I mean, I was already excited when I saw that The Elwins wrote an original Christmas song, but then it also resulted in that amazing photo up there of the boys lookin’ like baby deer.
You’re sure to fawn over “With All Your Friends”. So happy Christmas Eve Eve, and enjoy it below.
photo by Christine McAvoy
That Beach Boys Christmas Album has some of my favourite holiday music on it, and some of my favourite musicians covered a song from it this year!
JP Maurice put out a Christmas record with covers (check it out here) and has been releasing the songs throughout December. (We’ll probably have more as SOTD leading up to Christmas.) (Also, fun fact, I took that photo up there!)
I present to you JP Maurice and Said The Whale covering “Little Saint Nick”.
We’ve opened the floodgates on Christmas songs now!
Megan Bonnell has had a pretty great year, and she’s capping it off with the release of an original Christmas song about the complexity of being Santa Claus.
“Santa Needs A Santa” is fun and playful, and makes an excellent point. Check it out below.
photo by Leeor Wild
Kirk has a rule around here that we don’t post Christmas/holiday music until December 20th because his birthday is on the 19th!
So I’ve been sitting on a few x-mas songs that we’re going to roll out starting today with “It Won’t Be Christmas (‘Till You’re Here)” by Winnipeg’s Begonia!
Get the eggnog out, put on some cozy socks, and get into the holiday mood!
What better way to end off the year (well, almost…) than with more new music from Rong? The Vancouver four-piece of Kristy-Lee Audette, Catherine Hiltz, Emily Jayne, and Jen Foster (who have collectively played with something like over a dozen bands) just put out a video for the new song “Bitter Suite” and have teased lots more to come in the new year.
So crank the song below, as it was meant to be heard, and keep your ears out for more!
Warning: “Level Best” is going to be the most heart-melting thing you will see/hear all month.
The latest song released off of Cascadia, the upcoming Said the Whale album, is a song that singer Tyler Bancroft wrote for his son, a promise that he will do his “level best” in his job as a father as his son gets in trouble, starts bands, the usual stuff.
You can also check out the video, which (literally) follows the Bancrofts on a walk through the forest. Check it out as you get ready for Cascadia to come out February 8, 2019 on Arts + Crafts! (Or pick up a pre-order package, which come with fancy extras like flags, flasks, and even custom backpacks!)
My favourite new discovery of the Vancouver Folk Fest this past year had to be Wallis Bird, who I saw perform a workshop with perennial favourite Skye Wallace. Since then, I’ve been keeping an ear out for new music, so I was happy to see “The Ocean” pop up.
The song is also accompanied by a video that is a “love letter” to the global LGBTQ+ community. Wallis says “We would love for this film to reach our LGBTQ+ family in the 72 countries where being gay is still illegal so we can try to shine a light on the darkness by giving a voice to the LGBTQ+ voiceless. In doing so, we're showing that, while we’re divided by social, religious or cultural barriers, we’re all bound by our aspirations towards true love.”
photo by Norman Wong
Wintersleep’s SEVENTH full length record is coming, titled In The Land Of, and we have a new single from it (no release date yet).
“Surrender” is a gentle song that builds up to a big crescendo, in true Wintersleep fashion.
They’ve announced a tour as well, and will be in Vancouver on the 26th of April at the Commodore. Check out the new tune below!