On Sutures’ newest release, I Touch 1985, the Vancouver post-punk trio actually seem to reach back in time and touch 1985. The three tracks on this all-too-brief EP wouldn’t sound out of place echoing through the smoke hazed chain link fences of Luv-A-Fair in the club’s mid-‘80s heyday.
Read More
Category Archives: under review
Sutures
I Touch 1985 (Independent)
by Mark PaulHus
Slim Moore & the Mar-Kays
Introducing Slim Moore & the Mar-Kays (Marlow/Cosmic Groove)
by Vanessa Tara
Brooklyn has Daptone. Now Ottawa and the rest of us north of the border have Marlow Records.
More than a soul label, Marlow—in the tradition of vintage imprints like New Orlean’s legendary A.F.O. (All For One)—is run as a collective. Marlow’s roster consists of Afro-Latin funksters the Souljazz Orchestra, house band the Marlow Beat Kings and the label’s flagship act, Slim Moore & the Mar-Kays.
Read More
Slow Learners
"Grocery Store" / "Your Friends" (ScumBuzz)
by Katherine Boothroyd
Recorded almost a year ago but released by the ScumBuzz label in October, these two rippers from Slow Learners should be added to your music collection immediately.
The band consists of three enigmatically named members: Penpen on drums (ex-Twin Fang member Penny Jo Buckner), John Operator on bass and vocals (a.k.a. Sean Hawryluk of Baptists and Ladyhawk fame) and, rounding things out on guitar and vocals, J.R. Pefko (a.k.a. Congress’ John Johnston).
Read More
Skinny Puppy
HanDover (Synthetic Symphony)
by Kamil Krawczyk
HanDover is an immensely difficult album to appreciate. Even fans of the industrial metal genre will grow into the album slowly, because it just doesn’t feel like an industrial metal record. In fact, Skinny Puppy takes a primarily electronic approach to their already well-established sonic format, which may attract new listeners, but will surely disappoint some fans.
Read More
Rat Silo
Great Northern Way (Independent)
by Luiz Felipe Silva
When you hear the first track for the very first time, you might guess a punk rock band will be playing for the next 40 minutes. “Ass-Camp” is an energetic beginning to the album, as hardcore and as exciting as any Dead Kennedys song. Vocalist Jim Newton even matches Jello Biafra’s tone at times.
However, if you have an extensive musical memory, Great Northern Way may remind you a fairly popular band from the ‘80s and ‘90s: Sons of Freedom. Frontman Newton and his pal, bassist Don Binns, were members of this nationally-known band. Joined by Finn Manniche (guitar) and Dave Osbourne (piano and organ), the duo’s new project Rat Silo has got its own personality—labeling its genre is even a riddle.
Read More
Phonecalls
Regrets (Independent)
by Ming Wong
A guy went up to Phonecalls after one of their shows and said, “Phonecalls is the most underappreciated band in Vancouver.” Having felt like their place in the “weird punk” scene in Vancouver just wasn’t solid enough, this grungey pop-punk duo-turned-quartet bid adieu back in September, but they left us with this final release, Regrets.
Read More
Men at Adventure
"Chop Thru It" / "The Ballad" (Storyboard)
by Tristan Koster
Locals Men at Adventure are a ‘90s punk and grunge throwback band that proudly wears influences like Drive Like Jehu and Mudhoney on their sleeves. Their debut seven-inch features all the wild abandon, driving bass and guitar shredding solos that you’d expect from their heroes, and combines them with rhythmic lyrics and a sense of humour.
Read More
Hey Ocean!
Big Blue Wave (Universal)
by Kamil Krawczyk
I loaded up Big Blue Wave not expecting much. Yet, despite containing only four tracks, it was awesome. Fucking awesome. It’s astonishing how this Vancouver-based trio have the raw ability to craft fine, warm, and unbelievably catchy surf-pop songs that anybody (and I mean anybody) can listen to—and actually enjoy.
Read More
Weirding
Each Birth Is A New Disaster (Independent)
by Will Pedley
The formidable power of Weirding’s live performance has been captured perfectly on their debut album, Each Birth Is A New Disaster. Matt Killoran’s muscular drumming comes off sounding absolutely huge, while the respective guitar and bass work from co-vocalists Tim Wearing and Scott Ruddy are satisfyingly fuzzy and as thick as tar.
Read More »