Song(s) of the Day: June 09, 2016 - Indiekör: Coastal Sound Youth Choir covering Stars, Dan Mangan, and The New Pornographers

For the fifth (and final!) year, the Coastal Sound Youth Choir will be running their Indiekör show. First, tonight in Victoria at Oak Bay United Church and then this Saturday at The Vogue Theatre.  

What is Indiekör? With a choir of 65 singers, aged 14-22, and backed by The Salteens, Indiekör is "an innovative cross-pollination of classical choral music and indie rock. This year’s show will feature music by: The Zolas, Vampire Weekend, The Shins, Grimes, Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver, Arcade Fire and more!"

For more about the project, you can check out the video above. Or to hear a few examples from last year, check out the videos below with covers of "Letter From An Occupant" by The New Pornographers, Dan Mangan's "Robots", and one of my all time favourite songs, "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" by Stars.

Song of the Day: June 08, 2016 - "Knife" by Twin River

New single from the upcoming album (seriously, it's out in 9 days on June 17th!) Passing Shade from Vancouver's Twin River - "Knife".

Another excellent track from what is sure to be a great album - for which they're having a release party on June 30th at the Cobalt - details here.

They will be playing a slew of other BC dates, including the Khatsahlano festival on July 9th on West 4th Ave. Check out "Knife" below and get your tickets for the release party!

Song of the Day: June 07, 2016 "Stadium Pow Wow" by A Tribe Called Red ft Black Bear

Today's Song Of The Day is an awesome new one from A Tribe Called Red and it features the Black Bear Drum Group (check this video out...goosebumps!).

It's the first new track since the release of their EP Suplex last year, and it comes out just before the group will set out for their summer festival tour.

You can catch them in BC in Victoria for the Phillips Backyard Weekender in July, or at the PNE Summer Nights Concert series on August 31st. But first, have a listen to "Stadium Pow Wow" below!

Song of the Day: June 06, 2016 - "Give It Up" by Bear Mountain

I ran into Ian Bevis, lead singer of Vancouver's Bear Mountain, the other month in Vancouver and pretty much the first words out of my mouth were "WHEN does the new album come out!?".

Well we finally have an answer: Badu drops on September 9th this fall, and on top of that, we have a new single called "Give It Up".

I've played it on repeat since it came out this week and now am even more anxious for the new record. Have a listen below and mark your calendars.

Song of the Day: June 05, 2016 - "I Took A Pill In Ibiza" by STARS

My favourite thing about cover songs in general, and Stars year-long cover project in specific, is hearing how the band puts their own spin on a song. 

The latest in their monthly series is their take on Mike Posner's "I Took A Pill In Ibiza". Check it out below!

(Also, in related news, Torquil Campbell is working on a new Memphis album with Chris Dumont and they need YOUR help! Check out their IndieGoGo campaign, and if you have a spare $5,000 lying around you can not only get a song written for you, but you get 5% of all royalties for it, as well!) 

Song of the Day: June 04, 2016 - "Coastal California, 1985" by Math and Physics Club

I fully admit, there have been times where I have listened to a new band based entirely on their name, and that was precisely the case when I came across Seattle band Math and Physics Club. It also helped that I loved the title of their album at the time: I Shouldn't Look As Good As I Do. I was quickly won over by their charming, twee indie-pop and songs like "We're So DIY" and "Love or Loneliness" and became a fan.

Flash forward to now, when the band is releasing a comprehensive 16-track B-sides and rarities collection called In This Together, songs that have gone unreleased from the bands ten-plus year span. It also includes a brand new song "Coastal California 1985" which you can hear below, highlighting the band's bouncy guitars and swelling harmonies. 

Now I'm just hoping they finally venture across the border for an overdue Vancouver show sometime. 

Song of the Day: June 03, 2016 - "Battlescar" by Adam Baldwin

Adam Baldwin has released his second single from his upcoming album [No Telling When (Precisely Nineteen Eighty-Five)] titled "Battlescar". 
I may or may not have listened to it about 10 times the other day - I think it's because a) it's great, and b) it reminds me of "Young & Lazy" by The Matinee.

The song, according to Adam, is about "a toxic relationship doomed not to last, but so wrought with passion that it doesn't seem to end". I think that's relatable to many.

Check out the song below... Some tour dates have been released, but nothing for Vancouver yet, but I'll be the first to be posting excitedly about it!

Song(s) of the Day: June 2, 2016 - Ancient Shapes Self-Titled Album

Surprise!
When Daniel Romano released his record Mosey, he also unexpectedly dropped a new album under a new moniker Ancient Shapes, and it's a punk rock record!

I grew up in the Niagara Region in Ontario where it feels like almost all of Canada's punk rock scene came from, including Attack In Black.

Ancient Shapes isn't as loud as early AIB, and not as mellow as late AIB, and it's definitely not country-Daniel Romano. It's it's own thing with clear influence from his past and present, and I love it. Give it a listen below...