Songs of the Week: October 02 - 08, 2023

October 10, 2023 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“There's Never Enough Voices” by WAASH

You may know Vancouver’s Andrew Bishop, as he’s played with (or alongside) about 73% of all Vancouver bands, including Twin River, Alex Little & The Suspicious Minds, dwi, and White Ash Falls.

Now, Bishop is branching out with a brand new group, WAASH. The first single, “There's Never Enough Voices”, is a swirling, shoegaze tune that Bishop says is “about trying to come to an understanding about the intentions within your actions and the realization of your past mistakes. Quite often we get caught in the moment and don’t understand the consequences.”

The self-titled, debut EP comes out November 20th, and you can check out the first single below!

Kirk

“I Really Like Your Style” by Combine The Victorious

A new single from Vancouver’s Combine The Victorious has been released, and on top of that, it’s the first one they’ve written with new member and guitarist Dan Clement.

The song starts out soft and airy and then builds up into a fun little reggae track you can dance and sway to.

The band will be performing at the Cascade Room on Thursday October 19th as part of their After Dark series.

Christine

“WannaBe” by Autogramm

A couple weeks ago, Vancouver’s power-group Autogramm dropped their first single from the upcoming album, Music That Humans Can Play.

“WannaBe” (no, not that one) delves deep into the band’s 80’s influences, with a chorus that will instantly get stuck in your head.

Drummer/singer The Silo explains that, “WannaBe began as a way to say to the most important person in my life that I will stand beside them no matter what their direction, self-opinion, or physical state of being. Upon further reflection, I thought it could apply more broadly to all of our relationships in life: it’s a declaration of love and support to any friend, child, or lover who is going through a change in their self-perception; the idea that gender, occupation, size, skin, are all merely physical manifestations of being and will never matter as much as the person underneath it all.”

Autogramm features members of Black Mountain, Destroyer, Lightning Dust, and lots more, and you can hear the full album Music That Humans Can Play when it’s out November 14th.

Kirk

Songs of the Week: September 25 - October 01, 2023

October 03, 2023 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Rose City” by Eliott BROOD

Elliott BROOD is back with not one, but two new albums, Town and Country!

The first of the pair, Town, kicks off with an ode to Mark Sasso and Casey Laforet’s hometown of Windsor Ontario, with the new single “Rose City”. The tune joins a long line of songs about ‘home’ from the trio, with their trademark raucous sound.

Town will be out November 3rd, with Country out later on. Maybe you’ll hear a sneak peek on their current tour, which includes a stop here in Vancouver at the Biltmore Cabaret this Friday (Oct 6th)!

Kirk

“Personal Effects” by Chromeo

I’m still choked I missed out on their show in Vancouver, but I’ll take a new track from Chromeo and day!
“Personal Effects” is the latest song to be released from their upcoming album Adult Contemporary (due out Feb 16th).
It’s another banger, one that you can definitely groove along to, and has a hilarious backstory from Dave 1:
“I was on a flight and the pilot said, ‘please don’t forget your personal effects’ and I was like, ‘wait how come this isn’t a Chromeo song title?!’ We felt like we needed a little breezy funk…something warm and fuzzy to bop to. You notice that long instrumental bit at the end? That’s definitely a motif on the album: extended sections where we let the music ride out. Adult Contemporary is a meditation on modern, mature relationships, which means: if we gotta sing about curling irons, so be it.”
Love it.

Christine

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“Laws of the Universe” by Twin Rains

Glad we were a day late because of the long weekend, because it meant I could include my newest discovery via my inbox, Twin Rains.

Hailing from Toronto, the duo of Christine (good name) and Jay released their new song “Laws of the Universe” - a shoe-gazey, dreamy, pop song.
The concept and inspiration actually came from an episode of Succession and of it Christine says: “Kendall speaks at his father’s funeral, saying basically: ‘Yeah we know he wasn’t a nice person—but look at what he accomplished.’ So one moment I’m watching TV and the next I’m in deep contemplation because I find this to be such a profound philosophical debate—what’s more important, your life and how you treat the people and places in it, or your legacy?”

Check it out!

Christine

Songs of the Week: September 18 - 24, 2023

September 25, 2023 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Another Place” by Shred Kelly

As we creep closer to the release of Blurry Vision, the sixth album from Shred Kelly out on October 20th, the stoke-folk band is sharing another preview by wishing they were in “Another Place”.

Band member Tim Newton says the song is about never quite feeling like you’re in the right place, explaining: “When we’re on the road, we miss home, and when we’re home, we miss the experiences that travel brings. Our hearts are always in two places at once.”

One of those places will soon be here in Vancouver, as they are soon kicking off their tour with Elliott BROOD and stop at the Biltmore on October 6th!

Kirk

“Pilgrims” by Tim Baker

With his new album, All Along The Mountain Road announced for October 20th, Tim Baker has released a new track called “Pilgrims”.

Of the song he says it is: “…sort of about being born in the wrong time - feeling more spiritual and religious than our modern, rational, digital reality encourages. It’s about feeling close to sweetness, ease, goodness, enlightenment even, but always being pulled away from it by reality - specifically the reality of the climate crisis and our inability to fix it, ignore it, or find some deeper meaning in it beyond senseless destruction. It also speaks to my life as a traveller, a searcher, someone who is always leaving, always reaching for something, but never quite seems to arrive and find it. But somehow still has hope and keeps going.”

Tim has announced a fall tour that’s billed as “an evening of songs, stories, stripped back and solo performances” - and he is doing two nights at St James Community Square here on November 23rd and 24th.

Christine

“Heading Home” by wiL&Co

For about two decades now, BC singer/songwriter William Mimnaugh has been going by the stage name WiL. But recently he wanted to highlight that there is more to WiL than just him, especially his legendary live shows which frequently feature drummer Keith Gallant and Matt Bromley on electric guitar. And so the name has evolved to: wiL&Co.

And along with the updated moniker, there is a brand new song, “Heading Home”.

A heartwrenching song about looking back, as Wil expands: “Not many songs are written from the perspective of someone who is ready to die. Our culture tends to shy away from the topic; perhaps since we are all heading there and we can't do a damn thing to change it we spend hours obsessing over its inevitability versus the alternative of being genuinely present; to acknowledge and appreciate what is right in front of us, good or bad rather than wile away the hours worrying about what hasn't happened. When you have lived 'a life' and arrived at a place where you know it's time; it can be peaceful; even liberating. This is what I realized after having had some remarkable conversations; knowing that once I leave the room, I may not see them ever again. In this case, a gent I got to know over the years who recently passed. He had accepted his imminent fate but also spoke some brutal truths with a glint and a grin. I was able to sit with him for one final scotch and a great chin wag”

Have a listen below, and keep an eye out for him hitting your town on his string of western Canadian dates.

Kirk

“All Your Fails” by Kevin Drew

I’ve really been enjoying the vibes of the new music that Kevin Drew has been putting out lately, and am excited that the new album is finally out (physically - digitally that will be November 3).

The Aging LP has taken on a more sonic and melodic route, with songs reminding me of early Broken Social Scene.

“All Your Fails” fits that bill as well, and of it he says "Live by the mirror, die by the mirror. The loops of the constant reflective trauma continue within exploring vocal ranges beside Lake Ontario. I have always kept a journal next to my mouth for better or worse. I hope you enjoy this struggle anthem for the outdoor bedroom lovers of yesterday."

Christine

Songs of the Week: September 11 - 17, 2023

September 18, 2023 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Tough Kid” by Skye Wallace

Skye Wallace wants to know if you are a “Tough Kid”.

The new single is their first collaboration with the legendary Hawksley Workman co-producer, and the result is a gritty, slow-burn of a tune.

Skye says “Before this song came to its full fruition and was still a pile of words and ideas, I had an image of this kid in my head that I was pumping up. That kid represented anyone who needed to hear it, any kid who has been told they aren't allowed to be who they truly are, that they aren't good enough – I wanted this song to be a reminder to them that they've got a power in them that they might not believe in yet. It was only when we were designing the single artwork, which involved using an old photo of me at 10 years old, that I realized I had also been talking to my weird kid self. There's a power in looking back with pride and care for the kid you were.”

So if your inner child needs pumping up, check out the video below!

Kirk

“Marigold” by Begonia

Tomorrow the Polaris Prize will be handed out for 2023, and Begonia’s album Powder Blue is one of the 10 nominees!

Last week she released her Marigold EP, which features the song from Powder Blue, an extended cut and three remixes. (It’s one of my favourites from the album, so I was VERY excited for this.)
Of the track she says: "Marigold is basically a short story about my teenage life. A passing reflection that has confirmed for me that all the questions and uncertainties I had as a kid, have value.”
All the best of luck to her tomorrow!

Christine

“End Of It All” by iskwē

“End of It All” is a breakup song, but maybe not in the way you’re thinking. The latest single from iskwē is about the end of her relationship with her ex-wife, but the evolution of that relationship into best friends.

iskwē explains, “I met my love, my future wife, on a fall afternoon in front of a park halfway between our two homes. I was late. I am always late. She is never late. As I walked towards her, I started to skip like I was five years old with the biggest smile on my face. My stomach knew I would love her like nobody before and now, in hindsight, like nobody after. For me, marriage is a commitment to try harder than you would with anyone else because that person is so special. And that’s what we did! ‘We tried, and we tried, and we tried, but the end of it all came anyway.’”

“End of It All” is iskwē’s third new single since the spring, and fingers crossed for a new album announcement soon, but in the meantime you can see iskwē live this fall, including a show here in Vancouver at The Pearl on November 10th!

Kirk

“Promise Of Spring” by Great Lake Swimmers

I’m going to be listening to this one all winter - I’m still in denial that it’s getting cold again.

Great Lake Swimmers have just started out on their four-month-long tour, which will stop in Vancouver on October 19th, and have announced a deluxe version of their latest album Uncertain Country.

With it came another single from the album “Promise Of Spring”, which was recorded live off the floor back in December 2020!

Christine

Songs of the Week: September 04 - 10, 2023

September 11, 2023 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Conductors” by The Rural Alberta Advantage

For the last few months, The Rural Alberta Advantage has been teasing us with some new music, and now they have finally announced their upcoming album! And along with the news comes a brand new single, “Conductors” which is a hard-hitting, true to form tune from The RAA.

The Rise & The Fall, is the first full length album from the band in six years, and features the return of original member Amy Cole, re-joining Paul Banwatt and Nils Edenloff. The album drops October 6 on Paper Bag Records, and you can check out the lyric video for “Conductors” below.

Kirk

“Attention” by Talia Schlanger

I love when a press release makes me do a double-take… Talia Schlanger!?…like?…the one I know from CBC Radio 3, q, NPR and more?
Yep! And its a beauty of a track too.

“Attention” is the new single from the former radio host, from her upcoming debut Grace for the Going. After leaving her job in 2019, traveling Europe writing and singing, coming back in winter 2020 ready to record (and we know what happened then), she’s finally ready to release her music to the world.

She played an intimate show in Toronto, the same day the single was released, and hopefully this means more music (and maybe more shows?) in the future, ahead of the 2024 release date/

Christine

“What It Takes” and “Leave the Lights On” by Bend Sinister

Not content with releasing a pair of singles a couple months ago, Bend Sinister released two more tunes last week!

“What It Takes” is a fun, tongue-in-cheek song that asks the tough questions, while “Leave The Lights On” has a (relatively) restrained, but no less infectious, vibe.

Along with the new songs, Bend Sinister also release a brand new game! The in-browser rhythm game harkens back to the flash games of yore, as you take the band on their van to their next gig. Check it out here on their website.

Kirk

“Who Would You Be For Me” by Metric

We’re just over a month away from the new album Formentera II, from Metric out on October 13, and we have another track from the record.

I didn’t expect the acoustic beginning of the song, but when I read Emily Haines’ description of the track it made sense:
"“Who Would You Be For Me” is a throwback lullaby set in NYC in 2002. All the action takes place in Tompkins Square Park, in a subway car, and at the café on St. Marks Place where I worked as a waitress when we were getting our start.
Automatic behaviors and patterns are often fairly easy to flag in others but can be a riddle to spot in yourself. In life and in love, all the emphasis in your mind can default to being what someone else wants until it dawns on you to consider your own desire. I could be the girl for you, but who would you be for me?”
It’s a lovely, slow burner, that reminds me of Emily’s solo work a bit, but it’s definitely got that Metric-vibe.
They’ve announced some intimate shows in places like New York, Toronto and LA, but nothing on a full tour for the new album yet!

Christine

Songs of the Week: August 28 - September 03, 2023

September 05, 2023 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Heaven's Gate” by Radar Peak

Take two parts PUP and one part Modern Superstitions, and you get Radar Peak. The “not-so-new” project from Nestor Chumak, Zack Mykula, and Matt Aldred just recently announced their debut album, even though the band ostensibly formed nearly 20 years ago.

The first single to show off the band is “Heaven's Gate”, which Mykula calls “the first song we worked on where it felt like we’d figured out what Radar Peak is. The three of us taking a thread of a song and spinning it into 3 minutes of melody and guitars and pounding drums and harmonies and a twin guitar solo for good measure. It felt good to be locked away together with our instruments, bridging the distance of thousands of miles, hundreds of gigs, a couple missed birthdays and life passing you by. This is us figuring it out together and coming out the other side in one piece.”

Have a listen below, and keep an ear out for more this year, when the self-titled album drops October 20th!

Kirk

“Not The Name You Say” by Hannah Georgas

Hannah Georgas’s new album I’d Be Lying If I Said I Didn’t Care is finally out in the world!
The latest track “Not The Name You Say” was released recently as well just ahead of the record dropping.
It’s a beautiful album that she took the reigns on and produced herself using analogue equipment. (Listen to the whole album by clicking here.)
She’s heading out on tour through the states with Broken Social Scene, and then kicking off her own tour, ending with a show in Vancouver at the Hollywood Theatre on December 7th, and I cannot wait to hear the new music live!

Christine

Songs of the Week: August 21 -27, 2023

August 28, 2023 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Mmm, Delicious” by Nora Kelly Band

Not going to lie, a small part of the reason I am including this song is because the promo image caught my eye and I needed to share it.

But the bigger part of sharing the newest single from the Montreal quintet Nora Kelly Band, is that “Mmm, Delicious” is an incredibly catchy tune, with a quirky country twang.

Nora explains that the song “is one of the especially playful and raucous moments on the album, but at its core it’s me trying to make a deal with myself to stop arguing for argument's sake; a reminder to think about when to take the high road, and when to not give up the fight.
What I really like is how well the song showcases the talents of everyone in the band. All 6 of the players get the opportunity to contribute their own unique flavour to the track, hence… ‘Mmm Delicious’. We the band would be overjoyed if Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Putter’s Pickles or Classico picked it up to advertise their incredible products.”

Check out “Mmm, Delicious” below, or pick up the recently released album Rodeo Clown, out now on Mint Records.

Kirk

“What’s Even Real Anymore” by Old Man Canyon

We’re getting supernatural this Monday morning with a new track from Vancouver’s Old Man Canyon.
Frontman Jett Pace says of “What’s Even Real Anymore”: “While I was writing this song, I had a bunch of UFO sightings…. There was a two-week period where I quite literally would go outside, in the middle of the day, look up and see these strange metallic lights hovering in the sky over my house. Sometimes there would be 3 or more, disappearing, reappearing, staying in one spot for hours, forming triangles, and shooting off super-fast. I still have no clue what they are, but there was something magic about those experiences that instilled a sense of curiosity that I hadn’t felt since I was a kid, it opened me up again. Coupled with the confusion of the world, every source of truth was being questioned in some way. I think a lot of people felt the same.”
Well that’s nuts!
The video for the track is a must-see and fits the whole vibe of the song with both film and computer generated material.
There’s also a release show announcement - October 1st at the Hollywood Theatre.

Christine

“What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Paranoid” by The Beaches

Honestly, every single song The Beaches have released from their upcoming album Blame My Ex has been a BANGER.
The new single “What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Paranoid” is no exception, and I already know the new album will be one of my favourites of the year (it’s out September 15th).

Of the new song, the band says it’s “a song about feeling intense anxiety after a breakup. This had been my experience when my relationship had just ended. I wasn’t used to being on my own, so I found myself feeling really insecure in social situations - which was really surreal because I’m usually very confident and self-assured. However, the more people I’ve shown this song to, the more I’ve come to understand I'm not alone."
Also can’t wait for their show at the Orpheum on November 12th - and a LOT of the shows on their tour are selling out, so if you want to catch them, grab a ticket!

Christine

“In the Middle” by Darryl Kissick

You may know Darryl Kissick as a part of the group Foxwarren, but the Regina songwriter is gearing up to release his third full-length solo album, Goodbye Patterns.

The first single, “In the Middle,” is an entrancing song about “receiving a life-altering vision from another dimension and losing one’s sense of self, but for the better.”

Which is just a taste of the full album, which promises to deal “with the supernatural like aliens, werewolves, and time loops”

Check out the single below, and pick up the full album on October 6th!

Kirk

Songs of the Week: August 14 - 20, 2023

August 21, 2023 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Who Am I Now?” by David Vertesi

David Vertesi is back and going through an existential crisis. The latest solo release from the Hey Ocean! member — and integral part of Vancouver’s music & arts scene for over a decade — asks the question “Who Am I Now?”

Vertesi explains “This song was born out of the individual and collective renegotiation of self that I have witnessed since 2020 and the beginning of the pandemic. With my band of 15+ years [Hey Ocean!] on indefinite hiatus, I was attempting to do this for myself, however, I couldn't help but notice pretty much everyone around me was doing the same: leaving jobs, moving cities, ending relationships. But whether mourning or celebrating the loss of our old lives it seemed like we were all asking ourselves the same question.”

“Who Am I Now?” features Vertesi’s trademark smooth vocals over a moody beat, and marks his first release through Vancouver’s Tiny Kingdom Music. So check below to find out who the hell David Vertesi is now.

Kirk

“Out in the Fields” and “Party Oven” by Kevin Drew

We’ve got a new solo album announcement from Broken Social Scene front man Kevin Drew, and it looks like it’s quite a vulnerable one.
Aging will be released in the fall (physically first on September 22, and then digitally on November 3rd) and was heavily influenced on loss, love, and illness of those around him, and the reality of aging.

Of the album the press release says it is “an album best played at the end of the night; a collection for the stragglers left when the bar is about to close; a serenade for those who are coming down; songs that are quietly sad but ultimately ruminative and comforting.”
The first two tracks “Out In The Fields” and “Party Oven” have major BSS “Lover’s Spit” vibes and I’m here for it. Can’t wait for more.

Christine

“The Cabin” by Haley Blais

Speaking of David Vertesi’s contributions to the local music scene, someone he’s been producing lately has been Haley Blais, who is giving us another peek at her upcoming album, Wisecrack.

Her latest song is “The Cabin” which she describes as “A sweaty, dehydrated memory of my summers spent in the cabin on the lake. It wasn’t our cabin — my dad’s brother’s wife’s cousin’s friends owned it or something — but it was ours. I had my first sips of beer, first almost kisses. It’s a fluffy recollection until the guitars break through with their overbearing distortion like a roaring tidal wave and I’m thrown back into the discomfort of real time.”

The video for was directed by Zia Kalyan, and features some familiar faces in Blais’ chaotic orchestra.

Wisecrack comes out September 15, and she’ll be celebrating the release with a show in Vancouver at the Hollywood on October 20th!

Kirk

“Let’s Do Drugs” by NOBRO

And now for something completely different… NOBRO’s first single of 2023 “Let’s Do Drugs”!
A fun, loud, fast, punk song, “Let’s Do Drugs” is one I can see a whole venue shouting along to.
Of the idea behind it, vocalist/bassist Kathryn McCaughey says it’s “a ‘dumb’ rock song about getting older…about wanting to have one more wild night, while having no business doing so and failing miserably. Musically it’s a middle ground between maybe ‘(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)’ and ‘Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap’ but only the dumbest bits of those songs, distilled into something even more dumb. It’s like shotgunning a beer then immediately puking on yourself.”
I don’t know if there’s anything left to say - I really hope they swing by Vancouver soon!

Christine

“Rise Up With Fists” by Elliott BROOD

Sometimes I’ll see a band release a track with the same name as another song, and be disappointed it’s not a cover.

Other times, Elliott BROOD will release an absolutely fantastic cover of the Jenny Lewis classic “Rise Up With Fists”.

The tune is the latest in their covers collection, and hopefully they’ll be playing this live on their upcoming tour with Shred Kelly, or at least when they hit Vancouver at the Biltmore Cabaret on October 6th.

Kirk

“Electric Dreams” by Adnama

Vancouver’s Adnama is back with her first new single in over a year, “Electric Dreams”.

The fittingly-titled song is an ethereal ear-worm, which “surfs on layers of synth waves while floating in a dreamlike state.”

Check it out below, and try not to get it stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

Kirk