Beacon Bloom make tracks, Ruth B. is in a sitch, Fionn wants to get away, Geneva peels back the layers, M.A.G.S. listens to his inner voice, Christopher Nielsen gets a second opinion from the doctor — and we’ve got the cure for what ails you in the penultimate chapter of your latest Weekend Roundup. Turn your head and cough, please:
87 | Beacon Bloom | Nothing Here But You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Beacon Bloom are an electronic trio from New Zealand. Together, Ryan Ferris, James Allen and Joss Doge have created their own genre-fluid universe. Taking inspiration from the best of European nightlife, the outfit continue to push the boundaries of music and multimedia in both the virtual and physical worlds. Their latest release Nothing Here But You narrates the felt experience of mania, the breakdown of consensus reality and the conviction that you are the only thing in existence. Showcasing some of their most danceable work to date, this is a groove-centred track framing Beacon Bloom’s trademark vocals, transporting you to the jungles with tribal drums playing off against a straight synth line; signature vocals that wave around like cellophane, and an epic arpeggio that wouldn’t be out of place on Northern Exposure. The result is transcendent in an oddly specific way, conjuring the breakdown of consensus reality.”
88 | Ruth B. | Situation
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ethiopian-Canadian singer and songwriter Ruth B. announces that her new album Moments In Between will be released June 11. The album features 11 new, original songs all written or co-written by Ruth. Moments In Between is a raw emotional accounting of the anxieties and uncertainty Ruth faces as a woman in her mid-twenties, giving voice to her inner strife via warm vocals, shapeshifting textures, and hazy harmonies. To accompany the announcement, Ruth B. has unveiled a single and video for standout track Situation. “Situation is maybe my favourite song I’ve ever written,” says Ruth, who wrote the track with Ido Zmishlany. “It sounds so much like me, and where I am now versus a few years ago.”
89 | Fionn | Let Me Go
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vancouver pop duo Fionn announced that their new EP Candid Constellations is set for release May 21, and shared the single Let Me Go, along with an effervescent video. The sisters say: “Let Me Go is a song about giving someone the power in a relationship and wanting to be free of the spell they have you under. We wanted the video to be feminine and dramatic, portraying the sweet upbeat nature of the song along with the darker elements of the production and subject matter.”
90 | Geneva | Smoke & Mirrors
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Geneva’s newest single Smoke & Mirrors is dark, moody and introspective. She dives deep into the nuance and complexities of self, exploring the strength of artistic spirit and self expression amidst the outside noise and judgment of others. We are voyeurs watching Geneva reveal her authentic soul, bearing witness to her many layers as she draws back the proverbial curtain as we take a glimpse into her unadulterated inner landscape. Her compelling beats and body-moving rhythms fit perfectly next to similar artists such as Snoh Aelegra and Jorja Smit with a vocal quality that stands alongside the greats of the genre, imbuing a divine feminine touch to each work Geneva produces.”
91 | M.A.G.S. | Choked Out
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Fans of M.A.G.S. no longer have to wait — the indie artist has dropped Choked Out ahead of his forthcoming sophomore release, Say Things That Matter. Choked Out is a retro dream-pop track with euphoric highs and angsty lows that weave through moments of choice. Its symbolic lyrics with laid-back vocals subtly stress that you can’t have self-reflection without brutal honesty. M.A.G.S. states: “Choked Out explores the journey of self-love and the duality of our internal dialogue. Sometimes the darkest part of the human experience is the constant battle between the truth and what our inner voice tells us. We realize our fears because it’s easier to accept the lies we feed ourselves, rather than standing up and trying to change our way of thinking.”
92 | Christopher Nielsen | Doctor Doctor
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Doctor Doctor is a featured track on the 2021 Our Voyage Home album release by Christopher Nielsen. It was written in honor of the passing of Dr. John and his wonderful contribution to our American music and culture. It was inspired by and dedicated to a dear friend who is an avid music lover and finishing his second doctorate degree at MIT. Two inspiring men with from very different backgrounds that have made such significant contributions to shaping our world as a better place for humanity. Our Voyage Home is a lively collection of 13 instrumental songs that reflect musical ideas from over a 40-year journey of Christopher Nielsen while in and out of the music business.”
93 | Talking Violet | Caterpillar
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Caterpillar is a song about believing in hope, even when you may not understand how to get there,” says Talking Violet’s Jay Turnbull. “It describes going through a time in my life where I was dealing with intense daily anxiety and felt unsure of how I was going to achieve the goals I set for myself. I was self isolating and only felt comfort around the closest people in my life, while simultaneously trying to figure everything out in my own head. Caterpillar is an ode to the people who feel unsure of the path ahead of them and a message of reassurance to everyone still trying to figure it out.”
94 | Fifi Rong | Only Man
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “London’s Fifi Rong, a multi-talented avant-pop songstress, is sharing the video for her latest single Only Man. It is taken from her upcoming self-produced solo album, There Is A Funeral In My Heart For Every Man I Loved. Says Fifi: “Only Man was filmed in Berlin by Zee Marla Osh. It was one of the most spontaneous videos we have done. Zee saw the sunset being very intoxicating that evening when we arrived at the location and just went for it. I’m especially impressed with her editing as it’s very experimental, bold, mixing retro and modern styles into something of her own. She also took note of every subtle detail of my music production and reflected in the visual editing, especially on the tape fx sections of the songs!”
95 | Jenn Grant | Flying On Your Own
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nova Scotia singer-songwriter and producer Jenn Grant soars with Flying On Your Own, a rendition of the track by Rita MacNeil. As Jenn’s third release in a collection of self-produced covers of Canadian classics, it marks a full-circle moment as a heartfelt ode to Jenn’s childhood experience witnessing her mother’s move to Nova Scotia, and a journey many can relate to: the drive to a new place and a brave step forward into a new, undetermined life. “There was no one she knew waiting for her there. But a determined energy to ‘fly on her own’. I have found, as we all do I think, that it takes a while before you see your parents as real ‘people’. I am about the same age as she was then, when she summoned the courage to just keep going,” Jenn says of her mother’s departure for Nova Scotia in 1990 to return to a nursing degree. “There were also some musical tapes that were played so often around that time that the song titles would wear themselves right off the cassette. She loved Rita MacNeil. Who wouldn’t? What a spirit. What a fighter. I would not be where I am today without women like Rita and my mother, who taught me that the power of strength to rise up and be strong is within us all. This recording and video are a tribute to them, and to any human who has felt the fight and is still fighting.”
96 | Slim & The Beast | Her Room
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Leaving behind their usual punchy guitar and percussion, Slim & The Beast reveal a new side of theirs as they peek into a lover’s world in their first piano ballad Her Room. Aurelien and twin brothers Samuel and Aaron have become inseparable since they first bonded on their love of folk, ’70s rock, psych-pop, electronic, modern alternative and indie. In the first single of their upcoming EP Her Room, Slim & The Beast show us where their mind takes them on a rainy day. Having spent too much time in their own room, they guide us to wander into a lover’s room, using the delicate and slow pace of the piano and the lingering of the Bee Gee-inspired vocals. “As you enter your lover’s intimate space, you become a witness to all the things that make them who they are, and that includes yourself sitting on the edge of the bed.”
97 | Vicki Lovelee | Crossed Off
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “I’m a Chinese Canadian alt-pop singer. I’m writing to you because I just released my new single Crossed Off. This song is dedicated to anyone who doesn’t feel accepted and wants to find a place to belong. The title Crossed Off could have two meanings; one referring to being crossed off a list and another referring to religion, to symbolize the cross. Religion inspired some elements of the song — in the very beginning you hear church bells that ring loud and clear.”
98 | AJ Wander | Eye To Eye
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “U.K. pop singer AJ Wander has shared his new single Eye To Eye alongside an accompanying video. The song is an electric ballad detailing the difficult side of relationships. Wander says: “I wrote Eye to Eye whilst sitting on my bed in the middle of the night last year. My girlfriend and I were fighting a losing game and we couldn’t pretend to be OK anymore. It’s me finally being able to step back from the chaos of our relationship and see the toxic cycle we’d fallen into; we fought because we were numb and we were numb because we fought. All we ever wanted was trouble.”
99 | Douran | Intertia (Gui Boratto Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Renowned producer Gui Boratto has remixed Douran’s single Inertia. It precedes Douran’s upcoming EP Avalanche, which will be released in spring. Hailing from São Paulo, Brazil and a well-known name in the underground scene who is quickly rising to the mainstream, Gui Boratto has worked with many other legendary artists including Massive Attack, Goldfrapp, Moby and Pet Shop Boys. He says: “I embraced Douran’s music as soon as I identified the challenge of printing my musical signature while respecting the pillars of the original composition — much more than just remixing. Inertia is such a great song.”
100 | Lowell | Bloodthirsty
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer-songwriter Lowell has had a unique journey, from dropping out of college and working as a stripper to finding her footing as the go-to songwriter for platinum selling pop stars like Madison Beer, Hailee Steinfeld, Demi Lovato,Charlie Puth and more. Continuing her multidisciplinary trajectory, Lowell co-wrote Bloodthirsty, a horror film arriving April 23. Today, she shares the title single, taken from an EP of music from the film. The scuzzy, guitar-drenched track maintains the film’s theme of creating art and the toll the creative process can take on one’s well being. Lowell reveals: “The single from the film is a ’90s-influenced grungy little tune that I wrote specifically with the movie in mind. Cinematically, we heavily referenced ’90s classics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The music needed to feel both nostalgic and contemporary at the same time so I did my best to capture the chords and essence of ’90s grunge while still maintaining the lyrical intimacy of modern times.”
