Spotlighting three new releases from New Brunswick artists. This week we look at new music from Pete Hansen, Smiling Boy and Phone Jerks.
In an attempt to stay on top of all the new music coming out from all corners of the province, we’ve launched the Midweek Music Mix, a new weekly series highlighting the diverse mix of NB music makers and all the joyous noise they bring us.
Pete Hansen – Bad Break
Prog-rock meets high energy blues on this, the second EP from Fredericton musician Pete Hansen. Expanding on his proven ability to craft radio-ready ear worms, Hansen’s sound is rounded out by an ensemble of veteran musicians including Colton Craft (keyboards), Andrew Kenney (bass) and the blazing lead guitar of Brent Mason, with each track leaving plenty of room for this talented lineup to go-off. This group seem to be contained only by the programmed drum tracks they work with. Someone get this band a drummer – then look out!
Smiling Boy – 3am Demos
Saint John’s Smiling Boy offers up their fifth release of the year with 3am Demos, a two track EP that follows along the same path of low-fi recordings that have defined each of their releases so far. Through all the hiss and background noise that only help to create an atmosphere worthy of a 3 a.m. DIY recording session somewhere on a back porch in Saint John, 3am Demos is a soft-sung pairing of deeply personal songs that could have both easily been lifted directly from the pages of the artist’s diary.
Phone Jerks – s/t
For anyone who may have questioned the longevity of Phone Jerks and their overdriven brand of true-to-Moncton, audio defiance, the group’s self-titled full length debut affirms that band’s place among the city’s long line of impressive garage punk tinkers and peddlers. Spewing out some of the snottiest sounding, ’77 inspired rock and roll you may have ever heard ‘round these parts, Phone Jerks’ debut is a must-have. I’ll leave it at that.
If you have new music on the way and would like to be featured in a future edition of Midweek Music Mix, send us the details at gridcitymagazine(at)gmail.com
