Welcome to what will be another rather
long and involved article. No childhood trauma this time – instead following
the album review I shall share some concert reviews from the annual Rifflandia festival.
Many artists to grok, one of which we shall profile in this next album review!
Disc 1861 is…Little Rope
Artist: Sleater-Kinney
Year of Release: 2024
What’s up with the Cover? The Gothic horror
fan in me loves this cover. It appears the woman on the couch has accepted a
date at the house of the woman on the (upper) left, only to find that she is in
the lair of…a vampire!
Is it the drawn curtains that gives it away? The red walls and
outdated (yet timeless) décor? Maybe these things, but definitely the fact that
her host is currently floating up the wall.
Will this end with an amorous encounter? A bloody murder? Most likely
both because…vampires!
How I Came To Know It: I’m a Sleater-Kinney fan. This was just me buying their latest record
because I like them.
How It Stacks Up: I have six Sleater-Kinney records,
divided evenly between their original run and their more recent work. The old
and the new are similarly even in their quality, and “Little Rope” comes in at
a respectable third.
Ratings: 4 stars
“Little Rope” is proof positive that a band can continue to create
compelling music a full quarter century into their run. It features the best of
both worlds: the snarl and punk edge of early Sleater-Kinney albums like “Dig
Me Out”, and the addition of some subtle nuance to both song structure and
delivery that comes with the advantage of age and experience.
In no way does this suggest Sleater-Kinney has softened over time.
Yes, the sound has a rounder edge in places, but it is deployed deliberately
and purposefully to give the record dynamics and keep your ear interested.
Corin Tucker’s vocals have matured beautifully over the years but
have lost none of the hurt in the process. The result is that like the
arrangements, there is variety and interest and while there are songs like “Say
It Like You Mean It” that stray close to mainstream rock radio, the band
never fully leaves the alternative ‘outsider’ space that made them special in
the first place.
Sleater-Kinney purists may note that original drummer Janet Weiss
is no longer in the band, which is sadly true, but this is no reason on its own
to avoid “Little Rope.” In fact, while Weiss is amazing, the drumming (and percussion
overall) from Angie Boylan is solid and the band’s overall signature thump
survives.
Also, the dual guitar action of Brownstein and Tucker continue to
squeeze every ounce of hurt and harm out of their instruments. Brownstein plays
with a controlled violence that makes every bar a heavyweight bought between
her and the axe. Neither player nor instrument wins, but the struggle between
them is rock and roll in its purest form.
Lyrically, these songs are full of raunch and doubt and rage,
mixed together to showcase a visceral wisdom. As Sleater-Kinney notes on “Hunt
You Down”
“The thing you fear the most
Will hunt you down”
But they make it clear through the music that even the things we
can’t bring ourselves to confront will meet us in that tumultuous space where
poetry and guitar collide. Therapy and wisdom through amplified sound.
In their Rifflandia appearance, Sleater-Kinney played a host of
songs off this album, and I welcomed every one, right alongside long-time crowd-pleasers.
Their recent work is celebratory, revelatory, and – for the band’s growth
through time – evolutionary. “Little Rope” is a worthy addition to the catalogue
of a band that continues to push themselves to make great music.
Best tracks: Hell, Say It Like You Mean It, Hunt You Down, Crusader, Dress
Yourself, Untidy Creature
Concert Review: Rifflandia Festival 2025 – Victoria BC
[n.b. – if you want photos of the event and a peek at our weekend adventure, check out Sheila’s fabulous blog entry here].
For those readers from away, every year Victoria has a couple of
big multi-day outdoor music festivals. Unsurprisingly, I usually go to them. Rifflandia
is one of these, and in addition to Sleater-Kinney (review below) many bands
were enjoyed. Others, as is the rule of festivals, were endured.
This year’s festival had only one stage. This was both good and
bad. The good news was you didn’t have to pick what band you wanted to see (I
am still mad at myself last year for skipping the Cro-Magnons in favour of the
Crash Test Dummies. Fail).
The bad news was that the sound folks had less time to get their
act together and, at times, it showed. Generally things would pull together but
there were moments where I was like “is that guy’s mic even on?” Overall OK,
and a bug of music festivals where multiple artists have to share the same
stage that shall never be truly solved.
The great news is that this year we went in for a “pod” with six
other people (thank you to my friend Linda for inviting us). There are only six
total pods and for basically double the price of the festival you get a front
row seat, ‘in-pod’ drink and food service, a bunch of actual ‘seats’ (instead
of standing for 10 hours) and a semi-private port-a-potty. As a middle aged man
with a nervous bladder and a dodgy lower back, these last two items were key features.
I’ve just seen a lot (13) of bands so the recap will perforce be
quick:
Friday:
Hollow Coves: These guys are a folk/pop band from Australia. I was excited to
see them but ultimately they were a bit too smooth for my tastes. Kind of had a
“I just listen to whatever comes on the radio” vibe. I did not pay attention
like a good fan should, but they gave me little reason to.
Macy Gray: I was not excited to see Macy, but she ended up putting in a
solid performance. She did a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep” which was not
only good but had me thinking, “If you are not going to play your popular
songs, Thom, someone else will.”
Descendents: Eighties punks that are still killing it. The lead singer looked
like Drew Carey but sounded like Henry Rollins. This was awesome, and I’ll be
seeking out more of these guys. So good, I bought the shirt.
Shakey Graves: I have one Shakey Graves album, (2014’s
“And the War Came”) and generally don’t like his other records. That held up
here, as I was unimpressed with his pointless overuse of feedback, noodles so
indistinct they barely qualified as noodles, and a general overestimation of
how good he thinks he is. I enjoyed “Dearly Departed” and otherwise I
was irritated. Shakey Graves paid “tribute” to Ozzy by trying to wreck a cover
of “Supernaut” but fortunately that song is so good it is unwreckable.
The Funk Hunters ft. Chali 2na: I know Chali 2na
from his work with Jurassic 5, so I was pretty stoked for this show. The Funk
Hunters are a dance/electronica duo he’s teamed up with. Chali 2na was
incredible – proof that old rappers can still remember their entire chain of
rhymes across multiple verses if they want to. The Funk Hunters were fine, but
in their extended sections I mostly waited patiently for Chali 2na to return.
Public Enemy: These rap warriors are still bringing it as well. Great energy,
Flavor Flav was on fire, and I heard most of what I wanted to hear. Well,
portions of it – as the show went along I got that ole hip hop treatment of
snippets of songs being played and then a repeat of the hook. As good as they
were, and as much as I am learning this is often the risk at a hip hop show, it
muted my enthusiasm.
Best of the Day: I’ve got to go with the Descendents.
Saturday:
Wyatt C. Lewis: Wyatt C. Lewis is a singer-songwriter
from the Prairies. He has a band but it often feels like just him and his
guitar, drawing you in to his personal confessionals. I really dug him and will
be seeking out his stuff.
Billianne: Billianne (yes, her actual name) is an indie pop singer from
Toronto. I was expecting to like her and while she was overall solid, she did
not inspire live. I will not be seeking out her stuff.
Sleater-Kinney: The reason I came on an otherwise light
Saturday lineup, and they did not disappoint. Carrie Brownstein and Corin
Tucker still bring it.
Tucker’s vocals still have their sharp and distinct warble, and
unlike Shakey Graves, Brownstein knows how to make an electric guitar spark and
growl in all the right ways. Brownstein switched guitars halfway through to an
aqua number with a giant whammy bar. Yes, dear reader, she whammied.
She also bounced around the stage with a carefree energy that was
strongly reminiscent of a young Pete Townsend.
Best of the Day: Sleater-Kinney by a mile.
Sunday:
Jake Vaadeland & the Sturgeon River Boys: If you
want old timey music made young again then is this ever the band for you. Jake
Vaadeland looks like a young lad, but (to quote fellow Rifflandian William
Prince) dude has an old soul. He and the Sturgeon River Boys were a delight and
another festival highlight, as they engaged in delightful banter that was
clearly rehearsed, but so well delivered I didn’t mind. He also plays a mean
guitar and banjo and writes songs that sound as old as Bill Munro but…aren’t.
Dirtwire: A duo of dudes who look like they’re gonna drop some Alan Jackson
style country on you, but instead play a mix of electronica, sequencers, and
every interesting instrument from the four corners of the globe. I could only
name about a third of them, and half of those required the Google. This was intriguing
to witness but musically was a bit ‘one-note’ for a band with that many options
at their command. The one-note reminded me a lot of nineties one-hit wonder
Rednex (remember “Cotton-Eyed Joe”)?
William Prince: The aforementioned old soul himself,
William Prince brought his velvety baritone to the stage as evening settled in.
Prince was a consummate professional and played and sang with clarity and
heart. While some of the songwriting was uneven, Prince was still great
throughout, and it if weren’t for Jake Vaadeland he’d have taken first place.
Walk of the Earth: If only they had. I had a soft spot for this band, as the female lead
singer Sarah “Sin” Blackwood used to sing for a beloved psychobilly band, “Creepshow”.
Read more about her time with Creepshow at Disc 1077.
Her work in Walk Off the Earth on Sunday night? Not so much. The
band did a pointless and uninspired set of “reimagined” covers that mostly made
for an excuse to show how the band could all play a single song simultaneously
on a giant multi-necked stringed instrument. Clever, but more of a variety show
trick than a concert.
But the real horror was still to come, when they left the stage to
a bunch of kids (maybe theirs?) who looked to be maybe 10-12 years old. I never had kids. This means I’ll
never get to give one away, send one to college or be visited by one bringing me
flowers in my dotage. I am at peace with this. It is also supposed to mean I
never have to suffer a Grade 5 Christmas concert simply because my kid is in it.
That was a huge win for me, Walk Off the Earth, and for twenty long minutes you
robbed me of it.
Best of the day: Jake Vaadeland & the Sturgeon River
Boys
At this point it was a bit cold, and we were a bit tired. Not
feeling inspired by the final two headliners, Sheila and I called it a day and
headed home. We’d seen thirteen bands in three days, had a lot of great
festival moments – some with close friends and some with random strangers.
Overall it was a lot of fun, and I look forward to the announcement of next
year’s lineup.
