Happy 10 Year Band Birthday to Said The Whale!
I said a bunch of sappy stuff on how much I love them over HERE if you want to read it.
And if you're in Vancouver tonight, get your butts to the Media Club (door at 7, but get there early!) to see them play some songs of old for only $10. (And check out their instagram today for blasts from the past.)
Ever since The Dears released Times Infinity Vol. 1 in '015 they've been teasing the inevitable followup, Times Infinity vol. 2. It was even recorded at the same time as the first volume, but now they've finally given us the first taste of the album. It's is due out July 14 on Paper Bag Records, but you can/should groove out to the first single "Of Fisticuffs" now.
We've had solo records from 2/3 of Hey Ocean so far (both Daves), and now we're going to be blessed with the angelic voice of Ashleigh Ball on her new EP!
Gold In You is set to be released on June 2nd, and the first single (and video) titled "Crazy" is out now!
Have a listen below and keep an eye out for more music leading up to the release. Can't wait for this one!
The rock & roll duo Kitty & The Rooster is comprised of Vancouver mainstays Jodie Ponto & Noah Walker (respectively) and their latest song "Paid A Million Dollars (To Live Like You're Poor)" is a big middle finger to the Vancouver trend of "renovictions". In their own words:
It's not every day that you get asked to play a rock n' roll show directly across the street from the house you were renovicted from. Never a band to pass up an opportunity for sweet revenge, Kitty & The Rooster wrote Paid A Million Dollars (To Live Like You're Poor) to serenade their former landlords. If you've ever been renovicted (if you live in Vancouver you probably have!), this song is for you.
Like they said, if you've ever been kicked out of your place, or even if you know someone who has -- and, let's face it, if you're reading this you almost definitely do -- crank it for a bit of catharsis.
If you follow Matthew Good, you may have seen a demo posted on his site for a song called "Bad Guys Win". It was only up for a few hours, but if you missed it, it's now the fully fledged first single for his upcoming album.
The politically charged song comes with a scathingly satirical video of a head of state acting, well, let's just say a little less than presidential, and leave it at that.
(And not to spoil anything, but there is a moment which I think/hope is a nice homage to Return of the Jedi).
Not only are we getting the first single off Matt Mays' upcoming album, Once Upon A Hell of a Time, we're getting a 4-song teaser!
The first single is "Faint of Heart", but you can also find a digital EP with four songs from the upcoming album in all the usual places. And if the rest of the album is anything like these, well, it'll more than live up to its name.
photo by Tyler Knight
Another new tune from Land Of Talk ahead of the upcoming release of Life After Youth on May 19.
"Loving" is the 3rd track to come out since the 7 year hiatus (of new music), and you will hopefully be able to hear it live as their show here in Vancouver on June 26th at the Imperial!
I saw this duo at the Trans Musicales Festival in France in December and have been waiting and hoping for a Vancouver tour date to pop up, and it has (July 21st at the Biltmore Ballroom [upstairs venue above the Biltmore]).
New York band PWR BTTM have a new album called Pageant out on May 12th, and released a new song last week called "LOL" - Take a listen below, and I'll let you read what the song is about in the band's own words:
"LOL is a song about trying. Trying to understand. Trying to grow up. Trying to reconcile who you wish you were with who you can't help being. Sometimes you try as hard you can to do those things and you fail. You fucking fail really, really hard. So hard that you have to give yourself a break and just laugh about how hard and weird things can be; about how no matter how secure you think you are deep down there's a part of us all the feels like they're doing everything for the first time
In performing the song, I tried to surround myself with people who made me feel powerful, like I could keep on trying no matter what. People like our French Horn player Cameron West, Kiley Lotz from Petal and, of course, my amazing mom Christiane Hopkins. They made me feel like I could keep going, I hope this song helps you feel the same! - Ben"