New Music from The Glorious Sons, Hawksley Workman, MIKALYN, Amanda Rheaume, and Defying Decay
I've got another Friday edition of the New Music Spotlight. Some days there's so much great stuff to share that we need to do a second New Music Spotlight.
Today my picks are from multiple genres including rock, pop, a combo of the two, metal, and roots. So sit back, and hit play.
Let's do this!
Artist:The Glorious Sons
Hometown: Kingston, ON
Genre: Rock
Related: The Beaches, Arkells, Cage The Elephant
Song: S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun)
Notes: While this song is not brand new, the video is, and S.O.S. is now number 1 on both the Billboard mainstream rock and the active rock charts in the U.S., after spending 10 weeks at number 1 in Canada!
First, I love this song. I have a hard time only listening once. Truth. I listened to this song 10 times while writing this notes section. The video premiered yesterday and it's a beautiful representation of a live show (except for the edited explicit language). Did you attend a The Glorious Sons show on their 2018 S.O.S. Tour? Look for yourself in the video! The Glorious Sons kick off the U.S. leg of the S.O.S Tour in Cambridge, MA on February 12th, with stops planned in Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles and many more, wrapping in Spokane, Washington on March 14th.
This Canadian rock band has succeeded in the very difficult transition to the U.S. market, and given all other Canadian rock bands incentive to work harder.
Artist: Hawksley Workman
Hometown: Huntsville, ON
Genre: Pop Rock
Related: Matthew Good, The Watchmen, Joel Plaskett
Song: Lazy
Notes: I've been a fan of Hawksley Workman since his 2003 release Lover/Fighter but he's been making music since 1999. The Canadian multi-instrumentalist is also a songwriter, a broadcaster, a performer, a producer, a poet, a playwright, and a Mountie. Not the RCMP kind but a member of Mounties. 😉
In Hawksley words, this song is:
"It's an exploration of love and memories. Childlike images of winter and school portables give way to a lover's proclamation of staying awake and staying the course. The profound decision of love meets the feeling of love."It's soft and lovely, and it makes me feel good to listen to it. The song is from Hawksley's upcoming album, Median Age Wasteland, set to drop on March 01, 2019. Watch the video and then watch for the album release.
Artist: MIKALYN
Hometown: Guelph, ON
Genre: Pop/Indie/Alternative
Related: Ralph, Paperwhite, Zara Larsson
Song: GONE
Notes: A seasoned artist at only 16 years old MIKALYN has been performing since the age of 9. Raised in a musical family, her mom performed with her 4 sisters as The Stapleton Sisters, and most of her dad's family also play instruments and sing, it's no surprise that MIKALYN followed in the family business.
MIKALYN lists her influences as Coldplay, Lady Gaga, Halsey and Lights. GONE is inspired by life, watching friends experience heartbreak, how they coped and expressed the pain and grieving process.
In a recent press release she said "This is what I love to do, what I have always wanted to do, and I want to continue to create for the rest of my life. I want to make music that connects with people, that touches people and that will last. I have always loved singing and songwriting and I am never going to sacrifice that just for fame or popularity."
GONE is her debut single, and it was produced by Toronto's Murray Daigle (Serena Ryder, Faber Drive, Keshia Chante). It's a story most of us will relate to. It's a song about love and loss told against an upbeat pop background. We think MIKALYN is one to watch.
Artist: Amanda Rheaume
Hometown: Ottawa, ON
Genre: Folk / Roots
Related: Weaslehead, Jon Levine, Brooke Ashley
Song: The Skin I'm In
Notes: When Amanda Rheaume sings, you pay attention. There's something about this Canadian singer's voice that gets under your skin. Her voice is smooth and yet gritty. It's soft and yet commanding.
The Skin I'm In shares ideas of healing and acceptance and we love the visual that comes along with this video. The song was written with Canadian country singer/songwriter Jason Blaine and we think it's inspiring.
Amanda said: "I hope that this song will make you feel less alone. I hope that you will feel even a sliver of belonging... that you are perfect and beautiful and unique in your own way. Taking steps to feeling safe and solid in your own body and skin is hard, but it is possible with the right people around you."
Artist: Defying Decay
Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand
Genre: Metal
Related: Slipknot, Atreyu, Disturbed
Song: Judas Kiss
Notes: In the last but not least category, we bring you a metal release from Bangkok, Thailand. Although we don't cover a lot of metal I really liked this video, and I thought this song was something you should hear. Judas Kiss is the second release from their upcoming album Metamorphosis, which is due out in the late spring, and it was the first song they wrote for the project.
Vocalist 'Jay' Poom Euarchukiati said: "This song was the first song we finished writing for the album. It was originally on a 8-bit sounding synth and it was the first time that I decided to experiment more with electronic elements. With vibes of urgency, aggression and mystery, I'd say this is definitely something on the more heavy side of this album we've worked on."
