar to those anyone who’s ever binged on SOA. Another IRA arms deal gone awry? I got this. 

(CL) 

Hawksley Workman launches into Almost a Full Moon Tour

Hawksley Workman:
Canadiana… deep in the snow, under the moonlight glow 

01 December 2017 By Christine Leonard

“Brain freeze. Rock and roll poet outsmarts Old Man Winter.”

The coldest time of the year always brings a glow to Canadian singer-songwriter Hawksley Workman’s cheeks. Donning his best woolens and dashing into the great outdoors with all the zeal of an eight-year-old brandishing a new GT Snowracer, Workman relishes the extremes in temperature and temperament that typify the holiday season. His poetic prescription for beating the short day blues? A modern Christmas cabaret featuring a hearty dose of Canadiana.  

BeatRoute: It’s been 16 years since your album “Almost a Full Moon” was released. How has your relationship with the material on this album evolved over time? Have the songs taken on new significance for you? 

Hawksley Workman: Sixteen years ago my grandma Hawksley was still alive. I wrote this record to let her know how important she was and to celebrate the rituals and excitement she brought to the season. Sixteen years on, her ghost is always around me, and those songs are like a time capsule. So, these songs have locked in a nostalgia, not just for my childhood remembrances, but for the wide-eyed kid from rural Ontario who was on the cusp of a moment of fame. “3 Generations” and “Merry Christmas (I love you)” still make me cry to play them. 

BR:  There’s a lovely illustrated children’s book to accompany the track “Almost a Full Moon.” How did that come to fruition?  

HW: The “Almost a Full Moon” picture book came to be after I was asked by somebody at Random House if I’d be interested in putting my stage ramblings into book form. I reasoned that it’d be nearly impossible to sit and write what comes out of me on stage because the context would feel so different. I suggested the children’s book idea and they thought it was great, so we went with it. 

BR: How do you get through the long, dark, cold winter months? 

HW: I feel like I’ve lost touch with hobbies, but certainly not distractions… there’s more of them now than ever. I ski and snowshoe. I’m getting ready to not see winter this year. To not care of its robbing me of mobility. To roam the streets unfettered. To not even notice it, except deliberate moments to notice its beauty. I will outsmart it this year, as I’ve attempted to do so many times. I will think myself into a warm, forgiving bubble while the Montreal winter rages. 

BR: Do you keep any special Yuletide traditions of your own?  

HW: Winter is beautiful. Winter is a test. Winter lets you hunker down in the candlelight without the guilt or thought of engagement. Winter is an ache. My tradition is to rise at 4:30am and retire early too. To see through the steam rising off the teacup.  

BR:  Tell us about the style of performance you have planned for this tour.
HW: I’ll have a brand new piano genius with me for this tour. His name is Leith Fleming Smith, and he’s from Halifax. It’ll be the two of us playing. I’ll be playing an old Martin guitar that used to be on the Don Messer Show. Leith will play trumpet. I might play harmonica or recorder. Mostly gently, but spirited too. With the Almost A Full Moon Tour, we do the record in full plus other sad/happy songs about weather and family.  

BR: What kind of atmosphere do you like to create during your holiday performances? What can people expect when they come to experience Almost a Full Moon live in concert?  

HW: At this time of year we feel the envelope closing. We feel the light of the days slipping away. We write a contract with ourselves to honour the dark. It’s a beautiful time to gather and sing. Our hearts are readying themselves for it. Winter is when you sit and repair, darn the socks, count the seeds. You let the darkness conceal your dreaming. You want to feel the fire’s glow. Communities gather to remind themselves they can’t get through alone, and that they’ll all be needed to survive till the thaw. 

BR: And, finally, what does Hawksley Workman want for Christmas and what is up in 2018?  

HW: I’d like to feel less dissatisfied.  

 Hawksley Workman will be bringing the Almost a Full Moon Tour across the country, playing Dec. 7 & 8 at Theatre Junction Grand (Calgary), Dec. 9 at The Exchange (Regina) and Dec. 10 & 11 at the Emmanuel Anglican Church (Saskatoon).

“Brahs Go Erin.” on new surf n turf film The Crest

The Crest: Surfers Dudes Get Into the Mystic  

10 November 2017By Christine Leonard 

“Brahs Go Erin.”

You don’t have to be R.L. Gates to take an interest in genealogy. In fact, looking up one’s distant ancestors has become one of the fastest-growing hobbies around the world. Of course, everyone who embarks on such an archival investigation must hold out some hope that they are related to some historical figure of import, say a pharaoh or at least an everyman hero. More often than not a rummage through the family tree will reveal a tale of syphilis and slavery, or at best industrious middle-classness. It may then seem odd that two young men from different parts of the United States should find themselves united in a search for their common genetic past. 

Enter golden-haired, Cape Cod surfer-dude, Andrew Jacob. Yeah, he says Jacob just like you’d think. Soaked. But actually, he seems to be a really amicable and down-to-earth kinda guy with a knack for creating beautiful graffiti. Andrew catches wind that he has a cousin in Florida who is living a parallel life as a surfer and surfboard designer. A cousin who can also trace his lineage back to the King of The Blasket Islands, the quasi-mythical “An Ri” of the rocky archipelago off Ireland’s south-western coast.  

Drawn together by the discovery of a fiddle left behind by their common ancestor Mike the Fiddler, Jacob and his eastern counterpart, the bedroom-eyed Dennis “DK” Kane, travel to Ireland to rediscover their roots and share their love of hitting the waves. 

As luck would have it their discovery of each other’s existence coincides with The Gathering 2013; a tourism initiative that invited Irish descendants from around the world to, ahem, descend on the Emerald Isle to partake of some 3,000 family reunions and national celebrations. Meeting for the first time, the two immediately set about finding a spot to baptize the surfboards they had toted along just for the occasion in the chilly Atlantic. 

Not just an account of the chain of events that brought the two together, the story at the heart of The Crest is one of heraldic pride mingled with an admiration for how those that went before lived and died by the waters that surrounded them.  

A quaint and mellow-paced documentary, The Crest revolves around Jacob’s contemplative attempt to record the uniqueness of the people around him while seeking a portal of connection to the past. Equipped with an easy to enjoy Celtic music soundtrack that ranges from traditional romantics to punked-up romps, The Crest is more about museum moments than catching the perfect rip-curl. Impeded by the same rough (gnarly) seas that kept their forbearers isolated and pining for the opportunities they knew awaited in America, Jacob and Kane make the most of their time in the Dingle Peninsula by tipping pints with assorted local characters and fellow Kanes who have rallied for the festivities.  

More of a walk down memory lane, or a forage through Granny’s attic, than an azure-tinted surfgasm, The Crest makes the most of pushing into uncertainty by getting hands-on with the details and going back to the basics of storytelling, much in the way of the rugged fisherman-poets of The Blasket Islands.  

The Crest will screen Nov. 17 as part of CUFF Docs at The Globe Cinema with director Mark Covino in attendance.

The Weir sheds the ties that blind with their new EP Detached

The Weir: Defining Gravity 

08 November 2017By Christine Leonard 

There are few things in heaven and earth that have not been dreamt of in The Weir’s philosophy. The Calgary-based doom-metal quartet has been exploring the heavy-dreadful landscape since the manifestation of their debut release, Yesterday’s Graves (Pint-Sized Records), back in 2012. Vast and suspenseful, The Weir’s deadly drone required a modulation of the ballistic tempos that dual guitarist/vocalists Jim Hudson (Breathe Knives, Oxeneer, Snake Mountain) and Sergey Jmourovski (WAKE, Snake Mountain), drummer Mark Schmidt (On Lock) and bassist/vocalist Eddie Dalrymple (Oxeneer, Fuck Off Dad, Deadhorse) had grown velocitized to as members of their respective punk bands.

“We all had a background of playing pretty fast music and when we first started out we were bad at playing slow,” says Jmourovski. “Our first test demo was friggin’ rippin’, so we had ‘SLOW DOWN’ written on Mark’s snare and my volume pedal as a reminder. It became a sort of mantra and over the course of the years it evolved in a general attitude towards the band.”

Recalibrated to a sin-definingly slothful pace, The Weir would dive into the deep end of the sludge-core spectrum with the release of their ominous 2015 LP Calmness of Resolve, released via Sunmask Records. A challenging album for musician and listener alike, the album spawned life-altering moments and discoveries that resulted in significant changes to the band’s makeup and artistic approach.

“Eddie joined half-way through the writing of Calmness of Resolve and contributed a lot to that record,” Jmourovski explains.

“After the CD came out we decided to write something more and he became an integral part of the writing process. So, I feel like there was a transition between that record and whatever was gonna come next. We thought doing a new EP was evidence of logical fucking progress. And a cool step forwards.”

Thus, Dalrymple found himself charged with penning lyrics for The Weir’s forthcoming EP, Detached (Hearing Aids Records), due for release in November of 2017. It was a task he accomplished by distilling his innermost thoughts through a carbon filter of the darkest poetry prior to spilling ink on to page and stage. Exceeding all expectations on Detached’s titanic twin tracks, “Weak With Rage” and “Below The Surface,” The Weir’s bone-chilling lingual oblations bespeak a renewed sense of immediacy and intent.

“My lyrics are about a lot of personal situations but run through a thesaurus. Not to disguise them, but to make them less specific,” Dalrymple elaborates. “There are three singers in the band, so it makes it something that the other guys and the audience can see in their own light and interpret for themselves. It’s a literal representation of larger events, so it becomes fantasy. I try to write about very specific ideas from a non-linear, non-sequitur, non-narrative position.”

Another benefit of flexibility afforded by adding Dalrymple’s tributary parables to their songwriting process is that it has enabled The Weir’s other architects to concentrate on contributing their own brutal algorithms to the communal incantations. A welcome respite for a foursome that is lauded for the intensity of their compelling live performances.

“There have been shows where I’ve been totally fuckin drained and not rejuvenated. Like I left a lot behind. Like you turned yourself inside out. It’s nauseating, but it’s also very satisfying,” Jmourovski deduces.

“That led to a couple of cathartic shows until I was like ‘Fuck, dude! I cannot expose myself like that anymore!’ Because it’s tiring. It’s too much. And then it loses its meaning. And what’s the point of doing something that doesn’t have a meaning to it? And, we can talk about the whole professional band thing; at some point, your purpose is going to inform your art and, no, it shouldn’t work like that!” 

The Weir release their new EP Detached via Hearing Aids Records in November. 

Silverstein holds a mirror up to reality with Dead Reflection

Silverstein:
Through the Looking Glass 

02 November 2017By Christine Leonard 

Named for the scary-looking children’s author who turned words on their ear and penned the lyrics to “A Boy Named Sue,” Burlington, Ontario’s Silverstein has been pumping out post-hardcore tunes since the band’s inception in 2000. By 2002, the upstarts had made enough noise to attract the interest of Victory Records and in 2003 the renowned punk rock label released Silverstein’s first full-length album When Broken Is Easily Fixed. Featuring 10 energetic tracks, including six songs from their early EPs, the introductory LP launched Silverstein into the public eye, ultimately selling 200 000 copies. 

Swept up in a whirlwind of international tours and press engagements, Silverstein enjoyed an upsurge in popularity that carried them through the next decade and saw them produce another half-dozen records. Notable for both their consistency and longevity, Silverstein has become a mainstay of Canada’s emo scene and Warped Tour royalty along the way. A pair of distinctions that lead vocalist Shane Told, rhythm guitarist Josh Bradford, lead guitarist Paul Marc Rousseau, bassist Billy Hamilton and drummer Paul Koehler have accepted with a sense of gratitude and responsibility.  

“It’s always challenging to write another record and with this being our eighth studio album there was even more pressure because we want to honour the long-time fans, but we also want to reach a new audience,” says Koehler.

“I think with this album we did a good job of balancing both of those things. It doesn’t get easier, it’s still a stressful process and we work through it as best as we can. It was a pretty insane beginning of the year; writing and recording it. In the end, we’re really happy with it and I can say it’s probably my favourite record that we’ve put out. And that’s a hard feat after seven previous albums, to be able to top it, but I feel like we did.” 

Rolled out with the singles “Retrograde” and “Ghost,” Silverstein’s latest effort, Dead Reflection, appeared via New Damage Records in Canada in July of 2017. An examination of the tribulations endured by frontman Shane Told, who also performs solo under the moniker River Oaks, the album surveys the group’s darker side but from a more mature perspective than ever before. 

“It’s a little bit about showing what we’re capable of,” Koehler confirms.

“We switched up the personnel for this record, which also resulted in a more modern production sound. It keeps the band feeling current and helps to showcase these songs in the way they were intended to be heard. So, that was the main motivation for it. Lyrically, Shane took a real deeply personal approach with that. Musically, we tried different tunings and tried to punch up the hooks and chorus to be bigger and better than ever and we also wanted the technical aspect to be more complex.” 

Despite being a well-conditioned melodic hardcore entity with a considerable amount of experience under their belts, Silverstein’s in-studio performances still benefit from harsh scrutiny. Their own worst critic, the group’s guitarist Paul Marc Rousseau rose to the rank of producer and assisted noted Toronto engineer/producer Derek Hoffman on polishing Dead Reflection to a mercurial lustre. 

“In the studio, the producer is always the one to say ‘that was good but you can do better.’ You’re pushing your muscles as far as you physically can to create the take in the studio, but when someone says ‘you can do better!’ that’s when you reach inside yourself and realize if there’s one bit of energy left I’m going to push it out and that’s when you get those extraordinary performances,” says Koehler.

“In the moment you can be dripping with sweat, beat-up and exhausted, and you don’t know that you can do better. And sometimes it takes that third party who’s sitting in the control booth to be critical about the performance and interactions. On Dead Reflection we were really pushing the performances. We pushed it further and came out with a better performance.”

Watch Silverstein perform November 9 at The Needle (Edmonton), November 11 at The Rickshaw (Vancouver), November 16 at Marquee (Calgary) and November 17 at The Exchange (Regina).

Heather Rankin: Coastal to the Heart

Put on your red shoes; 

Heather Rankin dances a fine line!

12 October 2017 By Christine Leonard 

There are few surnames in Canadian culture that carry an immediate association with musical tradition like that of Rankin, and as a member of that line of East Coast entertainers, Heather Rankin has accumulated a half-century of unique insights and artistic inspiration. Gracefully applying her manifold talents, the award-winning singer and songwriter has now struck out on her own, simultaneously upholding her family’s multi-platinum country-folk legacy while taking the adult contemporary market by storm. 

“My live show is a combination of the songs I did with my family, my original material that’s on my debut solo release, A Fine Line (2016), and then a smattering of songs written by other people some that are familiar and some that are newer, but traditional. So, it’s a good mix,” Rankin explains.

“I travel with a trio; acoustic guitar, piano and stand-up bass, and we’ve really pared-down the arrangements for the songs that I would have performed with my family.” 

Although she’s certainly no stranger to the perils of a Cape Breton winter, Rankin has plenty of reasons to feel warm and fuzzy about the arrival of that bitter season this year. Reunited with producer/arranger Stephen McKinnon, who produced a handful of tracks on The Rankin Family’s 2008 album These Are the Moments, Heather has been busily crafting her next poetic gift to her fans. 

“I’m on the back end of a second recording,” Rankin divulges.

“They’re holiday songs, but they’re not all Christmas. It’s a very contemplative collection of songs… I think it’s somewhere in the middle of my solo release and what I would have done with my family. I’m really happy with it; I’m proud of the songs and I really feel a peace with the arrangements.” 

New doors continue to open for Rankin as she embraces her role as touring solo artist and elder stateswoman of Canada’s Celtic music heritage. Penning fresh melodies and promoting her performances would seem like more than enough to keep the average person fully occupied, but Rankin somehow finds time to squeeze the distinction of ‘venue owner’ into an already impressive list of accomplishments. And, having headlined at her fair share of establishments over the decades, she’s confident she knows what goes into running a successful show – from both sides of the copper rail.   

“I own the Red Shoe Pub with three of my sisters and this is our 13th season,” Rankin reports.

“It’s a great little old general store that’s been converted to a pub. It’s smack dab in the middle of Inverness in the County of Mabou, where I grew up. And it’s rocking and rollin’ this time of the year. We’re open for five months and it’s just slammed. We feature live music every day and have a fantastic menu and a great staff in our kitchen. It’s got a wonderful vibe there when you go you’re immersed in the kind of music that people of Mabou have experienced for generations. People seem to be flocking there; some to witness first-hand what we sing about in The Rankin Family songs.” 

She continues, saying “I’m always looking for an intimate setting where it’s easy to connect with the audience, and make eye contact, and has a nice acoustic ambience, and people are comfortable and that’s pretty much what we offer at the Red Shoe. It’s really cool and that’s what I look for when I’m going to perform, those little places are the ultimate venues where you feel the energy and there’s no separation between artist and audience – no grand gaping hole between you.”
 

HEATHER RANKIN performs October 19 at the Ralph Klein Trans Canada Centre (Olds) and October 21 at the Ironwood Stage and Grill (Calgary). 

Rosetta styles metal for astronauts

Rosetta: Exploring the Violence Beneath the Silence

09 October 2017By Christine Leonard 

Amalgamated in 2003, Philadelphia’s dronecore specialists Rosetta spent a decade building the momentum required to achieve their ideal cruising altitude. The spacegazing band reached escape velocity in 2013 when they tore away from their record label to go it alone. About that same time the four sonic cosmonauts, guitarist Matt Weed, bassist Dave Grossman, vocalists/synth-player Mike Armine and drummer BJ McMurtrie welcomed guitarist Eric Jernigan to the Rosetta crew. 

“I actually joined the band late, but I had been friends with the band for ten years, so we had a rich history together,” Jernigan relates.

“I would say that my role in Rosetta has been to help distill some of the melodic ideas that Matt or Dave will bring to the table and find the hidden hook that’s lying in wait.” 

Rosetta’s stormy compositions vacillate between mindful contemplation and reckless abandon. The result is a volatile yet intriguing dark-matter meets doom-rock dynamic that is as attractive as it is indefinable.  

“A lot of the early Rosetta stuff was equal parts melody and aggression, but sometimes they would sort of feel like a wave washing over you and the catchiness of it would only reveal itself after maybe a dozen listens,” Jernigan admits. “When I came into the band I wanted to make the melodic movements more obvious and still do a good job of hiding them.” 

Designed as a quartered cycle of songs that stretches across hemispheres and genres, Rosetta’s sixth album, Utopiod, is perhaps the most thematically-driven milestone in the quintet’s discography. Components ranging from ambient synth to hardcore sludge converge to formulate Rosetta’s atmospheric anthems and stormy eulogies. Or, “metal for astronauts,” as they like to call it. 

Jernigan says, “These days the influences are across the board. I think for all of us, the older we get the more interested we are in avant-garde and non-traditional forays into a sort of exploration of emotion through sound rather than the typical rock band format.” 

By Jernigan’s estimation, the stress-energy tension Rosetta generates in the studio becomes exponentially magnified when presented in the flesh. Thrusting artifice aside in favour of exposing the raw nerves beneath the façade, Rosetta insists on letting moments unfold, and occasionally explode, according to their isotopic nature.  

“Same as any given year of our lives, we have moments of unbridled intensity and hopefully moments of calm reflection and the record does follow sort of a protagonist through the character’s life and we wanted to keep that in mind – that there’s a whole breadth of experience that we all go through and we made a conscious decision to really let some of those quiet, less aggressive moments speak for themselves on the record.”
 

ROSETTA performs October 16 at the Brixx (Edmonton) and October 17 at The Palomino Smokehouse & Bar (Calgary) .

North: Post-metal trio talk about the importance of blurring genre lines

North: Charting a New Course 

 09 October 2017 By Christine Leonard 

There was a time when the future of Arizona-based sludge rock outfit North seemed as clear as mud. Maybe that uncertainty was okay with them at the time, but a lot has changed since drummer Zack Hansen, guitarist Matthew Mutterperl and bassist/vocalist Evan Leek first started jamming together in Hansen’s Tucson bedroom back in 2005.

“We were definitely offering an alternative. It also didn’t help that nobody else was doing what we were doing at the time,” says Hansen of the local climate for their post-metal experimentations. “We started out as an instrumental band, and this was around the time that Explosions in the Sky and Pelican were on the rise, and I don’t want to say we hopped on a trend, but we certainly helped start one, in the southwest at least. If you’re not playing radio rock, or pop punk, or something a bit more popular you’re going to have to establish your own mindset and your own scene.”

Expanding on the uniquely groovy doom constructs introduced on their self-released 2006 debut EP Siberia, North shifted a more vocal-dominated sound with What You Were in 2008. The band continued to tour and write despite line-up changes and karmic stumbling blocks. Down two members following the release of The Great Silence in 2012, Hansen, Mutterperl and Leek decided to recommit and relaunch the old and improved North as an ironclad trio.

“We talked about it as building up our arsenal and building upon the sound. It got to a point where we started to breakdown what we really wanted to do and we started to accomplish that with less and less people,” Hansen recounts. “From the moment we took the three-piece on tour for the first time, people were astonished that we could bring that volume and intensity with just the three of us… That made us really happy, because it’s what we had been envisioning for a couple of years.”

The band has emerged from the sea of feedback worshipers and fuzz-lords as a sleeker more agile version of their former selves. North’s latest offering Light the Way (2016), produced by Dana Fehr (Digger, Mandingo, Pelican) and mastered by Colin Marston (Genghis Tron, Kayo Dot, Gorguts), traverses the invisible lines drafted between progressive and classic metal soundscapes while foretelling that the true extent of North’s foray into sonic devolution has yet to be charted.

“We like being a chameleon and not being pigeon-holed into one genre, and being able to open our arms to as broad as an underground listenership as possible,” says Hansen. “Light the Way is our first full-length as a three-piece and that became the prevailing theme; figuring out the future direction of the band going forward.”

NORTH performs October 16 at the Brixx (Edmonton) and October 17 at The Palomino Smokehouse & Bar (Calgary).

Japandroids: Taking life and music at their own pace

Japandroids: Big City Small World 

06 October 2017By Christine Leonard   

One of the preeminent Canadian rock acts to emerge in the past decade, Vancouver’s Japandroids made a mission of taking the world by storm, when the band started up in 2006. By 2013 the duo, consisting of drummer/vocalist David Prowse and guitarist/vocalist Brian King, had racked up an impressive 500 live shows in some 44 different countries. Although they seemed to be riding high on the success of their ear-catching debut album Post-Nothing (2009) and its jubilant follow-up, Celebration Rock (2012), Japandroids was losing steam and becoming increasingly disenchanted with their non-stop schedule. 

“We covered a lot of ground and it was a blur at times. Our jam space is full of random memorabilia and sometimes I look at the tour posters of the shows we’ve played and it boggles my mind,” says Prowse. “The big thing that came from touring ourselves into the ground, was that it took quite a bit longer to get back into the studio and make another record. Running ourselves ragged took quite the toll on us mentally and physically and emotionally. Now we’re trying to do things in more of a measured way. We can pace ourselves and do a lot more than if we’re just going full-tilt and then have to slam the brakes on again when we’ve been on the road for months and our voices are shot and our bodies are broken.” 

Unfortunately, damage control has taken centre-stage for Japandroids with the unfolding of recent events.  

“Timing is a funny thing,” Prowse explains.

“Things have been good overall, but things are a bit strange at this exact moment. Brian is in Mexico City and there was a really big earthquake there, so things are kind of weird and fucked up. I can’t think of a better way to say it. He’s okay, but the city’s in pretty rough shape. Brian is in love with a really wonderful lady who lives down there, he’s down there a lot. I’ve talked to him briefly and it is obviously a pretty scary moment for them, but in the grand scheme of things they’re lucky.” 

Experiences like this one are exactly why Japandroids value having the flexibility to work when and how they want to. The pair effectively hit the pause button on their careers four years ago in the wake of whirlwind tours and media engagements. With the wires having fallen silent, Prowse and King were able to gather their senses and compose new material at their leisure. Working remotely and meeting in Vancouver or New Orleans to collaborate in person, they incrementally built-up the foundations of their third studio release, Near to the Wild Heart of Life (2017). And though Japandroids’ latest effort may have lifted its name from the prose of (the heeded yet unhappy author), James Joyce, the lyrical content, according to King’s design, is pure cross-continental poetry in motion. 

“Celebration Rock has a lot of movement to it and songs about being on the road and travelling, whereas this new record, Near to the Wild Heart of Life, is about feeling rooted to these various places we call home,” Prowse explains.  

And as for their return to form after a three-year layaway?

Don’t call it a hiatus, call it a social media cleanse. 

“I don’t think either of us thought it would take so long for the album to be finished! But I’m glad we didn’t post photos or vague statements that we were working on a new album because people would be like ‘Whatever happened to those guys? Did they break-up? Are they dead?’ It took some time to decompress and then Brian moved away, which slowed things down but also lead to a better album. I really enjoyed being able to reflect and then jump back into it. Being able to take that time apart was really good for us personally and for the band, so it was all worth it the end.” 

JAPANDROIDS perform October 13 at the MacEwan Ballroom (Calgary), October 14 at Union Hall (Edmonton), October 16 at O’Brians Event Centre (Saskatoon) and October 17 at Garrick Centre (Winnipeg).

David Gogo: Old Soul-Bender

David Gogo: Still Has it Going on  

by Christine Leonard

29 September 2017

It’s not hard to tease a tantalizing tale out of David Gogo. The renowned Canadian blues guitarist has seen enough of the world from both sides of the curtain to bend your ear for more than an evening’s worth of fat-chewin’ entertainment.

It only makes sense that the charismatic bandleader spreads his talents as widely as possible. It’s a chore he makes tidy work of dividing his time between performing with his three geocentric bands and taking his storytelling to the stage as the consummate singer/songwriter soloist. 

“I just had the tunes cranked. That’s what I do,” Gogo begins. “There’s basically two things that I do. When I play with my band, and I actually have three different bands – a band in B.C., a band in Ottawa, and a band in Holland – that’s the basis of what I’m best known for, but I also do solo acoustic shows. When a lot of artists do their unplugged shows it’s basically the same songs, but without the band. When I do my acoustic show it’s completely different.” 

Whether he’s performing his latest compositions or paying tribute to the history of the art form, Gogo’s reverence for the past remains a constant in his exploration of guitar virtuosity, as demonstrated on his most recent LP, the gritty Vicksburg Call (2015). This balance of playful innovation and respect for what has come before is also reflected in the way he presents them to his audience. 

“When I do the acoustic show the two instruments I play are a 1930 National steel guitar, like a resonator instrument, then I have an old Gibson that was built somewhere in the late teens or early ’20s of the last century. So, that’s much more of traditional blues and roots sound; I do a lot of storytelling during that show,” Gogo elaborates.

“So, if I’m going to tell a story about hanging out with Buddy Guy or B.B. King, it’s easier to do [so] in front of a crowd that’s not distracted. But then when I play with my band we rock out a lot more, and it’s all electric instruments. I think out of the 14 albums I’ve made two of them are acoustic and a dozen were electric. I really like to rock out and crank up the old Les Paul guitar through the Marshall and get that going!” 

Looking back at his own road to professional musicianship, Gogo recognizes how fortunate he was to encounter the many personalities who encouraged him early on in his artistic career. It’s a legacy he hopes to perpetuate and celebrate as he prepares to bring his electrified blues-rock back to some of his favourite western Canadian haunts.  

“I try to remember how kind a lot of the musicians were to me when I was a young person. People like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert Collins were very encouraging to me and just were fantastic. I think about it now, and I must have been a real pain in the ass, but they kind of accepted me and let me hang out with them. So, I try to return that favour. For 14 years I was involved in a Blues Camp that made music on Hornby Island; there was a lot of mentoring and not just that, but seeing people who’ve gone from being students to becoming professional musicians, [Edmonton’s so-called ‘Queen of the Swamp Blues’] Kat Danser being one of them. It feels good to be able to give back whatever you can.” 

David Gogo performs October 5 (with his band) at Ironwood (Calgary) and October 6 and 7 at Shakers Road House (Edmonton).

The New Pornographers: Unconditional Supergroup

The New Pornographers: Life Imitates Art

by Christine Leonard

22 September 2017

Orchestrating the polyphonic activities of the Vancouver-spawned supergroup known as The New Pornographers for over a decade and a half has given singer-songwriter/guitarist A.C. Newman a certain knack for capturing a musical snapshot of a moment in time and preserving its essence like an insect suspended in amber. Recently, when tasked with pulling together a cohesive sting on compositions for the band’s ongoing tour, Newman discovered that skimming through a scrapbook of past recordings unlocked the sweetest of memories. Those that have yet to be made.

“We always try and mix it up, it’s just about the math of how we’re going to split up songs, which takes a while cuz at the beginning of a tour because you’re just sort of guessing what the set will be,” says Newman.

“I feel like these days, we’re trying harder, especially on this record and Brill Bruisers (2014). It was the first time where we said, ‘Let’s go out there on stage and just try to be as close to our albums as possible.’ Whereas before that I think we were a little more lackadaisical about it, now we’re slightly more disciplined and it’s cool to go out there and go like, ‘Okay what you hear on the record – We’re going to try to do that live.’”

Thus far the popular response to conductor Newman’s dynamic, high-fidelity approach with Whiteout Conditions has been overwhelmingly positive. After all, what better way to secure affections of a new generation of listeners than by fulfilling every frustrated delinquent’s wildest fantasy and running amok in the hallowed halls of education? John Hughes would applaud the scorching adolescent angst vented in The New Pornographers’ video for their latest runaway single “High Ticket Attractions.”

“We were just talking to directors and Dan Huiting said ‘Okay, I know of a high school that’s slated for demolition and I think I could destroy it.’ And I said, ‘Let’s do that.’ The cool thing is that what makes that video look so high budget. It was real, filmed destruction! I made a couple of contributions to the video; I wanted the kids to have medieval weapons and I wanted a flaming motorcycle and after that, I was just, ‘Do what you want!’”

Ordering up battle-axes and stuntmen on a whim may seem out of character for a thoughtful alt-rock troubadour who has coaxed so many to crash on the floor, or psychiatrist’s couch, of his well-appointed artist’s studio. But truth be told, Newman has always had his eye on the prize, it’s just that the prize in question has gradually gotten a lot more impressive.

“We just did The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and every time I’m in those situations there’s always that feeling of, ‘Holy shit. How did I get here?’ It’s almost like the nightmare where somebody throws you into a situation that you’re not ready for. But before we ever did TV I use to think, ‘Can you imagine? What else it there? That’d be the coolest thing in the world to ever experience that – to be a band that performs on a late-night TV show!’ And then it just becomes this weird thing where it becomes our reality. And it’s always surreal, and it’s fun, but there is an element of that nightmare scenario where you’re like ‘Oh my God. I’ve got to go play my song in front of a million people and I can’t fuck it up!’ It’s like child is the father of the man.

The New Pornographers perform with Born Ruffians at The Commodore on September 29.

Yawning Man: And the Revolt Against Tired Noises

Yawning Man: And the Never-Ending Battle with Boredom

by Christine Leonard

14 September 2017

Waging a never-ending war on boredom, the lumbering Californian desert rock entity known as Yawning Man dates back to the golden era of the psych-rock fringe when the likes of Brant Bjork, John Garcia and Josh Homme caught wind of their free-wheeling space rock ways. From pulling off clandestine generator parties for a few friends the desert back in the mid-80s to performing in front of thousands of devoted fans at venues around the globe, founding guitarist Gary Arce has never forgotten the desolate internal and external landscapes that informed his early years.

“I actually lived at the Salton Sea, and believe me, the Salton Sea is not that romantic!” Arce recalls with a chuckle.

“I used to live near there, I grew up in the Palm Desert also known as the Low Desert. The place is a running joke with locals; cuz tourists would go there and find just a toxic puddle with dead fish on the shore everywhere. I just remember going there and walking along the shore thousands of dead fish and meth heads walking streets like the walking dead. In between where I lived and Mexican border, there was this weird culture of illegal immigrants mixed with meth heads mixed with dead fish.”

These days Arce is looking forward to hopping the border together with the band’s original bassist Mario Lalli and their 2014 addition known as drummer Bill Stinson, as Yawning Man prepares to bring their ponderous machinations to Canada for the second time in recent memory. Having fallen under the thrall of the land of ice and snow at last April’s 420 Music and Arts Festival in Calgary, the sidewinding trio is set for autumnal return, but this time as headliners.

“I’ve toured all over the world and I love Canada. It’s so beautiful and breathtaking and the people are super sweet and it’s just a rad place. This tour we really wanted to go back there, so we asked the agency for that to happen. This time we’re going as a headlining band and it’s our first time going out on our own!”

Hard to believe for a band that’s had such a lengthy and influential run. Although admittedly inconsistent, Yawning Man’s discography has attracted ample attention and garnered them many comparisons to other so-called stoner rock acts, although he understandably shirks that unimaginative label.

“I’m excited and I’m just hoping that people come out to see us because we get type-cast into this weird metal-desert-rock thing like Kyuss and all those bands.

And yeah, we’re from the same town as Kyuss and we’re friends with all those bands, but we are nothing like Kyuss. And I think hopefully people will start to realize that we are our own band.

We’ve never followed trends. Never tried to be metal or this or that. We’ve just done our own thing.”

Sighting the work-ethic and nonconformity of his favourite punk acts for a point of reference amidst the ever-shifting sands of public opinion, construction-worker-by-day Arce’s primal howl dredges up the heart of darkness from the bottom of the Salton Sea.

“Music for me is like another job; I do have a hardcore job. I do concrete and construction and I have to have a side of me where I’m mellow and I do love ambient dark music. I’ve always found something in it that’s mysterious and innocent. I’ve always been into that kind of sound.” 

Known for his ability to take a simple musical phrase and spin it out into an epic multihued shamanic yarn, Arce has come to realize the importance of channeling his creative impulses into increasingly defined forms. Edging away from amorphous compositions like those found on their foundational albums Rock Formations (2005) and Vista Point (2007), the threesome’s newest constructs refer to a predetermined set of musical blueprints.

“I started all these projects,” Arce explains.

“I’d call up all these friends and go ‘Hey, dudes let’s drink beer and jam!’ We’d take the best of improvised jams and make a record. It got to the point where all of the recordings I was doing were all fuckin’ jammie with no song structure and that started to get boring for me. I was under the gun and I just stopped. I told myself Yawning Man was one band where I couldn’t afford that attitude of just working off-the-cuff. Mario has moved and now he lives right near me, so we have closed the distance. We’re starting to get focused and write more structured songs, coming up with riffs and going back and forth and playing it until we both think it’s cool enough to keep.”

He concludes honestly, “I’m kind of a dick about the beats being a certain way. I always tell our drummer ‘Don’t play a silly four-four beat. Give me something different that fits, don’t play a dumbass rock beat over again!’ cuz I’ll get bored and once I get bored I get lazy and lose interest.” 

Yawning Man performs September 21 at the Palomino Smokehouse & Bar (Calgary) and September 23 at the Starlite Room(Edmonton). 

Mammoth Groove cultivates mammoth-sized grooves!

Calgary Beat: Mammoth Grove

by Christine Leonard
14 September 2017

September’s back-to-school regime is a questionably welcome event, but for Calgary students-of-life Mammoth Grove the requisite first essay question of ‘How I spent my summer vacation?’ is one worth crowing about. While others spent their dog days mowing lawns and painting fences, Mammoth Grove has been growing its fuzzy beard, working on its psychedelic moontan and observing the migratory behaviour of the Cowtown concertgoer.  

“In my experience music has been one of the most consistent, most enjoyable, most beneficial ways to make a living,” extolls lead singer-guitarist Devan Forster of his summer employment of choice. “I have a pretty hard time sticking through things I don’t care about, don’t believe in and don’t want to be a part of, which how I’ve felt about most jobs in the past. So music has been great, especially recently I’ve been jamming a lot. I’ve been downtown playing gigs, solo shows, open mics and just being out there and it’s working really well.” 

Catching the waves of humanity that wash across the core throughout July and August, Forster (who also performs solo under the name Silver Moss) has had ample opportunity to exercise his mind, polish his craft and gain a more fulsome understanding of the relationship between performer and audience. 

“I was out a lot for Stampede which is great, of course. Happy, smiley, drunk people everywhere. I was playing outside of the gates of the [Calgary International] Blues Festival as everyone filtered out and the middle-aged crowd was having a lot of fun. I’ve never been offered more joints, roaches, doobies, piece of hash, one-hitters. Mom and Dad like to have a good time out! On the train ride home afterward I had the entire car singing along to “I Won’t Back Down” on the Green Line. What can I say? Tom Petty’s been a gold nugget for me.” 

Sure he gets plenty of requests for CCR, Neil Young and Steve Miller, but it’s Petty who’s illuminated Forster’s quest for authenticity and self-awareness. By his estimation, it’s not just looking the part and delivering the goods, but bridging the gap between generations while exuding a signature sound that is entirely unique. 

“I play very few covers, I don’t really know many at all,” explains Forster.

“Right now the point of busking for me is to try out all these new songs I’ve been writing. And I’ve been writing lots! Mammoth Grove has this massive back catalog that we want to record and do stuff with, but we’re just kind of relaxing right now. After we went toured out to B.C. in May we figured let’s do our own things and enjoy the summer by soaking it up on the coast and playing on the streets back home.” 

Although this post-tour summer hiatus has been the longest of their collaboration, Mammoth Grove has been busily cultivating all of the elements necessary to flourish throughout the dark, cold winter months. Bound with wood, wire and an unquenchable thirst for beauty, Forster’s methods and approach have only grown stronger thanks to weeks spent pounding the pavement during his 21st-century troubadour bootcamp. 

“The biggest thing for me was just getting over that initial fear of busking. I was scared and I was nervous, but now I’m really into being able to rely on my voice and guitar," he continues.

"Mammoth Grove is always electric, but this summer I’ve been really only playing acoustic because it’s lighter to carry around. So, that definitely changes the sound and dynamic and everything about it. I’m really focusing on simple songwriting. I’ve noticed while busking that people connect with your voice way more than your guitar. I’ve been working on my vocal technique and range and it feels great to be confident in just what I am right here and now. ‘Blam!’ Until recently I felt like I had to be the singer, now I feel like I get to be.” 

Mammoth Grove performs September 21st with Yawning Man and Alex Perrez & The Rising Tide at The Palomino Smokehouse & Bar (Calgary).