Yukon artist and performer Blake Lepine on the power of small bands

This story is a part of a web series called Music that Matters with CBC Yukon's Airplay host Dave White. Dave sits down with Yukoners to talk about five pieces of music that inspire them.

Yukon visual artist and Dakhká Khwaán dancer Blake Lepine leapt at the opportunity to talk about the music that inspires him to create.

"People who know me know that I'm a music snob," said Lepine. "I'm a music hoarder."

Lepine said he has a small record player and a radio in his studio, and music is always playing when he's working.

And it turns out, he likes a specific kind of band.

"I've noticed that, through no fault of my own, I have an affinity to two-person bands. Almost all of my favourite bands are two people or three people," he said.

"It's always a smaller group and their music is really simplified ... "It's focused on the writing and the vocals for me. It's about how much love is put into the lyrics, and then the singing. I really appreciate delicious singing."

Lepine's first choice was Cool Criminal by The Cave Singers.

"They were both part of terrible punk bands, and then both their bands played at the same show and they got together and came up with this really simple music. It's really gorgeous."

Lepine's next pick is by The Pack A.D. 

"The first time I heard this song it was on the radio and it was just really loud and intense, and I still like playing it all the time and just jamming out to it," he said.

Lepine also says it's not a good idea to listen to this song while driving.

Lepine's next choice comes from Haida band, Jason Camp and the Posers.

"They incorporate Haida stories, they write their punk songs about Haida legends ... pushing them through the looking glass of modern media," he said. 

"Their style of music is really powerful in the way that it engages people. You don't have to all of know the legends of the Haida people in order to connect with the emotions going on.

"At the end of the day, most Indigenous stories like that are really just primal stories about struggle or overcoming and resiliency, and having songs like this are really beautiful."

Lepine said Les Deuxluxes are probably his new favourite band, and he regrets missing their performance at the Dawson City Music Festival a couple of years ago.

"The changes in this song are really simple, but it's almost psychedelic and really, really beautiful."

Lepine's final choice was Gypsy Death And You by The Kills.

"We're finishing where we started," he said. "Really simple melody, really simple guitar, but beautiful music and beautiful singing."

Blake Lepine's work can be found at a variety of galleries around the Yukon.