Songs of the Week: September 29 - October 05, 2025

“The Calm” by The Protomen

Holy crap it’s happening!

It’s been sixteen years since the release of Act II: The Father of Death, the second part in the epic Mega Man influenced rock opera from Tennessee band The Protomen, and now we’re finally getting the long awaited Act III: This City Made Us!

The announcement was made with the first two tracks on the album released on Bandcamp, with a promise of a weekly release model, until the final Bandcamp Friday of the year; or as the band puts it on their website, “sort of like that Alien show you’ve been watching… but with sound only. And less aliens, but maybe more robots.”

The two songs released so far are “Hold Back the Night”, which has been floating around for a few years, and the opening track “The Calm” (which I can only assume comes before some sort of storm), an instrumental opener that builds in suspense and anticipation.

The band has also promised a physical release of a CD which comes with a “story booklet/libretto + the amazing John DeLucca artwork” and a vinyl to come, with the release date set once they have the timeline set.

Have a listen below or on their Bandcamp page!

• Kirk

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“Fully Completely” Tragically Hip Cover by Alexisonfire

You know I love a good cover and especially when they’re unexpected ones…well Alexisonfire covering The Hip is delightfully unexpected!

The band is releasing an EP on November 7th titles Copies of Old Masters Volume 1 and along with the “Fully Completely” cover they’re tackling other 90’s CanCon: “Neighbourhood Villain” by Doughboys, “Cuz” by Shallow North Dakota and “Misogyny” by Rusty.

Enjoy the song below!

• Christine

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“Look What You Did” by JEEN

JEEN is back with a gritty pop anthem, “Look What You Did”, the first track off her upcoming EP For the Romance.

The song was recorded early this year, but almost didn’t make the cut, with JEEN sharing: “A couple months after recording, I had some unexpected music business trouble that completely derailed me and the whole release came to a full stop. I was crushed, so I was about to trash the whole EP and just start again, but I had a change of heart over the summer. I ended up using three of the original January recordings and one of them was ‘Look What You Did.’.”
And about the song itself, she adds: “At the end of the day, it's a pop song so I just wanted it to be light and easy to sing along with but hopefully still have some teeth/grit. It's about being entranced by someone or something and following that feeling all the way, even though you can't see where it will lead yet. I've had to learn a lot of hard lessons in this industry and 2025 tested me more than ever on that front, but for the first time in a while, I'm happy I'm still here, even if I have to follow a bit blindly for now.”

The EP comes out at the end of the month, on Oct 30, and get ready to have the chorus stuck in your head for the rest of the day when you check out the lyric video below!

• Kirk

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“Somebody To Love” by The Washboard Union

Getting new music from The Washboard Union was a really fun way to learn that Art & Crafts launched a country label!

The new song “Somebody To Love” is about hopeless romantics and the search for “that one who was meant for each and every one of us”.

The band is heading to Australia this week for a string of shows and festivals, and hopefully there’s more music on the way upon their return.

• Christine

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“Frequency Modulation” by Rich Aucoin

Last month, Rich Aucoin announced the final entry in his quadruple album project with Synthetic Season 4, and now we’re getting a tease with the new song “Frequency Modulation”.

The track (which of course comes right before “Amplitude Modulation” on the album) lives up to it’s name with a wavy vibe, and exemplifies what Rich says about the album overall: “A goal for this season was to have tonal shifts in genres and/or combine elements from multiple genres for each track (really subverting the idea of getting playlisted haha). I think the results of this experiment worked out the best with a heavy late 70s synth funk groove breaking way to French baroque house.”

Synthetic Season 4 is out on October 30, and “boasts the highest number of synthesizers of any of the previously released Seasons with its sounds being comprised of 103 unique synths!”

• Kirk

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“Nobody But You” by The Sheepdogs

When The Sheepdogs announced the departure of drummer Sam Corbett two weeks ago, I wasn’t sure when we’d be getting any music news from them… turns out is was this past Friday!

The band is out on tour, opening for Bryan Adams but that hasn’t stopped them from releasing a new song called “Nobody But You”. Of it frontman Ewan Curry says: “The twin pillars of love and rock ’n’ roll come together here in a pure expression of musical bliss. It’s the sound of windows down in your Trans-Am, the end of a workday, the optimism of a long weekend on the horizon. Power-pop vocals and southern rock guitars burst from your speakers like a double bill of April Wine and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Both a testament to the power of rock ’n’ roll and a tender love ballad.”

Oh, and speaking of Bryan Adams, The Sheepdogs will appear on his holiday special “Bryan Adams and Friends: A Great Big Holiday Jam” along with appearances from Alessia Cara, Alan Doyle, Barenaked Ladies, Lights, and more (all set in Vancouver/Bryan’s Warehouse Studio). That makes facing the chilly weather ahead a little less daunting!

• Christine

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“Video Life” Chris Spedding Cover by Art d’Ecco

About a month ago Art d’Ecco released a cover of “Outcast” by Eddie & Ernie and he’s back with another, this time tackling “Video Life” by Chris Spedding.

I’ll let Art tell you about it: “I don’t know how this song came into my life but as soon as I learned Chris Spedding played on two of my all time favourite records (Here Come The Warm Jets and Nilsson Schmillson) I had to know more. There’s something quite prophetic about the lyrics in ‘Video Life’, given the state of things in 2025 and the obsession the music industry has with artists creating content (juxtaposed against the ongoing geopolitical darkness that blankets our screens on the hour, every hour). It’s maddening to be sucked into that gravitational pull, and most days I just tune out and pretend the world doesn’t exist outside my little island bubble. Sometimes a song speaks to you so clearly, and this one was on repeat all summer so I felt compelled to shine a little light on it.”

With this second cover being released (and my obsession with his latest album Serene Demon still going strong) I hope that means we’ll continue to get more music!

• Christine

Songs of the Week: September 22 - 28, 2025

“The Bridge” by Bahamas

This week Bahamas announced a new album titled My Second Last Album (I sure hope it’s not!) and released the first track from it, “The Bridge”.

His previous album Bootcut saw Afie lean into country music, and if this new track is any indication, we’re getting back to classic Bahamas sound. Featuring light flute and catchy bass licks, the dreamy tune is accompanied by an equally dreamy video featuring his family walking and frolicking along the water together.

The new album will be released on October 24th and I cannot wait to hear the rest of the music!

• Christine

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“Rusty Mountain” by Neko Case

Neko Case released her new album, Neon Grey Midnight Green, last Friday and ahead of that gave one last tease with “Rusty Mountain”.

The new single is a gorgeous, sprawling song with Case’s iconic voice joined by swirling strings, as she insists “We all deserve better than some love song.”

Neon Grey Midnight Green is available now everywhere, and this week Case embarks on a massive North American tour, which includes a show here at the Vogue on November 13!

• Kirk

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“Skin Of My Teeth” by The Strumbellas

The Stumbellas new song “Skin Of My Teeth” follows up the singles “Hard Lines” and “Maybe It’s Me” from their recently announced new EP Burning Bridges Into Dust (due October 24).

The band’s Dave Ritter says: “‘Skin of My Teeth’ is about how it feels to hold tight to a dream. Obstacles, doubts, and disappointments make you want to quit. They make your dreams feel heavy, or worse, ridiculous, like everyone can see that you’re a fool to keep trying. But hope clings like a spider’s thread, and as the creeping keys and spy-movie guitars break into the chorus, we feel the grit and determination that convinces you never to give up.”

The band is hitting the road to celebrate the new album starting in November, and the Vancouver stop is on December 7th at the Commodore Ballroom.

• Christine

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“Burn After Reading” by Dust Cwaine

Speaking of new album released last week, Vancouver’s Dust Cwaine released their latest Twin Lakes, and celebrated with a new video for “Burn After Reading”

The song follows the album’s theme of thoughtful, introspective lyrics informed by Cwain’s past, paired with incredibly catchy music; the chorus for this one will be stuck in your head all day.

Check out the video below, directed by Cole Schmidt, and make sure to catch the Dust Cwain album release party this Thursday (Oct 2) at the Fox Cabaret!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: September 15 - 21, 2025

“Caverns” by Larkk

You know Danielle McTaggart as the voice of Dear Rouge, but now she’s venturing out on her own with a brand new solo project, Larkk.

Her first single is “Caverns”, a stunning piano-driven instrumental, with Danielle explaining the song is “about the deep and sacred journey I took when I suddenly and unexpectedly experienced deep grief like I had never known. The memories of my life, the unexplored ideas and questions I had long ignored, began to awaken — as I went down into the caverns of my heart. I heard a voice in my innermost spirit, ‘When you can’t go around, you must go down.’ And I knew I could not go around. So down I went. I walked slow, afraid and shaking, through the tunnels of my heart. Down, into the places I’d forgotten or wished I could forget. And yet, to my utter surprise, there was such treasure there. Rare and precious jewels being formed in the heat of my heart's pain. And I knew, somehow I was not alone.”

Danielle promises Larkk will embrace intimacy and introspection, and you can see that in the incredible live performance below.

• Kirk

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“Naturally” by The Barr Brothers ft. La Force

The new album from The Barr Brothers is out in a couple weeks, and we’re getting one more tease with the new song “Naturally” featuring Ariel Engle (aka La Force)

I’ve been a fan of Ariel Engle back to AroarA (her project with partner Andrew Whiteman) so I was very happy to see her as one of the many guests on Let It Hiss, which also includes contributions from Klô Pelgag, Elizabeth Powell (of Land Of Talk), Patrick Watson, and Jim James (from My Morning Jacket)

She adds her ethereal vocals to the heartfelt ode to personal growth and self-acceptance, as Brad Barr notes: “This was one of the more demanding songs that I wrote for the album. It required a degree of honesty and humility that, once finished, set the mark a lot higher for what I hope to offer as a songwriter. It helped me open up to some hard truths.”

Listen to “Naturally” below, and pick up Let It Hiss when it’s out on October 17th.

• Kirk

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“An Effort To Forget” by Headstones ft. Emily Haines

Legendary Canadian rockers Headstones are back with a brand new album, and along with it, a new single featuring Emily Haines!

The Metric singer joined the band for the banger “An Effort To Forget”, their latest single off their eleventh(!!) studio album, BURN ALL THE SHIPS.

Singer Hugh Dillon says, “If there is such a thing as a perfect storm creatively AND collaboratively for this band, ‘An Effort To Forget’ IS that song. Emily Haines is an incendiary talent, adding a powerfully subtle, emotionally elegant perfection to this intensely haunting piece of pure rock & roll.”
And Emily adds she “Was thrilled to make it happen. Instant Headstones classic. I love how the song turned out!”

BURN ALL THE SHIPS is out now, and also features a collaboration with City & Colour’s Dallas Green!

• Kirk

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“It Come Alive” by Rich Hope

I’m still kicking myself over missing out on Rich Hope recording an album live off the floor at the Anza Club in April, but the beauty is…it’s recorded!

The first song, “It Come Alive”, was released this week as well as the date for the Live At The ANZA Club (November 21st).
Of the reasoning behind recording a live album, Rich says:
“I have always been at my best live, and we wanted to capture what this version of the band is doing. Since we didn’t have the luxury of extended touring and recording every show, we decided on finding the best venue and taking two nights to capture lightning in a bottle. The ANZA is a venue where I played some of my first shows in a neighbourhood where I lived for many years, so I feel a personal connection to the club.”

Well, Kirk and I do too, as it’s been our home for hosting Simpsons Trivia for 4+ years now and I can’t wait to see it highlighted in more videos and songs!

• Christine

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“Deeper Than Blue” by MALINOWSKI

Yes, that MALINOWSKI!

Jay Malinowski of Canadian staple Bedouin Soundclash, is releasing his first new solo music in more than a decade.

His first offering “Deeper Than Blue”, is a ballad for his son Finn and of writing the song, Jay says: “when I went to write a love song for my son Finn, I was in unknown territory. I had written love songs before but this was a love I had never felt. I went through all the cliches; Valentine’s Day and roses etc. I went through all the colours; reds, pinks and violets. None of that was right. Then I thought about blue.
I went to art school for painting and loved reading about the history of pigments. Blue is very rare in nature and highly prized. I once read an art historian talk about blue in even more poetic terms; that if you try to reach the blue of the sky or the blue of the sea it moves to the horizon or depths just beyond you. You can never reach blue. That was my love for Finn, I thought, except my love is just a bit deeper.”

No official word on a full project, but the rumour mill is churning!

• Christine

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“Halloween Mask” by sundayclub

It’s the autumnal equinox, so what better way to celebrate than with a song called “Halloween Mask”?

The new track is from Manitoba’s sundayclub, and is an (appropriately) haunting and dreamy indie-pop jam from the duo of Courtney Carmichael and Nikki St. Pierre.

Have a listen below, and check out their upcoming EP Bannatyne when it’s released (appropriately) on October 31st on Paper Bag Records!

• Kirk

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“Freaks” by Mermaid Island

So fun news… the one and only George Stroumboulopoulos started a music label called No Dad Records, and the first band to sign on released some music!

Mermaid Island, a punk-rock band based out of Los Angeles (though multi hyphenate frontwoman Allie MacDonald is a Canadian!) has released their first track, “Freaks” off of their upcoming album.

It’s a fast-driving track both in pounding drums and furious vocals (that gives me PUP vibes) and speed, with the song clocking in at just over 2.5 minutes.

I’m so excited to see what else is to come from Strombo’s label and from the band.

• Christine

Songs of the Week: September 08 - 14, 2025

“K.I.S.S.” ft Jon Kabongo & “Islands” by Shad

I hate sitting on embargoed songs (it feels like keeping a secret for a person) when really I just want to share here!
And that’s how I felt about waiting to post these two new song from Shad that came out early last week. They followed up his single “Bars & BBQs” and they will all appear on his new album Start Anew on October 31st.

“K.I.S.S.” aka the acronym for Keep It Simple Stupid features Jon Kabongo (which I thought was a spelling error, but it’s just a coincidence!) and Shad says it’s “inspired by the idea that we should take our work seriously but not take ourselves too seriously”.

In his newsletter Shad says that “Islands” is inspired by the book/concept “Islands Of Sanity” that his friend once mentioned to him: “The term "Islands Of Sanity" refers to communities that not only help people survive challenging times but also provide models for a better future. They aren't necessarily big or well-known groups but they are uncommonly cohesive, caring, and creative. The idea felt like exactly the kind of thing I wanted to explore on this album.” 

The album is full of collaborations, both on production and performances, and I can’t wait to get more from it. There’s also been a show/tour announcement, so circle your calendars for January 17th as Shad will be coming to the Hollywood Theatre!

• Christine

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“Tears Of A Nation” by The Dears

A couple months ago, we heard the first new music from The Dears in a while, and now they’ve announced a brand new album! The Montreal band’s ninth studio album is called Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful!

The news is heralded by the brand new single called “Tears Of A Nation”, a soaring, powerful song with Murray Lightburn’s vocals bursting through.

Of the album, Murray says: “I remember when it clicked in my brain what I was writing about. It was soon after we played a series of shows celebrating the 20th anniversary of No Cities Left. I was on stage surrounded by wonderful musicians, playing songs I wrote in my 20s. My kids and my mom were sitting up on the balcony of the theatre. Natalia was just to my right. I told the audience that sometimes it gets tough but that life is beautiful. I asked the audience to say it with me, three times: A mantra; a wish; an affirmation.
Life is tough. We experience challenges all the time. In our darkest hours we might think it’s never going to be better. But if we can just make it through, we find out what we thought was impossible; that we could smile again, maybe even laugh. We feel our loved ones. We find out how strong we can be. The songs in this record are for everyone and anyone. They are meant to be supportive.”

Pick up the new album when it’s out on November 7th via Next Door Records, and check out the video — directed by Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew — below!

• Kirk

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“Moral Panic” by Vivek Shraya

The new release from Vivek Shraya gave me major “Starálfur” by Sigur Rós vibes!
“Moral Panic” starts off with looping vocals, but then quiet instrumentals are layered and then the vocals come in, building and building until the end.

With poignant timing, Shraya speaks of the song: “Fear has long been a political tool to divide, distract and control and it’s more important than ever to be vigilant about what we are consuming and believing. At the same time, there is legitimately a lot to be afraid of right now and also looking ahead.”

The new album New Models will be out on October 8th and there are only a few tour dates announced - for now!

• Christine

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“Hotter Than The Sun” by Begonia

We’re just over a month away from the new album from Begonia, and getting a new tease with the song “Hotter Than The Sun”.

The latest track off Fantasy Life is a quirky, upbeat tune, which sees Begonia pondering, “Do butterflies appreciate their own beauty? Does a moth know that the closer they get to the light could also mean potentially dying at the light's hand? Don’t ask me. I just know that sometimes I dream of just being an insect and flicking my wings around at will. I can honestly say with this record that I’m accepting myself now fully for the first time. I feel like I've said that before but this time I actually mean it. I’m not saying it’s easy but it’s far less exhausting then trying to fit in anyone else’s version of who I should be. I’ve always struggled with a very loud inner hater and I feel like making this song is attempting some kind of scruffy diy exorcism. I’ll let you know how I feel the more I sing it.”

Check out the video, and make sure you have October 24th in your calendar, when Fantasy Life drops, on Birthday Cake Records.

• Kirk

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“On Ice” by Clothesline From Hell

You better believe I’m going to check out a band named after a pro wrestling move.

Clothesline From Hell is the musical project of Toronto’s Adam LaFramboise, and last week he released his latest single, “On Ice”.

With an intense, driving beat (perhaps not what you would expect from a project named after a cowboy-turned-businessman) Adam says, “The song is as loud and dumb as I’ll ever allow myself to get. It should be frustrating, but it ends up being cathartic. I just wanted to make a really catchy pop song that also felt dangerous. This is the kind of pain you feel in your funny bone; it's weird and potent and I can’t help but laugh.”

No word on a full album from Clothesline From Hell, but have a listen to “On Ice” below!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: September 01 - 07, 2025

“Ballad Of The Hockey Enforcer” by The Donzerly Lights

Casey Laforet of Elliott BROOD has a new side project that involves both new music and a magazine!

Purgatouring Volume 1 is a 105-page collection of stories from touring with BROOD over the last 20 years, as well as old photos, “musical opinions”, comics and more. You can pre-order it online now and accompanying it (for free) is an album of the same name (Purgatouring).
The project is called The Donzerly Lights (love this!) and the album has 12 songs that for the majority of the album sees Casey performing and singing almost everything!

I asked Casey if the music or the magazine came first and he told me he had made the record already and they were all basically “road songs”- and that all the lyrics are mixed into the magazine. I’ve already ordered my copy of the mag and cannot wait for it’s arrival!

Now as for the album, I had a hard time choosing which one to feature here (so go listen to the whole thing) but as a huge hockey fan, I knew it had to be “Ballad Of The Hockey Enforcer”.
I’ve always had a soft spot for the tough guys of the past (I had a Tie Domi Leafs jersey) and Casey captures them perfectly in this song, which is also woven with clips of hockey commentary about fights and scrums. Check it out below!

• Christine

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“3am” by Ashleigh Ball

The Hey Ocean! singer (and acclaimed voice actor!) Ashleigh Ball is back with a brand new solo album! Our Slowest Season was released last week, and sees Ball team with producers Jonathan Anderson and long-time friend/collaborator David Vertesi.

My early favourite off the album is “3am” (for no… particular reason), a dreamy tune which I heard a tease of earlier this year, when Ashleigh opened for Mae Martin at the Vogue!

Have a listen below, and make sure you’re at the album release show on September 29th at the Fox Cabaret!

• Kirk

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“For” by Luca Fogale

Burnaby’s Luca Fogale has released his fourth single from his upcoming album (hopefully more details on that soon) and it’s aptly titled “For”.

Like much of Luca’s music, it’s beautiful and haunting, and I’ll let him tell you about the track:
“I wrote “For” throughout the course of a few seasons of my life, so while this is at once a song simply about trying to serve what is most important in this life, the narrator (a version of myself) is grappling with understanding the finiteness of time, while desperately wanting to preserve an imagined perfect future, compelled by all of the tenets in the refrain; those which he believes to be most valuable. ‘For honour. For family.’

This version of myself tries to be tireless, resolute, unbreakable, unknowing that he will fail, as he is only human. I recognize inside myself the desire to strive, to achieve, to provide, and in turn I notice how hard I fall when I lose touch with humility and self-acceptance. The narrator is in a race against time and against vulnerability.”

I can’t wait to hear more new music, and if you’re free tomorrow night, Luca is opening for Hollow Coves at Malkin Bowl!

• Christine

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“Some Days” by Neil Haverty

Last week, Neil Haverty (who you may know as the frontman of Bruce Peninsula) dropped his third new solo single of the year with “Some Days”.

The new track is a synthy, soulful jam about the quiet pressures of daily life, as Haverty elaborates: “I wanted to acknowledge the patterns and discrepancies in how a person can approach each day. Some days are just off. Other days are full of promise and brimming with energy. I’m always interested in the spectrum of variables underneath a topic, and mood is an especially broad playing field for that.”

Have a listen below, and keep an ear out for more new music from Haverty in the near future!

• Kirk

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“Never Stay Down” by Johnny 99

More new music from Johnny 99 this week!
“Never Stay Down” is the fourth single from an upcoming new album (no word on a album title or release date yet) and while it’s upbeat and I can totally picture people line dancing in my head, it has some deeper meaning.

Johnny says the song: “is about finding yourself at the tail end of a rough patch and realizing the fun part of being self destructive has taken a dark turn. Sometimes when you find yourself at such a crossroads, the light you may have lost sight of now seems to be shining ever brighter. Upon this illumination, picking yourself up and making a course correction no longer seems like such a momentous task. After all, one can always lean on friends and a little bit of fun on the long road back up from the bottom."

Hopefully we get some album release info soon but it the meantime, check out the new song below!

• Christine

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“16/25” by Softcult

The Ontario-based sibling duo Softcult has just announced their debut full length album, When A Flower Doesn’t Grow, and along with that comes the latest single, “16/25”

The new track has a driving intensity that matches the themes, as its about the predatory behaviour of older men who groom younger women. Mercedes Arn-Horn says “It points out the double-standards and impossible expectations the patriarchy places on young women in our society, and the cognitive dissonance that older men who prey on young female targets perpetuate while trying to possess and control them,”

Check out the video below, and you can pick up the new album, When A Flower Doesn’t Grow, early next year when it releases on January 30th, 2026. You can also catch Softcult on your now, with their current leg wrapping up with a show at The Pearl here in Vancouver on October 16.

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: August 25 - 31, 2025

“Can I Call You in the Morning?” by The Beaches

The Beaches celebrated the release of their latest album on Friday by dropping one last single, “Can I Call You in the Morning?”

The raucous song is the album’s opening track, and lead vocalist Jordan Miller explains it was “inspired by an experience Kylie [Miller] had at the end of her previous relationship. After a couple of late nights, she would call her ex and would spew all of her frustrations regarding their relationship, and then would be immediately apologetic and take it all back. It goes out to all of the chaotic girlies out there.”

The song sets the tone for the album, No Hard Feelings, which is out now (and I highly recommend it!) You can also catch The Beaches when they head out on tour this fall, including a Vancouver stop at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Arena (!!) on October 25th!

• Kirk

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“Distance” by Kylie V

Last week, Vancouver’s Kylie V released the first follow up to their acclaimed album Crash Test Plane with the song “Distance”.

The new single highlights Kylie’s incredible vocals on a slow-burn indie-rock twang, with Kylie elaborating: “I wrote "Distance" about all the things that circle around my brain constantly: memories I can't shake, anxieties, obsessions, deadlines, and the intense urge to run away from them. It's a bright, fun, twangy, catchy indie rock song that I had an absolute blast recording and arranging.”

No word on an album, but you can catch Kylie here in Vancouver when they play the Flats Fest on Saturday!

• Kirk

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“Crazy Love” by Frazey Ford

I just love Frazey Ford’s voice - it’s so unique and lovely - and thus I got excited to see there was new music out!

“Crazy Love” is a Van Morrison cover which, along with two other covers, will be included in the deluxe re-release of Frazey’s 2014 album Indian Ocean.

Of the songs Frazey says: “I don't tend to do a lot of love songs or covers, but these are three love songs by three of my favourite artists, and I thought they made a nice collection unto themselves, and a nice addition to the album. They’re special to me as they reflect a moment in time in this space of collaboration.”

• Christine

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“New Light” by KINLEY

KINLEY is back with her first new track in over a year with the bright and uplifting “New Light”.

The song is instantly catchy, and the east cost singer says it’s “about coming through challenges stronger, more open, and more grateful. It’s that moment you realize the hard times didn’t break you—they helped you shine even brighter.”

Hopefully we’ll be hearing more from KINLEY soon, but until now listen to “New Light” below!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: August 18 - 24, 2025

“You Know That I Tried” by Billy the Kid

Some artists are just unstoppable, and Billy the Kid is definitely one of them.
From ambitious pandemic projects, to life upheavals, Billy Pettinger finds a way to create unique and beautiful music of all genres.

Her latest project, Prelude to a New Dream, was born out of heartbreak and starting life over. She says of the first track released: “You Know That I Tried” isn’t just a song
it’s every page I read, every sentence I wrote, every session I paid for, every word I survived.”

The lyrics cracked my heart open - they’re vulnerable and sorrowful, and yet are hidden under lovely piano chords and graceful vocals.

The album is out on September 19th, and I can’t wait to share more as she releases it.

• Christine

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“English Harbour” feat. Jim James & Arc Iris

by The Barr Brothers

You had me at Jim James.

“English Harbour” is the latest single from The Barr Brothers, which features the My Morning Jacket frontman, as well as Arc Iris.

The song is a gorgeous hymn with incredible harmonies from James, with Andrew Barr explaining, “We’d been imagining Jim’s soaring voice on the song’s opening melody for a while. One afternoon around 4 p.m., we sent it to him before heading out to pick up our kids. By the time we got home that night, he’d sent back not only the opening melody but a fully harmonized performance from start to finish. It was one of those hair-standing-on-the-back-of-your-neck moments in the life of this record. I loved the song from the moment Brad first played it for me, but Jim’s voice brings a whole new energy to it.”

Brad Barr adds on, “One funny thing about this song—we imagined both Jim James and Jocie Adams singing on this one. I think I was actually doing my impression of Jim when I wrote the opening vocal melody. (Backstory: we befriended Jim when our band The Slip opened for My Morning Jacket in 2007, and opened for them again with The Barr Brothers around 2015. And we’ve loved Jocie’s singing and arranging since we toured with her old band The Low Anthem). One night we wrote to them both, separately, to ask if they’d be interested and available to sing on this song and they randomly happened to be eating dinner together at Jocie’s house in LA. Crazy serendipity! The two of them make this song so magical.”

You can find the song off their upcoming album (their first in eight years!) called Let It Hiss, which is out on October 17th, and also features collaborations with Elizabeth Powell (or Land Of Talk), Patrick Watson, and more!

• Kirk

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“Outcast” by Art d’Ecco (Eddie & Ernie Cover)

I’m still extremely obsessed with Art d’Ecco’s latest album Serene Demon - I got the vinyl at the album release show and I listen to it front to back all the time.
Needless to say, I sat straight up in my chair when the name popped up in my inbox this week.

While Art has been busy being Long Listed for the Polaris Prize and Songwriting Award, and prepping for the bands European dates, he found the time to cover the 1965 soul classic “Outcast” from Eddie & Ernie (click here to hear the original).

I was curious as to what made Art pick this track to cover and luckily it was right in the press release: “I read somewhere that it was a favourite of Lou Reed.  My version is closer to the Animals 1966 cover of the song found on ‘Animalism'.  I had just acquired a new resonator guitar and was looking for a way to incorporate it into a song. I’ve always loved how twangy and odd resonators sound when played like a traditional acoustic guitar. We recorded the song to tape with as much period appropriate gear as possible to keep things as raw and alive.”

I love a good cover that makes it sound like it’s an original, it’s that well done - and Art knocked this one out of the park!

• Christine

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“Circle Remains Unbroken” by The Deep Dark Woods

The Deep Dark Woods recently announced their new album, The Circle Remains, and last week they shared a new track, “Circle Remains Unbroken”

In true DDW fashion, it’s a haunting tune that frontman Ryan Boldt explains is “a spiritual song rooted in ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken?’ It’s a refusal to be influenced by the ridiculous fads that are being blasted into our fragile brains and the feeling that our nihilistic way of living is destroying us.”

You can listen to The Circle Remains when it drops on October 3rd, which will be followed shortly by a Canadian tour, with the band hitting the Fox Cabaret here in Vancouver on October 24th.

• Kirk

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“At The Same Time” by Absolute Losers

You’re going to want to crank this one loud. Charlottetown, P.E.I. trio Absolute Losers have released a late contender for the 2025 Summer Jam with their new single, “At The Same Time”

The high energy song is brimming with 90s-power-pop, and “draws from bassist/vocalist Sam Langille’s 'memories of summers spent at his grandparents’ cottage in Flat River, Prince Edward Island, where he and his brother, bandmate and guitarist Josh Langille, would dig for worms, fish for trout, and listen to their grandfather’s stories of growing up in a post-war boat-building town.” Sam elaborates: “A lot of people can relate to feeling some kind of magic when they’re with their grandparents. This place was definitely magical as a kid.”

Check out the song below, and pick up their new album, In The Crowd, on September 26!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: August 10 - 17, 2025

“Winchester Mansion of Sound” by Neko Case

I am so excited for the new album from Neko Case, and last week we got the latest tease of it, with the new single “Winchester Mansion of Sound”

The gorgeous piano-driven song is inspired by Case’s late friend & collaborator Dexter Romweber of the Flat Duo Jets, though it was originally written two years before his passing. Case wrote in her recent memoir The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You, the first time she heard Romweber’s group, “something unlocked in her that day, the way making music could become a physical manifestation of the blazing wild horse energy inside of her body.” Calling it “not a romantic love, but an all-consuming one”

The new album, Neon Grey Midnight Green, comes out September 26th, and Case is embarking on a lengthy tour after its release, including a stop here at The Vogue Theatre on November 13!

• Kirk

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“Ordinary Dreamers” by Jets Overhead

It’s been over a decade since we last heard from Victoria BC’s Jets Overhead, but last week they released a brand new song… sort of.

“Ordinary Dreamers” is an unreleased track, written around 2011 with their Boredom and Joy album, and is the first single from the band’s archive project that will see them releasing old songs, rarities, and demos from their “vaults” over the next couple years.

The song is (appropriately enough) a dreamy throwback, so have a listen below!

• Kirk

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“Keep On Breaking My Heart” by Yukon Blonde

We’re creeping closer the the release date for Yukon Blonde’s new album Friendship & Rock ‘N’ Roll - which is due out September 19th!

The latest single “Keep On Breaking My Heart” has a bittersweet story behind the making of it (as a photographer, this story broke my heart [get it?]):

“The song was the first track band member Jeffrey Innes (guitar, vocals, keys) wrote on his Rickenbacker 12-string, a guitar he’d dreamed of owning for years. “I was listening to a lot of bands like the Byrds and Tom Petty,” he explains, “so when a ’90s Rickenbacker 12 came up at my local pawnshop, I kinda had to have it.” The only hitch? He didn’t have the money. To make it happen, he sold his beloved Leica M3 film camera, a fixture in his life since Yukon Blonde's On Blonde album era. “It was kind of heartbreaking,” he admits. The camera had travelled the world with him, capturing “many beautiful people and bands in many beautiful places…
Once the guitar was in his hands, he was flooded with conflicting emotions: “I couldn’t decide if I had made a huge mistake, so my only course of action was to write some damn good music on it.”… Within 20 minutes of picking it up, he had the bones of "Keep On Breaking My Heart". “I’d like to imagine that the lyrical motif was partly inspired by the break-up of my camera, and 60 years of jangly, rock ’n’ roll heartbreak. It just came out this way, and I’m happy it did.”

If you want to hear these songs live, the band is performing at “Flats Fest” on September 6th, and then they’re taking the album on tour in September.

• Christine