West Coast avant-popster Jay Arner has been toiling with Energy Slime for the last couple of years, but he's finally ready to share some more solo material with the arrival of his aptly titled sophomore record Jay II. He'll be taking the new tunes on a lengthy run of tour dates across Canada, but before that kicks off, Exclaim! is giving you an exclusive listen to the new set of songs.
The album opens with "Back to School," and while summer vacation may just be kicking off, the song delivers the seasonally appropriate sentiment of throwing rules to the wind. The jangly dream-pop sounds carry through the LP on cuts like the previously shared "Crystal Ball," "Like a Dracula" and the phone number-revealing "Personal Line," while a lackadaisical gloom sets in elsewhere on tracks like "World of Suffering."
But even when the subject matter delves into darker territory, the songs remain light and pleasing to the ear, providing a fresh, breezy soundtrack to the approaching summer months.
Throughout those summer months, you can head out and catch Arner live alongside Supermoon and a handful of other special guests. The upcoming slew of shows starts in Edmonton on June 23. After a stint in Western Canada, they'll head through Ontario in July, then continue east into the Maritimes. After a trek back west, the whole thing will wrap up in Victoria on August 13. The full list of upcoming shows can be found below.
Jay II is out on Friday (June 17) through Mint Records, but you can scroll past the tour dates to give it an early spin right now.
Tour dates:
06/23 Edmonton, AB - The Sewing Machine Factory
06/24 Calgary, AB - Commonwealth (Sled Island) +
06/25 Calgary, AB - The Palomino (Sled Island)
07/11 Vancouver, BC - The Lido *
07/13 Kamloops, BC - Zach's Coffees Teas and Gifts *
07/14 Edmonton, AB - The Almanac ~
07/15 Regina, SK - TBA *
07/16 Winnipeg, MB - Handsome Daughter *
07/17 Thunder Bay, ON - The Apollo *
07/18 Sault Ste Marie, ON - Gore Street Café *
07/20 Toronto, ON - Piston #
07/21 Peterborough, ON - The Garnet %
07/22 Guelph, ON - TBA *
07/23 Montreal, QC - Poisson Noir %&
07/24 Quebec City, QC - TBA %
07/26 Fredericton, NB - Shiftwork Studio *&
07/27 Saint John, NB - Callahan's %&
07/28 Halifax, NS - Gus' Pub ^
07/29-30 Sackville, NB - Sappyfest
07/31 Charlottetown, PEI - Baba's Lounge *
08/02 Moncton, NB - Plan B *
08/04 Montreal, QC - Brasserie Beaubien *
08/05 Ottawa, ON - Pressed Café *
08/06 Toronto, ON - Monarch Tavern $
08/07 Sudbury, ON - Townehouse *
08/10 Saskatoon, SK - Sound and Silence House *
08/11 Calgary, AB - Good Luck !
08/12 Vancouver, BC - TBA *
08/13 Victoria, BC - TBA
+ with Supermoon, Faith Healer, Heaven For Real, Tough Age, TV Ugly, Fountain
* with Supermoon
~ with Supermoon, Tee-Tahs
# with Supermoon, Bart
% with Supermoon, Adrian Teacher & The Subs
& with Weird Lines
^ with Supermoon, Adrian Teacher & The Subs, Moon
$ with Supermoon, Century Palm
! with Supermoon, Pre Nup
The album opens with "Back to School," and while summer vacation may just be kicking off, the song delivers the seasonally appropriate sentiment of throwing rules to the wind. The jangly dream-pop sounds carry through the LP on cuts like the previously shared "Crystal Ball," "Like a Dracula" and the phone number-revealing "Personal Line," while a lackadaisical gloom sets in elsewhere on tracks like "World of Suffering."
But even when the subject matter delves into darker territory, the songs remain light and pleasing to the ear, providing a fresh, breezy soundtrack to the approaching summer months.
Throughout those summer months, you can head out and catch Arner live alongside Supermoon and a handful of other special guests. The upcoming slew of shows starts in Edmonton on June 23. After a stint in Western Canada, they'll head through Ontario in July, then continue east into the Maritimes. After a trek back west, the whole thing will wrap up in Victoria on August 13. The full list of upcoming shows can be found below.
Jay II is out on Friday (June 17) through Mint Records, but you can scroll past the tour dates to give it an early spin right now.
Tour dates:
06/23 Edmonton, AB - The Sewing Machine Factory
06/24 Calgary, AB - Commonwealth (Sled Island) +
06/25 Calgary, AB - The Palomino (Sled Island)
07/11 Vancouver, BC - The Lido *
07/13 Kamloops, BC - Zach's Coffees Teas and Gifts *
07/14 Edmonton, AB - The Almanac ~
07/15 Regina, SK - TBA *
07/16 Winnipeg, MB - Handsome Daughter *
07/17 Thunder Bay, ON - The Apollo *
07/18 Sault Ste Marie, ON - Gore Street Café *
07/20 Toronto, ON - Piston #
07/21 Peterborough, ON - The Garnet %
07/22 Guelph, ON - TBA *
07/23 Montreal, QC - Poisson Noir %&
07/24 Quebec City, QC - TBA %
07/26 Fredericton, NB - Shiftwork Studio *&
07/27 Saint John, NB - Callahan's %&
07/28 Halifax, NS - Gus' Pub ^
07/29-30 Sackville, NB - Sappyfest
07/31 Charlottetown, PEI - Baba's Lounge *
08/02 Moncton, NB - Plan B *
08/04 Montreal, QC - Brasserie Beaubien *
08/05 Ottawa, ON - Pressed Café *
08/06 Toronto, ON - Monarch Tavern $
08/07 Sudbury, ON - Townehouse *
08/10 Saskatoon, SK - Sound and Silence House *
08/11 Calgary, AB - Good Luck !
08/12 Vancouver, BC - TBA *
08/13 Victoria, BC - TBA
+ with Supermoon, Faith Healer, Heaven For Real, Tough Age, TV Ugly, Fountain
* with Supermoon
~ with Supermoon, Tee-Tahs
# with Supermoon, Bart
% with Supermoon, Adrian Teacher & The Subs
& with Weird Lines
^ with Supermoon, Adrian Teacher & The Subs, Moon
$ with Supermoon, Century Palm
! with Supermoon, Pre Nup
