PREMIERE: Motorists Crush the 9-5 Slog with Instant Hit "Call Control" (We Are Time/Bobo Integral)

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Motorists, shot by Kyle Berger

Toronto power-pop trio Motorists beckon summer sunshine with their new single “Call Control”, out today on We Are Time/Bobo Integral. “Call Control” is the band’s second offering from their forthcoming sophomore album Touched by the Stuff, set to release May 24th, 2024. 

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The well-crafted hit is certified a ripper from start to finish. An ode to the unglamorous grind of creatives, “Call Control” nods to musicians making ends meet at their day jobs with the hopes of hitting the big time (or simply being the second band on a local bill). Despite being a relatable anthem for the overworked and underpaid, “Call Control” beams with enough fuzzy pep to get you out of bed, morning after morning, for the rock n’ roll. 

On “Call Control”, bassist Matt Learoyd shares:

“My other songs are going for the literary award and trying to get heady with it. For this one, I wanted a song that was simple, hummable, and doesn’t get lost in the weeds with a thesaurus. It’s our attempt at a Go-Go’s style bopper that describes the powerlessness of trying to eke out a living as a working musician while knowing at the back of your mind that it probably will never be enough to have autonomy over your own future.” 

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Motorists, shot by Kyle Berger

Flush with feel-good college radio sensibility, “Call Control” is the soundtrack to blowing off steam with a smile: gas on the pedal, windows down, nowhere to go.

Want to feel the breeze and let go? Get behind the virtual wheel and experience “Call Control” to the fullest with Motorists’ interactive game, created by singer/guitarist Craig Fahner below!

Motorists

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Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Sounds Cool 2021 (Also Cool’s Top Albums)

Illustration by Malaika Astorga

Once again, music has unsurprisingly gotten us through the year. Throughout the whirlwind of 2021, we here at Also Cool were lucky enough to discover a range of compelling releases across a spectrum of genres. What unites these projects is their radiance, their ability to captivate us through trials and triumphs and be a constant when seemingly nothing else was. In no particular order (except alphabetical), we’ve compiled a mix of stand-outs from our 2021 favourites. 

If you haven’t been introduced to these artists via our music section or radio shows on N10.AS and FSR, take a listen to our year in review. There’s something here for everyone, and maybe you’ll see one of your friends here, too – spread the love and send them this article to tell them that they are indeed also cool.  

We’d like to extend our gratitude to all the artists on this list for keeping us company through the last year. Our listening habits have been elevated and comforted by these selections, and we’re looking forward to what’s in store from here and beyond in 2022.

Whether experienced in-person during the brief resurgence of live music, or in solitude weathering out your headphones, here’s to music for filling the void in the best way possible. 

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Sounds Cool 2021 (Also Cool’s Top Albums)

Ada Lea - one hand on the steering wheel, the other sewing a garden (Next Door Records / Saddle Creek)

Interview with Ada Lea by Malaika Astorga (October 21st, 2021) 

“The introspective folk/pop songs walk with you through the process of finding your identity and losing it again to someone who's not worth it, daydreaming about life in other cities, and wondering when to go home again.”

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BACKXWASH - I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES (Ugly Hag Records)

Interview with Backxwash by Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter and Rebecca L. Judd (June 20th, 2021)

“With I Lie Here, BACKXWASH claims her title as contemporary hip-hop’s greatest force to be reckoned with, and we are celebrating her reign.”

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Bnny - Everything (Fire Talk)

Interview with Bnny by Malaika Astorga (August 20th, 2021)

“Written in sessions that span several years by singer Jess Viscius as she processed the death of her partner, the album is a chronicle of love at its most complex and loss at its most persistent.”

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Clairo - Sling (FADER)

“On her second album, reluctant Gen Z ambassador Clairo turns back the clock, embracing classic touchstones of 1970s folk.” — Cat Zhang, Pitchfork

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Das Beat - Identität (Arbutus Records)

Interview with Das Beat by Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (June 3rd, 2021) 

“In four flawless tracks outfitted with celestial atmospheres and pulsating undercurrents, Identität offers a dioramic perspective of the couple’s intimate creative dynamics, backdropped with the essence of Berlin’s esoteric nightlife.”

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Dish Pit - DIPSHIT (Self-Released)

“Following the sudden closure of their record label, Montreal-based DISHPIT's long-delayed debut album is finally seeing the light of day as the band begins working on the follow-up. DIPSHIT — recorded with veteran producer Steve Albini — unleashes a devastation of post-punk and lo-fi grunge upon the world.” — Matt Owczarz, Exclaim!

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Dorothea Paas - Anything Can’t Happen (Telephone Explosion)

Interview with Dorothea Pass by Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (May 7th, 2021)

“On her new LP Anything Can’t Happen, Paas illuminates how she came to define success as encountering and reconciling self-discovery through her work, all while establishing growth on her own terms.”

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Ducks Ltd. - Modern Fiction (Royal Mountain)

Interview with Ducks Ltd. by Malaika Astorga (August 17th, 2021) 

“Toronto's Ducks Ltd.'s new single How Lonely Are You? is the perfect soundtrack for your mildly existential end-of-summer playlist.”

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Hildegard - Hildegard (Chivi Chivi / Section1)

Interview with Hildegard by Malaika Astorga (June 8th, 2021)

“Their debut record has been described as the result of merging their identities, coupled with a complete loss of ego. The result is a beautiful and experimental eight-track experience, documenting the creative bond they share.”

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Jane Inc. - Number One (Telephone Explosion)

Interview with Jane Inc. by Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter 

“Building off samples, break-beats and Ableton tutorials, Jane Inc.’s debut Number One serves as a reminder that Bezic is no one-trick-pony.”

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Kekko - Dreaming Life (Spirit Goth Records) 
Interview with Kekko by Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter

“If not already evident by the band’s namesake —which combines the last names of the husband and wife duo, Tim Kek and Cherie Ko— Kek’s lush atmospherics intertwined with Ko’s ethereal vocals manifest a radiance unique to a soulmate connection.”

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kolenżanka - Place Is (Bar/None)

Interview with kolenżanka by Malaika Astorga (June 16th, 2021)

“To leave an old life behind and begin a new one is an anxiety-inducing and transformative process that Phoenix-born and NYC-based singer kolenżanka has mastered.”

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L’Impératrice - Tako Tsubo (microqlima)

Interview with L’Impératrice by Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (May 22nd, 2021)

“L’Impératrice’s latest venture is a shimmering think-piece on life’s ever-perplexing phenomenon of broken-heart syndrome, which derived from the name Tako Tsubo (meaning “octopus trap” in Japanese).”

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Magi Merlin - Drug Music (Self-Released)

Magi Merlin “Mock Meat” review by Malaika Astorga (February 23rd, 2021) 

“A little spooky, a little bit sultry, Magi Merlin's "Mock Meat" draws you in with textured sounds and silky vocals.”

Magi Merlin Drug Music premiere by Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (March 5th, 2021) 

“Throughout Drug Music, Magi Merlin owns her truth between entrancing beats and smokey basslines, while getting hot and heavy with lush vocal harmonies and a playful raspiness.”

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May Rio - Easy Bammer (Dots Per Inch)

Interview with May Rio by Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (June 22nd, 2021) 

“Much like its origin story, May Rio’s Easy Bammer documents and celebrates the romantic unexpectedness of everyday life.”

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Motorists - Surrounded (Bobo Integral / We Are Time / Debt Offensive)

Interview with Motorists by Malaika Astorga (September 16th, 2021) 

“Comparable to various eras of punk, jangle rock, and mid-2000s Canadian indie rock, Motorists express their struggles with isolation by pairing a post-punk vocal tone with optimistic and upbeat melodies.”

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New Chance - Real Time (We Are Time) 
Interview with New Chance by Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (July 28th, 2021) 

“On her latest offering Real Time, Cheong brings her reflections on nature’s abstract cycles to the forefront, between spellbinding textures and an eclectic sampling of everything from Calypso percussion to a sunrise rooster crow.”

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Ouri - Frame of a Fauna (Born Twice / Lighter Than Air) 
Interview with Ouri by Rebecca L. Judd (October 30th, 2021) 

“Marking the latest notch in Ouri’s belt, Frame of a Fauna carefully wields experimental and classical curiosities to seek deeper truths between the bars.”

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Oxford Drama - What’s The Deal With Time? (Self-Released)

Interview with Oxford Drama by Rebecca L. Judd (July 7th, 2021)

“Inspired by the never-ending mazes of modern technology and society, the duo – consisting of Małgorzata Dryjanska and Marcin Mrówka – transforms crushing emotions and uncertainties into a musical experience that transcends the turmoil.”

Oxford Drama “Too Busy” video premiere by Malaika Astorga (December 9th, 2021)

“Although it may seem like everyone else has their lives together, they're probably just good at keeping a curated online presence. Our Polish pals Oxford Drama encapsulate this chaos energy perfectly in their music video for “Too Busy”, a single off their recent album What's The Deal With Time?”

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PACKS - Take The Cake (Royal Mountain / Fire Talk) 

Interview with PACKS by Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (May 17th, 2021) 

“Toronto’s PACKS are filling an indie-rock void with their sound that is equal parts laid-back and jangly, while also sophisticatedly pensive and bright.”

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PinkPantheress - to hell with it (Parlophone) 

“The 20-year-old UK producer broke out on TikTok with snippet-sized songs that ache with nostalgia for the recent past. Her intimate, lived-in music succeeds where cheaper imitations fail.” — Arielle Gordon, Pitchfork

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Yves Tumor - The Asymptotical World (Warp Records) 

“Even on a brief EP, Yves Tumor’s prismatic world seems to get bigger as it mutates into certain conventions of goth rock, dream pop, and shoegaze.” — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork

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Listen to our year in review below!

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"Surrounded" - Motorists' Jangle Punk LP Explores Isolation, Community & DIY Spirit (We Are Time/Bobo Integral/Debt Offensive)

Surrounded by Motorists album art

Standing at the back of the show, holding your beer close, you're wondering if anyone is going to talk to you or if you'll have the courage to talk to that cool person that keeps walking by. This is the oddly specific yet nostalgic feeling that emerges while listening to Motorists' debut LP "Surrounded."

Comparable to various eras of punk, jangle rock, and mid-2000s Canadian indie rock, Motorists express their struggles with isolation by pairing a post-punk vocal tone with optimistic and upbeat melodies. The trio Craig Fahner, Jesse Locke, and Matt Learoyd have played music together since their early days in the Calgary DIY scene. They've since gone on to work together on various projects, including Chandra Oppenheim's release of her 1980s album EP Transportation.

Throughout their many years playing, touring, and community-organizing together, Motorists have maintained their values and ability to be vulnerable with each other, and through their music. We spoke with the band about all this and more a few months back, leaving us feeling cautiously optimistic for the future of DIY Canadian music scenes. 

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: Tell us a bit about the band and who you are as people.

Jesse: My name is Jesse, but my DND name is Nox Arcana, inspired by a minimal wave artist who made DND-inspired music. Matt, Craig & I have been friends for a long time, have played in bands together almost ever since, and eventually formed Motorists.

Also Cool: I'm interested in hearing more about the scene you came up in and how you got into the scene.

Craig: Great question! It's particularly fitting because we've been really close friends for the past 15 years. We met each other through the DIY music scene in Calgary. I met Matt when I was 16 and Jesse shortly afterwards. For me finding the Calgary DIY music scene felt like salvation. I was living a pretty sheltered suburban existence and was really thirsty for people with shared values. 

I think it's a testament to how valuable those kinds of communities are. We've been able to maintain friendships and keep those same values together moving forward, even when we've moved to different cities. We've tried to bring those inclusive anti-commercial values to the scene in Toronto, which is ostensibly not an anti-commercial music city. It's very much where people go to make money in music.

Jesse: The last show we played before the pandemic was in the basement of a comic book shop in Toronto, where we were carving out our own little DIY scene. It was all ages, PWYC, which was really similar to many shows I went to growing up in Calgary.

Matt: I also think there was sort of a heyday in the mid-2000s. Maybe from 2007-2011, during the Weird Canada era, there really felt like there was a camaraderie across Canada of various DIY scenes having the opportunity to connect. It might have just been coincidental with us being in our early 20s at that time, but there was definitely an affinity of the Calgary DIY scene with Ottawa, Victoria, and Halifax. 

It's always felt like there's been a sharing of values and perspectives. Canada also has so few major cities, so when you did get on the road to tour, there was definitely a crew of this DIY community. Obviously, these things have shifted and changed over time. Some of these people are stars, some have dropped off, and others are keeping the spirit alive… But there's just something about keeping things DIY and grassroots and trying to resist the industry machine. 

Jesse: We're now tentatively booking release shows, and a lot of those contacts are from the Weird Canada days. Those connections that we forged back then in 2009… Just the fact that Weird Canada had a map icon and you could search by place, it helped build a DIY touring circuit across Canada and connected me to all kinds of different communities.

Photo by Michelle Lemay

AC: In my own experience growing up in Ottawa, I would be so happy that any show at all was happening. Regardless of what show was on that night, everyone went because it was the only thing happening that night. Now, as I interview more bands, they all bring up this same sort of spirit of how making an effort in their own communities was what really brought them a long way.

That being said, it seems like friendships and community-oriented things are really important to you. What have you learned about friendship in your experience as a band and being friends with each other for such a long time?

Matt: What a nice question! I think being in a band is a special kind of intersection of relationship where you're buds, creative partners, sometimes roommates, and sometimes travel buddies. There's a lot of joy and intimacy due because you end up going through so much together. It's something you might not get from someone who you just see out on the weekends. 

There was also nothing about our friendship where we were once friends and had to cross the threshold into bandmates. That was just sort of the cauldron that we were forged in, so there was nothing more natural than being in a band together. We had all been in bands before, and together it almost felt like muscle memory. Even the songs came together really fast. There's a song on the record that came together three months after we got together. Regardless of if we're in each other's bands, lives or even in the same city, there's always been a cumulative effect of quickly being able to get on the same page creatively. 

Craig: We got to know each other by playing music together, which for me personally, shaped what it means to be in this sort of ideal friendship. And like Matt said, it's one where you have to depend on each other, be accountable, and work through problems together. 

You have this really rich constant negotiation and intimacy, which I think set a foundation for me personally of how powerful a friendship could be. It's more than just having a good time and chatting; it's creating a really rich and meaningful dialogue while being able to rely on each other. When we recorded this record, we were the only people we saw other than the people we live with. This record is sort of a product of that intimacy.

Jesse: I never would want to be like the Pixies, where everyone has their own tour bus. I think we all challenge and hold each other accountable. We raise each other to a height that we know that we can all achieve.

AC: The album carries a theme of reconnecting with people. What has that process been like for you? It feels like an awkwardness that we're all going through together.

Craig: One observation I've made is that COVID has forced us to acknowledge that we all have different boundaries and comfort levels. When re-entering the social world, I think it's a really good thing to approach it with this awareness of others and be considerate of what they need and what they're comfortable with. This is also why we haven't rushed into playing shows again; we're just waiting for what feels like is the right time to do so. 

Matt: Well, it's difficult for sure; a lot has changed as we start to reconnect again. A lot of the venues are gone, the musicians who work in the service industry are struggling, and those who used to tour all the time now have to look for alternative sources of income. We have less time for leisure activities and less time for practicing music. In the most optimistic version of the future, DIY will become a necessity because there just won't be that many places to play. 

In Toronto, we have Rehearsal Factory, where 90% of bands rehearse, but they're all being sold, which is probably 1000 rehearsal spaces gone. We got really lucky because Craig has a basement we can use, but almost everyone I know uses these spaces to rehearse. 

The barrier for entry is definitely a lot higher. I think the landscape is going to change in general. Still, I hope that it makes it so that when shows do happen, people will think of them as really valuable and won't just treat them like a party opportunity. Instead, it will make them more inclined to build community. 

Motorists

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Malaika Astorga is the co-founder of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.

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