Conflicted. That is the first word that comes to mind listening this newest Bad Religion record. It’s not a bad album and it’s not necessarily a good record either. The musicianship – topnotch. The hooks – abundant. The harmonies – straight out of Van Halen’s songbook (they’re awesome). Unfortunately, where the record falls apart is both its strength and its weakness. The songs that sound like old school Bad Religion -which could have easily blended into albums like No Control or Suffer – are fantastic. However, they sound exactly like those albums and that smells of formula and stagnation. Now Bad Religion have been around long enough to know that they need to throw some ‘experiments’ into the mix. This is a good thing, however for this record those ‘experiments’ reek of desperation. Pedal steel does not belong on a Bad Religion record. And, after multiple listens, it makes sense that Weezer is now on their label. (Epitaph, www.epitaph.com) c.frsn

Some savvy bloggers are already declaring Halfaxa “album of the year.” Granted the leaps 2010 has taken in music, for 22-year-old Claire Boucher to emerge so close to the front of the pack suggests how astonishing her sound is. The often haunting, always experimental lo-fi-psych meets R&B-filtered through-one-hundred-graveyards Halfaxa is Grime’s second release, following January’s underground darling Geidi Primes (which, had Halfaxa not lapped it, would likely have had its own share of top spots on year-end lists). As organic and digital samples loop and twist from pure pop to supernatural, you can almost see Boucher’s hands rising to count the steps as her voice rises and sinks, hitting notes she’s trained herself to find and following melodies of only sometimes discernible lyrics. Boucher’s voice has matured, and to listen to Halfaxa is to listen to an artist who has completely submerged herself in a journey half drug-hazed Disney plot, half scenic climb through ancient Chinese mountains. Grimes is about sound and seamless blending of influence, and Halfaxa offers some new twist on every listen. While “Devon” stands as example of Boucher’s solid pop writing and vocal majesty, “Hallways” is a twisted, haunted house remix of every ’90s R&B song ever drilled through HOT103… and it feels so good. (Arbutus Records, www.arbutusrecords.com) Kristel Jax

Scythia are one of the few folk metal bands whose music can’t be pictured being performed by anyone other than Nordic warriors. It’s not just that the lyrics that have epic fantasy themes about traveling through dangerous valleys and getting into sword fights, but the music itself. Violins and flutes set the scene for ancient villages with blacksmiths and horse-drawn carts full of hay. Heavy guitar riffs and galloping drums prepare you for an epic battle in a blood-soaked field of the dead. The singing is beautiful, and at times a triumphant bellow of victory. Such a lovely blend of heavy and melodic should draw fans of both metal and folk music. (Independent, www.myspace.com/ScythiaFolkMetal) Paul Nordin

via Clint Enns via Kier-La Janisse:

Wintersleep & Ra Ra Riot
@ the Garrick
Saturday, November 20
By Victoria King

No matter what part of the country you are from, so long as you were born under the Maple Leaf sun you are instantly claimed as Canadian. As a musician, whatever success you encounter and however many Junos you win, you can bet that your hometown will honour you with a ceremonial street inauguration or concert venue to stand in your honour. As it stands, I would be willing to bet that the guys from Wintersleep may go through this in 20 years or so. Following the great Canadian music stigma of ‘WTF, they’re Canadian,’ Wintersleep recently released their fourth album New Inheritors, and made a stop in Winnipeg along with Ra Ra Riot on November 22.

For starters, I will be honest in admitting that I had never listened to Ra Ra Riot before that evening. I expected something loud and rowdy, as hinted to by their name, yet I was hesitant when I saw the band take the stage. Although they looked more like the type of kids that would be chilling outside the Garrick rather than playing onstage, this was definitely a giant “I told you so” moment. RRR kicked off the night with “Boy.” If you haven’t heard it, take it from me,  I don’t suggest you listen to it in public. Trying to contain my bobbing head and bouncing knees at a socially acceptable pace was a difficult task, but I was thankful to see that I wasn’t the only one in the crowd who was totally down for RRR.  They played a solid opening, and for those in the crowd who resisted the urge to dance; fail.

The stage for the night was minimal, excluding the stuffed dog sporting a wrestling belt, which was left as the one big question mark of the night. “Drunk on Aluminum” was the first track of the evening. Seriously, it was so good. The set included “Astronaut,” “Dead Letter and the Infinite Yes,” “Black Camera,” “Preservation,” “Weighty Ghost” and “Echo Location.” To be frank, I was actually quite surprised how much hard these guys rocked live. I went in expecting a balanced mix of an indie rock/folk sound, but definitely got more than I expected in terms of an indie rock influence. The guitar came through so strong while the vocals maintained the same raw quality that makes their music so recognizable. On a side note, their was a pretty great ’Peg city moment when lead vocalist Paul Murphy asserted, “Pretty cold in Winnipeg” only to be replied by “This ain’t nothin’!” by some dude in the audience. To whoever did so, major cool points. “Oblivion”, “Laser Beams” and “Breath Normal, Nerves Normal” made up the encore, along with Murphy’s “Thank you Winnipeg, this was fucking awesome!”

The one gripe I do need make about the night is in regards to whoever was in charge of the sound system. For at least the first seven songs, the sound at front stage was pretty shitty, with the guitar seeming to drown out nearly everything else. I refused to accept the possibility that the band may not be as awesome live as on recording, so I checked out the middle of the venue. Turns out it was just the front of the stage, as the middle sounded great. Kinda craptastic on my part, but still a solid show.
With that said, it is my prediction that Wintersleep will end up being one of those awesome bands that will forever be clumped in with all other eclectic Canadian groups; and while they may play in your cities and perform for your award shows, at the end of the day they’re still from our east coast.

Starting today, send + receive is hosting a number of experimental and “out there” film screenings, art installations, and musical performances throughout the week.
To kick it off, Winnipeg’s favourite circut-bender Clint Enns has a video playing at Gallery 1C03 at the University of Winnipeg. It’s titled Prepare to Qualify, named after the banner that flies across the screen in Pole Position, the Atari game which Enns bent to make rhythmic pulses, nauseating squelches, and cathartic drones.

We asked him to choose a video that’s inspired him and why. Here’s what he said>>>

Chapters 1-12 of R. Kelly’s Trapped In The Closet Synced and Played Simultaneously (2006) by Michael Bell-Smith.  A playful reinterpretation of a pop culture classic.

Chapters 1-12 of R. Kelly’s Trapped In The Closet Synced and Played Simultaneously (2006) by Michael Bell-Smith. Courtesy EAI. from Why + Wherefore on Vimeo.

If you can handle that, or better yet, if you dig it, you’d best check out Prepare to Qualify which runs until this Friday. send + receive is running all week long, and again, it is not to be missed. Mind alterations await you!

These United States are a band that has held my attention since their debut in 2008. In the two years that they have been together, they have released four albums on a consistent basis, and their style has evolved from Blitzen Trapper inspired pop folk, to the alternative country sound that has been their fixture since 2009’s Everything Touches Everything. Their fourth album retains the sound of their previous album, but lyrically, deals with heavier themes of loss, depression, and death. What Lasts is, so far, their darkest album to date, inspired by the near drowning of lead singer Jesse Elliott. Water, death, and drowning are mentioned or alluded to throughout the album, and it does have a haunting effect. Elliott’s lyrics are his most confessional. Album opener “Nobody Can Tell” feels like Elliott is telling the listener what happened that day on Lake Michigan, his strained voice detailing how he fought to survive. Though there is a strong sense of melancholy on the album, Elliott and the band still know enough to add some upbeat numbers such as the bouncy, sixties-pop inspired “Life & Death, She & I,” to give the listener a rest from the serious themes. And the album closer “Water & Wheat,” hints at optimism. They entered the darkness, but are moving away from it, and the wind is at their back. (United Interests, www.unitedinterests.com) Charles Lefebvre

Kinda like a big deal, Godspeed You! Black Emperor drone and swell through enormously cathartic phrases. They’ve definitely been through wpg a couple of times, but perhaps you’re under the Montreal’s allure right now, and you know what your plans are, six months in advance. Because if so, they will be playing Montreal’s Corona Theatre in April, as seen on the Constellation Website. Tickets will be on sale on Nov 25 at noon on BSTB. Not that I want everyone to go hitch or drive out of here at once, but I know a few who would be willing to make the trip.

John K. Samson is the Ang Lee of the Winnipeg music scene, and yes, I mean that as a compliment. Just as Lee can make movies that don’t seem plausible on paper but actually end up amazing, when Samson gets an idea, or if you can describe your idea to him, he can write a song about seemingly anything and make it work. A straight-up rock song about a curling bonspiel. A semi-ironic tune about hatred for one’s city. A song from the perspective of his cat. All sound ridiculous, but they have worked, and are amazing. You can’t bet against him. It’s like trying to fight gravity. This album is his second in a series of 7” releases about Manitoba roads, with this one focusing in particular on stories located on the route between Gimli and Riverton. “The Last And” is a touching folk song about the end of an affair between a school principal and a teacher, that Samson himself has said could very easily be about Principal Skinner and Edna Krabappel’s relationship on The Simpsons, which will make me think differently about their characters now when I watch the show. “Petition” is, well, an online petition set to his guitar to induct Reggie Leach, a former NHL player from Riverton, into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Finally, “Stop Error” is about a young man who spends all of his time on the computer, trying to find the meaning of life after it crashes, and is set to a chorale by Bach. Three songs that feel different and distinct when listening to them, but containing the Canadian small town theme that unites them, Provincial Road 222 is another successful release from one of Canada’s most consistently talented songwriters. (Anti-, www.anti.com) Charles Lefebvre