Some PartySome Party is a newsletter sharing the latest in independent Canadian rock'n'roll, curated more-or-less weekly by Adam White. Each edition explores punk, garage, psych, and otherwise uncategorizable indie rock, drawing lines from proto to post and taking some weird diversions along the way.https://www.someparty.ca/2024-03-14T20:00:00-04:00adam@someparty.ca (Adam White)Modern Mythhttps://www.someparty.ca/2024-03-15-modern-myth/2024-03-14T20:00:00-04:002024-03-15T15:32:56-04:00adam@someparty.ca (Adam White)<h3 id="sham_family" class="maxread center"><a href="https://shamfamily.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sham Family</a>: "Modern Myth"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/LSnlq76-kj0?si=wb7gvowheHo8I60_" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://shamfamily.bandcamp.com/track/modern-myth" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Toronto punk quartet <a href="https://shamfamily.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sham Family</a> cuts a stark profile on "Modern Myth," colouring their driving social commentary shades of Joy Division, the angular Dischord sound, and modern curiosities like Protomartyr. The track takes a grim view of society's preference for self-affirming narratives over objective fact, as the band explained in a statement:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"'Modern Myth' takes on our society's obsession with creating and recreating stories rather than truths. From National Enquirer alien babies to modern election interference, we have been consistently at odds trying to figure out what we actually know versus which fictions we've swallowed whole."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The quartet recorded with <a href="https://www.holyfuckmusic.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Holy Fuck</a>'s Graham Walsh (Hot Garbage, Tallies) at Palace Sound, with Justin Perkins mastering. The song is the first follow-up to their attention-grabbing, self-titled 2022 EP. Director by <a href="https://www.beepethick.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bee Pethick</a> showcases the track in a new video that matches its fuzzed-out intensity with dizzying layers of abstract footage.</p><p class='maxread center'>"Modern Myth" arrives via <a href="https://www.bornruffians.ca/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Born Ruffians</a>' <a href="https://www.wavyhaze.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Wavy Haze Records</a>. Sham Family features vocalist Kory Ross, backed by drummer Zachary Cockburn, bassist Jason Brum, and guitarist Cole Sefton.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="the_scenics" class="maxread center"><a href="https://supremeecho.bandcamp.com/album/the-scenics-2" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Scenics</a>: <em>New Part In Town</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://supremeecho.bandcamp.com/album/the-scenics-2" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Victoria label <a href="https://supremeecho.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Supreme Echo</a> is showcasing Toronto proto-punk pioneers <a href="https://supremeecho.bandcamp.com/album/the-scenics-2" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Scenics</a> with a new archival release. On April 29, they'll issue <em>New Part In Town</em>, a 10-song collection of recordings from 1976, eight of which were previously unreleased. The set features audio remastered from the original analog tapes, packaged with an eight-page booklet of stories, artwork, and photos from the era.</p><p class='maxread center'>The version of the band captured here features Ken Badger and Andy Meyers sharing guitar, bass, and lead vocal duties, backed by their original drummer Mark Cusheon. The latter would leave the band by the spring of 1977, with the group continuing through several further lineup shuffles before imploding in 1982. During that time, they issued a single full-length, 1979's <em>Underneath The Door</em>. Colin Brunton, director of the seminal Canadian punk short <em>The Last Pogo</em>, praised The Scenics as "the most creative, the most original, and the most daring band in that original Toronto scene."</p><p class='maxread center'>You can preview three songs from the record at Bandcamp now, with the nearly-nine-minute "Little Johnny Jewel" reserved exclusively for the physical release.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="indian_giver" class="maxread center"><a href="http://indiangiverhxc.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Indian Giver</a>: "Soul Wound"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://indiangiverhxc.bandcamp.com/track/soul-wound" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Indigenous hardcore act <a href="http://indiangiverhxc.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Indian Giver</a> recently shared a seething new single titled "Soul Wound," commenting:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"Soul Wound is about the psychological and Intergenerational impacts of the residential school system. As an Intergenerational survivor of the Cecelia Jeffrey residential school in Kenora, ON - this song is about the weight of this history and the isolation of the modern world."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>Milan Sarkadi recorded and mixed the track at Toronto's Dreamhouse Studios, with Dan Weston mastering. "Soul Wound" is the first new Indian Giver song to surface since "Blind" in 2022 and "Blood on the Cross" a year before. The track arrived alongside news that the band would appear at this year's <a href="https://www.lawnyavawnya.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Lawnya Vawnya</a> festival in St. John's, NL. They'll join an eclectic lineup that includes recent Polaris winner Debby Friday, Inuk singer Willie Thrasher, Montreal punks PRIORS, and more on the first weekend in June.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="seed_toss" class="maxread center"><a href="https://seedtossmtl.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Seed Toss</a>: <em>Safe And Sound</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch "Dog Peach" on <a href="https://youtu.be/eRGf26kCbs0?si=GfxzeaZ9VBtmmxPt" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://seedtossmtl.bandcamp.com/album/safe-and-sound" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Montreal's <a href="https://seedtossmtl.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Seed Toss</a> has a new EP out through Michigan's <a href="https://www.setterwindrecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Setterwing Records</a>, delivering five cuts of propulsive, 90s-flavoured alt-rock. There's a familiar grittiness to the band's approach that I can't quite put my finger on, but it evokes that early 2000s No Idea sound. The set opens with the muscular single "Dog Peach," a song recently showcased in a video from director Alice Hirsch and the band's Maxime Lajoie.</p><p class='maxread center'>Seed Toss features Lajoie (<a href="https://spitehousemtl.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Spite House</a>, <a href="https://deeperwell.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Deeper Well</a>), backed by Donavan Robert (<a href="https://argumentmtl.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Argument</a>), Marco (<a href="https://privatehellmtl.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Private Hell</a>), and John Donnelly (<a href="https://thefakefriends.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Fake Friends</a>, <a href="http://mundysbay.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Mundy's Bay</a>). The new material follows up on 2022's <em>Love Business</em> EP.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="the_fake_friends" class="maxread center"><a href="https://thefakefriends.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Fake Friends</a>: "Internet Boyfriend"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/zk0yuVQrV7s?si=sR082ciEZ7RQ-sLW" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://thefakefriends.bandcamp.com/album/always-worse-never-better" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Last week, the bold Montreal post-punk group <a href="https://thefakefriends.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Fake Friends</a> issued "Internet Boyfriend," the first single from their upcoming mini-album <em>Always Worse / Never Better</em>. You can hear the song in a frenetic new video from director <a href="https://www.instagram.com/velours.souterrain/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Rose Cormier</a>, comprised of a fast-edited collage of show footage and other hijinks.</p><p class='maxread center'>The new seven-song set follows up on 2022's <em>Good Enough</em>. The band recorded with the aforementioned Max Lajoie (Spite House, Seed Toss) and Jordan Barillaro (Gutser, Thick Glasses) engineering, with Barillaro and Lucas Liberatore mixing the set. The new record is due March 22 through <a href="https://stomprecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Stomp Records</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>The Fake Friends emerged over the pandemic from members of <a href="https://triggereffect.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Trigger Effect</a>, <a href="http://mundysbay.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Mundy's Bay</a>, <a href="https://watchforwolves.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Watch for Wolves</a>, and <a href="https://kennedyhxc.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Kennedy</a>. Their lineup on this record features vocalist Matthew Savage backed on various tracks by a revolving cast of performers, including guitarists Luca Santilli, John Donnelly, and Felix Crawford-Legault, bassist Michael Kamps, multi-instrumentalist Timothy Aaron Bryan, and drummers Joel Hoelscher and Michael Jalil Khayat.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="corridor" class="maxread center"><a href="https://corridormtl.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Corridor</a>: "Mon Argent"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/9h4OKJO4-qI?si=pLAgBov5259Rjqup" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://corridormtl.bandcamp.com/album/mimi" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Jangle-pop luminaries <a href="https://corridormtl.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Corridor</a> continue to fascinate with the second single from the fast-approaching LP <em>Mimi</em>. You can hear "Mon Argent" everywhere or see it alongside a new visualizer on YouTube. On the track, the Montreal band commented:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"We all end up dealing with things that we don't necessarily understand. Nothing more abstract, insecure and random as the income of a musician. It was a good theme for our anti-rock/adult life record and it made us laugh. It's also ironic how taboo it is to talk about. When I told the band the song was going to be called 'Mon Argent' (My Money) Sam looked down as if he had just gotten fired from the band."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'><em>Mimi</em> arrives on April 26 through <a href="https://www.subpop.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sub Pop</a> and <a href="https://www.bonsound.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bonsound</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>This year's model of Corridor features Jonathan Robert on vocals, guitar, and synths, Dominic Berthiaume on vocals and bass, Julian Perreault on guitar, and Julien Bakvis drumming, with the new addition of Samuel Gougoux (<a href="https://tda444.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">TDA</a>, <a href="https://victimelol.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">VICTIME</a>) on keys. The twitchy electronic effects speckled throughout "Mon Argent" certainly feel like Gougoux's handiwork. The group worked with co-producer Joo-Joo Ashworth (Dummy, Automatic) at Montreal's Gamma Recording Studio in 2022 and 2023.</p><p class='maxread center'>The new album follows 2019's <em>Junior</em> and Robert's 2022 solo LP as <a href="https://jonathanpersonne.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Jonathan Personne</a>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="3dspex" class="maxread center"><a href="https://3dspex.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">3Dspex</a>: "Payday"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/DFjM7XTvne0?si=84M53HkLs7-kA1Nb" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://3dspex.bandcamp.com/track/payday" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Sudbury pop-punk act <a href="https://3dspex.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">3Dspex</a> has a new office-set video out for "Payday," the first single from their upcoming EP <em>Depth Perception</em>. The downtrodden anthem delivers authentic 90s alternative vibes as the track intensifies towards a shout-along crescendo. The band recorded at their hometown's Deadpan Studios, with the new set due March 29.</p><p class='maxread center'><em>Depth Perception</em> follows up on the band's 2021 EP <em>Sunny Days Inside</em> a collection recorded under the name VCR (of which there was one too many). The group also issued the "Midwest Success" standalone single in 2022. 3Dspex features vocalist/guitarist Jame Quenville, guitarist Joe Genier, bassist Tony Carr, and drummer Dylan Baron.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="lemongrab" class="maxread center"><a href="https://lemon-grab.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Lemongrab</a>: <em>I Spy with My Little Eye</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://lemon-grab.bandcamp.com/album/i-spy-with-my-little-eye" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>February ended with the arrival of the sophomore LP from <a href="https://lemon-grab.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Lemongrab</a>. <em>I Spy with My Little Eye</em> delivers ten new songs from the lo-fi art-punk outfit. Formerly based in Montreal, Lemongrab principles Léonie Dishaw and Gaëlle Cordeau decamped for Berlin some years ago, reviving the group in Germany with a new five-piece lineup. The new record, independently released by the group, follows up on 2021's EP <em>The Wet Album</em> and Lemongrab's 2019 debut <em>It Doesn't Sound Good but It Feels Awesome</em>. You'll find material on the album sung in English, French, and German as the band rifles through a range of quirky, punk-adjacent styles.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="la_securite" class="maxread center"><a href="https://lasecurite.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">La Sécurité</a>: <em>Stay Safe! Remixed</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://lasecurite.bandcamp.com/album/stay-safe-remixed" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'><a href="https://lasecurite.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">La Sécurité</a>'s art-punk triumph <em>Stay Safe!</em> was a highlight of 2023, and the band's giving the album a fresh spin with a collection of six remixes. Newly released via <a href="https://www.mothland.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Mothland</a>, <em>Stay Safe! Remixed</em> finds the band reworked a cast of electronic-minded artists from Quebec and abroad. That cast includes <a href="https://bornatmidnite.bandcamp.com/album/born-at-midnite" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Born at Midnite</a> (the duo of <a href="https://bbqtband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">BBQT</a>'s Amery Sandford and <a href="http://www.tttopsss.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">TOPS</a>' David Carriere), Amsterdam's <a href="https://mauskovicdanceband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Mauskovic Dance Band</a>, post-punk droners <a href="https://freakheatwaves.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Freak Heat Waves</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/steeeeeven_steeve_steeevenson/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Dur Club</a> (1/3 of Montreal's <a href="https://lecouleurmusic.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Le Couleur</a>), Malépart (Thierry of <a href="https://chosessauvages.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Choses Sauvages</a>), and Standard Emmanuel. La Sécurité notes the last act in that list is the "secret project" of bassist Félix Bélisle.</p><p class='maxread center'>Regarding their contribution, Freak Heat Waves commented:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"We hope you enjoy our lush, heady, and prom-ready take on La Sécurité's 'K9'. We stripped the track down to a few core elements, and then built it back up over a detailed and expressive groove that ultimately dissipates into the universe, leaving you ready to hit 'play' again."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>La Sécurité recorded <em>Stay Safe!</em> with Samuel Gemme at Gamma Recording Studio (Corridor, Anemone). La Sécurité features Éliane Viens-Synnott on lead vocals and synth, Félix Bélisle on bass, Kenny Smith on drums, Laurence-Anne on guitar and synth, and Melissa Di Menna on the same.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="n1_sound" class="maxread center"><a href="https://spiritualworld.bandcamp.com/album/mantras" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">N1_SOUND</a>: <em>Mantras</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://spiritualworld.bandcamp.com/album/mantras" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Jon Schouten's headfirst dive into dub and electronic music takes him far from my comfortable frames of reference, but while I'm ill-equipped to comment on the sounds he's producing, I'm more than happy to go along for the ride. Having witnessed <a href="https://teenanger.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Teenanger</a>'s wild evolution from garage-punk into the groovy <a href="https://uhhuhband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Uh Huh</a>, this next leap certainly feels apt. Billed as <a href="https://spiritualworld.bandcamp.com/album/mantras" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">N1_SOUND</a>, Schouten recently issued a new two-song set titled <em>Mantras</em>, available through the <a href="https://www.telephoneexplosion.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Telephone Explosion</a> offshoot <a href="https://spiritualworld.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Spiritual World</a>. On the instructions, the label shared:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"Cabaret Voltaire's <em>Three Mantras</em> might be the least known, most influential record of all time. An outlier within an outlier's 16 year catalog, the mysterious slab is composed of two side-long tracks stretching over 20 min each with confusing track titles and a third track either completely missing(?) or intentionally omitted(??). Who really knows or cares. What matters is the vibrant bouquet of dub & eastern musical influences and the minimal drum machine beats resulting in a collage of crunchiness that repeats ad infinitum until the hypnotic grooves feel permanently imprinted into your brain. MANTRAS by N1_SOUND is an homage to this incredible piece of music while actually sounding very little like its obscure and largely uncelebrated reference.</p><p class='maxread center'>MANTRAS isn't trying to recreate or rework <em>Three Mantras</em>, however, it borrows the inspiration or overall desired 'experience': Unabashedly acknowledging and celebrating where its particular sound came from, while giving the highest praise to its originators."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The audio is available on a limited 12" vinyl pressing.</p><p class='maxread center'><em>Mantras</em> is N1_SOUND's second recent project in the genre, following the debut from <a href="https://spiritualworld.bandcamp.com/album/yknow" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Y'Know</a>, which paired Schouten with longtime bandmate Melissa Bell on a similarly dubby exploration. That duo issued a self-titled single in January.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="roy" class="maxread center"><a href="https://thesoundofroy.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">ROY</a>: "Spoons for the World"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Listen at <a href="https://youtu.be/bwM69AKJIYk?si=H5Mu-gO-laja-wJ2" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Purchase at <a href="https://thesoundofroy.bandcamp.com/album/spoons-for-the-world" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'><a href="https://www.ravensingstheblues.com/roy-spoons-for-the-world/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Raven Sings The Blues</a> recently premiered the title track to <a href="https://thesoundofroy.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">ROY</a>'s upcoming album <em>Spoons for the World</em>, a confidently unhurried psych-pop gem. It's our second preview of the record following the ballad "Now You Know." <a href="http://ideefixerecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Idée Fixe Records</a> wrote enthusiastically about the reveal, sharing:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"The perfect album opener, Spoons brings the optimistic message that every day is filled with fresh promise. A kitchen jammer to be certain replete with Altec crushed acoustic leads blazing over Kali Horse's Sam and Des' swooning vocals as Harrison Foreman weaves magic and Jay Anderson keeps it all together."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The eight-song <em>Spoons for the World</em> arrives on April 19, following up on 2021's <em>Capitalism</em>. It's ROY's fifth album and third in partnership with Idée Fixe.</p><p class='maxread center'>ROY mastermind Patrick Lefler self-produced the album, with Jeff McMurrich (Jennifer Castle, Bry Webb) acting as creative director. The record includes a host of collaborators, including the aforementioned Desiree Das Gupta and Sam Maloney of <a href="https://kalihorse.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Kali Horse</a>, cellist <a href="https://elizaniemi.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Eliza Niemi</a>, <a href="https://theroyalfamilyetiquette.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Royal Family</a>' Charlie Weare on flute, Jay Anderson (<a href="https://badgeepoque.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Badge Époque Ensemble</a>, <a href="https://lammping.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Lammping</a>) on drums, and Harrison Forman (Hieronymus Harry, <a href="https://mrjoy.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Mr. Joy</a>) on bass and guitar. Additional players include Aline Homzy and Kel Mansaray on violin, Michael Davidson on vibraphone, Steven MacPhail on flute, and Taylor Barber on vocals.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="mudie" class="maxread center"><a href="https://hugomudie.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Mudie</a>: "Yeux Rouges"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://hugomudie.bandcamp.com/track/yeux-rouges" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Montreal mainstay <a href="https://hugomudie.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Hugo Mudie</a> may be calling it quits, or, at the very least, he's strongly considering it. The <a href="https://thesaintecatherines.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sainte Catherines</a> frontman revealed the news alongside his new single "Yeux Rouges." He commented, en francais:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"J'ai décidé ( plus mon corps que moi ) que 2023 était ma dernière année à être chanteur, comme métier. Vous lirez mon livre <em>Pleurer devant du pain</em> pour comprendre, mais vous pouvez aussi écouter ma toune Yeux Rouges qui sort le 8 mars, sur aucun label.</p><p class='maxread center'>Je vais avoir quand même quelques tounes de Mudie qui vont sortir dans la prochaine année + au moins un album d'un de mes bands et même un album d'un nouveau band. Mais je ferai pas de shows ( sauf peut-être un, genre avec Ron Hextall ou Drogba mettons qu'ils veulent essayer ça) et pas de nouveau stock. Est-ce que c'est pour toujours ? Je sais pas. Mais j'aimerais."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>While he's alluding to new music from several projects, Mudie also implies the well may be dry and that live shows are increasingly unlikely. The artist's proven prolific in recent years, issuing the solo full-length <em>Bad Vibrations</em> in 2023 amidst a steady stream of digital singles, splits, and a revival of the rootsy <a href="https://yesterdaysringmtl.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Yesterday's Ring</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>Mudie plays on this poppy number with Karl Houde (<a href="https://blurryeyes.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Blurry Eyes</a>), Adrian Popovich (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/_frvits_/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">FRVITS</a>, <a href="https://americanlips.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">American Lips</a>), and Louis Valiquette (Blurry Eyes, Yesterday's Ring).</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="dark_mean" class="maxread center"><a href="https://darkmean.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Dark Mean</a>: "Working Hard"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://darkmean.com/track/working-hard" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Rough-hewn Hamilton indie rock act <a href="https://darkmean.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Dark Mean</a> recently resurfaced, sharing the slow-burning single "Working Hard." It's the first work the trio's shared since their 2016 single "Settle Down," and before that, the 2014 EP <em>Samuel The Phoenix</em>. It sure sounds like the band's extended hiatus was a source of frustration. The group shared:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"In terms of what inspired the song, or the lyrics... umm probably desperation. Feeling so desperate for something to happen while full-well knowing time is not on your side and there is nothing you can do but wait. So the opening of the track begins with this sort of cathartic release 'Working hard, killing time. I woke up wrong, just to feel right.' Doing nothing is often harder than doing something, right?"</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The band recorded with producer Michael Keire (The Crowleys). Dark Mean features Mark Dean, Billy Holmes, and Sandy Johnston.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="handheld" class="maxread center"><a href="https://handheldpunk.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Handheld</a>: "No Footsteps to Follow"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/f-joxBc4o1U?si=K_W7EW-ZPNHhqHkw" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://thousandislandsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-25" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Kitchener pop-punk icons <a href="https://handheldpunk.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Handheld</a> have a new live record celebrating their 25th anniversary. First assembled in 1998, Handheld put out a half dozen releases in their original incarnation, last issuing a self-titled full-length in 2008. They reformed in 2018, with their latest LP, <em>A Canadian Tragedy</em>, arriving in 2022. <em>Live at 25</em>, which features songs spanning their entire catalogue, arrives on May 10 through <a href="https://thousandislandsrecords.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Thousand Islands Records</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>Pat Dietrich recorded the 14-song live set on an October 2023 show at The Revive in Waterloo, Ontario. Matt Gauthier mixed and mastered it. A recently unveiled video for the song "No Footsteps to Follow" previews the audio and shares some footage from that night.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="book_buddies" class="maxread center"><a href="https://bookbuddies.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Book Buddies</a>: <em>Sean</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://bookbuddies.bandcamp.com/album/sean" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Dartmouth indie rockers <a href="https://bookbuddies.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Book Buddies</a> recently released <em>Sean</em>, a five-song EP that follows their debut 2022 full-length, <em>Best Before</em>.</p><p class='maxread center'>Book Buddies brings together members of the Nova Scotian rockers <a href="https://designosaur.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Designosaur</a> and the metalcore act <a href="https://paleachehfx.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Pale Ache</a> - with members also appearing in punk outfits like <a href="https://outtacontroller.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Outtacontroller</a> and <a href="https://cluttered.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Cluttered</a>. That roster includes vocalist Becca Dalley, bassist Anna Cannings, guitarist Andrew O'Toole, and drummer AJ Boutilier.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="cell_press" class="maxread center"><a href="https://cellpress.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Cell Press</a>: <em>Cages</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://cellpress.bandcamp.com/album/cages" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Montreal noise-rock act <a href="https://cellpress.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Cell Press</a> recently released a muscular nine-song full-length titled <em>Cages</em>. Drawing on a gnarly mix of metal, hardcore, and sludge, the group stresses the importance of the album as a whole. They comment:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"We are trying to offer a full-length album with no filler from start to end and are appealing to our listeners to embrace an almost passe era where bands present collections of songs that are meant to be listened to altogether and that fit and tell a complete story, with each song being individual chapters to that story."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The band recorded as a trio, with PQ on lead vocals, Sean Arsenian tackling both guitar and bass, and Mark McGee holding it down on drums. Sean Pearson (TV Freaks, the Black Halos) recorded the band at Boxcar Sound in Hamilton. Members of Cell Press previously performed in a range of noisy bands, including The Great Sabatini, Biipiigwan, I Hate Sally, The Chariot, Animal Ethics, Architect, Swarm Of Spheres, and Angles.</p><p class='maxread center'><em>Cages</em> is out now on <a href="http://theghostisclearrecords.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Ghost is Clear Records</a>, <a href="https://ancienttemplerecordings.bigcartel.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Ancient Temple Recordings</a>, and <a href="https://nolistrecords.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">No List Records</a>. The set follows up their four-way 2021 split with <a href="https://botfly.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Botfly</a>, <a href="https://anthesis.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Anthesis</a>, and <a href="https://greber.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Greber</a>.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="wasting_time" class="maxread center"><a href="https://wastingtimemusic.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Wasting Time</a>: "How Much I Miss Those Days"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/XsVWVIjiopE?si=WvbqC4MlbH7t5Raf" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://wastingtimemusic.bandcamp.com/track/how-much-i-miss-those-days" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Toronto pop-punkers <a href="https://wastingtimemusic.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Wasting Time</a> recently linked up with <a href="http://peopleofpunkrockrecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">People of Punk Rock Records</a> to share the first single from their forthcoming third album, <em>Hurry Up and Wait</em>. You can stream the bouncy "How Much I Miss Those Days" everywhere or see it on film in a new performance video on YouTube.</p><p class='maxread center'>The quartet is following up their 2023 EP <em>Chainsaw Dynamos</em> and the preceding year's full-length <em>Once More Without Feeling</em>. The new set finds them again working with producer Matt Gauthier.</p><p class='maxread center'>Wasting Time features Mad Vlad on guitar and lead vocals, Mike on bass, Mark on lead guitar and Nick on the drums.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="the_sylvia_platters" class="maxread center"><a href="https://thesylviaplatters.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Sylvia Platters</a>: "Severance"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://thesylviaplatters.bandcamp.com/track/severance" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Jangle-pop act <a href="https://thesylviaplatters.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Sylvia Platters</a> recently shared "Severance," the melancholy second single from an upcoming album for Abbotsford's <a href="https://greylodgerecordings.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Grey Lodge Recordings</a>. The band recorded with Jordan Koop (Dumb, Apollo Ghosts) at The Noise Floor on Gabriola Island.</p><p class='maxread center'>The Sylvia Platters features guitarist Alex Kerc-Murchison, bassist Stephen Carl O'Shea, vocalist/guitarist Nick Ubels, and vocalist/drummer Tim Ubels. The Vancouver band's new material follows their 2022 EP <em>Youth Without Virtue</em>.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="basement_revolver" class="maxread center"><a href="https://basementrevolver.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Basement Revolver</a>: "Red Light"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/42GwcuXKkHU?si=-Y7u2eYzmbjWjUgN" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>On "Red Light," <a href="https://basementrevolver.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Basement Revolver</a> spins a traffic fine into a full-blown meditation on financial difficulties. The Hamilton dream-pop group commented:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"As a band who has received our fair share of parking and speeding tickets while playing shows and touring, we are no strangers to financial setbacks surrounding our dreams. At a band practice, our guitarist/vocalist Chrisy shared that they had received a red light ticket which was especially frustrating because it cost more than what they earned on their most recent paycheque.</p><p class='maxread center'>Although the song was inspired by this specific red light ticket, it's also about financial struggles in general and how they often get in the way of our personal goals."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>In contrast to the frustrations expressed in the lyrics, "Red Light" boats a bright and buoyant sonic profile that should please fans of bands like Alvvays. The song is the group's first to follow up on their 2022 <a href="http://www.sonicunyon.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sonic Unyon</a> album <em>Embody</em>. The quartet features bassist/keyboardist Nim Agalawatte, guitarist/vocalist Chrisy Hurn, guitarist Jonathan Malström, and drummer Levi Kertesz.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="class_of_91" class="maxread center"><a href="https://classof91.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Class of 91</a>: "Burn Down"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://classof91.bandcamp.com/track/burn-down" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Ottawa rockers <a href="https://classof91.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Class of 91</a> recently shared "Burn Down," another entry in their stream of propulsive love letters to the sound and vibe of Hüsker Dü. The track, along with "Broken Window," follows up on the band's 2022 EP <em>Lost Stories</em>.</p><p class='maxread center'>Class of 91 features vocalist/guitarist Ian Ferguson, guitarist Brock Sarault, bassist Fred Pantalone Jr, and drummer Steve Clifford. The quartet recorded in August of last year, self-producing with Kristian Montano (Kali Horse, Daniel Romano) mastering. You can next catch them live at the Dominion Tavern on April 13 with Drift Current and Juventud.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="night_lunch" class="maxread center"><a href="https://nightlunch.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Night Lunch</a>: "Junkyard of Love"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/zSrfKlAnGvE?si=3_1WpddEuKN1_YWp" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://nightlunch.bandcamp.com/album/fire-in-the-rose-garden" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Montreal's off-kilter indie-pop act <a href="https://nightlunch.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Night Lunch</a> marked their SXSW voyage with a new video from <em>Fire in the Rose Garden</em>. The band worked with artist <a href="https://osborneoddities.wixsite.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Phil Osborne</a> of Osborne Oddities on a surrealist piece celebrating "Junkyard of Love." The director revealed how the clip came together:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"Lukie gave me some footage that he and Marlee shot in a junkyard. I edited what I thought were the best parts then did some rotoscoping of Lukie over the footage using a computer screen as my rotoscope machine. Going frame by frame with paper on the screen, tracing him playing guitar or dancing. These parts were inspired by Rick Raxlen's animations. Then I decided to improvise some more animation based on what is said in the lyrics, including some junkyard-type creatures such as a love tank shooting hearts out of its eyes. All drawings were done using sharpies on 8.5" by 11" paper. At least 600 drawings in total."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The band self-produced the recent album, recording with Wes MacNeil at Cool Guy Studio and John McColgan at JMC Studio. Luca Matteucci mixed in Pisa, Italy. Night Lunch revels in askew romanticism with guitarist/vocalist Lukie Lovechild, bassist/vocalist Marlee Kay, keyboardist Wesley Dunphy, and drummer Sailor (past members of bands like <a href="https://bakedgoods.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Baked Goods</a> and <a href="https://themarlees.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Marlees</a>). <em>Fire in the Rose Garden</em> arrived last fall through <a href="https://www.mothland.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Mothland</a>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div>Ripping Invasiveshttps://www.someparty.ca/2024-02-29-ripping-invasives/2024-02-28T19:00:00-05:002024-02-29T21:05:08-05:00adam@someparty.ca (Adam White)<h3 id="apollo_ghosts" class="maxread center"><a href="https://apolloghosts.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Apollo Ghosts</a>: <em>Amethyst</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://apolloghosts.bandcamp.com/album/amethyst" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Vancouver vets <a href="https://apolloghosts.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Apollo Ghosts</a> are off to Japan, marking the occasion with an unexpected new EP dubbed <em>Amethyst</em>. Between the sprawling <em>Pink Tiger</em> and slow-burning diversions like <em>Living Memory</em>, the band's spent several years now expanding their palette and taking what felt like a decidedly unhurried approach to their art. In that context, it's surprising how focused and direct the new EP finds them. <em>Amethyst</em> is hardly a throwback, but it's the tightest expression of Apollo Ghosts' sound in ages - their hallmark charms on full display and laser-focused, particularly Adrian Teacher's nimble wordplay. They deliver this with some notably scrappy sonic trappings, a fascinating swerve from the measured subtlety of their recent work.</p><p class='maxread center'><a href="https://youvechangedrecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">You've Changed Records</a> notes just how fired up the band sounds in their press release:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"With distortion pedals and walls of feedback - a first for the Ghosts! - <em>Amethyst</em> overflows with introspection, defiance, and the frustration of grappling with the world's ills, contrasting the monotony of daily life with climate anxiety, the rise of autocracies with the rise of apathy. But throughout, the album cements Apollo Ghosts' status as lifelong underground music defenders and eternal optimists with plenty of nods to 90s indie rock heroes Yo La Tengo, Dead Moon, Pavement, Guided By Voices, Eric's Trip and Built To Spill."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The group recorded as a quartet, with Teacher on guitar and vocals backed by longtime bassist Amanda Panda, drummer Dustin Bromley (<a href="http://brutalpoodlevan.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Brutal Poodle</a>), and newly added guitarist Hasan Li (<a href="https://cultbabies.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Cult Babies</a>). They tracked these seven songs with Jordan Koop (Dumb, The Courtneys) at the Noise Floor on Gabriola Island. David Carswell (Destroyer, New Pornographers) mixed at JC/DC with Josh Stevenson mastering.</p><p class='maxread center'><em>Amethyst</em> is available everywhere as a digital-only set (for now, at least, but come on). The release follows 2022's double LP <em>Pink Tiger</em> and their one-off 2023 single "Gave Up The Dream."</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="wine_lips" class="maxread center"><a href="https://winelips.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Wine Lips</a>: "Derailer"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://winelips.bandcamp.com/album/super-mega-ultra" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Livewire garage/punk combo <a href="https://winelips.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Wine Lips</a> returns in April with <em>Super Mega Ultra</em>, their fourth full-length and second outing with <a href="https://stomprecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Stomp Records</a>. You can preview the 12-song set through the commanding lead single "Derailer." On that tune, vocalist/guitarist Cam Hilborn revealed:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"It might have a few different interpretations but it's basically about the lengths people will go to to keep up an image or persona while sacrificing physical and mental health to get there. Pushing yourself to the edge until you feel like you're going to 'derail' off the tracks. I find that social media has this effect on people where they feel the need to act and look a certain way and it's all super fake and hilarious, it's essentially a song mocking that lifestyle."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>Based in Toronto, Wine Lips features vocalist/guitarist Cam Hilborn, drummer Aurora Evans, and bassist/percussionist Simon Larochette. Larochette engineered the new album at The Sugar Shack in London, Ontario. Select tracks from the record feature past members Jordan Sosensky (guitar) and Charlie Weare (bass), who both recently resurfaced as part of the Toronto psych conglomerate <a href="https://theroyalfamilyetiquette.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Royal Family</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>The new album follows up on 2021's <em>Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party</em>.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="schedule_1" class="maxread center"><a href="https://schedule1.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Schedule 1</a>: "Crucible"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://schedule1.bandcamp.com/album/crucible" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Vancouver garage act <a href="https://schedule1.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Schedule 1</a> has their much-anticipated debut full-length set for a spring release. <em>Crucible</em> lands on April 10 through <a href="https://www.instagram.com/council_records/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Council Records</a> in North America and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mendeku_diskak/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Mendeku Diskak</a> in Europe. You can hear the soaring post-punk title track, one of ten songs from the record, streaming everywhere now. On it, the band comments:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"Forming a relationship with someone is like metallurgy. Sometimes the result is a stronger material,
better than the sum of its parts. Sometimes it isn't. 'Crucible' is about this process".</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The quartet recorded at Little Red Sounds with Felix Fung (Sore Points, Spectres). Adam Veenendal mastered the set. Schedule 1 features members from similarly goth-influenced <a href="http://deadcells.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Dead Cells</a>, with members appearing in groups like <a href="https://candyhc.bandcamp.com/releases" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Candy</a>, <a href="https://www.bishopsgreen.ca/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bishops Green</a>, and <a href="https://systematik1.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Systematik</a> over the years.</p><p class='maxread center'>The new LP follows up on the band's self-titled debut EP, issued in 2022 through <a href="https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Dirt Cult Records</a>. Schedule 1 features Grant Minor on vocals, Rob S on guitar, Alex Fraser on bass, and Mitch Schuman drumming.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="brookside_mall" class="maxread center"><a href="https://brooksidemall.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Brookside Mall</a>: "Mailer Daemon"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://brooksidemall.bandcamp.com/track/mailer-daemon-2" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Last week <a href="https://brooksidemall.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Brookside Mall</a> shared "Mailer Daemon," the melancholy new single from their forthcoming album <em>No More Fragrant Thoughts</em>. The album grapples with relocating to a new town and the lonely, unmoored feelings that result. It reflects the thoughts Brendan MaGee experienced when moving from Fredericton to Halifax.</p><p class='maxread center'>On the track, the indie trio commented:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"The song leans on a particularly absurd 'what if' to pull a character out of this lonely space where the mailer daemon is the only person sending you emails. In addition to feeling isolated and just sort of looking for contact, you find something comforting about this entity; the neatly itemized lists and thorough rationale for each bounce back. A search of your correspondence shows you've revealed more of yourself than you'd realized."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>New Brunswick duo <a href="https://pallmer.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Pallmer</a> contributed to the song's string arrangements. The band first previewed the new record in November with the tunes "NNNYN" and "School Tour." Collectively, they're the indie group's first new material in over five years.</p><p class='maxread center'>Brookside Mall features Brendan MaGee on vocals and keys, Josh Steeves on percussion, and Dylan Ward on bass. Ward recorded the new album at Fredericton's <a href="https://shiftworkrecording.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Shiftwork Recording</a>, with John McLaggan mastering at Parachute. Look for the seven-song <em>No More Fragrant Thoughts</em> in May, following up on the band's 2018 self-titled LP.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="tall_pork" class="maxread center"><a href="https://tallpork.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Tall Pork</a>: <em>This EP Has 22 Minutes</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://tallpork.bandcamp.com/album/this-ep-has-22-minutes" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>North Bay's <a href="https://tallpork.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Tall Pork</a> has a hell of a time on <em>This EP Has 22 Minutes</em>, their new eight-song collection of rough and tumble punk rock. The set, recorded with Peetr Nickle at Nude Beach Studios, marks a quick turnaround from their 2023 debut, <em>The Last Thing You'll Ever Hear</em>. You can find the record digitally or in plastic via Barrie's mighty <a href="https://tarantulacassettes.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Tarantula Tapes</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>Proudly boasting the brash influence of Canadian legends like DOA and SNFU, Tall Pork features a four-piece crew with the stage names Davey the Mick Bastard (vocals), Vyvyan Bastard (guitar/vocals), Kevin Bastard (drums/vocals), and Pee Pee Bastard (bass).</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="brain_itch" class="maxread center"><a href="https://brainitch.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Brain Itch</a>: <em>The Future Burns</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://brainitch.bandcamp.com/album/the-future-burns" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Hot damn is the new EP from <a href="https://brainitch.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Brain Itch</a> ever a scorcher (befitting its title). <em>The Future Burns</em>, recorded last year with <a href="https://psychicvoid.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Psychic Void</a>'s Josh Kaiser, follows up on the band's 2023 demos - fully realizing two tracks from that session ("An End to All Ends" and "Barbed Wire Disease") as part of an unrelenting five-song set.</p><p class='maxread center'><em>The Future Burns</em> is the Toronto-via-Windsor hardcore act's first release with their current touring lineup. Look for the songs on tape next time you catch them live. Brain Itch last issued the <em>Forced To Pay</em> EP in 2021.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="bad_river" class="maxread center"><a href="https://baddriver.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bad River</a>: "Pins and Needles"/"The Stench"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://baddriver.bandcamp.com/album/modern-laundry" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Toronto garage rockers <a href="https://baddriver.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bad River</a> return with <em>Modern Laundry</em>, their latest full-length, on April 24. You can preview two songs from the record now, the grungy "Pins and Needles" and the slow-burning shout-along closer "The Stench." The trio recorded with Jesse Turnbull (Losers, Dilly Dally) at Taurus in Toronto, with Dan Weston mastering at the same studio.</p><p class='maxread center'>Bad River features guitarist/vocalist Thomas Huhtala, bassist Scott Hempstead, and drummer Nathan Heuvingh. They're following up on their 2019 EP <em>Petrol Head</em>. Look for a few album release shows in late April, including a Hamilton stop on the 27th at It's Alright Ma and an April 28 party at Toronto's Bovine Sex Club.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="streets_to_ourselves" class="maxread center"><a href="http://www.streetstoourselves.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Streets to Ourselves</a>: "Crash"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/NX92Rh32ftc?si=zKoibM98mwA-YQOf" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://streetstoourselves.bandcamp.com/track/crash" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>It's been a few years since we last heard from <a href="http://www.streetstoourselves.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Streets to Ourselves</a>, but the Daniel Peachy-lead pop-punk project's back in a big way with their memorable new single "Crash." It's our first preview of the Toronto group's upcoming sophomore LP <em>The Truth Between Us</em>, and it feels like a love letter to the youthful sound of the early 2000s. The band recorded with Sam Guaiana (Silverstein, Like Pacific, Interval) producing and Mike Kalajian (All Time Low, New Found Glory) mastering. You'll find "Crash" featured in an energetic performance video on YouTube.</p><p class='maxread center'>Initially a solo project, Streets To Ourselves now operates as a trio with Peachy on guitar and vocals backed by bassist Sean Tardo and drummer Jesse Formosa.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="poolblood" class="maxread center"><a href="https://poolblood.bandcamp.com/track/twinkie" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Poolblood</a>: "Wringer"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/30GzF6jpZbY?si=hJCi-YNh2FlTmZyD" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://poolblood.bandcamp.com/album/theres-plenty-of-music-to-go-around-zip" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Polaris long-listed <a href="https://poolblood.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Poolblood</a> has a new EP due April 5 from <a href="https://www.nextdoorrecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Next Door Records</a>. The amusingly named <em>theres<em>plenty</em>of<em>music</em>to<em>go</em>around.zip</em> features two new studio recordings and a live session of the recent single "Twinkie." You can now preview the gorgeous "Wringer," a track reinforcing Poolblood's uncanny mastery of 90s-tinged dream-pop. You can see it visualized in a video directed by the band's frequent collaborator <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shamir326/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Shamir Bailey</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>Poolblood is the stage name of Toronto singer/songwriter Maryam Said. This track finds them backed by Drew Harmon on guitar, Allen Tate on bass, and Griffin Brown drumming, with string and horn arrangements by Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Tate produced and mixed the new material from New York's Better Company Studios. The new EP follows up on 2023's acclaimed LP, <em>Mole</em>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="bad_egg" class="maxread center"><a href="http://badegg.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bad Egg</a>: <em>Century Egg</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://badegg.bandcamp.com/album/century-egg" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Acerbic Kitchener/Windsor hardcore act <a href="http://badegg.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bad Egg</a> recently unveiled <em>Century Egg</em>, a new six-song EP and the long-overdue follow-up to 2019's <em>Serotonin Flush</em>. The group recorded with Bill Morton (Your Pal Bill, <a href="http://w-rdplay.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Wordplay</a>, <a href="http://debtcemetary.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Debt Cemetary</a>). Digital copies are streaming everywhere now, with details pending on a physical release. The band hints that this is the first of two major projects planned for 2024.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3559315321/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://badegg.bandcamp.com/album/century-egg">CENTURY EGG by Bad Egg</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="shoulder_season" class="maxread center"><a href="https://shoulderseasonhfx.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Shoulder Season</a>: "Namaste"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://shoulderseasonhfx.bandcamp.com/track/namaste" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Halifax quartet <a href="https://shoulderseasonhfx.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Shoulder Season</a> recently shared "Namaste," their third single new single issued since their 2022 EP, <em>Not The Time</em>. The band comments:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"It's a critique of wellness culture and self-care / self-help, so much of which is co-opted by capitalism because it's good for the economy. It's also just fun to yell 'NAMASTE!' over skronky guitars."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>Shoulder Season features Karen Foster (<a href="https://safeword4.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Safeword</a>) on keyboards and vocals, Mel Sturk (<a href="https://thejohnnies.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Johnnies</a>, Yuma County) on guitar and vocals, Kristina Parlee (<a href="https://themaynards.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Maynards</a>, <a href="https://smallerhearts.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Smaller Hearts</a>) on bass, and Meg Yoshida (<a href="http://dogdaymusic.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Dog Day</a>, <a href="https://centuryegg.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Century Egg</a>) on drums.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="trashed_ambulance" class="maxread center"><a href="https://instagram.com/trashedambulance/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Trashed Ambulance</a>: "Kentwood" (ft. Amanda Sousa)</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://thousandislandsrecords.bandcamp.com/track/kentwood-feat-amanda-sousa" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Red Deer's <a href="https://instagram.com/trashedambulance/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Trashed Ambulance</a> teamed up with Winnipeg artist Amanda Sousa on their new single "Kentwood." The skate-punk tune lands as the trio prepares for a run of Japanese shows next month. You can stream it at Bandcamp. The band recorded with Cody Blakely at Half Stack Studios.</p><p class='maxread center'>The new track follows Trashed Ambo's recent "Cyntax Error" single, their second one-off shared following 2022's <a href="https://thousandislandsrecords.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Thousand Islands Records</a>-issued <em>Future Considerations</em>.</p><p class='maxread center'>Trashed Ambulance features guitarist/vocalist Josh Hauta, bassist/vocalist Jason (Ozone) Ezeard, and drummer/vocalist Riley Bourne. Sousa's band <a href="https://deathcassettemusic.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Death Cassette</a> recently released the snarling <em>Get Rid Of It</em> EP on Hauta and Ezeard's label, <a href="http://highenddenimrecords.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">High End Denim Records</a>.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="lightmares" class="maxread center"><a href="https://lightmares.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Lightmares</a>: "Satisfied Either Way"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://lightmares.bandcamp.com/track/satisfied-either-way" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Sudbury garage trio <a href="https://lightmares.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Lightmares</a> channel a vulnerable vein of 90s alt-rock on "Satisfied Either Way," a heartfelt new single and an intriguing tease of whatever they've been working on. The band recorded with Bill Priddle and Dustin Goodall at Unsalted Audio in Sault Ste. Marie.</p><p class='maxread center'>In 2021 Lightmares released a split EP with Barrie punk act <a href="https://heavypetter.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Heavy Petter</a> through <a href="https://tarantulacassettes.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Tarantula Tapes</a>. They've issued a handful of digital singles in the years since. The band features vocalist/guitarist Jamie Millard, bassist Nicholas Millard, and drummer Zack Tymchuk.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="sunglaciers" class="maxread center"><a href="https://sunglaciers.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sunglaciers</a>: "Fakes"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/JjZFgI7Vlkw?si=NB_uUyvxBQGVFUNx" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://sunglaciers.bandcamp.com/album/regular-nature-2" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Calgary indie outfit <a href="https://sunglaciers.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sunglaciers</a> recently released a second preview of their <em>Regular Nature</em> LP, a skittering track titled "Fakes." The song, which opens the 15-track album, features guest guitar work from <a href="https://chadvangaalen.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Chad VanGaalen</a>, who also co-produced the album.</p><p class='maxread center'>The band commented on the high-string track, which grapples with notions of image and authenticity in the always-online era:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"'Fakes' is a song about performance, artifice, and image. Partly a direct narration of a social scene, partly an inner monologue. It is about how our priorities have changed or are distorted. Instead of who we truly are, the importance seems to be on what we appear to be or how we act. Sometimes these intersect, but oftentimes are at odds. We are desperate to mold a certain self-image, a certain perception from the outside, despite what we really think about a situation. We run a risk of being seen as 'all style, not a lot of substance'. All social interactions are performative. We are striving to be seen as having a certain character, whether or not that's who we truly are or how we believe we 'ought' to be. 'Fakes' is like the subconscious taking over the controls of someone engaging in society ('Don't tell me your thoughts about the weather'), then abruptly turning its focus back inward ('I'm anxious, always acting up')."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>Along with VanGaalen, the new record features contributions from shoegazer Daniel Monkman (<a href="https://ombiigizi.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">OMBIIGIZI</a>, <a href="https://zoongideewinmusic.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Zoon</a>), percussionist Chris Dadge (<a href="https://labcoast.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Lab Coast</a>, the Bleach Wipes), saxophonist Nate Waters (<a href="https://shakingboxmusic.bandcamp.com/album/nightspeak" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Friesen/Hume/Waters </a>), and <a href="https://wares.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Wares</a>' Cassia Hardy (appearing here on synth). Mark Lawson (The Unicorns, Land of Talk) mixed the album.</p><p class='maxread center'>Sunglaciers features Evan Resnik on vocals and guitar, Mathieu Blanchard on drums, Kyle Crough on bass, and Nyssa Brown on vocals and guitar. All four members share synth credits. The band's last record, <em>Subterranea</em>, arrived in 2022. <em>Regular Nature</em>, the band's third, lands March 29 through <a href="https://www.mothland.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Mothland</a>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="autogramm" class="maxread center"><a href="https://autogramm.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Autogramm</a>: "Diana" / "Licht Aus"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://autogramm.bandcamp.com/album/diana-licht-aus" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Vancouver new wavers <a href="http://autogramm.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Autogramm</a> are headed to Europe next month, and they're doing it with a fresh seven-inch single in tow. Issued via Sweden's <a href="https://www.belugarecords.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Beluga Records</a>, the new wax features the original "Diana" backed by a cover of "Licht Aus," originally by the 80s German new wave act Nichts.</p><p class='maxread center'>C.C. Voltage commented on the composition, which calls back to the sound of Depeche Mode and the Human League:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"The bass line came to me while I was working. I was able to use my break time to grab a cheap synthesizer and track the idea quickly on Garageband. The Silo was able to polish up the ideas in his studio in Chicago and Jiffy used my scratch vocal idea to create the rest of the eerie atmosphere of the song."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The single follows up on the Autogramm's recent <a href="https://stomprecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Stomp Records</a> LP, <em>Music That Humans Can Play</em>. The band features Jiffy Marx (<a href="https://nightcourtpunk.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Night Court</a>), C.C. Voltage (<a href="https://thespitfires.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Spitfires</a>, <a href="https://theblackhalos.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Black Halos</a>), Joshua "The Silo" Wells (Black Mountain, Destroyer, Spun Out), and Lars Von Seattle (<a href="https://www.breadandbutterrules.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bread & Butter</a>, <a href="https://www.subpop.com/artists/the_catheters" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Catheters</a>).</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="the_trampoline_delay" class="maxread center"><a href="https://thetrampolinedelay.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Trampoline Delay</a>: "Excuses Excuses"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/Qn5IdZsUU-U?si=veJdKWg_6Wzn8r4F" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Milton, Ontario singer-songwriter Pete Marino has a hooky new single out via his alt-rock / power-pop project <a href="https://thetrampolinedelay.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Trampoline Delay</a>. "Excuses Excuses" follows up on the band's debut 2022 LP, <em>In Your Head</em>. On the tune, Marino commented:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"Lyrically, 'Excuses Excuses' is about letting your shyness or social anxiety take over. That battle you have with your inner voice that makes excuses as to why you shouldn't get out there and live your life.</p><p class='maxread center'>Ironically, I came up with the verse first, which had the line 'But excuses always keep me from my life', after being invited out by a friend to see a band they worked with called Excuses Excuses. Like I sometimes do, my mind came up with an excuse as to why I shouldn't go out that night... and I sort of regretted it within hours. Instead of just going to bed, I went into my home studio, wrote the verse, and basically wrote and recorded the rest of the song in around 3 hours. This is pretty typical for me, as I often write and record, coming up with the parts on the fly, and then forgetting them when it comes time to play them, because they were one and done."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The track arrives via <a href="https://www.swearwordrecords.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Swear Word Records</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>The Trampoline Delay finds Marino on bass and vocals backed by drummer Gerard Ross, rhythm guitarist Willie Villaverde, and lead guitarist John MacIntosh. In a past life, Marino played in the late 90s/early 2000s indie rock act Knacker.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="phuture_memoriez" class="maxread center"><a href="https://phuturememoriez1.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Phuture Memoriez</a>: "Some Open Hand Cues"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/sI1mi0Us1jI?si=-ggnEOZgK5KLST9J" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://phuturememoriez1.bandcamp.com/album/play-cobra" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Vancouver synth-punk duo <a href="https://phuturememoriez1.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Phuture Memoriez</a> have a wild new video showcasing "Some Open Hand Cues," a track from their recent LP <em>Play Cobra</em>. You can see it now on YouTube. The 10-song record arrived last fall boasting a curious concept, with the lyrics based around the unofficial instructions to <em>Cobra</em>, a musical improv game created by jazz musician John Zorn. Mercifully, the particularities of jazz theory aren't a prerequisite for enjoying this band's twitchy weirdness.</p><p class='maxread center'>Phuture Memoriez is a post-industrial duo featuring Marc and Jessica Blaquiere. They formerly played as the experimental electronic group <a href="https://jerkinthecan.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Jerk In The Can</a>. <em>Play Cobra</em> follows up on their 2023 <em>Coulrophobia</em> split with <a href="https://linktr.ee/jibbernaut" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Jibbernaut</a> and their 2021 LP <em>Super Awesome Fantastic Distortion Machines</em>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="julie_aube" class="maxread center"><a href="https://www.julieaube.me/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Julie Aubé</a>: "I Won't Let Your Love"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Listen on <a href="https://youtu.be/oPKvyTjosV0?si=faQoPdohtG1MD2fo" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Purchase at <a href="https://julieaube.bandcamp.com/track/i-wont-let-your-love" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>I won't twist myself in knots trying to justify <a href="https://www.julieaube.me/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Julie Aubé</a>'s place amidst the scuzzy punk that usually fills this space. The Acadian artist, one-third of East Coast indie-folk mainstays <a href="http://leshaybabies.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Les Hay Babies</a>, is simply the best at what she does, and her enthusiastic twang makes me immeasurably happy. The artist's new single "I Won't Let Your Love" previews her first fully English release, a five-song set titled <em>Boiling Over</em>. It's an absolute delight of warm, Linda Ronstadt-channeling country goodness. You can stream it everywhere now.</p><p class='maxread center'>The single features Aubé on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, backed by Mico Roy (<a href="https://leshotessesdhilaire.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Les Hôtesses d'Hilaire</a>) on guitar, Marc-André Belliveau on drums, Benoit Bouchard (<a href="https://danyplacard.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Dany Placard</a>) on bass, and Chris Stafford on fiddle and pedal steel. The new record arrives on April 5 through <a href="https://www.simonerecords.net/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Simone Records</a>, following up on 2022's <em>Contentement</em>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="mike_trask" class="maxread center"><a href="https://miketrask.ca" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Mike Trask</a>: "40 Fathoms Back"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Listen on <a href="https://youtu.be/Rv44kkNVQL0?si=8NkH49b-Cgac-DD4" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Memramcook singer-songwriter <a href="https://miketrask.ca" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Mike Trask</a> has a new single out, the compelling folk ballad "40 Fathoms Back." The track finds the eclectic fisherman-come-producer working entirely solo, performing guitar, bass, and drums while handling the production tasks. Trask's past career on the water heavily factors in the lyrics, offering a rare glimpse into a life his artistic output's only ever toyed with. It's our first preview of an upcoming full-length titled <em>BEET</em>.</p><p class='maxread center'>The new record follows several entries in Trask's archive-mining VAULT series and a steady stream of oddball digital one-offs. Recent collaborators on those songs include Keith Hallett of <a href="https://janowskii.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Janowskii</a> and the above-mentioned Julie Aubé and Katrine Noël of <a href="http://leshaybabies.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Les Hay Babies</a>. Trask's last proper LP, <em>TV Dinner</em>, came out in 2021.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="metz" class="maxread center"><a href="http://www.metzztem.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">METZ</a>: "Entwined" / "99"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://metz.bandcamp.com/album/up-on-gravity-hill" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'><a href="http://www.metzztem.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">METZ</a> seems a shade less chaotic on the first previews of <em>Up on Gravity Hill</em>, their new LP. All things relative, they remain the band who put Toronto's noise-punk scene on the map, but there's a noticeable shift in the loud/quiet dynamic of these new songs. With so many miles behind them, an uptick in maturity feels natural, and I suspect we're also seeing some bleed-over from Alex Edkins' power-pop side gig <a href="https://weirdnightmare.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Weird Nightmare</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>Edkins reflects on the band's evolution in a press release:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"The lyrical content is more heart-on-sleeve than I've ever allowed myself to do. I tried to be direct with my words, this record felt like a big step...</p><p class='maxread center'>We've never been heavy enough for metal or hardcore purists, but we're way too heavy for indie rock. We just don't have a lane—and that's okay. We exist outside the lines of delineation. I think this record is even more like that."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The new record also finds the trio working with some notable guest collaborators, including string composer <a href="https://www.owenpalletteternal.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Owen Pallett</a> and vocalist Amber Webber of <a href="http://www.blackmountainarmy.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Black Mountain</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>Edkins continues:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"We're at the point now where we feel really strong as a band and as musicians, and there is no second guessing our collective instincts. Allowing ourselves to branch out and work with other musicians has been a blessing and also continues to remind us that what we have, our musical bond, is very rare and really special."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>METZ's core trio remains guitarist/vocalist Alex Edkins, drummer Hayden Menzies, and bassist Chris Slorach. The group again recorded with engineer Seth Manchester (Big|Brave, Tunic) at Pawtucket's <a href="https://www.machineswithmagnets.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Machines With Magnets</a>. The new album arrives on April 12 through <a href="https://www.subpop.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sub Pop</a> and <a href="https://dinealonerecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Dine Alone Records</a>, following up on 2020's <em>Atlas Vending</em>.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div>Hexhttps://www.someparty.ca/2024-02-14-hex/2024-02-13T19:00:00-05:002024-02-14T09:28:47-05:00adam@someparty.ca (Adam White)<h3 id="jon_mckiel" class="maxread center"><a href="https://jonmckiel.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Jon Mckiel</a>: "Hex"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://jonmckiel.bandcamp.com/album/hex" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Surrealist East Coast indie hero <a href="https://jonmckiel.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Jon Mckiel</a> returns this spring with <em>Hex</em>, the follow-up to 2020's spellbinding <em>Bobby Joe Hope</em>. You can preview the ten-song set through the album-opening title track, a layered and haunting psychedelic number. On the song, the Baie Verte, New Brunswick artist commented:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"'Hex' is a song that came about from sampling my voice and guitar. Lyrically it wonders what darknesses might be at at play, personally or collectively. Sometimes observing systems and people on the brink of collapse, it feels as though there is a hex on all of us ~ a self imposed one given that the game was so long ago fixed. Social media puts a magnifying glass over all this, while the great reflection keeps our attention."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>Avant-garde Nova Scotian musician <a href="https://www.nicolamillersaxplayer.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Nicola Miller</a> plays sax on the track. The complete set arrives May 3 through <a href="https://youvechangedrecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">You've Changed Records</a>, again featuring Mckeil working closely with <a href="https://joyfultalk.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">JOYFULTALK</a>'s Jay Crocker. Among the setlist, you'll hear a cover of "Concrete Sea," a 1972 tune by the Winnipeg singer-songwriter Terry Jacks.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="the_band_whose_name_is_a_symbol" class="maxread center"><a href="https://thebandwhosenameisasymbol.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Band Whose Name Is a Symbol</a>: <em>Verdun</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and Purchase at <a href="https://thebandwhosenameisasymbol.bandcamp.com/album/verdun" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Ottawa psych mainstays <a href="https://thebandwhosenameisasymbol.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Band Whose Name Is a Symbol</a> have a new album available. <em>Verdun</em> may only feature three songs, but in typical fashion, those are spawling instrumental numbers rife with long droning diversions, punctuated with distorted fits amidst krautrock grooves. The album-closing "French Pastry" clocks in at nearly 24 minutes alone.</p><p class='maxread center'>The band's John Westhaver shared a few recollections on their studio session, noting:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"On the last Sunday of March, 2023, The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol got together with their gear for the first time since November of 2022. Raven Street Studios was the setting with our longtime engineer David Sarazin (Elevator, Droneverdose and Berzerkir). It was a grey, damp and chilly day. There was no plan and no discussion as to what we would do. We set up our shit, picked a key and started to play (8 minutes in, Sarazin remembered to hit record). We played non stop for near 2 hours and tore down. It felt wonderful. The art of improvisation. We sat afterwards in master control in silence and checked out some of what was captured. The smiles on 7 faces spoke louder than bombs. <em>Verdun</em> is our new appointed crown jewel"</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The set's available at Bandcamp or on a limited vinyl run through <a href="https://feedingtuberecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Feeding Tube Records</a> and <a href="https://www.cardinalfuzz.bigcartel.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Cardinal Fuzz</a>. <em>Verdun</em> is the band's first new studio LP in over five years, a gap that's admittingly hard to notice as they've shared no shortage of live recordings and archival releases in the space between. TBWNIS features Scott Thompson, Jason Vaughan, Chris Laramee, Bill Guerrero, Dave Reford, Nathaniel Hurlow, and John Westhaver on this outing.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="annie-claude_deschenes" class="maxread center"><a href="https://annie-claudedeschenes.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Annie-Claude Deschênes</a>: "Phones"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/T1USaV5X22M?si=nNhW8JiyXxghgFeq" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://annie-claudedeschenes.bandcamp.com/track/phones" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'><a href="https://annie-claudedeschenes.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Annie-Claude Deschênes</a>'s new single seems tailor-made to toy with my Pavlovian conditioning. "Phones" builds a groove around a distracting array of modern audio artifacts: the email sending sound, the computer speaker RF interference. It throws me at every listen, and even though I know it's coming, I fight the urge to start swatting at my phone. The track's our second preview of the Deschênes' upcoming LP <em>Les Manières De Table</em>, due April 5 through <a href="https://www.bonsound.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bonsound</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/italiansdoitbetter/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Italians Do It Better</a>. The labels state that the new single "highlights the absurdity of excessive politeness." It's one of several tracks mentioned in this week's newsletter that grapple with our modern afflictions.</p><p class='maxread center'>Deschênes is best known as the lead vocalist of Montreal synth-punk heroes <a href="https://duchesssays.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Duchess Says</a> and plays in their psych-flavoured offshoot <a href="https://mtl.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">PYPY</a>. "Phones" stands out as the most significant departure from the sound of those bands. ACD co-produced the song with Jean-Michel Coutu (PYPY, Corridor, Paul Jacobs) and Italians-label head Johnny Jewel. Jewel mixed the tune. A release show for the new album is planned for April 26 at the PHI Centre, with additional engagements in Quebec and Ontario to follow in May.</p><p class='maxread center'>Duchess Says last issued <em>Sciences Nouvelles</em> in 2016. In 2022, Deschênes hinted at her minimalist electro-pop future with the solo track "Electric Light," contributed to Italians Do It Better's <em>After Dark</em> compilation series.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="hot_mud" class="maxread center"><a href="https://hotmud.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Hot Mud</a>: "Lost in the Wild"/"Where The Bad Kids Go"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://hotmud.bandcamp.com/track/lost-in-the-wild-2" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>What can we make of the emerging Ottawa rock act <a href="https://hotmud.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Hot Mud</a>? The project stems from one Muddy Watters, who, despite their improbable name, has a history of curating the Canadian underground through the <a href="https://canadascoolculture.ca" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Canada's Cool Culture</a> radio show on Carlton's <a href="https://www.ckcufm.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">CKCU</a>. The artist's in the thick of a promotional campaign teasing an intriguing new record dubbed <em>Rehab Rock</em>, purportedly written while Watters dried out in a capital-ara rehab facility. As you'd expect, the record wrestles with addiction and recovery, but over nine rather diverse tracks, it does so with a refreshingly deft sense of style. You can hear "Lose in the Wild" and "Where The Bad Kids Go" now, two confident previews that paint the artist as something of an Elvis Costello character, a (perhaps formerly) angry young man channelled through lushly arranged indie pop.</p><p class='maxread center'>Referencing both the Velvet Underground and Arcade Fire, Hot Mud describes "Where The Bad Kids Go" as:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"A day in the life, an anthem for a lost lonely addict. Marching to the stumbling beat towards the shady corners of the city where the bad kids go. Looking for love, finding more trouble, and waking in the hospital to start the journey all over again and again..."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The press release dares cite both Nirvana and Frank Sinatra when describing "Lost in the Wild." Mud reveals:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"The distorted guitars and pounding drums represent the frantic anxious search for the next high. The police sirens are always in the background keeping you on the run. The innocence lost and the comradery of the broken. There is a romance there, a form of beautiful tragedy."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>I'm down for a well-constructed stage persona, and whatever Hot Mud's story is, the songs hold up. We'll learn more when <em>Rehab Rock</em> arrives on March 1.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="spectres" class="maxread center"><a href="http://spectresvancouver.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Spectres</a>: "Chain Reaction"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://spectresvancouver.bandcamp.com/album/presence" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>The new record from Vancouver post-punk quintet <a href="http://spectresvancouver.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Spectres</a> is only a month away. Last week, the band further teased <em>Presence</em> with the propulsive single "Chain Reaction." While much of the material we've heard from the record owes a heavy debt to New Order and The Cure, this track cuts closest to the project's punk roots. Vocalist Brian Gustavson revealed as much to <a href="https://post-punk.com/vancouver-post-punk-heroes-spectres-debut-new-single-chain-reaction" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Post-Punk.com</a>, stating:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"There are open nods to the Southern California sounds of Rikk Agnew and the Adolescents' darker material, combined with Spectres' classic post-punk aesthetic. The track wouldn't sound out of place on a 1980s Thrasher video compilation."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The 11-song <em>Presence</em> lands on March 15 via <a href="http://artoffact.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Artoffact</a>. The new album follows 2021's <em>Hindsight</em>, a b-sides compilation, and 2019's <em>Nostalgia</em> LP.</p><p class='maxread center'>Originally from Coombs, British Columbia, Spectres features Gustavson backed by guitarist Zach Batalden, guitarist Adam Mitchell, drummer Mitch Allen, and bassist Jason Renix.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="jake_nicoll" class="maxread center"><a href="https://jakenicoll.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Jake Nicoll</a>: <em>Ego Trip</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://jakenicoll.bandcamp.com/album/ego-trip-ep" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>The new full-length from St. John's singer-songwriter <a href="https://jakenicoll.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Jake Nicoll</a> remains under wrap, but he's shared a charming three-song EP while we wait. Titled <em>Ego Trip</em>, the set finds Nicoll performing three earnest and catchy tunes, described as "poppy outliers" from recent studio sessions. You can pick them up at Bandcamp.</p><p class='maxread center'>While his solo output tends to fly under the radar, Nicoll's made huge waves these past few years, both as an essential member of beloved PEI storytellers <a href="http://www.wearetheburninghell.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Burning Hell</a> and as a producer. On that front, he played a key role on <a href="https://kellymcmichael.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Kelly McMichael</a>'s Polaris shortlisted <em>Waves</em> album (he co-produced <a href="http://www.bajohnston.ca/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">B.A. Johnston</a>'s <em>Argo's Suck</em>, as well, but Polaris snubbed that one).</p><p class='maxread center'>Jake's upcoming LP, <em>Lonely Mission</em>, arrives in April. Last year, he and Pam Mackenzie released a split album of intimate four-track recordings collectively billed as <a href="https://pamiandjake.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Pami and Jake</a>.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=496808965/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://jakenicoll.bandcamp.com/album/ego-trip-ep">Ego Trip EP by Jake Nicoll</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="teke_teke" class="maxread center"><a href="https://teketekeband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">TEKE::TEKE</a>: "Bankrobber" (ft. Malcolm Bauld)</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/-9HoYHxjs5Y" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://teketekeband.bandcamp.com/track/bankrobber" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Montreal's <a href="https://teketekeband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">TEKE::TEKE</a> lent their distinctive sound to a punk classic with a striking cover of The Clash's "Bankrobber." Their take, recorded for the upcoming <a href="https://clash.sharedmedium.org/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank"><em>Hearts & Minds & Crooked Beats</em></a> tribute album, premiered last week at <a href="https://www.brooklynvegan.com/listen-to-teketeke-mirahs-clash-covers-from-upcoming-tribute-lp/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Brooklyn Vegan</a>. There, the band's Sei Nakauchi Pelletier revealed:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"'Bankrobber' was the first ever song I heard from The Clash, it was on a compilation tape a dear friend of mine had made for me in my early 20's. The Clash went on to become one of my favorite and most-inspiring rock bands of all-time, way beyond their musical genius but also for their political stances and DIY approach."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The friend referenced in that quote is <a href="https://malcolmbauld.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Malcolm Bauld</a>, lead vocalist of the early-2000 Montreal favourites <a href="https://malcolmbauld.bandcamp.com/album/the-frenetics-grey-veins-to-the-parking-lot" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Frenetics</a>. Bauld appears here as a guest vocalist, contributing the cover's English verses. The group recorded with Howard Bilerman at Hotel2Tango.</p><p class='maxread center'>TEKE::TEKE further revealed that their rendition draws upon the sound of Japanese bands like Tokyo Kid Brothers or JA Seazer, tying in a 70s sound that emerged in parallel with the UK's early punk scene. The nine-track album, issued on World Clash Day, raises funds for the <a href="https://www.rescue.org/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">International Rescue Committee</a> humanitarian aid organization.</p><p class='maxread center'>TEKE::TEKE performs a post-modern take on eleki (60s Japanese surf rock), often ratcheted to cinematic extremes and mixed with modern post-rock, shoegaze, and psych elements. The band last issued the LP <em>Hagata</em> last summer through <a href="https://killrockstars.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Kill Rock Stars</a>.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 442px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=2441164863/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://teketekeband.bandcamp.com/track/bankrobber">Bankrobber by TEKE::TEKE</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="jug" class="maxread center"><a href="https://neontasterecords.bandcamp.com/album/or-not" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Jug</a>: <em>Or Not</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://neontasterecords.bandcamp.com/album/or-not" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Winnipeg's <a href="https://neontasterecords.bandcamp.com/album/or-not" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Jug</a> has an EP out soon through <a href="https://www.neontasterecords.ca/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Neon Taste Records</a>, a four-song 7" titled <em>Or Not</em>. You can preview the gritty rockers "My Bodies Doomed" and "When" at Bandcamp.</p><p class='maxread center'>Neon Waste celebrates the band's masterful grasp of punk frustration, a trait the write-up at Bandcamp mines for particularly gross effect. I'll avoid reposting the particulars here. In describing the band's sound, they reference "Flipper's pace and Wiccans' slow-burning ferocity" seared "to plastic." Look for the record in a limited one-time vinyl pressing on March 22.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=120399754/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://neontasterecords.bandcamp.com/album/or-not">Or Not by JUG</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="the_fuckin_astronauts" class="maxread center"><a href="https://tfa2000.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Fuckin Astronauts</a>: "GT Racer"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Listen at <a href="https://soundcloud.com/tfa-149739860/gt-racer" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">SoundCloud</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Attitude-forward Toronto synth-punk duo <a href="https://tfa2000.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Fuckin Astronauts</a> came roaring back this week with "GT Racer," a crunchy rendition of a song first penned by Dave Tyson for his Hamilton punk outfit <a href="https://darktrip.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Dark Trip</a>. You can stomp along at SoundCloud.</p><p class='maxread center'>The Fuckin Astronauts features Dark Trip's Liam Cosby (also of <a href="https://vypers.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Vypers</a>) and Dorrie Mack (billed here as Turbo Mike and Billie Hammer). The new tune's the first from the pair since their four-track 2022 EP <em>PJ $TYLE</em>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='center tc'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="golden_shitters" class="maxread center"><a href="https://goldenshitters.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Golden Shitters</a>: <em>Live at Vertagogo</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://goldenshitters.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-vertagogo" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>On a related note, Hamilton's goon-punk trio <a href="https://goldenshitters.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Golden Shitters</a> has a new live record out. <em>Live at Veragogo</em> features the supergroup at a hometown record release show. Trevor Cooke captured the group last fall as they played a Halloween gig supporting their self-titled LP.</p><p class='maxread center'>Billed as a "moronic three-piece punk rock from the City of Doom," Golden Shitters brings together <a href="https://anxiouspleasers.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Anxious Pleasers</a>' Matt Ellis (also of <a href="https://fleshrag.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Flesh Rag</a>, <a href="http://weareplasticheads.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">PlasticHeads</a>, and <a href="https://the-vapids.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Vapids</a>), and longtime <a href="https://thedirtynil.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Dirty Nil</a> drummer Kyle Fisher, and the aforementioned Dave Tyson (of <a href="https://darktrip.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Dark Trip</a> and <a href="https://samcoffeyandtheironlungs.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sam Coffey & the Iron Lungs</a>).</p><p class='maxread center'>Golden Shitters' debut arrived last October through Oregon's <a href="https://mbnhrecords.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Memorable But Not Honorable Records</a>. Look for them traversing the Ontario highways this month with Sudbury's <a href="https://psychbike.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Psychbike</a>.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2763877603/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://goldenshitters.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-vertagogo">Live at Vertagogo by Golden Shitters</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="crisis_party" class="maxread center"><a href="https://crisisparty.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Crisis Party</a>: <em>Live In Victoria 04.16.23</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://crisisparty.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-victoria-041623" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>If you're snagging live sets from Some Party favourites, don't miss the latest from Ottawa's <a href="https://crisisparty.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Crisis Party</a>. The punk trio recently shared an energetic eleven-song set, captured at Victoria's Little Fernwood last April by Cody Baresich.</p><p class='maxread center'>Crisis Party unites the prolific Haligonian artist <a href="http://mattygrace.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Matty Grace</a> (<a href="https://futuregirls.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Future Girls</a>, <a href="https://cluttered.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Cluttered</a>, <a href="https://centuryegg.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Century Egg</a>) with Tony Cardozo (<a href="https://joncreeden.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Flying Hellfish</a>, <a href="https://demofest.bandcamp.com/album/precious-failures-demo-fest-2020" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Precious Failures</a>) and "Ska" Jeff Hurter (<a href="https://doxxottawa.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Doxx</a>, <a href="https://dogmapeacepunk.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Dogma</a>, <a href="https://demofest.bandcamp.com/album/exit-death-4-tracks" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Exit Death</a>).</p><p class='maxread center'>The band issued a <a href="https://pilssessions.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Pils Records</a> studio session last year as part of that ongoing series, following up on their 2022 debut, <em>Welcome to the Party</em>.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1376003525/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://crisisparty.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-victoria-041623">Live In Victoria 04.16.23 by Crisis Party</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="down_memory_lane" class="maxread center"><a href="http://downmemorylane.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Down Memory Lane</a>: "Scars of Love"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/YWF5G7M8b7U?si=pPEmcRUZ6BWZxotU" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://downmemorylane.bandcamp.com/track/scars-of-love" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Melodic skatepunk quintet <a href="http://downmemorylane.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Down Memory Lane</a> evokes early 2000s angst with "Scars of Love," the second single from their upcoming EP <em>Space</em>. The Montreal band calls the new song "a portrait on how to never forget about oneself in a toxic relationship."</p><p class='maxread center'>Look for the album through <a href="http://peopleofpunkrockrecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">People of Punk Rock Records</a>, both digitally and as part of the compilation album <em>Breathing Space</em>. That LP pairs this new material with the songs from the band's 2021 EP <em>Breathing</em>. You can pick either up on March 1.</p><p class='maxread center'>Look for a record release show on Pub la sainte-paix in Drummondville on May 4, with support from Dutch Nuggets, We Told You So, and Throw It Away. The group's also slated to appear at their label's <a href="http://redbridgefest.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Red Bridge Fest</a> in the summer, performing alongside veterans like Lagwagon, Millencolin, Diesel Boy, and Zebrahead. That event goes down in Pont-Rouge, QC on June 7 and 8.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="merc_the_montclairs" class="maxread center"><a href="http://mercandthemontclairs.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Merc & The Montclairs</a>: <em>Do the Salvo</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://mercandthemontclairs.bandcamp.com/album/do-the-salvo" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>It's been a while since we've heard anything new from Toronto's aggressively off-kilter <a href="http://mercandthemontclairs.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Merc & The Montclairs</a>. The experimental group issued <em>Do the Salvo</em> earlier this month, following their early 2020 record <em>Be a Galvo</em> (both titles reference the Wild Man Fischer song "Do the Salvo," and the wider Zappa-sphere of sonic weirdness). The new set features seven recordings, including a cover of Ween's "Your Party."</p><p class='maxread center'>Project lead Eli Speigel makes no excuses for the group's absurdist tendencies, stating:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"Making music is incredibly stupid and that's what makes it so fun... Just know that whenever these songs sound serious, listen harder, dickhead. Music is so so silly and I'm just a boy who likes changing the words of 'you' and 'me' in popular songs to 'poo' and 'pee'."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>Along with Speigel, the set features contributions from Stella Tagom, Lucas Temor, Cale Weir, and Jason Shory. <a href="https://slurryslurry.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Slurry</a>'s Rachel Bellone also appears, singing lead on the quirky "National Portuguese Bakery." The band recorded last fall with Rob McLay producing.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2140009086/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://mercandthemontclairs.bandcamp.com/album/do-the-salvo">Do the Salvo by Merc & The Montclairs</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="the_obgms" class="maxread center"><a href="https://theobgms.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The OBGMs</a>: "Get Up"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Listen on <a href="https://youtu.be/gy1t3TDRBI4?si=Rx_zbdrhBg0SUtJ9" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Last week, the acclaimed Toronto punk act <a href="https://theobgms.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The OBGMs</a> shared "Get Up," a bombastic one-off single. Other than the 2022 one-off "Same," the track provides our first hints at the group's direction following their Polaris shortlisted LP <em>The Ends</em>. The band boasted, "pretty sure we released the saddest, grungiest, lullaby pop song of 2024."</p><p class='maxread center'>The track arrives courtesy of the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/burn.industry/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Burn Industry</a> imprint. Calvin Hartwick recorded the group at Dream House Studios, with Jesse F. Keeler of <a href="https://www.deathfromabove1979.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Death From Above 1979</a> mastering (The OBGMs will support DFA on a handful of Canadian dates this May).</p><p class='maxread center'><em>The Ends</em> landed in 2020 via <a href="https://weareblackbox.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Black Box</a>. The OGBMs feature vocalist/guitarist Densil McFarlane, drummer Colanthony Humphrey, bassist Joseph Brosnan, and guitarist Simon Outhit.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="jyraph" class="maxread center"><a href="https://jyraph.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Jyraph</a>: "Fantasma (En Vivo)"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/c-MqAoT3fOc?si=TK-jVo39AX4zvsEM" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://jyraph.bandcamp.com/track/fantasma-en-vivo" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>It's been a year since we last heard from Pablo Garcia-Rejon Gaubeca's solo outlet <a href="https://jyraph.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Jyraph</a>. The Spanish-language, Montreal-based post-punk project resurfaced last week with "Fantasma (En Vivo)." You can see the hypnotic track performed by a pair of spectral Pablos in a suitably psychedelic video on YouTube.</p><p class='maxread center'>Gaubeca's played in several Montreal rock bands over the years, including <a href="https://palmetto.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Palmetto</a>, <a href="https://hypocrites.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Hypocrites</a>, and most recently <a href="https://thewesleys.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Wesleys</a>. That garage quartet issued their debut EP, <em>Outside Voices</em>, in 2022, with new material on the immediate horizon.</p><p class='maxread center'>Jyraph's last solo full-length, <em>El Fuego</em>, arrived in 2018, with several compelling one-offs trickling out in the years since.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="roy" class="maxread center"><a href="https://thesoundofroy.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">ROY</a>: "Now You Know"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://thesoundofroy.bandcamp.com/album/spoons-for-the-world" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Patrick Lefler's psych-pop project <a href="https://thesoundofroy.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">ROY</a> returns in April with <em>Spoons for the World</em>, an eight-song LP due through <a href="http://ideefixerecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Idée Fixe Records</a>. The album's his fifth overall and third for the label, following up on 2021's conceptual set <em>Capitalism</em>. You can hear the album's unhurried (and surprisingly dignified) lead single, "Now You Know," at Bandcamp.</p><p class='maxread center'>Idée Fixe touts the project's evolving maturity, sharing:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"Three years on from <em>Roy's Garage</em>, <em>Spoons for the World</em> feels like a new chapter in the book of ROY. The album heralds a lyrical style that moves away from the paranoid commentary of the external to a newfound focus on the relationships to the people and places that comprise Patrick's personal world."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>There's rarely a Toronto psych project that doesn't involve Lefler in some capacity. The artist appears as a producer or player on recent work from <a href="https://possumyyz.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Possum</a>, <a href="https://hieronymusharry.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Hieronymus Harry</a>, <a href="https://theroyalfamilyetiquette.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Royal Family</a>, and <a href="https://barttheband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bart</a> among others.</p><p class='maxread center'>Lefler self-produced the album, with Jeff McMurrich (Jennifer Castle, Bry Webb) acting as creative director. The record includes a host of collaborators, including vocalists Desiree Das Gupta and Sam Maloney of <a href="https://kalihorse.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Kali Horse</a>, cellist <a href="https://elizaniemi.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Eliza Niemi</a>, <a href="https://winelips.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Wine Lips</a>' Charlie Weare on flute, Jay Anderson (<a href="https://badgeepoque.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Badge Époque Ensemble</a>, <a href="https://lammping.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Lammping</a>) on drums, and Harrison Forman (Hieronymus Harry, <a href="https://mrjoy.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Mr. Joy</a>) on bass and guitar. Additional players include Aline Homzy and Kel Mansaray on violin, Michael Davidson on vibraphone, Steven MacPhail on flute, and Taylor Barber on vocals.</p><p class='maxread center'><em>Spoons for the World</em> arrives on April 19.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="sunglaciers" class="maxread center"><a href="https://sunglaciers.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sunglaciers</a>: "Cursed"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/QpBBAb4uBOw?si=kwCnS8shUt4TDwZD" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://sunglaciers.bandcamp.com/album/regular-nature-2" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Calgary indie outfit <a href="https://sunglaciers.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sunglaciers</a> recently shared "Cursed," the first single from their upcoming album <em>Regular Nature</em>. Weird-folk hero <a href="https://chadvangaalen.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Chad VanGaalen</a> co-produced the album, the band's third, and performs on almost all of the collection's 15 tracks in one form or another. He's one of several notable contributors, including shoegazer Daniel Monkman (<a href="https://ombiigizi.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">OMBIIGIZI</a>, <a href="https://zoongideewinmusic.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Zoon</a>), percussionist Chris Dadge (<a href="https://labcoast.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Lab Coast</a>, the Bleach Wipes), saxophonist Nate Waters (<a href="https://shakingboxmusic.bandcamp.com/album/nightspeak" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Friesen/Hume/Waters </a>), and <a href="https://wares.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Wares</a>' Cassia Hardy (who makes a guest appearance on synth). You can hear both VanGaalen and Monkman on "Cursed," which is now streaming everywhere and accompanied by a suitably surrealist video on YouTube. Mark Lawson (The Unicorns, Land of Talk) mixed the album.</p><p class='maxread center'>The band commented:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"'Cursed' is quite probably Sunglaciers' biggest downer to date. It is a piece about shattered, unsaid expectations, and reflecting on the reality of a situation after it has passed, and all that remains is its memory. It is a slow dance between regret and acceptance, a song about lost love and lost potential. It is being caught in a moment, blinded by short-term desires, only to wake up on the other side when everything has passed and it is too late to reconcile."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>Sunglaciers features Evan Resnik on vocals and guitar, Mathieu Blanchard on drums, Kyle Crough on bass, and Nyssa Brown on vocals and guitar. All four members share synth credits. The band's last full-length, <em>Subterranea</em>, arrived in 2022. <em>Regular Nature</em> arrives March 29 through <a href="https://www.mothland.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Mothland</a>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="navet_confit" class="maxread center"><a href="https://navetconfit.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Navet Confit</a>: "Changer l'heure"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://navetconfit.bandcamp.com/track/changer-lheure" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Jean-Philippe Fréchette's eclectic indie outlet <a href="https://navetconfit.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Navet Confit</a> recently shared "Changer l'heure," the first single from an upcoming album, due in the spring. The sly track weaves subtle electronic elements around a catchy acoustic riff, only for the song to wander into a sea of shoegaze noise as it progresses.</p><p class='maxread center'>The new recordings follow up on <em>Bonjour</em>, Fréchette's ninth major release, issued in 2022 through <a href="https://lazyatwork.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Lazy at Work</a>, as well as a split EP with the Montreal synthpop artist <a href="https://sheenahko.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sheenah Ko</a>. The set also arrives on the heels of last year's self-titled full-length from the post-punk / garage act <a href="https://nushu.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Nüshu</a>, with whom Confit plays guitar.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="ancient_teeth" class="maxread center"><a href="https://ancientteethband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Ancient Teeth</a>: "Sacrifice"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://ancientteethband.bandcamp.com/album/humanizer" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>While <a href="https://ancientteethband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Ancient Teeth</a> first surfaced as Adrian Mottram's solo outlet, the band we see today feathers a deep bench from some well-known Canadian bands. Mottram most recently played in Toronto's <a href="https://sightsxsounds.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sights & Sounds</a> and has roots in the early-2000s Ontario punk group <a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/1355603-The-Getaway" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Getaway</a>. He's joined here by guitarist Chris Hughes (<a href="https://moneen.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Moneen</a>, <a href="https://seasmusic.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Seas</a>), bassist Jahmeel Russell (<a href="https://redvienna.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Red Vienna</a>, <a href="https://actors.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">ACTORS</a>, <a href="https://ken-mode.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">KEN mode</a>, <a href="https://projektor.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Projektor</a>), and drummer Mike Duffield (<a href="https://beamsbeams.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Beams</a>, Flowers From Hell). The quartet has a nine-song cassette due March 8 dubbed <em>Humanizer</em>, with the lead single "Sacrifice" now streaming.</p><p class='maxread center'>Mottram commented on the band's atmospheric alt-rock sound in a press release:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"It starts with a ferocious explosion of energy and slowly breaks apart through contemplative moments and dreamy atmospheric tangents. A lot of the songs are written from an intimate perspective and celebrate my feelings for different people in my life. Chris wrote three of the songs and having his voice included enriches the overall narrative. Trish Robb singing on the album was essential as well, so she took the lead on 'Vanishing Light.'"</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>Along with Robb, guest players on the record include Ryan Dhale (Age Of Electric), Jordy Birch (Pure), Katrina Natale (Devin Townsend), and even Mottram's parents. Ancient Teeth recorded at Union Sound in Toronto. Look for a limited cassette run through <a href="https://debtoffensiverecords.bandcamp.com/album/humanizer" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Debut Offensive Records</a>.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="no_brainer" class="maxread center"><a href="https://nobrainercalgary.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">No Brainer</a>: "Lowest Common Denominator"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/wlDG9qPRFps?si=ZHU-3GbdNH0gzLn1" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://nobrainercalgary.bandcamp.com/track/lowest-common-denominator" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Calgary punk act <a href="https://nobrainercalgary.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">No Brainer</a> recently resurfaced with "Lowest Common Denominator," their first new material since 2020's <em>Everything is Fine</em>. The anthemic track finds the five-piece recording with Jesse Gander (Pack Rat, Woolworm, Necking). <a href="https://daggermouth.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Daggermouth</a>'s Stuart McKillop mastered. There's yet to be a word on what the band has in the pipeline, but the single arrives via Vancouver's <a href="https://outhouseproductionsandrecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Outhouse Records</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>You can see the track performed in a new video directed by <a href="https://www.albertafilmlocations.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Jason Nolan</a>. No Brainer's lineup features members from a host of Calgarian bands, including <a href="https://pmma.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">PMMA</a>, <a href="https://paradisepunk.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Paradise</a>, <a href="https://specialedisons.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Special Edisons</a>, <a href="https://xraycatmusic.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">X-Ray Cat</a>, and <a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/5933863-The-Pissoffs" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Pissoffs</a>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="vr" class="maxread center"><a href="https://hamiltonhardcoreofficial.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">VR</a>: <em>VR</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://hamiltonhardcoreofficial.bandcamp.com/album/vr" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'><a href="https://hamiltonhardcoreofficial.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">VR</a> is a new hardcore project from Vince Soliveri and Ross Miller, frequent studio collaborators and bandmates in projects like <a href="https://thestovesareon.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Stoves</a>, <a href="https://telepathiclove.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Telepathic Love</a>, and, most prominently, the current lineup of <a href="https://singlemothersband.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Single Mothers</a>. The Hamilton duo issued their frantic four-song debut earlier this month, available digitally and as a limited cassette.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="kytly" class="maxread center"><a href="https://kytly.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">KYTLY</a>: "Modern Life"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Listen on <a href="https://youtu.be/sz4ehnwOlYE?si=e2EzMgcFmX1tkLgH" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Hamilton singer-songwriter <a href="https://kytly.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">KYTLY</a> recently shared "Modern Life," a wonderfully hooky slice of lo-fi indie pop. In a press release, the artist shared:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"Modern Life is a song of the times. Disposable relationships. Replaceable feelings. Sensationally driven. Dopamine-rushing lifestyles. It's a self-effacing anthem for modern dating and the disingenuous process of becoming 'fast friends.'"</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>Laura Keightley's following up on her 2022 album <em>Detours and Exits</em>, produced by Brian Young of The Jesus and Mary Chain and Fountains of Wayne. In the 2010s, Keightley played in the short-lived Toronto indie-rock outfit <a href="https://thecaraways.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Caraways</a>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="daniel_romano_s_outfit" class="maxread center"><a href="https://danielromano.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Daniel Romano's Outfit</a>: "Chatter"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/tdt-ENIdOcM?si=D9S_ykFfpvgG7S3S" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://danielromano.bandcamp.com/album/too-hot-to-sleep" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>The second single from <a href="https://danielromano.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Daniel Romano</a>'s upcoming album <em>Too Hot To Sleep</em> landed last week. The high-energy "Chatter" is another sign that this year's leaner iteration of The Outfit bears more than a passing resemblance to Danny's punk outlet <a href="http://ancientshapes.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Ancient Shapes</a>. <a href="https://youvechangedrecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">You've Changed Records</a> celebrates the band's embrace of power-pop exuberance in a press release:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"Now here, in the depths of northern winter, arrives <em>Too Hot To Sleep</em>, simultaneously a transcendent document of the spirit, and a swaggering, street level blast of rock 'n' roll; a surprisingly direct shout down of the corrupt politicians and techno fascists that police our bodies, pollute our world, assault our connections; a reason and occasion to dance, to sweat together at one of The Outfit's legendary live shows wherein everything comes faster than the next, no breaks, no outside, there is only now, there is only all of us here together, alive. A public offering of each to each."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>You can see the group perform "Chatter" while tangled up in a telephone wire on YouTube. The Outfit's new live lineup features brothers Danny and Ian Romano in a quartet with vocalist <a href="https://carsonmchone.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Carson McHone</a> and Sudbury's Tommy Major (<a href="https://tommyandthecommies.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Tommy and the Commies</a>, <a href="https://youngguv.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Young Guv</a>). That lineup will soon hit the road in Ontario, supported by LA's <a href="https://uniboys.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Uni Boys</a> and Prince Edward County folk singer <a href="https://ivywye.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Ivy Wye</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'><em>Too Hot To Sleep</em> arrives March 1 through You've Changed, following up on 2022's prog opera <em>La Luna</em>, and before it, 2021's triumphant <em>Cobra Poems</em>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="comeback_kid" class="maxread center"><a href="https://comebackkid-hc.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Comeback Kid</a>: "Disruption"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/N8yel9QHRJc?si=BBuv28cDLuk69dQh" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Winnipeg hardcore titans <a href="https://comebackkid-hc.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Comeback Kid</a> recently shared the second single from their upcoming EP, <em>Trouble</em>. You can see "Disruption" showcased in a new video on YouTube. Vocalist Andrew Neufeld commented on the track:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"'Disruption' serves as our Call To Arms type song. The continuous rhythm pounding throughout the track that never really gives in, we met with a pace of urgency. Early AFI influences popped out as we were writing this, and we embraced that! It's about just getting through the next day, or the next step because it could all come crashing down at any given moment."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>He's not lying about those AFI vibes.</p><p class='maxread center'><em>Trouble</em> is due March 15 through <a href="https://newdamagerecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">New Damage Records</a> as the follow-up to 2022's <em>Heavy Steps</em>. The band recorded with producer John Paul Peters (Cancer Bats, Propagandhi) at Private Ear Recording in Winnipeg. Will Putney (Knocked Loose, Every Time I Die) mixed the new material.</p><p class='maxread center'>The group shared "Disruption" with news of a 17-date Canadian tour supporting the EP. The band's setting out from Halifax with a gig at the Seahorse Tavern on March 20, then heading west to ultimately arrive in Vancouver for April 11 show at The Pearl.</p><p class='maxread center'>Comeback Kid features vocalist Andrew Neufeld, guitarists Jeremy Hiebert and Stu Ross, bassist Chase Brenneman, and drummer Loren Legare.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div>Field of Ruinshttps://www.someparty.ca/2024-01-24-field-of-ruins/2024-01-23T19:00:00-05:002024-01-24T22:22:27-05:00adam@someparty.ca (Adam White)<h3 id="daniel_romano_s_outfit" class="maxread center"><a href="https://danielromano.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Daniel Romano's Outfit</a>: "Field of Ruins"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/nx1WmdeSLY4?si=BmOyu0TG9HtyBSCU" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://danielromano.bandcamp.com/album/too-hot-to-sleep" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Following several personnel changes in the off-season, Welland artist <a href="https://danielromano.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Daniel Romano</a>'s returned with a new iteration of The Outfit. This year's model finds the chameleonic songsmith and his brother Ian Romano writing and recording as a duo, joined in their Camera Varda studio by longtime engineer Kenneth Roy Meehan. That's a significant reduction in the cast, with <a href="https://juliannariolinosings.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Julianna Riolino</a> and Roddy Rossetti branching off to support the former's burgeoning solo career. The Outfit's new live lineup features the brothers in a quartet with vocalist <a href="https://carsonmchone.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Carson McHone</a> and Sudbury's Tommy Major (<a href="https://tommyandthecommies.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Tommy and the Commies</a>, <a href="https://youngguv.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Young Guv</a>). That lineup will soon hit the ground in Ontario, supporting their new LP <em>Too Hot To Sleep</em>.</p><p class='maxread center'>The record features ten tracks, and if they're anything like the lead single "Field of Ruins," we can expect a stripped-down power-pop sound. While the song dips into psych-pop on its tail end, the line between The Outfit and Danny's punk act <a href="http://ancientshapes.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Ancient Shapes</a> has never been blurrier. Meehan engineered the recordings, with the brothers mixing and Kristian Montano mastering. The new album arrives March 1 through <a href="https://youvechangedrecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">You've Changed Records</a> as the follow-up to 2022's prog opera <em>La Luna</em>, and before it 2021's triumphant <em>Cobra Poems</em>.</p><p class='maxread center'>The Outfit's on the road in February and March supporting the new record, with stops at Montreal's <a href="https://www.tavernetour.ca/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Tavern Tour VIII</a> (February 10, sharing the stage with <a href="https://nightlunch.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Night Lunch</a>) and Calgary's <a href="https://www.calgaryfolkfest.com/blockheater/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Block Heater Festival</a> (February 16). At the end of the month, they'll embark on a short Ontario release tour supported by LA's <a href="https://uniboys.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Uni Boys</a> and Prince Edward County folk singer <a href="https://ivywye.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Ivy Wye</a>, with stops in Windsor, London, St. Catharines, and Toronto.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="corridor" class="maxread center"><a href="https://corridormtl.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Corridor</a>: "Mourir Demain"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/w9027B3wNDg?si=EPHdMRd24-nj-jkQ" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://corridormtl.bandcamp.com/album/mimi" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Montreal post-punk / jangle-pop heroes <a href="https://corridormtl.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Corridor</a> have a new record on the way this Spring from <a href="https://www.subpop.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sub Pop</a> and <a href="https://www.bonsound.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bonsound</a>. <em>Mimi</em> arrives on April 26 with eight songs, including the newly shared "Mourir Demain." The track's slow-burning psychedelia finds an ideal visual partner in a new animated video from <a href="https://pauljacobs.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Paul Jacobs</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>In a statement on Bandcamp, Jonathan Robert commented on the track:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"I wrote it when my girlfriend and I were shopping for life insurance. With our little daughter growing up, we also considered making our will. I said to myself, 'Oh shit, from now on I'm slowly starting to plan my death.'"</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The essay further delves into the relaxed and deliberate recording process Corridor undertook for their fourth album, refusing the rapid pace that accompanied past efforts. Robert reveals:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"The goal was to work differently, which is the goal we have every time we work on a new album—to build something in a new way. This time, we took our time."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>That effort (and the pandemic) demanded seclusion, with the members of Corridor sequestering themselves at a cottage in the summer of 2020 to build these songs. The record also finds the group embracing electronic elements like never before, a feat no doubt assisted by the addition of Samuel Gougoux (<a href="https://tda444.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">TDA</a>, <a href="https://victimelol.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">VICTIME</a>) as a full-time member. The new iteration of Corridor features Jonathan Robert on vocals, guitar, and synths, Dominic Berthiaume on vocals and bass, Gougoux on synths, Julian Perreault on guitar, and Julien Bakvis drumming. The band worked with co-producer Joo-Joo Ashworth (Dummy, Automatic) at Montreal's Gamma Recording Studio in 2022 and 2023.</p><p class='maxread center'>The new album follows 2019's <em>Junior</em> and Robert's 2022 solo LP as <a href="https://jonathanpersonne.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Jonathan Personne</a>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="psychbike" class="maxread center"><a href="https://psychbike.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Psychbike</a>: <em>Demo</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://psychbike.bandcamp.com/album/demo" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Matthew Ellis of the Sudbury sci-fi punks <a href="https://teleporters.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Teleporters</a> recently shared the first recordings from <a href="https://psychbike.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Psychbike</a>. You can hear five thrilling demo tracks, anchored by Ellis' distinctive wail, at your streaming platform of choice. You may have heard one of these in the latest season of the <em>Letterkenny</em> spinoff <em>Shoresy</em> - as Ellis works on the show's production team.</p><p class='maxread center'>Psychbike's bummed around Sudbury for a few years, participating in the <a href="https://uphere.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Up Here</a> festival and other local events. They'll soon take their high-octane post-punk sound on the road, sharing a bill with Hamilton pinheads <a href="https://goldenshitters.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Golden Shitters</a> (members of <a href="https://anxiouspleasers.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Anxious Pleasers</a>, <a href="https://samcoffeyandtheironlungs.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sam Coffey & the Iron Lungs</a>, and <a href="https://thedirtynil.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Dirty Nil</a>). Look for the pairing in North Bay on February 16, in Sudbury the next day, then down to Hamilton on the 23rd, wrapping up at Toronto's Bovine on the 24th.</p><p class='maxread center'>Teleporters issued <em>Undone in Otherspace</em> in December of 2022.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="little_kid" class="maxread center"><a href="https://littlekid.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Little Kid</a>: "Bad Energy"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://littlekid.bandcamp.com/album/a-million-easy-payments" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Contemplative Toronto indie-folk act <a href="https://littlekid.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Little Kid</a> recently shared a second preview of their forthcoming LP. You can now stream the deceptively low-key hooks of "Bad Energy" everywhere, featuring guest vocals from <a href="https://foglake.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Fog Lake</a>'s Aaron Powell and a tape-warped sample of <a href="https://elizaniemi.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Eliza Niemi</a>'s cello work. In a statement, which you can read in full at <a href="https://www.stereogum.com/2248823/little-kid-bad-energy/music/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Stereogum</a>, principal Kenny Boothby commented:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"'Bad Energy' is a song with many verses. Each verse talks about the concept of "bad energy" from a different angle. My overall goal with this song was to implicate Christianity - or, at least, the twisted, Americanized version of it that I grew up with - in a lot of the evil going on in our world: war, genocide, rape culture, capitalist greed, resource exploitation, climate change… There is some personal stuff in there, and some pretty universal stuff."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The eight-track <em>A Million Easy Payments</em> lands February 23 through Chicago's <a href="https://orindalrecords.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Orindal Records</a> and Bristol's <a href="https://goldday.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Gold Day Recordings</a>. Little Kid features Boothby on vocals, guitar, and keys, backed by Brodie Germain (drums, guitar), Paul Vroom (bass), Megan Lunn (vocals, banjo, keyboard), and Liam Cole (drums, percussion). Vroom engineered and mastered the album, as he did the band's previous three.</p><p class='maxread center'>Little Kid's celebrating the release with a March 22 show at Toronto's Tranzac (fittingly alongside collaborator Eliza Niemi) and a March 23 gig at Montreal's Casa Del Popolo (with Laughing). Both shows will feature Little Kid's Orindal labelmates <a href="https://advancebase.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Advance Base</a> supporting. The new LP follows up on 2020's <em>Transfiguration Highway</em>.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="big_brave" class="maxread center"><a href="https://bigbrave.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">BIG|BRAVE</a>: "I Felt a Funeral"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/pY0CDcLURRU?si=tjEYrWpuLS8UgBpN" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://bigbrave.bandcamp.com/album/a-chaos-of-flowers" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Deconstructionist Montreal trio <a href="https://bigbrave.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">BIG|BRAVE</a> has a new LP due in the Spring. <em>A Chaos of Flowers</em> lands April 19 through <a href="https://www.thrilljockey.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Thrill Jockey</a>, promising eight helpings of the sparse-yet-heavy minimalism the group's made their signature. You can preview the record with the album-opening "I Felt a Funeral." The compellingly raw track plays on an Emily Dickinson poem, with waves of distortion raising and falling behind Robin Wattie's vocals. You can see it captured in a fittingly vulnerable video on YouTube.</p><p class='maxread center'>On that piece, guitarist Mathieu Ball commented:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"The making of this video employed a similar process as we do when writing music. As we've learned to let the flow of ideas take its course, the act of creating works whether with fully formed concepts or an unfinished notion, starting the work itself acts as a sort of guide to where the final outcome may land. We realized that something more visually minimal than what we first imagined was the way to go... the performer (Robin) and the audience both partake in this visual and aural conversation together creating a more intimate visual space. The audience is led in and out of her intimate space all while being kept at safe distance. Paired with the lyrical content, it can be considered an apt representation of the elements of mental collapse - a simplified visual dance with the inner and outside world."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'><em>A Chaos of Flowers</em> features Robin Wattie on vocals and guitar, Mathieu Ball on guitar, and Tasy Hudson drumming. Guests on the album include Portland guitarist <a href="https://www.marisaandersonmusic.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Marisa Anderson</a>, Bhutan-born avant guitarist <a href="https://tashidorji.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Tashi Dorji</a>, and LA-based saxophonist <a href="https://www.patrickshiroishi.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Patrick Shiroishi</a>. BIG|BRAVE recorded the album, the follow-up to 2023's <em>nature morte</em>, Seth Manchester (METZ, Tunic) at Pawtucket's <a href="https://www.machineswithmagnets.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Machines With Magnets</a>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="debbie_christ" class="maxread center"><a href="https://debbiechrist.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Debbie Christ</a>: "Lust!"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/Qt3Xs5pqyW4?si=CObfw8QBhyevI83G" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://debbiechrist.bandcamp.com/track/lust" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Montreal garage act <a href="https://debbiechrist.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Debbie Christ</a> returned with a dynamic new single last week. Right out the gate, "Lust!" misleads you, creeping in with a slow-burning verse draped in dusky psychedelia. The chorus comes on like a panic attack, rife with guitar squalls and a frantic vocal delivery. That adrenaline rush plays out amidst the vintage horror stylings of the accompanying video from director <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aaronnoodlesoup/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Aaron Nadal</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>Debbie Christ's fronted by vocalist/guitarist Clara Harwood. She's backed on this track by lead guitarist Jacob Barton, bassist Christian Lee, Jacob Tarasofsky on keys, and drummer Jack Moore (who recorded and mastered the track). Debbie Christ's following up on a handful of recordings issued in 2023, including the singles "Heathen" and <em>I've Got Time / We Carry On</em>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="capable" class="maxread center"><a href="https://capable.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Capable!</a>: "T-Shirt Préféré"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and Purchase at <a href="https://capable.bandcamp.com/album/le-d-sordre-organis" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Montreal punk quartet <a href="https://capable.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Capable!</a> has their first long player queued up for a February 23 release on <a href="https://stomprecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Stomp Records</a>. The band recorded <em>Le Désordre Organisé</em> in the summer of 2023 at Mountain City Studio with Adrian Popovich (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/_frvits_/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">FRVITS</a>, <a href="https://americanlips.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">American Lips</a>) engineering and <a href="https://hugomudie.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Hugo Mudie</a> (<a href="https://thesaintecatherines.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Sainte Catherines</a>, <a href="https://yesterdaysringmtl.bandcamp.com/releases" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Yesterday's Ring</a>) producing. The band commented, en français:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>« Cet album se veut avant tout une célébration de la musique. De celle que l'on fait, mais aussi de celle que l'on écoute et que l'on partage. Celle qui nous fait du bien quand ça va mal et qui nous élève quand ça va bien. Ces mélodies qui sont notre phare dans les angoisses du quotidien et qui donnent un sens à nos vies. C'est ce que j'ai voulu représenter en chanson. »</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>You can preview the record with the lead single, "T-Shirt Préféré." You'll doubtlessly hear it played at their Turbo Haus release show on Friday, March 22, supported by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/conflitmajeur_band/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Conflit Majeur</a> and <a href="https://ropeskills.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Rope Skills</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>Capable! has roots in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, where members previously appeared in the Rouyn Noranda punk group <a href="https://lessprates.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Les Sprates</a>. They later surfaced in the Montreal outfit <a href="https://bonnejourneebon.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bonne Journée!</a>. Capable! last issued the <em>Brûle Brûle Brûle</em> EP in 2021.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="prosthetic_bung" class="maxread center"><a href="https://prostheticbung.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Prosthetic Bung</a>: <em>Zib Zob</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://prostheticbung.bandcamp.com/album/zib-zob" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Toronto chaos engine <a href="https://prostheticbung.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Prosthetic Bung</a> makes records faster than I manage to send these emails. Since this newsletter last checked in on them, the noise-punk/free-jazz group issued (at least) a half-dozen barely contained, erratic live recordings - each reaching new heights of absurdism. Their latest is <em>Zib Zob</em>, a seven-song set due February 9. It's particularly notable in that it finds the group expanded from a duo to a quartet, with multiinstrumentalist guitarist/vocalist Steff and drummer/synth-player Zach now joined by Haile Dubious (of Oshawa's <a href="https://poisonfountains.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Poison Foundains</a>) on sax and jaw harp, with Mike Bristow (<a href="https://whiskerbiscuitmusic.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Whisker Biscuit</a>) taking over on bass. I'm shocked it took them this long to rope in a full-time saxophonist, as this music screams for unhinged skronk like few others.</p><p class='maxread center'>Like all their releases, this set finds Prosthetic Bung fully improvising from the studio floor. This time out, you'll hear a swath of new instruments, including a kalimba, a Japanese taishōgoto, and a horn section. You can stream two tracks from the <em>Zib Zob</em> mess at Bandcamp.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="tj_felix" class="maxread center"><a href="https://tjfelix.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">TJ Felix</a>: <em>Maladjustment</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://tjfelix.bandcamp.com/album/maladjustment" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Secwépemc punk artist <a href="https://tjfelix.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">TJ Felix</a> falls into a similar category: they're so doggedly prolific that it's a challenge to follow their output (even when I'm not hopelessly behind). The Vancouver musician's latest is a ten-song set dubbed <em>Maladjustment</em>. It follows November's <em>Go Ahead and Reap the Folly of Sincerity</em>, one of four full-lengths issued in 2023 amidst a scattering of singles. The new record boasts most of the artist's staples: a sonically unpredictable set with roots in foundationally weird music (DEVO, the Urinals, etc.) married to an anxious delivery and coloured by trauma.</p><p class='maxread center'>Formerly known as Industrial Priest Overcoats, Felix performs with <a href="https://bedwettersanonymous.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bedwetters Anonymous</a> and the hardcore combo <a href="https://nasdaqcrimespree.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Nasdaq</a>.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="dermabrasion" class="maxread center"><a href="https://dermabrasion.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Dermabrasion</a>: "Magic Missile"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/q6wTRcYezJA?si=l9MJjEpLOa0x1olI" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://handdrawndracula.bandcamp.com/album/pain-behaviour" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Toronto duo <a href="https://dermabrasion.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Dermabrasion</a> crafts a sinister stomp on "Magic Missile," the final preview of their debut full-length. <em>Pain Behavior</em>, due Friday through <a href="http://handdrawndracula.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Hand Drawn Dracula</a>, finds Kat McGouran and Adam Bernhardt immersed in industrial, goth, and post-punk sounds. It's worlds away from their nascent EP <em>Lunate</em>, to say nothing of the pair's past in the punk act <a href="https://wlmrt.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">WLMRT</a>. On the new record, Kat shared:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"the five songs on <em>Lunate</em> were a beginning. i was still very sick when i recorded my vocals. we were punks who had never used a drum machine. p<em>ain behaviour</em> is those five songs, rerecorded as i heard them in my head, together with five more that complete the statement. we worked with Josh Korody, an amazing musician, producer/engineer and techno DJ, to help us refine our drum sound. if you choose to listen to the new tracks, i hope you can feel the drums in the pit of your stomach.</p><p class='maxread center'>...i will bellow out into the world whether people pay attention or not. but for those who listen, my spirit is grateful for the energy returned."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>In Dermabrasion, McGouran plays bass and sings lead while Bernhardt accompanies on guitar and synth. Josh Korody recorded, produced, and mixed the 10-track LP from Candle Recording with Noah Mintz mastering.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="outtacontroller" class="maxread center"><a href="https://outtacontroller.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Outtacontroller</a>: "Gimme Nothin'"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://outtacontroller.bandcamp.com/track/gimme-nothin" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Every recent track from <a href="https://outtacontroller.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Outtacontroller</a> has been reliably impeccable; I'd be shocked to discover otherwise. Last week, the Halifax fuzz-pop group kept up that standard with "Gimme Nothin'," a punk tune that feels almost effortlessly timeless. You can stream it everywhere now. There's yet to be word on whether it's part of some greater whole, but I imagine we'll have news soon.</p><p class='maxread center'>Last October, the band issued the <em>Just a Scratch</em> EP through Madrid's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jarama45rpmrecs/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Jarama 45RPM Recs</a>, following the one-off summer single "Gotta Get Out." Both landed in the wake of 2022's <em>Come Alive</em> LP. Outtacontroller features vocalist/guitarists Terry A'hearn and James O'Toole, bassist AJ Boutilier, and drummer Sean Parsons.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="gulfer" class="maxread center"><a href="https://gulfer.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Gulfer</a>: "Too Slow"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/7K-phLJjHqE?si=89-fW13iO4W8SekF" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://gulfer.bandcamp.com/album/third-wind" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>After bowling us over in November with their single "Clean," Montreal emo-revivalists <a href="https://gulfer.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Gulfer</a> formally unveiled its home: <em>Third Wind</em>, the band's new record, arrives next month from <a href="https://www.topshelfrecords.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Topshelf</a>. The ten-track set opens with "Clean" and features the new preview "Too Slow," which hits hard before swerving into a mathy drum'n'bass outro. The band credits their evolving sound to guitarist/vocalist Joseph Therriault, who took on the brunt of their songwriting. You can see the new song showcased in a video on YouTube.</p><p class='maxread center'>Gulfer's released a string of singles in the years since their 2020 self-titled full-length for Topshelf and <a href="https://www.royalmountainrecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Royal Mountain</a>, including a split EP with Marquette, MI's <a href="https://charmermusic.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Charmer</a>. The quartet features guitarist/vocalists Vincent Ford and Joe Therriault, bassist David Mitchell, and drummer Julien Daoust.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="peanut_butter_sunday" class="maxread center"><a href="https://peanutbuttersundayessir.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Peanut Butter Sunday</a>: "Fort McMurray"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/dbTHcDzJXrM?si=VAA-b56u2Fqv44wH" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://peanutbuttersundayessir.bandcamp.com/track/fort-mcmurray" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Acadian pop-punk act <a href="https://peanutbuttersundayessir.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Peanut Butter Sunday</a> is headed out on tour in early February, sharing the stage with bands like <a href="https://doubledatewithdeath.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Double Date with Death</a>, <a href="https://thickglassespunk.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Thick Glasses</a>, and Family Man in a string of shows following the St. Lawrence River from Rimouski to Ontario. To celebrate the occasion, the group shared "Fort McMurray," a rollicking preview of their forthcoming full-length for <a href="https://acadianembassy.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Acadian Embassy</a> and a surefire future crowd favourite with its massive sing-along chorus. You can see it visualized in a genuinely surreal video on YouTube.</p><p class='maxread center'>Hailing from La Baie Sainte-Marie, Nova Scotia, Peanut Butter Sunday features guitarist/vocalist <a href="https://michaelsaulnier.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Michael Saulnier</a>, drummer Andre LeBlanc, guitarist Normand Pothier, and bassist Jacques Blinn. Pothier and Blinn are members of <a href="https://ptitbelliveau.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">P'tit Belliveau</a>'s backing band and played previously with <a href="https://cymusique.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Cy</a>. The quartet recorded with Jean-Pascal Comeau at Studio La Classe in Memramcook, NB. The new track follows their debut EP, <em>Quoi-c'ya pour souper?</em>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="elephant_stone" class="maxread center"><a href="https://elephantstonemusic.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Elephant Stone</a>: "Pilgrimage"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/XtB_v5O2cek?si=3KyMKM2yTbHzH_je" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://elephantstonemusic.bandcamp.com/album/back-into-the-dream" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Montreal psych titans <a href="https://www.elephantstone.ca/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Elephant Stone</a> issue their new LP next month, and we've heard a great deal from it to date. The latest preview is the meditative "Pilgrimage." Adam Kinner's sax plays an outsized role on this one, embuing the track with throwback adult contemporary vibes. On the song, band lead Rishi Dhir commented:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"In the early 2000s, I found myself crisscrossing America in a van, shoulder-to-shoulder with a motley crew of musicians... When you're constantly on the move, it's easy to build emotional walls, to isolate yourself even while surrounded by others. I am particularly prone to this.</p><p class='maxread center'>During one tour, we found ourselves with a few days to spare in Oregon. Armed with 'Two Buck Chuck,' olive bread, and cheese from Trader Joe's, I made my way to the coast. As I sat on the sand dunes, I watched the clouds roll in rapidly, becoming one with the tumultuous waves and the awe-inspiring might of nature. At that moment, it felt as though I had been on a pilgrimage to the ends of the Earth, seeking a personal communion with the divine. With 'Pilgrimage' I attempted to capture the essence of that journey—a voyage not just across the physical landscape, but through the intricate terrains of the soul, reminding us that sometimes, the most profound discoveries are made when we're farthest from home."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The ten-song <em>Back Into The Dream</em> lands February 23 through <a href="https://eoprecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Elephants On Parade</a> and <a href="https://littlecloudrecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Little Cloud</a>. It follows up on 2020's <em>Hollow</em> and clocks in as Elephant Stone's sixth full-length. The band features Dhir on vocals and various instruments, including bass, guitar, and his signature sitar. Kent backs him on saxophone, with drummer Miles Dupire-Gagnon, guitarist Robbie MacArthur, and keyboardist Jason Kent rounding out the ensemble.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="autogramm" class="maxread center"><a href="https://autogramm.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Autogramm</a>: "Born Losers"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/e2DwdOtv_K0?si=Pv7yKogbwoT3YmYi" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://autogramm.bandcamp.com/album/music-that-humans-can-play" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Lovable Vancouver new wavers <a href="http://autogramm.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Autogramm</a> have a new video online celebrating the track "Born Losers" from their recent <a href="https://stomprecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Stomp</a> LP, <em>Music That Humans Can Play</em>. The band teases that the tongue-in-cheek video from director Tyler McLeod features, in no particular order, "a sasquatch, an epic backflip on skis, Kokanee beer, and a banana on a shrimp platter." McLeod shot the piece on location at Sasquatch Mountain Resort in British Columbia. You can find it on YouTube.</p><p class='maxread center'>The album is the band's first as a quartet with the addition of guitarist Lars Swenson, known from Seattle's <a href="https://www.breadandbutterrules.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bread & Butter</a> and Sub Pop act <a href="https://www.subpop.com/artists/the_catheters" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Catheters</a>. He appears here billed as Lars Von Seattle, joining the longstanding Autogramm lineup of Jiffy Marx (<a href="https://nightcourtpunk.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Night Court</a>), CC Voltage (<a href="https://thespitfires.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Spitfires</a>, <a href="https://theblackhalos.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Black Halos</a>), and Joshua "The Silo" Wells (Black Mountain, Destroyer, Spun Out).</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="b_a_johnston" class="maxread center"><a href="http://www.bajohnston.ca/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">B.A. Johnston</a>: "Gonna Move to a Ski Town"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/-aqzLD8PZ9o?si=gAiUrRztbazmh5Eu" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://bajohnston.bandcamp.com/album/the-skid-is-hot-tonight" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Similarly, you may recall that <a href="http://www.bajohnston.ca/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">B.A. Johnston</a> once declared his intention to become a Kokanee-swilling ski bum. That fantasy comes to life in the recently shared video for "Gonna Move to a Ski Town" from director Stephan Macleod. Curiously, the video's promoting a track from the Hamilton troubadour's 2019 LP (<em>The Skid is Hot Tonight</em>), an album now quite far in the rearview mirror. Johnston's since followed that up in 2022 with <em>Werewolves of London, Ontario</em> and again in 2023 with <em>Argos Suck</em>. I suppose the track's message remains utterly timeless, so who am I to question it?</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="hot_garbage" class="maxread center"><a href="http://hotgarbagemusic.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Hot Garbage</a>: "Erase My Mind"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/ZPvhOjjtEzY?si=lFV1LLSOGmTV2cHo" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://hotgarbagemusic.bandcamp.com/album/precious-dream" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'><em>Precious Dream</em>, the new record from Toronto psych heavies <a href="http://hotgarbagemusic.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Hot Garbage</a>, is out in the wild. The release arrived alongside a video for "Erase My Mind," directed by <a href="https://www.lauralynnpetrick.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Laura-Lynn Petrick</a>. The director revealed:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"Erase My Mind" is a gritty emotive montage of Hot Garbage immersed in a brutalist haven, as they observe textural sights. When I heard the song, I wanted to create something that felt like a Le Corbusier-style moving mirage - slightly non-linear, visually striking and modular - to match the song's tone."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'><a href="https://www.mothland.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Mothland</a>'s press release relishes in describing the instrumentals, noting the presence of "what could very well be a Casavant Frères organ run through a 10-story-high Leslie cabinet."</p><p class='maxread center'><em>Precious Dream</em>, the band's sophomore effort, arrives via the Quebec psych label and Brussels' <a href="https://www.exagrecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">EXAG' Records</a>. Hot Garbage features bassist/vocalist Juliana Carlevaris, guitarist/vocalist Alex Carlevaris, keyboardist/vocalist Dylan Gamble, and drummer Mark Henein. The band recorded with <a href="https://www.holyfuckmusic.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Holy Fuck</a>'s Graham Walsh at Palace Sound. James Plotkin mastered the new material, which follows up on 2021's <em>RIDE</em>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div>Lovely Electricityhttps://www.someparty.ca/2024-01-06-lovely-electricity/2024-01-05T19:00:00-05:002024-03-15T08:45:45-04:00adam@someparty.ca (Adam White)<h3 id="rick_white" class="maxread center"><a href="https://rickwhitearchive.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Rick White</a>: <em>Music Box</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://rickwhitearchive.bandcamp.com/album/rick-white-music-box-dec-2023" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'><a href="https://rickwhitearchive.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Rick White</a>'s home recording hot streak had one last surprise in store for 2023. In the waning days of December, he delivered a new collection dubbed <em>Music Box</em>, featuring twelve quirky songs with a minimalist new wave bent. While a far cry from White's hallmark of dense, grungy psychedelia, his skill as a composer's proven remarkably adaptable. The <a href="https://www.subpop.com/artists/erics_trip" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Eric's Trip</a> legend commented on the project at Bandcamp:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"The title of my last release [November's <em>De-Evolution</em>] may have referred to the philosophies of a fave band of mine called DEVO, but the songs and sounds didn't. This new album does. I've always loved their inventive use of synths, peppy rhythms and catchy melodic tunes. So to celebrate their 50th anniversary, i was inspired to record a 'synth only' album. Not to specifically try and sound like them, but to just drop my song writing/recording self into a bit of their world for a while.</p><p class='maxread center'>To make it extra fun, i limited myself to using only my old Yamaha PSS-270 keyboard and one mic for vocals. I really like putting limits like this on projects, it causes you to come up with different ideas than you normally would. Really happy with how it turned out, hope you enjoy it too."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The new EP comes at the tail end of a remarkably productive period for White, rich in both new sounds and retrospection. Following his 2021 solo album <em>Where It's Fine</em>, Rick's album of <a href="https://www.thesadies.net/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sadies</a> covers landed in 2022 as a tribute to the late Dallas Good. Last May saw the debut LP from the throwback-hardcore duo <a href="https://tohc83.bandcamp.com/album/old-lp" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">OLD</a>, pairing Rick with Brian Taylor of the Toronto legends <a href="https://tohc83.bandcamp.com/album/youth-youth-youth-anthology" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Youth Youth Youth</a>). Following a pair of covers collections, November saw the release of <em>De-Evolution</em>, a full-throttle EP channelling White's feedback-drenched roots.</p><p class='maxread center'>To top it all off, Rick's <a href="https://bluefogrecordings.bigcartel.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Blue Fog Recordings</a> recently shepherded several reissues from the Elevator and Eric's Trip archives.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="wet_pleather" class="maxread center"><a href="https://wetpleather.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Wet Pleather</a>: <em>Hell Bent For Pleather</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://wetpleather.bandcamp.com/album/hell-bent-for-pleather" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>If I recall, the <a href="https://boojiboysfuneral.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Booji Boys</a> habitually issued new material in the holiday interregnum, a tradition that lives on with their numerous offshoots. This past week saw two new salvos from the prolific Cody Googoo, first an EP from the low-fi racket <a href="https://wetpleather.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Wet Pleather</a>. <em>Hell Bent For Pleather</em> isn't going to win any beauty contests as it spits and growls through five grimy tracks in as many minutes. The Halifax punk band, featuring Googoo, Steve Earle, Chad, and Terry, recorded with their frequent collaborator and fellow Booji Boy Adam Ledrew.</p><p class='maxread center'>You can snag a tape through Toronto's <a href="https://brokenskull.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Broken Skull Records</a>. Top points for the album title; sometimes low-hanging fruit just demands to be picked.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="mutated_void" class="maxread center"><a href="https://mutatedvoid.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Mutated Void</a>: <em>Tarnished</em> EP</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://mutatedvoid.bandcamp.com/album/tarnished-ep" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>A couple days after Wet Pleather dropped, Googoo's <a href="https://mutatedvoid.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Mutated Void</a> reemerged with their 10-song <em>Tarnished</em> EP. Here we're still happily rolling lo-fi trash, but while Pleather threateningly lumbers in the gutter, the Void's tweaked enough to fight you in broad daylight. There's a breakneck skate/hardcore bent to the Dartmouth four-piece that's equal parts reckless and endearing. You can find the set on 7" through Milwaukee's <a href="https://unlawfulassembly.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Unlawful Assembly</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'><em>Tarnished</em> follows up on 2022's <em>Slash The Altar</em> EP and the full-length <em>Roses Forever</em>. Mutated Void started as a duo featuring the <a href="https://fragmentpunk.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Fragment</a> bandmates Cody Googoo (<a href="http://gemstones.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Gemstones</a>, <a href="https://heavenlyblue.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Heavenly Blue</a>) and drummer Ben Radford (<a href="https://unrealthought.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Unreal Thought</a>). This time out, they're operating as a four-piece with Malcolm and Terry on board. The band recorded in the spring of last year with Luke Mumford.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="y_know" class="maxread center"><a href="https://spiritualworld.bandcamp.com/album/yknow" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Y'Know</a>: "Motion Sickness"/"Something"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://spiritualworld.bandcamp.com/album/yknow" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>This newsletter closely covered the rise of <a href="https://uhhuhband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Uh Huh</a>, a dub-heavy evolution of the wry punks once known as <a href="https://teenanger.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Teenanger</a>. Were I still in the habit of making year-end lists, the group's self-titled debut would have ranked highly on mine. Now, through the newly launched <a href="https://www.telephoneexplosion.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Telephone Explosion</a> offshoot <a href="https://spiritualworld.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Spiritual World</a>, half of Uh Huh are taking that sound a few steps further as <a href="https://spiritualworld.bandcamp.com/album/yknow" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Y'Know</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>The duo features Melissa Bell (as Bally) on bass and vocals, backed by Jon Schouten (as N1_Sound) on guitar, synthesizers, and drum programming. It's an exciting prospect, as the Bell-fronted Uh Huh tracks were a blissful highlight on their album. This week, the pair unveiled their debut single, the two-song set of "Motion Sickness" and "Something." Recorded at the label's Studio Z, they describe the results as a "downbeat balearic dance dub." I'm venturing well outside comfortable frames of reference, but the label compares Y'Know to half-speed Italo-disco sound, with nods to 80s George Clinton and Sly & Robbie. None of that quite captures how Bell's airy vocals float high amidst the haze.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="self_defense" class="maxread center"><a href="https://slow-death-records.bandcamp.com/album/self-defense-demo-2024" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Self Defense</a>: <em>Demo 2024</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://slow-death-records.bandcamp.com/album/self-defense-demo-2024" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'><a href="https://slow-death-records.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Slow Death Records</a> continues unearthing the gnarliest corners of the BC punk and hardcore scenes. Their latest cassette features a 2024 demo from the Victoria quartet <a href="https://slow-death-records.bandcamp.com/album/self-defense-demo-2024" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Self Defense</a>. The eight-song set features thrillingly frantic vocals from Nathan Pollok (<a href="https://badbeat.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bad Beat</a>, Vic City), backed by guitarist Mark St Onge, bassist Jeff, and drummer Matt. The label's recommending this for fans of Urban Waste, White Cross, and Violent Future.</p><p class='maxread center'>Look for a release show on Friday, January 19, at Victoria's Little Fernwood alongside S.S.I.K, Jacker, and Legit Heat.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="union_thugs" class="maxread center"><a href="https://unionthugs.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Union Thugs</a>: "Croire"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://unionthugs.bandcamp.com/track/croire-single-2023" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>In late December, Montreal folk-punkers the <a href="https://unionthugs.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Union Thugs</a> threw their support behind Quebec's public sector workers with a new single. The group had this say about "Croire," issued in solidarity with the striking Front Commun, FAE, and FIQ:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"With the Public Serivces strike that is going on right now in Quebec, we're currently living one of the biggest strike of North America. The teachers of the Autonomous Federation of Teacher have been exercicing an Unlimited General Strike for over 5 weeks now and when the other public services also go out, it's over half a million peoples who are periodicaly on strike at the same time. A strike that is mostly pushed by women, since they represent around 80% of the public services workforce! And a Strike that will have an impact on all society since it's about defending the access to public services such as school and hospitals.</p><p class='maxread center'>With the Union Thugs, we felt it was our duties to add our voices to the movement. Our bassist is on an unpaid strike for 5 weeks and it's keep going on and the whole band have been cancelling shift at job to go play shows on picket lines, but we feel it's still not enought, so here's this new track, our own composition, to share our solidarity and hope!"</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The track follows up on the Union Thugs' 2023 split with Brooklyn's <a href="https://outofsystemtransfer.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Out of System Transfer</a> and a 2022 set recorded as part of the Pils Sessions series.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="defaillance" class="maxread center"><a href="https://defaillance.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Défaillance</a>: <em>Pils Session</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://pilssessions.bandcamp.com/album/d-faillance-session-24-11-23" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Speaking of the <a href="https://pilssessions.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Pils Sessions</a>, the series recently shared a new performance from the Saguenay punk act <a href="https://defaillance.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Défaillance</a>. Last November, the quartet appeared at the Gatineau studio to track nine songs, including several covers. These tributes celebrate the unhinged output of GG Allin while mining Quebec's punk history for cult cuts by <a href="https://arseniq33.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Arseniq33</a>, <a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/2162306-Flokons-Givr%C3%A9s" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Flokons Givrés</a>, and <a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/1179914-Inepsy" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Inepsy</a>. Given that Pils mastermind Chany Pilote cut his teeth in Inepsy, he fittingly joins the band for a guitar solo on "Who's Next."</p><p class='maxread center'>As it goes with the Pils Sessions, Pilote recorded and mixed the set at the NOMANSLAND studio while Dizz Hupé documented the results. Défaillance features vocalist Gagnon, bassist Elpunkos, guitarist Spikedfred, and drummer Gab.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="spectres" class="maxread center"><a href="http://spectresvancouver.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Spectres</a>: "The Old Regime"/"AM Gold"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://spectresvancouver.bandcamp.com/album/presence" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Slick Vancouver post-punk quintet <a href="http://spectresvancouver.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Spectres</a> have a new album due in March through <a href="http://artoffact.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Artoffact</a>. <em>Presence</em> arrives with 11 new songs, including the lead single "The Old Regime" and this week's newly unveiled "AM Gold." You can preview both at Bandcamp, with the former heavily indebted to new wave titans New Order and the latter taking shades of The Cure. The new album follows up on 2021's <em>Nostalgia</em>, an odds-and-sods collection issued in the wake of 2019's <em>Nostalgia</em> LP.</p><p class='maxread center'>Originally from Coombs, British Columbia, Spectres features vocalist Brian Gustavson, backed by guitarist Zach Batalden, guitarist Adam Mitchell, drummer Mitch Allen, and bassist Jason Renix.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2929290884/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://spectresvancouver.bandcamp.com/album/presence">Presence by SPECTRES</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="ducks_ltd" class="maxread center"><a href="https://ducksltdband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Ducks Ltd.</a>: "Train Full of Gasoline"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/T_8fmcCTDfE?si=Hi2eTlXmGBb_VKyl" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://ducksltdband.bandcamp.com/album/harms-way" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>This week, Toronto jangle-pop duo <a href="https://ducksltdband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Ducks Ltd.</a> shared a third single from <em>Harms Way</em>, their sophomore LP. You'll find "Train Full of Gasoline" showcased in a new video directed by <a href="https://ohboywonder.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">boy wonder</a>. In a press release, Tom McGreevy revealed:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"The jumping off point for this song was a friend telling me about the Lac Megantic rail disaster in Quebec. A 73 car train full of crude oil was left unattended and rolled down a hill before derailing and exploding in a town. I read about it a bunch, and to my understanding it was a scenario where a bunch of small errors built up and compounded each other, with the result being a catastrophe out of proportion with any of the individual failures that precipitated it.</p><p class='maxread center'>The song is about self destructive patterns. How if you try to ignore or minimize issues in your life they can manifest in places you don't expect."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The tune features backing vocals from <a href="https://www.ratboysband.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Ratboys</a>' Julia Steiner and <a href="https://moontype.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Moontype</a>'s Margaret McCarthy, with Ratboys' Marcus Nuccio behind the drum kit. The Chicago-area guests reflect the group's work in the Windy City with producer Dave Vettraino (other tracks also feature members of <a href="https://www.dehd.horse/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Dehd</a>). These players appear on the record alongside Ducks' touring drummer Jonathan Pappo (<a href="https://whimm.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">WHIMM</a>, <a href="https://context-na.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Context, NA</a>) and bassist Julia Wittman (<a href="https://dilettanteband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Dilettante</a>), backing the band's core songwriting duo of Tom McGreevy (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, bass, keyboards) and Evan Lewis (lead guitar, drum programming).</p><p class='maxread center'><em>Harms Way</em> arrives February 9 on <a href="https://www.royalmountainrecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Royal Mountain</a> and <a href="http://carparkrecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Carpark</a>. It follows up on the band's 2021 album <em>Modern Fiction</em>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="cinder" class="maxread center"><a href="https://cinderbandto.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Cinder</a>: <em>Something Strange and Cloudy Across a Crowded Room</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://cinderbandto.bandcamp.com/album/something-strange-and-cloudy-across-a-crowded-room" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Toronto post-punk outfit <a href="https://cinderbandto.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Cinder</a> rolled into the holidays with a new EP in hand. <em>Something Strange and Cloudy Across a Crowded Room</em> showcases five new songs from the group, featuring Sam Reilly (<a href="https://channelchanger666.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Channel Changer</a>) and Robyn Bond (<a href="https://blanksband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">BLANKS</a>). The goth-inspired duo has had this record in the works since 2019.</p><p class='maxread center'>Cinder's new material follows up on their 2022 single "Another Beautiful Thing You'll Never Get Back" and the <em>Saucers for Eyes</em> EP. Live, the band recently performed these tracks as a four-piece.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="shiv_and_the_carvers" class="maxread center"><a href="https://shivandthecarvers.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Shiv and the Carvers</a>: <em>Physical Capital</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://shivandthecarvers.bandcamp.com/album/physical-capital" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Cinder launched their EP in the last week of December at a show featuring Toronto's "queer roller skate punk" act <a href="https://shivandthecarvers.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Shiv and the Carvers</a>. That band issued the bombastic <em>Physical Capital</em> tape in October. Beau Cassidy produced the four-song set with Jesse Turnbull (Dilly Dally, Losers) engineering at Toronto's Taurus Recording.</p><p class='maxread center'>The Carvers features Shiv Scott on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, backed by lead guitarist Nicole Maxwell, bassist Mina Smart, and drummer Mike Wiznuk. Three of the four have their roots in roller derby, and the brash attitude that sport's famous for certainly comes across in the music.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="sea_of_troubles" class="maxread center"><a href="https://seaoftroublesband.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sea Of Troubles</a>: "The Agency Group"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://seaoftroublesband.bandcamp.com/track/the-agency-group" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>While Hamilton noise-punk trio <a href="https://seaoftroublesband.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sea Of Troubles</a> called it quits last year, the group recently resurfaced to share an unheard track from their archives: an engaging cover of the early <a href="http://alvvays.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Alvvays</a> hit "The Agency Group." The recording features Gawain Arseneault on drums and mastermind Denzel Gordon (A.R. Neptune) on everything else.</p><p class='maxread center'>Sea of Troubles last issued their "Victor" single in 2022. A year prior, the group shared the one-off "Busted" and their avant-guard full-length <em>カンニング</em>.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="transcendental_rodeo" class="maxread center"><a href="https://cosmicrangerecords.bandcamp.com/album/pleasure-palace-of-the-golden-breed-2" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Transcendental Rodeo</a>: <em>Pleasure Palace of the Golden Breed</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://cosmicrangerecords.bandcamp.com/album/pleasure-palace-of-the-golden-breed-2" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>As a surprise on Christmas Day, <a href="https://cosmicrangerecords.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Matthew "Doc" Dunn</a> issued a new album from his long-dormant Toronto collective, the <a href="https://cosmicrangerecords.bandcamp.com/album/pleasure-palace-of-the-golden-breed-2" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Transcendental Rodeo</a>. The instrumental project's new album <em>Pleasure Palace of the Golden Breed</em> features seven previously unreleased songs recorded in the spring of 2012. At that time, the collective featured Dunn alongside <a href="https://islacraig.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Isla Craig</a>, Randy Gagne (<a href="https://manmadehill.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Man Made Hill</a>), <a href="https://stevekado.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Steve Kado</a>, Anna Silverstein, Laurel Waterman, Stuart Wiber, and Andrew Zukerman (<a href="https://fleshtoneaura.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Fleshtone Aura</a>). Muff Jones produced and engineered the atmospheric set at The Ranch with <a href="https://mrjoy.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Mr. Joy</a>'s Asher Gould-Murtagh mastering.</p><p class='maxread center'>Transcendental Rodeo last released <em>Kanata</em>, a sizable posthumous box set issued in 2015 through <a href="https://cosmicrangerecords.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Cosmic Range Records</a>. Press at the time described the project as an "expanding head band" dealing in "communal hillbilly raga."</p><p class='maxread center'>"Doc" Dunn issued his <em>Fantastic Light</em> full-length last November.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="friesen_hume_waters" class="maxread center"><a href="https://shakingboxmusic.bandcamp.com/album/nightspeak" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Friesen/Hume/Waters </a>: <em>Nightspeak</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://shakingboxmusic.bandcamp.com/album/nightspeak" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Since we're trading in extended instrumentals this week, note this upcoming release from <a href="https://shakingboxmusic.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Shaking Box Music</a>. <em>Nightspeak</em> is a six-track improvisational post-rock set from the trio of Friesen/Hume/Waters, featuring (then) Calgary guitarist Devin Friesen (<a href="https://bitterfictions.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bitter Fictions</a>) alongside drummer Andrew Hume (Cold Water, Burro, Dada Centauri) and saxophonist Nate Waters. Friesen revealed:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"<em>Nightspeak</em> is hardly the first time I've played with Nate Waters or Andrew Hume, but it is the first time we played as a trio. Everyone involved has been documented here on Shaking Box in some form since 2013. Kinda ridiculous it took this long to do so given our shared time in duos, bands, and as friends.</p><p class='maxread center'>I think this session managed to place us outside of our respective comfort zones without totally losing it. The set of combined in/experience kept things interesting and exploratory - enough of a shared knowledge to not get shy or uncomfortable, but not so familiar as to be rote or too comfortable. Andrew and I have mostly played together in louder noise/rock contexts, but not so often in this post-whatever you want to call it niche that Nate and I tend to carve. Likewise, Nate and I can make a racket but we don't often start there, and when you play without drums you have more space to fill. Together the 'meeting point' drifts across guideposts both art school and dropout.</p><p class='maxread center'>The record store jerk in me thinks of this as our 'ECMstatic Peace' offering."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The trio recorded this set live in Waters' basement studio in January 2019. Look for it digitally and on cassette through Shaking Box on January 26.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div>Formed in the Snowhttps://www.someparty.ca/2023-12-18-formed-in-the-snow/2023-12-17T19:00:00-05:002023-12-20T12:41:03-05:00adam@someparty.ca (Adam White)<h3 id="ivan_rivers" class="maxread center"><a href="https://ivanrivers.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Ivan Rivers</a>: "Formed in the Snow"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://ivanrivers.bandcamp.com/track/formed-in-the-snow" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>In his solo guise as <a href="https://ivanrivers.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Ivan Rivers</a>, Toronto's Ivan Raczycki has a melancholic new holiday song perfect for a downbeat season. Last week the oft-esoteric songwriter, known in louder circles for his part in the punk act <a href="https://stuckouthere.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Stuck Out Here</a>, shared "Formed in the Snow." I'm usually hesitant to mention Christmas music in the newsletter, as most of it feels insufferably cheesy and, outside of a narrow context, unlistenable, but <em>this</em> I like. Perhaps that's due to the somewhat atypical lyrical content, as the alt-folk artist revealed:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"It's about two anarcho-lovers burning down Huron County but like in a festive way. Throwing rocks at cop cars but like, in a Santa Claus way. It's maudlin. It's lovely. I'm stoked about it."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>Stuck Out Here/<a href="https://www.pkewx3.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Pkew Pkew Pkew</a> member Emmett O'Reilly produced the track. We'll hear more from this studio pairing on Rivers' forthcoming EP, which makes this a promising hint of what the two can accomplish. Look out for that in the Spring. The tune also features some tasteful "ocean noise" guitar effects from Devin Staple (<a href="https://theoldsalts.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Old Salts</a>, <a href="https://redandtheramblers.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Red & the Ramblers</a>, Sparse Parts).</p><p class='maxread center'>The song appears on <a href="https://eternalholidaze.bandcamp.com/album/holidaze-forever-an-eternal-bummer-christmas-volume-4" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Eternal Bummer Records</a>' new compilation <em>Holidaze Forever</em>, the fourth in their series. It's a packed set showcasing over 30 songs and performers, including net material from <a href="https://jessefellows.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Jesse Fellows</a> (Shared Arms), Toronto art-punk act <a href="https://martiancrisisunit.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Martian Crisis Unit</a>, and a stupefyingly compelling mock cover of "Last Christmas" from Strokes tribute act The Blokes. Ivan notes that the project includes the debut of <a href="https://hellbendr.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Hellbendr</a>, a post-rock act helmed by Adam Cook of Vaughan's <a href="https://permanentbastards.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Permanent Bastards</a>. It also features the first appearance of <a href="https://eternalholidaze.bandcamp.com/track/the-society-for-unpleasant-gifts" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Last Drag</a>, a new band featuring Tabi Irani of <a href="https://victimparty.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Victim Party</a> and Jesse Colburn of <a href="https://closetmonster.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Closet Monster</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>As a member of Stuck Out Here, Raczycki issued <em>Until We're Each Someone Else</em> in 2019 and the <em>Live at Rum Runners</em> set in 2020. Solo, Ivan Rivers last issued a pair of EPs in 2020, <em>Drag My Corpse Through the Country Music Hall of Fame</em> and <em>There's No Such Luck</em>. He's followed them with a smattering of digital one-offs in the years since.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="blemish" class="maxread center"><a href="https://pilssessions.bandcamp.com/album/blemish" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Blemish</a>: <em>Pils Session</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://pilssessions.bandcamp.com/album/blemish" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Montreal quartet <a href="https://pilssessions.bandcamp.com/album/blemish" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Blemish</a> issued their first material as part of 2020's <a href="https://demofest.bandcamp.com/album/blemish-demo-fest-2020" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Demo Fest</a>, a lockdown-era avalanche of impromptu bands sharing rough bedroom recordings. A self-titled cassette followed in 2021 through <a href="https://awd-tapes.bandcamp.com/album/blemish" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">A World Divided</a>, proving the group's sharp take on late 70s punk had legs.</p><p class='maxread center'>Earlier in the fall, the group convened in Gatineau to participate in the Pils Sessions. They tracked four originals plus a cover of the Cortex tune "Reality." As usual with Pils Sessions, Chany Pilote recorded and mixed the set at NOMANSLAND studio while Dizz Hupé documented the results. You can find the session at Bandcamp now. The band features Lisa Czech on vocals and guitar, Gustavo Rodriguez Mateus (<a href="https://bosquerojopunk.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bosque Rojo</a>, <a href="https://uzupunk.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">UZU</a>, <a href="https://perestroika-mtl.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Perestroika</a>) on guitar, Katia Desautels on bass, and Rick Aube (<a href="https://awd-tapes.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-0028" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Ilusión</a>, <a href="https://omertapunk.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Omerta</a>) drumming. Before the pandemic, Lisa, Gustavo, and Katia performed together in the Montreal punk group <a href="https://malokio.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Malokio</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>The Blemish session follows recent Pils appearances from Quebec and capital-area punk acts such as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aintrightmtl/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Ain't Right</a>, <a href="https://good-sick.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Good Sick</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hcmylife89/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Self Control</a>, and <a href="https://molotovmtl.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Molotov MTL</a>.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="cult_crime" class="maxread center"><a href="https://cultcrimeband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Cult Crime</a>: <em>Demo</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://cultcrimeband.bandcamp.com/album/demo" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>We know Matt Menard in a few contexts. He infrequently surfaces as the lo-fi punk act <a href="https://nofixforyou.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">No Fix</a>, plays bass for the Windsor psych-punk brutes <a href="https://psychicvoid.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Psychic Void</a>, and most recently screamed to the East Coast and back with the Toronto hardcore act <a href="https://brainitch.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Brain Itch</a>. We can now add <a href="https://cultcrimeband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Cult Crime</a> to that impressive list. It's a buzzy garage-punk project described by the artist as a "low-class rock'n'roll." A three-song demo recently surfaced at Bandcamp, with cassettes due soon.</p><p class='maxread center'>Menard self-recorded the new songs, with drums tracked down at Kaiser Sound in Windsor. Cult Crime's highly recommended if you're into the velocity and vibe of tightly wound bands like PRIORS, which you damn well should be.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2732241410/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://cultcrimeband.bandcamp.com/album/demo">Demo by Cult Crime</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="territories" class="maxread center"><a href="https://territoriescalgary.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Territories</a>: <em>Colder Now</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://territoriescalgary.bandcamp.com/album/colder-now" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>I appeared on a recent episode of the <a href="https://neilmcdougall.podbean.com/e/episode-261-the-reunion-you-didn-t-know-you-needed/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Punk Till I Die</a> podcast, reuniting with a few of my former <a href="https://www.punknews.org/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Punknews</a> colleagues to chat about our favourite music of the year. Since I have exactly one, sadly predictable musical interest, I brought a big box of Canadian punk to the party. The hosts humoured my arbitrary national focus and even threw a few new Canuck acts my way. It turns out that Tom and Neil are big fans of the Calgarian quartet <a href="https://territoriescalgary.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Territories</a>, a band I'd missed.</p><p class='maxread center'>That group, formed from the ashes of the Alberta punk staple <a href="https://knucklehead.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Knucklehead</a>, issued the 11-song <em>Colder Now</em> LP in November. Available through <a href="https://piratespressrecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Pirates Press Records</a>, the band's sophomore album consistently delivers well-crafted, 90s-styled punk in the Bouncing Souls vein. Big woahs. Big hooks. Lots of heart. I've clearly developed a blind spot for the very style of Clash-rooted punk I grew up on (bands that <em>don't</em> sound like a clown throwing a toolbox down the stairs), so all credit goes to the PTID guys for bringing this to my attention.</p><p class='maxread center'>The new album follows up on Territories' 2020 EP <em>When The Day Is Done</em> and a split 7" with Vancouver moto punks <a href="https://theviciouscycles.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Vicious Cycles</a>.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1438008182/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://territoriescalgary.bandcamp.com/album/colder-now">Colder Now by Territories</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="nervousmen" class="maxread center"><a href="https://nervousmen.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Nervousmen</a>: <em>Wait Longer For Less</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://nervousmen.bandcamp.com/album/wait-longer-for-less" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>London post-punk trio <a href="https://nervousmen.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Nervousmen</a> are back with a four-song EP titled <em>Wait Longer For Less</em>, another studio collaboration with <a href="https://redarms.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Red Arms</a>' Roberto Lorusso. Both bands plan to appear at an early New Year's party on <a href="https://facebook.com/events/s/pro-wrestling-the-band-mvll-cr/1702338516900625/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">December 30</a> at the Palasad Socialbowl, sharing a bill with <a href="https://prowrestlingtheband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Pro Wrestling The Band</a> and <a href="https://mvllcrimes.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">MVLL CRIMES</a>. They have a little something extra planned for the performance, as the group revealed on Instagram:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"We're doing a tribute/memorial set, remembering Rick Froberg from Hot Snakes (among other amazing bands), along with the songs from our new EP.</p><p class='maxread center'>Hot Snakes is the reason Nervousmen exist as a band, and we all felt Rick's passing this year deserved a show of respect. Our good friend and producer Roberto LoRusso will be joining us for this set (before he plays with his band Red Arms)."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>Nervousmen features guitarist/vocalist Steve Bennett, bassist Nick Beard, and drummer Sean Murphy. The new set follows up on 2020's <em>Other Favourites</em>.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=338499894/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://nervousmen.bandcamp.com/album/wait-longer-for-less">Wait Longer For Less by NERVOUSMEN</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="shearing_pinx" class="maxread center"><a href="https://shearingpinx.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Shearing Pinx</a>: Splits with Banananananana and Murder Murder</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://isolatednowwaves.bandcamp.com/album/murder-murder-shearing-pinx" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>It's a fool's errand to try keeping tabs on Vancouver agitators <a href="https://shearingpinx.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Shearing Pinx</a>, who often operate (enviously so) as if the digital world was an afterthought. Two of the noise-punk group's recent split releases are now online courtesy of <a href="https://isolatednowwaves.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Isolated Now Waves</a>. This includes June's pairing with Hamilton's "legendary slopcore duo" <a href="https://banananananana.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Banananananana</a> and July's tape backing the improvisational San Franciscan group <a href="http://totalshutdown.com/murdermurder.html" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Murder Murder</a>.</p><p class='maxread center'>As expected, these tapes feature a smattering of archival cuts culled from underground live shows and rehearsal space shenanigans, the oldest of which (on the Murder Murder tape) reaches back to 2014. Nic Hughes (vocals/guitar/electronics) and Jeremy Van Wyck (vocals/drums/electronics) helm Shearing Pinx, with contributions on these recordings from Erin Ward, Jesse Taylor, and Sydney Koke.</p><p class='maxread center'>Outside of their seemingly unending cassette splits, Shearing Pinx last issued <em>People</em> LP in 2014 through <a href="http://www.psychichandshake.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Psychic Handshake</a>. In 2021, the enigmatic band released <em>When You Have No Taste, You Can Do Anything</em>, an anthology of previously unreleased material spanning 2008 through 2019.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3413184098/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://isolatednowwaves.bandcamp.com/album/murder-murder-shearing-pinx">Murder Murder / Shearing Pinx by MURDER MURDER / SHEARING PINX</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="breeze" class="maxread center"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/joshkorody/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Breeze</a>: <em>Sour Grapes</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://handdrawndracula.bandcamp.com/album/sour-grapes" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Prolific Toronto producer Josh Korody has a new album out as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/joshkorody/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Breeze</a>. The nine-track <em>Sour Grapes</em> follows 2021's <em>Only Up</em> with a more cohesive, full-band effort. While its predecessor featured a raft of collaborators and jumped between 90s alt-rock styles (with a heavy UK pop bent), this new effort finds cohesion in Cure-indebted new wave.</p><p class='maxread center'>Korody recorded these songs at his Candle Recording studio and the legendary Hotel2Tango (the latter with Shae Brossard). Mark Gardiner of shoegaze pioneers Ride mastered the set. The album features just a pair of guests, with Korondy's <a href="http://beliefsmusic.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Beliefs</a> bandmate Jessica Upton featured on "Never Gave You" and <a href="https://ducksltdband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Ducks Ltd.</a>'s Tom McGreevy appearing on both "Disposable" and "Weapon." The full-band lineup of Breeze features Korody backed by Braeden Craig (<a href="http://saunaaa.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Sauna</a>, <a href="https://greys.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Greys</a>), James Kearns (<a href="https://oilgiant.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Oil Giant</a>), Robyn Phillips (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/vallensband/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Vallens</a>), and Julia Wittman (<a href="https://dilettanteband.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Dilettante</a>).</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=215515787/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://handdrawndracula.bandcamp.com/album/sour-grapes">Sour Grapes by Breeze</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="bad_egg" class="maxread center"><a href="http://badegg.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bad Egg</a>: "Rare Animals"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://badegg.bandcamp.com/track/rare-animals" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Kitchener/Windsor hardcore act <a href="http://badegg.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bad Egg</a> has an EP slated for an early 2024 release. You can hear a preview of the forthcoming <em>Century Egg</em> with the acerbic single "Rare Animals." The band recorded with Bill Morton (Your Pal Bill, <a href="http://w-rdplay.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Wordplay</a>, <a href="http://debtcemetary.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Debt Cemetary</a>). The track follows a string of digital singles issued over the past year, including a cover of "Cold" by The Cure. The group's last collection, <em>Serotonin Flush</em>, surfaced in 2019.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 442px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=2528944160/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://badegg.bandcamp.com/track/rare-animals">Rare Animals by Bad Egg</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="ex-cowboy" class="maxread center"><a href="https://ex--cowboy.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Ex-Cowboy</a>: <em>Mr. Frog</em>/<em>Dino DNA</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://ex--cowboy.bandcamp.com/album/mr-frog" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Victoria's <a href="https://ex--cowboy.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Ex-Cowboy</a> recently issued a slate of new music, dropping the full length <em>Mr. Frog</em> in August, chased by <em>Dino DNA</em> in October. The former's the main attraction, spinning half a dozen genres around a punk core. It's an impressively dynamic set that never dwells long on any given style. While he doesn't always employ it, vocalist Colin McParland possesses a thrillingly frantic warble. There are tracks here where he channels a (somewhat) less snide Jello Biafra. Those early punk affects stand out, particularly in contrast with the band's habit of slipping into atmospheric detours that shift the vocals into a supporting role. Ex-Cowboy recorded <em>Mr. Frog</em> in January at Raise Your Voice Studio, with Ben Wittrock and Evan Matthiesen engineering.</p><p class='maxread center'><em>Dino DNA</em> veers off in another direction, presenting a mostly instrumental set of noisy experiments. It's compelling in its own right and another clear expression of the group's restless nature. Would a newcomer even recognize the two collections as the work of the same band?</p><p class='maxread center'>Ex-Cowboy features guitarist Jordan Allen, bassist Daniel Froese, drummer Gunnar Byers, and vocalist Colin McParland.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3149601761/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://ex--cowboy.bandcamp.com/album/mr-frog">Mr. Frog by ex-cowboy</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="telepathic_love" class="maxread center"><a href="https://telepathiclove.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Telepathic Love</a>: "Cool Wave"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://telepathiclove.bandcamp.com/album/cool-wave" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>I should have mentioned it then, but Ross Miller's solo punk outlet <a href="https://telepathiclove.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Telepathic Love</a> issued a crackling new single in September. "Cool Wave" is the second track the Hamilton artist shared this year, following "Oh Boy!" in the summer. Each finds a satisfying middle ground between early 90s garage punk and the more personality-driven indie pop of the post-Weezer era. Miller never takes his bombast as far as he did as a member of <a href="https://thedirtynil.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Dirty Nil</a>, but there's a familiar sense of enthusiasm here.</p><p class='maxread center'>The new material follows 2022's <em>The Greatest Challenge</em> EP. The tracks again find the artist working with Vince Soliveri, who serves as producer, drummer, and second guitarist on the recordings. In recent months, Miller's also appeared on bass for the hardcore act <a href="https://zerohc.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Zero</a>.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=717901871/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://telepathiclove.bandcamp.com/album/cool-wave">COOL WAVE by TELEPATHIC LOVE</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="zero" class="maxread center"><a href="https://zerohc.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Zero</a>: "Shows Who You Are"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://zerohc.bandcamp.com/track/shows-who-you-are" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Speaking of... the muscular Welland hardcore act <a href="https://zerohc.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Zero</a> played their first show in five years as part of October's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/yo.ur.in/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Yourin Fested</a> weekend. The band returned to action with the new single "Shows Who You Are," also recorded, mixed, and mastered by Vince Soliveri. It's the first new recording they've shared since 2018's <em>Nobody Owes Me Anything</em> EP. Clocking in at well under two minutes (including the requisite breakdown), there's not a shred of fat on it.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 442px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=3658321370/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://zerohc.bandcamp.com/track/shows-who-you-are">Shows Who You Are by ZERO</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="down_memory_lane" class="maxread center"><a href="http://downmemorylane.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Down Memory Lane</a>: "BPM"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/FKFQNRAId_A?si=LoAd2ExWyKj0oF4M" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://downmemorylane.bandcamp.com/track/bpm" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Melodic skatepunk quintet <a href="http://downmemorylane.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Down Memory Lane</a> recently shared "BPM," the first single from their upcoming EP <em>Space</em>. It's the Montreal band's first new material since their 2021 EP <em>Breathing</em>, issued via <a href="https://thousandislandsrecords.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Thousand Islands Records</a>. Look for <em>Space</em> through <a href="http://peopleofpunkrockrecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">People of Punk Rock Records</a> in the new year.</p><p class='maxread center'>The group's already slated to appear at the label's <a href="http://redbridgefest.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Red Bridge Fest</a> in the summer of 2024, performing alongside veterans like Lagwagon, Millencolin, and Zebrahead (pretty wild given how those first two, in particular, seem like foundational influences on DML). That event goes down in Pont-Rouge, QC on June 7 and 8. The label also recently pressed a vinyl release of the band's <em>Catch & Release</em> album (a compilation of their 2018 and 2019 EPs).</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="aawks" class="maxread center"><a href="https://aawks.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">AAWKS</a>: <em>LUNA</em></h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://aawks.bandcamp.com/album/luna" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Heavy-psych act <a href="https://aawks.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">AAWKS</a> recently shared <em>LUNA</em>, a four-song EP anchored by the sludgy new original "The Figure." It appears alongside covers of classic tunes by Pink Floyd and A Flock of Seagulls, plus a live take on the band's own "All Is Fine." On Bandcamp, the Barrie-rooted group revealed:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"Cultures have been obsessed with the mysterious, magnetic wonders of the moon since the dawn of time. We've also been fascinated by 'the unexplained' and tried to make meaning of the messages in dreams or weird lights in the night sky. This collection of songs entitled <em>LUNA</em> each represent the aforementioned subjects in some way or another. We may not have the answers but we did our best to paint the feeling and thoughts one may have while walking down a path, alone in the woods at night or maybe waking up from an odd dream that left you questioning 'what did that mean?'"</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The collection arrives via <a href="https://www.instagram.com/black_throne_productions/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Black Throne Productions</a>. AAWKs recorded with Zack Horvath at Z Hollow Studios. The new set follows up on a split with Austin's <a href="https://aiwassband.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Aiwass</a> and the 2022 full-length <em>Heavy on the Cosmic</em> (issued jointly by Black Thorne, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_northernhaze_/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Northern Haze</a>, and <a href="https://tarantulacassettes.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Tarantula Tapes</a>).</p><p class='maxread center'>AAWKS features guitarist/vocalist Kris Dzierzbicki, bassist Roberto Paraiso, and drummer Randy. Bassist Dan Trickett also performs on several of these tracks.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;" seamless data-src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3572924183/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" class="lazyload"><a href="https://aawks.bandcamp.com/album/luna">LUNA by AAWKS</a></iframe>
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</div><h3 id="death_waits" class="maxread center"><a href="https://deathwaits.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Death Waits</a>: "St. Jude"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/mKVKylzL4oA?si=fWPRMvXTebtRx6oU" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://deathwaits.bandcamp.com/track/st-jude-lord-of-the-flies" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>The grungy Toronto group <a href="https://deathwaits.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Death Waits</a> has a new track out dubbed "St. Jude" (ominously subtitled "Lord of the Flies"). You can hear the grim midtempo track alongside an atmospheric video on YouTube. The band notes that the song represents something of a turning point:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"Thanks for being patient. This is without a doubt my favourite song on the new album, and kind of marks a demarcation point for new ideas, new energies. I do so hope you enjoy it."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>Formerly known as Champion Lover, Death Waits features Edward Masuda, Erik Tokar, James Cain, and William Masuda. The band worked with <a href="http://www.cancerbats.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Cancer Bats</a> guitarist Scott Middleton on their latest material, eventually expected on the long-awaited follow-up to 2017's <em>Russian Prince</em> (the last under the old name). "St. Jude" is Death Waits' first new release since their "Scum" single in the spring of 2022.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="hyness" class="maxread center"><a href="https://hyness.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Hyness</a>: "Waiting Arms"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://hyness.bandcamp.com/track/waiting-arms" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Kitchener indie rockers <a href="https://hyness.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Hyness</a> recently shared another new single from their sessions with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/josecontrerasmusik/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">José Contreras</a> of <a href="https://bydivineright.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">By Divine Right</a>. The band described "Waiting Arms" in a statement, revealing:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"This track was the first one written after <em>Settle Down in the Dirt</em> in 2021 and a short period without any planned new Hyness songs. As a bit of a loud rocker, we'd thought to dress it up as a bit murkier and hang some cobwebs in the corners. It's the same recording approach as 'Weatherman' with a very different type of track, as if two bands shared the same session. The result is Hyness nonetheless."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The current era of Hyness features the songwriting duo of guitarist/vocalist Marcus Addams and drummer Colin White, with Amy Addams on vocals. You can hear the new tune at Bandcamp.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="the_speakeasy" class="maxread center"><a href="https://thespeakeasyrock.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Speakeasy</a>: "Devil In Disguise"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Preview and purchase at <a href="https://thespeakeasyrock.bandcamp.com/track/devil-in-disguise" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>Montreal punks <a href="https://thespeakeasyrock.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">The Speakeasy</a> have a hard-hitting new single in the wild dubbed "Devil In Disguise." The track features guest vocals from Jean François Buteau of Gatineau's <a href="https://colorsfademusic.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Colorsfade</a> and previews their yet-unannounced next LP. That record's expected in the new year via <a href="https://thousandislandsrecords.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Thousand Islands Records</a>, following up on the two-part <em>Tales from the Moonshiner</em> EP cycle.</p><p class='maxread center'>Earlier this year, The Speakeasy shared the singles "Breakfast Drugs" and "Bright Side," which I'd wager are also cuts from their forthcoming album.</p><div class='center tc media'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div><h3 id="elephant_stone" class="maxread center"><a href="https://elephantstonemusic.bandcamp.com" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Elephant Stone</a>: "Another Year Gone"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/_BuqIERKAWI?si=INNIK95tJof_p1VF" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> - Preview and purchase at <a href="https://elephantstonemusic.bandcamp.com/album/back-into-the-dream" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>I get in my own way sometimes. <a href="https://www.elephantstone.ca/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Elephant Stone</a> shared a wealth of new material over the past few months, but I neglected to keep up on any of it. While I lack any real insight into the band's popularity, they run such a tight, professional operation that my punk-damaged brain assumed they were well-covered elsewhere. For better or worse, there's an inverse relationship between the number of vinyl variants you can sell and how urgently Some Party covers you. So, my apologies; I've done a disservice by not sharing this sooner.</p><p class='maxread center'>The seasoned Montreal psych-rockers have an album due in February dubbed <em>Back Into The Dream</em>, a ten-song LP from which you can currently preview six tracks. Arriving February 23 through <a href="https://eoprecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Elephants On Parade</a> and <a href="https://littlecloudrecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Little Cloud</a>, the record follows up on 2020's <em>Hollow</em> and clocks in as Elephant Stone's sixth full-length. The latest preview is the album-closing "Another Year Gone," a short but affecting tune flexing the band's spot-on mastery of 60s pop. On the song, band lead Rishi Dhir commented:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"The COVID-19 pandemic often felt like a surreal, endless loop, reminiscent of Groundhog Day—each day waking up to the same reality, marked by uncertainty and stasis. In this repetitive existence, it was easy to become untethered, adrift in thoughts while feeling emotionally and physically suspended. 'Another Year Gone' is an anthem for these disorienting times. It's a narrative of contrasts—between those grappling with stress, fear, and economic hardship, and those who profited from the chaos. Above all, this song is a musical embrace, a reassurance to hold close the ones you love and to tell them that, despite the world's turmoil, everything will be OK."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>You can see the track accompanied by a playful video from director Laurine Jousserand. Dhir produced and recorded the band at Sacred Sounds in Montreal between January 2022 and March of this year. The artist appears in myriad vocal and instrumental roles, notably contributing Elephant Stone's hallmark sitar flourishes. He's joined on the album by drummer Miles Dupire-Gagnon, keyboardist/guitarist Jason Kent, Adam Kinner on sax, Robbie MacArthur on guitar and synth, and Shawn Mativetsky playing the tabla.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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</div></div><h3 id="comeback_kid" class="maxread center"><a href="https://comebackkid-hc.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Comeback Kid</a>: "Trouble In The Winner's Circle"</h3><p class='maxread center mt0' data-controller='share'><small>Watch on <a href="https://youtu.be/1kxO20YYM_A?si=b6QObM8FB121GNxF" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">YouTube</a> <span data-share-target='container'></span></small></p><p class='maxread center'>You could levy a similar criticism at my habitual neglect of <a href="https://comebackkid-hc.bandcamp.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Comeback Kid</a>. There's a host of veteran punk-and-adjacent bands that I rarely cover here, mostly because I perceive them to be so well-established that I add little to the conversation. I've likely overlooked updates from the Winnipeg hardcore titans for that reason.</p><p class='maxread center'>"Trouble In The Winner's Circle" is pretty hard to ignore, though. The massive new single marries the band's well-honed attack with just enough self-aware humour to feel fresh. It's the first preview of a new EP, <em>Trouble</em>, due March 15 through <a href="https://newdamagerecords.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">New Damage Records</a>. Vocalist Andrew Neufeld commented in a press release:</p><blockquote class="maxquote center pl4 black-60 bl bw2 b--red"><p class='maxread center'>"'Trouble In The Winner's Circle' is about public meltdowns. Having the world crashing down on you on display for the masses to see, like peering into a fishbowl. It's a tongue and cheek rock anthem driving its point to the bitter end."</p></blockquote><p class='maxread center'>The track comes alongside a high-concept video from director <a href="https://danielpriess.com/" class="black no-underline fw4 bb b--black" target="_blank">Daniel Priess</a>, which finds a miniaturized Comeback Kid performing in a fishbowl while a fight club rages around them. Remove the whimsical aspect, and you're left with a stereotypically meatheaded hardcore video, which is very likely the point.</p><p class='maxread center'>The band recorded with producer John Paul Peters (Cancer Bats, Propagandhi) at Private Ear Recording in Winnipeg. Will Putney (Knocked Loose, Every Time I Die) mixed the new material. Comeback Kid features vocalist Andrew Neufeld, guitarists Jeremy Hiebert and Stu Ross, bassist Chase Brenneman, and drummer Loren Legare. <em>Trouble</em> follows up on 2022's <em>Heavy Steps</em>.</p><div class='wide-media media'><div class='overflow-hidden aspect-ratio aspect-ratio--16x9'><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd">
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