Tag: Buffy Sainte-Marie

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Ep. #191: Buffy Sainte-Marie

Buffy Sainte-Marie is an iconic multi-faceted artist and socio-political force of nature who originally hails from Piapot Cree First Nations Reserve in the Qu’Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan. Over six decades, her music has been interpreted by everyone from Elvis Presley and Janis Joplin to A Tribe Called Red and Courtney Love, and her composition, “Up Where We Belong” won the 1982 Academy Award for Best Song. She’s an outspoken advocate for many progressive causes, perhaps most notably the advancement of Native American and Aboriginal Canadian rights and cultural awareness. Her latest album is a bold, eclectic one called Power in the Blood, it’s out now via True North Records, and it’s prompted her to embark on an intense world tour, with many Canadian dates scheduled this summer. Here, Buffy and I discuss being in Ottawa, how Owen Pallett once introduced us at the Hillside Festival, the significance of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its recommendations and how it’s a dream come true, help from nice white people, there’s more information about these issues now that could impact educational curriculums, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government and their response to the findings, cronyism, addressing NPD Leader Thomas Mulcair’s election promises, the power of Idle No More, historical instances where change has occurred, being a sweet teacher and keeping people informed about their countries’ histories, men can be better, people can be better, why she re-recorded “It’s My Way” from her 1964 debut LP, our fear of the unique or original, rocking out with her band on these new songs, the connection between “Power in the Blood” and what David Chase chose as the theme song for The Sopranos, “We Are Circling” and the Sadies, pow wow drumming and EDM, her very early adoption of Apple McIntosh computers as a DIY home-recording medium in the early 1980s, digital art, not pondering her artistic legacy, lingering anger about being stifled by government blacklists, the book In the Spirit of Crazy Horse by Peter Matthiessen, re-imagining songs from her catalogue, potential reissues, the song “Carry it On,” and that was the end of a pleasant, inspiring conversation.

Related links: buffysainte-marie.com vishkhanna.com

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Ep. #156: Owen Pallett

Owen Pallett is a tremendously gifted multi-instrumentalist, composer, and singer who currently lives in Montreal. Pallett was initially acclaimed for his string arrangements for artists like Jim Guthrie, Arcade Fire, Fucked Up, and many others and, particularly when he lived there, he was viewed as a true leader and champion of Toronto’s underground arts community. Since releasing his own music, Pallett’s profile has risen considerably. He won the inaugural Polaris Music Prize and has been nominated for each of his subsequent solo records; he was nominated for an Academy Award for his work scoring the film Her; and his fourth and latest album, In Conflict, has appeared on many best of 2014 critics’ lists. He is a sharp, clever, outspoken young man and he’s playing the Hillside Inside festival on Saturday Feb. 7 at 3 PM with Jennifer Castle. Here, Owen and I discuss living in Montreal, the year that was, musicians managing this particular age of media consumption, seeing the content of private Facebook posts go viral, playing with Arcade Fire during the backlash about their latest record, maybe people don’t like aging rock and pop bands, provocative extracurricular activities don’t necessarily lead to bigger box office sales, turning down a CBC Radio hosting gig, having sex with men, Pitchfork, Slim Twig is a wise person, Win knows best, some people should quit, why we make things, the trajectory of creative lives, people keep talking to me about Blink 182, why Michael Gira might have reformed Swans or Kathleen Edwards might have opened up a coffee shop, playing Hillside during a torrential rain storm that shortened the set, befriending Buffy Sainte-Marie, fortunate Owen, the plan to make a new, dense acoustic record that sounds electronic, Jennifer Castle’s “Sparta,” and that was it.   

Related links: owenpalletteternal.com hillsidefestival.ca vishkhanna.com

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Ep. #56: Dallas Good

Dallas Good is a tremendously gifted multi-instrumentalist from Toronto, Ontario who is best known for singing and playing guitar in the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band, the Sadies. The hardest working, most prolific band I know, the Sadies have been conquering this planet one town at a time for almost 20 years, collaborating with a long list of luminaries and making their own mark with each new album better than the last. Their new record is called Internal Sounds and is available now courtesy of Outside Records in Canada and Sadie plays shows in Hamilton and London, Ontario this week with more dates to follow. Here Dallas and I talk about him producing the new Sadies LP, how it compares to working with people like Steve Albini and Gary Louris, how the band dynamic is tested when he’s the boss, why some new Sadie songs sound like the Band, the band’s punk pedigree and whether punks enjoy Sadie as much as folk festival people do, how the road can be weird, the time Dallas broke his leg and missed a show in Saskatoon, working with Buffy Sainte-Marie, what’s up with Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, Career Suicide, and the Good Family, the song “STORY 19,” and more.

Related links: thesadies.net vishkhanna.com

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