Kitz Willman, The Bobby Tenderloin Universe, Béton Armé, and Slow Dawn
Kitz Willman - a moon on the verge of everything that you wanted
I discovered the cerebral experimental rap of Kitz Willman in 2020. Since then he’s released a handful of great albums that have (sadly) gone far too unnoticed. His strange, off-kilter, jazzy beats immediately pull my attention. This is new, it’s exciting. I have memories of hearing Breaking Kayfabe for the first time. Then Willman starts laying down verses and the mystery continues. I’ve yet to find the decoder ring needed to fully grasp what he’s talking about most of the time but when he wants us to know, he definitely lets us know. Take the standout banger, “no slack”, the opening verse has Willman tieing up two rapper rapists, throwing them in a trunk (minus their genitals) then ripping over speed bumps. It’s a vicious takedown of some of the shitty characters that exist in the world he holds dear. While no deciphering is needed on that verse most of the time Willman leaves his musings open to interpretation, further growing the mystique around this underground force in Canadian hip-hop.
The Bobby Tenderloin Universe - A Fistful of Metal
Who the heck is Bobby Tenderloin? Why is his Universe so incredible? For the uninitiated, The Bobby Tenderloin Universe is an Edmonton act delivering classic country with heavy twang and spaghetti western influenced sounds. When it comes to this current “Classic Country Revival” that’s been happening, Tenderloin is doing it better than anyone. His latest EP is four covers of iconic metal songs. Metal and country? Let me tell you they go together like peas and carrots. The tracks he picked (PANTERA - “Cowboys From Hell”, Iron Maiden - “Fear Of The Dark”, Judas Priest - “Breaking The Law”, and Slayer’s “South Of Heaven") are all lyrically perfect for Tenderloin’s deep gravelly voice. The content fits country’s storied history of badass characters and the musical execution is so great that I don’t know if I can ever listen to the originals again.
Béton Armé - Renaissance
It’s hard to believe I just discovered Montreal’s Béton Armé this year. They’ve been ripping up stages since 2018 with a slew of EPs released but their debut album, Renaissance, has definitely pushed their reach further than ever before. I’ve been totally hooked on this record, a charging rhythm section stands front and centre with riffs that cut like butter and a holler-type vocal delivery… in French! But what stands out above all is the full band harmonies of whoa’s and ohhh’s. Think about how infectious the full group harmony of “whoa-oh-oh-oh” was on “Bro Rhythm” by Pennywise. I can’t stop thinking of that song when I listen to this album because Béton Armé have mastered that ear-worm trick on each and every track. Put this on repeat!
Slow Dawn - Sonic Death Flow
Slow Dawn’s latest release comes after the relocation of some band members from Ottawa to Montreal. They crafted this album as a group split apart yet Sonic Death Flow may be their most cohesive effort to date. It’s a monster of whirling fuzz and feedback, motorik rhythms, and reverb drenched vocals. Some of these tracks are not for the faint of heart as nightmarish anxiety attacks of rhythm repetition and dissonant noise will soak you in uneasy sweat. However, just when it seems too intense, Slow Dawn brings you back from the mental abyss and offers respite. If you’re willing to ride the waves, you’ll be rewarded with an incredible psychedelic noise-punk experience.
