{"id":12730,"date":"2016-11-02T09:00:52","date_gmt":"2016-11-02T16:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/?p=12730"},"modified":"2016-11-14T09:35:25","modified_gmt":"2016-11-14T17:35:25","slug":"new-music-revue-john-k-samson-aloonaluna-flower-girl-sparrows-wil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/2016\/11\/02\/new-music-revue-john-k-samson-aloonaluna-flower-girl-sparrows-wil\/","title":{"rendered":"New Music Revue<\/em>: John K. Samson, Aloonaluna, Flower Girl, Sparrows"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"jks_winterwheat-jpg-925x925_q90\"<\/a><\/p>\n

John K. Samson
\nWinter Wheat
\n<\/i>(Anti- Records)
\n4\/5<\/p>\n

Winter Wheat <\/i>is the second solo album (third, if you count 1993\u2019s split release Slips and Tangles<\/i>) from John K. Samson, former vocalist\/guitarist of popular indie rockers The Weakerthans. In true Samson style, the album is dripping with Canadian and prairie images and is an homage to his hometown of Winnipeg.<\/p>\n

Samson also focuses on other themes, such as our growing relationship with technology, mental illnesses, and the effect of fossil fuels on our planet. He seamlessly threads these serious issues throughout the album and brings in a sense of hope. He hints at how people are capable of bringing the change that is necessary to make things better. Encouraging songs such as \u201cPostdoc Blues\u201d make Samson feel like a strong old friend and stop the album from being too melancholic. His storyteller\u2019s way of writing songs is the perfect way to cover these topics.<\/p>\n

Although this is one of Samson\u2019s solo works, the sound is similar to old Weakerthans albums.\u00a0 This isn\u2019t surprising, however, since two of Samson\u2019s old bandmates played a big part in both production duties and playing the instruments here.<\/p>\n

Samson\u2019s signature soothing voice is in perfect harmony with the slow, soft songs that lull the listener into a peaceful daze. Although the instruments are mostly there to support Samson\u2019s strong voice, they provide a great backdrop. You can\u2019t help but picture cold, snowy prairie winters and beautiful scenery.<\/p>\n

-Shireen Roy<\/p>\n

\"aloonaluna_web-cover_v2_300\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Aloonaluna
\nThe Gilded Hegemony of Stars
\n<\/i>(Scioto Records)
\n3\/5<\/p>\n

The unique sound created by \u201cBaby Moldenke We Fell,\u201d the first track on Aloonluna\u2019s The Gilded Hegemony of Stars<\/i>, <\/i>really sets a great tone for the album, with soothing, layered vocals and a relaxing, synth-heavy experimental-indie sound. The creative album artwork captivates the listener, while the music\u2014all performed by one Lynn Fister\u2014does the same.<\/p>\n

Aloonaluna\u2019s music is hypnotizing\u2014maybe a little too much. I understand that this style is of music is meant to be unique, but it may have crossed the line. This is definitely not a party album; it\u2019s something I would get my hands on to distract the mind and try to follow the intense musicality that goes on within each track.<\/p>\n

Despite its difficulties, Aloonaluna has created a mixture of funk and electronic music on this album, and it\u2019s something I would definitely keep in my music library. Way to go.<\/p>\n

-Mohammed Rashead<\/p>\n

\"00-album-cover\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Flower Girl
\nTuck In Yer Tie-Dye!
\n<\/i>(BUFU Records)
\n2\/5<\/p>\n

Tuck In Your Tie-Dye<\/i> is New York\u2019s Flower Girl\u2019s second album, showcasing a mainly alternative sound with hints of pop and country.<\/p>\n

The lyrics focus on the goings-on of post-secondary years\u2014roommates and parties\u2014but without the hardcore feel that often comes associated with bands singing about such topics.<\/p>\n

I enjoyed the laid-back music, but I found the vocals came across as weak. <\/b>Still, sit back and relax with Tuck In Your Tie-Dye<\/i>. The vocals are lacking, but the music is good, once I got used to the singing.<\/p>\n

-Calista Pearson<\/p>\n

\"5b71b669ed2a6177668d43de5a111a9b0\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sparrows
\nLet the Silence Stay Where It Was
\n<\/i>(New Damage Records)
\n4.5\/5<\/p>\n

The new album from Toronto post-hardcore band Sparrows marks an upward turning point for the group. Let the Silence Stay Where It Was <\/i>is fantastic. The songs vary and leave the listener delighted with the sudden shifts from soft, eerie openings to loud, frantic endings. The power of the vocals is astounding, with a perfect mixture of orderly and aggressive singing.<\/p>\n

The song \u201cThe Written Rules of Choking\u201d is a personal favourite, with its soft melody and fierce, sudden incursion of louder sounds.<\/p>\n

Overall, this album was irrevocably prodigious and a monumental listen. This is a band that deserves recognition.<\/p>\n

-Jordyn Goodwin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

John K. Samson Winter Wheat (Anti- Records) 4\/5 Winter Wheat is the second solo album (third, if you count 1993\u2019s split release Slips and Tangles) from John K. Samson, former vocalist\/guitarist of popular indie rockers The Weakerthans. In true Samson style, the album is dripping with Canadian and prairie images and is an homage to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12731,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,174],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts","category-november-2-2016"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12730"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12817,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12730\/revisions\/12817"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}