The Friday Dispatch
Sasami, Gillian McCain, Aqyila, Alisa Xayalith and more
The reinvention of Sasami
Sasami Ashworth, a 34-year-old L.A. native, has had a career of births and rebirths, numerous explorations into how far her talents could take her. With her third record, Blood On the Silver Screen – released today – Ashworth has reinvented herself once again. The core principle, she explains, is that same gut instinct, the desire to simply make the world she wanted to walk around in. “You can actually write characters that don’t exist, and you can write yourself into a story you’ve never lived,” she explains. And on this record, that character is simply being the main character.
Heavily inspired by film, each track of Blood On the Silver Screen is in its own cinematic genre. These mini-movies, when examined as a whole, tell stories of big love, expansive experiences, and big feelings. Ashworth moves feelings like the seductive ache of choosing to love even when it’s destined to end and the guttural, uncontrollable passions that define romantic ups-and-downs.
“When I was younger, it was so hard for me to say how I really felt about things,” Ashworth says. “I’m just in the place in my life where I say what I mean now.”
This week, we have a stacked lineup of new releases including coverstar Sasami’s Blood On the Silver Screen; Divorce’s Drive to Goldenhammer; Fust’s Big Ugly; Hamilton Leithauser’s This Side of the Island; HotWax’s Hot Shock; Lady Gaga’s Mayhem; Clara Mann’s Rift; and many more.
Desk Notes: Gillian McCain
Gillian McCain is the co-author of Please Kill Me, the authoritative and iconic oral history of punk. She has also served on the team at the Poetry Project and has published several works of poetry. Though she doesn’t work at a typical desk, she agreed to show us around the board in front of her workstation that keeps her inspired.
“I don’t have a desk (I write at a table) but I do have a display mantel in my home-office that serves as a kind of mood/inspiration board. These are a few of my favourite things…
1. This particular issue of CREEM, of Alice Cooper with some lady friends, makes me happy for some off reason.
2. This is the DATEBOOK issue where John Lennon said that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. I’ve pasted a little photo of my friend Danny Fields on the cover because he was the managing editor of the magazine at the time.
3. The postcard is for my husband’s bar, the Lakeside Lounge, that was on Avenue B for seventeen years.
4. This is a photo of me taken in the early 90s that was on the cover of my lit-zine, MILK, that I did when I worked at the Poetry Project.
5. I love this photo on the cover of the 1969 issue of AUM of the GTO’s, which includes my friend Pamela Des Barres.
6. The drawing of the mouse with the machine gun is on a Christmas card from Dee Dee Ramone to Danny Fields (who gave it to me).
7. I bought this Patti Smith chapbook in the late 80s at the Gotham Book Mart.
8. STAR was a short-lived magazine in the 70s that featured L.A. groupies. It’s hard to find a copy; it was a present from my husband.
9. The Janice Joplin photo, taken by Richard Avedon, is a clipping from an auction catalogue that my brother gave me. It was uncanny because I had just discovered it, and decided it was my favorite photo of her.
10. The pink index card is taken from the archive of Paul J. Fitzgerald, who was the lead defense attorney in the Manson trial. I have a box of them and sometimes just pull one out to see what my (day) might turn out. This one says, ‘The mistake you make is trying to figure it out.’”
This week, we lost David Johansen, frontman of the great New York Dolls. Remembering him, we’re bringing back this 1986 selection, an early clip of Johansen at his best.
The introduction…
Meet Aqyila, a 26-year-old artist from Missussauga who might just be Canada’s next big R&B export.
How you started playing music… I've been creating songs since my fifth grade talent show.
Something you never leave the house without… I've been creating songs since my fifth grade talent show.
Your Toronto hidden gem… Randy's Patties.
Words of advice you live by… My grandma always tells me "The sky is the limit" so with that I know impossible is nothing.
Something Old, Something New
Every week, we share recommendations from the Best Fit community — one from the past, another from the present. This week, Alisa Xayalith, member of the Naked and Famous now going solo, tells us about Bic Runga’s Drive (1997) and the recent recordings of U.S.-based Love Spells (2021-2025).
Bic Runga is a national treasure in New Zealand. Her debut album, Drive, meant a lot to me as a teenager. I discovered her CD stacked on a bookshelf, nestled between other albums in my oldest sister’s room. At that time, I was just starting to learn how to play the guitar, and I would look up guitar tabs for songs to learn. I decided to teach myself to play Bic Runga’s "Sway.”
Coincidentally, this was the song I chose for my audition to get into music school, where I met my bandmates, Aaron and Thom, eventually forming *The Naked and Famous*. Bic Runga’s music has profoundly impacted me, and I often wonder how my journey might have been different had I selected another song for my audition.
At the time, she was the only Asian singer-songwriter in New Zealand's pop culture, and I looked up to her as she forged her career. Her voice is fearless, and her songs are honest and incredibly melodic. *Drive* is a quintessential slice of 90s singer-songwriter nostalgia. Standout tracks for me include "Drive," "Sway," "Bursting Through," and "Suddenly Strange." Bic has gone on to release more beautiful records beyond this one, and I highly recommend diving deep into her catalog.
Love Spells has yet to release a formal album, but their output has been prolific. Their music is dreamy, effortless, and lyrically intimate. The first song I heard from them was "Come Over and Love Me," which quickly became a favorite of mine. This track would fit perfectly on a playlist alongside artists like Cigarettes After Sex or D4vd. Love Spells creates music that romanticizes life. Other standout tracks include "Dope Sick," co-written with Deb Never; "Lovers Only"; and "Over and Over."
Listen to the week in new music by following our Discovery playlist
Dropping at midnight every Thursday, follow our playlist for a taste of the best new music from the most exciting breaking artists. Leading the selection this week are new tracks from Lucy Liyou, tall child, YHWH Nailgun, snuggle, Yoshika Colwell, and coverstar Ava Joe.
“I’d like to think that everything people think about me is a misconception.”