The Bobby Tenderloin Universe, THINE RETAIL SIMPS, Cookie Delicious, and Facecut
The Bobby Tenderloin Universe - Satan is a Woman
In the past few years there’s been a country music revival of sorts and it’s something I love and hate at the same time. That’s my relationship with the genre, I love a country record or I hate it. In the case of The Bobby Tenderloin Universe, I absolutely ADORE IT! This Edmonton act has a mystique about them that is fun but totally unnecessary because the classic country they craft is pure joy. With second generation country music being used as the main template, Bobby Tenderloin and company add some psychedelic vibes by peppering in spaghetti western influences which makes the compositions fit for the modern appetite of indie country fans. The icing on the cake is in the lyrics which lean into Outlaw Country, a subgenre that was born much later and makes this whole package sound fresh. It’s the exact mash-up of country genres and era’s that hits me in all the right ways. The Bobby Tenderloin Universe is likely the best act in Canada to emerge from the current “indie” country music revival.
THINE RETAIL SIMPS - Strike Gold, Strike Back, Strike Out
The Retail Simps exemplify garage rock. Their recordings are extremely scrappy and have a ramshackle frenzy to them that simply blows my mind. I once heard Neil Young say that every band's playing style is either The Beatles or the Rolling Stones. Musically, The Simps definitely exemplify the swagger and the chaos of The Stones. They feed off each other and play their tunes with “feel.” It never comes across as planned, it sounds like a jam session. If you’re only into polished music you won’t get it, that’s okay, this is a genre that isn’t for everyone but some of the best bands in the world work in this way. Now I’m not here to compare The Simps to Crazy Horse or The Stones but those are bands that played with similar ethos, it’s a feel, a vibe, an energy, a symbiotic relationship between band members that makes this music some goddamn genuine. The Simps are everything you crave in a garage band and they don’t care if you get it or not.
Cookie Delicious - Punch Dance In A Wooded Glen
Winnipeg’s Joel Klaverkamp is one of that city's indie music grandfathers. Active in his hometowns music scene since 1989, he’s truly found his place as one of Canada’s best kept secrets. Regular readers of this column may remember that I covered him earlier in the year for his amazing release entitled, Collaborations. What you may not know is that it got some Polaris buzz among jurors (yes, I was a juror). While that release was great and featured a ton of Winnipeg’s favourite artists as his collaborators, his newest effort is more of a statement to what Klaverkamp brings on his own. It’s perfect indie-dance that will instantly bring to mind LCD Soundsystem in the sense that it’s highly danceable but not “club” music. Let’s hope Klaverkamp takes these songs out on the road, they’ll be best served in live, a “shake your ass,” setting.
Facecut - Goes Around
There is a small city near the Alberta/Montana border called Lethbridge and for some reason it seems to produce some of the finest indie rock in Canada. Bands from Lethbridge inevitably leave the small prairie city for bigger and better or they fizzle out, leaving us some amazing recordings to continue enjoying for the rest of our lives. Next in line as the next great Lethbridge band is Facecut. They deliver a high-octane, garage-inspired sound that moves between rock and punk with a subtle psychedelic kiss. They consistently deliver an EP per year that is always at the top of my mind for my favourite short release of the past twelve months. Goes Around is no different, it’s a great continuation of what we’ve come to expect. Hit play and crank it up to warm your heart during these cold months.
- Jeff MacCallum