New Music Friday: 9 releases out today worth your attention (28 April 2023)

Here’s a roundup of new singles and albums out this week.

Singles

1. Finger Eleven, Together Right (Craft Recordings)

Burlington, Ontario’s Finger Eleven hadn’t released anything for seven years before they dropped this brand-new song. It’s a bonus track on a greatest hits record that also includes a previously-unreleased rendition of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, which has long been a live favourite.

2. K.Flay, Raw Raw (Giant Music)

K.Flay had a miserable scare: She’s gone completely deaf in her right ear due to a condition called SSNHL (Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss) and labyrinthitis. The illness left her with vertigo that necessitate surgery and resulted in the cancellation of a tour. That came on the heels of the pandemic lockdowns and a rough breakup with her partner in 2021. This is the first bit of music she recorded since her hearing loss. Watch for a full album this fall.

3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Wolf (Secretly Canadian)

Karen O and company have released another single from last September’s Cool It Down album, the third overall from the record. They’re about to embark on a mostly sold-out world tour that will see them cover the US, and drop into Australia and Japan before closing out the summer in Europe with some final dates scheduled for Mexico.

4. Tkay Maidz, Where is My Mind (4AD)

Yes, this is a woozy electronic version of the Pixies hit from the Zimbabwean-Australian pop singer. It’s an interesting choice for a person who tours in the company of Lizzo, Charlie XCX, and Dua Lipa. The song actually first appeared two years ago but is getting a fresh push, probably because it’s currently being used in an Apple commercial.

5. Dave Matthews Band, Monsters (RCA)

It’s jam band season, which means Dave Matthews will be heading out on the road again. (Sorry. No Canadian dates–yet.) Around the Moon, his tenth album is set for release on May 18. One of the eleven new songs is this single which first appeared online yesterday.

Albums

1. The National, First Two Pages of Frankenstein (4A)

This is album number nine from the baritone-y world-weary band from Cincinnati. Recorded in New York’s Hudson Valley, they convinced a few friends to drop in, including Phoebe Bridgers, Sufjan Stevens, and someone named Taylor Swift. The album comes in everything from a stream to a download to a CD to a special limited edition red vinyl set. This is the current single and features vocals from Bridgers.

2. Braids, Euphoric Recall (Secret City)

I first discovered Braids when they played their hometown M for Montreal festival about a decade ago. Since then, they’ve released a series of experimental records each with their own distinct personality. They’re now up to their fifth album, which includes this song that will sound quite nice on a warm spring night.

3. Great Lake Swimmers, Uncertain Country (Harbour Songs/Fontana)

Adding a little folk-rock to his week’s list is the pride of Wainfleet, Ontario. The band’s eighth album was preceded by a couple of tracks, including the mournful When the Storm Has Passed. If you like Blue Rodeo and haven’t tried GLS yet, here’s your chance.

4. Glen Matlock & The Philistines, Consequences Coming (Cooking Vinyl)

Best known as the original bass player in the Sex Pistols (and the member with the most melodic pop sensibilities, something that apparently got him fired in favour of Sid Vicious), Matlock is back with a seventh Philistines album that he says was inspired equally by Brexit (he was against it) and Donald Trump (he’s not a fan.)