Toronto’s Modernboys Moderngirls are fierce. They call their sound ‘garage-soul rock ‘n roll’. There isn’t a much better way to describe their eclectic, invigorating style, but still, the diverse tones and apparent influences heard throughout their debut, I Might As Well Break It, indicates much more than that.

I Might As Well Break It, released last summer, is definitely a rock album, interspliced with pop, funk, alternative, and even the slightest, underlying hint of bluegrass honky tonk. Do they really have soul? Damn right. There are some explicit James Brown moments in there, particularly in “Tell Them Everything” which is, hands down, my clear favourite on this record. Altogether, these elements are fused together in an unprocessed, slightly unrefined manner that gives the album a nice live-set sound. The most staunchly rock song on this album is “Stay Under” which is performed with loud, rasping vocals, a beer commercial-esque chorus, and a great bass line.

Lead singer Akira Alemany has a great voice and a knack for songwriting. Aimee Mazzuca’s backing vocals are cool, with an aged, grainy, diva-cowgirl quality. She gets to display her musical chops in “Where’s Your Boyfriend” the only track on which she is the feature singer and co-writer. Alemany and Mazzuca are joined by second backing singer Hannah Krapivinsky, bass player Ryan Charkow, and percussionist Brett Millius. Together, this innovative band has created ten well-layered songs.

Modernboys Moderngirls are a great addition to Canadian music — gifted and unique, here’s a group of young people who obviously know good music, of all genres and eras, and have figured out how to incorporate that into something completely their own. MBMG (as they are fondly known) have already performed at a number of festivals, including the Halifax Pop Explosion, Edgefest, and NXNE. They will be one of the many bands performing at the Canadian Music Week Showcase between March 11th and 14th.

Track Listing:

My Baby Says Boy, Don’t You Ever Go
Stay Under
Leave the Army, Lose Completely
missmybabygirl
Where’s Your Boyfriend?
Tell Them Everything
A Hammond Organ Singing
On the Line
Spiral & Smoke
I Don’t Need to Understand