The Denim Daddies, Saint Idiot, Aladean Kheroufi, and Waldo Poblano
The Denim Daddies - Northern Goods
The Denim Daddies are, in many ways, the closest thing Edmonton has to a house band for the entire city. They’ve long been known round these parts for being one of the partyingest, rockingest, country bands in Alberta, and Northern Goods shows that they are excellent songwriters not only in the 10PM-2AM side of country music, but can write for the morning after too. “Whisky Waltz” is about as soft as we’ve heard the band, and there’s some welcome depth to the lyrics on the whole release, without ever losing the sense of fun that’s so central to the band. Only downside is that it’s over too soon.
Saint Idiot - “Thin Places”
St. Idiot has been on our radar for a while here at the Cups N Cakes Network. The only thing their releases have in common is that they are well and truly surprising, from the electro-folk-pop of 2021’s Alternate Utopias from a Nostalgic Future to their most recent release, the Sufjan-esque “Thin Places”. There’s a scattered, collage-like quality to the arrangement of the song, culminating in moments where all the pieces seem to self-assemble into climactic moments that dissipate just as quickly as they appeared.
Aladean Kheroufi - “Why Do You Call For Rain?”
Aladean Kheroufi seems destined to become Edmonton’s #1 musical export, and with the announcement of his debut LP and the release of its first single, that seems like more of a certainty than ever. For anyone who has seem him play live, that shouldn’t seem like a stretch; he has an effortless cool and charisma on stage, supported by one of the best groups of musicians in the city. “Why Do You Call For Rain?” showcases Kheroufi’s pitch perfect sense for arrangement, production, and performance, and while there’s a million individual elements to fall in love with here, Kheroufi never forgets that at the end of the day, goddammit, he’s just trying to make us all feel something.
Waldo Poblano - Couch Potato Pleas, Vol. 2
Edmonton’s finest purveyor of both blues-rock and hot sauce (their merch table is, shall we say, unique) Waldo Poblano released “Couch Potato Pleas, Vol. 2” on March 16th. It’s a dark and gritty little riff driven number, soaked in spring reverb and driven by the Waits-esque quality to lead singer Ryan Korbutt’s vocal performance. The horns are a welcome addition, and give the track a couple drops of a spicy something-something that make the song linger on once the runtime is through.
- Sean Davis Newton