Song of the Day: April 16, 2020 - "How it Breaks" by Rich Aucoin

If there was any new music I needed to land in my inbox right now during my self-isolation, it’s Rich Aucoin!

Been eagerly awaiting this new track “How it Breaks”, as he’s been teasing it’s release for a while. The song, which Rich wrote during his bike across America for mental health charities, is a wicked protest song - which the video really highlights and emphasizes with the visuals.

The track pulls from a lot of elements, from David Bowie to a repurposed beat from Rihanna’s song “Umbrella” and the backing vocals include Kyla Charter (Patrick Watson/July Talk), Simone Denny (Love Inc.), James Baley (U.S. Girls), Maylee Todd, and Tarik Henry.

I can’t wait to hear more from Rich - hopefully sooner rather than later. But when you’re done listening to his protest song, he put together a protest PLAYLIST, so you can keep the energy going…

Song of the Day: April 15, 2020 - "Ballet in a Phone Booth" by Satellite and The Harpoonist

We’ve been a bit quiet around here, outside of our weekly online concert round up, but when this landed in my inbox I REALLY wanted to share it.

Shawn Hall (the Harpoonist of Harpoonist and The Axe Murderer) is now part of a super group that features Geoff Hillhorst from The Deep Dark Woods, Theo Vincent from Vancouver’s own The Boom Booms, and Bradford Reed, from Brooklyn band King Missile III.

The band name? Satellite and The Harpoonist!

The first single is out now, titled: “Ballet in a Phone Booth” and if the band members listed weren’t enough, Royal Canoe’s Matt Peters, AND the video was directed by Peter Ricq (of, amongst many things, Vancouver duo HUMANS).

The album is said to be coming out this summer, and I cannot wait for more from them!

Song of the Day: March 18, 2020 - "Crazy" by Raincity

Well, this is an appropriate song for today…

Vancouver band Raincity just released a new video for their song “Crazy” (off of their self-titled album released last year).

The song is about betrayal and gas-lighting and making someone feel like it’s all in their head - though right now, you could just being going crazy from self-isolation or quarantine, so it might be your new jam.

Plus there’s a tasty sax solo, and everyone should have a dose of that today!
They had some tour dates coming up, but with everything going on they’re likely all postponed now…so support them by giving the video a watch!

Song of the Day: March 17, 2020 - "Vultures" by Ashleigh Ball

I’m sure you know Ashleigh Ball as part of the Vancouver trio Hey Ocean!, but just last week she returned with a brand new solo release, “Vultures”.

She says the song is about "the intimate connection of lifelong friendships and the importance of women strengthening each other. It’s about the ways we can be truly vulnerable in these friendships and cut out the people who are threatened by that openness."

No official word on the new album, but Ashleigh has been recording with Matt Peters and Matt Schellenberg from Royal Canoe, and if you follow them or even other artists they’ve worked with, you know it’s gonna be a good one.

Song of the Day: March 16, 2020 - "The Worst In Us" by The Dears

If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, or know me at all, you may know that one of my favourite bands is The Dears. So when I saw a brand new song pop up last Friday, I was just a little excited.

The perhaps timely named “The Worst In Us” is the first single off their upcoming album Lovers Rock due out May 15. It starts off with a grandiose swell, but takes a turn part-way through, hinting at a callback to the darker No Cities Left.

In fact, singer Murray Lightburn says “There’s a direct line between the sort of doominess of No Cities Left and this album. You could go straight from Lovers Rock to No Cities Left and it’s like they're interlocked. But it's a different kind of doom.  Around 2001, it felt like, ‘We have no control. We don't know what's going to happen next.’ Now it’s a doom that's within our grasp. It’s in the air. It’s between us. But we do nothing about it.”

Take a look/listen below!

Song of the Day: March 15, 2020 - "Hot Mess" by Nice Horse

I think I can speak for both myself and Christine when I say our favourite country band is back with a bit of a “Hot Mess”. Just last week Nice Horse the brand new song about, well, I think you can take a guess.

“Hot Mess” comes a couple years after the release of their debut album, as the band has been very busy winning awards, relentlessly touring, and even creating an app to help musicians keep themselves organized.

Have a listen below!

Song of the Day: March 14, 2020 - "I'm In Love" by Sunday Morning

Vancouver’s Sunday Morning released “I’m In Love” earlier this year, but the dark and gritty rocker as song of the day is timed just right for both the release of their latest album Consequences Of Love (Part 2) — out yesterday — and their album release show — tonight at the Rickshaw.

Have a watch below, for a band full of Vancouver all-stars, including members of bands like The Evaporators, Slow, The Ballyntines, Destroyer, and more!

Song(s) of the Day: March 13, 2020 - "Trouble Is" & "Ain't No One Like You" by The Matinée

It’s been a hot minute since we last heard from Vancouver roots rockers The Matinée, but this past week they released not one, but TWO new songs.

“Trouble Is” and “Ain’t No One Like You” are both natural extensions of the bands sound, with some familiar voices helping out — both Dawn Pemberton and Colleen Rennison (No Sinner) lending their incredible pipes, as well as Matt Kelly (of City & Colour as of late) on slide guitar.

Lead singer Matt Layzell says “Inspiration for ‘Trouble Is’ came after seeing the premiere of ‘Selfless’, a poignant documentary which looks at the effects of social media and screen time on today’s youth by the wonderful people at Fresh Independence. The concept arose from conversations sparked after digesting the film’s message, which got us riled up that no one seems to want to do or say anything about it. The song allows us to preach wearily from our humble soap box and tell you what we feel the ‘Trouble Is’.”

While there’s nothing official announced, I have it on good authority that a new album is very much on the horizon, so while you wait pop these into your ears on repeat.