Songs of the Week: March 13 - 19, 2023

“Sink or Swim” by Blue J

Vancouver’s Blue J is back with their first new track since their debut album, A Sign Of Good Luck.
The song, “Sink or Swim”, concerns addition and the helplessness one feels in trying to deal with someone else’s issues. And, as lead singer Justice McLellan says, “caring so deeply about someone who’s struggling that you abandon yourself.”

The end of the press release said to stayed tuned and that there was more from Blue J coming soon - hurray!

• Christine

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“I Told You So” by Del Barber

A sorrowful tune from Del Barber this week, just over a month away from the release of his new album Almanac.

Originally writing the song from the perspective of his neighbour over the loss of her husband, the tale of grief took on a new meaning when his father passed:
"I wrote it before my dad passed—before he was even sick—but it became an anthem for me in the months after his passing…Looking back, I feel like this song was a gift from [my dad].”

Almanac will be out on April 28th, but you can see Del live in Vancouver on April 12th at the Biltmore Cabaret.

• Christine

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“Heartbreaker by Design” by Your ex and I

I’m not gonna lie, there are times when I’ll check out a band simply because I’m amused by their name. Sometimes those bands end up being kind of forgettable, but other times you get someone like Your ex and I.

The Montreal band wears their British post-punk influences on their sleeve with songs like “Heartbreaker by Design”, a high energy tune which is “a harrowing tale of jealousy, gaslighting and infidelity. What if you found out your partner has been secretly dating their ex for two years? The song exposes the true story behind their singer’s discovery of an ex’s double life - from deleted emails to made up receipts for so-called business trips. How much would you look the other way to stay ‘happy’?”

The song is off their recently released EP, YXNI, and you can check out the cool pop art lyric video below!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: March 06 - 12, 2023

“Fuck Around Phase” by Housewife

Housewife is in their “Fuck Around Phase”.

Taking no time to rest after last year’s EP You'll Be Forgiven, Housewife (aka 20-year-old Brighid Fry) released the gritty new song which Fry describes as “about learning to enjoy yourself and be present after going through a difficult time. I want to embrace being messy and not take things too seriously!”

“Fuck Around Phase” also promises to be “the first taste of Housewife’s more mature and intentionally genre-blending sound”, and I’m looking forward to hearing what’s next.

• Kirk

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“We Live On A Fucking Planet And Baby That's The Sun”
by ALL HANDS_MAKE LIGHT

First off, “We Live On A Fucking Planet And Baby That's The Sun” is the early contender for best song title of the year.

Secondly, I was all in on ALL HANDS_MAKE LIGHT as soon as I saw it was the duo of Ariel Engle (La Force, Broken Social Scene) and Efrim Manuel Menuck (Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mt. Zion).

I’m not sure how I managed to miss the self-titled EP they released a couple years, ago, but this ten minute(!) tour de force (no pun intended) that takes a journey from haunting synths to cacophonous drums. It’s the first song from their upcoming full length debut, Darling The Dawn, which will be out on April 21st, and if it’s any indication on the rest of the album, it’s gonna be one to pick up immediately.

So turn the lights off, close your eyes, hit play, and drift off through space for the next ten minutes.

• Kirk

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“Mom Jeans // Mom Genes” by Miesha and The Spanks

As we get closer to the release of the new album, Miesha and The Spanks are giving us another tease with a high energy song about the chaos of parenthood called “Mom Jeans // Mom Genes”.

Miesha Louie says: “It's more than just about the new mom-fit jeans that I'm wearing though, that's just the metaphor. It's also the super tough mom genes that get us through that day to day of ups and downs and emotional manipulations and breakthroughs and pure joy that come with our role as matriarch. My babies were a great gift to me and I wouldn't change anything, but as I try to balance motherhood with everything that I had before, things can't help but fall off the scales. Moms are just out here doing their best, loving their babies, and trying to make time for loving themselves too.”

Unconditional Love In Hi-Fi is out April 14 on Mint Records, and the duo announced a string of western Canadian shows, including here in Vancouver at The Lido on April 13.

• Kirk

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“Words With You” by Chromeo

I needed some funk this Monday morning - and low and behold, new music from Chromeo!

Been a while since we had something new from the Funklordz, after their lockdown-inspired EP Quarantine Casanova.
No news in the press release if this is the first of many, or (fingers crossed) a tour to happen in the future, but I’ll keep my ear to the ground.

• Christine

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“Uummati Attanarsimat (Heart of Glass)” by Elisapie

It’s been nearly four years since Elisapie released her previous album, but last week we got a hint of something new with “Uummati Attanarsimat (Heart of Glass)”.

The gorgeous cover of the Blondie classic was translated from English to Inuktitut by Elisapie, and inspired by a childhood memory, dancing with her cousins.

No word on a new album, but Elisapie also announced Uvattini, a series of shows that “combine music, narration, video and performance to create a space of ritual where past and present merge”. Those take place in Montreal and Quebec City in December of this year.

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: February 27 - March 05, 2023

“Bad Addiction” and “Stay Gold” by The Matinée

After teasing with some acoustic, live-off-the-floor tracks, The Matinée has finally dropped the first new single(s) from their brand new album, due out later this year.

The new songs are classic roots-rock tunes from the Vancouver group; “Bad Addiction” featuring soulful backup vocals from The McCrary Sisters, and “Stay Gold” inspired by a compliment singer Matt Layzell gave to fellow Vancouver musicians John Sponarski and Brandon Wolfe Scott.

On “Stay Gold” Matt says “Our pal Brandon Wolfe Scott made the video, and both the song and video were smoking hot. I commented on Johnny's social post that I wanted to “roll this up and smoke it. It was that good. And then I realized that was a lyric in itself and I should find a way to write it into a song. I think I even commented something to the effect of “and don’t use that... it’s a lyric I am working on!” That was the spark for "Stay Gold". Thanks Johnny!”

It’s been a minute since The Matinée’s last album, so hopefully we hear it sooner rather than later!

• Kirk

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“Apple” by Braids

The release date for the new Braids album is fast approaching, and we’re getting another look at the album, with the latest single “Apple”.

The bubbly, upbeat track is punctuated by a swell of orchestral strings, as singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston conveys “a celebration of seeing new possibilities in the eyes of a lover, acknowledging past loss with a new state of heart that’s been opened and filled.”

Check out the trippy video below, while you wait for the new album, Euphoric Recall, out April 28

• Kirk

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“Trouble Found Me” by The Darcys

Another banger of a song from The Darcys came out this week and it’s been stuck in my head the whole time.
“Trouble Found Me” centres around trying to outrun yourself, and the trouble you “guess you were looking for” finding you anyways.
It is the latest release from what is an expect fall album from the duo and I can’t wait for more

• Christine

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“Marker” ft. The Zolas by dwi

On the latest track from dwi, he’s joined by some familiar faces.

“Marker” features his bandmates from The Zolas, on a punchy tune that features what dwi calls a “kiss track” from The Zolas’ Zach Gray.

dwi explains, “I’ve always wanted to write a song where I could experiment with rapping. It’s the first time I’ve ever done it. ‘Marker’ is a song about people who use power to take from others but eventually will get caught. Zach’s (The Zolas) verse is a kiss track, which we coined to be the opposite of a diss track.”

The new track is off dwi’s upcoming project “Zoo Life”, which will be out later this year, in July.

• Kirk

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“On A Beach” ft. Feist by Hayden

A new track from Hayden that features Feist?! I’m in.

But wait… the video for “On A Beach” also stars Matt Berninger from The National, and Steve freakin’ Buscemi!? I don’t think I need to sell you on this one.

Are We Good is set to release on April 5th, and I’ve loved everything from it so far, and can’t wait for the rest.

• Christine

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“You Can Let Go” by Half Moon Run

Half Moon Run is back with new music, and a massive fall tour announcement that will see them perform two nights at the Commodore Ballroom on November 2nd and 3rd.

“You Can Let Go” is accompanied by a lyric video that sees Eli Tomlinson starring as “disgruntled office drone”, with the seamless camera shot, swinging around an office watching the man and his increasing boredom.

The style of the song harkens back to OG Half Moon Run sound, with the ever-present harmonies the band is known for. Stay tuned as I am sure there is more music (and an album announcement) to follow.

• Christine

Songs of the Week: February 20 - 26, 2023

“Moonlight Stay Above” and “When The Storm Has Passed”
by Great Lake Swimmers

I know there was a global pandemic, but it still feels like FOREVER since we’ve heard from the Great Lake Swimmers, but that changes now!
Not one, but two songs, “Moonlight Stay Above” and “When The Storm Has Passed”, from the Ontario band.
The new album promises feelings of "doubt, followed by discovery. Demos that ended up as finished tracks. New beginnings, rear-view reflections, and ruminations on the fluidity of time.”
Uncertain Country will be released on April 23rd, but in the meantime enjoy to two releases below.

• Christine

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“How I Loved You” by Jenn Grant (feat. Amy Millan)

The upcoming Jenn Grant album is going to be a who’s who of some of the best musicians in Canada.

Aside from Grant herself (obviously) the album includes collaborations with Kim Harris, Aquakultre, Basia Bulat, Bahamas, Dan Mangan, Kevin Drew, Ria Mae, Josh Qaumariaq, Slow Leaves, Joel Plaskett, Tim Baker, and Hannah Georgas & Amy Millan, as heard in the new single, “How I Loved You”.

Grant says “I have been thinking a lot about the idea of heartbreak lately, and how we try to cover up the pain and the joy that led to it just to feel nothing at all. And that maybe it is better to feel everything rather than nothing. Maybe we do not need to forget, and we just need to feel. Because it is the reason humans are together on this earth. To fall in love, to break apart, to feel, cry, grieve, and grow stronger. This is what love is to me. This song is going to break your heart as it did mine.”
With Amy adding, “Prepare for listening to “How I Loved You” by being alone. This way you may cry like you have to, want to and need to for as long as you can remember. Then you can listen to it 17-1700 times consecutively and cry a little more. That’s what happened to me anyway.”

Check out the video (directed by Kevin Drew!) below and mark June 21st for the release of Champagne Problems.

• Kirk

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“Once Upon A Time In Montréal” by Murray A. Lightburn

As we inch closer to the release of Murray A. Lightburn’s newest solo album, we get another glimpse, this time with the title track, “Once Upon A Time In Montréal”. The new single features Murray’s voice soaring, while building to an incredible sax solo from Frank Lozano.

Lightburn has joked the album is an audio version of a biopic, heavily inspired by the passing of his father, and on the title track he notes “After getting an education in Jamaica and England, my mom got a job in Montreal as a nurse. My father was living in New York. They had dated back in Belize and reconnected years later in New York. My father didn’t really want to leave for Montreal, but he did. And it was hard for him: the harsh winters, the language barrier, the colour of his skin. He was a skilled musician but that was barely going to keep the lights on — never mind feed a growing family. His lack of formal education, and his lack of French, limited his opportunities. Nevertheless, he just wanted to be with her. So he figured out a way, and that’s what his life was mostly about, I think — what I’ve deduced. Maybe there’s way more to it and that’s the romantic version, but it’s a version at least I can understand. Nothing else computes. My parents stayed married for 56 years.”

Once Upon A Time In Montréal is out March 31 on Dangerbird Records, and if one of my most anticipated albums of the year so far!

• Kirk

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“Pure” by Rich Aucoin

Rich Aucoin continues his synthwave journey this week, with a new look at the second of his four part album series.

The first album, Synthetic: Season 1, was recently nominated for a JUNO award under Best Electronic Album. The follow up — appropriately titled Synthetic: Season 2 — has been teased with a few singles, including last week’s new release, “Pure”, a six minute masterclass in synth.

Rich also announced a run of North American dates, including here in Vancouver on June 1st at the Fox Cabaret!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: February 13 - 19, 2023

“In Lightning”
“Hiding Out In The Open”
“Love Who We Are Meant To”
by Feist

What’s better than a new Feist song? Two new Feist songs.
What’s better than two new Feist songs? Three new Feist songs!

And that’s exactly what we got last week, with an extended look at the upcoming album, Multitudes. The three songs hint at the album’s depth, with “In Lightning” being a cacophonous song that lives up to the title; the gorgeous guitar and orchestral swell of “Love Who We Are Meant To”, and haunting, layered vocals for “Hiding Out In The Open”.

Multitudes is out on April 14th, and check out a playlist of all three new songs below!

• Kirk

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“Garden” by FRANKIIE

Vancouver’s FRANKIIE is back with a brand new song, the first single from their upcoming album. “Garden” is a psychedelic, reverb-soaked dream pop from the duo of Vocalist/guitarist Francesca Carbonneau and vocalist/keyboardist Nashlyn Lloyd.

Lloyd says the song “was inspired by writing retreats to the northern Sunshine Coast of BC where we could detach from the intensity of urban life and focus on music together. We would write all afternoon in the cabin, and take a break to slow down and watch the stars expand forever. The stillness I feel while listening to the ocean or being surrounded by trees is always something I am longing to reconnect with while living life in the city.”

Between Dreams, the second full-length album from the group, drops June 2nd, and watch the live-off-the-floor video while you wait.

• Kirk

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“Our Back Garden” by Brandon Wolfe Scott

Okay, so great minds think alike, right?
For the second garden-based song this week, Vancouver’s Brandon Wolfe Scott reflects on three years of living with his partner in a home in East Van with access to a beautifully-lush garden.
Interacting with the family with young children upstairs, including during the height of the pandemic, the song has become an ode to them as the family moved away and the house now sits empty.

The track will be on Brandon’s upcoming EP, Slow Transmission, due out on March 23rd.

• Christine

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“They Don't Love You (Like I Do)” by Babe Corner

Over the past few months, Babe Corner has slowly been teasing their debut full length, and the latest is the new single, “They Don't Love You (Like I Do)”.

With beautiful harmonies that build to some incredibly catchy synth, the new song comes shortly after announcing the release date of the album, Crybaby, on March 21st, as well as a pair of release shows in Victoria and Vancouver — March 24 and 25, respectively.

So mark your calendars and have a listen below!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: February 06 - 12, 2023

[Fair warning, this week it’s three song picks from me (Christine), and they’re alllllll melancholy. So get ready to sway, bob your head and get into some feels.]

“Miss Fort Erie” by Hayden

Back in October, Hayden released his first new music since 2015 with the single “East Coast”. Well, now we’re moving slightly west with “Miss Fort Erie” (as someone from the Niagara Region of Ontario I did a double take at the title).

The press release called him the “king of downcast Canadian indie-folk” - and this might be true, as the new track is about balancing a young family, being out on the road, and downplaying the adventures, which he’s embarked upon again with his current tour.

Speaking of, Hayden will be in Vancouver this Wednesday, performing at Christ Church Cathedral.

• Christine

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“Telephone” by Andy Shauf

Andy Shauf’s new album Norm, is officially out, with this latest single and music video to celebrate.
It’s funny, when I was listening to “Telephone” I was thinking “a lot of people don’t do that these days” and then I read in the press release that this is about an imagined person because Andy “hates talking on the phone” - so there we go.

If you recognize the video as similar to the one for “Catch Your Eye”, that’s because it’s the same character, animated again (in the immediately recognizable style) by Chad VanGaalen.

PS Andy will be here, performing at The Orpheum on March 11th!

• Christine

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“The Moment Is A Wild Place" by Gord Downie & Bob Rock

Okay, this one made me tear up, especially as it was just recently Gord’s birthday last week.
“The Moment Is A Wild Place” is another track from Lustre Parfait - the collaboration between Downie and Bob Rock, recorded from 2009 to 2016.

"They keep saying, ‘Just live in the moment / What they don't say / Is the moment / Is a wild place.”

The lyrics, written before his diagnosis, just tug at my heartstrings, along with the soaring vocals.
Such a treat to get these songs - the whole album of which will be fully released on May 5th.

• Christine

Songs of the Week: January 30 - February 05, 2023

“Room Service” by Haviah Mighty

A new sultry, and groovy, new song from Haviah Mighty leaning towards more of an R&B style (and I’m loving it).

I could give you a breakdown on the meaning behind the song, but Haviah lays it out perfectly:

“This song reflects on the many phases of denial that I experienced going through a recent breakup. My self-worth was shattered, I convinced myself that things weren’t as bad as they seemed, and that it wasn’t my fault. I was fully aware that this person had already let me go, by their mannerisms, the shifts in attitude, and the conversations we had. I knew their heart wasn't in it anymore.

But it wasn't official. Because of that, I had this glimmer of hope - as if the energy wasn't loud enough, and as if I didn't know what the outcome would be. For me, this song grew into an anthem of lust, wonderment, desire and delusion. The sultry lead melodies pull you in as I plead for my lover to wait for me. Just hold on. The bouncy synths playfully suck you into a vortex of heavy-hitting 808s and afro-style grooves that remind you that I’m not just a rapper - but also a singer, Jamaican, and Toronto-born.”

• Christine

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“Plague Dogs” by The Rural Alberta Advantage

It looks like The Rural Alberta Advantage has no plans on slowing down any time soon. After releasing a brand new EP and touring Canada last year, the trio has kicked off this year with a brand new song, ahead of an American tour.

“Plague Dogs” is a sonic kick to the chest, and is part of their goal to record & release new music in real time as the year progresses.

Check out the video below!

• Kirk

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“Let It Go” by Patrick Krief

Last week, Patrick Krief released the latest single off his upcoming album, due out later this year. “Let It Go” (not that one) features Krief’s buttery vocals as the song builds to an intense finish.

Patrick says “This story touches on the idea of being able to leave and finding a new safe space when everything gets difficult. Something I saw my parents do when leaving Morocco. Always left to reflexively want to escape hard times, this song is my confrontation with the habit of running from my problems. As the cliche goes, you cannot outrun your demons. In this song, I look for an alternative.”

Watch the video below, and keep an ear out for a full album, out some time this year.

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: January 23 - 29, 2023

“Still Got You” by Del Barber

Been waiting for this new music from Del Barber for a while, so I was stoked to see it land in my inbox.
“Still Got You” is the first single from his upcoming, and newly announced album Almanac. It’s a wonderful song about the beauty surrounding his home, and being thankful, yet feeling guilt about being shielded from some of the bigger things going on in the world.

Check out the track, as well as a live recording of the song, below - and keep an eye out for some tour dates!

• Christine

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“Means To An End” by Colleen Rennison

Vancouver's Colleen Rennison is back with the first look at a brand new album. The lead single "Means to an End" is a gorgeous piano-driven song, with Rennison's incredible vocals laying her heart out.

She explains “This song is literally ripped from my diary with me sitting in the realization that the best has come and gone. It’s the bittersweet recollection of moments passed and wondering if this feeling of loss and melancholy is something that you’ll live with until you don’t live anymore. We first recorded this as a full band and I felt it turned out too CMT and didn’t do the song justice, so I brought the piano player and all around musical savant Alexander Ward back in and we did it with just piano and a little percussion, adding in the live strings which he also arranged later.”

"Means to an End" is the first single from Colleen's new album Persephone, which is due out later this year.

• Kirk

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“Rushes Over Me” by Combine The Victorious

Another new track from Vancouver duo Combine The Victorious!

“Rushes Over Me” is about the idea of “falling back and trusting that the universe is there to catch you”. The band released the song on Robbie Burns Day, as Ayrshire is where vocalist Isabelle Dunlop is from, and they felt like the track tipping point of their musical career.

There’s some touring in their new future as well, so keep an eye on their socials!

• Christine

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“It’s My Year” by Miesha & The Spanks

Hot off the news of their signing to Mint Records, Miesha & The Spanks not only just released a brand new single, but also announced their newest album.

“It’s My Year” is about making the most of the next 12 month, and is the kind of gritty-yet-catchy tune the duo of Miesha Louie and Sean Hamilton (no relation) does so well.

Watch the video below, and grab the new album, Unconditional Love In Hi-Fi, out April 14th on Mint Records.

• Kirk