METZ, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Young Fathers Fill Exclaim!'s May Issue

Photo: Ashlea Wessel

BY Branan RanjanathanPublished Apr 29, 2015

Another month has passed, and there is another issue of Exclaim! out in the world, ready for music lovers across the country to dive into. So get out there, grab a copy and flip through the many articles and reviews in our May issue to find out which artists have the spotlight in the world of music.

Gracing the cover of our May issue are noisy Torontonian garage-punk outfit METZ. Our feature finds the trio opening up about the unexpected success of their self-titled LP and the difficulties that come with balancing their busy tour schedule and writing their forthcoming release, METZ II. Vocalist and guitarist Alex Edkins discusses their writing process, saying "as far as the new tunes, we tried to just follow our guts and let that guide the way. That's been our M.O. from day one."

This month's Timeline features enigmatic experimental powerhouse Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Read about the early days of the Canadian collective, when Efrim Menuck took over Hotel2Tango along with John Arthur Tinholt and collaborated with Ian Ilavsky and Don Wilkie to produce their 1997 LP F#A#∞, releasing it through the then-fledgling Constellation Records. Grab a copy and learn about the two-decade journey leading up to the release of this year's album, Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress.

Emmy-nominated actor, writer and member of iconic comedy troupe Kids in the Hall Scott Thompson is the subject of this month's Questionnaire. Find out about his harrowing experiences as a rickshaw driver, the time Laurence Fishburne outshined him at a UFC fight and his failed stand-up routine on an all-gay cruise.

Dine Alone Records and Bedlam Management founder Joel Carriere is the focus of this month's Music School. Carriere reveals his humble beginnings and what it was like working odd jobs within the industry, before founding his label and working alongside artists like Dallas Green and Attack in Black, whom he had met along the way. Carriere discusses the importance of signing international acts and how doing so also opens up doors for homegrown talent to be recognized by the rest of the world.

Scottish hip-hop trio Young Fathers delve into their mission for equality by expanding on their latest album, White Men Are Black Men Too, in this month's issue. Alloysious Massaquoi explains that with their music they try to "promote the in-between," and examine racial inequality from a broader perspective, rather than reducing the issues to finger-pointing.

This month's issue also features interviews with artists including Waxahatchee, who talks about her evolution as an artist over the years, and what went into her latest album, Ivy Tripp. Then, Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld discuss their latest effort, Never were the way she was, and the wide range of emotions that instrumental music allows listeners to feel.

We've also got plenty of interviews with artists like Alabama Shakes, Tei Shi, Braids, Wale and many more. Hit a street box or drop by your local coffee shop, record store or concert venue to pick up a copy of Exclaim!'s May issue today.
 

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