Tasting momentum, they are becoming one of western Canada’s most promising new exports having just returned from the ranks of Toronto’s smorgasbord festival, CMW and showcasing with one of the world’s leading artist firms, the Agency Group. One year ago, while still operating under his namesake, frontman, Reuben Bullock made some wise chance encounters during his time gigging in Mexico. A mutual friend, who ran a smoothie bar, introduced him to Florence and the Machine’s drummer, Christopher Hayden, and the two quickly began conjuring projects together – first in London and later in Calgary.

In 2012, Reuben and the Dark consistently toured the vast stretch between Vancouver and New York; they made the journey up to Yellowknife and had impactful sets at Calgary Folk Music Festival, becoming a favourite new musical discovery for many. In the latter weeks of the year, the band made a CBC Radio endorsed live album and performed at Welcome to the West’s Third Anniversary before heading into OCL Studios to record their upcoming album, Funeral Sky.

Hayden hopped on a plane, set to produce the record along with engineer, Steve Carr, and joined the band for two weeks at OCL’s state of the art, music mansion on the sweeping prairies east of town. On the final studio day, the session for Winter’s Widow was filmed featuring Shea Alain (guitar), Scott Munro (piano, bass), and Distance Bullock (drums). In April, RATD perform two dates in Saskatchewan for Juno Fest prior to a Western Canada tour supporting Los Angeles group, Family of the Year.

Twin River is a bundle of key characters from Vancouver’s music scene, who landed on our doorstep for this shoot and an unforgettable after-hours summer twister. Guitarist, Andy Bishop (White Ash Falls, Yukon Blonde and Red Cedar) has been in and around Welcome to the West goings on for a couple of years now, having even hosted one of our sessions at his residence. The rhythm section is rounded out by Capitol 6 frontman, Malcolm Jack on bass and drummer, Dustin Bromley of Keep Tidy; vocals are shared by Courtney Ewan and Rebecca Gray – seen here on tambourine.

The band released their debut EP, Rough Gold in the spring of 2012 on Light Organ Records and subsequently gained traction on a western Canadian tour that included a couple of sparkling performances at Sled Island Festival. We held the ‘Laugh It Off’ sessions at the Area in South East Calgary, inside the 1890s-built schoolhouse with background grizzly bear imagery by visual artist, Daniel J Kirk. One of the bears returned home to the coast with Twin River as memento of the time we shared.

For a song as big and boisterous as any in their repertoire, this departure of Boeing 737 sounds like an all-together new thing when gently cushioned back and forth off of the stained glass panels and antique wooden finishes of St. Paul’s Fish Creek Church. The original from this Providence, RI trio is a cacophony of cello, violin, and flickering film. As the single from the Low Anthem‘s latest album, Smart Flesh – is accompanied by a music video with immense prowess, seemingly dedicated to high-wire artist, Philippe Petit.

Petit is the subject of many documentaries, including the Oscar-winning, Man on Wire which chronicles his famous tightrope stunt crossing between the World Trade Center Twin Towers in 1974.

St. Paul’s, the oldest Anglican church in Calgary, was built in 1885 and originally was known as St. Paul’s Fish Creek. It was built by parishioners and modelled after the original Anglican church in the parish of Calgary in Scotland. The bell is thought to be among the oldest in Canada, Made in the time of Henry VIII, it was one of two in Thelveton Church in England.

Vancouver’s Indian Wars started to play a recurring role in our lives last summer, hitting us square between the eyes with a slew of killer sets. Our first encounter was out on the coast with our friends, PeAks. Most memorably, on the eve of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, while downtown Vancouver rioted the Canucks defeat, and tear gas and smoke from cars tipped and set alight – we rushed to the Rickshaw Theatre where Indian Wars opened an absolutely bonkers Black Lips show.

One week later, they would arrive on Calgary turf for Sled Island Festival and billet in Ramsay; tenting it in Emelia and Gill’s backyard. They played upstairs right before Deer Tick and some suicidal smashed a beer bottle over my head. After concluding a hat trick of after parties, we returned to Ramsay to find the band tenting through a torrential downpour – all except for Fraser Wit, who slept arse-up, face-down beside the sofa.

The Wastin’ Time West session was filmed in Vancouver inside the Indian Wars garage on a September day that turned into a night. Next time, get us down with Shells and Leather.

River Boat Soul and American music at its finest; one might as well suppose this an anthem of sorts for these St. Louis fellows. The North American Continent: they have darted to-and-fro, and then some. The last calendar year has been chock-full of notoriety for Pokey LaFarge & the South City Three. A glowing review from Newport Folk Festival, a tour with Jack White and crafting a 45 on his label, Third Man Records, and played accompaniment to Wanda Jackson and Old Crow Medicine Show – these are all items on the stack while people grasp to summarize their century-old, new sound.

A definite highlight of many people’s Calgary Folk Music Festival, Pokey himself seemed an honest gentleman, through and through. His commute on Prince’s Island Park would be stymied by fans who easily spotted his iconic 30s attire – I can honestly say that his willingness to engage conversations of any kind is rare like hens teeth. An aficionado of American history, LaFarge was born in Bloomington, Illinois. He later moved to St. Louis, Missouri. The nickname “Pokey” was coined by his mother, who would scold him to hurry when he was a child.

Seen here, Joey Glynn (bass), Adam Hoskins (guitar) and Ryan Koenig (harmonica, washboard, and snare) make up the South City Three. The One Town at a Time session was filmed on the final day of the Calgary Folk Fest in Kane’s living room.

We had the sweet, saccharine jungle beats of Los Angeles three-piece, Gothic Tropic on lock down upon picking up their debut EP, Awesome Problems in the 2012 winter months. When the announcement came that they would join this year’s Sled Island lineup, we sent word, inviting them to join us for a session at the Area’s historic school house. Monkey Bars is the lead single from the upcoming full length – in commemoration of this occasion, Calgary visual artist, Daniel J Kirk painted the two mirrored grizzly bears that adorn this back drop.

The trio, who base themselves out of Echo Park, is fronted by Cecilia Della Peruti, with Liv Marsico (Cold War Kids) on drums and Daniel Denton (Metric) playing bass. Sled Island Festival was the first time for them playing outside of the states, and they hit us right between the eyes with performances at Broken City accompanying Prince Rama (NYC) and Doldrums (Montreal) and a sweaty early morning set at the BeatRoute Magazine Headquarters.

An evenings entertainment rarely gives as much as this one did at the Ace Hotel Palm Springs. Blac Jesus and the Experimentalists are an electric, spiritual quest of duelling guitar and saxophone; they live and make music in laid back, horizontal fashion in the city of Pomona in LA County. Man on Fire is the lead single off of their debut EP, Crimson – one of this year’s classiest independent releases we’ve come across.

I’m not sure what’s worse: showing up to the Ace under-dressed (by comparison) or blatantly underestimating the group we were there to session. We thought our consummately Canadian, winter-killer plaid fatigues were good enough for any glide… none more true. In fact, it was in the shuffle past a couple of sets of Californian straight teeth who were standing in the drink queue when I sensed eyes in my periphery. It was late enough to feel self-indulgent while still early enough whereas a sweat had yet to break, I looked back to see what was up. In doing so, saw the words “Who invited these people” mouthed by the teeth. I probably would have felt worse had there not been this other guy there letting it all hang out, talking up a blue streak, and waltzing about with a look on his face like he had just discovered the best conversation starter – all along, wearing his hotel room house coat. And if that was the best, we weren’t far behind; in that, the Canadian ‘look’ also landed us in this conversation, which must count for something:

Girl: “There are a lot of good bands in Canaduh”
Me: “Yeah there certainly…”
Girl: “Arcade Fire!”
Me: “Yeah they’ve…”
Girl: “I saw them. And I CRIED!”
Me: “Yeah, they really invol…”
Girl: “I CRIED”

Then there’s mistake #2. My hunch on Blac Jesus and the Experimentalists was prompted by a tasty acoustic blues jam called, In Your Hands. I figured we would be able to roll up and shoot a simple piece prior to their set alongside Blackstrap Molasses and the Henry Clay People. However, they played first and threw off our timing. This detail alone is responsible for the inspiration behind this video. Walking into that barroom and hearing Runson Willis’ guitar ooze down the walls; the squeal of Brian Perske’s sax and the mountainous rhythm section of Michael Garcia and Francisco Morales demanded an ideological retake.

Deliberation over drinks in the hotel room after their set led us to the conclusion that anything besides full-band, electric would be ludicrous. And luckily, a studio space – one deep, dark shadowy room laden with vintage horror film posters and a life-sized Freddy Krueger- in Bedrock Studios would open up at the end of a long day of filming with Rachel Fannan and Deap Vally.

Rock-hard grit and all-girl soul from the Coachella Valley: just, take it all in… its good, like vitamins, and just in time for summer. Deap Vally is the howl of Lindsey Troy and rhythm of Julie Edwards (Heisenflei of The Pity Party); together, the duo breaks blues down to its simplest, most fundamental form: beat, melody, and meaning. Although they have only been a band for one year, they’re already playing wicked SoCal gigs like Moon Block Party and are about to jet-set to England for Latitude Festival while also going public about their desire to one day live inside of Bill Clinton.

The ‘Baby I Call Hell’ session was filmed at Bedrock Studios in Los Angeles inside a tight, sweaty, yett formidable space for six adults. The walls were adorned with lacquered old newspapers, old wood panels and blue acrylic smatterings. The ladies are wearing designs by Kittinhawk: Welcome to the Deap.

It was Saturday and closing in on Christmas in Los Angeles. The streets were what you’d expect: traffic, sunshine and dust; radio interference and bursts of commotion among people rummaging together merchandise for the season. Inside Black Iris Studios sits Rachel Fannan, working to prepare a new composition to spell all of life’s meaningless noise. On this day, like many more ahead, hers is an unmistakable coyote call in the heart of Echo Park.

For Fannan, the past year has seen her add a new dimension to an already acclaimed young music career. Since ending her tenure as front woman in San Franciscan psych band, Sleepy Sun, she has not only developed a touring solo repertoire, but also an excellent all-girl group called Only You.

For the Let Me Sing You Love Songs session, Fannan duos with Brandon Intelligator of Slang Chickens and the West teams up with Michael Harris of Black Iris, located in the Bedrock LA multiplex (aka the Disneyland for musicians).

Those who know, know well and good by now that Victoria’s TMO is perhaps the most polarizing act in Canada. They are equal part balladeers as they are raucous dancehall creators; they serenade in Spanish; and the undertones of Patrick M’Gonigle’s violin and Ian Griffiths’ accordion make for incomparable texture.

For Home on Water, we yanked the band off stage at the conclusion of their set at the Marquee Room and played around in lobby of Calgary’s historic, Uptown Theatre. You can pick up ‘the Blanche Album’ HERE.

The Ramblers arrived on the first weekend of the 2011 Calgary Stampede; it was the same weekend Will & Kate lodged in the province and were also slated to appear in the Parade. Many Calgarians eagerly camped out the night before in order to secure their best vantage point or perfect photo op. However, it proved quite the disappointment when the Royal couple hurriedly scooted along the downtown thoroughfare in a covered sedan. Nonetheless, the Moonshine Ramblers would perform a set with the Bitterweed Draw in the heart of town that weekend and hand delivered the first country music performance during Stampede we could get behind since god knows when.

The following afternoon was spent on the banks of the Bearspaw Dam. We could have never made this video without our friends Mark Collins and Angela Wolfe – they did the work of six people by hiking into the brush to meet us with plenty of firewood, refreshments and smokies. At around 3:30 in the video you can see smoke from the fire and hear their baby Hudson saying something or other in the background. This session was, for us, a homecoming of sorts with Alex Hastie (seen on guitar) – it was, after all, one of his songs that became the very first Welcome to the West video. That song is called Heavy Drinkin’ Woman and it also appears on the Moonshiner’s debut, which we staunchly endorse.

For the past two years, one band has not only defined psych-rock in Calgary; they have redefined it. Deadhorse epitomizes an unknown quantity; in that, you may receive doses of blues, metal, country, classic rock and even punk – these all wrapped into mind-numbing jams and harmonies from four individually incredible songwriters.

The Cushion video shoot happened over night on a plot of private land in East Coulee, Alberta – an area around the Red Deer river valley (often referred to as Dinosaur Valley). We were powered by inverter generators on a hoodoo cliff face, car headlights and a roaring campfire.

Deadhorse are on Saved by Radio, where you can uncover their excellent 2011 self-titled debut.

To commemorate the 2012 TransCanada Alberta Music series, we at the West teamed up with Jodi Lucas at the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts to offer a glimpse at some of this year’s acts from within the institute’s hallowed walls. On the eve of St. Patrick’s day – and following the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra – our crew and a small audience met up with local folk man, Mike Tod and snuck in the back door.

The ‘Take You Down’ session was filmed in the tight confines of the Epcor’s Founders Room abandoned elevator shaft. The crew and audience all pitched in to lift and displace various pieces of the theatre’s timber refuge in order to carve out a corner for Tod to set up his set up this minimal arrangement (suitcase, kick pedal and mandolin).

Mike Tod’s namesake is getting known all around town for these raucous unassuming upstarts; he needs only a couple of cubic feet to achieve the ferocity of a full band. If you were at either of his St. Paul’s Fish Creek performances or walked by the Epcor prior to the Low Anthem/ City and Colour concert to see him busk, you already know this.

Discover a couple of tracks from his most recent EP with the Buffalo Lake Kid (Dillon Moulfield). Mike Tod also hosts a tasty old time radio show on CJSW called Mind Folk’d (Thursdays 10am). He performs on the Saturday of the Alberta Music Series alongside West vets, Cowpuncher.

Pigs on L.

This is perhaps the first true glimpse of Sleepy Sun since they parted ways with co-vocalist, Rachel Fannan last year. The San Franciscan five-piece are backed by label/event extraordinaire, All Tomorrow’s Parties and are about to record their third LP in Joshua Tree with Queens of the Stone Age collaborator, David Catching and engineer, Ethan Allen. The West crew drove to Vancouver from Calgary in September 2011 to film this video for  Pigs on L in the 100 year old, Red Cedar house. With only a sampling of new music and a reintroduction to Bret Constantino’s disarming nature as a frontman, one can easily predict that this release will include some of their heaviest soundscapes to date and will further etch their namesake among the America’s elite neo-psychedelic bands.

Sleepy Sun
Rachel Fannan
Red Cedar
All Tomorrow’s Parties

Funny Word

It’s no secret that Deer Tick is the holy grail in our eyes. From the countless whiskey drenched nights singing War Elephant cover-to-cover with friends, to meeting John McCauley three years ago at a set in which he scaled the rafters of Mississippi Studios wearing nothing except a red pleated mini skirt – this band is surpassed only by, let’s say, Neil Young on our nostalgic master board.

During the Sled Island Festival, we collected the boys from Providence, RI and took them to the Area community arts space in Inglewood to eat sandwiches, crush lager and perform the song, Funny Word, which will appear on their fourth record scheduled to drop this fall. You may detect a sniff of Paul Westerberg in this tune as the band has had the opportunity to record with him recently amidst playing Bonnarroo and the festival circuit.

It was no easy task to independently round up this bad ass country back line for Deer Tick (Gear Tick), especially during a weekend where some 250 bands flooded this small city’s streets. We had to buy, borrow and beg while receiving some outstanding kindness: David and Kathryn at the Area, Audrey Burch and Moot for sound, Devon Boulton-Mills on camera and Bob from Beat It Drums for the Butcher Block – he was a heavy hitter.

www.deertickmusic.com

Sled Island

The Area

www.markofdevon.com

Beat It Music Ltd

Winter Song

The Head and the Heart’s set on Saturday night is proof of this: Calgary Folk Music Festival is perennially changing the way this city views music. Somewhere in between the numerous experimental morning workshops and needed reminders of just how influential some throwback Canadian acts are (this year it was k.d. lang, for me), the festival still heeds pressure to showcase a certain irreverence in order to attract new fans.

The Seattle six-piece took stage at 7:20 with the field folks in front of them seemingly content just to lounge in their folding chairs, cross-legged, and fully expecting to give this performance a good, long eyebrow wag. However, the crowd’s energy shifted to cheering early on – during sound check, in fact, when the vocalists of the group: Josiah Johnson, Jonathan Russell, and Charity Thielen each sang an original.

Folk Fest audiences are traditionally withdrawn by nature – in Calgary’s case, the epitome of success at the Fest often relies on setting up a sitting tarp close to main stage – so it came as a pleasant surprise that a relatively unfamiliar talent could have such an instant effect. Before the conclusion of the first song, dancing masses compressed toward the stage and reset the tarp occupying rules altogether.

To wrap up a brilliant weekend of tunes, music, food and friendship we did what anyone in that situation ought to do – we had a pool party on the 20th floor of the Westin Hotel and shot a video in the top tier of the stairwell. Kenny Hensley strums in this soaked version of Winter Song from their 2010 self-titled release.