BeatRoute Magazine AB Edition - March 2020

MARCH 2020 • FREE
KENNY
+
CARIBOU
U.S. GIRLS
KESHA
THUNDERCAT
& MORE
UNLOCKED & LOADED:
HOW HIP-HOP’S
DUO OF THE
MOMENT MADE
AN ALBUM IN
THREE DAYS

Contents
Photographer Inés Ziouane goes into the night with Brighton’s Black Honey
(pictured) and others, documenting international stars on the rise.
Visit beatroute.ca for a sneak peak behind the scenes through her camera lens.
INÉS ZIOUANE
Music
4n UP FRONT
Looking forward to the 2020
Juno Awards, we check in to
host city Saskatoon, SK to find
out why it’s called the Paris of
the Prairies.
6n Artist Features
Thundercat, Kesha, U.S. Girls,
Caribou, and more.
21n Monthly Playlist
All the singles we can’t stop
listening to this month.
24nAlbum Reviews
Little Dragon, Phantogram, The
Garden, Jessie Reyez, D.O.A.,
Porches, and more.
+
CARIBOU
U.S. GIRLS
KESHA
THUNDERCAT
& MORE
UNLOCKED & LOADED:
Cover Story
KENNY
HOW HIP-HOP’S
DUO OF THE
MOMENT MADE
AN ALBUM IN
THREE DAYS
16 Denzel Curry & Kenny
Beats
A hip-hop match made
in heaven, Kenny Beats
and Denzel Curry channel
their manic chemistry into
Super Bowl-level energy on
Unlocked.
MARCH 2020 • FREE
LifeStyle
26nStyle
Beyoncé’s Ivy Park x adidas
collab is gender-neutral
and features a stunning
orange and maroon colour
palette borrowed from her
signature bold style.
30nTravel
Boise, Idaho: Spuds, buds,
and destinationless exploration
in the City of Trees.
YYC
33nSanta Le
Los Angeles multicultural
collective thrives on street
corner spontaneity.
35nYYC Agenda
Stu Connor at the Oak Tree
gives us the lowdown on
whiskey while Downstage
Theatre’s Men Express
Their Feelings explores
hockey and its complex
emotions in a comedic
production that will crush
you into the boards.
36nThe Slocan Ramblers
Canadian bluegrass heavyweights
keep it fresh and
physical.
37n YYC Local Artist
Spotlight
Justine Vandergrift finds
motivation in unfulfilling relationships
and heartbreak,
while indie outfit Young
Neighbours find deep
friendships in long-term
songwriting project.
40nEssential Edmonton
Marlaena Moore confronts
her imposter syndrome
head-on with the release of
her new album, Pay Attention,
Be Amazed.
41n Cheat Sheet
BeatRoute’s Essential List
— the must-see shows this
month in Calgary.
Jessie Reyez turns pain into beauty on
Before Love Came To Kill Us. Page 25
MARCH 2020 BEATROUTE 3

UpFront
MARCH
Publisher
Julia Rambeau Smith
Editor in Chief
Glenn Alderson
Associate Editor
Brad Simm
Lead Designer
Alex Kidd
Layout/Production Manager
Rachel Teresa Park
Managing Editors
Josephine Cruz
Melissa Vincent
Contributing Editors
Sebastian Buzzalino
Dayna Mahannah
THE 2020 JUNO AWARDS
SASKATOON MUSIC SCENE SECRETS
VENUES:
ndearingly known as the “Paris of the
EPrairies” or “Bridge City”, Saskatoon
is this year’s host city for the Juno
Awards. Known for its disproportionate
number of bridges over water (weird flex),
here are five Saskatoon music scene
gems to
watch for on the ground at this year’s
Juno Awards.
Amigos
Earning its place at Canada’s National
Music Centre, Amigos has been a
cornerstone venue for over 20 years,
known for its undefeated artist hospitality
and Tex-Mex food.
Broadway Theatre
Originally a heritage theatre, this
non-profit and promoter now presents
countless shows across Saskatoon,
bringing in diverse acts spanning from
GZA to Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
Hip-Hop House Party
at The Common Room
DJs Mikey Dubz & Kidalgo’s Hip-Hop
House Party is Saskatoon’s longest
running hip-hop night. Hosted at
The Common Room by Coors Event
Centre, it offers free entry, pool tables,
and popcorn.
Tefrondon & Trifecta Sound Co.
Tefrondon, Saskatoon’s current DJ boywonder,
has hosted two of the city’s most
packed party nights, Lituations and Soiree.
He also runs shows with his crew Trifecta
Sound Co. Keep an eye out for anything
Tefrondon-related, as well as other Trifecta
Sound Co. artists in the JUNOfest lineup.
The Bassment
This original Saskatoon jazz venue holds
the vibes of LA’s 70s-era supper clubs.
LOCAL MUSIC:
lthough largely known for folk and
Arock acts like The Sheepdogs and
The Dead South, Saskatchewan and
Saskatoon are also home to electronic
and urban artists gaining international
acclaim. Catch some of these artists also
performing at JUNOfest.
Alex Bent + The Emptiness* - "Coolin"
If Frank Ocean, Post Malone, and Our
Lady Peace had a baby, this is that baby
(from his album, “Baby”).
Denise Valle* - "Repeat Affections"
Saskatoon’s own El Salvadorian “Queen
of Soul”.
respectfulchild - "Glitter"
Non-binary, classically trained Malaysian-
Chinese violinist finds a loop pedal.
Toria Summerfield - "Kiss Me Lean"
Introverted Myspace bedroom-pop with
the heart of a Soundcloud rapper.
VBND & Katie Tupper - "Name
(On My Tongue)"
Charlotte Day Wilson had better watch
her back! Keep an eye out for Tupper’s
solo work in 2021.
Samurai Champs* - "Still Mine"
The Southeast Asian hip-hop boy band
from the middle of nowhere.
VBRTR & Sienna Lee - "Want You"
Future-R&B Filipino DJ-producer duo.
*performing at JUNOfest
By MARVIN CHAN
The Juno Awards air on CBC, Sunday,
March 15 at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST.
Samurai Champs
Contributors
Ben Boddez • Marvin Chan
Jordan Currie • John Divney
Aerin Fogel • Isaac Nikolai Fox
Fraser Hamilton • Natalie Harmsen
Christian Kindrachuk • Brendan Lee
Christine Leonard • Sarah Macdonald
Kayla MacInnis • Max Mertens
Yasmine Shemesh • Matt Williams
Sumiko Wilson • Aurora Zboch
Contributing Photographers
Johan Bergmark • Jeff Berk
Sebastian Buzzalino • Aris Chatman
Parker Day • Christine Do
Christopher Good • Phillip Harris
Max Hirschberger • Richmond Lam
Shervin Lanez • Jerris Madison
Colin Medley • Thomas Neukum
Ines Ziouane
Coordinator (Live Music)
Darrole Palmer
Advertising Inquiries
Glenn Alderson
glenn@beatroute.ca
778-888-1120
@beatroutemedia
Distribution
BeatRoute is distributed in
Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary,
Edmonton, Winnipeg,
Saskatoon and Toronto
Contact Us
26 Duncan Street,
Suite 500, Toronto ON, M5V 2B9
editor@beatroute.ca
@beatroutemedia
beatroutemedia
beatroute.ca

THUNDERCAT IS LOOKING
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE
LA’S MOST IN-DEMAND BASSIST AND SINGER
LOOKS FOR LIGHT AND LAUGHTER IN DARK TIMES.
By MAX MERTENS
Over the course of his prolific career, Los
Angeles bassist and singer Thundercat
(born Stephen Bruner) has never stopped
moving.
In the past decade, he’s released three
critically-acclaimed albums, collaborated
with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams,
and Kenny Loggins (winning a Grammy for his work
on 2015’s To Pimp a Butterfly), and toured around
the world. He had no immediate plans of slowing
down, until a tragic death in late 2018 forced him to
reconsider. Bruner was scheduled to open for frequent
collaborator and close friend Mac Miller on his North
American tour shortly before the Pittsburgh rapper
died of an accidental drug overdose.
“That was my best friend,” Bruner says over the
phone from his home in Los Angeles. “It was one of
those moments that was hard for me to process. I had
to sit down and let that in — that was nobody else’s
weight to carry, it was mine. As much as I wanted to
try and push through and go wherever I wanted to go
mentally about it life took precedent.”
It Is What It Is, his fourth album on Brainfeeder
Records, finds Bruner waxing philosophical about love
(“At this point, I’m definitely starting to feel more like
Future than Drake,” he jokes), loss, and navigating life’s
many ups and downs. The 15 songs on the album are
honest, sometimes heartbreaking, and frequently very,
very hilarious. There’s a song about wearing a Dragon
Ball Z durag (“Dragonball Durag”) and another about
joining the mile-high club featuring comedian (and
occasional rapper) Zack Fox (“Overseas”).
This tongue-in-cheek humour is nothing less than
what you’d expect from the man who describes
himself as an “internet troll,” and who shared his North
American tour dates in a short video showing him
“working out” in Uma Thurman’s Kill Bill outfit, eating
cat food, and pretending to hump a stuffed Pokemon.
“I prefer to laugh at most things, I guess,” he admits,
when asked if comedy helps him process these
personal experiences that feel like being stuck in a
never-ending dark tunnel. “There’s always the old
saying: ‘Every musician wants to be a comedian and
every comedian wants to be a musician.’”
Similar to his 2017 album, Drunk, It Is What It Is brings
a laundry list of collaborators into Bruner’s intergalactic
world. But rather than falling victim to the streaming
era’s tendency to encourage overstuffed, feature-heavy
albums, It Is What It Is weaves in its supporting cast —
like saxophonist and bandleader Kamasi Washington,
Canadian jazz outfit BADBADNOTGOOD, and
enigmatic rapper Lil B (“He’s got a really big heart and
he really wants stuff to be dope, but he’s also about his
business, and I fuck with that”) — naturally.
“Black Qualls,” which he’s described as a meditation
on what it means to be a young black American, sees
him trading vocals with Steve Lacey, Childish Gambino,
and Steve Arrington of 70s funk group, Slave.
For Bruner, whose upbringing in an incredibly
musical family (both of his brothers are musicians, and
his father was a drummer who played with Diana Ross,
the Temptations, and Gladys Knight) gave him the
chance to meet many LA jazz greats, he welcomes the
opportunity to learn from his forebears and give them
their flowers while they’re able to smell them.
“If you get a chance to connect those dots on any
level, it’s amazing, because you don’t always get to
do that,” he says. “Having Steve Arrington and Steve
Lacey and Donald Glover on a track, I feel like if we
would’ve been a band back when the Ohio Players was
popping, they would have had some competition.”
Now at 35 years old, Bruner’s armed himself with
collected wisdom, like recognizing the pitfalls of social
media. There’s a repeated line on “Black Qualls,” where
he’s embroiled in conflict: “Wanna post this on the 'gram,
but don't think I should.” It’s a statement that reads like
a 21st century parable. Though Bruner insists that he
doesn’t take his internet presence too seriously, he’s still
self-aware. “I don’t want to be the guy that’s oblivious to
where they’re at. I still pay attention.”
He's not alone in his ability to split his attention
between a cheeky remark and a sincere response. Is
there another way to navigate timelines where we can
expect to be fed a dank meme right before a eulogy?
Bruner’s quick to point out that while the mediums
may have changed, outrage and grief are not new
phenomena to humankind. In the past year, Los
Angeles abruptly and shockingly lost two cultural
icons, rapper Nipsey Hussle and NBA player Kobe
Bryant. “I think what was surprising was that Nipsey
got killed in broad daylight, and the disregard for him
not just as a rising star, but as a person,” he says.
Bruner also paid tribute to Bryant by sharing a photo
on Twitter of his cat wearing a #24 purple and gold
Lakers jersey. “You can feel the broken heart of
Los Angeles right now,” he says. “It put things into
perspective, I think, for everybody out here, how
important the time is you have with each other, and
how fragile life is.”
“My music teacher — he was kind of like a
second dad to me — he always said things
like ‘Prepare for the worst and hope for the
best,’” Bruner continues. “Those moments
when he said stuff like that to me have
never meant more than they do
right now, in
these moments
when we’re
experiencing some
of the gnarliest stuff
in our generation. You
just try to find the good
in these moments, that’s
all you can do.” STAR
6 BEATROUTE MARCH 2020

PHOTOS BY PARKER DAY
MARCH 2020 BEATROUTE 7

KESHA’S
RECLAMATION OF JOY
In late January, the day before the
release of her fourth full-length album,
High Road, I’m on the phone with
Kesha telling her about my bad father.
I didn’t intend on it. It sort of spilled
out. High Road includes a ballad called
“Father Daughter Dance,” a track I took to
immediately. The song, about Kesha never
knowing her father, opens with “Oh, I wish
my heart wasn’t broken from the start / I
never stood a chance.” I surprised myself
by crying to those first lines. Because of
my soft Scorpio heart, I tell Kesha this. I
tell her all about it.
“Oh my goodness, I have chills,” she
says slowly.
I’ve written about the estranged
relationship I have with my father before.
By being so public about a private pain,
it’s too often a vain pursuit of mine to seek
out a loose camaraderie. Maybe I’m not
so alone. Maybe someone in my small
corner of the Internet will relate and tell
me that we’ll be okay. Kesha echoes this
thought back to me with far more precise
articulation.
“I really never intended on talking about
that side of my life publicly just because it
kind of seemed off limits.” But she pushed
herself to examine why she felt compelled
to—for such an honest person—leave
this portion of her life untouched. “It was
nothing I ever thought I would discuss
publicly, especially in the form of a song.
To hear somebody say that they relate to
[the song] is why I put it out, even though
it makes me incredibly uncomfortable and
feel emotions that I haven't even quite
worked out yet.”
For more than a decade, Kesha has
given us permission to feel but also to
have a really good fucking time. The pop
star, formerly Ke$ha, defined the 2010s
with her vivacious, youthful, and trashy
songs like “TiK ToK,” which spent nine
weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot
100, and became one of the best selling
digital singles of all time, collecting over
$25 million in sales. Her debut record,
2010’s Animal, was a revelatory, partypraising,
unpretentious pop record. And
despite profiles at the time that attempted
to reduce her work to superficial club
bangers, Kesha spoke assuredly about
her future as a pop singer with enduring
talent.
It feels foreign now to tap into that
particular category of sizzling, temporary
fun. This concept of fun seems restricted
to a certain age range; that when you
age out and leave your early 20s or begin
“adulting,” that fun is lost to that moment
of time.
And this is what Kesha, now 33, is
trying to do still for herself: reclaim a
familiar, but more honest, joy that’s
entirely on her own terms.
High Road is Kesha fully formed. It
takes all the best parts of her career and
firmly places them in her own hands,
moulding a fun, thoughtful, prickly and
sweet record. Kesha executive produced
it — a task she enthusiastically took to.
“I like being able to control the narrative
of what this record is because it will live
far beyond my lifespan,” she explains.
“I wanted to represent myself in a really
honest, authentic way.”
High Road runs through pop, hip-hop,
and country. It even finds Kesha rapping
again. All emphasize her I-don’t-give-ashit
attitude (so enviously formed on the
biting “Honey”) and her propensity to fuck
all the way off into whatever experience
she’s in. Both Sturgill Simpson and Beach
Boys legend Brian Wilson join her on
“Resentment;” cruisemate and legend
herself Big Freedia features on the single
“Raising Hell.”
On “Shadow,” Kesha’s exultation is
more a deft proclamation as she sings,
“I’m so happy and you hate that, I love
love, I love life” and “get your shadow
out of my sunshine.” Here, she sounds
liberated. I asked Kesha how she
managed to find happiness. It’s a daunting
task for an everyday person, but for a pop
star? It seems mountainous.
“To maintain your sense of self and,
at the same time, entertain and provide
people with what they want — I feel like
I've earned my happiness.
“I put a lot of work into reclaiming my
voice, reclaiming the right to be happy and
joyful. I have no reason to be ashamed or
to shy away from talking about going out
and having a wild party night or having an
amazing sex life. These are all things that
are realistic in my life and part of living as
a human being.”
It invites a moment of pause, and an
opportunity to investigate how we treat
women who have been generous with
us by publicly coming forward with the
most difficult moments of their life. Should
that trauma remain integral to their art or
person and define them going forward? At
what point do we say, yes, you deserve to
be happy again in whatever way that takes
shape?
It should go without saying that Kesha
deserves to feel joy. That for everything
the pop star has sung about or gone
through in the most public way imaginable,
at the end of the day, she has more than
earned to feel normal and content with
her life.
“When people see me for who I really
am, I think that's one of the things that
guide me,” she says. STAR
By SARAH MACDONALD
8 BEATROUTE MARCH 2020

MUSIC BC
MERGE
MARCH 2020 BEATROUTE 9

SHINE
A LIGHT
ALLOW U.S. GIRLS TO
REINTRODUCE HERSELF
If Heavy Light, the eighth and latest studio album by
U.S. Girls, had a thesis, it would be that you can’t move
forward without first looking behind. The 13-track LP by
Meg Remy’s acclaimed experimental post-pop project
plays like a shifting gaze between the person Remy
was on past records, and who she’s evolved into on her
newest release.
The nostalgia infused in the sounds and messages of
each track is refreshing. More often than not, the swift
emergence of adulthood sweeps in before you even realize
that your adolescence has been left behind. Instead, Heavy
Light chronicles Meg Remy taking the time to share a fond
goodbye with earlier iterations of herself, all while stepping
into a new era of her artistry.
“A lot of the record is about looking back,” Remy explains
at a Bloor West coffee shop on a chilly February afternoon
in Toronto. “People always say, ‘If I could go back, I would
do this,’ or ‘if I knew what I know now, here’s what I would
do.’ I don’t think that’s really true.” While peeking from
beneath her shaggy, flaxen bangs, she speaks softly, but
with comfortable conviction.
But despite acknowledging that you can’t go back, she
spends much of her new album looking back.
If Remy’s last project, In a Poem Unlimited (2018), was her
meditation on anger, then Heavy Light is her reckoning with
the past–before her abbreviation and her alias were born.
Before she was U.S. Girls, she was Meg Remy, and
before Meg Remy, she was Meghan Ann Uremovich. “I
come from a really specific (background),” she says of
her upbringing. “I’m American and I’m white. I was raised
Catholic and went to private school.” Having recognized
that elements of her identity afford certain privileges, her
storytelling has changed. “I can’t speak to anybody else’s
experience. All I can do is present mine and listen when
others present theirs.”
In 2011, Artforum’s Andrew Hultkran concluded that
Remy was “a woman who clearly spends a lot of time in her
apartment with the shades drawn.” But a decade later, this
assertion is less true than ever. “I wouldn’t have finished the
record if I was alone,” Remy admits. During our chat Remy
explained that she chose to record the album live with a full
band and backing vocalists. She even tapped her husband,
musician Max Turnbull, to do the mixing and mastering.
The collaborative spirit on Heavy Light is a true sign of
how Remy’s approach to her craft has shifted. “To make
something with 15 amazing people, to hear what they want
and incorporate it into my thing so that it’s not just about
me, is so different from being alone in a bedroom.” Though
her creative process still “always starts there,” over a
decade into her career as a solo artist she’s comfortable
letting other people in. “Now I can turn away from [the
bedroom], or let other people be reflected in there.”
Other voices are reflected on the album too — literally.
Tracks on Heavy Light are woven together by interludes
that Remy likens to sonic collages, where she and her
collaborators answer deeply personal questions. Between
tracks, they serve as palette cleansers, where Remy’s
personal narrative is interjected by voices sharing advice
that they would give to their teenage selves, the most
hurtful thing that they have been told, and the colour of
their childhood bedrooms.
The revelations on the interludes and the tracks were
intentionally cathartic. The writing and recording of Heavy
Light aligned with Remy’s introduction to somatic therapy,
which she describes as “a body-based therapy that is all
about clearing the nervous system of trauma.”
Her eyes widen as she explains that “in nature when an
animal gets scared, they freeze, flee or fight. Once they’re
safe, they shake and shimmy to get the tail ends of that
traumatic energy out of their system,” In contrast, Remy
says that “human beings store it.” On Heavy Light, we hear
the release. “The kind of therapy that I was doing opens
you up to pull that out. It helps you so that you don’t store
things going forward.”
One of the things she held onto was “Red Ford Radio,”
one of Remy’s hallmark singles. To close the album, Remy
chose to re-record a reprise of the song and, ironically, it’s
one of the most vivid markers of her metamorphosis.
“My voice has changed,” she reflects. “I have control
over my voice but I don’t have control over the emotion. It’s
about figuring out how to sing these songs without crying
but knowing that it’s ok if I do cry.”
In spite of this, ending her new album with a rerecording
of an early hit was Remy challenging herself. “After working
on this project for 13 years, to go back to these songs that
I wrote and see if they’re sturdy or not; to see if I relate to
them. I wrote that song when I was 22 and I’m 34 now. Do I
still relate to it? Can I stand behind it?” She can.
While the message is the same, her relationship to that
song has grown. “I think I was hiding behind that song
then,” she says. “Now I’m saying, ‘No. This is me.’” STAR
By SUMIKO WILSON
10 BEATROUTE MARCH 2020

JEFF BIERK
MARCH 2020 BEATROUTE 11

CARIBOU
REFLECTING ON MORTALITY WITH LOVE AND OPTIMISM
It happens to nearly everyone at some
point in life. We reach a certain age
or something takes place that grabs
hold of our world and rattles it so hard
we feel it in the depths of our soul.
Relatively ordinary life events, like
birth and death, can cause these seismic
changes within. Whatever the catalyst, it
encourages a different perspective and
we begin to reassess the meaning of
everything around us.
This shift has been happening to Dan
Snaith, the London-based, Ontario-born
composer and musician, over the last
five years. One of the most significant
contributors was the shocking sudden
death of a loved one not much older
than Snaith that ricocheted through his
extended family. Then, both of his parents
experienced health crises that they,
fortunately, overcame. But tragedy, and the
threat of more, prompted a stark awareness
of mortality.
“I feel like I've been very lucky in my life,”
says Snaith, over Skype from the basement
studio of his home in London, England.
“I’ve been, just by good fortune, insulated
from those things. Or maybe, my parents
provided me with a very stable life. But I'm
41 years old. None of us are going to be
immune from those circumstances forever.”
Alongside those personal challenges,
there have been happy moments that
have impacted Snaith just as dramatically,
such as the birth of his second child—who
arrived in the back of a car, no less. This
past Christmas was profound, too: It was
the first Snaith and his wife hosted at their
house. “It was the kind of holiday that I
pictured from my childhood,” Snaith smiles.
“[And] it’s shifted from being about going to
see my parents to my children's experience
and building those memories for them.”
These formative moments—Snaith’s life
experiences—often inform the content
of his music. His last release under
the Caribou moniker, 2014’s Grammynominated
Our Love, played with both
austere and bright arrangements to
delicately reflect on the intricate emotions
that accompany new fatherhood, as well
as complexities existing in his personal
relationships with family and friends.
It makes sense that a contemplation
on the asymmetry between the gradual
way we age, grow, our perceptions of
the person that we are becoming, and
the unanticipated thwack of something
completely reshaping that outlook would
follow on Caribou’s latest effort.
Snaith’s new album, Suddenly, is aptly
named. His record labels (Merge in North
America and City Slang in Europe) were
“The kinds of things that are resonating
in my life right now are maybe not what a
21-year-old expects to hear in the music
that they're listening to...”
hesitant at first, concerned that the
more obvious subject matter might not
appeal to the listeners who championed
the subtleties of Our Love. But for it to
thematically be about anything else would
have been an evasion. It was unavoidable.
“The kinds of things that are resonating
in my life right now are maybe not what a
21-year-old expects to hear in the music
that they're listening to,” Snaith muses. “I
don't know. I feel like there was a real sense
of purpose [on this album]. My music has
always documented, to some degree, my life
and where it's at, but much more so with this.”
Snaith sourced from over 900 song ideas
for Suddenly. A mind-boggling number, but
not so much when considering he makes
music every single day. It is a ritual as much
as it is his creative process, and, as such,
the tracks intrinsically reflect his thoughts
and, inevitably, his truth. “I never listen to
them as an album together until the album's
done.”
“And that’s always an eerie experience to
me, because I listen to [the songs] and I'm
like, ’It fits together. It's somehow a story.
It's somehow a narrative,’ which is what I
want. But I don't have the foresight to be
able to put that together while I'm working
on it. It happens, somehow, by accident,
except that it's not by accident. I think that's
part of the thrill for me—there's this kind
of chase, even after 20 years or more of
making music.”
Similar to, and a deeper exploration than
its predecessor, Suddenly is anchored in
the complex concept of love. And during
a cultural moment so defined by urgent,
polarizing politics, it almost feels like a
brave thing to investigate. Snaith is far from
immune to it all. “I had this idea of progress,
that we would learn more and, as we learn
more as a society, society progresses and
gets better,” he deliberates. “And that's
been shaken by all sorts of things.”
The #MeToo movement is certainly one
of them. And something that hit close to
home when two industry acquaintances
were accused of sexual assault. “You meet
somebody and you think, ‘This is somebody
who has, it seems, the same values as
me. They talk about progressive issues
in a progressive way,’” Snaith says. “And
it undermined this assumption that I had.
They seem nice and you think, ‘Well, they
probably are nice.’ And it made me realize,
‘No, that's not reliable.’ You can't trust that.
“In the same way that those major life
changes just shifted the lens on everything,
the world all of a sudden looks different after
you hear some kind of cataclysmic news.”
That is why, for Snaith, ruminating on love
is requisite. It is a reflection of his underlying
optimism—a natural inclination that is
evident in the way he responds to the rocky
terrain of life (and the world at large) in the
gentle electronic textures of his work.
A significant influence on Suddenly’s
empathetic sonic approach was Beverly
Glenn-Copeland, particularly the ambient
musician’s glimmering 1986 album
Keyboard Fantasies. “It's something that
you listen to and it's a big hug that makes
you feel like things are okay—but not in a
facile way,” Snaith enthuses. “His music is
something that really engages with difficulty
and challenges.”
“Cloud Song” is the most obviously
Glenn-Copeland inspired, with its warm,
rippling synthesizers. But the dreaminess is
very much present throughout, whether in
shimmers underneath drum-driven beats,
like on
“Home,”
which also
samples soul
singer Gloria
Barnes; or as a
delicate ramble
that unexpectedly
hurtles towards
screaming guitar, as
it does on “You and
I.” Together, it makes
for a nuanced, intimate,
and meditative listen that
coats the soul in familiarity
and then turns it into
unanticipated shapes.
As someone who pays careful
attention to details, Snaith thinks
often—and deeply— about the
complicated state of our current
reality. Its knots are something he,
being somewhat of an idealist, is
unsure he has entirely untangled within
himself. But then, there is the music.
It helps make sense of things and
it allows him to engage in the most
powerful way he can.
“I’ve always felt that it was a failing
of my music to relate to the political
dynamics in our world,” Snaith adds.
“And I thought: ‘Why am I not making an
album explicitly about climate change
or explicitly about unfortunate political
circumstances?’
Then I talked to somebody who is
very wise in my life and often gives me
good advice, a photographer friend of
mine named Jason Evans, who does
the covers for all of my records. And
he was like, ‘To make music that aims
to unite’—and hopefully not in a kind of
vacuous way, hopefully in a way that's
somewhat meaningful—‘is actually a
political statement.’ I think a kind of
open-armed embrace is the closest
thing that I can come to reaching out to
people in that way.” STAR
By YASMINE SHEMESH
12 BEATROUTE MARCH 2020

Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
27 + 28 March 2020 / 7:30PM
Jack Singer Concert Hall
Hits of the '70s:
A Classic Rock
Songbook
The Orchestra and guest singers pay tribute
to the biggest bands of the vinyl years —
Fleetwood Mac, The Doobie Brothers,
Led Zeppelin, and more!
THOMAS NEUKUM - MURAL, STAMFORD HILL ESTATE, BY ARTIST AMBER ELISE
MON. MAR 2
THEATRE CALGARY: SPOTLIGHT
AT THE EDDY
OUT LOUD EDITION
FRI. MAR 6
HONEY DEER WITH S.K.
WELLINGTON
SAT. MAR 7
TIM HUS
FRI. MAR 13
R GRUNWALD WITH JOSHUA
VAN TASSEL
SAT. MAR 14
AB MUSIC 35 FT. MOURAINÈ,
DEBRA POWER, JOSH SAHUNTA
FRI. MAR 20
JACK LUMBER BAND WITH
BACK AT THE WHEEL
SAT. MAR 21
YOUNG NEIGHBOURS
ALBUM RELEASE PARTY
TICKETS AT KINGEDDY.CA
438 9 AVE SE
CLUTCH
FOOD • DRINK • LIVE MUSIC
every week
no cover
JAMIE ALLANACH
LIVE AT LUNCH
12 PM • TUES. TO FRI.
HAPPY HOUR
WITH
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WITH
calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849
J O R Y K I N J O
HOWLIN ’
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BOOTS & THE HOOTS
MATT
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PRESENTED
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TUESDAY
THURSDAY
MARCH 2020 BEATROUTE 13

Artist to Watch
A
ALADEAN KHEROUFI
MELANCHOLIC R&B ANTHEMS BRING
THE SOUL ON VIBRANT DEBUT
ladean Kheroufi is one
of Edmonton’s most
recognizable figures.
The Canadian-Algerian multiinstrumentalist,
DJ, producer, and
arranger is a fixture in some of the
city’s most visible bands, playing
and touring with the likes of The
Velveteins, Marlaena Moore, and
Lucas Chaisson. But far from a
forever-sideman, between constant
tours Kheroufi’s been hard at work
on his debut solo album, a nostalgic,
R&B-inspired 7-inch, titled “Sorry
If Hurt You” b/w “Nothing Ever
Changes.”
“I started recording [the songs] in
my home studio in Edmonton,” says
Kehroufi. “I ended up cutting vocals
in an Airbnb just outside of Munich
while on tour with The Velveteins,
recorded extra guitars and trumpet
courtesy of Billy Aukstik of Charles
By SEBASTIAN BUZZALINO
Bradley & His Extrodinaires in NYC,
and finally brought it back home to
Edmonton to add finishing touches.”
Stepping into the limelight for
his solo debut, Kheroufi shines on
the two tracks that draw on Curtis
Mayfield’s timeless funk, Sonny
Ozuna’s confident genre bending,
and his own assertive songwriting. As
he explains, it’s a natural extension
of his experience playing in others’
bands, but this time, it’s his name on
the album cover.
“Putting out my own music doesn’t
feel much different than playing with
other artists I love,” he says. “The
main goal is making sure more good
music is in the world. Of course, it’s
nice being able to express myself
with my own lyrical content as the
songs are a true representation of
times I’ve gone through.”
“Sorry If I Hurt You” is a soulful
ode to the devastation of the postbreakup
introspection while “Nothing
Ever Changes” is about admitting
defeat, a melancholic party anthem
made for dancing on your own.
With Kheroufi’s trademark sense
of humour and optimism, his debut
7-inch deals with the heavy emotions
putting them to wax and putting good
music out in the world. After all, that’s
what it’s all about, in his own words:
“To ensure more good music is in the
world than bad music. If you don’t
like what you’re doing, why should
anyone else?”
STAR
“Sorry If Hurt You” b/w “Nothing Ever
Changes,” is digitally out now and
will be released as a 7-inch on March
27 via Kimberlite Records. Catch
Aladean Kheroufi live on March 27
at 9910 with Marlaena Moore for a
double album release.
KEETON CHRAPKO
14 BEATROUTE MARCH 2020

Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
3 April 2020 / 6:30PM
Jack Singer Concert Hall
APRIL 28
JOEL PLASKETT
Rush Hour:
Best of Mozart
Experience Mozart’s greatest hits — join us for
happy hour at 5:30PM followed by a one-hour
concert at 6:30PM.
MARCH 8
ELMER ISELER SINGERS
MARCH 14
DERVISH — THE GREAT IRISH
SONGBOOK
APRIL 5
THE FRETLESS
WITH THE CALGARY YOUTH ORCHESTRA
APRIL 15
DAVE KELLY LIVE – ICONS
LONG & McQUADE
FREE CLINICS
DURING MARCH
calgaryphil.com | 403.571.0849
A series of free career-enhancing clinics specifically
tailored to the needs of musicians, songwriters, producers
and home studio enthusiasts.
APRIL 25
SARAH HARMER
AT THE BELLA
TAYLORCENTRE.CA
3404 5 Avenue NE ∙ (403) 245-3725
calgaryeast@long-mcquade.com
At all Long & McQuade locations, including:
225 58 Avenue SE ∙ (403) 244-5555
calgary@long-mcquade.com
10 Royal Vista Drive NW ∙ (587) 794-3195
calgarynorth@long-mcquade.com
MARCH 2020 BEATROUTE 15

THE FRENETIC CHEMISTRY OF DENZEL CURRY AND KENNY BEATS
By ISAAC NIKOLAI FOX
Denzel Curry is all energy.
Live in concert, this means
mosh pits and only mosh
pits. The centrepoint of all
of the Carol City rapper’s
live shows is “Ultimate,” the
viral 2015 breakout single
that’s become his signature
song. When the drums kick
in over top of producer Ronny J’s mangled
piano loop, limbs and bodies careen together
as he screams into the chaos, completely in
command.
For the better part of a decade now, Curry
has been one of the most explosive, passionate
voices to have emerged from South Florida.
Psychedelic, politically-charged, guttural, loud,
and undeniably catchy all at once, he has carved
out a lane for himself with his rapid-fire stories
of life growing up in Miami Gardens’ Zone 3
neighborhood. Plus, he’s part of a rare group of
artists, like Henry Rollins or JPEGMAFIA, who
can completely thrash their vocal chords for the
sake of a song without coming off as preening
or self-indulgent.
Curry’s uncontainable energy is part of what
drew Kenny Beats, one of rap’s most chameleonic
and charismatic producers of the moment,
to collaborate with him on UNLOCKED, their
newly-released joint project which dropped
in early February. Over the phone from Los
Angeles, he’s still in awe of Curry’s magnetism,
both in-studio and on stage. “I’ve known about
Denzel since he was 17 years old, and once I
saw him at Bonnaroo, I couldn’t fucking believe
what a live performer he was.”
“A lot of artists will rap or scream over their
studio recordings, and you don’t really get the
full performance experience, but Curry has the
crowd control of a rock band at Woodstock.”
UNLOCKED opens with a blast of Madvillain-esque
punk energy, as the vintage
supervillian dialogue implodes, giving way
to a throbbing boom-bap pulse and another
layer of scratched vocals. Effectively, this is
the mood throughout the entire 20-minute
project: the raucous energy of the new South
Florida ragers mixed with a sleek revitalization
of New York’s sample-heavy underground
rap.
16 24 BEATROUTE MARCH 2020

According to Curry, UNLOCKED was based
around their shared joy in exploring the outer
boundaries of their capabilities as musicians.
“We needed to challenge ourselves—but it was
still no challenge for us. It was just a fun, new
thing to do. Creating keeps me going, you know,
and I think it does for Kenny too.”
UNLOCKED’s nu-retro sonic direction is a
major pivot for both artist and producer. Curry’s
most recent projects Zuu and TA13OO were
classic Florida records, loaded front-to-back
with the frantic, syncopated flows and distorted
instrumentals that brought him to fame in the
middle of the 2010s.
Kenny Beats spent most of the past decade
as half of the now-defunct EDM duo Loudpvck.
When that project folded, he locked himself
in the studio and reemerged with progressive,
floor-filling trap instrumentals for everyone
from Rico Nasty (Anger Management), to Key
(777), to FKA Twigs and Future (“Holy Terrain”),
and even Ed Sheeran (“Take Me Back to
London”). Most recently, he’s become the most
popular producer on YouTube with his series
The Cave, where his extended universe of famous
collaborators will often drop by to record
impromptu, high-octane freestyles.
On paper, the two would have seemed like
an obvious combination, but in practice, they
found that the overlap between their trademark
sounds drained their early, unreleased collaborations
of their urgency. Plus, Curry needed time
to move past his (understandable) frustration
with Beats giving another artist a beat he
thought he had claimed for his own. Now, Curry
laughs when asked about the long-dead conflict.
“I was mad as fuck and didn’t want to deal
with him for a while. But time passed and my
cousin showed me The Cave and told me I had
to do an episode of my own. I did, and that got
us back together in the studio last summer.”
The more diplomatic of the two, Beats never
brought up this disagreement, but he did
agree that the UNLOCKED sessions were a
break from their previous experiences working
together. “Our whole conversation that first
day in November was about the new Wu-Tang
documentary on HBO. We started with a drum
break, I pulled up weird old movie samples
for the intro, and we made “Lay_Up.m4a” and
“Pyro (leak 2019)” that first day. When I played
them back the next day, I thought: ‘what the
fuck is this?’ I had two sessions that day with
other people, and I cancelled them both and
told Curry he needed to come back so we
could do more.”
Curry was equally enthusiastic about the new
direction: “Kenny was like ‘bruh, keep coming
back, keep coming back.’ I’d go to his studio,
come back with two more tracks, play them for
my girl, she’d say ‘oh shit, this is fire,’ and then I’d
go back to Kenny’s the next day to do it again.
After three days, we had the project done.”
"DENZEL’S PERSONALITY
IS LIKE HE’S IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE SUPERBOWL AT ALL
TIMES. HE’S SO HYPE, HE’S
GOT SO MUCH PASSION AND
ENERGY, AND HE’LL PUT
ANYTHING ON THE LINE
TO GET HIS POINT ACROSS"
KENNY
Curry isn’t lying about the remarkable speed
of the duo’s recording process allowing them
to enter, almost effortlessly, an entirely new
sonic territory. On “DIET_”, he slides seamlessly
into DMX’s raspy-voice lane, growling into the
microphone as Beats pitch-shifts his voice
to fit the lurching beat. “So.Incredible.pkg” is
the most quintessential New York track on
UNLOCKED, and wouldn’t sound out of place on
a Busta Rhymes or Nas album. Beats builds the
instrumental off of punchy, sampled drums and
washed-out Rhodes lines, giving Curry plenty of
space to combine interpolations of glossy Puff
Daddy hits with straightforward death threats.
Carrying over the nostalgic groove from
“So.Incredible.pkg,” “Track07” combines
the filtered low-end groove of A Tribe Called
Quest’s early albums with the crisp horns
that permeated so many of Pete Rock and DJ
Premier’s classics. Here, Curry plays the party
host, as his warped vocals wash in and out of
the mix. It’s the soundtrack to a mid-1990s
BBQ, composed by two men who were barely
out of infancy at the time.
“Pyro (leak 2019)” is another clear standout
– it might be the closest we ever get to a Kenny
Beats-chipmunk soul crossover episode. A
spectral choir that sounds like it’s being played
underwater washes throughout the background,
while the slow-crawling drums reinforce
Curry’s every lyric. The Floridan pours his
rhymebook out as if his life depended on it, and
delivers hands-down the best opening line on
the entire project: “My bitch bad like battle rappers
that make albums with no [Alchemist]”
Beats laughs when I bring this line up—it’s
one of his favorites, too. He’s clearly proud of
how Curry’s lyrics bring energy to a room.
MARCH 2020 BEATROUTE 25 17

UNLOCKED
is out now
via PH
Recordings
“No matter who I played the album for,
Rick Rubin, Madlib, Ski Mask the Slump
God—that line made EVERYBODY laugh.
I’m playing this for people in their mid-50s
and people in their early 20s, and everyone
is having the same reaction. That’s how you
can tell Curry is really striking a chord.”
Their frenetic recording speed was helped
by the fact that both Curry and Beats are
magnetic, energetic extroverts, permanently
dialed up to 11. “Denzel’s personality is like
he’s in the middle of the Superbowl at all
times. He’s so hype, he’s got so much passion
and energy, and he’ll put anything on the
line to get his point across,” Beats explains
excitedly when talking about the younger
rapper. Curry says the exact same about his
counterpart: “Kenny’s just as animated as I
am. We’ll goof off in the studio, but when we
get to work, we get to work and we get shit
done. That’s how it was, and why we were
able to do this whole project in three days.”
The track titles on UNLOCKED are a sly
nod to the mid-’00s piracy era of the music
industry. Before streaming and Soundcloud
swallowed the music industry whole, The
Pirate Bay and its sketchier predecessor
LimeWire were must-haves for any industrious
young person looking to reload their
iPods with brand-new MP3s. More often
than not, the downloads would come with
unpolished name like “Take_it_Back_v2,”
“Pyro (leak 2019),” and “So.Incredible.pkg”
– to name just a few of the many memorable
track titles on UNLOCKED.
According to Curry, this naming scheme
was a premature middle finger to critics.
“We made this project in three days, and we
knew critics were going to say ‘oh, it doesn’t
sound finished, blah, blah, blah.’ We
wanted to say ‘shut the fuck up’
before they even had the chance to
say it, so we made our track names
look like our session file names or
some shit you’d get when you pirate
music.” They got their point across:
on repeated listens, UNLOCKED’s
deliberate rawness feels like a
feature, not a drawback.
Despite the multi-faceted rollout,
which included the pair getting into a fake
spat, leaking their project, and then releasing
a short movie slash music video where
the two transmogrify themselves inside a
series of animated cartoons, UNLOCKED
avoids gimmick entirely. Made at breakneck
pace and stripped of any excess, it’s a pure
exercise in experimentation by two technicians
who are at the peak of their abilities
and know it.
Curry’s main takeaway from the collaboration
is that while there’s value in honing his
work to perfection, his first instinct is usually
the right and most exciting one. “I knew
me and Kenny were good, but I didn’t know
that we were good enough to make an album
in three days. We didn’t plan it, it was just
on the fly. We figured out the sound, how we
wanted to package it, everything all at once.”
For Beats, UNLOCKED symbolizes the
way that creative discomfort and uncertainty
can be channeled into urgent, immediate
art. “The number one selling-solo piano
album of all time is Keith’s Jarrett’s Köln
Concert, and that was played on a broken,
detuned piano,” he muses. “The greatest
piano album of all time is on a broken instrument,
you see what I’m saying? Sometimes
it takes that discomfort to break through.
When you don’t know where you’re going,
where you can end up is boundless.”
By ISAAC NIKOLAI FOX
ARIS CHATMAN
COVER
“I KNEW ME AND KENNY WERE
GOOD, BUT I DIDN’T KNOW
THAT WE WERE GOOD ENOUGH
TO MAKE AN ALBUM IN THREE
DAYS. WE DIDN’T PLAN IT, IT
WAS JUST ON THE FLY. WE
FIGURED OUT THE SOUND”
DENZEL
18 26 BEATROUTE MARCH 2020

MARCH 2020 BEATROUTE 19

The Playlist
BEATROUTE
RIGHT
BEATROUTE
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ROUTE
BR
BRLIVE
BRYYZ
10 SONGS IN
HEAVY ROTATION
AT THE BR OFFICES
NOW
CHECK OUT
BEATROUTE.CA
FOR MORE HOT
TRACKS ON
OUR ROTATING
PLAYLIST
+ VIDEOS,
ARTIST
INTERVIEWS
AND MORE!
NOBRO
Don’t Want To Talk
About It
The all-female
Montreal punk
quartet dubbed
this track “as
close to a love
song as we’re
going to get.”
Frontwoman
Kathryn
McCaughey
screams out the
joys of finding
someone new
over crunchy
guitar chords,
but the entire
track is quickly
taken over by
an absolutely
virtuosic drum
solo in the
middle before
the final chorus
roars back in.
Phoebe
Bridgers
Garden Song
Bridgers often
performs
while wearing
a skeleton
bodysuit, which
also appears
on the album
artwork of this
new single. It’s
appropriate
for just how
vulnerable many
of her songs
get. Singing over
a quietly plucked
acoustic pattern
with her paperthin
vocals, she
reflects upon
the passage of
time and the
little moments
that matter.
Kelly Lee
Owens
Melt!
The Welsh
electronic
producer
creates a
slick piece of
environmentalist
techno that
actually samples
the sounds
of glaciers
melting. A voice
repeatedly
whispers “ice”
over a heavy
deep houseinspired
beat
that’s meant to
act as a frantic
call to action,
punctuated
with the more
pleasant sounds
of shimmering
icicles and skate
blades slicing up
a rink.
King Krule
Cellular
On the opening
track of his
latest album,
Man Alive!,
the jazzy
superproducer
gets lost in
his mind in an
interconnected
world that feels
so isolated at
the same time.
With a weary
voice and halfrapped
lyrics,
King Krule links
the divisive
headlines
he reads to
a personal
romantic fallingout,
giving in and
calling her back
in search of
connection.
Billie Eilish
No Time To Die
On paper,
someone
with the quiet
eeriness of
Eilish didn’t
seem like a
natural choice
to record
something with
the dramatic
gravitas of a
Bond theme,
but the teenage
wunderkind
steps
comfortably
into a long line
of legends. Her
aching vocals
soundtrack the
suited superspy
dealing with a
betrayal as the
classic string
patterns swirl
behind her.
PARTYNEXTDOOR
Loyal (Remix)
(Ft. Drake & Bad
Bunny)
This remix of the
latest hit from
the two Toronto
titans adds
some Spanish
flair as Bad
Bunny, the king
of Latin trap,
hops onto the
track, speeding
up the rhythms
of the laid-back
alt-R&B cut with
his extended
verses closing
out the track.
Though there’s
still not much
that can beat
Drake, firmly
in his feelings,
softly crooning
“you’re my best
friend.”
Allie X
Susie Save Your
Love (Ft. Mitski)
Two of indiepop’s
most
celebrated
female artists
finally team
up on a track
to swoop in
together and
rescue poor
Susie from an
undesirable guy;
of course, with
the implication
that she should
be involved with
someone like
them instead.
Featuring a
funky synthpop
explosion
of a chorus,
the two softspoken
sad girls
blend together
beautifully.
The Weeknd
After Hours
The Weeknd’s
fans have been
clamouring for
him to return
to the sleazy
and mysterious
figure with dark
and unsettling
lyrics that he
burst onto the
scene with, and
this six-minute
slow burner
is about as
close as we’re
going to get.
Except this time,
he’s really in
love, perfectly
blending the
rumbling bass
and vocal reverb
of his past with
his upbeat pop
present.
Big Freedia
Chasing Rainbows
(Ft. Kesha)
Two of pop
music’s most
notorious
party people
link up once
again, this time
for Freedia’s
single, on a truly
triumphant track
where they ride
away from all
the haters on
a rainbow. The
Queen of New
Orleans Bounce
mixes up the
track to better
resemble her
signature sound
with some
rapid-fire flows
and calls to the
dancefloor.
Dizzy
Sunflower
The Junowinning
indie
band returns
with a summery
and upbeat pop
track where
they remind
themselves
to snap out
of the cycle
of mundane
everyday life and
start facing the
sun. Sampling
a choir the
band overheard
rehearsing at
an Oshawa
rec centre and
containing
a delightful
synth-keyboard
solo, this one
is a feel-good
anthem to
help usher in
springtime vibes.
MARCH 2020 BEATROUTE 21

AVAILABLE
NOW
THE BRAND NEW ALBUM
FEATURING THE SINGLES UNDER THE GRAVEYARD,
STRAIGHT TO HELL AND ORDINARY MAN
OUT NOW
22 BEATROUTE MARCH 2020

Reviews
ALBUM
ELLEN EDMAR.
LITTLE DRAGON
New Me, Same Us
Ninja Tune
Little Dragon’s sixth studio album,
New Me, Same Us, revels in its dreamy
mood. The Swedish quartet has
claimed that this album is their most
collaborative yet, as if promising that
this time they’ve finally found a perfect
groove and communication between
members. Thankfully, it’s true for the
most part.
The band excels at finding a cozy
niche between pop, R&B, jazz and electronica,
gliding through what makes for
an easy listening experience. It’s never
challenging, but perhaps that’s the
point, as lead singer Yukimi Nagano’s
unique and absolutely gorgeous voice
envelops you, providing comfort and an
immediate sense of ease as opening
track, “Hold On,” rolls out.
While the album never has a bad
moment, Nagano’s voice is constantly
searching to push the album into true
excellence.
On their Ninja Tune debut, the title New
Me, Same Us rings true in many ways,
which feels like a positive step forward
for the band in terms of both their
sound and originality.
Best Track: “Every Rain”
Fraser Hamilton

MUSiC ALBUM REVIEWS
JOHAN BERGMARK
PETER BJORN
AND JOHN
Endless Dream
INGRID
Peter Bjorn and John celebrate their
20th anniversary with the release
of their ninth studio album, Endless
Dream. The trio strip things back to
their pop dreamscape roots with a
focus on bright, colourful beats and
playful folk-tinged vocals — sorry,
no whistling this time.
Every song is hooky with funky
grooves, full of new wave and
80s-pop influence, a turnaround
from their previous moody album
Darker Days. Endless Dream might
just brighten your day, leaving you
unaware of your tapping feet and
sudden positive outlook on life.
Best Track: “On The Brink”
Kayla MacInnis
MAX HIRSCHBERGER
D.O.A.
Treason
Sudden Death
NAP EYES
Snapshot of a Beginner
Jagjaguwar
THE GARDEN
Kiss My Super Bowl Ring
Epitaph
PORCHES
Ricky Music
Domino Recording Co.
Porches returns with Ricky Music,
a further refinement in Aaron
Maine’s dedication to making 80s
synth inspired indie pop on his
computer.
The album is less broken than
2018’s uneven but excellent The
House and more experimental than
2016’s pretty much perfect Pool.
Porches’ most alluring asset
continues to be Maine’s melancholy
croon, always sounding like
the saddest guy in the room.
I can’t think of anyone that
can sell a line like “do you wanna
cry? I boo hoo”, but I bought it on
“Hair.” The same song contains a
certified gem that is hard not to
relate to: “I’m kinda pretty, kinda
busted too.”
Best Track: “Do U Wanna”
John Divney
With a raging fire of political
contempt burning, Vancouver’s
original hardcore punks, D.O.A.,
ring in the decade with a manifesto
for the modern age.
Over 40 years since founding
member, Joey “Shithead” Keithley
started the band, Treason is a
tight eight-track offering that
highlights Keithley’s unique ability
to knit catchy lyrics, blazing guitar
solos, and breakneck punk rock
into one single entity that stays
perpetually fresh right up until
the very last slightly off-kilter
note. Treason lives up to D.O.A.’s
storied history, proving that as the
world continues to get weirder,
they seem to only get more
pissed off and poignant.
Best Track: “My My, Hey Hey”
Brendan Lee
Nap Eyes have a superpower of
stretching time like playdough.
Every song on the Halifax natives’
fourth album, Snapshot of a Beginner,
should be printed in a pop-up
book of poetry. Their sound is
effortlessly low-key but especially
hi-fi, creating a polished, ambling
landscape for frontman Nigel
Chapman’s pragmatism.
Get strung out on “Real
Thoughts” before tapping into the
nuanced Puff The Magic Dragon
vibes of “Dark Link.” There is a
dichotomy here; it digs at the lazy-hustle-lazy
orbit of the zeitgeist.
The cohesiveness of Snapshot
peeks at the sixth dimension
through windows of daily banalities.
This is their magic.
Best Track: “Fool Thinking Ways”
Dayna Mahannah
The Garden conveys the idle dissatisfaction
of life in a clash of sounds
on their punchy fourth studio album,
Kiss My Super Bowl Ring.
Brothers Wyatt and Fletcher
Shears never adhere to one
narrow sound. Their DIY spirit
incorporates electronic and punk,
switching from minimalistic to
bombastic in an instant on tracks
like “Clench To Stay Awake” and
“A Struggle.” The ennui in the lyrical
content of “Sneaky Devil” and
“Hit Eject” express being fed up
with corrupt institutions and their
injustices.
The record wastes no time catapulting
listeners into its chaotic
world. Frustration and boredom
have never sounded so enlivening.
Best Track: “Sneaky Devil”
Jordan Currie
24 BEATROUTE MARCH 2020

NECK OF THE
WOODS
The Annex of Ire
Pelagic Records
PHILIP HARRIS
SHERVIN LAINEZ
The newest dispatch from thorny
Vancouver metal arbour Neck of
the Woods finds its rhythm method
in the midst of madness.
Chromatic technical prowess
gleams on “Ambivalence” while
the miopic soul-seeking of “Vision
Loser’’ levels the landscape like an
atomic blast. Jeff Radomsky’s voice
rises above the fray of “Strange
Consolation” before he finds solace
in the guitar wire spires that pierce
the celestial vault on “The Tower.”
Built on a slicker-than-wet-asphalt
foundation,the entire album
PHANTOGRAM
Ceremony
Republic Records
Phantogram has never been
known to confront things quietly.
The electronic rock duo made up
of Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter
present their fourth album, Ceremony,
with a different approach.
Following the loss of her
sister, Barthel looks deep into
the concept of death, grieving,
and moving forward. It can get
overwhelming at times, but there’s
an occasional oasis of calm, like
on the standout track, “Glowing,”
where we get to appreciate
Barthel’s impressive, controlled
hangs together with palpable cohesion
and clarity of purpose. From
the door-kick introduction provided
by the title track, it’s apparent that
Neck of the Woods aren’t giving up
any ground when it comes to the
gritty gains they’ve made.
Best Track: “The Tower”
Christine Leonard
vocals and hear the emotion
behind the lyrics.
Ceremony isn’t perfect, but its
urgency in confronting unspoken
feelings is what makes it interesting
and emotionally investing.
Best Track: “Glowing”
Fraser Hamilton
WAXAHATCHEE
Saint Cloud
Merge Records
Getting sober often involves a moment
of self-reckoning, discovering
what’s left after the hangovers
subside for good.
Waxahatchee devotes Saint
Cloud to exploring that idea, coming
to terms with herself through
her trademark moving and romantic
poetry, set against a musical
backdrop as sparse and delicate
as the wispy rural environs of her
native Alabama. Honest and unflinching,
her fifth full-length turns
inward in an attempt to connect
outward. In doing so, she emerges
with a deeper love for those around
her by learning to love herself first.
“I take it for granted/If I could love
you unconditionally/I could iron out
the edges of the darkest sky,” she
sings on album standout, “Fire.”
With Saint Cloud, it’s clear Waxahatchee
is entering a new age with
her head held high and a newfound
appreciation for the beautiful
details that surround her.
Best Track: “Fire”
CHRISTOPHER GOOD
Sebastian Buzzalino
JESSIE REYEZ
Before Love
Came To Kill Us
Island Records
Jessie Reyez is one of the most
refreshing and unlikely pop stars
working in music right now.
Dropping back the hip-hop and
R&B production of her previous
material for a new orchestral and
cinematic sound, Reyez paints
a series of beautifully tragic pictures
of unattainable or doomed
romances.
Featuring quite a few classic-sounding
doo-wop inspired
tracks, the album is packed with
twistedly morbid metaphors for
love, as if they were designed to
waltz to at a funeral.
DANA GAVANSKI
Yesterday is Gone
Flemish Eye Records
Introspection is the common
thread that cuts through Dana
Gavanski’s lo-fi breakup album,
Yesterday is Gone. Folk and pop
collide to produce hazy musings on
personal growth.
Gavanski reflects delicately on
all the pain and loss that comes
with losing a lover. Her honeyed
vocals tiptoe around whimsical
lyricism about the changing of the
seasons and the slow burn of ti me.
Sorrow transforms into a thriving
heartbreak paradise as ethereal
The album’s title refers to
a friendship that was “killed”
because he jumped in before
Reyez was ready. Adding some
heart-wrenching personal twists,
everything Reyez says here hu rts,
but it sounds so beautiful.
Best Track: “Coffin”
Ben Boddez
melodies infuse the record to highlight
the essentials: stripped-down
vocals, guitar and a pitter patter of
drums and piano.
Best Track: “Yesterday Is Gone”
Natalie Harmsen
MARCH 2020 BEATROUTE 25

Style
RUN THE
SHE’S CONQUERED
MUSIC AND NOW
BEYONCÉ IS SETTING
HER SIGHTS ON
SPORTSWEAR
26 24 BEATROUTE MARCH 2020

WORLD
By JOSEPHINE CRUZ
Photos by CHRISTINE DO
Model/Styling: DIANE J LOUIS
As soon as the news came that Beyoncé’s
IVY PARK brand was dropping a
collaboration with storied sportswear
giant adidas, one thing was absolutely
guaranteed: it was going to sell out.
Before anyone had seen a lookbook, a
product shot or even a design sketch,
the collection was destined—like so
many of Beyoncé’s other creative
endeavours—for dominance.
When it dropped on Friday, January
17, the first season of Beyoncé IVY
PARK x adidas fulfilled that destiny
with ease, much to the delight of her
faithful Beyhive who were able to nab
some of the coveted pieces, and the
chagrin of others who missed the
drop and caught (what hypebeast
culture calls) the dreaded “L.”
Because this is Beyoncé we’re
talking about, Mrs. Knowles-Carter
didn’t release her collection like
everyone else. In the days leading up
to the launch, she seeded pieces to
her A-list friends like Reese Witherspoon,
Zendaya, Cardi B, Laverne
Cox, Janelle Monáe and Hailey Bieber,
all packaged up in luxurious PR boxes
shaped like orange rolling racks.
And if that wasn’t enough, for her
biggest marketing tactic, Beyoncé
used a trick she herself perfected
back in December 2013 when she
unleashed her acclaimed self-titled
album on the world by complete
surprise. The IVY PARK x adidas
collection released a full day earlier
than originally planned, setting social
media—and hopeful buyers—into a
frenzy as everyone tried to get their
hands on the pieces.
The capsule collection was
completely gender neutral and was
comprised of apparel, accessories
and four sneaker styles. The collection
featured a stunning orange and
maroon colour palette and borrowed
from Beyoncé’s signature bold style
with asymmetric dresses and jackets,
shrugs, cargo skirts, and jumpsuits
alongside elevated staples such
as hoodies, biker shorts, tees, and
sports bras. While this season may
have sold out, this isn’t the end of the
partnership between Ivy Park and
adidas, so keep your eyes peeled for
future releases.
MARCH 2020 BEATROUTE 25 27

Style
Love on top
Four pillars of the adidas x IVY PARK Collab
1 .ORANGE
adidas x IVY PARK
Halter Bra, Solar
Orange, $45 USD
2. UNISEX CUTS
adidas x IVY
PARK Mock Neck
Sweatshirt, Ecrtin/
Maroon, $90 USD
3. ELEVATED BASICS
adidas x IVY PARK
Cargo Sweatpants,
Maroon/Solar
Orange, $85 USD
4. STATEMENT SHOES
adidas x IVY
PARK Nite Jogger,
Maroon/Solar
Orange, $160 USD
28 26 BEATROUTE MARCH 2020

TRAVEL
BOISE, IDAHO:
TREEFORT MUSIC
FESTIVAL
SPUDS, BUDS AND
DESTINATIONLESS
EXPLORATION IN THE
CITY OF TREES
By MELISSA VINCENT
ALDEN SKEIE
In 2019, Forbes named Boise, Idaho the
fastest-growing American city, and last
year, The City of Trees took the top spot
for overall livability when it was ranked the
best place to live for millennials. But looking
beyond the weight of impressive accolades,
a casual visit to Boise quickly reveals a city
whose spirit tells its own narrative.
With the easy-going charm of Canada’s west coast, and the “come as
you are" tolerance of the Mountain states, all jammed into the ever-evolving
bustle of a budding metropolis attempting to carve out a new identity, there’s
something familiar, compelling, and, if you give in, undeniably irresistible
about Boise. Because below a sprawling mountain backdrop, and adjacent to
Boise State University’s famously blue football field, the city’s wide sidewalks,
bike-friendly streets, and noticeable street culture invites destinationless
exploration.
Due to this, it’s difficult to imagine a festival like Treefort Festival — the
city’s exceptional multi-genre, multidisciplinary music festival, now in its ninth
year—serving as a better representation of the very best of the city come
to life. And because of its ability to capture the life-sized humility of a small
town with world class musicians, internationally renowned artists and writers,
and a remarkably curious approach to programing rooted in inclusion and
representation; it’s similarly difficult to imagine Treefort happening in another
American city.
With past headliners including Vince Staples, Toro Y Moi, and Parliament
Funkadelic, 2020 welcomes silken-pop revisionist Omar Apollo, electroniceverything
innovators Chromatics, sun-baked desert rockers Calexico, and,
as always, local boys Built to Spill, a clear example that the festival continues
to offer a slice of something for everyone.
30 BEATROUTE MARCH 2020
Treefort Festival
Mar. 25 - Mar. 29, 2020
treefortmusicfest.com
Tix: $125-$210
DESTINATIONS
Idaho State Museum
610 Julia Davis Dr
Originally built in 1950, the Idaho State Museum
celebrated its grand reopening two years ago
with an ambition to accurately tell the story
of the state, through the story of its people.
During Treefort festival, the museum morphs
into the landing site of a diverse range of talks
on subjects like exploring the human diaspora,
and understanding the benchmarks of activism,
alongside more eclectic talks like a deep dive
(pun intended) into the the state’s river systems.
Rhodes Skatepark (4)
1555 W Front St.
Stretching across 1.2 acres under Interstate 184,
Rhodes skatepark is impressive due to its sheer
size. Since its construction, the world-class
skatepark has served as a crucial community
hub and support for at-risk youth, but those
with a flair for adventure might come looking for
something more. For the last three years, the
park has hosted the X Games Qualifier, offering
the opportunity to see pros at the top of their
game.
EATS & DRINKS
Petite 4
4 N. Latah St.
Sarah Kelly cut her teeth as a self-taught chef
at both grocery stores and fine dining restaurants
before opening the beloved Bleubird
sandwich shop, which she shuttered with
partner David to open Petite 4. Serving a wide
range of French bistro-inspired dishes, expect
staff in pinstriped aprons, a rotating dessert
menu, or if you’re in luck, a Friday night oyster
cart announced 24 hours in advance via Instagram.
Madre
1034 S La Pointe St.
It’s very likely that even the most devoted taco
aficionados have never had a taco quite like
Madre’s non-traditional upscale tacos. James
Beard House is devoted to using sustainably-sourced
ingredients. Ever had an Idaho
spud and chorizo taco? Or a vegetarian pineapple
al pastor taco? Now’s your chance.

1 3
ALLIE SMITH
2
CHRISTINA BIRKINBINE
4 5
AARON RODRIGUEZ
AMY RUSSELL
Mai Thai (2)
750 W Idaho St.
For Chef Josh Maciolek, pretty good doesn’t
cut it. The Thai restaurant sets its sights on
the cosmos with an approach to Southeast
Asian fusion that blends both classic and contemporary
styles of regional cuisine through
an always innovative menu. A beloved local
favourite, if they’re pad thai doesn’t convince
you, their 12 year streak of being voted the
city’s best Thai restaurant will.
Guru Donuts (1)
928 W Main St.
Stationed in the historic Idanha Building,
Guru Donuts does away with artifice to
create a uniquely crafted donut experience
made fresh daily, from scratch, and with local
ingredients. This month for Treefort Fest,
the storefront wears a new coat. While you
munch on a “Hipster Berry,” “Funfetti,” or
“Girl Scout,” you can also take in a writing
workshop or panel discussion.
NIGHTLIFE
Neurolux
111 N. 11th St.
Think of Neurolox as a glorious combination
of the best parts of your local dive, the likely
spot where a wildly buzzed-about out of
town band will probably play, or the place
you might catch a set of eyes from across
the hall, and make an unsuspected new
friend. The best part? The giant luminescent
clam in the background, acting as a mascot,
chaperone, and cheerleader to a raucous
night.
The Balcony
150N 8th St.
From the moment you take the outdoor elevator
up to the the top floor of The Balcony
and turn the corner, you know what kind of
night you’re in for. Spectacularly sprawling,
you’re just as likely to sink into the crowd (or
decide to take centre stage). Think of this as
the city’s go-to destination for both a sweaty
night of dancing, or the crowning site where
the city’s next best drag queens perform.
The Funky Taco (5)
801 W Bannock St.
Imagine a beautiful place where life’s two
delicacies of live music and tacos meet.
Welcome to The Funky Taco. An even blend
of Asian, Indian, Mexican, and Americana
cuisine? Check. An unreal balcony performance
space with sightlines around the
restaurant? Check. A robust live music and
DJ schedule? Check. A pivot from “farm to
table” towards “farm to funk.” You’re sold.
The Olympic Hotel
1009 Main St.
Perched above Mulligans Pub & Eatery,
Boise’s newest venue in the heart of the city
hosts a wide range of programming most
nights of the week, including rising local
bands and international acts on a stage with
a delightful wraparound balcony. During
Treefort, the venue morphs into an important
landing site, running full steam nearly all
night long.
SHOPPING
The Record Exchange (3)
1105 West Idaho St.
To call The Record Exchange an institution
would be an understatement. For the last 40
years Idaho’s largest independent record
store has sold vinyl, books, candy bars, collectibles,
and everything in between. Keep
an ear out for their always free, all-ages,
in-store events which might include a meet
and greet, album signing, or concert.
Maven
928 W. Main St.
Maven opened in the basement of the
Idanha Building after the closure of the Garden
City Projects pilot program that created
a dynamic multi-use DIY space that cradled
art shows, live performances, and poetry
readings. Now in its new home, a recent
testimonial describes the space best: “A
cool collective / mini art museum / gift go-to
place. The best Boise has to offer in funky
little wares crafted by local creatives. Prints,
jewelry, vintage clothes, crafted candles and
so much more."
STAR
MARCH 2020 BEATROUTE 31

VIVIAN MAIER, MAY 16, 1957 © ESTATE OF VIVIAN MAIER, COURTESY OF MALOOF COLLECTION AND HOWARD GREENBERG GALLERY, NY.
YYC
LA SANTA CECILIA
MULTICULTURAL COLLECTIVE THRIVES
ON STREET CORNER SPONTANEITY
By BRAD SIMM
F
ar from the world where pop music is fabricated
in sophisticated studios full of digitized precision
and sonic mutations, La Santa Cecilia reins in a
warm, rich Latino vibrance straight off the streets of
Los Angeles.
Before they were a band, they busked and blended
punk with the blues, the bossa-nova and jazz with
upbeat rumbas bearing their collective souls that
stem from Mexico, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
For their sixth album, Amar Y Vivir (2017), it’s fitting
that they recorded live, direct to tape, and sung in
Spanish at various outdoor locations in Mexico City.
La Santa Cecelia, named after the patron saint of
musicians, thrive on street corner spontaneity.
At the same time, they’re not afraid to embrace the
vast cross-section of scenes that they grew up with
in LA. Their last album recorded entirely in English (a
first for the band), reveals their nightclub love and fullon
joy for melting pot grooves.
“We were always a bi-cultural band that sung in
English and Spanish,” says percussionist Miguel
“Oso” Rameriz. “We always mixed genres and mixed
traditional Latin American music with rock, with
blues, jazz and funk. That’s been the DNA of the
band, to follow the lineage of bands like the Doors,
Chili Peppers and Los Lobos mixing cultures and
expressing all that is Los Angeles.”
A large part of La Santa Cecilia’s chemistry also
lies with the colourful dynamics of La Marisoul. A
compelling focal point, she roams from sad to sassy
to sultry and spiritual projecting a voice laced with
strength and conviction.
Living under the tyranny of Trump, Rameriz says the
band and community they belong to find themselves
in an extremely tough time and place.
“The particular view of the United States and
Americans who think we’re not corrupt and we’re
the face of justice, it’s very difficult to admit we have
some serious problems. It’s crazy man. As a band we
have to utilize the positives in a platform and shed
some light and truth on the situation.”
La Santa Cecilia perform Thursday, April 2 at Arts Commons
(Calgary)
CALGARY’S ESSENTIAL
MARCH HAPPENINGS
03.20
MARCH 2020 BEATROUTE 33

34 BEATROUTE MARCH 2020

03.20YYCAGENDA
Heartful Of Hockey
Men Express Their
Feelings explores the
game’s complex emotions
In hockey, the blade cuts two ways.
It’s a fast-paced sport that requires a
tremendous amount of skill, speed, and
finesse where the dance on skates,
stickhandling, playmaking and putting the
puck in the net is an art and science. It’s
also primitive and destructive; when the
gloves come off, the goon squad comes
out and the sucker punch gets thrown.
Playwright Sunny Drake comes from
Down Under — Brisbane, Australia. He
played and coached field hockey for 10
years, and was raised in a household
full of rough and ready rugby players. All
too familiar with the rigors of sport, he
wanted to investigate what makes a man
tick once the puck is dropped.
“I picked the most uber-masculine
sport,” says Drake. “Hockey can be
fantastic. It’s exciting and filled with
comradery and strategy. But can also
be brutal, toxic, and crushing. There’s a
full range of complexity. But when it’s so
devastating, I think men are counting the
costs and finding different ways how to
be masculine.”
Noting the extremities of emotion,
Drake says, “It’s not out of the question
for a player to shed a quiet tear if they
lost the game or express a wider array
of feelings in the game’s heat of the
moment. When you see fans hug in the
stands or players get intimate on the
ice, that is closest to a man hug that is
acceptable. All these ironies are really
fertile ground to explore in a play.”
Men Express Their Feelings starts
with a fist fight between two dads who,
along with their sons, are ordered by the
league president to the dressing room
and participate in a sharing circle to sort
out their differences. From there they
touch on a whole range of things – close
contact, locker room culture, racism and
the difficulty their wives have with their
hockey heads. But with all the weighty
issues being tossed around, Drake
stresses, “It’s still a comedy.”
Men Express Their Feeling runs March
6 to 15 at the Big Secret Theatre, Arts
Commons
By Brad Simm
Irish Whiskey:
A Word From The Wise
Stuart Patrick Connor, the Oak Tree Tavern’s full measure Irish owner, knows how
to stock his shelves and is particularly mindful when It comes to his selection of
whiskeys. While most of us have experienced the infamous shot glass straight-downthe-pipe
ritual, Connor is pleased to offer a much more glorious path to the rewards of
enlightened whisky drinking.
JAMESON
For a traditional Irish whisky, original
Jameson can do the trick but comes
with a harder taste and some scratching
at the back of the throat. This is the
entry-level whisky pleasing to those
craving for a midnight liquid bump.
Jameson is “good to shoot if you're an
18-year-old,” says Connor.
PADDY
Dubbed the “old man drink” in Ireland,
Paddy is a light, affordable, everyday
whisky. “Cheap and good,” notes
Connor. “Just right for coffee, sporting
games or brown paper bags.”
HELL-CAT MAGGIE
Hell-Cat Maggie or “the fighting whisky”
offers a nice middle-ground — golden
brown, a bit a sweeter that leaves
behind an oaky flavour without a strong
after-burn. “Shot of choice,” says Connor,
“if I’m just toasting with friends.”
REDBREAST
The Redbreast 12 Year Old is on the
higher end of the scale and one of the
smoothest according to Connor. “Where
some whiskeys have that really awful
burn, this one doesn't really give you the
yuck face. It’s sweet, smooth and delicious.”
Made to sip, not to shoot, while
sitting in a leather chair by the fireside.
GREEN SPOT
If you’re feeling saucy and want to treat
yourself, Green Spot is the way to go.
Known as the “water of whisky,” because
it’s almost transparent in colour,
the sipping quality is undisputed with no
aftertaste and zero burn. Connor claims,
“It’s a gift to someone that you're either
trying to impress or don't want to kill
you. Smooth, dangerous, the ultimate.”
By Christian Kindrachuk
MARCH 2020 BEATROUTE 35

03.20YYCAGENDA
THE SLOCAN RAMBLERS
Canadian bluegrass bandits
keep it fresh and physical
reviews, noting that while the band
dips into the backwoods of traditional
bluegrass they also dive into new
directions.
Gross, who loves jazz, Miles Davis,
Phish and the Grateful Dead as much
as he loves Stevie Ray Vaugh and Led
Zeppelin, explains, “You have do your
homework and learn about whatever style
or genre you’re playing comes from and
be true to that tradition, really loving it.
Then be comfortable to do your own thing
and explore.”
What then do the Ramblers think they
add to tradition?
“All four of us write, we all compose
and keep ourselves interested. When
playing live, we keep it dynamic,
interactive, and we surprise each other
on stage, try out little whacky things
and keep it fresh. If we keep ourselves
interested, we know the audience is
feeling the same way.”
In recent years, bluegrass shows
in Toronto hit their stride where band
members took turns showcasing their
talent, sharing a single mic hoisted up on
centre stage. While the acoustic element
proved to be a refreshing break from
overdriven amps and pounding bass bins,
the energy levels to unleash a flurry of
Appalachian fire and skill held steadfast.
Praised for their vigorous, breakneck
deliveries live and on record, the
Slocan Ramblers have emerged as one
of Canada’s top-seeded, aggressive
bluegrass acts.
“When I hear musicians,” says Adrian
Gross, the Ramblers’ mandolin man,
“I like to hear a real physical presence
of themselves. To hear them play hard
enough so that their instruments talk
and I can hear them sing, so they have a
personal stamp on it. To put your physical
self into it, that’s where I think you kind of
get the uniqueness. To play with intent, so
you communicate something.”
Their third album, Queen City
Jubilee, which pays homage to Toronto’s
cfmfpresents-beatroute-march-ad.pdf bluegrass scene, has received glowing
1 2020-02-27 1:49 PM
The Slocan Rambler play The Arden
Theatre (St. Albert) on March 13, the Irish
Cultural Centre (Calgary) on March 20,
and the Horizon Stage (Spruce Grove) on
March 22.
By Brad Simm
JEN SQUIRES
Pink
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Martini
12 musicians
25 languages
1 Pink Martini
APRIL 16, 2020
Arts Commons, Jack Singer Concert Hall
Doors 6:30pm
/ Concert 7:30pm
GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!
artscommons.ca/martini
Public Sector Support
Official Suppliers
36 BEATROUTE MARCH 2020

LOCAL ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
JUSTINE VANDERGRIFT
YOUNG NEIGHBOURS
Finding motivation in
unfulfilling relationships
and heartbreak
Growing up in rural Alberta, country
music permeates just about every facet
of daily life. The traditional music genre
has long gone hand-in-hand with prairie
living and its various permutations, such
as Americana, folk or roots, all sharing a
common theme of direct storytelling that
reflects the values of its community.
Justine Vandergrift is no stranger to
this life, having grown up in Lacombe, AB,
and regularly splitting her time between
there and Calgary. As a kid, country music
was everywhere, even if “in my circles, it
wasn't necessarily cool to identify with
it, though, I think I always did,” as she
says. Indeed, the music left an indelible
mark on her life as she works on her own
additions to the country canon, releasing
her latest full-length, Stay, on March 7. As
she wrote “melodies and lyrics that are
more true to [her] roots, it felt good to
embrace country sounds [she’s] always
secretly loved.”
“Prior to recording the tracks I had
a series of ‘complicated’ and unfulfilling
relationships,” she says. “I guess I finally
realized I was the one to blame for the
decisions I kept making and wanted to
change some of my patterns. This album
is a story of choosing to move forward
from a place of overall dissatisfaction. I
wanted to share my thoughts and hopes
with my listeners, specifically my sisters
(both biological and spiritual).”
Stay is a homegrown album through
and through. With a local cast of players
backing her on the album (which was
recorded at OCL Studios in Chestermere,
AB), Vandergrift comes to terms with
herself and her relationship to country
music, all the while pushing herself
creatively towards the bright edges of the
envelope.
Justine Vandergrift will release Stay on
March 7 at the Ironwood (Calgary).
By Sebastian Buzzalino
Indie rock outfit finds
deep friendships in
long-term songwriting
Some albums feel like a burst of fresh
flavour, raw and rich in their immediacy as
they come together in a flash of creativity.
Others take longer to mature, simmering
away and developing deep and nuanced
complexities that seem to emerge the
more time passes. It’s in this latter
category that Young Neighbours’ newest
full-length, Famous, fits.
The Calgary indie rock outfit has
undergone its own fair share of changes
since they debuted in 2015. Led by Eric
Pauls, the contemplative singer-songwriter
at the helm of it all, Young Neighbours
seems to have finally found its footing
as a stable group with the addition of
Sarah Houston, Noah Michael, Cameron
Clowe, and Evan Freeman, all of whom
came together to push Famous forward,
creatively and emotionally.
“Creatively, I don't know if I pushed
myself as much as the band pushed me
and challenged every idea I had with
some very healthy creative tension,” says
Pauls. Used to a perhaps more individual
approach to songwriting, Famous pushed
him out of his comfort zone as themes
“around the idea of holding my beliefs
loosely and being willing to let go of things
that used to define me,” emerged as
overarching narratives.
But with the passage of time — three
years since Pauls first started working
on Famous — Young Neighbours have
gained a new appreciation for the craft
of releasing an album. To wit, Pauls had
a moment during the filming of the video
for “Peace During Wartime” that, in many
ways, has come to define this chapter of
the band: “As I stood there pretending to
play and sing with streamers flying around
me, my friends all playing their parts, I had
a moment where it felt like all the dreams I
had of playing music and being an artist as
a kid had come true.”
Young Neighbours will release Famous on
March 21 at the King Eddy.
By Sebastian Buzzalino
SEBASTIAN BUZZALINO
INGRID VARGAS
MARCH 2020 BEATROUTE 37

LEVI MANCHAK
03.20YEGAGENDA
Essential Edmonton
MARLAENA MOORE
CONFRONTS HER
IMPOSTER SYNDROME
HEAD-ON
Imposter syndrome isn’t just a
buzzword for being uncomfortable in
a particular job or role, or even your
own skin. Edmonton-based singer-songwriter,
Marlaena Moore, has
recently contended with that slippery
intellectual slope and talks about
her struggles to embracing personal
confidence despite having numerous
accolades and two solid LPs,
Beginner (2014) and Gaze (2016), to
her credit.
“The past year has been marvelous.
Everything got completely
flipped upside-down in my life for the
best possible outcome. After Gaze
was released, and after I toured that
record, I fell into a little bit of a slump
creatively and life-wise, as well. I felt a
little stuck,” says Moore. ”Eventually,
I realized I was having some mental
health issues. After getting diagnosed
with BPD, dealing with it and confronting
myself a little bit, I realized I
needed to start writing again.”
Setting aside time in the early
morning hours to practice her craft,
Moore connected with her creative
spirit and rekindled her passion for
weaving poetic pop-rock tales that
leave an indelible impression on all
who encounter them. It wasn’t long
before the potent emotions she had
been fermenting were ready to distill
for public consumption and Moore
approached trusted collaborators
grant-writer/manager Jesse Northey
and musician/engineer Chris Dadge
for guidance in making her vision a
reality.
“I said, ‘This might sound kinda
wild, but I’d really like Chad Van-
Gaalen to produce the record.’ It took
a little bit of convincing but we managed
to get him into the studio and he
was very generous with his space and
his time. He was really involved as a
producer, so I felt really lucky to get
to borrow his brain for my songs!”
As Moore puts it, the resulting
album, Pay Attention, Be Amazed,
“flourished,” displaying her ever-evolving
style as a guitar-wielding
romance novelist and autobiographical
graffiti artist rolled into one. It’s
hard to imagine there’s any deception
or shortcomings to be had among
the immaculate melodies, swooning
vocals and deeply cut love letters she
inhabits in the nine painterly tracks
that stretch from “I Miss You” to
“Tiger Water.”
“If you listen to the whole record
you’ll hear the voice of someone
who feels they’re really lacking in a
relationship, like they are the ones
not pulling their weight. The song,
‘Imposter,’ is about feeling as if
people don’t really know the true
you is the dark version and that’s the
only version that is real. That song
is an imposter itself: it has jangly
guitars and an upbeat tempo, and
it’s really fun and has this bright L.A.
pop-groove sound, but it’s about a
relationship completely falling apart,”
Moore says.
“The thing that kept coming up
with Pay Attention, Be Amazed is
that, something could be coming and
it might not look like you expect it
to. Be present and pay attention to
what’s going on around you. In those
moments, you can feel this clear, lucid
high where you see everything for
what it is. It’s beautiful and interesting
and you can start pulling things
apart and looking underneath. Look
close enough to see the signs. Maybe
everything is not as it seems when
you’re going through darker times.”
Marlaena Moore will release Pay Attention,
Be Amazed on March 21 at the
Palomino Smokehouse (Calgary) and
on March 27 at 9910 (Edmonton).
by Christine Leonard
TOP 5 SHOWS OF
THE MONTH
Brought to you by High Horse Coffee Co.
HUMANS
Friday, Mar. 6 at 99ten
Vancouver’s electro-pop duo, HUMANS, have driven
crowds crazy with infectious dance floor hooks
since 2009. They will do it one last time then the
party’s over as this is their farewell tour.
RALPH
Saturday, Mar. 13 at Starlite Room
Graced with a sultry synth-pop style that bounces
to the 80s and back, Ralph is sweeping the country
with “Superbloom,” her breezy new single that
glistens like Californian rays of golden sun.
BROKEN YOLKS
Thursday, Mar. 19 at The Buckingham
Bust out the beer, high-energy skate-punks, Broken
Yolks, are going to ride that melodic wave like it’s
1999.
BLACK BELT EAGLE SCOUT
Friday, Mar. 27 at The Rec Room South Edmonton
A product of the Pacific Northwest’s rich indie
landscape, Black Belt Eagle Scout’s sophomore
offering, At The Party With My Brown Friends,
continues to travel down a lush, but fearless foray
into the modern world.
HOTEL MIRA
Sunday. Mar. 29 at the Starlite Room
Garage-dance beauties, Hotel Mira, turn up the heat
with a new release, Perfectionism, full of pumped-up,
chaotic, heartthrob pleasures that eagerly embrace all
things frantic and romantic.
LOCAL ORGANIC BADASS
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Venus Forecast
By AERIN FOGEL
Pisces season
Notable Pisces
Millie
Bobby
Brown
02.19
WELCOME TO PISCES
SEASON! According to
astrologers, it’s the end of the
year, because the astrological
wheel resets when we enter
Aries season and the first
day of spring. So if it feels like
things are ending, perhaps
unraveling and drifting away,
there’s nothing to worry about
– you’re right in line with the
season.
Pisces is ultimately about
recognizing what connects
us all. Going through our day
to day lives can be intense,
personal, and even isolating.
But this sign speaks to the
intangible and powerful reality
that we are part of a vast
collective. As a result, we learn
how to be more sensitive to
what we (and others around
us are feeling). Life is tough
sometimes, and through our
own struggles we become
more empathetic. Pisces
teaches us how to act more
compassionately as a result.
Aerin Fogel is a spiritual
counsellor and the creator of
Venus Fest, a future oriented
Toronto music festival.
Important dates:
March 9
Mercury stations direct.
Yes that’s right, we’re in the middle
of a Mercury Retrograde. Mercury
traveling backwards through
sensitive Pisces gives us reason to
pause, go inwards, spend time alone
dreaming and wondering and feeling
it all. When Mercury goes direct
again it’s time to move forward on
decisions you’ve been putting off,
and revisit some hard conversations,
this time speaking from the heart.
March 9
Full Moon in Virgo.
The Full Moon helps us see
where we need to pick up the
pieces from Mercury Retrograde
– we may need to
reorganize our drawers, our
commitments, or our social
priorities. How are we doing on
the goals we set during “back to
school” season? Some can be
redefined now, as we take time
to integrate the last few weeks.
March 24
New Moon in Aries
The first New Moon of the astrological
year is the most powerful
moon to set an intention. This
is an opportunity to start a new
endeavor, new relationship,
new approach to something
already existing, and infuse
it with fresh energy. Think of
where in your life you want
something to begin or emerge
more fully. Now is the time.
Rihanna
02.20
Erykah
Badu
02.26
Kesha
03.01
Tyler,
The
Creator
03.06
Steph
Curry
03.14
Albert
Einstein!
03.14
Visit us online at beatroute.ca to check out our Pisces mood songs playlist!
40 BEATROUTE MARCH 2020 MARCH 2020 BEATROUTE 37

03.20YYCMUSIC
The Cheat Sheet BR PICKS THE 5 ESSENTIAL LIVE MUSIC SHOWS
1
LAB COAST,
FLORIDA BC, NITE TWIN
Friday, Mar. 6 at the Palomino
Calgary’s beloved indie jangle-pop
band rocks out with Clinton St.
John’s Florida BC and the van
Kampen brothers’ NITE TWIN.
2
YOUNG NEIGHBOURS
ALBUM RELEASE W/
KRILL WILLIAMS
Saturday, Mar. 21 at the King Eddy
Indie rockers Young Neighbours
have been maturing their upcoming
album, Famous, for three years and
are finally ready to show the world.
3
MARLANEA MOORE
ALBUM RELEASE,
W/ SAMANTHA SAVAGE
SMITH, GHOST WOMAN
Saturday, Mar. 21 at the Palomino
Edmonton’s enigmatic indie songwriter
unleashes her much-anticipated
album, Pay Attention,
Be Amazed!, produced by Chad
VanGaalen.
4
BLACK BELT
EAGLE SCOUT
Thursday, Mar. 26 at the Palomino
Their 2018 debut album burst onto
the scene with high-flung appraise
and their follow-up, At the Party
with My Brown Friends, is on an
upward trajectory.
5
HOTEL MIRA,
NORTHERN COAST,
SHUFFALO, FOX OPERA
Friday, Mar. 27 at SAIT’s The Gateway
Vancouver indie alt-pop/rock trio
tours in support of their brand
new album, Perfectionism, and are
joined by a slew of local greats.
1
DEAD PIXEL
Friday, Mar. 6 at Broken City
Energetic punks draw from Eastern
Swing, bluegrass and ragtime
to celebrate an album release with
The Pits Planet Earth, The Ringwalds,
and Orbit the Fox.
2
LESS MISERABLE
Wed, Mar. 11 at the Ship & Anchor
The self-deprecating, post-emo pop
punks are set to release their latest
album, Insufficient Funds, at a free
show.
3
CHRON GOBLIN
Saturday, Mar. 14 at the Palomino
The stoner/doom metal giants
have been rippin’ bongs and riffs
for a decade so join their massive,
two-floor party as they enter their
rebellious teens.
4
THE BRAINS
Saturday, Mar. 21 at Dickens Pub
Montreal's psychobilly monsters
are back in town with support from
Gallows Bound and The Devil's
Sons.
5
INSOMNIUM, OMNIUM
GATHERING, SEVEN
SPIRES
Friday, Mar. 27 at Dickens Pub
Finnish metal masters balance
sorrow and dreariness with the
bright hope of summer’s first sun
rays on their sixth album, Shadows
of the Dying Sun.
1
RAE SPOON, KIM
BARLOW, MOHAMMAD
SAHRAEI, KATE STEVENS
Sun, Mar. 15 at the Ironwood (all ages)
A rolodex of industry non-conformers
converge on stage for an
afternoon of expansive, imaginative
music that spans folk, pop,
electronic and traditional.
2
JOHN WORT HANNAM,
EMILY TRIGGS
Thursday, Mar. 19 at the King Eddy
The Lethbridge-based folk
musician has built a career on
the strength of his all-Canadian
narrative, moving lyricism.
3
AYLA BROOK & THE
SOUND MEN
Friday, Mar. 27 at the King Eddy
Ayla Brook encompasses the
breadth of the prairies with raw,
unflinching rock on his new album,
Desolation Sounds.
4
THE CAROLINES
Sun, Mar. 29 at the Ironwood
Three-part country harmonies and
melodies take centre stage with
the Albertan sweethearts’ two-set
performance.
5
THE BROS. LANDRETH
Wed, Apr. 1 at Festival Hall
Winnipeg’s rock brothers are back in
a big way with their new album, ‘87,
a tip of the hat to their own roots.
1
THE SPONGES,
BURCHILL,
WE ARE ROBOTS
Thursday, Mar. 5 at The Hifi Club
Groovy funk, heavy bass, nostalgic
sample chops, and four on the
floor rhythm make for a hell of a
dance party.
2 HUMANS
FAREWELL TOUR
Saturday, Mar. 7 at The Hifi Club
Western Canada’s beloved electro
duo is hanging up their dancing
shoes once and for all—don’t miss
out on one last chance to see
them live.
3 RALPH
Friday, Mar. 13 at Commonwealth
Synth-pop, disco, and smooth-soul
converge in the Toronto pop artist’s
engaging and oh-so danceable
discography.
4
ALIX PEREZ, TSURUDA
Friday, Mar. 13 at The Hifi Club
A double-headliner bill that blends
elements of experimental hip-hop
with avant-garde electronics and
soul music.
5
JAY ELECTRONICA
Sun, Mar. 29 at Commonwealth
New Orleans hip hop artist, Jay
Electronica, brings his Kingdom Music
vibes to Calgary for a bumping
Sunday set.
1
SANDER VAN DOORN
Fri, Mar. 13 at the Palace Theatre
The Dutch electronic producer
constantly redefines the limits of
dance music and will do nothing
less this Friday the 13th.
2 QUIX
Sat, Mar. 14 at the Palace Theatre
Prolific Kiwi trap artist Quix spins
experimental bass music for the
forward thinkers at the rave. Free
before 10:30 pm with RSVP.
3
ODD MOB
Sat, Mar. 21 at the Hifi Club
The Aussie EDM producer made
waves on the global scene with his
2014 hit “Is It A Banger?” Come find
out for yourself.
4 JACQUEES
Sat, Mar. 21 at the Palace Theatre
21st century R&B meets old-school
grooves are a signature of the
Atlanta-based songwriter who is in
line to end up among the greats.
5
DASH BERLIN
Sat, Mar. 28 at the Palace Theatre
The Hague-based electronic dance
trio megaliths bring their fiery, upbeat
bangers to Canadian soil.
MARCH 2020 BEATROUTE 41

SAVAGELOVE BY DAN SAVAGE
The Girls
My boyfriend and I were having
relationship issues until we
tried something new: pegging.
He wanted to try it, but he was
afraid and sometimes said
the idea disgusted him. Then
we tried it, and it was better
than normal vanilla or even
kinky bondage sex. It was the
most emotionally connected
sex we’ve ever had. I actually
pegged him three times in 24
hours. He says now he wants to
be “the girl” in our relationship.
He doesn’t want to transition
to become a girl, but to be
more “the girl” sexually and
emotionally. I see this as sexy
and loving. I’ve always taken
care of him in a nurturing way,
but this adds so much more.
I feel bad about sending this
long story just to ask a simple
question, but… how do I be
more “the guy” for my boyfriend
who wants to be more “the
girl”? Not just sexually, but in
everyday life?
– The Boyfriend Experience
“It’s amazing these two found
each other,” said Key Barrett,
a trained anthropologist. “They
communicate and obviously
create spaces to be vulnerable
together and explore.”
Barrett has studied female-led
relationships (FLR) and written
books—fiction and nonfiction—
about them, TBE, and his first
concern was your boyfriend
succumbing to “sub-frenzy,”
or a burning desire to realize
all his fantasies at once. You
guys aren’t new to kink—you
mention bondage—but you’ve
found something that taps into
some deep-seated desires, and
you don’t want to move too fast.
“Pegging opened up a huge
box of shiny new emotions and
feelings,” said Barrett. “That’s
great, but they should take it
slow, especially if they want this
dynamic to be a part of the dayto-day
relationship.”
You also need to bear in mind
that pegging, while wonderful,
won’t solve your underlying
(and unspecified) “relationship
issues.” Unless, of course, the
issue was your boyfriend feeling
anxious about asking you to
peg him. If he was worried
about walking back his previous
comments, or worried you would
judge, shame, or dump him over
this, that could have been the
cause of your conflict, and the
pegging—by some miracle—was
the solution.
But, hey, you didn’t ask about
those other issues—you didn’t
even name them—so let’s
focus on your actual question:
you being “the guy” and your
boyfriend being “the girl.”
“The boyfriend wants TBE to
be ‘the guy’ in the relationship
to reinforce his desire to be
‘the girl,’” said Barrett, “and she
seems okay with this, although
she does acknowledge that
this would require more than
the nurturing and caretaking
she’s already showed toward
him. That’s a valid concern. His
desire to take the kink out of the
bedroom and merge it with the
day-to-day risks turning her into
a kink dispenser. There’s also the
aspect of the boyfriend’s gender
stereotyping. Being dominant
isn’t unique to men, and being
submissive isn’t a ‘feminine’ trait.
There are a lot of alpha men
in FLRs who shine in support
roles for the women they trust.
Female-led relationships don’t
rely on stereotypes. Indeed, they
often flout them by relying not on
stereotypical behaviors but on
what is a natural dynamic for the
couple. In that sense, each FLR
is unique.”
While it’s possible that “I want
to be the girl” are the only words
your boyfriend has to describe
the dynamic that turns him on,
for some men, sacrificing their
“male” power and privilege is an
intrinsic part of the eroticism of
submitting to a dominant woman.
And that’s okay, too.
“If he legitimately wants to
take on a role of supporting
her and being her adoring
submissive partner while thinking
of that role as ‘feminine,’ it could
work for them,” said Barrett. “He
might really enjoy supporting
her decisions and being more of
a domestic partner. She might
enjoy the support and validation
that comes from having a partner
who revels in her successes and
strength. This could fulfill the
‘caring for him as if I were the
boyfriend’ portion (what a loving
a statement!) while still feeling
natural for TBE.”
So how can you get started as
“the guy” in this relationship?
“They should, again, start
small,” said Barrett. “Maybe
delegate a few tasks that were
‘hers’ to him, and she can tell
him how she wants them done,”
whatever it is (dishes? laundry?
cocksucking?), “as this will help
ensure the outcome they both
want. I would also recommend
they both read about what
FLRs are and aren’t. FLRs are
often kink-friendly, but kink is
not required. And they need
to remember the key word in
‘female-led relationship’ is
‘relationship.’”
Follow Key Barrett on Twitter
@KeyBarrettMSc
I’m a woman, and I was
contacted on an app by
someone claiming to be a
“guydyke.” Based on their
profile pictures, I was basically
looking at a white, cis, mascpresenting
man who’s said
he is queer but only attracted
to women. And by mascpresenting,
I mean I could
not pick him out of a lineup of
the most average of averagelooking
straight dudes: drab
clothes, a week’s stubble,
bad haircut. Granted, nobody
is obliged to announce their
gender identity through clothing
or grooming choices, but how is
this guy not straight?
– Perplexed
“I happen to be one of those
‘old-school’ lesbians, despite
not actually being what most
consider to be old,” said Arielle
Scarcella, a popular lesbian
YouTuber (youtube.com/
Arielle) with more than 600,000
subscribers. “Back when I was
coming out in 2005, if a male
person who lived as a man—a
male who lived in such a way
that he was always perceived
to be a man—claimed he was
a lesbian or a dyke, we’d shut
them down. But in 2020, it’s
only acceptable to accept
everyone for what they say they
are. I disagree. Part of being a
lesbian, being a woman, is also
cultural and societal. It’s not
simply an identity. Living in the
world as a woman matters. A
biological male who presents
as a man and has sex only with
women will never know what it’s
like to be treated as a woman
or a lesbian. He can identify
however he likes, of course,
but he will be perceived as a
straight man who’s fetishizing
queer women.”
42 BEATROUTE MARCH 2020

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