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Who The Hell Are… KIDCITY?

Introducing KIDCITY. Two people, One word, uppercase for menacing effect. But really, aren't they just too cute for words? Which is apt, seeing as the music that these two Canadian 21-year-olds make is more like haunted voices leaking from an overloaded digital landscape. "Somewhere between Enya and Dr. Dre", someone said. Sure, why not. It might be simple enough to place them within the geographical radius of another glitchy electronic duo, Crystal Castles, but Kelly Ann's vocals soothe, rather than antagonise, as the cracked beats and blistered frequencies dial up the intensity. Significantly impressed, we had no choice but to ask 'Who the hell are... KIDCITY?"

By |2021-01-09T08:55:58+00:00July 27th, 2011|Categories: Features, Who the Hell Are|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

Destroyer – London – 28 June 2011

How strange to be more than fifteen years into a career and to finally achieve growing, and now glowing, recognition for the music you make. Bands today, the inverse applies, they learn to walk before they can crawl, record a debut they'll never repeat and disappear as if they never existed. Real artists will maintain and nurture their craft regardless of an audience, which more or less, is the story of Dan Bejar. Better known as the wild-card songwriter in Canadian power-pop supergroup The New Pornographers, Bejar's work as Destroyer is like mainlining into Bejar's psyche, which prior to you only got the briefest taste of.

By |2021-01-25T03:26:20+00:00July 7th, 2011|Categories: Live Reviews|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments

The Besnard Lakes – On the Sydney Shores (2011)

The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horses. A fitting album title for these Montreal, Quebec, Canadians, as much as it was a challenge for a band who've skirted success but in turn garnered acclaim for their lush and psychedelic sound. Their most recent album The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night appeared in early 2010, and once again it was that intimate and expansive sound, coupled with vocalist/guitarist Jace Lacek's Beach Boys-like falsetto that saw the band release their most definitive collection of songs yet. Touring Australia for the very first time, Chris Berkley of Static caught up with Lacek and drummer Kevin Laing of The Besnard Lakes to talk about the slow rise of the band and their move into film scores.

By |2018-08-12T03:08:43+01:00March 17th, 2011|Categories: Interviews|Tags: , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Austra – London – 18 January 2011

There’s been a noticeable shift slash longing backward glance in music trends towards all things 80’s. It seems that the product of that era now want to know everything about where they came from and the music that was made. For synth pop acts like Summer Camp and Twin Shadow, the 80’s are a nostalgia/inspirational goldmine, but with the rise of Zola Jesus, Salem, oOoOO, etc, it was inevitable that Goth music and its mutated electro/dark wave offspring would get discovered by the black clad suburban misfits of today. Enter, Austra from Toronto, Canada.

By |2021-01-30T09:48:18+00:00January 21st, 2011|Categories: Live Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

The Besnard Lakes – London – 19 August 2010

Touring off the back of their third studio release The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night, the Quebec-based The Besnard Lakes returned to London to treat us with some more of their epic Beach Boys meets Spiritualized jams. Given the massive sound present on ...The Roaring Night, there was some anticipation in how the band were going to pull this off as a four piece. With the newer tracks being a lot denser and harder to recreate live without either a 10 piece line up or a maze of effects and loop pedals, assistance came via laptop, which helped embellish the sound and keep true to their recorded material.

By |2021-01-30T10:06:28+00:00August 23rd, 2010|Categories: Live Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

Stars – Interview with Evan Cranley on The Five Ghosts (2010)

The new Stars album The Five Ghosts is a focused and streamlined record that in some ways harks back to their synth-pop roots of their first album, albeit being much darker in tone and theme. While Stars' diminutive front-man Torquil Campbell, and its glamorous front-woman Amy Millan, may get the most of the star light we recently had words with the quiet achiever of the band, Evan Cranley. Evan reveals to us details about the process and direction that the new album took, the decision behind the Séance EP, his jack of all trades role in the band, the novel approach to touring the new songs and how to create a fantastic remix.

By |2018-07-16T10:21:35+01:00July 14th, 2010|Categories: Interviews|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments

Metric – Jimmy Shaw Q&A (2009)

As predicted Metric have blown up, but not blown away, big time. Fantasies reached number eight on the Canadian charts and crept into the Australian Top 40 and US Top 100, while incessant touring in Europe and North America has further strengthened their fan base. Webcuts emailed Metric guitarist and half of Metric's lead songwriting

By |2020-12-27T08:41:15+00:00May 22nd, 2009|Categories: Interviews|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

The Stills – Snakecharm the Masses in Australia (2009)

Having pulled up a chair with the The Stills in London to have a drink and talk about their most recent album Oceans Will Rise late last year, we continue to follow their adventures as The Stills join the Kings of Leon on tour in Australia, where Chris Berkley of Static catches up with both

By |2018-08-16T10:18:42+01:00March 27th, 2009|Categories: Interviews|Tags: , , , , , , , |0 Comments

The Stills – Interview with Tim Fletcher (2009)

Having released one of Webcuts favourite albums of 2008, the tsunamically stunning Oceans Will Rise, we caught up with vocalist/guitarist Tim Fletcher from Montreal's The Stills whilst in the middle of a brief European tour late last year.

The Organ – Thieves

Mint Records, 2008 [9/10] Vancouver's The Organ shared that same shadowy intellectual existence that made them sound like a darker version of The Smiths, without Johnny Marr's trademark flair and Morrissey's veiled humour. Helmed by singer/lyricist Katie Sketch, they created a delicate sound that brooded and pined, Sketch's lyrics reading like private diary entries turned

By |2021-01-02T04:15:51+00:00October 19th, 2008|Categories: Album Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

Constantines – Kensington Heights

Arts & Crafts, 2008 [8/10] Toronto's Constantines have tirelessly flown under the radar for many years now. Fiercely independent and untied to any particular scene or movement, their sound is punishing blend of brittle punk and impassioned rock and roll. They're like a true modern day blue-collar rock band. Endlessly compared to Bruce Springsteen and

By |2021-01-02T04:07:30+00:00September 27th, 2008|Categories: Album Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

Stars – Interview with Amy Millan & Evan Cranley (Static, 2008)

It may've taken eight long years but Canadian indie pop quintet Stars made their way to Australia for the first time recently on the back of their fourth LP and one of 2007's best releases, In Our Bedroom After the War -- a record brimming with heartfelt pop and rock with electronic and soul flourishes.

By |2021-01-03T02:16:00+00:00March 7th, 2008|Categories: Interviews|Tags: , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Tegan and Sara – The Con

Vapor/Sire, 2007 [rating:8.5/10] Although always writing separately, the initial blueprints for The Con, saw the twins geographically distanced -- Tegan in Vancouver, Sara in Montreal. Reunited and with demos in hand the pair moved to Portland with producer Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists) at the helm, recording in his basement studio. Tegan

By |2021-01-01T06:50:55+00:00December 22nd, 2007|Categories: Album Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , |1 Comment