We’re about to hit peak Christmas song season. I stopped counting at 30 new holiday tracks this week. But in amongst all that is still some good rock’n’roll for New Music Friday.
Singles
1. The Blue Stones, Happy Cry (New Weapon Records)
Let’s start with a little blues rock from Windsor, Ontario. The Blue Stones (est. 2011) are back with a song all about a joyful release after a period of anxiety and tension. The message: accept what you cannot change. Tarek Jafar of the band says “It’s about letting go of emotional baggage that only weighs you down, and finding happiness in the long, winding, sometimes broken down road that brought you to exactly where you are now.”
2. NOBRO, Doomtown (Independent)
NOBRO is a fierce all-female band out of Montreal that more people need to know about. Yes, they’ve won a Juno, but that’s just a start. They’re part of my belief that women are the future of rock’n’roll. Iggy Pop is a big fan. You’ll see why.
3. Wintersleep, I Got a Feeling (Dine Alone)
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Wintersleep is preparing a return on March 27 with a new album called Wishing Moon. This single, produced at a studio somewhere in the Mojave Desert, will be part of the set when the group starts a cross-Canada tour in May. Yeah, we’re already talking about next summer.
4. Witch Post, The Wolf (Virgin)
My favourite new single of the week. Witch Post is a duo featuring Dylan Fraser (he’s from Scotland) and Alaska Reid (she’s from LA). They combine for some pretty gritty indie rock that still manages to be catchy with hooks galore. The hype has begun. Can’t wait for more.
Albums
1. Austra, Chin Up Buttercup (Pink Fizz/Domino)
More Canada. Austra is an electronic band from Toronto led by the classically-trained Katie Stelmanis, the only permanent member of the collective. This is her fifth album, which is largely anchored in a bad breakup. She channeled all that pain into a Google document which eventually evolved into the lyrics for the record. She says there’s plenty of “sapphic chaos” throughout the album.
2. AVTT/PTTN, AVTT/PTTN (Ramseur, Ipecac Recordings, Thirty Tigers)
Odd name for a group, innit? This is The Avett Brothers, Scot and Seth (AVTT), along with Mike Patton (PTTN) of Faith No More. The first single is might not what you expect–hey, it’s a Mike Patton project, so you never know, right?–but it sure is pretty.
3. Pavement, PAVEMENTS (Matador)
Yes, it’s from Pavement, but it’s the original motion picture soundtrack of the band’s 2024 biopic. Maybe you’ve seen it somewhere after it was released on June 6. Now we have the soundtrack which includes snippets of dialogue, clips from a fake thing called Range Life (meant to bait Oscar people), and cast recordings from the Slanted! Enchanted! jukebox musical. Fans will also like the live and rehearsal recordings. The best way to highlight things is to show you the trailer.
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