Peace Flag Ensemble, Golden Shitters, Customer Service, and Last Waltzon
Peace Flag Ensemble - Everything Is Possible
Jazz is a genre I enjoy but one that I’ll typically shy away from covering. There are jazz elitists out there and I’m certainly not well versed enough in the genre to have a conversation with any of them. Heck, I’m not equipped to chat with an average jazz fan! But I like what I like and the new album from the Regina sextet, Peace Flag Ensemble, has been my relaxation music for the past few weeks. The album is centred around Jon Neher’s intricate piano work. The piano sets the mood for the flugelhorn and saxophone to do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of the immediate ear catching moments but when you settle into the record deeper, you can’t help but notice the cohesion between all six members. It’s Peace Flag Ensemble's most accessible album to date and one that’s perfect for a chill night staying in.
Golden Shitters - Brutal Planet
Hamilton punk supergroup, Golden Shitters, return with their sophomore album and it’s an anthem for the disgusting state of the world right now. The band consists of Matt Ellis (Anxious Pleasers, The Vapids), Dave Tyson (Sam Coffey & the Iron Lungs) and Kyle Fisher (the Dirty Nil) and the trio rip through twelve tracks of straight ahead punk with a little stank on top. The record is called Brutal Planet and the title is truly the theme found within observations on tracks like “Destructor”, “Everything Sucks”, “Don’t Wanna Wait”, and the title track itself. Songs of despair round out a decent chunk too, a plausible outcome for those wondering how to navigate this turd of an era. I for one feel better knowing there’s a band delivering that message with fun, raucous punk-rock to take the edge off living on this brutal planet.
Customer Service - to you, after 2000 years
Who the heck is Custom Service? This young Halifax band went from opener to headliner in less than a year. Fast forward another year and they’re getting signed by the massive indie imprint Royal Mountain Records with nothing more than an EP release to their credit. Their rapid success is truly inspiring so let’s learn a bit about their second EP, the three track offering titled: to you, after 2000 years. It opens with two emo-pop-punk bangers, each with an anthemic quality to it that makes them impossible to not enjoy. This is perfect music for teen-to-mid-twenty year olds, at least I think so (I know I’d be able to relate to it when I was that age). The final track is a vulnerable acoustic guitar number that builds to a finish with horns and a choir of voices… again anthemic, and also a great end to this short EP.
Last Waltzon - Wethouse
What I remember from a conversation with Sean Newton last week…
Me: Hey Sean, you should check out this cool band from Montreal called Last Waltzon. (I said excited to share a new discovery)
Sean: We saw them together last year at Sled Island. (Sean said hiding his eye roll)
Me: Really!?! (I said wondering if 40 is the age your brain starts to deteriorate)
Sean: Yeah, you said they were children but had something cool. You said you thought their third band would be incredible. (Sean took a drink of his pint, pondering the life choices that led him to this conversation)
Me: Oh I remember that. THAT’s Last Waltzon!?! Well I gotta say their debut album rips. Maybe they should keep playing and instead of their third band, their third album will blow up and they’ll be headlining at Sled. This record is really good, not best of the year material but definitely something everyone should check out. It’s grimy rock music… a little grunge, a little noise-rock, even some hints at post-punk. I like it a lot. (I said hoping they’re practicing because they are planning on returning to Sled)
Sean: Cool, I’ll check it out. (Sean said as he slammed back the last third of his pint) Gotta go!
- Jeff MacCallum