Basement Revolver – “Tree Trunks”

“Really starting to feel like I need someone to talk to” are the first words you’ll hear in this new song from Basement Revolver. The gloomy, shoegaze-y song came about when Chrisy Hurn began to face panic attacks for the first time and sought professional help to deal with them. For many, conversation about mental health is still difficult to have, and the song makes it clear that it’s one worth having.

Mark Band Sanders – “Little Pieces”

There’s so much going on in this spunky single from Toronto’s Mark Band Sanders that it’s hard to pinpoint a genre. There’s elements of synth-pop, psych and pop-rock, combining together for an adrenaline-fuelled journey. There’s slick bass, twinkling synths, a guitar solo…the list goes on, and it all fits into three minutes of fun.

Bridal Party – “Fruitless”

We previously described music from Victoria’s Bridal Party as a “treasure hunt,” and it’s still a good way to describe their newest single. “Fruitless,” from the upcoming Negative Space EP, builds up summery, shimmering guitar and groovy bass around wholly depressing and relateable  lyrical matter. The entire chorus is worth quoting verbatim, but it starts with “I can’t love anyone, OH, not in this economy/Passion is a setting sun unless I win the lottery.” You get the picture.

Stellaleona x Artifiseer – “Still Snow on Partridge Island”

I feel bad that I missed the first collaborative single from Moondrip Collective, a new organization promoting queer music in the east-coast music and arts scene. Artifiseer is no stranger to the blog, and Stellaleona shows here that she has a powerful vocal presence. The dense production is a hallmark of Artifiseer’s music, and the funereal feel helps visualize winter, even in the middle of summer. Stellaleona’s lyrics speak of denialism, like the repeated chorus: “It’s not my fault, I’ll repeat it in harmony until I believe it.”  Here’s hoping there’s plenty more to come from Moondrip.

RALEIGH – “Ivy” (Frank Ocean)

Listening to the original and its spare instrumentation, I could picture what RALEIGH’s cover would sound like. Turns out they went in the opposite direction. Though it starts out simpler, with gentle guitars, there’s a thundering drum in the background hinting at the maximalist sound that will suddenly explode. It’s a nice teaser to remind us that this inventive duo is returning with a new album, Powerhouse Bloom, this fall.

Valois – “HeartSparkle”

This is an insanely fun new single with an excellent message. With synths that blip between galactic and 80s at the drop of a hat, Charles Hoppner and Shannon Murray sing about the awesome women in the music scene. You know, the ones who wrote the lyrics to your favourite songs but are stared at when they tell you they did it. It’s a burst of positive energy that calls out blatant sexism while also giving a big high-five to those who need it.