Your list of long weekend tunes is up & ready to go – check out the mini reviews and artist info, then give ’em all a listen to find your new favourites.
MONOWHALES – “StuckintheMiddle”
Anther stellar song from Monowhales, who have been absolutely killing it for awhile now. This new single has them continuing on their rise to becoming a household name in Canadian indie alt-rock. From the Band: “Anger and frustration take center stage of their latest offering, “StuckintheMiddle,” as vocalist Sally Shaar passionately repeats “I’m stuck in the middle, I’m chained like an animal.” The lyrics and performance were channeled through a dark time for Shaar, culminating in one of their heaviest songs ever, both emotionally and musically. The band leaned into their hard rock background, creating an enormous sound complete with stadium-sized drums, half-time breakdowns, and a searing guitar solo. “
Noiseheads – “Sorry”
Great alt rock energy here – the song is incredibly upbeat and hard not to move along to. Infectious as hell! From the Band: “The new single, “Sorry,” is the first tune that the band tracked with Lincoln Parish (ex-Cage the Elephant) and his assistant engineer Jordan Logue. It was the easiest song to record because of how simple and punchy it is. In terms of songwriting, this track set the tune for the rest of the material that Noiseheads have recorded over the past couple of years. The song comes from their upcoming EP, which will be released on July 29th”
Jeen – “Mountain”
We’re going a little shoegazey, a little poppy, and a little indie rock-y on this new one from JEEN. Such a stellar summer song, perfect for a cruise with the windows down. From the Artist: “Robin Hatch plays the lead synths on “Mountain,” the second single from Tracer. Its hazy shoegaze evokes a summer nighttime drive on the open road with your best mates, where the song envelopes the entire moment. ”
Ram Vela & the Easy Targets – “Pick Up Where I Left Off”
Great 90s sound here, stellar energy, and an all-around feel good song that’ll make you wanna dance around your living room. From the Band: “Power-Pop meets 90’s Alt-Rock from Austin, TX. This is our first single off our debut album, Stuck on Yesterday”
Doll Riot – “Paresthesia”
Killer sound from this all-female teenage punk trio – some early L7 vibes and a hell of a lot of grit. Looking forward to more. From the Band: “Paresthesia is about not wanting to feel that dreadful “pins and needles and crawling sensation” on your body!“
The Blue Doors – “Stray”
There are so many unique aspects of this track, I’m not sure where to start! It’s got a serious groove, a dash of soul, lots of quirk… and howling wolves? Yup. That too. From the Band: “It’s a James Brown / Prince inspired funk rock workout with a little bit of Rin Tin Tin thrown in for good measure.”
Soft Set – “Diamond”
Here’s the solid new single from Canadian band, Soft Set – this track has a moody shoegaze feel, with a mix of indie rock and dreampop. From the Band: “We heard of this story of a boy who killed his mother and then himself in Jefferson Township, NJ, in the late 80s and the whole story was just so bizarre,” says Soft Set’s James Gray. “He seemed to be a good kid and all of that changed within a matter of months leading up to the tragic night when everything changed. It’s a fascinating story and there’s a great podcast called ‘The Devil Within’ that explores what happened and what possibly drove this boy to do what he did.”
Spice Jay – “Trap House”
Fuzzy vocals, hard-hitting drums, and a melodic chorus all work together to create a great mix between hard rock, screamo, and emo. From the Band: “This song is about a struggle with substance abuse and escaping it and coming out stronger on the other side.”
