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Yukon Blonde: Up2U

The band's penchant for catchy hooks and riffs is showcased neatly here. 

Yukon Blonde: Up2U

By Kerry Doole

Yukon Blonde - Up 2 U (Dine Alone Records): These days there seems to be a shortage of snappy and melodic pop-rock tunes, but this much-loved indie rock outfit is riding to the rescue with this new track.
In a label press release,  lead singer and chief sonic architect Jeffrey Innes describes the tune this way: "Up 2 U is a classic 120 BPM bop inspired by the kind of thing you’d see on the Midnight Special or Soul Train. I always wanted one of those DVDs you’d see advertised on those late-night infomercials back in the day, but my family didn’t have any money and my mom thought they were a scam. She almost gave in once when we saw Marvin Gaye and Redbone on one, but in the end it never happened. Lyrically, the song is about personal choice and ignoring the narrow-minded folks who just can’t seem to stay out of your business.“
 
His take on the cut is pretty accurate, as it could easily pass for a song you'd hear on '70s FM radio. Yukon Blonde's penchant for catchy hooks and riffs is showcased neatly here, with classic synths meshing with guitar, helped by clean production.
This is the band’s first offering since its acclaimed 2020 LP Vindicator, and news of thearrival of a new record later this year is welcome.

From the buoyant and bouncy indie rock that defined their first half-decade together – culminating in 2012’s incomparable Tiger Talk – through their experimentation with emotive ‘80s pop on 2015’s On Blonde to the seductive, synth-heavy Critical Hit in 2018, the band’s back catalogue is incredibly diverse.


Yukon Blonde can now be considered a semi-veteran band, given that its debut EP came out in 2009. Since then, it has earned a Juno award nod, a SOCAN #1 song award for Saturday Night, and established itself as one of our best indie rock bands. YB notably has had tracks featured in major series like Grey’s Anatomy and Revenge, and a TV placement helped the cut Summer in July notch over 2 million streams. 

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Publicity: Cristina Fernandes, Listen Harder

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Oscar Voting, Nominations Announcement Delayed Again Due to L.A. Wildfires
Awards

Oscar Voting, Nominations Announcement Delayed Again Due to L.A. Wildfires

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has announced updates to its 2025 Oscars key dates and schedule of events due to the impact of the Los Angeles-area fires. The Oscar telecast is still set for March 2, but the nominations announcement is being delayed for the second time to Jan. 23 — and will now be held virtually. The Oscars nominees luncheon, always an A-list event, will not be held this year.

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