In No Particular Order – January 24, 2020
Happy Friday! I hope you’re just as excited as I am for today because it is also New Music Friday, which means it’s time for a new In No Particular Order!
This week, I have two fantastic Canadian artists to share with you: West Coast trio Wolf Parade, and Toronto-based singer-songwriter Andy Shauf have taken over this week’s In No Particular Order. Plus two bonus albums just further down as a sign of appreciation for your loyalty.
As always don’t forget to follow and subscribe to Dusty Organ online: you can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify for our monthly new releases playlist. It’s the easiest and best way to fall in love with new music every day.
Enjoy!
Andy Shauf – The Neon Skyline
Andy Shauf’s music is fitting to his demeanour. Just like how sometimes a dog resembles his owner, Shauf’s quiet and articulate personality shines through in his personable and captivating songwriting. It is rich with storytelling and soft pop detailing, giving it a Prairies-meets-Paul Simon-esque.
Originally from Regina, Shauf has been living in Toronto since 2016, where his latest album The Neon Skyline is based. The diner located on Queen St West in the city’s west end is the setting for a record about breakups, friendships, and mundane moments. The Neon Skyline follows its characters through heartbreak, and repeating the mistakes of the past.
His songs are simple enough to enjoy, but laden with rich instrumentation to give them an abundance of layers. The record is very much a glimpse into the mind of Shauf and his creativity. He wrote, recorded, and produced the entire album, and also performed every instrument on the album – including drums, bass, keys, and clarinet. An impressive credit to say the least. And you can hear his hard work as you listen carefully between the layers of instruments, each one with a strong sense of purpose and working in synergy to build dense, lyrically-driven songs.
Songs such as “Living Room”, with it cyclic piano chord progression, lounge-jazz percussion, and intercrossing clarinet and guitar harmonies, or lead single “Try Again” and its hand-clap indie pop foundation, show-off Shauf’s ability to write songs to his own beat, giving the indie singer-songwriter genre his own flare of baroque/folk-pop.
Stream the full album now, and head to his website to get a copy of The Neon Skyline and tickets for his upcoming tour (dates below).
Tour dates:
Feb. 7 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups *
Feb. 8 – Lexington, KY @ The Burl *
Feb. 9 – Knoxville, TN @ Barley’s Taproom *
Feb. 11 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In *
Feb. 13 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall *
Feb. 14 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk *
Feb. 15 – Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Art Co. *
Feb. 18 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom *
Feb. 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theater *
Feb. 21 – San Francisco, CA @ August Hall *
Feb. 22 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s *
Feb. 24 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall *
Feb. 25 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
Feb. 26 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom *
Feb. 28 – Calgary, AB @ Bella Concert Hall *
Feb. 29 – Edmonton, AB @ The Starlite Room *
March 2 – Saskatoon, SK @ Broadway Theatre *
March 3 – Regina, SK @ The Exchange *
March 4 – Winnipeg, MB @ Park Theatre *
March 5 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Hall *
March 6 – Milwaukee, WI @ Colectivo *
March 7 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
March 13 – Lyon, FR @ Epicerie Moderne
March 14 – Bordeaux, FR @ Krakatoa
March 17 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare and Hounds
March 18 – Glasgow, UK @ Mono
March 19 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
March 20 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
March 21 – Bristol, UK @ Fiddlers
March 22 – Brighton, UK @ Chalk
March 25 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique Orangerie
March 26 – Utrecht, NL @ TivoliVredenburg
March 27 – Rotterdam, NL @ Rotown
March 28 – Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje
March 30 – Hamburg, DE @ Elbphilharmonie
March 31 – Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen
April 1 – Stockholm, SE @ Nalen Klubb
April 2 – Oslo, NO @ Ingensteds
April 4 – Berlin, DE @ Silent Green
April 5 – Cologne, DE @ Luxor
April 6 – Rouen, FR @ Le 106
April 7 – Paris, FR @ Trianon
April 8 – London, UK @ Shepherds Bush Empire
April 23 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall ^
April 24 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall ^ – SOLD OUT
April 25 – Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre ^
April 26 – Sheffield, MA @ Race Brook Lodge ^
April 28 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club ^
April 30 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw ^
May 1 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer ^
May 2 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat ^
May 4 – Charlottesville, NC @ The Southern ^
May 5 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle ^
May 6 – Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle ^
May 8 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West ^
May 9 – New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks ^
May 10 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn ^
May 12 – Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi ^
May 13 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Andy Warhol Museum ^
May 15 – Asbury Park, NJ @ House of Independents ^
May 16 – Woodstock, NY @ Colony Cafe ^
*= w/ Molly Sarlé
^ = w/ Faye Webster
Wolf Parade – Thin Mind
In a small studio in the woods of Vancouver Island, alternative rock group Wolf Parade jumped back into the songwriting process only a month after completing a world tour supporting Cry Cry Cry in 2018. The result is Thin Mind, a well-rounded alternative album that explores the theme of the world’s heightened use of technology and the negative consequences as a result. Thin Mind is upbeat, lively, and organic, but looking deeper into it, it is dripping with pessimism.
Lead single “Forest Green”, an animated indie-dance rock tune complete with an electronic drum kit and synthesizers, laments about the clashing beauty and ugliness of the band’s home of Vancouver Island.
“The island has a really weird, pervasive darkness to it,” explains drummer Arlen Thompson. “It’s got amazing nature, and there’s an inescapable spiritual vibe to the place. But it’s held with this tension between real estate money and nature now constantly being logged and developed. It’s a process that’s been happening for maybe 150 years—you’re watching this beautiful place just kind of melt.”
This contrast of catchy, danceable energy against the lyrical worry and anxiety about the world is what Thin Mind is about. Follow-up single “Julia, Take Your Man Home” is about toxic masculinity, and album opener “Under Glass” explores the lack of focus and overwhelming overload of information in today’s day and age. But while the lyrical content of the album is heavy, the music remains fun, lively, and dynamic. It is still easy to sit back and enjoy as an alt-rock record with its strong hooks and riffs, in true Wolf Parade fashion. Just try not to let the dread set in for too long.
Head to their website to get a copy of Thin Mind, and catch them on tour this spring (dates below).
Tour Dates
Jan. 26 – Seattle, WA – Easy Street Records Instore
Jan. 27 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom *
Jan. 29 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore *
Jan. 30 – Los Angeles, CA – The Regent Theater *
Jan. 31 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern *
Feb. 01 – Tucson, AZ – 191 Toole *
Feb. 03 – Austin, TX – Mohawk *
Feb. 04 – Dallas, TX – Trees *
Feb. 05 – Oklahoma City, OK – Tower Theatre *
Feb. 07 – Santa Fe, NM – Meow Wolf *
Feb. 08 – Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre *
Feb. 09 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge *
Feb. 11 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox *
Feb. 12 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore **
Feb. 16 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall **
Feb. 17 – London, ON – London Music Hall **
Feb. 18 – Toronto, ON – Mod Club ** [Sold Out]
Feb. 19 – Toronto, ON – Mod Club **
Feb. 21 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer **
Feb. 22 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club **
Feb. 23 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club **
Feb. 24 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel **
Mar. 02 – Utrecht, NL – Tivoli Vredenburg ^
Mar. 03 – Hamburg, DE – Knust ^
Mar. 04 – Berlin, DE – Gretchen ^
Mar. 06 – Cologne, DE – Club Volta ^
Mar. 07 – Zurich, CH – Bogen F ^
Mar. 08 – Luxembourg, LX – Rotondes ^
Mar. 09 – Paris, FR – Petit Bain ^
Mar. 10 – Brussels, BE – Orangerie @ Botanique ^
Mar. 11 – London, UK – The Dome ^
Mar. 13 – Bristol, UK – Thekla ^
Mar. 14 – Manchester, UK – YES (Pink Room) ^
Mar. 15 – Dublin, IE – The Button Factory ^
* w/ Land of Talk
** w/ Jo Passed
^ w/ Joensuu 1685
Bonus Picks:
We Are the City – RIP
Vancouver-based indie pop group We Are the City have continued to shift towards a strong progressive pop edge with their latest album RIP.
En Attendant Ana – Juilett
Paris, France five-piece En Attendant Ana have released their latest album Juilett, filled with lo-fi, DIY energy mixed into retro-filled indie rock melodies and hooks.
