5 songs you must hear this week: 21 September 2020

It was an especially busy week when it came to pitches from artists, labels, and publicists. Once again, I managed to narrow things down to these five essential tracks. As least I think they’re essential.

1. A Family Curse, LA Blues
A Family Curse (El Mocambo Records)
Recommended If You Like: Father-daughter teams

Neil Osbourne has fronted 54-40 for forty years. Kandle his daughter. Each have their own thing going on, but they also like to make music together under the name A Family Curse using the pseudonyms Niz and Baby Kiz. A ten-track record, recorded at Neil’s place in Victoria BC, is out now. The album apparently includes “uncles, cousins, and other honorary ‘adoptees’” on the record. Love the twangy guitar.

2. Scootbert Doobert, Moving to Canada
Single (Beforemer)
RIYL: Immigrantion?

The number of Americans moving to Canada has spiked upwards in the last year, largely because of the dumpster fire that’s sitting in the Oval Office right now. Scootbert Doobert is from South California and may have had enough. He’s lost faith in ‘Murica and has written this song about moving up this way. C’mon in, dude. And the weed is legal.

3. Houses, Paranoid
Paranoid, (Downtown Records)
RIYL: Paranoia?

Houses is the work of Dexter Tortoriello, a Chicago-born songwriter and producer who also goes by the name Golden Dawn. This track comes off like a less insane Butthole Surfers mixed with early Gorillaz. Fun fact: Dad owned a recording studio, so Dexter was able to start playing around with gear from the age of 12.

4. Boy Pablo, Hey Girl
Wachito Rico (777 Music)
RIYL: Norwegian indie-pop cross with Tiger King

For the video for this song, Boy Pablo, a dude from Norway, assumes the alter-ego of Wachito Rico. To help us understand Rico’s day-to-day life, Rick Kirkham—yes, the guy who started the whole Tiger King documentary—narrates what’s going on. The whole album will appear October 23.

5. IDLES, Grounds
Ultra Mono (Partisan Records)
RIYL: Punches to the gut delivered with an accent

Bristol’s IDLES has been one of my favourite British groups of the last couple of years. With two albums already in my collection (Brutalism from 2017 and Joy as an Act of Resistance from 2018), I’m really looking forward to the new record due September 25. Fun fact: They played a “locked-in” gig at Abbey Road in August during which they covered a bunch of material from The Ramones, The Strokes, and The Beatles.