Check out all the new music of the week with Your First Listen! Hosted by SONiC Music Director Brandy Taylor, get the scoop from your favourite artists on their latest work and discover new songs from upcoming artists. Your First Listen airs Sundays at 8pm and Tuesdays at 11pm.

1. Arctic Monkeys – “Four Out Of Five”

After five long years, Arctic Monkeys have returned with their sixth studio album, Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino. Based on the idea of building a luxury resort on the moon, the concept album highlights many of the hotel’s amenities. Alex Turner answers the phone as a busboy named Mark in the title track and sings about the rooftop taco shop in “Four Out Of Five”. The album takes on a new sound for the Monkeys with Alex Turner’s voice speckled with bits or Bowie and loungey music instrumentals.

2. Dear Rouge – “Live Through The Night”

Husband and wife duo Dear Rouge have returned with their second album, Phases. While writing the record, they dealt with the death of a family member, a challenge that they say gave the record more emotion. During it’s first play on Jam Sandwich, “Live Through The Night” scored 91%, making it a certified jam. See them perform this one at SONiC Field Day!

3. Fake Shark – “Wake Up”

Hailing from Vancouver, Fake Shark band mates met in high school and formed the band following graduation. After finding some fame on MySpace, the band had life-size cut outs of themselves on display at HMV in Japan to coincide with the release of one of their albums. They’re getting a pretty good reputation for putting on crazy shows, too. Band members wear dresses on stage, gaining the attention of Black Flag’s Henry Rollins. He claims that Fake Shark are one of his favorite new bands – going so far as to playing them regularly on his radio show Harmony In My Head.

Every week, it’s Your First Listen to the the newest alternative music. Hosted by SONiC Music Director, Brandy Taylor, Your First Listen airs twice a week, Sundays at 8pm and Tuesday at 11pm. 

Filed under: arctic monkeys, Dear Rouge, Fake Shark, Field Day, New Music, SONiC Field Day, your first listen