Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Ben Lock
Review: MJ Lenderman with special guests Wild Pink live in Vancouver
With an abundance of accolades and attention MJ Lenderman has been getting recently, his attitude towards his music and shows has remained relatively calm and humble. His personality is so apparent in his songs and lyrics that he doesn’t do much to counteract that. No social media, Very relaxed and quiet in interviews, MJ has slowly become one of the most likeable singer-songwriters in the last year.
Dawson Gool - Bark Mulch
Dawson Gool is an artist and a songwriter that sounds like he has been writing songs and making records for twenty years with his ability to communicate brilliant stories about relatable subjects poetically. That being said, this is only Dawson’s second EP and it showcases how he is without a doubt one of the most promising songwriters to come out of Canada in a long time. Although he might not be on your radar this EP will surely change that.
Phonetics On and On by Horsegirl
Horsegirl’s sophomore record, Phonetics On and On, is a heartwarming and dynamic record that feels like finding a lost cassette of an 80s or 90s velvet underground-inspired band. Although this album does have some quirky 60s nostalgia sprinkled throughout, the band is still writing songs from a modern perspective and with influences from their contemporaries, such as BCNR and label mates Lifeguard and Pavement. The record opens with the short, sweet indie rock track Where’d You Go?
Squid - Cowards - Northern Transmissions
Squid’s tertiary album Cowards is a transformative masterpiece that is as expressive and instrumentally dense as it is dark and poetic, with Ollie Judges’s crawling lyrics written from the perspectives of all sorts of Terrible People. The first listen of this album is an extremely thrilling and unique experience that will leave you completely surprised yet utterly amazed by the amount of versatility the Band displays on each song.
Angel Olsen - Cosmic Waves Vol. 1
Modern folk icon Angel Olsen is back with a lovely and diverse Covers album featuring the likes of Poppy Jean Crawford, Coffin Prick, Sarah Grace White, Maxim Ludwig and Camp Sainte Helene. The Vibe Angel curated on this record is the perfect mixed-bag playlist for a wine bar or coffee shop. It is also a perfect Christmas gift for Vinyl for the average indie rock nerd.
Heavy Metal - Cameron Winter
There is nothing like hearing a record that reminds you of something you can’t put your finger on. Geese frontman Cameron Winters’s debut solo record, Heavy Metal, made me feel nostalgic and yet totally memorized by the originality and frenetic looseness of Cameron’s performances. Throughout ten songs, Cameron embraces the experimental vocal styles of His past work in Geese over some exciting and sometimes very lo-fi instrumentals.
Juanita Stein - The Weightless Hour
Juanita Stein is poetically drifting forward into her own creative world on every song off her wittingly Beautiful new album, The Weightless Hour. Juanita’s songwriting contains the perfect mixture of nostalgia and complete originality that is extremely difficult to pin down, and it is a type of songwriter that is very rare in our current musical climate.
Cistern - New Standard
New Standard is the newest EP from the squamish-based indie rock four piece Cistern. A band that has a wide variety of music to offer that all fits in the same umbrella of warm and techy art punk mixed with some modern indie rock and post-punk reminiscent of bands like Parquet Courts and Ought.
OMBIIGIZI - Shame
OMBIIGIZI is the poetically cathartic and expressive output from Daniel Monkman and Adam Sturgeon that they use not only as a place for their sonically dynamic songwriting but also as a medium to represent their Anishinaabe Ancestry. Their sophomore album, Shame is a momentous leap towards a better future within the shame we all share as humans, and The band is expanding on that idea in every way imaginable on this wonderful new record.
Japandroids - Fate & Alchohol
The Iconic and Explosive Vancouver Rock duo Japandroids are releasing their final album Fate And Alcohol on October 18th. On Fate and Alcohol, Dave Prowse and Brian King have honed in on their unstoppable artistic chemistry while simultaneously pushing the boundaries of what could be a Japandroid’s song. This classy approach to a final album that is much more grandiose than your average Victory Lap record.
Review: Chanel Beads live in Vancouver BC
After a whirlwind of hype and excitement around Chanel Beads’ debut album, Your Day Will Come, they packed out the Wise Hall in Vancouver with excited fans for a night of great music. Chanel Beads put on an amazing set of their meditative yet energetic songs from their latest album. While the bulk of the set was filled with songs off the album, there were a couple of seemingly unreleased songs and spacious instrumental passages throughout the show.
Geordie Greep - The New Sound
In early August of this year, Geordie Greep announced the official split of The widely Celebrated UK Post Punk Band Black Midi on a live stream stating, “Its Over, No more Black Midi.” as a longtime fan of Black Midi This saddened me but was curious to see the solo work from the band’s members Geordie Greep, Cameron Picton, Morgan Simpson and Seth Evans.
Always Happy To Explode by Sunset Rubdown
Montreal-based art rock/ Indie band Sunset Rubdown have returned with their charmingly odd and artistically dense fourth album, Always Happy To Explode and their first album in nearly 15 years. The mix of sounds the band has incorporated into this album are chaotically original and simply fun. Throughout nine grandiose and captivating tracks, Frontman Spencer Krug’s lyricism is at his most eccentric, as well as the production style and unpredictable instrumental layers.
Colin Stetson stays truly inspired
Colin Stetson is a Canadian-American saxophonist, multireedist, and composer based in Montreal. Stetson has performed and recorded with dozens of artists, including Tom Waits, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, Feist, Bon Iver.
Julie - my anti-aircraft friend
In the past couple of years, 90s-inspired guitar music has made an extensive comeback with today’s youth, and Julie is one of the most talked about and exciting bands to come out of this era of shoegaze/ grunge revival. Since the release of the band’s first single, Flutter, in 2020, Julie has had a massive explosion in popularity that led to the band opening for bands such as the Foo Fighters, Alex G and Faye Webster, as well as racking up millions of listens on Spotify and apple music.
You'll Have To Lose Something
In the ever-changing and maximalist world of Spirit Of The Beehive you have to shed all of your previous expectations that you might have of the Band’s earlier work and go into the experience with an open and clear mind. An experience that could be described similarly to trying a familiar mind-altering substance for the first time in a while where you put yourself in a position where you have to hand yourself over to something and let it guide you.
illuminati hotties - Power
POWER is the Fourth studio album from the LA-based Indie rock band Illuminati Hotties. The Band hone in on their expansive indie rock songwriting style that their fans know and love. This album perfectly blends poppy and uplifting songs with acoustic and melancholic songs fitting together on this wonderful new album.
Horse Jumper Of Love Are Doing Things At Their Own Pace
Northern Transmissions got a chance to talk to Horse Jumper Of Love Frontman Dimitri Giannopoulos about the setting their new record Disaster Trick was made in, Touring, Loud Amps and reflecting on the past through writing music. Disaster Trick is out today via Run For Cover Records. Northern Transmissions: Can you describe the setting this record was made in and any pre discussed intentions the band may have had before recording?
Review: Unknown Mortal Orchestra Live in Vancouver
Last night I saw the extraordinary Unknown Mortal Orchestra at the legendary Vogue Theatre in Vancouver. A band that I fell in love with after seeing their revolutionary Tiny Desk Concert in late 2023 a set of music so crafted and beautifully performed it made me attracted to the bands catalog only to find that their are so many great albums and songs within.
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Flight B741
The cosmically prolific King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have been busy these last two decades, releasing 26 studio albums, which can vary from trash metal, Conceptual Psych Rock and the average electronic exploration. Their Newest effort, Flight B741 exists in a similar vain to the kooky classic rock and boogie woogie sounds of albums like Fishing For Fishies and Paper Mache Dream Balloon.
Dale Crover - Glossolalia
The unhinged energy from Dale Crover’s songwriting is at its Best with Glossolalia. An album full of momentum and melodic coolness radiating from the unique production and ripping guitar playing from Dale, Kim Thayil and Dan Southwick. Dale is no stranger to collaboration and has collaborated with some pretty heavyweight musicians on this record, such as Tom Waits, Ty Segall, Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Rob Crow (Pinback). Damn, this dude has some cool friends.
Clairo - Charm - Northern Transmissions
Claire Cottrill, aka Clairo, has just released an instant classic. Her third studio album, Charm is a subtle yet wittingly dense batch of songs that make for a comforting and uplifting listen all the way through. Claire’s musicality and sonic compass are the stars of the show on this album. Her ability to write rich and captivating melodies is one thing, but her performances on these songs see Claire at her most present and free.
This Is Lorelei - Box For Buddy, Box For Star
Water From Your Eyes’s Very own Nate Amos Aka This Is Lorelei is back with his most light hearted album yet Box for Buddy, Box for Star. Nate Amos has been releasing music through the moniker This Is Lorelei for over a decade now and has been continuously able to shapeshift between genres and grow his discography as a solo artist.
Goat Girl - Below The Waste
The ever-changing and virtuosic discography from Goat Girl expands greatly with their third album, Below The Waste. Since their breakthrough album in 2018, Goat Girl has been a dynamic force of creativity. Lottie Pendlebury, Rosy Jones, and Holly Mullineaux have crafted 16 unique songs, fusing elements of eccentric art pop, Post-punk, and freak folk, showcasing their distinct musical style.
O. Are Embracing The Weird On "WeirdOs"
Speedy Wunderground are back with a hot new South london based band O. A two piece Post punk instrumental outfit that blends Post Punk, Hip Hop, And trip hop together to make massive sounding music just using Drums and Baritone Saxophone. Northern Transmissions talk to the band about Their new record WeirdOs, recent tours, covering Taylor Swift, and pushing themselves to make the biggest sound possible. NT: The track order flows seamlessly and builds tension quite like one of your live shows.
Loans Cash In With Confidence on New EP
Loans have existed in the periphery of the bustling Vancouver post-punk scene for more than seven years, consistently releasing thoughtful and well-arranged music that contains an angular uniqueness. This month, the Abbotsford-based quartet bark back with a cheeky and ferocious new EP, Have A Nice Day Somewhere Else, which is also their first on the up-and-coming indie imprint, Westerly Records, founded by Nathaniel Epp and Keely Rochon of Dead Soft.
Undiscovered gems from the great white north
For years, Vancouver has been the home to many young and ambitious musicians, and it is currently a place where the scene finally makes sense. You can go see a show With Shoegaze bands, R&B acts, and Noisey Post punk bands all on the same bill, and they are all friends. There’s always a strong passion radiating throughout the bands and Crowds at venues such as Green Auto, Red Gate, and 648 Kingsway.
St Vincent - All Born Screaming
St Vincent Returns with an authentically Badass album that is cinematic, innovative and transformative. All Born Screaming evolves with every listen. The artist’s first self-produced record is a stunning and widely dynamic-sounding batch of songs that ebb and flow within her sonic universe. The introduction to this record sucks you out of reality, where you feel taken from your daily life and put into a landscape of the unknown. The album opener “Hell Is Near” is an immediate instant classic.
Cloud Nothings - Final Summer
The alt-rock underground heavyweights Cloud Nothings are back with Final Summer, the Band’s Ninth studio album. It is a strong album filled with Earwormy melodies and huge guitar sounds. The band continues their no-miss reputation with a set of huge-sounding tracks that significantly represent the current era of the band. While most bands take a lengthy break from record to record, Cloud Nothings has the opposite approach: they just keep the ball rolling and have fun.
Metz - Up On Gravity Hill
The kings of dissonance and pummeling energy Metz are back with Up On Gravity Hill, a cathartic and melodic record hosting some of the band’s most groundbreaking songs to date. Up On Gravity Hill is the band’s first album in four years and it is very apparent the band has really worked on their sound and evolved it into this beautiful yet noisy batch of songs.
Package Pt. 2 By Gustaf
If you are a fan of No wave/ Post punk revival with an energetic and uniquely modern twist then prepare to be amazed by the Sophomore album Package Pt.2 from Gustaf the 5 piece art punk ensemble hailing from the ever evolving scene of Brooklyn, New york.
"Bright Future" by Adrianne Lenker
Adrianne Lenker will make you cry with her new album. And that’s not because it’s sad, although in ways it is. It’s because you can feel the natural and honest emotion radiating from the room of Adrienne’s double infinity studio with each song. Adrianne spells her heart out word by word on Bright Future: “You have my heart, and I want it back.” The 32 year old Songwriter sings on the heartbreaking track “Evol.” To give a bit of a context, this album was not originally intended to be an album.
Homeshake - CD Wallet
The tone and emotion of this record are unique to his discography but still feel similar enough to his other albums. The sound and trajectory of this record is an exciting breath of fresh air for a fan like myself, and it feels like a natural direction for Homeshake to go in. CD Wallet is undoubtedly his most guitar-focused record and has a slightly heavier sound than the past albums.
Mannequin Pussy - I Got Heaven
The track to start this all killer no filler record off is the absolute rager “I Got Heaven” and it opens up the record with a beautiful blend of high energy punk and introspective indie rock sounds. Marisa Dabices absolutely fed up vocal performance takes over the track and has some of the best energy on the whole record. The second song “Loud Bark” builds up in dynamics beautifully and is textured with gorgeous production elements.
Omni - Souvenir - Northern Transmissions
Omni is a band that has truly defined their artistic language and has the ability to follow deeper into that language with every project they release. Although the songs have similar tonalities and tropes from their previous albums, this album feels like a real creative high point for the band. Every song is filled with outrageous amounts of textures and melodic guitar playing while still maintaining a pop-centric core to hold the wonkiness together.
J Mascis - What Do We Do Now
The song to start this dense batch of acoustic tunes off is “Can’t Believe We’re Here,” a fast-moving introspective jam filled with cohesive instrumental ingredients to create a full and uplifting opener track. Mascis’s observations are simple and honest within the lyrics of the song, and I think it sets the mood for the rest of the album very well. The title track, What Do We Do Now, has slightly more chill dynamics and reminds me of some of my favourite Wiilco tunes.
Ty Segall - Three Bells
After the release of the introspective and acoustic album Hello, Hi, which came out in July 2022, Ty was excited about playing his instruments and creating songs by simply playing and figuring out as he would go. The guitar and drumming performances on this record feel very considered and tight, and one track that showcases this very well is the first track on the LP, “The Bell,” which builds and changes constantly but never feels cold or disconnected from the original idea.
Katy Kirby - Blue Raspberry
The second track, “Fences,” has a uniquely folk-tinged sadness that is building off similar ideas from Kirby’s previous work. That being said, it’s still a banger track with a short run time of a minute and forty seconds. “Cubic Zirconia” is one of the more optimistic and high-energy songs on the album, reminiscent of modern chamber pop artists such as Weyes Blood and Leah Senior. The song is named after a type of fake crystal with the same appearance as a diamond.
Best Debut Albums of 2023
boygenius – the record Yeah, it’s no surprise that this is on this list. This album is filled with some of the most beautiful and strongly written songs of these artist’s discographies. The supergroup has written a relatable and deeply layered masterpiece that has connected and brought so many people together in the time since it was released. The lyrical narratives are not only unique from track to track but are very intentional and well thought out.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Ben
Contact Ben, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack