Untitled - Sled Island

Transcription

Untitled - Sled Island
Table of Contents
sled island staff
Jeanette Burman
Colin Canning
Melanie Kaye
Shane Lynch
Drew Marshall
Josh McNorton
Lindsay Shedden
Paisley Sim
EditOR
Sebastian Buzzalino
project manageR
Todd Harkness
Design
Working Format
Writing
Caitlyn Browning
Sebastian Buzzalino
Ryan Ford
Matthew Hagarty
Clinton Hallahan
Jason Harvey
Sarah Kitteringham
Joshua Kloke
Paul K Lawton
Christine Leonard
Drew Marshall
Tyler Morency
Mike Payette
Evan Van Reekum
Paisley V. Sim
Sara Elizabeth Taylor
Jennifer Thompson
Rebecca Zahn
cover Illustration
Konstantin Steshenko
schedule layout
Fiona de Monye
sled island 2011 illustrators
Brendan Kelly
Edward Kwong
Ellen Lee
Konstantin Steshenko
Brian Tong
Connor Willumson
Melissa Winkler
Ad Sales
Glenn Alderson
Colin Canning
Kristopher Cook
Printed & Distributed by
www.beatroute.ca
curator’s notes
art film
comedy
all ages/special events
band bios
schedule pullout
sponsors
thanks list
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Celebrating culture, and building community. From the
very beginning, the roots of Sled Island have been firmly
planted in the soil of this mandate. From the ground up,
this giant beast has been nurtured and loved, growing bigger, stronger and louder than anyone could have foreseen.
Calgary, you should be proud of what you have grown!
For those of you experiencing the festival for the first time,
here are a few points to maximize your enjoyment:
• Bike! You will spend less time getting to venues and
more time inside of them, but please wear your helmet!
Don’t have a helmet? Pick one up for a small donation from the Prohab babes riding around the city, or at
Olympic Plaza.
• Show up early! Many shows reach capacity quickly, but
you can always check back as shows often fluctuate from
band to band.
• Don’t know a band? Learn about them! They could be your new favourite!
• Go to an art show. Lots to chose from and this city has ridiculously talented people
creating incredible work.
• See a film! Hand picked for you by Jeanette Burman, there is something in this program
for everyone.
• Buy a wristband! It truly is the best way to do this fest. This gives you the freedom to
walk into any venue on an given night. Work weekdays? Weekends? We have lots of different wristband options available for you.
• Make a plan for each night- the pullout or mobile app schedule is your bible- but don’t
expect to stick to it! The beauty of Sled Island is the discovery that is always just around
the corner. You never know where you’re going to end up. Calgary is full of awesome surprises, cool venues, and inspiring people. Keep an open mind and an open heart and the
possibilities will be endless!
None of this would have been possible without the support of the Province, the City, and
you. Thank you so much. We promise you won’t regret it.
Lindsay Shedden
Sled Island Festival Director
SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE • SLED
ISLAND
CURATOR’S
notes
grant lawrence
Zak Pashak
bogus tokus
The ver y first time my now long-retired
band The Smugglers ever played Calgar y,
it was on a snowy night in the winter
of 1989, and not one single person in
attendance at the Westward Hotel set
foot on the dance floor. The Smugglers
returned to our hometown of Vancouver,
and I wrote an infamous song entitled
“Calgarians Don’t Dance”. That didn’t
make me, or my band, all that popular in
Calgar y for many years after that.
Let me now of ficially say this in print,
22 years later: I take it all back.
Over the course of those two-plus
decades since, I have gone Crowchild
Trail-crazy for the music of many brilliant
bands from Calgar y: Colour Me Psycho,
the Mants, Forbidden Dimension,
Huevos Rancheros, Tegan and Sara,
Chixdiggit, Chad VanGaalen, WOMEN,
Meisha and the Spanks, Braids, and
many others (and Calgar y eventually did
warm up to The Smugglers, too).
Adding to the lengthy legacy of quality
Calgar y music is the Sled Island Music
Festival. I’ve followed this burgeoning, ambitious and creatively explosive
festival closely – but alas from afar
– since its inception in 2007. And now,
after my auspicious first brush with the
Calgar y scene all those years ago, it is
my great pleasure and honour to actually lo and behold be a curator for the
5th anniversar y of the Sled Island Music
Festival, a festival that I consider to be
one the premier live music events on
this continent.
Let’s dance!
I am very proud to welcome you to Sled
Island year 5. The festival has left my living
room and moved into its own office, down
on 4th Street—pop by anytime; it regularly
features works by ACAD students and often
has an extra Mill St or two in the fridge.
Along with this transition we also now have
a wonderful full staff (Festival Director
Shedden!) and a new board of directors to
help shepherd the organization.
We’ve built some strong bridges in the
community and I am confident that the
festival is very solidly positioned to exist in
this city in perpetuity. This is great news for
Calgary. Even if you don’t like clubs or live
music, the festival can still bring something
to you. I used to play drums in a band. My
favourite thing about it was the day of the
show. I would meet my band members, my
best friends, for some lunch somewhere
and we would talk about the show. We
loaded our gear into the venue and set it
up- everything about the day was important
and memorable. Talking to my girlfriend
on a show day made me feel proud. I was
part of a team building something. It was
powerful. During Sled Island the streets
of downtown are full of artists and music
fans from out of town, as well as our local
artists and fans of their creativity. There is
an energy that floods the city and it spins
off in various positive directions.
As we go forward the goal of the festival
is to infect as many people in this city as
possible with that energy. Please invite your
reluctant friends and family to come out to
a show this year- we have lots of cheap and
even free events. Get sweaty, spill a beer
on someone, grin, ride your bike, explore
the city, give someone a hug, meet someone from out of town, go to venue you’ve
never been to and have a fantastic time.
Road wear y from a debauched show
the previous night in a Kamloops punk
house where Bogus Tokus brought two
kegs of beer from their hometown, the
boys headed over to Broken City for
some breakfast where they rendezvoused with bar owner, and Sled Island
founder Zak Pashak. During breakfast,
Zak bought several rounds of beers...
then several more until it was eight
o’clock at night and time to play a gig
with C’mon. Bogus Tokus later found
out that the plan was to sabotage the
gig that night by getting them hammered so the actual Sled Island gig the
next night would be better. Success!
“From what we can remember during
all the food and Pilsner tall cans, there
was talk about what would be cool for
next year –e.g., the likes of Nir vana,
Bob Marley and Elvis Presley. Zak
seemed interested in our concepts and
said that we should curate next year.
We didn’t really believe it was actually
going to happen until we ran into him
the next day on the street and he said
he was serious. So... here we are. The
original ideas didn’t come to fruition
mostly due to post-mor tem issues,
but we’re pretty happy with the heavier
stoner rock-based line-up for Sled
Island 2011.”
The band has since taken a permanent hiatus, but Tokus’ Mike Payette
(formerly of S.T.R.E.E.T.S., Pride
Tiger, and Children), and Joel Loewen
(Haggatha, Adelaide) will be curating
as planned.
SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE • SLED
ISLAND
Art
After many years of successful collaborations, Sled
Island was very fortunate to formalize a partnership with the Alberta College of Art + Design for this
year’s festival. The goal of the partnership is twofold;
to intensify the visual art component of Sled Island
and to showcase the breadth of incredible work
coming out of ACAD from students, alumni, and
faculty.
As the Curator-in-Residence at ACAD – as well as
a musician, theatre director and live event producer
– I am not interested in putting paintings on easels
at the back of venues. I want to present Art at Sled
Island by incorporating new, interactive and mixed
mediums into live music performances. The result is
over 20 artists creating site-specific pieces at four
venues throughout the festival. In some cases, the
work is inspired by and interacts with the music. In
other instances, the work exists in an independent
creative (and sometimes physical) space that combines with the music to create a rich, multi-faceted
sensory experience in the venue.
The music at Sled Island is always cutting edge,
evocative and diverse; and in the foundational year
of our partnership with ACAD, so too is the art. The
work is designed to engage and expose audiences
to new forms, generate ideas and shift preconceptions of presenting visual art. Many thanks to Wayne
Baerwaldt, Jennifer McVeigh and the incredible staff
at ACAD, Paisley Sim, and all the artists involved.
Enjoy!
• Josh McNorton
Curator-in-Residence: Josh McNorton
Production Manager: Paisley Sim
Publicist: Alex Middleton
Videographer: Brendon Rathbone
Photographer: Erin Lough
The HiFi club: June 22-25
Curator: Karilynn Thompson
In collaboration with Quickdraw Animation Society
& Emmedia
An animated trip for your optic nerve. Pumping visuals,
mind-numbing loops and colour explosions synchronize
to eclectic dance styling, as The Hi Fi Club becomes the
host for an animated music video dance party. Animated
projections inside and out feature some of the keenest minds to emerge from ACAD on the animation front.
From drawings and paint, to looping computer gifs, video
manipulation, and glitchy 8-bit, we celebrate animation
at the fullest of its visual limits. Enjoy the glittering glitch
and DANCE!
Artists: Ashley Ohman & Joleen Toner, Stuart
Hughes, Kiarra Albina, Leslie Bell, Brandon
Blommaert
Republik: June 22 & 23
Curators: Jennie Vallis & Greg Debicki
A dream-like environment filled with shimmering,
• SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE
colour-shifting starbursts, responsive electronic fireflies
and interactive projections. A collaborative project by
cross-discipline artists, the Republik nightclub transforms
for Sled Island Festival into a milieu of psychedelic
imagination, future fantasy dreaming, and technology
exploration. Diverse festival programming and unbelievable
stage design will make the Republik nightclub one of the
most mesmerizing and interesting venues of Sled Island
Festival 2011.
Artists: Jennie Vallis, Greg Debicki, Nicolas Gonzalez, Derek Damassi
The Royal Canadian #1 Legion: June 22-25
Curator: Caitlind r.c. Brown
magic/CAVE is a retro-futuristic collection of work by local
artists involving moving image mechanisms, transformative projections, dislocative installations and optical play.
The show features new media and spacial works that
manipulate light in unusual ways to partially transform
the billiards room of the Legion into a magical, darkened
space. All are welcome to enter and experience Mr + Mrs
Keith Murray’s gender blending “Wheel of Fortune,” Sarah
Malik’s glittering “Creature-feeling,” Ryan Von Hagen’s
spinning “Visual Instrument,” Stephanie Murray’s bulging
“Invitation for a Wandering Thought,” Lowell Smith’s timeless “Post Power-Outage” and Caitlind r.c. Brown & Wayne
Garrett’s kaleidoscopic “crystalstorm.”
Artists: Caitlind r.c. Brown, Keith Murray, Lowell
Smith, Ryan Von Hagen, Sarah Malik, Stephanie
Murray, Wayne Garrett
Emmedia: June 23 & 25
Curator: Leslie Bell
In collaboration with Emmedia
Light and Sound come together to make art in the
Emmedia Screening Room. On Thursday, June 23rd,
the video and animation works of Leslie Bell and
Teresa Tam accompany the haunting music of Julianna
Barwick to form an introspective, immersive experience titled “Light Fantastic.” On Saturday, June 25th,
the doors of perception open when Leslie Bell’s latest
hand painted animations, “Aquarius” and “Pandora,”
dance and flow along with the psychedelic experimental rock of Moon Duo.
Artists: Leslie Bell, Teresa Tam
Art at Sled Island Panel Discussion
Sa June 25 12 pm: Glenbow Museum
What happens when local visual artists collaborate
with international music acts? Join us for a panel
discussion with five intrepid young artists and curators who shaped the partnership between the 2011
Sled Island Festival and the Alberta College of Art
+ Design.
The C1RCA POSTER SHOW
TU June 21 5–9 PM: Sloth Records
Sled Island is proud to present the 2011 C1RCA
Poster Show! We are committed to featuring new
talent in many forms, and this show is a unique
opportunity to pair local designers and illustrators
with international musicians. For fans this is your
chance to own a limited edition, hand silk-screened
poster from the festival. Join us to kick off Sled
Island on Tuesday June 21st at Sloth Records from
5-9pm. Can I get a HELL YES?
Artists: Andrew Benson, Mason Hastie, Heather
Smith, Jane Trash, Leejay Dunphy, Nicole Bru-
nel, Erin Woodward, Euan Retallack, Chelsea
Klukas, Tanya Lam, Jenn Kitagawa, Komboh
(Michael W. Mateyko and Hans B. Thiessen),
Sherwin Tsang
Resist the Urge to Drift
WED JUNE 22 5-9 PM: PITH GALLERY
Resist the Urge to Drift is a solo exhibition of
Heather Kai Smith’s recent drawings and sculptural work. Smith’s practice often begins with a
reinterpretation of found imagery from historical
sources to approach imaginary self description. A
relationship is introduced between text vs. image,
abstract vs. figurative and flat vs. formed, drawn
in black and white. The drawings, often made
methodically, emphasize the artist as dreamer,
approaching nostalgia as a means of escape.
On the upper level of Pith Gallery, artists Kiarra
Albina and Heather Kai Smith will work collaboratively on a large papier-mâché and mixed media
sculpture. The sculpture begins as a daydream
landscape: a lounging, oversized female form
shifts into discussions between artists and their
environment.
Comes to Life
Opening Reception: June 24, 7–11 pm
Tea Reception: June 25, 12–5 pm
Haight Gallery
Comes to Life witnesses the drawings, paintings,
sculpture and video installations of four artists,
Sarah Van Sloten, Ryan McClure Scott, Kelsey
Fraser and Nicco Gonzales, whose works criss-cross
each other’s paths at a nominal rate, bringing to
life awkward moments, colecoVision, non-verbal
communication, 70s aesthetics and Saturday
morning cartoons, including cereal, pop culture and
monsters.
Sled Island Photo Show #2
TH JUNE 23 6-10 PM: THE GALLERY
The second annual Sled Island photo exhibition
showcases different photographers depicting
musicians in their truest form. Featured photographer Nick Helderman hails from Amsterdam and
has shot photos at festivals around the world.
Curated by Randy Gibson and The Gallery with
surprise musical guests.
i-Robot
TU June 21 8 PM: Birds & Stone Theatre
Your toaster is lovesick, your iPod refuses to
play Nickleback and your garage door is secretly
plotting against you. Welcome to i-ROBOT Theatre,
where every machine has a personality and the
streets swarm with androids, cyborgs, A.I.s and
robots! Show your Sled wristband and receive
a $10 ticket to the latest performance creation
piece by Swallow-A-Bicycle Theatre on June 21st
only.
Family Business III
sa June 25 2–6PM: Broken City (side wall)
Jfry Craig, John Boletta and Conzo have created
murals all over the world, most recently in Montreal
and Mexico as part of KiCK. They are looking forward to creating a piece by Calgarians, for Calgarians, that will leave a lasting impression. People are
welcome to come down and watch and learn about
their techniques.
SLED
ISLAND
film
Sled Island presents Sled Island Film! This
year we have a compact selection of independent Canadian and Albertan music documentaries and features premiering at The
Plaza Theatre, including Color Me Obsessed:
A Documentary About The Replacements; a
witty Canadian feature entitled Everything
Louder Than Everything Else, featuring a live
performance by Steve McBean and Ryan
Beattie; the survival of the record industry
in Firewall of Sound; and New Jerusalem, a
beautiful narrative feature co-starring Will
Oldham (Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy).
FYI: Sled Island Full Festival and VIP wristbands allow entry to all Sled Island Film
events. Individual tickets available at the
door: $9.00 adult, $7.00 student /senior.
Full details available at sledisland.com
xo Jeanette Burman
Film Coordinator
• SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE
ROCKUMENTARY
Firewall of Sound
Presented by: Sloth Records
mon June 20, 7 pM: the plaza theatre
An in-depth look at the independent
music industry in a state of transition,
with the Internet acting as both a blessing and a curse to musicians and label
executives. Featured in the film are Julian
Koster (Neutral Milk Hotel, The Music
Tapes), Mac McCaughan (Superchunk,
Merge Records), Perry Wright (Prayers
& Tears, The Mountain Goats), Roberto
Lange (Helado Negro, Savath & Savalas),
Nathan Rabin & Josh Modell (The A.V.
Club), Ken Shipley (Numero), Ryan Catbird (The Catbirdseat) and many more.
US 2011, 70 min
Director: Devin DiMattia
Canadian Premiere
NARRATIVE FEATURE
Everything Louder
Than Everything Else
mon June 20, 9 pM: the plaza theatre
Rob Leickner’s first narrative film is a
witty and frank account of a woman’s
personal and professional challenges
running an indie rock recording studio. Featuring music and acting performances by Steve McBean (Black
Mountain, Pink Mountaintops) and Ryan
Beattie (Frog Eyes), Everything Louder
Than Everything Else is a long overdue
visual companion to the burgeoning
Canadian indie music scene.
Canada 2010, 99 min
Director: Rob Leickner
Alberta Premiere
ROCKUMENTARY
New Jerusalem
Co-presented by:
Calgary Folk Music Festival
TUES june 21, 7 pM: the plaza theatre
Sean (Colm O’Leary), an Irish immigrant
to America, returns from military service in
Afghanistan to find his heart and mind in
disarray. He is befriended by Ike (Will Oldham, a.k.a. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy), a strong
willed Evangelical Christian who endeavours to ensure his salvation. A meditation
on frailty, mutual need and friendship, New
Jerusalem explores the allure and limitations of modern utopian belief.
US 2011, 92 min
Director: Rick Alverson
Alberta Premiere
Cyclepalooza and SUYS present:
Shorts on Bikes
WED june 22, 6:20 pM: the plaza theatre
70 MIN
Veronique à vélo
Canada 2010, 12 min
Director: Berny Hi and Chrystene Ells
There Goes An Asshole
USA 2010, 3:20 min
Director: Daniel Saks
Thoughts on My Bike
Canada 2009, 4:39 min
Director: Andrea Dorfman
‘Drunk Girls (Holy Ghost! Remix)’
LCD Soundsystem
USA 2011, 4:20 min
Director: Daniel Garcia
Riding the Long White Cloud
New Zealand / Canada 2010, 44 min
Director: Alex Craig
FILM FESTIVAL SPONSORS
NARRATIVE FEATURE
Color Me Obsessed: A Film About
The Replacements
TUES june 21, 9 pM: the plaza theatre
Combining over 140 interviews with rockers
(Colin Meloy of The Decemberists, Craig Finn
of The Hold Steady, Tommy Ramone, Grant
Hart and Greg Norton of Hüsker Dü, all three
members of Goo Goo Dolls), journalists (Robert Christgau, Legs McNeil, Ira Robbins, Greg
Kot, Jim DeRogatis) and fans both famous
(Tom Arnold, Dave Foley, George Wendt) and
not, Gorman Bechard delivers the obsessive
tale of the most influential band you’ve never
heard of – and, to many, the greatest rock band
of all time – The Replacements.
US 2011, 123 min
Director: Gorman Bechard
Alberta Premiere
beatroute.ca
ALBERTA’S MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT MONTHLY
SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE • SLED
ISLAND
Comedy
BRODY STEVENS
Are you sick of shredding your eardrums with
incredible music? ‘What’s that?’ you say. ‘I
can’t hear you?’ Don’t worry because there are
two chances to take out your hearing protection and laugh until you need to change your
adult diapers. Sled Island’s first ever comedy
showcase at the Auburn Saloon. Featuring
America’s #1 funny man, Neil Hamburger,
along with Tig Notaro, best known as ‘Officer
Tig’ on The Sarah Silverman Show and Brody
Stevens, the L.A. comedy scene stalwart and
baseball enthusiast. Supported by Rapid Fire
Theatre, Edmonton’s longest running improv
theatre company and beloved local Ryan
Kukec. It’ll be exactly like drinking Gatorade
when you’re hungover, which is to say, good for
you. Refreshing, even.
The 2011 Sled Island Comedy Showcase
starts early and ends early on Friday and
Saturday so you can still go out and continue
destroying whatever hearing you have left.
Feel the rhythm!
with him, and once he figures out what that
difference is, he’ll stop crying on stage and be
funny at jokes.
RYAN KuKec (Calgary, AB)
FR / sa 7:15 pM: auburn saloon
Jon Mick can be described as self-deprecating,
sarcastic, and sardonic... but also strangely
optimistic. It wasn’t until recently that he
decided to start being funny professionally. And
you know what? He’s doing allllllll right. Not
only does he spend time telling jokes in front
of an audience with a light pointed at him, but
he also writes screenplays and sketch comedy
(some have been on TV! Oooh!). Some may call
FR / sa 7 pM: auburn saloon
Ryan Kukec is a bit of an oddball. He just
doesn’t fit in. He’s the intellectual community’s
Paulie Shore, he’s the special needs community’s Lewis Black and he’s the television show
Community’s Chevy Chase. He tells jokes and
he’s really funny.
Ryan knows there is a difference between
people laughing at him and people laughing
10 • SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE
Mike Robertson (EDMONTON, AB)
FR / sa 7:15 pM: auburn saloon
Mike Robertson (1987 to 2017) is a comedian
and filmmaker and has been performing live
comedy for eight years. A filmmaker by trade,
he doesn’t have any IMPRESSIVE comedic
accolades, but will one day. Future career highlights include performing at Improvaganza, Just
for Laughs, SF Sketchfest, and the Melbourne
and Aspen Comedy Festivals. He will be seen in
Kevin Smith’s inevitable Clerks 3, and National
Lampoon’s Academia Nuts, playing the lovable
stoner Maurice (Catchphrase: “Wanna get
hiiiiiiiigh?”). Sadly he will die in 2017, of autoerotic asphyxiation (natch!). Until then, check
him online at miketernet.com and highwirefilms.com.
jon mick (EDMONTON, AB)
NEIL HAMBURGER
him charming, others may call him an asshole,
but the overwhelming majority will say, “Eh, he’s
pretty funny... I guess. He should probably eat
less onions though.”
Brody Stevens (Los Angeles, CA)
FR / sa 7:30 pM: auburn saloon
A stand-up comic and former host of the Super
Deluxe series Interview Challenge, Brody Stevens is currently working on a mockumentary
project with Zach Galifianakis that chronicles a
day in the life of a comedian.
www.brodystevens.com
Tig Notaro (Los Angeles, CA)
FR / sa 8 pM: auburn saloon
The Los Angeles-based stand-up comedian has
been making her rounds in the year’s spring
music festival circuit. The former music promoter is well known for her hilarious observational comedy and dry humour.
tignation.com/home
Neil Hamburger (Darwin, Australia)
FR / sa 8:45 pM: auburn saloon
Funny man Gregg Turkington is the curiously
eccentric character known as Neil Hamburger.
You can be sure his show will have audience participation, but be warned of possible
ridicule, deprecating jokes and uncomfortable
laughter. It is perhaps the kind of comedy that’s
so wrong, it’s right.
myspace.com/americasfunnyman
SLED
ISLAND
ALL AGES
All ages in Calgary: it’s a bit like one of those hoagies you nab on a midnight convenience store run
when you can’t ignore your hunger. Mystery meat,
processed cheeses and sketchy iceberg lettuce – but
oh, so satisfying. Sled Island expands all ages this
year, squeezing and shrink wrapping 30+ acts into six
venues conveniently located on a street corner near
you. Wristbands that include all ages events (including
Olympic Plaza!) are available at Sloth Records, Henry,
or online for $50!
The Sled Island All Ages Smash-up
Extravaganza returns to Cantos
TH / FR: CANTOS
Based on the shrapnel left on the loading dock last year, it’s
evident we aren’t dealing with Lebowski’s Little Urban Achievers. Piñatas gouged by hockey sticks, three-foot flyswatters and
icing everywhere, lovely young men and women hyperventilating, elbows up, teeth gnashing, and breakneck music while
everyone scrambles for rad loot. This is how we pass the time
between bands. New throw downs include the mouse trap
grenade course, second-impact dirigible dares (because the
first shot is never enough), Twinkie bowling, the Siege of Troy
water balloon shot-put and hammer throw and more. Thursday
and Friday out on the loading dock between sets at Cantos.
Let the smashing begin!
MUSH DIY 2011
Random Task Collective is stoked to be sharing the love again
at MUSH 2011. Last year, this half-day ‘tell all’ provided emerging acts with the goods on digital marketing, great design,
building community, and mad marketing – all designed for the
DIY era. This year, we’ve partnered with Sled Island and Cantos
to create some exciting new sprints. Yup, you’ve got 15 – 20
minute blocks to get up close and personal with our Sled
12 • SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE
Mushers. The rest of the afternoon, simply put, is a one-time
extraordinary celebration: rare music, instruments, stories,
sights and sounds created or inspired by the life and legacy of
Canadian producer Jack Richardson. If you’re a fan of music or
a local or visiting band or artist, MUSH 2011 is a must!
MUSH Sprints
SA noon–5 pm: CANTOS
Get your thinking caps on! These are the very best
music mentors in our community!
Lindsay Shedden
Arcade Fire, Mars Volta, Bison b.c.: it all started out with fierce
and hugely successful DIY tours. The Tank Girl of the road,
where the odds of survival are 1000 to 1, Lindsay Shedden
is still standing and is the one to tell the tales. Oh, and tales
she will tell!
Josh McNorton
Play more. Period. Citizen Josh has got the goods on getting
gigs. It’s a bit of an obstacle course but Josh is the guy to
whip you into shape. A musician and tried-and-true music
biz warrior, Josh’s experience extends from coordinating the
200+ acts for Sled to all things music at the Vancouver 2010
Olympics.
Mike Schroeder
For most acts, working on the web is like freakin’ moon exploration. Known online as Virtual Plaid, Schroeder is a proud
astro-geek who has looked at hundreds of web tools, testdriven, railed against, advised, and distilled the essential three
or so that actually seem to help artists grow, perform, and
distribute their music. Simply put, he IS your oxygen supply.
Sharon McIntyre
@shazzmack is hear to help you get your band brand on. She
is the Formula One, uncontested, high-octane, burn-rubber,
mess-up-the-joint, leave-them-in-the-dust marketer for the
modern musician. One page, one convo, one plan. Roll up, rip
the tires off, get in the driver’s seat and get your music marketing into sixth gear.
Rare Tracks
SA 2– 4 pm: CANTOS
We said farewell to Canadian music icon, Jack Richardson,
this May. A Juno Award-nominated Canadian record producer
and Order of Canada recipient, Richardson produced some
of the biggest selling records of the 70s, including the Guess
Who’s classic Wheatfield Soul album and Alice Cooper’s Love
It to Death. Richardson also worked with artists as diverse as
Rough Trade and Liza Minelli. Even Orson Welles visited his
Nimbus 9 studios in Toronto. Nimbus Vancouver founder Kevin
Williams curates this exceptional afternoon of music discovery.
We open the vault on Richardson’s legacy – great musicianship
and honest production in a true music lesson for new artists
and producers. Very special guests. Limited seating.
MUSH 2011: $20/artist-individual or $45/band. For
more information or to register visit the Corner
Store at: randomtaskrocks.com
sled island
special Events
Ian Svenonius Lecture
SA June 25 2 pm: glenbow museum
Ian Svenonius, author of the Psychic Soviet (Drag City Books),
host of Soft Focus (Vbs.tv), and leader of Chain & the Gang (K
Records) was so inspired by his Sled Island concert experience
last year that he has arranged to present a lecture on the topic
“HOW TO START A GROUP,” so as to help others perform at the
Sled Island festival in the future. The talk will be wide ranging,
free associative, and touch on other themes as well such as
“ARGUMENTS FOR A LEISURE STRIKE,” “WHAT IS A GROUP?”
and “PAYOLA ON THE INTERNET.”
lee rAnaldo workshop
FR June 24 Noon: cantos
Sonic Youth’s master noisemaker is in town for a rare visit to
host a experimental guitar workshop. Musicians and fans of SY
alike will not want to miss this!
MARKET COLLECTIVE
SA 10-6 / SU 11-5: Ant Hill
Market Collective is an independent market, created to showcase the works of local artists, artisans and musicians and
to strengthen the art community in Calgary. Drop by Market
Collective in Kensington on Saturday and Sunday afternoon,
pick up a burrito, vintage t-shirt, hand drawn card, and check
out the bands playing throughout the day.
SLED
ISLAND
Music
Adaline
Vancouver, BC
TH 9:30 pM: republik
FR 5:15 pM: palomino
Vancouver’s Adaline uses music as a vehicle for transformation, a responsibility that she does not shoulder
lightly. At times easily pop, at times softly intimate, Adaline, dubbed an ‘electronic Edith Piaf’, takes your hand
and guides you gently through the rainy streets.
myspace.com/adalinesmusic
Adebisi Shank
Wexford, Ireland
FR 11 pM: vern’s
SA 11 PM: dicken’s
Loud, but not overbearing, this Irish act make the kind of
noise that lacks any kind of pretense. Their experimental
approach to noise rock is full of layers and contains the
kind of textures that will enlighten as much as it will get
you moving.
myspace.com/adebisishank
Alberta Cross
Los Angeles, CA
FR 12:30 aM: broken city
SA 1:30 pm: olympic plaza
Alberta Cross are a little blues, a little rock and a little
soul that combine to create a whole lot of powerful
noise. Alberta Cross are a group of new-fangled rockers
quickly making a name for themselves amongst the best
of the best.
albertacross.net
Alejandro Escovedo &
The Sensitive Boys
San Antonio, TX
TH 11 PM: IRONWOOD
FR 11 pM: ironwood
Fiercely emotional Mexican-American street rock. This
vetted Texan guitar legend and his crew bring on the
sweet chili heat mixed up with little bit of punk, a little
bit of alt-country and a whole lot of southern-fried soul.
Leather vests and trophy buckles optional.
alejandroescovedo.com
kicked out for being too cool for that particular school.
myspace.com/thebarewires
An Horse
Montreal, QC
WE1 AM: SHIP AND ANCHOR
TH 12 aM: Dicken’s
Hailing from a town known to them as Bongtreal, Barn
Burner make heavy metal the way heavy metal should
be made: booze-soaked, riff-heavy and perfect for bars,
garages and legions of long-haired air guitarists.
myspace.com/theinfamousbarnburner
Brisbane, Australia
TH 9 PM: CANTOS
TH 11:30 pM: The Gateway
Flip the genders of The White Stripes and add the pleasing sound of melodic hooks in the likes of Tegan and
Sara and you get An Horse. This duo is indie-pop in its
rawest form.
anhorse.com
AU
Portland, OR
WE11 PM: DICKEN’S
TH 10 PM: BAMBOO
Swirling in psych-folkadelia, patient guitar plucks and
virtuoso piano play mixed over spastic drums create a
vibrant experiential pop soundscape.
au-au-au.com
Auld Beak
Barn Burner
Battle Snakes
Vancouver, BC
SA 11 Pm: palomino
A trio of garage-rock purveying vipers from Vancouver,
BC’s, radioactive East end. Voted ‘Most likely to break
stuff’ by Transistor 66’s yearbook, these Pilsner quaffing
trash-thrashers consider themselves the last bastion of
the punk ‘n’ roll subgenre. And they might be right!
myspace.com/wearebattlesnakes
Bayonets!!!
Saskatoon, SK
FR 11:30 pM: local 522
Sometimes, even Saskatoon surprises: pop, hardcore
and punk are thrown into the Auld Beak shit-can,
dragged behind an eternal prairie road and pummeled
with tortured vocals, for good measure.
myspace.com/auldbeak
Edmonton, AB
WE10 PM: THE NEW BLACK
FR 9:30 pM: local 522
Bayonets!!! lay out a brilliant attack plan one 45second punk song at a time. Brace your senses for an
arsenal of shredding guitars and blazing hot drums.
eaglefacecity.com
B-Lines
beekeeper
Bare Wires
THE Beladeans
Vancouver, BC
WE9 PM: THE NEW BLACK
WE10:30 PM: BROKEN CITY
Vancouver’s B-Lines are an impressive and steadfast
band that never let an audience down. Every time they
take the stage, their energetic chaos can be heard for
miles around. This band always delivers an extreme
blend of pop punk, power-pop and hardcore that
they execute perfectly every time. Go and watch the
madness!
myspace.com/vancouverblines
Oakland, CA
FR 3:15 pM: broken city
SA 11 pm: Vern’s
SU 7 pm: Republik
Psych-influenced garage pop, but cooler than that
description makes them sound. Do you remember Rock
and Roll High School? Bare Wires went there and got
Vancouver, BC
TH 8 pM: tubby dog
West Coast power-popsters wear that title
like a crown and do the impossible: make it entertaining in 2011. The vocal styling of Terri Upton and Devon
Lougheed pack a dual punch, their interplay lending
beekeeper an appealing fingerprint that’s just plain fun.
Hooks aplenty and a live show to write your mother
about, they almost make us forgive Vancouver for the
Canucks. Almost.
bkpr.ca
Vancouver, BC
SA 10 pm: palomino
This Vancouver quartet is celebrating their tenth birthday
this year, but by no means let their stuck-in-2003
website and quaint band photo fool you: their horndriven, motor city fury draws equally from the swing and
swagger of early-’70s proto-punk as it does from NW
alberta cross
Though not Albertan in any way (in fact, the band is Brooklyn-based via the UK), the
authentically long-haired heartbreakers of Alberta Cross are all kinds of blues, rock,
folk, country and soul that may have you thinking otherwise.
The free-spirited mix of sounds Alberta Cross has developed is nothing less than
modern day vintage, with voluminous guitar riffs, pulsating bass lines and lead vocals
that are so distinctly intoxicating, there can be no other comparison than to that of
the great Neil Young.
The band’s most recent release on ATO Records, Broken Side of Time, is a rock
album that touches on more senses than the obvious. You can feel the heart and soul
and if you turn it up loud enough, you sure as hell can feel the bass. Outside of any
Kings of Leon resemblance, Alberta Cross will not leave you feeling uneasy about filing their record next to the likes of Neil Young, The Band, and The Eagles.
14 • SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE
Bare Wires
To the ever-growing list of ‘highly prolific’ artists who are able to constantly deliver
the goods, add Matthew Melton. Melton has released a staggering amount of
records in the last couple years under the monikers Snake Flower 2, Bare Wires and
an amazing solo album under his own name.
If Melton was looking for some action, he certainly found some on 2010’s
Seeking Love LP (released on Brian Lee Hughes and John Dwyer’s [Thee Oh Sees]
Castle Face imprint), a record that gave Bare Wires a clear trajectory towards the
ever-elusive next level. Working with elements of 60s garage and psychedelia and
adding healthy doses of Bolan-esque 70s arena rock, Seeking Love is one of the
best examples of modern-garage done right, with any/all hype coming as a direct
result of substance and style.
garage bands like The Sonics. And any band that adds
a trumpet player before they do a bassist is all right in
my books.
thebeladeans.com
THE BellRays
Riverside, CA
SA 1 am: palomino
SU 8 pm: Republik
An all-out assault on the senses, true rock n’ soul
soldiers who never say die. Dance and fight! Revolution?
Get down!
thebellrays.com
Biblical
Toronto, CA
TH 9 PM: Dicken’s
FR 11 pM: ship and anchor
SA 11 PM: distillery
Uniting members of The Illuminati, The Old Soul and The
Bicycles, Biblical is the sound of mountains splitting and
oceans parting.
myspace.com/biblicalproportions
Bison b.c.
Vancouver, BC
TH 1 aM: Dicken’s
FR 5 pM: olympic plaza
The true heirs to the Vancouver metal crown, Bison b.c.
will give you the chance to get your windmill on in a big
way at Sled Island. The heaviest of metal, unchained by
dogma and influentially open-minded, Bison b.c. kicks
your ass in that really good way. Remember: don’t get
too distracted by an all-star drummer and crushing riffs.
Keep your arms ready, wear good shoes and if someone
falls in the mosh, etiquette says pick them up, dammit.
myspace.com/bisoneastvan
BJ Snowden
Billerica, MA
WE10PM: LEGION DOWNSTAIRS
TH 10 pM: tubby dog
BJ Snowden is beautiful lady who makes beautiful
music for everybody. She has hundreds of songs about
Canada, her profession as a substitute school teacher
in the Boston area and the peaks and valleys of the
human experience. She is full of light and joy to share
with the world.
bjsnowdenmusic.com
Black Dirt of the West
Calgary, AB
TH 10 PM: CANTOS
Whiskey, cigarettes and the doldrums of a rural upbringing have culminated in a filthy blend of countrified rock
16 • SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE
and roll known as Black Dirt of the West. Their gutter
punk sound and mentality features lyrics loaded with
science fiction and comic book references alongside
socio-political commentary, while their live show will
result in the nursing of your hangover till the next
sundown.
myspace.com/blackdirtofthewest
Black Mastiff
Edmonton, AB
FR 12 aM: palomino
SA 10 PM: distillery
A hard working Albertan jam band with a loose, shiny
coat and a gentle temperament. Spiraling guitar towers
and shimmering golden percussion underscored by
translucent, yet urgent, vocals. This low-slung, highenergy ensemble is Edmonton’s neo-psychedelic answer
to Dead Meadow.
myspace.com/bigblackmastiff
Black Rabbit
Calgary, AB
FR 6 pM: cantos
Noisy, caustic, punkified blues is Black Rabbit’s specialty.
The Calgary quintet has just unveiled their debut EP
and is primed to make their major debut at Sled Island,
where they’ll emulate the Stooges with their raw power
and raucous feedback. Expect dancing, skanking and
beer swigging!
myspace.com/BlackRabbitOfficial
Blonde Redhead
New York, NY
WE12 AM: DISTILLERY
TH 12:30 aM: republik
Masters of mood and melody, this group of marquee
dream pop stars followed cult classics 23 and Misery
is a Butterfly with college radio juggernaut Penny
Sparkle in late 2010. Combining ethereal guitar
drones with tight drums and Mazu Makino’s emotion-packed vocal delivery, their cult credentials are
legion. They’re a pop music rarity, honest and real in
equal measure.
blonde-redhead.com
Blue King Brown
Melbourne, Australia
SA 10:30 pm: local 522
An eight-piece, Melbourne-based, powerhouse with
African roots, Blue King Brown bring the funk and soul to
every performance. Singer Natalie Pa’apa’a proves to be
as pulchritudinous as she is talented, swaying audiences
with her vibrant and socially-conscious urban poetry. Oh,
and they’re Carlos Santana’s favourite band. ‘Nuff said?
bluekingbrown.com
Book of Caverns
Edmonton, AB
FR 8:30 pM: local 522
SA 3:30 pm: undermountain
Genre-straddling nu-jazz emophites from das kapital.
Cloistered away with austere yet fleshy tracks like ‘Leviathan’ and ‘Subsuburban’ to their credit, these shoegazing
Edmontonian’s aptly describe themselves using the
Monty Python-esque line: ‘A bloody knight shouting salty
lyrics.’
myspace.com/bookofcaverns780
BRAIDS
Montreal, QC
WE9 PM: CENTRAL UNITED CHURCH
FR 11:30 pM: marquee room
Originally from Calgary, BRAIDS are four deviously
beautiful friends with a sensual, avant-pop sound. Their
Bjork-like tendencies and highly progressive music may
be the reason they lost to a Red Hot Chili Peppers cover
band in high school.
myspace.com/braidsmusic
Brain Fever
Calgary, AB
SA 10:15 pm: undermountain
Anchored by vocalist Vanessa Fever, Brain Fever
recently propelled into the collective conscious with
their noisy brand of post-hardcore. With their jazzy
drums, shouted-rather-than-shrieked lyrics, angular
riffs and mathy time signatures, Brain Fever is set to
infect every venue they are unleashed upon.
myspace.com/brainfevercalgary
Buzzcocks
Bolton, England
FR 6 pM: olympic plaza
When I was a kid, I had the music video for ‘What
Do I Get?’ recorded on VHS tape. I used to put it on
and watch it over and over again, wishing I was in
front of that white screen with those well dressed
guys. I’m much older now, but things haven’t really
changed.
buzzcocks.com
C’mon
Toronto, ON / New Orleans, LA
FR 4 pM: olympic plaza
FR 1 aM: ship and anchor
SA 2 pm: palomino
A rock ‘n’ roll cocktail with equal parts of fuzz guitar
and dirty denim. Canadian rock ‘n’ roll has never
been this loud and proud. Come taste the rock!
thisiscmon.com
Camp Radio
Ottawa, ON
sa 3 pM: Palomino
SA 9 pm: Vern’s
By the time Camp Radio coalesced in 2005 from the
nuance of singer/guitarist Chris Page’s projects past,
he had been across the country more times than he
could remember. He thus settled in Ottawa, called up his
friends, Dave Draves and Scott Terry, and immediately
began writing catchy, poppy rock and roll that sounds
like the entire world making sense.
campradio.org
Chad VanGaalen
Calgary, AB
SA 5:45 pm: olympic plaza
From his studio in North Calgary, Chad VanGaalen is the
creator of some madly eclectic music that never fails to
make perfect sense. His newest album, Diaper Island, is
a creative tour de force with a somewhat rock ‘n’ roll and
somewhat psychedelic sound.
flemisheye.com/chad-vangaalen
Chains of Love
Vancouver, BC
FR 11 pM: bamboo
Sick of hearing old sweaty old jerks at record stores
reminisce about the 60s? Have a listen to Chains of
Love and you might finally understand that those dudes
really do have something to be sad about! Chains of
Love provide a modern take on what was once (and still
might be) the hippest sound in the world: fuzzy guitars,
edgy melodies, sharp hooks and an incredible vocalist
leading the way. It is clear that this band is all but stuck
in the past and they are leaving us all behind.
myspace.com/chainsofluv
Chali 2na
Los Angeles, CA
WE11 PM: LEGION DOWNSTAIRS
Formerly of legendary hip-hop group, Jurassic 5, Chali
2na is still pushing the envelope and things seem to
be growing stronger every day. Yeah, I’m sure most of us
have spent summer days listening to Concrete Schoolyard on repeat partaking in some of life’s natural-butnot-so-legal pleasures. But don’t fret: J5 may be gone,
but this deep-voiced hip-hop connoisseur never went
anywhere. Not to be missed!
chali2na.com
Cheeseburger
Brooklyn, NY
FR 12 aM: Legion upstairs
SA 12 am: Vern’s
SU 6 pm: Republik
Brooklyn’s Velveeta-smooth party-rockers will undoubt-
edly revisit their vaunted Adult Swim theme upon this
year’s Sled goers. More fun than an evening of cocaine
and Grand Theft Auto, these big beat bizarros will quarter-pound your ass into 100% beef patties.
myspace.com/cheeseburger
Cold Craving
Calgary, AB
SA 9:30 pm: Undermountain
Atmospheric, frantic, howling hardcore is Calgary quintet
Cold Craving’s specialty. Their fiercely DIY approach has
resulted in a string of shiver-inducing, screeching, layered
and mathematically inclined recordings on vocalist and
guitarist Ryan Kennedy’s co-owned Eschaton Industries
label. Their spastic performances will leave the sweat
dripping from your brow.
coldcraving.com
COUSINS
Halifax, NS
SA 11 PM: Broken city
Halifax heart throb make his triumphant return to Sled
Island to share a sweet blend of snowed-in love songs,
play time show tunes and truck stop rock ‘n’ roll.
myspace.com/cousinscousins
Crocodiles
San Diego, CA
WE1 AM: PALOMINO
TH 10:30 PM: LEGION DOWN
FR 12 aM: dicken’s
Their huge, pulsating, pounding indie pop sound celebrates the beautiful ugliness, weirdness and awkwardness in us all. Crocodiles cite Joey Ramone for helping
them out of their 4th grade funk. There could also be an
‘alligator’ joke in there somewhere, but they’re too busy
enjoying beer and wieners in Munich with Dum Dum
Girls to care.
myspace.com/crocodilescrocodilescrocodiles
Crow eater
Calgary, AB
FR 12:45 pM: local 510
FR 10:30 pM: local 522
They may have risen from the ashes of Calgary bands,
but shining phoenixes these five are not. Croweater are
as twisted and apocalyptic as their name suggests.
croweater.bandcamp.com
Cursive
Omaha, NE
FR 1:30 aM: Legion downstairs
SA 1 aM: dicken’s
A Saddle Creek stalwart since the beginning
of time and a on-again / off-again group of near
geniuses, Cursive keeps you on your toes with a constant
cycle of endearing reinvention. Falling in no visible rut
since breakout LP, The Ugly Organ, Cursive prod indie
rock stereotypes quizzically before losing interest and
doing whatever the hell they want. ‘What genre?’ they
ask before blowing open your mind-hole.
cursivearmy.com
Damages
Vancouver, BC
FR 8 pM: undermountain
FR 10 PM: dickens
Aiming to bring the world emocore music that won’t
be hated by anyone who isn’t emo, Damages combine
passionate vocals with sharp guitar riffs and crashing
drum beats.
myspace.com/damagestothearchive
THE Dandy WarholS
Portland, OR
SA 8:30 pm: olympic plaza
The Bohemian-groove band that launched a thousand
Would-Bes: Portland’s post-everything revivalists will
galvanize your brain with their sophisticated surges and
quirky alt-rock harmonies. Celebrating 15 years together
in the music biz, the man so good they named him
twice, Courtney Taylor-Taylor, and company might actually
be the last grunge junkies on Earth.
dandywarhols.com
Dave Nada
Washington DC
TH 12:15 aM: HiFi
Rock ‘n’ roller turned club DJ, turned miscreant, turned
grandfather/father/uncle/cousin/brother/lover of
moombahton.
myspace.com/davenada
DBL Dragon
Vancouver, BC
SA 10 PM: hifi
Self-described as ‘the world’s first all cat buzz band,’
DBL Dragon are some bass, some drums, some synth
and some vocals. Prepare your dancing shoes and your
YouTube-worthy kittehs.
myspace.com/dbldragonband
Dead Ghosts
Dallas, TX
Sa 12 aM: Legion upstairs
SA 3:45 pm: tubby dog
Reverb-soaked garage rock with elements of 60s R&B
and country, kind of like the music used to be played
in the good ‘ol days. These cats have perfected the rock
and roll hook, which is useful when it comes to catching
fish, something they also excel at.
myspace.com/thedeadghosts
BJ Snowden
BJ Snowden is perhaps amongst the most unlikely performers at Sled Island 2011. When she’s
not cooing her deceptively rich voice into a mic, backed by her own talent on piano, Canada’s
most Canadian American substitutes at a high school in a small Massachusetts town. She
counts Fred Schneider of the B-52s and Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys as her fans, has
played some of the most legendary and revered venues in New York City and has only released
one album thus far, BJ Snowden: Life in the USA and Canada, in 1996.
All of this could potentially play against her, but Snowden somehow manages to effortlessly
captivate audiences across the world. Her music is not exactly pop, not exactly jazz, not exactly
folk; it is, however, powerful with a desire for Canada and heartfelt in a simple and honest way.
18 • SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE
Los Angeles, CA
FR 1:30 pM: local 510
There should be a warning sign that accompanies
certain bands: Dead Meadow should never be spun during the witching hour. Their darkest moments sound like
a shoegaze version of Black Sabbath, had they actually
hung out with the devil.
myspace.com/deadmeadow
Dead Voices
Vancouver, BC
FR 10 pM: distillery
The three horsemen, and one horselady, of the apocalypse. Sexy buzzsaw rock ‘n’ roll that’ll send you straight
to hell where there will be much rocking and gnashing
of teeth.
myspace.com/deadvoicesmusic
DeadHorse
Calgary, AB
SA 6 pm: palomino
Sonic fields are crushed into wormholes of re-imagined
psychedelia, Nuggets-inspired garage rock and mindwarping jams akin to Hawkwind’s Space Ritual.
myspace.com/deadhorseband
Deer Tick
Providence, RI
FR 1 aM: dicken’s
Sa 12:30 aM: Legion downstairs
The tour-crazy, cover-loving indie-folk rockers from
Providence, RI, are known for their on-demand live show
antics. The five-piece act is bound to turn a few Sled-
goers into raging Tickheads!
deertickmusic.com
are all his own.
myspace.com/dominiquefricot
Demon’s Claws
THE Donkeys
Montreal, QC
FR 10 pM: vern’s
Sa 1 aM: Legion upstairs
SU 5 pm: Republik
It’s bands like these that make In The Red the powerhouse label it is. Open up the door to the grimy and
illegal after hours joint and you’d likely hear The Demon’s
Claws devastating blend of snot-nosed punk and loose,
jangly rock and roll.
myspace.com/demonsclaws
Dinosaur Feathers
Brooklyn, NY
WE11 PM: PALOMINO
TH 10 PM: LEGION UPSTAIRS
FR 10 PM: undermountain
Let Dinosaur Feathers tickle away all of your cares with
their progressive tropical musical stylings. Revel in their
perfect weave of vocals and instruments into a comforting blanket of sound.
dinosaurfeathersmusic.blogspot.com
Dominique Fricot
Vancouver, BC
TH 9 PM: IRONWOOD
Dominique Fricot is breaking out from his role
as frontman of the Painted Birds to explore music
that’s more mellow and jazzy. Though his voice is
often compared to Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, his
songs have a vulnerability and complexity that
San Diego, CA
WE10PM: DICKEN’S
TH 11 PM: marquee room
FR 5 pM: ship and anchor
San Diego’s darling dears will lower the heavens and
take you on a sonic sleepwalk through the clouds, a la
Santos & Johnny. Prepare to be charmed and disarmed
by the honeyed harmonies and red-eyed retro blues of
these So Cal flower children. Cannabis is a flower, right?
donkeysongs.com
Double Fuzz
Calgary, AB
TH 11 PM: LEGION UPSTAIRS
This fuzzy duo delivers a double hit of blues and garage
rock. Groovy guitar riffs, rich back beats and alluring
vocals round out Double Fuzz’s amazingly powerful
Sound.
myspace.com/doublefuzz
Dreamdate
Oakland, CA
TH 9 pM: tubby dog
FR 4 pM: ship and anchor
This Oakland band’s wonderfully concise, minimal twee
pop won’t shock and awe anyone, but it will gently reassure you that everything will be all right and true love will
win in the end. Dreamdate are three girls here to make
sure that we go to bed with smiles on our face.
myspace.com/dreamdater
SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE • 19
BAND BIOS
Dead Meadow
Drunk Horse
Oakland, CA
TH 11 PM: Dicken’s
FR 12 aM: ship and anchor
A malevolent wizard meets a teenage hessian in a
forest clearing. Taunts are exchanged, oaths are sworn;
battle ensues. In the end, both are dead. As the dust
settles, a merry imp dances a jig on their corpses. This
is Drunk Horse.
myspace.com/drunkhorse
Dum Dum Girls
Los Angeles, CA
WE11 PM: DISTILLERY
TH 12:30 AM: LEGION DOWN
The smirking novelty surrounding girl bands ignore the
truth: women have always rocked out, not just often
better than their male counterparts, but usually. Enter
Dum Dum Girls, a pop punk quartet with no time to
allocate to taking names – they just kick ass. Making
some of the best noise punk today, their sound is a
time capsule brought into a new millennium and retrofit
with broadband.
wearedumdumgirls.com
DUZHEKNEW
Halifax, NS
FR 9 pM: vern’s
DUZHEKNEW make quivering, intimate pop songs that
are full of feeling and emotion. Their songs sound like
quiet special moments, growing a beard and what one
might presume it is like to grow up in Eastern Canada.
myspace.com/duzheknew
Electric Six
Detroit, MI
FR 1 aM: distillery
SA 10:15 PM: the gateway
Vaulted to prominence by a bull taxidermied with
glowing prairie oysters, Electric Six scoff at your one-hit
wonder with albums brimming with ass-shakers. Singlehandedly convincing the planet that gay bars are the
best places ever, Electric Six segues easily from dance
punk to disco funk and back again without breaking
a sweat. They also don’t have naked pictures of your
mom. They’re just kidding. Promise.
electricsix.com
extra happy ghost !!!
Calgary, AB
TH 12:00 aM: BROKEN CITY
Ethereal whisperings set to the romantic twang of an
acoustic guitar, the fuzz of dying tape, a random assortment of electronic blips, subdued percussion and insular musings. These elements characterize extra happy
ghost !!!, the self-described experimental slacker psych
pop quartet of Calgary whose quixotic tunes will have
you yearning for home.
myspace.com/extrahappyghost
Fabulous Dad
Calgary, AB
SA 8:45 pm: undermountain
When they’re not dutifully restoring classic cars in the
driveway on a Sunday afternoon, Fabulous Dad like to
crank out the hardcore nu-metal with animalistic fervor.
Femme fatale vox, undomesticated metalcore guitars
and a scrappy percussion section hump it up to father
a dissonant mayhem that’ll put the wreck in your room.
soundcloud.com/fabulous-dad
20 • SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE
Faux Fur
Calgary, AB
WE7 PM: CENTRAL UNITED CHURCH
It is incredible that the two Faux Fur members are so
young. They play indie pop that sounds so rickety and
ramshackle that their own souls must be falling apart.
myspace.com/fauxfurfakefur
Feel Alright
Pittsburgh, PA
SA 9:30 pm: ship and anchor
Out of a decidedly lukewarm sentiment designed to
keep people at bay comes Feel Alright, blaring their lo-fi
garage pop at levels that are anything but all right.
feelalright.bandcamp.com
Feral Children
Saskatoon, SK
FR 5:15 pM: tubby dog
Fresh off their showing at Wyrd Fest, psychedelic
Saskatoon act Feral Children will be unleashing
their gloriously psychedelic musings on Sled Island,
complete with a plethora of noisy samples, sounds
and beats, groovy echoing guitars, throbbing bass and
muted percussion.
radio3.cbc.ca/#/bands/Feral-Children
Fist City
Lethbridge, AB
FR 8:30 pM: twisted element
Insanely distorted, straight up garage rock! Everything
from the drums to the guitars to the female vocals is
fuzzy and fast!
myspace.com/fistcitycult
Float Like Stones
Calgary, AB
TH 7 PM: CANTOS
After a successful performance at Sled Island 2010,
this Calgary band are bringing rock ‘n’ roll back to the
good ol’ days despite their young age.
myspace.com/floatlikestones
THE Foggy Notions
Saskatoon, SK
FR 3:45 pM: tubby dog
Sunshine and heartbreak dominate the dreamy pop
of Saskatoon quartet, The Foggy Notions, whose
jangly and precocious tunes will have your half-cut self
swaying around the venue with your eyes closed and
hands in the air. Featuring members of Blood Music,
the Vicious Crystals and Slow Thrills, The Foggy Notions
merge the spaceman sensibilities of yesteryear with a
texture and feel entirely their own.
myspace.com/thefoggynotions
Friendo
Calgary, AB
WE12 AM: PALOMINO
Made up of three of Calgary’s most active musicians in Michael Wallace, Henry Hsiesh and Nicole
Brunel (Women, Monkey, Azeda Booth, Beija Flor,
Topless Mongos, Hunter-Gatherer, Puberty and
Memory Screen), Friendo sees each musician
swapping roles for their respective instruments to
lovely results. The result is jangly and gorgeously
subdued yet experimental and psychedelic postpunk that transforms from chilling to heart warming
in moments.
myspace.com/friendomusic
Saskatoon, SK
FR 3 pM: tubby dog
If I ever have to run back through Saskatoon,
I hope to catch The Friends Electric. Utilizing a groovy,
dance-y aesthetic, this collective still finds the time to
drop the odd riff here and there and keep the synths
in play. They definitely haven’t let the prairies get them
down.
radio3.cbc.ca/#/bands/The-Friends-Electric
THE Get Down
Edmonton, AB
SA 9:30 pM: dickens
Smoke will pour from the heads of Calgarians city
wide the moment these five heavy hitters take the
stage. Loud as hell, MC5-influenced rock n’ roll from
Deadmonton. This isn’t the UK, this is the F-U-C-K!
myspace.com/thisisthegetdown
Gianna Lauren
Halifax, NS
FR 2 pM: ship and anchor
Gianna Lauren’s music is ambient and atmospheric,
the kind that fills the whole room but still feels intimate.
Though she experiments with different sounds and
textures, her songs are always warm, melodic and
welcoming.
giannalauren.ca
Gobble Gobble
Edmonton, AB
Cecil Frena’s madcap alchemical experiments pulsate
and throb with sweaty dementia until all you can do is
hope for salvation. Luckily, Gobble Gobble provides the
antidote as well as the poison, bringing found-instrument electro pop to the unwashed masses.
www.myspace.com/leatherjowels
THE Gooeys
Calgary, AB
FR 1 pM: broken city
The Gooeys employ choice song writing with actual,
honest-to-god surprises, somehow breathing new life
into the form in the process. When is the last time you
were surprised by a rock and roll band? True believers,
get on board now.
myspace.com/thegooeys
the Greenhornes
Detroit, MI
Sa 11:30 pM: Legion downstairs
SA 2:30 pm: olympic plaza
A throwback to better, simpler times when the riffs were
juicy, the harmonies were full of life and there was just
the right amount of grease to keep the garage rock
motor running. Rock and roll doesn’t come with more
swagger than this Detroit three-piece.
greenhornes.com
Grey Kingdom
Welland, ON
TH 10 PM: marquee room
Sweet vocals and sweet beards rule the Grey Kingdom.
A singer-songwriter that blends Ozark acoustic ballads
with rousing anthems, mastermind Spencer Burton is
an imposing craftsman of melody and lyrics. It’s the
same currency as his main project, Attack in Black, but
a different coin altogether.
greykingdom.com
Grown-Ups
BAND BIOS
THE Friends Electric
Calgary, AB
WE11:30PM: BROKEN CITY
Grown-Ups sound like a riot that would break out in
Calgary if the Flames hoisted the cup. Their punk rock
is affable enough, but does it ever have a fiery passion.
It’s dirty and gritty, but you’ll definitely remember it the
next morning.
myspace.com/wearegrownups
The Heart beat
Calgary, AB
fr 10 pm: hifi club
Fordino, Wax Romeo and A Mac bring the ruckus.
Heart Failure Research Unit
Calgary, AB
SA 2 pm: ship and anchor
I’m not sure how cheery a heart failure research unit
actually is. Are they research hearts that have already
failed or are in the process of failing? If its the latter, I
can imagine that it would be a pretty grim place to be.
Maybe that’s why so many ghosts haunt this Calgary
duo’s melancholic music.
myspace.com/metalandrust
THE Hits
Vancouver, BC
WE9:30 PM: SHIP AND ANCHOR
Three white t-shirts, and no bass guitar to be seen. The
Hits are pure garage rock heavies from the Rain City. A
furious assault of downstrokes at a thousand bpm.
myspace.com/the_hits
HONHEEHONHEE
Montreal, QC
FRI 9:30 pM: Hifi
HONHEEHONHEE will be your new favourite discovery
from Montreal. Seriously. The five piece bring infectious
energy to their fun indie pop, and their live show is sure
to be a must-see.
honheehonhee.com
Hot Panda
Edmonton, AB
SA 4:30 pM: tubby dog
Indie-pop garage rockers who want nothing more than
to make this city dance! Recently awarded as one of
Edmonton’s favourites, this foursome is clearly nothing
to sneeze at.
hotpanda.ca
Hot Sweet Noise
Calgary, AB
TH 8 PM: CANTOS
Twangy rockabilly that will make you want to get up and
move! Hot Sweet Noise’s clever drum beats, catchy
guitar riffs and chanted vocals are sure to entice you
out of your seat.
myspace.com/hotsweetnoise
Howlin’ Rain
Oakland, CA
FR 10 pM: ship and anchor
SA 1 pm: local 510
Howlin’ Rain hail from Oakland, California. Blending elements of West Coast cosmic psychedelia, 70s rock and
roll, pop, fuzzbox soul, jazz and a ragged sweat-and-beer
drenched live show, they are currently coming to the
end of a long, strange, three year journey to complete
SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE • 21
their third album with producer Rick Rubin.
howlinrain.com
Svenonius has a track record of more incidents of defiance than Cool Hand Luke.
Hunter-Gatherer
Igloos
Calgary, AB
FR 8:45 pM: undermountain
Their mind-bending psychedelic harmonies will leave
you silent as they breathe the life of pop into music with
ease and honesty. It’s like the Beach Boys if they had
more edge and didn’t wear those dumb pants. HunterGatherer offers great summer-sounding music that has
the power to guide you through the harshest of Alberta
winters.
myspace.com/huntergathererspace
Hunx and his Punx
San Francisco, CA
FR 1 aM: Legion upstairs
SA 3:15 PM: Broken city
SA 10:30 pm: twisted element
Hunx and his sometimes all-female backing band (the
Punkettes) play timeless songs about romantic feelings
that you can dance and also fall in love to, unless you
don’t like rock and roll. One of their songs is briefly
featured in a Lenscrafters commercial.
hardlyart.com/hunxandhispunx.html
Ian Svenonius
Washington, DC
FR 9:00 pM: Legion upstairs (dj set)
SA 2:00 pM: glenbow (lecture)
Snarling his was through a host of post-punk projects
from the seminal National of Ulysses to the politically
charged hooting and hollering of The Make Up, Ian F.
22 • SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE
Calgary, AB
TH 4 PM: CANTOS
How many indie rockers does it take to build an igloo?
This local postpunk outfit channel Husker Du and The
Wipers into their own lo-fi angular guitar goodness.
Sloppy eskimo kisses all around!
myspace.com/igloosband
In Medias Res
Vancouver, BC
FR 9:30 pM: Legion downstairs
SA 9:00 pM: Hillhurst United
These west coast indie rockers have exploded out of the
Vancouver scene and are ready to bring with them a
steady supply of rich, diverse and original songs. Smartly
crafted lyrics make this quartet a must-see of the festival!
imr.ca
Indian Wars
Vancouver, BC
Sa 11 pM: Legion upstairs
The first time I played with this band, I was standing out
front of a Vancouver venue when they pulled up in a tiny
car that was packed full of gear. Except only one of them
were actually in the car . . . the rest were being towed
behind on their skateboards looking like something from
a skate vid you would steal from your older brother in the
early 90s. Indian Wars boast 50s style garage pop with a
country twang that will not disappoint.
myspace.com/strangehandsband
THE Intelligence
Seattle, WA
TH 1 aM: ship and anchor
FR 9:30 pM: twisted element
SA 12 aM: Broken city
I’m inevitably going to stalk Lars Finberg at Sled
Island, because I have a huge man-crush on him,
for obvious reasons: 1) The Intelligence rule; 2) Lars
Finberg is my current favourite rock writer; (see The
Intelligence tour diaries he writes for The Stranger); 3)
I’m a creep.
myspace.com/theworldisadrag
Invasives
Vancouver, BC
FR 10 pM: Legion upstairs
Three Rain City boys who have toured the world with
Nomeansno, the Invasives are two brothers with a
friend on drums, which is weird because I didn’t think
drummers had any friends. It’s sped up Black Sabbath
with a howl Geddy Lee only wishes he had.
invasives.ca
isis graham
Calgary, AB
SA 11 PM: Bamboo
Isis Graham has been at the forefront of Calgary dance
culture since 1997. Whether organizing warehouse raves
in the nineties or headlining clubs across Canada in the
millennium, she was there. Into the new decade, she’s
here to stay and more excited about music than ever.
You can always expect big bass, big funk and a whole
lotta soul from her DJ sets.
facebook.com/thefriendsofisisgraham
Hunx and his Punx
If you have never heard about Hunx and his Punx, based out of Oakland, CA, the first exposure
you will likely have to them will be the video for ‘You Don’t Like Rock N Roll.’ Unabashedly
camp, the video features Hunx (nee Seth Bogart) laying in bed with his lover, who, when
turned to to decide what kind of music they should listen to, offers up traditionally gay picks,
like Lisa Minnelli. Hunx, however, has something else in mind and with a sly, knowing grin,
offers up his own album cover, a take on the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers – though, in lieu of
Andy Warhol’s lover’s leather-clad crotch, Bogart’s is featured clad in a fabulous zebra print.
All SoCal jangle rock and corpulent band members (his Punkettes), Hunx and his Punx
update 70s glitter/glam rock for a brave new world. Just don’t fall in love: you’re much too
young to have your heart broken.
THE James T Kirks
Vancouver, BC / Edmonton, AB
TH 9 PM: LEGION UPSTAIRS
If the Kirks haven’t made their way into Canadian
rock folklore yet, just give it a couple more years.
Talent oozes off these three boys like sweat and they
have been providing a perfect summer soundtrack
for 15 years with their serious surf garage.
myspace.com/thejamestkirks
Jasper Sloan Yip
Vancouver, BC
WE10 PM: REPUBLIK
Vancouver’s Jasper Sloan Yip plays honest pop with soul
influences and a lively upbeat feel. At the tender age of
24, he is already showing an ability to evolve and a true
talent that makes him one to watch.
jaspersloanyip.com
Jenn Grant
Halifax, NS
WE 11 PM: REPUBLIK
Happy-go-lucky songstress, Jenn Grant, is an indie
pop princess with ear-catching tunes full of love and
heartbreak, but mostly love. With songs like ‘Getcha
Good’ and ‘Honeymoon Punch,’ you may find yourself
still singing along days later.
jenngrant.com
Jennifer Castle
Toronto, ON
24 • SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE
WE11:30PM: MARQUEE ROOM
Described by Calgary’s Flemish Eye label as one of
Canada’s best-kept secrets, Jennifer Castle’s music is
as much about the space around the sound as it is
about her haunting vocals and stripped-down musical
accompaniment.
myspace.com/jennifercastlemusic
have been playing punk with a classic, 70s feel for over
seven years now and show no signs of letting up anytime
soon.
reverbnation.com/thejolts
Jon McKiel
Calgary, AB
WE 9:30PM: BROKEN CITY
Frenetic punk rock is the name of the game for this
relatively new Calgary band. Just be sure not to confuse
fornication with war.
myspace.com/dirtyjeremyclarkson
Halifax, NS
FR 3 pM: ship and anchor
SA 1 pm: palomino
This year, Halifax’s Jon McKiel released Confidence
Lodge, a five-song EP that showcases his textured indie
pop that has drawn comparisons to Andrew Bird, Ryan
Adams and Matt Pond PA. His live shows are intimate,
engaging and definitely worth checking out.
myspace.com/jonmckiel
Jim Ward
Julianna Barwick
Jeremy Clarkson
El Paso, TX
SA 12:30 am: marquee room
SA 5 pm: ship and anchor
This talented singer/songwriter maintains a
delicate ebb and flow between acoustic and electric.
Good for all occasions and it’ll definitely gain some
momentum quickly.
tembloroso.com
THE Jolts
Vancouver, BC
SA 2:30 PM: Broken city
It’s no surprise this Vancouver four-piece moonlight as
a Ramones cover band. With energy to spare, The Jolts
Brooklyn, NY
th 11PM: emmedia
FR 9:30 pM: marquee room
SA 8 pm: hillhurst united
From Brooklyn, Julianna Barwick’s music sounds like
what would happen if they let angels release records
from heaven: lots of beautiful, ethereal loops on top of
each other, just chilling.
juliannabarwick.com
Justin Townes Earle
New York, NY
WE12 AM: REPUBLIK
TH 12 aM: marquee room
BAND BIOS
Justin Townes Earle
Justin Townes Earle’s sound is a hybrid of his own, but there is no doubt that the influences of his father and the Americana musicians of that era are embedded in every
strum of his guitar. You need look no further than the songwriting on his newest album,
Harlem River Blues, with songs like ‘Move Over Mama’ and ‘Ain’t Waitin’,’ to evidence
JTE as a young man with roots deeply embedded in the folk-rock-blues of the southern
states of America.
With a heavy past involving drug addictions and quitting school at the age of 14, he
has plenty of material to write about. In 2009, just a year after his musical debut, JTE
was recognized for his musical talent as the recipient of the Americana Music Award for
Emerging Artist of the Year.
Justin Townes Earle’s folk/roots sound is best accompanied by an old-fashioned glass of whiskey, a denim
jacket and a Woody Guthrie state of mind. Don’t let his
young looks fool you: this 29-year-old is an old Southern
soul with twangy melodies that effortlessly flow when a
guitar is at hand.
justintownesearle.com
Keep Tidy
Vancouver, BC
TH 10 pM: palomino
The sweaty, hyperactive lovechild of Ian MacKaye and
Linda Perry, just try to catch a breath between these
minute long songs. PMA? More like FTW!
myspace.com/keeptidy
Ketamines
Lethbridge, AB
WE10 PM: PALOMINO
FR 1:45 pM: broken city
Imagine listening to garage rock in a rural Alberta city
while on psychedelic drugs. Toss in the reverb found
with Fist City and you’ve got the retro stylings of the
Ketamines.
myspace.com/ketamines
Keys N Krates
Toronto, ON
FR 11:30 pM: Hifi
Combining live instrumentation with turntable mash-ups
for an overall rad sound, and featuring and reinventing songs from a vast array of genres, you’re sure to be
impressed with Keys N Krates.
keysnkrates.com
Kingdom Cloud
Victoria, BC
SA 11 pm: tubby dog
This dreamy pop-trio from BC will inspire serious foot
tapping and finger snapping and toss you into a world of
sunshine and palm trees. You haven’t seen color coordination this good since your triplet cousins were in town!
myspace.com/kingdomcloud
krocodile Egg Tooth
Calgary, AB
FR 5 pM: cantos
This band is too fresh to even have a website
yet. It’s okay to be intrigued.
Kuhrye-oo
Edmonton, AB
th 9PM: emmedia
You might recognize Calvin McElroy in a tutu, lights
draped about him and covered in sweat as one of the
dancing mystics of GOBBLE GOBBLE. His solo project
Kuhrye-oo plays as some sort of dark soundtrack to your
night drives; smooth and collected.
www.myspace.com/kuhryeoo
Kurt Vile & the Violators
Philadelphia, PA
FR 12:30 aM: Legion downstairs
SA 9 pM: hillhurst united
Somewhere along the epic folk/rock spectrum, troubadour Kurt Vile, can be found channelling the likes of Tom
Petty and Bob Seger. Vile and his Violators make classically lo-fi music that can be enjoyed by anyone who is
an enthusiast of folk or rock – or music in general.
kurtvile.com
Lab Coast
Calgary, AB
Sa 9:30 pM: Legion downstairs
Taking the Tobin Sprout GBV songs as the starting point
for your band is possibly the greatest idea ever – one
I plan on starting one day myself. Simple, evocative
melodies combined with as many hooks as will fit into
your old ratty backpack from high school.
labcoast.tumblr.com
Lee Ranaldo
New York, NY
TH 9 PM: Central United Church
FRworkshop: 12 pM: cantos
Sonic Youth co-founder resurrects the Fender Jazzmaster
only to destroy it in a fury of noise.
sonicyouth.com
LEGS
Winnipeg, MB
WE9 PM: DISTILLERY
More than just a sexy lady with an electric on heels:
LEGS is a primal scream, a greasy t-shirt on a fine pair
of stems. She eats the tender singer/songwriter scene
for breakfast and pukes it up after her liquid lunch.
myspace.com/summeroflegs
Library Voices
Regina, SK
TH 10:15 pM: The Gateway
FR 10:30 pM: Legion downstairs
Prettily quiet. This multi-volume collection of bookworms
will gladly show their Regina off to anyone who’ll check
‘em out. Poppish electro-wizardry that comes with its own
hand-clappin’ chorus of girly cheerleaders, Library Voices
is pure bubble-gum folk-synth from foreword to appendix.
libraryvoices.ca
Louise Burns
Vancouver, BC
FR 6:45 pM: palomino
FR 10 pM: bamboo
The Lillix chanteuse mines roots rock for all its worth and
finds some undiscovered elements. Decorating a strong,
sultry voice with plunking acoustics one moment and
big, bouncy arrangements the next, it’s a blast of mountain air with no cobwebs to be found. Burns smolders as
a solo act.
louiseburnsmusic.com
THE Lusitania
El Paso, TX
FR 9 pM: ironwood
SA 4 pm: ship and anchor
Damn the torpedoes! Brothers Mike and Blake Duncan
go full steam ahead and bust out the Americana strummers. New El Paso’s right-as-rain rolling rock connection
runs the gambit from liquored-up brawlers to heartbroke ballads. These romping alt-country anthems and
gritty come-ons will surely carve their initials in your bark.
thelusitaniaband.com
THE Luyas
Montreal, QC
WE10 PM: DISTILLERY
The Luyas are a group of Montreal-based experimental
indie pop rockers. With the ingenious use of instruments
like the French horn and the Moodswinger, a 12-string
electric zither, The Luyas produce a sound like no other.
theluyas.wordpress.com
THE Lytics
Winnipeg, MB
SA 11:30 pm: local 522
This trio of brothers will have you singing along with their
joyful, flowing, rap infused hip-hop melodies. The Lytics
provide a dynamic twist to a typical hip hop sound.
thelytics.com
Man Legs
Calgary, AB
Sa 10 pM: Legion upstairs
Calgary’s Man Legs emerge from their garage to play
experimental surf pop that’s guaranteed to get your
own man (or woman) legs moving. It’s lo-fi, it’s retro, it’s
everything you need in a dance party.
myspace.com/manlegscalgary
Man Man
Philadelphia, PA
WE12 AM: LEGION DOWNSTAIRS
TH 12 AM: distillery
It is universally understood that an incredible live show
should be in want of some of the best songwriting in
a decade. The melancholy and keyboard pounding
of frontman Honus Honus anchor a pulse-pounding
experimental pop, a heaping pile of Mike Patton and a
dollop of Tim Burton on top of emphatic creativity and
verve. Don’t forget your warpaint.
manmanbandband.com
SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE • 25
Maria in the
Shower
BJ Snowden
Chali 2na
Man Man
9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
THURSDAY
Feathers
:30
1:00
:30
12:00 Rajas
:30
11:00 Double Fuzz
:30
10:00 Dinosaur
:30
9:00 The James T.
:30
Teengirl
Dum Dum Girls Fantasy
The Soft Pack
Monokino
Hot Sweet Noise Zola Jesus
8:00
:30
Crocodiles
Float Like
Stones
7:00
WEIRD GuEST!?
Extra Happy
Ghost!!!
Role Mach
Lee Ranaldo
An Horse
WEIRD CANADA
PRESENTS:
Stressed Out Black Dirt of the
West
Susie Forsyth
6:00
:30
Pirhana, Pirhana
LOCAL LIBRARY
PRESENTS:
Pierre Laporte
Old Bones
:30
Au
un
Dum Dum Girls
Blonde Redhead STRFKR
Social Studies
The Luyas
5:00
The Nancees
The Soft Pack
No Gold
Au
The Donkeys
Pirhana, Pirhana
EXCLAIM!
PRESENTS:
Legs
Igloos
:30
Kirks
Pierced Arrows
Grown-ups
B-Lines
Jeremy Clarkson
Braids
Wild Nothing
4:00
:30
1:00
:30
:30
:30
:30
Ta
:30
8:00
#
D
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EG
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LEG
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BR
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#1
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Ba
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Sleepy Panther
Ca
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LU
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Ra
LU
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ILL
DIS
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LU
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HIF
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DIC
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CIT
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RO
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Zola Jesus
Jennifer Castle
Memory Screen
Teen Daze
Bayonets!!!
B-Lines
Stalwart Sons
Sans AIDS
Social Studies Kuhrye-oo
Crocodiles
Friendo
Dinosaur Feathers
Ketamines
Rococode
CBC RADIO 3
PRESENTS:
Slow Down,
Molasses
Bison b.c.
Barn Burner
Drunk Horse
Man Man
GOBBLE
GOBBLE
Julianna
Barwick
An Horse
Justin Townes
Earle
Jenn Grant
Smalltown DJs
Dave Nada
Barn Burner
Trigger Effect
Scarebro
Red Cedar
Pat Jordache
Sans AIDS
POP MONTREAL
PRESENTS:
Play Guitar
Timecopz
Slates
Trigger Effect
Alejandro
Escovedo
Justin Townes
Earle
The Donkeys
Samantha
Grey Kingdom The SSRIs
Savage Smith
Smalltown DJs Dominique
Fricot
DJ Sabo
The Hits
Jasper Sloan Yip The Vicious
Cycles
CALGARY FOLK
FEST PRESENTS:
No River
Trigger Effect Seizure Salad Two Bicycles Library Voices Yip Deceiver
Biblical
DIC
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Ma
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HO
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Pierced Arrows
Vicious Cycles
NEEDLES//PINS
Keep Tidy
Blonde Redhead
Wild Nothing
Starfucker
Adaline
aN
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La
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B
NO
MI
LO
Pa
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BL
PU
RE
OR
CH
Da
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LOCAL LIBRARY
PRESENTS:
Faux Fur
The Intelligence
Moon Duo
Michael Rault
Quivers
BJ Snowden
Dreamdate
Beekeeper
T
IP
SH
OG
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WEDNESDAY
UB
B
2011 SCHEDULE
IRS
Y
1:00
:30
3:00
Bare Wires
4:00
Times New
Viking
:30
:30
Krocodile Egg
Tooth
6:00
Black Rabbit
:30
:30
Ryan Kukec
Mike Robertson
& John Mick
Brody Stevens
Tig Notaro
7:00
:30
8:00
:30
DJ Ian Svenonious
ALL NIGHT LONG! In Medias Res
Neil Hamburger
The
Sandwitches
Minto
Invasives
11:00
Shannon and the
Clams
Moon Duo
Chains Of Love
12:00
Cheeseburger
Sonny and the
Sunsets
1:00
Hunx and His
Punx
Louise Burns
Library Voices
Kurt Vile and
the Violators
10
LO
IRO
Ca
Nw
L5
OO
B
HIF
Ga
DIS
IC
TEw
LU
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LER
TIL
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Random Task
Collective
Young Liars
Raleigh
The
Whitsundays
Slam Dunk
Sun Wizard
Parts and Labor
Alberta Cross:
Cursive
Teenanger
Dead Voices
Pujol
The SSRIs
Crocodiles
Royal Canoe
Deer Tick
Electric Six
24 HOuRS
CALGARY SuN
PRESENTS:
PRESENTS:
The Heart Beat The Lusitania
Honheehonhee
STRFKR
Orgone
Piper Davis
Alejandro
Escovedo
Minus The Bear Keys N Krates
The Heart Beat
SATURDAY
E
Y
MONGREL/
ROSES
PRESENTS:
The Mandates
:30
1:00
:30
2:00
Shannon and the
Clams
The Jolts
3:00
Hunx and His
Punx
:30
:30
HIF
IC
LU
B
w
BO
EN
GL
aY
TEw
ME
EM
Ga
DIa
LER
TIL
DIS
N ’S
KE
DIC
Ca
NT
OS
Y
CIT
EN
OK
BR
OO
MB
Ba
12:00
HIL
LH
CH URS
UR
T
CH UNI
T
ON
aU
BU
RN
Sa
DO
#1
LEG
ION
UP
ION
LEG
#1
LO
wN
S Ta
IRS
S Ta
IRS
:30
DIC
Mariya Soetart
10:00
:30
Dead Meadow
Robbie
Aylesworth
5:00
:30
Crow Eater
Topless Mongos
:30
:30
The Spreads
Ketamines
2:00
:30
KE
Ca
NTO
S
OK
Lee Ranaldo
MAMMOTH CAVE Workshop
PRESENTS:
The Gooeys
:30
9:00
D
Y
CIT
EN
OO
MB
BR
#1
aU
Ba
BU
LEG
RN
ION
Sa
DO
LO
wN
ON
S Ta
IRS
S Ta
UP
ION
LEG
#1
FRIDAY
12:00
Art at Sled
Island Panel
MuSH DIY
Ian Svenonius
Lecture
4:00
:30
5:00
:30
6:00
:30
Ryan Kukec
Mike Robertson
& John Mick
Brody Stevens
Tig Notaro
7:00
:30
8:00
:30
Neil Hamburger
9:00
Lab Coast
:30
10:00
Man Legs
11:00
Indian Wars
12:00
Dead Ghosts
:30
:30
:30
1:00
:30
ABSOLuTE
uNDERGROuND
& BOGuS TOKuS DISCORD
PRESENT:
PRESENTS:
Demon’s Claws
uncle Badtouch
The Greenhornes
Deer Tick
Wild Flag
Teen Daze
VICE PRESENTS:
The Shrapnelles
Isis Graham COuSINS
Shuttle
The Get Down
Damages
WAKE
nR
Black Mastiff
Pedro
Electric Six
Monkeyfinger
Adebisi Shank Biblical
Moon Duo
Julianna
Barwick
Mode Moderne
Orgone
The Ravonettes
AuX. TV
PRESENTS:
DBL Dragon
SECRET GuEST!?
The Intelligence
Times New
Viking
Red Fang
Shortwave
Society
Thee Oh Sees
Cursive
The Sword
Twin Shadow
In Media Res
Kurt Vile
NT
ME
OU
ELE
VE
UN
RN
DE
’S
RM
ED
TU
TW
BB
IP
SH
:30
1:00
SAPPYFEST
PRESENTS:
Gianna Lauren
Jon McKiel
3:00
:30
Foggy Nations
4:00
Shooting Guns
:30
5:00
Feral Children
:30
:30
7:00
:30
Hunter Gatherer
Howlin’ Rain
Quest for Fire
Biblical
Adebisi Shank
11:00
Black Mastiff
Drunk Horse
The Soft Pack
12:00
Red Fang
C’Mon
Yip Deceiver
The Intelligence Monokino
GOBBLE GOBBLE
Wild Flag
Twin Shadow
The Raveonettes
:30
:30
C’Mon
Camp Radio
Rae Spoon
aIN
NT
IK
’S
RN
VE
:30
1:00
:30
MINT RECORDS
PRESENTS:
The Sandwitches Ramblin’
Ambassadors
Dead Ghosts
The Lusitania
Hot Panda
Jim Ward
2:00
On Lock
Heart Failure
Research unit
:30
Scrapbooker
3:00
Book of Caverns
:30
Blue King
Brown
Shuyler Jansen
The Lytics
Sonny and the
Sunsets
Skratch Bastid Jim Ward
The BellRays
3:00
:30
6:00 Cheeseburger
7:00
7:00 Bare Wires
8:00
8:00 The BellRays
Camp Radio
9:00
9:00 Thee Oh Sees
Young Ones
10:00
10:00
Kingdom Cloud
Bare Wires
11:00
11:00
Shortwave
Society
Cheeseburger
12:00
12:00
1:00
1:00
Feel Alright
:30
Damages
Fabulous Dad
Miesha and the Cold Craving
Spanks
Hunx & His Punx Brain Fever
Teenanger
The Muffs
:30
6:00
Shannon and
The Clams
Parts and Labor
2:00
5:00 Demon’s Claws
:30
:30
Pujol
:30
5:00
Slam Dunk
:30
Battle Snakes
:30
1:00
4:00
WAKE
Deadhorse
The Beladeans
12:00
4:00
The Dandy
Warhols
Of Montreal
VISIT SLEDISLaND.COM FOR UP
TO DaTE LISTINGS aND MORE.
12:00
Minus The Bear
The Sandwitches
aLL aGES VENUES
:30
OU
ELE
ED
I ST
TW
YD
BB
TU
IP
SH
OG
NC
Da
aN
NO
MI
LO
Pa
10:00
SAVED BY RADIO
PRESENTS:
Jon McKiel
Mark Davis
Chad VanGaalen
ME
HO
R
The Muffs
:30
Dinosaur Feathers Demon’s Claws
:30
aZ
PL
PIC
OL
YM
The Greenhornes
DuZHEKNEW
1:00
a
M
OO
ER
UE
RQ
Ma
22
L5
Ca
LO
LO
Ca
L5
10
Alberta Cross
Pujol
9:00
LIFETIME
COLLECTIVE
PRESENTS:
On Lock
SUNDAY
BEATROuTE
BREAKFAST
PRESENTS:
No Gold (12:00)
Howlin’ Rain (1:00)
:30
RM
Braids
8:00
The Mandates
DE
We Are The City
Fist City
UN
Julianna Barwick
Teengirl Fantasy
BL
Sun Wizard
Sleep
SATURDAY (GATES AT 12PM)
1:30 ALBERTA CROSS
2:30 THE GREENHORNES
3:30 TWIN SHADOW
4:45 THE RAVEONETTES
5:45 CHAD VANGAALEN
7:00 MINUS THE BEAR
8:30 THE DANDY WARHOLS
9:45 OF MONTREAL
6:00
The Sword
ED
Auld Beak
Mode Moderne
The Donkeys
CFCR PRESENTS:
Friends Electric
NT
FFWD WEEKLY
PRESENTS:
Book of Caverns Rae Spoon
Crow Eater
Buzzcocks
Dreamdate
:30
Louise Burns
BART RECORDS
PRESENTS:
Slates
Bayonets!!!
Bison b.c.
LIGHT ORGAN
RECORDS
PRESENTS:
Adaline
FRIDAY (GATES AT 3PM)
4:00 C’MON
5:00 BISON B.C.
6:00 BUZZCOCKS
7:30 THE SWORD
8:45 SLEEP
2:00
PU
C’Mon
:30
RE
Pa
I ST
YD
Da
aN
NO
MI
LO
OG
NC
aZ
PL
PIC
aIN
NT
R
HO
a
M
OO
ER
UE
RQ
Ma
22
L5
Ca
LO
OL
YM
OLYMPIC PLAZA
MAIN SITE
12:00
SECRET GuEST!?
:30
:30
:30
:30
:30
:30
:30
NuDIE JEANS
PRESENTS:
:30
:30
:30
:30
:30
:30
:30
:30
:30
CENTRE STREET
14 ST NW
4 ST NW
>
19 ST NW
10 ST NW
SLED
ISLAND
VENUES
13
20 AVE NW
4
18+ VENUES APPEAR IN BLUE
ALL AGES VENUES APPEAR IN RED
15
1
>
12
>
Check sledisland.com for all up to date venue information.
1 ST NW
16 AVE NW / TRANS CANADA HWY
NORTH WEST
18
6 AVE SW
6 AVE SE
22
25
C-TRAIN
19
9 AVE SW
6
1 ST SE
10
10 AVE SE
CENTRE STREET
1 ST SW
30
4 ST SW
5
5 ST SW
6 ST SW
7 ST SW
8 ST SW
9 ST SW
10 ST SW
MORE
14
29
12 AVE SW
9 AVE SE
2
10 AVE SW
11 AVE SW
21
8 AVE SE
11 AVE SE
12 AVE SE
MACLEOD TRAIL SE
31
8
7
2 STREET SW
3 STREET SW
9
8 AVE SW
3
17 AVE SE
24
DOWNTOWN
S T.
GEO
RGE
’S I
SLA
N
FORT
CALGARY
D
9 AVE SE
20
SE
23
10
16
AV E
SE
SE
VE
ST
9A
12
DOWNTOWN
11 ST SE
ANT HILL 148 10th Street NW
THE AUBURN SALOON #163 - 115 9th Avenue SE
BAMBOO 1205 1st Street SW
BIRDS AND STONE THEATRE 207 16th Avenue NW
BROKEN CITY 613 11th Avenue SW
CANTOS MUSIC FOUNDATION 134 11th Avenue SE
CENTRAL UNITED CHURCH 131 7th Avenue SW
DICKEN’S 1000 9th Avenue SW
THE DISTILLERY 615 7th Avenue SW
EMMEDIA 203 11th Ave SW
THE GALLERY #113 - 1013 17th Ave SW
GATEWAY (SAIT) #1301 - 16th Avenue NW
HAIGHT GALLERY 2018 24th Avenue NW
HIFI CLUB 219 10th Avenue SW
HILLHURST UNITED CHURCH 1227 Kensington Close NW
IRONWOOD #1229 - 9th Avenue SE
LOCAL 510 510 17th Avenue SW
LOCAL 522 522 6th Avenue SW
MARqUEE ROOM 612 8th Avenue SW
NEW BLACK #200 - 919 9th Ave SE
OLYMPIC PLAZA Main Site
THE PALOMINO 109 7th Avenue SW
PITH GALLERY 1018 9th Avenue SE
REPUBLIK 219 17th Avenue SW
ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION #1 116 7th Avenue SE
THE SHIP AND ANCHOR 534 17th Avenue SW
SLOTH RECORDS 736B 17th Avenue SW
TUBBY DOG 1022 17th Avenue SW
TWISTED ELEMENT 1006 11th Avenue SW
UNDERMOUNTAIN 1112 4th Street SW
VERN’S 622 8th Avenue SW
17
10 ST SE
1
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3
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11
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17 AVE SW
8S
T
28
SOUTHEAST
Lee Ranaldo
You know how the debut Velvet Underground record was so seminal that everyone who owned
it at the time went on to start a band? Lee Ranaldo’s guitar playing in Sonic Youth can be considered in similar terms. Alongside J. Mascis, Ranaldo is basically responsible for the return of
guitar pyrotechnics in the 80s, after punk stripped down the pomp and circumstance of 70s
dinosaur rock and returned it to the hands of the people.
As a solo artist, Ranaldo tends towards more experimental art and remains heavily involved
in the New York City art scene, tirelessly releasing books of poetry, his own journals, collaborating with similar-minded musicians, such as his ongoing project with jazz drummer William
Hooker, and producing avant-garde bands. You’ll want to make sure to catch his set: you’ll
never know how it’ll inspire you.
THE Mandates
Calgary, AB
FR 8 pM: undermountain
SA 1 PM: Broken city
The Mandates is the latest project from Calgary’s Brady
Kirchner, and considering he’s known around town for
his roles in the Pants Situation, the Dudes and Sudden
Infant Dance Syndrome, it’s safe to say that this new
power-pop band will quickly become a local favourite.
myspace.com/camerainmynecktie
Maria in the Shower
Vancouver, BC
WE9 PM: LEGION DOWNSTAIRS
Don’t get any nasty ideas: Maria in the Shower is here to
arouse your soul, not your naughty bits. Their assortment
of swing, samba and folk jingles will undoubtedly put a
smile on your face.
mariaintheshower.com
32 • SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE
Mariya Soetaert
Stavely, AB
FR 7 pM: cantos
Mariya Soetaert is quite possibly the youngest performer
at this year’s Sled Island. From Stavely, AB, her country
guitar and dulcet vocals will provide a welcome haven
from the festival madness outside.
facebook.com/pages/Mariya/124450854254142
Mark Davis
Edmonton, AB
SA 5 pm: palomino
Driving rock. Raw folk. Effervescent pop. Bombastic
explorations.
www.myspace.com/markwdavis
Memory Screen
Calgary, AB
WE10:30 PM: MARQUEE ROOM
Memory Screen make soft dense songs that sound
like a warm fog or a beautiful screen saver. Filled with
dank vibes, shimmering guitars that weave in and out of
reverb-drenched vocals.
myspace.com/memoryscreen
Michael Rault
Edmonton, AB
TH 11 pM: ship and anchor
Though he’s played in a number of bands in the past—
—including punk bands in his hometown of Edmonton
and a family band with his father and uncle – Michael
Rault is now striking out on his own. His minimalist retro
pop will make you feel like you’re in the 50s in all the
right ways.
myspace.com/michaelrault
miesha & the spanks
Calgary, AB
SA 9:30 pm: twisted element
Minto
Vancouver, BC
FR 9:30 pM: broken city
Hailing from all over Canada, these five friends starting
making country-tinged folk music about five years ago
and slowly progressed into a stomping good time of a
band.
mintomusic.com
Minus the Bear
Seattle, WA
FR 11:30 PM: the Gateway
SA 7 pm: olympic plaza
These indie (sometimes prog) rockers have found a
way to make idiosyncratic guitar playing and carnal,
sexual lyrics into decidedly radio friendly songs. Think
My Morning Jacket meets Silversun Pickups.
minusthebear.com
BAND BIOS
Combining sloppy garage rock with driving
blues, a ‘wheezing Hammond organ’ and a howling set
of powerful pipes, miesha & the spanks are amongst
the hardest working bands in Calgary. Be sure to
procure their just released full-length, Gods of Love, a
sleazy, sexy, rollicking slab of rock that when delivered
live will get your ass shaking up a storm.
myspace.com/mandthespanks
Mode Moderne
Vancouver, BC
FR 6 pM: palomino
SA 8:15 PM: the gateway
Mode Moderne’s deep vocals, 80s synths and permeating moodiness have drawn comparisons to Joy Division, the Smiths and the Cure. These guys are definitely
worth keeping an eye on.
myspace.com/modemoderne
Monokino
Amsterdam, Holland
TH 11 PM: BAMBOO
FR 9:30 pM: undermountain
Dramatic, piano-based sounds that take on a religiouslike sense of drama. Combined with tender vocals,
Monokino is sombre enough to tug at your heart strings
but not too gloomy to make you want to turn away.
monokino.com
Moon Duo
San Francisco, CA
TH 12 aM: ship and anchor
FR 11:30 pM: Legion downstairs
SA 11 PM: emmedia
San Francisco’s Moon Duo are two people who make
dark jams that sound huge in spite of their minimal
lineup. Sounds kind of like New Order meets Cave,
meets Eternal Night.
moonduo.org
THE Muffs
Man Man
Somewhere between arriving and
leaving a Man Man set, a thought:
‘This music exists, it is being played
live and I am here to feel it. This is a
good thing.’ It’s an innocuous reaction
that fills the vacuum where your brain
used to be. They move from stomp and
bluster to pillow whispers and broken
promises, through the ringer of a Mr.
Bungle patois tinged with funhouse
rhythms and attitude, a carnie oompah band after one too many blotters.
They’re a musical island, baiting ‘prog’
because how the hell else do we label
a hurricane in a cracked teacup.
Sled Island 2011 is packed to the
gills with must-sees, but only one
combines a party with a one-of-a-kind
musical experience. Honus Honus,
Pow Pow, Jefferson, T. Moth and Chang
Wang are going to waltz in and play
Grand Marshal to fever dream parade.
Facial hair and warpaint optional, but
encouraged.
Los Angeles, CA
SA 3 pm: local 510
SA 12:30 am: ship and anchor
The Muffs are a group of seasoned punk rockers that
are ready and willing to sonically annihilate your ears.
With a Green Day-like sound and a female lead vocalist, The Muffs have found themselves a steady following
of punk rock fans since the early 90s.
the-muffs.com
The Nancees
Calgary, AB
TH 9:30 PM: LEGION DOWN
The Nancees have been causing nearby neighbourhood
Bible pushers to drop their books and devote their lives
to the eternal summer of doo-wop rock.
myspace.com/theenancees
NEEDLES//PINS
Vancouver, BC
TH 11 pM: Palomino
Jack Nitzsche and Sonny Bono wrote the song ‘Needles
and Pins,’ but I was only aware of the Ramones version
for years. The band NEEDLES//PINS sound smart,
like they knew the true origins of the song, but their
music suggests that they probably prefer the Ramones
version.
myspace.com/needlesxpins
No Gold
Vancouver, BC
WE12 AM: DICKEN’S
SA 12 pm: local 510
Escape to the islands with No Gold’s outside-the-box,
SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE • 33
mostly-electronic music with clear tropical influences.
nogold.net
No River
Calgary, AB
WE9 PM: REPUBLIK
Five young country outlaws take on the world, leaving
no beer or quarter in their wake. This is the kind of
music that makes you want to put your arms around
the strangers next to you and become their best friend,
if even for the set.
myspace.com/norivermusic
nR
Calgary, AB
SA 9 PM: emmedia
The ill-mannered offspring of Nancy Sinatra and Suicide, nR surfs the seas of synaesthesia on a synthesizer
made of stars (or scars? or Cars memorabilia?) in
search of the perfect sine-wave, leaving no fuzz-pedal
un-fuzzed, no reverb un-verbed. Equal parts airborne
beast with teeth and talons and the roaring wind
that keeps it aloft, nR truly is an experience not to be
missed.
myspace.com/nrnoise
of Montreal
Athens, GA
SA 9:45 pm: olympic plaza
Sled Island veterans and pillars of the community for
more than a decade, Of Montreal need no introduction. The prolific bus-filling group have yet to miss
career beat, their output a solid story of ever-improving
experimental pop. Their last Sled cornered the market
on confetti and tiger-man stage fights, so who knows
what their style of weird brinkmanship will bring this
time around?
ofmontreal.net
Old Bones
Calgary, AB
TH 5 PM: CANTOS
Aided by mandolin, bass, piano, drums and a variety of
guitars, the thick blues duo Old Bones are a sexy and
raw instrumental addition to Sled Island. Composed
of two Calgary musicians, this act has just appeared
on the scene thanks to a DIY 4-track cassette deck
recorded EP – with each song recorded in a single take
– and is writing their full-length, Of A Different Colour.
myspace.com/oldbonesmusic
On Lock
Vancouver, BC
FR 10 pM: palomino
This Vancouver heavy metal and blues trio has come to
party, broken arms and all! The title of their latest song,
‘Fast Hips and Loose Morals,’ should provide you with
enough inside into the band’s idea of fun.
myspace.com/onlockradjams
Orgone
Hollywood, CA
FR 10 pM: ironwood
SA 9:15 PM: the gateway
Let’s get funky! This Hollywood troupe knows how to
electrify a dance floor with elements of soul, glittery
harmonies and rhythms that are insanely addictive. Let
the boss know you won’t be in tomorrow; you’ll be too
busy grooving!
orgonespace.com
34 • SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE
Parts & Labor
Brooklyn, NY
FR 11:30 pM: broken city
Parts & Labor bury dense harmonies in dense electronic pop. Put on some clothes, feel excited and see
the this band.
partsandlabor.net
Pat Jordache
Montreal, QC
WE10 PM: TUBBY DOG
Pat Jordache needs to be set free. His lush wall of
reverb and blends of pattern create a wonderful clash.
A headspace hero of experiment pop coming from
outer worldly resources.
myspace.com/mountainmanpatjordache
Pedro Monkeyfinger
Calgary, AB
SA 10 PM: emmedia
What happens when electricity is interpreted through
misanthropy? What comes out of the wall sockets is an
interpretation, relating electricity to your eardrums – unadulterated manipulations of electricity – until you forget
what it means to be human and understand what
it means to be an analog. Hate everything human,
become a machine.
myspace.com/pedromonkeyfinger
Pierced Arrows
Portland, OR
WE12:30AM: BROKEN CITY
TH 1 aM: Palomino
Fred Cole has created and fronted some of the most
relevant and influential underground bands throughout
the last 50 years (The Rats, The Lollipop Shoppe, Dead
Moon). After spending time in the Yukon with his family
while evading the draft, Fred and his wife Toody started
Dead Moon upon returning to the US. They toured
Europe and North America relentlessly in the 70s and
80s as the king and queen of American punk. Fred and
Toody are finally back with a new band, Pierced Arrows,
and are louder than ever with even more feedback and
exciting, limit-pushing garage rock.
piercedarrows.com
Pierre Laporte
Calgary, AB
TH 7 PM: Central United Church
Pierre Laporte was one of the unfortunate casualties of
the October Crisis in 1970. Four decades later, Pierre
Laporte are also four Calgarians that play what could
very well be a retrospective soundtrack for the FLQ.
pierrelaporte.bandcamp.com
Piper Davis
Vancouver, BC
FR 10:30 pM: Hifi
Tell her you like her moves. Seriously. The micro-sampled, free-styling, grooving, quirky, dark, electro beats
speak for themselves and Piper Davis’ charisma drives
it all home.
imadancemachine.com
Piranha Piranha
Calgary, AB
FR 9 PM & 1 aM: hifi
Calgary’s own bass music warriors, from Modern Math
to Northern Lights and beyond.
myspace.com/2piranha
Minus the Bear is a five-person band of indie prog-pop-alt-(insert trendy word here)
rockers. With four albums and four EPs to their name, Minus the Bear have well proven
all the ‘Minus the Talent’ critics wrong. The band’s most recent album, Omni, is their
first release on Dangerbird Records and was named after the newest addition to the
band, a vintage Omnichord synthesizer. This instrument, along with band member Alex
Rose, is responsible for the strange synthesized riffs that give Minus the Bear a quirky
pop sound.
Minus the Bear’s unexpected time changes, propulsive rhythms and often sexually
provocative lyrics lust towards electro-pop, while their harmonious guitar work and
straightforward melodies lean more towards classic/prog rock. However you choose
to classify Minus the Bear with whatever adjective you may find suitable, you can be
confident they are rockers through and through.
Moon Duo
The moon may almost be too close to home: the San Francisco duo, formed in 2009
out of the gloomy, moody union of Ripley Johnson of Wooden Shjips and Sanae
Yamada, pulsates and grooves with alien pleasure, reveling in doom-goth, stoner jams
that move along with uncanny awareness. And, through it all, relentlessly, restlessly,
the motorik beat continues its disembodied march, oblivious of the madness swirling
around it. It is the march of an undead army flattening the very ground below it, robbing it of life and virtue as the horizon sets a desaturated grey.
Their dance-inducing songs, featuring smoother keys and more forgiving vocals,
seem to employ a two-faced sinister nature and sound like the Pied Piper of Oblivion,
drawing you closer, willingly, teasingly, to the brink of the abyss, where only they can
find joy in the bottomless black. Excellently heady stuff to cap a night off!
Play Guitar
Halifax, NS / Montreal, QC
WE8 PM: TUBBY DOG
These dudes are all about creating a transcendent
and catchy rock song. A falsetto-like voice reminds us
life isn’t so hard and neither is playing the guitar – well,
unless you’re this good at it.
myspace.com/playguitarplayguitar
Pujol
Nashville, TN
FR 11 pM: dicken’s
SA 2 pm: local 510
SA 11:30 pm: ship and anchor
Pujol is a beautiful blur of optimistic, Wezoteric, Danalytic, manalog, American rock and roll. While Pujol’s
music cuts to the core of the twenty-something condition, his imagery skims the surface of popular culture.
myspace.com/danielluccapujol
Quest for Fire
Toronto, ON
FR 11 pM: palomino
Toronto’s stoner rock supergroup promises to illuminate
the way to paradise via dashboard light. The Promethean
talents behind Cursed, No No Zero and The Deadly
Snakes converge to twist up some of the best psychedelic hardcore around. Sparse on words but huge on
gut-grabbing hooks, this quartet calmly exudes their own
primitive cool.
myspace.com/questforfireband
Quivers
Halifax, NS
TH 10 pM: ship and anchor
I heard that Quivers were driving from Halifax to
Calgary to play their Sled Island set and then immediately turn around and go home, because, ‘That’s
what Iggy Pop would have done.’ I have no possible
way to verify this information, but there is a definite
70s punk influence here and it does sound like
something Iggy would have done. That, kids, is how
rock mythology is born!
quivers.bandcamp.com
Rae Spoon
Calgary, AB
FR 8:30 pM: marquee room
SA 4 pm: palomino
Polaris nominee and home-grown Calgarian Rae Spoon
brings his brand of eclectic melody-making to the festival. Equal parts dance-floor commander and crooner, he
blends a swagger and substance with aplomb. Transgressive and impressive, Rae Spoon is not one to miss.
raespoon.com
Rajas
Los Angeles, CA
TH 12 AM: LEGION UPSTAIRS
Rajas are a progressive metal band well-known for
their recent accompaniment of Tool on a tour across
North America. Their hypnotic rhythms and musical
dissonance is an oddly calming force in the feral world
of heavy metal.
rajasband.com
Raleigh
Calgary, AB
FR 9 pM: cantos
Raleigh are a quirky folk-pop trio from Calgary that
sound far bigger and more layered than their lineup
might suggest. Brock Geiger (guitar/vocals), Clea Anaïs
(cello/piano/vocals) and Matt Doherty (drums) combine traditional folk with modern Grizzly Bear aesthetics
with poignant accuracy.
myspace.com/raleighsound
Ramblin’ Ambassadors
Calgary, AB
SAT 3 pm: tubby dog
Calgary’s favourite surf rockers dare to dream beyond
their frozen confines to bring us tales of southern clines.
The Ramblin’ Ambassadors pick up where the Ramones
left off after listening to Danny.
myspace.com/ramblinambassadors
Random Task Collective
Calgary, AB
FR 8 pM: cantos
This group of youngster’s have been evolving their indie
pop sound in the all-ages scene for year’s now. Champions of the underground, no more clowning around.
randomtaskrocks.com
The Raveonettes
Copenhagen, Denmark
SA 11:30 PM: the gateway
SA 4:30 pm: olympic plaza
The Danish duo of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin
Foo, who make up the Raveonettes, have earned
international acclaim for their gorgeously lush and
utterly hypnotic tunes. With dashes of layered dreamscapes, driving beats, two-part vocal harmonies waxing poetic on murder, lust, drugs and suicide and a
structural simplicity that conjures The Jesus and Mary
Chain, the Raveonettes are sure to be a highlight of
Sled Island 2011.
theraveonettes.com
Red Cedar
Vancouver, BC
TH 9 PM: marquee room
Red Cedar clearly makes music from instinct and experience. Their eerie, mellow tunes are delivered to your
ears with ease and reassurance. Strong vocals, beautiful
SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE • 37
BAND BIOS
Minus the Bear
guitar lines and a true sense of mastery make this band
an alt-country tour de force.
myspace.com/redcedarmusic
Red Fang
Portland, OR
FR 1 aM: palomino
SA 12 aM: distillery
The video for their belligerent, aluminum-core epic, ‘Prehistoric Dog,’ features the band binge drinking enough
PBR and Tecate to build full suits of armour, only to be
soundly defeated in combat by a gang of LARP nerds.
Classic! Portland’s metal scene has an impressive sense
of humour!
redfang.net
Robbie Aylesworth
Cochrane, AB
FR 4 pM - cantos
Recently repatriated from the west coast, Robbie is an
emerging Canadiana acoustic roots tru-bad-ass...you’d
swear he just walked over from the CPR yards.
www.myspace.com/robbieaylesworth1
Rococode
Vancouver, BC
TH 9:15 pM: The Gateway
Electronically-charged indie pop for the cool kids, the
charming vocals of Laura Smith gives these guys a
distinctly Tegan and Sara vibe. There’s a lot of harmonies
going on here, which means it’s only a matter of time
before we’re all humming along.
rococode.com
38 • SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE
Role Mach
Samantha Savage Smith
Royal Canoe
THE Sandwitches
Vancouver, BC
TH 11 PM: BROKEN CITY
Role Mach are easily one of Vancouver’s most intriguing
bands. Frontman Patrick Geraghty boasts charisma that
goes unrivaled these days, commanding the attention
of his audience at a whim. Backed by some of their
hometown’s most talented musicians, this band has
created a true garage-pop explosion. Imagine the Rolling
Stones if they were more intelligent and much better
looking. Hard right? Go see ’em.
myspace.com/rolemach
Winnipeg, MB
FR 12 aM: distillery
Exciting sounds from Winnipeg, MB! Royal Canoe have
all that it takes to make intelligent, well crafted music,
ranging from tight and impressive to intentionally loose
and psychedelic. After their creation in 2009, Royal
Canoe wasted no time in releasing their first record to
glowing reviews country-wide. They have since been in a
state of flux, letting the music shape what they are.
myspace.com/royalcanoe
Sabo
New York, NY
TH 11:30 pM: HiFi
Owner of the Sol Selectas label. This guy embodies tropical music. If you’ve ever been by a beach or
pool, chances are you’ve heard Sabo. He is also the
esteemed uncle of moombahton.
myspace.com/djsabo
Calgary, AB
TH 10 PM: IRONWOOD
This lady is taking our city by storm! Describing
herself as melodramatic indie-folk, Smith is visibly
exploding with talent. Her voice is frail yet enormous
and her presence is serene – all the while screaming
with authority and flair. Her music seems to reach
back to days long-passed, when people would
spend their time in front of a radio excited by the
power of music.
myspace.com/samanthasavage
San Francisco, CA
FR 9 pM: bamboo
SA 3 pm: ship and anchor
SA 9:30 pm: marquee room
Why are these guys so often labelled as
spooky? Their light-hearted but palpable acoustic shuffle provides the perfect soundtrack to a
lazy Sunday.
myspace.com/thesandwitches
Sans AIDS
Edmonton, AB
WE7PM: THE NEW BLACK
WE9 PM: TUBBY DOG
Caught in a world of melodic and deconstructive
pop where each chord strikes a near collision. Sway
to these contagious garage rock rhythms as each
beat surfaces to the core.
myspace.com/sansaids
Vancouver, BC
WE11PM: BAMBOO
Think dark: the darkest of the dank underbelly of the
squeaky clean bullshit which thrives in the land of milk
and honey. Amongst the glass towers hiding scared cowards these three men meet in secret to write the songs
of love and destruction, gloom and celebration. Together
they are Scarebro.
myspace.com/stokekiller
Scrapbooker
Edmonton, AB
SA 2:45 pm: undermountain
Hailing from the depths of Edmonton, Scrapbooker
provides us with an intense dose of angular, haunted
punk rock. If the energy of their recordings is any indication of their live show, it is something that I will definitely
not be missing. It is great to see bands like this pushing
the boundaries of punk, forcing it into something new
and unexplored.
scrapbooker.tumblr.com
Seizure Salad
Calgary, AB
TH 10 pM: distillery
Calgary’s own blend of garage, thrash and experimental
psychedelia is going to make you shake, sweat and jive.
Weird men and real men eat salad.
myspace.com/iloveyoudontyouwantme
Shannon and the Clams
Oakland, CA
FR 11 pM: Legion upstairs
SA 1:45 PM: Broken city
SA 8:30 pm: twisted element
Haling from Oakland and sharing members with Hunx
and his Punx, this doo-wop trio has no trouble adding a
jolt of lightning to any flaming 50s dance party.
shannonandtheclams.com
underground label overlords, HoZac Records, and they fit
the bill perfectly. While on stage, their blaring guitars and
aggressive harmonies will render you feeling insecure
and dumb, crying for your mummy. Have fun!
myspace.com/theshrapnelles
Shooting Guns
Boston, MA
SA 12 aM: Bamboo
From Massachusetts, Shuttle’s music is dictated not
by generic convention but by feeling. Sketching out
electronic musical landscapes, his bass excursions were
dreamed up in his bedroom until they were forceful
enough to catch the ear of Ninja Tune.
myspace.com/shuttle
Saskatoon, SK
FR 4:30 pM: tubby dog
Shooting Guns provide the perfect soundtrack for the
morning after the apocalypse, when you are sitting in
the rubble of your home in a bathrobe and think, ‘What
should I do now?’ and end up zoning out for hours in
a psychedelic trance instead of making a survival plan.
Bad move on your part, because you are probably going
to die.
teargasrecordingtree.com/artists/shootingguns
Shuttle
Shuyler Jansen
Knoxville, TN
SA 12 AM: tubby dog
Tennessee isn’t just for country music anymore. Fusing
elements of chamber folk and jazz into their eclectic pop
compositions, they create a vast sonic language that is
felt as much as it’s heard.
shortwavesociety.com
Saskatoon, SK
SA 10:30 pm: marquee room
That Shuyler Jansen has struck up a formidable relationship with Steve Dawson says a lot. That his latest solo
album, Voice From The Lake, successfully represents
both a natural progression from his past alt-country
work and a break from the confines of the same tag
says even more. This is a must-see performance for any
progressively-minded roots fans.
myspace.com/shuylerjansen
THE Shrapnelles
Skratch Bastid
Shortwave Society
Calgary, AB
SA 10 PM: Broken city
This scrappy gang of gals play some of the catchiest
rock that I have ever heard come out of Calgary. The
Shrapnelles barely existed before being snapped up by
Toronto, ON
SA 12:30 am: local 522
Old school hip-hop of the finest regard. Canadian MCs
(and MCs everywhere for that matter) owe a lot to his
literate and well-timed lyrics. Still, he manages to keep
SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE • 39
BAND BIOS
Scarebro
the party going without getting too serious on us. A
definite pro.
skratchbastid.com
Slam Dunk
Victoria, BC
FR 10 pM: cantos
SA 5:15 pm: tubby dog
Slam Dunk make loud sounding rock and
roll style music, sometimes about basketball
but not always. They would sound really good
playing in someone’s parents’ basement or
backyard bash.
myspace.com/slamdunkband
SLATES
Edmonton, AB
TH 8 pM: the new black
FR 7:30 pM: local 522
Remember when bands spent less time trying to
be cool and more time on being good? Edmonton’s
SLATES play sincere, unapologetic music that is
constantly hinting towards catharsis. Stop reminiscing about how good The Constantines used to be and
check out SLATES!
myspace.com/slates780
Sleep
San Jose, CA
FR 8:45 pM: olympic plaza
Hugely influential stoner metal stalwarts
Sleep disbanded in 1997 after their label rejected
perhaps the most extreme album ever to be
recorded for a major, the hour-long opus to sludgy
din, Dopesmoker. After trimming the one-track
album to 52 minutes and retitling it Jerusalem,
the record was again rejected and the trio went tits
up in ounces of smoke. Now, over a decade since
their disbandment, band creators Matt Pike and Al
Cisneros are back on board, while Neurosis skins
man Jason Roeder will round out THE event that will
define Sled Island 2011.
weedian.com/index.html
Social Studies
San Francisco, CA
WE10 PM: HIFI
TH 9 pM: distillery
Mischievously intricate and angular indie rock oozes
from San Fransico’s Social Studies, a quartet whose
combination of keyboards, Casio hooks, thumping
percussion, eerily sweet and utterly radiant vocals and
jangling tambourine makes for a foot-stomping good
time. This is indie rock at its purest, with a zesty addition of twee-pop, operatic showmanship and fun.
socialstudiesband.com
THE Soft Pack
San Diego, CA
WE1 AM: DICKEN’S
TH 11:30 PM: LEGION DOWN
FR 12 aM: vern’s
Bringing California’s carefree surf-pop straight to your
ears. Welcome summer lovin’ with The Soft Pack’s
chilled out vocals and Link
Wray-inspired jangles.
myspace.com/thesoftpack
Sonny & the Sunsets
San Francisco, CA
FR 12 aM: bamboo
SA 11:30 pm: marquee room
Sonny prefers to jump right into the swing of things with
his laid-back guitar rhythms and catchy hooks. It’s easy
Sleepy Panther
Calgary, AB
WE8PM LEGION: DOWNSTAIRS
It would seem that Sleepy Panther are about four years
too late to the band name game, but this local pop
band will prove that if you’re good enough, people will
wait.
Slow Down, Molasses
Saskatoon, SK
TH 8:15 pM: The Gateway
This group, seven strong, isn’t afraid of combining a
large repertoire of sounds. With strings, horns, guitars,
and lullaby-style vocals (among much, much more),
Slow Down, Molasses are a multi-dimensional group of
prairie rockers.
slowdownmolasses.blogspot.com
Smalltown DJs
Calgary, AB
TH 9 pM: HiFi
TH 10:45 pM: HiFi
Owners of the Hifi Club and one of Canada’s biggest
exports after maple syrup, these guys know how to set
‘em up and knock ‘em down.
smalltowndjs.com
40 • SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE
the Soft Pack
The Soft Pack, originally from San Diego, now
based out of Los Angeles, bring you care-free
Californian surf-pop that is infused with
loose, but well executed Bob Dylan-esqe,
vocals, Link Wray-inspired guitar jangles and
swift back beats, performed with just the right
amount of fuzz to instill a bonfire-party-onVenice-beach sort of feeling.
This quartet, formerly called The Muslims
(you decide whether a flaccid penis reference
is better or not), create anything from mellow
ballads to fast-paced garage rock without
losing that 60s vintage feel that defines their
music. Founding members, vocalist Matt
Lamkin and guitarist Matt McGlouhlin, have
just recently finalized the Soft Pack’s line up
after working through a rotation of drummers
and bassists and these twenty somethings
are here to play honest, powerful, post-punk
alternative music that will not disappoint.
to fall for someone with so much melody engrained in
their bones.
sonnysmith.com
The Spreads
Vancouver, BC
FR 12 pM: local 510
The sound of fucking space and time between the walls
of ‘Uncle’ Derek’s garage- a place that as a child, you
were told never to go to.
www.myspace.com/thespreads
THE SSRIs
Vancouver, BC
TH 10 pM: the new black
FR 11 pM: distillery
Experimental psych-punk at it’s finest, regional darlings
SSRIs bring a little noise to the proceedings. Endlessly
inventive and impossible to predict, their live show has
a deserved following. They’re huge in Vancouver, which is
shorthand (longhand?) for ‘badass.’
myspace.com/thessris
Stalwart Sons
Calgary, AB
WE8PM: THE NEW BLACK
New sincerity, or the return of old sincerity lost – either
way, Stalwart Sons are the answer to the question
that most didn’t know needed asking. Nothing about
Stalwart Sons rings false, from their tireless work ethic to
their tasteful set of influences (Fugazi, North of America,
Constantines).
myspace.com/wearestalwartsons
42 • SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE
STRFKR
Susie Forsyth
Stressed Out
Austin, TX
FR 7:30 pM: olympic plaza
SA 1 aM: distillery
If you’ve been watching George R.R. Martin’s Game of
Thrones on HBO then this is your mental soundtrack.
Otherwise think of them as the new Metallica, if Metallica was from Austin, TX, and knew what an aurochs was.
swordofdoom.com
Portland, OR
WE12 AM: HIFI
TH 10:30 pM: republik
FR 10:15 pM: the Gateway
STRFKR transmit a dance-y brand of electro-pop on
a glowing platter of synthesizers and drum machines.
Quality vocal hooks accompanied by an obviously
intuitive sense of style and sound – there is no doubt that
this band will have you dancing and singing for weeks
to come.
myspace.com/strfkrmusic
Lethbridge, AB
TH 10 PM: BROKEN CITY
Five miscreants from Lethbridge playing Black Flag
styled early-’80s hardcore, with songs like ‘Nuke Shambala,’ ‘Shit Safari’ and ‘School Shooter.’ Stressed Out
singer Connor Crash dislocated a shoulder diving into a
crowd once and they kept playing, although they had me
at ‘Shit Safari.’
myspace.com/stressedoutab
Sun Wizard
Vancouver, BC
FR 8 pM: palomino
FR 10:30 pM: broken city
Sun Wizard is a band full of men playing guitars
together in beautiful unison. Not too slow, not
too fast – just perfect for you and your Dad to get
down.
myspace.com/thesunwizard
Calgary, AB
TH 6 PM: CANTOS
A talented young Canadian singer-songwriter with an
irresistible smile and charming voice. Her western roots
show with a twangy guitar and prairie-inspired sound.
susieforsyth.com
THE Sword
Teen Daze
Vancouver, BC
WE9:30 PM: MARQUEE ROOM
SA 10 PM: baMboo
You know when you’re an adult and you see groups of
teenagers hanging out and think “You have no idea how
beautiful you are right now and how many possibilities
are open to you”? This band sounds kind of like that.
teendaze.tumblr.com
Teenanger
Toronto, ON
FR 10 pM: dicken’s
SA 10:30 pm: ship and anchor
Vicious punk rock cuts across your veins with feedback.
myspace.com/teenangerrr
BAND BIOS
The Sword
Hailing from Austin, Texas, three-piece powerhouse The Sword is one of the most compelling
interests in the world of modern metal. Formed in 2003, the band’s concept-driven works
are as compellingly masterful as they are infectiously catchy. Ritualistic in its adherence to
offering up larger-than-life themes, The Sword excels at constructing brave new worlds of steel
and stone. Whether hurtling through space on the science fiction inspired album Warp Riders
or battling it out with the Viking raiders as on the epic full-length release Age of Winters, The
Sword stands apart as a band with a sound grand enough to satisfy the magnificence of its
fantastical imagination.
Nothing short of a top-notch thrash outfit, The Sword is capable of tearing through densest
of metal armour. No manmade blade can with stand the intensity of the blows the hardcore
knight of the realm reign down in the name of righteous rocking.
Teengirl Fantasy
Oberlin, OH
TH 12 AM: BAMBOO
FR 8 pM: tubby dog
The band Teengirl Fantasy does this thing that
sound kind of like taking all the good parts
of every good song and then putting them all
together into one hot dream mix. They sound kind
of like if you put a bunch of great music into a
computer and then told it, ‘Make these songs
about 10% better.’
myspace.com/teengirlfantasy
Thee Oh Sees
San Francisco, CA
SA 1 aM: Broken city
SU 9 pm: Republik
Hailing from San Francisco, Thee Oh Sees embody
every thing that is cool about California. One of
our generations best songwriters, band leader John
Dwyer, and his fashionable counterparts will forcibly
teach you what music is all about. From mellow
experimental folk music to their more recent insanity-driven, echo-laden rock ‘n’ roll, Thee Oh Sees
will leave you drenched in sweat wondering if you
will ever feel as good as you just did for the rest of
your life.
myspace.com/ohsees
TIMECOPZ
Vancouver, BC
TH 9 pM: the new black
If Vancouver truly is a no fun city, then Timecopz
aren’t going quietly into the night. Balls to the
wall punk rock that holds nothing back and
doesn’t take long to work its trashy magic. There’s
a fire in their bellies and they’re letting it out.
myspace.com/timecopz
Times New Viking
Columbus, OH
FR 4 pM: broken city
SA 12 aM: dicken’s
Known for making some of the skuzziest lo-fi records
that somehow remain listenable, Columbus, Ohio’s,
Times New Viking were at the forefront of a movement.
When I heard them live (opening for Guided by Voices,
fittingly), they sounded a lot like The Clean and I didn’t
like them – I loved them.
timesnewviking.net
Topless Mongos
Calgary, AB
FR 2:30 pM: broken city
Topless Mongos are the three nicest people in Calgary.
They play tame, safe, non-offensive, generic music that
does not rock. OPPOSITE DAY!
myspace.com/toplessmongos
SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE • 45
Twin Shadow
Twin Shadow just got back from an incredibly successful stint on Jimmy Fallon, where they were
crowned one of the best TV performances by a buzz band yet. Their featured song, ‘Castles in the
Snow,’ won America over with its ridiculously slick, cool stylings that seem both effortless and totally
unachievable by the rest of the living, breathing, population.
Dominican-born George Lewis Jr. borrows liberally and obviously from 1980s new wave, with a pining, yearning voice like Morrissey. But he still manages to make it his own, half fashion performance,
half indie darling, half new wave revival brilliance. Regardless of the winning formula, it is hard not to
earnestly agree with every word that drips from Lewis’ lips, who shape-shifts behind the mic from a less
hyperactive Prince to a grimacing and twisting Hendrix playing a Rickenbacker. Twin Shadow proves that
you can have it all, style and substance. All the cool kids will want to be at this show to take notes.
Trigger Effect
Two Bicycles
Twin Shadow
un
Montreal, QC
WE12 AM: SHIP AND ANCHOR
TH 10 PM: Dicken’s
TH 7 pM: the new black
Explosive, no bullshit, hardcore punk. Coarse vocals on a
diverse back drop of speedy guitar riffs and heavy back
beats.
myspace.com/triggereffectmtl
Brooklyn, NY
SA 3:30 pm: olympic plaza
SA 1 aM: hifi
Twin Shadow is George Lewis Jr. He makes intricate dark
pop songs that have a wet, hot soul. Lewis Jr. is unknowable, untouchable, like a shadow in the night.
twinshadow.net
46 • SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE
Abbotsford, BC
TH 10 PM: emmedia
Two Bicycles is the side project of bedroom electronic
artist Teen Daze. Focusing more on the subtle, quiet
ambiences that the Teen Daze project creates, Two
Bicycles creates atmospheres and moods that tell
stories of quiet oceans and singing forests.
myspace.com/twobicycles
Montreal, QC
WE11 PM: HIFI
Get your boots on. un will take you to the swamp with
their tragically beautiful acoustic stomp. It’s murky stuff
that owes a lot to its predecessors. The Rolling Stones
would approve.
myspace.com/unmusicband
Uncle Badtouch
Montreal, QC
Sa 10:30 pM: Legion downstairs
Don’t worry kids, you can tell your mom about this band!
One of Montreal’s biggest secrets is out and ready to
touch your heart with their catchy, soulful, garage, folkrock sound.
myspace.com/unclebadtouchband
THE Vicious Cycles
Vancouver, BC
WE11 PM: SHIP AND ANCHOR
TH 12 aM: Palomino
Upbeat, poppy garage rock. Hop on your bike and
enjoy the shit out of your summer to the soundtrack
of the Vicious Cycles’ good time, party-inspiring
anthems.
theviciouscycles.bandcamp.com
We Are The City
Kelowna, BC
FR 10:30 pM: marquee room
This group of BC boys are some wonderfully
infectious, full-of-beans entertainers. Their indie
pop/rock sounds and young enthusiasm perfectly
accompany their latest release, the aptly titled
High School.
wearethecity.ca
the Whitsundays
Edmonton, BC
FR 9:15 pM: the Gateway
Enter Whitsundays’ time machine to enjoy a
fantastic execution of modernized 60s psychedelic rock. There are no rules in this time
machine – Whitsundays offer an unconventional,
pleasing collection of passionate tunes.
myspace.com/thewhitsundays
Wild Flag
Portland, OR
FR 10:30 pM: twisted element
Sa 1:30 aM: Legion downstairs
Coming from Portland, OR, Wild Flag are a supergroup of ladies who make strong, powerful, earthy
music. The foursome was originally known by their
previous projects, which included stints in SleaterKinney, Helium and The Minders, but have since
comfortably come into their own.
myspace.com/wildflag
Wild Nothing
Blacksburg, VA
WE8PM: CENTRAL UNITED CHURCH
TH 11:30 pM: republik
What if we had indie rock fantasy teams? I would
start with the classic Cure rhythm section (Simon
Gallup on bass and Lol Tolhurst on drums), get
Johnny Marr to shred on guitar and Stuart Murdoch to write the lyrics (intelligent but sinister).
This is the stuff that I think about when I listen
to Wild Nothing. One of the ‘Can’t Miss’ bands at
Sled Island 2011.
myspace.com/wildnothing
Which pass is right for you?
Yip Deceiver
VIP Pass: For the festival-goer who enjoys the
finer things in life. No line-ups and access to the
Artist Lounge. All events subject to capacity.
Athens, GA
TH 10 pM: HiFi
FR 9 pM: tubby dog
This dance party will, in all likelihood, be completely bonkers. Multi-instrumentalist Davey Pierce
jams as many influences as instruments into his
sets, making sure you sweat and groove through
irreverent takes on new wave, ’80s R&B, disco and
electro.
yipdeceiver.com
Young Liars
Vancouver, BC
FR 8:15 pM: the Gateway
A band that practically dares you not to dance,
lest you look silly in the middle of a pulsing crowd.
Defying dance with some depth, it’s no lie that
Young Liars brings the right kind of sex appeal to
the stage. By sex appeal, I mean the beard on the
bass player. I just want to get lost in it.
myspace.com/weareyoungliars
Young Ones
Calgary, AB
SA 10 pm: Vern’s
Young Ones return to Sled Island after a successful stint last year. Listening to Young Ones is like
running into that friend from way back when that
you totally forgot about and still having the time of
your life.
myspace.com/weareyoungones
Full Festival Pass: Allows entry into any
Sled Island event during the whole festival. To
experience Sled Island to the fullest, this is the
wristband for you. All Events subject to capacity.
Wednesday through Saturday Single
Day Passes: Only have one or two days off to
enjoy Sled Island? These wristbands get you into
any event for the day(s) you chose. All events
subject to capacity.
All Ages Wristband: Under 18? This wristband is for you. Tons of venues and shows to
chose from. The AA wristband also gets you into
our Olympic Plaza Main Site! And it’s so cheap!!
Proof of age required.
Main Site Tickets: Options: Friday, Saturday
or Weekend- Allows you entry to the Olympic
Plaza Main Site on either Friday, Saturday or
both. Choose wisely though, after a full day at
Main Site, you won’t want the party to end! For
an extra $15, you can get the day wristband and
head to one of our 25+ venues to keep the party
going all night!
Passes, prices and details available at www.sledisland.com
Tickets also available in Calgary
at Sloth Records and HENRY, and in
Edmonton at Blackbird Myoozik and
Permanent Records.
Zola Jesus
Phoenix, AZ
WE12:30AM: MARQUEE ROOM
TH 8 PM: Central United Church
Bodies will justifiably flail all around when Zola
Jesus hits the stage: vocalist and songstress Nika
Roza Danilova’s voice dominates the dark music
for which they’ve become renowned. With swirling,
haunting atmospherics, clacking percussion, and
the powerfully soaring than croaking vocals, Zola
Jesus will resonate with fans of goth rock, indie
and electronica alike.
zolajesus.com
Wild Flag
Sometimes, it’s best to let bands describe themselves: Wild Flag is ‘the sound of an
avalanche taking out a dolphin’ or the cross between a hamburger and a hot dog. If that
doesn’t make enough sense, Wild Flag is a Portland, OR, supergroup of four ferocious
women who have enough collective experience to be the next biggest band in the world
twice over.
Carrie Brownstein first revealed Wild Flag’s existence on the NPR blog All Songs
Considered. After Sleater-Kinney went on hiatus in 2006, she said, she had little desire
to play music. Thus, it was a long three years until she felt the spark of inspiration flash
her and she called up her three friends, who, over a period of several months, started coming together as a group. Now, they greatly enjoy their seemingly innate chemistry, playing off
each other with seasoned confidence and the world rejoices at the wild, flaggy music they
create.
SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE • 47
BAND BIOS
WAKE
Calgary, AB
SA 4:15 pm / 10:15 pm: undermountain
One of Calgary’s best metal acts is WAKE, the
sludgy grindcore quintet that could. The act has
been carving their way across North America with
their fiercely DIY touring regimen on the strength
of the critically acclaimed Surrounded by Human
Filth 7 and are prime to release their debut fulllength in the fall. Expect crusty powerviolence,
malevolent screams and violent head-banging to
abound.
myspace.com/ourwake
SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE • 49
Welcome to
Green Island!
during Sled Island:
1. Offsets the carbon emissions
created by artist travel and
energy usage!
2. Recycles or composts all
‘waste’ created at Olympic Plaza!
3. Ride our bikes!
You can help by
planning ahead:
1. Ride your bike!
2. Walk, carpool or take the bus!
3. Re-use then recycle your cup in
the beer gardens!
4. Minimize the amount of packaging you bring and leave behind!
5. Re-use, share and then recycle
this program guide!!!
6. Download our free schedule
map at sledisland.com!
50 • SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE
SLED ISLAND sponsors
Premier Level
SUPPORTEr Level
FRIEND Level
SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE • 53
SLED
ISLAND
THANKS
First and foremost, Mr. Zak Pashak for creating the awesomeness that is Sled Island
- because without him, none of us would be here. Steve, Jeff, Justin and everyone
at Mill Street, The City of Calgary, the Province of Alberta, Calgary Arts Development,
Greg Curtis, Justin Hucalak, Josh McNorton, Drew Marshall, Paisley Sim, Shayne
Lynch, Colin Canning, Will Schatz, Lindsay Shedden, Brian Milne, Peter “Iron”
Maitland, Chad Saunders, Dan Northfield, Scott Wenger, Christina Colenutt, Craig
Stenhouse, Jeremy Black, Tyler Shandro, Todd Harkness, Sebastian Buzzalino, Kris
Nicholas, Glenn Alderson, Brad Simm and all the radness that is BeatRoute, Jackie
Flanagan and Alberta Views, Vanessa Fever, Patti Derbyshire, Kevin Stebner, Shawn
Petsche, Evan Woolie, Jim Wright, Dave Muir, Reid, Jason and everyone at HENRY,
everyone at CJSW, Sloth Records, The Ship and Anchor, Fred at FFWD, Councillor
Brian Pincott, Jeanette Sullivan, Brett at The Source, David Low and the Victoria
Park BRZ, Jim Button, John Hiebert, Motown Philly, Melanie Kaye, Dave Lyons and
ABM Audio, KLM Backline, Long and McQuade, Mark Mills, Amos Bradley, Dylan
Goodhue, Tyler Scallen, Nero Productions, All of our soundtechs!, Craig Evans,
Tyler Morency, Alex Eakins, Myke Atkinson, Jerrod Bittango, Eric Moschopedis, Tyler
Los-Jones and Justin Waddell at Local Library, Susan, Wayne and Rick at the No. 1
Royal Canadian Legion, Wayne Baerwaldt, Jennifer McVeigh,
Shawn Dicey, Caitlind
Brown, Kris Weinmann, Elizabeth Hay, Alex Middleton, Amy Horne, Richard Freeman,
Jennifer Sim, Cam Much, Tourism Calgary, Travel Alberta, Karolina Gajewska, Zev
and Elliot at C1RCA, Ryan at VICE, The Dabrowski School of Design, Candace and
Cantos Music Foundation, Evan Van Reekum, CBC Radio3, Lisa and Vanessa at The
Calgary Sun, Emily Picano and Mary Kapusta at WordFest, Angel Guerra and Angela
Dione at Market Collective, Jeanette Burman and her tiny team who bring Sled
Film, Ross and Grace at Working Format, Derek McEwen, Aubrey MacInnis, Mark
Hamilton, Mike Payette, Joel Loewen, Ian Svenonius, Grant Lawrence, Rob Zifarelli,
Rob Wright, Adam Sylvester, Adam Countryman, Adam Kreeft, Mike Bell, Ian Russell,
Colin Newman, David Kenney and all our volunteer photographers, Megan and
James at Tubby Dog, Macleod Dixon LLP, Michael Brown and Mattews Southwest,
Angela Seto, Andy at SEE, Josh White and Jonny Stevens from Halifax Pop Explosion,
Cameron Reed and Music Waste, Melissa Winkler, Brendan Kelly, Edward Kwong,
Ellen Lee, Brian Tong, Ryan Penner, Konstantin Steshenko, Conner Willumson,
Michelle Cable, Eric Dimenstein, Kristi Woo and everyone at Cyclepalooza, Dom
at EQ3, Anil Patel, Craig Comstock, Twyla Dawn, Megan Paterson, Kathy Paterson
at Tier One Travel, Gamelle FitzGibbon, Jared Leon, Victor Choy, Kerry, Sara and
all the good people at Calgary Folk Fest, Josiah Hughes, Brenda and Luke at CiTR,
Jay at CFCR, Dawn Loucks at Saved by Radio, Malissa, Rob and Darren at X 92.9,
Mike, Reid and Nick at Lifetime, Renee and Mel at Sitka, Zac at Nudie, Tim at
Swizzlesticks, the Shedden-Forans, Sam Villanueva, Allana Farnell, Sarah Neufeld
and Colin Stetson, Stephanie Coughlan, Gavin Carscallen, Robyn Condon, Mark
Hopkins and Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre, Cecil Frena, Shane Rempel, The Winnick
Family, Paul Lawton, Aaron Levin, and Jesse Locke from Weird Canada, Megan and
Robyn at the Fairmont Palliser, Deborah Starr at The International Hotel, Larkin and
Ryan at Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts, Mike at Exclaim!, Scott and Jason at
Dose.ca, Jose Bautista, Jarome Iginla, Christina at Research and Insight Consulting,
Anna and the Glenbow, Patrick Boyle, Bil Hetherington, Kimberly and Damian at
ATB Financial, Elisa Cutting, Captain Aaron Weiss, Chris dela Torre, Eva at Alberta
Motor Association, Renee, Dustin, and all the babes at Prohab Helmet Society, Jett
Thunders, Stan Peloski, Adam Kamis, the whole crew at Broken City, COFFEE, Ben
Leon and Roses Music Press, Jeanette at Mongrel, Vanessa Conelly, David Winkler,
Kids Up Front Calgary, Marc Thususka, Sarah Hughes, Lorrie and Robey at The
Marquee, Chris and Stacey at the Grindprc.com, Rob Taylor, Drew Anderson, Michael
Wallace, Ryan, Sarmad, Mandeep and Pete at the HiFi, Spencer and Fred at The
Palomino, Isaac at Dicken’s, Clint at Vern’s, Patrick and the Ironwood, Keon and
Twisted Element, The Distillery, Reid Henry, Pete Harris and Peter Worthington at the
Plaza Theatre, Josh Fraser and Discord, Beth Gignac, Teresa Byrne, Trish Neufeld,
Terry Rock, Karen Ball and everyone at CADA, Patricia Bouchel, Marc Rimmer, and
the Pop Montreal crew, Jeffrey Storey, Kallen Law, Trevor at Saturday Morning Poke,
Jeff and Avery at Ticketbreak, Sonicbids, Fiona DeMonye, all of the amazing bands,
artists, comedians and filmmakers involved in 2011....and THANK YOU to all our
incredible volunteers!!
54 • SLED ISLAND 2011 FESTIVAL GUIDE