David Ivan Neil & Alex Rake, tonk, Aversions, and sKiN
David Ivan Neil & Alex Rake - Hot Cow Summer
My favourite outsider folk artist returns with a collaborative effort. If you follow my reviews, you know my love of David Ivan Neil’s wry wit and tongue-in-cheek storytelling. He makes heartbreaking moments laughable without losing their emotional impact or making them a mockery. It’s a true talent. For this release he shares space with Alex Rake, another outsider folk artist whom I only discovered through this release. The two work off each other perfectly and even share back and forth commentary on a few tracks. While this may not be as impressive as Neil’s record released earlier this year (not much is), it’s a great listen and (for me), a great introduction to Alex Rake.
tonk - Wildflower
In the early 2000s Canada had a surge of great alt-country bands like Cuff The Duke, Elliott Brood or Sunparlour Players. The recent rise of indie country popularity has awakened the Canadian music scene and we are seeing an influx of great alt-country. Case-in-point, Vancouver’s tonk. Ironclad melodies and compositions that walk the line between country and rock so well that you can pick out both genres on each and every track. The songs are crisp and catchy while retaining a touch of patina needed for this reviewer to enjoy anything country music related.
Aversions - Empty Century
Vancouver post-punk band, Aversions, return with their first album recorded as a trio and not a quartet. On Empty Century they turn up the dystopian meter and deliver a darker, 80s inspired approach to their sound. It’s fitting for an album that heavily examines AI and how it could destroy counter-culture. This is about as fitting a record you can hear right now as our first AI generated song has hit the Billboard charts. Empty Century is Aversions most cohesive album to date, both musically and thematically, check it out!
sKiN - Alspach Shipka
Edmonton art-punk band sKiN probably aren’t known beyond the confines of their hometown but hopefully that will change one day. On the second release they deliver a meticulous punk record where the notes not played are just as important as the ones you’ll hear. There’s a Shellac vibe throughout this record’s arrangements but also in the vocal delivery. But what makes the album really stand out is the surprise appearance of a new instrument… saxophone! You gotta hear this record!
