A Lost Season, A Magical Year: Trevor Sloan Releases "A Room by the Green Sea"

Trevor Sloan

The music of Trevor Sloan is nothing short of purifying. The multidisciplinary Toronto-based artist excels at penning vivid interpretations of nature, love, loss, and renewal. His folk-pop instrumentation and gentle descriptiveness—reminiscent of artists like Sufjan Stevens—swell with warmth, lifting you to a plane of uncanny familiarity.

On Sloan’s latest self-released album, A Room by the Green Sea, the simple beauty of summer vacations gone by unlocks so much more. Sloan teleports between country fairs and shifting waters, backed by layered acoustics, subtle drum patterns, and field recordings. From the precise memories of “Praying Mantis” to the sober admissions of “Blade on My Face,” A Room by the Green Sea is the embodiment of what you’d hope to hear by picking up a conch shell. It’s the creamy cable-knit jumper that you slip into as the sun kisses you goodbye.

Leading up to today’s release of A Room by the Green Sea, Sloan jumped on a call with Also Cool to detail his latest artistic chapter. We caught up on his poetic inspirations, his adventures out West, and much more.

Rebecca Judd for Also Cool Mag: With [A Room by the Green Sea], you mention that it was inspired by some recent summer travels. Mayne Island – that’s a different one, I’ve never heard of that part of BC before. Can you tell me what it is that brought you out there – what it is you got up to and how that impacted your creative process?

Trevor Sloan: My wife’s family actually lives there, so I’ve been going there for many years. It’s almost like a second home, in a sense. [We’ve gone there for] the last two summers – it’s a beautiful little island, the ocean, the forests. We went to the beach a lot, did some hiking...

We also did a little road trip of Vancouver Island and went to another place called Qualicum Beach, and then Comox, Courtenay, Cumberland… we did this whole tour of swimming, [checking out the] different beaches because we love to do that.

When you’re on Mayne Island, the ocean is just always there. The boats going by, you’re swimming or seeing the waves coming in. I wrote some of the songs there when I was staying there; “Salty Ocean,” for example, and “Island Girl.” And the title A Room by the Green Sea is a room in [my wife’s family home], it overlooks the ocean. Just the feeling of being there and having these memories…

Also Cool: That’s cool that it’s a connection with your wife’s family as well, because it’s a whole different perspective on the notion of family and connectivity to a place. “Ottawa 1977,” [a previous single], that story is related to your family, but Mayne Island must feel familiar yet different.

October Days by Trevor Sloan

In our previous interview (written by Valerie Boucher), you shared that you like to craft characters and immerse yourself in their worlds of these characters – different objects, different settings, different things that you observe. There are a lot of new stories in A Room by the Green Sea: there’s the brokenhearted diarist in “Sweet Lady Jo,” there are teens playing tetherball. How did these new personalities reveal themselves in this chapter? Do they manifest naturally? Do they ever cross over different timelines?

Trevor: I feel like this album is a bit more personal, and maybe there are less characters. It’s more so based on my life and things that I’ve experienced. That being said, even when I’m writing about something that’s happened in my life, it’s still a mix of memory and imagination. Like, I become a character in the story – it’s not necessarily autobiographical.

“Lady Sweet Jo” is an interesting one, because that’s a character – that’s a female poet. The story behind that one is I was reading some poems by Den Sute-jo, but I misread it as “Lady Sweet Jo” because in the book it was written as “Lady Sute-jo.” I thought, “That’s the coolest name, Lady Sute-jo.” The inspiration also came from reading a Chinese poet by the name of Chu Shu Chen, and she writes this very heartbroken and bitter verse. So I came up with this character that was loosely based on these two poets.

AC: All it takes is a little seed. I love the idea of it being a productive misread.

TS: I now have reading glasses, but before then I didn’t… I wouldn’t make that same mistake now, but it was a blessing in disguise.

AC: I’m interested in the stories that don’t make the cut. Are there things where someone or something presents itself as an inspiration, but it doesn’t feel right? Or if [a character or object] is associated with this particular setting or time in your life, does it feel like you need to get those things out on the paper at the same time?

TS: Generally, I will record 20-30 songs and then I pick the best 10. Sometimes songs and characters get cut because I just want to pick the best.

AC: Your music has this delicate and nostalgic quality to it where it feels like a memory in its softness and descriptiveness. But its production is [quite] sharp and meticulous—you work really hard at crafting this vibe that is quite comfortable—so I feel like calling your music “nostalgic” might be a bit reductive when it is so detailed. I’m interested in knowing the ways you may have experimented or tried to do something different with your sound on this new album. 

TS: I really appreciate you saying these things, and the concept of not wanting to call it just “nostalgia.” That’s a word that gets thrown around with my music a lot. I do feel like I try to keep things interesting and modern, I’m constantly discovering and listening to new music. I’m very much inspired by the 60s and 70s but I’m also inspired by new artists. I want my music to sound “of its time” – it’s not just a rehash of [those decades].

In terms of experimentation: in the last interview I did with Also Cool, I talked about my defective [Roland Juno-106] keyboard, and that’s now fixed! [laughs] I was able to use it more, and it was an enjoyable experience. The Juno is an analog keyboard from the 80s. There’s a particular sound on it that has a 70s lounge vibe to it, and I used that on a few tracks, so that’s a thread throughout the album.

I also used more electronic-sounding drums on a couple of the tracks, like “Praying Mantis” and “Island Girl.” That was a new thing for me.

And the sounds of nature…I use water sounds—waves, rivers—and the crackling of a fire.

AC: [Those choices] lend themselves well to what it was you were trying to capture. I love it when musicians take advantage of what it is that’s around them and use that to enhance a story.

Free… Free! by Trevor Sloan

You collaborated with Andy Magoffin, who mixed and mastered some of this album. What was it like to [work] with him again?

TS: Andy’s awesome. I love working with him. I’ve worked with him on maybe eight albums, and so we’re very much in sync now. I can give [my music] to him and let him do the mixing and mastering – there’s always a bit of back-and-forth, but it’s been so long that he just knows what I like and he makes it happen. I really appreciate what he does, because he brings a brightness and a spaciousness to the sound so it all sounds like it’s in a room with the instruments coming from different places.

He also played horns on “Don’t Waste Your Time” and “Lady Sweet Jo.” That was a new thing [for me] – I would love to have more instruments on my records, but I don’t know a lot of people. [laughs] It was nice to have that extra touch.

AC: I took particular interest in “Don’t Waste Your Time.” Going back to common themes in your music, I found that that track really spoke to me as I read the lyrics. It takes a certain turn where it feels like it’s focusing on how to forget more than how to remember. That stood out relative to the rest of the album. Where does that track fit into the album’s narrative, and how did it come to be?

TS: [Many of my] songs can be introspective and concerned with little details, but I would say that [Don’t Waste Your Time] is a bit more universal. It’s about a heartbreak from youth, and how heartbreak changes over time. As time goes by, as you get older, you start to look at it differently and maybe it loses some of the pain that was associated with it. You get to a point as you get older when you can smile at it.

It’s also giving advice – “if you can’t tell what’s on their mind / don’t waste your time.” You’re better off being with people that make you feel good, people who you know where you stand in their eyes.

AC: It’s nice to have that balance of [universality], amidst songs that concern themselves with putting one in the shoes of a character or the emotions of a particular place. For people who want something that presents itself in a different way, it’s definitely powerful to connect the escapism with something more relatable.

For the cover for A Room by the Green Sea, [you’ve added] some unique shapes to it. I want to say one of them is a scythe…? Even just the [muted] colourways. I’d love to ask more about the album art and how you created that collage.

TS: I created maybe four or five collages, and they’re all in the same vein. I wanted something more abstract [for this album], and mysterious. A lot of the collages that I was doing, there were these “ghostly figures.” When you mention the scythe, there’s this green thing that looks like the top of a ghost.

My source material was different paintings from the 1700s, and I cut them up and rearranged them. I wanted the green to be very prevalent. When I collage, I just start cutting and see where it all comes together.

AC: What are your upcoming plans for the release of A Room by the Green Sea?

TS: The most exciting thing is I decided to get vinyl done for this record. This doesn’t make any sense in some respects, but I’ve always wanted to do vinyl and have the physical thing in my hands!

Vinyl Giveaway

To celebrate its release, we’re giving away one vinyl copy of A Room by the Green Sea! Enter today for your chance to win this mesmerizing new album.

To enter the giveaway:

• Follow us at @alsocoolmag and @trevorjsloan 

• Like the post on Instagram

• Tag your go-to friend for music recs (1 comment = 1 entry, no limit!)

Terms and Conditions:

The giveaway closes on September 9th, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET. You must reside in Canada to participate in the giveaway. The winner will be selected at random, announced, and contacted via DM on September 10th, 2024. Should the winner fail to respond within 24 hours of being notified, another winner will be selected. The winner of this giveaway will receive one vinyl copy of A Room by the Green Sea shipped at no extra cost; please note that any damages incurred while in transit are no fault of Also Cool or Trevor Sloan. This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram. 

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A Room by the Green Sea

out September 6th, 2024

1. Introduction

2. Salty Ocean

3. Praying Mantis

4. Don’t Waste Your Time

5. Faded Towel

6. Green Rivers, Green Summers

7. Sunlight through the Window

8. Blade on My Face

9. Island Girl

10. Purple Starfish

11. Black Water

12. Lady Sweet Jo

All tracks written and recorded by Trevor Sloan

Horns on tracks 4 and 12 by Andy Magoffin

Mixed and mastered by Andy Magoffin

Cover art by Trevor Sloan

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Trevor Sloan

Instagram | Spotify | Bandcamp | Website

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Slice Casts a Dreamy Sheen on Sincerity with "III" (Selenite Records)

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Mellow yet moving, flowing yet focused, Long Beach’s Slice have long been crafting their unique indie spell. Comprised of spouses Megan Magiera (guitar and vocals) and Barbara Barrera (bass), along with keyboardist and vocalist Alex Hattick, Slice’s thoughtful artistry has gained favour with women and LGBTQ+ communities across Southern California. The trio masterfully employs motifs of jazz, post-punk, and dream pop, honouring their respective backgrounds without compromising artistic growth.

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Late last month, Megan, Barbara, and Alex sat down with Also Cool to chat all things Slice.

Rebecca Judd for Also Cool: The band is coming up on its tenth anniversary. I’m interested in hearing how Slice's story first began, and looking back on the first chapters of the band.

Megan Magiera of Slice: It was kind of just me and Barb. Has it been ten years? Or is it-

Barbara Barrera of Slice: It’s coming up. You [Megan] would jam with your looper and you recorded [debut EP SLICE] – remember? All by yourself.

Megan: Yeah.

Barbara: But then we would also jam in your room – I would play bass, you would play guitar.

Megan: The beginnings are just in a bedroom. I thought it would be fun to play a show for my birthday, so we [Megan and Barbara] played a show, and I thought that was really fun. We met Alex and Kelsey [Landazuri, producer and engineer] through the music scene and… I feel like those beginnings are just in a bedroom, you know? Just making-

Barbara: Lo-fi.

Megan: Yeah, lo-fi…

Barbara: Bedroom pop.

Megan: Yeah, there you go…pop? [laughs]

Also Cool: So what were some of the previous bands you were in?

Barbara: I was in a band called Gaze with Lily Stretz from Meow Twins.

AC: Alex, you came into the band a bit later. What was your experience like before joining Slice?

Alex Hattick of Slice: I was a music major turned psychology major. I started playing guitar…in my early 20s, I guess? And then I started my own project, Hellgal, that Meg was in too. I was playing in three bands at one point.

So I saw Slice play, and there were a couple of songs that got stuck in my head, which is pretty rare when I go out and see bands. Usually, it’s like, “Oh, I like this!” but I don’t remember anything.

But I remembered “Sick,” and it always – I could sing “Sick,” and there’s no lyrics to it. There’s this little melody [that] would get stuck in my head. I remember hearing them play as a three-piece, and just being a little fangirl for a while. And then Michael Williams of Sanguine Knight was like, “You should be in Slice! You should have Alex in Slice!” [laughs] He was the little bird in everyone’s ears.

AC: So it was like a [crowdsourced] fusion of the minds coming together? It was just a matter of time before you joined forces?

Alex: Yeah!

AC: Jumping off of that – you’ve mentioned some of these smaller bands in the scene. Here in Canada, you hear about the music scenes in Orange County, LA, and across the West Coast as some kind of entity. A lot of what I’ve learned about the band is that Long Beach and the OC are important to your identity. I’m interested in knowing how your music reflects the sounds and the vibes of the West Coast, of the OC, and how you think it differs as well.

Megan: It’s hard to say stuff about Orange County – Long Beach is LA, technically, but I don’t know much about the Orange County scene. I know you [gestures to Barbara] were involved in it.

Barbara: I mean, I was in the Orange County punk scene as a teenager. But I feel like [being from the West Coast] adds to our chill sound.

Megan: There you go, there you go! [laughs]

Barbara: People say life over here is very laid-back and chill and I feel like our sound reflects that. What do you think, Alex?

Alex: I feel like Long Beach is a mini-LA in some ways. There are some really good venues here – some well-established venues that are dedicated to local music, which is cool. I’ve never lived in Orange County—Long Beach is right on the cusp, it’s like the last stop before you get to Orange County—but a lot of people from LA have started moving down here. I’ve run into multiple people who say they’ve moved here from LA and they’re like “It’s weird here, everybody just says hi! Everyone says hi when you’re walking down the street!”

I think there’s been a shoegaze-y or a 90s resurgence in stuff [here]. There are also little pockets of post-punk resurgence in the area too. So I think it’s been interesting watching who we parallel and relate to music-wise.

Slice by Debbie Cho

AC: Getting to the new EP, III, a lot of it shifts around some dark subject matter. There are songs that deal with anxiety, and “Depleted” deals very specifically with burnout – I’d like to hear more about the greater inspirations at play here. Did you set out to make an EP inspired by something you were working on [or dealing with], or did you feel like the songs kind of came together organically?

Megan: I would say it happened organically, for sure. There was no concept – I strived to do that later on. But all of these songs were written so far away from each other that there wasn’t a “theme” or anything. It just kind of [came back to] everyday struggles that we deal with and were inspired by. The subject matter is something that we [all] see probably every day. Dealing with anxiety and things like that, it’s just our everyday lives. The ebb and flow of life, you know?

AC: What would you say are the time frames through which you were working on all of these songs?

Megan: 2018 to 2020, maybe?

Alex: “Depleted” and “Shopping” are the most recent songs. Those are 2020, 2021, I think? Time passes so quickly!

I worked on the lyrics for both those songs and the lyrics came up during specific moments of feeling my own burnout from working as a therapist; of just feeling those feelings of the world, the nature of our political climate, and things like that. Holding all of that is a lot – for everybody, for lots of different reasons! I work with clients on [those subjects] too, so it’s something I encounter really frequently.

Also, as a social worker, I’ve had several jobs working with lots of different populations, so the lyrics for “Shopping” were inspired by some of the political pieces I’ve been following around the unhoused population and the treatment of those folks in our culture.

AC: Yeah, “Shopping” was one I particularly picked up on. It felt very charged, very riot grrrl in that sense of boldness to it. That’s really interesting to hear more about its connection to the unhoused and other [therapy clients] you’ve worked with.

Learning more about the band, it seems like the band consciously refrains from overproduction and you want to replicate the essence of your live shows. Painting the picture of these live shows, what do they look like? What is the connection to your community in those shows, and how did you come to value this in your sound?

Megan: That’s a good question. Have you ever been to a concert where the band didn’t sound like the recording – in a good way or a bad way?

I guess it’s just more authentic and we feel like we’re being ourselves. There’s nothing that we’re hiding behind. It’s an expectation that we set.

Barbara: When we’ve recorded, it’s always felt like taking a picture of what we sound like at that moment in time…rather than making a painting…if that makes sense? We added some [stronger] production to the new EP though.

AC: I like the visual imagery of that – that does make sense!

Alex: Yeah, and I think with how we seem to jam together, we almost work better together with simplicity and a certain amount of minimalism. Between the bass line, the guitar parts, the [keyboard] parts, there’s this natural flow that they have together and there’s three different melodies all happening at the same time.

So in order to hear that, for that to come out, I like that it doesn’t have so much “background noise” that blocks that out. It has that balance that reminds me of Grass Widow, and how they recorded too.

AC: It’s warm and fuzzy, and you can associate it with the memory of being at one of your shows. It sounds like the community really shows up for you.

Slice by Kelsey Landazuri

Speaking of shows, with the EP coming out on August 9th, I’ve heard there’s a big release show on August 10th. I’d love to know – what can fans expect? Are there any other shows planned, or other tricks up your sleeve?

Barbara: Kelsey and Val[eryee Jimenez of Selenite Records] said that we should record another 3-4 songs, and press that EP and this EP together on a 12-inch. So we’ve been talking about doing that. I’ve also suggested we could press all four EPs on one 12-inch, like this one punk band – Subhumans.

But we’ll see. We want to press a 12-inch, press another record for sure.

Megan: We’re also definitely playing more shows. Whenever a friend hits us up, we usually say yes… we have one more show booked in September.

Barbara: The August show, we’re playing with Coleco Club. It has members of the band Baus. They’re really cool, I can’t wait to play with them!

Megan: Angela Jane Bachman…

Barbara: Angela Jane Bachman!

Alex: I’m a big fan.

Barbara: Yeah, Alex is a big fan.

Alex: We’re going to be playing at our “home base” in Long Beach, which is called Vine. I think it became a thing when I was in college – so maybe not quite 20 years.

It’s now owned by Dustin Lovelis, who’s been in the music scene for a long time. [Dustin] has a recording studio, and he’s really involved in booking musicians. They have music pretty much every night of the week. The shows are also always free, so it’s a hub for music in Long Beach. Honestly, the main hub, which is funny because it’s one of the smaller venues. But it really is – if you’re a musician in Long Beach, you know about it. We wanted to play there because it’s the home base.

AC: Feels like a “return to form” of sorts.

Would those other shows also be in Southern California? Are there any plans to tour out-of-state?

Megan: We have no plans for that right now, but we would love to! We’ve toured the Pacific Northwest a few times, and we’ve even gone the SXSW route. We’d love to play more on the East Coast – Canada! [laughs] We would love to.

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III

Released August 9th, 2024 on Selenite Records

1. Depleted

2. Don't Overthink It

3. Painfully Aware

4. Shopping

Megan Magiera - Guitar/Vocals
Alex Hattick - Synthesizer/Lead Vocals
Barbara Barrera - Bass
Kelsey Landazuri - Drums

Mastered by Nick Townsend
Produced by Kelsey Landazuri
Album Art by Alina Kano

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Slice

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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From Backwoods to Big City: Truck Violence's Debut is a Brazen Fusion of Hardcore and Folk

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Truck Violence by SCUM

Recent heavy-hitter Violence by Truck Violence rips all the bandages off the skin of country living, exposing the raw, gritty wounds underneath. Released July 5th on independent label Mothland, Violence is the Montreal band’s debut record.  

From backwoods to big city, guitarist-banjoist Paul Lecours and singer-poet Karsyn Henderson moved to Montreal by way of Alberta in 2021. Joined now by Chris Clegg on bass and Ryley Klima on percussion, Truck Violence’s dark griefcore folk is embracing the more dire side of quaint, oft-romanticized backcountry life, tackling the realities of addiction and dysfunction that creep into the cracks of remote Western Canada. 

Lecours and Henderson are all experimental, all the time. Previously releasing a seriously twisted, probing electronic hardcore rap artpiece under the moniker No Cru5t (Hinterlands, 2023), these two know how to serve up gallant gloom on a platter. For this project, Lecours wraps banjo-tinged licks into an infernal hardcore burrito, swapping out experimental electro-beats for a dash of dulcet, melancholic folk.

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Truck Violence by SCUM

But this album isn’t dark for the sole sake of darkness. “The album should inspire hope, just as much as it creates a sense of shame,” Henderson notes. Violence isn’t senseless. Deep inside those agonizing screams, sweet pangs of healing can be heard. “Through this project, we’ve recognized many shameful things in ourselves. These have been let go with much kicking into the music and the art, itself. This isn’t about accepting our faults, the way we hurt the people we care about, there is far more beauty in an honest bettering.” Henderson’s lyrics stretch out a hand to the community, hoping not only to be heard, but to grasp palms; binding together in solidarity. 

Underneath rattling blast beats, driving dissonant riffs, and dirty poetic shouts, the band’s opening track video, “Undressed you layn’t before” showcases this violent unity very literally. Shot on a fisheye camcorder—a possible homage to skate culture and a definite nod to DIY punk—the video exhibits a crowd egging on two humans slamming boxing mitt fists against each other. Under the nose of their charming, shit-eating grins reads the yellow lyric subtitle: “Tell me I’m good enough.” As the band begs to be part of something, to be interesting, to be written about—Henderson utters in anguish: “Ultimately, that’s my goal / to be written about”— bloody-toothed smiles shine on the faces of hugging friends. 

Fundamentally, that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Facing that human desire to feel “good enough” in a distorted dystopia does require a little bit of a fight. Being honest in this day and age requires a fine-tuned focus on the fissure of our fucked up reality. Truck Violence utilizes the sound of Violence to dig into their upbringing, fleshing out rural Canadian roots, but ultimately beckoning broader solidarity. Violence is not about violence. It’s about honesty and healing. It’s about family, be that blood-binding or chosen. It’s about community. And if I can be part of that greater reach, Truck Violence, here I am: writing about you.

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VIOLENCE

Released July 5th, 2024 on Mothland

1. Undressed you layn't before

2. Lecture

3. Guns buried in the front yard

4. Drunk to death

5. The gash

6. He ended the bender hanging

7. I bore you now bear for me

8. Along the ditch till town

Credits:

All songs by Truck Violence

Chris Clegg - Bass

Karsyn Henderson - Vocals

Paul Lecours - Guitar & Banjo

Ryley Klima - Percussion

Production: Paul Lecours

Mixing & Mastering: Noah Baxter

Artwork: Truck Violence

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Truck Violence

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Starly Lou Riggs is a queer agender visual artist, writer and musician from the United States, currently based in Montreal.

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PREMIERE: Ura Star Teams Up With Fireball Kid and mememe for "Hanging Out" (Music Video)

Fireball Kid and Ura Star. Photo by Ana-Maria Espino Trudel, logo designed by Cole Yearwood & Holly Craib

The sun is shining bright in Montreal, bringing grassy parks, cold drinks, and blossoming feelings along with it. Here to vibe through it all is Ura Star, who joined forces with Fireball Kid and mememe (Nap Eyes’ Seamus Dalton) for the easy-going earworm “Hanging Out.”

“Hanging Out” marks the first single from Ura Star’s forthcoming record Heartracer, which promises to deliver a stacked compilation of new wave-inspired jams. This album follows Ura Star and Fireball Kid’s two previous collaborations, Gas Station and Emotional Bros Hotline, and will carry their torch of synthy wholesomeness that makes the heart soar.

Produced by Zack Bruce, this latest release has Ura Star navigating the thrill of the “talking stage.” Ura Star, Fireball Kid, and mememe’s upbeat vocal harmonies sweep you away in a sugar rush, leaving you no choice but to keep the track on replay.

Even sweeter? The “Hanging Out” music video, which was directed by Ana-Maria Espino Trudel and Cody Lee. In the vid, the trio of artists exude a top-tier summer aura as they jump around on a vintage yellow sofa in the middle of a soccer field. Tapping their toes and sipping their brews, they conjure up the same innocent joy of a budding summer fling.

Watch the video for Ura Star’s “Hanging Out” below!

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Ura Star

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Seattle-based Chinese American Bear Touch on Growing Up in “Feelin' Fuzzy (毛绒绒的感觉)” (Moshi Moshi Records)

Chinese American Bear by Eleanor Petry

There’s a certain thrill that comes from staying up late with friends, giggling over bubbly drinks, and riding the sugar high of eating sweet treats. Seattle-based band Chinese American Bear really tapped into this feeling with their latest pop banger “Feelin' Fuzzy (毛绒绒的感觉),” released May 29th, which sports an uplifting cotton-candy sound. Composed of duo Anne Tong and Bryce Barsten, the bilingual Mando-pop outfit is both cute and profound; and now, this single is out to make the world feel… well, fuzzy. 

The track kicks out with a seriously pleasant riff evoking a sort of old-school grit that pulls colour out of each lick. Barsten’s playful guitar sets the tone before Tong’s fun-loving vocals chime in alongside with the lyrics, “I want to stay up all night making red bean mochi / I want some fizzy sugary bubbles in my belly.” This track might seem simple at first, but it’s more than an average fun-time song about wanting to play—Tong’s lyrics really hit home, drawing on her experience and tapping into the experience many first-generation kids may remember. 

In context, “Feelin' Fuzzy (毛绒绒的感觉)”—sung in both English and Mandarin—touches on a childhood of longing. “I wanted to lean more into my experiences growing up in a Chinese immigrant household,” Tong explains. “When I was a teenager, I was never allowed to go to friends’ homes after school, never allowed to go to parties or school dances on weekends, and definitely not allowed to date. My days were strictly focused on studying, practicing piano, and preparing for exams.” While the English lines hit on the things Tong wishes she could have done in her youth, the Mandarin subtitles read: “Do your homework!” “Play piano!” and “No playing!”

“This song is about what I longed to do during my teenage years instead of the upbringing I actually had,” Tong says. “I wanted to capture that repetitiveness in this song. I'm hoping other kids of immigrants can relate to this song!”

Tong and Barsten make a stellar team. Sonically, they’re locked in, combining forces as a true powerhouse of funky, psychedelic noise. After the release of their self-titled album, Barsten found himself exploring depths of ‘60s and ‘70s songs from Asia. Barsten notes that the grit of the track can be attributed not only to their inspiration, but also the attention to detail in the recording process. While the single was primarily recorded at the duo’s home studio, Trevor Spencer tracked the drums at Way Out in Seattle. “For the production nerds, yes, we used a blown-out knee mic!” Barsten excitedly explains. 

“Feelin' Fuzzy (毛绒绒的感觉)” really feels like that first pop-fizz, cracking open a soda can in the summer sun, and behind that sugar glaze comes something sweet and meaningful. The only thing left is to crack open that summer drink, get lost in the sound, and sing: “Oh man… I’m feelin’ fuzzy.”

Pssst – we’ve got the scoop! Chinese American Bear will release their album Wah!!! on October 18th via Moshi Moshi and Modern Sky.

Wah!!! is now available for pre-order on vinyl.

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Chinese American Bear

Instagram | Bandcamp | Website | Spotify

Starly Lou Riggs is a queer agender visual artist from the United States, currently based in Montreal.

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Debaser's Pique Continues to Shine with Summer 2024 Edition

Alice Longyu Gao by Rebecca Judd

In the three years since its inception, the artist-driven event series known as Pique has evolved with spectacular speed. As you can tell by the AC archives, we (and many others) have come to celebrate Debaser’s creative ingenuity and their collaborative spirit, anticipating this quarterly function with all that we have. Although the summer 2024 edition was threatened by gloomy weather, the collective joy of this season’s creators and attendees proved enough to temper the storm.

Approaching the Arts Court at around 6:00 PM, I first encountered a swarm of art and food vendors sprawling the side of Daly Avenue. The smells of BBQ wafted through the air as people strolled along the sidewalk, browsing a plethora of handcrafted wares ranging from screen printed tees to custom press-ons. The Art Market brought Pique’s magnetic aura to the streets, appetizing event-goers and delighting passerbys.

Moving through the Courtyard entrance, I was greeted by the beginning of the Montreal Steppers’ buoyant performance. Enlisted as part of guest curator Chukwubuikem Nnebe’s musical programming for The Seeds We Carry, the Montreal Steppers use movement to communicate stories of Black history and futurity, ultimately promoting a vision of interconnectedness and justice for all. Performers Kayin Queeley and Shaina Thornhill showcased the magic of step while guiding the audience through several exercises, with Queeley reminding the audience that “...it’s a gift every time we make music with our bodies.”

The Seeds We Carry by Kosisochukwu Nnebe, photo by Rebecca Judd

In the SAW Gallery, conceptual artist Kosisochukwu Nnebe’s exhibition for The Seeds We Carry celebrated its grand opening, and Pique attendees flowed through the gallery with awe and appreciation. As noted by curator Joséphine Denis, the video works and installations that comprise this collection serve as a testament to “the methodologies of enslaved Black women.” Drawing inspiration from her sister Nnedimma’s thesis on the presence of cyanide in cassava, as well as her Igbo ancestry and the displacement of Igbo communities, Kosisochukwu’s work depicts manifestations of anti-colonial resistance and ancestral interlinkage. This exhibition—along with the dynamic musical programming by Chukwubuikem, her brother—stood out as a compelling element of the festival.

Cynthia Pitsiulak and Charlotte Qamaniq of Silla, photo by Rebecca Judd

Back in Club SAW, Inuit throat singers Silla delivered a vibrant and intimate set to a delighted crowd. The duo of Charlotte Qamaniq and Cynthia Pitsiulak exuded warmth as they performed songs such as “Imigluktaq (the Button Song)” and “Kitturiaq (Mosquito).” It was a privilege to learn from Silla about the background of this practice, and to celebrate their cultures through an interactive sing-along.

Tangerine by Rebecca Judd

Upstairs in the Alma Duncan Salon, PURE PULP kept the party going with hours of crowd-pleasing jams. This new dance party series, led by Mars Souleil (DJ Trinidaddy) and CONTRA, uplifts the creativity of South Asian communities by facilitating the sonic expression of artists from across the diaspora. I particularly enjoyed DJ Tangerine’s set, which featured throwbacks from the likes of Kid Cudi and Soul II Soul.

But standing out as the evening’s show-stopper was none other than Alice Longyu Gao. From the moment the NYC-based multidisciplinary artist took to the stage, xe enchanted the masses with xyr command of the harp and relentless enthusiasm. Gao shrieked in sweaty faces and flailed xyr limbs about, performing songs like the electric “Come 2 Brazil” and xyr new release “Lesbians ˂3.” What made the night even more memorable was Gao’s last-minute DJ set, having stepped up to replace Pelada. Many had mourned the missed opportunity earlier on in the night, but something truly shifted when Gao returned. Xe oscillated between remixes of Camila Cabello and Rihanna with ease, searching for a cigarette while maintaining razor-sharp concentration. Switching gears to the enduring power of SOPHIE’s “Immaterial,” Gao held all of the Arts Court in the palm of xyr hand.

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Pique

Website

Debaser

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Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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“We’re on the Come Up”: What the Capital Music Awards Mean for Ottawa’s Vibrant Music Industry

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The Angelique Francis Band performing at the Capital Music Awards, photo by Laura Collins

"This city has talent," JUNO Award-winning Ottawa singer Angelique Francis declared as she kicked off the 5th annual Capital Music Awards. The awards ceremony, recently held at the Bronson Centre Music Theatre, recognized a diverse range of Ottawa artists, bands, venues, and music industry players across 13 categories. Winners were selected through international juries and public voting, showcasing the city’s global appeal as an establishing music capital. The room was full of musicians and industry champions nominated for categories including Newcomer of the Year, Best Production and Arrangements of the Year, Video of the Year and Music Educator of the Year. Organized by the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition (OMIC), the awards highlighted the excitement around music coming out of the city. 

The Awards indicate growing opportunities for Ottawa artists to make a name for themselves and propel their careers while staying true to their hometown. Francis, for example, hosted the Capital Music Awards as a proud member of the local scene just weeks after walking the Grammys’ red carpet in Los Angeles.

Angelique Francis hosting the 2024 Capital Music Awards, photo by Laura Collins

Indie rock band Pony Girl—nominated in five categories—energized the crowd with the first performance of the night, and later took home Single of the Year for “Laff It Off.” Their returning presence at the Capital Music Awards speaks to the success of their recently-released albums on Paper Bag Records, playing shows across the country and continuing to tour internationally this year. 

Reflecting on the band’s experience as an Ottawa-based group, Pascal Huot of Pony Girl shares: “We are part of a community here. We’ve found support and other folks to work with. Working on this project in Ottawa over the last ten years has helped us expand our network in town. Lately, we’ve been meeting more people we don’t know at shows — and that’s exciting!” He acknowledges the many pockets of creative people throughout the city and events like Pique and the Capital Music Awards for helping further a sense of culture in Ottawa.

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Pony Girl posing with their Single of the Year trophy, photo by Thai Duy Cuong Nguyen

“The Awards are more than an event,” Huot emphasizes. “There are many moving parts to putting on events and bringing together the community. Especially in an industry context, it’s not particularly easy or fun to bring resources into the arts.” Huot stresses the importance of these events and organizations that create profitable opportunities for artists working in Ottawa. He also highlighted the need to advocate for higher standards, professionalism, and accountability in the music industry. However, he believes one of the biggest things people can do to show their support is to simply show up: “Go to shows. Buy merch. Reach out to your network and see if you can find opportunities [to support] your favourite local artists.”

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Pony Girl performing at the Capital Music Awards, photo by Laura Collins

N'nerjie, an emerging R&B-soul artist and winner of the Songwriter of the Year award for her smooth, heartfelt storytelling on "Tug of War," expressed her love for Ottawa's music scene: “Honestly, I love being an artist in Ottawa. I think the music scene here is incredible. The community is beautiful, and there’s so much talent in this city." As someone who didn’t grow up in Ottawa, N’nerjie says she’s grateful to have found her way in the city and expresses the significance of celebrating all facets of the city’s music ecosystem. 

“Events like the Capital Music Awards show not only artists, but other people in the city, that we are being recognized and our work matters, our talents matter, and it’s not going unnoticed. People can think that nothing really happens in Ottawa and it’s this small little city, but honestly, there’s a lot of great stuff happening here,” they add. 

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N’nerjie winning Songwriter of the Year at the Capital Music Awards, photo by Laura Collins

Arts and culture are at the heart of any city. It’s how stories get told, communities are strengthened and opportunities are created. Erin Benjamin, President and CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) (and this year’s recipient of the Community Impact award), highlights the broader implications of supporting Ottawa’s music industry. “A thriving music scene adds exponentially to the quality of life in Ottawa, creating a place where people want to live and visit. Ottawa’s live music community is a major part of the solution as we work together across all sectors to overcome challenges, seize opportunities, and build a world-class city.” 

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Erin Benjamin winning the Community Impact award at the Capital Music Awards, photo by Laura Collins

Benjamin emphasizes how bolstering the industry benefits not only those within it, but also citizens and visitors alike. “Music doesn’t just impact us emotionally, but also economically, socially, and culturally. By understanding our local music ecology and finding ways to nurture and foster it through collaboration and effective policy, we can leverage all that being a true music city means.”

With performances throughout the night and wins from artists including Hannah Vig, Grey Brisson, LeFLOFRANCO, School House, Joly and The Commotions, the 2024 Capital Music Awards proved the talent is here to make Ottawa a music city, with an audience poised to support its growth every step of the way. 

As Scott Ruffo, co-owner of The Brass Monkey, said in his acceptance speech for the Live Music Venue of the Year award, “Ottawa needs to be put back on the map, and that’s what we are trying to do.”

See the full list of winners here.

Valerie Boucher is a writer based in Ottawa, Canada. You can follow her on Instagram and learn more at valerieboucher.ca.

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Step Into Nice Wave's Comforting Paradise with "Warm Glow"

Nice Wave by Priscilla Mars

Something new is brewing in SoCal – emerging indie duo Nice Wave have released the music video for their second single “Warm Glow.”

Comprised of Dakota Blue and Bella Schilter, Nice Wave fuses an appreciation for the musical heritage of California with nods that span across decades. Dakota and Bella formed Nice Wave as an escape from the mundanity of everyday life, a therapeutic outlet for experimentation. Nice Wave capitalizes on these intentions with the “Warm Glow” music video, unveiling a blissfully delicate break from reality.

The music video—directed by Blue and LA-based cinematographer Priscilla Mars—features Schilter waking up in a garden, swaddled by her pastel quilt while surrounded by lush greenery and vivid flowers. Rather than succumbing to confusion, Schilter meanders through the beauty of this landscape, peering through a looking glass and sipping tea (à la Alice in Wonderland).

This relaxing imagery is enhanced by Schilter’s hushed vocals and Blue’s swirling guitar, which are guided by the rhythmic compass of beats sampled from Jarond Gibbs. Said the band of this release: “"Warm Glow" is not merely a song but a captivating experience—an invitation to let go of reality and immerse oneself in a world where timeless allure and modern indie elegance converge.”

Free-falling yet conscientious, “Warm Glow” illustrates the depth of Nice Wave’s potential.

Watch the music video for “Warm Glow” below.

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Nice Wave

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Nilüfer Yanya, True Blue, Patche, Kaya Hoax and More: Also Cool's Playlist Refresh

Cola by Craig Scheihing

Buzzing from the high of our fourth straight induction into Cult MTL’s Best of MTL issue, we’re pleased to serve you another helping of tunes.

This edition of Also Cool’s Playlist Refresh features sharp new sounds from the likes of Two Shell and Patche. Save our regularly updated Playlist Refresh on Spotify to keep up with what’s cool.

Nilüfer Yanya by Molly Daniel

Nilüfer Yanya - “Like I Say (I runaway)”

Nilüfer Yanya has marked her move to record label Ninja Tune with the riveting new track “Like I Say (I runaway).” The British artist’s swirling vocal repetitions move in step with a percussive shuffle, giving way to a floodgate of fuzzed-out guitar as she falls through time and picks up the pieces. 

Watch the liberatory music video for “Like I Say (I runaway),” directed by Yanya’s creative director and sister Molly Daniel.

Two Shell by Nancy McNulty

FKA twigs via Valentino

Two Shell and FKA twigs - “Talk to Me”

After teasing new release “Talk to Me” with chopped-up vocals by everyone from Jungkook to Taylor Swift, British dance duo Two Shell have found a home in FKA twigs. “Called you just to check you really meant the words that you said / I'm so hurt, cut my hair, putting makeup / With one chance, I just wanna be the one that you love,” twigs cries in her comfortably-tragic cadence. The floor drops from beneath her feet as she pleads to her lost flame, before Two Shell swoops in with a high-speed techno storm to obfuscate the tears.

True Blue via Bandcamp

LUCY by Annabell P. Lee

True Blue - “Airplane Mode (feat. LUCY [Cooper B. Handy])”

Not new, but still fresh: NYC musician True Blue’s twinkly-trap collab with AC fave LUCY (Cooper B. Handy). “Airplane Mode” pairs True Blue’s hushed angelic tones with LUCY’s carefree edge, delivering an F-U that is majorly infectious. Bonus points for LUCY’s interpolation of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” – a cheeky surprise jab to heighten the vibe.

Cola by Amy Fort

Cola - “Albatross”

Ahead of their sophomore album Gloss, Cola, the band formed by ex-Ought members Tim Darcy and Ben Stidworthy, and drummer Evan Cartwright, have released yet another indie banger – “Albatross.” The track (out on Fire Talk) is accompanied by a gorgeous abstract music video by Max Farrel.

Darcy explains:

“This song had a few lives before it took its final form. (...) The lyrics, which center around "an albatross"--something that greatly hinders accomplishment. From there I started thinking about a horse race and perhaps some trainer watching a slow motion replay to try identify what's wrong with an animal's stride, hence the chorus."

“Mandy” by Patche (art by Will Dereume)

Patche - “Mandy”

Montreal’s “ultrasupermegagroup” Patche has come out of hibernation, offering their latest “Mandy” as a transition into the spring, and a first taste of their upcoming album Document. The project brings together members from lô Pelgag, Alex Burger, Mon Doux Saigneur, Lumière, zouz and a thousand more projects, mixing their skills while jamming the sh*t out of their modular synths and organic instruments.

110% - “Ordinary”

The Montreal duo 110% return with their mellowed-out new single “Ordinary.” The track brings us into their world, floating through mundane tasks with a moody rhythm, getting us through the day the best they can. It’s a perfect soundtrack for your commute home & late night walks.

Kaya Hoax and Magi Merlin (art by @zachnf_ and @pietre.pigeon)

Kaya Hoax - “Hot Girls with ADD (feat. Magi Merlin)”

Hot girl alert ❗ Local icons Kaya Hoax and Magi Merlin have teamed up to make a summer banger with the same energy as “Bad Girls” by M.I.A. “Hot Girls with ADD” details the perfect night out, hopping in a limo, ignoring dumb boys, and celebrating their hard work. The track is accompanied by a lyric video with 8-bit animation and gorgeous Y2K styling.

Bladee, Ecco2k, Thaiboy Digital - “TL;DR” 

We’re in a Drain Gang renaissance, with “TL;DR” leading the way. Drain Gang (Bladee, Ecco2k, Thaiboy Digital) teamed up for their collaborative single along with staple producer Whitearmor to create a filthy and addictive beat. Ecco2k’s glossy vocals shine in the track, with fans celebrating that he’s “back to using his old voice.” The music video brings us along for the ride on a grainy, blue-toned party night, with gorgeous light editing creating an electric, effervescent glow highlighting the crew. 

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Maryze and Skyler Cocco Release Sparkling New Cover of “COOL”

“COOL” by Maryze and Skyler Cocco

“COOL” by Gwen Stefani might just be one of my absolute favourite songs in the whole world, so it was nothing short of delightful to hear that Montreal talent Maryze released their own version on Wednesday. At the same time, it’s not an easy task to re-capture such magic. All too often with covers, the listener will yearn for a tasteful rendition only to be let down and left with a tarnished vision. 

But, luckily for you and me, this is not the case – Maryze and LA-based artist Skyler Cocco have teamed up to combine their vocal talents with bold stylistic choices. Their take on “COOL” is a delight for the ears, self-described as a “modernized sapphic version with an 80s nostalgic feel” while being so much more than that. It is easy to over-80s a song, which can make it feel corny, inauthentic, and hard to listen to, but this cover captures the essence of the decade and of Stefani’s yearning to maximize a vibe that is truly timeless.  

Of the single, Maryze states: 

“There’s something about “COOL” that always felt evocative to me. It wasn’t necessarily Gwen’s biggest hit, but the melancholy of a past relationship that didn’t go up in flames – where there’s still a lot of sweetness, even if things didn’t work out – always rang true to me. I was inspired to do a cover and Skyler was at the top of my list to collab with! We’d had a couple studio sessions so I knew our vocal tones blended well and that her production had a super polished 80s feel.”

The cover was created by a fully female team, performed by Skyler and Maryze while being produced, mixed and mastered by Skyler herself. The release follows Maryze’s French dance-pop success “Langue,” which went viral on Instagram and TikTok and gained her 25k new followers. The “COOL” visualizer, directed by Priscilla Mars, is out today and I’ve already had a special glimpse. The soft, warm colours allow you to be swept off to an 80s pop dreamscape. Watch and enjoy!

Regardless of whether this is your first introduction to “COOL,” or whether you’re curious for a new spin on a well-known song, let the harmonies of Maryze and Skyler Cocco take you on an emotional experience.

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Maryze

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | TikTok

Skyler Cocco

Instagram | Spotify | TikTok

Minou (she/her) is part of the core editorial team at Also Cool Mag. She is an artist and newly-passionate writer based in Montreal. You can check out her beaded art on Instagram and her website.

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Sunglaciers Sharpen Their Psychedelic Edge with "Regular Nature" (Mothland)

Sunglaciers by Em Medland-Marchen

Two years after the release of the explosive Subterranea, Calgary post-punk quartet Sunglaciers have resurfaced with Regular Nature, out now via Mothland. 

Spanning 15 tracks, this latest endeavour pulls from familiar motives to paint a truly vibrant picture. Sunglaciers have always stood on the edge of experimentation, anchored firmly in rock n’ roll while nodding to new wave, garage, and whatever else they please. But Regular Nature comes imbued with the conscious resolution to find something new between the folds. 

Said the group of this dexterous new record:

“We want to make you dance. We want to make you think. We want to make you think while you’re dancing and dance while you’re busy thinking. This is an album for the body, brain and heart. It’s compassionate, frustrated, communal and dreadful. In a world of information overload, where everything comes at you at once, Regular Nature is trying to normalize the phenomenon. This is chaotic music for a chaotic world, a three-way conversation between outer self, the subconscious and the mad world.”

Regular Nature begins with “Fakes,” a compellingly frenzied track that reads like a hi-fi, edgier Devo. “All style, not a lot of substance / Shut out, shut out the noise” chants multi-instrumentalist Evan Resnik as he scorches through a doom spiral. “Right Time” puts a surfy foot forward, propelled by winding guitars and striking snares. But while the band is not afraid to reach an electric climax, best portrayed with the psychic anguish of “Kafka,” it is the wistful freefall of slow-burner “Rotten Teeth” that delivers true refreshment: “I still have dreams of love with no beginning and no end / How can that be if I am walking out the door again?”

Regular Nature is a psych-rock saga, supercharged with exhilarating instrumentation while boasting meditative subtleties. Fortified by its stylistic depth, the album tells an engrossing story of the turmoil that awaits us all.

Regular Nature

out March 29, 2024 via Mothland

1. Fakes

2. Right Time

3. Undermine

4. Cursed

5. Kafka

6. I Remember the Days

7. Interlude

8. Frog Mask

9. A.I.

10. Reef

11. Not Ready

12. Rotten Teeth

13. Gov Shut

14. One Time or Another

15. Waiting for Nothing

Written & performed by Sunglaciers (Evan Resnik, Mathieu Blanchard, Kyle Crough, and Nyssa Brown)

Select instrumentation by Chad VanGaalen, Daniel Monkman, Chris Dadge, Nate Waters, and Cassia Hardy

Recorded by Mathieu Blanchard & Evan Resnik

Additional recording by Chad VanGaalen

Produced by Sunglaciers

Mixing, additional production & digital mastering by Mark Lawson

Mastered for vinyl by Richard White

Artwork by Nyssa Brown & Evan Resnik

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Sunglaciers

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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The Dandy Warhols Go The Distance at Le Studio TD

The Dandy Warhols’ setup at Le Studio TD

2024 marks 30 years of The Dandy Warhols. The Portland psych-rock group have achieved a truly remarkable feat, with 11 studio albums and two compilations thrown into the mix. But with such a legacy comes the responsibility to uphold it, which poses its own challenges; many musicians hide behind the enduring glow of their greatest hits, while others grasp so tightly onto the notion of reinvention that it slips through their fingers. Where do the Dandy Warhols go from here? 

Last night at Le Studio TD, they attempted to chart this very course. Montreal marked the halfway point of The Dandy Warhols’ Spring 2024 tour, with this stop falling just days before the release of their twelfth record ROCKMAKER. An occasion full of promise for the Dandys and their devotees – and one that fortunately (mainly) delivered.

The Dandy Warhols capitalized on a roaring welcome by settling nicely into “Ride,” dousing the audience with a sea of shoegaze. Keyboardist/percussionist Zia McCabe commanded the stage all night, handling multiple instruments with ease as her auburn hair billowed in the air. Moving through the ROCKMAKER single “I’d Like To Help You With Your Problem” and synth-disco smasher “We Used To Be Friends” felt similarly organic.

Zia McCabe of The Dandy Warhols

Zia McCabe of The Dandy Warhols

Despite the heavy fluorescent haze, the middle of the set is where things hit a slump. For something that boasts such a distinctive distortion, new tune “Danzig with Myself” (a Frank Black collab) felt lost in the shuffle. A string of Dandy classics seemed to melt into each other, though fans who prefer the band at their breeziest may not have minded. I was grateful for the jolt of B-52’s-esque “The Summer of Hate” and the clarity of “The Last High” to lift the spell. At least Courtney Taylor-Taylor’s obligatory French quips proved charming to the crowd, with the lead vocalist joking that he was working his way up to “chewing out a waiter.” Priorities!

Judging by the resounding reaction, it was the seething bite of “Godless” that brought the Dandy Warhols back to where they needed to be. Just in time, too, for the sticky-sweet “Bohemian Like You” deserved such respect. (I am a Gen-Z music writer – I would be remiss if I did not attach great significance to the soundtracks of DreamWorks Animation films.)

Brent DeBoer and Courtney Taylor-Taylor of The Dandy Warhols

17 songs later, many fans would have been content to keep going, but McCabe drew the night to a close on her MS-20. “Let’s not wait so long,” urged McCabe, offering “je t’aime” before she departed the stage. While several people scattered around to try and find Taylor-Taylor’s guitar pick, other groups could be heard eagerly speculating on ROCKMAKER’s sound. 30 years have come and gone, but the Dandy Warhols continue to juggle an illustrious catalogue with that trademark satirical spark.

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The Dandy Warhols

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Snow Strippers, Ducks Ltd., Haruomi Hosono, Kim Gordon & More: Also Cool's Playlist Refresh

Kim Gordon by Danielle Neu

It seems that every musician we like here at Also Cool has released new music in the past few weeks, so we put it all together for you to enjoy.

This edition of our Playlist Refresh includes everyone from Kim Gordon to Haruomi Hosono, and you can listen along via our regularly updated playlist on Spotify.

Snow Strippers and Turnabout - “Luctus Mane (Snow Strippers Remix)”

Snow Strippers (Nice Bass Bro) have permeated the music scene with their signature sound, reviving the nostalgic appeal of late-2000s electroclash with haunting vocals and hyper-pop nods. In their latest endeavour, the Detroit duo step up to remix Turnabout’s “Luctus Mane,” softening its trap metal roots with a celestial touch. Vocalist Tatiana Schwaninger’s hypnotic inflections rise above the distortion and conjure a light all their own.

Allie X by Marcus Cooper

Allie X - “Weird World”

Avant-pop fixture Alexandra Hughes, better known as Allie X, has emerged with her third album Girl with No Face, out today via Twin Music Inc. This new record anchors itself in a swath of ‘80s synth-pop and dark wave—entirely self-produced by Hughes—and “Weird World” marks its latest single. This impassioned track mourns the notion of a past life while erupting with freedom, sprinkling a touch of German musings over eerie instrumentation fit for the likes of Drab Majesty.

Kim Gordon - “I’m A Man”

Kim Gordon has offered the second cut from her forthcoming album The Collective, set to release March 8th via Matador Records. Swiftly following The Collective’s breakout single “BYE BYE,” “I’m A Man” is an equally noisy testament to Gordon’s triumphant domination of post-rock. Awash with a blistering collage of dissonant guitar and an ear-splitting trap underbelly, “I’m A Man” is best played cranked at full volume, with Gordon’s meditations on the disappointments of Western masculinity taking centre stage. While some have argued that Gordon’s reflections harbour passé feminist sentimentality, we wonder if Gordon (now 70) is making space for the music she would have wanted to write in her Sonic Youth days.

Watch the video for “I’m A Man,” starring Gordon’s daughter Coco Gordon Moore.

Hot Garbage by Laura-Lynn Petrick

Hot Garbage - “Look at My Phone”

Toronto psych rock four-piece Hot Garbage barreled into 2024 with Precious Dream, the band’s second full-length on Montreal indie label Mothland. Flush with rippers from front to back, Precious Dream sneers with dark surf flirtations, motorik rhythms, and sinister synth-laden chaos. The album’s second track “Look at My Phone” is a super-charged headbanger for coping with the horrors of this cruel world.

Tyla by Annie Reid

Tyla - “Butterflies”

Tyla hit superstardom after releasing her Grammy Award-winning song “Water.” Quickly after, she dropped her debut EP Tyla via Fax and Epic Records and proved she wasn’t going to be a one-hit wonder. “Butterflies” highlights a softer, almost ethereal side to the singer – let this song transport you to a magical place!

Nick Schofield by Christopher Honeywell

Nick Schofield - “Resonant World”

Self-proclaimed “ambient raver” Nick Schofield (Best Fern, Saxsyndrum) recently dropped his third solo sonic venture, Ambient Ensemble, via Halifax label Forward Music Group. Along with a band of masterly local collaborators (Yolande Laroche, Philippe Charbonneau, and Mika Posen), the Hull, QC-based electroacoustic composer achieves otherworldly splendour on Ambient Ensemble. Likened to works by masters Brian Eno and Philip Glass, Schofield's delicate yet profound Ambient Ensemble is a kaleidoscope of lush, instrumental bliss.

Loving - “Any Light”

Loving has been a longtime staple of Also Cool’s playlists, bringing well-considered tenderness to the Canadian indie music scene. “Any Light” is the title track of their latest album, guiding us into the contemplative world of Jesse Henderson and David Parry. The 10-track album weaves through themes of love, existential uncertainty, and "the psychic consequences of living in an increasingly digitized world."

Max Leone - “Kirkland”

There’s nothing that hits harder than going back to your hometown just to discover that your memories have been paved over and replaced by parking lots and big box stores. California-based Max Leone submerges himself in this flavor of bittersweet nostalgia with his latest release “Kirkland,” which is accompanied by a music video made of home videos that act as a portal into his childhood. Watch the video below.

Moon King - “Go To My Head”

Comfortable in a cold blue light, Moon King brings us yet another slinky synthy single “Go To My Head,” off of his upcoming album Roses (which is set to release later this year on Arbutus Records). Inspired by loops found on ‘future music’ CDs from the mid-90s, FM synths, and 808s, the track rounds out with his layered, pitched-up vocals – perfect for grooving to anytime, anywhere.

Born at Midnite - “*69 (Patrick Holland Remix)”

The great music minds of Montreal have merged to create an absolute banger remix of an already great song. Born at Midnite's “*69 (Patrick Holland Remix)” will soon be added to DJs’ USBs worldwide, and dancefloors everywhere will rejoice.

In the words of Born at Midnite: “If you are anything like me, the second you hear Pat’s remix of *69, the tears will roll, everything you’ve ever heard will suddenly seem irrelevant, tingles will go up your spine and you’ll drop your Timmie’s on your Rick Owens Crocs.”

Ducks Ltd. by Dylan Taylor

Ducks Ltd. - “On Our Way To The Rave”

“Memories I'll barely retain, We're on our way to the rave.” Relatable for almost every party person, and eerily reflective of the theme of our FSR radio show (music ranging from the indie rock show to the rave), Ducks Ltd. have returned with an excellent single off of their recent album Harm’s Way.

Reliably jangly, and always fun, Tom McGreevy and Evan Lewis of Ducks Ltd. deliver a highly-anticipated expansion on the sound they established in 2021. We were able to catch their set at Taverne Tour this year, and are happy to report that the sold-out show was one of the highlights of the festival.

Haruomi Hosono & Mac DeMarco - “Boku Wa Chotto”

Mac DeMarco has teamed up with Japanese legend Haruomi Hosono for their latest release, “Boku Wa Chotto,” via Stones Throw Records. While it may seem like an unlikely pairing, Hosono has long been one of Mac DeMarco’s musical idols and had previously covered his song “Honey Moon” in 2018. For those unfamiliar with Haruomi Hosono, we suggest listening to his 1978 album PACIFIC and the classic track “SPORTS MEN” off of his 1982 album Philharmony as an introduction to the incredible world of Hosono’s Japanese pop music.

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What's Cool at Taverne Tour 2024

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It goes without saying that Taverne Tour is our go-to fest for thawing the wintertime slump. In line with years past, the 7th edition of the Montreal music festival is packed from brim to brim with stellar inter-genre programming, highlighting artists from the city’s local music scene and beyond. On this weekend from February 8th-10th, here is our list of must-see acts from the festival’s lineup. Read along while jamming to our offical Taverne Tour playlist below.

Full disclosure: Some shows have already sold out — we hope you scored your tickets in time!

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Ben Shemie via Taverne Tour

Montreal’s Ben Shemie—known as lead vocalist and guitarist of art rock outfit SUUNS—moonlights with his experimental solo pursuits. Playing on his classical compositional training, Shemie dabbles in astral string arrangements, frenzied, yet melodic, feedback loops and contorted vocals in his latest avant-pop feat. 

Shemie plays La Sala Rossa Thursday, February 8th.

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DahL via Taverne Tour

With their forthcoming album That’s It in the works for March, Montreal’s DahL has perked up our ears with their savvy splicing of trip hop know-how, post-punk textures and arresting flow. The project is the brainchild of Nassir Liselle and Purplefield, who have joined forces with long-time collaborator and producer William Winston on synthesizers and Edward Scrimger on drums for an unparalleled live performance. 

DahL plays La Sala Rossa on Saturday, February 10th. 

Tickets are sold out!

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Daniel Romano’s Outfit via Taverne Tour

Daniel Romano’s Outfit is road tripping once again in anticipation of their next release, Too Hot To Sleep, arriving March 1st on You’ve Changed Records. Sporting power pop sensibility on Too Hot’s first two offerings—“Field of Ruins” and “Chatter”—we’re keen to experience the Welland, Ontario group’s newfound spunk alongside their longtime country flare. 

Daniel Romano’s Outfit plays La Sotterenea on Saturday, February 10th. 

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Marie Davidson via Taverne Tour

Reigning queen of Montreal’s clubscape, Marie Davidson, made an impressionable comeback performance at M For Montreal this past fall. The local electronic music producer, singer, songwriter and poet floored the audience with her coy stage presence and enthralling beats. Knowing that we’d accept a taste, but are eager for more, Davidson’s appearance at Taverne Tour is sure to bring the house down. 

Marie Davidson plays Le Belmont on Saturday, February 10th. 

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Pantayo via Taverne Tour

Toronto ensemble Pantayo promises to entrance audiences with its harmonious dialog of kulintang, electronica and indie pop. Combining traditional Filipino music with contemporary influences and experiential sounds, the queer, diasporic Filipinx quintet inspire mesmerizing, powerful and grooving atmospheres through collaborative percussive magic.

Pantayo plays Le Ministère on Friday, February 9th.

Tickets are sold out!

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Safia Nolin via Taverne Tour

Revered Quebec City singer-songwriter Safia Nolin is a breath of fresh air amidst our heavier Taverne Tour selections. Strumming with tenderness, Nolin’s stilling voice is like a reverie paired with her uncluttered, frank acoustic compositions. Nolin’s recent EP ET SI, DE/main l’oiseau chills with its poignant dexterity — charting fragility and renewal all at once. 

Safia Nolin plays Le Quai des Brumes Thursday, February 8th. 

Tickets are sold out! 

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Slash Need via Taverne Tour

Our standing review of Toronto’s Slash Need is that we would gladly let them step on us. The duo’s floorboard-thumbing crossover of industrial punk and performance art is always a treat. For seduction, camp, leather, lace and hounding instrumentals, look no further than this spectacle of daring debauchery.

Slash Need plays Le Ministère Thursday, February 8th. 

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Sun Entire via Taverne Tour

Sun Entire is a three piece shoegaze outfit made up of Montrealers June Moon, Nico Serrus and Ivan Urueña. Hot on the heels of their debut LP Fit To Break, the band intrigues with their honeyed sound — awash with 90s-tinged, luminous whimsy.

Sun Entire plays L’Escogriffe on Thursday, February 8th. 

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Sweeping Promises via Taverne Tour

All the way from Lawrence, Kansas, post-punk pair Sweeping Promises charms with their playful take on raw angularity. The band’s 2023 LP Good Living is Coming For You inspires shoulder shimmying from back to front, complete with surfy bass riffs, vintage synths and Devo-esque vocals. 

Sweeping Promises plays La Sala Rossa Friday, February 9th.

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Roost.World via Taverne Tour

Fall into a dark wave rabbit hole at our Taverne Tour co-pro with Burlington, Vermont synth troopers Roost.World. Shake the week’s edge off with the Roost.World’s intergalactic goth rhythms, and introspective sets from special guests Lola 1:2 and Marontate.

Join us at Casa Del Popolo on Friday, February 9th!

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Taverne Tour

Website | Instagram | Festival App

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2023 in Review (Also Cool's Top Albums)

2023 in Review - Also Cool’s Top Albums

Listen along with the official Sounds Cool 2023 playlist!

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100 gecs - 10,000 gecs

100 gecs - 10,000 gecs (Dog Show, Atlantic Records)

Can an album be both cohesive and chaotic? 100 gecs defend their reign as hyperpop harbingers, bringing feral music into the mainstream. Starting off strong with a THX sample, “Dumbest Girl Alive” screams into the void with relatable–yet questionable–choices, like texting people back that you should probably leave on read. 

The throughline is glitchy, punky, technicoloured rage, sometimes with an in-your-face attitude, and sometimes more laissez-faire. “757” is a barrage of party-anthem lyrics, while “The Most Wanted Person in the United States” gives more of a “I guess I’m a serial killer or something” attitude.

Overall great listen if you’re okay with being overstimulated. Read our review of their show with Machine Girl here.

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Alice Longyu Gao - Let’s Hope Heteros Fail, Learn, and Retire

Alice Longyu Gao - Let’s Hope Heteros Fail, Learn, and Retire

Unphased, unapologetic and unfiltered, Alice Longyu Gao’s breakthrough album Let’s Hope Heteros Fail, Learn, and Retire opens with one of the greatest lyrics of all time, “Imagine a world with no heteros.” Hot off the heels of her first world tour, the NYC-based wildcard and self-proclaimed CEO of ALG enterprises is delightfully impossible to keep up with on Let’s Hope. A bombastic concoction of hyperpop (understatement), industrial metal, EDM and flirtations with pop punk and sometimes dinner theatre-esque polka, Longyu Gao’s Let’s Hope makes one thing clear: gender is just as real as genre (it’s not).

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Blonde Redhead - Sit Down for Dinner

Blonde Redhead - Sit Down for Dinner (Section1) 

NYC avant-rock trio Blonde Redhead gifted listeners Sit Down for Dinner this past September after a five-year marinade. Beguiling yet humble, tormented yet sexy, Sit Down for Dinner marks the band’s first release in nearly a decade, and perhaps their most genuine musings to-date. This balancing act is translated elegantly in the band’s live rendition of Sit Down for Dinner, with an evident chemistry that can be best described as the kind of mind-reading that comes from powerful creative kinship. 

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Club Casualties - Bridge Under Water 

Club Casualties - Bridge Under Water 

This was easily one of our most listened-to albums of the year. Club Casualties is the joint project of LUCY (Cooper B. Handy) and Nick Atkinson, with Bridge Underwater being their second full-length album. The project provides a more dance-centric take on the duo's independent musical identities, while still highlighting their vocal-focused approach. The album also includes collaborative tracks with God's Wisdom, Mal Devisa, Sen Morimoto, and thoughtfully-layered vocals from both Nick and Cooper. 

Bridge Under Water feels like biking home after a summer evening that may or may not have impacted the direction your life is taking. The album is best listened to start-through-finish via Apple headphones.

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Debby Friday - GOOD LUCK

Debby Friday - GOOD LUCK (Sub Pop) 

Not to brag, but we’ll note here that we have it on the record that Debby Friday’s GOOD LUCK was ranked one of our most-anticipated albums of 2023 before its release and Polaris Prize win: 

“On ‘So Hard To Tell’, Friday subdues her metallic, industrial-punk foundations to unveil raw, reflective and luminous R&B by allowing her unmodified singing voice to surface. [...] Upon first listen, the dynamism of ‘So Hard To Tell’ made Friday’s GOOD LUCK one of our most-anticipated albums of the year (yes, already!).”

(Also Cool Playlist Refresh, January 21st, 2023) 

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Jordan Gardner - Rhythm Acceleration

Jordan Gardner - Rhythm Acceleration (CRSL)

If you go out dancing in Montreal, you’ve probably seen Jordan Gardner on at least one DJ lineup – whether it be at Datcha, Système, or an underground rave. Rhythm Acceleration is his first EP, drawing on rhythmic inspiration from the UK, Detroit, Chicago, and his many years in the field (AKA in the club). The album also features Montreal party scene staple Martyn Bootyspoon, who provides fiery vocals to “Rhythm Acceleration.”

The album’s sound is across the board party-ready, but draws inspiration from the spiritual unification that occurs on the dance floor, the ubiquitous pulse of Maori Hakka, and the the legacy of the Maroons, a revolutionary group in Jamaica that rebelled against the British colonists who enslaved them. Also Cool’s standout track, “Celine Dior,” is inspired by Gardner’s love for fashion, Chicago house music, and dancehall.

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La Sécurité - Stay Safe!

La Sécurité - Stay Safe! (Mothland) 

Interview with La Sécurité by Rebecca L. Judd (June 15th, 2023):

“From the arresting synths of debut track ‘Suspens’ to the domineering bass line of ‘Serpent,’ the band has set a standard of heightened sonic volatility, and the remainder of the record continues that thrill. Stay Safe! provokes the senses with its bilingual musings and jagged new-wave arrangements, traversing between subjects like flirtation and bodily autonomy with the same crafty cool. “

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Lil Yachty - Let’s Start Here.

Lil Yachty - Let’s Start Here. (Motown Records, Quality Control Music)

Rap-rock has picked up in popularity lately, and is easy to get wrong. Lil Yachty, however, brings a beautiful, elevated take on the genre, enlisting the likes of Alex G, Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Jake Portrait, and Daniel Caesar, as writers on the project. There’s no misdirected angst, but rather careful consideration of the blending of genres and evolution of his sound.

We had the opportunity to see Lil Yachty perform live with his band earlier this year. The show’s production was excellent, with his live band all equally highlighted and clearly appreciated on stage. Lil Yachty performed flawlessly, providing an interlude featuring all his top hits, and then returning to the second half of the album to close out the show. Overall the album was unexpected, and one that’s easy to return to for deeper listening, or for a casual addition to your psych-indie-rap-rock playlist. 

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Nabihah Iqbal - DREAMER

Nabihah Iqbal - DREAMER (Ninja Tune) 

With her sophomore studio album DREAMER, English musician, producer, DJ, broadcaster and curator Nabihah Iqbal reimagines her approach to music to overcome creative burnout. Conceived in its earliest forms on harmonium and guitar after her studio—and DREAMER’s buddings—were burglarized, Iqbal’s anticipated return transverses spacey dream sequences with 80s synth pop sensibility. For fans of A.R. Kane and Broadcast, look no further.  

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No Waves - Postcard

No Waves - Postcard (Stomp Records)

Montreal’s punk scene sweethearts No Waves shared their first EP this year after signing with Stomp Records. The album is a compilation of songs written from when they were teenagers, and thematically is as emo as you can get. Postcard covers everything from the feeling you get when life starts to change a little too quickly to hometown angst. The obvious sonic comparisons are Surf Curse, Joy Again, and FIDLAR, but the band pulls inspiration from CRABE, LUCY (Cooper B Handy), ultra-pop hits, hyperpop and the Mexican punk scene.

Listen to our podcast episode with No Waves to learn more about the band, their inspiration, and Postcard.

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Sasha Cay - Spin

Sasha Cay - Spin (Lighter Than Air) 

Spin is the striking debut record of Montreal born-and-raised indie rock singer-songwriter Sasha Cay. Recorded amongst friends in her bandmate’s home studio, Spin is a stunning, silvery portrait of vulnerable vignettes shared from Cay’s heavy heart. Between twinkling tunings and Cay’s hushed vocals, the songstress’ gritty inclinations shine through in both songwriting and sentiment. 

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Turnstile & BADBADNOTGOOD - New Heart Designs

Turnstile & BADBADNOTGOOD - New Heart Designs (Dine Alone Records)

Hardcore-turned-jazz is an unexpected, but deeply appreciated, fusion of genres – especially when it comes from two of Also Cool’s favourite artists, Turnstile and BADBADNOTGOOD. 

Turnstile have always been arguably accessible as a hardcore band, drawing inspiration from classic hardcore song structures and indie rock sounds. It was a surprise to see them transform so elegantly with the help of BADBADNOTGOOD’s jazz fusion. However, for those of us who grew up going to BADBADNOTGOOD shows, you would know that although their music is pleasantly jazzy, there is almost always a moshpit IRL.

It’s the perfect album to get to know both bands, and stretches the boundaries of what a collaboration from two artists in very different genres can sound like.

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Maryze and Morganne Create a Raunchy Queer Paradise with "Langue"

Maryze and Morganne in the “Langue” music video

Montreal’s stormy-sweet popstar Maryze has embarked on a spicy new chapter, teaming up with LA’s Morganne to drop the irresistible queer banger that is "Langue".

The two viral artists first connected on TikTok in 2021, forging an online friendship before meeting in LA in the spring of 2023 for writing and recording sessions. Together with Montreal producer (and Maryze’s longtime collaborator) Solomon K-I, the trio concocted an indulgent dance pop single about exploring queer identity. Maryze and Morganne deliver their flirtations with an edge, transcending linguistic barriers by imploring their crush to get raw and risqué: “J’aime la façon que tu parles / Même si le sens est flou / Watching the sounds leave your mouth / Et je tombe à genoux.” “Langue” plummets the listener into a descriptive fantasy.

Maryze by Lindsay Blane

Morganne by Max Rubin

Thanks to its alluring bilingual edge and pulsating composition, “Langue” has already enjoyed an impressive organic reach, charming audiences across borders and oceans. Maryze and Morganne have solidified their collab’s potency with a strong social strategy, shooting content in Paris, Montreal, Chicago, and LA, and it has paid off immensely – garnering praise from legendary hitmaker Bonnie McKee and THE Duolingo owl himself.

To complement their vision for “Langue,” Maryze and Morganne teamed up with LA cinematographer Priscilla Mars to produce the single’s provocative music video. The two artists and their pals team up for a debaucherous romp, flexing their chemistry under hedonistic red lights, marking the cherry on top of an infectious creative collaboration.

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Maryze

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | TikTok

Morganne

Instagram | Spotify | TikTok

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Population II Get to the Heart of their Sound with Latest Album “Électrons libres du québec” (Bonsound)

Population II photographed by Starly Lou Riggs

Playful and alluring, Population II’s Électrons libres du québec is an enigma wrapped in a fever dream. These new sounds by the Montréal-based band hang above Earth’s atmosphere like a twisted multicolour satellite. Sure, it’d be easy to call them “psych-rock”, but that would be an oversimplification. Instead, this powerful trio successfully brews a multi-era potion, seamlessly collecting jazz fills, funky basslines, and emphatic synth in their intergalactic cauldron. 

I had the honor of chatting with the band in their practice space—a treasure trove comprised of Tristan Lacombe’s synth and guitar pedal collection and Pierre-Luc Gratton’s drum set—complete with a rubber chicken in the kick drum (a gift from their tour, they tell me). The wall across from Sébastien Provençal’s bass gear is adorned with a cute Sesame Street-themed bedsheet. Ah, and don’t forget their iconic collection of troll dolls (my favourite is the one with earmuffs and a blue star belly button), as featured in the band’s L’Esco video interview, “L’Autel 4461”. Needless to say, it’s abundantly clear that this ragtag group have been friends for a long time. 

In fact, they’ve all known each other since high school. Tristan, Pierre-Luc, and Sébastien all grew up in the North Shore, just north of Montréal. “[Tristan’s] father is the reason we’re playing together,” Sébastien laughs. “He’s like the guru of the band, if I can say, definitely a guru.”

Incidentally, some of the band’s early independent tracks caught the eye of John Dwyer—of the prolific rock band Osees—and Population II signed on with the rocker’s label. The group’s premiere album, Á la Ô Terre, came out hot on Castle Face Records in 2020. After returning from tour with the aforementioned legends, Population II are back in Québec with Électrons libres du québec, released via Montreal-based label Bonsound.

“We were at Ursa for [someone’s] show and I was going home very late to go to sleep,” Pierre-Luc recounts how they landed on their current label. “And then I received a call [from] someone and she’s like, ‘Hey, come to the park, there’s that person who works for Bonsound.’ So I go to the park and I talk with Valérie [Bourdages]… We talked for, like, two or three hours.” Pierre smiles and adds, “And the next week, we were on Bonsound.” 

Population II photographed by Starly Lou Riggs

Pierre-Luc, Tristan, and Sébastien have a sweet and honest chemistry that comes through in their music. It’s truly as if they can read each other’s minds. That could explain how their music is so bold and intricate, yet seems to come naturally. “We’re really fortunate to have crossed paths and to have this sensibility for the same music and art. We’ve been playing since we were fourteen/fifteen, so sometimes we don’t even talk,” Sébastien speaks to their innate intuition together. 

While the three have known each other a long time, Pierre-Luc is the newest addition to the band. Tristan explains, “We had a different line-up of that band and it was instrumental music. It was basically just jams and we were making long songs with a different drummer. And then we wanted to play with Pepe [Pierre-Luc]. In the first months that we were playing together, he was playing and one time had a mic and started singing. And [it] completely changed the band.” 

“Not singing like a karaoke singer,” Sébastien adds with a big grin, “It’s more like face-melting. Like, ‘How in the world did that little guy do that?’”

“Our first band broke up and we had a show booked,” Tristan recounts. “It was at L’Esco, and when we were kids it was really big, so we couldn’t cancel. So we were just like, ‘Okay, we have to do this show,’… We had to play that show and then we added Pepe and he just added his personal background.”

Pierre-Luc’s lyrics are simple. His vocals act as an instrument all their own—impressive, as he is the drummer and lead singer. These belting vocals, akin to ‘60s garage-style, compliment the wall of sound in instrumental: Tristan’s alternating synth and guitar, and Sébastien’s booming bass. Pierre-Luc shares that his words are meant to “break the fourth wall”.

Électrons libres du québec is truly a powerhouse of an album. From the space-like sonics of “Orlando”, to ripping funky bass licks in “Beau baptême”, to the discorded cacophony of “Pourquoi qu’on dort pas”, the whole thing screams epic. 

Listening with a fine-tooth comb, their influences seem fairly visible to the naked eye: ‘60s and ‘70s psych rock, definitely some classic jazz, and the likes of Funkadelic. Admittedly, Population II are very open-minded when it comes to music. We chatted about Sébastien’s dad being a ‘70s disco DJ (very cool), Pierre-Luc’s use of 6/4 jazz timing, and Tristan's affinity for exploring all genres.

“Oh yeah, there’s a lot of jazz. You wanna talk about that jazz, all that jazz? We’re all about the jazz,” Sébastien says emphatically of the band’s rhythm. All that, before leaving me with a list of recommended bands to add to my roster: ‘60s German band CAN, Canterbury scene legend Robert Wyatt, and Canadian ‘70s rock bands Simply Saucer and Aut’Chose . 

“There’s something good in a lot of different genres,” Pierre-Luc says as the band reflects on their own “genre”. 

“I literally listen to everything and I don’t want to stop myself,” Tristan tells me. “When I was younger, I was trying to be this cool kid: ‘Pop music is not for me. Oh, I don’t like country.’ And one day, I had a narrative shift. I want to be able to love everything.”

Tristan Lacombe of Population II, photographed by Starly Lou Riggs

“Mainly on Électron, we were really listening to those Canterbury prog bands like Soft Machine,” Tristan explains. “Mixing that with like… Krautrock bands that we love, and just a more naïve and primal energy of early proto-punk. Basically, it was a dumb and really naïve way of playing those styles of music.” While Tristan says naïve, what I hear is “experimental”. Population II has this in abundance—a childlike wonder for music and a desire to just play. 

As it turns out, the band writes most of their songs in an improvisational way, jamming out ideas. They record their sessions and revisit from there. “We’re always, always recording,” Sébastien says. “Ideas are always flowing and it’s just because there’s this chemistry, this weird chemistry about the three of us being in a room.” Sometimes he’ll come in with some bass lines as a “foundation”, but the band seems to thrive on improvisational form.

All the music videos for Électrons libres du québec came to fruition in a similarly experimental fashion. Released both individually and as one full-album piece, Bonsound’s own Hugo Jeanson is the genius behind the strange colourful masterpiece. Tristan explains, “He wanted to have something that would work with the cover, just textures and stuff… We just had total confidence with him and we were just like, ‘Do your thing, have fun!’ And it looked good.”

“What was really cool,” Sébastien adds, “is that when we invited him [to] the rehearsal spot, he saw the whole vibe… He asked us to play every song on the records and he filmed us.”

Tristan was a fan of Hugo Jeanson’s visual art before they got the chance to work with him. “It was strange,” he mentions, “because since I was a teenager, I knew about his posters and stuff.” Hugo’s a bit of a music poster icon in Montréal, now operating as the Head of Label Marketing with Bonsound. “Yeah, we were just like, ‘Okay, this guy is the one who is making those crazy posters, he has good taste in music, he works there [Bonsound], we wanna work with this person.”

The band has had some luck, stumbling upon talented artists to join them on their journey. Pair this luck with musical skill, a charming demeanour, and a curiously open mind, it’s really no wonder the trio has come to put out such a killer record. “There’s a lot of layers to the band,” Sébastien tells me as we wrap up our conversation. “You just gotta witness us and hang out with us.”

The group laughs as Pierre-Luc sums it up this way: “In the end, we’re just normal guys shredding.”

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Électrons libres du qu​é​bec

released October 6, 2023 via Bonsound

1. Orlando

2. C't'au boute

3. C.T.Q.S.

4. Beau baptême

5. Tô Kébec

6. Lune Rouge

7. Réservoir

8. Rapaillé

9. Pourquoi qu'on dort pas

Pierre-Luc Gratton – percussion, vocals

Tristan Lacombe – guitar, organ, oscillator, piano, synthesizers

Sébastien Provençal – bass guitar, synthesizers

Emmanuel Éthier – violin on “Reservoir”

Colin Fisher – saxophone on “Pourquoi qu'on dort pas,” “Réservoir”

Emmanuel Éthier – production and mixing

Trevor Turple – sound engineer

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Population II

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Starly Lou Riggs is a queer agender visual artist from the United States, currently based in Montreal.

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Pony Girl Cements Their Legacy at Club SAW

Pascal Huot of Pony Girl performing at Club SAW

The Ottawa music community holds its own close, so it should come as no surprise that Pony Girl’s album release party at Club SAW was a dazzling affair. Marking ten years since their debut record, Pony Girl has stepped into a complex new chapter with their latest album Laff It Off.

The night began with a charming set from Luella, the musical project of Kingston’s Liv Whitfield. Although her debut album Luna was released just one year ago, Whitfield carried a seasoned air of confidence throughout her performance. Whether she was behind the keys or crooning into a telephone, her dreamy indie-pop melodies wafted through the air, matched with playful lyrics on love (or a lack thereof). 

Leading up to Pony Girl’s set, attendees shuffled in the glow of a custom Laff It Off neon sign, feet surrounded by smiley-face balloons – an inviting scene, complementary to the album’s disposition. The room began to swell with anticipation.

Laff It Off sign for Pony Girl’s album release tour

Pony Girl emerged on-stage to a sea of applause, with band member Yolande Laroche sporting a Luna T-shirt. Within minutes, the audience was swept up in Laff It Off’s lucid narrative, swaying and screaming the words we all know to be true: “I don’t want to be working every day, I don’t want to be working every day.”

The art-pop group has garnered acclaim for their layered approach to experimentation, and even further acclaim for the way that translates so harmoniously into their live performances. The arresting vocoder yelps of Laroche and bandmate Pascal Huot, the mesmerizing proficiency of Mili Hong on the drums – it’s a thrilling experience to watch all the pieces of their puzzle fall into place.

But for a band that has seen so much recent success, including a record-high of five nominations at last year’s Capital Music Awards, Pony Girl has not compromised what it means to be vulnerable. Huot meandered through the crowd during “Wannabe,” illuminating his visage while mutedly pondering his—and our—roles as entertainment. “Age of Anxious,” the standout track from Pony Girl’s previous release Enny One Wil Love You, reverberated with conviction as its distressed musings on the grip of technology rang true.

As Pony Girl continues to find their place in these convoluted times, one thing is certain: Ottawa will be listening.

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Pony Girl

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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