Songs of the Week: Jan 25 - 31, 2021

“Jellybean” by Justin Rutledge

If you’ve seen Justin Rutledge perform live over the past decade or so, you may remember this crowd favourite. Well, after so many years, Canada’s greatest sing-a-long (sorry “Robots”) has finally made its way on to one of Justin’s albums. And to capture the same vibes as the live performances, he’s enlisted the help of Dan Mangan, Matthew Barber, and Annelise Noronha, among others.
Check out “Jellybean” as the first single to his album Islands, due out March 26, and just try not to sing along. - Kirk

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“Samurai Sword” by Chad VanGaalen

Not only are we getting a new Chad VanGaalen album. Not only did we get a new Chad VanGaalen animated video. But we’re also getting a Chad VanGaalen scavenger hunt!
The video for the new song “Samurai Sword” contains Easter eggs scattered throughout, and every week VanGaalen will share a list of some of these hidden objects with a challenge to fans to find them. Check out his website for more details, and watch the video with a eagle-eye below.
Oh, and the new album? It has the best name ever: World's Most Stressed Out Gardener is out March 19 - Kirk

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“510” by Kylie V

Vancouver up-and-comer Kylie V recently released the latest peek of their upcoming album, Big Blue, with the second single “510”. Featuring Kylie’s tender vocals backed by gorgeous strings, the melancholic song swells to an emotional conclusion, that just leaves me looking forward to February 28th. - Kirk

Songs of the Week: Jan 17 - 23, 2021

"Andre" by Small Sins

(okay, this came out before last week, but this is a new feature & I wanted to spotlight it, and I call the shots around here!)

It's been just over a decade since the last Small Sins album, and since then Thomas D'Arcy has been more than a little busy producing and collaborating with the likes of Hawksley Workman and members of July Talk. But now the catchy synth and intimate vocals that I loved are back, as heard on the new single "Andre", the first tease of the brand new album, Volume II, due out on Feb 12th. - Kirk

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"We Are The Underworld" by Strippers Union

Another band we haven't heard of in quite some time, with members who have been busy nonetheless. Strippers Union was a collaboration between The Tragically Hip's Rob Baker and Craig Northey of Odds, and they're back with not one but TWO albums of new material. The Undertaking is a double album with the first half being released February 5th, with the second arriving a month later on March 12.
"We Are The Underworld" is the first taste of the album, and sounds a lot like what you would expect the collaboration of the two Canadian powerhouse bands. - Kirk

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"Wanna Feel Good" by Miesha and The Spanks

Hot off their 2018 album Girls Girls Girls, Miesha and The Spanks are already back with a brand new EP called Singles on April 16th. The grungy, fuzzy rocker "Wanna Feel Good" is the first of what was meant to be a loose collection of radio singles, but found their way onto an EP produced by the award winning Leeroy Stagger. - Kirk

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"TV God" by Art D'Ecco

Vancouver's "androgynous neo-glam art-rocker" Art d'Ecco released the lead single off brand new album In Standard Definition, due out April 23. The press release promises the album will be "like channels on an old television set" and that every song "presents an episodic look into the world of entertainment, our obsession with celebrity and the power it holds over us."
I love a good concept album, and if the first single is any indication, it's gonna be a doozy. - Kirk

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"Bus" by Begonia

A b-side off her last album Fear, "Bus" comes out along with the announcement of Begonia's upcoming live album, appropriately titled the Fear Tour Live Album.
The live album is out at the end of this week, January 29. You can get a tease of it by watching "The Other Side" here. If you’ve never seen Begonia live, this record and these videos will have to do for now, coming as close as possible to capturing her powerful performance. - Kirk

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"High School" by Nice Horse

It's not often you'll see a country song here, but I've long said Nice Horse sneaks in with the few other country acts I like. And their new single "High School" reaffirms that sentiment, with a nostalgic look back at the "glory days" (that hits even if you don't have a particular fondness for those days or wish to re-live them). - Kirk

Song of the Day: June 19, 2020 - "Body Language" by Cherry Blaster

What to do when you’re set to make a music video and COVID comes along? Write, film and act in it all yourself of course.

That’s what Toronto artist Cherry Blaster did for her new single “Body Language”. It’s a fun, quirky song with colourful beats, and the guitar reminded me of Andy Shauf, but I can’t nail down which song.

Check out the video/single below!

Song of the Day: June 18, 2020 - "Dreams" by Hannah Georgas

Woohoo! We finally got a release date and album name from Hannah Georgas for her new LP!

All That Emotion will drop on September 4th via Arts & Crafts, and included in the announcement was a new single from the album, “Dreams”.

Of the single Hannah says it’s about past relationships and pushing people away because you’re feeling like you don’t deserve love - as well as reconciling that breaking down those walls.

Check out the song below, and you can pre-order the album (and some special bundle items) by clicking here.

Song of the Day: May 31, 2020 - "The Sound" by Jody Glenham

Last week Jody Glenham released the second single off her upcoming album Mood Rock.

The dream-pop vibe of “The Sound” proves the album will be aptly named, and given the subject matter, I’ll just share what Jody herself had to say about the song on instagram:

“This song is about many things. When I wrote it, I was tired of being quiet and politely waiting for my time to speak... for my turn to be important. This song may start hushed but as it moves towards it's raucous peak, it sheds the layers of frustration and despair revealing power and courage. I may never be important. But what this song says is. This song is The Sound. It is for all who fight to be heard.”

Song of the Day: May 30, 2020 - "Intermittent Heart" by Jenny Banai

Earlier this month, Vancouver's Jenny Banai released her new single "Intermittent Heart".

With her soft voice lilting over the dreamy strings, she says the song "started as a poem about the philosophical and theological discussions I find myself in. I always feel emotionally involved in these conversations because they are, oftentimes, with people I deeply care about - people who used to think or believe in God, or hold certain values and truths, but no longer do. But I do. I wonder about the synchronicity of our intuition, and how to carry myself when ours don’t meet.
I was very weepy through the process, fresh out of a relationship I thought I had moved on from, which involved a lot of discussion about faith. I sing about closeness and the longing for that closeness when core beliefs are fundamentally different. Is closeness enough? Is love enough if your worldview clashes? In hindsight, I wondered if I wrote a song about my relationship’s end… I tried to write it differently, not wanting to trust my intuition."

Have a listen below, OR You can also watch “a poetic narrative short film of a sort of behind-the-making" of "Intermittent Heart" above!

Song of the Day: May 29, 2020 - "Prudence" by Mani Khaira

I loved this new track “Prudence” from Mani Khaira, and when I read the story behind the song, I knew there’d be no way I could write anything that’d do it justice.
So I’ll put it here in full and you can listen to the song that officially premiered today!

”I wrote 'Prudence' shortly after an old friend had a photographer take my photograph. She had a photo of me blown up onto a 48/36 inch canvas, and then she painted on top of it. At first, she wouldn’t show me this painting and when I saw it the first time, I was like, "Oh, my skin colour is a little darker." She put a hat on me to cover my bald head, and there were glasses on my face and a cigarette in my mouth--totally not how I was when the photo was taken. I thought to myself: that’s her perception, it’s what she sees in her artistic mind.

The second time I saw the painting I noticed my skin was lighter and I was still wearing the hat, but the glasses and the cigarette in my mouth were gone.
It was very bizarre to watch someone else do this to my face, my image. Kind of like someone scribbling over pictures in a yearbook.

I sat at the piano and started blurting out how I felt, and this song came from these experiences.

Now, the song has taken a lyrical meaning of its own that I believe relates to everyone. We all wear these ‘masks,' showing our best selves first. 
Some people get us and some don’t and some create their own version of who or what they think you are.
I think this song is an inspirational piece reminding to reveal your true self at all times--no matter which angle you may shine.”

Song of the Day: May 28, 2020 - 'Living A Lie" by Royal Canoe

Earlier this year (in The Before Time), Winnipeg’s Royal Canoe decided to embrace their city’s reputation as the coldest place on the planet, and played an outdoor show.
In January.
In Winnipeg.

And if that didn’t already sound bonkers enough, they decided this live show would be played on ice. Not like Disney On Ice, but played on ice, as in, every instrument the band played would be made out of ice, making it look like they were playing in the middle of the Fortress of Solitude.

Some of the results of the live show is not only going to be available as a live EP tomorrow, but they’ve also put together a documentary called Glacial which debutes TONIGHT (5p Pacific) on YouTube.

Check out the video for “Living A Lie” below!