I (Dylan) sat down with Allison Brown in Victoria park to talk touring, Windsor, radio, and her new album Stitches and Incisions, which we’ll be reviewing next week!
Episode 27: Run With the Kittens Part 2
It’s the rekittening! AFL gets into the second half of Casio Glue Bomb, Dylan praises the use of the voice as an instrument beyond lyrics alone, and Jess shares her thoughts on how musicians/lovers respect and critique each other’s work. Don’t forget to mark your calendar’s for June 30th loopers!
Episode 26: Run With The Kittens Part 1
The first band Jesse saw when she moved to Toronto, it’s part one of Run With The Kitten’s hefty release, Casio Glue Bomb. Surf rock, space noise, dronecore, lots of snyths and a cornucopia of percussive flavours, this is quite the undertaking. Check out CDbaby for this and other releases from the band, and don’t forget to pencil in June 30th for our AFL Anniversary Showcase!!!!
Episode 25: Single’s Spotlight 2
It’s time for another great sample platter of Southern Ontario’s best original artists. Jess gets deep into why cultural appropriation is a silly accusation and Dylan explains why ‘Adult Contemporary” is not a four letter word. We hear tracks from Todd Donald, Poshley Slums, Julian Troiano, Julian Taylor and Claire Coupland. If you get in no other loop this year, get in this one!!!
Episode 24: Red Arms
A couple of cheeky Communist-themed fellas from London who like to make loud music. It’s punk, it’s rock, but above these it’s poetry. We trace Red Arms’ tunes from the EP Welcome to the New Cold War and into their latest release, Let Every Nation Know. Jess recites some of her favourite lyrics ever on the show, and Dylan praises the ‘take no prisoners’ prose of anti-record exec anthem No Inspiration.
Episode 23: Yanis
Folk, blue-eyed soul, call it what you will. Yanis’EP Queen Kari is a distinctly emotive and personal record, full of powerful imagery and the heartaches of youth, familial dysfunction, loss, and love. Warm, wispy vocals, inventive steel guitar and highly evocative lyrics make this a new favourite for AFL. Jess asks Yanis on air to join the bill for the anniversary show, and Dylan reads an email from the man himself personally thanking him for purchasing the record. This is what it’s all about people. Get in the loop!
Episode 22: Cowboys in Cardigans
In AFL’s first live album review, we get into some seriously raucous, explicitly sexy tunes with Windsor’s grungey, punky, psychedelic rock foursome Cowboys In Cardigans Mammoth. There’s something for everyone on here, but especially if you dig a little kink in your life and like a growly-yet-clean vocal and a lot of bendy bass. It’s sweaty and chaotic in the best way. Are we still talking about music? Get in the loop!
Episode 21: Remember The Fire
Pop-punk from Ottawa is on the docket today, with a 5-track release from Remember The Fire: What Was Never Said. It’s restrained but energized angst with plenty of voices to sing with. Dylan extols the virtue of embracing bias, and Jess compares the closing track Fractures to A Day in the Life. Get in the loop! And don’t forget to mark your calendars June 30th for the first ever live concert featuring AFL all-stars!
Episode 20: The Consumer Goods and In The City (w/ JW Blakeley and Phill Hood)!
Whew! It’s a big one folks. But Jess promises it’s worth it. JW takes us behind the curtain on Tyler Shipley’s political indie pop outfit and its rotation of musicians, and sheds light on the upcoming gossamer-pop In the City tunes yet to be released (yay sneak peek!). Phill Hood, JW’s longtime bandmate and front man for Phill Hood and the !! stuck around to make JW blush by comparing his melodic bass style to Paul McCartney. If you want giggles, anecdotes, and two very different records to get into, this is the one. Get in the loop! SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END!!!!
Episode 19: Jeremy De Freitas
Jess and Dylan tuck into some alt-pop-rock from singer-songwriter Jeremy De Freitas. His debut album Crossed Off is many things. This mostly acoustic, dual-guitar driven record is highly polished, replete with belting strong vocals, and flavours of Incubus, Theory of a Deadman, and John Mayer. Lots going on, and certainly an achievement for the bucket list. Are you still reading this? Get in the loop!