Slowcity.ca Open Mic with Sarah Neufeld, LAL, Autogramm, Rich Aucoin, Islands, The Lagoons, Ormiston, Black River Delta, and TEKE::TEKE

Will McGuirk April 16, 2021

By Will McGuirk

As we prepare to repeat, we can see the repetition, with the addition of time, as stasis. Yes you are here. . . again.

"'. . . it’s just me, centered in the whirlwind of my own creation. “The Top” represents change, and the struggle in making peace with oneself." - Sarah Neufeld

“I would not be where I am today without women like Rita, and my mother, who taught me that the power of strength to rise up and be strong is within us all. This recording and video are a tribute to them, and to any human who has felt the fight and is still fighting.” - Jenn Grant

“The lyrics of “Mantra” describe a certain relationship to satori, meditation, focus/flow, repetition, mind/no mind, of being in the zone. - director Shayne Ehman

Jyoti (Georgia Anne Muldrow), photo by Pricilla Jimenez

Slowcity.ca Open Mic with Jyoti, Lou Canon, Jonsi, Mike Edel, Luka Kuplowsky, Busty and the Bass with Macy Gray, The Lagoons, Shred Kelly, Seether,

Will McGuirk June 25, 2020

By Will McGuirk

Happy to spend time in the presence of Jyoti, the name given to Georgia Ann Muldrow by Alice Coltrane. The presence of the track in my feed reminds me of parallel worlds, cultures, lives which continue on, evolve, live, express and rarely cross my path. It is into these worlds we must challenge ourselves to step, I must challenge my self to step, to go beyond and understand the language of other cultures, other lives. And when its this good, this evocative, this clear, this expressive, this welcoming, this comprehensive well, who wouldn’t want to visit longer, and visit deeper. Its new tunes from an upcoming album Mama, You Can Bet!. Go forward with this and then go retrieve.

“This song is about pushing higher, going further, moving deeper. And engaging with the world in a sensual way. There is a passage by James Baldwin that encapsulates this sentiment, ‘To be sensual, I think, is to respect and rejoice in the force of life, of life itself, and to be present in all that one does, from the effort of loving to the making of bread.’” - Lou Canon

“I don’t really feel the doubt, I just wanna sing it loud” - Mike Edel

“Written in an empty apartment shortly after moving in with my partner. A sincere expression of love. A sacred love song attuned to the natural world - thunder, wind, moonlight and a dolphin.” - Luka Kuplowsky

The Lagoons · Midnight Afternoon

Slowcity.ca Open Mic with Peter Katz, Ben Kunder, summersets, Venus Furs, Shred Kelly, Nation of Language, The Lagoons, Fleece, and Birdmask

Will McGuirk June 16, 2020

By Will McGuirk

When we can’t quite put our finger on it the artist can, the artist can articulate what we are feeling, the artist seems to be able to express just what it is we are hovering around. We are hovering now, unsure, cautious, courageous but nervous about this future we were not expecting.

“Of one thing we can be certain, as to visions of the future, it will be, as it has always been, the emancipatory, freedom-giving, loving and best fulfilling version of the future having been anticipated already and suggested by artists.” - President Michael D. Higgins via Hot Press

“ “Paper Thin” is about restarting and that strength that we find in ourselves during our hardest moments. Through catharsis and release, we are able to heal and a new sense of self emerges.” - Peter Katz

“It’s about exploration, nostalgia, searching for something greater and deeper than anything you’ve known.” - Ben Kunder

“I wrote "Paranoia" as an examination of mental health, looking at a bout of anxiety and depression.” - Paul Kasner, Venus Furs

Shred Kelly · Underground

“Our vocalist, Tim, began the process of creating “Underground” during a period of anxiety and insomnia while dealing with personal loss.” - Shred Kelly

“It’s about the transition of growing up and finding someone to create your own family with – leaving home, finding love, and the evolution of that happening all over again.” - The Lagoons

“It’s about saying goodbye to the world we lived in before Twitter, smartphones and Reddit. The times when we used to show up to each-others houses unannounced and it wasn’t weird. Now, however, in the context of COVID-19, the song sounds like it’s about saying goodbye to the world we lived in before the virus.” - Matt Rogers, Fleece

100% of the proceeds from this single from Jun 10 thru July 10 will go towards the Black Youth Helpline, Native Women’s Association of Canada and Black Coalition For AIDS Prevention.