Songs of the Week: May 04 - 10, 2026

“Only The Good I Keep” by Broken Social Scene

On Friday, Broken Social Scene released their latest album Remember The Humans, as well as a brand new video for “Only The Good I Keep”.

The hypnotizing song features Hannah Georgas taking over lead vocals, and came together in a collaborative process, with Hannah explaining: “As for the earlier process of the song I was involved in, Kevin invited me to hang out at the studio with him and Dave Neufeld one afternoon and listen to some demos they’d been working on. He sent me home with a few of the tracks we heard that day, and one in particular really stuck with me. It had this simple but captivating drum and piano part. I started writing lyrics and melodies over it. I wanted to write about what my teenage years felt like… what it sounded like, what it looked like, what it felt like. It kinda became a reflection on the hardships I faced growing up, as well as the things that helped me make it through adolescence.”

You can pick up Remember The Humans now, and catch Broken Social Scene on tour with Metric & Stars, or playing the Fifa Fan Fest in Vancouver on June 26th!

• Kirk

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“Basket Weaving” by Status/Non-Status

After releasing their new album Big Changes earlier this year, Status/Non-Status has just released a new video for their track “Basket Weaving”.

The song has a collaboration with Odawa poet and artist Colleen (Coco) Collins, and the video features art by Shaela Kinting.
Of the song, the band says: “Together we explore the ancestral experience of reconnection. In this instance, to a specific teaching and blood memory; that of the traditional basket weaving process - imagining ourselves on the river bed watching our Ancestors wade into the river to select the right piece of Ash to weave. Here, we question how far we have come as a society and look back in yearning and learning - as we also re-imagine our people gliding through history in Wiigwaas Jimnaan - (Anishinaabe word for Birchbark Canoe).”

• Christine

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“Stay Stuck” by Cancer Bats

Coming off their latest tour for their Birthing the Giant 20th Anniversary, Ontario’s Cancer Bats have announced that their 8th album, Give Me Dirt, will be released on August 7th.

“Inspired by a year of travel, Give Me Dirt unfolds as both an outward and inward journey, grounded in a deep connection to nature. The songs explore leaving urban life behind, processing personal loss, and confronting environmental devastation, while also reflecting on lessons drawn from the natural world. 
Motorcycle travel forms another central thread on Give Me Dirt. From riding through the harsh conditions of the Canadian Rockies to a transformative journey in the mountains of Nepal just before recording, these experiences shaped the album’s perspective.”

Of the first single “Stay Stuck” lead singer Liam Cormier says: “The lyrics explore the idea that, at any age or moment in life, we all reach a point where we realize something has to change. Maybe it’s the path we’re on, or just the way we see things, but there’s that instant where we say to ourselves, I’M NOT WASTING ANY MORE TIME!”
It’s an infectious and catchy track that I can already picture crowds shouting the words back at them.

• Christine

Songs of the Week: April 27 - May 03, 2026

“Fill in the Blanks” by Joel Plaskett Emergency

Joel Plaskett Emergency are celebrating twenty years(!) of their current lineup by releasing their first new music since 2021.

The trio of Plaskett, Dave Marsh, and Chris Pennell are going to “Fill in the Blanks” with a new tune that is classic JPE, with catchy hooks & clever lyrics. Or as Joel describes it: “I was imagining April Wine jamming with Steve Miller but then Dave and Chris took it to Portland Street like they always do.”

The song is available now as a limited 7” vinyl single, which also includes the original, “low def” cassette version of the song on the b-side (which will be available to stream at the end of the month).

Hopefully we’ll be hearing more from the Emergency soon, but in the meantime, Fill in the Blanks by checking out the video below!

• Kirk

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“How I Know I’m Home” by Nixon Boyd

The release of the solo debut from Hollerado’s Nixon Boyd, titled Every Time We Turn A Corner, has been announced for July 3rd!

The album has been a long time coming as when it was first nearing completion, it was stolen from Nixon’s car, and it took him over a year to recreate it all.

Of the latest track “How I Know I’m Home” he says: “I know the topic might be a bit cheesy but I was an army brat growing up and was always moving around, so I spent a lot of time figuring out what home actually means."

Check it out below and you can pre-order the album by clicking here.

• Christine

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“FLUKE” by CJ Wiley

CJ Wiley is back with the first new single since their debut album So Brand New.

Co-written with Charlie Houston, “FLUKE” is a gritty yet catchy look at modern dating, or more specifically, “a deep dive into a modern romantic life that brings endless swiping, dead-end texts, and dates that fizzle before they even start. The loneliness of putting yourself out there over and over, wondering if it’s worth it. And then, out of nowhere, a total fluke: meeting someone on a whim and actually clicking. That rare moment that makes all the bullshit feel like it meant something.”

No word on a new album, but you can check out the video below!

• Kirk

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“Force of Habit” by MOONRIIVR

Extremely excited that Toronto’s MOONRIIVR are back with their first music of 2026!

Following up last year’s track “You Get Me By”, “Force of Habit” is a toe-tapping rock song that builds into a cacophonous ending. The song, as the band say, is “about letting go of the past and searching for a new way forward”.

It’s a completely different vibe from the previous release, but that gets me pumped to hear the direction of the album as a whole. Hopefully the next track will come soon!

• Christine

Songs of the Week: April 20 - 26, 2026

“Highlands Leaving” ft Joel Plaskett and Kendel Carson by Leeroy Stagger

Vancouver Island’s Leeroy Stagger released a new single "Highlands Leaving" which features his longtime friend and co-producer Joel Plaskett, as well as Kendel Carson on the fiddle.

The track comes from his upcoming album Pilgrimage - which will be released on May 29th.
The song was inspired by Alastair McIntosh’s book Soil and Soul: "Highlands Leaving" reflects on the lasting impact of the Highland Clearances of the 1700s, which displaced Stagger's ancestors from Scotland to Northern Ireland and eventually Nova Scotia. The song explores identity and the lasting impact of colonialism. 

Stagger shares, "I wanted to write on the Highland Clearances of the 1700’s that pushed my ancestors from Scotland to Northern Ireland and ultimately to Nova Scotia, Canada. The repercussions of colonialism shake the branches of my family tree and sadly still ring out throughout my home country of Canada today. To know oneself, it is helpful to know where one’s been. For better or worse, we were pushed from our ancestral homes into someone else’s. Violence begetting violence. It’s imperative to me to break these cycles and to honour the beautiful traditions our communities once held so tightly. It was always so strange to me that I felt more at home in Scotland than in my own country; it makes perfect sense to me now. There is a deep ancestral grief for where we once called home."

• Christine

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“Camera Shy” by sundayclub

Last week Winnipeg’s sundayclub announced their debut self-titled album, along with the brand new song, “Camera Shy”

The dreamy lead single is described by the duo of Courtney Carmichael and Nikki St. Pierre as the “quintessential sundayclub song”. It takes a look at the unease of everything in our lives being photographed and recorded, with Carmichael explaining:
“A huge part of what we do requires us to frequently be seen and to have a lot of our lives documented, either in photos or videos, whether we’re feeling up to it or not. It can get really overwhelming and all-consuming when so much of your energy is put into your physical looks, especially when you just don’t feel like being in the spotlight or having that kind of attention on you.”

SUNDAYCLUB will be released on July 10th on Paper Bag Records, and you can check out the video below, which is part one of a trilogy directed by Qran Zhu!

• Kirk

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“Practicing My Wink” by Ellen Froese

It’s one week until the new album from Saskatoon songsmith Ellen Froese is out, and she’s getting ready by “Practicing My Wink”

The charming and self-deprecating song is about the quest to perfect the sly move* with Froese saying it’s a “fun little rock 'n roll song that's both an homage to my best pals and how they lift me up, and also a glimpse into my insecurities. I had the idea of 'Practicing My Wink' when I noticed that I found myself charmed whenever someone winked at me. It's like a little knowing signal that makes the receiver feel special, and I wanted to get better at it myself!”

The new album is called Solitary Songs, and drops on May 6th from Victory Pool Records!

*for the other Taskmaster fans, you have seen recently how tough that can be!

• Kirk

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“Technicolour” by Jia

It’s a shame the upcoming 007 video game just announced their title song, because the new single from Jia would have been perfect.

“Technicolour” is a hypnotic, moody track highlighting Jia’s sultry vocals, with the singer sharing it “is a smoky love letter to a love lost, inspired by Nancy Sinatra, Mitski, and Arctic Monkeys. Cinematic and grand—like it could soundtrack a James Bond film—yet deeply intimate, it lingers in a lonely, haze-filled room where rose-tinted memories blur with reality, capturing the raw ache and quiet glamour of a melancholic romance.”

Check out the video below, and you can pick up Jia’s debut full-length album Technicolour on May 26th via Light Organ Records.

• Kirk

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“SkiDay” by Charlie Houston

Nothing like a good opening line to grab your attention immediately, and the new single from Charlie Houston will definitely do that.

“SkiDay” is the new single from the self-described ‘Tomboy Pop’ singer, which she explains is “a sex positive tomboy anthem. Lyrically it's about finding it kind of hot when someone treats you like a little bitch, sonically though it showcases the confidence required to admit that.”

Have a listen for yourself below!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: April 13 - 19, 2026

“Fight My Body” by Miesha and The Spanks

Last week the Calgary duo Miesha and The Spanks not only announced a brand new EP, but also dropped a brand new single, “Fight My Body”.

The rocking new track is about how we view & treat our bodies, with Miesha Louie elaborating: “When I wrote Fight My Body I was thinking about how I’ve never really looked the way I feel that I should, and no matter what I did I couldn’t really get there. I thought about how angry I’ve been with my body for not doing what I wanted, and then that made me wonder - well, what have I ever done for her? How much trouble did I get her into, and how many times did I put her at risk? This is the oldest and longest relationship I’ll ever have, and I wish I’d been more kind. I wrote this song more about the feeling than the story because I know there’s so many ways to hate the skin you're in, and so many reasons for your body not to reflect who you know you are inside. We don’t have to have had the exact same experience to connect on that.”

The new EP is called Visions, and will be out on September 18th, but while you wait check out the video for “Fight My Body” below, which was filmed, directed, and Edited by Miesha in the first three weeks of her maternity leave!

• Kirk

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“The Call” by Broken Social Scene

We’re creeping ever closer to the release of the new Broken Social Scene album, Remember The Humans, on May 8th and that means a new single.

“The Call” features a “sprawling collective of voices and instrumentation. The lyrics come in fragments – overlapping lines, shared refrains – converging into one urgent imperative: ‘let me hear the call/'we’re going'/either restless or reborn, we’re going.’”.

The song starts out with almost a minute of building instrumental music, and I thought we were going to get another “Meet Me In The Basement” which I love, but then the layered, very BSS, locals come into play (as well as horns!).

I can’t wait to see what this album sounds like as a whole in two weeks!

• Christine

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“Bullet in the Chamber” by Whitehorse

Another album out May 8th is the brand new Whitehorse, All I Want Is All of It, and we have our second peek with the latest single, “Bullet in the Chamber”

Recorded live off the floor, the track exemplifies the classic Whitehorse combination of Melissa McClelland’s gorgeous voice and Luke Doucet’s immaculate guitar, on a song about “the lengths we’ll go to hold on”.

Watch the video below, featuring the couple frolicking on a farm with some cute animals!

• Kirk

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“dumbest girl in the world” by LØLØ

Last week LØLØ’s new album, god forbid a girl spits out her feelings!, was released and I cannot wait take a deep dive into it.

With the release comes the video for the track “dumbest girl in the world” - which features one of my favourite lines in a while: “He tells her he’s bad and she hears “I can fix him!””.
The song is about ignoring red flags and better judgement, and going back to someone you shouldn’t - “he tells her she’s pretty and now she’s back in his sweater”.

LØLØ is heading out on a UK tour starting this week, and then has some summer dates with Warped Tour, as well as stops in Winnipeg and Saskatoon, but we’ll have to wait to see if she makes a stop out here on the west coast.

• Christine

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“Closer” by ARK IDENTITY

Toronto’s ARK IDENTITY (aka Noah Mroueh) is chasing their dreams on their latest single.

The new tune “Closer” is ARK IDENTITY’s first fully self produced song, with Mroueh playing each instrument. According to the press release, “During production, he was experimenting with vocal ideas when his girlfriend walked into his DIY studio and started adding melodies. That spontaneous moment helped shape the song and they finished writing it together.”

Noah also adds, “One of my favourite lines is ‘Coming home from Hollywood leaves me wanting more.’ That lyric captures the song’s essence, the feeling of chasing something bigger and realizing no matter how close you get, there’s always another level you want to reach, I hope listeners connect to the message and are inspired to pursue their own dreams and passions.”

Have a listen to the incredibly catchy dream-pop jam below!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: April 06 - 12, 2026

“aster” by cherry pick

Last week, cherry pick signed with Light Organ Records and celebrated by releasing the brand new single “aster”!

The new song is full of shoegaze-y, grungy vibes, with cherry pick sharing the song “captures the quiet unraveling of someone drifting away from who they once said they’d become. It’s rooted in that specific kind of grief—watching potential slowly fade, and not knowing how to reach them anymore.”

Check out the vibrant video — directed by Yang — below!

• kirk

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“What’s On Your Mind” (feat. Poolside) by Arkells

The new album from Arkells, Between Us, comes out at the end of this week and the Hamilton band is giving us one last preview while teaming up with Poolside.

“What’s On Your Mind” is a disco-infused earworm, as frontman Max Kerman notes: “We wanted a song that felt hypnotic—where the chords don’t move much, and the rhythm and melody do all the heavy lifting. It’s my favourite thing about seeing dance music live: how it can loop and loop and loop, and the longer it goes, the better it feels. We went deep into synth-world on this one.” He continues, “we toured with Poolside and saw the power of repetition. What restraint can offer to the crowd. The patience of building a song with the groove dictating everything. The song was just about finished when we asked Poolside to add some shine to it all. Our music has ended up in all kinds of places, and we hope this ends up on some dance floors.”

Between Us is out April 17th, and I hope you were lucky enough to snag tickets to their special run of intimate shows in Vancouver next month, May 7 - 9 at the Penthouse, Hollywood Theatre, and Commodore Ballroom (respectively)

• Kirk

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“Dopamine” by Pastel Blank

Every new song I hear from Pastel Blank makes me more and more excited for the new album.

“Dopamine” is the latest track from the musical project of Angus Watt (joined by ‘an ever-shifting cast of musicians and collaborators from Montréal, Vancouver, and Victoria’) and fair warning: it will instantly be stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

The first three singles off the album — this, “ Sweet Nic” and “Shareholder” — are the first three tracks on the album, and Watt explains they “act as siblings to each other. They’re all kind of circling around the same themes of addiction and control (or lack there of). A friend pointed out a guitar riff towards the end of 'Dopamine' is reminiscent of the 'Magic School Bus' theme song. If you find the riff, learn to play it, and send a video, I’ll give you a guest list to a show.”

Listen for yourself below, and keep an ear out for the album Unmade In Minutes when it’s out on April 24!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: March 20 - April 05, 2026

“One Too Many Nights” (ft. Sam Jr.) by ZOON

ZOON (Zoongide’ewin) is back to announce a brand new album, and drop the first single!

Featuring Broken Social Scene’s Sam Jr. “One Too Many Nights” is an ethereal tune about finding yourself after the end of a relationship, as Daniel Monkman explains,
“When a relationship ends, it’s not just the person you lose it’s the version of yourself that existed beside them. “One Too Many Nights’ is about that recalibration. I don’t date often, so when something shifts, it shifts my whole orbit. In that moment, being alone felt like the honest path forward.”

Check out the trippy video below, and mark June 19th on your calendar for the release of the new album, HAPPY THOUGHT SCHOOL.

• Kirk

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“Moral Panic” ft. Jeremy Dutcher by Vivek Shraya

Last week Vivek Shraya celebrated Transgender Day of Visibility by releasing the deluxe version of her latest album New Models, which included two reimagined tracks featuring Jeremy Dutcher, and Tanya Tagaq.

Of the release Shraya says: “I offer this deluxe version of New Models, recharged by two artists I admire very much, Tanya Tagaq and Jeremy Dutcher, on this day, with the hopes that it acts as a reminder of the importance of collaboration and community during this time. I don’t believe visibility is the end goal, but I do think many of us are searching for the light and clarity right now and this can only come from working together, across our differences.”

“Moral Panic” is a cinematic and sweeping track that Dutcher says this about: “The message in these lyrics are, for me, speaking of the hope and resilience of all the rainbow children in this world. It is an anthem to our strength; In the face of fear & hatred, our joy, love and kinship networks persist. This message is both timely and timeless when considering queer, embodied experiences.
My approach to this song was to create an army of voices (a chorus) to be a bed on which Vivek can lay and share her truth.”

A beautiful song for a beautiful day.

• Christine

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Songs of the Week: March 23 - 29, 2026

“Push It” by MIINA

I’ve always been a fan of the vocals of Laura Mina Mitic when I saw her perform with her band Carmanah and now Laura has branch out into her own project MIINA.

Her first EP Where The Light Goes was released this past week and she’s about to embark on a huge Canadian tour, including a stop here in Vancouver on the 25th of April at the Biltmore Cabaret.

For the new album she worked with  Howard Redekopp (Tegan and Sara, Mother Mother), Erik P.H. Nielsen (City and Colour) and Gus Van Go (The Beaches, Metric) and I’ve loved all the singles before this, so I can’t wait to hear it live!

• Christine

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“What You Want” by Door d’Or

Victoria’s Door d’Or have released the second single off their debut album with “What You Want”

The high energy song is a reflection of the world around us, with vocalist & guitarist Mat Geddes elaborating, “This song invites us to question what kind of world we want in the future. What kind of human do we want to be? What would you want if you could get what you want? We adamantly oppose violence in all its forms, and this song asks humanity to break the cycles of brutality somehow. By beginning with ourselves, we can overcome the lower emotions of revenge, anger, and hatred. We advocate for evolution, not revolution, to realize a future with no violence.”

Check out the lyric video below, and be sure to grab the new album The Exquisite Dream, when it’s out on May 1st.

• Kirk

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“Maybe Probably Never” by Em Armstrong

A few years ago, Em Armstrong released “Maybe Probably Never”, a breakup song which Armstrong says “sparked the realization that the wrong people can’t keep coming back into my life whenever it’s convenient for them. It’s a reminder that if someone truly cares, they show up the first time.”

The title comes from the uncertainty about the relationship and going back, but not only did she stay away, she’s now re-released the song with a new meaning: resilience.

She explains, “It’s no longer about him. It’s about being wronged by someone and finding the ability to get back up and know better next time. When they think they can take you down, you dust yourself off and prove to them you know who you are.”

Have a listen below!

• Kirk

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“Rocker” (Live at the Cameron House) by bancalledmax

Okay, as a former resident of Toronto, it’s kinda funny to me that this song that mentions a venue called Sneaky Dee’s was recorded at the Cameron House, but that’s just niche me.

YAY! Music from bandcalledmax (and not just pictures of things that say “MAX” on their instagram!) and I’m always happy when I get to hear David Monks vocals again since the disbanding of Tokyo Police Club. For the unawares, the rest of the band includes Mike Small (Meligrove Band), and Nick McKinlay (Fast Romantics) and I’m still so upset I haven’t seen them live.
This is especially punctuated after Monks says in their press release for the EP: “Here at bandcalledmax we make a simple promise at our live show: we rock and you get to dance.”

Cross your fingers now that they’re releasing their album that they’ll bring said dance party to Vancouver!

• Christine

Songs of the Week: March 16 - 22, 2026

“Love Deficiency Syndrome” by Jody Glenham

Between shows Kirk and I have seen Jody perform at over the two years, we’ve slowly heard the song from her upcoming EP Still Here be released.

“Love Deficiency Syndrome” is the latest to come out ahead of the album release (April 24th), and I’ll let Jody describe where the track came from:

“I wrote [it] with a friend, the artist Georgette, inspired by an article Lena Dunham wrote about a breakup after a long-term relationship. We were drawn to the idea of how, when you're with someone, you take for granted the small things, like always having someone to eat dinner with. The song is full of subtle nods: the opening synth/guitar hook is meant to sound like one of those old, drawn-out doorbells, like you were waiting for your Uber eats to arrive, and the bridge has computer shut down references, mimicking both the autopilot of being in a relationship and the process of making yourself whole again as an individual.
We also leaned into really melodramatic imagery in the verses as a nod to how a breakup can make you feel like “my life is ending,” when really… you’re going to be just fine.”

I’m looking forward to hearing the whole album recorded after hearing the tracks live during so many performances - come on April 24th!

• Christine

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“Sweet Nic” by Pastel Blank

Pastel Blank is the solo project of Angus Watt, supported by an ‘ever-shifting cast of musicians and collaborators from Montréal, Vancouver, and Victoria’, and last week they released their latest single with “Sweet Nic”.

The track is the second single off the upcoming album Unmade In Minutes and is a quirky & catchy song about the dangers of nicotine, with Watt explaining:
“I wrote Sweet Nic after being left unattended with Connor Head’s accursed Juul (while Juul’s were still legal in Canada) when he and I lived together in an apartment in Victoria’s Chinatown. The idea was to write a song about (or around) nicotine without using any words that were too obvious, such as 'cigarette' or 'smoking'. What started as a writing exercise has resulted mostly in confused reactions, or people asking who Nic is? Hopefully the music video with the bruiser cigarette thugs clears things up. It's very freeing, being dressed as a human-sized cigarette.”

Unmade In Minutes comes out on April 24th, and be sure to check out the absolutely unhinged (complimentary) music video below!

• Kirk

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“Last Life” by Thea May

I’m not gonna lie, it was the first line in the press release for “Last Life” by Thea May that caught my attention:

Don’t bother with anything but honesty with Thea May. An emo kid at heart, the Anishinaabe artist from Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, ON, makes music because she has to.

And I’m glad it did, because as soon as I started the song, I had to crank it. “Last Life” is raw and energetic, with a dark humour as May shares, “It's how I cope. It’s not a cry for help, it’s a side-eye at the clichés you lean on when you’re emotionally and spiritually overloaded and still expected to function.”

There’s a video out later this month, but you can have a listen now, and keep an ear out for more from Thea May later this year!

• Kirk