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: July 28 - August 03, 2025

“So High” by Begonia

I am so excited that we’re not only getting a new Begonia song, but also news of a brand new album!

“So High” is the first single off the Winnipeg singer’s third full-length album, Fantasy Life, and is a dreamy jam that highlights her incredible vocals. Alexa Dirks says the song “indulges in playfulness but also touches on a balance I’m always searching for; Self care vs. self neglect, running away from problems vs. chasing after a butterfly. When deadmen [Matt Peters and Matt Schellenberg] and I wrote it last summer, it all came out pretty quickly and I was like ‘AHHH I've always wanted to write a song that felt like this’. Driving into a long sunset, top down, hair hitting me in the face, possibly crying…”

Watch the video below, and grab Fantasy Life when it drops out October 24 on Birthday Cake Records.

• Kirk

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“Little Red Ranger” and “When the Truth Comes Out” by Kathleen Edwards

We’re less than a month away from the new album from Kathleen Edwards, and we got two more teases last week, with “Little Red Ranger” and “When the Truth Comes Out”.

“When the Truth Comes Out” is a classic Kathleen Edwards banger, and she says “I wrote this for a good friend who had a lot of people fall out of her life in a short period of time. Watching her go through it reminded me: people have short memories, they love the safety of keeping the most famous person in the room comfortable, a false narrative is more convenient than rocking the boat. The truth isn’t always popular, but in time it’s the thing that you can hold on to when other’s backs are turned.”

While “Little Red Ranger” is more contemplative, which is “Part love letter to the Canadian boy who moves to LA to pursue his dreams and his heart, part holding the hand of the mom and dad wondering if their kid will decide to set down roots somewhere far away. Bird in a tree if you look away, you miss the chance to see it fly away. Life unfolds before you in real time, looking back just to see you weren’t paying attention when it was happening. This song pulls at my heart more than most songs on the record, it’s my story, it’s every parent’s story, like the follow-up to Empty Threat. Matt Sucich sang on this song before we even recorded it, and his backing vocal just sits so right with mine.”

I remember hearing “Little Red Ranger” when Edwards played an intimate show at the Biltmore late last year, and loved it then, though I’m a little sad she didn’t go with the alternate title she proposed that night: “The Leafs Still Suck”

Check out both songs below, and you can get Billionaire when it’s out on August 22!

• Kirk

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“Lucky” by Haviah Mighty ft. Shantel May

Haviah Mighty is back with some more new music and this time she’s teamed up with a fellow Torontonian - R&B singer Shantel May.

“Lucky” is full of funky beats and remind me of an early 2000s track, especially when Shantel’s voice kicks in.

Of the song they’re singing about “mutual appreciation in a relationship where both partners know they’re fortunate to have each other, but question whether that gratitude is truly seen. While continuing to echo themes of self-love and inner worth, the song also leans into the longing for care and validation from others.”

Excited to see if we’ll get more music, but in the meantime Haviah is gearing up to host the 2025 Polaris Music Prize gala!

• Christine

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“Stonehenge” (feat. Elton John) by Spinal Tap

Recently, 80’s heavy metal legends Spinal Tap reunited for a one-off show, and thankfully, documentarian Marty Di Bergi was there to do a follow up to his groundbreaking documentary that put Spinal Tap on the map.

The new documentary called Spinal Tap II: The End Continues follows David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel, and Derek Smalls as they navigate their lives and get ready for the reunion show, which featured cameos from music legends like Elton John, who joined the band for their seminal hit “Stonehenge”.

Crank the video up to 11, and keep an eye out when the documentary — and companion album The End Continues — releases on September 12th.

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: June 03 - 09, 2024

“Big Feelings” by Arkells

Arkells just don’t have an ‘off’ mode. They just released their album of covers, Disco Loadout: Volume 1, and now ahead of their Big Feelings Tour later this year, they’ve dropped the eponymous song.

“Big Feelings” is a perfect title for the new tune, full of the band’s usual infectious energy, and singer Max Kerman explaining “In the studio, this track was a burst of energy and felt like it came together quickly. When you have something with propulsion, you just hang on and try to steer it the right way. Immediately, we understood it would be unruly, and that the spirit of the song was more about the collective unvarnished expression than any conventional ‘songwriting rules.’ The most satisfying songs are often the ones where we surprise ourselves.”

You can catch Arkells here in Vancouver on November 15 when they play Rogers Arena(!!) with K.Flay!

• Kirk

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“Stay Forever” by Begonia

After announcing her new album (Open Swim) and releasing the first single (“Get To You”) in April, Begonia has dropped a second single for us!

“Stay Forever” is a slow, melancholic song with Begonia’s beautiful vocals over a delicate piano, and is about being “free of self judgment and open to love”.

It’s a simple, yet gorgeous piece of work.

• Christine

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“Magic Wand” by Energy Slime

Energy Slime is back with a not only a brand new song, but a new album coming soon!

The duo of Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle announced their new LP Planet Perfect and gave us a hint of what’s to come with “Magic Wand”. The lead single may hit a little close to home for people — especially artistic types — in Vancouver, as it’s an upbeat, bouncy track about being priced out the city you live in.

Arner elaborates, “Specifically this is about trying to have fun in a place that is destined to become condos. In general it's about living in a city that is hostile to me and my friends. I've lived here my whole life but I feel like I'm being squeezed out.”

Check out the video below, directed and edited by Delisle, and mark August 9th on your calendars for the release of Planet Perfect, on We Are Time Records.

• Kirk

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“Ooh La La” by ADNAMA

It’s been a few months since we’ve heard from Vancouver’s Adnama, but last week she dropped her latest single, “Ooh La La”.

The simmering synth tune is “an 80's throwback to when soundtracks were great.”

Have a listen below!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: April 29 - May 05, 2024

“Get To You” by Begonia

Begonia has to be one of the hardest working people in Canadian music right now. It’s been a little over a year since her Polaris short-listed album Powder Blue, and she’s already set for her next release, The Open Swim EP.

The first single off the EP is “Get To You”, featuring Alexa Dirks’ powerful voice over a groovy R&B beat. Alexa says “this song is about trying to get through to someone you can't seem to get through to. When you feel like you're constantly showing someone who you are and they can't or don't want to see it.”

The Open Swim EP is out July 17 on Birthday Cake Records, and was co-written & produced by Begonia & Marcus Paquin, with contributions from her frequent collaborators and producer duo, deadmen!

• Kirk

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“Talking” by The Darcys

The Darcys just feel like summer to me, and I’m extremely excited that they’ve announced their next album! No official date yet, but if the new single “Talking” is any indicator, I know I’m going to enjoy Rendered Feelings.

The track was on a recent episode of Grey’s Anatomy (may this show never go away so more indie bands can get their music on it!), and the band joked that “watching the episode taught us how to remove a fence pole from another human’s body without using anesthetic.”

Listen to the sweet track that feels like a hazy summer afternoon below, and then go stream it a few hundred times for them!

• Christine

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“Harsh” by BOBBI

As we creep closer to the release of her EP, BOBBI has released the title track, “Harsh”

The new single is a haunting song, and BOBBI says “This is the first song I ever produced by myself. It’s the sum of all the lessons I learned while creating this body of work. I went through a lot personally while this project came together, and this song kind of felt like the punctuation to a very tumultuous time.”

Harsh is out May 24th, and you can stream the title track HERE, or check out a gorgeous live version below!

• Kirk

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“Nothing To Report” by Fold Paper

You’re going to want to crank it for the brand new song from Fold Paper.

“Nothing To Report” features ripping guitars and pounding drums, with raw vocals from singer Chell Osuntade, for an energetic post-punk tune that immediately hooked me.

“Nothing to Report” is the first single from the band after signing to Royal Mountain Records, and you can check out the video below!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: September 11 - 17, 2023

“Tough Kid” by Skye Wallace

Skye Wallace wants to know if you are a “Tough Kid”.

The new single is their first collaboration with the legendary Hawksley Workman co-producer, and the result is a gritty, slow-burn of a tune.

Skye says “Before this song came to its full fruition and was still a pile of words and ideas, I had an image of this kid in my head that I was pumping up. That kid represented anyone who needed to hear it, any kid who has been told they aren't allowed to be who they truly are, that they aren't good enough – I wanted this song to be a reminder to them that they've got a power in them that they might not believe in yet. It was only when we were designing the single artwork, which involved using an old photo of me at 10 years old, that I realized I had also been talking to my weird kid self. There's a power in looking back with pride and care for the kid you were.”

So if your inner child needs pumping up, check out the video below!

• Kirk

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“Marigold” by Begonia

Tomorrow the Polaris Prize will be handed out for 2023, and Begonia’s album Powder Blue is one of the 10 nominees!

Last week she released her Marigold EP, which features the song from Powder Blue, an extended cut and three remixes. (It’s one of my favourites from the album, so I was VERY excited for this.)
Of the track she says: "Marigold is basically a short story about my teenage life. A passing reflection that has confirmed for me that all the questions and uncertainties I had as a kid, have value.”
All the best of luck to her tomorrow!

• Christine

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“End Of It All” by iskwē

“End of It All” is a breakup song, but maybe not in the way you’re thinking. The latest single from iskwē is about the end of her relationship with her ex-wife, but the evolution of that relationship into best friends.

iskwē explains, “I met my love, my future wife, on a fall afternoon in front of a park halfway between our two homes. I was late. I am always late. She is never late. As I walked towards her, I started to skip like I was five years old with the biggest smile on my face. My stomach knew I would love her like nobody before and now, in hindsight, like nobody after. For me, marriage is a commitment to try harder than you would with anyone else because that person is so special. And that’s what we did! ‘We tried, and we tried, and we tried, but the end of it all came anyway.’”

“End of It All” is iskwē’s third new single since the spring, and fingers crossed for a new album announcement soon, but in the meantime you can see iskwē live this fall, including a show here in Vancouver at The Pearl on November 10th!

• Kirk

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“Promise Of Spring” by Great Lake Swimmers

I’m going to be listening to this one all winter - I’m still in denial that it’s getting cold again.

Great Lake Swimmers have just started out on their four-month-long tour, which will stop in Vancouver on October 19th, and have announced a deluxe version of their latest album Uncertain Country.

With it came another single from the album “Promise Of Spring”, which was recorded live off the floor back in December 2020!

• Christine

Songs of the Week: January 16 - 22. 2023

“Dumpster Gold” by Murray A. Lightburn

Followers of this here website will probably know that The Dears are one of my top favourite bands, so my ears perked up when I saw new music from singer Murray A. Lightburn.

“Dumpster Gold” is the lead single off his third solo album, and is a heartbreaking tale of reconnecting with the past. Murray explains: "About a year or so after my old man passed, my mom called and said, 'Murray, I’ve made a big decision: I’m selling the house'. She’d been there for 50 years. We were the only family that ever lived in it, one of many identical houses in a section of Brossard, Quebec. On our way out, we sifted through everything; most of it was going to the dump. There were many worthless treasures that were meaningful only to us. A couple of things now sit around my house. My father wasn’t an expressive man to me. I am left with these fragments to piece together a connection to him."

The new album, Once Upon A Time In Montreal, is out March 31, and as Lightburn jokes, is an audio version of a biopic, inspired by the passing of his father, a jazz musician from Belize who moved to Montreal via New York to reconnect with his teenage sweetheart.

• Kirk

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“I Don’t Feel It Like I Used To” by Louise Burns

Well, this song made my whole week, I love it that much.
“I Don't Feel it Like I Used To” is the latest track released by Louise Burns, off of her newly announced new album Element (set for release on April 21 via Light Organ Records).

Louise said she “felt torn between writing something more gothic country like my older catalogue, or trip hop and sample based like the music I was listening to. Naturally it turned into both…”
Between this release, the cover of “See You” she put out in the fall, and the list of contributors she has for the album, I cannot wait to hear more from Element!

• Christine

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“Evolution” by Braids

It’s been a minute since we’ve heard new music from Montreal’s Braids, so I was excited to hear the experimental pop band drop a new single “Evolution”, as well as announcing their next album.

The swirling song spotlights singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s vocals, with the singer explaining “Evolution in and of itself is a patient act. Our pursuit of the individual self, which comprises all realms of human emotion, is sweetened with the intention and act of patience from ourselves, from those that we love and those who love us.”

Euphoric Recall, set for release on April 28th through Secret City Records, and you can check out the trippy video for “Evolve” below!

• Kirk

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“Married By Elvis” by Begonia

Usually I want to write about the song itself, but for this new track from Begonia, “Married By Elvis” - from her upcoming album Powder Blue, I just HAD to talk about the video.

Of it she says: “I started becoming obsessed with picturing the music video I wanted to make for it. I’ve always been fascinated by tribute artists, and I wanted to just be in an Elvis Tribute Artist club for a day. I held on to the idea for two years and then finally decided to make it happen with beautiful freak director Ryan Steel. We hired some of the top tribute artists in Western Canada and Ryan totally captured the earnestly absurd joy I was after. I don’t really believe in marriage and I’m not even really an Elvis fan but I do believe love can make you do some strange things and that’s what this song is all about.”

It doesn’t disappoint, those Elvis’s are serving looks.
Can’t wait for the entire album to come out, and hopefully for a Vancouver show to be announced!

• Christine
  

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“Truths You Outrun” by Hillsburn

The Halifax indie-pop powerhouse Hillsburn is back with a brand new EP coming soon.

The latest tease is “Truths You Outrun”, a slow-burner with beep bass & shimmering sax, about “a lonely season spent ‘trying to mute my fear’ before realizing it wasn’t possible.”

Check out the song below and keep an ear out for Stories, the new EP out March 10.

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: December 05 - 11, 2022

“Cold Night” by Begonia

One of my most anticipated albums coming next year is the newest from Begonia, Powder Blue.

“Cold Night” is the second song we’ve heard from the album so far, a gorgeous song that Alexa Dirks describes as “the breakdown of a horrible life-changing relationship in three parts”, which builds to a hair-raising explosion of strings.

She elaborates: “Like...stages of grief I guess? Verse one is when you’re not ready to let go and just the thought of being ‘left behind’ makes you feel so desperate and detached, like you’re not even human anymore. Verse two is reflecting on the reality of the relationship itself and particular stories that come up only with time to reveal the truth. The last part of the song after the strings hit is all about accepting it for what it is and moving forward. Like sitting in your despair and sadness, but also knowing that it needed to be over and that you did the right thing by walking away. Deadmen [producers Matt Peters and Matt Shellenberg, of Royal Canoe fame] really knocked it out of the park with their string arrangements on my upcoming album, and this song in particular is one of my favourites so I'm so glad to be releasing it as a single.”

Check out the video below!

• Kirk

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“None of Us Are Free” by Kuba Oms

Vancouver’s Kuba Oms is back with a new cover of the Solomon Burke song “None Of Us Are Free”.
This release is a return to his R&B/Soul roots, and was recorded live off the floor, through vintage gear, and then straight to analog tape.
I hope this is a sign of more things to come from Oms, because I’m really feeling this vibe!

• Christine

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“All Comes Crashing” by Metric - CVCHE Remix

Gotta love a good remix, and this CVCHE version of “All Comes Crashing” by Metric nails it.
Of it and the decision to have it remixed, Emily Haines says:
“It was intensely gratifying to play 'All Comes Crashing' live on the Doomscroller tour and see how the audience responded. I know the lyrics are morbid on the surface, but when the band plays it, the energy in the room lifts and everyone who wasn't already dancing suddenly is, and it feels like we're all suspended there in the disappearing present moment. It's such a high and I wanted to try to capture it in a dance remix of the song. I did some digging and was lucky enough to get the famously reclusive CVCHE on board. They have this insane unreleased electronic album, I got a test pressing of it on vinyl and am now obsessed. I worked with Justin Broadbent on a visualizer 'remix' video too, and I'm just really happy we get to release this right now as a bouncy sendoff to 2022.”

• Christine

Songs of the Week: October 31 - November 06, 202

“Road to Hell” by The Matinée

It’s my birthday today and I’d like to think that The Matinee released new music just for me, but either way, I’m excited!
The band has been working on a new record that’s set to be released in 2023, and they posted a behind-the-scenes from the studio (click here) - side note, that 1-800 number at the end didn’t work.

”Road To Hell” will be on their new album, and below is a live version that Steve Bays filmed at his studio with the boys.

• Christine

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“Right Here” by Begonia

I was very excited when a new track from Begonia hit my inbox last week. The Polaris Prize- and JUNO-nominated singer has announced a brand new album with her lead single, "Right Here", which highlights her catchy indie-pop and incredible voice.

Alexa Dirks describes new tune as “a love song for all my friends. The Matts (Schellenberg and Peters), Marcus Paquin, and I started writing it in December 2019 about how I was on tour all the time–always feeling like I was missing my friends’ milestones, parties, birthdays etc. I love what I do, but the sacrifice is that you're not really someone who can like...BE THERE physically for a lot of important (and unimportant) things back home. We never fully finished the song that December, but then we picked it up again during pandemic lockdowns and it started to take on a whole new meaning. At that time, it felt like everyone was missing everything / everyone because we had to stay apart. Another way this song could be interpreted (that I didn't originally intend) is that I’m haunting all my best friends when they go out without me. Maybe that's creepy but also...tender? It's meant to be tender, haha.”

The new album, entitled Powder Blue, is out February 24!

• Kirk

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“See You” by Louise Burns

It's been a minute since we've heard from Vancouver's Louise Burns, but last week she released her first new single in a while, a haunting cover of Depeche Mode's "See You"

Burns says “Depeche Mode are iconic and beloved, so it felt like I was entering blasphemy-territory by choosing to cover them. I chose See You because despite being one of their earliest hits, it’s not as well-known as some of their later catalogue. It’s a perfect pop song, and exemplifies what Depeche Mode do best – incredible production and instrumentation that only enhances what was already a great song. We went with a more slowed down, elegant Bryan Ferry-esque treatment. I was (and always am) feeling that energy, and knew the song would hold up no matter what we did with it”

Hopefully the new single means more on the way soon!

• Kirk

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“Disarm” by Shred Kelly

Speaking of fun cover songs... Shred Kelly just released a gorgeous cover of "Disarm", originally by The Smashing Pumpkins!

During the pandemic, singer/banjoist Tim Newton learned the song and recorded an acoustic version in his bedroom, which was shared by Billy Corgan himself. Since then, the alt-folk band has added the song to their live set, and now it’s out for everyone to hear.

The band is just about to launch a European tour, but fingers crossed they'll be playing "Disarm" live in Vancouver soon after that!

• Kirk

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“Girls Night Out” by Said the Whale

I’m just going to copy what Said the Whale’s Tyler Bancroft said on their instagram post about this song, because I don’t think there’s anything I can add:

Hey STW fam, Tyler here. I lost my mom yesterday so as you might imagine I’m having a hard time pivoting right back into “promote a song” mode (especially a song as silly as this one) but here’s something worth sharing: when I turned 30 I asked both of my parents to write a story for me about their lives. My mom delivered a succinct, 12-page summary of her entire life from the day she was born up until March 3, 1985 (the day I was born). If you’d known her you might find that amusing because she really was a master of concise and clear communication. Anyways, in that story was the following excerpt, which I think is somewhat relevant to the song we released today: “I preferred to hang out with gay guys, a safe bet and a new experience for me. At the time there was a social stigma attached to the term ‘divorcée’ - that was one of the seeds of the women's movement. In those days it was assumed that a divorcée was ‘easy pickins’ for guys on the prowl. I was very careful to never allow a guy to buy me a drink or accept any gifts from anyone in case the meaning of the gesture gave the wrong impression.”
So maybe this song is actually the perfect send-off for my mom, who is currently on her own celestial (and eternal) girls night out🍸.
I love you mom.