The List
TWELFTH EDITION
Story by Adam Steel
Sky Ferreira “Everything is Embarrassing”
“Maybe if you let me be your lover / Maybe if we tried than I would not bother”
Simple words. Simple beats. It is the emotion that 20 year-old Ferreira thrusts into the fuzzy backing vocals that bolsters this superior love song from landing thud at the bottom of the Top 40 barrel. Sweet, wistful harmony and retro dancehall rhythm make for an exercise in winsome nostalgia. You’ve been warned.
Ferreira graces the cover of V Magazine’s Youth Quake issue, donning head-to-toe Givenchy, with Grimes and Charli XCX. Check out her chat with Elton John.
From the long-awaited EP Ghost due out October 2
Melody’s Echo Chamber – “I Follow You”
Recorded at the beach house of lead singer Melody Prochet’s grandparents, this quirky standout track of atmospheric pop is the perfect soundtrack for this time of year; an exuberant composition to complement the still-warm winds and kaleidoscopic colours. Lo-fi strings swell over a lush and grainy soundscape, calling to mind early Asobi Seksu or Blonde Redhead, while Prochet’s piercing vocals are clearly indebted to the late Trish Keenan.
Melody’s Echo Chamber is out September 25 on Fat Possum Records.
MEC open for The Raveonettes at The Phoenix on October 2.
Modern Superstitions – “Bad Habit”
The ultimate adage in female-fronted rock music: “you’re no good for me, but I just can’t quit you” (or something like that). Well, it is taken to the nth degree on “Bad Habit,” which overflows with sassy exuberance as female lead Nyssa Rosaleen slices her way through raucous chords, wagging her finger at some foolhardy youth before realizing that she herself is part of the problem. A perfect piece to blast from the car stereo while doin’ donuts on your neighbour’s lawn just because you feel like it.
The up-and-coming musical outfit is set to appear on MuchMusic’s The L.A. Complex; their debut, self-titled album is out October 23 on Last Gang Records
Moon Duo – “Sleepwalker”
“Sleepwalker” is psychedelic gold that reverberates with shambolic instrumentation (guitar and sitar) and drippy vocals, sending listeners into a reeling trance. The accompanying video shows a creepy, cult-like aerobics class led by the charismatic King Khan and scored by two DJs (Moon Duo) who look as though they have already indulged in the cyanide-laced Kool-Aid. Shot in liquid-slow motion, the sweaty and hedonistic vibe culminates in a death-by-tickle-fight before cutting to black. (Personally, I love it when anybody pays homage to Richard Simmons and Jane Fonda).
New LP Circles is out October 2 on Sacred Bones Records.
Moon Duo play The Silver Dollar Room on October 2
Dusted – “There Somehow”
A striking blend of rigid textures and trumpeting howls, “There Somehow” is an excellent comedown track from this homegrown duo, accompanied by an austere video of overwhelming despair that would drive you to drink if it weren’t so beautiful.
Dusted play 918 Bathurst Space w/Perfume Genius on October 5
FIDLAR – “Cheap Beer”
“I / Drink / Cheap / Beer / So / What / F*** / You. “
Never mind that I have actually muttered this exact sentiment to a certain bartender at a certain Kensington Market watering hole. So what? FIDLAR, this sniveling foursome of L.A. miscreants, have mastered the two-minute fight song and earned the distinction of being 2012’s answer to Iceage. Which is a good thing. Seriously, I love Iceage.
Debut LP out in early 2012 on Mom & Pop Records.
