Interview with Yukon Blonde
Barely three months after releasing its self-titled debut, Vancouver’s Yukon Blonde is already making waves across Canada. The album finds the band indulging in classically minded folk-rock, purveying a mix of jangling guitars, immaculate harmonies and an abundance of perfectly crafted pop hooks. Its live show, meanwhile, is considerably more raw — the harmonies still … Continue reading
Trunk Show captures Neil Young in all his ragged glory
Of all the rock legends still making the rounds, few have Neil Young’s vitality. Unlike, say, The Rolling Stones, there’s never a sense that Young’s latest album is just an excuse for another tour. His current output may not live up to the albums he produced in his prime, but there’s little doubt that Young … Continue reading
Forward Thinking: Kerry Clarke
Throughout 2010, Fast Forward Weekly is tapping into Calgarians to get their take on Calgary’s future. What would you be doing if you weren’t working at the Calgary Folk Music Festival? I once thought I wanted to work at the CRTC or the Canada Council, being their music officer. Or in radio, that’d be the … Continue reading
Savk — Savk (VK Records)
For his self-titled debut, former Beija Flor singer Stephen A. van Kampen (or, more briefly, Savk), has built a sound by stripping down. Without his previous band’s kaleidoscope of noise to distract, the spotlight is squarely on van Kampen’s pleasantly strained falsetto and his intricate guitar work. Opening track “I Can’t Wait” sets the pattern … Continue reading
Saw them last weekend: Yukon Blonde
Nothing ups expectations like a well-placed wave of buzz, and Yukon Blonde’s sets at CMW generated just that. So, naturally, a decent crowd assembled at the Palomino on Saturday night to check out CMW’s highest-ranked band. And, man, it’s not hard to see how they earned that title. There’s nothing particularly progressive about Yukon Blonde’s … Continue reading
Full interview with John K. Samson
I’ve been a huge fan of John K. Samson (and, by extension, The Weakerthans) ever since I heard “Anchorless” on Propagandhi’s Less Talk, More Rock back in elementary school, so I have to admit that interviewing him was a bit of a thrill. He was jet-lagged from a trip to Australia, but was still polite, … Continue reading
Elevating Alberta’s music scene
Luka Symons ups the ambition at Epcor series Boosterism has become taboo these days. Somehow, cynicism is now synonymous with sophistication, and wholehearted support for anything — a band, a city, a system of government — is seen not as a sign of open-mindedness, but of naiveté. Either no one has told Luka Symons about … Continue reading
Concert review — Brasstronaut @ Broken City
A quick chat with Broken City’s exceedingly friendly bartender, Adam, reveals that Brasstronaut is short one guitar player and missed out on a full soundcheck — not necessarily a good sign for a band with two wind instruments to mic. Sure enough, the first song — “Lo Hi Hopes,” from the band’s debut full-length, Mt. … Continue reading
CD Review: Maintenant, by Gigi
(full review from ffwdweekly.com) Five years ago, Vancouver producer Colin Stewart got his hands on a pair of vintage reverb plates, the kind that gave ’50s girl-group pop its irresistibly warm feel, and asked his friend Nick Krgovich (P:Ano, No Kids) to provide songs that would do the equipment justice. Let’s not mince words — … Continue reading
Bonus post: A handful of 50-word CD reviews
All reviews based entirely on first impressions, and not to be construed as particularly informed: Brasstronaut – Mt. Chimera (Unfamiliar): A hell of an improvement from the Old World Lies EP, which was alright but not noteworthy. Elements of jazz, laid-back electronica, dixieland and indie rock, but all in an unabashedly pop framework. Think P:Ano … Continue reading
The Consumption 