Songs of the Week: June 10 - 16, 2024

June 17, 2024 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Evening Dream” by Mo Kenney

Last week Mo Kenney announced their fifth studio album, From Nowhere, and gave us a taste with the first single.

“Evening Dream” is a gorgeous, lush tune that Kenney says is about the nebulous feelings of flings, explaining “This song is about a romance that just wasn’t meant to be. Reminiscing about it and wishing them well. Reflecting on things that have happened and processing it all. The bittersweet process of losing a love, but knowing and accepting that it is for the best,”

From Nowhere is set to be released on September 6th, and you can catch Mo Kenney all over the country on tour, including the Filberg Festival on the island in Comox, where they’re playing with Joel Plaskett!

Kirk

“Oregon” by Sam Weber

This one almost slipped by me this week as I’m in Toronto for a visit, and am currently listening to a song about a whole other place!
“Oregon” is the new title from Vancouver Island’s Sam Weber, off the record Clear + Plain which is due out August 23rd.

Of the track Sam says: “Oregon’ was written on a trip to Ashland. We were renting a casita on this big property where all these hippies lived. It’s a bit of a sensory abstract poem that just sort of emerged.
I think the imagery is my own from the I-5 corridor, seeing the lush green flora, very pagan-beautiful, natural imagery of the state, contrasted with the scraps of humanity strewn around. And the progressive culture of Portland.”

I can’t wait for the rest of this album (and hopefully some show announcements)!

Christine

“Try Again” by Sunnsetter

Sunnsetter is the music project of the prolific multi-instrumentalist, composer, and mixing engineer, Andrew McLeod, and last week they dropped the latest single, “Try Again”.

The tune is a hazy, dreamy track about “the overload we can all be subject to. The various forces at work that can make anyone feel worthless. The feedback that’s always waiting around the corner, telling us that the path we’re on, and the dreams we hold, are alluding us and ultimately out of our reach.” Andrew ebaorates, “The only way to get anywhere is to try again. I have to tell myself this over and over.”

Check out the song below, and keep an ear out for more from Sunnsetter later this year!

Kirk

Songs of the Week: March 18 - 24, 2024

March 25, 2024 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“If Something Is Good” by Adaline

After releasing various singles over many months, Adaline’s new album Hymnal has finally been released into the world.

The latest track is called “If Something Is Good” and it premiered recently on CBC’s “Run The Burbs”.

The album is based around Adaline’s reconciling queerness and her religious upbringing, and the new track focuses on just that.

She says: “It encourages us to fight for our valued connections. That if a church, a God, a belief system is truly good, it won't cause you to lose the people you love. Love doesn't cause estrangement or force you to choose at the expense of another. Love doesn't cause pain, loss, and confusion.”

Christine

“Lasts Forever” by Scenic Route to Alaska

Last week, Scenic Route To Alaska shared the title track from their upcoming album, Lasts Forever.

Packed with their usual infectious indie-pop, “Lasts Forever” is destined to be blasting on many road-trip summer-jam playlists this year.

Keep an ear out for the album when it drops on April 12 (and for their collaboration with Colleen Brown, Major Love, with their upcoming album too)!

“Hey Hey” by Sam Weber

I needed a sweet little folk song this morning, and Vancouver Island’s Sam Weber delivered.

Of the track, “Hey Hey”, Sam says it: “feels like an articulation and realization of the concept that the truth always rises to the surface. I feel like my understanding of it and how it reflects in my own life continues to change as time goes on. It's like it's still growing on its own, and I with it.”

It’s a beautiful little tune with Paul Simon vibes, perfect for a Monday.

Christine

“Are You Receiving Me?” by Stephen Hamm: Theremin Man

Stephen Hamm has been a stalwart in the Vancouver music scene for over three decades — as a part of bands like Slow, Canned Hamm, and The Evaporators — and last week he released the second single from his upcoming album, Songs of the Future.

“Are You Receiving Me?” delves into themes of “losing connection, longing for reconnection, and the poignant pain of isolation”, and the video, directed by Ani Kyd-Wolf of Sugar Skull Films, mirrors those feelings with the vastness of space.

Have a watch below, and check out the new album Songs of the Future. when it’s out on May 6th.

Kirk

Songs of the Week: January 10 - 16, 2022

January 17, 2022 by Kirk Hamilton in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Truth Be Told” by Skye Wallace

As excited as I was for new music from Skye Wallace, I was equally excited to see it was her first release signed to Six Shooter Records, since that is an excellent artist/label pairing!

Her new single, “Truth Be Told”, is a slow-burner about change and trying to reconcile that within yourself. Or as Wallace puts it, it’s about “all the versions of yourself you try on, all the mistakes you make, all the imperfections of finding yourself, and how impatient and downright mean you can be towards yourself along the way. For me, the song has come to represent how I grew into myself after moving around a lot my whole life, not being “from” anywhere, not always feeling a sense of belonging, and the long, long journey it took to love who I am and to be softer with myself.”

Co-written by Charlie Kerr from Hotel Mira, hopefully the song is just a tease of more to come this year!

Kirk

“Get Out Of The Game” by Sam Weber

Sam Weber’s latest single “Get Out Of The Game” is about something that a lot of people probably faced during the pandemic: career doubt.

It deals with quitting your passion job, trying something new, but ultimately returning to your job with new eyes.
Sam’s next album Get Free comes out on February 5th and if all goes well, he’s heading state side to tour for February and March.

Christine

“Take Me Home” by Shred Kelly

Last week Shred Kelly released a very cute video for the unplugged version of their song “Take Me Home”.

It features lyrics on various pieces of luggage and signs on the front porch of Tim and Sage’s home and various band member drop-by’s.

Made me want to go hang out on their porch in Fernie. Give it a watch below!

Songs of the Week: November 29 - December 05, 2021

December 06, 2021 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Heaven” by Begonia

It’s been a minute since we’ve heard new music from Begonia, but last week she released a brand new single, “Heaven”. The gorgeous song features Alexa Dirks’ powerful voice driving the track that “finds beauty in the unknown.”

Dirks says: “When I was a kid I thought I knew a lot about everything. I was taught to believe that there was always a right or wrong and beyond that, that there was a heaven and hell waiting for us after we die and we just had to live our lives accordingly to end up in either place. I had a lot of fear of screwing up and a lot of fear of the unknown. As I've grown, all of those binary ways of thinking have more or less been shattered. I've come to understand that I'll always be searching and that there's a lot of beauty to that. I still think about what happens after we die but I feel more curious about it than I feel afraid or certain of it. I think this song speaks to that doubt and curiosity: thoughts I used to struggle with but now fully embrace”

Check out the video below, and keep an ear out for more new music next year!

Kirk

“FAT LIP” by BIG KILL (feat. Debby Friday)

The “destructive pop” duo BIG KILL promised a steady stream of new songs, and that’s exactly what they’ve been giving us.

“FAT LIP” is their latest, and while it’s not a cover of the Sum 41 classic, it does feature Vancouver’s Debby Friday on vocals for a frenetic and explosive tune.

They’ve already released a half dozen songs since their debut in September, and there’s no indication of them slowing down, so have a listen below and hang on tight.

Kirk

“Thunder” by Combine the Victorious

“Thunder” is the first song from Vancouver’s by Combine the Victorious, from their upcoming collection.
The track is an homage to nature and was filmed in Pacific Spirit Region Park in Vancouver, BC and Southern Quebec.
It also features Johanna Sö on violin! Give it a listen.

Christine

“Bubble” by D.W. Waterson ft Sydanie

This one got lost in our inbox for a bit, but it’s too fun not to include now that I’ve heard it. D.W. Waterson is the “non-binary/queer artist that melds punk rock drums with their signature pop electronic remixes and deep house anthems.”
And this track, “Bubble” from their new album Home Brew Vol 1, features Toronto hip-hop artist Sydanie.
Get your groove on below!

Christine

“Already Know” by Sam Weber

And to end on a mellow one, check out Sam Weber’s latest single “Already Know” from his upcoming album Get Free (due out Feb 4th).

Apparently the track started out as a waltz-style song, but Weber reworked it with co-producer Mallory Hauser and this is the result!
Also fun fact the last verse discuss the rumour that Paul Simon stole the idea for 'The Myth of Fingerprints' from Los Lobos.

Christine

Songs of the Week: September 20 - 26, 2021

September 27, 2021 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day

“Sweetheart” by Said The Whale

Just weeks ahead of the release of Dandelion, Said the Whale is giving us yet another tease of the new album with “Sweetheart”.

Singer Ben Worcester says the song is “an exploration of secrets. How (and why) we keep them, who we keep them from, and how they affect our relationships. This song doesn’t refer to a specific moment or circumstance in my life, but instead speaks to the idea in general - how revealing our innermost thoughts and fears can serve to weaken some bonds but other times can actually strengthen them - the beauty of sharing a secret with a lover, keeping something hidden from the world, a covenant of mutual trust.”

Have a listen below, and make sure to check out their tour dates, which include not one, not two, but three! consecutive Vancovuer shows, playing venues near & dear to the band’s hearts.

Kirk

“Spanish On The Beach” and “Jaywalker” by Andy Shauf

Whoops, i dropped the ball last week (well, I was working the election so I couldn’t post my songs!) and couldn’t express my excitement at the announcement of a new album from Andy Shauf!

Wilds was released this past Friday and is a collection of songs that he wrote when composing his last album The Neon Skyline. That was one of my favourite records of 2020, so I cannot wait to delve into this one.

The first two singles “Spanish On The Beach” and “Jaywalker’ are below for your rainy day listening pleasure.

Christine

“On The Beach” & “Oleander” by Jasper Sloan Yip

Speaking of beaches (oh, I wish), Jasper Sloan Yip released two new tracks from his upcoming double EP, Strange Calm / Blushing Autumn: “On The Beach” and “Oleander”

Both EPs revolve around the themes of life and death, and these two songs in particular are about gratitude. They’re lovely tunes and another set of ones I curled up with some tea to listen to this morning with the rain in the background.
The albums will be released on October 26th via Tiny Kingdom.

Christine

“Pourquoi faire aujourd'hui” by Lisa LeBlanc

Lisa LeBlanc has returned with a super catchy ode to procrastination, “Pourquoi faire aujourd'hui”, her first original song since the ‘016 album Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen?

A disco-tinged tune with an incredibly infectious synth line — and sparkling video to match — the new single teases a brand new album next year, and I can’t wait to hear more.

Despite the title, you should take a listen today!

Kirk

“Caroline” by Lowell

Apparently I’ve got all the slow jams this week.

Holy moley, I missed Lowell. This little nostalgic pop ballad, “Caroline”, is beautiful and showcases just how talented she is lyrically. It hits on her childhood memories of: “sleeping bags and landlines, grass stains and pool parties, sneaking into cabinets and finding your parents' booze”.

I was happy to see that this single is going to be on an upcoming album in 2022, so hopefully we’ll get more from her soon.

Christine

“Surrender” by Royal Canoe

Hot off the release of their album Sidelining, Royal Canoe is dropping a brand new video for the song “Surrender”, as well as announcing some tour dates!

Directed by Vince Tang, the video is what can only be described as a ‘dance heist’ video, with a few fun twists and turns.

The tour sees them crisscrossing the country in April of next year, including a date here in Vancouver on the 20th at the Fox Cabaret, and finishing with a pair of shows in their hometown of Winnipeg.

Kirk

“Maudlin Days (Robocop)” by Gold & Youth

Okay, so I’m just gonna go ahead and fully copy-past the story about this song, “Maudln Days (Robocop)”, from the Gold & Youth press release, because nothing I write could do it justice:

”A substantial part of the lyrics for 'Robocop' are a near verbatim transcript from when I was sucked into a conversation at a party last year with some finance bros who kept insisting they had found truth (“about, like, everything man") after doing ayahuasca together on a boys trip. The entire exchange was one of total earnestness on the part of the bros, oblivious to tact, cultural sensitivities or fashion sense (one of them was wearing a pink and gold Givenchy tracksuit into the Ayahuasca hut) and I engaged with thinly veiled contempt and entirely in bad faith in a deeply embarrassing battle of wits. It wasn’t until later, when rehashing the story with my girlfriend, a story in which I was so sure I was doing’s God’s work in raining down ridicule and condescension with a half smirk (and to be clear, this story absolutely deserved ridicule and condescension), that it became obvious that I had slipped into just as much of a caricature as they had: The Lululemon wall street jabronis vs the smug lefty band guy who claims to love humanity above all else but rolls his eyes at actual humans (even finance bros are humans after all right). Low stakes and who cares right? Not exactly profound. But, it was a great jumping off point for writing about a real sense of alienation I’ve felt in so many social situations in my life and constantly wondering how much of it has been self imposed. How often am I preemptively detaching myself from potential human connection to preserve some abstracted convictions about what my chosen friend group might say about me? Aren't these convictions about love, empathy and understanding just empty high minded rhetoric if I don’t try to actually love, understand and empathize with the actual humans in my life? 'Aren’t people all we’ve really got man?!'. Deeply solipsistic bullshit. The name of the song is equally self involved. Any time I go cold and detach my girlfriend calls me 'Robocop,' which she stole from my bandmate's nickname for me on tour. Aloof, ultra stoic, but incredibly capable of driving from Vancouver to San Diego in a single go."

See? What did I tell you?
Gold & Youth’s album Dream Baby is out November 5th.

Christine

“Something Sweet” by Graham Wright

Tomorrow Graham Wright’s album The Cost Of Doing Business comes out, and this single really is “Something Sweet”.

The track is full on 90’s goodness, to which Gram says he “really went for it”, and that “the more ‘90s affect I piled on, the more exciting it got”. I have to agree, it’s pretty damn perfect and super catchy.

Christine

“Here’s To The Future” by Sam Weber

This new tune by Sam Weber is probably the best way to end this week’s Songs Of The Week.

Beautiful, slow, and includes a mini saxophone solo (which I’m always a sucker for), “Here’s To The Future” is Sam’s first release since 2019. He calls it “a toast and a prayer to the better and brighter days ahead”, which I can get on board with.

Here’s to more music from him in the future!

Christine

Song(s) of the Day: October 27, 2019 - "Blackout" and "It's All Happening" by Sam Weber

October 27, 2019 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day

Sam Weber’s new album Everything Comes True, was just released a few days ago!

I’m still catching up (we’re going to have a few more double-song days of our SOTD column) so here are two of the tracks: “Blackout” and “It’s All Happening”.

Sam is going to be in Vancouver in just over a week, on November 5th at the Biltmore with Terra Lightfoot (whom he has previously collaborated on a song with, so I expect to hear that one live!).

Song of the Day: September 01, 2018 - "I'll Let You Know" by Sam Weber ft. Terra Lightfoot

September 01, 2018 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day

Hot on the heels of announcing a huuuuge North American tour, releasing a new single, and putting out his new EP yesterday (New Agile Freedom) Sam Weber has now given us a great duet with fellow Canadian, Terra Lightfoot!

You can stream the new album by clicking here, and conveniently enough, Terra Lightfoot is in town tonight, opening up for the Sheepdogs in Stanley Park!

Song of the Day: August 19, 2018 - "Ain't It Always" by Sam Weber

August 19, 2018 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day

In a sharp turn from yesterday's SOTD, please enjoy the gorgeous guitar and lyrics from Sam Weber that will make you want to stay in bed and think about love lost while eating your feelings all day.

"Ain't It Always" is the first single from the upcoming album New Agile Freedom. We won't have to wait long for it, as it comes out August 31st, and that's good because looking through the track list and description I want to hear the rest ASAP! (Terra Lightfoot duet?! Yes please!)

Listen to "Ain't It Always" below!