Well, here we are at the end of May. And what do we have to show for it? Well, how about this list of great new music from various spots in this fine country of ours? Push play and pass the Moosehead:
Ovum Nova | Ways In Waves
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ways In Waves is the brainchild of Brian Raine, a multi-instrumentalist and music producer in Edmonton. His project combines aspects of rock, art-pop, and electronic music into a mixture that propels the listener through controlled chaos. Ovum Nova began as a project with Noah of Polyphonic, an incredibly prolific visual artist who makes album covers for bands that don’t exist. Brian and Noah thought it would be fun to put music to these, and Ovum Nova started off as a single for fake band The Ptarmigans. “Oftentimes, when I’ve had to confront grief in my life, I’ve found that it’s tough to put your finger on how it’s going to manifest, when it’s going to show its face, and how to deal with it,” says Raine. “To have coherent words expressing this just seemed so antithetical to the ethos of this song. And so I made Ovum Nova into an incoherent expression of grief. The lyrics speak about futures that could have been, the futile process of seeking solace and not finding it, all within the mood of being trapped at a house party in a thunderstorm. Counter-intuitively, the song is very energetic, and one of the more punk-influenced things I’ve written, which serves as a sort of facade for these very sad lyrics to hide behind.”
Meko Brain | Anyone Else’s Eyes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Meko Brain is the fantastic new solo project from Mike O’Brien. Keen observers of Canadian indie music will know his work through an impressive list of projects — first and foremost his long-running pop outfit Zeus. And you’ve likely seen him as a sideman with other Canadian stalwarts such as Dan Mangan, Bahamas, and Jason Collett. Today, he shares his single Anyone Else’s Eyes, which features patiently unfurling nylon-string guitar chords and a hushed, earnest vocal espousing the merits of a multi-faceted worldview. A fitting introduction for an artist whose own multifacetedness brings to mind both Canadian contemporaries such as Sandro Perri, Michael Feuerstack and Peter Elkas, as well as history’s true titans of song. “I think we can all benefit from the old adage of walking a mile in someone else’s shoes,” says O’Brien. “It has to be possible to step back and zoom out and try to see someone else’s point of view. The easiest way to adopt this mentality for me is to apply it to my immediate personal relationships. In a sort of montage way, I think I wanted to express this idea/feeling in the song.”
Debra-Jean Creelman | Say Goodnight
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Debra-Jean Creelman is a Vancouver singer-songwriter best known for her expansive, emotive voice and neo-soul compositions. Getting her start with pop auteurs Mother Mother, Creelman has built a career defined by precision, polish, and otherworldly vocal performances that have neatly sculpted the landscapes of pop, jazz, and soul. She has teamed up with experimental trumpet player JP Carter (Destroyer), multi-instrumentalist Sean Cronin, and Jo Passed’s Jo Hirabiyashi to create the melodic and searching Say Goodnight, which questions whether it’s possible to maintain one’s artistic edge while being in love. “Are all relationships transactional? Is it possible to let go of control and be vulnerable — whilst remaining self actualized?” questions Creelman. Say Goodnight is taken from Creelman’s upcoming album Ego Death, due July 12. A fusion of jazz, soul and blues that lives up to its name by showcasing a supergroup-like ensemble of producers and musicians, Ego Death never comes across as too technical.”
Marshall Dane | No Need To Speak
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian singer-songwriter Marshall Dane is a natural-born storyteller whose journey has been shaped by a life full of victories and setbacks. He doesn’t shy away from sharing his vulnerabilities and emotions, making his music both relatable and heartfelt. His unique blend of country, rock and singer-songwriter fare has, to date, earned him five nominations for Male Artist of the Year at the Country Music Association of Ontario awards. What sets Marshall apart is his use of American Sign Language to communicate with the deaf community. He co-wrote his new single, No Need To Speak, with award-winning singer-songwriter Rosanne Baker Thornley. “The motive was my appreciation, understanding and conviction that we don’t need words to understand each other. We just need to pay attention, use our eyes, our hearts,” says Marshall. “If there’s someone you love and you need them to know how strongly you feel, that they can count on you in that moment, this song will support you.”
Campbell & Johnston | Don’t Get Down On A Good Thing
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Award-winning duo Campbell & Johnston are a soulful blend of vintage blues-rock, roots and folk with a modern twist. Trading off lead vocals, harmonies and guitar solos, the two are a musical yin and yang, captivating audiences with raw emotion and heartfelt authenticity. Whether experiencing their performance as an acoustic duo, or with their full electric band, the chemistry is palpable and the musicianship is top-notch. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness all led towards their album Paisley Hearts, setting the stage for a jam-packed year of touring ahead. The new collection is centered around love and loss, regret, righteousness… and smoking hash and drinking coffee. Don’t Get Down (On a Good Thing), serves as a “tongue-in-cheek reminder that this too shall pass, and a war of attrition can only be won one way, by staying the course,” says Johnston. Don’t Get Down (On a Good Thing) is an upbeat soul rock jam reminiscent of Sly and The Family Stone and the Hendrixian ways of days gone by.”
Autopilot | Yesterday
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Autopilot, the hard-touring Canadian alt-rock band from Saskatoon, continue to captivate audiences on both sides of the border with their distinct fusion of alt-rock and alternative pop, drawing inspiration from musical luminaries such as The Killers, The War on Drugs, and The Strokes. The band’s latest offering, Yesterday, promises to deliver another dose of their signature sound, characterized by catchy choruses, soaring guitars, and driving drums. Singer Marlon Harder says: “Yesterday came from a place of nostalgia after finding a box of old home movies in my parents’ basement. I was thinking about the old memories we often get tangled up in. When I put the tapes in the VCR, the lines on the screen made me think about how the person filming it had no idea how far those moments would actually travel. Sometimes yesterday is perfectly preserved and other times there’s no looking back.”
Etienne Siew | Leviathan
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canada’s 2023 wildfire season was the most destructive ever recorded and as we head into what looks like another disastrous summer, Vancouver folk-roots musician Etienne Siew shares a song of hope for communities affected by forest fires with his single Leviathan. The second single from Etienne’s debut album due June 20, Leviathan is a song about the battle for hope, dedicated to the people who have suffered catastrophic loss, in the wake of the wildfires that continue to sweep across North America. “This is a heartfelt message to the communities of Lytton, Monte Lake and Ashcroft who fought as best they could, while awaiting help from the brave and selfless fire response teams,” says Etienne. “After visiting friends who had been affected, witnessing mountains reduced to ash, and hearing stories of the community’s strength in the face of disaster, I was compelled to write this song. I hired an artist from Ashcroft to create the piece for the single art, as I wanted a personal connection to the people there and to help someone specifically from one of the affected areas.”
