Idles bum a ride to the shops, Happy Fits get moving, Will Butler surrenders to the subtext, Chladny plays puppet master, Eivør sleeps on it and more in your surprisingly busy Tuesday Roundup. Time to put some dirt on the potato patch. And no, that is not a euphemism. Get your mind out of the gutter. Weirdo.
VIDEOS OF THE DAY
1 | Idles | A Hymn
THE PRESS RELEASE: “A Hymn comes from the new Idles album Ultra Mono, to be released on Sept. 25. A Hymn is a hymn that rejoices in the sinister flesh-eating virus of the pedestrian. It sings the tune of normal’s teeth sinking into your neck as you sleep stood up with your eyes open. Amen.”
2 | The Happy Fits | Moving
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The Happy Fits premiere their video for new single Moving, directed by stop-motion animator and hot glue gun expert Felicia Rein. It’s the second single from the New Jersey trio’s upcoming sophomore LP, What Could Be Better, due Aug. 28. Discussing the single, cellist, vocalist and principal songwriter Calvin Langman states, “I wanted to confront the very complicated love that I saw my parents share growing up. There was always this cycle of fighting, leaving, and coming home, but with no actual resolution along the way. I felt their determination to make their love work, contended with the fear of throwing decades away and tearing their family apart, even if it meant choosing unhappiness and staying together. I wanted the emotions in the lyrics to be fickle, changing abruptly from saying ‘stay away’, one line, to ‘please come home’, the next.”
3 | Will Butler | Surrender
THE PRESS RELEASE: “In the five years since Will Butler released his debut album Policy, he’s toured the world both solo and as a member of Arcade Fire, released the Friday Night live album, recorded and released Everything Now, earned his master’s degree in public policy from Harvard, hosted a series of touring town halls on local issues (police contracts, prison reform, municipal paid sick leave, voting rights), and spent time raising his three children. He also found the time and inspiration to write and record a new album, Generations, out Sept. 25. Today’s good news arrives with a self-directed music video for the deceptively ebullient singalong Surrender. From the desk of Will Butler: “Surrender is masquerading as a love song, but it’s more about friendship. About the confusion that comes as people change — didn’t you use to have a different ideal? Didn’t we have the same ideal at some point? Which of us changed? How did the world change? Relationships that we sometimes wish we could let go of, but that are stuck within us forever.”
4 | Chladny | Can You See It On My Face?
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Chladny is a folk-rock band fronted by singer-songwriter Evan Chladny. He grew up in Ajax, ON, where his father worked as a producer, operating a music studio out of his basement. Soon after relocating to Toronto, Chladny teamed up with Luge members Cam Fraser and Tobias Hart, as well as Stephen Pitman from Tallies to form his band. Their brand new single Can You See It On My Face? captures a breezy mood — easygoing yet contemplative. Written about all the ways people try to play it cool and how keeping your head up can weigh you down, Can You See It On My Face? evokes the feeling of wondering if those around you are aware of your problems and placate you, ultimately interfering with the healing process.”
ALSO ON THE PLAYLIST
5 | Eivør | Sleep On It
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Faroese electro-folk-pop artist Eivør has announced her new album Segl will arrive Sept. 18. In conjunction, Eivør has released a video for new single Sleep On It, directed by Einar Egils. Shot on location in Iceland, the video features actor Tómas Lemarquis (Blade Runner 2049, X-Men: Apocalypse). Speaking about the interplay between the video & the new track, which Eivør wrote following a bad bout of insomnia, she observes: “The video portrays a desperate and isolated situation. Sleep On It is a song about making choices — it’s like a late night flow of consciousness. Sometimes making a wrong choice might be the only way to eventually make the right one. This is the first song I wrote for my new album, and it was written during a sleepless night three years ago in my apartment in Copenhagen. Most of all this song portrays hope to me. Regardless of one’s past, or “old habits”, it’s never too late to change.”
6 | Dana Gavanski | At Last I Am Free
THE PRESS RELEASE: “As fierce as the inclement weather itself, the ethereal tones of Serbian-Canadian musician Dana Gavanski can stir a breeze and destroy like a storm. With her new covers EP Wind Songs, Dana serendipitously teases her debut album Yesterday Is Gone from her new home in London across both sides of enforced isolation, to show an artist making the best of an unfortunate circumstance and seeking comfort in the familiar strangers of her musical heroes. Dana today shares a second cut from the forthcoming Wind Songs in the form of At Last I Am Free, originally written by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, plus an accompanying video directed by Nuha Ruby Ra. Dana explains her reasons for choosing this track to cover: “Originally written and performed by Chic, I first heard it covered by Robert Wyatt not long ago. It’s in part a breakup song, but it goes beyond that. There’s something beautiful about the ambiguity of the song. The verses are quite personal, and then there’s this huge, ecstatic yet melancholy chorus. I love Robert Wyatt’s version of it too. His wizardly voice and that lead synth line that give it a special edge. It’s a big tune.”
7 | Terminal Nation | Disciple Of Deceit
THE PRESS RELEASE: “As Little Rock hardcore act Terminal Nation prepare to release their debut LP Holocene Extinction on Aug. 7, a video for Disciple Of Deceit has been issued. Vocalist Stan Liszewski declares, “Disciple Of Deceit is about these right wing (typically straight, white, male) politicians and political types who use their cherry-picked version of Christianity as a means to infringe upon the existence of others. They’ll go after things like marriage equality, other religious beliefs, trans rights, abortion rights, and more, taking stabs at some of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in the U.S., yet upon meeting any resistance to their regressive way of thinking, they develop a persecution complex and act as if they are the ones that are the oppressed.”
8 | Goan Dogs | Zombies
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Bristolian quintet Goan Dogs release visuals for their third single Zombies. Working with illustrator and animator Client_Pleaser1987, who just so happens to be the bands guitarist, the new monochromatic video exploring the aching monotony of societies repetitive pre-lockdown lifestyle. In a machine of fast-paced environments, work commutes and human puppets; Goan Dogs’ eerie new project perfectly captures our robotic ways through the world of animation.”
9 | Once A Tree | Rush
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto-based Indigenous electronic music duo Once A Tree return with their introspective new single Rush. While the title suggests a fast-paced energy, the vibe is meditative and reflective. The duo’s self-directed visual sees vocalist Jayli Wolf wandering the streets of Los Angeles, living in the moment.“We live in a world where people want instant gratification. But sometimes, chasing after that can leave you feeling empty,” Once A Tree say of the track. “And the things that used to feel like magic lose their lustre.” Once A Tree is comprised of BC-born Hayden and Jayli Wolf. They are multidisciplinary artists that combine an array of skills, vision and DIY work ethic to blaze their own path. They released their debut album Phoenix in 2017 (winning Best Electronic Album at the 2018 Indigenous Music Awards) and met while leaving the doomsday religion they were both raised in. Excommunicated by their community, they decided to use music as their voice.”
10 | Big B & Felons Club | San Felipe Blues
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Big B has released the debut album from his outlaw group The Felons Club entitled Welcome To The Club. The album features Big B teaming with producer Michael Bradford (Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker) to put a unique stamp on the classic outlaw sound mixing elements of country, rock, and Americana. The album also features Doug Benson from Cash’d Out, who channels the spirit of Johnny Cash on San Felipe Blues. “I’ve been all over the place, but I’ve never done anything like this,” commented Big B. “I grew up listening to country music. I have tons of albums. I knew I couldn’t make country music, per se, but I wanted to take a crack at it. We grew up around the biker culture and were raised to love the outlaw lifestyle. The Felons Club is just a way to express that, as we’ve always rode motorcycles. We’ve always partied and have always been ready to get into some shit. That’s our life, so we figured why not make a soundtrack for it.”
11 | Grant Pavol | Bones
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Inspired by the likes of Elliott Smith and Sufjan Stevens, singer-songwriter Grant Pavol just released a beautiful song & video about the passing of his grandfather, prominent author/playwright/screenwriter William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men, The Princess Bride, Marathon Man). He also announced today that his debut full-length album About A Year will be out Sept. 4.”
12 | Gabriel Garzón-Montano | Agüita
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Gabriel Garzón-Montano announced his new album, Agüita, out Oct. 2, and shared the title track and accompanying video directed by Art Camp. Agüita is a sequence of impossibly diverse offerings ranging from trap anthems to string-drenched art pop ballads — a prismatic self-portrait, personal and universal all at once. Garzón-Montano’s ability to execute a wide range of musical styles is his secret weapon – and so it is no wonder he bristles at the prospect of settling into any one genre. “Genre has never been a consideration,” he says. “The idea of genre uses fear of failure as a baseline. Genre puts the music in a box. This album is anti-genre. Anti-fear. Anti-box.”
13 | Dance Gavin Dance | One In A Million
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Following the enormous success of the physical release of their latest, chart-topping album, Afterburner Afterburner, Sacramento five-piece Dance Gavin Dance have released the brand new music video for One In A Million. The animated video is directed by Rob Shaw (Portlandia, At The Drive In) and takes viewers on a weird and wonderful psychedelic adventure.”
14 | LambLion | All Of My Love Again
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Exploring the theme of love through all its seasons-courtship, marriage and family life, All Of My Love Again rings true with husband-and-wife duo Oliver and Danka Pigott of LambLion. “The mix and master for this song was completed just weeks before our wedding day,” Danka reflects on the track’s origins. “We gifted it to our wedding guests.” LambLion’s visual for the track is not without a story as well. The music video, directed by Taras Lavren, features Danka & Oliver’s longtime friends Dan and Montina Guiry, who fell in love with the song at a LambLion show in Toronto. “They called us one day to ask if All Of My Love Again could be their wedding song! We were touched by their request,” recalls Danka. “Less than a year later, our own wedding was officiated by Montina’s parents, Dale and Marion, who are also featured in the music video.”
15 | Teenanger | Touching Glass
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto’s esteemed DIY scene purveyors Teenanger are sharing their new single Touching Glass, the first to be lifted from their forthcoming sixth album Good Time, which is out Oct. 2. Touching Glass, the album’s first take, splices the group’s more strident post-punk aesthetic with a new pop-focused approach, filled with chugging guitar riffs and arresting melodies. Although eliciting lighter sounds than with their previous releases, Touching Glass refuses to shy away from the band’s ear for social commentary and wish to weigh in on contemporary issues. Speaking about the new track, Melissa Ball says: “I was thinking about John Carpenter’s 1988 classic They Live (starring Roddy Piper) before I wrote these lyrics so I guess I had that plot in the back of my mind. It’s pretty straightforward lyrically and partly about the fear of mind control and my frustrations with being tethered to/tired with my phone.”
16 | In Earnest | Come Upstairs
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Come Upstairs is an account of mental health from the perspective of a sufferer’s partner, aiming to encourage conversation around the topic. In Earnest are an alt/indie trio from Southend-on-Sea, U.K., fuelled by the songwriting of front-couple Sarah and Thomas. The single is written from Thomas’s perspective, as he urges Sarah not to give up hope. “In the wake of my partner’s mental health struggles, it feels like I spend every waking moment trying to keep a brave or positive face on and there are times when I find it difficult to maintain my own identity. We’re gradually learning how to combat negative thinking, but I’m usually the one who takes the weight and pulls her out of waves of depression.” Thomas’s emotive vocals are the centre-point to a song of desperation, a response to the band’s debut track Put Me Under. The intensity found in Come Upstairs will resonate with fans of Noah Gundersen, Bright Eyes and Julien Baker.”
17 | Helena Deland | Lylz
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Today marks the release of Lylz, the hypnotic, long-awaited new single from Montreal’s emerging singer-songwriter Helena Deland. After the French composer Lili Boulanger’s untimely death, her sister Nadia actualized the ultimate sororal pact by devoting her life to spreading the legacy of her younger sister’s musical genius. It was when Deland’s friend Lylz arranged a concert of the late sisters’ compositions a century later that Deland first heard the Boulangers’ music and learned of their immortal devotion to one another. The tone was set, then, for Deland’s epic homage to her friendship with Lylz: A double-edged promise to sisterhood and to the mirthless pursuit of recognition. From a history hopeful in its hauntedness springs Lylz: an ode to a friendship born out of mutual esteem and fanned by the flames of worldly dissatisfaction.”
18 | Dizzy | Roman Candles (Gengahr Remix)
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Dizzy are pleased to share their collaboration with Gengahr, a remix of their current single Roman Candles. While the original track sees Dizzy lean into their pop sensibilities and deliver a soaring, emotive ballad, the Gengahr rework breathes an energetic indie pop energy into the track, reminiscent of Hot Chip or Foals. Speaking about the track, Katie Munshaw says: “Roman Candles is about how insecure I feel being someone who’s pursued music as a job. I’ve often felt jealous of friends who’ve taken more traditional paths in life. Some have gone to university and have 9 to 5 jobs already and have to buy funny things like lawnmowers and cutlery. I know that sounds silly but I have a real fear I’ll never own a home or be able to support a family because of the decision I’ve made, so of course, that’s scary. I think I’ve quit the band a dozen times since we started and then wind up taking it back an hour later because I know it’s just fear talking.”
19 | Storry | For No One
THE PRESS RELEASE: “As an artist that continues to champion all communities, Juno-nominated Toronto artist Storry shares a song in honour of Pride Month. For No One — produced by Polaris Music Prize-nominated Junia-T — is the songstress’ ode to celebrating that “love, sex and sexuality have no limits.” Storry says: “All communities that are minorities are always being misrepresented, underrepresented, and treated again as unidimensional human beings. We often create these boundaries, like we do with everything else, about who we are, what we like and what we’ll never do. I personally was never one to explore too much with my sexuality, because I experienced a lot of trauma and at one point saw no value in sex or a significant other. Things have changed. I now identify as pansexual (a term I admit I only learned recently, meaning ‘not limited in sexual choice with regard to biological sex, gender, or gender identity’).”
20 | Anklegod | Ride ft. Sharuk
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Emerging Vancouver rapper Anklegod releases his first song in 2020, Ride featuring Sharuk. Grounded in contemporary hip hop, but reaching for far more, Anklegod’s potent rap skills coupled with the uniquely tailored soundscapes of his new single, demonstrate why he has emerged as one of the most prolific young voices rising out of Canada’s West Coast. At only 18 years of age, Anklegod’s prodigious triple threat talent (emcee, vocalist, producer) has already seen him craft a catalog of self-produced, mixed and mastered songs that first took flight and opened eyes on his much talked about anthology project Ankavelli Volumes 1 and 2.”
21 | Poppongene | I Can’t Be What You Need (Sunbeam Sound Machine Remix)
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The Sunbeam Sound Machine remix of I Can’t Be What You Need is officially released today, which is quite exciting! The video for this remix was shot on Kaurna Land in early 2020. It was very kindly edited by Lee Hannah, who had no hesitation using my ironic zoomed wine-glass-at-sunset shot.”
22 | Nelson Kempf | Family Dollar
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Family Dollar, the title track from Nelson Kempf’s debut album is about something we’ve likely all faced at one time or another: money troubles. Nelson explains: “This song is a moment to moment meditation in an attempt to stay mentally and physically afloat under the crushing weight of credit delinquency, pre-foreclosure, etc.” Thematically, Family Dollar may initially sound like a dark record. “The emotional experience of poverty is largely overlooked” Kempf says, “the intense pressure that inflates every moment; the exhausting physicality of stress; the impossibly stacked odds against sound decision making”. But right from the soft light and delicate harp strums that open the album it’s clear that what Kempf found when attempting to translate these feelings was something else. That there is also beauty in darkness.”
23 | Ka Fu | Red Coffee
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Burgeoning experimental electronic producer Ka Fu has announced the release of his latest single Red Coffee. The single is the third taste of Ka Fu’s second album, Heretic, which set to drop on Oct. 9. Ka Fu reveals a little about the concept behind the single: “Red Coffee is about questioning things. This follows the overall new album concept — turning to Heretic mode. Nowadays for me there is just no trust to any official or state structures, their level of hypocrisy is overwhelming, only our own intuition and knowledge matters means we have to spend much more time analysing things and questioning them than ever before. Red Coffee is just about that, it’s about how we tend to name and fix things and then follow them forever instead of questioning the perceived reality.”
24 | Her Songs | Just My Luck
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Her Songs is a global female collective of producers, musicians, songwriters and artists. United by a mutual mission to shine a light on female producers and artists and to celebrate female collaboration, today the group are sharing their the new single Just My Luck, the second single to be lifted from upcoming EP Toronto Vol. 2, due for release Aug. 14. Just My Luck finds the group taking cues from the ’90s and early 2000s R&B pop hits of their youth. A song which celebrates all members of the group’s widespread backgrounds, cultures and talents, the lyrics are written in 3 different languages; English, Spanish and French and features all five girls’ voices.”
25 | Jaye Bartell | Permission To Pass
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Jaye Bartell announces his fourth official full-length, Kokomo, which will be released Aug. 14. Permission To Pass is the first single from the album. Kokomo the album adds up to the rejection of Kokomo the concept — that the days of your life and the things you do there are kindling for the cause of the great blaze that awaits you once you have enough vacation days or a record deal. The relationship of Kokomo the album to Kokomo the song ends with the mythos the song created. That and the idea for the name was too funny and too fitting to pass up.”
26 | Mariatti | Other Vibes
THE PRESS RELEASE: “I started making music when I was 12 and by the age of 15 till 21 years old I released many records under the name of Andrea Dub. I was lucky enough to get booked in different countries and to get played by so many great DJs. After high schools the passion for music production and its entire process went deeper: I degreed at Sae Institute of Milan in Audio Production and Creative Media Industry to push the boundaries of my technical limits. Three years ago I came back to my hometown and I built a studio where I work on music everyday.”
27 | Matte Black | Pure
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Matte Black is an electronic group out of San Diego CA. Producing sounds of sinister pleasures, visual arts and mechanical tinged dance music. The group captures lush dark-synth stylings complimented by gritty industrial anthems, while embodying their affinity for underground techno. Alex Gonzales, Bidi Cobra and Daniel Corrales serve as the three-piece ensemble. Coming from various influences the trio come together to compliment their vast and scattered ideas to now form their own brand of club aesthetic. The debut album I’m Waving, Not Drowning is set to release this fall. The record was mostly written during the global-wide shutdown due to Covid-19, and has spawned an introverted yet relatable sound. An album created in isolation touching on topics such as pain, panic and suffering yet conceiving a light at the end of the tunnel.”
28 | J Elle | Face It
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Talented songstress J Elle just shared her new track Face It. With its candid subject matter and nostalgic vibes delivered throughout, it’s a strong addition to her discography to date. Self described as her favourite release to date, J Elle turns the focus back to herself, with her face at the forefront, as she furthers her career as a double-threat in today’s scene.”
