PREMIERE: Pascale Project's Tonight My Dance (Dir. Antoine93, Released via La Rama Records)

via Pascale Project

It's been a summer of asking, "Where's the party?" From party-hopping from the skatepark DJ set to the secret outdoor rave and then back to the spontaneous park party. The pure bliss of running into your friends on the way to the gig and then finding each other again on the clandestine dancefloor is unmatched. If you know, you know, and if you don't, someone will probably post an Instagram story about it later that night.

Either way, if you like the sound of the end-of-summer dream I'm describing, then you'll love Pascale Project's latest music video for Tonight My Dance. Soaked in the tradition of summer fun in the city, elements of Freestyle and Electro weave into the House beat and are made for having a good time. These sounds evoked by our beloved corner of the world (Montreal) are now broadcast to the global network of party purveyors. The track is one of three off of her latest release, "Where's The Party" (La Rama Records).

via Pascale Project

Tonight My Dance brings the glam of club culture, calling back to glossy Y2K aesthetics and 90s high-fashion commercials. Directed by Antoine93 (another great musician and party-goer extraordinaire who we have previously covered), the video was created on a $0 budget in the true DIY spirit.

Watch Tonight My Dance below

Pascale Project

Instagram I SoundCloud I Bandcamp

Tracklisting:

A1 - Tonight My Dance

A2 - Welcome (Dust-e-1 Remix)

B1 - Welcome

B2 - Go Home

All cut at 45rpm for diverse playing styles!

Music by Pascale Mercier.

Mastered by Nik Kozub.

Artwork & design by Kris Guilty.

Manufactured & distributed by La Rama Records.

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

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Danish Post-Punk Trio KONVOJ Release Debut Album "Basher"

There's nothing I love more than a high-energy post-punk show. It's one of the few genres where I actually see people dance a bit, even if they're just subtlely bouncing up and down, trying not to spill their beer.

KONVOJ, the Danish post-punk trio, is the perfect band for this kind of setting. The word 'post-punk' is often thrown around in music writing, usually referring to the cold, angular guitars and monotone vocals found on the East Coast. KONVOJ breaks out of these stereotypes and abides by their own strict rules. Their vocals are joyful, their music still structured but less harsh than others in the genre, allowing space for elements of grunge, psych and garage rock to seep in.

For fans of IDLES, Parquet Courts, and shame, you’re sure to find a song for your daily Spotify rotation off of KONVOJ’s debut album “Basher.”

The trio met in high school in Gladsaxe over ten years ago. They're the kind of band you'd be pleasantly surprised by, playing at the local bar with your friends' band. The members have played together in different bands over the years, eventually forming KONVOJ as it exists today.

Upon creation, KONVOJ was based on the following dogmas:

• The band should ONLY consist of the three.

• It should be alive and dangerous.

• No focus on the commercial for the sake of the commercial!

• Everything had to be recorded in one-takes – mistakes / the rawness has a clear justification as an expression.

• Don't go down the same path as everyone else.

• The music needs to be liberating.

Six months after their first show, KONVOJ recorded their album "Basher" in two days, with one take for each song.

Listen to "Basher" below.

KONVOJ

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"Surrounded" - Motorists' Jangle Punk LP Explores Isolation, Community & DIY Spirit (We Are Time/Bobo Integral/Debt Offensive)

Surrounded by Motorists album art

Standing at the back of the show, holding your beer close, you're wondering if anyone is going to talk to you or if you'll have the courage to talk to that cool person that keeps walking by. This is the oddly specific yet nostalgic feeling that emerges while listening to Motorists' debut LP "Surrounded."

Comparable to various eras of punk, jangle rock, and mid-2000s Canadian indie rock, Motorists express their struggles with isolation by pairing a post-punk vocal tone with optimistic and upbeat melodies. The trio Craig Fahner, Jesse Locke, and Matt Learoyd have played music together since their early days in the Calgary DIY scene. They've since gone on to work together on various projects, including Chandra Oppenheim's release of her 1980s album EP Transportation.

Throughout their many years playing, touring, and community-organizing together, Motorists have maintained their values and ability to be vulnerable with each other, and through their music. We spoke with the band about all this and more a few months back, leaving us feeling cautiously optimistic for the future of DIY Canadian music scenes. 

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: Tell us a bit about the band and who you are as people.

Jesse: My name is Jesse, but my DND name is Nox Arcana, inspired by a minimal wave artist who made DND-inspired music. Matt, Craig & I have been friends for a long time, have played in bands together almost ever since, and eventually formed Motorists.

Also Cool: I'm interested in hearing more about the scene you came up in and how you got into the scene.

Craig: Great question! It's particularly fitting because we've been really close friends for the past 15 years. We met each other through the DIY music scene in Calgary. I met Matt when I was 16 and Jesse shortly afterwards. For me finding the Calgary DIY music scene felt like salvation. I was living a pretty sheltered suburban existence and was really thirsty for people with shared values. 

I think it's a testament to how valuable those kinds of communities are. We've been able to maintain friendships and keep those same values together moving forward, even when we've moved to different cities. We've tried to bring those inclusive anti-commercial values to the scene in Toronto, which is ostensibly not an anti-commercial music city. It's very much where people go to make money in music.

Jesse: The last show we played before the pandemic was in the basement of a comic book shop in Toronto, where we were carving out our own little DIY scene. It was all ages, PWYC, which was really similar to many shows I went to growing up in Calgary.

Matt: I also think there was sort of a heyday in the mid-2000s. Maybe from 2007-2011, during the Weird Canada era, there really felt like there was a camaraderie across Canada of various DIY scenes having the opportunity to connect. It might have just been coincidental with us being in our early 20s at that time, but there was definitely an affinity of the Calgary DIY scene with Ottawa, Victoria, and Halifax. 

It's always felt like there's been a sharing of values and perspectives. Canada also has so few major cities, so when you did get on the road to tour, there was definitely a crew of this DIY community. Obviously, these things have shifted and changed over time. Some of these people are stars, some have dropped off, and others are keeping the spirit alive… But there's just something about keeping things DIY and grassroots and trying to resist the industry machine. 

Jesse: We're now tentatively booking release shows, and a lot of those contacts are from the Weird Canada days. Those connections that we forged back then in 2009… Just the fact that Weird Canada had a map icon and you could search by place, it helped build a DIY touring circuit across Canada and connected me to all kinds of different communities.

Photo by Michelle Lemay

AC: In my own experience growing up in Ottawa, I would be so happy that any show at all was happening. Regardless of what show was on that night, everyone went because it was the only thing happening that night. Now, as I interview more bands, they all bring up this same sort of spirit of how making an effort in their own communities was what really brought them a long way.

That being said, it seems like friendships and community-oriented things are really important to you. What have you learned about friendship in your experience as a band and being friends with each other for such a long time?

Matt: What a nice question! I think being in a band is a special kind of intersection of relationship where you're buds, creative partners, sometimes roommates, and sometimes travel buddies. There's a lot of joy and intimacy due because you end up going through so much together. It's something you might not get from someone who you just see out on the weekends. 

There was also nothing about our friendship where we were once friends and had to cross the threshold into bandmates. That was just sort of the cauldron that we were forged in, so there was nothing more natural than being in a band together. We had all been in bands before, and together it almost felt like muscle memory. Even the songs came together really fast. There's a song on the record that came together three months after we got together. Regardless of if we're in each other's bands, lives or even in the same city, there's always been a cumulative effect of quickly being able to get on the same page creatively. 

Craig: We got to know each other by playing music together, which for me personally, shaped what it means to be in this sort of ideal friendship. And like Matt said, it's one where you have to depend on each other, be accountable, and work through problems together. 

You have this really rich constant negotiation and intimacy, which I think set a foundation for me personally of how powerful a friendship could be. It's more than just having a good time and chatting; it's creating a really rich and meaningful dialogue while being able to rely on each other. When we recorded this record, we were the only people we saw other than the people we live with. This record is sort of a product of that intimacy.

Jesse: I never would want to be like the Pixies, where everyone has their own tour bus. I think we all challenge and hold each other accountable. We raise each other to a height that we know that we can all achieve.

AC: The album carries a theme of reconnecting with people. What has that process been like for you? It feels like an awkwardness that we're all going through together.

Craig: One observation I've made is that COVID has forced us to acknowledge that we all have different boundaries and comfort levels. When re-entering the social world, I think it's a really good thing to approach it with this awareness of others and be considerate of what they need and what they're comfortable with. This is also why we haven't rushed into playing shows again; we're just waiting for what feels like is the right time to do so. 

Matt: Well, it's difficult for sure; a lot has changed as we start to reconnect again. A lot of the venues are gone, the musicians who work in the service industry are struggling, and those who used to tour all the time now have to look for alternative sources of income. We have less time for leisure activities and less time for practicing music. In the most optimistic version of the future, DIY will become a necessity because there just won't be that many places to play. 

In Toronto, we have Rehearsal Factory, where 90% of bands rehearse, but they're all being sold, which is probably 1000 rehearsal spaces gone. We got really lucky because Craig has a basement we can use, but almost everyone I know uses these spaces to rehearse. 

The barrier for entry is definitely a lot higher. I think the landscape is going to change in general. Still, I hope that it makes it so that when shows do happen, people will think of them as really valuable and won't just treat them like a party opportunity. Instead, it will make them more inclined to build community. 

Motorists

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

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Le vaisseau d'or Release Ethereal Dreampop EP Desire Forever

It's Friday, the summer heat is shimmering before you, and you're trying to ease your way into the day. Desire Forever drifts in with silky chords drift in to accompany your late-summer weekend adventures, and suddenly you're the main character of an indie film where nothing happens, but everything is beautiful.

If you enjoyed that little bit of daydreaming, you'd love the Montreal shoegaze dream-pop outfit Le vaisseau d'or. They've just released their fifth EP Desire Forever, a three-track blend of the smooth and soft sides of early Spiritualized, Jesus & Mary Chain, Suicide, and Mazzy Star. The songs started as an improvised live session and were then mixed and elevated by Collin Hegma from The Brian Jonestown Massacre. 

Watch the ethereal visualizer filmed in Nunavik by Farid Kassouf below.

Le vaisseau d'or

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

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NYC Synthpop Sweetheart Shallowhalo Release "Hypnotize" on Open Tab (Fire Talk)

Art by anahit via Shallowhalo

Imagine a soft-grunge pastel ghost rave in an old Victorian mansion. That's the energy that Brooklyn synthpop artist Shallowhalo (yes her name is inspired by the Cocteau Twins song), the latest addition to the Open Tab roster, embodies with her track "Hypnotize." For fans of sugary-sweet Spanish pop, Kate Bush, Strawberry Switchblade and synthy nostalgia, Shallowhalo is right up your alley.

We got to chat with the singer about the track, her creative inspirations and more. 

Via Shallowhalo

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: Hi! Let's start who you are and how you got into music.

Shallowhalo: I'm Allyson, and I've been making music as Shallowhalo for about a year and a half now! I've also been playing synth in my friend Harrison's band Turtlenecked since 2019, which is how I got into music. We could only play a couple of shows before lockdown, but by then, I was having so much fun that I just continued writing my own songs throughout quarantine. 

Also Cool: What's the creative scene like where you're based?

Shallowhalo: Now that the vaccine is out, I've been going to shows again, and I've noticed a lot more performances in nontraditional spaces, which is really cool. Just the other week, I went to see Slic play a show on a soccer field at a park in Ridgewood, and it was so much fun. One of my favourite venues is Market Hotel. I always get excited when a train passes by during a show because it feels like it's out of a movie. 

AC: We're big fans of both Strawberry Switchblade and Spanish pop. How did you get into these genres of music, and what are you bringing to them with this project?

Shallowhalo: Growing up, my mom, who is from Guatemala, would always play Spanish music. That's how I learned about bands like Mecano or Jeanette. When we first met, my partner and collaborator, Ezra, introduced me to Strawberry Switchblade because he said my style reminded him of Rose McDowell. 

AC: You have a strong aesthetic vision to go alongside your music. Where do you find your visual influences?

Shallowhalo: I've always been fascinated by musicians who incorporate strong visual components with their music, and recently, I've been in a nostalgic phase with mid to late 2000's electropop. It's a little kitschy, a little 80's, a little perfect, and a little awful. 

AC: Building off of that, if you were to have a Shallowhalo world, what would it look like?

Shallowhalo: It would be an old beautiful Victorian home in the middle of the forest with weeping willow trees out front and a wraparound porch. The home would only be a little bit haunted (by friendly ghosts), and all of my friends would be there. At night, it would turn into a rave. 

AC: Who are some artists who you think deserve more recognition right now?

Shallowhalo: I saw Cowgirl Clue play a few years ago, and I've been a fan ever since. She's consistently putting out cool mixes and songs. Recently, I've been listening to Cumgirl8 on repeat. 

AC: What can we expect from you in 2021? 

Shallowhalo: I have a bunch of demos that I've been sitting on, so I'm definitely aiming to put out an EP or album by the end of the year. Next week, I'm playing my first Shallowhalo show ever at Open Tab's launch party and have a couple more shows planned in October. Stay tuned!

Watch “Hypnotize” below

Shallowhalo

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

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Holobody Releases Shimmering Experimental Pop Album "Phosphorus"

Holobody by Laura Donohue

Fuelled by love, light, and an understanding that change is the only constant in life, Holobody has released his record Phosphorus, which has been eight years in the making. Released on his label Gusding, the project fulfills ideas dating back nearly a decade and brought to a head through Saturn's recent run in Capricorn.

Phosphorus opens up the world of Holobody for us, and it feels as if we're being transported through a world of shimmering crystal light, surrounded by flora and reflections of past lives, moving towards a higher self. The album has a light-hearted psychedelic electronic tone, reminiscent of early 2010s indie pop. Soft and gentle melodies carrying beautiful narratives serve as an ode to the archetypal muse, the lightbringer, morning star, recognized variously as Prometheus, Venus, and Lucifer.

Holobody (Luke Loseth) navigates through this iridescent juggernaut by transforming his songs into breathing ecosystems, drawing on pop, electronic, and folk traditions as inspiration.

You can support Holobody by checking out his website, and listening to Phosphorus on Bandcamp.

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

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Tinkertoy Fog Machine Harnesses Their Twin Flame Connection on Indie-Pop Debut "Fingers Crossed"

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Tinkertoy Fog Machine, shot by Zoé Jacole

A commonality of best friendships is that you often never see one friend without the other. This is the case for Montreal’s weird indie-pop duo Tinkertoy Fog Machine, who have remained nearly inseparable as roommates, coworkers and bandmates upon relocating to La Belle Province from their hometown of Ottawa, Ontario. 

Tinkertoy Fog Machine, Tyrin Kelly (left) and Kai Thorpe (right), shot by Zoé Jacole

Since meeting in high school and finding their footing in Ottawa’s DIY music scene, the pair have played a game of musical chairs in their artistic pursuits with a rotation of personnel and collaborators over the years. Today, Tinkertoy Fog Machine shares the fruits of revisiting the bond at the foundation of their sound with the release of their EP Fingers Crossed. 

View fullsize

Tinkertoy Fog Machine, shot by Zoé Jacole

Despite their coming-of-age catalog, core members Tyrin Kelly and Kai Thorpe have appointed this double-A-side as their debut; symbolizing a mutual growth in both friendship and imagination. 

Written, produced and recorded in their cozy Rosemont studio, Kelly and Thorpe crafted Fingers Crossed on their homemade compressors and cherished 8 track reel to reel after working by day for a toy company (yes, really). The result is two twinkling tributes to the special experience of embarking on a new adventure with an old friend. 

When Tinkertoy Fog Machine aren’t at work in their studio, they run a screen-printing collective called Trap Door Printing, printing merch for local bands.

View fullsize

Tinkertoy Fog Machine, shot by Zoé Jacole

On their two new tracks, the band shares: 

“Fingers Crossed” touches upon the personal rituals people rely on in an attempt to control the world around them, and how these overlooked behaviours can be destructive. Misty synths and mushy guitar melodies form an aquatic ecosystem of sound, kept afloat by the DNA of a pop song. Similar to its predecessor, the B-side track “Someone Else” puts a sensual spin on the spacey atmosphere with silky vocals and romping instrumentation. 

Listen to Fingers Crossed

Tinkertoy Fog Machine

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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.

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Elle Barbara Shares Suoni TV Special, Stories of Community-Building, Learning to Rest & More

Elle Barbara is known in many circles, whether it be in Montreal or internationally, as a creator of worlds. Constantly carving out space for herself and other queer Black artists and individuals, her reach has pushed the community to evolve through self-reflection and acceptance. 

Elle's efforts not only revolve around her creative practice but also LGBTQ+ community organizing. This includes Taking What We Need (a grassroots group whose mission is to grant discretionary funds to low-income trans women) and Montreal's nascent ballroom scene.

She is the Mother of the House of Barbara, and her musical output alternately combines elements of soul, sophisti-pop, psychedelia, glam, and underground. Elle once again invites us into her world with Elle Barbara's TV Special, an experimental variety show set to air tonight, June 17, 2021, at 8 PM EST on Suoni TV.

To speak with Elle was an absolute privilege. We covered her upcoming special, the community building she's done over the years, and so much more.

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: How do you like to be described as an artist?

Elle Barbara: I think of myself as a singer-songwriter, as a performance artist, multidisciplinary artist, something of a pinup, definitely a thinker, director, a mother, and an intervention worker. 

I came on the scene first as a singer, and my musical practice has always veered on the holistic approach of fashion, drama, interviews and performance. I used to care more about my standing in the world, on the scene, and that sort of changed. It took on a different form as I grew as an artist and a person as I moved into my transgender power.

Also Cool: What was the scene like when you first came into it?

Elle: Well, I found the scene to my liking was very racist. I would give it all the "ists" compared to what it is today. 

It's easier to have a grounding for, say, Black queers looking to do something artistic and can't find their footing in the Village scene, to try out the Plateau-Mile End creative scene. It's easier to get a footing now. You get a sense of other people being there and the broader community wanting to hear from voices that we historically have not heard from.  Whereas, when I first came on the scene, hardly anyone was Black, let alone queer and Black. 

I found the culture to be very matter of fact about its whiteness and its cis hereto-ness. So, it wasn't easy to carve out space and perform. I've been turned down when trying to book shows in popular venues. It's not to say that it was the same people running those spaces today, but it was impossible for me to even book a show at a regular venue. I had to resort to afterhours spots and to ask for 20-40$ to do a performance. 

Elle Barbara by Fatine-Violette Sabiri & Anna Arrobas

AC: What has it been like to create your own spaces over the years? 

E: There's definitely been a shift in people's level of openness. It was very hard initially, and although it may be buzzwordy, a lot of it stemmed from intersectionality. 

I came from a place of wanting to express myself artistically. However, I feared that I would be met with antagonism in the broader Black cishet-leaning community and the more mainstream gay community. On the other hand, I felt like the pseudo-radical leftist progressive Plateau-Mile End community was an oasis of open-mindedness and hope. Little did I know, I was not prepared for the rude awakening I got when entering certain spaces. I realized that there was an intrinsic whiteness attached to it, which I guess wasn't ready for me to participate. 

That's not to say that the experience was entirely negative because clearly, that's where my roots are. I was grateful to come across many people who wanted to help me and collaborate with me. 

As far as how different it feels today, I would say that I have to celebrate myself and the work of other people who were active in their respective scenes. For example, those who spearheaded the Black Lives Matter movement pushed for conversations that benefited people who lived at the intersection of multiple oppressions to be heard and included. 

It's definitely created a socio-cultural landscape that benefited me and benefited people who are coming up on the scene and want to be heard and want a platform. Obviously, all the work isn't done, but it feels, from my perspective — coming from ten years ago — like a better place now. 

AC: I agree. Although we've clearly come such a long way, it's still essential to acknowledge the different privileges we hold. Even though we may be oppressed in some ways, we have to hold ourselves accountable in others, especially when it comes to whiteness. The work is ongoing.

When you're someone who's constantly paving the way and making your own spaces, it's hard to rest, especially when it might feel like, "If you don't do it, then who will?” So I'm wondering how you've learned to rest and ask for and accept help from others. 

E: It can be hard; coming from a place of not being used to external help and showing vulnerability. I grew up understanding that I would be left to my own devices. I don't come from a family of open-minded bougie bohemian types. I grew up understanding that the world is incredibly and outwardly antagonizing towards me. It was not okay to be myself or confide in people, be vulnerable to people, and ask for help. 

So it's kind of inevitable that I'll resort to certain defence mechanisms when it comes to allowing myself to rest, breathe, and take care of myself. These are things that I've been working on, thanks to very good friends of mine, therapy, and my sons and daughters. So, I allow myself to do those things a bit more now. 

It's not a question that you can answer easily. On the one end, there is a feeling that very few people can do the work that I started doing. But on the other end, at this point, being myself and being public is an act of activism. It encourages people to live their own Black queer truth, perhaps. I see a will in my daughters to be out in the world and do things, and I feel much more confident that I'm not the only person to undertake what I've done. So now, if a ball should be thrown, or someone should be looked after, I can look to my sisters and daughters and ask them to take it on.

AC: It is hard to say no to things, especially after you haven't been included for so long.

E: It is. Coming from a scarcity mindset, feeling like you're not going to have enough food tomorrow. I say that both literally and figuratively. Coming from a place of insecurity can push you to say yes to everything.

It's what I went through coming back from a year in Paris and feeling tremendously dejected right at the tail end of 2014. I spent most of 2015 pretty depressed and with no sense of trajectory as to where my life was going. 

Then I decided to transition, and it just clicked. I tried it out, knowing that the things that I needed to purchase in the context of that transition were so expensive. I hustled six days a week for years on end without ever taking vacation time. I'm proud of how I went about it, but I also realize that it's not a healthy place to be in for an extended period of time. 

Even if it's achieving a certain level of recognition, I saw other people who weren't more this or that than me. But, still, the attention they got was indicative of a zeitgeist that rewards normativity that I did not have. 

Looking back, I'm not bitter at all. On the contrary, I'm proud of the new music I have coming out and this special. Still, it's clear that if I had had a more conventional and coded presentation, my story would've been very different. 

AC: For sure, and at least from my perspective, it seems that many people respect and appreciate you for the path you took and appreciate you for being yourself.

E: I am proud. I'm proud of my daughters and my community and how we are growing collectively and individually. 

AC: Coming out of the pandemic, it seems like life is beginning to spark again within the creative scene. What is your most hopeful vision for the community coming out of this?

E: Creatively, I hope that people have been able to reimagine ways to communicate or disseminate their art to an audience. I don't know if that will happen, but it's definitely a process I've undertaken myself. Not to replace IRL forms of artistic presentation, those are always fun because they make for such beautiful ways in which humans get to come together and socialize. 

I hope that it will have pushed people to move into creative mental spaces, unlike how we were doing things before the pandemic. I would also hope for people to take human touch and interaction for granted. I think that, if anything, and not just from an artistic standpoint. It's going to be one of the takeaways; it really feels nice to do a show or be in a room with many people, enjoying the fruit of one's artistic labour.

AC: Let's talk about your special. It really seems like you've created yet another world, and I'd like to learn more about it. 

E: The special is going to be so much fun! I had so much fun watching the different segments and everything.

Suoni has decided to do their programming online this year and asked me to come up with content. There's only so much that can be communicated with a filmed musical performance, and I really wanted to push the envelope and make it a variety show.

I know that the idea is not very rock and roll or whatever; it's not the cool thing to do. But, it harks back to American Bandstand, those 60s/70s variety shows where there were sketches and music. I really wanted to go there. It was an opportunity for me as a curator to dream up with the help of collaborators one hour of "television" programming. It's set in a parallel universe, where everything is related to Elle or the House of Barbara. There are interviews; Tranna Wintour, my favourite comedian in Montreal, will interview me very Barbara Walters-style. There are musical performances, music videos, and commercials made explicitly for that hour of entertainment. 

AC: A sentiment I've heard from many people is that making these online events exactly like real life doesn't quite work like we hoped it would. Instead, people are taking this new medium and pushing it like you are. 

I'm also a big believer in the power of the Internet. I say this as someone who works in social media and is exhausted by it, but loves it because of the friendships and connections it has brought into my life. So for specials like this, there will always be someone who has that experience of inspiration and connection. 

E: For sure. Many people in my house are connected because of social media; otherwise, we'd be scattered all over. The beauty of doing the special is that we're simultaneously launching new music. It's not limited by the confines of the cities and venues; it can reach so many people beyond that.  

It has its pros and cons, but I definitely do not knock the Internet. We talked about social justice, and it (the Internet) definitely helped me understand the mechanisms of oppression affecting me. It informed the people who were oblivious to the oppressions they were perpetuating. That is all because of the Internet. 

AC: Even reflecting on the crowdsourcing and fundraising purely through Instagram, for example, it's been incredible. It's more important than ever to use these tools to continue to support each other and share information. I hope that it's something that we bring into this next era beyond the pandemic. 

E: The Internet has this viral nature where it's easier to influence as an individual with a standing that isn't solidified by powerful media. You can be a mini influencer, and therein lies the power to influence people to donate and do the right thing. 

You can watch Elle Barbara's TV Special on June 17, 2021, at 8PM EST on Suoni TV. 

Elle Barbara

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

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C-Pop Duo Chinese American Bear Celebrates Mixed Cultures, DIY Music & Dumplings

Via Chinese American Bear

If you grew up mixed, you probably know the feeling of always being "in-between," or never enough of one culture or the other. I'm Mexican and Polish and grew up constantly looking for other people like me, trying my best to navigate my complicated and ever-evolving relationship with my identity. That's why when I found Chinese American Bear, I was so excited to not only love their bright and upbeat music but also to relate to the shared experience of being proud of all aspects of a mixed identity. 

Their name speaks for itself. Chinese American Bear is a bubbly C-Pop duo (Bryce and Anne) creating Chinese / English tunes that bring together their cultural experiences and backgrounds. It also turns out that Bryce is half-Mexican as well! The power of the Internet continues to amaze me. 

Anyways, I had the chance to interview the iconic duo about their music, their lovely origin story, and more!

Malaika for Also Cool: Let's start with the band's origin story. You two are married, so I'm interested to know how you met and when you decided to start making music together.

Anne: Yeah - happy to start at the very beginning. We actually met in high school in Spokane, WA! I was a senior, and he was a junior, and we were both in jazz band at the time. His best childhood friend Bryan was my neighbour, and he would come to pick me up in the mornings for jazz band. Bryan eventually introduced me to Bryce, and we've been inseparable ever since. Bryce actually grew up on a llama farm in Spokane, and our first date was petting and feeding the llamas. (laughs)

Bryce: Yeah, that was a real winner date. I think I used the llamas to get her to like me (laughs). As for the band's origin, the idea of the band came at a more tumultuous time in our life.

We were living in a small apartment in Brooklyn, NY and I was generally feeling boxed in by my music pursuits at the time. I wanted a new outlet of expression that was less serious because I was starting to focus too much on perfection and processes, which caused some of my creativity to feel stale. We were also getting ready to move to Chicago because Anne was about to pursue her MBA at UChicago Booth Business School -- so I knew my past 10 years in New York were coming to an end. That was very difficult to swallow.

On top of that, Anne was teaching me Mandarin, and she had always told me that "Chinese is a tonal language, so speak it like you're singing," so the language was on my mind. We were (mostly me) going a little crazy with all the transition and changes going on, and I kind of snapped. I had a bit of a "fuck it" moment and started to break down a lot of the creative walls I built up around myself. The walls that tell you that you need to do things this way or that way. I started to experiment with new sounds, ideas and wrote a song in Chinese. I showed Anne one of the songs (Xiao Xiong). I told her I had this crazy idea for this pop duo band where we'd write really fun, unadulterated, positive music using Chinese and English. She loved it, and we just started riffing back and forth about ridiculous song ideas, wearing wigs, outfits, lyric ideas, we'd beatbox in the apartment, etc. It was one of the most creatively explosive times for me. We were kids again. No limits, no filters. Magic!

AT: Yeah, it's been so much fun. I remember him playing Xiao Xiong for the first time, and we were dancing all around the apartment. I think we were taking videos of each other dancing too, pretending we were shooting a music video. (laughs)

BB: And it's still like that, which is crazy. And I don't know if this would have happened if it wasn't for all the uncertainty and chaos going on at the time. So it's a good reminder about all the positive things that can come from these negative experiences. 

AT: Indeed. And the band name came from us always calling each other bears (or Xiong in Chinese) as cute pet names. So Chinese American Bear felt fitting. 

Also Cool: How did the band in its current form come about, and how has your music changed over time?

BB: It hasn't evolved much, honestly, other than finding where we want this first record to live musically. We developed a philosophy for this project which I touched on before, and we're still living by it. We feel like children when working on this project, and I think people can feel that. We like fart jokes, and we want to write songs about dumplings!

AC: Your project celebrates your cultural backgrounds, which I'm sure has been influenced by your experience being an interracial couple. Can you tell us a bit more about this aspect of the project and how it's affected your creative process?

AT: Yeah, absolutely. My parents are Chinese immigrants, and I experienced a pretty typical Chinese American upbringing, a home environment that incorporated both cultures. One of Bryce's grandmothers was an immigrant from Mexico, so he's had some cultural exposure to our neighbour down south, but for the most part, Bryce has had a very all-American upbringing. So our cultural differences have been a huge part of our relationship. We've had conflicts from our different communication styles, comedic moments from differences in assumptions and expectations. 

Still, most of all, it's brought us very close together as we learn from and grow with each other. One funny bit is how Bryce was accustomed to a home environment with more sugar coating, daily pleasantries, and sensitivity to everyone's feelings. In contrast, my parents have a typical Chinese directness with how they communicate with family members. So when we first started going out, I'd tell Bryce something like, "your shirt is ugly," and it'd just rip him in half emotionally. 

BB: Yeah, that really crushed me. Haha. I'm an emotional man. It was such a stark difference to how I communicated, and it took a while to get used to. I had to stop thinking that I was being maliciously attacked or something.

AT: Also, because of our cultural differences, my parents were very unaccepting of Bryce initially. Being the conservative Chinese immigrants that they are, they were really hoping for a future son-in-law who was an Asian American doctor from an Ivy League school. Instead, what they got was a white musician who went to art school. They had a very difficult time accepting Bryce in the beginning, and it went on for years. In the end, they saw Bryce's true heart, actions, and intentions, and it stopped mattering what his career choice was or what he looked like on the outside. He's also very ambitious and works extremely hard, which my parents have come to appreciate.

BB: Yeah, it was tough. It's amazing how much we've learned from each other because of it. I've come to understand why her parents felt that way, their experience immigrating to the US, their struggles, and it quickly became understandable and well-intentioned. I feel so lucky to have learned this new perspective in my lifetime. 

AT: Yeah. And today, my parents love him as their own son. So I'm very grateful for that. And also grateful to get to navigate an interracial relationship with Bryce. As for our creative process, the music we create is meant to reflect the unique dynamic we've found as an interracial couple. We're both very silly by nature and have had so much fun incorporating our cultural backgrounds into our music, like making Dumplings with Bryce for the first time. 

AC: What are your musical backgrounds? What was the creative scene like where you're from?

AT: I grew up studying classical music. When I was six years old, I started playing the violin - quickly learned that wasn't my thing (much to the relief of my parent's ears) and switched to the piano when I was seven. I performed in concerts and competitions throughout my childhood and adolescent years and eventually minored in piano performance in college. After graduation, I moved to NYC and joined an amateur classical music organization and continued playing in small recitals with friends. I still try and play whenever I'm around a piano.

BB: I grew up studying classical and jazz piano, though not to the extent of Anne's training. Then switched to guitar around age 12. Played the saxophone as well. I started forming bands and recording on my little Mbox around then. I got my first pair of crappy monitors when I was 17 and became obsessed. I feel like that was when I got completely engulfed in songwriting and recording, and it hasn't changed. I moved to New York when I was 18 and played in a few bands, made some records, went on a few small tours, and collected more instruments and recording gear. I took some engineering lessons from an engineer I really admire (Greg Giorgio from Tarquin Studios). After that, I just watched every producer and engineer I worked with like a hawk. 

AC: What's it been like being 100% DIY? Do you have any advice for other artists who are just starting out?

BB: Being 100% DIY is incredible and freeing, and very fulfilling. It's a ton of work, though (laughs). That being said, there's a lot of value in working with and hiring professionals or going into a studio. 

My advice would be to just buy a little interface and mic and make as much music as possible (DM us if you need suggestions!). Then, spend 10% of your time watching videos and learning, and the rest actually doing it. On top of that, save some money for studio time, or work with people with more experience. Watch them closely, and ask them questions. Look for a mentor. But yeah, number one is to just do it every day and slowly build your skills and confidence. 

Find your voice, find the magic of recording music, and don't follow all the rules. If you don't enjoy recording music, and you only like songwriting, that's ok! Get involved in the community and find people to complement your skills. Also, for music videos - grab your iPhone, and learn an editing program! We've recorded all our videos using an iPhone.

AT: Bryce's mom and dad helped shoot our first music video. In one of the scenes, we're walking down an empty road near Bryce's llama farm, and it was shot with Bryce's dad holding an iPhone while sitting on the back of a pickup truck with Bryce's mom driving the truck. (laughs)

Still from CHINESE AMERICAN BEAR - 好吗 (Hao Ma) [Official Music Video]

AC: Tell us about your vinyl postcards for 好吗 (Hao Ma). Can we play them on a record player? Send them in the mail to a loved one? All of the above?

AT: Yup - our vinyl postcards are meant to be a fun memento to collect. They're literally in the shape of a rectangular postcard, but you can play it on your record player, and it has our single Hao Ma on it. You can order it online and send it to yourself or to someone else as a gift. We also include a personalized note that's written by one of us! Shout out to Josh from Vinyl Post. 

AC: Are you involved in any other creative projects? If so, can you tell us a bit about them?

BB: I have my debut solo record coming out early next year under the moniker Milk Jennings. One of my favourite artists Sam Cohen, produced it, and I'm super excited about it! I have some crazy music videos in the works for it. I'm also an animator and have animated some stuff for Ashe recently. Big fan of hers!

Still from CHINESE AMERICAN BEAR - 好吗 (Hao Ma) [Official Music Video]

AC: Who are some musicians/artists in your scene who you think deserve more recognition?

BB: There are a lot of amazing artists from Taiwan/China that we've discovered. Some already have a pretty big following around Asia, but not as much appreciation in thie states. Bands like The Fur., Huan Huan, deca joins, Wayne's so Sad, and The Chairs. All so incredible. Also, Tommy Pixel is a good friend who is really pushing new ground both musically and visually. He's one of the best. 

AC: Finally, what's the best way to support Chinese American Bear right now?

AT: The best way to support us is to listen to our music on YouTube or Spotify! We'd also appreciate you subscribing to any of our channels and/or following us on Instagram to keep updated on new music. Our vinyl is available on Bandcamp. Links below!

BB: Tell your friends and family. We have a full-length record we're almost finished with as well, so stay tuned. Oh, and we have free stickers that we ship worldwide. DM us!

Chinese American Bear

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

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Good Grim's "Roommates" is the Perfect Dreamy Shoegaze Track for Your Summer

Good Grim by alcauter.photo styled by Ty Davis

There's something about hazy summer weather that makes me want to listen to slow-burning dream pop. Maybe it's the feeling on the evenings stretching on forever (goodbye Quebec curfew) or the way that the sunset seems to last for hours... But either way, I've found myself wanting more and more synthy shoegaze-y dream pop, and Good Grim's “Roommates” is the perfect antidote.

Good Grim is the art-rock solo project led by Utah-based musician Trevor Free. Known for his previous project, Sister Adolescent, Free has crafted a style rooted in hazy synths combined with post-rock crescendos. While still rooted in reverberated and lush instrumentals, Good Grim finds a darker atmosphere drawing influences from art-rock acts while still maintaining that dreamlike quality to his sound.

"My influences are mostly ambient and jazz," says Free. "I listen to a lot of the modal John Coltrane and find a lot of enjoyment in just about everything Harold Budd (particularly, The Serpent [In Quicksilver]) has done. I also find some inspiration in post-rock artists like Godspeed! You Black Emperor and hip-hop and jazz artists like Freddie Gibbs and BADBADNOTGOOD."

"Roommates" is Good Grim's second single release in preparation for their first upcoming LP 'Enchantment,' with the slow-burning ballad, "Fear of God," being the first to release in March.

Listen to "Roommates" below

Good Grim

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

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PREMIERE: sineila Debuts Surrealist Hyper-Pop Track "Blow!" (Prod. Margo)

Art by Aya Avalon

Premiering today on Also Cool, Montreal's angel-pop star sineila shares her latest track, "Blow!", co-produced and co-written by Montreal's up-and-coming hyper-pop sweetheart producer Margo. "Blow!" is infused with glittery Y2K meets Gen Z vibes, surrealism, and nostalgia, evocative of those pink glittery iridescent dolphin stickers we all had growing up.

"Blow!" blends the sound of an AM radio through broken speakers with Gen-Z malaise, a song both nostalgic and futuristic. Made almost entirely over Zoom, sineila sings of failed love and the anxiety of deep introspection in uncertain times, an honest tableau of life in 2021.

Art by Aya Avalon

The track has Gen Z song of the summer potential, with its sugar-sweet melodies and immersive wall-of-sound synths. For fans of SOPHIE, Cecile Believe, and PinkPantheress, this one's for you.

Listen to "Blow!" out on all streaming platforms now.

sineila

Spotify I Instagram

Art by Aya Avalon

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

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Hélène Barbier Debuts Shimmery Post-Punk Single "La Peur"

Photo of Hélène Barbier by Antoine Wibaut

Today one of my favourite Montreal musicians, Hélène Barbier, releases her video for La Peur, the first single off of her sophomore album Regulus. I encountered Hélène's unique sound shortly after moving to Montreal in 2015. After seeing her play a show in the basement of the Durocher lofts with Moss Lime, I was captivated by her upbeat vocals and shimmering, angular guitar. To me, Hélène Barbier's music is emblematic of the Montreal sound I've come to know and love, and so I was thrilled to be able to dive into her world once again with La Peur.

The track is beautifully off-kilter and is just a taste of what's to come with Regulus. The album explores Hélène's world filled with prickly cacti, dimly-lit tunnels and barren country roads. She delivers a bilingual heartening space pop, equal parts unnerving and comforting. 

Barbier enlists talented musicians for the album: Joe Chamandy, Thomas Molander (who we covered earlier this year), Samuel Gougoux, Diana Gerasimov, Ben Lalonde, et Olivier Demeaux. Regulus gets to the heart of the matter: a taunt to the predator of the given ecosystem.

La Peur — with a bleating groove and soliloquy chorus — innocently points out the freeness of letting go while unsolvable math problems work their way into the sediment of the bass and drum groove in the backbone of the song. The video, directed by Olivia Faye Lathuillière, explores the idea found at the heart of the lyrics of ​​living by your principles at the risk of not being understood.

Hélène Barbier seeds melodies that ferment in her head, pairing hummable lines with alien tunes conjured in someone else's psyche across time and space. She embraces imbalance through juxtaposition with La Peur and creates simmering anticipation for Regulus. The album will be released on June 18 via Michel records (digital and CD) and Celluloid Lunch (vinyl).

Watch La Peur below

Hélène Barbier

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

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"Shell(e) Pt III" is the Cherry On Top – and Marie-Clo is Taking a Bite

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Marie-Clo. Photo credit: Alex Brault

Not to get all existential on a Friday morning, but what are you looking for? Who are you showing to the world? What more is there to see? Ottawa’s creative chameleon Marie-Clo toys with these questions on Shell(e) Pt III - and we’re hooked.

Shell(e) Pt III is the latest notch in Marie-Clo’s belt, standing as the final chapter of her Shell(e) trilogy – out now for all to stream. This EP boasts indie-pop at its best, enhanced by the magic of Polaris-shortlisted producer Olivier Fairfield (Fet Nat, Timber Timbre). As a whole, the project captivates with its playful curiosity and feminist narrative. Retro groove “At Ease” shines with a punchy attitude, while “Lève tes voiles'' wraps the listener in a sensual, seaside metaphor. 

Marie-Clo · Shell(e) Pt III

But the standout track among the three is “Play Nice” – a sunny indie tune guaranteed to make your toes tap. With “Play Nice,” Marie-Clo provokes the listener to explore their soul and leaves no stone unturned. Her vocals strut with authority as she contemplates: “What are you looking for? / Are you looking for praise? / What are you hiding from? / Sentiments ablaze?” Introspection has never sounded so fun!

Shell(e) Pt III embodies the essence of Marie-Clo – an eclectic and colourful performer who does not shy away from a statement. Throughout this collection, Marie-Clo emerges as a phoenix from the ashes, and a performer is reborn.

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Marie-Clo. Photo credit: Alex Brault

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SHELL(E) PT III

Released on February 12, 2021

1. Play Nice

2. At Ease

3. Lève tes voiles

All songs written and performed by Marie-Clo

Produced by Olivier Fairfield
Mixed by Charles Fairfield
Mastered by Sage Kim
Drums, percussion & pads by Olivier Fairfield
Bass, synth & organ by Greggory Clark
Guitars by Julien Dussault

Photography by Alex Brault

The full Shell(e) trilogy is now available as an LP – complete with one additional bonus track, “Tides of Fools”. Stream and purchase the full album here!

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Marie-Clo

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Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Premiere: punctï Makes a Case For Colouring Inside the Lines With "Surprise"

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punctï is the most intriguing practice of musical constraints since Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies (or at least we think so). Turning the concept of limitation on its head, multifaceted experimental artist Laura Bardsley (and her alternating cast of one-off collaborators) strive(s) to embrace a “less is more” mindset by creating an album once a month following the same set of guidelines: composition, recording and overdubbing are done in the first, single session, and; post-production is done in another session, who’s duration is roughly the same length as the first. By cultivating a conceptual environment that aims to stretch the possibilities of performance and improvisation, Bardsley captures the “noise, meditation and inner turmoil” at the core of “Yes-Wave.” At the same time, Bardsley explains that “[the] project is all about reclaiming that childhood joy and wonder, without all the learned insecurity.”

Today, punctï premieres her 48th release, Surprise. In 15 tracks that graze the minute mark, punctï paces, yo-yos and chips away at the question she asks herself time and time again: “How do you feel today?” We had the chance to catch up with Bardsley on tinkering solo with her sampler, the restlessness of late-capitalism, and why Tiffany Haddish is “nobody’s bitch” to celebrate the four years of punctï. Check out our full interview below.

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hi Laura! Thank you so much for chatting with Also Cool. Before we get into the specifics of your latest album Surprise, let's talk about the punctï project. What inspired you to pursue such an ambitious endeavor? In what ways has working within the punctï framework impacted your artistic process, as a musician or as a performance artist?

Laura Bardsley: punctï started 4 years ago on a rather dejected Valentine's Day evening. I had a four track app on my phone and decided to make at least four tracks with the app in one night. After releasing my first album, I realized that it would be super fun to continue making albums in very short time-frames, especially if I collaborated with other artists. [The constraints of punctï] allow my collaborators and I to flex our music muscles every month, and I’ve learned enough about producing, mixing and mastering that I’ve realized there is so much more to learn.

I learned that Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner's relationship was built on a set of rules, just like punctï. It's really illuminated the endless possibilities of what is possible under a specific framework. For performing, I channel a disillusioned office worker, and it's a blast because: a) I've never worked in an office, so it's an acting challenge, and; b) It's a meld of performance art, music, choreography and comedy; sincerely the most fun I can have in one performance.

Also Cool: On that note, you've spoken to how your work channels and critiques feelings of restlessness and inadequacy within the constraints of late-capitalism. How has your perception of, and relationship with, these concepts changed and impacted the spirit of punctï with the dawn of COVID-19 and working-from-home?

LB: My perception of these concepts has only been cemented by the onset of COVID-19, but with more hope for change and growth than ever before. We're at a point where the whole world is experiencing this restlessness and these feelings of inadequacy. Somehow in our shared anxieties, there is a general understanding that this system is worn out and in need of replacement.

I've been doing remote sessions with my collaborators for most of the pandemic, and it definitely is more of a challenge to get into a creative, open and non-insecure mindset. Thankfully, we have the internet and all its gifts… Although I do truly prefer working with people IRL, and will cherish those sessions when they come back.

AC: Something I noticed when studying the punctï project as a whole is that all your collaborative albums reflect different levels of spontaneity. Can you speak to this notion of "Yes-Wave" that you and your collaborators embrace, and how you embody its mindset throughout your production process?

LB: I attribute the spontaneity to the time constraints and spirit of the project: each album is a record of my collaborators and I are at in that moment of our lives. What is grinding our gears right now? What makes us giggle? What makes us nostalgic?

One of my rules for punctï is that if you really like what you're playing, really feeling it, then change it. Make it better, make it different and challenge yourself to explore it. I used to worship No-Wave music, but at a point the rejection of musicality got old to me — I don't want to reject it, I wanna embrace it. I wanna say Yes to The Wave washing over me.

AC: You've tapered off from partnering with another artist to create Surprise entirely solo. What caused this shift and what influences did you bring into the work?

LB: I've produced the occasional solo punctï album, and since this month marks the project’s four year anniversary, I decided to do it alone. As for constraints, I only used my Sampler PO-33 KO, voice, and bass on one track. I was inspired by Tierra Whack's Whack World, where she made 15 one minute songs. Obviously I'm no Tierra Whack, and some of my tracks are over one minute long, but I really enjoyed making Surprise. At points I wanted to make more sample-based tunes, which I pepper into the record. There's bitter stuff, like "Previous Her,” nostalgia for recess on "Snow Worlds,” sex in "Eyes,” and of course, the anxiety of the pandemic in "Like A Lazy Aristocrat.” Oh, and a song about Tiffany Haddish, cause she's the best.

AC: I feel like with any work, there is always some "lessons learned" sentiment that lingers after it's fully realized. If this idea rings true to you, what has been the main take-away from Surprise?

LB: I think because I make an album per month, it's usually not really until later, looking and listening back that I get some kind of a "lessons learned" feeling. The main takeaway from this album is one I keep having to remind myself of: Why try? Why the fuck not.

AC: To close off, do you plan to continue the punctï monthly releases? Do you have any other projects or collaborations you'd like to plug?

LB: I'm pretty sure I'm gonna keep doing punctï until I die. I did the math and at age 69, I'll be producing album #420.

I do more accessible music under Blue Odeur. My newest single "Foam Born" is out on all platforms and on YouTube with a snazzy video.

Listen to Surprise below!

punctï

Spotify | Bandcamp | Youtube

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Laura Bardsley

Website

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.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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Magi Merlin's New Track "Mock Meat" is Realer Than You'll Ever Be

Mock Meat cover art via Magi Merlin, by Laurent E. Malo

A little spooky, a little bit sultry, Magi Merlin's "Mock Meat" (prod. Funky What) draws you in with textured sounds and silky vocals. The track is less of a departure from her last single, "Walking to the Dep," and more of an evolution point for Magi Merlin as an artist.

I caught up with Magi about "Mock Meat" and got to dive a little deeper into the song's meaning and her preference for vegan protein alternatives.

While we were chatting about her new track, she explained that it was not only evocative of the heavy wintery energy we've all been feeling but of a failed friendship as well. She shared that the song was her way of processing the hurt it caused while still knowing that she had made the right choice by setting these boundaries.

Via Magi Merlin

We empathized with each other about the process of realizing that a friend may not have the best intentions for you and the sadness of realizing that it's time to let them go for your own good. We're taught to break up with a partner when the relationship goes sour, but when it comes to ending friendships, especially creative ones, things get a little more complicated.

While the song may be evocative of the cold, heavy feelings we're all going through, it's a beacon of promise for the undoubtedly excellent album to come. As Magi Merlin continues to grow as an artist, it's no doubt that her creative career will blossom with her. She's one of our top artists to watch this year, and that's not a compliment we hand out freely.

Oh, and in case you were curious, Magi Merlin has confirmed that Beyond Meat Sausages are her #1 type of mock meat. "I could eat those literally every day, no exaggeration. They have a legit sausage texture and flavour. UNBEATABLE." @ Beyond Meat, we're open to sponsorships.

Listen to Mock Meat below and keep an eye out for Magi Merlin's upcoming EP Drug Music, to be released March 5.

Magi Merlin

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Won't You Come Through? The Black Creatures Talk Grief, Community Care, and Neopets

The Black Creatures by DOMvisions

Won’t you come through and kick back with The Black Creatures? The Kansas City based power duo have released their music video for D'ummm, and I’m not gonna lie, it’s been on repeat all morning. It’s the perfect mix of sweet, laidback tunes and community love. The track is off their 2020 album Wild Echoes.

Their music provides a deep introspective look into themes of grief, love, and mental health, particularly within the Black community. Jade and Xavier wanted to make music that allows people to imagine things that may not exist right now. They explain, “Music is very political. It permits us to draw out the blueprints for what we want to create.”

I had got the chance to chat with Jade and Xavier, covering everything from meaningful community activism, to what their songs would look like as Neopets. Check it out below.

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: For those who don’t know you, how would you describe yourselves as individuals and as a band?

Jade of The Black Creatures: I'm Jade Green, a singer, prison abolitionist, and Pan-Afrikanist. I'm nonbinary, and I want a world without starvation, homelessness, or police. The Black Creatures became a thing when I was going through a really hopeless time in my life, and since then it's the only thing that has consistently made sense.

Xavier of The Black Creatures: I'm Xavier and I would describe myself as unimportant in the same way that trees, rocks, birds, water, and dirt are. I'm the same as everything else: here.

We, as a band, are a collection of our greatest inspirations and fears, filtered through our understanding of music to support and uplift people who are like who we were as kids; the lonely, confused, hurt, angry, joyful, passionate, and curious.

Also Cool: What’s the music scene like in Kansas City? I know you met over the Internet initially in your senior year, and I’m wondering what the IRL and online creatives spaces in your scene are like. I’m also interested in what serpentine green lipstick has to do with your friendship.

Jade: My experience being in the KC music scene for the last seven years has been mostly what I made it. But the environment is undeniable; the music scene here is almost as segregated as the rest of KC, the home of redlining (which is the practice of drawing districts into ridiculous shapes to preserve its whiteness, property values, and funding).

At first, I was really green - I didn't come from a family of musicians, I was sort of shunned (and simultaneously emulated) by the white punk kids I ran with in high school, and I really had no background in being a recording artist. At first I felt like everyone was laughing at me all the time. When I stopped caring about what people thought of me and just started focusing on learning and growing, it really changed the trajectory of the band I think.

Xavier: The KC music scene is admittedly underrated. No one outside of Kansas City would expect so much amazing music so many incredible artists to come out of the Midwest. There's an unparalleled range of styles and approaches here. While I don't deny other places having an equally wide variety, I just think (at least for us) there's a lot of intermingling. We've played shows with punk bands, jazz artists, rappers, metal bands, noise artists, DJs, the list goes on. There is a surprising number of shows and festivals from local to nationwide, all put together by artists and performers from HERE. Or maybe I'm just not well travelled; ask me again in a few years!

The Black Creatures by Beth Taye

AC: I love your undying chaotic love for creative creation. From Sonic, to Charmed, to a huge range of musical inspiration, you seem to pull your creative forces from many different places. What are some of the most influential pieces of media, whether they’re musical or visual, been for both of you as artists and people?

J: Media consumption was very important for me growing up in the 90s and early 2000s. Watching The Fifth Element as a child gave life to my love for funk, outer space, and opera. Video games like Final Fantasy X-II & Kingdom Hearts opened my mind up to even more otherworldly possibilities, and companionship that spans beyond time. Musically it was Aaliyah, The Gorillaz, Dir en grey, and Missy Elliott that inspired me then and now to make visceral, unapologetic music - hoping it heals and breaks some curses along the way.

X: Within production and lyric writing, I've been inspired by things completely unrelated to music like Shigeru Miyamoto's approach to game design in Super Mario Bros, teaching all of the mechanics of the game in the first level in the first few seconds. I copy this approach musically by introducing the listener to a theme through melody or rhythm to kind of define the "rules" of engaging with that particular song. Or, like in visual mediums, white space (think of the unpainted parts of art on canvas) can be used to actually fill out the piece, or direct the eye, or cause tension.

Ultimately, a relationship between a song and the listener can be informed by silence. Many films have definitely inspired some work, like Annihilation, Interstellar, The Boy, and The Blair Witch Project to name a few!

The Black Creatures by Beth Taye

AC: You’ve mentioned that your activism is very community-oriented, and IRL. In an age of digital activism and performative infographics, can you tell us a bit about how you connect to your communities IRL, and the importance of maintaining that kind of connection?

J: I'm learning now what Angela Davis meant when she said the personal is the political. The most sustainable efforts of "activism" I engage in are part of my daily life: urban farming, conflict resolution services, working with children, volunteering at Food Not Bombs KC, helping Black and Indigenous folks buy houses in this predatory housing market situation our city has... speaking of which, my friend is about to lose their house because the city decided they want to build a shopping center there. In a city with several abandoned shopping centers already... yeah. I guess another form of daily activism I engage in is bringing contradictions to light. I don't say this to brag, but to give other people ideas on how to make trouble for the dying culture that wants to take us with it.

X: Honestly, keeping a network of colleagues, associates, and friends who know people who provide information, resources and/or services, and people who simply have needs is another way we approach this. At every level of society something can be done in some capacity; it can be as simple as connecting a hungry friend with someone who provides regular meals, to something as frontlines as connecting activists with someone who knows the right information.

AC: If your songs are like Neopets, can you tell us what D’ummm and Wretched (It Goes) would look like?

J: D'ummm gotta be MAD BUBBLEGUM CUTE. Like a purple-and-white Polish Frizzle chicken with nasturtium and phlox blossoms in the feathers. Chunky and funky. Life of the party. Wretched would be like a Hotep tuxedo penguin with a Kufi (hat) who speaks nothing but the truth. He also chews up shrimp to feed his children. He has braved many storms and he is loyal.

AC: Your project ranges across the Internet, from your music to your YouTube videos. How do you find balance creating content and creating just for yourselves?

J: Honestly, a lot of what I put into The Black Creatures then and now started as personal journal entries and notepad notes. What's wonderful about being part of this musical project is that Xavier has always encouraged my personal growth. If I ever was "too much," he wouldn't show it — we would just find a different way to exert all that energy and it always turns out alright.

X: Understanding my own limits is incredibly important to me. So is knowing when to say no. Finding balance, for me, is mostly about knowing myself well enough to avoid overwhelming myself. It's admittedly an ongoing process because the goal is to always know myself better. I try to extend that to the band as a whole. So, as a band, our combined processes keep us mostly balanced in regards to our workload.

AC: Who are some artists/musicians from your scene that we should know about?

J: God I LOVE THIS QUESTION! PLEEEEASE check out Les Izmore, Bath Consolidated, Collidescope, and Betty Maun.

X: I strongly recommend TideCruz, Mess, Ebony Tusks, Bad Alaskan, VP3... how long can this list be????!?!?

AC: Last but not least, what do you have coming up this year? Is there anything you want to shoutout/highlight?

J: We are planning to give everyone a new video from us before Valentine's Day, and a lot more later... but I don't want to spoil anything (yet)! You're the first to know about our upcoming video.

X: Issa mystery.

The Black Creatures

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Sounds from Mothland Volume I: Montreal's Music Scene, Refreshed

Via Mothland

As we settle into Montreal winter, music is, once again, one of the only things keeping us going. Lucky for us, Mothland has released Sounds From Mothland: Volume I, a compilation of bangers that provides the optimism needed to get through the season. 

The record features various artists and genres, including Yoo Doo Right, Paul Jacobs, VICTIME, Gladys Lazer (ex-Yonatan Gat trio), Spaceface (mem. of Flaming Lips), Red Mass, and more. It’s a roundup of everything your Spotify playlist has been missing, from disco tracks like Marcheé Pt. 3, to beautiful sparkling melodies by Gladys Lazer, and even krautrock post-punk tunes from Atsuko Chiba.

The compilation came out of a period of uncertainty about what the future might hold for Mothland, with each song touching on significant themes relatable to all of us contemplating our existences and missing our music scene.

"We found ourselves with more questions than answers," says Mothland, "But like the caterpillar-turned-moth we worship, we had to evolve and take flight into the night, trusting a distant light to guide us.

Guided by this light, we started putting together a compilation that would feature inspirational artists and dear friends we've had the pleasure of working with over the years. Because these are truly strange times, it meant the artists would have to further step out of their comfort zone, sharing budding ideas, and creating something new and spontaneous." 

And take flight they did. The compilation offers a fresh look at Montreal-favourites and a welcome introduction to all-new songs, all while supporting Montreal's music community. 

Mothland quotes their inspiration for the project coming from, "Legendary releases like This Mortal Coil's three albums via 4AD, Once Upon A Time In Shaolin by The Wu-Tang Clan, Brian Eno's No New York, and Subterranean Pop's classic Sub Pop cassettezines."

"We aimed for a gritty, community-oriented project. Much like homemade mixtapes consisting four-track demos punks would share amongst friends in an era when mistakes were kept on recordings, Sounds From Mothland Volume I is raw because rock & roll isn't supposed to be perfect. Living in the digital age, we also thought the physical cassette itself was a great way to showcase music as an art piece, the sum of many incredible creators."

Via Mothland

The bands were also able to weigh in on the compilation's significance and the inspiration behind their featured tracks.

Yoo Doo Right: "This track was our response to Mothland's request for an irregular/b-side/demo that would put us outside of our usual comfort zones. With the thought of making a disco song, "Marche Pt. 3" is what came out of it. We immediately knew we wanted to collaborate with Jasmine Trails on this track, adding her breathy, enchanted approach to the song. All in all, we wrote, recorded and finished the track in a couple of weeks."

Spaceface: "For "Chemical Sea (Wash Me Away)", we revisited one of the tunes on our first EP that I wrote when I was 16. The intention for this redo was to give the weight of the lyrics more emphasis. While the original Spaceface version had a great rhythm, we felt the vibe made the content sound as if it were aggrandizing drug use to solve your problems. And while drugs are fun and can be used to expand your worldview, the lyrics from the chorus are meant to point towards a sense of hopelessness amidst chaos and loss while the verses offer small tokens of hope and light in dark times, which felt strangely appropriate in these times. The line "don't drown yourself in worry... even the brightest minds are in the dark" is meant to comfort while accepting the truth, which is often a little bleak. 

Vinyl Williams played bass over a mix of drum machine and standard drum kit. The song also features a blend of three pedal steel takes from three players: Ray Suen, Paul Taylor and Yohei Shikano. It was mixed and produced by Jake Ingalls & Omar Yakar, and engineered by Calvin Lauber."

Paul Jacobs: "I wanted to record some beats in 7/4 and track some bass on top. Figured I'd add some guitar since I have one. 

Then I thought, a shaker would really get this going. Next thing you know I'm singing on the dang thing. After that point, why not add some synth? It's a song about appreciating the moments of creative inspiration and acknowledging the fact that it comes and goes." 

"To us, Mothland exists to whoever needs it. It's a conceptual place where to be free, where to forget our troubled existence, and where to hide when need be. For this project, we've simply captured some of its beautiful and frightening sounds, hoping to share them with the rest of the world." -- Mothland

The compilation is dedicated in loving memory of Claire Vincent Larocque.

Listen to Sounds from Mothland: Volume I on Spotify below, or buy it as a limited edition cassette from the Mothland website. 

BARBUDO: The British "Pop-Funk Pizzazz" Brother Duo

Photo Credit: BARBUDO

BARBUDO is a Pop-Funk/Psych band from Havant, Portsmouth. Brothers, Ben and Harry Stanworth and Elliot Salter just released their latest single “Magnolia Mansion.” This tune is filled with funky and psychedelic undertones, fervent vocals and is topped off with a seriously groovy bassline. The unique pairing of these elements creates a fresh distinct sound that fully surrounds and captures audiences worldwide.

They take inspiration from 70’s funk, soul and disco pioneers and add on their own unique, modern twist. Their songs are intricately oozing with soulful melodies and charming themes. If you just want to get up, have a good time and dance - these are your guys.

We had the pleasure to talk to BARBUDO on topics ranging from the band’s visions, who they’d choose in a disco-dance off, their biggest influences and creative processes.

Sierra Kaylen for Also Cool: Hey Ben and Harry. What’s up? How’s life?! 

BARBUDO: Good thanks! Staying afloat during these strange times.

Also Cool: How would you go about describing your band and overall vision to those who haven’t heard of you before?

BARBUDO: We call our sound Nu-Eyed funk - a fresh take on Classic Funk, Soul and Psychedelic grooves.

AC: I’m hearing a lot of funky and psychedelic undertones on your singles: Are there any artists from the 60s - 70s that have influenced your work? I’m hearing a lot of Parliament- Funkadelic and absolutely loving it!

BARBUDO: Yeah we are big P-Funk fans and love music from those eras. We take inspiration from various 60s & 70s artists, spanning from The Beatles to The Isley Brothers.

Photo Credit: BARBUDO

AC: What’s the creative scene like where you live? Has it impacted the art you make? 

BARBUDO: There are some great bands in Portsmouth, who constantly inspire us to improve. We are all different but it's fun to gig together and learn from each other.

AC: BARBUDO is a brother duo, how did this come about? Harry and Ben - how is it like working together as siblings? 

BARBUDO: A bit of brotherly love never made life difficult for a band ... did it?

AC: “Magnolia Mansion” is your new single. How did the song come alive? Why did you decide on the name? 

BARBUDO: The song came into fruition when experimenting with a Tascam tape machine. Ben made this riff and set of chords, which wound up turning into the song. We chose the title as we felt it encapsulates the escapism of the track; it's a place in which you can disappear.

Photo Credit: BARBUDO

AC: Who was your favourite artist of 2020? If you were to pick one artist as a collective, who would it be? How has this person influenced your creative process? 

BARBUDO: We've been listening to a lot of Mac Miller this year. Something about his lyrics really hit home. And obviously, the beats bang. We also love releases by Sault and The Black Pumas.

AC: We are living through very strange times right now, what do you do to stay motivated and dedicated to your music?

BARBUDO: This year we have tried to find a good balance of doing things to look after ourselves alongside the music. Exercise is really important, as well as getting out of the house for long walks. Basically just doing things to clear our minds so that time spent on music is more productive. 

AC: Were you guys always interested in music and pursuing it? Where do you think you’d be without it?  

BARBUDO: We've been playing together in bands since we were teenagers. It's a passion we pursue completely and dedicate most of our spare time towards. But most of all the songwriting process is so enriching and meditative. I don't know what we'd do without it. More yoga maybe!

AC: Choose your fighter on the disco-funk dance floor: Prince or the Bee Gees? 

BARBUDO: Prince - little man, big attitude.

AC: Who would you like to collaborate with in the near future? Also, If you could go into the past and collaborate with any funk musician, who would it be? 

BARBUDO: We would love to collaborate with Thundercat. He's such a talented and tasteful musician and seems [like] a good laugh too. Also, we would love to go back in time and have a jam with Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band - such tight grooves.

AC: What’s your top piece of advice to musicians who are just starting out? 

BARBUDO: Might be a bit cliché, but don't do it for anyone other than yourself! It's very easy to fall in the trap of thinking "will people like this/it is good enough?" Just focus on how the creative process is rewarding in itself, regardless of whatever success does or doesn't come your way.  

AC: Finally, how can we best support your band and music? Any final messages you’d like to leave to the people who look up to you?  

BARBUDO: Please follow us on socials and keep steaming our music! We have a vinyl for sale on Bandcamp too if that's your kind of thing. Our message is: Thank you all so much for your support. It's great to have anyone engaging with something you created. We appreciate the love and have more tunes coming out soon for you!

Photo Credit: BARBUDO

BARBUDO

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Montreal's DEMO FEST Utilizes Punk Ethos in a Call to Action

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The 2020 Winter Solstice marks the anticipated launch of DEMO FEST, a huge selection of submission-based demos created by over 350 musicians around the world during the Fall season of the pandemic, as well as a dusk ‘till dawn livestream telethon, hosted by Suoni Per Il Popolo’s Suoni TV.

What started as a songwriting challenge between DEMO FEST founder, Martin Tensions, and his bandmates has now grown into a world-wide benefit for Solidarity Across Borders, a migrant justice network based in Montreal. Since 2003, Solidarity Across Borders supports primarily non-status and refugee individuals and families in Montreal through popular education, direct mutual aid and support work, and political mobilizations, including demonstrations, pickets, delegations, and direct actions. All proceeds from the sales of the DEMO FEST release, as well as funds raised during the telethon, will be donated to Solidarity Across Borders.

We had the chance to chat with Martin Tensions and DEMO FEST team member Sasha Pozzolo about how their community mobilized to beat the woes of isolation while advocating for migrant justice, making DEMO FEST more than a compilation.

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hi Martin and Sasha! Thank you so much for collaborating with Also Cool to chat about DEMO FEST. To start, can you introduce yourself to our readers and tell us more about who you are and what you do?

Martin: I've been in and around “DIY punk” since I was a teenager; playing in bands, booking shows, going on small tours. Playing and participating in music isn't something I want to “make a living” from, but it's always been the center of my friendships and creative endeavours. I used to organize mixtape exchange clubs for my friends every year, which I think could be described as a forerunner to DEMO FEST.

Sasha: Similarly, I’ve been in and around DIY/punk since I was a teenager and playing in bands actively more so for the last five years. I have a nerdy history of studying photography and going to library school; I’m really into meshing punk into image making, subcultural documentation, and how punk is archived. I make up ¼ of I.F.O. which is a punk and punk-adjacent collective event organizing group. We ran the festival I Can’t Believe It’s Not Paris last year. We are acting as support staff for DEMO FEST and will be running the livestream today.  

Also Cool: Can you tell me about how you've managed such a wide-reaching project? How was it originally conceptualized, and how has it felt to watch it expand into such a large-scale action?

Martin: When the stronger lockdown measures came into effect in Montreal in March, all live shows were indefinitely postponed. All my bands stopped jamming. A lot of my friends were talking about taking the time to try and work on solo projects, writing songs with collaborators remotely by sending tracks back and forth, or learning some new instruments and/or production/home recording methods. I had a small burst of energy, trying to demo tracks for my bands or other projects at home, but that energy tapered off. I knew that was happening for a lot of people around me. Without shows or tours, there seemed to be a lot less motivation to actually finish anything.

Originally, I thought of doing a “challenge” with three of my band mates where we each had to finish a solo isolation project by a certain date, hoping we could all motivate each other. I shortly realized I could just invite more people, make it an open invitation, make it a benefit, etc. Once I put it all together and started talking to people, I thought maybe 50 of my friends would do it. My wildest dream was getting 100 demos. I had a pretty good feeling and hope that it was going to tap into something for a lot of people, but didn't really expect it to spread too widely. Seeing that happen as more and more people registered to participate, and then finish, has been very cool and validating. Many people have expressed that it was the perfect thing to get them through an otherwise isolating and creatively stagnant Fall.

Managing the project has not been too difficult. Many people have stepped in to help: Sasha and the I.F.O. crew have been involved from day one, Will Killingsworth of Dead Air Studios has been mastering most of the demos, members of Solidarity Across Borders have been coordinating and advising the fundraising (and helping us reach out to press!), we have friends helping with the art and graphics, managing the massive amount of Bandcamp logistics, and of course spreading the word. The last few weeks have been a bit busy and stressful handling all the submissions and getting them ready, but before that it has not felt difficult to manage at all!

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AC: Branching off of that, what are your thoughts on the idea that artists are often pressured, or even expected, to create works inspired by tragedy and the feelings attached to it? Was this a roadblock that many of the DEMO FEST contributors, or even yourself, encountered during lockdown?

Sasha: I think that there is a lot of voyeurship in artistic creation of all mediums. We are living in such a bizarre time, yet I don’t feel there is a particular emotional bar to meet right now. I have noticed less work being made about despair, but this could also be that there is less work in general. Perhaps it’s a collective understanding that we’re all doing poorly?

As far as DEMO FEST goes, I always felt that the project promoted the opposite intention. Although it was put forward as a “pandemic project,” there was no onus to dwell on the pandemic itself. I heard that 2020 is the year of escapism— maybe we accidentally tapped into that zone by offering a platform to distract ourselves from the pandemic. I’d like to think it’s a little more wholesome kind of escapism. This was a fun little push for people to make music that they put aside, that they never had time for, or maybe they never had conceptualized before having a little DEMO FEST pep talk. 

It’s difficult to continue to make something when a lot of joy is taken from what you are making and how it is received. DEMO FEST doesn’t create the same reciprocal energy as a live event, but regardless of working on a solo project, working remotely, or with a band, it does give a sense of collective agency. In addition, I think that the notions of productivity and spectatorship (or lack thereof) have the ability to place a looming constraint on how, what, and where people will make music. By encouraging projects to occur now and in this manner is to ultimately encourage music being made for the sake of music being made. This coupled with DEMO FEST as a benefit, which collectively and exclusively releases music, I think, makes it an anti-capitalist initiative. It’s both fun and important to analyze what makes art function, what we want from it, and what we can get from it on our own terms. 

AC: I'm curious to know more about your thoughts on demos, as they make-up the DEMO FEST corpus. What elements do demos hold that make them significant, both culturally and sonically, and what made you choose to prioritize launching a demo-exclusive release?

Martin: I realize that 'demo' means a lot of things in the "music industry.” For me, it means a punk demo tape. If you are a band in punk or a punk-adjacent genre, a cassette tape with 2-5 songs is the first thing you release, and that's called your demo. I didn't want to end up with compilation of individual songs. Instead, I wanted people to fully realize a new musical project or produce a complete release for an existing project in this new pandemic context. I wanted people to be empowered to experiment with a new instrument, new collaborators, or a new way of making music and take it to a completed state. Demos don't have to be super well-polished or produced, and they shouldn't be too long… But they should full “demonstrate” (haha) the vibe and sound of the band/project. And I just love digging through piles of new demo tapes. So, calling it DEMO FEST and asking for demos seemed like the thing to do.

AC: This project certainly speaks to the power of community across many spheres. What has surprised, or inspired, you the most about the journey of DEMO FEST and watching the level of inter-community collaboration progress throughout?

Sasha: With entire honesty, the sheer scope of the project was both shocking and heartwarming. It’s been intriguing to see some of the ways that DEMO FEST spread; through friends, through one-degree-of-separation, through both Blink 155 and Barely Human podcasts, and also through absolute mystery. There were online discussions about the best way to record something without a lot of equipment, what benefits certain free programs offered, as well as offers and requests for collaboration on tracks. In true punk solidarity, Will Killingsworth shared so much time and expertise with mastering to tie together everything. Have you ever had a hang out with someone where you both work separately on something, but you’re in the same room? I feel like that was the general community feeling, and it was really wholesome. 

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AC: Before we let you go, do you have any closing thoughts that you'd like to share, and can you tell us how we can support and engage with DEMO FEST?

Martin: Well thank you for helping us spread the word! All of the info and links are collected on the website. You can also follow us on Instagram. The important date is today, the Winter Solstice. The DEMO FEST Bandcamp will go live around noon. All 200+ demos will be there to stream for free and purchase for download. All proceeds from all of the DEMO FEST efforts are going to Solidarity Across Borders, and you can also check them out and donate to them directly. They are seeking one-time donations but also people to sign up with recurring monthly donations! I’ll let Sasha explain the other stuff.

Sasha: The dusk ‘till dawn DEMO FEST livestream will start at 4PM today and run until 8AM on December 22. We will be playing at least one song from every project submitted to DEMO FEST, all of the music videos that have been submitted, and doing a very special screening of the newest edition of Will Mecca’s video-zine Paranoid Anxieties. A schedule will be posted today through DEMO FEST social media. We’ll be screening video collages made by I.F.O. Connor Crash, have a chat room open, and be giving regular updates on Solidarity Across Borders donations!

As for the USB boxsets! Orders will end on December 22. The “All Dressed” Full Team boxset has already sold out, but each of our individual boxes are still available. Each box will contain a USB key card with DEMO FEST artwork on one side, and artwork by Jane Harms on the opposite. There will be DEMO FEST pin packs and a personal mixtape/playlist from one of us. Every person will be putting in secret special other items in each box. You can read our little bios on and order boxsets from icantbelieveitsnotparis.bigcartel.com!

I’ve launched the beginning of a new project called Rock and Roll Highschool. It’s an online event that will happen every Thursday in February and March, which will host short presentations on anything punk and punk-adjacent. It’s very low pressure and meant to be a fun semi-social activity that people can engage with during the next few months. Presentations can be done orally, with a Powerpoint, on a chalkboard, etc., and can be anywhere from 5-45 minutes. There are people signing up for subgenres (like power violence, pop punk, and crust punk), regional music scenes (like UK twee pop, Japanese hardcore, and Belgian synthwave), or doing workshops (on embroidered and cross-stitching patches). Anyone is invited to present and/or participate in the online meetings. The deadline for submissions will be January 14, and the first lecture series will be on Thursday February 4, 2021. 

There is more information and a very quick submission form available here.

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DEMO FEST livestream poster by Sasha

DEMO FEST

Website | Big Cartel | Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook | Livestream

Solidarity Across Borders

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

This interview was conducted over email and has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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Premiere: St John's Property and Illustrator Isha Watson Team Up to Release "The Isolator"

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“The Isolator” cover art by Isha Watson

There is nothing quite like a collaboration between pals, no? This is certainly the case for the uber-talented friend group of St John’s-based new-wave band Property and illustrator and animator Isha Watson. Today, the quad release “The Isolator,” an allegorical song originally about the mundane observation of tourists in St John’s, that has since taken on a new meaning in the wake of COVID-19 and under Watson’s artistic direction in the form of a gorgeous music video. Off their upcoming EP Think Electric!, Property’s single offers an honest punk undertone in both sound and intention with punchy danceability. When coupled with Watson’s pastel-laden video, “The Isolator” becomes a comforting soundtrack to get you through yet another day of pondering the meaning of life in quarantine. Check out our interview with Property and Watson below to hear their thoughts on life in St John’s, creating together, and abolishing the myth of productivity.

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hey Property & Isha Watson! Congrats on the release of "The Isolator" and it's accompanying music video. To start, can you tell our readers about your projects and yourselves? 

Isha: I am an illustrator based in St. John’s, originally from Perth, Australia. I moved to Newfoundland three years ago and fell in love with the culture and surroundings. I made it my intention to immigrate permanently. Originally a graphic illustrator, I challenged myself to take the next step by making my illustrations come to life. I’ve been animating pretty consistently ever since.  

Property: Hi! We are a band based in St. John's. Our names are Sarah (guitar/vocals), Jack (guitar), and Liam (bass). We all grew up here and live here in a house downtown. We started this band in 2016 and have been playing in St John’s and touring Eastern Canada ever since. We play guitar driven music with a drum machine, and more recently with our friend Jacob live on drums. 

Also Cool: For Property: How did "The Isolator" come together in terms of production? Were there any particular scenarios or influences that had an impact on the sound and feel of the final product? 

Property: The song was written and arranged pretty much exactly a year ago this month. We recorded it half with our friend Jake Nicoll and half at home during the first month of quarantine. It’s a reflection on living in St. John’s for a long time and working a service job that interacts with the tourism industry. It’s like this funny thing where people come here because they saw tourism ads on TV; so, when they get here they expect to see that untouched and “authentic” image of Newfoundland that they are sold. It’s funny to be on the other side of that sometimes. In the song “The Isolator,” is a sort of tongue-in-cheek euphemism for the island. But it totally takes on a new meaning in Isha’s video. 

AC: For Property and Isha: How did you work together to conceptualize the video? I'm interested in the characters and their repetitive actions of personal business; was any of that drawn from your own experiences in insolation, or is it rather a cultural artifact of the times we are in generally?   

Property: Isha made the animation and conceptualized it pretty independently! After the initial month of lockdown in Newfoundland (which we spent together in our house watching movies every night..) we were allowed to join “bubbles” with another household, which was Isha’s household where a handful of friends live. The animations are definitely reflective of that period of time, and the characters in the animation are us and friends doing the sort of things that we did, and do, to pass the time. So in this way, the song is kind of given a new meaning with the video and the context of the times. It can become a sort of reflection on the past (pre-pandemic) and then a reckoning with the present: being unemployed and in quarantine and engaging in monotonous activities.

Isha: While the song "The Isolator" was written a year ago, I began on the animation aspect of the music video in the midst of COVID-19. The inspiration for the video was purely built on the repetitive nature of day to day life during the pandemic. Overcome with boredom the majority of the time, projects like playing video games, knitting and nail filing (as referenced in the music video) were examples of what my friends and I did to fill the time. Only being able to see eachother inevitably resulted in some artistic collaboration. 

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Property (photo provided by the band)

AC: On that note, the theme of self-care, in many forms, is really apparent in the video! I'm curious to know how both of you have been balancing that with your respective work (music and visual art) when there is so much pressure to create in the supposed "free time" offered by the pandemic? Which we all know is a sham, but still… It's sometimes hard not to compare ourselves with others.  

Isha: Before the pandemic, I always had an issue with being productive on my time off. I had to be doing something to avoid feeling aimless. I live in a house with six other people, so there were countless activities happening all the time which I incorporated into the video. Every morning I had a routine: I’d wake at 7:30am, shower, dress, drink a lot of coffee and sit at my desk for eight hours working on my animation. Treating the video like a job and pretending I was going to work helped me feel better when things felt pointless. I actually asked Property if I could make the music video for them, and from there the collaboration came together pretty seamlessly.  

Property: We’re all working in service or are in online school (or both) at the moment, so things are a little different than they were during lockdown. But over quarantine and the summer, there was this sort of haunting feeling that we should be making a bunch of new music, and finishing our almost completed EP. But we were all grieving the loss of tours and shows and festivals that we had booked for the spring summer (as well as the state of the world), and it sort of felt like there was no rush to make any new music or release anything.

To stay motivated, at the beginning of the summer we set some pretty relaxed goals about a 2020 release for our new music/videos, and we’ve been adhering to that pretty well, which feels pretty good. Now that music stuff is starting to happen again in new and innovative ways, we think 2021 will bring a fresh start and maybe (hopefully!) a proliferation of new releases and bands from friends in our beloved St John’s scene and across the country. 

 AC: What advice would both of you give to fellow artists hoping to work with each other on a multi-disciplinary collaboration while adhering to COVID-19 protocols?

Property: Since shows are few and far between, and harder to pull off with adhering to protocols, doing collaborative media work has definitely been a focus for us the past while, mostly music videos and live videos. Best advice would be to run with everyone’s ideas and trust your collaborators to do their thing! Try out new mediums and make stuff you wouldn’t usually make!

Isha: It’s obviously a really weird and hard time to release any sort of music or art knowing that opportunities to show and exhibit your work are going to be inherently different. However, it’s been nice to have more time to work on my own stuff and get better at things I was neglecting before the pandemic. Sarah has a project with Amery Sandford called “I Don’t Do Comics” that is a cool platform to make art, even if you’re not an artist, during the pandemic.

AC: Before we let you go, are there any upcoming projects that either of you are working on that you're excited about and would like to share? 

Isha: I just finished a print fair for the local music festival Lawnya Vawnya, and I’m selling some new prints at the Top Floor Art Store in St. John’s. A lot of my inspiration comes from my friends, and the supportive arts scene we all exist in. 

Property: We’re releasing our EP called Think Electric! by the end of 2020 (we don’t have an exact date set yet), and we just released the first music video from that EP last month that we’re super excited about. Thanks so much, Also Coo!

Watch “The Isolator” below

Property
Instagram | Website | Bandcamp

Isha Watson

This interview was conducted over email and has been condensed and edited for clarity

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