Download: Oh! Canada 24

Oh! Canada returns for our twenty-fourth Edition. This month finds a number of previous Oh! Canada artists returning with new material, and plenty of brand new discoveries from all over Canada. Some of the artists will be heading to the UK in the near future, so if you like what you hear be sure to let them know!

Stream the tracks below or download Oh! Canada 24 here.

Jim Bryson – “Night Sweeping (Part Two)” –

Last month our exclusive track series kicked off with Kashka‘s “Smoke It Out”. This month we welcome Jim Bryson, a long-time Oh! Canada favourite, last seen on Best Fit as part of our premier of the Kathleen Edwards mini-documentary and accompanying Best Fit Session. Jim has been busy of late building a new studio as well as working on the follow up to his 2010 album The Falcon Lake Incident, but still found the time to record this song specially for us. This recording also features drums from Phillip Shaw Bova and Back Up vocals from Dave Draves.

Michael Feuerstack & Associates – “Friday Night Guard (ft. John K Samson)”

“Friday Night Guard” is taken from Michael Feuerstack’s forthcoming Record Store Day release Singer Songer. The project brings together numerous different musicians Feuerstack has performed with over the years, each singing a song written specifically with their voices in mind. Guests include Bry Webb, Devon Sproule, Jesse Stein of The Luyas and Little Scream amongst others, while this track features John K Samson of The Weakerthans.

Gianna Lauren – “Ghosts”

Gianna Lauren will be leaving her hometown of Halifax, NS in May for a series of UK shows including The Great Escape. The suitably shimmering “Ghosts” is taken from last year’s On Personhood EP, recorded live off the floor at Ontario’s House of Miracles with JJ Ipsen, Justin Nace and Marshall Bureau.

The Royal Foundry – “Gone”

Based out of Sherwood Park, Alberta, The Royal Foundry are husband and wife duo Jared and Bethany Salte. The band’s debut album Wherever We Go, released earlier this year, demonstrates the couple have a fine line in life affirming anthemic folk-pop, complete with hand claps, wailing harmonica, glockenspiels and triumphant horn sections.

Groenland – “Superhero”

Sabrina Halde and Jean-Vivier Lévesque, are the band leaders of Montreal’s Groenland. The energetic “Superhero” is taken from debut album The Chase, which has seen the band making a big impression in their native Quebec and beyond with their bright and breezy piano led orchestral chamber-pop.

36? – “Soul Searching”

It would be fair to say Calgary’s Taylor Cochrane and his bandmates in 36? are ambitious sorts. Their album Where Do We Go From Here is a kaleidoscopic pop adventure taking in glam guitars, huge choruses, bleeping electronics, gang vocals and most probably the kitchen sink too. This later fact seems appropriate given that the band intend to follow up the album in April with a reprise album featuring versions of the songs all played on household objects.

COOL – “Gold”

In September last year, former Apollo Ghosts Adrian Teacher and Amanda P teamed up with Shawn Mrazek and spent 2 days recording with John Collins of production duo JC/DC and The New Pornographers in an old paint factory. The result of this was Paint, the debut album for COOL. Teacher’s knack with a melody and turn of phrase remain intact, and while there is still plenty of jangling guitars present, COOL are an altogether more grove based proposition, channelling the likes of ESG and Remain in Light-era Talking Heads amongst others.

BART – “The Wall”

BART are Christopher Shannon and Nathan Vanderwielen, formerly of The Elwins and Ruby Coast respectively. Their debut EP BART by BART is due for release 16 May ,and if it is full of the kind of psych-pop brightness present on ‘The Wall’ it promises be a treat.

Nap Eyes – “No Man Needs To Care”

After a series of EPs over the last couple of years, Halifax’s Nap Eyes have just released their debut LP Whine of The Mystic via Montreal’s Plastic Factory Records. Singer, guitarist and songwriter Nigel Chapman is joined by Monomyth’s Seamus Dalton and Josh Salter with Brad Loughead of long time Oh! Canada favourites Long, Long, Long and Each Other to craft slightly slanted, effortlessly catchy songs.

Bankrobber – “Soon”

The release date for Bankrobber’s Life’s Nutso album is listed on their bandcamp page as January 2037, a nod to the fact that the album has, for one reason or another, been heavily delayed since work first began on the project back in 2011. Now it is out in the wild, it features Jordan Minkoff’s distinctive vocals and playful approach to songwriting, sometimes channeling 80’s synths and winding guitar lines, while at others calling to mind a more chilled version of of his rambunctious rock n’roll band Slam Dunk, who have been touring recently with Built To Spill.

The Courtneys – “Nu Sundae”

Last year The Courtneys released their self-titled debut record, packed full of three minute jangling indie-pop that hark back to the sounds of the late 80’s/ Early 90’s Flying Nun records artists, The Blake Babies and even hints of The All Girl Summer Fun Band or fellow Vancouverites Cub in places. Irrisisteble and insistent melodies bubble under sharp lyrics, while the songs are pushed ever forward by lead vocalist and drummer Jen Twynn Payne. Earlier this year the band released a new cass-single “Lost Boys”.

The Pack A.D - “Animal”

We first featured The Pack A.D way back in 2008 (we even included a link to their Myspace page). Since then the Vancouver duo of Maya Miller and Becky Black have battered, sweated and riffed there way through literally thousands of shows across Canada, Europe and the UK. During that time they’ve evolved and honed their sound, and, with the help of producer Jim Diamond (The Dirtbombs/ White Stripes/ Electric Six) succeeded in capturing their ferocious, occasionally fuzzy, garage-punk on record. Animal is taken from their latest record Do Not Engage, out on Nettwerk on May 5th. They play the Garage in London on 7 May. Here’s hoping for some green-screen hand puppetry.

Solids – “Haze Away”

February saw the UK release of Blame Confusion, the long awaited debut album from Montreal duo Solids. An album laden with fuzzed out guitars and driving drums, there is a certain sweetness to the melodies on the record, and, as Sam Willis observed in his review of the record, “Haze Away” is one of the catchiest of the bunch.

PUP – “Resevoir”

“Resevoir” is the debut single by Toronto’s PUP (Formerly the Boy Meets World referencing Topanga). A headlong charge of a song, it’s typical of the bands energetic approach – clattering drums, charging guitars and gang-vocal singsongs are the order of the day, with the occasional Pinkerton-era Weezer nod for good measure.

Biblical – “Second Sight”

Having featured a track from their debut EP back in late 2011, it is a pleasure to include the rampaging opening track of the band’s debut album Monsoon Season. Since we last featured them the band has played shows and toured with the likes of Kyuss Lives, Red Fang, Fucked Up and Death From Above 1979 amongst others, honing their classic rock, metal, stoner and psych influences into a suitably epic 38 minutes of riffs, shredding solos and crashing drums accompanying frontman Nick Sewell’s emotionally charged vocals.

USA Out Of Vietnam – “You Are A Comet, You are on Fire”

The compilation closes with a band we have been wanting to be part of Oh! Canada since tracks from their debut Crashing Diseases and Incurable Airplanes started appearing on their Bandcamp page back in 2012. The record is finally getting a UK release thanks to the good folk at Aurora Borealis. The Montreal 4 peice are joined on the record by 15 guests over the album, including Patrick Watson and are the latest project of musician and producer Jonathan Cummins who melds heavy drones, drawn out guitars, pummelling drums and noise outbursts with harmonies, vocordered vocals, choirs and horn sections to create a heavy, soaring wonder of a record.

For more new music and videos throughout the month don’t forget to follow @ohcanada_uk on Twitter