It would be a bit too dramatic to say that I liked this a lot more when there was easily more than a handful of new albums that I was listening to each week. I, obviously, still like writing these notes but itās way easier with an abundance of music begging for my repeated listening.
This week Iāve got two albums from artists I was already familiar with but are a bit out of step with most of the previous recommendations. There was an abundance of new singles that are worth a listen and Iām optimistic for the next few weeks based on some of the release dates I saw.
š Goings On About Music
Let us take a look at some new(ish) albums and singlesā¦
šæ Albums
Cadence Weapon - Parallel World ( Apple | Spotify )
I had no clue what a poet laureate was when I first read that Edmonton bestowed the title on Cadence Weapon over a decade ago but in the same way I always thought the Polaris Music Prize was cool because it was barely mentioned on the major radio stations, the poet laureate title seemed like a cool accolade as well. That was around the time of his Afterparty Babies album and not too long after I came to be a huge fan of Shad and started exploring the Canadian rap scene. I wouldnāt say that the two are similar, musically, but theyāre similar to me in that I really enjoy listening for - and catching - the references in their lyrics. Cadence Weapon is definitely not shy when it comes to exploring all kinds of different sounds and you might even find it to be a challenging listenā¦ at least at first. Donāt be surprised if you catch the infectious groove or find yourself humming it days later. I donāt think Iāve ever actually quoted a lyric in these notes (well, aside from the sub-title of every newsletter) but I definitely chuckled at the line, āFace ID on me / white programmers so they donāt see itās meā as it was perfectly situated at the intersect of my interest in tech/social justice issues.
Coeur de Pirate - Perseides ( Apple | Spotify )
Coeur de Pirate is obviously a great pianist but Iāve long considered her voice to be her best instrument. It was a roller coaster to see a new Heart Pirate album, then see it was instrumental, but then enjoy listening to it. This is a prime example of me being a fan of someone and being willing to go along with whatever direction they choose to explore. Iām not listening to instrumental piano albums, generally, but I listened to this and I enjoyed it.
šµ Tracks
METZ - Slow Decay
The first minute of the track could easily pass for an unreleased Nirvana song (or maybe something off In Utero you didnāt listen to) but, as with all of the METZ tracks that I love, it does enough to carve out its own space in the noisey grungey garagey rock scene that keeps me adding their tracks to my workout playlists.
The Beaches - Letās Go
The slacker vocal quality of The Beaches music is what originally caught my ear and it continues to be a sound that I wish I heard more of. This song has a nice steady beat and a really prominent rhythm guitar/bass combo. The mention of the Bovine Sex Club ensures that, as with previous songs, The Beaches continue to meet my definition of being a Canadian band.
DVBBS - Fool For You
No, not a Cranberries cover though I kind of wish it was. I continue to enjoy the music that DVBBS puts out. Itās not quite like the quasi-rock electronic music from bands like Justice or MSTRKRFT but itās also far away from the house electronic sound that seems to have come and gone from mainstream tastes. Probably a song that is best listened to with big headphones.
š§ In My Queue
The new Eve 6 music isnāt spectacular and it lacks the abundance of lyrical puns from the fly album but I still liked it and will listen to the album when it comes outā¦ Alice Phoebe Lou put out a really nice track with a splendid mix of acoustic guitars, pianos, and all kinds of percussion instruments that stood out amongst the other faster and louder tracks I selected this weekā¦ as another balance to the louder tracks, Waxahatchee seems to be getting right back it after their album from earlier this year with a borderline-country-but-certainly-at-least-folk track that kept the vocals front-and-centre where they belongā¦ I included a girl in red song earlier and their album was released this week - itās just as good as the previous single and I love how incredibly not-shy their are with their (I assume) personal lyricsā¦ and, as usual, songs from the singles and albums noted above.
The Beaches - Letās Go
Eve 6 - black nova
METZ - Slow Decay
DVBBS - Fool For Ya
girl in red - Did You Come?
Cadence Weapon - Eye to Eye
Alice Phoebe Lou - Lovesick
Waxahatchee - Light of a Clear Blue Morning (Bonus Track)
CÅur de pirate - Sacre-Coeur
Subscribe to the In My Queue playlist on Apple Music or Spotify. Itās updated weekly with the new tracks.
Check out my profile Apple Music or Spotify for links to the playlists from previous weeks.
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