Sounds of Reverie: Ribbon Skirt, Guerilla Toss, Camilla Sparksss, and Top Acts We Saw at Purple City
Ribbon Skirt.
This week’s Sounds of Reverie takes us from Vermont’s psychedelic barn sessions with a new release from Guerilla Toss to Montreal’s Polaris Prize nominee Ribbon Skirt, with a detour through the experimental clubs of Switzerland. Below are the standout releases we’ve had on repeat and a few festival highlights from Purple City we’re still buzzing about.
Guerilla Toss – You’re Weird Now
Punk lunch never tasted so good. While in Vermont recording their new full-length, frontwoman Kassie Carlson kept the studio alive with her makeshift meals of fridge odds-and-ends, dubbed “punk lunch.” That chaotic, communal spirit bleeds into You’re Weird Now, which was shaped under the watchful eyes (and ears) of two legends: Stephen Malkmus (Pavement, The Jicks) in the producer’s chair and Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio, who hosted the band at his studio, The Barn.
The result is a record that embraces disorder as fuel as they bend psych, punk, and art-rock into something deliriously alive. Guerilla Toss will be touring this fall alongside Still Depths, who themselves will hit Calgary at Dandy Fest, September 13 at Dandy Brewing Company.
Ribbon Skirt – “LUCKY8”
Montreal’s Ribbon Skirt are back with their first single since their Polaris-nominated debut Bite Down shook the Canadian post-punk world. “LUCKY8” sets the stage for their forthcoming EP PENSACOLA (out October 3 via Mint Records), an epilogue to Bite Down that lingers in the heat and questions left behind.
On “LUCKY8,” woozy guitars and feedback-drenched vocals stretch over us like taffy. With bandleader Tashiina Buswa’s Anishinaabe heritage grounding the work, Ribbon Skirt’s music carries personal urgency, a reminder of the ways survival, identity, and art intertwine.
Camilla Sparksss – ICU RUN
Barbara Lehnhoff — better known as Camilla Sparksss — has never played it safe. From her wild upbringing in Kenora, Ontario (complete with a pet bear and a father who flew a floatplane) to her current home in Switzerland’s electronic underground, Sparksss thrives in extremes.
Her upcoming album ICU RUN is built for movement: heavy beats pressed on dubplates, blistering synths, and vocals that cut like glass. It’s the latest chapter in a career that’s seen everything from supporting A Place to Bury Strangers on tour to winning Best Swiss Music Video earlier this year with her self-directed Watch Me.
Festival Spotlight: Purple City
We’re still glowing from Purple City in Edmonton, where genre-spanning acts left their mark across the festival’s downtown venues. Highlights included Marie Davidson, Devours, DVTR, and unforgettable performances by Bonnie Trash, Astrology Girl, and Small Pleasures.
For a full breakdown of our experience, check out our Purple City article — a testament to how Alberta’s festivals are evolving and platforming some of the best acts in Canada right now.
