After sorting through the several hundred song pitches that had piled up during the holidays, I realized that maybe for the first time ever, all the tracks on a Five Songs list come from Canadians. Damn, we’ve got bench strength in this country.
1. PUP, Paranoid
Single (Frontside)
Recommended If You Like: Heavy cleverness
It’s been about two years since we’ve heard anything new from Toronto’s PUP. The new single is (as they say) a “signature mix of humour and intensity.” Listen carefully to 1:45 into the song when all hell breaks loose as The Lion Sleeps Tonight is played on bass. Fun video, too. Catch PUP opening for Sum 41 on their last-ever tour.
2. Sum 41, Time Won’t Wait
Heaven :x: Hell (Frontside)
RIYL: Well, it’s Sum 41, innit?
Speaking of whom, Sum 41 will play their final, final, FINAL show on January 30 in Toronto. This could very well be their send-off single (from the “Heaven” side of the release), another track from last spring’s eighth album, which has already yielded a couple of hits. There’s something about the title of this song that makes a fitting exit, you know?
3. The Monoxides, Radio Sunshine
Single (Independent)
RIYL: Old-school power pop
The Monoxides, the pride of Moncton, have been around since the 90s but haven’t done much lately, largely because everyone has grown up and has grown-up problems and duties. But the allure of being in a band is strong, so after 25 years—the last record was The Free Release of Energy in 2000—the band has returned with a new/old song (they played this song live as far back as 1998). More gigs are expected throughout the year.
4. Forty Foot Echo, Miles Away
Single (Independent)
RIYL: Speaking of hiatuses…
This is the first new material from Vancouver’s Forty Foot Echo in about seven years. There’s a refreshed lineup and a commitment to a sound that may make you think of the fuzzier bits of the middle 90s. Nice to see them back.
5. Andy Stochansky, Poetry of Birds
Poetry of Birds (ENCI Records)
RIYL: Ambitious projects
Toronto’s Andy Stochansky is on a mission to release one song a month. The title track is a lovely, poignant ballad that makes me thing of a band like Eels but with fewer synths. Give this a listen on a cold January night for maximum effect.
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