Hand Drawn Dracula is not an independent label giant, but their impressive list of releases sets themselves as one to look out for. Being the headcanon of James Mejia, the label’s idiosyncratic identity really pushes out some really amazing artists.
Hand Drawn Dracula (or HDD, making for a perfect acronym) is based out of Toronto, Canada, and they have found immense talent in the large Canadian city. Their music coverage is vast and vibrant, ranging from introspective folk to intense post-punk, something for everyone.
I am going to highlight some of my favorite artists part of the label from up north. Solo acts, bands, and duos are all showcased, making for an extremely talented bunch from Hand Drawn Dracula.
Dermabrasion
Coming crashing and flying in, Dermabrasion punches listeners’ eardrums with soaring guitars and zooming drums. The duo of Adam Bernhardt and Kat McGouran started together in 2015 with another band (a band tale as old as time) and had their first release, their EP “Lunate”, released in 2021.
They followed that up with their energetic debut LP, “Pain Behaviour”, which fits in line with their self-proclaimed genre of “death rock & roll”. That does not mean it is all screaming and harsh, the sound itself is nicely polished, with the vocals from McGouran mixing perfectly with guitar work from Bernhardt. I look forward to how more deathly they can get their rock and roll to be.
Tallies
Tallies takes us down to a more relaxing level, laying down some soft and freeing indie rock. The three-piece band containing singer Sarah Cogan, guitarist Dylan Frankland, and drummer Cian O’Neill started collaborating in 2017 (although Cogan and Frankland half-started the band at Algonquin College, meeting as music engineering lab partners).
That led to their self-titled debut LP in 2019, introducing the world to the fresh vocals of Cogan, and clean playing from Frankland and O’Neill. They started as more traditionally indie rock, but their following album, “Patina”, took some fantastic electronic risks, with vocal effects, winding synths, and droning/distorted guitars coming into the fold. Hopefully, they deliver some more risks soon, as Tallies remain very impressive.
No Joy
As whimsical and illusive as ever, No Joy shines with some eccentric alternative taken from another dimension. Jasamine White-Gluz has taken her act from Montreal a long way since its early beginnings in 2009, producing some dreamy alternative shoegaze.
Her debut album, “Wait to Pleasure”, just celebrated its 10-year anniversary last year (with a re-release with bonus tracks), and the fuzzy and complex mix intertwined with White-Gluz’s light and whispery vocals creates a euphoric record. It seems she has only gotten weirder and more experimental as her music career has progressed, and I am looking forward to whatever unique world she creates next.
Breeze
A solo project turned five-piece band, Breeze has really transformed since the project’s beginnings in the early 2010s. At their core, they are still pure alternatives, being explosive in all directions, and cultivating a really intoxicating sound.
Josh Korody and others have taken this band by the throat and thrusted it to new creative heights, especially with their most recent album, “Sour Grapes”. I am most familiar with “You’ve Decided”, supported by Korody’s unique, open voice, supplemented by captivating guitar and drum parts. I recommend checking out the album and the rest of their discography, as they will bring an endless amount of alternatives to alternative.
Tess Parks
Finally, we have Tess Parks. The relaxed singer-songwriter has been releasing music out of Toronto since 2013, remaining true to her experimental folk/indie rock showcasing her sleazy and floating voice. She has had four albums released, and her new album, “Pomegranate” is set to release on October 25th of this year.
Her music is transcendent, sending the listener into all sorts of introspective and magnificent areas. She reminds me of Fiona Apple, her vocals and unique songwriting in regards to different instrumentations and mixes can reflect a lot of the renown work of Fiona Apple. Her new single, “Koalas”, gets me real excited for her upcoming album this fall, which I recommend checking out.
Hand Drawn Dracula’s Playlist Being Perfect
It may seem a tad bit weird, but I love Hand Drawn Dracula, which has a public playlist showcasing all of their artists. It is something that many other labels should use. Going through a label and checking out every artist could take a lot of time (especially with labels with over 20 artists, Hand Drawn Dracula only has 15, fortunately), and being able to highlight your new and biggest releases in one place is nice.
It lets people like me be able to capture what kind of sound a label is trying to cultivate. In Hand Drawn Dracula’s case, there is a wonderful mix of alternative and indie across the board, with all of it keeping me on my toes when a surprise post-punk song comes on or a mellow folk song enters the fold.
So, use the playlist to check out the label! Hand Drawn Dracula is doing a wonderful job finding some serious talent in Canada and look forward to them helping me get a better grasp on the music scene up north.
More reviews & music coverage over at RespectMyRegion.com
