CHARLIE HOUSTON RETURNS WITH NEW SINGLE / VIDEO, “PINK CHEETAH PRINT SLIP”

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‘I know you’re gonna miss this’ Charlie Houston wryly declares in the intro to her queer break up anthem "Pink Cheetah Print Slip" before it explodes into a high energy indie pop track that falls somewhere between Wet Leg's "Chaise Lounge" and Le Tigre's "Deceptacon". The rollicking fuzzed-out single from Houston's debut album tells the story of Houston's ex-girlfriend leaving her to date a dude in a band. ‘I hope he's shit on stage and all his songs sound the same,’ Houston spitefully exclaims before stating what every heartbroken person thinks when their ex moves on: ‘I know you know / He could never compare to me / When he leaves you alone / Don’t try crawling back to me’.

"The hardest part of a breakup is not the actual breaking up, " Houston explains. "It’s when someone moves on. Obviously, this is unavoidable, but it's shockingly worse when your ex-girlfriend moves on with a dude that you know… about 3 months later... who also just so happens to be a musician."

WATCH / SHARE “PINK CHEETAH PRINT SLIP” HERE
BUY / STREAM “PINK CHEETAH PRINT SLIP” HERE

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"Pink Cheetah Print Slip" follows Houston's two critically acclaimed EPs (2022's Bad Posture and 2021's I Hate Spring), millions of global streams, the nod of approval from tastemakers like Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, SPIN Magazine, and Rolling Stone, a Spotify billboard in New York's Times Square, and a Grammy Award-nomination via ODESZA’s The Long Goodbye. The track arrives with an official visualizer courtesy of The Reggies, the director duo behind videos for bbno$, Meghan Trainor, and Dillon Francis.

PRAISE FOR CHARLIE HOUSTON

“Sometimes the words don't come immediately — after all, asking someone to be that vulnerable isn't easy — and it can take all night before you feel ready. But when that moment happens, let's hope that it can sound and feel as sweet as this indie-pop ode to young love. CBC Music on “All Night”

“... casts back to timeless memories of fumbling early romance—first kisses, messy breakups, and short-lived flirtations are all soundtracked by weightless indie pop and R&B stylings”
 – Under The Radar

“It’s a striking debut, an unguarded, ultra-personal tapestry—stories of heartbreak and struggle, sung in her soothing, signature voice” 
– SPIN

“‘Things’ is an unadulterated look at youthful insecurities and unrequited affection. Over a somber but punchy backdrop, she delivers an evocative performance that is ripe with honesty” – EARMILK



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THUNDER QUEENS SHARE NEW SINGLE, “SUMMERTIME”

LISTEN / SHARE “SUMMERTIME” HERE
BUY / STREAM “SUMMERTIME” HERE

THUNDER QUEENS’ DEBUT LP, STRIKE ONE, OUT NOW VIA VICTORY POOL RECORDS

BUY / STREAM STRIKE ONE HERE

“Thunder Queens — the shit-kicking trio of Violet Bruneel, Lola Hayman and Clara Magnan — make music for staying alive. Their garage-adjacent tunes fold in elements of deep purple doom, scrappy punk and classic pop melodies, making debut album Strike One a thrillingly confident introductory statement." - Exclaim!

“This emerging garage punk trio might still be in high school but they’re ready to affect change through their music and message.” RANGE Magazine

“Strike One, is a rocking good time of punk, grunge, 70s metal, and riot grrrl. …  an impressive debut album” SPILL Magazine

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Today, Thunder Queens turn up the seasonal heat with their latest single "Summertime", out today via Victory Pool Records. Packed with surfy riffs, high-energy drums, and bass lines fat enough to slice a juicy watermelon, this catchy track is Thunder Queens' most playful to date.

“We wrote this song for fun one March break under our surf band alter-ego ‘The Sea Gals,’ originally on piano, guitar, and bass. We wanted to make a bright danceable song that felt like some of our unforgettable beach day memories with our best friends.”

Recorded and mixed by Ian Blurton and mastered by Ryan Dahle, this track is pure punk attitude with a splash of hot weather and triple scoop cones.

LISTEN / SHARE “SUMMERTIME” HERE
BUY / STREAM “SUMMERTIME” HERE

MORE ABOUT STRIKE ONE
The band are unafraid to be experimental and shapeshift, conjuring the playful vitality of Sheer Mag, ground shaking range of Black Sabbath, and the urgency of The Runaways. Their raw energy and poignant lyricism show a band that’s played together for over half a decade while still being on the cusp of earning a driver’s license. Over 11 tracks, each riff and lyric paint a vivid picture of a world they’re still discovering, from the gauzy bliss of a sun-drenched road trip to the urgency of our fractured political landscape. Thunder Queens fearlessly explore a spectrum of emotions and themes with the unmatched curiosity of youth and solidarity that comes from nurturing a foundation of sisterhood. 

Lola Hayman (drums, vocals), Violet Bruneel (guitar, vocals), and Clara Magnan (bass, vocals) became friends while searching for loonies under the pinball machines at Call The Office. In between eating ice cream cones and wreaking havoc on their skateboards, they formed Thunder Queens. 

WATCH / SHARE “FIGHTER” HERE
WATCH / SHARE “ROADTRIP” HERE

The band have nailed their songwriting formula down to a science. They build the bones of shapeshifting riffs, dream up tones and harmonies, and weave stories into their songs. Similar to scoring a film, they visualize a cinematic treatment aligned around places they can see and words they can’t shake. (Like, “All These Problems” which they wrote during a summer of political unrest). Their writing, performances, and tenacity have earned them coveted spots alongside acclaimed Canadian acts like The Beaches, Metz, The Dirty Nil, Ombiigizi, and Daniel Romano, and to perform at Pop Montreal, Up Here Festival, and Bitchfest. 

Strike One is the natural follow-up to their 2020 self-titled EP (Yeah Right! Records), expressing the hopes, fears, and joys, while also making razor-sharp observations on our culture. As they gaze at their surroundings, Thunder Queens remain clear-headed about the future, while continuing to push boundaries and stake their claim in the Industry.

BUY / STREAM STRIKE ONE HERE

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BEGONIA’S OPEN SWIM EP, OUT TODAY

OPEN SWIM EP OUT TODAY VIA BIRTHDAY CAKE RECORDS 

BUY / STREAM OPEN SWIM EP HERE

ON THE ROAD FOR MULTIPLE FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES THIS SUMMER + NEW FALL DATES NOW ANNOUNCED // BUY TICKETS HERE

Photo Credit: Karen Asher // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Today, Begonia, aka Alexa Dirks, releases her new EP, Open Swim, which explores honest communication with oneself and others with candour and sincerity. Alexa describes the EP as a project that “encompasses the feeling of working through conflict and the elation that can surface when you’re honest with others and ultimately yourself. Sometimes in the process you can feel like you’re swimming for your life through choppy water but on the other side there is the feeling of relief, like floating on your back in the sun.” The Open Swim EP was co-written and produced by Begonia and Marcus Paquin (The National, The Weather Station, Julia Jacklin) along with contributions from her frequent collaborators and producer duo, deadmen. 

BUY / STREAM OPEN SWIM EP HERE

MORE ABOUT BEGONIA
After returning from her highly praised mini UK tour, which included performances at Focus Wales, The Great Escape, and London, as well a two support dates with Dessa, Begonia returned to Canada for a full Summer festival lineup which included Toronto Pride, Ottawa Jazz Fest, and Rochester International Jazz Festival in Rochester, New York. This July, she will be debuting at Folk on The Rocks in Yellowknife and also support Blue Rodeo at the Budweiser Stage in Toronto this August. Begonia has just announced her Fall 2024 East Coast Tour dates which will feature support from Witch Prophet

In February, Alexa celebrated the one year anniversary of her critically acclaimed sophomore album, Powder Blue, which secured a spot on the coveted 2023 Polaris Music Prize Shortlist and earned her a 2024 JUNO Award Nomination. Begonia’s past year has included a massive headlining tour in North America, supporting Leith Ross on their UK/EU tour, a breathtaking performance at the Polaris Music Prize Gala, and her standout performance for the In Memoriam portion of the JUNO Awards Gala. While on the road, fan favourites from Powder Blue became clear, one of which turned into The Marigold EP, released in September, 2023, an extended exploration of “Marigold” and included 3 remixes. To celebrate the album, the EP, and her fans, Begonia did a two sold-out nights “Vegas-style residency” at Club Regent Casino in Winnipeg, MB. Powder Blue received worldwide recognition and radioplay in Canada, the United States and Germany, the album also hit #1 on the earshot! charts. 

WATCH BEGONIA’S POLARIS MUSIC PRIZE GALA PERFORMANCE

WATCH BEGONIA PERFORM “BUTTERFLY” AT THE 2024 JUNO AWARDS

Pegged as Canada’s breakout alt-diva, Begonia has built a legion of fans online and at her legendary live shows. Between her debut EP and album, Lady in Mind and Fear respectively, she was named on of NPR’s Artists You Need to Know, had two #1 songs on CBC Music’s Top 20, were nominated for a JUNO Award for Alternative Album Of The Year and longlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. Fear spent 10 straight weeks as the #1 album in Canada on Earshot’s Top 50 chart and had songs synced to numerous Netflix and Oprah Winfrey Network shows.

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PERFORMANCE DATES
Jul 19 - Yellowknife, NT @ Folk on the Rocks
Jul 27-28 - Salmon Arm, BC @ Salmon Arm Roots and Blues
Aug 9 - Ear Falls, ON @ Trout Forest Music Festival
Aug 24 - Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage(supporting Blue Rodeo & Matt Mays)
Sep 20 - Moncton, NB @ Tide & Boar
Sep 21 - Charlottetown, PEI @ Prince Edward Island Brewing Company
Sep 22 - Halifax, NS @ The Marquee Ballroom
Sep 24 - Fredericton, NB @ The Cap
Sep 25 - Québec, QC @ Grizzly Fuzz
Sep 27 - Palmer Rapids, ON @ Highlands Music Festival
Oct 3 - Ottawa, ON @ National Arts Centre 

PRAISE FOR POWDER BLUE

“Alexa Dirks has always felt fully formed, but on Powder Blue, she transcends.” - Exclaim! (CA)

"With a rich sound and unshakeable confidence, Canadian-born Begonia is a force to be reckoned with." - Wonderland Magazine (UK)

“[Begonia] conjures charming vintage soul and lays on the richly layered choruses. But she’s also enormously distinct in her crystalline delivery, which pairs perfectly with songs about starting down doubt and anxiety.” - NPR (US)

“Is it too early to call Powder Blue a contender as one of the year’s best albums? We may only be in the early days of 2023, but Begonia, a.k.a. Alexa Dirks, has an undeniable gem on her hands.” - CBC Music

“Primed for global success” - Daily Star (UK)

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