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Ashley Au
City: 
Winnipeg
Bio: 

 

Ashley Au is a bassist, composer/arranger, music connoisseur, kitten-enthusiast, music instructor and queer creative living in the heart of Winnipeg.  When she's not on stage, you can usually find her in a dimly lit studio writing and listening to music… and/or slamming brews and bustin' a move downtown. Check out  www.ashleyau.com for more info. 

Recent Articles

Out This Week!

Our 5-minute reviews of some albums hot and fresh out the kitchen

By Ashley Au from Winnipeg, on Tue, 2013-05-21 08:27
the rooster, tunesday, out this week, Daft Punk, Random Access Memories, Japanther, Eat Like Lisa Act Like Bart, The National, Trouble Will Find Me, new music, new albums, winnipeg, ashley au
Old Timey Record Store
Each week at the Rooster, we bring you reviews on some of the week's new releases. This week, we bring you offerings from Daft Punk, Japanther, and The National. Random Access Memories by Daft Punk Since the single, Get Lucky (ft. Pharrell Williams), was released earlier this spring, all eyes and ears have been on Daft Punk.  Well folks, this long anticipated release from our favourite French electro-funky duo has finally been officially released!  Upon my first listen, I had... [Keep Reading]

Out This Week!

Our 5-minute reviews of some albums hot and fresh out the kitchen

By Ashley Au from Winnipeg, on Tue, 2013-05-07 10:33
Out this Week!, tunesday, new music, winnipeg, talib kweli, Vampire Weekend, Deerhunter, She & Him, Zooey Deschanel, new album, ashley au
Each week at the Rooster, we bring you reviews on some of the week's new releases. This week, we bring you offerings from Deerhunter, She & Him, Talib Kweli, and Vampire Weekend. Monomania by Deerhunter Monomania is a fantastic album.  Deerhunter explore their grungier sensibilities with this 12 track beauty.  Noisy, distorted, dirty, it's everything that you want your Friday night at the Winsdor to be.  This classic aesthetic paired with Deerhunter's indie rock... [Keep Reading]

Paradigm Shift

A conversation with emerging classical pianists Everett Hopfner and Madeline Hildebrand

By Ashley Au from Winnipeg, on Wed, 2013-05-01 11:51
e-gre competition, tunesday, winnipeg, Manitoba, Music, classical piano, everett hopfner, madeline hildebrand, interview, concert, ashley au
A couple weeks ago I found myself in West Broadway's oh-so-trendy coffee joint, Thom Bargen, to meet and chat with classical pianists Madeline Hildebrand and Everett Hopfner, two musicians competing in the prestigious Eckhardt-Gramatte National Music Competition, the most important annual contemporary music competition for exceptional emerging Canadian performing artists in piano, voice, and strings.  Among the sound of cups and saucers clinking, milk steaming, and the hushed... [Keep Reading]

Out This Week!

Our 5-minute reviews of some albums hot and fresh out the kitchen

By Ashley Au from Winnipeg, on Tue, 2013-04-23 20:45
Music, new music, tunesday, Snoop Lion, Reincarnation, Phoenix, Bankrupt!, claire morrison, Here's to you here's to me, young galaxy, ultramarine, winnipeg, new releases
Each week at the Rooster, we bring you reviews on some of the week's new releases. This week, we bring you offerings from Phoenix, Snoop Lion, Claire Morrison, and Young Galaxy. Bankrupt! by Phoenix This long anticipated follow up to Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix shows a lot of growth from our favourite French indie rock outfit, Phoenix.  The songs on this album are ripe with the driving urgency that we love and we can be sure to keep an ear out for a few of these hook heavy summer anthems... [Keep Reading]

I Am Sold

A review of James Blake's Overgrown

By Ashley Au from Winnipeg, on Thu, 2013-04-11 14:31
james blake, overgrown, album released, brian eno, RZA, 2013, post-dub, melodic bass, ashley au
James Blake
After hearing his self titled debut back in 2011, I was instantly smitten with James Blake's soulful, smoldering voice.  I somehow ended up listening to all of his EPs and swooning my face off over his cover of Joni Mitchell's A Case of You. The combination of his sultry delivery, melodic vocal nuances and his minimal post-dubstep electronica had me hooked. When he announced this past February that he was making another album, I was counting down the days til the April 8th release... [Keep Reading]

Let's Dance

A review of Yukon Blonde at the Pyramid Cabaret

By Ashley Au from Winnipeg, on Fri, 2013-04-05 09:24
Yukon Blonde, grounders, zeus, Winnipeg Folk Festival, pyramid cabaret, winnipeg, live music, 2013, ashley au
Yukon Blonde
A couple nights ago, I found myself basking in the glow of faux street lights and neon hieroglyphics of Winnipeg's Pyramid Caberet.  It was only 9:30pm, but the floors were already damp with beer and the crowd seemed anxious to hear the main act: Yukon Blonde.Opening the night was Toronto psych-indie 5 piece, Grounders.  Though I was only able to catch the last 4 tracks of their set, that was all I really needed to hear.  The tunes were easy on the ears, reminiscent of a... [Keep Reading]

Spring Break Shaker

A review of Stars and Said the Whale at the Garrick

By Ashley Au from Winnipeg, on Thu, 2013-04-04 10:34
stars, winnipeg, said the whale, 2013, garrick centre, Winnipeg Folk Festival, union events, live music, ashley au
Stars 2013
The line up at the Garrick this past Wednesday was quite the sight.  Snaking out the entrance for about a block before wrapping 'round the bend, people lined up to hear Canadian indie icons, Stars. To tell you the truth, I'm not really a big fan of all ages shows, but something was different about this one.  Sure, the teens being dropped off by parents in SUVs argued momentarily about pick up time and whether it was too cold to be standing in line without a coat, but... [Keep Reading]

Vernal Equinox

A conversation with songwriter, Claire Morrison

By Ashley Au from Winnipeg, on Mon, 2013-03-25 13:13
winnipeg, Music, folk, songwriter, claire morrison, Cluster Festival, 2013, ashley au, EP, new album, Montreal, Recording
Claire Morrison
This week, I had the pleasure to chat with the lovely Claire Morrison at her studio in the heart of Winnipeg's historic Exchange District.  Known for her distinctly rich voice and timeless songwriting, Claire is no stranger to Winnipeg's music community. Breaking onto the scene in 2010 with local folk duo Fire & Smoke, the 21-year-old poet delivers haunting solo numbers with fearless intimacy. In a stark white room adorned with books, candles, and instruments, a... [Keep Reading]

Electric Feel

A review of Cluster's opening night

By Ashley Au from Winnipeg, on Wed, 2013-03-13 00:37
winnipeg, cluster 2013, new music, the gritty, claire morrison, mise en scene, slattern, ensemble paramirabo
In a dimly lit gallery, silhouettes paced across the walls.  Festival attendees milled around the ambiguous stage setup: instruments, chairs, mics, and stands were placed all round Urban Shaman's gallery space.  The audience was surrounded. The theme of this year’s Cluster: New Music + Integrated Arts Festival is POP + NOISE, a theme that explores the relationship between experimental New Music and popular music and examines ideas of obscurity and familiarity.  The... [Keep Reading]

POP + NOISE

A preview of Winnipeg’s Cluster: New Music + Integrated Arts Festival

By Ashley Au from Winnipeg, on Thu, 2013-03-07 13:38
winnipeg, live music, 2013, Music, concerts, cluster, contemporary art, Festival, ashley au
As Winnipeg’s downtown surges towards spring with grit and slush splattering on the cinder grey, many find themselves seeking solace in one of the Exchange District’s many pubs, galleries, and live music venues.  For those adventurous enough to find themselves downtown this weekend and next, look no further than the fourth annual Cluster: New Music + Integrated Art Festival.Cluster, now in its fourth year, is a multi-disciplinary contemporary arts festival that combines new... [Keep Reading]

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