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Born Ruffians (Photo by Vanessa Heins)
Toronto-based indie rockers Born Ruffians — Luke Lalonde (guitar/vocals), Mitch DeRosier (bass), and Steve Hamelin (drums) — return with their second album of 2020. The digital-only SQUEEZE will be out on Oct. 2 via Yep Roc Records.
For your listening pleasure, we present the track “30th Century War” from the new album.
Kathleen Edwards performs at The Birchmere in 2013. (Photo by Mark Caicedo)
Required Reading is Parklife DC’s essay series on music appreciation.
“The next time Kathleen plays here, we’ll be opening for her.”
Eric Brace of Last Train Home uttered those prophetic words at Arlington, Virginia’s Iota Club back in summer 2003. One of those NPR drive-way moments had put Kathleen Edwards on my radar when I heard one of her first interviews.
Her first album, Failer (Zoë Records), had just been released and when I heard its first single, “Six O’Clock News,” I was hooked.
Tedy (Photo by Mathew Guido)
Singer-songwriter Tedy recently released a video for his latest track “War” stripped down version, via Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc.
“War” is the second major label single from the Montreal-based artist. The video was filmed in the bare streets of downtown Toronto during quarantine.
Fast Romantics (Photo by Jen Squires)
Toronto-based acclaimed indie-rock band Fast Romantics have announced their new LP Pick It Up, due out Aug. 7 on Postwar Records. Album title track “Pick It Up” and its accompanying quarantine-friendly video is inspired by frontman Matthew Angus’ lifelong battle with depression and anxiety.
Blinker the Star (Photo by Eve Roy)
Jordon Zadorozny has been releasing music as Blinker The Star since back in 1994. He has done almost everything an artist would want to do. He got a major label record deal. He’s written music with and for artists like Lindsey Buckingham, Chris Cornell, and Courtney Love. He’s played in some amazing venues and lived the rock and roll life.
You may think that over 25 years into his career, he might be satisfied with cranking out songs that sound like they were written in the mid-’90s. But that just isn’t the case. Jordon has been steadily writing and releasing fresh-sounding music for years. Case in point, Blinker’s new single, “Silent Types.”
The Brothers Macklovitch (Photo by Tim Saccenti)
Grammy-nominated siblings A-Trak and Dave 1 finally release music together. As The Brothers Macklovitch, the turntable icon and Chromeo frontman meld funky influences from their formative days (Jamiroquai, Brand New Heavies, Masters At Work) with crisp production and soulful hooks, aided by rising R&B star Leven Kali on debut Fool’s Gold single “Give Love to Get Some.”
Vast Robot Armies album cover for Paper Crown Parade (Artwork by Victor Malang)
Vast Robot Armies describe themselves as “three cities, two countries, one band.” John Agee (guitar, bass, and vocals) and Joe Wells (guitar, bass, synth, and backing vocals) hail from Kansas City, Missouri. Jason Thomson (guitars, piano, synths, and vocals) lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The band recently released a new full-length album titled Paper Crown Parade. I caught up with Jason to ask him about standout song “Little Detroit.”
Destroyer performs at Black Cat on March 9, 2020. (Photo by Casey Vock.)
Strange times are best scored with a bizarre and darkly complex soundtrack. We are clearly in such times, and thanks to the Black Cat’s eclectic schedule, including the occasional Canadian band, DC area fans were recently given a healthy dose of avant-garde rock, only a couple days before local venues started canceling shows.
Nap Eyes performs at Black Cat on March 9, 2020. (Photo by Casey Vock)
When Canadian bands make their way into the United States, they oftentimes tour with a posse of fellow Canucks. Such was the case recently at the Black Cat, where Nap Eyes performed as the opening act for a much-anticipated Destroyer show.
Destroyer (Photo by Ted Bois)
In support of the band’s new album, Have We Met, Destroyer plays Black Cat on Monday, March 9.
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