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Post-punk is a very broad genre of music. After emerging from punk in the late 70s in the United Kingdom, it saw punk rock mixed with several other elements from different genres that were unconventional within the punk context.

In the band Squid’s case, it is easy to hear some math-rock/midwest emo influences with the presence of odd time signatures and glassy guitar tones throughout most of their songs. Their use of bass and lead synths, seen throughout both of their albums, Bright Green Fields and O Monolith, provide a constant ambience to their music while their drummer and lead vocalist, Ollie Judge, keeps a tight groove and provides an ecstatic vocal performance. Judge's vocals are very punk-reminiscent, with heavily distorted screaming that adds deep emotion and tone to each song. 

However, there is nothing else consistent about the band. In fact, Squid’s charm comes from their inconsistency as, safe for Ollie and the band's keyboardist Arthur Leadbetter, other bandmates Anton Pearson, Laurie Nankivell, and Louis Borlase, are constantly switching the instruments they’re playing. Both Leadbetter and Pearson often shift between guitar and bass, while Pearson also works the synth and his guitar pedal knobs to provide ethereal embellishments and presence to their music. Laurie, although primarily their bass player, also works the trumpet excellently throughout songs such as “Documentary Filmmaker” and “After the Flash,” and Leadbetter mainly works the keyboard, while occasionally picking up the cowbell, tambourine, gong, and some stringed instruments.

It is an understatement to say that the band is extremely diverse, and they take advantage of their vast musical knowledge to constantly create something new. All of this makes it possible for Squid to create beautiful ambient melodies that either precede, follow or merge into gritty and groovy punk rock segments.

While Squid’s music is highly ambitious, incorporating versatile layers of sound feeling like they could fall apart at any moment, it is exactly that organized chaos that led to their performance at Club Soda feeling like a seamless transition from listening to them on record. 

Opening with their song “Swing (In a Dream),” the band members' sheer musical talent and professionalism was demonstrated with how well executed each nuance that makes the album version sound so great, as well as the whole concert being one of the most well-mixed shows I’ve been able to attend in recent months. This combined perfectly with the countless moments of live improvisation that the band would include, each being vastly different from the other. 

Squid performed some of their first hit songs which first began putting them on the post-punk map including “The Cleaner” and “Narrator” and many off their new sophomore release, O-Monolith, but a surprising portion of what was played were deeper cuts off their earlier EPs. One of these deeper cuts being the track “Broadcaster” where Judge steps off his kit and performs with a microphone directly in front of the crowd, providing excellent stage presence as he wandered around the stage with a completely different personality, where instead of looking focused and calculated on the drums he could fill the song with a playful and intimate atmosphere.

Ending the setlist by performing “The Blades” was an unbelievable musical moment that I’ll remember very fondly and kept up the momentous energy that could be felt throughout the entire show. While many of the fans in the audience chanted for an encore since they had yet to play “Pamphlets” which had been a staple at many of their prior shows, they unfortunately did not, which gave some slight disappointment but left me knowing that I would undoubtedly attend their next concert and I highly recommend anyone who enjoys watching expertly played live music to do the same.

Critically acclaimed Japanese indie folk artist Ichiko Aoba performed here in Montreal this Friday, February 23rd at Théâtre Beanfield. Known for her minimalistic pastel album covers, the singer-songwriter released her debut album entitled Kamisori Otome in 2010. Ichiko’s music is predominantly melodic, mostly guitar and piano-based, and takes heavy inspiration from the original soundtracks of classic Studio Ghibli films. You can see this influence on Ichiko’s most recently released LP, Windswept Adan. The album, which is sung entirely in Japanese, stands out from the rest of her discography by illustrating a world using dramatic instrumentals, stunning vocal performances, and recordings of the wilderness which ties together a thematically consistent and truly unique record. I would encourage everyone reading to give the LP a listen, any language barrier which may present itself does not take away from the masterclass storytelling present in Windswept Adan. Throughout many tracks, the sound of windchimes and waves crashing against the coast can be heard, but I find them most prevalent in “ohayashi,” which demonstrates perfectly how Aoba uses musical motifs in her storytelling. “Chi no Kaze” is a track off this album that more closely resembles her original style of music as well as her live performances, if you want to get a vibe of what her music might sound like in person.

Opening for Ichiko Aoba, Skullcrusher, a New York State-based indie folk artist. She sang mostly songs from her recently released LP Quiet the Room, and started the show off with a comforting atmosphere. The audience was seated for the entirety of both shows, and besides between the Skullcrusher and Aoba sets, there was no intermission. This concert was the perfect place to have seats, as it gave the audience more opportunity to focus solely on the performance and to be truly enthralled by the show at hand.

As soon as Aoba walked from the backstage, you could tell it was going to be an amazing performance. As she walked to her microphone and set up her guitar, cheers roared from the audience, she hummed to herself so quietly that the mics almost couldn’t pick it up. Plugging in her guitar, an extremely loud reverb erupted the venue, and without even flinching, she continued to hum and set up her space. Her demeanour captured the audience’s full attention, and after a few minutes had passed, she began to sing. Throughout the show, she would mimic the sounds of birds and waves with only her voice. At some points, I had to squint to see if she had started to play the flute, but alas, it was her voice. Despite only being herself and a guitar for most of the show, every song sounds distinct from the last. She used her six strings as a drum, a bass, and a normal guitar all at once at some points. Even when taking a break to drink some water, she couldn’t resist making a beat by clanging the lid against her bottle. Aoba’s stage presence was unlike anything else I had ever seen, her bone-chilling vocals as well as her utter instrumental talent somehow paled in comparison to her oozing confidence, humour, and pure joy she conveyed the rest of the night. It truly seemed like there was nowhere she’d rather be. At one point, she stated in between songs “Let the treasures in your heart always protect you.” I found the entire performance a beautiful reflection of how her childhood has influenced her artistry today, especially that quote. And I found myself in a very nostalgic state throughout the entirety of the show, without having ever heard of Ichiko Aoba before this week. 

If you haven’t heard of Ichiko Aoba already, you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t listen to her music. It was an amazing opportunity to see her live, and if you ever get the opportunity to see her yourself, take it! Alternatively, her next city on this tour is Singapore, and I’d argue it might be worth the money on plane tickets for a second viewing.

Frost Children is a musical duo currently based in New York City. The act consists of siblings Angel and Lulu Prost, who both have solo music, but their collaborative efforts have brought them the most success. The siblings produce genre-bending music, with their newest album, Hearth Room, released in November of 2023. Hearth Room is a stark contrast to their prior work, demonstrating the duo's diversity and alternative indie sound. Their other 2023 album, SPEED RUN, features hyperpop, glitchcore, and techno tracks. Frost Children have stated that Skrillex and Alex G are some of their musical influences, showing the wide range of audiences to which their music may appeal. The opening two tracks on SPEED RUN contain an incredible transition between them, and I highly recommend listening with headphones. On February 6th, at La Sotterenea, Frost Children performed in Montreal.

Frost Children’s Double Headed Tour incorporates songs from both albums, giving spectators a concert that feels like two. Starting with songs from Hearth Room, Lulu, and Angel go offstage and change costumes, preparing everyone mentally for SPEED RUN. While they do that, a projector shows pictures of adorable dogs with the words “LETS F*CKING GO” repeated over and over. With their iconic songs from both albums and a couple of other classics, their show leaves the audience feeling extremely satisfied with the performance.

Frost Children's on-stage charisma and energy are evident in every song they perform. The crowd’s engagement was unlike any other concert I have been to. During one of their songs, the duo asked for two audience volunteers to play instruments alongside Angel, Lulu, and their drummer Eden Pacheco. In another song, “Fox Bop,” an audience member was brought on stage and sang alongside the duo, while everyone was dancing and having fun. Even on a Sunday night, Frost Children was able to entice everyone in the audience to accompany them on an emotional journey. Songs from Hearth Room, such as “Marigold” and “Oats From a Mug,” brought both tears and laughter. Songs from SPEED RUN such as “SERPENT” and “LET IT BE” generated an atmosphere of bouncing off the walls with dance. 

After seeing Frost Children as an opener for George Clanton in 2023, it was awesome to see how they formatted their show, and I highly recommend listening to their albums! They also have a remix of the song “Even It Out” by Fever Ray which is one of my favourite songs of all time.

Naia Ballman is the co-host of inside, a genre-defying music expo on air Wednesdays 10-11 pm