Black Mastiff see stars, Jacques Greene goes it alone, Great Lake Swimmers make waves and more in today’s Roundup. Fair warning: The next publicist that re-pitches me about something I’ve already covered — when they could just use Google or maybe even CHECK THE GODDAMN SITE FIRST — is not going to like what happens. Unless, that is, they like to get emails from their clients that say, ‘Who is this Tinnitist guy and why is he telling me that you suck?’
1 Edmonton’s Black Mastiff blast off to Star Base 77 with their new animated video, a preview of their Oct. 18 album Loser Delusions. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “As a songwriter, this track is about us all being insignificant in the world while we’re so obsessed with whether or not we get likes “Hope the station knows that I’ve arrived”. The guitar, drums, and bass are working together with a very precise heavy heating march. That’s how we do our thing. When singing this song I thought a lot about Bobby Liebling and Blue Cheer doing Summertime Blues. As a filmmaker, I love animation and movies old rotoscope movies like The Hobbit from 1977.I tried to draw from that style but with an added sense of humour.”
2 It’s a new day for Jacques Greene. The Toronto electro artist just announced his new album Dawn Chorus. And to mark the occasion, he’s sharing the video for first single Do It Without You. Though that doesn’t seem to sum up the approach behind the disc. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “A bold step forward, Dawn Chorus is also Greene’s most collaborative project to date, featuring additional production and instrumentation from film composer Brian Reitzell (Lost In Translation), cello by London’s Oliver Coates, additional production from Clams Casino and original vocal contributions from ambient artist Julianna Barwick, rapper Cadence Weapon and singers Ebhoni and Rochelle Jordan, all sampled, processed and stitched back into the album.”
3 Ontario folk-rockers Great Lake Swimmers will drop a new acoustic version of their latest LP The Waves, The Wake on Nov. 8. Get started with the video for the single In a Certain Light, recorded in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “There were a handful of demos from the album recording that were very scaled back and stark,” says songwriter Tony Dekker. “I recorded a few more with producer Joe Lapinski – those turned out so well that we decided to do a full album of acoustic versions from The Waves, The Wake. No frills, no weighty production, just voice and guitar. It’s meant to be a companion piece to our latest release.”
4 Chamber-pop folksinger and regular contributor Kris Kelly gets animated in his video for the song Cracked Porcelain. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Kris Kelly is based in NYC, but wrote Cracked Porcelain and the rest of his new album Runaways after dropping everything and traveling for five years in South America, where he met his husband. This song was inspired by a point in their open relationship where they lost themselves to the temporary pleasures of alcohol, sex and drugs, and forgot to cultivate their love for each other, almost splitting up.”
5 Quebec singer-songwriter Hubert Lenoir enlists the help of Kirin J. Callinan for his latest single and video of Hunny Bunny. He wrote it all in lower case, but whatever. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “This track came about when he and Kirin saw each other backstage at a festival in France. They didn’t speak, but Hubert DMed him the next day and asked him if he’d want to collaborate and a week later Kirin flew to Naples to meet him and they made this track. It’s a bit of a departure for Hubert, whose album was essentially a glam record (it drew a lot of Bowie and Prince comparisons), and this one is pretty much a warped dance track, although there’s still a little bit of a Prince feel in there.”
6 New Jersey rockers The Warhawks unveil the video for Not A Problem, the opening track from their debut album Never Felt So Good. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Blending elements of punk, garage rock, and indie pop, cousins Matt Orlando, John Bilodeau, Pat Bilodeau, and longtime friend Tom Lipski have worked tirelessly performing live, releasing multiple EP’s, and positioning themselves to be a national act.”
7 British popster Georgia will drop her album Seeking Thrills in January. The first thrill: The single and video for the song Never Let You Go. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Seeking Thrills fuses analog club sounds, solid pop songwriting, and rich, bubbling melodies for a sharply paced, fascinating album that showcases Georgia’s lifelong love affair with the drums. Heavily inspired by Chicago house and Detroit techno from the early 80’s, it’s a listening experience that takes you into the party. Her reflections carry us through euphoria, heartache and melancholy, but always within the shadow of good times. Georgia is reminding you of the altitude of your last real thrill, and when we turn the record on, we’re there again.”
8 Woolworm will bring some Awe — in the form of their third studio album — on Nov. 8. Here’s a taste: The single Hold the Bow. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Woolworm’s minor-chord melancholy is still featured throughout the album’s first single Hold The Bow, but the song’s uptempo, off-kilter rhythms and general urgency amp up the band’s delivery. The song was inspired by Marina Abramović’s performance art piece Rest Energy, says frontman Giles Roy. “The image of two people leaning back opposite each other, one holding a bow and the other holding an arrow pointed at their heart. Like the piece itself, the song is about complete trust. It’s also a sort of love song, but not possessive, romantic love. It’s more about unconditional love.”
9 Vancouver noisemakers Lightning Dust unleash Run Away, the latest single from their Oct. 4 album Spectre. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Run Away explores the hardships of change—when our minds resist it. It’s the battle between logic and emotion,” explains the band, multi-instrumentalist Joshua Wells and singer/guitarist Amber Webber (both formerly of Black Mountain). “A tense and sonically deranged one in which a backward pulse blips into an electric piano solo and builds to a cosmic eruption of dark disco rain.”
10 Ex-Deadly Snakes frontman André Ethier introduces Jenny The Blues, the second peek at his Oct. 11 LP Croak In The Weeds. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: ”Jenny The Blues is a funky little song about feeling sorry for yourself,” claims Ethier. “And remember, you can’t wash the blues off a cop.”
11 Vancouver outfit Hunting have gone from a solo project to a trio, changed their sound from folk to electro-rock, and swapped wistful melancholy for buoyant exuberance. All this, they say, can be heard on the group’s Nov. 1 sophomore album Whatever You Need. What you need right now, however, is their swooning cover of Sparklehorse’s Gold Day. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Sparklehorse’s album It’s A Wonderful Life really changed the way I thought about songwriting and production. My favourite of his songs has always been Gold Day, probably the most uplifting song on that particular album. For the Hunting version of Gold Day, we sped it up a little and put drums through the whole thing, but we did our take on his Mellotron track, re created a few of his parts and really tried to capture the Sparklehorse vibe.”
12 French DJ Uppermost’s album Inner Peace arrives Friday. For those who can’t wait a few more hours, here’s the title cut. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “For a long time I thought that the most interesting moments in life are those where big changes happen, so I was always looking for them instead of focusing on the present moment. Over the years, music has helped me understand that happiness lives in the process. I made Inner Peace as a tribute to this silent, underlying, crucial slow walk that shapes everything else.”
