Today: KEN mode go cold, Carole Pope & Kevin Hearn resist, Allan Rayman offers a rose, Seas make memories, Sauna warm up and J Fernandez brings some joy. Enjoy.
1 | Winnipeg noisemakers KEN mode assault your eyes as well as your ears with the new video for Learning To Be Too Cold, from their punishing seventh studio album Loved. SEZ THE PRESS RELEASE: “We salvaged a few riffs from a track that we demoed in May of 2017 with the working title of ‘the moody idiot‘, and added three new parts that we wrote just after (bassist) Skot (Hamilton) found out that his father died. The riffs are like scraping bones and metal together, and the lyrics are some of the most demeaning and harsh of the entire album. Skot claims the song does not make him feel good by association, and is consequently his favourite song on the record.” Share the love above.
2 | They say politics makes strange bedfellows. And they don’t come stranger than agent provocateur Carole Pope and Barenaked Ladies MVP Kevin Hearn, who join forces to fight the good fight on the hard-edged single Resist It. SEZ THE PRESS RELEASE: “Says Hearn of the collaboration, ‘Carole and I set out to write a song that pushes back against the daily onslaught of bad news and scandal. We came up with this deadly musical cocktail laced with sarcasm that echoes our anger and frustration. We’re fired up. We hope it can serve as a rousing, uplifting anthem for anybody who is ready to speak up, show up, and stand up for a better, more compassionate world.’ ” The revolution will be YouTubed:
3 | Canadian singer-songwriter Allan Rayman rises again with the smouldering single Rose, from his provocatively titled upcoming album Harry Hard-On, due Nov. 16. SEZ THE PRESS RELEASE: “The album leaves us with anthems and ballads alike, with the lead track Rose carving the storyline by exploring the dark side of fandom with the idea that no matter how big or small an artist is, you never know who is in the audience.” Pluck it:
4 | Toronto rockers Seas — whose lineup includes three former member of Moneen — hope to jog your memory with the video for All That I’ve Forgotten, a preview of their Nov. 9 sophomore release Cursed. SEZ THE PRESS RELEASE: “This was one of the first songs I wrote for this record, around six years ago when we were recording our last album. Lyrically, it stems from nights of drinking too much and finding yourself the next morning with sufficient gaps in your memory, and the anxious feelings that come along with that.” You must remember this:
5 | Supergroup alert: New Toronto trio Sauna features Zach Bines of Weaves, Braeden Craig of Greys, and Michael le Riche of Fake Palms — and they’re already heating things up with the dark disco of their single Over. SEZ THE PRESS RELEASE: “With synths in bright focus this project marks a departure from the electric guitar-driven sound of Fake Palms. Minimalist one minute and maximalist the next, the music is rich with suspense and satisfying subversions of expectation.” Over to you:
6 | Chicago artist J Fernandez makes a little Joyful Noise — which just happens to be the title of his upcoming album — by sharing the enigmatic video for his new single Common Sense. SEZ THE PRESS RELEASE: “Fernandez starts skeletons of songs with an organ and a Casio drum machine. Through endless revisions and tweaks, he builds and rebuilds each into complex arrangements. The result is a playful pop record that holds a kaleidoscopic mirror up to our need for escapism.” Come on, feel the noise:
