Guest Edition #5
For the past few weeks we have been bringing in some guest writers to helm this column and fill in for Matthew Belton. We’ve been telling you this whole time that Matthew would return… sadly that will no longer be the case. We truly appreciated the time he spent as a member of our team and wish him all the best.
Because of this new development, we will continue bringing in guest writers until we find a permanent replacement. Just to recap, so far, we’ve had Napalmpom vocalist, PJ Lavergne, Saskatchewan singer/songwriter, Megan Nash, Cassia Hardy of Wares, and Emily Bachynski of Bad Buddy come in to take over. On our fifth “Quick Picks Guest Edition,” we are very excited to hand the column over to JP Lancaster.
JP is a fixture in the Kamloops music scene. Not only does he run the amazing label Factotum Cassettes & Oddities, but the advance singles from his forthcoming solo album have us foaming at the mouth with anticipation for its release. As a label owner, JP loves hunting down new jams, please enjoy the four releases he wanted to share.
JayWood - Some Days
JayWood's EP "Some Days" is the anthem for when you're riding your bike to see your crush. I don't necessarily agree with the Mac DeMarco comparisons. Sure, he's on Captured Tracks, and yes the lead in "What You Do To Me" is "Ode To Viceroy"-ish. I hear as much Shad as I do Mac, and throw in some Kinsella brothers in a major key and you've got an artist who has carved out his very own exciting niche.
Doohickey Cubicle - Don't Fix Anything ;)
Vancouver's Doohickey Cublical, formerly Booty EP (which, for the record, is a great band name), have released a definitive Canadian pop album and I command you to help it blow up. "Don't Fix Anything ;)" is the audio equivalent of hanging out at John Rogers Park or Third Beach. I don't live in Vancouver anymore, and Alli and Francis probably hang out at better places, but you can port the experience to your backyard hang by playing this album. Don't be fooled, however! There is so much depth and complexity to this record that distilling it down to the soundtrack of your apocalypse BBQ is a crime (though it can serve that function quite well)!
Belle Tower - tend to
If the previous two picks are the start of your weekend, Belle Tower's "tend to" is the emotional Sunday finale. I get a perfect marriage of 60's folk arrangements with modern treatment of instruments. I would go so far as suggesting there is an Andy Shauf-esq drawl to Isabella Harned's delivery, with the vulnerability to match. Album closer "She Moves In Phases" is an absolutely timeless piece that pays homage to the past while being squarely rooted in the present.
dad sports - I Am A Boy Just Leave Me Alone!!!
At the risk of dating myself, I hear shades of PS I LOVE YOU in dad sports. Hopefully the latter is aware of the former, given Kingston and Ottawa are a mere 2 hours apart, though a blank on that connection doesn't take away from the strength of this album. Melancholy, nostalgia, and the vitality of youth never fail. Can you please go on tour with my guy, Yaris Paris? I think you both secretly love The Radio Dept, though at bare minimum I love you all.
- JP Lancaster