Songs of the Week: November 27 - December 03, 2023

December 04, 2023 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Fixing The Again” by Kevin Drew

I’ve really enjoyed Kevin Drew’s latest album Aging, as it’s given me lots of early BSS nostalgia.

The latest video for the single “Fixing The Again”, is made up of “footage partially shot and directed by Drew, the video intercuts flashing vignettes of everyday life with brief scenes made up of a variety of characters. The video is bittersweet and reflective, capturing the true essence of the human experience.”

Drew also announced a run of solo, intimate shows in January, and while there’s no Vancouver date yet, we can cross our fingers we’ll get added to the run.

Christine

“Hollowed Out” by Ducks Ltd.

Toronto duo Ducks Ltd. have just announced their latest album, Harm’s Way, and given us a taste of what’s to come with a jangly new single, “Hollowed Out”.

Singer Tom McGreevy says: “There was a sinkhole that opened up on Dundas West a little while ago, in an area near to where I live. It shut down the road for a month. It had a strange resonance, partly because a lot of the streets in Toronto used to be rivers and streams running down to the lake that roads were then built over. It felt like an encroachment of nature into an urban environment–the river coming back to collapse a piece of civic infrastructure, and I built the song around the feeling that evoked.”

Harm's Way drops early next year, on February 9th via Royal Mountain Records!

Kirk

“Make You Understand” by Chin Injeti ft. daysormay

This song slipped under my radar for a bit, but I’m glad I spotted it in my inbox!

What started as a chorus on TikTok by Chin Injeti, was then sampled by daysormay, and then finally turned into a new song from the artists.

I love when a collaboration is something organic and natural, and that’s exactly what this tune, “Make You Understand”, ended up being!

Christine

Songs of the Week: May 01 - 07, 2023

May 08, 2023 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Blame Brett” by The Beaches

My first thought before even listening to the brand new song from The Beaches was, “jeez, I’d hate to be Brett”.

That’s because “Blame Brett” is the lead single for their upcoming album Blame My Ex, though Jordan Miller clarifies: “Blame Brett is a song with a little bit of a misleading title. It’s not really about my relationship. It’s about feeling vulnerable and afraid to open your heart to someone new. I'm basically talking to my future partners, explaining that I can only offer something casual while my heart heals—a song for all the hot messes out there.”

The new song is incredibly infectious and chaotic, as you would expect from the group, and you can grab the album when it comes out September 15. You can also catch The Beaches in a city near you when they hit the road this fall, including a show here in Vancouver at the Orpheum(!) on November 12.

Kirk

“Expensive” by Chin Injeti ft. Jarrel The Young

An 80’s inspired tune for a Monday morning? Yes please!

Chin Injeti teased in January that he would be releasing new music this year, and after “All For Nothing” a few months ago, we have another one.

“Expensive”, which features producer and songwriter Jarrel The Young, takes inspiration from Grace Jones’ hit “Crush” and is about “celebrating the decadence of love and all it comes with”.
It’s an infectious tune that has me excited to hear more soon!

Christine

“Cruel” by FRANKIIE

As we creep closer to the release of FRANKIIE’s new album Between Dreams, the Vancouver group is giving us another taste with the latest song, “Cruel”.

The third single off the upcoming album, “Cruel” is a dream-pop vibe that showcases the group’s ethereal vocals. About the song, the band saying “In an age of celebrated self-absorption, we were inspired to write this song about a fictitious character that we sing back and forth with. It is essentially an amalgamation of all the narcissists we’ve ever met and in turn we want nothing to do with.”

Check out the live performance video below, mark June 2nd for the release of Between Dreams. And if you’re here in Vancouver, check out their double album release party alongside Winona Forever at Green Auto on June 9th (please go in my place, as I’m out of town that weekend!)

Kirk

“The North Shore” by Gord Downie & Bob Rock

The long awaited album between the late, great Gord Downie, and Bob Rock, Lustre Parfait, is finally out, and with it’s release, another single titled “The North Shore”.

It’s a gorgeous ballad, and does a great job balancing the rest of the album, and while I immediately thought it was about the North Shore of Vancouver, Bob explains more throughly:
"I had the music to 'The North Shore' around for a very long time. I think when Gord came to Maui when we did The Tragically Hip records, he stayed on the north shore of Maui, so we were joking that there was a north shore of Vancouver, it seemed there was a north shore of every culture and every country. But in the end what Gord wrote, it's not about any north shore at all, but just this beautiful story of a couple with his incredible imagery as the backdrop.”

Definitely one of my favourite records this year so far - it’s always nice to hear new music from an artist that’s left us. Amazing work Gord.

Christine

Songs of the Week: August 23 - 29, 2021

August 30, 2021 by Kirk Hamilton in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“The Worse The Better” by Gold & Youth

Your “feel bad hit of the summer” is here with a brand new single from Gold & Youth. The Vancouver group is gearing up for the release of their sophmore album (newly signed to Paper Bag Records!) and are teasing us with the first single, “The Worse The Better”. The new tune is a dreamy alt-pop jam that the band describes as “a fun little bop about water-sliding into the abyss” and I can’t think of any better way to put it.

Mark November 5th on your calendar for the release of Dream Baby, or catch them opening for Yukon Blonde in Victoria and Vancouver on Oct 22 and 23, respectively.

Kirk

“A Mushroom Cloud” by Lydia Hol

Okay, I wasn’t meaning to start this week so bleak, but Lydia Hol’s gorgeous cover of the haunting (and maybe a little too timely) “A Mushroom Cloud” can’t be missed.

Originally written in the 50’s by Boudleaux Bryant, the song is about the North American anxiety and fear of nuclear warfare. Hol updates it with a renewed sense of urgency that’s less about fallout and more about, well… *broadly gestures around*

Watch the video below and catch the song on her upcoming album Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream is out September 17th on Amelia Recordings

Christine, can you pick it up a little for your song(s) of the week?

Kirk

“Dog Chained To Dog” by Amazing Grave

I got you Kirk…
For a completely different sound and direction with the songs this week, I present: “Dog Chained To Dog” a result of the collaboration between Kevvy Maher of Fake Shark, and Eric Breitenbach, drummer from Limblifter.

Amazing Grave is a heavy-metal band in the sense that they say they want to be “heavy in groove, beats, screams and sarcasm”. No word on more tracks or an album yet, but I’m sure more things are in the works.

Christine

“Bridget” by Graham Wright

On to upbeat and dance-able!

Last week we got new solo music from Dave Monks of Tokyo Police Club, and this week it’s Graham’s turn!

We only had to wait a mere ten years for Graham Wright to follow his solo album Shirts vs Skins up, but if the first track from The Cost of Doing Business is any indication, it’s well worth the wait.
”Bridget” follows the time-honoured tradition of two friends making the “if we’re both not married by the time we turn 40….” pact, and how their paths diverged.

I cannot wait to hear the rest of the album, and hope the next track released is “My Time Machine Worked!”, because 1) that title!, and 2) the press release says there is a sax solo, and that’s up my alley.

Christine

“Sparrow” by Chin Injeti

Bringing it back to to mellow and groovy, here’s Chin Injeti’s new single “Sparrow”!

The song came about while Chin was stuck at home, yearning to go out into the world - it’s about freedom and giving yourself permission to feel. After everything we’ve all been through, and to borrow a phrase from Kirk above, “*broadly gestures around*”, I think we can all relate to that desire.

Christine