Walrus

"Does it feel like time is slowing down? I always feel like I'm dreaming now."

So sings Justin Murphy of psych purveyors Walrus on "Feels," a track from their latest EP, Goodbye Something. The band tap once more into those tried-and-true woozy, '60s-psych grooves here, keeping listeners on their toes with their penchant for switching up time signatures and intensity mid-song.

On Facebook, the Halifax outfit cheekily call their genre "Everything you love," and frankly, it's a pretty succinct summary of their sound. Never shying away from paying homage to, say, the Beatles, but also not saying no to leaning toward edgier fare, this four-song collection feels like the soundtrack to a lucid dream, or perhaps a really good acid trip.

Leading track "Wearing It" is a clear example of Walrus' switcheroo tactics; around the three-minute mark, the otherwise sunny tune slows down to a stomp, inviting a sneaky muted bass solo before a squeal of feedback welcomes a marvellous crash-boom ending. "Fur Skin Coat," the EP's shortest and simplest song, builds on a grooving, hypnotic bass line that never falters, while "Feels" is a trance-inducing tune that embodies Walrus's many great facets: the brightness of Murphy's hazy floating vocals, the stop-start dynamics, the jangling reverb-laden guitars, the sonic zoetrope nature of Adam LeDrew's bass playing and the contrast of soft sweetness and sharpness — a delightful mixture indeed.

Ending with "Close My Eyes," whose sultry start picks up the pace midway and bursts before melting back and ending in the same swoon-worthy way it started, was an inspired decision. Goodbye Something, hello 15 short, sweet and absolutely satisfying minutes. (Madic) - Exclaim

You can dance to just about anything. For their latest video, Halifax-based psychedelic garage crew Walrus wanted to see how a dancer might interpret "Fur Skin Coat," a sunny jam off their new EP Goodbye Something.

Working with director Jeff Miller, Cavell Holland choreographed and performed the routine right in the middle of Halifax's Willow Street, in front of the house where three-quarters of the band lives.

Walrus - Fur Skin Coat
"Cavell got the song and only took a couple takes to do it perfectly," says drummer Jordan Murphy. "As soon as he started the routine we thought it looked great. We played the song through Jeff's car and he did his thing."

In one long, continuous shot, Holland turns himself — all broken joints and liquid movement — into the lava lamp the song's hash-baked vibe demands.

The honk of a driver breaks up its pleasant daze just like the ding of your microwave when the hot pockets are ready. - Chart Attack

“Who are all these tracks by S. Tunes?” asks Justin Murphy, the guitarist, singer, and songwriter of four-piece rock band Walrus, as he scans the karaoke songbook. His older brother, drummer Jordan Murphy, leans over to him and says, “I think that means Show Tunes, bud.” It’s a Friday night and me and Walrus are at the Lion’s Head Tavern singing karaoke in Halifax’s north end.

Walrus’ guitarist, Justin McGrath, is hammering out “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” to the rowdy bar. Flipping through pages, the band reveals an encyclopedic knowledge of rock music, from American classic-rock to Brit-pop, which makes sense since Walrus’ music draws on everything in between.

In the last few years, Walrus has played a few hundred shows in Canada and the US, toured with Wintersleep, opened for Matt Mays at the iconic Shore Club, played a Dine Alone Records showcase in New York and hit almost every festival east of Toronto. Incredible and technically proficient musicians, they’ve steadily and organically made fans wherever they go. In a couple months, they’ll release a seven-inch and a full-length mixed by Ian McGettigan (Thrush Hermit).

Justin writes down “Champagne Supernova” by Oasis to sing. He sings it well and I find his choice cute, since brothers Justin and Jordan make up the core of Walrus, which they started as an electronic act in 2012. In some ways, they are like the Gallagher brothers, except they’re not total dicks; these guys are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. While some nerd in a fedora nails “I Believe In a Thing Called Love,” we talk about how Walrus got to where they are now.



“We played our first show as Walrus in Montreal in 2012. I think it was, fuckin, Justin on guitar and me and McGrath doing electronics,” Jordan laughs. Soon after, they played a Halifax show and bassist Adam LeDrew asked if they needed a bassist. Over the next two years, the band picked up and dropped other players while working on and then releasing the 2014 Glam Returns EP.

If you Google it, you’ll find dozens of reviews praising the four-track release, which did pretty well on the Earshot charts. Most descriptions of Walrus include ‘psych-rock,’ ’psych-pop,’ and shit like that. “But we’re more of a rock band,” Justin tells me, “It got to the point where ‘psych’ only meant I had delay on my vocals, you know what I mean? But I think we’re just a pop-rock band.”

McGrath, charming and scatterbrained, pipes up, “It’s like this whole ‘pysch scene’ thing is really popular lately, but I don’t think we’re really part of that. Maybe at the start, but we’re not trying sound like that, or anything, really.”

Justin continues: “Yeah, I think it’s just more natural rock music, no effects. Just a four-piece rock band. Pop-rock, probably.” His big brother elaborates: “There were times when Justin was influenced by like, Ty Segall or whatever, but when he bring his songs to us, it’s whatever we feel comfortable playing together from there. I think it could go anywhere. It doesn’t really even sound like the 60s.” Justin says, jokingly: “Yeah, we could be Sabbath or we could be The Eagles.”

Familiar features do appear in Walrus’ music, like in the harmonic intros, the solos and the tempo changes, but the collective sound is distinct and, moreover, it’s lifted by Justin’s high vocal range and sweetness, like on the recent “Later Days." Sure, Walrus is named after “I Am The Walrus,” but Justin’s got more of the later Lennon sound than Magical Mystery Tour, and anyway, Walrus stands out in Halifax’s indie-rock scene because of their technical skill. They’re good, steady, rhythmic and they’re not limiting themselves to any particular audience.



Justin and Jordan go up to sing Shaggy's “It Wasn’t Me” and the Jamaican drawl is an obvious struggle for them. “Some of the shit Shaggy’s saying doesn’t even make sense,” Jordan says. Back at our table, I ask how they all met. They’ve known each other “forever,” growing up around Truro and the central-western area of Nova Scotia, which was close enough to Halifax that Wintersleep’s first two albums were standard-issue. Wintersleep is an obvious influence, but so are many things; Walrus likes hockey and wrestling as much as Zeppelin and Beck.

“I played shows with Wintersleep in New Glasgow, with my high-school band which was also with Brad Loughead (Each Other, Nap Eyes),” Jordan explains. In the last few years, Jordan's also played drums for Rich Aucoin and hit other sessional gigs. When the Murphys, McGrath and LeDrew all moved to Halifax by 2011, they didn’t really know anyone in Halifax’s tight-knit indie-rock scene.

“We couldn’t get a weekend date to start,” says Jordan, as Justin elaborates, “It was a long road. We had to work for every little thing because we didn’t get breaks just for knowing the most popular band in town, and we didn’t want to play shitty Wednesday night shows so we said, fuck it, we’ll do shows somewhere else. So we just worked really hard.” Walrus went on three tours across Canada and the US. Last year on the road, they got to know Wintersleep again, who invited them to tour and open for them at several showcases. It's the same kind of story with Dartmouth’s Matt Mays. These are full-circle co-signs.

The boys tell me Walrus plans to tour Eastern Canada and the US through the winter and the spring to support the two upcoming releases, as McGrath is singing Rage Against the Machine. We’re all starting to get pretty drunk and we're having fun. There’s something comfortable about Walrus, with each other and with themselves, that translates onstage. They’re also nice dudes, and that has a lot of valuable currency when building a band's reputation and career.

LeDrew, who hasn’t said much all night, mentions how Wintersleep’s support has been encouraging. Walrus, he says, is just accessible and awesome: “It’s like that ‘psych rock’ thing. Our music actually transcends these different labels and genres, and at the end of the day, I feel like Walrus is a band that can go in any bar anywhere and play to any age or any crowd, and people will like it.” - Noisey - Vice

Halifax psych rockers Walrus are out on the road ahead of releasing their new Goodbye Something EP, and before it arrives, the band have shared a taste of what's to come with a colourful new video for "Wearing It."

Shot and directed by Jeff Miller in the band's native Halifax, the video takes "psychedelic" to a whole other level, making use of kaleidoscopic colour effects and layering that go hand in hand with the track's free-flowing, airy nature. Let it be known that the band wear these vivid colours well.

In the midst of a West Coast trek, scroll past the band's tour dates to watch the trippy clip for "Wearing It" in the player below.

Tour dates:

03/24 Kelowna, BC - Habitat*
03/25 Vancouver, BC - Commodore*
03/26 Victoria, BC - Sugar Nightclub*
03/29 Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room*
03/31 Winnipeg, MB - Park Theatre*
03/03 Saskatoon, SK^
04/04 Calgary, AB^
04/05 Edmonton, AB^
04/07 North Vancouver, BC^
04/08 Vancouver, BC^
04/11 Edmonton, AB - The Buckingham
04/16 Udora, ON^
04/22 Saint John, NL - Pepper's Pub
04/23 Fredericton, NB - Flourish Festival
05/05 Hamilton, ON - Baltimore House
05/05-07 Toronto, ON - CMW
05/09 Gatineau, QC - Le Minotaure
05/10 Montreal, QC - Le Divan Orange
05/14 Sherbrooke, QC - La Petite Boite Noire
05/21 St. Andrews, NB - PaddleFest
07/08-10 Halifax, NS - Gridlock Festival

* with Wintersleep
^ Madic Records house party tour - Exclaim

9
The city of Halifax seems to send at least one amazing psych-rock band to destroy the Ship and Lawnya Vawnya each year. In 2014, Monomyth came and conquered, and this year, it was this explosive quintet called Walrus.

The band somehow mix gentle, Brian Wilson vocal melodies and orchestrations with out-of-the-blue punk thrash parts that keep listeners guessing. The high, winsome vocals and chiming 12-string Rickenbacker certainly conjured late '60s cloudy folk-pop, but the rest of the band infused the songs with sharp edges. Some of it recalled the Sadies, and the musicians in Walrus are certainly in the same league.

Back when My Morning Jacket were still kinda metal-y, they made music like Walrus is making now. It's all wild left turns that seem ill-advised but, as they steamroll past, they're a glorious sight to behold. - Exclaim

Halifax-based psych-pop outfit Walrus have announced a string of North American tour dates that will take the band through the Maritimes and Northeastern United States.

The band are currently prepping their debut LP, but will take a break from writing and recording to show off their music live. The tour kicks off in their hometown of Halifax on March 21 before crossing into "the land of dreams and homeland security" for a show in Portland, ME, on March 26. Following a few more U.S. gigs, Walrus will return to Canada and wrap up the tour with shos in Quebec City, Montreal and Fredericton.

After a couple weeks off, the band will be appearing in St. John's for Lawnya Vawnya on April 23. You can see the full list of upcoming dates below, and scroll past that to stream their latest EP Glam Returns.

Tour dates:

03/21 Halifax, NS - Gus' Pub
03/25 Saint John, NB - Callahan's Pub
03/26 Portsmouth, NH - Red Door
03/27 Portland, ME - Poland St.
03/28 Middletown, CT - Wesleyan University
03/29 Hadley, MA - The Asbestos Farm
03/30 Pittstown, NJ - Outer Art Space
03/31 Washington, DC - The Commune at 1605
04/01 Philadelphia, PA - Bourbon and Branch
04/02 Brooklyn, NY - Shea Stadium
04/03 Quebec City, QC - Pantoum
04/04 Montreal, QC - Divan Orange
04/05 Fredericton, NB - The Capital
04/23 St. John's, NF - Lawnya Vawnya 2015 - Exclaim

On March 21st, at Gus’s Pub in Halifax, the hometown psych-pop heroes Walrus kicked off their spring tour which picks up again tonight (March 25th) to roll forward with twelve consecutive shows, eight of which break the border into our sisterland to the south.

After a stationery, stir-crazy winter, Walrus are pausing work on their up and coming LP and preparing to hit the road equipped with new songs, a fresh face, and a mini-van to call home.

Walrus‘s fervent marathon of activity doesn’t show any sign of slowing own, but that shouldn’t be of a surprise to anyone familiar with the consistency and hard work they’ve established through a plentiful three-year crop of shows and releases.

After a brief post-tour breather, Walrus will be appearing at the Lawnya Vawnya Festival in St. John’s, NL which runs from April 22nd-26th, and is set to be followed by more Canadian and US dates in the late spring, and a presence at Toronto’s NXNE Festival in June – all while wrapping their studio album in any spare hour in between.

Scroll to the bottom for a complete rundown of Walrus’ Spring tour dates, or check out their tour schedule on Facebook.

We caught up with Walrus drummer and co-founder Jordan Murphy who was kind enough to engage a few words about their current outings, past and present outputs and the evolution of their live outfit.

11040737_10152753184803785_1894114097_nAfter taking a full listen through the Walrus discography, one thing that stands out is the sheer slew of EP’s and singles released over the last three years. From Onetwotree in 2012, to the most recent Glam Returns in 2014 – how do you feel the band has changed and progressed?

When we first started we really wanted to put out music frequently, so we’d do EP’s and singles instead of saving the songs up for a full album. We haven’t put anything out in a little while since we’ve been working away at our new record, but that will be out soon enough.

The sound has definitely changed since the first few releases as well. For one the first few were recorded at home. Our split 7″ was our first recording done in the studio. That was also the first recording we did full band, before that my brother Justin and I were a two-piece. He’d record all the instruments except the drums/percussion and then I’d put those on after.

Eventually we wanted the live show to reflect the recordings a little more so we asked some friends to join the fold and help fill out the sound. Since then we’ve had between 3-6 members and are currently a 5 piece band.

It seems like nothing has slowed down as you’re about to take a little breather from work on your upcoming debut LP to embark on this March/April tour. What can you tell us about the album thus far?

Well, we’ve been recording the album over the better part of a year and it’s nearly finished. Just trying to make sure everything is exactly the way we want it before we say it’s done.

We had been planning on taking it easy for a while and just working to finish up the record, but then things kept popping up so we’ve just been working away at it when time allows.

Our buddy Charles Austin has been recording it at his studio, The Echo Chamber, here in Halifax. We’re really looking forward to sharing it with everybody, hopefully pretty soon.

10868125_422512671229619_7486358445162461493_nThis is a big stint coming up as you guys head into the USA and back for thirteen dates, and that’s followed within weeks by an appearance at Lawnya Vawnya in St. John’s, NL.

Tell us how the planning process was different for you guys when taking on such a dense border-crossing tour?

We’ve done quite a few tours around Eastern Canada over the last few years and they’re usually around the same length. We’ve made lots of great friends in different cities who have made these trips much easier each time we go, helping us book shows, letting us stay at their places, etc. But for the most part we didn’t have that with this trip because it’s our first time heading to the US. So we had to go through the process of getting our work visas and trying to line up dates in places we’ve never played, with people we’ve never met. That was definitely different. It went surprisingly well though and people really helped us out with the shows. Looking forward to actually meeting them all now.

For Lawnya Vawnya, we’d been wanting to make our way over to Newfoundland for a while, and this is the perfect chance to do it. Very excited about getting to hang out there for a few days and check out the festival. They have another great lineup this year, lots of cool bands.

What can folks expect from Walrus on the road?

We are all gonna cram into our mini-van somehow, and hopefully this new van is nice to us and the weather cooperates. We have a bunch of new songs that we’ll be playing and this will also be our first tour with our new guitar player Keith. We haven’t really toured all winter so we are excited to get back out on the road together.

And what can folks expect from Walrus after the tour marathon settles down?

Well hopefully it doesn’t settle down too much. We’ll definitely finish up the work on our record once we get home. After this tour and LV, we have a pretty busy few months planned though. We have some more tour dates lined up in the US and Canada between May-July. We’ll also be heading up to Toronto to play NXNE in June and we have some more festival dates lined up for the summer that will probably be announced soon.

Tour Dates:

March 25 – Saint John, NB @ Callahan’s Pub
March 26 – Portsmouth, NH – The Red Door
March 27 – Portland, ME – Shows at Poland St
March 28 – Middletown, CT – Wesleyan University
March 29 – Hadley, MA – The Asbestos Farm
March 30 – Flemington, NJ – Outer Art Space
March 31 – Washington, DC – The commune at 1605
April 1 – Philadelphia, PA – Bourbon & Branch
April 2 – Brooklyn, NY – Shea Stadium
April 3 – Quebec City, QC – Pantoum/Le Phoque
April 4 – Montreal, QC – Divan Orange
April 5 – Fredericton, NB – The Capital Complex

walrustourposter

Check out Walrus on Facebook
https://walrustheband.bandcamp.com/ - Secret East

Halifax’s psych-pop ambassadors Walrus are preparing to head out on their first cross boarder tour with a string of consecutive dates that wrap up with a show in Fredericton at The Capital Complex, April 5, 2015.

After a string of EPs and singles spanning the past few years, the band is currently finishing-up tracks for their debut LP at the Echo Chamber in Halifax. Expect that to surface later this year. The group’s latest EP, Glam Returns, has been a favourite on CHSR over the past few months.

Before the band hits the road, we thought we should check in and get the lowdown on what’s up. Thanks to Jordan for taking a few minutes to chat.

Glam Returns has been receiving a lot of airplay on Fredericton campus radio. How has the response been on your end?

Well that’s great to hear and thanks to whoever is playing us! We love coming up to Fredericton, we’ve had great shows and a lot of fun there. We usually either start or end our tours with a stop there and it’s become a bit of a home away from home for us. The Shifty Bits Cult are awesome and we love what they are doing for their music community, so many great bands and people involved in that scene. We played The Shifty Bits Circus last summer and it was amazing, Shivering Songs this year was fantastic, always great shows at The Capital and ReNeu Boutique. Lots of tired drives leaving town the next day…

Walrus is one of many bands embracing the return of cassette release. What is it about cassette releases that make them so appealing? Is it more than just the $$$?

Well being able to create a physical copy of your album for a reasonable price is certainly a big part of it, but yea there is more to it than that. I mean we’d love all of our releases to come out on vinyl but it is much more expensive. The sound is great with cassettes and they look good too. Poncho Records is run by our singer/guitarist/songwriter/brother Justin Murphy and he’s been putting out great music via cassette for a while now.

You’re heading off to the US for a bunch of shows as well as playing a handful of Canadian dates over the next few weeks. Is this your time heading south of the border?

Yea this is our first time heading down to the US, we are really looking forward to it. We love touring and are excited to head somewhere new. We’ll be heading down pretty frequently this year, throughout our tours. Maybe we’ll get to try the food at White Castle.

What’s in the works for the year ahead? New music? Summer tour plans?

Well we are finishing up our first LP with our pal Charles Austin at The Echo Chamber here in Halifax. Very much looking forward to sharing that with everyone, we’ve been working on it for quite a while. Lots of other new, yet to be recorded music we’ve been working on as well. We have quite a bit of touring lined up for spring and summer, in the US and Canada. After this trip we’ll be heading over to Newfoundland to play at Lawnya Vawnya. It’ll be our first time playing over there and we are really excited about it. We’ll be up in Toronto for NXNE to play the Out of Sound Records Showcase, so many great bands/friends on that bill. There’s some other summer festivals we’ll be doing as well that will probably be announced soon.

Walrus+Waking Night+Sexghost | The Capital Complex | April 5, 2015 | Doors at 10 – Show at 10:45 | $8



Tour dates:

03/21 Halifax, NS – Gus’ Pub
03/25 Saint John, NB – Callahan’s Pub
03/26 Portsmouth, NH – Red Door
03/27 Portland, ME – Poland St.
03/28 Middletown, CT – Wesleyan University
03/29 Hadley, MA – The Asbestos Farm
03/30 Pittstown, NJ – Outer Art Space
03/31 Washington, DC – The Commune at 1605
04/01 Philadelphia, PA – Bourbon and Branch
04/02 Brooklyn, NY – Shea Stadium
04/03 Quebec City, QC – Pantoum
04/04 Montreal, QC – Divan Orange
04/05 Fredericton, NB – The Capital
04/23 St. John’s, NF – Lawnya Vawnya 2015 - Grid City Magazine

Psychodelic pop rockers from Halifax, NS’ WALRUS bring in four new tracks of fine-tuned surf melodies and well executed psych-rock riffs. Definitely worth your time. - Idioteq

Canadian psych-pop trio Walrus have been quite silent for the past months, but it was for a good cause. Last week the band released this great four-track EP called Glam Returns, confirming that a marriage of new psychedelic sounds and hypnotic shoegaze influences is not only possible but also pretty great.

Between the proto-grungy 'Banger' and the smooth yet dizzyesque 'It's No Myth To Me' - passing through a contemplative track called 'Bulash' and the release's title-track - Glam Returns is a good way of getting to know these guys a little better. So pump up the volume and allow yourself to be rocked by this EP, which will also be released on cassette tape this March. - The 405

Walrus is a psychedelic pop band hailing from Halifax, Canada. - If It Be Your Will

Friday Find: Walrus
For those who like: pysh-rock

From Halifax we get the band Walrus. Mixing pop, rock, and tripped out experimental noise you'll have fun unraveling the layers.

Listen to the EP Glam Returns here: - Snobs Music

Interview: Walrus
Several bands go by the name Walrus, but its the 3-piece psych-rockers from Halifax that we recommend. Earlier this month, the band released Glam Returns, a four-song ep packed with great melodies and fuzzed out guitars. While we are partial to lengthy closers with tremendous guitar solos, “It’s No Myth to Me” is the highlight of this set. This is a solid release throughout though, and while we were only recently introduced to Walrus, this is a band we’ll be paying attention to in 2014. Walrus generously answered our questions today about format preferences, plans for a full-length and more.

WalrusYou can stream and purchase Glam Returns here

SA: Walrus is a simple, yet awesome band name. Where did the idea to name your band Walrus come from?
W: Walrus was a name that I always thought was cool before we were ever a band, and it was my intention to use it whenever the band came together. I never really liked the name for any specific reason or meaning, just thought had a nice ring. We’re all big Beatles fan, so maybe it came from there subconsciously.

SA: What are you listening to at the moment?
W: I’ve found myself listening to a lot of friends music like the new Best Fiends, WHOOP-Szo, and The Everywheres, but I’m also stuck in this Crosby, Stills, & Nash phase that I can’t get out of.

SA: How much influence does the recording process have on your songwriting?
W: The recording process doesn’t have as big of a influence on the songwriting as maybe we all would like it to. We haven’t been recording our own stuff as much lately, so the bigger influence on our more recent stuff has been jamming. It’s hard to imagine how a song will turn out when I write it by myself and demo it, it’s when all 6 of us get our hands on it in the jam space that things start to really happen and take shape. The four songs that we just released are kind of old to us now, we’ve toured, jammed and played those songs to death, so it was almost sweet relief to released, so maybe the new batch of songs that we have waiting will be more influenced by the recording process, but for the most part we just go in and play the songs quite quickly, and not as much time was spent on the recording process. But I think for our next release our goal is to go in and make sure that everything sounds exactly how we want it to sound, and not settle on things being good enough. We want to keep progressing and moving forward as a group, so I think that is our next step to realizing our sound.

SA: While your releases are available to download from Bandcamp, you also offer them in more traditional formats (vinyl and cassette tapes). Do you consider the format to be an important part of how your music is enjoyed?
W: Having physical copies of music is more enjoyable for both us as a band, and the people who like our music. It’s nice to finish off a recording, have the songs done and then hold them on a tape/CD/vinyl and know that it’s something you made, not sure a website or a USB stick with your songs on. It’s obviously easy enough to just go onto a band’s Bandcamp and download their music from there or like them on Facebook or whatever, but there is something so much more gratifying about buying someones music and putting it on your record/tape/CD player, or actually going to a show as opposed to supporting a group online. I know I try to buy tapes or whatever merch I can when I go to shows, and there’s always a group of people who are into that too. You take whatever support from people you can get, but it’s always more cool to ship someone a tape, or something at a show. If your hard drive crashes you can lose all your music, but if you buy something physical you can have that shit forever, unless of course you lose it.

SA: What can we expect from Walrus in 2014? Are there plans for a full-length eventually?
W: We are going to be doing some quick trips up to Ontario/Quebec in March and April just for a couple shows we have lined up, then later in the summer we will do a little bit of touring for a week or two, spend some time with our friends in London, and just try to make the most of the summer while it’s here. We are planning a full-length, like I said above the Glam Returns EP was really old for us, so it was nice to get that music out and finally release it, but really don’t play any of those songs live anymore, we have been working on a ton of new material so we want to record that and make sure that it sounds exactly how we want it to, you only get one first LP so we want to make sure we are really happy with it, and that we do it right. But you can definitely expect a full-length album this summer I’m hoping. - Sound Analysis

Walrus have come a long way since their FIRST RELEASE. GLAM RETURNS hardly sounds like the same band that was making fun Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah! channeling indie-rock tunes back in 2012. While “Banger” may not be what they’re playing in that club that’s too cool for you right now, it is an unexpected blast of garage-rock from the brothers that opens up GLAM RETURNS with a catchy bang. ”Bulash” keeps the high energy with albeit trippier and more psychedelic leaning instrumentation. The title track is probably the boldest track from Walrus yet as it approaches Of Montreal or Foxygen level flirtations with british psychedelic music. Despite the clearly higher level of seriousness that Walrus demonstrate throughout the 4-track EP things never get bogged down in that seriousness. They’re still just two brothers having a good time which makes it pretty fun to listen to. - See more at: http://theup-turn.com/2014/02/16/ep-walrus-glam-returns/#sthash.8BZ17S5k.dpuf - The Up-Turn

Walrus - Glam Returns :: EP Review

When: 03/02/2014
Where: Poncho/Out Of Sound
Like/Love: LOVE

Canadian trio Walrus return with new EP Glam Returns. These guys have been releasing a steady output of singles and appearances on such things as Out Of Sound's Pie-003 over the past year, and it all seems to come to a point of evolution with this new EP. Walrus look set to deliver some psychedelic pop through the mediums of straight up riffs or mind boggling fuckery. Either one is good by the way.

Opening track Banger pretty much explains itself as heavy hitting drums and a catchy guitar riff blast through your head without so much as even a hint of asking to come inside. Walrus channel some garage rock on this track and even throws in some shoegaze utopia into the mix too which just makes everything seem okay. A great start to Glam Returns.

Bulash winds things down for a second as melodies take centre stage alongside some hazy vocals and even hazier guitar chords swirl in the background. Walrus have certainly evolved their sound towards a much cleaner production as the vocals are certainly a lot easier to distinguish on Glam Returns than previous material, which allows the instrumentation to excel on its own too. Title track Glam Returns is a pretty Ziggy Stardust-esque track, which is about as glam as anybody could get. Therefore it's awesome.

Glam Returns closes with It's No Myth To Me, an eight minute epic that delivers one final dose of excellent shoegaze and psychedelic glory in a simple but incredibly catchy way. It introduces itself as yet another good standard track but then descends into this impressive rampage of guitars and drums that become heavier and heavier with each listen. Truly making it a great way to end this fantastic EP. Stream Glam Returns below, and look out for it on cassette sometime in March via Poncho and Out Of Sound Records. - Exploding Head Syndrome

WALRUS - EP REVIEW
Walrus - Glam Returns EP (Out Of Sound Records/Poncho Records)

Walrus - Glam Returns EP

I must be getting to the end of the 'new bands from Canada' list now but the quality is showing no signs of letting up. Halifax trio Walrus are at the psychedelic end of the spectrum albeit with a powerpop bent. Opening shot 'Banger' is, one assumes, an ode to the humble sausage in the form of a song that drifts from dreamy whimsy to pedal to the metal indie-pop with the ease of a schizophrenic changing between personalities. 'Bulash' is more of a Charlie & the Chocolate Factory dream sequence soundtrack with elements of the Flaming Lips and the Super Furry Animals at their most expansive.

EP title track, 'Glam Returns', kicks in like a Beatles inspired Jack Johnson number with delayed vocals, a soft shuffling rhythm and the kind of bass line you would expect a gentle giant of a man to come out with. Final track, 'It's No Myth To Me', is a brooding, menacing piece of psyche rock that hovers in the corner in a dark overcoat waiting for you to leave on your own before it makes its move. Walrus have got chops, there's no doubt about that, but this EP is just lacking that killer hook or melody for me.

More information: https://www.facebook.com/WaWalrus

Live Dates:

22nd March - Gus' Pub, Halifax

28th March - Capital Complex, Fredericton - Listen With Monger

Walrus - Glam Returns
Two years and ten releases into their life and Walrus are still tagging their music with Psychedelic Pop. It inclines generously on psychedelics by now, but I guess if you press your ear hard enough you'll find their catchy swing is due to those radio-friendly influences.

The EP will start off with Banger which should increase your average Psych-Rock expectations by a few BPMs before easing you into more of a peyote-lullaby state with each following track. Despite the borderline Beach-Rock tendencies, I couldn't imagine starting this release any other way.



It just fits together so well. The condensed riffs and the ghostly vocals feel special enough to hold for the three minutes they have to, and every following step is so well placed it feels strategic. It feels like composing emotions to better manipulate your own.

It's probably because of that composition that the entire release flows so well. It doesn't matter much what mood you're in, if the talents are ever to your liking, they'll grab your attention. They've developed an equally subtle and forceful touch.

http://www.d4am.net/2014/02/walrus-glam-returns.html
Stream/Download @ Bandcamp
Swift transitions and a well constructed track list makes Glam Returns a very appealing EP. Just four tracks in length and about 19 minutes to listen through, all supported by pronounced bass lines and playful guitar tones. At the very least, give the stream a chance.

I'd say it's definitely worth a few dollars, but it's a name-your-price download so grab it for free if you must. Alternatively, if you don't think you'll end up loving these specific tracks, the rest of their Bandcamp should be equally appealing. - D4AM

Nova Scotia has a glorious rocky coast with cold seas. Its capital city, Halifax, has a great independent music scene that includes the band, Walrus. Starting in 2012, the band peppered fans with several singles and EPs, evolving along the way to their current release, the psychedelic fuzz rocker, Glam Returns.

Walrus has nailed it on this one. Glam Returns is a strong release of four songs. “Banger” opens in uproarious fashion, settles in nicely at the bridge, and then cracks open another can of inspiration. The wistful “Bulah” dances delicately through your ears. The brooding and introspective title track straddles the space between The Beatles late period and The Flaming Lips early 00s releases. The closer, “It’s No Myth To Me,” is a rambling monster of a tune that’s an addictive ride; even at eight minutes, it demands repeat play.

Preview the entire album below, and then pay what you want for Glam Returns on Bandcamp. - The Dadada

It's been nearly ten months since we last featured anything from Nova Scotia pysch-rockers Walrus, but they're back and they're looking every bit as good as before.

Glam Returns is a four-track EP displaying influences ranging from the psychedelics of bands like The Flaming Lips through to early garage-rock sounds of bands like The Troggs. EP opener "Banger" is the standout track and we're going to take a stab in the dark, the duo couldn't come up with a title, so went with whatever sounded most natural as the track, quite literally, is a banger. "Banger" wails along in trippy psych fashion, ever so lightly tinged with a bit of the blues, displaying literal highs and lows.

Grab a copy of Walrus' EP, Glam Returns, which is out via Poncho and Out of Sound Records, over at their bandcamp. - One For The People

Review – “Glam Returns” – Walrus

It seems like we can’t go a few months without seeing a new release from the ever-busy Halifax outfit Walrus. Fortunately, their output is never same-old same-old. Since they clambered onto the scene and into our hearts, they’ve evolved from a “hop-on-pop” band to purveyors of sweet psych-rock.

Everything has also gotten sharper as the band has pumped them out. It’s now fairly easy to distinguish lyrics. The fuzzed out guitars are much more prominent.

So a name like Glam Returns for their latest record is certainly an ironic one. One would think Walrus had suddenly thrown on Ziggy Stardust makeup and got way into guitar solos. But that didn’t happen — if anything the opposite happened. Especially on the second half of the EP, the band is musing on how there’s nothing to do.

The EP starts off with “Banger” which is, in fact, a banger and a hell of a way to start off. There’s the same psychedelic vibes you can expect from Walrus, followed by a wicked assault of drums and guitar. That fury eventually dies down by the end (lest Walrus somehow become a punk band), and the warmth of those guitar chords carry on well into “Bulash.”

The second half of the EP begins with the title track, and here the band stats to wax philosophical about ennui: “Every day it’s all the same, it’s hard to find ways to complain.” Soon a very sweet bass riff joins in.

The EP ends with “It’s No Myth To Me,” an eight-minute epic (a first for this band, no doubt), which expands the whole idea of everything feeling the same to new heights. While the song mostly revels in the same kind of melancholy tones the band revels in, the end of the song is an absolutely blistering guitar assault.

Let us hope Walrus continues to talk of many things.

Top Track: “Banger”

Rating: Proud Hoot (Really Good) - Grayowl Point

Whether channeling the languid vim of early Shins recordings (Glam Returns), creating garage-rock opera brash and raucous enough to splinter the shell of the mythic Eggman (Banger), or ambling along an exploratory, so too expansive neo-psychedelic vein of stars (It’s No Myth To Me), the latest four-track from Halifax three-piece Walrus – itself titled Glam Returns – is a collection that’s adaptable as it is outwardly radiant. And its immediate standout is, quite incontestably, the Monomania-cal Bulash, during which whirring synths and the shiniest of guitars combine beneath vocals penetratively searching as the hideously luminous glare of an industrial flashlight. They’re unintelligible for the most part, as may be those of Bradford Cox or indeed Noah Lennox more often than not, purely adding to the overarching euphony of the piece. But it’s one that, alluring to the last, may yet brighten your weekend no end… - Dots and Dashes

Halifax’s Walrus just released a 4-song EP, Glam Returns, on Out Of Sound and Poncho Records. Cassettes will be available in March. - Ride The Tempo

Halifax band Walrus released a new EP yesterday. Glam Returns features four new psychedelic rock tracks that blend classic riffs with new production values. - Mixtape Magazine

La psicodelia pop lo-fi de Walrus nos traslada con facilidad a cualquier antro underground mal iluminado, con una cantidad escasa de asistentes pero todos saltando y moviendo los hombros al ritmo de esta canción con la certeza de experimentar la felicidad en ese pequeño instante. Nos encantan estas canciones que emocionan contra todo pronóstico. - Minuscula

Walrus – “Brian” {Psych Rock}

We’re big fans of a lot of Brians (Brian Jones, Brian May, Brian Jonestown Massacre…you get our drift) so naturally we were all about this track. The band is based out of Halifax, and if you dig this track you can buy it for as little as $1 here. - Rex Manning Day Music Blog

New single, ’Okay,’ from Walrus released on September 6th via Poncho Records. Purchase and listen to more music by visiting their bandcamp page. - Hologram Skies

La discográfica canadiense Out of Sound Records acaba de publicar este sencillo compartido por cuatro bandas locales: Walrus, Shadowfolk, Gnarwaltz y Sheepman. Particularmente, el corte que más me atrae es el de nuestros amigos Walrus, que aportan un tema muy sesentero, a pesar de su título: 1990. - The Jangle Box

From the diffuse afternoonism of Joshua Robinson:

Halifax is a uniquely magnificent place. Masquerading as the second coming of the disparate and displaced flower power generation, its local musicians hold the innate ability to transcend the barriers of time and space. Out Of Sound and Poncho’s collaborative 7” split release fulfills this promise, culling the tenants of the past’s fascination with folklore and infusing it with a reinvigorated proletarian ethic that instantly validates its DIY aesthetic.

Walrus, the Haligonian embodiment of James Mercer with a tinge of Ray Davies, spin a wavy yarn, replacing the cold proximity of the Atlantic with the spirited percussive pulse of drum circle bongos that masterfully belie the alt-rock underpinnings of this ode to diffuse afternoonism. Shadow Folk reimagine the bubblegum-pop of the early ’60s, rich with warm backing vocal ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ that designate this as music from a bygone era of adolescent infatuation. With the immutable spirit of an alt-Americana spaghetti gunslinger, Gnarwhalz rip and run across the red lacquer terra firma of PIE-003 with the clamorous reckoning of party infused recklessness. Lastly, Sheepman exude a slew of musical stylings with origins likely traceable to the lysergic daydreams of their incorporeal predecessors, a primordial conglomeration of marvelously crafted unicellular elevator folk with the vocal stylings of a cheerful Morrissey. This four-way split is the four-course meal that serves to fill the insatiable appetite of our Canadian longing for music that reminds us of our past. - Weird Canada

Psychedelic Pop: “Brian” – Walrus
Posted on October 25, 2013 by greenleathergargoyle

warble warble, echo echo - Leather Green Gargoyle

Review – “PIE-003? – Out of Sound Records
Posted on November 18, 2013 by Michael Thomas

That tireless gem of a psych label that is Out of Sound Records continues to deliver new slices of PIE. While it’s been a little while since we last got one, PIE-003 is now upon us. While the previous PIE compilation could be described as a deafening roar, this one takes it easy and showcases the psych-pop side of the label.

Where thundering instrumentals and near-screams were the stuff of PIE-002, bright guitar chords and grooves define this new compilation. Plus, three out of four of the acts are no strangers to this blog—Walrus, Sheepman and Shadow Folk all join in on the fun, in addition to Gnarwalz, who contribute an excellent track of their own.

The tape begins, however, with Walrus, a tireless band that fits nicely with the tireless label. “1990? sees the band at their clearest-sounding to date, but still with their idiosyncratic shimmering vocals and psych-rock guitar chords.

Shadow Folk contribute “When She Smiles At Me,” an enchanting track when it appeared on the blog back in May and still just as good this time around.

The standout on this EP is definitely “Wayne,” courtesy of Gnarwalz. The beginning sounds like the intro to some grand Spanish song, but quickly changes course with clattering percussion and a break from the laid-back vibes of the previous two tracks. Later it adds horns and some wicked gang vocals for a strong finish to an already strong track.

Finally, there’s Sheepman’s “Chetwynd,” the melody of which is driven by keys, also a nice break from the guitar-heavy previous tracks. The band’s pop sensibilities triumph again, and it’s a nice note to end the EP on.

We can only guess what the next flavour of PIE will be. But it’s guaranteed to be appetizing.

Top Track: “Wayne”

Rating: Proud Hoot (Really Good) - Grayowl Point

6.- 1990 – Walrus

La psicodelia pop lo-fi de Walrus nos puede trasladar fácilmente a cualquier antro underground mal iluminado, con una cantidad escasa de asistentes pero todos saltando y moviendo los hombros al ritmo de esta canción sabiendo que somos felices en ese momento. - Minuscula

MIX TALKS: CASSETTE TAPES AND NEAR-MISS ELECTROCUTIONS WITH WALRUS
Published On October 18, 2013 | By Jane Caulfield | Blog, Editorial, Mix Talks
Gearing up for Halifax Pop Explosion, Mixtape is bringing you a series of Q&As with artists lined up to perform during the five-day (October 22 and 26) festival. For our second installment, we fired off some questions to Walrus, a Halifax band known for its tripped out, psychedelic sounds. Walrus play at Gus’ Pub on Thursday, Oct. 24 along with The Zolas, The Everywheres and Lightmares.
Mixtape Magazine: Your Music is rooted in the classic psychedelic sound, but you also manage to add “modern” flair with intricate rhythms and guitar riffs, creating something like a new-age psychedelic – What is the drive behind doing that?
Walrus: I think the new-age psychedelic sound comes from each member of the band. We all enjoy psych music, but I think we all have certain eras of music that we adhere to, like contemporary psych, or 60's psych, or Floyd, so we’re really combining all of those things to create our own spectrum.
MM: Psychedelic has a very unique sound and requires some interesting musical creativity – What is it about the psychedelic sound that you love so much and got you guys into creating it?
Walrus: The fun thing about creating psychedelic music is that you can turn something so simple into something that’s hard to wrap your head around; when you get to change the surface of a song by using different effects and textures, it’s really intriguing. That’s what excites me as a member of Walrus – knowing that our sound will always evolve and change because we’re always trying to create new sounds, and always trying to restructure a simple pop song.
MM: One of the things you guys are known for is releasing albums in “old school” styles – cassette and vinyl. Why do you release music in these formats?
Walrus: We release cassette tapes because they are so cheap to produce…it doesn’t take a lot of funds to whip out like 50 tapes, so to be able to have a physical release of something and have it be so cost effective is a beautiful thing. Really, it seems people in Halifax are very responsive to cassette releases as well. A lot of our friends are doing the same and people seem to dig it. With vinyl, I think that’s something that every band dreams of releasing. Vinyl has a lot of character, so to get your own music pressed is something I’ve always wanted to do. We were lucky enough to have Adam Sturgeon of Out Of Sound Records really drive us through the process, basically handling everything from getting them pressed to screen-printing the covers. It’s not as cheap as a cassette release, but it’s worth it in the end.
MM: Walrus has released a bunch of split singles. How do you decide what bands to release a split with? Tell us a little more about the Chief Thundercloud and Psyche Tongue releases.
Walrus: We’re down to do a split with just about any bands that we are fans of, splits are a great way of spreading your music to people that might not normally hear it. Instead of just people who like us listening to it, it’s also listeners who like the Psyche Tongues or Chief Thundercloud. The Psyche Tongues release came about almost like fate. We, by chance, played a show with them in February while touring, and we really dug each others’ music, so we went up to Toronto in June to play NXNE and we stayed with the Tongues, and we hit it off like brothers or something, and before we knew it they had a full blown recording session set up in their house. We recorded “Okay” in 3 hours – maybe the most fun we’ve had recording – because it was so productive, and so off-the-cuff. With the Chief split release, we really like Craig’s music from Scribbler and Chief and he was always really supportive of us, and it was something we talked about doing for a while and then this summer it finally came together. We had a big batch of songs and Craig asked us to do a split and the timing just worked perfectly, and the end result is really amazing.
MM: What does it mean for you guys to be playing Halifax Pop Explosion this year?
Walrus: It’s definitely cool to be playing HPX, it’s something we all go to as music fans every year just to watch the shows and there’s a lot of history surrounding the festival, like so many classic Halifax acts played when their careers were just starting or whatever, so to actually be a part of it is certainly a cool feeling.
MM: What’s one awesome thing that has happened to you guys during a live show?
Walrus: One time in Ottawa we were playing a show with our best friends, Organ Eyes, at this venue called Mugshots, which used to be a prison in the 1900s or something like that, and where the bands play is right in the prison “backyard” area, where the prisoners would get to exercise, so when you’re playing you are actually outside, and about halfway through our set, it started pouring rain. All of our gear was getting soaked, but thankfully no o - Mixtape Magazine

16 -- Walrus CanCon Lamb Girl Self-Released - CFMH/Earshot

13 re Walrus CanCon Lamb Girl Self-Released - CHMA/Earshot

Chief Thundercloud/Walrus split CS (2013)

Just in time for creeping fall blues, Halifax drops two offerings in one on ya. Walrus is a tried and true DrugPunk fave, while Chief Thundercloud slipssome downer blooz your way that forms a nice contrast with the former's sedate neopsych.

It's a dicey proposition, jacking riffs from Daniel Johnston: mere competence at evoking DJ's sound don't cut it. There's two ways you can go about aping the great D.J. The first is to act as "quirky"* as Johnston is on early favorites like "I eat cigarettes." This is the tack favored by dipshits such as Devendra Banheart, who mostly just come off sounding like shitbirds whose parents bought them a recording studio and a bag of mushrooms as a present for graduating from RISD. OR, you can go out on a limb and try to convince us that you're just as sad as Daniel Johnston. To succeed at the latter, you either have to be such a good actor, you might as well be on Broadway, or in fact be seriously deranged//depressed and walk around every day feeling like I do after polishing off a 6-pack and Tuscan red after getting in a screaming match with an ex.

Either way, Chief Thundercloud manages to pull it off. Of course, some of this is due to the clever use of hushed production. But he hits just the right note for when you're feeling sad but not exactly despondent, if y'knowhatImean. "Nothing's Gonna Stop" has some of the best dumb-straightforward lyrics I've heard this year. Here's the chorus: "I need you in my life [full stop] More than any other time [full stop]." Sneer all you want, can you do any better? The rest of CT's side is more of the same: wistful, forlorn, and subdued strings of autumn anomie.

Walrus, true to form, continues down the road carved on previous splits and brief EPs. "Brian" is a jaunty bit of airpop: almost-bouncy drumming, truncated singing, and minimal guitar. "Little City People" might be my favorite Walrus tune yet, gliding by under the radar sounding like Jefferson Airplane outtake with a majestically surprising finish. Listen to it instead of reading my description of it.

Taken together this is a dynamic split-which is more of an achievement than it sounds, given that most splits I've ever heard might as well be a full album by a single band, given how similar the two sides are. Play the Chief Thundercloud side when yr broken up over yr ex but already have a new one in the works, play Walrus the morning after you've hooked up with said new rose for the first time.

Walrus lives here, while Chief Thundercloud skulks over here.

*"quirky": a nice, pleasant euphemism that lame cunts use to paper over the fact that Johnston is a schizophrenic who, as far as I can tell, has lived his life in immense pain; mental illness isn't cute, it's sad and shouldn't be glorified by anyone, present drug punk included. - Drug Punk

The rolling guitars paired with the vocals on this track by Halifax band, Walrus really caught my attention. “Okay b/?w Pale Blue Light” delivers you chilled out psychedelic rock. Download this track for free or hey, make a donation and grab it!

If you like how Walrus sounds and you live in the London ON area make sure you check them out Friday, September 6th at The APK, 347 Clarence St., London (Right beside Call The Office). Lonnie In The Garden Headlines (Currently one of London’s Best Bands!). Toss in Sheepman and Innes Wilson and it should be a great night – Only $5! Facebook Event - Indie Underground

Split cassette from two excellent Canadian psych acts. Walrus (Halifax) with their rolling guitar twang and deliberate pace occupy side a, while Psyche Tongues (Toronto) with their energetic fuzz-riddled pop sensibility take up the b-side. Cassette out on Poncho Records, and name your price download over at bandcamp. - Ongakubaka

Walrus/Psyche Tongues split cassette single out now via Poncho Recs. Catch Walrus on their upcoming tour with Sheepman; they’ll be in Toronto Sept 5th @ The Rivoli alongside Psyche Tongues & Thom Huhtala. Listen the split below. - Everythings Alright Forever

Walrus – Okay b/w Pale Blue Light (2013)
The sun sits at high-noon out at our desert palisade in SlabCity, California. When that suns starts to beat down on you, you need some cool beer and some good tunes to keep your mind from melting. Walrus out of Canada provide just that. These kids throw down well polished psychedelic pop music that is enjoyed by Mummy and Frankenstein alike (a difficult task, I assure you). Just one track (Walrus), and the other side of the tape being another group called Pale Blue Light. Walrus is the best of the two, with its ethereal vocals and splendid guitar work. - Spacerockmountain

experimental/psych/pop de toronto, maneiro o free download. - YW Maggie

Las bandas canadienses Psyche Tongues y Walrus han estrenado su nuevo single compartido. Poncho Records ha lanzado esta limitadísima edición en cassette que incluye los cortes ‘Pale Blue Light’ y ‘Okay’.
El próximo 6 de septiembre estará disponible el formato físico, mientras tanto puedes quedarte con el streaming digital de los dos temas: - Incalling

WALRUS and PSYCHE TONGUES are about to make your Monday better. Their split cassette single, released through Poncho Records on September 6th, is a mind-bending slice of psychedelia that will have the likes of Tame Impala and Pond looking over their shoulders pretty nervously. WALRUS’ offering Okay, with its liquid, Floyd guitar lines squirming over a riff that matches the Arctics’ Do I Wanna Know? for sheer insidiousness, is magnificent, not least in the section – halfway through – which repeats itself with almost aggressive stubbornness, and to incantatory effect. Second side Pale Blue Light, from their Toronto counterparts, is heavier, all inebriated anger -“try to walk in a straight line/but I just fall down” – and reminiscent of now-defunct Canadians Women, if you ever had the fortune to hear them. Both tracks, side-by-side, make for a potent combination. Listen below. - Sexbeat London

Okay b/w Pale Blue Light | Walrus - Bandcamp Hunter

When: 06/09/2013
Where: Out Of Sound Records
Like/Love: LIKE

Out Of Sound Records have slipped away from us recently, but a couple days ago they dropped a third addition to their PIE series. The Canadian independent label first caught our attention with the release of Pie-002, a 7” comprised of four songs from four different artists who all milled around the lo-fi, alternative genre including WTCHS, possibly our favourite band to come out of the recent resurgence of lo-fi music in Canada.

In our time apart it seems the label took on an epiphany and has moved on from capturing the sounds of any and every lo-fi band on Canadian soil and has headed into a more mellow direction. Pie-003 embraces the label’s desire to reach out to true-psyche music; psyche that touches on the music of old and doesn’t modernised it too much. So with the inclusion of Walrus, Shadowfolk, Gnarwalz and Sheepman, let’s sink our teeth into this unexpected change of pace.

Walrus open the EP with “1990” which with its slightly distorted production still maintains Out Of Sound’s low key approach to the music industry. This track bares a lot of pop sensibilities that keeps it moving along at a pace anybody can enjoy, it’s very accessible and actually very lovely. Shadowfolk’s “When She Smiles At Me” is a wonderful lovesong that harks a strong influence on early Beatles that could make the sound of the 50’s proud. It’s a very happy go lucky song that’s about the thing everybody desires most: love. How can you not like it?

Gnarwalz is the greatest band name ever and they contribute to Pie-003 with the track “Wayne” which is a solid desert-stained listen full of rich, warm acoustic guitars and vocals that fill the airwaves as much as the horn sections do. Finally “Chetwynd” by Sheepman is easily the most psyche song on the EP, and it is truly great. It’s quirky main rhythm sounds like something straight out of Napoleon Dynamite and is just so interesting to hear. It’s great.

Pie-003 was a nice surprise to hear and I’m glad Out Of Sound Records decided to take a risk with their PIE series. I’m not sure if it’s fair to compare it to Pie-002 considering the radical change in genres but all I know is that Out Of Sound Records still remains one of my favourite indie labels. Check out Pie-003 below, and purchase it too. - Elusive Little Comments

1.
The Lucid Dream - Sweet Hold On Me 09:22
info
2.
Pontiacs - Jupiter Beach 05:03
3.
The Balcony Stars - The Butterfly Girl 03:31
4.
Coke Weed - Anklet 04:34
5.
Drinking Flowers - Bite the Hand 03:47
6.
Suns of Thyme - Soma (God for Gods) 04:01
7.
Alpha Waves - Break Of Light 04:11
8.
Shacklock Meth Party - Chavez 09:54
9.
Death Lens - Don't Care 01:56
10.
Go!Zilla - Grabbing A Crocodile 03:07
11.
Venera 4 - Haunted Summer 09:01
12.
Mr.Elevator & The Brain Hotel - Are You Hypnotized 05:05
13.
The Dandelion - I Turned On As You Turned Around 02:52
14.
Ill Family - The Hourglass 03:40
15.
Benjamin Starshine - Love Gun (This Dream is Over) 04:25
16.
Shadow Folk - Kensington Hill 03:08
17.
Walrus - Okay 04:18
18.
New Lands - On a Mission 06:48 - The Psychedelic Underground Generation

Estas dos bandas canadienses: Walrus y Psyche Tongues unen sus fuerzas en esta cassingle y comparten, además, gusto por ese Pop Psicodélico con regustillo LoFi y en el caso de Walrus, ciertos ecos fronterizos.
Interesante sencillo que puedes descargar gratuitamente y/o comprar en el curioso formato de cassette-single desde el Bandcamp de Walrus o de Psyche Tongue. - The Jangle Box

Walrus b?/?w Chief Thundercloud cassette split (2013)





Experimental / psychedelic / pop - Una Piel De Astracan

Out of Sound Records are putting out the third slice of their PIE 7” compilation series, and this one smells good. You might already be familiar with WALRUS’ contribution, 1990, from here a couple of months back, but their pals come up with the goods too: SHADOWFOLK’s chunk of Americana When She Smiles At Me is a direct descendant of Crosby, Stills and Nash, all ice-smooth backing vocals and chirping guitars, and the GNARWALZ track is a raucous, stomping, explosive thing, untamed and fizzing riffs squalling over horns and timely “la-la-las” before suddenly veering off course at the last moment, and detonating.

SHEEPMAN steal the show, however, with Chetwynd, a beautiful oddity that spirals from its stabbed liquid guitars and woozy organs into a curious, watery realm of the consciousness that I guarantee you haven’t explored yet. The E.P, co-released with Poncho, is a triumph; it sounds like a lost treasure from the 1960s, discovered in some American prairie, and is proof that psychedelia – the proper, 12-string, warped-falsettos-and-messy-reverb version – hasn’t gone off just yet. - Sexbeat London

Psychedelic pop emerged as a musical genre in the mid-1960s from a culture of drug use and mind expansion. Trying to replicate in music what drugs did to the mind, bands like The Byrds and The Grateful Dead used fuzz guitar and reverb effects to refashion the tired pop song into something more relevant. More recent acts like the Brian Jonestown Massacre kept psych pop alive through the '90s. If Halifax in 2013 seems like an unlikely place to find a neo-psychedelic band, then Walrus may just have to blaze that trail.

"What appeals to us about the psychedelic pop aesthetic are the layers and textures that make up the songs," says singer and guitarist Justin Murphy. "It's not so straightforward. That's the fun part about the music we make, trying to make the sounds and textures as weird as possible while maintaining the borders of an accessible pop song."

In addition to Brian Jonestown Massacre, Walrus cites influence from bands like Spaceman 3 and MGMT. And of course, there's The Beatles. "The name Walrus was always a name that I thought was really cool," says Murphy. "And I guess that subconsciously came from The Beatles."

Releasing split cassettes like there's no tomorrow, this Halifax six-piece seems to be revving up for something big. Formed last year by brothers Justin and Jordan Murphy, Walrus has since tripled in size, performing with four new members as of April. Fresh off a tour of Ontario and Quebec, Walrus was back in Halifax for just a short time before duty called them back on the road to play at Pop Montreal.

While it might be tough for some Halifax bands to tour, with the next big city being 12 hours away, staying right at home isn't always a bad thing. "I think Halifax would have to be one of the top music scenes in Canada," says Murphy. "There are just so many good bands in this city." "And all shows are really well-attended," adds keyboardist Adam Gravelle. "Bands are well-supported here."

A new concert series hosted by CKDU 88.1FM's Halifax is Burning is one example of that support. "Halifax is Burning is a radio show committed to championing local music," says the show's host Trevor Murphy. "One of my favourite things to do with the show is to find new and exciting bands in the city and give them some radio play. This showcase is sort of in the same vein. I wanted to put together a line-up of great up-and-comers for a live show. This particular showcase is a test run, but if it goes well I'll be looking at doing showcases like this on a more regular basis." Walrus will be taking the stage this Saturday at Hell's Kitchen along with Night Surf and Saffrons.

And if you haven't yet checked out Walrus' latest split with local act Chief Thundercloud, you are missing out. The two new tracks are a feast for the ears. "Brian", with its warbly sound and sparse lyrics, has a washed-out dreamy tone that is undeniably pleasant. And "Little City People" is a perfect strolling tune, with a mellow but jaunty beat and an earworm-catchy melody. Murphy's reverb-heavy vocals lend an ethereal, distinctly California vibe. Walrus sounds of another time and place.

If you thought psychedelic pop went out of fashion with tie-dye and patchouli, think again. - The Coast

DIY en independent, dat zijn wel kenmerken voor WALRUS uit Halifax en Psyche Tongues uit Toronto. De twee bands brachten laatst met ze tweeën een split cassette uit. Met Okay van WALRUS op kant A en Pale Blue Light van Psyche Tongues (lekkere bandnaam trouwens) op de andere kant. Het nummer Okay opent de dans rustig en komt in met heerlijk vibrerende gitaren, zalvende zang en spacy effecten die in de achtergrond heen en weer vliegen. Bij het omdraaien van de tape gaat het tempo omhoog met Pale Blue Light, een zwaarder en directer nummer met scherpe zanglijnen en dat meer gitaar gedreven is.

A + B
Beide nummers vullen elkaar heerlijk aan en passen qua stemming goed bij elkaar. Prima keuze van de Canadezen om de krachten te bundelen. Luister beide nummer hieronder vooral, (digitale) kant voor kant. - The Daily Indie

Psychedelische muziekmakende en bebaarde Canadezen, dat zijn het! De band Walrus heeft onlangs een nieuwe single uitgebracht: 1990. Een piekfijn nummer met een hoop reverb, een beetje ruis en met een nevelig en op momenten zonovergoten klank. Beginnend als een rustig walsje komt er na een seconde of 38 ineens een lichte versnelling die telkens iets sneller gaat, en nog iets sneller, nog iets sneller en het nummer maar omhoog, omhoog, omhoog en omhoog blijft duwen. Denk een beetje aan The Shins en misschien ook wel het prachtige Yellowbirds. Tegen het einde gaat het instrumentaal nog eens even lekker door en wordt er zelfs een djembé bij betrokken. Hieronder kun je het ook beluisteren, dan heb je mogelijk nog een idee waar ik het nou in godsnaam over heb. - The Daily Indie

The energy that the band Walrus has in their performances such as the one during their recent NXNE spot is incredible. The psychedelic pop band hailing from the east coast of Halifax certainly drive their sounds to the other dimensions of the mind and satisfying those parts of the brain that many other psychedelic bands cannot hit and wish they could. The sound of the six piece band Walrus is very groovy and relaxing whether their sound is trance or whether they switch it up to surf. Their music is right up there with all those vintage collectible surf records from the west dating back to the 60s. Walrus is entertaining with their performances and so incredible how all six of them can drive their music into your soul. The right amount of psychedelic elements in their sound without having to go too far experimental is what makes their music enjoyable.
It is unfortunate that they had to play on a small stage at Czehoski. The six piece band had to cram their instruments and themselves to play a close to 45 minute set on a stage that would perhaps fit three members comfortably. The venue at Czehoski would serve better for musicians who have a more intimate, romantic or acoustic sound but Walrus still whaled on a great performance. A much bigger venue would have served Walrus so much more but much respect has to go out to them who made the best of the unfortunate circumstances that they were dealt for their performance at this year’s NXNE. The sound of Walrus deserve so much better in terms of a venue to perform at especially at a big festival such as NXNE. It was almost like you felt irritated for them because space would perhaps means so much for a band who plays psychedelic dreamy music. They say the bigger the better and of course for a six piece band like Walrus a bigger venue is in order the next time around.
- Fern TV

Walrus
Brothers Justin and Jordan Murphy are like baking soda and vinegar. Their airy psychedelic band Walrus overflows with recorded output. In just a little over a year their first two EPs were released quietly online, and Montreal label Jeunesse Cosmique released them both as cassettes. A "makeshift" band turned into a six-member tribe---the bros Murphy, Justin Crowe, Justin McGrath, Adam Gravelle and Adam Ledrew. With multiple tours and releases, the list of accomplishments from this young band rivals that of seasoned vets. And the inspiration doesn't stray far from tried and tested musicians either. "I would say that all of us enjoy older music more than newer bands," says Justin. "On the road we're generally listening to Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Beatles or some T. Rex." Look forward to Maritime dates, an upcoming split tape, their first LP and a split 7inch. "It's important to like the music that you're making," says Jordan. "Because if you wouldn't listen to it for your own pleasure then there's no point in making it." --SJ - The Coast

Walrus
Brothers Justin and Jordan Murphy are like baking soda and vinegar. Their airy psychedelic band Walrus overflows with recorded output. In just a little over a year their first two EPs were released quietly online, and Montreal label Jeunesse Cosmique released them both as cassettes. A "makeshift" band turned into a six-member tribe---the bros Murphy, Justin Crowe, Justin McGrath, Adam Gravelle and Adam Ledrew. With multiple tours and releases, the list of accomplishments from this young band rivals that of seasoned vets. And the inspiration doesn't stray far from tried and tested musicians either. "I would say that all of us enjoy older music more than newer bands," says Justin. "On the road we're generally listening to Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Beatles or some T. Rex." Look forward to Maritime dates, an upcoming split tape, their first LP and a split 7inch. "It's important to like the music that you're making," says Jordan. "Because if you wouldn't listen to it for your own pleasure then there's no point in making it." --SJ - The Coast

Walrus
Brothers Justin and Jordan Murphy are like baking soda and vinegar. Their airy psychedelic band Walrus overflows with recorded output. In just a little over a year their first two EPs were released quietly online, and Montreal label Jeunesse Cosmique released them both as cassettes. A "makeshift" band turned into a six-member tribe---the bros Murphy, Justin Crowe, Justin McGrath, Adam Gravelle and Adam Ledrew. With multiple tours and releases, the list of accomplishments from this young band rivals that of seasoned vets. And the inspiration doesn't stray far from tried and tested musicians either. "I would say that all of us enjoy older music more than newer bands," says Justin. "On the road we're generally listening to Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Beatles or some T. Rex." Look forward to Maritime dates, an upcoming split tape, their first LP and a split 7inch. "It's important to like the music that you're making," says Jordan. "Because if you wouldn't listen to it for your own pleasure then there's no point in making it." --SJ - The Coast

De Walrus ya hablé hace un tiempecillo. Acaban de sacar una nueva cancioncilla que aparecerá en un split futuro. Pop psicodelicioso y divertido que mola un taco. - Jipsters

Ever since Psyche Tongues played a show with Walrus last winter we’ve been hooked on them! Their newest single (which will be part of an upcoming split 7”!) continues in the same vain as their earlier releases; strung out, groove based psych-pop! Take a listen! - Rotten Folk Records

De burlarme un poco del nombre de esta banda he pasado a un entendimiento más afectuoso. A lo largo de algunos sencillos y splits, Walrus mostró mucha versatilidad y contenido basto como para dirigir su sonido psicodélico por un camino libre de callejones. “1990” es el punto cúspide de una corta carrera que pareciera sólo ir en una posible dirección; reflejan que si bien no han estado muchos años componiendo bajo este título, sí habían fijado este objetivo desde su primer encuentro con lo musical. La virtud de saber aguardar los momentos perfectos de calma así como los de parafernalia en la mayoría de los casos derribará a quienes se apresuran, que es justamente lo que ocurre en el drama de este tema: se mantiene tibio hasta iluminar cada rincón del cuarto en el instante más idóneo, nada más para dejarnos pensando que Bear In Heaven debería sonar un poco más como Walrus.

mp3: Walrus – “1990?

Esta canción pertenece a un sencillo que se verá compartido junto a otra banda aún no anunciada. - Matinee As Hell

Walrus sent me this tune from an upcoming split 7?. - Ride The Tempo

WALRUS – 1990
Posted on June 7, 2013 by conormcgillan1 | Leave a comment


Bearded Canadian psychedelians WALRUS have released their latest single 1990, through Poncho Records. Beginning as a nostalgia-tinged, hazy waltz – for some unexplainable reason it evokes the feeling of walking through grand expanses of land, past disused farmland warehouses – with the distant vocals shimmering as though in kaleidoscope, it feels inexplicably real: you hear their fingers squeak down the necks of their guitars with all the rough wear & tear of a Crazy Horse record.

And indeed, as with all of the best stuff from arguably their nation’s finest, Mr Neil Young himself, there is some magnificently raw, scratchy guitar-playing here in the bridge, combined with some deliciously primal drumming. Listen below. - Sexbeat (London)

Remarkably there's a fair amount of coverage for some of Walrus' earlier releases, nothing detailing too much of the band, only opinions, a trend we're going to sadly continue.

The band are specifically from Halifax, Nova Scotia and the Canadians have had seven releases on Bandcamp, a mix of singles and albums. It doesn't really matter what they released previously, to tell you the truth, as latest track "1990" trumps the lot. Maybe we're the first site to post about the band out of the North America. We don't know, but what we do know is that "1990" shows a huge step in the right direction compared to earlier tracks.

"1990" comes hand in hand with all the typical clichés we've learnt to expect from psychedelic garage rock. It's a reverb drenched, hazy, sun-kissed, trip fest. Why beat around the bush, it's f***ing awesome and that's all that matters. Check it out below and follow the band via Facebook or Bandcamp. - One For The People

Walrus-"1990" from split 7" (2013)

It's a weird quirk of fate that every time I get a new slice of Walrus music to review, I'm too wasted to objectively assess it. That probably plays into the band's hands, but who gives a shit, right? Paul was the Walrus anyways, blame him.

This is only one track, but it's great good fun, perfect for May. The recording quality is great (by DrugPunk standards), and Walrus sounds more confident, bordering on cocky, every time in the studio. The result is a solid piece of '60s psych that is passionate enough to avoid being mere revivalism. There are some songs you just enjoy without having a whole helluva a lot to say about them, and this is one of them,

Get fucked and have fun with Walrus here.

P.S.-what's the attraction of the '90s? Seriously? I guess economically they look great from where we're at now, but goddam were they boring as watching paint dry! Seriously! - Drug Punk

8 Walrus* Lamb Girl Self-Released - CHMA

Remember the storm on Tuesday night? I know I do. Walking to the Brain on Tuesday, it felt like someone was chucking slush at my face as I held my newly-broken umbrella in front of me like a shield.

At the posted start-time of the show, the only people not with a band were myself, my friend, the bartender, and a trio of gourmet-grilled-cheese-diners. An hour and a half later, about half a dozen more people arrived and Walrus donned their guitars.

These are bearded men. Easter baskets for beards*. That’s how they do in Halifax. Oh, and they had some catchy tunes and a cool sound to chill to. (* the lead singer on the far right and the drummer on the left).



Next up was Brad Germain. I was expecting something electric and spacey like his Spruce Invaders outfit. However, Brad was solo and acoustic that night. It was a lovely set, and the crowd was silently transfixed by his alien-themed story-telling. He shared with us that he’s seen a spacecraft, and all of his songs made sense.



Lulled by Brad’s bedtime stories, I took the bench for the last set along with most of the crowd. Sheepman’s music was catchy and energetic, but not enough to wake the sleepy crowd. Another drawback to sitting against the wall was that the band’s sound echoed and distorted before it reached me- I think. As a three-piece, the lead singer was also the lead guitar, and for their style of dynamic and spaced-out music, those are big jobs. His vocal range spanned low and sultry to high shouting while the guitar line was always doing something interesting. From where I was sitting, it didn’t always sound as tight as the recordings. He was probably as sleepy as the rest of us, or maybe the echos were ruining it. Either way I would definitely trudge through another storm to see this band play again! With their creative song-writing I will be watching out for their next release.

- Cut From Steel

I write this knowing full well I won't be able to be there to experience a few last magical moments and performances. Nor, to share another story out on the Picnic table or that beloved "outdoor" couch we simply didn't have room for inside.


I'm talking about saying goodbye to the Craven Cottage. It's been a cultural hub for much of what Out of Sound has done in London and served as a home away from home for so so many of us. Nestled behind the Children's Museum down by the River, it was a place where I sought refuge but also was able to reach out and share in the experience of the arts. On February 28th, we say goodbye, and I won't be there to enjoy it. What a better fit to say a fond farewell than the recently pared down post-rock outfit WILD DOMESTIC...





While we will all continue to remember such an incredible space we can recognize that this is a cultural phenomena that is all too important to music scenes all across Canada, North America and pretty much anywhere good people need an outlet to push the boundaires of their community further towards, ahem, enlightenment?


Well, I don't know about all that... but house shows are damn fun and we've had so many:


Raleigh, Evening Hymns, Shotgun Jimmie and Baby Eagle (this was my first jaunt down the street to my future home), Say Domino, WHOOP-Szo, Sam Allen and a flurry of other locals, Bulletproof Tiger, Esther Grey and our communal fav's COUSINS!!!!!! The palce that served inspiration to Lonnie in the Garden, where silkscreening, recording sessions and video shoots were the norm.


I'll do my best not to well up, cause all you need to know is we have two final events:


Feb 17th : WTCHS (hamilton) wsg DUTCH TOKO (guelph)





Feb 28th : WILD DOMESTIC wsg WALRUS/SHEEPMAN (hfx)





This is just great and it will surely be missed.... somebody step up and keep it going! What is likely the best kept secret neighbourhood in the city, filled with inquisitive passersby, friendly neighbours, missing cats and the beautiful rumble of a not too distance train; this is my way of saying goodbye, reaching out and asking you all to do the same. Share in the memories!:


https://www.facebook.com/events/374608465971312/


remember this video: http://londonfuse.ca/video/say-domino-craven-cottage

Adam
. - London Fuse

Sheepman and Walrus rock Albion’s second
Halifax imports treat concertgoers to spirited indie rock

After over a week of touring Canada’s East Coast, Halifax natives Walrus and Sheepman graced the Albion’s second floor with surprisingly sun-drenched indie rock that was equal parts shoegaze, experimental, and surf-rock-infused psychedelia. Despite the small crowd, the show was a uniquely intimate experience that was well worth braving the cold and the cover charge.

To kick off the evening, Walrus, composed of brothers Justin and Jordan Murphy, on vocals/guitar and drums respectively, guitarist Justin McGrath and bassist Adam LeDrew, quietly took to the stage and slowly but surely built up a swirling, reverb-heavy sound which soon filled the Albion’s upper floor.

Echoing fellow retro-indie rockers Tame Impala, Walrus’s set was warmly infused with spacey floating vocals underlain with laid-back surf-rock guitar and all backed by Jordan Murphy’s impeccable drumming. Consistent variation in tempos and styles – at times sweet and at times snarling, both steady and rollicking – made for a continuously absorbing and welcoming set to start the night.

Without any lost time, Sheepman had launched into their own set. While sharing shoeless – or in Sheepman’s case, sockless – singers, also carrying over to the second set was Walrus drummer Jordan Murphy, joining Harley Alexander on vocals and guitar, and bassist Adam Gravelle. The trio proved to be a powerhouse, crafting a sound much larger than they appeared capable of.

Justin Murphy’s wandering and ambivalent vocal style was traded for Alexander’s more deeply set resonation, at times echoing Joy Division’s Ian Curtis. The pace continued to pick up as the set progressed, maintaining an intensely present and alive sound, at once effervescent and captivating.

The audience size had increased, albeit marginally, and the sound continued swelling, pausing briefly for a song which was as close to a ballad as had been approached all evening. Alexander demonstrated a devastatingly emotive range, while drummer Murphy and bassist Gravelle stayed completely in tune with each other, ensuring a tightly knit, intimate sound. Alexander’s guitar work was heavily laden with effects pedals but they were not used in excess, as can be the issue with such set-ups.

On the second-to-last song, Sheepman really opened up, showing off in a freak-out of sorts that resulted in a blistering pace and an unbridled raucousness of orchestrated noise. Unfortunately, due to time constraints set by the Albion’s ever-popular funk night to follow, Sheepman’s set closer was cut abruptly short – mid-song, in fact.

Despite the disruptive early ending, the general feeling following the sudden silence was jovial and sincere. The dual sets were equally impressive and pretension-free. While Walrus and Sheepman would return to Halifax shortly, their impression left on the Albion and on the handful of concertgoers will remain in downtown Guelph. Here’s to many happy returns.

- The Ontarion

Walrus/Sheep Man – Lamb Girl 7.3



Walrus and Sheep Man comes together to create a ramshackle collection of ditties. Each one of them takes a similar ‘just woke up so let’s do this’ approach. Lo-fi describes each side fairly well. For Sheep Man’s approach there is a greater focus on a larger sound. There is almost a slight nostalgic twang to the sound for Sheep Man. Perhaps this makes sense as a Sheep Man would probably be really into a Lamb Girl. Aquatic creatures such as the Walrus appear less interested in lamb girl. Compared to the Sheep Man side, the Walrus side is considerably airier. Both approaches are equally valid. For the purposes of the EP though the Sheep Man side hits much harder.


‘Elementary’ begins the Sheep Man side. Here they appear to enjoy expanding out as far as they can. The rhythm is actually surprisingly tight in comparison to the guitars which get a certain degree of free reign. At times the guitars appear willing to lift off into space. ‘Mattress Friends’ is a far sleepier song of Sheep Man. Obviously ‘Mattress Friends’ is how Sheep Man woos the young Lamb Girl. Casual and quite wonderful in its mellow approach ‘Mattress Friends’ even has a tender little fade-out. ‘Sleep’ begins Walrus’s side. About two thirds of the way into the song Walrus really hits its stride, getting into sort spaced-out contortions. It ends with ‘Space Tigers’ a song that remains too far away to possibly know.


Sides of the tape express different viewpoints. Generally loopy, with a great deal of half-dreamt ideas, it is an oddly appealing little offering from animal-indebted bands. - Beach Sloth

1. Various // Civic Guilt: A Kingston Compilation by CFRC (Self-Released)*


2. Ra Ra Riot // Betta Love (Arts & Crafts)


3. METZ // METZ (Sub Pop)*


4. Elephant Stone // Elephant Stone (Hidden Pony)*


5. Walrus // Lamb Girl (Self-Released)*


6. Beekeeper // Shout At People (Self-Released)*


7. Naomi Punk // That Feeling (Captured Tracks)


8. The Bicycles // Stop Thinking So Much (Aporia)*


9. Hayden // Us Alone (Arts & Crafts)*


10. Yacht Club // Nonnavera + Flash (Pretty Pretty)*


- CFRC

Review- “Elementary/Lamb Girl”- Sheep Man/Walrus
reviewed by Michael Thomas

Last month, the tirelessly recording band Walrus released a split cassette with fellow Halifax band Sheep Man. The two bands may both be animal-referencing, but on the split cassette (available in eight different colours!) they act well to compliment each other.

The first half of the cassette is Sheep Man’s domain, called Elementary. The title track starts out with a one-minute instrumental intro that should immediately bring a surge of happiness to all those who listen. There’s something irresistibly fun about the combination of synths and guitar, and once the vocals come in the energy increases even more.

This is followed by the peculiarly-titled “Mattress Friendz.” While it is just as happy as the previous tune, this one is a bit more of a slow-jam, maybe even sensual. There are also two layers of vocals for a bit of extra oomph.

Walrus take over the second half of the cassette, and they are somewhat of a ying to Sheep Man’s yang. Walrus have had plenty of coverage on the blog, so those who have read the previous reviews will have somewhat of an idea of what to expect.

The first song, “Sleep,” brings in an interesting change by having a female vocalist singing lines like “I never get enough sleep.” The backdrop is whirring organs and an acoustic guitar, later bringing on a psychedelic jam with the guitar more present.

“Space Tigers” has more of the awesome organ from the previous track, with male vocals this time. There’s also some great electronics that kind of sound like something out of an eight-bit video game, lending the tracks some extra flavour.

Over four tracks these two bands cover a lot of ground, and it makes for a great listening experience.

Check out Sheep Man and Walrus tonight at Clinton’s in Toronto. See the Facebook Event for more details.

- Grayowl Point

20 19 Walrus Lamb Girl Self-Released - Earshot/CFRC

19 -- Walrus Lamb Girl Self-Released - CFRC Earshot

23 -- Walrus Soft Hands Self-Released - Earshot Online

1 7 Various Civic Guilt: A Kingston Compilation by CFRC Self-Released
2 28 Buke and Gase General Dome Brassland
3 4 Homeshake The Homeshake Tape Fixture
4 9 Mozart's Sister Hello! Merok
5 26 Broadcast Berberian Sound Studio Warp
6 -- The Good Lovelies Live At Revolution Self-Released
7 23 METZ METZ Sub Pop
8 1 Tegan And Sara Heartthrob Warner (WEA)
9 18 Ra Ra Riot Beta Love Arts & Crafts
10 10 Majical Cloudz Turn Turn Turn Arbutus
11 5 Mac DeMarco Mac Demarco 2 Captured Tracks
12 -- Classified Classified Halflife
13 2 My Bloody Valentine mbv Self-Released
14 20 Walrus Lamb Girl Self-Released
15 29 House of David Gang Reggae Warrior Self-Released
16 -- Jill Barber Chansons Outside
17 27 Two Hours Traffic Foolish Blood Bumstead
18 -- The Joy Formidable The Wolf's Law Atlantic
19 -- Thao & The Get Down Stay Down We The Common Ribbon
20 re Gentleman Reg Leisure Life Heavy Head
21 6 Toro Y Moi Anything In Return Carpark
22 13 Diamond Rings Free Dimensional Secret City
23 -- New Order Lost Sirens Warner (WEA)
24 3 Yo La Tengo Fade Matador
25 22 Foxygen We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic Jagjaguwar
26 -- Cobra & Vulture Grasslands Self-Released
27 re Various Tone Deaf 11: No One Turned Away - No Guest List Self-Released
28 -- Charles Hayward Trademark Ground Otoacoustic
29 8 Grouper The Man Who Died in His Boat Kranky
30 -- Young Running
- Earshot/CFRC

Position Last Song Link
1 - post
2 - Mounties- Headphones post
3 - post
4 - post
5 - Dirty Beaches- Love is the Devil post
6 7 Hannah Georgas- Enemies post
7 - Walrus - Lamb Girl
8 - Data Romance- Can’t Keep Your Mind Off post
9 - post
10 - Snailhouse- I Never Woke Up post
- Ride The Tempo

Position Last Song Link
1 - Prince Innocence- Girls post
2 - Wintersleep- Resuscitate post
3 - Ollie North- Cold Apppearaance post
4 - Said the Whale- The Reason video
5 - Eric Chenaux- Amazing Backgrounds post
6 - Brasstronaut- Mean Sun post
7 - The Holiday Crowd- Never Speak Of It Again post
8 - Bronx Cheerleader- Sour Life post
9 5 Wendy Versus- Control post
10 - Walrus- Little City People post
- Ride The Tempo

Navegador de artículos? Las Rosas – Las RosasDe Halifax nos llega Walrus, que nos llenan la cabeza de pop facilón pero con un aura psicodeliciosa que hacen de Lamb Girl una mezcla cuanto menos atractiva y molona.


Tienen una Split Cassette con sus coleguillas Sheep Man, por si os apetece.

D SIBERIAN

- JPSTRS

De Nueva Escocia, Canadá, llega una conocida Walrus y un nuevo amigo de nombre Sheep Man. Juntos lanzaron un split de nombre Elementary / Lamb Girl cual contiene cuatro canciones en total, dos por cada banda. Su formato se encuentra en cassette (en varios colores) o gratis en descarga digital. No es tan necesario escucharlas en tape (quizás sí tener una copia) ya que ambas agrupaciones hacen uso de ruido análogo en sus pistas, sólo siendo Sheep Man más popero al respecto en su canción “Elementary“, que hasta ahora ha sido mi favorita. Por lo demás, tracks como “Sleep” o ”Mattress Friends” no hacen demasiado contrastante al hecho de cruzar de un artista a otro, lo que siempre hace de un split algo agradable si apuntabas a obtener algo similar al músico que ya conocías. Me gustó mucho encontrarme de esta manera con Sheep Man.

mp3: Sheep Man – “Elementary”

mp3: Walrus – “Space Tigers”

El cassette tiene un costo de $5 dólares canadienses y lo puedes obtener desde cualquier cuenta en bandcamp de las bandas citadas (links arriba).

Cabe aclarar que cada “lado” del split tiene una portada. La que ustedes miran aquí fue una mezcla que hice entre las dos, pero en realidad no se ve así. Espero nadie se moleste.

- Matinee As Hell

Walrus
experimental, hop-on-pop, psychedelic, stereo, Halifax

Lamb Girl
- Find Artist Blog

Walrus son un combo californiano hasta ahora desconocido para mí, pero con indudable potencial. Este sencillo forma parte de una cassette compartida con su amigo Sheep Man. Los dos temas que nos ofrecen en su Bandcamp tienen auténtico encanto. Lamb girl se trata de un tema digamos que de miras Space-Rock, de esas que va creciendo conforme avanza la canción.
El segundo corte es Space tigers, donde aparece de nuevo la vena espacial, pero con tintes más lennonianos. Recomendable.

- The Jangle Box

EP: Walrus – Lamb Girl
Last I heard from Walrus, they were making delightfully out of tune indie-rock on their Sisters EP. Walrus have made some fidelity improvements to their sound and more importantly upped their experimentation and ambition as well with these new tracks off a split cassette with Sheepman. Walrus’ contribution to the cassette includes the psych-rocker “Sleep” that grows from acoustic strumming to a climactic guitar solo finale and the John Lennon-channeling “Space Tigers”. It’s awesome to see that Walrus are rising to the potential that I thought I heard from their earlier music.
- The Up Turn

Walrus “Sisters”
Released: April 21, 2012
///BANDCAMP///
Walrus is a music project by two brothers in Halifax. Listen and love, you can count on me.
Experimental shoegaze, whispers. Lightweight, almost as if just a quicky breeze on a summer day. Security, carefully searching through everyday emotions. Support. Love, something you want to put on your shelf because it’s just nice to look at. Picnics, days out. Renewal. Playfulness and pure fun. Check out Walrus’s “Sisters” on bandcamp and lets the soft sand sift beneath your feet as your world turns into something worth singing about.
Sincerely,
California - Sincerely California

Two brothers based out of Halifax, Walrus are bringing some atmospheric indie-pop vibes on their latest SISTERS EP. Walrus’ music lies somewhere in between Deerhunter’s instrumentation and the wailing singing of Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah!. On the track ‘Nothing Left to Say’ these influences come out pretty strong with reverb heavy strumming and great atmospherics. Let’s be honest, the singing isn’t what is going to draw you in about Walrus, it’s everything else that surrounds it that makes SISTERS such a good listen. Stream ‘Nothing Left to Say’ below and stream the entire album at their BANDCAMP… - The Up -Turn

“Lamb Girl” Walrus

Released: January 28, 2013

BANDCAMP//TUMBLR

Halifax’s Walrus released a short split cassette this month with Sheep Man and to say the least I’m super stoked they emailed me about this little gem. Walrus is infamous for their shoegazy bliss that never fails to seep through each and every tune they release, and their half of “Lamb Girl” is no exception. Be sure to grab a copy here as always if you dig (Sheep Man’s half is equally as rad and can be checked out here)!

The tiresome feeling overtaking you at the end of the week, skipping out on an hour of sleep for an extra hour to live. Thinking about going out but remembering how much you love staying in, envy of those leading the life you’ve been after. First impressions, story-like fates. Staying up all night talking, the difference between what you believe is right and what’s wrong. Drifting away from normality to create a universe of your own. Questions. Walrus’“Lamb Girl” takes you swiftly into a dream you’ll find yourself never wanting to wake up from.

Sincerely,

California

- Sincerely California

Walrus has released a split casette with Sheepman. They will also be heading out on an Eastern Canadian tour late February. Check out their side of the cassette, a tune called “Lamb Girl” below.
- Ride The Tempo

Walrus - Lamb Girl
Available as a split cassette with the awesome Sheep Man - Tons More Cowbell

WALRUS/SHEEPMAN- LAMB GIRL (2012)


Walrus and Sheepman release a split cassette in anticipation of their tour…which includes a Rotten Folk hosted night at Clinton’s Tavern in Toronto on February 27th! Make sure to pick up the cassette as it includes some awesome artwork (see above) and also comes in a variety of different colours!

LISTEN to the music and check out the EVENT! - Rotten Folk Records

Walrus - "Growing Pains". Halifax's Walrus sing in low, flattened notes, with sighing organ. The bass is getting by. The glockenspiel is unconvincing. The harbour is emptying out, one boat at a time, because it's for the best, it's for the best, it's for the best but still there's something sad in the barren pier, the uninterrupted sky, the lick of waves against logs, without anybody around. [bandcamp] - Said The Gramophone

Walrus - "Sleep"

With sleep the new money, I withdrew. It was easier spuh-lashing around in my cavernous dreams than say, sitting awake, trying not to eat chocolate and checking my phone. *IS TEXT MESSAGING DOWN FOR ANYONE ELSE??* I slept until Nebuary, some cloudy next month, sat on the back of my neck and choked the life out of me. Finally. Life stained my pillow, where I could see it, smell it, feel it cold and wet like some star-stuff dog nose. I'll never forget that colour, until I have to remember something else like my old high school locker combination and I forget that colour. So when the sun comes up, that'll be me, and you'll be able to find me, I'll be in bed.

[PWYC] (rainbow church by Tokujin Yoshioka) - Said the Gramophone

Another from the sweet shores of Hali! These guys make some deliriously wobbly tunes…and I hear they’re making their way to Toronto shortly. We might have to put something together with them…stay posted!

DOWNLOAD: http://walrustheband.bandcamp.com/ - Rotten Folk Records

Genre: Shoegaze / Experimental
Walrus - Soft Hands / Bandcamp
This is a grab bag of some great Halifaxian bands. Nice assortment of genres and they all have something to offer the music world. All these albums are name your own price. Definitely to check out! - If It Be Your Will

About time I got to some more dreamy indie pop. Why I ever neglect such a sweet thing is beyond me, but then again I'll forget about foods like cheese for months just because no one offered me any. Good news for all of us, I got some mighty fine psychedelic pop, which I believe originates in Halifax. This wouldn't be a review written by yours truly if I listened to psychedelic pop and didn't make some reference to Elephant 6. However, I've realized as I listened to Walrus they're so damned chill and dreamy that this comparison isn't good work this time. I don't mean to say they're slow or whatever, they're damned enjoyable and especially so with certain tracks, my favorite is "Tender Buttons" for reasons that'll be clear to any that listen. Electronic, for sure. Psychedelic, as far as I can tell. Melodic, more often than not. Charming, throughout. - Spacerockmountain

Walrus: Soft hands (2012)
Este sonido me recuerda al de la Costa Oeste norteamericana de los sesenta, versión Lo-Fi. - The Jangle Drop

I AM NOT WALRUS THE BAND
Walrus - Soft Hands - 2012 - Tons More Cowbell

Walrus - Soft Hands

Maskrospop som breder ut sig på andra sidan landsvägen. - Skogsgospel

Walrus - Soft Hands 7.8



Walrus recall a nicer time in indie rock. This is from the time when being indie meant caring less. Here the singer sounds completely out of it. Most of the time guitars barely focus on anything as they waver to and fro. On ‘Soft Hands’ Walrus aims for and succeeds at the best kind of rock: the kind that feels completely certain of itself without any form of posturing. It simply exists as a mood with some extraordinarily catchy melodies.

‘Intro’ begins the album on a strange electronic note. Nothing relates back to the Intro’s choice in sound besides the ‘Outro’ song. Otherwise there appears to be little reason to include the two. Basically both serve as bookends for the wonderful morsel of casual rock held between. ‘It’s No Myth to Me’ is reminiscent of the Meat Puppets’ take on rock. Early 90s, mellow, rather bizarre, nearly nonsensical with a kind glimmer of lo-fi, it is easily the best song on the entire album. ‘That’s What Happens’ continues with this lovable, sweet form. Acoustic guitars strum pleasantly as the singer reaches out to the listener through so much distance. Finally on the largest song (and proper end) Walrus ends it with the goofy ‘Tender Buttons’.

This is the album that gradually gets stuck in one’s mind. Why, it is hard to say. Figure the casual attitude and general mood of the pieces works out well. Additionally the lo-fi incorporated in the recording is less of a gimmick and more of a necessity. Hearing the songs drenched in lo-fi give a certain sense of authenticity. And more than anything, Walrus is completely authentic in its ambitions. - Beach Sloth

Review- “Soft Hands”- Walrus
Posted on November 7, 2012 by glasspaperweight
reviewed by Michael Thomas

This Halifax “hop-on-pop” duo may hold the record for the most posts about different recordings in a short amount of time. This is now the third time I’m writing about a release- they’ve released two EP’s and another recording of two songs. They’ve now put out another five songs, seven if you include the intro and outro.

Walrus is a fascinating act to watch, simply because they release so much frigging music. The releases were until now small increments, and each recording showed the band experimenting in slightly different ways. Soft Hands is no different, with the band playing longer songs and going for a more pronounced psychedelic feel.

The intro and outro to the EP are both fairly simple- synthesizers and keys weave simple melodies that serve as bookends to the meatier songs. First up is “It’s No Myth To Me,” a psychedelic tune made so by the multiple guitar lines and half-discernible vocals. It’s as though the listener is being invited to just lay on the grass in the sunshine (a nice sentiment to feel among the rainy and cold gloom of mid-late autumn).

“Spirit Animal” is a very sparse affair, at least at first, with just a chord played every few seconds while two different lines of vocals are going on. “That’s What Happens” functions as a great centrepiece, being the most dreamlike song on Soft Hands. The swooning vocals, among other things, make this song perhaps the strongest song as well.

“Long Walks” keeps the energy up with its steady, marching-band-style drums. “Tender Buttons” is perhaps the sunniest track on the album, made even more pleasant by the distant-sounding percussive noises.

The guys of Walrus are continuing to produce some good music considering the quick turnaround for a lot of these EP. I wouldn’t be surprised if I heard another single or two by the end of the year.

Soft Hands is available as a name-your-price Bandcamp download.

- Grayowl Point

1.Tender Buttons - Walrus


2



3.


4.


5 and obviously.
- Friend Compilation

1.Tender Buttons - Walrus


2



3.


4.


5 and obviously.
- Friend Compilation

Psicodélia / lo-fi - Una Piel de Astracán

Walrus nunca dio signos de poder convertirse en una banda espectacular. A lo mucho daba señales de volverse una que resaltara de las demás. Pero todo en este mundo está sometido a un cambio constante, donde hasta lo más mínimo puede afectar un resultado que parecía ya preestablecido. Igual no estoy dando fe de que los hermanos morsa vayan a ser una eminencia reconocida en todo el globo, sólo que Soft Hands, con un Intro que ameniza lo que se deja venir, pone a soñar con lo que el futuro podrá depararle a este dúo originario de Halifax.

mp3: Walrus – “Tender Buttons”

mp3: Walrus – “It’s No Myth To Me”

mp3: Walrus – “That’s What Happens…..”

Ya lo decía Carolina: la mayoría de lo que hacen estos chicos podría clasificarse como lindo. No hay acorde, acompañamiento o vocalización que no sea para especular sobre los acontecimientos más amorosos de la semana. Cualquier persona que se te venga a la mente mientras escuchas el correr de este LP, seguramente, es parte importante de tus más afines tertulias cinematográficas.

Este álbum está a donación (desde ser gratuito) por medio del bandcamp de estos hermanos psicodélicos. - Matinee as Hell

Walrus - Little City People

This glorious, experimental pop music is currently sold out (though Weird Canada has a couple of freebies for you). But goodness gracious, this is lovely & so I can understand why it is gone, gone, gone.

‘hop-on-pop’ indeed! - Vinyl Confessions

Walrus are two brothers from Halifax producing minimalist pop. That’s all the info available on this Canadian duo, apart from the fact their debut EP is called Onetwotree. There’s a loosely ambitious vibe akin to Parenthetical Girls and Of Montreal, though wildly scaled down. While the sounds aren’t comparable in scope or polish, the potential is evident. “Growing Pains” rides on an acoustic lull, bells and keys bouncing around like a trinket stuck in bicycle spokes. “So now it’s here so let’s reveal our secrets, and spend our days getting high,” the voice cracks. “Being young doesn’t seem so distant, and being old is such a drag.” It’s a pleasant little opener to an EP that shows plenty of promise. Download the whole thing here. - Obscure Sound

01. Tigermilk – Talátur (post)
02. Merchandise – Satellite (post)
03. New Beard – Doom (post)
04. Candy Empire – Langour (post)
05. The Underground Man – Knows Me Better (post)
06. Hot Chip – Night & Day (post)
07. Jump the Shark – Under the Gun (post)
08. Flamingosis – Midnight Romance (post)
09. JjANICE+ – Aleas (post)
10. Lotus Plaza – Monoliths (post)
11. Amanda Jo Williams – The Bear Eats Me (post)
12. The Sons – Scientists (post)
13. Death Grips – Get Got (post)
14. jj – Beautiful Life (post)
15. The Widest Smiling Faces – Lazy Boy (post)
16. Walrus – Growing Pains (post) - Obscure Sound

Experimental psych pop from Halifax's Walrus. "That's What Happens" is my favorite track. Thanks to Walrus for the download! Also thanks to Mark at Tilt Spin for the heads up on this! - Dedicated Ears

Walrus-Soft Hands EP (2012)

Walrus seems to find me in the right mood every time they drop a new album. Odobenus Rosmarus, released earlier this year, crossed my desk in May; I was in a suitably social, outgoing mood to dig that EP's wistfully blissed out tone.

Well, now it's October, and I just want everyone to fuck off so I can drink red wine alone. The Soft Hands EP is a good soundtrack to that. The songs here use a bit more guitar and instrumentation than the synthscapes of Odobenus Rosmarus, resulting in a fuller sound that still maintains the distance that got me hooked on their earlier EP.

"It's No Myth to Me" opens with click-clack taps and gently strummed acoustic guitar. The dual vocals emphasize the casual, slow-day-on-yr-front-porch vibe. "Spirit Animal" turns up the psych factor a bit, with the vocals mixed behind some sort of radio communication sample, before reverb-drenched guitar fades in around 1:20. The song fades out with the pitter-pat of a snare drum, ushering you into "That's What Happens...," the best track on the EP. Fulfilling on the buildup of the first two tracks, cresting cymbals and acoustic guitar introduce tenderly remote female vocals, with the guy crooning near-incoherently in the background. The whole EP exudes the atmosphere of Bardo Pond, and nowhere more than with "That's What Happens..." Halfway through, the song brightens up a bit, only to drift back out of focus as it ends.

"Long Walks" really comes off like a Fleet Foxes tune. In fact, I sorta like some of Fleet Foxes' stuff, but I like this more 'cause I can listen to a whole Walrus EP without skipping through it, so check this out if you like Fleet Foxes but haven't heard good music. "Tender Buttons" is good too, but the Percoset kicked in a quarter of the way through it, so you'll hafta take my word on it.

Make Walrus yr autumnal soundtrack, and buy the EP, here. - Drug Punk

Bandcamp Hunter shared a link.
Walrus are back with more breezy psych pop. Really like the understated style of this Canadian duo, they've had some great releases this year. - Bandcamp Hunter

Walrus is practically melting. The Halifax psychedelic pop duo’s music quivers with the intensity of a summer’s worth of stoned tanning sessions and half-remembered shroomed-out BBQs, or any other summer get-together you can only half remember. The vocals are lazy, goopy drawls that hitch a ride on friendly guitar lines that just want to stroke your hair and maybe put some flowers in it. Though there isn’t the same affection for sampling, Walrus shares an affection for golden age pop with Panda Bear, especially on the impressive “Long Walks,” and goddamn if that doesn’t sound like holding hands for the first time. PWYC at their Bandcamp for the entire EP. - Chart Attack

From the martian sunrise of Aaron Levin:
Wrapped in a soupy gauze of slow-pitched delirium, Walrus’ sophomore summertime creeper unravels the dormant fantasies deep within all of us. It’s easy to waver within their cosmic surreality as you percolate through bubbling pop warbles and disparate vocals rooted deeply within the school of Brave Radar and the drug-ladled Amos & Sara. A superb beach-side jammer for the fantasian sunrise. - Weird Canada

Also on the bill and touring with the Bulash are Walrus who have a nice noise-pop thing going on, very much part of the WeirdCanada scene with cassette release and atmospheric MBV soundscapes.
- durhamregion.com

TW LW Artist Title Label
1 re Japandroids Celebration Rock Polyvinyl
2 25 Metric Synthetica Metric Music International
3 re Bruce Springsteen Wrecking Ball Columbia
4 -- Walrus Walrus Self-Released
5 -- The Flaming Lips & Heady Fwends Warner (WEA) - CKDU/Earshot

23 re Walrus Walrus Self-Released - CKDU/Earshot

20 23 Walrus Walrus Self-Released - CKDU/Earshot

Walrus-Sisters:

Continuamos con Shoegaze ambiental de ese que te deja con la tensión por los suelos. - The Jangle Drop

Music Monday: Walrus – Odobenus Rosmarus

While randomly looking around Bandcamp for some new music, I came across this 2 song EP by a band called Walrus. The only information I can find on this band is that they are two brothers from Halifax, but no other information seems to exist, not even a Twitter or Facebook page. Perhaps they like to keep it anonymous (much like I do when I’m at a show).

Walrus have that mellow, hazy, lo-fi sound. The first song, “Van Dyke Brown” starts out slow and builds to a muffled and loud ending. The second song, “Weekdays“, keeps it slow and smooth. Give it a listen above and check out some of their other albums on Bandcamp as well, which are equally as good!
- Teenage Riot TV

Walrus – Odobenus Rosmarus 7.0


Walrus moves quietly. You barely notice them at first. Their goal appears to be writing dreamy, lo-fi pop. Vocals remind me a little of ‘Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’. Like that band’s memorable singer, this singer sings in a drunken stumble. The resemblance is a little uncanny. That adds to the sweet charm of the EP. Its fleeting nature, far-away sound, and low volume emphasis make it sound honest. Perhaps it is this smallness that makes it feel positively huggable.

‘Van Dyke Brown’ takes a few seconds before you even realize it’s on. Yes it is near silence for a little bit. A microscopic beat gives it the weakest pulse ever. Behind that is the sound of running water which plays for the entire track. Halfway through the track Walrus tries and fails to wake up. Drums appear to start up a little bit by the end of the track but by then it serves more as a requiem than as an indication of where the song will go. The fade out takes about as long as the fade in. ‘Weekdays’ the second track somehow has even less energy. Where at least the previous track regained consciousness at some point this one is asleep. It is the embodiment of all that’s good with lo-fi dream pop. Sweet melodies drift from far away. Here Walrus appears to remain slightly more stationary.

The EP is rather sleepy. With only two songs they manage to create a mood perfect for a nice pleasant evening. It works quite well as music before one goes to sleep. - Beach Sloth

107. Walrus - Van Dyke Brown - BIRP!

Review- “Onetwotree/Sisters”- Walrus
Posted on April 27, 2012 by glasspaperweight
reviewed by Michael Thomas

What is most surprising about Onetwotree and Sisters, two three-song EP’s from Walrus, is that the recordings manage to be barely there and all-present at the same time.

Let me explain: the music that Walrus, two brothers from Halifax, makes is ethereal and quiet. Yet when I thought I would have nothing to write about, three listens in the songs felt very familiar to me, as if I’d heard them more frequently than twice.

The two guys of Walrus are already starting to look like a prolific band- Onetwotree just came out in March and Sisters was released for Record Store Day. The band describes themselves as experimental as well as “hop-on-pop.” What the latter term means I don’t know, but if anyone can claim “hop-on-pop” as their own, it’s Walrus.

The layout of a Walrus song is usually pretty simple- highly reverbed vocals and a mixture of guitar and a bunch of other things. But it’s not that simple- the guitar isn’t loud and is used as atmospheric texture. That’s what makes the music of Walrus so ethereal and different.

On Onetwotree, the duo makes a good introduction to their sound with songs like “Growing Pains” and “Little City People.” The latter song uses a combination of guitar, bass and the intermittent hitting of a triangle to create a good song about, well, the pain of growing up. “Little City Beat” has a loping beat that makes this the standout of this EP. “Peas and Carrots” finishes this EP off well.

Sisters sees the band experiment more. The vocals echo much more on this recording, making the lyrics almost indistinguishable. This makes the recording a much more atmospheric piece. The standout piece here is “It’s the Same for Now” which shows the band getting a little louder with a combination of guitar and drums. “Me and You” creates a happy atmosphere and “Nothing Left to Say” ends the EP with a multi-faceted song composed of many different instruments.

My words probably do no justice to this particular sound; take a listen and see for yourself what I mean. You can grab both EPs as name-your-price downloads via Walrus’ Bandcamp.

Top Tracks: “Little City People”; “It’s the Same For Now”

Rating: Strong Hoot (Good) - Grayowl Point

Odobenus Rosmarus- Walrus

The “hop-on-pop” Halifax brothers are back. That line was meant as a joke, because it’s been roughly a month since they made a release, and two months since their first release. The Walrus machine (that sounds funny to me) continues to churn out music, this time in the form of two more songs.

The humorously titled Odobenus Rosmarus (Google it and you’ll see why) starts off with “Van Dyke Brown,” a song which takes the Walrus sound to new places. It starts off in a quiet way, with bells and reverbed vocals (as I noticed in their previous two EP’s) but midway through it starts to get louder. There are more pronounced drums and perhaps guitars.

“Weekdays” actually starts rather ominously. There are some synth-sounding noises and atmospheric noise before it launches into its main melody. It’s also filled with all of the little bells and whistles I’ve now come to expect from these guys.

The best thing about Walrus is that I really dig their sound, but I have no idea what it is about it. All I know is that they’re not declining in quality in any way, and this may be their best release yet. Keep it up! The EP is a name-your-price download.

Rating: Proud Hoot (Really Good) - Grayowl Point

Odobenus Rosmarus

by Walrus

Source: walrustheband.bandcamp.com
- Best Free Music Links

¿Cuántas bandas tienen un Walrus en su nombres? ¿Cuántas bandas han sacado un release de nombre Sisters? ¿Cuántas bandas suenan a lo-fi pop? Yo diría que más de las que imaginamos, o al menos más de diez, eso por seguro. Quizás nada haga diferente a esta banda originaria de Halifax de las demás, pero hay algo que gusta y llama la atención en estas tres canciones que nos ofrecen en éste, su segundo LP (cual yo no considero sea un álbum como tal, aunque ellos dicen que sí). Ya sea porque humildemente sólo nos cuentan que son dos hermanos haciendo música tranquila, porque no se autoproclaman la octava maravilla de este mundo o porque no ponen “indie” en los tags del bandcamp, hay algo que sin duda los pone como una banda a la que se le debe, tal vez no agradecer del todo, pero al menos apoyar a llegar a más gente.

mp3: Walrus – “It’s The Same For Now”

mp3: Walrus – “Me and You”

Este release se encuentra disponible para su descarga gratuita por medio del bandcamp de Walrus. - Matinee As Hell

Cuando tuviste un sábado tan rudo que, aparte de un sueño semi-reparador por la noche, te obliga a tomar una siesta el domingo por la tarde para volver a subir esas barritas de vida y lo único que quieres es escuchar algo entrañable, es ahí donde me viene como anillo al dedo Odobenus Rosmarus, que es el nombre científico de la morsa, pero, en este caso, también es el nombre del nuevo material de Walrus (volvemos a lo de los nombres que si googleas tal cual encontrarás todo menos el release). Ellos son dos hermanos con sede en Halifax.

mp3: Walrus – “Van Dyke Brown”

El EP consta de dos piezas nada más, siendo “Van Dyke Brown” mi favorita, pues me llamó la atención desde el nombre ya que es el nombre que se le da a un proceso de impresión fotográfica: la canción está bien linda; es como el intro perfecto, hermoso, que luego complementa una voz parecida o que me recuerda a Bear In Heaven, pero más orgánico. La segunda canción también tiene su no sé qué: un encanto de canción, eso es lo que es. Todo está muy lindo, la verdad y el coverart es adorable.

Puedes descargar el EP en su bandcamp gratuitamente. - Matinee As Hell

Walrus-Odobenus Rosmarus EP (2012)

Halifax's fraternal duo Walrus, unlike most bands featured on Drug Punk, doesn't sound like a drug-induced car crash. Instead, Walrus is the appropriate soundtrack to wandering down the deserted back alleys and empty boulevards of your hometown in the misty rain, searching for that pretty girl (guy?) seen from a distance just the other day.

This two-song EP has a lot more texture than anything I've heard recently. "Van Dyke Brown" opens with rain patter and feels murky, in a tranquil way. The singer's voice is distant and melancholic, but not despondent. The song floats along on gentle currents of electronic percussion and effects, and fades out slowly. "Weekdays" sounds like it was recorded on a blustery day, with more hazy electro-ambience.
The EP sort of reminds me of a more concentrated, compressed version of Herzog's first EP. It's an excellent accompaniment to the merry month of May, and I recommend it.

Check it out here. - Drug Punk

I’ve found the definitive soundtrack to being really sweaty and totally spaced out in the sunshine. Walrus will make you want to melt away in the blazing heat with their vaguely psychedelic weirdo beats that make up their latest EP, Odobenus Rosmarus. ‘Van Dyke Brown’ is part off-kilter krautrock and part space age soundscape; humming and whirring like the gentle purr of a space shuttle’s engine as it glides in front of the sun, slowly disintegrating into nothing. ‘Weekdays’ on the other hand is a bleak ballad submerged in a deep ocean, vibrating in time to the waves; intricately bleeping and blooping like a repetitive SOS from a long lost submarine. It’s incredibly relaxing and intriguing stuff, and I highly recommend you press play on ‘Van Dyke Brown’ below and check out ‘Weekdays’ over at the Walrus BandCamp. - Can't Hear My Eyes

Sisters - Walrus



Source: walrustheband.bandcamp.com - Bandcamp Hunter

The WALRUS duo is comprised of two brothers from Halifax.

The two tracks on new Ep Odobenus Rosmarus – the binomial name for Walrus – are full of gentle chimes and layers of delicate rattles and soft
washed out vocals. Listen below. - Sexbeat

It’s Record Store Day next weekend and Walrus will be taking part with a 3 song EP you can also grab on Bandcamp titled Sisters. As strange sounding as they are, this release seems to make more sense.
Walrus- It’s the Same For Now - Ride The Tempo

Besides that they are from Halifax I don’t know much about Walrus. On Bandcamp they tagged their selves as experimental hop-on-pop, whatever that means. They are pretty dream poppy with synth atmospheres. Check out one of 3 tracks you can grab called Little City People.
Walrus- Little City People - Ride The Tempo

Besides that they are from Halifax I don’t know much about Walrus. On Bandcamp they tagged their selves as experimental hop-on-pop, whatever that means. They are pretty dream poppy with synth atmospheres. Check out one of 3 tracks you can grab called Little City People.
Walrus- Little City People - Ride The Tempo

Hey Halifax! We’re putting on another show this Friday to say goodbye to Spooky Campers with Emperor Bulash and Walrus, definitely a remarkable lineup to say the least! The show’s only $3 and is all ages. Come drink coffee/listen to music. 1313 Hollis is an art gallery, so there will probably be some amazing art to check out as well.

I made the poster, let me know what you think!

http://www.spookycampers.bandcamp.com

http://www.emperorbulash.bandcamp.com

http://www.walrustheband.bandcamp.com - Sunken Sounds

Hey Halifax! We’re putting on another show this Friday to say goodbye to Spooky Campers with Emperor Bulash and Walrus, definitely a remarkable lineup to say the least! The show’s only $3 and is all ages. Come drink coffee/listen to music. 1313 Hollis is an art gallery, so there will probably be some amazing art to check out as well.

I made the poster, let me know what you think!

http://www.spookycampers.bandcamp.com

http://www.emperorbulash.bandcamp.com

http://www.walrustheband.bandcamp.com - Sunken Sounds

Walrus – Onetwotree: Adorable, slightly anxious hop-on-pop from Halifax. - Stadiums & Shrines

Walrus: “Growing Pains” - Best New Tracks

Den kanadensiska popduon Walrus är nu tillbaka med en ny Ep. På sin nya Ep seglar bandet tryggt vidare i samma farled som tidigare med kompassnålen främst riktad mot Youth Laagons mjuka fingrande på gitarrerna. Såväl den vackra lyriken som den dova experimentlusten i bakgrunden finns kvar och låter bitvis snudd på exakt som på förra ep:n. Det enda som skiljer dem egentligen åt är väl tempot, Sisters är betydligt mycket lugnare än sin storasyster Onetwotree och då var ändå Onetwotree en väldigt lugn syster som liten.

Jag gillar konceptet med ge ut flera ep:s under kort tid men problemet här är att man knappt hör någon skillnad på dem och då försvinner lite meningen med att göra det. På en ep har du betydligt större möjlighet att experimentera med ditt sound och röra dig i flera olika riktningar utan att för den skull tappa kurs och riktning men verkar inte riktigt Walrus förstått eller vilja göra vilket nu som ligger sanningen närmast? Därför måste jag erkänna att Sisters på sin helhet känns lite lam, lite tråkig, ja lite beige.

Men det betyder fortfarande inte att det är dåligt. Det bara lite som när man går till jobbet på måndagsmorgonen, man vet att man måste och man veta att rutinerna kommer vara detsamma och just där och då känns lite tråkigt för man hade mycket hellre velat göra något annat även om man inners tinne gillar sitt jobb. - Noisefields

Ny minimalistisk indiepop, hur roligt kan det egentligen vara en solig påskdag 2012? Ja den frågan kan man ställa sig eller så skiter man i det och bara tar vara på det som finns och faktiskt inser hur bra det är!

De senaste åren har jag och den här typen av popmusik haft en liten paus, eller paus och paus, vi var trötta på varandra och lät varandra leka fritt några år. Jag flyttade runt och försökte finna nya musikaliska romanser och visst var det en och annan gång som jag trodde att jag träffat rätt, men ack så fel jag hade. För det finns inget som gör mig så lycklig som den här typen av finstämd pop med rötterna på andra sidan atlanten.

Walrus är ett kanadensiskt embryo bestående av två bröder från Halifax (om det nu är relevant?). Musikaliskt seglar de tryggt mellan Youth Lagoons mjuka gitarrstämmor, Girls poplyrik och Of Montreals vilja att göra något nytt av något gammalt. Det är som att cykla längs ens barndoms gator samtidigt som man ser sig själv i äldre skugga strax bredvid. Det är minnen om olycklig kärlek, skrapsår och vind i håret. Det var sådana här pärlor jag drömde om att upptäcka när jag var 14 år. Att det sedan dess har flutit mycket vatten under broarna och jag blivit bredare spelar ingen roll, för när jag väl hör vackra popslingor som Growing Pains och Little City People från bandets debut-EP, då blir jag kär.
- Noisefields

These two brothers from Halifax have just released their second album, “Sisters.” It’s a melodramatic and soothing compilation of songs that reminds me of a modern version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The guitar is lightly strummed throughout their songs, with a soft drum beat, and a high pitched yet quiet vocal. The lead singer brings me back to the days of The Format, if they were to make an experimental ‘hop on pop’ album. It’s a nice listen, so check it out, and grab the album if you like it! Enjoy! - Music You Need

The brothers who make up Walrus kept it short and sweet when getting in touch with me, with an email that barely stretched to 15 words long and virtually no context around it, just a simple link to their Bandcamp page. I can’t tell you much about these guys at all; I know they’re brothers, I know they’re from Halifax, I know they’ve released two digital EPs since March, and…that’s about it. So I’ll keep this post short, too, and let you jump straight into the kinda-Beach House-y (in the best way) “It’s The Same For Now,” off their Sisters EP. - Soft Signal

More To Explore: Walrus

Walrus
For those who like: Belle & Sebastian

Walrus a duo comprised of brothers from Halifax. They make some pretty restrained, sleepy indie pop. I don't know much more than that.

Their debut EP Onetwotree came out at the end of March. Have a listen here: - Snob's Music

Walrus is a new outfit from Halifax, Nova Scotia. This three song EP shows tremendous promise for everyone concerned. Walrus have a downcast croon that wraps your bones in a pensive gauze of tenuous relaxation, much like sleeping deeply on a bullet train. Weird folk afficionados will gratefully welcome Walrus into the canon should their material continue on this trajectory. It should not go without mentioning that there is an uncanny vocal resemblance to Knots that is not at all unwelcome. I have my suspicions that it may be the same fine man. Keep your eyes peeled wide for more Walrus, friends. These guys are the genuine article. - Argue Job

Having two sons, I see how brothers interact on a daily basis. Pushing and shoving, hugging and loving. These interactions start too early to be anything more than natural, inherited instinct.

Walrus, a new experimental dream-pop act from Halifax, is the work of two brothers but those roughhouse moments are nowhere to be found.

The two musicians move in step, but this isn’t a determined march. These songs are more of an exhale than any form of exertion. “Growing Pains” is so smooth that the title seems incongruent. Instead of elbows and apologies, you envision two siblings that never had awkward moments, moved freely and confidently and never fell victim to the soul crushing games of the fairer sex.

Sonically, the melodies flow more like a viscous fluid than a series of individual notes. Glockenspiels and triangles ring out, plucked bass tries to force the issue but the brothers hold true. These three songs envelope you slowly, like the morning harbor fog. There might be storms ahead, but for now, everything is perfectly calm in this delightful haze. - Herohill

This past weekend, Record Store Day came and went (I now own a fantastic Justin Townes Earle 45, so it worked out for me), and even in the number of “exclusives” was far too limited for an event of such increasing popularity, it has spurred a solid new trend.

Bands unable to afford vinyl (or opting not to press it) are releasing downloadable tracks to celebrate Record Store Day and bring attention to the event.

One such act was the Halifax band, Walrus. The duo caught my ear with the dream pop sounds of Onetwotree (a three song EP that hinted at the vintage tones of Beach House and lo-fi pop wizardry of Youth Lagoon), so to get three new songs so quickly from the young band is a nice treat.

The new EP, Sisters, was recorded for Record Store Day, and thankfully finds the band painting with the same brush strokes and using the same color pallet. Outside of the heavier bass line and quicker step of “It’s The Same For Now”, the duo is quite happy creating the same kind of ear pleasing, minimal, cloudy hazes we heard on Onetwotree.

And honestly, I’m quite happy keep soaking them in. Sisters is available as a PWYC download. Give these guys a buck or two. You won’t be sorry. - Herohill