Lenny Bull talks tough, Charlotte Cornfield slows her roll, Frank Iero faces his doom, Tom Wilson sees the light and more in today’s Roundup. How many roads must a man walk down before you can call him a cab?
1 Lenny Bull knows the first rule of Fight Club. And the cool Toronto singer-songwriter applies the same principle to the rest of her life in the single Don’t Talk About It. But trust me: You’ll be hard-pressed to keep your mouth shut about this classic-sounding nugget of post-punky pop-rock, which underpins her strong contralto with chiming guitars, a nimble bassline and a hooky chorus with plenty of attitude. If you’re a Pretenders fan — and who isn’t, honestly? — you’re in for a real treat. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Sometimes mischievous, sometimes provocative, sometimes humorous. The songs I write dive into relationships, getting over yourself, and not taking any bullshit. Don’t Talk About It is a tongue-in-cheek message to anyone out there who’s spreading rumours or talking trash. It’s a reminder to not be bothered by what people say or think.” Spread the word:
2 There are plenty songs titled after cars, from Little Red Corvette to Pink Cadillac. Singer-songwriter Charlotte Cornfield adds a new entry to that list with her new single Silver Civic. As you might infer from her rather pedestrian vehicular choice, though, this isn’t some auto-erotic ode to the romance of the open road — it’s an intimate, longing lament to a love that’s come to the end of the line. Bonus points for the single-shot video that features zero shots of an actual Civic. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “This is something I think we have all experienced at some point, that association of an inanimate object with somebody or something, that wave of emotion it brings. And cars, they’re just everywhere. Right after I wrote this song I recorded what I thought was going to be a demo version of this song with my friend Matthew Bailey. And then I tried recording it a bunch more times with different arrangements but that first recording just has the emotion and the rawness. Leif Vollebekk added a piano part and then it just felt finished.” Take it slow:
3 Life is an obstacle course. Some are built by others; some we build ourselves. Former My Chemical Romance guitarist Frank Iero has surely faced his share of both over the years, based on the title of his upcoming third post-MyChem album Barriers. But just as surely, he hasn’t made him change his ways, judging by the surging, searing punk power of the single Young and Doomed. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “The insistent, dark rock n’ roll anthem flails with a wild and uncontrollable angst and energy. Its accompanying video is a visceral performance piece that captures the frenetic and frantic energy that bursts from the track with guitar, bass and drums with Frank’s plaintive vocals anchoring the hopeless emotion.” Onward and upward:
4 As if Tom Wilson’s identity weren’t confusing enough already. The singer-songwriter, Junkhouse alum and Rodeo King — who also happens to be the man/myth/icon/iconoclast behind the musical mask of Lee Harvey Osmond — recently discovered his true Mohawk parentage, lineage and heritage, inspiring his magnificent and moving recent album Mohawk. Going by the irresistibly snappy and breezy Forty Light Years, he also discovered he’s the musical love child of JJ Cale. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Forty Light Years is a “cannonball prayer straight to my mother’s longing heart … a timeless quest for bonding and the nagging desire for freedom all disguised in a groovy 3:24 burning saunter,” Wilson says. “I write these songs because I have to. I’ve finally earned that right. They often get dismissed as an offering from some ‘veteran rocker’. Allow me to fuck that shit for you right now…” You kiss your mother with that mouth?
5 How to Dress Well’s Tom Krell knows how to surprise his fans. The Boulder electronica artist just announced he has a new remix album titled One Train Hides Another out tomorrow, featuring remakes of songs from his ambitious 2018 release The Anteroom. And to prime the pump, he’s shared Mun Sing’s glitchy remix of Vacant Boat, along with a suitably aquatic video. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Like The Anteroom, One Train Hides Another is meant to play as a single continuous piece of music.” All aboard:
6 Nobody like to have their time wasted. Not me, not you, not Hannah Cohen. Then again, according to the lyrics of her sweetly, slowly soaring single Wasting My Time — the latest preview of her April 26 release Welcome Home — she’s apparently one of those people who believes even bad relationships are learning experiences that help you end up in a better place down the road. So, in a nutshell, she’s way more of an optimist than I ever was or will be. And thankfully, her music is anything but a waste of time. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “With Welcome Home, “I don’t feel I have to cover up anything, or not be able to share,”Cohen says.“There’s less to interpret, I’m more visible. And as to reflecting on the past when things didn’t go well, I’ve left that behind. It was all worth it, to make my way to this point.” Don’t wait a second longer:
7 Good music takes time. Case in point: Sauna. The Toronto indie sorta-supergroup featuring Zach Bines of Weaves, Braeden Craig of Greys and Michael le Riche of Fake Palms last graced these pages almost five months ago with their debut single Over. Finally, they’re back with the followup Felt. But it’s more than worth the wait — assuming you like your synthesizers buzzing, your grooves swaggering and your choruses dark and catchy. And why wouldn’t you? SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “According to Michael le Riche, the single is inspired by “Las Vegas, 1950’s. Diamond necklaces, sequin dresses, classic cars, and tailored suits. American opulence packaged at its most optimistic. Felt is about the dark side of that opulence. What lay underneath it all.” Roll the bones:
