The West wants in in in in

>> Shout Out Out Out Out put the
prairies on the electro-rock map

by LORRAINE CARPENTER

Edmonton. A city built on a river valley, with a famously massive mall. Population: one million. Winter: long and harsh. Politics: never mind. Whether or not these conditions would seem to nurture a solid music scene, the rise of artists like Cadence Weapon, Corb Lund and Shout Out Out Out Out (aka SO4) suggest that the scene is not only strong, but healthy in its diversity. There has even been buzz, over the last two years, that Edmonton may be “the new Montreal,” with their hearty crop of new bands and record labels.

One of the labels is Normals Welcome, run by SO4’s Jason Troock and frontman Nik Kozub, who’s been a tireless champion of local talent for years—he’s even got the town’s area code, 780, tattooed on his arm. Before SO4, he and his bandmates paid their dues in a series of punk bands. Now, in the spirit of Daft Punk, rinôçérôse and VHS or Beta, they make the rock crowd dance and the dance crowd pump their fists to their driving electro-rock, the product of five synths, four basses, two drum kits, two samplers and two vocoders, as played by Kozub and Troock, Lyle Bell and Gravy (also of Whitey Houston), Will Zimmerman and Clint Frazier.

The Mirror reached Kozub on his way out of Edmonton. The band is about to hit the States for the first time, and they’re wondering what to wear to the Junos—their album Not Saying, Just Saying is nominated for best alternative album. Kozub thinks Malajube will win, but he’s not letting it get him down.

Mirror: The [anglo] Montreal scene isn’t exactly as tight as it’s been made out to be. It’s more like high school. How about Edmonton?

Nik Kozub: It’s a smaller community, so we all know each other, hang out together, eat breakfast together, DJ together, whatever. Music is an integral part of our community, and it’s seeping with integrity and interesting ideas.

M: You guys are known for your live show. What are some of your most memorable experiences on stage?

NK: Our CD release shows in Edmonton were pretty surreal. We played two sold-out nights, and I distinctly remember thinking about how I never thought any of my musical endeavours could make that kind of impact. It’s a weird feeling to play music for your whole life, and then all of a sudden, people actually care when you least expect it.

Another memorable one was this New Year’s Eve, when I somehow managed to slam a microphone into my face so hard that I wound up needing five stitches in my forehead. I am actually a little bummed out that the scar just won’t seem to go away.

M: Did you guys see any shows that inspired the direction of the band, or at least what you wanted to achieve on stage?

NK: Actually, right around the time we formed the band, Jason and I went to one of those Coachella thingamajigs and saw some really great performances from artists we admire, like LCD Soundsystem, !!!, the Rapture, 2manyDJs, the Cure, and... KRAFTWERK! That was a pretty amazing trip, and it was certainly inspiring, even though we already had a pretty clear idea of what we wanted to accomplish with Shout Out Out Out Out. Those acts are still most certainly some of our heroes.

With 120 Days, Sean Kosa and
DJ Huggs at Main Hall on Friday,
March 2, 8:30 p.m., $13.50