Another 600+ pitches came in over the past week. These are the five survivors of the cull. Comments not just welcome but encouraged, especially for song number five.
1. The Dirty Nil, Blunt Force Concussion
F**k Art (Dine Alone/In2une)
Recommended If You Like: You’ll think of Pavement
This Hamilton band is making some serious inroads with alt-rock radio in the US. The third single from this album (which will be out in January) is described by the band thusly: “Y’all ever felt yourself sliding down the greasy hill of love? Down, down, down you pathetically slide until you reach the bottom. Finally, you find yourself hanging from the cliffs of sanity, above the fiery hell of romance. We present to you “Blunt Force Concussion.” We pulled out all the stops on this one: bangin’ ass drum fills, booty shakin’ bass lines, big boi geetars and a thousand-dollar chorus. If you don’t like this song, f- you and the horse you rode in on.” All right, then.
2. K-os, Supernovas
Single (Fontana North)
RIYL: You’ll think of Daft Punk and Nile Rodgers
If you’re looking for some slick grooves to help with COVID blues and the increasingly dark and cold nights, this should work. While the track was out earlier this fall, it was only last week that an official music video appeared. Damn coronavirus is delaying everything,
3. Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs, Back with the Gang
Real One (Dine Alone)
RIYL: Shouty, riffy Toronto rock
Once we get back to having moshpits, one is guaranteed to form in front of Sam Coffey and his gang with this one. Bombastic, riffy, and with more than a touch of 70s rock (check out the flanging effects!) The band’s third album will be out on February 19 and apparently includes—wait for it—an orchestra.
4. Bleachers, chinatown [sic] (feat. Bruce Springsteen)
Single (for now)
RIYL: Garden State shout-outs
Bleachers, as you may know, is the work of songwriting/producer/collaborating Jack Antonoff, who we first heard from when he was part of the awkwardly spelled fun. He’s also part of several other bands as well as a producer for people like St. Vincent and Lorde. With this new Bleachers album (it’s coming, honest), he managed to get The Boss to appear on this song, no doubt because it involves a shout-out to New Jersey.
5. Martin Gore, Mandrill
The Third Chimpanzee EP (Mute)
RIYL: Depeche Mode, obviously
Fresh off Depeche Mode’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame comes this five-track EP from main man Gore, which is due January 29. He’s got monkeys on his brain, apparently. “The first track I recorded had a sound that wasn’t human. It sounded primate-like. I decided to name it Howler, after a monkey. Then, when it came time to name the EP, I remembered reading the book The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee. It all made sense to call it that, as the EP was made by one of the third chimpanzees.” That explains that.
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