I was working at a polling station for a local election Wednesday, so I wasn’t able to post these videos and tracks. But they’re too good to let slip through the cracks, so let’s play catchup, shall we?
1 | Roots rebel Aaron Lee Tasjan and his band hit the studio for a searing live version of the jangly power-pop gem The Truth is So Hard to Believe, from his recent album Karma For Cheap. SEZ THE PRESS RELEASE: “Most people know Tasjan as one of the wittiest, most offbeat, weed-smokin’ & LSD microdosin’ Americana troubadours today, and with Karma for Cheap, he follows his restless muse into the kind of glammy, jingle-jangle, power-pop and psych-tinged sounds he hasn’t dabbled in since his younger days playing lead guitar for a late-period New York Dolls.” Get a dose of instant Karma above.
2 | Canadian indie-rock supergroup Mounties — featuring Hawksley Workman, Steve Bays and Ryan Dahle — bring the heat on the video for the punchy De-Evolve Again, the second single from their upcoming sophomore album Heavy Meta. SEZ THE PRESS RELEASE: “Lyrically, it hints at some kind of global awakening…as if all 7 billion broken individuals stood up and accepted a shared responsibility of what might be going wrong on the planet.” Sound the alarm:
3 | Whigs frontman Parker Gispert offers another preview his Nov. 16 solo debut Sunlight Tonight with the video for the song Too Dumb To Love Anyone, which is every bit as entertaining as it sounds. SEZ THE PRESS RELEASE: “Too Dumb To Love Anyone was originally intended for the Whigs … It’s the only song that carried over from my early solo shows to where I am now.” Smarten up:
4 | London trip-hoppers Hælos navigate a world of contemporary urban alienation in search of human connection in the sublime video for their single Buried in the Sand. SEZ THE PRESS RELEASE: “The song title was an accident and came serendipitously from the phonetics of the melody, but the rest of the lyrics were born from a strange dinner party where everyone ended up Snapchatting each other and no one was talking face to face. It perfectly summed up how jarring and unnatural our disappearance into a digital world could be.” Face the music:
5 | Chicago indie-rockers Axis: Sova kick into high gear on the fantastic new track New Disguise — the second advance single from their Nov. 16 LP Shampoo You. SEZ THE PRESS RELEASE: “Fast, sharp, and wild, the song veers from Axis: Sova‘s psychedelic trajectory with clean-cut guitars atop head-clearing lyrics.” Later, rinse, and very definitely repeat:
6 | Detroit rockers Protomartyr celebrate their upcoming tour with Calgary post-punks Preoccupations by covering their song Forbidden for a split single — and sharing it online. SEZ THE PRESS RELEASE: “There’s an old adage that goes something like, ‘if you’re going to cover a song by a beloved Canadian band, it’s best to pick the second shortest one.’ So, Forbidden it is. We all really liked the outro part and had the brilliant idea to extend it. And that, my friends, is how you make musical history.” Be a part of it:
7 | Chicago duo Grapetooth have ’80s synth-pop in their Blood — which just happens to be the latest single from their upcoming self-titled debut album. SEZ THE PRESS RELEASE: “Fusing the anthems and sing-a-longs of New Order with the live-show danger of Suicide, Blood and the rest of Grapetooth’s singles don’t shy from new wave-inspired textures, instead embracing danceable key sequences and lamenting about love, death, and even the movie Badlands.” Get sanguine:
8 | Toronto alt-rockers Ready the Prince tear up the past and start anew on their noisy single Torn Up. SEZ THE PRESS RELEASE: “Torn Up represents letting go of what binds you and moving on. For us, this release symbolizes facing reality and pushing forward with all you’ve got. From the sound and lyrics, to the artwork and photography, this is our new beginning – our primed hello to the world.” Check out their crown jewel:
