While the festive spirit moves its way across the country, some of your favourite Canadian musicians are releasing new albums, new sounds and new stuff for the music lover on your holiday shopping list.
Last week, the Quebec quintet Misteur Valaire, known for their unique mixing of electronic sounds with jazz rhythms released the EP Don’t Get Là. The album features remixes of two tracks, “Don’t Get Là” and “Bellevue Avenue”, from their latest full-length album Bellevue.
Toronto singer and producer Tommy Paxton-Beesley, known as River Tiber, also released an EP last week. The five-track EP, The Star Falls features a few selections from the full-length Synapses and a couple of new tracks thrown in for good measure. The album really highlights the perfectly paired thick electronic textures and haunting vocal lines.
Destroyer, the band led by Dan Bejar of the New Pornographers, took a new direction on their new EP. Growing tired of the English language, Bejar ditches it in favour of Spanish on the Five Spanish Songs EP. The songs are covers of Sr. Chinarro, a Spanish band led by Antonio Luque. Listening to the covers and originals back to back is an interesting experience as they sound remarkably similar, yet the new EP sounds like classic Destroyer at the same time.
For those looking for something a little heavier, Winnipeg’s KEN Mode released a new video for their song “Romeo Must Never Know”. Using slow-mo images, the video highlights the song’s tenacity and ability to build tension with a consistent rhythmic structure and vocals that range from a whisper to a scream.
Also out in time for the Holidays is the latest from groove makers The Steadies. The album Starcity Shakedown features tracks that channel the reggae-pop sounds of The Police and will get you movin’ no matter where you are. The Saskatchewan-based band is currently celebrating the release of their album with a home-province tour taking place over the next couple of weeks.
Photo: Supplied/ Shaun Bdzel