Category: Podcast

Ep. #33: Dirty Beaches

Post author By vish
Post date September 11, 2013

Dirty Beaches is the alter-ego of a gifted and prolific artist named Alex Zhang Hungtai. Originally from Taiwan, Hungtai has spent some time living in Montreal among other places and he’s earned a reputation for making some of the most challenging, noise-infused, song-based music of the decade. This past May, Dirty Beaches released two complementary records, the band and lyrically-based Drifters and the more solitary, instrumental endeavour that is Love is the Devil. Both are available courtesy of Zoo Music and the current Dirty Beaches tour includes Canadian stops at the Garrison in Toronto on Sept. 11 and Vancouver’s Biltmore on Sept. 26. In this in-depth Skype chat, Hungtai discusses why he left Montreal for Berlin, how being a nomad influences his art and might be a good challenge for anyone, loving metal, Wu-Tang, noise-rock, Springsteen and Suicide, fitting in vs. going your own way, his relationship with his audience, doing film scores and upcoming releases, the song “Berlin,” and much more.

Related links: dirtybeaches.bandcamp.com killzoomusic.com vishkhanna.com

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Tags Alex Zhang Hungtai, Bruce Springsteen, Dirty Beaches, Suicide, Zoo Music

News Podcast

Ep. #32: Joel Plaskett

Joel Plaskett is one of the most accomplished, prolific musicians, songwriters, and producers to ever call Halifax home. 20 years ago he made his first great in-roads as an artist in the hugely influential underground rock band Thrush Hermit and, when that group stopped playing together at the end of the last century, Plaskett began a successful solo career releasing some of Canada’s most essential rock and folk albums. He runs his own label, New Scotland Records, highlighting the work of artists he loves, and continues to be a tremendous live performer and engaging storyteller. The Joel Plaskett Emergency released a cool record in 2012 called Scrappy Happiness and they return to Guelph for a show at the River Run Centre on Friday Sept. 13 as part of the 25th anniversary edition of the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival and then play Hamilton’s James St. Supercrawl on Saturday Sept. 14. During this extensive interview, Joel discusses his upbringing, his father Bill, how he first started playing music with his friends, why Family Ties was super distracting, why he’s never left Halifax, how independent culture has changed since he first became involved in it, how he makes sure he’s TCB, the showmanship of Bruce Springsteen, the connection between comedy and songwriting, his new songs, Clayton Park on double vinyl, Thrush Hermit reunions, and his future plans.

Related links: joelplaskett.com edenmillswritersfestival.ca vishkhanna.com

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Tags Eden Mills Writers' Festival, Joel Plaskett Emergency, River Run Centre, Supercrawl, Thrush Hermit

News Podcast

Ep. #31: Jesse Stewart and Hamid Drake

Post author By vish
Post date September 5, 2013

Jesse Stewart and Hamid Drake are world-renowned percussionists and no strangers to the Guelph Jazz Festival, which celebrates its 20th anniversary from Sept. 4-8. Stewart is a Juno Award winner who once called Guelph home and now works as a professor in the School for Studies in Art and Culture at Carleton University in Ottawa. Drake is a Chicago-based jazz and world music virtuoso who is truly a wonder to witness play live–a legendary figure in avant improvised music who incorporates all manner of cultures and genres in his spirited approach to percussion. On Sept. 3, the pair joined Dong-Won Kim, well-known for his work with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble and master of the Jang-go and other Korean percussion instruments, and Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, the man known as “the living legend of the tabla,’ for the Guelph Jazz Festival’s World Percussion Summit at the River Run Centre. Afterwards, they spent as much time as possible discussing the show, their history, and their mutual admiration. Their duo record, Timelines, is due out Friday Sept. 6 on Stewart’s new imprint, Art Stew Records, and you can hear the piece “D.U.O. (Do Unto Others)” after our chat.

Related links: jessestewart.ca guelphjazzfestival.com vishkhanna.com

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Tags Art Stew Records, Dong-Wan Kim, Drumming, Guelph Jazz Festival, Hamid Drake, Jesse Stewart, Pandit Anindo Chattergee, Percussion