Mac DeMarco

Spending the last few years making headway with his band, Makeout Videotape, Vancouver, BC's Mac DeMarco has chosen to go it alone as a solo artist. Hooking up with Mike Sniper's Captured Tracks, DeMarco has wasted little time prepping his debut mini-LP, Rock and Roll Night Club. "Jizz jazz" is what he's labelled his lo-fi cocktail of glam, rockabilly, garage and new wave, which finds common ground with fellow nonconformists like Alan Vega and Ariel Pink. The lipstick enthusiast presents it as a depraved, late night radio show that bounces from "96.7 The Pipe" to "106.2 Breeze FM." But his act doesn't come off as gimmicky or tasteless; DeMarco is a shrewd songwriter who uses his wicked sense of humour to carry songs beyond novelty. He croons with heart and cheek, sexualizing denim on both "Baby's Wearing Blue Jeans" and "I'm A Man," while cruising for love on the title track and softie "European Vegas." Sure, the melodies can blur into one another and some tracks don't stand out, but Rock and Roll Night Club is so ephemeral and addictive that you'll want to be making love in this club regularly.