I don’t know what I’m most excited about in this edition of FRESHLY SQUEEZED. There are new bands I’m obsessed with, old bands back under new names, band members back in new bands… there’s a lot going on here, to be honest.
In summary, I found ten new songs I think you’re going to love, because I love them (maybe that shows how much I care about y’all, or maybe it’s narcissism idk??) Either way, carve out a few minutes to listen through and see what you find!
Follow the playlist:
Anyone Anyway – If It Is
Anyone Anyway is one of the bands I’ve been most excited about this year. They released “If I Could Unlearn You” a few months back and it’s been on heavy rotation ever since. And now “If It Is”? The night it came out, I put it on repeat for like… four hours. Suddenly it was 4am and I realized I hadn’t moved the entire time.
I highly suggest getting on this bandwagon now, especially if you’re from Toronto. I keep forgetting they’re from Rhode Island because they’re literally always here, and they’ve got a handful of local dates coming up again in November.
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Chapel – Friends
Chapel is back!! And they’ve released a song that really captures the existential crisis of being in your 20s and trying to balance it all. Or rather, being unable to balance it all. I am not able to balance it all. I listen to the lyrics and almost don’t want to sing along because I feel like I’m calling myself out. But maybe that’s what it’s all about? Maybe you listen to this song and then you think “yeah, I need some fuckin friends” and then you prioritize your interpersonal relationships over capitalism + the 24/7 work grind culture. Or maybe you just enjoy a nice, peppy song and repress it all. Up to you!
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Camden Welles – About You
When I saw Young Rising Sons around this time last year, they told me about how they had big plans on the horizon. I didn’t realize they would just DISAPPEAR. I logged into Instagram last week and they were GONE and suddenly I was following some dude named Camden Welles??? And I do not know a Camden Welles??? And if you haven’t already figured out where this is going, the band rebranded and I absolutely love where it’s headed so far. I think this sound works so nicely for them. It pulls in elements of things I like about other bands, but there’s no one else I think it sounds entirely similar to. It’s just…. Camden Welles. I like it.
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talker – Keep Me Safe
Before I can say anything else, I need to draw your attention to the 30 second mark… those four bars are so… so perfect. The little falsetto note at the end? UGH. So let’s talk about Talker. I love her. I love thinking about what this will sound like live because I can already picture it. When everything goes up an octave near the end, it reminds me of Julian Baker’s debut album but more upbeat. It’s something I didn’t realize I needed, but I most certaintly did.
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Gone Sugar Die – Grey Eyes
This song is filling a very specific void in my heart that’s been left empty since The Postal Service released We Will Become Silhouettes in 2005. The members of GSD have previously played with bands like 3OH!3, Teenage Wrist, The Bravery, Morrissey, and Weezer. And somehow I can hear bits and pieces of all of that in here. But more importantly… it’s bringing mid 2000s indietronica back into my life and I am constantly being transported back to high school. It’s both terrifying and beautiful.
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Patternist – I Don’t Feel Real
I fell 100% in love with Patternist, right from the first moment I hit play on his new album I Don’t Know What I’m Doing Here. While the whole album is so beautiful in its own right, it’s also fulfilling an extra role for me. When The 1975 started changing up their sound, I was excited about it but also missed getting new music in line with their original sound. This is what I would imagine a more natural progression from ILIWYS would have been like. I wouldn’t say this sounds like them — Patternist has created something that is completely unique — but I will say fans of old The 1975 would be making a mistake by skipping the whole album.
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Whitehall – Learning To Dance
This feels like springtime music. It’s bouncy and energetic and peppy. It’s exactly the opposite of me as the sun starts setting at 5pm, so I need this track to keep me going. However, I’d like to raise an important concern: if your song is called “Learning To Dance”, you should absolutely be required to create a signature dance for the audience to learn. I don’t feel right not doing choreographed moves while listening. Just something to consider, perhaps.
PSA: They’re on tour right now and they’re in Toronto THIS weekend!
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Payton Gin – Supermotorbike
This song has BIG punk Go-Go’s “We Got The Beat” energy. I can picture people dancing to this in Happy Days next to a jukebox, but I can also see someone getting their teeth knocked out to this song. Probably me, but I digress. Maybe this reminds me of some mid 2000s indietronica too? Why am I suddenly thinking about Shiny Toy Guns’ “Le Disko”? Every one of my playlist posts needs a song that makes me want to burn down my house and folks, “Supermotorbike” is That Track.
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Loretta – Lady
I almost feel like I’ve set this up where Loretta is the opener for Sea Girls (below). Which actually… that would be a great lineup. They’re a new band from Australia and their shows look like so much fun from photos. With only two songs out, I have NO idea what other songs they play live and I may never know unless I start interrogating their fans. Mmmmm.. I might interrogate their fans. It’s such energy-packed indie rock, I can’t help but fall in love with it. This should be playing in a cool Netflix series where people obsess over the soundtrack more than the show itself.
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Sea Girls – Violet
I’ve featured Sea Girls on here a few times already, and let me just say… it is so fun to see them blowing up. I keep wishing I’d been able to make it to Reading Fest this year so I could have seen them live before they’re absolutely massive. Their music is exactly what I think British pop rock is, from a Canadian perspective. It’s just a very classic British sound, and I think I’ve made it abundantly clear that I’m a huge fan of everything going on in the UK music scene. But the thing is… the UK influences what’s going to be cool in Canada, and we do the same in return for them. So in conclusion….. get Sea Girls over here pRONTO so I can support them in person.
