I usually average between 500 and 550 new music submissions a week, but last week was insanely busy. With so many musicians in lockdown and with nothing better to do than write and record, could this be a sign of things to come?
1. Nobro, Don’t Die
Sick Hustle (Dine Alone)
Recommended If You Like: Black Keys, but with women
Stunningly good rocker from a Montreal band with four women no bros (geddit?) who list their influences as Black Sabbath, The Runaways, Iron Maiden, and er, Sade and Mariah Carey. Put it this way: they’re rockin’ enough to have opened for Alexisonfire and FIDLAR. Remember how excited you were the first time you hear The Beaches? Here we go again. Great video, too.
2. Nightjacket, Lonely Archer
Following the Curves EP (Independent)
RIYL: Mazzy Star-esque musical sedatives
This will sound good on a warm summer night. Nightjacket is an LA band fronted by Andrea Wasse, who is from Canada. Listen for some gorgeous and unexpectedly grungey guitar chords that come in around the 1:30 mark. The EP is coming on September 25.
3. Sharon Van Etten, (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding feat. Josh Homme
(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding (DashGo/Audiobee)
RIYL: Elvis Costello
A sublimely delicate duet between American singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten and Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme on this slowed-down cover of an Elvis Costello classic from his 1979 album, Armed Forces. Knowing Elvis, he will definitely approve.
4. Klark B3nt, Mercy Street
Single (Independent)
RIYL: Peter Gabriel
A collaboration of like-minded musicians headed up by Guelph, Ontario’s Derek Bent (aka Klark Bent) from the band King Infinity, who creates music based on “stream of consciousness, grooves, samples, world influences, liquid ether, etc.) This is another COVID-19 lockdown project recorded over the Easter weekend under the title of the Klark B3bt Covid Sessions. The result is an excellent cover of the Peter Gabriel song from the So album of 1986.
5. Vinyl Hero, Vultures
Tickets to My Downfall (Bad Boy/Interscope)
RIYL: Soundgarden, early Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains
Low and slow riffage from a Montreal three-piece that’s been making the rounds for the past five years or so. Good for fans of stoner rock. If Chris Cornell were still with us, he’d get a kick out of these guys. The singer kinda reminds me of former QotSA dude Nick Oliveri (except with his clothes on).
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