The Makers
Lonely Little Kitsch (the band does not shy away from the fact that they took their name from the David Bowie track "Diamond Dogs") is an alternative indie rock band from Niagara, Ontario.
The duo consists of Kristen Goetz and Nolan Jodes. The two have been heavily involved in the indie music scene in Niagara and Toronto for years. Due to the pandemic, and having been locked down, the band realized their ability for writing original music. It came to them quite naturally, so instead of their continued dabbling with cover songs from their favourite Canadian artists, the 2-piece banged out their very first single. The result? You're about to find out!
The New Scene
Recorded as the first track for brand new label Swear Word Records (which is also owned by Kristen and Nolan), "The New Scene" opens with a riff that grabs you by the balls, and immediately hooks you in. With it's driving beat, and heavy strum pattern, it's a straight shooting rock and roll track that plows on, unrelentingly. Even with its standard rock and roll flair, the track has a certain groove that definitely gets your head bobbing and your foot tapping right from it's opening notes. Remember guitar solos? I really think it's something that "modern" music had gotten away from in the 90s and 2000s, but it's showcased here at the 2:10 point, where Nolan screams one out!
The vocals come in very early in the track, as the song's message about fake people, and the epidemic of social media, gets down to business immediately. It starts off with an almost narrative vibe. Once the chorus breaks in, we hear the singer's vocal abilities as the tempo picks up. We get a read on Kristen's range as she seamlessly transitions from lower, gravelly tones to higher notes that are carried out towards the end of the 3:20 cut. As with the music in the track, Kristen's vocals have that classic, cutting edge rock and roll sound that is catchy as hell.
As a writer doing a song or album review, it's important to listen to a track multiple times to get a real feeling for the music and the song. Sometimes it's not an overly enjoyable task, but in this case, I literally cannot stop listening. But don't just take my word for it.
Once you have heard the song, you may very while find it sounds a little familiar, especially for us Canadians. The song has gained a significant amount of notoriety as it has been used by Canadian sports channel Sportsnet as a video montage for broadcasts of National Hockey League games. It has also been played on Toronto alternative rock station 102.1 The Edge, as well as other stations across the country.
Kristen and Nolan are a busy pair. In addition to their work in the indie music scene, their new record label, and newfound ability to write catchy tunes, they also manage the music site From the Strait. It doesn't end there either as the pair also run PR and marketing through FTS PR.
Here's to hoping they don't get too bogged down with their workload and are able to get some more music out to us.
Kristen and Nolan, perhaps there'll soon be enough for a full album? After hearing this, I'm sure we'll all be happy with even just an EP.
Lonely Little Kitsch Socials: