Slowcity.ca Open Mic - turning inwards with Grace Potter, Jordan Klassen, Laurent Bourque, Yoke Lore, The New Pornographers, Close Talkers, Geneviève Racette and Reuben and the Dark

By Will McGuirk

Change is constant but there is reoccurrence, there is pattern, season, cycles and revolutions. It is time again to settle inside, to pull closer the elements of warmth, all that which brings comfort and look forward to the curve which brings it all back round again.

---

“It's so easy to just assume that the narratives we're telling ourselves about ourselves are true and that can be pretty debilitating. The song is about those moments when you're quiet and present and suddenly you realize that the story you've been telling is false, and there's this tremendous relief that maybe you'll be ok, that everything will be ok.” - Jordan Klassen

---

---

"but when you move quickly, you miss certain aspects of the journey. I could be missing out on some really wonderful information that I would get if I stopped to smell the roses once in a while. I worry that when something or someone really important comes around, I will be moving too quickly to catch it or them." - Adrian Glavin, Yoke Lore.

---

---

---

---

Skydiggers release new song 'Ineligible', launch remix contest

By Will McGuirk

From the Skydiggers:

“The writ has dropped, the game is on, the jig is up and we hope that this October 21st you'll be inspired to vote... and inspire others to vote... to make your mark, to have your say and to honour those who have not always had the opportunity to participate in the sometimes messy, sometimes confusing, but always fulfilling feeling of marking a ballot and sliding it into the ballot box... of walking away knowing that you have done your bit, that you have tried, and that you have not taken for granted the struggle to gain the right to vote by those who have come before...

We have been inspired by the artwork,"Ineligible", created by Anita Matusevics and Jason Halter of Wonder Inc, to write a song of the same name listing all of the persons who at one time or another have been excluded from the process of voting in our country... and are now welcoming you to re-imagine, refresh and remix the song...

We are posting the stems and words, here, and invite you to make your mark... to send us your remix of "Ineligible"... HERE

And rest assured, good citizen, that your toil will not be in vain, for not only will you have honoured those who have come before and inspired those yet to come but you will also be eligible to receive an honorarium to be used as an enhancement on your musical journey... “

Onwards!
Skydiggers  

The Lazys release 'Half Mast Blues' video, play Oshawa Music Hall Sat. Oct. 19

By Will McGuirk

Toronto based OZ rockers The Lazys will be hitting up the Oshawa Music Hall Saturday Oct 19 with the Anti-Queens and Johnny Nocash. The band have just finished a Euro trip and are at the beginning of a few dates across Canada. The latest track '“ Half Mast Blues” is from their 2018 album, ‘ Tropical Hazards'.’

Mappe Of releases new single 'Unkno' from upcoming album 'The Isle of Ailynn'

By Will McGuirk

“Waiting for someone to greet us. . . have you been waiting for us?“

Yes we have. Yes we have been waiting, anticipating new music from our pal avant-folkie Mappe Of. The ethereal leanings of his avant-folk come to the fore on his new single, '“Unkno” from his upcoming album, ‘The Isle of Ailynn’ avaible on Paper Bag. Delve into the wash and drift.

Wildlife release new single 'No Control', new album coming October

By Will McGuirk

TO sprightly indie outfit, Wildlife, with its connections to Shwarockcity, are dropping their poptimistic sound and vision on us with a new single, “No Control.”

In their anthemic enthusiasm listen for an echo of don’t look back, you can never look back, so lets not look back, lets look forward with heart. And look forward to their new album ‘Take the Light With You’ out October 11 2019.

Slowcity.ca Open Mic - As the Fall brings new beginnings with Leonard Cohen, Jenn Grant, Iskwe, Frankie, Overcoats, Donovan Woods, Julian Lamadrid, Aphrose, Once A Tree,

It seems the Fall is the start of much, rather than the end; modern society seems to work in opposition. Perhaps its the school year or municipal budgets that evoke such an impression. Or perhaps all of this is the culmination of work submitted, quietly, anonymously, slowly, diligently, one seed at a time. I may perhaps never sync with this rhythm but there are those who do.

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Frere Du Nord Clothing; putting manufacturing back at the centre of Oshawa

L-R: Brother and sister team, Milena Holmes and Duey Vlajic, in their south Oshawa premises. Photo by Katie Mutton

By Will McGuirk

Makers matter. And makers are at the core of what we do here at slowcity.ca. A while back we wrote about a couple of young makers who had set up a clothing manufacturing plant in south Oshawa but were in the process of moving it all to a location in the core of Oshawa’s downtown.

Happy to say so Frere Du Nord achieved their dream and will launch their new store Saturday Sept 21 2019 at their location on Prince Street, east of Bond Towers and across the street from the GO Station.

The launch party will feature collaborations with Town Brewery, Lowlands Pizza, live graffiti painting and music from Matt Gunn, Josh Kvasnak of the Doozies plus others.

“The most exciting part of the new space is the positive feedback we’ve been receiving. We started out with a vision for our business, and the building, and it has been an amazing experience to see how the space has been transformed almost exactly as we envisioned it and how people are sharing in the excitement with us,” says Milena to Slowcity.ca. “The biggest challenge we faced in completely gutting and renovating an old building was the timeline. Initially we estimated that the entire renovation would take approximately 6 months, and exactly 1 year later we are celebrating our grand opening. The entire process was made much easier working with a reliable and honest contractor, and knowing that we had a lot of support within City Hall ( specifically,The Economic Development Office and multiple City Councillors). The feedback we’ve received so far from other local businesses and our clients has been extremely positive, and it’s really exiting to be making a positive contribution to the downtown. We’ve really taken momentum generated by other businesses that have come before us and had success in the downtown despite all of its challenges; and we hope to inspire new businesses to come after us.”

Frere Du Nord have plans to enable those possible new businesses via space for an art hub and apartments on the second floor. Oshawa has always been a centre of manufacturing and congrats to Frere Du Nord for putting manufacturing back at the centre of Oshawa.

Slowcity.ca Open Mic Look Less, Listen More with Wintersleep, T. Thomason, Sam Weber, Micah Erenberg, bülow and The Cinematic Orchestra

TIME. Time to talk, time to reconsider. Time to see others as less and more than other. Time to look back and learn. Time to teach going forward. Time to look inside for views on the outsider. Time to look at settler truisms and colonial legacies. Time to take the blinders off. Time to look less and listen more. Take the time.

---

---

---

---

---

Shotgun JImmie releases video for new track 'Fountain'

By Will McGuirk

Ex-pat D-rawkers collaborate on this vide from one time Ajacian Shotgun Jimmie, and the vid was directed by the multi-faceted shwakat Colin Medley. The whole shabang was filmed around SappyFest 2019. Oh yeah sorry, its for the track ‘Fountain” from Shotgun’s new album Transistor Sister 2 on on You’ve Changed Records.

Paging Marshall McLuhan; Playing For Change unites the global village with song

By Will McGuirk

Cyberspace is the place you go when you are on the phone. Acoustic space is a place you go when you listen to music. Playing For Change follows a song around the world, recording musicians from across the globe performing. The producers stitch those performances together for the video. We do however have the technology to record and broadcast all of these performances simultaneously. Everyone listening would enter the same acoustic space. No matter where we are physically located we would inhabit the same acoustic space. Marshall McLuhan said electronic media would give rise to acoustic space. Are we getting closer? Is there an anthem for the global village been written right now?

---

---

Goldwing, OddsFiche at Kops Oshawa Saturday Sep 21

By Will McGuirk

Kops Records in Oshawa presents an afternoon of live new music Saturday Sept 21 2019. Progressive rock outfit Oddsfiche from Scarborough and upcoming roots rockers Goldwing from Kingston will be playing at their store’s dedicated listening room. The gigs start about 3 p.m. and are all-ages. The store is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is located at 156 Simcoe St. S., just down from Memorial Park.

---

You're still your father's son - Kasador release 'Again For Me', play Oshawa Oct 17

By Will McGuirk

Kingston krew Kasador will release their album ‘Brood & Bloom’ on Oct 4 and they will be dropping into Oshawa Music Hall Oct 17. Kasador introduce the genesis of the song “Again For Me” in the video below and then get on with it. Autumn Kings will open the Shwa gig.

Slowcity.ca Open Mic with Rose Cousins, Dave Sampson, Grace Potter, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Wild! and Logan Ledger,

This eve, post-Full Moon, Fall beckons, and a wistful night ahead so some songs with the lonesome pining at the core of this country, perhaps this is all the cri de coeur of a nation of comefromaways, and the soulful leanings of nostalgia, but not just for a past recently closed but a deeper past, one generations old and the impulse of a people, strangers still in this strange land of long winters and the prying eyes of peering wendigos.

---

---

---

---

---