PREMIERE: Dresser Tackles Self-Doubt in Ana-Maria Espino Trudel-Directed "Competency" (Music Video)

View fullsize

Dresser, from left to right: Chrissy Lawson (bass), Finn Dalbeth (guitar and vocals), Kevin White (drums), photo by Alex Apostolidis

Trigger Warning: The following music video contains flashing lights that may affect those who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy or have other photosensitivities.

Montreal art rock trio Dresser reckons with quarter-life uncertainty with the premiere of “Competency”, a kaleidoscopic music video melt-down softened by DIY charm. Directed, edited and produced by multi-hyphenate media artist and filmmaker Ana-Maria Espino Trudel, “Competency” sees Dresser embrace catharsis at a trippy band practice in an unidentifiable studio.

Between whirring zooms, psychedelic transitions and the band jamming in strobing, red light in various degrees of focus, Espino Trudel skillfully personifies the anxious and existential monologue of vocalist-guitarist Finn Dalbeth.

On “Competency”, Dalbeth shares:

“Musically, Competency is our stab at a dancey and carefree pop tune. But lyrically it is self deprecating and faintly sinister. The first verse is essentially me calling myself incompetent, hopeless, and lazy, which I find in a light-hearted way to be quite a fun and empowering tone to take in front of a live audience. The song goes on to fantasize about sabotaging a generally harmonious relationship, and explores further feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction. While all this may seem grim, writing ‘Competency; felt like a healthy outlet at the time. Even though in hindsight it certainly could be an example of ‘writing on the wall’. In the funniest way, of course."

“Competency” is Dresser’s first offering from the band’s independent sophomore album Fuel, set to release August 2nd, 2024.

Buoyant yet gritty, “Competency” brings a garage-meets-jangle spunk to the ever-pensive Dresser. Recorded and mixed by René Wilson (Faith Healer, Anemone, Baby Jey) at Value Sound Studios in Montreal, “Competency” tempts both headbanging and swaying, (hopefully) hinting at the worlds traversed on Fuel.

Until the full-length arrives, watch the video for “Competency” below!

---

FUEL

Out August 2nd, 2024

1. Heavenly Lethargy

2. The Wringer

3. Dolena

4. Competency

5. Never

6. By Your Side

7. Fuel

8. Still Looking 

Recorded and mixed by René Wilson at Value Sound Studios in Montreal

---

Dresser

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | Youtube

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

---

Related Articles

PREMIERE: Night Lunch Trashes Post-Breakup Blues in "Junkyard of Love" (Music Video)

View fullsize

Night Lunch by Aabid Youssef

Suitcases packed for their SXSW debut, Montreal misfit pop entourage Night Lunch unveils their new music video for “Junkyard of Love.” Coming off the band’s 2023 sophomore album Fire in the Rose Garden, “Junkyard of Love” is a gritty reimagining of the Brill Building ballad for today’s broken-hearted. 

On “Junkyard of Love,” Night Lunch frontman and music video star Lukie Lovechild shares “‘Junkyard of Love’ is a song about loneliness and isolation. Cannon fire says just how silly we can be, planting us firmly as the butt of the joke.” 

The prescription for coping with a dying flame is different from person to person. Some indulge at the bar of a local watering hole, take up ping pong, or find themselves in the depths of Reddit rabbit holes in the middle of the night. For Night Lunch, a cynical personification being “down in the dumps” in their oddball Phil Osborne (Osborne Oddities) cut depicts Lovechild as a lover scorned, wrestling with stinging bruises in a psychedelic scrap yard. 

Watch the premiere of Night Lunch’s “Junkyard of Love” below!

Director Phil Osoborne on “Junkyard of Love”:

“Lukie gave me some footage that he and Marlee shot in a junkyard. I edited what I thought were the best parts then did some rotoscoping of Lukie over the footage using a computer screen as my rotoscope machine. Going frame by frame with paper on the screen, tracing him playing guitar or dancing. These parts were inspired by Rick Raxlen's animations. Then I decided to improvise some more animation based on what is said in the lyrics, including some junkyard-type creatures such as a love tank shooting hearts out of its eyes. All drawings were done using sharpies on 8.5” by 11” paper. At least 600 drawings in total.”

Catch Night Lunch on tour across the USA & Canada this spring:

March 12th, 2024 - Austin, TX @ SXSW (Swan Dive)
April 19th, 2024 - Québec City, QC @ Le Pantoum
May 10th, 2024 - Sainte-Thérèse, QC @ Santa Teresa

Night Lunch

Instagram | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple | Youtube 

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

---

Related Articles

Pony Girl Cements Their Legacy at Club SAW

Pascal Huot of Pony Girl performing at Club SAW

The Ottawa music community holds its own close, so it should come as no surprise that Pony Girl’s album release party at Club SAW was a dazzling affair. Marking ten years since their debut record, Pony Girl has stepped into a complex new chapter with their latest album Laff It Off.

The night began with a charming set from Luella, the musical project of Kingston’s Liv Whitfield. Although her debut album Luna was released just one year ago, Whitfield carried a seasoned air of confidence throughout her performance. Whether she was behind the keys or crooning into a telephone, her dreamy indie-pop melodies wafted through the air, matched with playful lyrics on love (or a lack thereof). 

Leading up to Pony Girl’s set, attendees shuffled in the glow of a custom Laff It Off neon sign, feet surrounded by smiley-face balloons – an inviting scene, complementary to the album’s disposition. The room began to swell with anticipation.

Laff It Off sign for Pony Girl’s album release tour

Pony Girl emerged on-stage to a sea of applause, with band member Yolande Laroche sporting a Luna T-shirt. Within minutes, the audience was swept up in Laff It Off’s lucid narrative, swaying and screaming the words we all know to be true: “I don’t want to be working every day, I don’t want to be working every day.”

The art-pop group has garnered acclaim for their layered approach to experimentation, and even further acclaim for the way that translates so harmoniously into their live performances. The arresting vocoder yelps of Laroche and bandmate Pascal Huot, the mesmerizing proficiency of Mili Hong on the drums – it’s a thrilling experience to watch all the pieces of their puzzle fall into place.

But for a band that has seen so much recent success, including a record-high of five nominations at last year’s Capital Music Awards, Pony Girl has not compromised what it means to be vulnerable. Huot meandered through the crowd during “Wannabe,” illuminating his visage while mutedly pondering his—and our—roles as entertainment. “Age of Anxious,” the standout track from Pony Girl’s previous release Enny One Wil Love You, reverberated with conviction as its distressed musings on the grip of technology rang true.

As Pony Girl continues to find their place in these convoluted times, one thing is certain: Ottawa will be listening.

---

Pony Girl

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

---

Related Articles

FME Take 3: The Also Cools' Return to Rouyn-Noranda

The Festival de musique émergente celebrated its 21st birthday this past weekend, returning to the northern city of Rouyn-Noranda. Surrounded by lush greenery and vibrant murals, the Also Cools unpacked our suitcases and jumped straight into four outstanding days of live performance.

Featuring over 350 artists from across Quebec and beyond, FME sprawled across every sidewalk, and we are pleased to report that it shone as bright as the end-of-summer sun. As we bounced between venues, chilled Sapporos in hand, it became progressively more obvious that identifying our favourites would be no small feat – that every memory of this edition deserved to live forever. 

Our adventures included secret shows with sunset backdrops, car parking lots, chalk drawing late into the night, the Bonsound pool-side BBQ, making toast out of a Darth Vader toaster with Truckviolence, and enjoying some of the best music that the indie scene has to offer. Here are just some of the sets that made the séjour a success.

La Sécurité

Although La Sécurité marked our seventh show of the day on Friday, the art-punk quintet packed a rejuvenating punch. Rocking a pair of gas station visor shades, band member Éliane Viens-Synnott exuded carefree cool from the moment she took the stage. Her eccentric delivery and free-flowing choreography commanded the Diable Rond – as did bandmate and drummer Kenny Smith, whose technical precision was impossible to ignore.

Les Louanges

Emotive yet unserious, mellow and multidimensional – Les Louanges held Rouyn-Noranda in the palm of his hand. The Lévis native has garnered praise at lightning speed for his soulful stylings, and his appearance on the main stage certainly justified the hype. Backed by groovy basslines, howling flutes, and a slew of rapturous Queb teens, the artist floated to and fro with a captivating sense of swagger. Catching Les Louanges at this dynamic moment in his career was nothing short of a privilege.

TUKAN

Without question, TUKAN is the name on every festival-goer’s lips. The Belgian group delivered three palpitating performances over the course of the weekend, taking FME by storm with vivid post-rock arrangements. While their jam-packed set at Le Petit Theatre was a strobey-sweet affair, the magic of TUKAN’s final show will be something to remember. Lining 7ème rue with an air of bittersweet anticipation, a sea of glistening bodies gathered to transcend one last time, folding into each rhythm with the desire to make it last forever. And TUKAN? They did too.

AMMAR 808

We met AMMAR 808 on one of the many volunteer-run shuttles we took from our hotel to the main festival grounds. He told us about his long journey from Amsterdam, and mentioned he would be playing a set “somewhere, sometime soon”. Little did we know, our humble new friend is the acclaimed Tunisian producer Sofyann Ben Youssef. We caught his show at the electronic night at Le Petit Theatre, and were absolutely blown away by his masterful blend of traditional African beats and hardcore techno.

Milk TV 

Another post-punk favourite of the festival was Milk TV, a trio hailing from Brussels. Initially not knowing where they were from, we thought they must have emerged from either the Canadian West Coast post-punk scene (think NOV3L, Pottery, and Crack Cloud), or somewhere from the world of Omni, Deeper, or Parquet Courts. Their no-wave energy was electrifying and had the whole crowd moshing by the end of the set.

Myst Milano

Absolutely slayful, and a new discovery for Also Cool, is Myst Milano. The DJ and multi-instrumentalist captivated their audience with their 90s-inspired beats and hard-hitting lyrics, not to mention killer dance moves. Their album Shapeshyfter, which made the Polaris Prize longlist in 2022, now has a permanent spot on the Also Cool daily Spotify rotation.

We once again had a beautiful time in Rouyn-Noranda, surrounded by good music, new friends, and the most incredible end-of-summer vibes we could ask for.

---

FME
Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok

---

Related Articles

La Sécurité Ignites the Boulevard with Debut Album "Stay Safe!" (Mothland)

La Sécurité by Aabid Youssef

With their highly-anticipated debut album waiting in the wings, La Sécurité is ready to cause some commotion. The Montreal art-punk group shares Stay Safe! tomorrow via Mothland – a record consisting of ten electrifying tunes united in their skittish asymmetry.

The musicians that form La Sécurité are no strangers to the scene, having charmed countless audiences through other projects like Choses Sauvages and Silver Dapple, but operating within this collective keeps each member on their toes. From the arresting synths of debut track “Suspens” to the domineering bassline of “Serpent”, the band has set a standard of heightened sonic volatility, and the remainder of the record continues that thrill. Stay Safe! provokes the senses with its bilingual musings and jagged new-wave arrangements, traversing between subjects like flirtation and bodily autonomy with the same crafty cool. Expect to strut to zigzagging guitars, commanding rhythms, and a sprinkle of woodblocks.

A few weeks before the release of Stay Safe!, vocalist Éliane Viens-Synnott connected with Also Cool to reflect on the final touches and tease the summer adventures ahead.

La Sécurité by Aabid Youssef

Rebecca Judd for Also Cool Mag: This new single “Serpent” is peppy with a punch. I love the effortlessness of its undercut, how it captures the messiness of catty gossip with such breezy disco flair. This is a broader balance you strike within your forthcoming album as well: this determination to be both lyrically and instrumentally bold, scratching many different surfaces and thriving in the madness. How did the development of “Serpents” fit into Stay Safe!’s creative process?

Éliane Viens-Synnott of La Sécurité: It came about in a pretty organic way. [Drummer] Kenny [Smith] started doing that funky beat, just joking around during a practice, and [bassist and producer] Félix [Bélisle] kinda whipped out that super groovy bassline! We noodled around with the rest, keeping in mind the more dancey side of our art-punk influences (Maximum Joy and ESG, to name a few) without wanting to rip anyone off, of course. I thought it was fitting for some lyrics I had already written. I didn't want the song to be emo or dramatic or anything – just a friendly little jab!

Also Cool: The video for “Serpent” is frenzied and lighthearted, capturing everything from Sonic to South by Southwest. Your videos notoriously stay true to your sound, feeling lo-fi yet descriptive. Does the band have a particular approach to concocting music videos, or was this one just as simple as a glitch?

La Sécurité: Pretty simple, yeah! Since we kinda established that DIY/VHS approach with our first videos, we thought it was a nice direction to continue in. It's a way to keep a natural, sort-of intimate-feeling approach, highlighting good times that we have spent together as friends and bandmates.

AC: As the video shows, La Sécurité recently played SXSW, which feels like a significant milestone given your first show at DISTORSION was six months ago. Can you share more about your experience in Texas and what you took from it?

LS: Yeah, what a ride that was. Even having our first show at DISTORSION was kind of unreal! We were pretty curious to see if there would be any buzz at all outside of the comfort of our MTL scene, and I guess the short answer to that question is yes! We met many awesome people and our shows felt pretty electric. Playing six shows in a week definitely helped us weld our dynamic on- and off-stage together.

AC: Stay Safe! comes out on June 16, and you’ve teased that your debut will be “quite pleasing, even to unsuspecting eardrums”. Without giving too much away, what kinds of experimentation made the final cut?

LS: Well, there is one unexpected surprise I'm excited to share. I guess the one hint I'm willing to share is: 90s prom night vibes, haha. Once you hear it, you'll get it. Besides that, expect more songs along the same lines as what you've been hearing so far. They each have their unique touch, but somehow all belong together.

AC: Festival season is afoot… surely there are some plans up your sleeve. What does this summer look like for La Sécurité?

LS: Looking good! In June, we are hitting up FLOURISH Festival in New Brunswick, followed by a show in Québec City with our friends Jesuslesfilles (which [guitarist] Melissa [Di Menna] also plays in)! Then we head to Calgary for Sled Island, and in July we are doing La Noce in Saguenay as well as Le Festif in Baie-Saint-Paul. There are a few more dates that aren't announced yet, so it's a secret for now. Last but not least, we will be doing a record release show in Montreal at l'Esco! The date will be announced the day our record comes out.

---

Stay Safe!

Out June 16, 2023 via Mothland

1. Le Kick

2. Dis-Moi

3. Anyway

4. Waiting For Kenny

5. Suspens

6. K9

7. Serpent

8. Try Again

9. Hot Topic

10. Sleepy Rebellion

All songs written & performed by La Sécurité

Produced, recorded, and mixed by Samuel Gemme & Félix Bélisle

Mastered by Francis Ledoux

Artwork & layout by Melissa Di Menna

---

La Sécurité

Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

---

Related Articles

Dresser Shares Favourite Venues, Montreal Experiences, and Art Rock Album "Seventeen Blocks And Then Some"

Dresser by Lulu Lebowitz

There's this feeling I would get when I first moved to Montreal, where it felt like there were whole worlds of creativity around every corner, at every event, at the end of every summertime bike ride... It's a feeling of the world opening up for you and inviting you in, now that you're in the place where you're supposed to be. 

This is the feeling I get when I listen to Dresser's new album "Seventeen Blocks and Then Some." I've known the band via many DIY shows and restaurant gigs where we pushed through long shifts together. Their music is of the laid-back art rock genre, with elements of folk-punk, and has that unmistakable East Coast Canadian sound. 

I caught up with Finn to chat about the new album and our shared Montreal experiences.

Malaika for Also Cool: Hi Dresser! Let's start with the band's origin story. You mentioned that Dresser started in a now-defunct after-hours spot. Which one was it, and how have afte-rhours/DIY spaces played a part in your lives/creative endeavours?

Finn: When we first started playing together, we would rehearse and hang out in a space on Parc and Beaubien that our friends were living in. The space was in a bit of a purgatory, between having been Drones Club and before later becoming Cyberia. There were a few parties there during that time, but it was definitely more low-key on that front than in other iterations.  

We recorded our first EP there on a reel-to-reel machine that sat on the floor in the main room. I remember doing guitar takes with the sketchy electricity surging into the machine and blowing out the VU meters. Eventually, the place became too much of a hassle and too expensive, so our friends moved out.  

But that spot and others in the area like Poisson Noir were really important for me when I arrived in Montreal. I'd done my research when I was still in New Zealand, so I roughly knew that stuff I liked was happening around those there before even landing here. I wasn't able to find any of it on social media initially, so I'd just go walking around those blocks at night. Sometimes I'd come across a show or party, and other times not. The people I met were generally super nice and welcoming, which was pretty remarkable considering I was just some kid approaching strangers and intruding on conversations. It's a shame that DIY spaces like those aren't around so much at the moment. They bring a heightened community experience to live music and partying that's a bit harder to come by in bar settings. It'll be interesting to see how we could go about doing things like that again post-pandemic.

Also Cool: Was music always a part of your lives? How did you first get into the music scene here in Montreal, and how does it compare to where you're from?

Finn: I've played guitar since I was 8 and was always in bands at school, but I got increasingly invested in it in my last few years of high school. I'm from Auckland, and there was a great all-ages DIY scene for a while, so that was formative for sure. 

When I was still in high school, I would listen to Montreal bands, and I found the documentary “A City Is an Island” by Timothy George Kelly. There was a map graphic in it that they'd make a cross on every time an interviewee mentioned a venue or neighbourhood or something. So I basically obsessed over that and ended up having maps of Little Italy and the Mile End pinned to the walls of my Auckland bedroom. That gave me quite a bit to work with, so I'd just go out to shows and meet people, which led to someone passing their dishwashing job on to me. At that job, I met Chris and Kevin (bass + drums) and the other original band members, Ryan and Fawn.

In terms of getting started in the scene here, once Dresser had a set of songs, I'd just ask all the bands I'd seen and met at shows if they'd play with us. So the first show we played, I booked and promoted myself. From there, everything continued to happen pretty organically.   

I'd say I felt comfortable reaching out like that because it wasn't too dissimilar to how things would happen in Auckland when I was a teenager. I have so many good memories of great shows in various halls-for-hire around those times. But that scene seemed to fizzle out a little as all those bands got older.  

Auckland is a pretty hard place to be an artist. It's wildly expensive to live there, and from what I can still tell, there's a major lack of practice spaces and venues. But, despite that, there's still so much good music that comes out of there!  

When I arrived in Montreal, my first impressions were just that a lot was going on all the time. It was never hard to find a show to go to on any given night, and I was pretty swept up by the nightlife. The economic conditions here have just historically been more favourable to practicing art, so many people are drawn here for those reasons. It's noticeable in the scenes that I participate in at least that often a substantial portion of people aren't originally from Montreal.

Dresser by Lulu Lebowitz

AC: Speaking of the local scene, who are some bands here who you think deserve more recognition?

Finn: There are so many! Some friends of mine who are (and will be) putting out great stuff are Fraud Perry, Visibly Choked, why try, Night Lunch, Pillea, Luke Pound, Molly Drag. Other bands/acts that could always use more love are Lovelet, Kìzis, Lockimara, Sunforger, The Painters, TDA, LAPS, and Chris Hauer. Kevin is also in another band called Sick, who are crazy good. That names a few; there are probably many more that I'm forgetting.

AC: Which local venue are you looking forward to playing once shows start up again? (I'm a big Casa fan, personally.)

Finn: My favourite spot has always been La Plante, they had quite a successful fundraising campaign a little while back, so I really hope they hang in there. I think spaces like theirs are so important, and they're one of the last remaining of their kind as far as I know. Otherwise, I'm also a big fan of Casa as well as Brasserie Beaubien, who I really hope miraculously return after the pandemic, despite whisperings I've heard.

Dresser by Lulu Lebowitz

AC: Let's talk about your album, "Seventeen Blocks And Then Some." I'm interested to hear the story behind the name and the musical inspiration that went into this album.

Finn: Most lyrical content on the album deals with feelings and experiences during my first couple of years in Montreal. The title is a rough estimate of the area within which I experienced all the significant “stuff” during that time. I would wonder, "So how many blocks is it from Sherbrooke to Jarry," and thought it might be seventeen. This was probably a gross underestimation, hence the "And Then Some." I like thinking about directions, and there are a few references to things like street corners and blocks across the album, so it felt fitting.

I find it difficult to pinpoint how it manifests in the final product when it comes to musical inspiration. I tend to be into something a little different each time I decide to write a song, so I'm always drawing from different places. It all gets amalgamated once the band starts working on it. We don't tend to directly reference others very much in those stages. 

Some things I could pinpoint are that when I wrote Slowly, I was getting into Bill Callahan. The bridge in Grin probably came to be around the time when Ryan (who plays lead guitar on the album) and I would spend evenings playing Never Meant by American Football on guitar. When I wrote the verse riff for Bystand, I loved Mono No Aware by local band Sunforger.

Conceptually, this album really served to capture how Dresser sounded live at the time of recording. We played shows quite a lot and were feeling really happy with where we were performance-wise, so we wanted to translate that energy pretty directly into the recording, which is a significant factor in how it turned out.

AC: Looking forward, what does Dresser have planned for 2021?

Finn: We're planning on recording a new song very shortly that we'll put out for the summer. Then we'll be looking towards starting a new album later in the year, for which we already have much of the material.

We're desperate to start playing shows again just like everyone else, so we will be doing that ASAP. Also, with summer starting and the uncertainty around when venues will reopen, we're planning an outdoor performance very soon. So keep an eye out for that! There's a lot to look forward to.

Dresser

Instagram I Facebook I Spotify I Bandcamp

Malaika Astorga is the co-founder of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and communications specialist currently based in Montreal.

---

Related Articles

Enter La Femme's Neo-Maximalist Nightclub "Paradigmes"

View fullsize

Paradigmes album artwork by Polygon

Paris-based psyche rockers La Femme are keeping listeners on their toes in anticipation of their forthcoming record Paradigmes, out next week on April 2nd via Disque Pointu and IDOL. The LP marks a milestone for the band, being their first release after five years of touring extensively, adding several musical accolades to their trophy shelf (including the coveted Victoires de la Musique award and Gold certifications in France for their first two releases), as well as playing major international music festivals, from Austin Psych Fest to Glastonbury. Formed in 2010 by Sacha Got and Marlon Magnée, La Femme has seen a rise in success comparable to the greats, but remain humbled by the everlasting centrality of their DIY roots. 

The band has already given us a glimpse into the sultry and psychedelic smoking-lounge that is Paradigmes, through teaser tracks “Paradigme,” “Cool Colorado,” “Disconnexion,” “Foutre le bordel,” “Le Jardin,” and most recently “Le sang de mon prochain.” From what we’ve heard so far, we’re intrigued by their clever use of horn sections, DEVO-esque wind-up rhythms, and a sprinkle of cool, laissez-faire nostalgia à la Serge Gainsbourg to present a sound best described as Neo-Maximalist. 

As the title of the album implies, Paradigmes’ narrative is as complex as its grandiose musical arrangements. While the lyrics throughout unpack the many anxieties and frustrations with cultural norms and expectations within Western culture at large, it equally tackles personal afflictions within the human experience — like love and heartbreak, sexual and gendered exasperations and general feelings of depression and nihilism. The band explains that they managed to touch on both existential and intimate themes by tapping into their intuitions, noting: “Maybe it’s easier to write when you are sad or plagued with negativity? The record took on a life of its own when reflecting on our own experiences.” 

View fullsize

La Femme by Oriane Robaldo

Speaking on how the record fell into place, La Femme says that the development and production of Paradigmes was a culmination of experiments, rather than a deliberate realization of a heady think-piece from start to finish. “After we toured Mystère in 2017, the band took break from music. We reunited in 2019 with the hopes of finishing a record, and brought together a bunch of material collected in our hard-drives and chose 15 songs to build Paradigmes. It’s taken a lot of time for us to finish because we are picky on the details.” 

Knowing the band gained popularity by exclusively touring North America before they were picked up by European audiences, I was curious to know if their experiences of the United States informed the cultural critiques within Paradigmes. “Really, we just toured and traveled throughout the US a lot — so yes, the influences and experiences from those memories are definitely present throughout Paradigmes. We specifically commemorate places we’ve visited like Colorado, New Orleans and Los Angeles. But the album also features influences from other countries like Spain and Turkey, as well as three different languages (French, English and Spanish) — so, it’s a world music record in that way. We like the folklore of places and what comes out of them.” 

View fullsize

La Femme by Oriane Robaldo

The ambition of the Paradigmes project is topped with a particular aesthetic crafted by the band. Of the six singles they’ve put out so far, three are accompanied by a music video that takes place in the futuristic “Paradigmes” nightclub. Frequented by a collection of eclectic regulars, such as go-go dancers, cyborg songstresses and intellectuals with an uncanny resemblance to Michel Foucault, you get the sense that Paradigmes is a hang-out where all are welcome. The band expresses that the album’s title track and their song “Disconnexion” were the inspiration behind their fictitious venue. “The song ‘Paradigme’ sounds like a generic, 70s TV show and ‘Disconnexion’ like an intellectual radio show. Combined, these concepts created the set of a fake TV show where all the video clips are connected. At the end, when you watch them all together, it’s going to be a full-length film.” 

At the end of our interview, La Femme lets me in on how they plan to celebrate their release in the most fittingly over-the-top way possible. “We’re going to have the biggest digital party and eat popcorn in front of our computers! The best way our fans can support us is by dropping out, tuning into our record and movie and starting an orgy.” Ça marche, La Femme! 

---

PARADIGMES

Out via Disques Pointu and IDOL on April 2, 2021

1. Paradigme
2. Le sang de mon prochain
3. Cool Colorado
4. Foutre le bordel
5. Nouvelle-Orléans
6. Pasadena
7. Lacher de chevaux
8. Disconnexion
9. Foreigner
10. Force & respect
11. Divine creature
12. Mon ami
13. Le jardin
14. Va
15. Tu t’en lasses

---

La Femme

Instagram | Facebook | Website

Spotify | Apple Music | Youtube

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

---

Related Articles

In Conversation: Carlyn Bezic Talks Taking Up Space On and Offline with New Project Jane Inc

View fullsize

Jane Inc by Andrew McGill

What role do you play in today’s social media rat-race? Are you an observer (always monitoring, never posting); a creator (sharing content related to you and your interests); a critic (engaging with and commenting on said content), or; a luddite, in the sense that you’re disenchanted altogether and logged off (and out) forever? Whatever your involvement in whichever form of feed Discourse™, one’s stance on social media translates as a fraction of the self — sometimes, in more ways than one — across online spaces. These curated extensions of the self are of particular interest to Toronto musician Carlyn Bezic, and are given centre-stage in her new solo project, Jane Inc. 

Known for her involvement in acts like Ice Cream, Darlene Shrugg and as a touring member of US Girls, Bezic realizes years worth of side-gigged musical experimentation as Jane Inc. Building off samples, break-beats and Ableton tutorials, Jane Inc’s debut Number One is out on Telephone Explosion Records March 19th, and serves as a reminder that Bezic is no one-trick-pony. 

What started as layering bass, guitar, synth, and vocals on top of drum breaks and samples has now transformed into the dance-machine that is Jane Inc, with Bezic as its ring-leader. With the help of recruited support from Toronto recording engineer and stalwart Steve Chahley (Badge Epoque Ensemble, US Girls, Ben Stevenson) to coproduce, the duo recorded live drums performed by Evan J. Cartwright (US Girls, Tasseomancy), saxophone by Nick Dourado (BUDi Band, Aquakultre, Fiver) and wurlitzer by Scott Harwood (Scott Hardware) to marry Bezic’s hypnotic, cyber reveries and glittering grooves.

Leading up to her release, I got the chance to chat with Bezic on taking the reins with her latest musical venture, and how she dissects the tensions between the self and the ills of today’s digital climate on her anticipated release Number One.

To open our conversation, Bezic tells me about the origin of Jane Inc, which she explains was inspired by stringing together a myriad of concepts. “The name was born out of a few things. My middle name is Jane, so it’s kind of about me in a way. But, I also liked Jane as in, Jane Doe… Someone who is a blank ‘woman’ figure. ‘Inc’ also plays on my approach to the writing and recording process, where I thought of [the project] as my own little company where I’m playing a bunch of different roles, you know?” 

Bezic elaborates on the shapeshifting quality of Jane Inc, asserting that it’s personified more as an artistic mindset, rather than a traditional alter-ego. “[Jane Inc] is like a mental trick. It was helpful for me to view, say, a baseline as something other than a direct reflection of me — Carlyn, as a human being — that supposedly expresses to you exactly who I am. This framework was informed by an explicit exploration of how what you do online creates a new being removed from reality — which can be both liberating and also terrifying.” 

From here, our conversation shifts onto the topic of how artists in particular struggle to exist, both in relation to survival and relevancy, without having some kind of online presence. Noticing Bezic comments on this in her songwriting, I ask her how she navigates the difficult position of wanting to be critical of this phenomenon, while also having to be complicit in it. 

Sighing in a way that feels relatable, despite the lag of our Zoom call, Bezic states: “I mean, I find it to be a real mind-fuck.” 

View fullsize

Jane Inc by Andrew McGill

“The way I personally engage with the Internet isn’t very healthy, I think. I’m 100% addicted to the Internet, even though I know it’s really insidious. I’ve been experimenting with posting more and showing myself, which feels strange and disingenuous because our engagement habits are so intrinsic to our perceived empowerment. When this is tied to the thing you’re creating… it becomes even more complicated. [My music] isn’t then just an extension of who I am as a person, but also a product, and I become its advertisement — even though I’m just a human being. It’s inescapable because it is so essential for my job, and I’d rather have some control over how I am perceived by handling my social media presence myself.” Continuing on this notion of how she remains purposeful in navigating the maze of social media, Bezic comments: 

“Intentionally taking up online space represents a growth for me. I’m trying to be more comfortable sharing [my music] and being myself, and it feels similar to what it would be like in real life and during a performance. That being said, when I think about it deeply, this comes at the expense of commodifying myself and the art that I’m making. So, like I said, it really is a necessary beast.” 

Through listening to her teaser tracks from Number One, I noticed Bezic’s lyrics air her frustrations with the physical world in parallel with her commentary on social media. Her single “Steel” struck me as an observation on how identity is manufactured by our physical surroundings; through mundane, daily activities. I was curious to know if the sentiment I was picking up on was informed by Bezic’s experiences with the fast-paced rhythm of Toronto.

“Toronto is a city that hates creative people. We are also seeing in a really real and horrifying way how it also hates low-income people, unhoused people and racialized people. [‘Steel’] was born out of a very complicated relationship I have with Toronto, as I grew up here and have lived here the majority of my life. Though Toronto has a very strong [arts] community and is full of creative people, its bureaucratic, big city energy doesn’t allow for any sustainability. It hates itself. Even before the pandemic, I felt like I had no energy. The city was never giving me energy. Everyone is working to live, or living to work, the places [we] love are closing down and rents are skyrocketing. You know, the same old story as everywhere else. The opportunity keeps on getting smaller and smaller,” Bezic laments. 

Bezic’s outlook took an upward turn towards the end of our interview, where she told me about looking ahead and her plans for the future. 

“Though I complain that Toronto sucks, there are a lot of musicians here who really inspire me and push me forward. I am excited, and feel lucky to have collaborated with them [on this record]. I’m looking forward to eventually having a band at some point and figuring out a nice little setup for doing livestreams or something lowkey. Other than that, I’m already writing the next album, which I’m hoping to release in the next year.” 

View fullsize

Jane Inc by Andrew McGill

---

NUMBER ONE

Out via Telephone Explosion Records on March 19, 2021

1. Gem
2. Steel
3. Faceless, Bodiless
4. Dirt and The Earth
5. Bloom Becomes Me
6. My Oldest Friend
7. His, Mine
8. Obliterated

All songs written and performed by Carlyn Bezic

Drums and Vermona by Evan J. Cartwright
Saxophone on "Bloom Becomes Me" by Nick Dourado
Wurlitzer on "Faceless, Bodiless" by Scott Hardware
Mixed by Steve Chahley and Anthony Nemet
Produced by Steve Chahley and Carlyn Bezic
Toronto, 2020

---

Jane Inc

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

---

Related Articles

Yoo Doo Right Releases Title Track From Forthcoming Debut LP "Don't Think You Can Escape Your Purpose"

View fullsize

Yoo Doo Right by Stacy Lee

Montreal krautrock trio Yoo Doo Right have released the title track from their first full length Don’t Think You Can Escape Your Purpose, out on hometown label Mothland May 21st, 2021. This six-minute slow-burn propels the listener through a metamorphosis of sound; tethering between a surfy trip and an atmospheric, spaced-out drone, while remaining wholly contemplative from start to finish. The single hints at a refined stride for the group, presenting a masterful cocktail of soundscapes and experimentations that make it clear their debut LP will have a strong first impression. On the release, the band comments: "It’s about a person who is losing touch with reality. Who thinks he has a higher purpose, and is supposed to be an ambassador to a higher extraterrestrial race. It’s a looming atmospheric rhythm and crawl."

View fullsize

Yoo Doo Right by Stacy Lee

Alongside this anticipatory single, the band have also released an accompanying music video that is just as immersive as their otherworldly sound.

"In an attempt to achieve a higher purpose in life, the subject instead witnesses their own deteriorating mental posture. As a means of overcoming assumed existential risk (the hurdles of our great filter), the subject looks above and within believing that they alone have been chosen to solve the problems that our species faces. Images of Eva Szasz' 1968 short film Cosmic Zoom, produced by the National Film Board of Canada were cast over foliage to make for fitting imagery, complimenting the narrative."

- Justin Cober from Yoo Doo Right

Watch the video for “Don’t Think You Can Escape Your Purpose” below

---

DON'T THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE YOUR PURPOSE

Available in digital, LP & CD formats via Mothland on May 21, 2021

1. A Certain Sense Of Disenchantment
2. 1N914
3. Marché Des Vivants
4. The Moral Compass Of A Self-Driving Car
5. Don't Think You Can Escape Your Purpose
6. Join, Be Curst
7. Presto Presto, Bella's Dream
8. Black Moth

All songs written by Yoo Doo Right.

Tracks 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8 recorded by Guillaume Chiasson at Le Pantoum, Québec City. Tracks 4, 5 and 6 recorded by Sébastien Fournier at Hotel2Tango, Montréal. Mixed By Guillaume Chiasson. Mastered by Harris Newman at Greymarket Mastering, Montréal. Artwork by Louis-Alexandre Beauregard.

---

Yoo Doo Right

Instagram | Facebook | Youtube

Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (She/Her) is the Co-Founder and Editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, radio host & DJ, and a musician.

---

Related Articles

Braids Team-Up with DJ Python to Release "Young Buck" Remixed

View fullsize

Montreal outfit Braids offer a midweek energy boost with the re-release of their bittersweet track “Young Buck,” remixed by NYC’s renowned DJ Python. Hailing from their anticipated comeback album Shadow Offering, “Young Buck” was originally praised for it’s fervorous danceability; enhanced by lead singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s blazing performance. In the hands of DJ Python, “Young Buck” is no less commanding and reminisces breathless dancefloors and locking eyes with a handsome stranger. For these Calgary-turned-Montreal art-rockers, we give this pulsing sonic-makeover a 10/10.

View fullsize

Braids by Mélissa Gamache

On the remix, Braids commented:

“Upon receiving DJ Python’s remix of our track ‘Young Buck,’ my pining for the dance floor kicked in. I pulled my car over to an empty parking lot and turned the volume up as far as it could go. Alone beside the concrete barriers of a now desolate shopping mall, I was reminded of bodies beside bodies, of a night that you never want to end, of sweat, of joy. For a moment I was transported from my new and uncomfortable reality: distanced, living through a pandemic, to memories streaming behind my closed eyes, of a life lived prior, and one that will be lived again. This track offers the fuel needed to keep going, the energy needed to stay hopeful. When I close my eyes and dance to it in my living room, I am at the club and the club is with me.”

Stream “Young Buck” remixed by DJ Python below

Braids

Instagram | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Spotify

DJ Python

Instagram | Bandcamp

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (She/Her) is the Co-Founder and Editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, radio host & DJ, and a musician.

---

Related Articles