New Music Roundup: La Sécurité “Ketchup”, JayWood, Bells Larsen, and more
Photo credit: Joel Thomas
In a music landscape that often takes itself too seriously, La Sécurité's "Ketchup" arrives as a deliciously sardonic commentary on social conventions. The Montreal art-punk collective's latest single, released via Bella Union and Mothland, transforms the Québécois expression "L'affaire est ketchup" ("all is well") into a critique of empty conversations. Built around what might be the most distorted bass tone committed to tape this year, the track careens forward with the kind of urgency that makes standing still a physical impossibility. Add in these delightfully spooky guitar licks and some seriously catchy keys, and you've got something that's equal parts art-punk manifesto and dance floor anthemn.
Speaking about the single, lead singer Éliane Viens-Synnott says, “Though we knew we wanted to write a song about small talk, when we started working on the music, I was mostly scat singing, save for the words ‘L’affaire est ketchup.’ Hence, the song title. We noticed while playing the song live, that the tune got people bouncing all over the place. The track seems to have that special energy. To keep that energy, Renny [Wilson] went all out with the production. To be fair, we did suggest that he made every track ‘clip.’”
Since their 2023 debut Stay Safe!, La Sécurité has been carrying the torch passed down from Le Tigre and the Riot Grrrl movement, but they're doing it their own way, with that distinct Québécois flavor. Producer Renny Wilson's decision to push every track into the red wasn't just an aesthetic choice – it's a perfect metaphor for how the band approaches their art: pushing boundaries until they break, then making something methodically unique from the distortion. The accompanying video, directed by Philippe Beauséjour, cleverly employs Terry Gilliam-inspired paper-cut animations to further skewer the banality of weather forecasts and TV news segments we use to fill awkward silences. Catch them live at Taverne Tour with Chandra on February 8, 2025 if you're in Montreal - trust us, you won't want to miss this one.
Remember how we've been keeping an eye on Anishinaabe post-punk band Ribbon Skirt, waiting for new music? Well, it's finally here and it was worth the wait! They've just announced they're joining the Mint Records family with a new EP called Bite Down. Their lead single 'Wrong Plant' (produced by Marlaena Moore and Scott Munroe) comes with this incredible video - they filmed it in ag prom dress store on Montreal's St. Hubert Plaza. The location is perfect - all these colorful, kitschy dresses creating a wild backdrop that really captures how the song moves between chaos and control.
We're particularly excited about Robert Ascroft's latest single 'Faded Photograph,' which features the enchanting vocals of Chromatics' Ruth Radelet. If that collaboration isn't intriguing enough, just wait until you hear about his upcoming album Echo Still Remains, dropping this Valentine's Day on Toronto's eclectic Hand Drawn Dracula label. The record is shaping up to be a dream for music enthusiasts, bringing together an incredible roster of collaborators - we're talking art punk legend Kid Congo from The Cramps, Luna's Britta Phillips, Tess Parks, Christopher Owens, The Entrance Band's Guy Blakeslee, Ora Cogan, and even Black Lips' Zumi Rosow.
Speaking of anticipated releases, Bells Larsen has just announced his sophomore album Blurring Time, coming this April on Royal Mountain Records. It’s more than just a follow-up record - it's a deeply personal document capturing Larsen's transition timeline, with vocals that chronicle his journey through testosterone changes. What makes this album especially touching is Larsen's approach to storytelling. As he explains, he wanted to move beyond the typical before-and-after narrative of transition stories: 'Many coming-of-age stories are furnished with dichotomies of the before and the after, without the two ever merging. For the purposes of Blurring Time, I didn't want to have to choose between showcasing my past or present.' The album's first glimpse comes via '514-415,' accompanied by a video directed by Boy Wonder's Ryan Faist that perfectly captures this sentiment.
Montreal's indie hip-hop artist JayWood proves once again that he knows exactly who to call for the perfect collaboration, this time linking up with the avant-garde visionaries Tune-Yards for his latest single 'BIG TINGS.' The track serves as both a statement of intent and a playful critique of empty promises in the music industry. As JayWood explains with a knowing wink, 'The amount of times I've seen or heard someone say "ayo y'all better look out big things coming" with no follow through is crazy. I kinda wrote this song to say the same thing, but god forbid if I don't mean it.' Tune-Yards' enthusiasm for the collaboration shines through in their response, flipping the narrative into something beautifully affirming: 'I sang, "big things coming, coming our way" and it felt right and good. Big things coming for JayWood! With his clear artistic vision, broad imagination, hunger for musical adventure...we were honored to be along for the ride.'
And speaking of big things coming - dive into our playlist below to catch all these up and coming artists!