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November 27th, 2009

Review :: Nü Sensae – Nü Sensae

Nü Sensae - Nü Sensae Nü Sensae
Nü Sensae
(Isolated Now Waves (INW #127))
Vancouver, BC
::web/sounds::


From the stressed-graduate-student existence of Joni Sadler:
Eschewing the cheeky sloppiness that often accompanies the ‘weird punk‘ aesthetic, Vancouver’s Nü Sensae lets loose with a visceral attack of noisy jams that are over much too quick for their own good. The eight songs crammed onto this one-sided 12″ are short bursts of frantic drumming, dirty fuzzed-out bass riffs, and Andrea Luki?’s snarled vocals, all packaged together into a wholly ear-blistering listen. When they turn up the rage and Luki? unleashes that scream of hers, she sounds like the single most badass frontwoman of any band, ever. This is punk rock that isn’t afraid to be abrasive; the duo takes pride in the rough edges and lo-fi grit of their songs, and rightfully so. If only more bands had as much guts as these kids do and the sense of recklessness that actually lets them pull it all off without sounding forced. This record leaves little doubt that Nü Sensae means business.
[Levin's Note: Every time I listen to this 12" I feel like I'm getting punched in the face. Very limited pressing. GRIP OR REGRET.]

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Nü Sensae – Raven Tussle

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Nü Sensae – Peter Tripp

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Categoria!! 12" :: british columbia :: New Canadiana | 3 Comments »

November 25th, 2009

Review :: Tonstartssbandht – Dick Nights

Tonstartssbandht - Dick Nights Tonstartssbandht
Dick Nights
(Dœs Are)
Montreal, QC
::web/sounds::


Weird Canada HQ is under the Tonstartssbandht spell, so instead of posting the Dick Nights review, I’ll post a review of the fictional Dick Nights movie running through my mind. Dick Nights documents the mescaline-induced wanderings of a brotherly Barbershop duo lost in east L.A. They’re trying to win earth and save their father who fell ill after drinking left-over TMNT™ ooze during his brief stint as an extra for the Turtles in Time remake. Only Christmas caroling in the world’s most falsely represented neighborhood will raise the funds necessary for dad’s ooze transplant (what?). And so Edwin and Edwin’s-brother, armed with looping pedals and the most extravagant pop hollerings this side of any Disney™ soundtrack, are ready to expropriate your mind with their choralic minimalism. They’ve amassed a new world order with their throats; poor souls hypnotized under Tosntartssbandht’s cosmic orations, every jangled follower a vocal-cog in their diabolic choir soon capable of singing to the world. Aim your voices high, my friends, because there’s only one thing standing between Tonstartssbandht and the money needed for their dad’s surgery… THIS SATURDAY… OPEN UP AND SING… DICK NIGHTSSSSSSSSSS.

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Tonstartssbandht – Seriously

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Tonstartssbandht – Sarajevo Preadub

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Categoria!! cassette :: New Canadiana :: quebec | 5 Comments »

November 25th, 2009

Review :: Sean Nicholas Savage – Spread Free Like a Butterfly

Sean Nicholas Savage - Spread Free Like a Butterfly Sean Nicholas Savage
Spread Free Like a Butterfly
(Arbutus Records)
Montreal, QC
::web/sounds::


After witnessing a devastating croonappelic version of Mr. Savage’s hit Kisses Like a Girl, I opted out of waiting for the 12″ vinyl version of Spread Free Like a Butterfly (December 2009 on Arbutus Records) and copped the CDR for hasty highway blastery. And sure enough, within moments Savage’s Orbisinian vibrato and fetching harmonies had me rolling the windows and screaming all the lyrics; pop drive-byes delivered to unsuspecting underage women Edmonton-wide. Sean’s writing has never been better, with his charismatic strangeness texturizing the relationships around him; awkward memories hidden beneath sun-bleached family photos and obscure grad quotes (or at least that’s what it conjures in my mind). It’s a landmark album refusing to languish in any genre; basement lonertude, campfire balladry, dreamy soft-psych, and, most importantly, hit-making. There is a reason I chose Sean Nicholas Savage as the first Weird Canada review.

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Sean Nicholas Savage – Heart Wish

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Sean Nicholas Savage – Kisses Like A Girl

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Sean Nicholas Savage – Grandson

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Categoria!! compact disc :: New Canadiana :: quebec | 11 Comments »

November 23rd, 2009

Review :: Postcards – Postcards

Postcards - Postcards (Fixture Records) Postcards
Postcards
(Fixture Records)
Montreal, QC
::web/sounds::


Lie: Edmonton doesn’t have summers. It feels like it, though. And as we enter into another forever-long snowy paralysis, the leather pants and busty corsets begin to hide behind North Face and Sun Ice and I’m forced to question: what do goths do without summer? Segue into Postcards debut cassette on Montreal’s everything-they-do-is-beautiful Fixture Records. Postcards have little to do with goths or their creative-leathers (that I know about), but they have secretly found the intersection between The Cure and Beat Happening and it’s the real soundtrack to The Lost Boys; dreamy summery backings that push weary, emotional murmurings into popular heights, breaking all shadows cast by beach pants and trench coats. It’s the weirdest depresso party album gleaning creative vices at undiscovered crossroads. It’s also got plenty of angular pop lurking around all 12 corners (reminiscent of other releases on the label). What more can you ask for? Fixture Records have delivered yet another trophy in the pop foray. Go and buy the cassette while I make another leather beach-ball.

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Postcards – Gum

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Postcards – Tell Them

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Postcards – I Died

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Categoria!! cassette :: New Canadiana :: quebec | 4 Comments »

November 21st, 2009

Review :: AIDS Wolf – Pas Rapport

AIDS Wolf - Pass Rapport AIDS Wolf
Pas Rapport
(Self Released)
Montreal, QC
::web/sounds::


The philosophical implications of the word “everything” are overwhelming, so I say this with all due caution: the AIDS Wolf live performance is a cantankerous barrage of everything. Yannick’s hyper-frenetic drum impalement, Chloe’s vexatious bellowing and undulations, and the impossibly patient guitarists whose ability to maintain any sense of artistic composure during their non-pejorative circus is incredible, form the sum of “all things” and shove it down your face in under 3 minutes. It’s absolutely overwhelming and beautiful; a palette-cleansing barf mitzvah of the highest disorder. This crowning achievement comes from being one of the hardest working groups in Canada with a strict discipline and philosophy, allowing them to form a Druin’s-esque bridge between experimental academia and the weird punk crowd. Thus, Pas Rapport, a live recording from their native environment committed to tape and released in a limited edition of 50 to support their tour, cannot adequately contain their audible torrent. But allow your mind to fill-in the fidelity-gaps and you’ll whisk yourself away to the static confusion and bludgeoned existence of their live show. Punish yourself and live creatively. I love this band. PS – Chloe and Yannick from AIDS Wolf make incredible art and screenprints, so check out the Seripop website. Don’t believe me? Here is a photo of me underneath one of their screens (g/b/w).

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AIDS Wolf – P’tit débile

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AIDS Wolf – Elle est si cochonne

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Categoria!! cassette :: New Canadiana :: quebec | 2 Comments »

November 19th, 2009

Review :: Gown – The Old Line

Gown - The Old Line Gown
The Old Line
(Divorce Records)
??, NS
::web/sounds::


The Old Line is dense; a desolate bus-ride on the midnight express to nowhere, culminating in the heaviest, trance-inducing psychedelic yogi-chant ever documented. Gown, the solo project of Thurston Moore collaborator Andrew McGregor (now residing in Nova Scotia), is not your paltry foray into distorted minimalism. Having cut the fabric of space-time and emerged as its own cosmic entity, Gown self-assimilates the reverberations of our universe and rebroadcasts them as soundtracks to our imagination’s self-deprecated autobiography. All the reverb-soaked, red-line meanderings underneath Andrew’s atonal murmurs resonate with the basement of our psyche. It’s challenging and absolutely impressive how deep The Old Line penetrates. I’ve spent three days with this record and I’m not yet ready for the world.

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Gown – roots

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Gown – here

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Categoria!! 12" :: New Canadiana :: nova scotia | 2 Comments »

November 18th, 2009

Review :: Tonstartssbandht – An When

Tonstartssbandht - An When Tonstartssbandht
An When
(Dœs Are)
Montreal, QC
::web/sounds::


From the brotherly womb (?) of Jesse Locke:
Any brother with a brother will tell you that brotherly love is some of the best love there is. Bare chested wrestling in the basement, giving each other noogies, pickin’ on your little sister and pickin’ boogers from your nose are all timeless ways to have fun, but bros Andy and Edwin White have translated their sibling revelry into some of the freshest music coming out of Montreal. Alongside their military grade crew cuts, baggy white t-shirts and Too $hort pants, you can see the love in their eyes when they take the stage in either this guise or as their High Rise tribute band, High Rise II. You can hear it in their music as well, in An When‘s mix of trippy vocal loops, daffy raps and lo-fi loner rock, packing in 10 originals with inspired re-imaginings of Spacemen 3′s “Walkin’ With Jesus” and the Bambi soundtrack’s “Little April Showers” (no joke!). I’d be remiss not to mention the sonic similarities Tonstartssbandht share with the Animal Collective – or maybe Panda Bear’s “Bros” is a more fitting reference point – but they’ve carved out their own little cave in the wilderness as well and seem to be cranking out releases at the pace of Guided By Voices in their heyday. Guess the crew cuts run in the family too, ’cause that’s their Dad on the cover. A+++.
[Levin's Note: Weird coincidence? I had this jammy bumping in my car when Jesse e-mailed me with the review. That's because Jesse and I are bros, too.]

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Tonstartssbandht – Black Country

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Tonstartssbandht – Andy Summers

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Tonstartssbandht – Little April Showers

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Categoria!! compact disc :: New Canadiana :: quebec | 7 Comments »

November 16th, 2009

WYRD :: Success!

Wyrd Fest was a smashing success. The festival sold-out within mere hours of starting (with 87% of all tickets sold in advanced) and the crowd was absolutely ecstatic throughout the evening. Wyrd Fest was, without a doubt, the most accomplished dream I’ve ever had. All the bands stuck to schedule (and with 16 bands in one evening, that is a feat!), the patrons were wild but well-mannered, and nothing out of the ordinary happened (with the exception of Wicked Awesomes! singer getting food poisoning from A&W).

I am enthused and encouraged and cannot wait to organize another Wyrd Fest. Except we’ll be changing the name to Wyrd: The Gatheringâ„¢ thanks to a comment left on the original Wyrd Fest post.

I’d like to especially thank Tyler Harland, for being the true unspoken hero of Wyrd Fest, and all the volunteers (Sarah, Taras, Chris, Phil, Mike, Matt, Thomas, Graham, Cecil, Amy, Zac, Coryn, (the other guy from GBL GBL), Carrie, and anyone else that picked up garbage, moved chairs, and helped us load in). I could not have asked for better performers; you were all so enthusiastic.

I will write up a larger, more elaborate wrap-up once I get some better photos (if you have photos, please e-mail them to: aaron [at] cantorrecords [dot] com). In the meantime, you’ll have to deal with this:

Wyrd Peace

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Categoria!! Promotions | 4 Comments »

November 13th, 2009

Video :: Aaron Levin & The Wicked Awesomes! on Breakfast Television

In preparation for Wyrd Fest I was lucky enough to snag a 90 second interview on Breakfast Television (City TV, Cable 7) about the festival followed by a performance by one of my favorite bands in Alberta, The Wicked Awesomes!.

It was a weird experience being on television. I was kind of disappointed they didn’t put makeup on me. I hope I looked sexy in HD.

Hearts,

Aaron Levin
Weird Canada / Cantor Records
www.weirdcanada.com / www.cantorrecords.com

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Categoria!! Promotions | 13 Comments »

November 12th, 2009

Review :: Holy Cobras – Dead Bodies Float in Space

Holy Cobras - Dead Bodies Float in Space Holy Cobras
Dead Bodies Float in Space
(Campaign For Infinity)
Ottawa, ON
::web/sounds::


Slow-forward to the future. Turn left and you’ll never see Han Solo shoot, having been blasted by the 28 shots of Mos Eisleyian whiskey and bravely translucent pressure waves emanating from a new Cantina band: the Holy Cobras. Dead Bodies Float in Space is Hawkwind re-imagined inside an alternate nowhere, far removed form any human consciousness; pulsing, wasted synth coursing through psychedelic veins feeding life into tired, synthetic limbs grabbing every adjective needed to self-identify. It’s a new sound for new believers and I bet their live show is more cathartic than church could ever dream of being. The cassette sounds like shit in way that further mystifies its origins; Canada Post leasing a Millennium Falcon to bring back treasures from the world of Hollywood magic. Press play, close your eyes and witness Stacia, naked, undulating next to dead, floating bodies. Campaign For Infinity is on to something. A++++++++.

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Holy Cobras – Dead Bodies Float in Space

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Holy Cobras – Mama Jihad

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Categoria!! cassette :: New Canadiana :: ontario | 7 Comments »

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