We’ll start this week’s Five Songs You Must Hear list with three straight new Canadian songs and wrap up with a couple of tracks that should go well with your Halloween. If that’s your thing, of course.
1. Alexisonfire, Misogyny
Copies of Old Masters Volume 1 (Dine Alone)
Recommended If You Like: Double Cancon
Back in the late 90s, Rusty was one of Canada’s great indie alt-rock bands. They had a decent run before they broke up, and everyone went their separate ways. The guys in Alexisonfire would have just been getting into music when Rusty were at their peak. They obviously had an impact—it was a snowboarding favourite in 1996—because AoF has covered this Rusty song for this collection of Cancon covers, which also features The Hip, Doughboys, and Shallow North Dakota. The record will be out November 7.
2. Glorious Sons, New Plan
Single (Frontside)
RIYL: Heartland Canadian rock’n’roll
If you caught Glorious Sons on tour anywhere in the country this past summer, you will have heard this new song, which quickly became a fan favourite. It also started showing up on Canadian radio rather organically. It’s now been released as an official single. Expect more GS stuff in the months ahead.
3. Reid Henry, Bad Drug
Single (Independent)
RIYL: Still more Canada
Reid is a singer-songwriter who prefers things on the raw side. If you’re deep into the Canadian scene, you might remember a group called My Darkest Days who had a rock hit with “Porn Star Dancing.” They got to tour with Three Days Grace, Linkin Park, Nickelback, and System of a Sound. When they broke up, Henry formed a group called Deadset Society. Now he’s gone solo with this style of arena rock.
4. Midnight Syndicate, Mr. Midnight Theme
Darkened Corners (Independent)
RIYL: Gothic horror instrumentals
Halloween is coming, so some new music is in order. Midnight Syndicate specializes in Gothic horror instrumentals, making them the perfect people to create music for amusement parks and theme parks, as well as film and TV. The duo, Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka, just completed a project for Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas. This EP features some of that music as well as some unreleased material.
Listen on Spotify
5. Librarians with Hickeys, Ghoul You Want
Chilling, Thrilling Hooks and Haunted Harmonies (Big Stir Records)
RIYL: More Halloween music
I’ve received more new Halloween-themed music this year than I think I’ve ever had. Is Halloween the new Christmas? Librarians with Hickeys—how’s that for a name?—contributed the lead track to this compilation of 21 brand new Halloween songs. The record is out now, so you might want to stream it through a Bluetooth speaker at your front door this October 31. You’ll have the coolest soundtrack trick or treat spot on the block.
Listen here.
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