Apollo Suns, The Eclipse, and No, It’s Fine
Apollo Suns
A Relationship Of Force // Color Red
Dim down the lights, pour yourself a martini, plug in that old lava lamp, maybe grab a couple jazz cigarettes and drop the needle on the newest EP from Winnipeg’s Apollo Suns.
The 70’s vibes on this, their third EP offering, will jump out at you seconds into the opening track, “Silver Gloves.”
The album starts with a guitar riff that sounds like it’s being played by Shaft himself. Then the horns and the rest of the band come in and there is no looking back.
Recorded live off the floor at Paintbox Recording in the Peg over 2018 and 2019, A Relationship Of Force is the bands third sampling……with their first full length album being prepped for a 2022 release.
But back to the EP at hand.
After the excitement of the first track with its high swells and vintage grooves, the band starts to really dig into their sound that has become more and more refined with every release.
The line up of the band is as diverse as their sound, featuring 9 trained musicians including a healthy mix of BIPOC, non-binary and queer artists.
Noting the 70’s vibes, guitarist Ed Durocher says, “The 70's vibe would fit. We listen to lots of music from that time and lots of our favourite music is influenced by that period as well. Prog Rock, fusion, jazz, funk and all that was in a kind of prime so it makes sense but we come from a lot of different places which I think really helps us create a more "unique" sound but also is harder to categorize which is problematic for people who like specific genre definitions”.
Breaking genre definitions is something that should be celebrated as in this release there is something for everyone, from the dramatic impact of the first few tracks to the relaxing feeling of “Lake Country.”
Apollo Suns just keep defining their sound and we should all be looking forward to their first full length release along with a tour in the new year.
They will be stopping by Saskatoon in April, so if you love jazz, prog, funk, 70’s rock….. or really any genre, do check out this very original band and their three cosmic EP’s.
- Chris Vasseur
The Eclipse
Anywhere But Here // Self Released
Next up for review, we have the indie-pop act, The Eclipse, from Edmonton, AB. Something of an editor favourite here at Cups N Cakes following the release of their EP, I Want Less, in 2018, which earned a place on the "Best EPs" list for that year. More recently, we've featured their single "Convenient Love," but today, we're talking about the release of their first full-length album, Anywhere But Here.
Anywhere But Here was written over the past two years and recorded and mixed in various basements and apartments in Edmonton by lead guitarist Jordan Ast and bassist Sascha Liebrand. Mastering was done by mastering wizard Clay Francis.
The Eclipse kicks off Anywhere But Here with "Walls" as the opening track. "Walls" introduces the listener to the signature sound of The Eclipse, a sound on full display on the third single, "Renegade," which combines youthful energy, summery soundscapes, and jangling guitars to create a vibrant energy that carries through all the tracks on Anywhere But Here. "Renegade" received radio play on CBC Radio 1's The Key of A.
Frontwoman Brandi Bailey's introspective lyrics, Liam Jackson's spaced-out synths, Jordan Ast's twangy guitars, Sascha Liebrand's groovy basslines and James O'Neill's propulsive drumming all come together to create a dreamy indie-pop sound that longs for the coast but knows that home is on the frozen prairies. Jordan Ast and drummer James O'Neill are also members of the alt-country rock band Nico Tobias Band. Brandi Bailey and Liam Jackson are stoner rock outfit Machines Like These. Sascha Liebrand releases trippy experimental hip-hop under his name.
Returning for the first show since the beginning of the pandemic, The Eclipse celebrated the release of Anywhere But Here at Polar Park Brewing Co. on November 20th alongside Chic Chameleon and the newly formed group Mellow the Lion. The Eclipse has also received radio play on CJSR's Phased Out and is no stranger to the Cups N Cakes Network's Top 40 playlist. Watch for The Eclipse at the rescheduled dates for Edmonton's Winteruption 2022 music festival.
- Earl Donald
No, It’s Fine
I Promise. // Self Released
This is an album I’ve been excited to hear for a while now – the newest release from award winning post-emo-pop-revival band No, It’s Fine. In October of 2021, I covered their leading single, “Pisces•Gemini•Libra” as part of the Tasty Jams series, available on the Cups N’ Cakes YouTube Channel. In my review I praised the single for its eccentricity and humor – a delightful juxtaposition between the pity and comedy found in deprecation and cynicism. The single ended up being my definitive track of the autumn that year.
Now my long craving for more of No, It’s Fine is finally satisfied with the LP I Promise, an album that features an intro, outro, and ten tracks in between; each of them bringing the same attitude found in their former single. One of my favourite features of the band is their relatable lyrics – both spoken and sung – which make them quite quotable. Some of my favourites are the various laugh breaks throughout the album, and especially the lyric “I’ve been trying to ignore your Instagram / but your cat’s fucking cute, so you gotta understand.” This vulnerability takes courage to put from the confines of one’s mind straight to the sound stage, and I find that admirable and inspiring to be open with one's emotions, especially with a sense of humour.
And oh man, the instruments. If you dig distorted guitar, fast pace, and a variety of vibes from unsettling to romantic, then you’ll fall in love with No, It’s Fine’s blend of emo and pop, with sprinkles of rock and metal. It’s an absolutely awesome record, and although I am a staunch advocate against music piracy if there were any album I would drop my moral compass to steal, it would be I Promise. But of course I’m not going to steal it. I’m going to buy it, and you should too.
- Brandon Kruze
