What’s your position on daylight saving time? I wish we could get rid of the whole thing. Oh, sure it’s nice to have that extra hour of sleep in November, but that’s clawed back this weekend with an hour’s sleep stolen back. Maybe a round of New Music Friday will help with the transition.
Singles
1. Holy F-, Escalate (Satellite Stories)
This four-piece Toronto electronica band has been around since 2004 and are preparing to release Event Beat, their sixth album and their first in about a decade on March 27. Things began with a song called Evie earlier this year, and for the encore, they’ve gone with Elevate, a psych-y, post-rocky track that they describe as a “euphoric and psychedelic dream drenched in technicolour.” Good one. This is lovely.
2. In Color, Headlights (Big Loud Rock)
As the self-proclaimed Music City, Nashville is more than country, and is home to a bunch of excellent rock bands. In Color has been around for less than two years, but has already had their songs streamed almost 20 million times. They have a sold-out show at the Drake Underground in Toronto on April 14.
3. Metric, Time is a Bomb (Metric Music International/Thirty Tigers)
Come April 24, Toronto’s Metric will released Romanticize the Dive, their 10th studio record. Recorded in New York (their old stomping ground) at Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady studios with producer Gavin Brown, Emily Haines says the record is “about the romance of a less than perfect life. It’s about dropping the mask of self-consciousness and vanity.” Don’t forget the big summer tour coming with Broken Social Scene and Stars.
4. Shinedown, Safe and Sound (Atlantic)
Shinedown is coming back with a new album called Ei8ht on May 29, which will be promoted on the Dance Kid Act II World Tour. Brent Smith of the band says “This album is over a year in the making. Without question as a band we pushed ourselves like never before. Especially when it comes to Eric. Myself, Zach, and Barry are so honored to create, and work with such an extraordinary producer, engineer, mixer, songwriter, musician, performer, and band mate…Safe and Sound is about reminding the competition what they are dealing with one by one.” Lots of crunch with this one.
5. Skindred, Can I Get A… (Earache)
This is one of those songs that caused me to stop and stare at the speakers with wonder. What is this? It’s fantastic! Skindred is a ragga metal band from Wales that fuses a ton of influences into something fresh. Dig into the lyrics and you’ll find the story of singer Benji Webbe and his ordeal of being orphaned as a child. Music theory time: This song is written in Mixolydian mode, which features chord changes that gives everything an upbeat and positive feeling. You’ll recognize it when you hear it. The new album, You Got This, will be out on April 17.
Albums
1. Morrissey, Make-up is a Lie (Sire)
Mozzer is back with his 14th solo album on his old label, the one that brought The Smiths to North America. Reviews have been mixed with some calling it “more disappointed than expected” wiht others calling it the best thing he’s done in some time while simultaneously calling it “uneven.” Fans will love it, of course. Everyone else? We’ll see.
2. Nine Inch Nails, Tron Ares: Divergence (expanded edition) (Null)
Fans did not see this one coming. Nine Inch Nails (now officially Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross) dropped this 44-track, 2-and-a-half hour expanded edition of the soundtrack they did for the latest in the Tron franchise last year, which was pretty good while the movie was…meh. The new edition features remixes and previously unreleased material.
Listen to the whole thing on Spotify
3. Squeeze, Trixies (BMG Rights Management)
Yes, THAT Squeeze. Chris Difford and Glenn Tillbrook have returned with a concept album (their 16th overall) based on songs they wrote when they were still in their teens back in the mid-70s. Those songs have sat on shelves for decades because until now, neither knew what to do with them. It only took half a century.
4. Various Artists, Help (2) (War Child Records)
This is a double all-star benefit designed to raise money for War Child, the UK charity that helps kids in war zones and other dicey areas around the planet. It includes material from Depeche Mode, Beck, Pulp, Big Thief, Beabadoobee, Arlo Parks, and more. Just this week, it was announced that Oasis contributed a live recording of Acquiesce from the September 28 show from Wembley Stadium. It’ll be a standalone 7-inch single with the vinyl version, but you’ll have to hunt for the hidden track on the CD.
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