Another midwinter week. Raise your spirits by listening to these five fresh songs that may (or may not) make some noise in the weeks ahead.
1. Billy Talent, Reckless Paradise
Single (Warner)
Recommended If You Like: Um, Billy Talent?
What’s going on with Billy Talent? Well, there is a new album coming this year. We kinda knew that with the release of Forgiveness I & II, which was a surprise release late last year that, frankly, wasn’t pitch far beyond just fans. An appetizer. An amuse bouche. This, however, will be the first official radio single. An album? Not until the fall.
2. TOPS, I Feel Alive
I Feel Alive (Musique TOPS)
RIYL: Pop Montreal
If you’re late to the party, TOPS is a four-piece indie-pop outfit from Montreal with more than 65 million streams on Spotify over three albums. Now with their own record label, they’re going to spend much of the spring on a North America which starts the day after this album comes out April 3. The Toronto date is April 22 at Adelaide Hall.
3. NOBRO, Marianna
Sick Hustle EP (Dine Alone)
RIYL: Loud Montreal
Another Montreal act that’s currently on your with Alexisonfire and The Distillers out west this week (Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and then back east to Montreal.) They also once toured with FIDLAR (one of my faves) and plan to play the CMW kick-off party in May.
4. Wolf Parade, Julia Take Your Man Home
Thin Mind (Royal Mountain/Sub Pop)
RIYL: Synth Montreal
Even though the album just came out on Friday, Wolf Parade is already on the third single from the record. The trippy video was directed by Sub Pop label mate, Chad VanGaalen. Reviews for the record have been stellar thus far. One to watch this year. I guarantee lots of chatter about the Polaris Music Prize.
5. Tennis, Need Your Love
Swimmer (Mutually Detrimental/Thirty Tigers)
RIYL: Husband and wife duos
Apparently tired of sitting through another philosophy class at the University of Colorado, Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley (a) hooked up; (b) took a eight-month sail in the Atlantic; and (c) formed Tennis when they got back to dry land. That was in 2010. Five albums in, they’ve developed an easy listening sort of twee pop. I can’t make up my mind if this sounds like it could have been on AM radio in 1972 or on a Cardigans record in 1996.