canada
Album Review: ‘Save Our Hearts’ – superb jangling indie debut from Madisyn Whajne
Madisyn Whajne (pronounced Wayne) is a member of the Whitefish River First Nation (Manitoulin District of Ontario) and her debut album ‘Save Our Hearts’ is a scintillating slice of pop sunshine – jangling summery indie pop that fizzes and sparkles with a joie de vivre that belies her difficult childhood. Taken from her parents as …
MEET: Steven Lind of Freak Heat Waves
FROM their eponymous Krautrock debut album in 2012, right through to the futuristic punk of 2018’s Beyond XXXL, Canadian duo Freak Heat Waves have consistently churned out unpredictable, bold and wildly different albums. Originally formed more than a decade ago with bassist James Twiddy as the third member before merging into the current incarnation consisting …
ALBUM REVIEW: Freak Heat Waves – ‘Zap The Planet’: a dive into trippy electronica
THE IRONY of the current situation isn’t lost on me. I’m sat here in the 35-degree heat, profusely sweating in the same way that Prince Andrew doesn’t, all while writing about the latest album from Freak Heat Waves. I mean, Freak Heat Waves!? The universe clearly has a cruel sense of humour. And so it’s with a head full of these fears about rising temperatures, the inevitable demise of the earth and other …
EP Review: Dana Gavanski – ‘Wind Songs’: covers remoulded, lauded, brought into the light
MORPHIC resonance is one of those curious little theories out on the borders of the scientifically credible that nevertheless contain intriguing possibilities. Simply put, it states that once something enters the realms of the possible and probable, it’s infinitely more likely for that idea to begin occurring elsewhere; an illustration is that when comes time …
Track: Kestrels – Vanishing Point
Nova Scotia shoegazers the Kestrels are sharing their second single, ‘Vanishing Point’, from their upcoming album Dream or Don’t Dream, out on Darla Records on July 10th. Guitarist and vocalist Chad Peck explained: “I liked the idea of the record opening with the band kicking in with this intense and hypnotic riff as opposed to a synth …
SAY PSYCH: album review: Venus Furs – ‘Venus Furs’
IT’S an album that’s been even longer in the creation than My Bloody Valentine’s legendary Loveless. Five years to write, five years to record and hone; but finally Montreal psych-shoegaze perfectionist Paul Kasner is poised to release Venus Furs’ self-titled debut LP. Paul says: “”This album has been a long time coming, and I could …
DROPPIN KNOWLEDGE: track: Busty and the Bass feat. Macy Gray – ‘Out Of Love’
CANADIAN jazz/soul/groove octet Busty and the Bass came together during their first week as students on the jazz program at Montreal’s McGill University back in 2011. Beginning as an instrumental act, they played any and every gig they could, taking $100 for a three-hour set or exchanging tunes for wine and hors d’oeuvres at a …
NEWS: Andy Shauf announces benefit live streams
THE EXCELLENT Canadian baroque pop auteur Andy Shauf has announced a brace of live-streaming events for next Tuesday, June 30th. The shows, which will stream live from his home in Toronto, are ticketed; Andy aims to raise money for a number of beneficiaries, including the Parkdale Community Food Bank, in his adopted home city; the …
Track: Moscow Apartment – New Girl
We were highly impressed by Moscow Apartment‘s single ‘Halfway‘ released last month and their new release, ‘New Girl’ is a clear indication of the songwriting strength and sustainability of this talented Canadian duo. While ‘New Girl’ continues the same delicate musical vulnerability of ‘Halfway’, it incorporates within itself a muscular spine with its heartfelt themes …
ALBUM REVIEW: Braids soar on ‘Shadow Offering’
“YOU want me to love myself, more than I love anyone else / I tire of myself sometimes, just like I tire of you … do I need you, do I want you, do I hate you … I’m here for you, even if you don’t want me to be”. So offers Raphaelle Standell-Preston during …