It’s April Lavigne… or should we say… April La Green??? (Get ready to hear this joke at least four times.) Yes, we’re bringing back our moderately popular Avril Lavigne coverage, but with a twist. In reverence of the climate activist (or, as Sam calls her, “streaker”) Ever who interrupted Avril at the Junos, we’re dedicating this month to the preservation of the Greenbelt. All of our guests will be on to talk about environmental issues, starting with Ever herself. Yep, we got her!
Listen to the new ‘sode of 155 here.
Here’s some other stuff we’re thinking about right now:
Samiam “Lights Out Little Hustler”
Sam: There’s something so unobtrusive about Samiam. I would never claim to be a serious fan, except I’ve loved them for over half my life. Their first new album in 12 years came out last week and… nothing has changed. Time isn’t real, none of us are getting any older, and no one you love will ever die. My own appreciation doesn’t really start until Astray which I always thought made me a poser until it was 2023 and that album was a 23 year-old classic, and there is almost nothing here that wouldn’t have worked on that record. It’s like having 11 new “Dull”s. Can’t wait for another collection in a decade.
Jos: Not sure I’ve ever heard this band, but it’s definitely sounding like something called Samiam. This kind of mid-tempo strumminess with single note leads is Sam. I am not Sam. What would a band called Josiam sound like? Well, maybe that’s what I’m trying to work on when I have power.
The Beths “Watching the Credits”
Sam: I saw the Beths a few years ago pre-pandemic and was shocked to realize they are not a pop-punk band. The signs were all there, I just chose to ignore them until I was surrounded by a crowd of unrecognizable Toronto indie-lite dorks. But if I squint, I can still hear what I want in their lil Kiwi ditties. “Watching the Credits” is hard to imagine being played at Warped Tour so I initially wasn’t into it but the string swell in the bridge is so sick I have to show respect to the swagless indie-lite lovers of Toronto, who probably love this.
Jos: Yeah I think the Beths is more the music that I am supposed to be into. I think it’s for people who like Flying Nun and Superchunk. And honestly? As much as I don’t want to like something when I know I’m supposed to… this sounds pretty good. Gets a bit silly in the prechorus, but it’s got da chops.
Incessant Beeping Sound
Jos: We’re going to be talking about the environment this month in a sort of post-post-post-ironic way (inspired by the topless protestor that Sam called a streaker who is now my friend and keeps texting me because we had such a fun convo about Avril Lavigne). I mean, I’ve always had a recycling bin but I’ve never chained myself to a tree or anything. But a freak ice storm last week ended up with over a million Quebeckers not having power, including me. Power was out from Wednesday afternoon until Sunday around the same time, and as I’m typing this on my internet (which only came back Monday morning), there’s an incessant beeping sound in the hallway of the building. Someone has pried the box open, breaking the lock to try and stop the beep, but we need someone with a key or something, and they’re all away due to the holidays. Also I don’t have any heat whatsoever, so I’m bundled up in blankets thinking about starting a fire in my living room so I can make some lunch. At least I have internet tho. The hours without internet made me really pissed off about the environment.
Sam: Montreal is amazing because it is easily the best city in Canada but it’s managed by the most conspicuously corrupt, charmingly out-of-time bureaucracy. What other major North American hub is still controlled by the mafia? But having no power for weeks is just the price you pay for vibes.
Enys Men
Dir. Mark Jenkin
Jos: We had just enough room on our credit card to skip town for much of the weekend’s power outage and went to America. Say what you will about America, and there’s a lot to say, but they have power, heat and internet. They also have so many flavours of everything. I came home with a trunk full of Polar seltzer and Topo Chico, great items to replace the turned perishables in my tepid fridge. We also went to see Enys Men, a perfectly pretentious non-horror movie that is no plot, all 16mm vibes. Because everyone is so annoying about everything now, it’s nice to take refuge in a movie that’s just difficult enough to ensure no one can hyperbolize about it.
Sam: This looks cool but I wish it was called and about Enya’s Men. Good excuse for a big Atom and His Package needle drop.
blink-155 live (or blink one fifty live)
The main thing I was going to do this long weekend was work on content for our live shows, because we just announced two shows and I have no clue what we’re going to do. But they are happening. Blink-155 live in Toronto and Montreal. More information coming soon. (And we did not do an “Edging” episode this week due to climate disaster.)