Ought - "Men for Miles"

As previously mentioned, Montreal post-punk act Ought has a new album called Sun Coming Down out September 18 on Constellation. Now you can stream the opening track above. Enjoy!

Ought - "Beautiful Blue Sky"

Montreal post-punk act Ought has a new album called Sun Coming Down out September 18 on Constellation. Try out the lead single up there and here's a reminder Anthony dug the band's debut More Than Any Other Day last year:

Beyond Creation - Earthborn Evolution

I'm no technical death metal fiend, but I've been warming up to the new Beyond Creation album lately, and I'm really liking what I'm hearing. These guys dropped a debut album in 2011, but Season of Mist reissuing the record in 2013 gave the band some serious momentum.

It's not hard to figure out why a label like SoM would salivate at the prospect of working with a band like this. The playing maybe be flashy, but the writing being executed here incredibly catchy and tasteful. Not only that, but the band's incorporation of fretless bass leads to a sound unlike any relevant technical death metal act out there today.

It's great to hear bass playing such a pivotal role in a genre where it's typically tacked on in the background. Plus, the fretless' fluid, smooth tone brings finesse to a metal style that is typically a little too rigid for my ears.

I could go on, but I'd rather save something for the review, ya know? Stream Beyond Creation's sophomore album via the widget above, and enjoy!

USA Out of Vietnam - "Tonight, the Dead Walk"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI0nmal8VRg Right around the start of this year, I wrote a little something about Crashing Diseases and Incurable Airplanes, the latest album from Montreal experimental rock outfit USA out of Vietnam. So, the project has been out there for a while now, but I'm bringing it up again because it is receiving a formal release just this week via New Damage Records. I still find the band's combination of drone, doom, prog rock, and psych pop elements to be utterly enchanting, so take this as a gentle reminder to check this thing out. Above, the droning psychedelic doom-pop magic of closer "Tonight, the Dead Walk." Enjoy!

USA out of Vietnam - Crashing Diseases and Incurable Airplanes

Crashing Diseases and Incurable Airplanes, the latest project from hard-to-explain Montreal act USA out of Vietnam, is capable of scratching many musical itches at once. Here, the band combines elements of drone, doom, prog rock, and psych pop so seamlessly that the result is equally cohesive and bewildering. Press play on the widget above and let the droning psychedelic doom pop magic begin!

The Haiduks- 1968

The Haiduks is a project lead by Christian Richter, who also runs independent label Kinnta Records and is a member of the group Soft Mirage. 1968 is The Haiduks' new album, which was released in September by way of Richter's label. Above, stream the release via The Haiduks' Bandcamp.

1968 is a relatively direct callback to 1960's psychedelic pop, but that doesn't mean it isn't interesting. The songwriting on the LP is developed enough to keep it from feeling like an undercooked revivalist release, and from a sonic standpoint, it is fleshed out with both lush instrumentation--check out, for example, the gorgeous flue solo on "Weeping Willow"--and a warm analog production quality. It is easy to be skeptical about music that feels so wrapped up in a long-gone era, but when it is as well-executed as this record, cynicism becomes a challenging mentality to maintain.

No Joy- "Junior"

No Joy is an alternative rock and shoegaze outfit hailing from Montreal. "Junior" has a steady groove that continuously builds in intensity throughout without losing any momentum. The song is sung very softly and is very dreamlike in nature, this in combination with the rock styled jam the two play creates an interesting contrast between the distorted instrumentation and vocals. A contrast like this is able to give the image of multiple layers in a song even though the track itself is fairly simple. There is a clear dynamic between the members, which of course makes the songs progression more appealing.

Negaverse EP is set to release June 19th on Mexican Summer.

CFCF- "Looking So"

A new track from CFCF, which comes off a new 12'' via the New York label UNO. It's surprisng how much this Montreal producer has tailored his style since the release of his full-length debut, which I proudly own a copy of. Though it's hard for me to believe 2009 CFCF and 2011 CFCF are the same guy, I'm enjoying both heavily. On this 12'' track, "Looking So," the background is filled with spectral tones that come on so subtly. There's some deep, deep bass kicking around back there, too, but it's so soft and discreet. But of course, the manipulated vocals, which I assume are sampled, are the most noticeable item on the menu; cascading over the soft synthetics underneath.

/via/