City Cat Collective

With the final touches being placed on the music video for "Fantasy" by Venus In Arms, we patiently await its official debut. Following Venus In Arms aka Olivia Barchard on social media has told me that her new music video will have a "mini movie" feel to it. Exciting!

I've been privileged to an early listen, and I can tell you the song has a ballad feel. The bassline propels the track like an outboard engine pushes a skiff. The minimalist approach to the single allows the open guitar chords to truly resonate and the synth notes to land on open terrain. Olivia's vocals are the focus, but the lyrics are what it's all about. When Oliva sings the chorus line "you're just a fantasy", the emotional weight tips the scale over like a triple beam being maxed out in middle school science class. Reality hits the heart, I'm alone and you're just a fantasy. Riveting indeed.

Dear Banshee describe their music as traditional, electronic and experimental. Their new single "Rehoboam" most definitely aligns with that statement. Things get serious right away as the opening vocal's sound off like war trumpets signaling the impending start of warfare. Hip hop edged drums with boisterously booming bass drum kicks amplify the war cry, 

I came across Ferguson's Daughter on Instagram a few months ago and immediately became a fan. Her three song EP, Blissed Out Blues made quite the impression on me. I wrote a small review on the spot. Since then, Lindsey has been busy releasing a 20-song full length album Being A Girl and most recently her new single "One Of Those Moments."

Upon diving through her new LP, it's clear she is a creative force. The melodies, the approach, the songwriting all vary from song to song and are stamped with her signature. Case in point is the single "Silk and Satin" with its Alice In Wonderland feel. The single is fun, vibrant and unlike anything I've heard recently. The word "clever" doesn't justify the song, "brilliant" would be the proper term.

The fun vibe that "Silk and Satin" bring to the table, beautifully set up the somber tone of "Bad Coffee". She sings with power. The way she harnesses the power of her vocal's and unleashes its force with total control at a moment's notice is magnificent. I was trying to think of who I could compare Lindsey to for the sake of conversation and Alaniss Morrissette with a touch of Amy Winehouse is my response.

Being A Girl just rolls, song after song, showcasing her talent. "Let's Play Pretend" is another standout single. Its flowing grace has a nostalgic feel, almost 50's like. The guitar line plucked in the back end of the song also comes across from that era. Grand piano keys play into our hearts as she sings the chorus line boldly and fearlessly.

Keeping us on our toes is the very next song “N.y.c.” where Americana borrows from the summer of love. Lindsey's marvelous songwriting knows no bounds. An acoustic guitar and a microphone are all she needs to create magic. The fact that she can add backing vocals to her creations thanks to studio production only enhance our experience. Excellent!

I could stay here all day dissecting every song, but sadly I have to end this a little early. I will add that "Eloise" is also amazing. There are too many great songs. You'll just have to follow her, tune in and become a fan.

Listen to Ferguson's Daughter on Spotify and follow her on Instagram!!!

We've included “Let's Play Pretend” for your instant listening pleasure. You're welcome!!!

For some, "pop music" is like a dirty word never uttered amongst certain company. I'm not afraid to say it, I love pop music. I bring this up because when I hear Weekend Youth, that's exactly what I hear, modern day pop music. They stack up musically to some of the giants of today. Foster The People, Real Estate, Ra Ra Riot, Electric Guest, Neon Indian and even Coldplay all check certain boxes that we as listeners expect to be checked when we hear their music. The songwriting and execution Weekend Youth lays down checks those same boxes.  

Let's go down the list...

Box 1 - Powerful vocals that contain a sense of vulnerability. A softness to their hue makes them feel familiar like slipping into your favorite pair of shoes.

Box 2 - Production is top notch. The levels, the mix, the tones, the volumes the entire package is first class.  

Box 3 - Modern songwriting and the creativity that it breeds elevate their music into the next level. By refusing to be boxed in by writing styles of yesterdays, a spontaneity charm exists in every bar, every measure of their music. 

Box 4 - It sounds incredible. Just like looking out the window to see if it's raining, when you play Weekend Youth's music, you'll hear what I'm talking about.

Go to their Spotify page, play the first song play and let it ride. Zoom in on a sound and then zoom out and listen to the track as a whole, any track and I think you'll agree, it's incredible delicatessen pop music. 

"Superman" and "Gotta Be Me" are two songs that I really enjoyed. Both are completely different stylistically from one another but that's the magic, their all good. 

Follow Weekend Youth immediately on Spotify, Instagram and Facebook !!! 

And of course, for your City Cat Collective sponsored introduction, we have "Vacation" for your listening pleasure. Enjoy.

It's been all work and not much time for fun these days. However, sometimes the universal forces of fun will drop an event on my lap, placed at the perfect time. Case in point came on January 18th at Bottom Of The Hill. I had seen posters on FB and Instagram for the Margaritas Podridas, April Magazine and Fake Your Own Death show but I assumed it fell on Saturday. I assumed incorrectly. 

When my evening surprisingly opened up, Terry texted me soon after about the show. The show I assumed fell on Saturday was suddenly in play! My plans were now set... I was going to the show! Wunderbar! A great sign when arriving early at a venue is a line forming before doors open. This was the case unfolding here. Once they let us inside a youthful buzz filled the air. I overheard people talking about the headlining band. Everyone was talking about music in one way or another.  

I came to Bottom Of The Hill to see Fake Your Own Death and they did not disappoint. Scott and Terry have been holding down the fort for a minute. The band's sound is uniquely theirs, and it sounds as good as ever. Their sound is unequivocally indie rock with ruffled edges. Terry's voice and delivery is the main attraction.  A key ingredient is the distorted drone reverb drenched delay ridden guitars cranked to 10. The rhythm section is always on lock and their new guitarist Shane brings more wrinkles to the soundscape. On one of the songs, Shane played synth lines with his right hand and hammered notes on his guitar with his left hand. These sounds swirled into the crowd to everyone's delight as the notes billowed from the amplifiers.  

I didn't stay for the rest of the show because I'm old and had to wake up early, early. I met one of the guys from the band April Magazine, and also made some new friends. Being at a music venue, checking out bands with old friends are special moments. Felt absolutely fantastic to be back out in San Francisco, enjoying the local music scene.

Fake Your Own Death are friends of mine and you should check them out. I included my favorite song, "Bombs Don't Show Up" for your immediate introduction:)

Be sure to follow Fake Your Own Death on Spotify and Facebook !!!

Marcus Halberstram speaks to Mishkin Fitzgerald about her new project, Mishkin Fitzgerald and the Chemical Perils, the new single "Legs Broken", Bird Eats Baby and the music industry in 2023 amongst other things!

Go and listen to "Legs broken" today!

Find more @mishkinbird on Instagram, Mishkin Fitzgerald and the Chemical Perils on Facebook, and @birdeatsbaby

Many thanks to @scottchalmersphotography for the pics

In our continuing quest for wisdom we asked producer Hugo GT some questions about his work. We share his opinion of banjos and an overwhelming urge to buy new guitars.

You produce music for a range of artists. Is there a “Hugo GT sound” someone that works with you can expect, or is every project a fresh start? 

I don't know yet if there's a sound defining my mixing, I would say I do spend a lot of time on guitar tones. I'm a guitarist myself and I'm after the eternal quest of finding the perfect guitar tone! (insert epic music) 

I also find myself using a bunch of my favorite samples to enhance songs for background ambience or drum oversampling - so if you pay close attention there's probably some samples that come back from mix to mix in my work! 

We understand you live with bears and worship guitars. On a cold winter night would you sleep with a Les Paul or a Stratocaster? 

If I had to choose between those two it would probably be the Les Paul, now if the question is what is my top guitar, well the answer is lengthier! 

I'd start with a cheap 7 string probably from Jackson with a bolt-on neck, hipshot bridge and double humbucker setup. Then I'd get that cheap neck off, get a badass neck built from a luthier to replace it, put up some Gotoh hardware or equivalent to replace the cheap hardware, then some Seymour Duncan bridge pickup and a Dimarzio neck pickup - with push pull to have access to single coil sounds! 

I need a minute to calm my urge of buying a new guitar now... 

What got you into music production? What’s your ambition? 

Back then I was in a band called Taos Hum (we released our farewell album recently that I fully produced and mixed!). There's always some dude/dudette that gets the role of doing the recording and it fell on me - I started with a horrible setup and free softwares like Audacity and made my way through better setups, Cubase, my own studio space and basically where I am now. I guess I went this route cause i love the mix of technical sides of production and mixing and also the artistic side of it cause in the end its music and music is art! 

What drives you nuts when you hear it in a song? Do you have a pet hate? 

Banjos. Those things should be firewood and nothing else. 

In all seriousness, I can understand that to each their own and for me banjo is definitely not my thing. I also find myself skipping 99% of country music, I just don't have any appeal for it! 🤷‍♂️ 

Does Quebec have a good music scene? Where in the city should we go to catch something interesting? 

Quebec has a very varied music scene. There's a lot of interest for rock/metal/rap/folk/country in Montreal and Quebec City (i don't know much about other cities) 

If I'd have to recommend a place for a show it would be one of those 2 cities! 

Where can people find out more about your work, and if they want to collaborate with you, how can they get in touch? 

You can find all my latest work on my portfolio website www.hugogt.ca, there's links to my social medias on there as well (I'm @hugogtmusic everywhere). I'm most active on Instagram and Facebook so if you wanna share your hate of banjo with me or follow up through what i do, it would be on either or those! 🪕

Playing a show with Panic Is Perfect last year gave me such a great memory. First and foremost, the band was super nice and chatting with them was a real treat.  We touched on a couple of subjects, and I probably asked to many questions like an overzealous fan making me look like the kid reporter from Almost Famous. When the guys took the stage, they brought it. The sound was tight and precise as the dance floor ate it up. We spoke to a family on the dance floor between songs and they said they try to make it to every one of their shows. Their show is a guaranteed good time, after witnessing the awesomeness I too will try to attend every one of their shows.

The Panic Is Perfect discography begins in 2015 with a five song EP titled Behind Your Eyelids. On this EP, they come out swinging with the upbeat "Go Go Go" and appropriately shift gears with every song giving us an incredibly well-rounded experience. While every song on the EP is banging, "The Mailman" was the single that stood out to me. Something about this high-fidelity funk-tinged track complete with its falsetto moments make me feel like I'm having the best time of my life. Banger after banger, closing out the EP with "Bobby Black" is like the drink at the end of the night one takes to wind down after an action-packed day. "Bobby Black" feels a little subdued in comparison to the four songs before it. The song's placement adds to the magic as Mike sings a simple beautiful melody that floats from the speakers straight into our hearts. It's a beautiful song.

Since the release of Behind Your Eyelids, the band never looks back and have continued to put out amazing music year after year. I suggest you check out Panic Is Perfect's music catalog for yourself and get to know another amazing cutting-edge San Francisco artist. Links have been provided for your convenience:)

Follow Panic Is Perfect on Spotify / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / Youtube !!!!

Oakland California is exactly where I need to be. Great music is coming from all angles and that makes me happy as I recently crossed paths with Randy and The Insecures. Their sound is a little retro, a little punk rock and definitely Oakland inspired. I have always loved 50's music and the sound that Randy brings reminds me of that era. However other influences shine with their music. A bit of Morrissey and Dick Dale as well but all played through a punk rock filter. 

In 2020 the band debuted with a self-titled 7 song EP. They followed up in 2021 with "I Don't Know" which has a The Cars vibe with slide guitar accents. 2022 brought us more music with the slow dance singles "Ice Cream" and "On A Stream" before dropping a nine song LP. 

That nine-song album, Other Gardens picks up the pace and intensity as the band comes roaring back like a raucous bunch that left the house for a few drinks only to return with a full-blown party. Amongst the distorted driving cuts from the record, "Panic" stands out with its energetic crunch and laid-back singing style reminiscent of Mr Elvis Presley himself. 

Switching gears with "I Found I Must Lose My Teeth" the guys let loose. Hitting falsetto accents tease us into thinking we're in calm waters but then the dam breaks and fury is unleashed. It's a marvelous track! 

Once again, Oakland shows me why it's the place to be for those who love music. The scene is thriving and Randy and The Insecures are not only in the mix, but they'll be also leading the way.

Follow Rand and The Insecures on Instagram and listen to them on Spotify!

Hi Michelle, welcome to Chat Nasty. Good to catch up properly after crossing paths online so often.

Q You seem to be very comfortable spanning different styles and genres in your work. Sometimes quite indie and alternative, sometimes very sharp, at others dare we say it, pushing into cabaret. Is that deliberate or do you go where your heart takes you? 

A: I just go where my heart takes me! I have the view with my music that if it’s something I think will be cool, I’ll go with that. I do still try to keep everything pretty cohesive, but I like to push the boundaries and see what cool sounds inspire me. 

Q You seem to enjoy teasing your audience about new releases.  When you post messages online, do you have particular people in mind? What do you imagine your audience to be like? 

A: Great question! I absolutely love teasing them and seeing what people think it’s going to be about. Sometimes, I hear cool titles or ideas that may inspire a future song! The people I have in mind are usually that interact with me most. I know that they have a good idea of myself and my music, so I give them clues that are cryptic enough for them, but also not impossible for new listeners/followers to guess as well. I imagine that my audience is people that have a story to tell, and who have not had an easy life. My audience knows about hitting rock bottom and either working to climb their way out, or needing someone who can throw them a rope. They know what it feels like to be alone, but I hope through my music that they feel like someone at least understands them.

Q You can be very upfront about your own feelings and how your life is inter-twined in your songs. Does singing about challenges help you move on?

A: Oh, absolutely! My music is like my therapy. (Although it shouldn’t replace ACTUAL therapy. That’s important too!) It helps me talk about the things I would have a very hard time talking about outside of music. Somehow, when it’s in a song, it’s just easier. Maybe because music makes those words more beautiful and masks the ugliness of those feelings.

Music actually saved my life, as cliche as it sounds. Before I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I felt extremely alone. I had people who loved me and wanted to help, but no one who truly understood me. I heard a song by Halsey, who also has bipolar disorder, and while I didn’t know I was bipolar at the time, the song resonated with me on a level I didn’t even understand. It was like she was singing the way I felt. It was the first time I didn’t feel alone. Now, I make music for my own sense of therapy, but also in hopes that I can be that person for someone else out there. 

Q Is there a particular destination for this series of releases? Will we see an album that draws this work together and sets the scene for what comes next? 

A: An album is probably far in the future, to be quite honest. Between shows, marketing, and working 2 jobs, I struggle to release about 3-4 singles a year as it is. But I have many wonderful surprises coming up! A lot of which is new music. I’m experimenting with working with some new producers, and really expanding my sound. I may or may not even be releasing a happy love song in 2023! Which my fans know isn’t exactly my wheelhouse so far. I’m hoping that an album will become a reality in the future, though!

You can find Michelle, or Micki XO on Instagram or Spotify, and probably many other places as well.