Sleeper Build
Some Party is a newsletter sharing the latest in independent Canadian rock'n'roll, curated more-or-less weekly by Adam White. Each edition explores punk, garage, psych, and otherwise uncategorizable indie rock, drawing lines from proto to post and taking some weird diversions along the way.
Roswit: Eternal Living
Preview and purchase at Bandcamp
On Friday, Vancouver's Roswit make their proper debut with the release of Eternal Living, a 10-song full-length on the newly launched Mono Tapes label. You can preview the album-closing "Person's Song" now, then count the hours until Bandcamp Friday to pick up the entire set.
The band's take on jangle-pop and minimalist punk feels quintessentially Vancouver, calling back to the city's storied twee scene while gazing across the Pacific for a little Flying Nun worship. The hand-drawn fantasy aesthetic of the Eternal Living cover art really drives that home. Roswit features former Tough Age player Penny Clark on guitar, Divorcer's Marita on bass, and Selina Crammond of Midnight News and Supermoon drumming. All three sing on the album.
The cassette features crisp production from Tough Age lead Jarrett Samson, with his Energy Slime bandmate Jay Arner working the boards. Fred Thomas (of Saturday Looks Good To Me) mastered the record at Westside Audio.
Eternal Living delivers on the promise Roswit's charming 2022 demo recordings, themselves an extension of Clark's pre-pandemic Toronto project Grape. The band's celebrating with an October 4 release show at Vancouver's Green Auto, joined by the Portland-based future-lounge act Mattress and local electronic artist Aster Dawn.
Y'Know: Why Now
Preview and purchase at Bandcamp
Toronto duo Y'Know returns to Spiritual World on October 4 with Why Now, an eight-song LP that seeks the "perfect vibe" through a heady yet minimalist swirl of post-punk, synth-pop, and dub. The release leans into the latter by pairing four vocal cuts on the A-side with extended, dancefloor-ready remixes on the flip, mirroring the format of classic dub albums. The label boasts that the 12" is "so stacked with groove that you can physically feel the claps when you run your hand over the record."
Y'Know emerged in early 2024 as an offshoot of Uh Huh, the evolution of the wry garage-punks formerly known as Teenanger. The duo showcases Melissa Bell (as Bally) on bass and vocals, backed by Jon Schouten in his N1_Sound persona on guitar, synthesizers, and drum programming. The pair recorded at Telephone Explosion's Studio Z in Toronto.
Why Now arrives in a limited vinyl run of 200, following up on their two-song January debut. Look for this material live this Friday at Toronto's BSMT 254 as part of Project Nowhere, supporting performances by Emissive and Raf Reza.
Sea Of Troubles: "Sleeper Build"
Preview and purchase at Bandcamp
Hamilton noise-punks Sea of Troubles are decidedly less defunct than they were a month ago, but their current form remains an enigma. The project rebooted in the late summer with a veritable deluge of material from project-lead A.R. Neptune (Denzel Gordon), with 17 digital releases of various lengths and styles spilling out since late August. While the group's penchant for noisy feedback remains unrestrained and daunting, they can craft a truly focused gem when they let the chaos ebb. Chief among those is the compelling "Sleeper Build," a standout single that notably namedrops Single Mothers' Drew Thomson and NOFX's Eric Melvin in a single verse.
Neptune reflected on the song in the Bandcamp notes:
"'Sleeper Build' delves into the pain of a breakup and the desire for an idealized, brilliant woman whose hidden allure has made her a coveted dream. The song captures the longing for someone who feels both unreachable and unforgettable."
The track features Dylan Furrow on drums, with Neptune handling vocals, guitar, and bass.
Among the flood of new material you'll find the hardcore-flavoured Ikigai ni Tsuite, a reverb-washed EP inspired by Mieko Kamiya's insights into the Japanese concept of ikigai. The record grapples with the frustrating pursuit of creative purpose. Neptune comments:
"Ikigai ni Tsuite... dives into the quest for purpose through the blend of passion, skill, necessity, and reward. This EP faces the gritty reality of pursuing a creative life amidst financial instability and ridicule, pondering whether to forge ahead or reconsider."
Gawain Arseneault drums on that EP, as captured in a session from Beamsville, Ontario. I do not doubt that there's much more to come.
You can lose yourself in Sea of Troubles' ongoing torrent at Bandcamp.
Mutated Void: Listen to the Struggle
Preview and purchase at Bandcamp
Lo-fi Dartmouth punks Mutated Void returned last month with Listen To The Struggle, an unhinged new EP available on cassette through Unlawful Assembly. The set features four searing originals and a grimy cover of "Zombie," a 1983 track by the early Wisconsin hardcore outfit Mecht Mensch.
The label celebrates a "delightfully raucous platter," promising:
"...devastating noisy blasts, recorded lo-fi without losing a shred of energy. Torn vocal chords spew and fuzzed out guitars spit with blistering bass and drum fury rounding out the madness."
Luke Mumford and Botfly's Keegan Goodspeed recorded the band to 8-track tape.
Mutated Void started as a duo featuring Fragment bandmates Cody Googoo (Wet Pleather, Gemstones, Heavenly Blue) and Ben Radford (Unreal Thought). On this outing, their quartet also features Malcolm Googman (Suspex) and Kayla. The group's part of the tangled family tree of the celebrated Halifax punk act Booji Boys.
This EP follows Mutated Void's Tarnished EP from earlier this year. Before that, they issued 2022's Slash The Altar EP and the Roses Forever full-length.
Mark Sultan: "We'll Meet Again"
Preview and purchase at Bandcamp
Montreal garage legend Mark Sultan celebrated the kickoff of his fall tour with a new single. The artist penned "We'll Meet Again" during the pandemic, with the song since evolving into what he calls "a blanket lament for the loss of friends, relationships, and even myself."
Sultan commented:
"Is it one of my better tunes? Nope. Is it sappy? Sure. Would it be better suited crammed between some rockers? Definitely. But I still enjoy it as a humbling reminder of personal loss these last few years."
Sultan recorded with Omri Gondor at Berlin's Audion Studio, with Tim Green mastering. "We'll Meet Again" arrives as a preview of a 19-song recording session, with the remainder of that material expected later this year (or "not," the artist caveats).
The new material follows Sultan's 2018 full-length Let Me Out. In recent years, we've seen hints of a revival of The King Khan & BBQ Show, Sultan's gonzo collaboration with fellow Spaceshits alum King Khan. While that group hasn't issued a proper full-length since 2015's Bad News Boys, they shared the sleazy doo-wop-styled single "Going Down" in 2022.
Mark Sultan is currently on the road in the US, with dates scheduled through the end of October.
