By Regina Sienra
John K. Samson will be back this October with an album that may feature more Weakerthans’ sounds than we had hoped for. Winter Wheat, Samson’s second solo album, is coming out on October 21st. The album will feature The Weakerthans’ drummer Jason Tait –who also co-produces the album alongside musician Christine Fellows, Samson’s partner– and bassist Greg Smith.
“Strangely, this album is technically more like a Weakerthans record than my first solo album”, Samson said to A.V. Club. “But in other ways it feels very different. It is a bit of a sprawler at 15 songs, which is unusual for me, and is mostly acoustic and spare, and was recorded in home studios over a really long Winnipeg winter.”
Both Tait and Smith joined John K. Samson on stage at Brandon Folk Fest in late July. There, the Weakerthans’ singer performed some new songs that will appear on Winter Wheat.
The title for Samson’s second solo album comes from a song inspired by Miriam Toews’ A Complicated Kindness and was created for an event called “Torn From the Pages”, which took place on May 2015.
A.V Club is also premiering “Postdoc Blues”, first single from Winter Wheat. In this song, Samson explores how technology is altering the way we interpret the world. You can pre-order the album here.
UPDATE: The Winter Wheat track listing has been announced as well:
1. Select All Delete
2. Postdoc Blues
3. Winter Wheat
4. Requests
5. Oldest Oak at Brookside
6. Capital
7. 17th Street Treatment Centre
8. Vampire Alberta Blues
9. Carrie Ends the Call
10. Fellow Traveller
11. Quiz Night at Looky Lou’s
12. Alpha Adept
13. Prayer for Ruby Elm
14. VPW 13 Blues
15. Virtute at Rest
Good morning!
So did everybody else just get sucked into the ether along with the vanished blog post or what? Where you all at?
Good morning everyone!
Aaaaand we’re back!
JOHN
K
SAMSON
IS
BACK
I’m swooning so hard. Asdfghjkl
Re the last track on the future JKS album, it’s got a high standard to reach; I assume JKS must be confident, not only presenting it, but placing it last.
I noticed that, Benoit.
Good morning.
My kid jamming to Joplin’s version of Me and Bobby McGee.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpXRtH5Cafk
(sorry)
@Benoit I’m wondering about that one too. I mean, it’s not like “Virtute explains her departure” is an easy (-to say it in a way) song. It breaks your heart. I can’t imagine what he’ll do.
the whacky world of sports
Adam van Koeverden just raced his last race, blowing the doors off the B final, which he ended up in because he had a bad race in the semis. His time would’ve gotten him a silver medal
Wow, I didn’t know they had foot races that feature doors! Fences to trip you, sure, but doors is great!
Also, I love JKS but I’m not particularly fond of the merch company where you pre-order. Last time I checked their parcels took extra long and were easily delayed by customs. (Correct me if I’m wrong, but this company is LA-based)
I wouldn’t say “terrible customer service”, but a very rude one. When I ordered my Weakerthans shirt, I think they even had a disclaimer that said something like “don’t message us to let us know your International order has not arrived”.
Adam van K is a kayaker. He had been a guest on Grant’s show back in the day, a couple of times
ha…the images an event called “individual jumping” conjure up…
evidently, it’s done with horses, so not really individual
Wow, opening and closing doors while kayaking would also be a challenge!
The Strumbellas just announced some Canadian dates with The Zolas!!!
https://instagram.com/p/BJLKN9-hwui/
@Shonica That’s a nice bill.
well, the girl who was commentating obviously knows her stuff, not the intake of breath at the very start of the dive – she knew he’d screwed up
http://olympics.cbc.ca/video/vod/from-hero-zero-watch-defending-olympic-gold-medallist-ilya-zakharov-belly-flop.html
Also, I need links in English to show you this but there’s a big, Olympics-related story going on here.
The “president” of what we call the National Sport Commission (not the national Olympic committee) is honeymooning with taxpayers’ money in Rio, while some Mexican athletes are showing up without the proper uniforms.
It just got crazier because the first medal (we don’t know yet what it is, a boxer just pugilist just clinched a spot in the semifinal) is a guy who had to ask for money on the streets to be able to cover his travel expenses.
This countryyy
@Shonica Your pics are very nice! If this grows –and you like the idea– we can even get you to apply for press passes (and even photo ones to get super close for three songs).
Love the artwork on that Strumbellas poster… or is that album art?
I was a lot wittier in the other blog post. Why did we have to move here? 😉
Headline of the daaaay:
http://www.thelocal.se/20160816/pig-mask-pair-enjoy-waterwheel-sex-after-pokmon-hunter-attack
Fussy nitpicks: Toews’ book title should be in italics, and missing closing quotation mark on event name in same sentence. There are a couple more, but they’re even nitpickier and not worth mentioning. Not that other two were really either.
reg, 9:34: ummmmm…
@MrFussy Truth is I just threw together this post in like five minutes. I’ll correct that, and please don’t hesitate to point out more. Thanks.
@Benoit Too weird?
nsfw? afraid to click.
@MrFussy Only a bit in text. No pictures that would get you in trouble.
Off for a bit. bye for now.
reg, no, not too weird. More like I did not know what to say.
@Mr. Fussy – Wet Secrets/BDR at the Drake this Saturday.
Isn’t this Saturday also the Tragically Hip’s CBC multicast?
Yup, the Hip show is this Saturday.
Yes, there’s a Hip broadcast in Waterloo Town Square on Saturday. If I don’t make it to Riverfest, I’ll probably be there.
@Russ, thanks. Cheaper than Riverfest, but then I’d have to drive to Toronto…
There are Andy Shauf patches? Waaaaant
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJLIbIQADUK/
I know, I know…
Hip Day…
watching the SWE – BRA women’s football (soccer) match
SWE is playing a brilliantly tactical game, but kind of dull.
Whatever works, right?
scoreless tie in the second half of overtime. 20-some minutes and it’s off to penalty kicks
watching BRA-SWE women’s soccer
SWE is playing brilliantly, but kind of dull. But if it works, I guess…
scoreless tie in second half of overtime. 10 minutes to penalty kicks
oh…who’s this anonymous dude who’s also watching women’s football? I like her/him!
@anonymous. Canadian women are playing tomorrow afternoon, right? Semi-final? Might have to work from home…
nope. they play in about a half-hour
3PM ET
The Canada – Germany match, and then the diving final (in which Mexico has some chances). Busy afternoon!
wasnt’ really paying attention until recently. Watched the highlights and some of the games (because you can stream the entire game on the CBC site – you can also skip around)
they’ve been playing brilliantly
they beat Australia playing a player short for 3/4 of the match
and not only did they hold off Aus, they scored a goal to cement the win
and it’s into penalty kicks!
Darn. That’s today? Ok… Will have to stream tonight.
so I guess I shouldn’t post results here, then…
this is tense 3/4 in kicks for each side
oh my….BRA just stoned by Lindahl.
This kick could win it for SWE
SWE WINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wow….
I promise I won’t do that during the Canada game 🙂
@Krib I wouldn’t mind. I was looking on Twitter for updates before checking here, duh.
@krib, haha…. yeah, well, if you start giving too much information I’ll just close this tab.
Hey all! I am back from the fabulous long weekend in Winnipeg enjoying some great music with friends. It was great to forget about my new bike being stolen. Outside of the festival gates I was reminded over and over as I watched people bike by and would think about how that was supposed to be me.
Devin had the stent taken out this morning and will finish this round of antibiotics and hopefully that 2 month kidney stone ordeal will be done with.
I was trying to catch up a little and saw some great posts I missed since last week. It’s good to be back for a few days.
I was watching a bit of that game while waiting for my son at the hospital.
You guys will like this! Performers and judges for Polaris have announced… and beloved Lisa Christiansen is there! http://polarismusicprize.ca/blog/performers-announced-for-polaris-2016-gala-grand-jury-revealed/
WAIT!
LANA IS THERE TOO!
Shonica just sent me a link to that. Cool stuff!
@reginula – I want that media pass! I can’t get pics with my crappy phone right now. If I had a media pass I would be able to go in with my DSLR.
@Darbs What about we send an applcation for one for BreakOut West?
Aaaand Germany scored.
@reginula – How cool would that be? I will be there.
@Darbs That would be awesome! I’ll look that up.
That’s it; I’m outta here!
Ow. Sorry, Mr Fussy!
I won’t post any other updates. There’s still a lot of time for stuff to happen.
Canada is starting to smell blood. man, their offence breaks out fast…
Nice jury!
I bet you say that to all the blogs
Some guy ranked all the flags of countries participating at the Olympics.
You may not like where you stand, but I love mine. https://theringer.com/which-country-has-the-best-flag-d0b1d4bf1aa1#.44mpqzh0l
I remember another list of flag rankings, assembled with a little more scientific rigor (sort of). The site seems to be offline now, but it lives on in the Wayback Machine.
I’m afraid Mexico doesn’t fare as well in that list. One thing I like about this new one is that it’s kinder to my favourite flag: Barbados.
Reg, 2:03, “opinions: everybody’s got one”. Also, our flag’s considered one of the better ones in the world, being immediately identifiable. (Also, a maple tree??? Pfffft! Would not have looked half as good.)
you just know anything that starts with “some guy” and the internet is going to be great…
In the other flag thing, the guy says of ours: that maple leaf… (…) not stylised enough. I quote that because, obviously (I think it’s obvious, anyway), the leaf is VERY stylised. I repeat, opinions: everybody’s got one.
if you don’t know what a maple leaf actually looks like, maybe
3:36: …in which case one would be well advised not to call it not stylised enough…
Or they could just be attention seeking
They shouldn’t be attention-seeking; it takes attention away from me.
After all, Lord knows, I *deserve* attention, Lord knows.
(Pastiched on D. Duck’s “I’m not like other people, I can’t stand pain, it hurts me”, from an Abominabobble Snowman cartoon.)