Alun Piggins

One of the sincerest souls around, Toronto, ON’s Alun Piggins has no use for bells or whistles but lets his unadorned folk punk ring out defiantly on At War With the Elephants. An experienced engineer, producer and road warrior who can count China, Finland and Russia as tour stops, Piggins has seen and done enough to know exactly what he wants to put forward in his music. So, despite the title’s allusion, there’s no quirky Flaming Lips indie rock experimentation going on here — Piggins continues to confidently carry a torch for the Replacements and Crazy Horse like a man possessed by heavy, no-frills rock. "Watching You Glow” springs forward with a Mick Jones-flavoured arrangement, while "Not Happening” possesses a raw, righteous stomp. Piggins’ thoughtfulness as a writer infuses intensely emotional performances like "The Ballad of Fleeting Wisdom” with a unique intricacy, highlighting At War’s balance of gritty muscle and refined expression.