POSTS TAGGED : Canada

Nick Ferrio – ‘How Will I Know’

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Canadian musician, singer-songwriter and The Burning Hell member, Nick Ferrio is set to release his new solo album Have a Nice Day on before the end of September.

Earlier this summer Ferrio offered a sample of his wares with the unforgettable ‘I Don’t Know How Long’ with its irresistible melody and fuzzy riff-filled ’60s garage rock vibes. With the release date for the new record closing in, Ferrio has served us with another tasty taster of the new record with new single ‘How Will I Know’. It is a philosophical song, with Ferrio pondering his relationship with music and why he is drawn to make it. The result is a beautifully written song revolving around an irresistible, timeless melody and a brimming sense of inward sought optimism that will land ‘How Will I Know’ in your head for days on end. It is a super-catchy blend of indie-rock with folk flavours (like Tom Petty meets Arcade Fire) as Ferrio airs his experiences of being in a band, in Canada, which, in the wintertime especially, he says “isn’t playing music but it’s the day to day activities – driving, driving, eating, sleeping and more driving. I think the secret is finding joy in those activities that makes the choice to be a musician worthwhile. I mean, I could’ve picked a normal job, but where’s the fun in that?”

It is yet another incredibly catchy and melodic delight – while saying something purposeful and meaningful.

Listen to ‘I Don’t Know How Long’ below. Ferrio’s new album, Have a Nice Day, is out on September 28th. Pre-order it on Bandcamp.

Jenny Mayhem – ‘Pickup Boy’

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Jenny Mayhem is a Toronto-based, Barbados-born musician and songwriter who performs solo and under the collaborative act Jenny Mayhem & The Fuzz Orchestrator.

It is the former that draws our attention on this occasion, and Jenny Mayhem’s brand new single ‘Pickup Boy’. Bright, bouncy and buoyant, it skips along with some irresistible reggae/dancehall vibes as Mayhem’s airy vocals float across a bouncy beat that all combine for what is a super, super catchy tune. Like much of some of the finer reggae/dancehall sounds of old, the lyrical content is more serious than the playful, feelgood tune would suggest as Mayem takes a silly pick-up artist to task. Catchy as they come, the allure of ‘Pickup Boy’ is nigh on impossible to resist.

Listen to ‘Pickup Boy’ below & hopefully wherever you are, you’ve the weather to match it.

The Garrys – ‘Makeout at the Drive-in’

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The Garrys are sisters trio from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada who conjure up surfy, garage-pop with a dash of doo-wop.

Their new single ‘Makeout at the Drive-In’ is a shimmering slice of surf pop, with a hazy evocative atmosphere and melancholic longing at the heart of The Garry’s reverb-laden opus. Framed by quivering guitar licks, twangs and hazy fuzz, it has a mysterious downbeat vibe that conspire to create a somewhat eerie sound. For all this laid-back, mellow and sleepy undulating wonder, the trio’s true power comes from the entwined, sublime surfy, vocal harmonies of the three singers; delightful, pristine and utterly irresistible. With a touch of wistful, youthful yearning, ‘Makeout at the Drive-in’ is a sparkling introduction to The Garrys’ sound.

The Garrys release their new single ‘Makeout at the Drive-In’ on May 13 through Grey Records.

The single is lifted from the trio’s latest album, Surf Manitou, which comes highly recommended also, especially if you like reverb-laden, harmonious surfy goodness. Listen to it here.

Incoming: A Quick Chat With The Burning Hell

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THE BURNING HELL is the alter-ego of Canadian songwriter Mathias Kom, and the band has been on the road in one form or another since 2007, playing everywhere from the chaos of Glastonbury to the loneliness of the Arctic Circle, popping up in bars, festival tents, living rooms, abandoned bunkers, and a mental asylum in rural France along the way.

Musically, the lineup and sound of the Burning Hell has been ever-changing, running the gamut from introspective folk to hyperactive rock and roll; meaning no two Burning Hell records sound alike.

In the company of incredibly witty, humorous lyrics and a real knack for storytelling, listeners are treated to a vivid adventure through hooky, upbeat pop songs, dark ballads about pet euthanasia, and anthems for barbarians, economic conferences, and love.

As The Burning Hell prepare to release studio album #8, they have embarked on a ferocious tour across Europe & N. America, and this Saturday, September 23, they roll into Newbridge town, for an intimate and special Broken Home show, with support from local indie merchants Fresco Future.

Ahead of the weekend’s show I caught up with The Burning Hell’s Mathias Kom, to chat about the project, touring and all things music.

Tell us a little bit about The Burning Hell. How did it come about? Where did the name come from?

“Ages ago, some lunatic religious zealot handed me a tract with a shitty-looking devil on the front that said “The Burning Hell” on it in fiery letters, and it was all about how good deeds won’t save you from Satan’s jaws, et cetera. At that exact moment I had been wondering what to call this new folky recording project I had started; the name seemed perfectly inappropriate, and it’s been that way ever since.”

Your lyrics are all incredibly witty, humorous and you’ve a real knack for storytelling? Is that something that’s particularly important for you to get across when writing the songs?

“Thank you, and yes—I find it amazing how many songwriters treat lyrics as an afterthought, since to me there’s not a lot of point in singing intelligible words if they’re not going to be compelling or at least not completely asinine. To paraphrase Thumper the cartoon rabbit: if you can’t sing anything interesting, don’t sing anything at all.”

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Maggy France – ‘Woman’

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Maggy France is moniker of Montreal resident Emma Austin who crafts dreamy, melancholic lo-fi indie, with utterly beguiling results.

The spellbinding nature of her music is immediately apparent, even with a cursory listen to France’s debut, self-titled EP was released in 2016. Latest single ‘Woman’ gently bobs along a steady waltzing beat with lo-fi and garage tones joining a beautifully hazy guitar-jangle. It manages to be both dreamy and melancholic at the same time, as Austin’s tender vocal exudes a sense of fragility, heartache and loss. It is a sweetly hypnotic song, tiptoeing the listener delicately into a transfixing haze. A beguiling introduction to the delectable talents of Maggy France.

Listen to ‘Woman’ below & if you’re taken by that, you can listen to Maggy France’s self-titled debut EP, here.

Introducing: Kingdom of Birds

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Kingdom of Birds are a Canadian four-piece with a serious love for the last two decades of indie & alternative rock.

Their songs extensively name-check Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and Broken Social Scene, paying homage indie bands and artists from the past 20 years. To date, the foursome have released two albums, with a new released earlier this year. And here is the startling part; all of this, and Ása, Brighid & Zeul are 14 years of age and Sam is 9 years old. For fear of sounding remarkably condescending, the depth of confidence, talent, conviction and execution far surpasses their ages. ‘Rain Song’ is a smoky, slow burner with haunting vocals and instrumentation so full of atmosphere and emotion, it’s very hard not be moved by it. ‘Keep Trying’ is equally as stirring, albeit with an altogether more grungey, raspy energy. Two mightily impressive shots across the bow, this Canadian foursome surely have a bright future.

There are a couple of choice cuts below but you can also listen to their Keep Trying EP here.

Datura Daydream – ‘Sea Six’

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Toronto based trio Datura Daydream – Kevin Robert Fong (vocal/guitar), David Larocque (bass) & Turner Roscoe Wigginton (drums) – have a flair when it comes to brewing cinematic psych/kraut inspired post-rock.

The trio have unleashed new single ‘Sea Six’ – and an accompanying video – the latest to be lifted from their recent album, The Lick Is In The Lisp and it is quite the epic. A sprawling, nine minute heady brew of swirling psych, hazy vocals and throbbing bass propelled forward by metronomic krautrock beats, ‘Sea Six’ flits between a beautiful, meandering dreamlike stasis and surging kaleidoscopic, cinematic crescendo. Which, by any standard, makes ‘Sea Six’ pretty damn spectacular.

The Lick Is In The Lisp is available to buy/stream right now from here. Before that however, you can check ‘Sea Six’ below.

Also, it is recommended you watch the video from beginning to end – it is well worth it – but be warned, there are lots of flashing lights etc.

The Courtneys New Album Out Next Month; Share ‘Tour’

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Vancouver indie trio The Courtneys already teased their aptly titled second album, The Courtneys II with ‘Silver Velvet’ toward the end of last year.

And with the follow up to their marvellous self-titled debut set to arrive on February 17, through Flying Nun, the trio have provided another sneak peak in the form of ‘Tour’. As for the new single, it is catchy-as-they-come. Pitting together driving bass, pounding drums, fuzzed-up, dreamy guitar and sweet vocals; we are invited along an excursion to a fuzzy world of power-pop meets ’90s indie. ‘Tour’ is yet a another promising indication that The Courtneys II is an album to look out for.

‘Tour’ comes with the perfectly timed news that the band will be hitting the road in the next months, for a North American tour. All the dates are here. Meanwhile, soak up the new single below:

Millions Like Us Podcast – Episode #18

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We’re thrilled to share yet another Millions Like Us with you all, Episode #18!

Every two weeks, Justin & I, in conjunction with Vancouver news & culture site 604now, aim to deliver an eclectic and hand-picked selection of top class music. There’s plenty to chew on with a bumper episode #18, almost 2 hours in fact, of great tunes and plenty of chat, on all manner of topics and music including festivals; as we talk Music Waste and Levitation Vancouver.

You can read more on it over here and of course, listen below (and the tracklist (with links) is after the jump too). You can subscribe to ‘Millions Like Us’ on iTunes & Podcast Republic, Mixcloud & SoundCloud, or find us on Facebook & Twitter. Or you can email us at millionslikeuspodcast[at]gmail[dot]com.

As mentioned previously, Justin has been busy compiling tracks featured in the series. If you’re a Spotify user, then you can access this 6 hours plus playlist here.

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Introducing: Jons

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Jons are a four-piece from Victoria, BC – Patrick Rendell, David Parry, Logan Holmes & Keenan Mittag-Degala – who’ve got a penchant for laid-back, lo-fi, psych-tinged guitar-pop.

Jons’ debut LP, Serfs Of Today (just re-issued by Solitaire Records), brings the mellow, hazy vibes. Their soothing, sun-kissed sounds wash over you with such an ease, like a lullaby, as guitars chime and shimmer, and riffs meander, amid the mellow undulation and frazzled production. Jons’ sound is just so pleasant on the ear, music to get lost in (with), the vocals are easy and practically float atop of fuzzy, mild distortion and warm go-with-the-flow harmonies.With the aid of iPhones and cassette recorders they carve out their own modern day niche, distilled with an endearingly authentic, excellently arranged, mellow, breezy and bright psychedelic sounds.

You can sample the sweet and soothing delights of ‘Don’t Complain’ and ‘Sugarfree’, perfect examples of their incredibly warm and inviting style. If they are to your liking, you can try out Serfs of Today, here.