Welcome to Cowan’s Corner, a weekly round up of the latest bands and musicians making their way to the top!  Let’s jump right in with four talented bands and musicians varying in all sorts of musical genres – from psychedelic rock & roll to alternative to even classical.

First up, we have The Grand Undoing. If you’re in search for some relaxing and psychedelic rock & roll, look no further than checking out Seth Goodman’s musical project The Grand Undoing. The Grand Undoing has a distinctive sound – “somewhere between the art pop of David Bowie and the psychedelic inspired punk rock of The Damned,” a recent press release described Goodman’s quirky work. Goodman is releasing a follow up to his debut album Appeasing the Sick by dropping White Space Flavors come mid-August. His go-to single off the release, “Parties on TV”, is a track almost all can relate to, touching on our artificial culture and distancing ourselves from modern human interactions and experiences.

“It’s heady stuff for sure, but the song rocks and lifts the spirits,” Goodman admitted about the track. “I hope they provide a cinematic escape that transports listeners to a place where they’re better able to process their emotional lives. It’s an album that pairs as well with a blanc de blancs as it does a Pabst Blue Ribbon,” he continued about the full release.

The Grand Undoing‘s music is definitely something I can get into listening on a regular basis. After previewing the tracks of the upcoming release, I felt myself slip into a trance of relaxation, but at the same time, focus. The psychedelic rock sounds reminded me a lot of vinyls I have acquired from my father from the early 80’s, definitely something music listeners of all ages can enjoy. The Grand Undoing‘s new release White Space Flavors is set to be released on August 14th. Grab your cheapest can of beer or fanciest glass of vino, sit, relax and enjoy.

Next, we have Random Order. Random Order, the sub-rock superstars from Toronto, are preparing for their upcoming album release of Black Lipstick Kiss, set to be released in late July. In preparation to their mid-summer release, the band has streamed their album on Soundcloud for fans and music lovers to take a listening to as a preview of what to expect. Take a listen to Random Order‘s eclectic new material below!

Random Order has been together for nearly two decades and has performed all around the globe, charting the Canadian Top 30 and evening opening for artists as diverse as Joan Osborne and Salt-n-Pepa. The band has a list of musical influences with a wide range of genres, including PJ Harvey, The Pixies and The Clash.

For their new album Black Lipstick Kiss, Random Order channeled their inner spies by taking cues from Twin Peaks, Quentin Tarantino films and James Bond movies. The album is described as “spine tingling swamp rock reggae” that attracts a diverse cultural audience. The eclectic release will be availble July 29th, be sure to stay tuned for more details to come. For more information, releases and tour date announcements from Random Order, visit www.randomorder.ca.

To take a spin on things, we have N Wolex. Fashion model turned musician – Nicholas Wolex is an African native based out of South-East London who taught himself to compose his own music. Now, he is creating a current classical masterpiece, kind of an oxymoron, but for Wolex, it works and he does it well! It isn’t often that you find such young and talented artists looking to get into composing their own music or wanting to step foot into the classical music genre. Nowadays, it’s all about the rock & roll or electronic music, feinding to create what all the young folks want to listen to. There is still a liking, though, for classical music. That’s where N Wolex’s work comes in.

N Wolex takes classical music for a spin by adding his mix of R&B styles, along with pop. The composer also brings in vocalists to his songs. The talented young artist is releasing his 7″ inch “If You Had” / “No Regrets” in late-July, but to prepare for the upcoming release, Wolex will be performing many shows around the London area. “An Evening With N Wolex” will engage the audiences of his performances to “personally scored music sheets that accompany the delicate performances, harking back to the time of live classical music”.

Be sure to check out N Wolex’s current classical work below, and download your copy of his upcoming release come July 28th.

Finally, we have Ships Have Sailed. Set to release their debut EP Someday in mid-July, the alternative pop-rock band from Los Angeles, Ships Have Sailed, is bound to gain the likings of a variety of different music fans. Will Carpenter is the ringleader of the band, forming the group in early 2013. The singer and songwriter played guitar for the hip-hop rock band 7Lions, and used the material that wouldn’t fit into their mix to create his idea of Ships Have Sailed.

“Like a boat at sea, there are infinite directions our lives can take and every choice we make effects the trajectory of the course we’re on. Someday is a delicate reflection on how the present is impacted by all other moments in time,” a recent press release from the band described their upcoming EP.

After taking a liking to the band’s background and intrigued by the description of the release, listening to Ships Have Sailed put me in a state of relaxation. Having just recently moved to the beach for the summer to escape, I couldn’t think of a more perfect summer soundtrack than Someday. The vibe is pleasant and positive, with a background story as stated above – reflecting and realizing that your present is due to your past. Someday will be released on July 15th. To take a listen to what the band has to offer musically to their fans and listeners, visit their Soundcloud page below!

-Amanda Cowan