REAL SICKIES, Night Committee, Private Lives, and No Frills
REAL SICKIES - Under a Plastic Bag
When you’re an independent pop-punk band from Edmonton getting unsolicited public endorsements from Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, you are doing something right. REAL SICKIES are one of (if not) the best at what they do in all of Canada. Power-pop blend with new wave and indie rock to deliver hook-filled, punk bangers ready for the radio. Under a Plastic Bag is their first album in four years and the wait was worth it as this rowdy group of no nonsense dudes from the prairies deliver a start to finish listen perfect for the pent up anticipation we’re all feeling for a summer of fun in the sun.
Night Committee - Your Plans Mean Nothing
Cruising three hours down the QE2, we find one of (if not) the best things about Calgary… I’m talking about Night Committee, the band created by Andrew Wedderburn and Joel Nye in 2009 after the breakup of their previous group, Hot Little Rocket. Now you may need to be of a certain vintage to know… (it has been eleven years since the release of their previous album) but if you know, you know. Night Committee rip and Your Plans Mean Nothing is the best rock record of 2025 so far. It’s impossible to understand how any song from this release isn’t exploding across rock radio in Canada. In the interest of brevity for this column, all I can say is turn this on, loud… you’re welcome.
Private Lives - Salt of the Earth
After exploding into our collective consciousness in 2022 with their debut EP, Montreal’s Private Lives return with a sophomore album that sees them settling into their skin. Salt of the Earth features a confident sound from a band that is comfortable in their sound and have come into form as the purest representation of themselves. Power-pop with a tiny drop of garage-rock grime is what Private Lives deliver and they deliver it with ease. The tracks are all catchy (as has been a running theme this week), but the wink to genres that are much rawer makes this release all the more engaging.
No Frills - Sad Clown
Self described as bummer-pop, Toronto’s No Frills return with their sophomore album, Sad Clown. Since bummer-pop isn’t a genre that likely means much to those reading this, I’d describe them as art-pop. There’s some slacker vibes, some yacht-rock vibes, and some moments that remind me of Ween at their poppiest. It’s a really interesting listen as the band somehow manages to deliver a lethargic feeling to the album while at the same time also being perfect summer-pop. It has me slightly perplexed but willing to say that the genre they’ve coined for themselves is apt. Sad Clown is intriguing and demands multiple in-depth listens.
- Jeff MacCallum
