Los Angeles psych-punk shapeshifters Frankie and the Witch Fingers have spent the last decade mutating their sound into bold, electrifying new forms. Their latest release, Trash Classic (via Greenway Records and The Reverberation Appreciation Society), plunges into a sewer-slick fusion of proto-punk venom, fractured new wave, and industrial grime. Brimming with wiry synths, angular melodies, and grooves that squirm and bite, it’s all delivered with a sly, playful wink. Fueled by relentless global touring and a fierce DIY ethos, the band has shared stages with OFF!, Ty Segall, Oh Sees, Cheap Trick, and ZZ Top, cementing their place as one of the most unforgettable live acts around. Frankie and the Witch Fingers continue to morph, dragging listeners into whatever warped direction their experimental journey takes next.

Official Website

Population II

(Montreal)

Genre: Psych Rock

Population II is a band dedicated to its disengagement, constantly working on refining their imposing, yet unpretentious sound. A trio consisting of singer/drummer Pierre-Luc Gratton, guitarist/keyboardist Tristan Lacombe and bassist Sébastien Provençal, Population II are masters at both improvised madness and sophisticated composition, delivering heavy psychedelic rock infused with feverish funk rhythms, a hint of jazz philosophy, a burst of energy reminiscent of punk’s early days, and a love of minor scales that harkens back to the roots of heavy metal. The band’s uniqueness is reinforced by Pierre-Luc’s unique voice and his introspective, nostalgic, and offbeat lyrics.

Their sources of inspiration are diverse and not limited to music: the Detroit garage rock and psychedelic funk scenes of the late 60s, the Canterbury scene of the same period, the German experimental rock of the 70s, and Miles Davis’ electric period collide, bound together by the swampy decor of Pointe-Calumet and, above all, by the deep friendship and undeniable chemistry emerging from its three members. The band has always kept their distance from the Montreal music scene, preferring to develop their idiosyncratic style on its own. The result is a sound transcending time, immune to the trends that dominate the current indie landscape. Population II thus imposes themselves as an unfathomable entity emerging from the depths of the swamp, characterized as much by hazy ambiances as by cathartic explosions.

The roots of Population II go back a long way and are inextricably linked to its members’ teenage memories. After years of jamming to the point of developing a sense of telepathy, the trio began recording a handful of independent releases that soon caught the attention of the independent label Castle Face Records. Thus was born À la Ô Terre, their first label-released album, which came out in 2020. The band spent the next two years playing shows in Canada and the United States.

They returned in 2023 with Électrons libres du québec, their sophomore album, this time released on Bonsound. A little more straightforward than its predecessor, the record reflects a natural progression of the sound the trio established on their previous releases, showing a sharp sense of songcraft and the undeniable expertise of their instruments. Since then, many tours followed, including several dates opening for Osees.

On a creative spree, Population struck again the following year with their EP Serpent Échelle in the spring, and a split single with local punk act Mulch in the fall. With this prolific sequence of releases, the band laid the groundwork for Maintenant Jamais, a third full-length album on which they stir up their various formative influences with sophistication, resulting in fourteen catchy, transgressive tracks.