Alternative pop artist ROKI unveils her Lovable EP, and her singles “The One” and “Hands Up” have already been met with positive reviews. Produced by ROKI, Ben Kaplan (Mother Mother) and Winston Hauschild (Wanting Qu), Lovable heralds a new era of sound: dreamier, brighter, and hopeful for new possibilities, and carries with it a message that we are all lovable, even in our imperfections.
“Natural” is ROKI’s second songwriting collaboration with Tea Petrovic (who she previously worked together on “Hands Up”), as well as Nat Jay. ROKI wanted to write this song as a gift for someone close to her heart, to celebrate their positive relationship.
Lovable’s message and core theme is of love, the ups, the downs, the desperation at times, and at other times the ease. It’s an ever-evolving, ever-changing dynamic that pulls at our emotions.
Fellow Camper is a folk duo featuring Lee Watson and Benjamin Roy, who met as literal “fellow campers” sitting around the fire on the shores of Beausoleil Island in Georgian Bay, Canada. They sing in a close, two-part harmony style, drawing inspiration from Canadian folk pioneers who graced the stages of Toronto’s Yorkville music scene in the 60s and 70s. Combine that with a modern sensibility, and you’ve got Fellow Camper.
The song “Left To Go” is inspired most deeply by the desire to escape from the busy hustle and bustle of life, and looks at this both figuratively and literally. It loosely takes themes from a number of post-apocalyptic dystopian novels like Station Eleven written by the Canadian author Emily St. John Mandel in 2014. “Left To Go” is a short form of the literal question from the chorus, “Is there somewhere left to go?” that one of the protagonists in the book implicitly asks himself as the early days of the pandemic are announced. “It can be a lot of fun and really rewarding to borrow ideas and themes from other works of art and create something new from them,” explains Roy. “Station Eleven is a pretty well known work, especially when it became a miniseries in 2021, so it’s not exactly off the beaten path, but as Canadian artists we love shining a light on other Canadian artists and works of art.”
Aloysius Bell (a·lo·wish·us bell) is the alter ego of Winnipeg-born, Montreal-based singer-songwriter Annick Brémault. While her name is a nod to the male pseudonyms of the iconic Brontë sisters, Aloysius Bell is a persona born from intense soul-searching who aims to shed light on murky, in-between spaces.
Born from the interplay of otherworldly realms and her imagination, Aloysius Bell’s debut EP Warm Thing artlessly melds her distinctive songwriting with pop, RnB and electro influences. Produced with multi-disciplinary Toronto artist Driftnote (Korea Town Acid, R. Flex) and mixed by David Plowman (July Talk, Dillan Ponders), Warm Thing is set for release in February 2024.
For Brémault, “That Is Me” highlights the way that she was taught to please – like many other AFAB humans – and in this song she’s reimagining herself the way she wishes she’d been in her 20’s: not wasting time trying to please other people.
I remember looking above my bed at this painting (by a friend’s mom, the artist Louise Gill) of a woman lying alone on a bed in a dark room and thinking, that is me right now. I was feeling cozy and kind of like nothing could induce me to go out at that point even if I had had somewhere to go. And that reminded me of those times I’ve gone out despite not feeling like it (because FOMO), and ended up disappointed that I wasn’t doing something more fun to me – like napping.
Dany Horovitz is a Canadian singer-songwriter known for delighting audiences with his memorable melodies and beautiful storytelling through vivid lyrics of love, loss, and life, drawing inspiration from ancient poets, modern philosophers, and personal experiences. Born to a middle-class Jewish family in Montreal and raised outside Toronto, Dany’s music is infused with modern takes on familiar sounds: melodic guitar and piano chords, popping bass licks, and toe-tapping percussion. What kind of advice could you give a young kid in this world? For Dany, he wanted to be prepared if his nieces and nephews wanted to ask the cool uncle for life advice. Here’s what he came up with: try to be your best self as much as you can; forgive yourself when you’re not your best, because that will happen, then try again; and, forgive others too whether they ask for it or not. Basically, be good. That is the essence of his new song, “Be Good.”The writer Aldous Huxley coined the term “Phanerothyme” to describe the category of mind-altering drugs that would instead become known as “psychedelics.” It is based on the Greek words “phanein” (to reveal) and “thymos” (mind). This album is called Phanerorhyme as a nod to the fact music, too, is a mind-altering substance.
Phanerorhyme is fundamentally about change. There are stories about receiving and losing love, about being true to yourself, and about growing up.
George Collins takes listeners on a poignant and personal journey with his soul-stirring song, “My Wish For You.” Born out of a profound life moment, this heartfelt composition tells a narrative that transcends the boundaries of time and emotion.
The origin of the song dates back to a hot August day in 2012 when Collins, a late-blooming father at 50, was walking home from the hospital after witnessing the birth of his daughter. Overwhelmed by the emotions of that transformative experience, Collins received what he describes as a “download.”
The chorus of “My Wish For You” arrived almost fully formed, compelling him to capture the moment in a notebook, tears streaming down his face.
A decade later, Collins revisits those heartfelt lines as he writes songs for the “Songs for Grown-ups” EP. Inspired by the scenario of a father cuddling his newborn daughter and expressing hopes for her life, the song takes shape as a timeless piece of musical storytelling.
The chorus, with its recurring “May you…” and the resonant hook, “That is my wish for you,” becomes the emotional anchor of the song. Drawing inspiration from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s wisdom in “Letter to His Daughter,” Collins crafts a poetic list of wishes, distilling it down to the ten that find a home in the final lyrics:
“I pulled out my notebook and jotted down the lines – I still have that paper to this day (but then again, I never throw away anything – much to my wife’s annoyance!). I was sitting on a stone wall around the corner from the hospital, tears streaming down my face as I scribbled as fast as I could – attracting numerous stares from passers-by, but I didn’t care.”
Collins’s meticulous attention to emotional impact, rhythm, and singability results in a composition that tugs at the heartstrings. The connection between the lyrics and personal moments, such as Collins cuddling his newborn daughter and singing Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely,” adds a layer of authenticity and relatability.
“My Wish For You” transcends a conventional song; it becomes a vessel for the universal hopes and dreams of a parent for their child. Collins’s journey from a finance career to becoming a full-time dad and embracing creative pursuits is mirrored in the song’s narrative, making it a tribute to the enduring power of life experiences and artistic inspiration.
As the lyrics unfold, listeners are invited into a world where wishes are crafted with care, where the profound and the mundane converge, and where a father’s love becomes an everlasting melody. “My Wish For You” is more than a song; it’s a heartfelt wish encapsulated in music, resonating with anyone who has felt the depth of a parent’s love and the boundless hope for a child’s future.
George Collins has crafted not just a piece of music but a timeless expression of love and aspiration that lingers in the soul.
Neurodivergent underground cult figure BDEE (pronounced “Bee-Dee”, a tribute to Dee Dee Ramone) has written and recorded over 2000 songs and put out nearly 200 releases in his 26 years of activity as a musician. Like outsider icons Wesley Willis and Daniel Johnston, BDEE has hovered at the margins while steadily growing a cult following drawn to his one-of-a-kind personality. In BDEE’s case, his rambunctious live shows, prolific output, and dizzying versatility have also contributed to his near-mythical stature among his followers. Over the years, the Jamaican import has encompassed punk, shoegaze, hip hop, indie, goth, and everything in between, making it next to impossible to put what he does into a single box.
Lyrics by Forthman feature recurring themes — coping with isolation and being gaslit, living with mental illness, and life on the autism spectrum. The Femister-penned “Daysleeper” speaks of times when BDEE would often stay up for 72 hours straight perfecting his latest release and expressing frustration that his music isn’t getting noticed as much as it deserves to be. “Shattered Glass” speaks of the desire to raise the bar so high that it goes through the roof as the glass ceiling is shattered and the fear of being out of step with ever-changing cultural shifts looms…
Will of BDEE shares:
“Daysleeper” is the first of eight live videos from BDEE + the venomous oranges’ performance at the Dinos in Vietnam Sessions. Recorded at Grifters Studio in Massapequa Park, Long Island. The oranges are joined by drummer Hugo Lopez, who has been a significant contributor to the band for several years. “Daysleeper” is on BDEE + the venomous oranges new ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRUM EP streaming everywhere now!
The sessions, started in 2020 by Jay Carrie and Will Forthman, were created as an alternative to live shows during the pandemic, giving bands the opportunity to document their live sets and give a much needed outlet in some very isolating times. Dinos in Vietnam morphed from a DIY label to a production company and has been constantly putting out bands live sets ever since. Paul Motisi manned the second camera for this session. Check out more from Dinos in Vietnam Productions on their YouTube page https://www.youtube.com/@dinosinvietnam
BDEE + the venomous oranges crafted their new album Ultraviolet Spectrum in the hopes that like minded neurodivergence folks will be able to relate. All too often, people on the spectrum find themselves on the outside looking in. This new set of songs is the band’s way of speaking to that experience. Ultraviolet Spectrum goes out into the world as a beacon of support, as well as an attempt to help eliminate negative taboos surrounding autism, mental illness, and all developmental “disabilities.” BDEE + the venomous oranges want to personally let you know that acting and thinking differently than “normies” should not be considered a disability.
As we continue to move through the 21st century, we should look ahead to a world where there’s room for everyone on this wonderful, challenging ultraviolet spectrum we call life.
Modern Mystery 