yoo doo right, Craig H, TEKE::TEKE, and NON ULTRAS
yoo doo right - The Sacred Fuck EP
The Sacred Fuck EP, which came out today, is a sharp left turn for Quebecois trio yoo doo right, taking a perhaps-temporary diversion into a series experimenting with found sounds, field recordings, and sonic collage. There’s a fascinating variety to the sounds on the EP, and they’re stitched together and manipulated in ways that are both unexpected, but also feel like they have their own internal logic. It marks another excellent release from Mothland, who are fast becoming one of Canada’s most exciting record labels.
Craig H - fears
fears by Edmonton based songwriter Craig H is hands down one of the strangest releases I’ve come across in the past few months. It’s the kind of record that you might not be sure what to think of on first listen, but there is something compelling that draws you back for a second or third listen. It’s on these listens that you realize that some of these songs are quietly incredible; “Show Me How” is a particular highlight. The instrumentation is wildly creative, and it creates an atmosphere that feels unique to this record.
TEKE::TEKE - “Bankrobber”
I don’t know how TEKE::TEKE still manages to do things that surprise me; the band is constantly evolving, but I’ll admit that their latest release “Bankrobber” genuinely came out of left field. Originally released by the Clash, it’s an absolutely top notch baroque pop influenced cover, with a little bit of noisy, garage rock, and just a touch of some real Disneyland home-on-the-range vibes. As per usual with TEKE::TEKE, it’s a combination of sounds you wouldn’t necessarily think to smash together like this, but somehow the band manages to once again turn a veritable pot luck of ingredients into a delicious meal.
NON ULTRAS - DEMOS
DEMOS is, perhaps unsurprisingly based on the name, the first release from Lethbridge based five-piece NON ULTRAS. It’s a promising first step from the band, with two songs that place themselves firmly in the new-wave/post-punk aesthetic, but also take some surprising twists and turns along the way. There’s a particularly wild saxophone solo in “Fatal Choice” (I suspect played by Wade credited on the ‘dustbuster’) that serves as a preview to the ever increasing entropy towards the end of the song, and is exemplary of what’s fun about listening to demos from a new band. It’s the sound of a band trying out some ideas, and it makes for a fun listen.
- Sean Davis Newton