The Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival Hour: Metric, Dusted, Cold Specks, Men Without Hats, The Do Good Assassins, Rush

Momentum building for Metric

Momentum is building for Toronto band Metric’s new album Synthetica, which is set to be released June 12. The first single off the album, “Youth Without Youth” will be released on May 1, while the artwork and track listing were released earlier this month. Synthetica is being released by the band’s own label, MMI, through a series of partnerships with distributors around the world including Universal Music here in Canada.

The album artwork was created by local artist Justin Broadbent, and is said to depict “an inverted window in an upside-down world.” Meanwhile, the band is lining up a slew of music festival dates this summer including the Big Music Fest in Belleville, Ont.; Osheaga Festival in Montreal and Lollapalooza in Chicago. Nothing local yet, however.

Track listing:

1. Artificial Nocturne
2. Youth Without Youth
3. Speed The Collapse
4. Breathing Underwater
5. Dreams So Real
6. Lost Kitten
7. The Void
8. Synthetica
9. Clone
10. The Wanderlust
11. Nothing But Time

 

Holier than thou

Holy F*ck’s Brian Borcherdt has a new project on the go by the name of Dusted. The first single for the two-person band (Borcherdt along with Leon Taheny), titled “(Into the) Atmosphere,” features intricate arrangements and a fuzzy atmospheric effect behind Borcherdt’s vocals. The album, Total Dust, is slated for a July 10 release. The 11-track record will be issued on standard CD, black vinyl as well as a limited run of 500 maroon vinyl LPs. Dusted will play The Great Hall in Toronto on May 24 along with Bruce Peninsula and will be part of this year’s North by Northeast Music Festival running June 11 to 17 in Toronto. Check out the first track here:

 

A map to stardom

Next big thing Cold Specks, scheduled to open for the Great Lake Swimmers on tour in May and June, released a new video for the song “Blank Maps” off her incredible debut album, I Predict A Graceful Expulsion, set for release on May 22. The video is second in a series produced by Olivier Groulx. For those who don’t know, Cold Specks is Etobicoke native Al Spx, who has basically been on fire since releasing a few songs online and playing on a few TV shows including a now well-documented appearance on Later With Jools Holland. Look out for a profile of Cold Specks in the June print edition of Post City Magazines.

 

You can still dance if you want to

Proving last year’s surprising series of reunion shows was no one-off cash grab, Ivan Doroschuk is set to release a new Men Without Hats album on May 22. Sure, “The Safety Dance” and “Pop Goes The World” are decades old, but Doroschuk must have been motivated after rocking’ SXSW in 2011, earning rave reviews. In a hat no less! The album, Love In The Age Of War, is produced by Dave “Rave” Ogilvie, who has also worked with Skinny Puppy and Marilyn Manson. The first single “Head Above Water” indicates there won’t be a major change in direction from Doroschuk’s jingly synth pop that took the world by storm in the band’s heyday back in the ‘80s. Listen to the first single here:

 

Hawkins readying new double album

According to a post on his website, Ron Hawkins is heading back into the studio with his band The Do Good Assassins for the express purpose of “laying down bedtracks for their debut double disc.” Coming from the person some (okay I) consider one of the finest songwriters this city has produced, in addition to being the singer of on-again, off-again indie band Lowest of the Low, that’s big news. The post goes on to state the album will feature 23 new songs.

 

In prog we trust

Toronto rock royalty Rush are readying their new album, Clockwork Angels, for a June release and have announced a massive new tour that sees the prog-rock specialists hit the Air Canada Centre on Oct. 14. The album’s first single, “Headlong Flight,” was released on April 19 and it is a killer. Check it out here:

Article exclusive to STREETS OF TORONTO