Spot the sasquatch

by Holly Gordon

At first, the sasquatch comes across as a mythological symbol. It sadly looks into the distance from the cover of Siskiyou’s self-titled first album, meticulously detailed with coloured pencil. But this elusive sasquatch has more fanciful origins: talk radio.

A step backwards

by Allan Wigney

Ah yes, Wade MacNeil remembers it well.

Attack in Grey

by Allan Wigney

Spencer Burton is on the phone. And advance word has it he is adept at keeping interviewers on their guard — i.e., to be less than truthful with his answers. Think you know what sort of tree the Attack in Black guitarist would like to be, if he could be any kind of tree? Think again.

So much older then

by Allan Wigney

“Kodo,” observes Jun Akimoto, manager for the touring 24-member ensemble whose thundering sounds will resonate throughout Southam Hall this evening, “is regarded as one of the traditional Japanese drumming groups. But, actually, we only have 40 years of history, which makes us very young — even compared to jazz and rock, we are younger than those.”

Dyeing it Yukon Blonde

by Holly Gordon

“If you were to change your name, like your own personal name, your personal identity, right, a little bit, you’d kind of feel like you could make some pretty cool personality changes if you wanted,” says Jeff Innes, laughing a bit on the other end of the phone line from Thunder Bay.

A break from a break

by Allan Wigney

Last summer, fledgling local quartet Hotshotcasino caused a not insignificant stir through a nifty bit of self-promotion that involved encouraging curious web surfers to purchase the band’s single, This City, at the low, low price of a tweet — or Facebook post — of encouragement.

La Kyriesienne

by Allan Wigney

It’s been three years since Ottawa native Kyrie Kristmanson dazzled us with Pagan Love, an other-worldly collection of original songs that showcased a distinctive voice on the local scene, and sounded like nothing else on the local scene.

Sounds from the street

by Allan Wigney

You may have noticed Gillian Kirkland in the ByWard Market, an urchin singing for her supper, shielded by her weathered accordion from distracted passersby, exhaling the drama of Brecht or Weill into the ether.

Dance dance dance

by Allan Wigney

The students milling about at Café Nostalgica can be forgiven for not recognizing local hepcats Billy SLIM and Rev. Dr. D Spanx. Though, as ever, dressed sharply, The Pelts’ frontman and saxophonist’s secret identities — by day, they are respectively Scott Lofquist-Morgan and Daniel Spence — are safe with this University of Ottawa midday crowd. And, despite having beer for lunch, the older gentlemen are unlikely to be mistaken for undergrads.

Don’t speak of trouble

by Holly Gordon

When Lowell Sostomi talks about Great Bloomers’ last couple of years, the band’s lead singer reveals it hasn’t been a smooth ride for the Toronto five-piece.

“Essentially, between the release of Speak of Trouble and now, I’ve acquired all new members to the band, except for myself.”

Heart of Jenn Grant

by Holly Gordon

Everything’s coming up Jenn Grant. Two years after her heartbreaking sophomore album, Echoes, the Halifax-based singer-songwriter tucks her heart safely into her sleeve and dances forward with the newly released Honeymoon Punch – a new chapter following what felt like Echoes’ mourning.

“It feels like Echoes was the divorce, and now I’m on my honeymoon,” says Grant, laughing over the phone line from her north end home.