Bad Hoo, Temps, Eye of Newt, and Kaunsel
Bad Hoo - A Run-in with Worms
Victoria’s Bad Hoo return after a long layover to deliver their most focused album to date. A Run-in with Worms is a rock record at its core but within the eleven tracks that make it up, you’ll hear some punk, garage, psych, and surf. Holding it all together and giving Bad Hoo their unique sound is the voice of frontman David Oswald. It’s not a voice a music executive would be swooning over but I sure am! Moving between actual singing, shouting, and a sing-speak delivery, Oswald’s vocal delivery is the hook that grabs you and sucks you in to explore more.
Temps - Big Deal EP
Calgary post-punk act, Temps, return with their first new release since they dropped their debut album just over two years ago. A couple changes as the band is now considered a two piece comprised of two guitarists in David Lavoie and Aidan O’Reilly. On their new EP, they brought in Calgary mainstays Chris Dadge and Nate Waters to play drums and bass. Enlisting these two as rhythm section was genius as Dadge and Waters add a ton to the airy guitar interplay between Lavoie and O’Reilly. The Big Deal EP delivers a classic post-punk sound, it’s exactly what I think of when I define the genre. They make it fresh through proficiency, these tracks have been crafted, recorded, produced with expert attention and that makes it an EP worth checking out.
Eye of Newt - Stay In Your Lane
Nate Waters is one of those musicians more known as playing for other people. He’s a staple in the Calgary music community, notably playing with Samantha Savage Smith and hey… didn’t we just talk about Waters in the Temps review… sure did! On his debut EP as Eye Of Newt, Waters dive’s deep into experimental pop with some wild songs that pull subtle elements from psych, jazz, krautrock, and post-punk. It’s a fun release that unfolds layer by layer with each listen, lending itself to repeated plays.
Kaunsel - Pixel Geometry
Kaunsel is the electronic experimental project of Edmonton’s Parker Thiessen. If you follow the genre, Thiessen needs no introduction. He’s been a massive part of Canada’s experimental scene for more than a decade and it’s always a treat to dive into one of his creations. His latest album is a triumph that could easily score your favourite sci-fi series. The pitch of the blips and bloops that cut into your psyche as you listen harkon to a computer generated world, one where AI life forms are just as prevalent as mammalian ones. Whatever images these sounds may invoke for you, one thing is definite, Thiessen has an uncanny ability to transport listeners to another world with his musical creations and Pixel Geometry does exactly that.
- Jeff MacCallum