Songs of the Week: August 19 - 25, 2024

“Demons” by The Darcys

Almost missed this announcement from The Darcys, but we have new music (“Demons”) and an album release date September 27th for their new album Rendered Feelings.

Of the new track the band say it is “raw and honest and a bit melancholic, if we're being real. It's about how love sometimes falls apart even when you're doing your best to hold it together. You know you should let go but you're compelled to keep trying to make it work which only makes it harder.”

The band always has the best merch, and aside from pre-ordering the (clear!) vinyl, they’ve got water bottles, sticker sheets and very cozy looking sweaters!

I can’t wait to hear more from the album, get my hands on it soon, and hope there’s a tour announcement on the horizon!

• Christine

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“Let It Rain” by Valley

Toronto’s Valley has dropped their latest single from upcoming album, Water The Flowers, Pray For A Garden.

“Let It Rain” is the fourth single from the upcoming album, and features lovely vocals from the trio, and a plinking piano sounding like raindrops.

Frontman Rob Laska explains “‘Let It Rain’ is a song about change and overcoming. It’s very much dedicated to the band and how it’s been the one constant in our lives through love and loss. To the people we’ve become, to the people we’ve left behind and the people we have yet to meet. Acceptance of growing old and learning to be ok with that is at times a difficult conversation to have with yourself. Being in a band and specifically in the music industry, it can at times feel like a storm hanging over your head symbolizing that it’s too late. Who said you’ve run out of chances? It’s about letting all those feelings come out and taking them for what they are, which often results in you realizing that you have so much life to live ahead of you.”

Check out the lyric video below, and you can grab Water The Flowers, Pray For A Garden when it’s out on August 30.

• Kirk

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“Pray For You” by MAUVEY

Last week, MAUVEY announced the third and final instalment of his Before The Album series, Before The Album 3:1, with the afro-fusion “Pray For You”.

The new single is an anthemic tune, with MAUVEY explaining, “Each song on Before The Album 3:1 is an anthem, designed to inspire, celebrate and uplift the listener. Distributing love is my purpose and my goal. “Pray For You” has a no frills message that gets straight to that point.” 

You can grab Before The Album 3:1 on October 25th!

• Kirk

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“Sweet Surrender” and “Basement Apartment” by Haley Blais

Haley Blais has decided to pay tribute to two of Canada’s best Sarahs, dropping a pair of cover songs last week.

First up is a gorgeous rendition of Sarah McLachlan’s classic “Sweet Surrender”, followed up with the incredibly vulnerable “Basement Apartment” from Sarah Harmer. Blais reflects, “Sarah McLachlan was a huge musical inspiration to me growing up; Sarah Harmer was integral to the journey of Wisecrack. I wanted to pay homage to the two artists that shaped me as the artist I am today.”

You can listen to “Sweet Surrender” and watch a live performance of “Basement Apartment” below!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: August 12 - 18, 2024

“Cliché Town” by Sunset Rubdown

As we creep closer to the release of the new album from Sunset Rubdown, called Always Happy To Explode (their first new album in 15 years!), we’re getting another tease with the latest single, “Cliché Town”.

Subscribers to Spencer Krug’s patreon may recognise it, as the original demo was released in 2020 as part of his song-a-month project, but now the tune has been reworked & re-recorded with the full band.

“Cliché Town” explores “feelings of frustration and hopelessness that can come with being stuck in a small town, specifically the sensation of being trapped next to, or rather below, unhinged neighbors” and at six minutes long, really gives strong ‘descent into madness’ vibes.

Have a listen below, and mark September 20 on your calendars for the release of Always Happy To Explode, as well as October 10, when Sunset Rubdown kicks off their tour with a show here in Vancouver at the Rickshaw!

• Kirk

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“Why We Run”, “Videostore”, and “Don’t Look Away”
by Menno Versteeg

I love a good multi-single drop, and that’s exactly what we got from Menno Versteeg this week.

Three new singles from his upcoming solo album (due out December 13th), including the title track “Why We Run”.
Of the song Menno says: "I was working on a soundtrack for a kids movie with my long time friend and Hollerado collaborator Nixon Boyd and we needed a song for a scene where some bullies were chasing a kid down the hall of a school. The lyrics evolved into being about way scarier stuff like the adults who are bullies professionally. Of course the movie people didn’t wanna use it. I mean WE ARE leaving the kids a pretty gnarly set of circumstances, but hey, maybe it’s funnier if we try to make it a surprise?"

He also announced on Instagram (along with a hilariously gross story) that he’ll be doing a string of solo shows including a stop in Vancouver at The Heatley on October 3rd (and I’m just hoping I can run between that and the Rich Aucoin show that night!)

• Christine

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“New Low” by Meko Brain

A few months back, we got our first taste of Meko Brain, the solo project from Mike O’Brien — who you may know from Zeus, or playing with Bahamas, Jason Collett, and Dan Mangan, among many others. Now, we’re not only getting a new song, but news of his debut album, Wonderment!

The latest single is called “New Low”, and comes with smooth vocals and grungy guitars, which Mike explains; “many of my other songs have a more acoustic folk sound so I wanted to bridge the more acoustic, organic folky sounds with this slinky pop song. I love how it turned out. I ended up layering the vocal several times to get a wide yet intimate sound. It all culminates with a satisfying fuzzed-out guitar riff to bring it home! As for the lyrical idea, I started to form this idea of a guy who knows his partner is being unfaithful but doesn't want it rubbed in his face. If it's not stated out loud then he can continue to carry on the charade that he doesn't know what's going on. So in a sense, it became a dance song about self-pity. I wanted to make a video that matched this idea but in a not-too-literal way, so we enlisted Jack Harrison who created an amazingly simple yet effective video that matches the song's mood perfectly!”

You can watch the trippy video now, and snag Wonderment when it’s out on October 9!

• Kirk

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“Future is Bright” and “Beautiful Sights” by Arielle Soucy

Coming off her ‘024 Polaris Long Listed debut album, Il n'y rien que je ne suis pas, Montreal’s Arielle Soucy just dropped a Double A-Side, Two Hopeful Songs featuring, well, exactly that.

“Future is Bright” and “Beautiful Sights” are a pair of gorgeous songs that feature warm acoustic guitars and soaring synth, mixed in with her incredible vocals.

Two Hopeful Songs is out now, and you can have a listen to both below!

• Kirk

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“Lost in the Plot (acoustic)” by The Dears

Nothing reminds you of the inexorable march of time like album anniversaries, but it’s worth it when they come with a beautiful new release.

This year, The Dears celebrate their seminal album No Cities Left with a Definitive 20th Anniversary Edition. Along with one of my favourite albums of all time on white vinyl, you’ll also get a a whole host of bonus acoustic tracks, like this version of “Lost in the Plot”.

You better believe I’ve already pre-ordered mine, and until it’s out on September 13, you can listen to Murray Lightburn’s fragile voice serenade you below.

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: August 05 - 11, 2024

“Just A Scratch” by Tokyo Police Club

The last single ever from Toronto’s Tokyo Police Club was released and the nostalgia (and sadness) I feel about it is palpable.

It’s not just the song itself (titled “Just A Scratch”) tug at my heartstrings, but the video is full of videos over the past two decades. It shows concerts of all sizes, the band recording, the band backstage and in the tour van - it really encapsulates the journey they went on.

(It inspired me to go find the footage of them at Sasquatch from 2011 - where a couple got engaged on stage!)

I’m eagerly awaiting crying in person at their final shows at the Commodore here in Vancouver on September 14 and 15th (with the first night being sold out already).

• Christine

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“Lucky Streak” by Kylie V

Vancouver’s Kylie V has not only released a brand new single, but it’s their first signed to Royal Mountain Records!

“Lucky Streak” is as lush and gorgeous as you would expect from Kylie V, slowly simmering until it boils over at the end. Kylie explains, “I wrote 'Lucky Streak' during the excruciatingly complex process of getting over someone, while everything else in my life seemed to be speeding up and getting better at a surreal pace. When I started this song in my notes, I was on one hand feeling lost and empty, and on the other hand, it felt like all my dreams were beginning to come true — later in the month I wrote this song I played my biggest venue to date, and then flew across the country for another show.”

Check out the video below, directed by Luke Beach Bown.

• Kirk

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“Glowing” by Matías Roden

This past weekend, Matías Roden released his debut EP, The Plea, and spotlights it with the opening track, “Glowing”

The track is a blend of his 80s and 90s influences, and of the album as a whole, Roden says,
“I think the classic ‘quarter life crisis’ for a lot of young people feels like you’re being put on trial by your own hopes and dreams and others’ expectations for your life. It can feel overwhelming to realize that maybe your life isn’t going in exactly the direction you wanted it to go. So The Plea is a play on words of a plea deal at a trial where you’re both at the mercy of forces beyond your control but also wanting to defiantly assert yourself. It’s like I’m saying ‘I will get my life back together, I will get over this heartbreak or over this failure to live out my hopes and dreams, I will make them happen.’”

The song was produced by Louise Burns, and you can have a listen below, and grab the EP now! Plus, keep an ear out for his debut full length, due early next year.

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: July 29 - August 4, 2024

“Call Me Up High” by Dan Mangan

Dan Mangan is making a mixtape! Being Elsewhere Mix CD is a follow up to his acclaimed 2022 album Being Somewhere, that features reimagined versions of songs from the album, covers of Bob Dylan, Damien Jurado, & the Lumineers, and a few new tunes as well.

“Call Me Up High” is one of those new songs, and was recorded with deadmen (Matt Peters & Matt Schellenberg) in Los Angeles. Dan says, “I vividly remember feeling overlooked by girls in high school. I knew I had something special to offer, but most of my crushes were unrequited. ‘Nice guy’ tropes aside, I had this sinking feeling that if they were in a tough situation, I could help, and they’d see how awesome I was. I brought up this concept with the deadmen and there was a lightning storm of creativity. The entire song came together in about 4 hours. It was extremely exciting and eerily easy. Everything moved so quickly and ‘Call Me Up High’ sounds like nothing I’ve ever been a part of before. Most of my music is for the heart and the head, but I can’t listen to this song without moving my body.”

Further to that, the whole idea of the mixtape is a throwback to when Dan started dating his now-wife, and burned her some mix CDs for her Hyundai Accent!

You can watch the video for “Call Me Up High” below, and mark down August 30 for the release of Being Elsewhere Mix CD

• Kirk

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“Leave It All Behind” by Cuff The Duke

It’s getting closer to the release of the highly anticipated (especially by me!) new album from Cuff The Duke! Breaking Dawn will be out September 6th, and we have our second single from it now as well.

”Leave It All Behind” is a reflection on the hiatus the band took (this is the first new music in 10 years) and frontman Wayne Petti figuring out what was next after not playing music anymore.

Of this new life and the song, he says: “I felt like I failed because music would no longer be my sole focus. The line “I bought the lie that I told myself, now it's coming back to haunt me” reflects how young musicians can become overconfident, believing their success will never end. But every artist faces ups and downs, and when reality hits, it can be a nightmare. Saying, “I’m getting ahead of it by leaving it all behind,” was the headspace I needed to be in, to move forward as one chapter ended and another began.”

• Christine

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Songs of the Week: July 22 - 28, 2024

“Fish Out Of Water” by Menno Versteeg

Menno Versteeg, former lead singer of Hollerado, and member of super group Anyway Gang, has released solo music for the very first time!

The single “Fish Out Of Water” (which features Doug Paisley on acoustic guitar and harmonies), is about “all the trials and tribulations” that come with growing up in a small town and “how it feels growing up an outsider used to getting your ass kicked”.

Menno’s voice is so distinct, and I’ve been missing Hollerado as of late, so this was a nice treat and I hope we get more tunes soon!

• Christine

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“Raven” by Ghostkeeper

You may know Ghostkeeper as the ‘ever-evolving project of Métis pop experimentalists Shane Ghostkeeper and Sarah Houle’, and now they’re back to follow up their Polaris Music Prize long-listed album Multidimensional Culture, with a brand new single, “Raven”.

The song is haunting, with a driving rhythm, and Shane describes it as “a mantra written to manifest a life together in which we walk, talk and breathe in a good way with nature and all her realms. Living in the realm of the raven and embracing that medicine keeps us in solidarity and committed to each other’s well-being. May the spirit of the raven keep us well as we walk in the realm of rock n roll.”

“Ravens” is the first single to their upcoming album due out August 28th, Cîpayak Joy — Cîpayak being a Cree term that translates as 'the ghosts are dancing' and is often used to describe the Northern Lights!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: July 15 - 21, 2024

“Chicago” by Japandroids

OH HELL YES!!!

New Japandroids?! Since when?! Oh, final album? There goes my heart.

That announcement came with the first single “Chicago” from what the final album will be (Fate & Alcohol) which is to be released October 18th!

It’s such a distinct Japandroids sound, but also a full other anthem to sing along to.

I’m going to embrace this whole situation and hold on to every new song they put out.
LET’S GO!

• Christine

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“Marrying Me” by KINLEY

I don’t know that I’ve heard a KINLEY song that hasn’t immediately become stuck in my head, and her new single “Marrying Me” is no exception.

The indie-pop jam is about expectations vs reality, with KINLEY explaining, “Where I live I hear church bells everyday and it got me thinking about marriage and all the weddings I have played for and all the people I know who are married and all the weddings that I’ve played for and observed a lot of them didn’t work out. It also made me think about myself and how I grew up thinking that of course I would get married and how beautiful it would be but I realized I was only imagining the romance and the fabulous white dress and being surrounded by friends and family. I never imagined the reality of marriage past the glamour. That’s when I came up with the chorus of the song. My reality hasn’t included marriage and it may or may not be in the cards but it is no longer an expectation because my reality is a life filled with love and rich experience.”

The new song was produced by Juno winner Corey LeRue, and you can check it out below!

• Kirk

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“Washed” by Grizzly Coast

Grizzly Coast wants to know what the hell am I waiting for? with her new single “Washed”.

The tune is the latest from her upcoming album, and features Alannah Kavanagh’s usual dreamy guitars combined with thought provoking lyrics, described as a “powerful rallying cry against indifference and stagnancy, urging listeners to take control of their lives and reject passivity.” The track was born from a jam session between Alannah and her husband Kyle, and “captures the essence of embracing action. The song's message is a reminder to confront apathy and take control of your life.”

Have a listen below, and keep an ear out for the upcoming album, Staying Power, due in the fall!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: July 08 - 14, 2024

“How It Feels” by Cold Specks

Whenever an artist that I haven’t heard new music from in a long time pops up in my inbox I get so stoked - and that’s exactly the case when I saw that Cold Specks had released a new track!

It’s been SEVEN years since Cold Specks (aka Al Spx) has graced our ears with something new, but “How It Feels” has changed that.

Co-written with Chantal Kreviazuk, Spx says of the song:
“[It] was written in 2019 at a time when I was struggling with money. I was struggling with my mind as well, and I was reflecting on my experiences. It was written one magical night in the dead of winter in a studio around midnight. It came together quite easily and Chantal is a gem.”

It’s a beautiful intimate song that showcases she singing chops that I’ve sorely missed these last few years.

• Christine

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“Reappearing Rat” by Sunset Rubdown

Speaking of acts we haven’t heard from in a long time… it’s been fifteen(!) years since the last time we had a new song from Sunset Rubdown, but after last year’s reunion tour, they’re back with “Reappearing Rat”!

The song is the first tease of an upcoming album, and the group hasn’t missed a step with an upbeat, frenetic song that’s an ‘ode to the tiny monster that lives in our heads—the one that makes itself known anytime blessings such as serenity, clarity, or acceptance are on our emotional horizons’. Spencer Krug explains, “A kind of irresponsible and lazy surrender to the notion that we’re all just stuck with ourselves, this song is for those times you think “Why won’t that person just leave?”, only to realize you’re referring to yourself. For better or worse, we live in our brains. Apparently so does the rat.”

The new album is called Always Happy to Explode and comes out on September 20th via Spencer Krug’s own label Pronounced Kroog. They’ll also be touring in October, kicking off right here in Vancouver at the Rickshaw Theatre on the 10th. You can check out the video, directed by Derek Janzen and starring Aaron Read, below!

• Kirk

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“High Summer” by Joel Plaskett

I’m not gonna lie, every time I see a new single with the same name as another song, I am slightly disappointed when it’s not a cover. But even if the new Joel Plaskett single isn’t his take on the Jason Collett classic, it’s still an excellent summer jam.

Perfect for a lazy, warm evening or sitting around a campfire, “High Summer” is a chill look back at memories of summer’s past, while simultaneously looking to the future, with Joel ending the song asking to meet him in the fall.

Which is exactly what you can do when his latest album, One Real Reveal drops on September 13th, and he hits the road on the One Real Reveal on Wheels tour, including a pair of Vancouver shows in September!

• Kirk

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“I Feel Alive” by Art d’Ecco

Last week, Art d’Ecco released his first new single in a couple years, with the effortlessly catchy “I Feel Alive”.

The tune will instantly be stuck in your head for the next week, with Art d'Ecco explaining the song is about “breaking free. I wanted to tie my love for music to that feeling of being alive - when a song lights you on fire from the inside - it’s a powerful, undeniable emotion.”

No solid word yet on a new album, just a tease of more to come, but until then you can check out the video below!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: July 01 - 07, 2024

“Motel Room” by Bob Sumner

Vancouver’s Bob Sumner has announced his upcoming album, Some Place to Rest Easy, and released the first single as well titled “Motel Room”.

The press release tells us that “three of the tunes on Some Place to Rest Easy touch on the loss of multiple loved ones to alcoholism. These losses hold particular weight for Sumner, who left behind his own problematic path with drinking after a serious health diagnosis two years ago.”

“Motel Room” is one of these three songs, and while the subject matter is serious, the song itself is upbeat and catchy, and it comes with a fun video showing Bob and friends dancing in front of the El Rancho Motel in Pentiction, BC.

Bob’s record release show in Vancouver will be on August 10th and the Fox Cabaret.

• Christine

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“Voice in the Dark” by Carmen Braden

I can tell you the exact moment that “Voice in the Dark” by Carmen Braden grabbed me, it was the verse:

When you’re the first one awake
You have to believe that everyone is still there, just sleeping
Not disappeared off the face of the earth
And aliens replace all the taxi drivers

The new song is a moody, yet catchy jam, with the Yellowknife singer/songwriter explaining: “One day there was a major system failure where my friend worked as a radio host. They knew no one could hear them, but they had to keep talking in case the signal managed to get back on air. The song is about holding onto thin threads of hope, about connection between people over big spaces and through dark times. It’s also an homage to radio and the power it still has to connect - something that’s still a strong part of culture and community in Canada’s north.”

“Voice in the Dark” is the first single off Carmen’s upcoming album A Hard Light, which is out on December 5th.

• Kirk

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