Wolfhard’s band worth scouting out
Canadian indie act Calpurnia, featuring Stranger Things star, releases first EP and it’s good
At just 15, Vancouver actor Finn Wolfhard is what’s known as a hot property in the entertainment industry.
Not only is he cast as Mike Wheeler in the Netflix hit series Stranger Things, but he also played Richie Tozier in the 2017 reboot of Stephen King’s It.
And watch for him turning up as Pugsley Addams’ voice in the 2019 reboot of The Addams Family that is presently in production.
Not surprisingly, Wolfhard has musical chops to match his acting ones. He is the lead singer and guitarist in the Canadian indie act Calpurnia with Malcolm Craig (drums), Ayla Tesler-Mabe (vocals, guitars) and Jack Anderson (bass).
The band formed last year and released its debut single City Boy in March.
This week, it drops its first EP, titled Scout, on Royal Mountain in the U.S. and Canada and paradYse — Transgressive in Europe.
Here are five things you should know about Calpurnia and the Scout EP:
1. MUSIC VIDEO CONNECTION.
Wolfhard and drummer Malcolm Craig met on the set of a music video. Wolfhard has appeared as the young Stefan Babcock in two videos by PUP (Guilt Trip and Sleep In the Heat) as well as Hey Ocean!’s Change. Calpurnia has some pretty cool videos of its own. The City Boy official video gives you a behind-thescenes look at the recording session.
2. CLASSIC ROCK INFLUENCES.
Louie, the opening song, rides in on a sweet slide guitar lick and a loping pace that could be right off the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street. And then suddenly, there is a breathy Beatle-esque chorus before the final few seconds get heavy. It’s really finely crafted.
3. ROCKING RHYTHM SECTION.
Everyone knows that a band is only as good as its heartbeat centre, in this case Craig and Anderson prove to be exceptionally tasty players. Anderson, in particular, rips off runs in the fast shuffle Wasting Time and gets nicely melodic in the midtempo ballad Blame.
4. PSYCHEDELIC FLOURISHES.
The song that closes the album, Waves, is the sort of echoing, trippy type of tune you could expect out of Jefferson Airplane in the Filmore era. Tesler-Mabe turns out to have not only super solid guitar chops but a lovely singing voice that is totally different from Wolfhard.
5. THE TOUR.
The closest Calpurnia is getting to its hometown is a July 24 gig at the Neptune in Seattle. It’s sold out. But the band is playing Montreal’s massive Osheaga Festival on Aug. 4 and it has a pretty spectacular lineup this year.
THE NEXT STEP:
I’ll go on record stating that this very accomplished debut is going to be a hit. And the demand for a full-length album will be coming on strong. However, given the whole school, acting demands, etc. on the musicians, it would be way better to stick to EPs of songs as strong as these rather than get caught up in some label pressure to release filler. Here’s hoping that’s how it goes.
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK: Alanis Obomsawin, Bush Lady (Constellation)
Best-known for her acclaimed documentaries (Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, Incident at Restigouche), Order of Canada-awarded Abenaki Nation director/artist Obomsawin actually had her singing debut in 1960 and first released the album Bush Lady in 1988. It really didn’t get the attention it richly deserved.
Constellation has partnered with her to present this remastered reissue, which is an incredibly ahead of its time mix of traditional songs, avant-garde orchestral new music, trance-inducing beats and more.
Brian Chase, Drums & Drones: Decade (Chaikin Records)
OK, this utterly fascinating triple-volume set of sonic experimentation from Yeah Yeah Yeahs drummer Chase is not for everyone. But it’s an absolutely unique and fascinating collection of “aural snapshots of tone, suspended, the sonic image, deconstructed.”
It took 10 years to gather up all the material and it goes without saying that producing the 13 minute-long Snare Brush Drone (Vol. 1) or the assorted pure drum sounds on Vol. 3 took numerous takes to get the right one. And when the results are something as hypnotic as the Melody Drum Drones found on Vol. 2, it’s mesmerizing.
Chromeo, Head Over Heels (Last Gang Records)
Just in time for the sun and partying season, Montreal’s Chromeo is back with another collection of slinky, pure ’80s electrofunk good times. To say these guys know how to craft tunes that make you want to move is gross understatement. Don’t Sleep (feat. French Montana and Stefflon Don) is ridiculous. Sure, they can’t sing about anything but relationships (mostly obsessive ones) and obsessions that are probably unhealthy, but whose counting. I’m too busy having my own dance party.
Dirty Projectors, Lamp Lit Prose (Domino)
On its latest, David Longstreth digs into the electro/R&B grooves that surfaced here and there on 2017s self-titled release. Just listen to the lead single Break-Thru to hear the grooves. But there is also plaintive outside folk (That’s a Lifestyle), almost Talking Heads-meets-Prince funk (I Feel Energy) and some really surprisingly pure soul (What is The Time). All of which leads me to believe the live shows on this tour are going to be great.
Dirty Projectors plays the Vogue, June 22, as part of the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival.