After a short -ish spell away from the blog, GENA PERALA pops back with her latest video for her acoustic love note, ‘Fine’.
The three-minute production features the Canadian singer/songwriter, telling a tale of falling for the wrong guy at the right time, with striking abstracts in the background.
‘Fine’ is from Gena’s 2013 album, ‘Exactly Nowhere’ (highly recommended). Check out the video below…
Melancholic, dreamy, enigmatic and hauntingly beautiful, Montreal’s APACALDA (also known as Cassandra Angheluta) is creating her own immersive world with a refreshed approach to indie, electronic pop which meets dream wave sounds.
Her brand new single, ‘SSR,’ is a nostalgic and acoustic inflected pop song which uses playfulness to communicate a sadness at its core. Cassandra wrote this song due to finding herself in an intimate relationship devoid of any profundity, which she was misled into.
The song’s music video portrays contrasts of emotion through the playfulness of the bright coloured field versus the spiraling darkness of the dungeon-like space. These images serve to depict the back and forth of wanting to believe something is what it is not, choosing to ignore reality to hold on to an idea that is better suited to our desires.
Check out the video for ‘SSR’ below…
Introducing Toronto-based alternative rap newcomer DICHOTOMI with their brand new single titled ‘STF 17’. The soulful and infectious lo-fi rap track comes just in time to take over our summer playlists, and is the lead single for dichotomi’s upcoming debut EP that is set for release later this year. ‘STF 17’ is the anticipated follow-up to last year’s fan-favourite ‘plush’, which was a massive radio hit with the likes of CBC Music in Toronto, and Wave Of The Bay in Florida, to mention a few.
Produced by fellow Toronto musician Frizzy Astro, ‘STF 17’ is a catchy melodic rap offering, which sees dichotomi – who wrote the song when they were sick during the pandemic and couldn’t be outside – in a very hopeful mood, as they imagine better times and fantasize about being able to enjoy summertime in Toronto once again. Over lush synth keys and sparse lo-fi instrumentation, dichotomi showcases their infectious flow, clever lyricism, and carefree energy, to great effect.
Speaking about the inspiration behind ‘STF 17’, dichotomi says, “It was the first pandemic winter, and I was really sick… I couldn’t go outside because the weather, and I had no energy or motivation to make life inside more enjoyable because of the mental and physical effects of the pandemic. At a real low point, I started fantasizing about summers in Toronto and told myself that ‘everything will be better in the summer’ – as soon as I said it aloud, I felt compelled to write a song on that theme.
The track quickly took a political lean as I began to ruminate on the social, political, and economic forces that forced me into such a fragile position in the first place. ‘STF 17’ is most definitely a critique of our capitalist society, but with the added goal of offering some levity — allowing us to hope for a more equitable future. Be critical, be angry, be sad, but don’t let the state of this world keep you from turning your face to the sun every chance you get, and tirelessly seek the tiniest moments of joy”.
Highly recommended if you like the sounds of Noname, Tierra Whack or Chance The Rapper, dichotomi is for listeners that like to discover new things every time you listen to a track – they are for fans of lyricism, authenticity and exploring new sounds. Born in Florida and now living in Toronto, dichotomi burst onto the scene in 2019 with resounding music, led by good vibes and wholesome themes that are intended to inspire hope and validate their listeners.
‘STF 17’ was released yesterday across various download/streaming sites. Check out their official animated music video below…
SHADES LAWRENCE is a Montreal-born, queer hip hop artist of mixed British, Jamaican, Irish and Scottish heritage. A pure lyricist, Lawrence’s style can be described as alternative hip hop. Her words uplift, while keeping environmental justice at the forefront.
“Peace, that’s what we need,” raps Lawrence on her single released on the heels of 2022 full-length album, ‘Trust Takes Time’. ‘Peace’ directly names the Russian government’s invasion of the Ukraine, and urges the global community to negotiate for peace.
Have a listen to ‘Peace’ below…
Canadian alternative synth-pop artist, songwriter and producer NEAVV‘s debut single, ‘Want You’, is an emotional and honest song based on the end of her relationship with someone who wasn’t being completely honest at the time. ‘Want You’ is a snapshot of what she was feeling at the time and although she knew she deserved better, NEAVV was still struggling with wanting and missing that person.
Speaking on the emotive piece NEAVV says: “Loss can be pretty complex when it comes to the emotions you feel, but at the core of it all for me is sadness. I just hope listeners find a place to sit in whatever emotions come up for them and know that any loss is hard – and it’s ok to not be ok.”
Want You is the first single off NEAVV’s forthcoming album. Have a listen below…
New Lease Music 