Songs of the Week: February 09 - 15, 2026

February 17, 2026 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“I Don’t” by Brandi Caroline

You may know Brandi Caroline from the acclaimed country band Nice Horse (or, maybe even the indie-pop band Sidney York?) but now she’s released her debut single, “I Don’t”.

The catchy anthem features a litany of things Brandi doesn’t need when it comes to dating & relationships, though one can only hope she didn’t have first hand experience with all that toxic behaviour!

Have a listen for yourself below!

Kirk

“Pure Sticker Shock” by The New Pornographers

The New Pornographers have given us another tease of their upcoming album with the lates single off The Former Site Of, called “Pure Sticker Shock”

The new track is a synth-pop jam that looks at self-worth, with singer A.C. Newman sharing, “This song is not about a specific event, but it has felt very 'applicable' to me and this year of my life. It basically asks the question 'What has worth? Who is deciding?' Your market value is not always your value.”

The Former Site Of is the band’s tenth(!) studio album, and promises “ten short stories of people at personal and societal extremes are collected as meticulously crafted pop songs”. Pick it up when it’s out on March 27th!

Kirk

“Generation” (Fucked Up Cover) by Gord Downie, The Sadies, And The Conquering Sun

When Gord Downie & The Sadies teamed up fin 2014 for an album and a tour, I was lucky enough to see theme three times in three days including at The Media Club. Obviously since then we’ve lost both Gord, and Dallas Good, but I was overjoyed to hear the release of a live album from the tour.

Live At 6 O’Clock was recorded at four different music festival sets (based on the album art, I think there are some from the Pemberton set!) and features covers of Roky Erickson, The Who, Neil Young, The Gun Club,The Stooges and in this week’s release, Toronto’s Fucked Up.
I’m so glad there is also video for the track (see below) as I loved those shows, and any reminder about how good a front man Gord Downie was, is a good one.
Looking forward to the release on February 27 via Arts & Crafts.

Christine

“Too Old (For This Shit)” by Ellie Heath

Last week, Edmonton singer-songwriter Ellie Heath dropped the charmingly infectious new single, “Too Old (For This Shit)”

Co-written & produced with Hawksley Workman and Tristan Konkle (Tapes In Motion), the song is about exactly as the title says, with Heath explaining, “At its core, the song is about aging with humour. Feeling like a kid wearing adult clothes, navigating expectations, responsibilities, and the slow realization that nobody ever really tells you when you’ve ‘arrived.’” Though she adds it’s not about morning youth, adding “Aging isn’t a death sentence. It deepens the fun moments and makes them richer. It’s more of a choice as you get older to keep your childlike wonder and enthusiasm for things.”

Take a look at the video below, but beware: you will be whistling it for the rest of the day.

Kirk

“Cinders” by Larkk

We’ve been slowly releasing tracks from Danielle Taggart of Dear Rouge’s new side project Larkk and now the album is officially out.

The title track for Cinders is out now as well, and while many of the other songs on the album are instrumental, this one is sweeping and cinematic with gorgeous (Feist-esque) vocals.
Now that I know it’s the lead track on the album I’m excited to do a front-to-back listen, as it’s a hell of a way to start!

Danielle has some tour dates released including a show this Sunday opening for Boy & Bear at the Commodore Ballroom.

Christine

Photo Credit: Broken Social Scene, Kevin Drew (Visual) + Jordan Allen (Layout)

Songs of the Week: February 02 - 08, 2026

February 09, 2026 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Not Around Anymore” by Broken Social Scene

Broken Social Scene is back!! After weeks of teasing, the iconic Canadian group has released a brand new single, and announced their next album!

“Not Around Anymore” is a dense song with a chill vibe that pushes back against the nostalgia hinted in the lyrics, “by invoking a past that has vanished, the song unexpectedly floods the present with a glow that rivals the very greatness being lamented.”

The new album Remember the Humans seed the band reuniting with producer David Newfeld — who they last worked with on their 2005 self-titled album — and features contributions from Hannah Georgas, Lisa Lobsinger, and Feist! It’s out May 8th, and this summer they’ll be embarking on a dream tour with friends Metric & Stars. Only one Canadian date has been announced (Toronto, of course) but there is a nice month-long gap between Oregon and Michigan…

Kirk

“Victim Of Luck” by Metric

And speaking of Metric…! They’ve also announced their next album, and dropped a new single with “Victim of Luck”

The new track feels like classic Metric, as its lyrics look back on the early days of the band, with Emily Haines explaining, “The song ‘Victim Of Luck’ and really the entire album is about the romance of a less than perfect life. It’s about dropping the mask of self-consciousness and vanity. It was a long journey for me to get out of my own way and I wanted this song to be a rallying cry for that, better late than never. You can be as much a victim of good luck as bad. So when we started out yes we were broke and we were playing to ten people and there was nothing for us to fall back on but we refused to give up, and it’s not as though we’re all superstar billionaires now, but that was never what we were after. It turns out the grind is the thing you wouldn’t trade and the bonds you made can’t be faked. What we wanted is what we have and we’re not victims of anything. We dedicated our lives to each other and it’s the best feeling in the world”

Romanticize The Dive is arriving April 24, and you can check out the video for “Victim of Luck” below, which follows the song’s theme with photos and clips from the band going back years!

Kirk

“Next Summer” by Arkells

New Arkells alert!
Last week the band announced their new album Between Us which is set for release on April 17 and well as dropping it’s first single after some fan previews on social media.

Of the first, and very catchy, track “Next Summer” frontman Max Kerman says: “When someone new enters your life, do you ever wonder, ‘what did last summer look like for this person? And for me? And what will next summer look like? This song is a nod to the beauty and the mystery of what might lay ahead, and an appreciation of how we got to today. There’s a longing in the song, but it’s hopeful.”

The album will feature the likes of Portugal. The Man, as well as Poolside, and hopefully after their European tour, and JUNO Awards performance, we’ll hear about what THIS summer has in store.

Christine

“Internet, Sex and Drugs” by Gay Nineties

It’s been a long time since we last heard from Gay Nineties, but when they reunited last year opening for Dear Rouge, the Vancouver band teased a new single which I’ve been eagerly anticipating the release of ever since.

That new song is “Internet, Sex & Drugs” and is as hook-filled and as sharp as ever, with the band hardly missing a step.

Have a listen below, and catch the band as they open for July Talk on the western leg of the upcoming tour!

Kirk

“You Will Always Get Away With It” by Nixon Boyd

After the release of new music and reformation announcements from Hollerado I didn’t expect to get some new solo project work, but that’s exactly what came out this past week.

Nixon Boyd has released a sweet tune “You Will Always Get Away With It” that has major Andy Shauf meets Coconut Records vibes.

Describing the track Nixon says: “I was thinking about some of the longest-lasting relationships in my life when I was writing this song, and realized that in all of them, there’s this understanding and acceptance of the little shortcomings we all sometimes have in our effort to be good friends. Sometimes we’re late for things, sometimes we don’t listen as attentively as we could, sometimes we borrow things that we promise to give back but never get around to it - the list goes on.
But I think that in good friendships we forgive these things, and if we do, we can wind up bugging each other in the exact same silly ways for decades, rolling our eyes at each other but loving each other anyway, which I think is both hilarious and comforting. I know the minor tonality of this song could make it seem darker than it is, maybe as a one-sided relationship where one person does all the work, but at its core it’s this little back-handed love song about how friendship is a journey in which we forgive just about anything as we go through life together.”

The press release says: “lots more to come from him this year!”, so we have that to look forward to!

Christine

“Die For Love” by MALINOWSKI

We’ve got more music from Jay Malinowski (best known as one half of Bedouin Soundclash) this week, en route to the release of his first solo album in a decade.

“Die For Love” is the latest single from his solo moniker MALINOWSKI from Under A Landslide of Stars, which is out April 3.

The track is full of catchy lyrics and guitar and it “explores the clash between love and death, and the warped mindset of someone who believes they belong together”.

Jay has tour dates set for the spring including a night at St James Hall here in Vancouver on April 24th, which sounds like an intimate night, not to be missed!

Christine

“Living With It” ft. Feist by Charlotte Cornfield

It’s a little over a month before Charlotte Cornfield releases her next album, Hurts Like Hell, but we’re getting a tease with the second single “Living With It”, featuring the one and only Feist!

On how the pair came together, Cornfield elaborates “I had secretly dreamed of having her sing on the record and mentioned it to [producer] Phil Weinrobe, who she is also friends with. When Phil reached out and she said yes, I sent her a couple of songs, hoping she would gravitate towards this one. She did, and she added her Feist magic to it, which is undeniable.”

Their voices blend together beautifully on the vulnerable track which features Cornfield “diving into the wreck of emotions beneath the surface of a painful memory”. The song comes with a new video, by Ali Vanderkruyk and Sara Melvin, and Hurts Like Hell will be out on March 27.

Kirk

“Eastside” by Good Kid

Toronto’s Good Kid have exploded recently, and as they get ready to drop their debut album, they’ve released their newest single, “Eastside”.

The punchy, fast paced anthem “traces the moment when a former friend becomes an adversary” and comes with a video that was animated by a contest-winning fan of the band!

Watch the video below, and pick up Can We Hang Out Sometime? when it’s out on April 3.

Kirk

Songs of the Week: January 26 - February 01, 2026

February 02, 2026 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Not Sorry” by Softcult

Ontario sibling duo Softcult officially released their debut full-length album When A Flower Doesn’t Grow, last week.

I’ve listened to some of the tracks that have been released so far, and with the addition of “Not Sorry” I’m excited to dive into the full album.
Of which the press release tells us that it was “written during a period of personal upheaval and self-discovery, the record traces a path through trauma, disillusionment, empowerment, and eventual liberation. The title itself comes from a quote that struck Mercedes at a pivotal moment: “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” That perspective threads through the album’s ten tracks, which explore cycles of oppression, abuse, and conformity, while championing the courage it takes to break free.

They will be playing a few headlining shows coming up, before hitting the road in support of LIGHTS. Right now there’s no Vancouver date announced, but there’s a nice little gap in gigs between Calgary and Seattle that hopefully we’ll see filled!

Christine

“The Hunt in Edson” by The Rural Alberta Advantage

As they’re about to embark on a quick jaunt through around The States, The Rural Alberta Advantage have dropped a brand new single!

“The Hunt in Edson” is a slow-burn that was inspired by two separate events that happened to singer Nils Edenloff recently, as he elaborates:
“I’m always surprised how the small events in life worm their way into our songs, or even multiple moments that seem unrelated at the time. Several years ago on a beautiful summer morning, my wife woke me up with a jolt when she realized that our cat Edson had brought a mouse into our bed. As surprised as I was, the mouse in Edson’s jaw was even more surprised when it was dropped and hit the bed, having been granted a new lease on life. From there, the mouse scurried up my leg trying to make a break for freedom and ended up behind the bed. The next several minutes involved a comical level chaos between us all, before I managed to trap the mouse and release it back into the yard.
Around the same time, a friend let me know that they had received some life changing news, and opened the conversation with a quote I was unfamiliar with … 'nothing concentrates the mind like a noose around your neck'. Somehow, both of these unrelated events kept popping up in my head as I was working on this song, wondering what the mouse must have thought about his unlikely escape that summer morning and how much it differed from what was going through my own mind in that morning.”

No word yet on their next album, but it’s always exciting to hear new RAA!

Kirk

“Days Of Our Lives” by Mise En Scene

Winnipeg duo Mise en Scene is back with a brand new single that heralds their next full length album, Drive-Thru Confessional.

“Days Of Our Lives” is a direct & emotional song, as lead vocalist & guitarist Stef Johnson explains it’s “about realizing you have reached a dead end in a relationship. Nothing’s changing, it’s the same arguments over and over, and you ask yourself ‘is this my life now?’ Producing this song was so fun, we knew we wanted to keep the earthy qualities of the acoustic guitar in it, but make it a grunge anthem with some Beatles harmonies.”

The new album was written by Johnson and drummer & vocalist Jodi Dunlop in a remote 100 year old family cabin in Gimli, Manitoba with producer Micah Erenberg, and you can check it out when it drops on March 6th!

Kirk

“Fabulous” by MEEK

Earworm alert!
I’ve had “Fabulous” by British artist MEEK stuck in my head since the press release landed in my inbox.
The singer is anything but her namesake, and proves the fabulous in the music video for the song.
I listened to the other two tracks she’s released (“Brixton” and “I Want Love, But Not That Much”) and she gives big Chappell Roan meets Adele vibes. She’s one to watch out for in 2026!

Christine

Peacelands by My Morning Jacket

Last week, My Morning Jacket announced they were standing alongside the citizens of Minneapolis with the release of an acoustic album, featuring stripped down versions of MMJ and Jim James solo tracks (like “I’m Amazed” and “Here In Spirit”) as well as some covers of iconic songs by Bob Dylan (“Blowin’ In The Wind”), The Velvet Underground (“I Found A Reason”), Brian Wilson (“Love and Mercy”), and more.

All proceeds from Peacelands will benefit nonprofit organizations, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Doctors Without Borders, and the International Rescue Committee.

In Jim James’ own words:

“Peacelands” is a word and concept created by visionary Louisville artist Mark Anthony Mulligan. An imaginary land of peace, friendship, and equality he created in his artwork - a place where folks listen to each other and find a way to get along in peace, friendship, and togetherness - despite their differences.

I think about this word “Peacelands” in our world all of the time, especially in troubled times, and we believe that it’s still possible for us to achieve Mark’s vision of Peacelands - a world of love and friendship - if only we can learn to listen, love, and forgive in paths of peace, acceptance, and tolerance.

We stand with the people of Minnesota and everywhere else affected by the horrors of ICE brutality and lack of human decency or transparency from this administration.

There is room for everyone to be safe and free and at home in this vast world and we need to find a new path together to safe and humane immigration policy and reform rooted in peace and love… safety and equality… and new systems of fairness, freedom, and transparent justice for all.

ALL PROCEEDS from “Peacelands,” an album of mostly unreleased, acoustic peaceful protest songs - some covers and some of my own - that we released today exclusively on Bandcamp, will go to organizations like American Civil Liberties Union fighting for our safety and freedoms here at home, as well as Doctors Without Borders and International Rescue Committee - organizations working hard to help heal the horrors of war and terror around the globe… working around the clock to help move us all towards “Peacelands.”

Artwork artist is unknown and comes from a handmade wood carving I found years ago at a second-hand store in Missoula called Circle Square.

You can grab Peacelands from Bandcamp now, and for an additional directory of activists providing crucial efforts on the ground in Minneapolis and elsewhere, you can visit Stand With Minnesota.

Kirk

  
    <a href="https://mmorningjacket.bandcamp.com/album/peacelands">Peacelands by My Morning Jacket</a>
  

Songs of the Week: January 19 - 25, 2026

January 26, 2026 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Votive” by The New Pornographers

The New Pornographers are back! The Vancouver icons dropped a brand new single and announced their next album, The Former Site Of.

The new tune “Votive” builds around singers A.C. Newman and Kathryn Calder’s haunting vocals, as the atmospheric track builds to a big finish.

Check out the video, animated by Michael Arthur, below and mark March 27 for the release of The Former Site Of.

Kirk

“Dream Catcher” by Aysanabee

Two-time JUNO award winner Aysanabee has announced that their new album Timelines will be released into the world on March 20th, and new single is out now titled “Dream Catcher”.

The idea of the Timelines EP is that it will feature “stripped-back, reimagined songs drawn from across Aysanabee’s three releases - Watin (2022), Here and Now EP (2023), Edge of the Earth (2025)”.

“Dream Catcher” is from the latest work Edge Of The Earth and is “a sonic journal entry that captures the tension between doubt and determination. On top of guitar, piano, and synth lies Aysanabee’s unmistakably raw vocals, threading together reflections on growth, endurance, and the act of dreaming despite uncertainty”.

I’m excited to hear the project as a whole and which tracks are chosen to be reworked and how they will all flow together!

Christine

“Neon Schoolgirl” by Teagan Johnston

Last week, Teagan Johnston released her latest single with the synth rock power ballad, “Neon Schoolgirl”.

The song features guest vocals from Skye Wallace, and is about the feeling (and eventually overcoming) impostor syndrome, with Teagan sharing, “I first came up with the lyric ‘Neon Schoolgirl’ back in 2016 while watching Lucy Dacus open up for Car Seat Headrest at the Mod Club. Lucy and her band had invited me to the show as we had recently played together, and I was signing to her label at that time…then while watching the Car Seat Headrest set with her band, drenched in the neon stage lights, I felt an overwhelming sense of naivety and the feeling of ‘do I really belong here?’, a sort of imposter syndrome that has plagued me for much of my career. It wasn't just that I was watching the show but they were peers at that moment…and then in that moment I came up with a character for that feeling - a ‘neon schoolgirl,’ shiny and lit by the neon in stage lights but also feeling absolutely clueless and out of place.”

Have a peek at the video below, which was directed by Johnston herself!

Kirk

“Snowblinded” by Bif Naked

Well, the title of this is appropriate right now to every province and territory right now…except us - sorry, Canada!

Bif Naked is coming of a slew sold-out documentary screenings across the country and with it comes a new studio album titled Champion.
The single “Snowblinded”, according to Bif, is “different because it serves as an anthem from my feeling of emotional discontent, snowblinded ultimately is my observation of society numbing themselves. The chorus says you’re so snow blinded!! and I repeat that because I feel people need to wake up!”

I’m hoping that Bif’s documentary gets a wide streaming release (you can view it via Super Channel right now) so you can all check it out (I saw it her in Vancouver), and I cannot wait to hear what shows she has going on in the near future!

Christine

“Dyson” by Common Holly

Montreal 'sincere-core' musician Common Holly gave us the first preview of her upcoming EP this week with the new single “Dyson”.

A song about all the times we have to wait around for things, it starts cheery, but builds in intensity (and anxiety). Brigitte Naggar explains, “Listening back I have the sense that I must have been listening to Jonathan Richman the day I wrote this song. It’s a bit different for me, stylistically and also process-wise. I wrote it in about 5 minutes, sitting by the window, waiting for my Dyson. I was thinking about Beckett and God and the dust in my house, about places where we wait— Montrealers will know all about the SAAQ, our finest purgatory!”

The new EP is called They will draw halos around our heads and you can pick it up on February 27!

Kirk

Songs of the Week: January 12 - 18, 2026

January 19, 2026 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Evie” by Holy Fuck

Holy fuck, Holy Fuck is back! After a few years hiatus, the electronic band is back together with not only a brand new song, but a new album and tour announced!

The new single “Evie” shows they haven’t missed a beat with it’s infectious groove, and you can check out the video below which shows the group playing the song live in studio.

You can pick up Event Beat when it drops on March 27, while their tour kicks off in April, and includes a show here in Vancouver on May 8th at The Pearl!

Kirk

“Overtime” by Jody Glenham

Jody Glenham has been a stalwart of the Vancouver music scene for years, and on April 24th, she’s reminding everyone she’s Still Here with a brand new EP.

The announcement came with her latest single, “Overtime”, a slow-burn which builds to a big finish as Jody achingly asks, “Are you in love?”

Check out the video directed by Wayne Moreheart below, and you can catch Jody with Rempel and Dawson Gool at The Heatley on February 14th!

Kirk

“Keep Out Of The Storm” by The Sheepdogs

We’re just over a month and a bit away from the latest offering from The Sheepdogs!
Their new album Keep Out Of The Storm drops on February 27th, and last week they released the title track.

The song has slow verses the flow into rockin’, guitar-driven choruses - which reminded me of something, and I eventually landed on “Heart and Soul” by Huey Lewis and The News, hah!
Of the single, lead singer Ewin Curie says: “We’re all trying to weather the storms in our lives…finding shelter, love, hope. This song is about that search, and the belief that rock ’n’ roll can still be a sanctuary.”

The band has released headlining dates across Canada, but no Vancouver stop has been set yet, so we’ll be keeping an eye out.

Christine

“Cut My Bangs” by Miesha and The Spanks

Miesha and The Spanks are back with their first single since their 2023 album Unconditional Love In Hi-Fi (and winning the 2024 WCMA for Breakout Artist of the Year!)

“Cut My Bangs” is a as high energy and rockin’ as you’d expect from the duo, with singer Miesha Louie saying the song is loosely based on meeting her husband, but also symbolizes a fresh start. She elaborates, “When you cut your bangs, you know you’re over everything, ready to move on. I wrote it to commemorate a time in my life where I cut out what I didn't want anymore, and let myself stumble into something better than I ever could have expected to find. Make the hard decision to let go, and give space for something good to come in.”

2026 marks the ten year anniversary of when Miesha Louie and drummer Sean Hamilton started working together, so hopefully we’ll be hearing more in the year to come!

Kirk

Songs of the Week: January 05 - 11, 2026

January 12, 2026 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Rain” by Shad

Super exciting week in Shad-land! There’s a new music video for the song “Rain” off his latest album Start Anew and he’s about to embark on a tour supporting the record and celebrating 20 years of music.

First up, the video for “Rain” (which features my favourite line from the album “Don’t need to reign like a royal, we just need rain on the soil”) was filmed by Sam Tudor while they were both up in the Yukon for the Dawson City Music Festival.

Of the song Shad says: ““Rain” feels pretty light on its feet but it’s actually a deep one for me because the inspiration goes back to a couple years before I even made my first album: I saw a vision of a man with an ocean within himself that needed to rain down and nourish the land, or else it threatened to drown him from the inside out. I interpreted the vision as a simple metaphor for the importance of releasing our creative self-expression. And also a reminder that the purpose is always service!”

This Saturday, Shad kicks off his tour here in Vancouver at the Hollywood Theatre and I can’t wait to hear all the new music live!

Christine

“Horizontal Rain” by Total Fucking Darkness

Total Fucking Darkness has been giving us a steady drip of new music over the last year, and they’re kicking off the new year with some “Horizontal Rain”.

The new track is as gritty as it is hypnotic, with the band saying it’s “a throwback to the grimy bare-bulbed basement illegal raves that your mum and dad told you about when you were little. This is party music for troubled times, little ones. Have you looked around recently? Let yourself go.”

TFD is the “long incubated and (arguably) the mildly problematic musical brainchild” of Torquil Campbell (from Stars), Stephen Ramsay (of Young Galaxy) and Tom McFall ( who’s worked with U2, REM, and Bloc Party), and here’s hoping they continue dropping tracks all year long.

Kirk

“At All” by Status/Non-Status

Anishinaabe musician and artist Adam Sturgeon has been involved in so many projects over the years, from the collective WHOOP-Szo (which became Status/Non-Status) to joining forces with Daniel Monkman of Zoon to create the Polaris shortlisted record by OMBIIGIZI.

Now Status/Non-Status is back with a new album titled Big Changes, which features new players and tons of guests, including on the first single “At All” which has contributions from Zoon, as well as Kevin Drew.

Sturgeon says the track is a: “self explanatory examination. I was starting to feel really disillusioned at the time of writing this song. Confused about the state of music and the complex world we are living in; the grind to make each day work. I decided to disappear, bunker down at home, stay in, write songs about it and invite my friends over to visit and play along. I wrote over 40 songs and this was one of the first to come out of me."
From this description and the one of the album itself, it seems extremely fitting for the times we’re living in, and I can’t wait to hear more of what this album has in store.

Christine

“Cuckoo” by Larkk

A month ahead of her debut album, we got the latest single from Larkk, the solo project of Dear Rouge’s Danielle McTaggart.

“Cuckoo” is a sweeping song that starts dark and moody before swelling to a grand, orchestral swell, and definitely my favourite of the singles released so far.

I’m looking forward to hearing more when Cinders drops on February 13!

Kirk

“Weather Girl” by Fleur Electra

The Toronto (via Saskatchewan) dream pop singer Fleur Electra has announced a brand new EP, along side the new single, “Weather Girl”.

The track is a sweet and uplifting song about friendship, with Anna Klein saying it “is one, if not the, truest of love songs I’ve ever written. It’s about my platonic love for my best friend, and the story of us. It’s a charming, pure-hearted tune heavily inspired by yacht rock and my inner child. This song has an essence of youth, and nostalgic demeanor. It’s imaginative in its visual imagery, and so accurately represents the way I feel about the one-of-a-kind relationship that we share. Additionally, it was important to me to create an atmosphere where people might feel free to let their own inner child wander into a moment of blissful sentiment.”

Have a listen below, and check out the new EP, Strike the Match, when it’s out on February 27.

Kirk

Songs of the Week: Holiday Edition 2025

December 22, 2025 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“A Christmas Song” by Dan Mangan

Dan Mangan is adding to his holiday repertoire with “A Christmas Song”, a slightly meta track that is full of heart and honesty, with Mangan explaining it “actually feels like how Christmas feels.”

He elaborates: “Christmas music thrives on nostalgia. As much as I do love a lot of Christmas music, I’ve always felt a bit disconnected from it - like there’s this overzealous desire to telegraph a seasonal elation that isn’t quite realistic. It can feel disingenuous or superficial. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we get caught between our desire to feel that mythological glow and the imperfect nature of real life in the present. Sometimes Christmas feels bittersweet, and that’s just part of it. I’ve often been asked if I’d consider writing ‘a Christmas song’, so I decided to write an honest one.”

Kirk

“A Very Merry Christmas” by Jill Barber

Jill Barber is no stranger to Christmas music, and this year she’s finally releasing a full album with A Holly Jolly Jill Barber Christmas.

The album ranges from old classics like “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (a duet with her big brother Matthew Barber) and a sultry “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” to some originals, including “A Very Merry Christmas”, which you can listen to below!

So if you want to jazz up your holidays, you can A Holly Jolly Jill Barber Christmas now!

Kirk

“California Christmas” by Bryan Adams & Friends

This song is giving MAJOR Beach Boys Christmas Album vibes.

This month Bryan Adams released a Christmas album titled Bryan Adams & Friends: A Great Big Holiday Jam as well as a TV special by the same name.
Musical guests on both include Alessia Cara, Alan Doyle, Barenaked Ladies, Lights, and The Sheepdogs.
The album is comprised of both covers of classic holiday songs, as well as originals like the one below. “California Christmas” dreams of warm weather and an escape from the West Coast Christmas.
Honestly I’d be avoiding the states in favour of maybe Mexico, but I get the sentiment after all this rain.

Christine

“Every Ribbon” by Tim Baker

Tim Baker released a new deluxe version of his 2024 album Full Rainbow Of Light with three new additions, including “Every Ribbon” which you can hear below.

The album was everything I’d expect from East Coaster Tim Baker - I had to google what “Tibb’s Eve” was - and was delighted to find out it’s a celebration in NFLD on December 23 kicking off the holidays.

The track “Every Ribbon” is fun but according to Tim…“Actually, it’s quite sad, but wrapped in bright paper so to speak. It’s an idea I’ve loved for a long time, but couldn’t quite get there in time for Full Rainbow of Light. It’s actually unrecognizable from what it was last year, except in concept. It’s a song about someone dreading Christmas, not because they’re some cartoonish Scrooge, but because the good memories of Christmases now gone are too painful to relive.”

Christine

Songs of the Week: December 08 - 14, 2025

December 15, 2025 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“The Dogs of God” by Jay Malinowski

Jay Malinowski (one half of Canadian band Bedouin Soundclash) has been working towards releasing his first solo album in over ten years. Under A Landslide Of Stars is set to drop on March 13, 2026 and features the track “The Dogs of God”.

The song came to be after Malinowski appeared on Podsongs, a podcast “where artists interview inspiring people and then write a song inspired by the exchange, provided the catalyst for this evocative piece. In speaking with (Irish philosopher Richard) Kearney about his philosophy of anatheism, or the return to God after God, Malinowski found himself drawn into reflections on doubt, imagination, humor, and the sacredness woven into everyday life.”

Of it Jay says: “Speaking with Richard sent me on an unexpected path. We talked about laughter as a sign of the holy, and his mention of the ‘Dogs of God’ brought back the story of St. Roch, patron saint of dogs. It made me realize how the dogs in my life opened me to mystery and compassion. The song became a tribute to them and to the grace found in loyalty, loss, and love.”

It’s a beautiful Celtic-style song that you can check out below.

Christine

“Queen of Nothing” by Softcult

In a little over a month, the sibling duo Softcult will be releasing their debut full length album, and they just released a new single with “Queen Of Nothing”

The dreamy track delves in to deep issues like society’s expectations on women, which vocalist Mercedes Arn-Horn can explain better than me: “This song is about the double standards, harsh judgements, and unrealistic expectations that patriarchal society places on women. We’re expected to be sexy, but only as it applies to the male fantasy; somehow a virgin and a slut. We’re expected to constantly nurture the men in our lives, and shamed if our aspirations exceed becoming wives and mothers. The world demands maturity from us, but discards us when we’re old and “unfuckable”, our value reduced to our ability to attract men. And when we attract men, we’re labeled “whores”. We’re expected to be “cool” and “like one of the guys”, but not too abrasive, loud, or “unladylike.” Our intelligence and our success is tolerated so long as it isn’t too threatening or intimidating to our male counterparts. From unconscious biases to blatant sexism, misogyny and gender violence, women face an impossible amount of discrimination in the world today. And no matter the amount of vitriol or ignorance we endure, we’re still expected to smile. This song is about the realization that these cycles of abuse are bigger than our personal experiences. It’s recognizing the systemic nature of mistreatment and discrimination.”

Have a listen below, and mark January 30th for the release of their album, When a Flower Doesn’t Grow. You can also catch them on tour net year, with some shows of their own as well as supporting Lights! No Vancouver date yet, though…

Kirk

“Truest Sound” by Clothesline From Hell

Last week, Clothesline From Hell released the fourth and final single from the upcoming debut LP, Slather On The Honey.

“Truest Sound” is the album’s closer, capping it off with an understated intensity. Adam LaFramboise elaborates the song is “a quiet closer, indebted to a lineage of final songs that are stripped back acoustic moments. A poignant note for the album to finish with, the title itself refers to the silence that comes after conflicts have been aired.”

The album is out on January 16th next year, and you can check out the new single below!

Kirk