All the songs today, as usual, are good — but at least two are nothing short of excellent. See if you can find them:
Motorists | L.O.W.
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto trio Motorists just released L.O.W., a new song from their sophomore LP Touched By The Stuff, out May 24. This third single cranks up the volume with fuzzadelica-inspired headbanger riffs. “This song continues a lyrical theme from Surrounded — of simultaneously wanting to leave society, but realizing the alienation that comes from being too far out of range. I remember writing it and L.O.W. on the same day while I had a fever in the middle of summer in my non-air conditioned upstairs room in Toronto. Both songs have a real “heat-induced delirium” feeling.”
Nightjacket | All Of My Friends
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nightjacket are an indie dream-pop act in L.A. Boasting lush soundscapes, pulsing beats, and soaring vocals, the band was formed in 2015 by Louie Schultz and Jordan Wiggins. All Of My Friends is a blend of Americana and dream pop from the mind of Andrea Wasse, the self-proclaimed queen of arrested development. A lot of the band’s friends left Los Angeles over the last few years due to the union strikes, the pandemic, and housing crisis, which made Andrea feel like she was getting left behind. A layered, three part harmony ties together this sentiment of friends moving on without them.”
Geordie Gordon | Long, Long
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Geordie Gordon, the Toronto singer-songwriter, a member of two indie acts: U.S. Girls and Islands, just released his new album Tambourine. Today, he’s sharing the new video for album track Long, Long, which features fellow U.S. Girls collaborator Kass Richards on vocals. “Long, Long is a simple song, flowing as constant as the three most unstoppable elements: Fire, water and time,” says Gordon. “We are all strapped on to this spinning earth and uncontrollable happenings are inevitable. Long, Long moves like the passing of time, like a leaf on a stream.” His second solo album, Tambourine, is Geordie’s own coming-of-age story, in more ways than one. It’s the album that will introduce the world to his depth of talent as a singer, arranger, lyricist and melodicist.”
Donovan Woods | Back For The Funeral
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Earlier this year, acclaimed songwriter Donovan Woods announced his seventh album, Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now, due July 12. Today he shares a second single from the record, the unflinching Back For The Funeral, co-written with Lori McKenna and Matt Nathanson. Throughout an album of heart-wrenching songs, none hit harder than Back for The Funeral. Taking place in a small town, a group of friends who haven’t seen each other in years return to memorialize a schoolmate after they overdosed on pills. “There’s so much writing done about being back in your hometown and what it does to you,” Woods explains. “But there’s the idea that you only go there with bad news — which can be true — and what it does to your feelings about your hometown.” However, the song poignantly shows that even though someone may return to their hometown for unfortunate reasons, reconnecting with old friends is a positive byproduct of the circumstance.”
Mark Perry | Day Makes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The pride of Northern B.C., singer-songwriter Mark Perry, recently released his new album Glimpses. Here’s the single Day Makes, a lively acoustic folk song chock full of positive vibes, reminding us that dark times don’t last forever. “This song is writing my way out of a dark period,” says Mark. “You have to find inspiration wherever you can. The first light of a new day = onward!” Hailing from Smithers, Perry offers his good-humoured and thought-provoking performances that aim to get festival audiences up on their feet and make theatre crowds feel like they’re in his living room. 14 albums and counting, Mark calls what he does “Northwest people music,” writing songs inspired by the diverse landscapes (and their inhabitants) from ocean currents to mountain tops. Says Mark: “I’ve always enjoyed people. We have way more in common than we have differences. We are interesting creatures. Isolation and empty can be terrifying for some, but to me they’re inspirational.”
Erica Dee Mah | Crocuses
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Yukon orchestral folk musician Erica Dee Mah just shared her new EP Paper Wealth — along with the seond single Crocuses, a serene and ethereal track written as an ode to artistry and expression. “I wrote this song about the last summer I lived in Vancouver before moving to the Yukon,” says Erica. “I was taking guzheng lessons at Crystal Mall and would ride my bike through the city to my lesson each week. It was a time of deep musical study. The song celebrates personal creativity and freedom, and cultural connection.”
