Ashtyn Walker Prairie-grown and Winnipeg proud, Ashtyn Walker is an anti-folk singer-songwriter and pianist who creates theatrical melodies and honest lyrics. A true collector of stories, she uses them to inspire her quirky and unapologetic songs.
astre astre celebrates all things noisy and beautiful, weaving haunting melodies through minimalist structures. Armed with loops, delays, and lots of reverb, her sound will echo through the ears and hearts of all who listen - and leave its ghost behind.
The Avulsions (Saskatoon, SK) A dark saturnine Goth collusion, The Avulsions take cues from their violent moniker and the haunting strains of bedroom indie rock. They marry the jangled nerves of tensely wound guitar and brooding bass lines with skittering percussion that dips fearlessly into the deepest reaches of the macabre. The result? Songs that are sweetly alluring, yet gruesomely haunting.
Benowa This recently formed four-piece of jangly jivers wants to swoon you into bliss with their chorus-laden pop stylings. Invigorating and groovy, it is impossible not to pick up what these kids are throwing down. Sway along on the dance floor to this well-crafted bubble gum pop for the iPhone generation.
Blonde Goth Goth isn't about what you wear, or how you look, It's about how you feel. Be yourself, and if that happens to be a blonde goth who wears corsets then that's just perfect. Don’t let Hulk hogan let you down because on this soaring ship of psyc country riffs this city will rise to heaven.
Bloom Eye Bloom Eye is hazy like the Red River Valley after a rainstorm. Pensive and inspirational, this one-man project sings to forgiveness, new love and vast open air. Let these ethereal acoustic songs whisk you away to a softer and more psychedelic pasture.
Blü Shorts (Calgary, AB) Crawling out of the oil-drenched art-punk scene of Calgary, Blü Shorts will have you captured, wrapped up in wire and flailing to their cruel tunes. Wild, fast and jagged like the dismembered remains of your interstellar life raft, there’s hope - but it’s not pretty. The sooner you accept this sinister groove, the better it’ll be.
Brady Allard Eponymously named, Brady Allard creates a hooky blend of psych-rock and synth-pop by applying his background as a jazz guitarist to catchy ‘60s B-side Brit rock and phased out modern lo-fi. Allard is the bearded Brian Wilson - writing, recording and producing all aspects of his well-crafted pop songs that will not let you go.
The Catamounts Reverb-saturated, fast-paced vintage instrumental wild action! The Catamounts stalk surf-rock inspiration from across time and around the world. With boundless hunger they devour ‘60s classics from America, East Asia, the Mediterranean and their hometown, Winnipeg. These resonant timbres snarl and echo across the frozen prairies.
Calvin Love (Edmonton, AB) Never has anything so other-worldly seemed so familiar. This young charmer from Edmonton steeps songs of psychedelic wisdom in celestial sensuality. Calvin Love arrives an enigma - a strutting, crooning contradiction as menacing as he is magnetic, like sex and mystery wrapped together in a trench coat. Come feel the love.
City Jerks Wrestling with life's most perplexing, yet often trivial questions; mining the humour in life's mundane situations like waiting in line, searching for a lost item, or the trials and tribulations of dating. The band is made up of comedian Leif, his ex-girlfriend and current platonic pal Jenna, his neurotic hard-luck best friend Steve and rounded out by Dan, the eccentric neighbour.
Close Talker (Saskatoon, SK) Close Talker is an indie rock trio from Saskatoon sowing subtle earworm melodies and harmonies set against expertly placed emotive percussion. Expect romantic prairie lullabies, sung to the heart of the open skies and fields spanning across Saskatchewan to Manitoba. These hooks will reel you in and keep you close, so don’t be a stranger.
Colour Revolution Colour Revolution, formerly known as JICAH is a 5-piece indie/pop band from Winnipeg Canada. Their songs are anthemic and sonically robust, with focus on melody and vibe but also have a familiar simplicity and honesty.
Conduct Don’t fight the undertow - just raise your skinny fists like antennas to heaven as these Albini-allied contract killers unleash an adrenaline-spiked torrent. Brooding halfway between Fear and Desire, Conduct cuts through the underlying tension with technical precision. Urgent guitar sirens and scathing vocals set the scene for behaviour most unbecoming.
Courier News Delicate and tender vocals drift through billowing clouds of synthesizer melodies in this collaboration between Alexa Dirks and Matt Schellenberg. Undeniable soul partners with perfectly orchestrated composition. Like the first cigarette after a breakup, Courier News puts the sexiness in sadness - so wipe the tears from your negligée, put on your favourite shade of rouge and get lost in the warm embrace.
Crooked Brothers Who says you can’t choose your family? The Crooked Brothers are kindred, no question. Their blend of timeless country, classic sounds, back porch blues and stomping scrap yard funk has proven they’ve earned the grit in their teeth and the dirt under their nails. These brothers will have you swaying to the rhythm, hollering at the moon and drifting off into a peaceful lullaby all in the same breath.
Distances Influenced by the old school stylings of their genre, Distances are a melodic punk rock band flourishing in the face of resistance with catchy melodies and heavy-hitting hooks.
Dri Hiev (Calgary, AB) With a mouth full of rusted machine parts, Dri Hiev is spitting in your face with industrial force. Mixing aggressive, angular noise into shoegazing washes of static, they create brutalist sonic soundscapes from guitar, bass, drums, vocals and noise. Like the modern day dystopian Midas, their sound turns the world into post-apocalyptic mania - and we couldn’t be happier.
FINN FINN’s songwriting is as timeless as the pyramids, built on a base of classic chords and thoughtful harmonies. It’s no question that these wheat kings can sing, wrapping themselves in prairie lore with a memory of acoustic comfort. You can hear the truck tires roaring in the wind, FINN is barreling into town with a bountiful harvest.
Fist City (Calgary, AB) Fist City is here, covered in wild roses and mud, barreling through your house party in someone’s stolen Astro van. Dragging behind them is a dirty bag of surf pop, punk rock frenzy and no fucks left to give. I know at home you’ve got a sweet little kitty, but it’s definitely time to head down to Fist City.
Ghost Twin Ghost Twin is a dark electronic dance collaboration between filmmakers/musicians Karen and Jaimz Asmundson from Winnipeg, Canada. They combine roaring synth lines, dirty pulsing bass, dreamy guitar, and a haunting vocal dichotomy where Baroque meets Industrial, with live video percussion that feeds cinema through a cut-up technique imbued with occult aesthetics.
Holy Void Holy Void is a psych rock trip into the recesses of consciousness. Made up of members from Surprise Party and The Catamounts, this four-piece and its vocal harmonies, feedback guitar, Moog synthesizer and fuzz bass will fill your ears with memories of emptiness.
House of Gold Diamonds House of Gold Diamonds is Winnipeg’s beloved party production and DJ duo Mama Cutsworth and DJ J. Jackson. Often surrounded by an army of drag queens, this dynamic pair is known for its infectious love of music and thoughtfully curated events. By the end of the night, these two are likely at the front of the stage, or perched on a speaker, proudly lip syncing their hearts out. Choreography included.
Iansucks These sad boys and girls sing to the awkwardness of your mid-twenties while sporting the true beauty of a frown. Float through the clouds, as these light lo-fi pop gems fill your shoes with helium because Iansucks sucks just about as much as free birthday cake in a hot air balloon.
Joanne Pollock Venetian Snares collaborator and one half of the band Poemss, Joanne Pollock breathes heavy whispers across articulate and captivating break beats. She possesses a rare talent - her songs become instant ear worms that bore through your mind’s eye and keep a kick in your step. Headphone friendly.
Kayla Luky Kayla Luky lives in Grandview, Manitoba, a small farming community nestled between the Riding and Duck Mountains. This unique setting gives her country sound absolute authenticity. Satiated with small town stories, chock-full of well-crafted country, if you're hankering for some home cooking, Kayla Luky will satisfy your hometown appetite.
Kindest Cuts Kindest Cuts writes music for dystopian romantics - a soundtrack to urban antipathy. Ripped out of your favourite John carpenter movie, Pat Short’s solo project will have you searching recklessly through the smog with only your love of dark wave synthesizer to guide you. Grab hold and try to hang on.
Living Hour Dissolve in a dreamscape of Living Hour’s summer-fueled haze. This five-piece places a halo around your head and pushes you into the wild open imagination of real live bliss. Inspired by never-ending skies, psychedelic guitar waves and old school love songs, these songs will wash away your substance and turn you into the ethereal creature that you’ve always dreamed you were.
M&M Meats M&M Meats is a female-fronted three-piece that sings songs of love, fun, sadness and serpents. They may be late-blooming-up-and-coming garage rockers, but they offer only Grade A cuts when it comes to rock ‘n’ roll BBQ. If you can stop your hips from swinging, surf your way into a seat and enjoy this gritty doo-wop feast for the ears.
Micah Visser With a few scrappy EPs under his belt and a full-length cassette released in April, Micah Visser is both restless and meticulous - and determined to perfect his brand of indie rock. Heavily inspired by solo artists and infused with modern pop and folk influences, he keeps lyrics at the forefront of his music while ensuring melody is never buried.
Mobina Galore Mobina Galore wear their hearts on their cut-off sleeves while building immediate and jaw-dropping alternative punk. This female duo is filled with heavy hitting melodies and raw-for-the-floor rock 'n' roll.
Mozart’s Sister (Montreal, QC) Drawing inspiration from Nina Simone to Lil B, Montreal’s Mozart’s Sister is the lone wolf project of Caila Thompson-Hannant, who cut her teeth in the indie rock scene playing in Shapes and Sizes, Miracle Fortress and Think About Life. Her new project challenges you to not enjoy yourself; these heady, disco-laden songs will have you pulsing and popping across the dance floor.
Mulligrub Mulligrub makes melody-driven twee punk for sweetie pie negaholics and sour sentimentalists. Kelly Campbell sings and plays guitar, J Riley Hill sings and plays drums, Mirella plays bass, and they all have too many feelings.
Nic Dyson Just a man with his acoustic guitar. Nic Dyson’s songs are lathered in nostalgia, love, loss, insomnia, vulnerability and sincerity. Landing somewhere between hopeful and hopeless, Dyson will help you remember that being happy is worth the fight.
Not Animals It’s like Tigerrr Beat, but they’re Not Animals. Skinny jeans and lo fi dreams, Chris Samms’s once solo project has evolved into a toe-tapping, head-bobbing, synthesizer safari. Take a good breath and open up all your hearts to the infectious genius that will have you howling for more.
Novillero Winnipeg’s mod kings have returned to proudly reclaim their crown. These musical bullfighters may have taken a siesta, but they are anything but novice. Novillero’s golden boys have reunited to show you the sophistication of swagger and the true power of mod-pop soul. We all know there is nothing classier than getting sweaty in a suit.
Orlando Gloom Winnipeg's lo-fi auteur Dave Shaw emerges from his bedroom studio with another offering to the pagan gods of kitschy synth music. His latest project blends icy synths with his reverb-heavy baritone to create dance music for the loneliest humans on earth.
Pleasure Dens Formed in 2014 by Alex Kohut of Figure and Keegan Steele of Yes We Mystic, Pleasure Dens is a panicky three-piece from the icy depths of Winnipeg. Drawing influence from New Wave and hardcore, their lyrical themes range from teenage relationships and muscular dudes to the ever-present allure of giving up on everything.
Rocko Modern Day 1 of the 21st century: a volunteer undergoes a radical experiment - he's imbued with popular culture and translated through the emerging accents of hip hop music. Behold, a vessel of the golden decade that has just closed. From before and for after, the Man of Then and Now, his name is Rocko Modern.
Rusty Roy Born on the rusty red soil of P.E.I and raised in small-town Saskatchewan, Rusty Roy is a true country music lover who isn’t afraid to rock ‘n’ roll. Rusty’s brand of country twang will get you humming a tune that’ll wake you up and toss you straight into the bottle.
Sam Singer After slowly incubating on Seinfeld, indie rock and television static, beloved basement dwellers Sam Singer have hatched! Fronted by a yet-to-be jaded, enthusiastic John Cusack in High Fidelity, these fresh-faced rockers may be young, but they prove they are beyond their years with laid-back, catchy pop hits that will make you butterfly on the swing set.
SC Mira SC Mira’s musical tapestry is a seamless weaving of folk, alt-country, rock and indie pop. Showcasing simple but savoury instrumentation framing while keeping focus on Cage’s voice and poetry. Sweet but haunting, brittle yet boldly injected with energy, rise, fervour and ferocity.
Shotgun Jimmie (Brandon, MB) In his dystopian Canadian love-sick dreams, Shotgun Jimmie evokes the true spirit of wheels on pavement, skateboards on gravel and being smitten in mittens. Jimmie has been relentlessly touring the vast Canadian wilds proving he is the hardest working slacker in the business. He navigates the bleak realities of waking up on couches, doing your laundry and skipping town, but in the end it’s all going to be a-okay as long as we keep on truckin’ together.
Somebody Language & The Way It Feels Somebody Language & The Way It Feels performs with a sense of vulnerability, and frontman and songwriter Benjiman Figler’s unapologetic raw passion may leave you feeling conflicted. However, this seven-piece’s mix of post-rock, doo-wop and beastly vocals will have you coming back for more.
SUPER THIEF (Austin, TX) Vacant and bold like a daytime robbery, SUPER THIEF is a noisy punk band from Austin, TX. Stealing away into the night with a hypnotic mix of snatch and grab noise, abrupt and aggressive changes, and bleak reality checks, SUPER THIEF are confident and free like waking up in the desert after torching all your credit cards.
Surprise Party This is soundtrack to your mid-life crisis. While the rest of your friends were living peaceful, comfortable lives, these boys were cross dressing and slamming Ritalin into their posteriors. Their songs are loud and their shorts are short. Surprise Party is robotic psychedelia for the head banger you never were.
Tent Rentals Indebted to the sound of their favourite ‘90s indie rock, Tent Rentals are bringing their heavy, melodic tunes out of a sweaty basement and into your sweaty hearts. Their sunny sound and jangly guitars are sure to bring a smile to even the frowniest face.
Triggers What do you get when you cross high-energy punk rock with influence from ‘90s pop-punk masters of the past? Triggers will do their best to show you. Formed in December 2013 and followed up with a debut release in February, these guys have had the opportunity in less than a year to grace the stage with Winnipeg's finest, and have shared bills with the likes of A Wilhelm Scream and Direct Hit.
Ultra Mega Much like their rural metropolis of Winnipeg, Ultra Mega shuffles on the crossroads of country and town; the horseman is proud and mounted, but disgraced by the fleeting conquests of the city. With delicate psychedelia, dreamy pop and calm, cool lyricism, Ultra Mega will chaperone you through the glories, romances and defeats of the bittersweet knight. Get swooned by the finest chaperones of spur-gaze!
Yes We Mystic Yes We Mystic grabs ideas and aesthetics from all over the map and morphs them into something different. They take their favourite bits of folk, rock and R&B, then hurl strings and mandolins together with synthesizers, pedals and samples. The result is music that can mellow and groove, yet in an instant climb to towering, frenzied heights.