Jazz and shawarma have a lot in common. To get good shwarma it is often advised that one travel to a larger centre than what the east coast offers where the nuances of the garlic sauce and perfectly pickled beats get put in equilibrium with shaved meats that are spiced to perfection.
Kiwi Jr.’s punchy new record, Cooler Returns, delivers a Kamehameha wave of hooks capable of planetary destruction. Of its thirteen tracks, even its weakest is more powerful than Raditz. If you are looking for a jangly record that reminds you a little of The Kinks if the Davies were raised by a sentient PlayStation 2, look no further. Continue reading Kiwi Jr. Hits With Hooks Capable of Planetary Destruction on ‘Cooler Returns’→
Ambition, when untethered from practicality, produces the kind of decadent artistic expression that I crave and the spaghetti western delivers. Rev Hank’s El Camino De Los Muertos is a gunslinger that chooses a strange and beautiful hill to die on, located in the Italian countryside, masquerading as the wild west. Continue reading New Music: Rev Hank Crafts an Ode to Spaghetti Westerns with ‘El Camino De Los Muertos’→
When I heard that Ofra Harnoy and Alan Doyle would record my favourite Ron Hynes song, “St. John’s Waltz” together for Harnoy’s Newfoundland folk song project On The Rock, my heart jumped. Harnoy is one of the countries most accomplished cellists and Alan Doyle is a story-telling songwriter and good-time performer perfect for interpreting a master’s work. Continue reading Single: Ofra Harnoy, Alan Doyle and Maureen Ennis Cover Ron Hynes’ Classic ‘St. John’s Waltz’→
Making a Jazz record is much like designing and building an airplane mid-air. While you may have intimate understandings of how an airplane is built and excellent blueprints, the rush of the air as you catapult through the sky can make for a weighty distraction. Capital 6 has built a functional flying machine with On the One. It has many of the hallmark features of contemporary jazz recordings (for better, or worse) and is certainly a fun listen. Continue reading New Music: Capital 6 and the Unlikely Event of Designing an Airplane Mid-Air, ‘On the One’→
