Anyway Gang Drop "Out of Nowhere," Tease Canadian Tour Announcement

--taken from: exclaim!

The group will map out their first batch of shows since the pandemic on March 11

by Allie Gregory

CanRock supergroup Anyway Gang are back with another helping of tunes from an upcoming body of work first teased back in summer 2021. After sharing "Alternate View" earlier this year, the group — led by Sloan's Chris Murphy, Hollerado's Menno Versteeg, Tokyo Police Club's Dave Monks and Sam Roberts — are back with "Out of Nowhere."

The track arrives courtesy of Royal Mountain Records alongside a new music video by John Smith. Here's what the band had to say about the song's inception:

As artists often are, Sam was somewhat unable to put a finger on the moment of divine inspiration behind the song "Out of Nowhere." The evil record label, never satisfied with anything really, sent Sam deep into the badlands of Alberta with a handful of Peyote and instructions to "Don't bother coming back unless you have some god damn answers for our Department of Creative Metrics!!!!"

Months later Sam returned with the following carved into his forearm: "Track Synopsis: 'Knives out! The Kings and Queens are face down in their plates of wild boar and sleeping pills. Out from the shadows, the squires and knaves creep with blunt kitchen knives...are they out for blood? the throne? or just a quick taste from the old Master's table...."

This latest release marks another entry in the band's follow-up material to their 2019 self-titled debut.

Anyway Gang have promised news of upcoming Canadian tour dates on March 11. As per a release, "To celebrate [their new material] they will be doing a Canadian tour in May, and because they now have more than 8 songs to choose from, they won't have to play "Big Night" twice like they did at the first show. (They might anyway, but they don't have to)."

Until then, sit tight and soak up the psychedelic new music video from the band below.

--taken from: exclaim!

Sloan Dig into Archives for Concert Film from 2000

--taken from: Exclaim!

by Alex Hudson

With concerts once again impossible in much of the country, Sloan are preparing a new streaming concert film. Rather recording than a new performance, however, they are sharing a previously unreleased concert film from way back in 2000.

Alive & Alright: Between the Bridges Live Feb 4/2000 will premiere on February 4 through Side Door. Shot in black and white, it finds the band playing their entire Between the Bridges album (plus a B-side) at a Toronto warehouse. It was captured by Mike Andringa. It's the same performance that was used as a music video for the song "Friendship."

In a press release, Sloan explained, "Our point of reference was the wonderful black and white, rocking performance by Led Zeppelin on Danish TV from 1969. If you've not seen that, it's recommended!"

For those who buy a ticket but can't watch it on February 4, the film will continue to stream for a week after the premiere.

--taken from: Exclaim!

Jeff Tweedy, J Mascis, City and Colour, and more share tributes to Dave ‘Bookie’ Bookman

--taken from: Indie88 (watch the videos)

DAVE "BOOKIE" BOOKMAN, MAY 30, 1960 – MAY 21, 2019

It’s been a year since we lost our dear friend, Dave Bookman. Bookie represented everything that was good in this world. His life was about love, honour and music; if you knew him, you knew how much he affected a change in the way we listen to music. Indie 88 planned to mark this time with a wonderful live tribute for his friends and fans at the Horseshoe Tavern, but those plans have since had to change.

Plans for that evening will now comprise of a week of celebrations and memories, on-air and online, from artists such as Chris Murphy of Sloan, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Sam Roberts, J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., Steven Page, City and Colour, and many more. On Wednesday May 27th, we’ll release them all together online and play them all on-air.

--taken from: Indie88 (watch the videos)

Music News Digest, May 25, 2020

--taken from: FYI Music News

by Kerry Doole

Presented by Bell Media in tandem with Music BC and Creative BC and now in its sixth year, The 2020 Canadian Songwriter Challenge is underway in a new online format for emerging BC artists and songwriters. The top 15 teams for the #CSC2020 #AloneTogether challenge have shared their songs with the public, who voted on the entries. Those votes are in the hands of the judges, and the top 5 songs will be announced on June 1, with each team receiving $1K to record, mix, and master their song at an eligible BC studio of their choice.

– Set for May 30, Walk Like a Refugee is a 24hr online telethon to support a refugee couple in Uganda. Organizer Elizabeth Bromstein has corralled some notable names to perform, including Chris Murphy (Sloan), Don Kerr (Communism), Amanda Martinez, Stand-up Comic/ CBC Radio host, Ali Hassan, a puppeteer, bellydancer, playwright, chef, and much more. Donation link here

--taken from: FYI Music News

The 1975's 'Notes on a Conditional Form' Is Laudably Thought-Provoking and Thrilling

--taken from: popmatters (read more here)

by Jordan Blum

Just as the covers of The 1975 and I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It connected the band's introductory full-length duo, the artwork of Notes on a Conditional Form links it to A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships. It's billed as the second entry into the band's third catalogue chapter, "Music for Cars" (named after their third EP). It tackles topics such as romance, youth, and politics while—as vocalist Matthew Healy told BBC Radio 1 host Annie Mac—being influenced by "British nighttime culture". Broken into nearly two dozen tracks that cumulatively last over 80 minutes, it's as if Panic! at the Disco and Childish Gambino teamed up to embody the current zeitgeist in a song suite a la Field Music's Making a New World or Sloan's Never Hear the End of it. With guests like FKA Twigs, Phoebe Bridgers, Cutty Ranks, and even Healy's father, Tim, popping up here and there, the album is contemplative and chameleonic from start to finish.

--taken from: popmatters (read more here)