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| Photo - Rosa Anschutz |
Berlin-born artist Rosa Anschütz, known for her spellbinding vocal work in the electronic underground, has released her new album Sabbatical via Wesley Eisold's (Cold Cave, American Nightmare) Heartworm Press, her first international release outside of Germany. Heartworm has previously released books by legendary artists Genesis P'Orridge, Mark Lanegan, Alan Vega and more, and Rosa Anschütz's ambitious 14-track statement compliments the label's catalogue with her haunting minimalism and visionary depth.
Swapping pulsing club beats for a raw, cinematic intimacy, Anschütz channels the spectral beauty of Moon Pix-era Cat Power, the mystique of Nico, and the experimental clarity of Björk and Dead Can Dance. The stripped-back arrangement foregrounds Anschütz’s arresting voice, carrying lyrics that feel both prophetic and personal.
With Sabbatical, Rosa Anschütz emerges as one of the most compelling avant-garde voices of her generation... an artist unafraid to dismantle genre, geography, or expectation. The album is a bold reinvention and a testament to the patience and precision of a singular creative vision.
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The Bankes Brothers return with their most dynamic release to date, the new EP, Where Do We Go From Here? (produced by Gus Van Go), featuring the high-energy focus track “Waited All Night.” Known for their infectious live shows and timeless rock ‘n’ roll spirit, the band continues to carve out their place as one of Canada’s most exciting emerging acts.
The EP also features recent singles “Bedroom Wall,” “Get To Know,” and the title track “Where Do We Go From Here?” – each showcasing a different side of the band’s songwriting. “He was great at opening us up to the mindset of ‘serve the song,’ and the production style and choices were a direct result of that,” Nelson Bankes (lead vocals, guitars) says of working with acclaimed producer Gus Van Go (The Beaches, Arkells, Hollerado).
Following their debut EP In Waves (produced by Steve Bays of Hot Hot Heat/The Zolas), the band is now entering a new era – bigger, bolder, and brighter than ever. With Where Do We Go From Here?, The Bankes Brothers deliver a collection of indie-rock bangers made for the stage, proving themselves not just as a band to watch, but a band built to last.
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| Photo - Jen Squires |
As anticipation builds ahead of the release of her full-length debut album A Call From Somewhere Else on Nov. 7, Canadian singer/songwriter Drea Lake is offering another preview with "Dream Spinner," a song that pays tribute to people in our lives whose unwavering support often goes unacknowledged.
Co-written with James Maltese and built upon an arrangement by Timothy Abraham that incorporates intertwined trumpet and synthesizers lines, the music of "Dream Spinner" lives up to its title and follows the pattern set by previous singles "4U" and "Sturgeon Moon" in demonstrating that Drea Lake is not a typical folk singer.
Drea says, "'Dream Spinner' is about uncovering those loved ones that often do so much for others but may have a hard time taking center stage. The wonderful Dominic Leveille played the first ever trumpet line that I composed and he brought such a great touch to the song. And Timothy Abraham did something so creative and magical in the way he arranged this song. I love the dreamy quality."
Drea co-produced A Call From Somewhere Else with renowned Quebecois acoustic guitarist Antoine Dufour, who also added his instrumental talents to a majority of the songs, along with a host of other contributors drawn from the worlds of Canadian roots, jazz and classical music. Blending genres has always been a major focus of Drea’s compositional style, and the album sessions were carried out in the spirit of collaboration.
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Rising artist Dynamyte released her highly anticipated second single, “Probably,” last Friday across all digital platforms, accompanied by a dynamic visual performance video. The visual showcases Dynamyte behind the drums in a live studio setting, surrounded by her band, delivering vocals straight to the camera with undeniable confidence and energy.
This new track follows the success of her previous single “Checkmate”, which marked the beginning of a bold new musical era for Dynamyte. With “Probably,” she continues to expand her repertoire, combining her signature blend of classic R&B, sultry neo-soul, and sharp hooks with rhythmic intensity and an upbeat groove that highlights her rare ability to sing while drumming.
“This was one of the last songs written on this album, a few months before meeting my girlfriend. We realized I didn’t have a true love-themed song in my catalog yet, so this track filled that gap. During the session, one of my co-writers asked, ‘What would you do if the love of your life walked in right now?’ Without thinking, I said, ‘I’d probably run.’ That one line became the backbone of the whole song,” says Dynamyte. “The song is about the fear of vulnerability and the instinct to run from someone who might actually be ‘the one.’ ‘You’re probably the one, so I’m probably gonna run’ is both funny and heartbreaking. It captures that contradiction perfectly.”
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| Photo - JCPenney |
Ezra Bell, one of the 21st century’s most organically successful folk/Americana bands, has released their new single “cannonball wingman,” the latest offering from their forthcoming studio album, Chin Chin. Ezra Bell’s ninth studio album serves as a tribute to the band’s lead singer and lyricist Ben Wuamett, who unexpectedly passed away in October 2024.
“Cannonball Wingman” captures a day in the life of someone spinning stories that may or may not be true. The gangster tale reflects Ben’s beginnings in the hip-hop world with that genre’s internal rhymes and syncopations finding their way, subversively or not, into his lyrics, while channeling Ezra Bell’s signature mix of raucous Americana, folk, and indie grit.
Set for release October 24th via ONErpm, Chin Chin was fully written and recorded before Wuamett’s unexpected passing last fall. The 11-song collection serves as both a way of honoring Ben’s life and musical legacy while also paving a way forward for Ezra Bell, an eight-piece band that has created its own sound featuring an unusual mix of street-hard lyrics with folk-pop and Americana sounds sprinkled with elements of rock, blues, jazz, and R&B.
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