Songs of the Week: December 01 - 07, 2025

“Blossom Tree” by Milk & Bone

Canadian duo Milk & Bone have released their new, Chromeo-produced album A Little Lucky!

I’ve been following the singles as they’ve been released, waiting for the whole album with bated breath, and I’m excited it’s finally here. After connecting with Chromeo following a JUNO win in 2019, and then dealing with the pandemic of it all, it’s finally here for us to listen to.

While I dive into the new album, check out the latest single and music video “Blossom Tree” - of which the duo says: “The video feels nostalgic to us. Escaping the city, leaving everything behind for a second, just to end up in the middle of nowhere. Taking a beat from everyday life, from hardships, from pain. And existing in our own little world for a moment. To recenter ourselves and one another, and to start anew. Stronger. Together.”

• Christine

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“Andy Warhol” by Plain Mister Smith

You may know Plain Mister Smith as the former guitarist of Moev, or maybe even as a cellist with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, but he recently dropped the single “Andy Warhol” which features backing vocals from both Leeroy Stagger and Krystle Dos Santos!

Plain Mister Smith shared: “I met Andy Warhol many years ago at the New Music Seminar in New York. He was pretty chill and serene or seemed that way. He was quoted to have said “So What this, So What that”? which is about the most Zen thing you could ever say. ‘Andy Warhol’ the song, is about trying to be super Soto Zen, trying to be cool and so nothing phases you but really, you’re just a chaotic mess of a human, no matter what you do…….”

You can hear the song below, or grab the album now (which also features Jordan Klassen and Jocelyn Price on other songs!)

• Kirk

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“Lover’s Spit” (Broken Social Scene cover) by Kylie V

I love a good cover, and all of my favourites involve the artist putting their own spin on the song while keeping the spirit. And that’s what Kylie V did this week with the Broken Social Scene classic “Lover’s Spit”.

The cover was released along with an acoustic version of their song “Year of the Rabbit” and you can have a listen below!

• 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: October 7 - 13, 2024

“Year Of The Rabbit” by Kylie V

It’s officially the “Year of the Rabbit”. At least according to the latest single from Kylie V.

The new song is off their upcoming album, Crash Test Plane, and spotlights their soft, heartfelt vocals. Kylie says the new track is “a song I wrote while healing from a breakup and reflecting on my (incredible) friends/support system and my feelings after the fact. I was inspired a lot by Andy Shauf and Sufjan Stevens in the writing and production of this one and it means a lot to me. The track is produced by my great friend Josh Eastman and features us two on most of the instruments, with Jess Jones on drums, Gregory Dent on trumpet, and a handful of friends singing on the outro.”

You can grab Crash Test Plane on November 15th, the same day you can see Kylie V’s album release show here in Vancouver at the Hollywood Theatre, alongside David Vertesi and Club Sofa!

• Kirk

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“girl of my dreams” by Ten Kills The Pack

What a sweet little love song for a chilly October morning!

The new track “girl of my dreams” by Ten Kills The Pack (aka Sean Sroka) is his first new independent song since parting ways in early 2024 with his record label.

Of how it came to be Sroka says: “I sent what is now the chorus of this song as a little self deleting voice message jingle to my partner who was touring overseas at the time; trying to help count down the days we had away. From there it just kept turning in my head, so I turned off the tv and wrote it that night".

I literally said “aww” out loud when reading that. Hopefully we get more from him soon!

• Christine

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“Next Life” by FEATURETTE

Toronto trio FEATURETTE released their newest single last week, along with news of a brand new album.

“Next Life” (co-written with Mother Mother’s Ryan Guldemond) is a catchy, synth-driven electro-pop tune, that comes with a fun video that blends live action and animation. Singer Lexie Jay explains, “One of our greatest undertakings yet as FEATURETTE, we’re leaning into our namesake by crafting ‘featurettes’ as a regular part of our single releases. For this particular short, I was really inspired by an episode of Animaniacs I saw as a kid. It was about a beautiful piece of gold wrapping paper and its journey to becoming trash after being discarded once the gift it was meant to wrap had been opened. I wanted to take the same concept and apply it to a coffee cup (enter: Regular Joe), and see what that character might do with their life given a second chance—a Next Life. What adventures they might go on, and who might affect their story along the way.”

The new album is called Panic Pills, and you can grab it early next year, on January 31st. Until then, check out the video below!

• Kirk

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“Synthacon” by Rich Aucoin

I’m still riding high from the show Rich Aucoin put on the other week, and was very stoked on the synth set he held that opened the night off.

We are inching closer to the release of his Synthetic: Season 3 on October 30th, and we got another new single from it titled “Synthacon”.
He recorded it at the Vintage Synthesizer Museum on a synth called, you guessed it, a Synthacon.

Listen below and have yourself a Monday dance party!

• Christine

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: November 21 - 26, 2022

“The Raven And The Red-Tailed Hawk” and “Is There Nowhere”
by Gord Downie & Bob Rock

Getting this new music from Gord Downie has been both amazing and saddening as I know I’ll never get to see it performed.
And not just because we lost Gord, but there are so many elements in the songs, like Ché Aimee Dorval’s vocals on “Is There Nowhere”, Bob Rock’s soaring guitar solos, and Pat Steward ripping up the drums on “The Raven And The Red-Tailed Hawk” that I’d have loved to see live.

Maybe when the album Lustre Parfait is released by Arts & Crafts in May of next year they’ll have come up with an awesome way to celebrate it.

• Christine

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“Loveless” by Ché Aimee Dorval

Speaking of Vancouver artist Ché Aimee Dorval (see above!), she released a new song this week as well.
”Loveless” is the 3rd single from her upcoming album The Crowned (out January 19, 2023) and is about “loving without the expectation of having it returned”.

Pre-pandemic she was working with Bob Rock, who produced half the album, while she self-produced the rest post-lockdown - and I’m excited to hear more.

• Christine

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“Catherine” by Kylie V

Last week, Kylie V released their latest single, “Catherine”, a dreamy pop tune that builds to an intense finish, driven by their vulnerable vocals.

The song is the first (non-holiday) single that Kylie V has released since last year’s album Big Blue, and hopefully it’s indicative of more to come!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: Holiday Songs 2021

“November” by Kylie V

If you’ve been around here during the holidays before, you may know that I’m not always a big fan of Christmas music… which is why all of my favourites are songs that are not immediately or obviously about the holidays.

And to that end, the new single from Kylie V, “November” seems more of a “seasonal” song. I might not have even thought to include it here if it wasn’t written specifically for the latest installment in the annual Oh! Canada's "Ho! Ho! Ho! Canada" series, curated by Ro Cemm over at The Line Of Best Fit.

Much like their debut album earlier this year, Big Blue (which, spoiler alert, is definitely going to appear on my best of the year list), “November” is a gorgeous song, with Kylie’s heartbreaking vocals driving the slow and melodic opening to a grand finish.

• Kirk

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“Indie Rock Christmas” by Hawksley Workman

Funny enough, Kirk and I presenting you Christmas songs by Canadian indie artists and Hawksley Workman released a song with that very title.

It is VERY “We Didn’t Start The Fire” by Billy Joel, but listing all the things indie rock lovers want for Christmas, and I’m here for it.
(PS Santa, I’d like some Hawksley Workman vinyl, please!)

• Christine

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“Home Alone” by Kandle (feat. Debra-Jean Creelman)

Inspired less by the Chris Columbus classic and more by the likes of Sinatra and Elvis, “Home Alone” sees Kandle teaming with Debra-Jean Creelman for a nostalgic look at Christmases passed.

Kandle & Creelman say: "Inspired by a true story of Kandle’s parents brilliantly tricking her into believing in Santa just a little too long, here is Home Alone! Once again recorded in Kandle’s bedroom and written in about 30 minutes with an acoustic guitar and piano. Like most (semi) grown-ups, we’ve left behind the traditions and trappings of Christmas, that as children we took as an absolute. But the music that was playing during what was most often a harmonious and magical time in our young lives has passed the test of time. “Christmas Mourn”, and “Home Alone”, are love letters to an era of music that has influenced and provided comfort for both of us for our whole lives. Hopefully our songs can soothe a few other weary souls this year."

• Kirk

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“In The Bleak Midwinter” by Catherine MacLellan

Funny enough, when this post goes live, I should be somewhere over the middle of Canada, on my way to Ontario to hopefully have a white Christmas,

This cover of “In The Bleak Midwinter” by Catherine MacLellan, off of her holiday EP aptly named Holiday, is the perfect song to listen to while you sit by the fireside with a warm beverage in your hand.

Check out her original song “Calling You Home (for the Holidays)” as well (it’s got major “Blackbird” vibes).

• Christine

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“Christmas Eve Day” by Matt Mays

“Christmas Eve Day” is a song that Matt Mays wrote a few years back, “out on the cold road. I felt like now would be a good time to release it because so many people have been forced to be apart. Separating love is a fool's errand but somehow, under these strange and extenuating circumstances it feels tougher. Anyway ...Happy Holidays everyone. May we all be together...at least in song!”

The single features some good friends of matt, including Damhnait Doyle, Loel Campbell (of Wintersleep), Matthew Angus (from Fast Romantics), Adam Baldwin, and also some of his friend’s kids!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: Jan 25 - 31, 2021

“Jellybean” by Justin Rutledge

If you’ve seen Justin Rutledge perform live over the past decade or so, you may remember this crowd favourite. Well, after so many years, Canada’s greatest sing-a-long (sorry “Robots”) has finally made its way on to one of Justin’s albums. And to capture the same vibes as the live performances, he’s enlisted the help of Dan Mangan, Matthew Barber, and Annelise Noronha, among others.
Check out “Jellybean” as the first single to his album Islands, due out March 26, and just try not to sing along. - Kirk

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“Samurai Sword” by Chad VanGaalen

Not only are we getting a new Chad VanGaalen album. Not only did we get a new Chad VanGaalen animated video. But we’re also getting a Chad VanGaalen scavenger hunt!
The video for the new song “Samurai Sword” contains Easter eggs scattered throughout, and every week VanGaalen will share a list of some of these hidden objects with a challenge to fans to find them. Check out his website for more details, and watch the video with a eagle-eye below.
Oh, and the new album? It has the best name ever: World's Most Stressed Out Gardener is out March 19 - Kirk

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“510” by Kylie V

Vancouver up-and-comer Kylie V recently released the latest peek of their upcoming album, Big Blue, with the second single “510”. Featuring Kylie’s tender vocals backed by gorgeous strings, the melancholic song swells to an emotional conclusion, that just leaves me looking forward to February 28th. - Kirk