Songs of the Week: December 05 - 11, 2022

“Cold Night” by Begonia

One of my most anticipated albums coming next year is the newest from Begonia, Powder Blue.

“Cold Night” is the second song we’ve heard from the album so far, a gorgeous song that Alexa Dirks describes as “the breakdown of a horrible life-changing relationship in three parts”, which builds to a hair-raising explosion of strings.

She elaborates: “Like...stages of grief I guess? Verse one is when you’re not ready to let go and just the thought of being ‘left behind’ makes you feel so desperate and detached, like you’re not even human anymore. Verse two is reflecting on the reality of the relationship itself and particular stories that come up only with time to reveal the truth. The last part of the song after the strings hit is all about accepting it for what it is and moving forward. Like sitting in your despair and sadness, but also knowing that it needed to be over and that you did the right thing by walking away. Deadmen [producers Matt Peters and Matt Shellenberg, of Royal Canoe fame] really knocked it out of the park with their string arrangements on my upcoming album, and this song in particular is one of my favourites so I'm so glad to be releasing it as a single.”

Check out the video below!

• Kirk

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“None of Us Are Free” by Kuba Oms

Vancouver’s Kuba Oms is back with a new cover of the Solomon Burke song “None Of Us Are Free”.
This release is a return to his R&B/Soul roots, and was recorded live off the floor, through vintage gear, and then straight to analog tape.
I hope this is a sign of more things to come from Oms, because I’m really feeling this vibe!

• Christine

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“All Comes Crashing” by Metric - CVCHE Remix

Gotta love a good remix, and this CVCHE version of “All Comes Crashing” by Metric nails it.
Of it and the decision to have it remixed, Emily Haines says:
“It was intensely gratifying to play 'All Comes Crashing' live on the Doomscroller tour and see how the audience responded. I know the lyrics are morbid on the surface, but when the band plays it, the energy in the room lifts and everyone who wasn't already dancing suddenly is, and it feels like we're all suspended there in the disappearing present moment. It's such a high and I wanted to try to capture it in a dance remix of the song. I did some digging and was lucky enough to get the famously reclusive CVCHE on board. They have this insane unreleased electronic album, I got a test pressing of it on vinyl and am now obsessed. I worked with Justin Broadbent on a visualizer 'remix' video too, and I'm just really happy we get to release this right now as a bouncy sendoff to 2022.”

• Christine

Songs of the Week: November 28 - December 04, 2022

“Headrush” and “Homes” by Georgia Harmer

Earlier this year, Georgia Harmer released the excellent debut album Stay In Touch, which she’s now revisiting, sharing alternate versions of a pair of songs.

“Headrush” and “Homes” are both turned into gorgeous, piano driven tunes, wth Harmer explaining, “It’s been just over a year since ‘Headrush’ came out and started slowly introducing the world to Stay In Touch. The songs on the album were written over the course of many years, through many periods of huge growth. These alternate versions take two of the foundational songs on Stay In Touch back to how they sounded when I first wrote them, just words and melodies of emotional processing. Singing them now in this way brings me back to their meaning, and the way it evolves and stays true over time.”

Check them out below!

• Kirk

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“Beautiful Life” by Jill Barber

We’ve already had a couple glimpses of Jill Barber’s upcoming album Homemaker, and the latest comes with “Beautiful Life”.

Barber says it’s a reminder “that social media doesn’t tell the whole story. That a pretty picture doesn’t always reflect the whole truth, and that living a rich and beautiful life is about embracing the messy chaos of it all- the raw, authentic, and real moments, rather than just the highlight reel.”

And the new tune comes with a charming lyrics video that (literally) illustrates that point, which you can watch below! Then, mark down February 10th for the release of Homemaker, on Outside Music.

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: November 21 - 26, 2022

“The Raven And The Red-Tailed Hawk” and “Is There Nowhere”
by Gord Downie & Bob Rock

Getting this new music from Gord Downie has been both amazing and saddening as I know I’ll never get to see it performed.
And not just because we lost Gord, but there are so many elements in the songs, like Ché Aimee Dorval’s vocals on “Is There Nowhere”, Bob Rock’s soaring guitar solos, and Pat Steward ripping up the drums on “The Raven And The Red-Tailed Hawk” that I’d have loved to see live.

Maybe when the album Lustre Parfait is released by Arts & Crafts in May of next year they’ll have come up with an awesome way to celebrate it.

• Christine

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“Loveless” by Ché Aimee Dorval

Speaking of Vancouver artist Ché Aimee Dorval (see above!), she released a new song this week as well.
”Loveless” is the 3rd single from her upcoming album The Crowned (out January 19, 2023) and is about “loving without the expectation of having it returned”.

Pre-pandemic she was working with Bob Rock, who produced half the album, while she self-produced the rest post-lockdown - and I’m excited to hear more.

• Christine

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“Catherine” by Kylie V

Last week, Kylie V released their latest single, “Catherine”, a dreamy pop tune that builds to an intense finish, driven by their vulnerable vocals.

The song is the first (non-holiday) single that Kylie V has released since last year’s album Big Blue, and hopefully it’s indicative of more to come!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: November 14 - 20, 2022

“Wasted On You” by Andy Shauf

It’s going to be a BIG 2023 for Andy Shauf - but he’s capping off 2022 with the release of his new single “Wasted On You”.

The song will be on his new LP Norm, will be released on February 10th, and there’s also been a HUGE tour announcement, including a show in Vancouver at The Orpheum on March 11th!

“Wasted On You”, the opening track on the new album, is a quiet little pop/love song, but I’m going to go ahead and insist you watch the video below, to get a full sense of just how good Andy is at storytelling and duality.

• Christine

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“Floating Like” by Arkells

One thing about albums going mainly digital, that I never really considered, is the artist’s ability to make changes at any time. Case in point, Arkells releasing a surprise new song, and adding it to their recently released album Blink Twice.

“Floating Like” is heavily influenced by the band’s love of Motown, and frontman Max Kerman says the song is about “trying to free yourself of the allure and pull of material things and finding happiness in the simple wonders of life. It was written around a sample we cut up from The Impressions and their song ‘Seven Years.’ We added as many Motown soul tricks to the production with the goal of finding the joy and lightness of those classic tunes. It’s a special song for us, so we wanted to give it its own release and runway. Blink Twice is now complete.”

The song tacks on to the end of Blink Twice, which is out now on your digital distribution platform of choice!

• Kirk

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“I Love You, Dwayne” by Miranda Joan

If you’re going to release a love song about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, filled with references to his entire career, I am going to listen.

If you are going to release a video for that song, filmed with a cardboard cutout of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, I am going to watch.

That’s exactly what Canadian-born, New York-based soul singer Miranda Joan did. So pour yourself a nice glass of either Teremana or ZOA, put on that Project Rock gear, cue up a Seven Bucks film to watch after, and check out the video below!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: November 07 - 13, 2022

“Real Good Guy” by Dan Moxon

Last month, Dan Moxon (of Bend Sinister) released his second solo album, All My Friends, and last week, released the latest single from it, “Real Good Guy”.

The 70s soul tune fits the vibe of the lyrics, reflecting on being a responsible, stay-at-home adult with real responsibilities. Which encapsulates the rest of the mood of the album, with Dan saying “As I started writing this album, right before the pandemic, I was struggling with the idea of leaving behind my youth and my 40s being just around the corner. I joked that every time I tried to get a friend to come to a show or meet up, they always had an excuse, or too much work, or couldn’t leave the kids at home and it became quite annoying. Jump to recording the album three years later in 2022, and now I had a newborn baby girl at home, a labradoodle puppy, a new house, and all of a sudden I was the one who wasn’t going out anymore.

We can all feel a bit of the struggle to get back to our social lives after more than two years of the pandemic,” Moxon adds, “But sometimes it’s ok to just sit back on the couch and watch a movie instead.”

Check out “Real Good Guy” below, and listen to All My Friends in all the usual places.

• Kirk

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“Waste Of Crime” by American Lips

Super-group American Lips features Sebastien Grainger drummer of Death From Above 1979, singer/guitarist Adrian Popovich (FRVITS, Tricky Woo) and bassist/vocalist Jessica Bruzzese.

They released an EP in 2017, but are back with more, released “Waste Of Crime” this month. The dance-able track is hard to pin-down genre-wise - which makes sense as the bands influences range from “mid-80s Cabaret Voltaire, to Ghostbusters OST, to Plastic Bertrand”.

• Christine

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“Bad Blood” by Wayfinding

To stay on the super-group trend, Wayfinding is the new project from Cassia Hardy (WARES), Ryan Beattie (HIMALAYAN BEAR, CHET), and Marek Tyler and Matthew Cardinal (nêhiyawak).

Of the track “Bad Blood” Tyler says: “I first read the lyrics and saw a person frustrated, mad, and coming to terms with a narrative that he had been sold and was now in the position of either turning a blind eye or doing something about it”.

Excited to hear more from this new act!

• Christine

Songs of the Week: October 31 - November 06, 202

“Road to Hell” by The Matinée

It’s my birthday today and I’d like to think that The Matinee released new music just for me, but either way, I’m excited!
The band has been working on a new record that’s set to be released in 2023, and they posted a behind-the-scenes from the studio (click here) - side note, that 1-800 number at the end didn’t work.

”Road To Hell” will be on their new album, and below is a live version that Steve Bays filmed at his studio with the boys.

• Christine

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“Right Here” by Begonia

I was very excited when a new track from Begonia hit my inbox last week. The Polaris Prize- and JUNO-nominated singer has announced a brand new album with her lead single, "Right Here", which highlights her catchy indie-pop and incredible voice.

Alexa Dirks describes new tune as “a love song for all my friends. The Matts (Schellenberg and Peters), Marcus Paquin, and I started writing it in December 2019 about how I was on tour all the time–always feeling like I was missing my friends’ milestones, parties, birthdays etc. I love what I do, but the sacrifice is that you're not really someone who can like...BE THERE physically for a lot of important (and unimportant) things back home. We never fully finished the song that December, but then we picked it up again during pandemic lockdowns and it started to take on a whole new meaning. At that time, it felt like everyone was missing everything / everyone because we had to stay apart. Another way this song could be interpreted (that I didn't originally intend) is that I’m haunting all my best friends when they go out without me. Maybe that's creepy but also...tender? It's meant to be tender, haha.”

The new album, entitled Powder Blue, is out February 24!

• Kirk

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“See You” by Louise Burns

It's been a minute since we've heard from Vancouver's Louise Burns, but last week she released her first new single in a while, a haunting cover of Depeche Mode's "See You"

Burns says “Depeche Mode are iconic and beloved, so it felt like I was entering blasphemy-territory by choosing to cover them. I chose See You because despite being one of their earliest hits, it’s not as well-known as some of their later catalogue. It’s a perfect pop song, and exemplifies what Depeche Mode do best – incredible production and instrumentation that only enhances what was already a great song. We went with a more slowed down, elegant Bryan Ferry-esque treatment. I was (and always am) feeling that energy, and knew the song would hold up no matter what we did with it”

Hopefully the new single means more on the way soon!

• Kirk

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“Disarm” by Shred Kelly

Speaking of fun cover songs... Shred Kelly just released a gorgeous cover of "Disarm", originally by The Smashing Pumpkins!

During the pandemic, singer/banjoist Tim Newton learned the song and recorded an acoustic version in his bedroom, which was shared by Billy Corgan himself. Since then, the alt-folk band has added the song to their live set, and now it’s out for everyone to hear.

The band is just about to launch a European tour, but fingers crossed they'll be playing "Disarm" live in Vancouver soon after that!

• Kirk

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“Girls Night Out” by Said the Whale

I’m just going to copy what Said the Whale’s Tyler Bancroft said on their instagram post about this song, because I don’t think there’s anything I can add:

Hey STW fam, Tyler here. I lost my mom yesterday so as you might imagine I’m having a hard time pivoting right back into “promote a song” mode (especially a song as silly as this one) but here’s something worth sharing: when I turned 30 I asked both of my parents to write a story for me about their lives. My mom delivered a succinct, 12-page summary of her entire life from the day she was born up until March 3, 1985 (the day I was born). If you’d known her you might find that amusing because she really was a master of concise and clear communication. Anyways, in that story was the following excerpt, which I think is somewhat relevant to the song we released today: “I preferred to hang out with gay guys, a safe bet and a new experience for me. At the time there was a social stigma attached to the term ‘divorcée’ - that was one of the seeds of the women's movement. In those days it was assumed that a divorcée was ‘easy pickins’ for guys on the prowl. I was very careful to never allow a guy to buy me a drink or accept any gifts from anyone in case the meaning of the gesture gave the wrong impression.”
So maybe this song is actually the perfect send-off for my mom, who is currently on her own celestial (and eternal) girls night out🍸.
I love you mom.

Songs of the Week: October 24 - 30, 2022

“Shadow of You” by Riches

This feels like a fitting song to starts today’s selection of songs, as Riches describes themselves as “the soundtrack to an imaginary folk horror film about the cult of the Creative Entity. Each song is a scene detailing one aspect of its devotional life.”

“Shadow of You” is the latest “scene” from the duo of Catherine McCandless (ex-Young Galaxy) and choreographer Wynn Holmes, a haunting song that comes from “a particularly fragile part of Catherine's vocal range”, and “represents the scene of a slow motion, psychedelic maypole ritual celebrating the entity/demon Creation.”

Have a listen below!

• Kirk

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“Meet Me At The Rio” by Dear Rouge

One of my favourite tracks off of Dear Rouge’s latest album, Spirit, was the ode to Vancouver movie theatre The Rio.
”Meet Me At The Rio” now has a music video, appropriately filmed at the theatre (with some other concert footage snuck in there).
The track is catchy, and fun, with a great sing-a-long during the chorus. A great pick-me-up for your Monday morning.

PS They’re performing at the Vogue Theatre on December 10th with Hotel Mira!

• Christine

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“Right On Woman” by Jason Collett

The new album from Jason Collett is out at the end of the week, and we got out last preview of it, in “Right On Woman”

The upbeat and breezy tune features what Collett calls “an injection of Montreal energy”, with guests like Marcus Paquin, Joe Grass, Liam O'Neil, and backing vocals by Neil Quin, Carleigh Aikins, and Meg Contini.

The album is called Head Full Of Wonder, and is out November 4th on Arts & Crafts

• Kirk

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“Scars” by dwi

We got a new single from The Zola’s Dwight Abell’s solo project dwi!
Of the song he says it is about “being brave enough to share your scars with people. It’s hard, and can get ugly… but it might save ya or somebody you love. Although lyrically this song is on the darker side of things, I wanted to make it something you could scream out loud at a party. An anthem of hope.”

There’s also an acoustic version up that I included so you could hear both!

• Christine

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“Shivers” by Self-Cut Bangs

Self-Cut Bangs started as a home recording project during the pandemic, by partners Cayley O'Neill (Dark Time) and Shawn Petsche (Napalmpom), but now they’re ready to beat the slump and release their sophomore album, Circle Around The Free

The first single off the album was “Shivers”, and aside from being a power-pop banger, it has a great JRPG inspired video, with Cayley and Shawn scouring Calgary to look for new band members while avoiding police, protestors, and other evils of the music industry. And the in-game footage was taken from an actual working prototype made by the band! Will we see a full-on Self-Cut Bangs RPG in the future? Hopefully!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: October 17 - 23, 2022

“East Coast” by Hayden

So, I sat straight up in my chair when I saw this in my inbox: The first new music from Hayden since 2015!

“East Coast” is a gorgeous ballad and has rolling piano throughout, with added guitar over the end. In the press release he says the song was inspired to write this song after covering a Leonard Cohen song (Avalanche) and you can definitely get those vibes when listening.

While he’s only touring in Ontario this November/early December, a new album is anticipated for early 2023, and I hope that a West Coast (see what I did there?) swing brings him this way as it’s been far too long.

• Christine

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“Another Level” by Hyaenas

Vancouver’s Hyaenas dropped their latest new single last week, “Another Level”, about the cult NXIVM — which preyed on the Vancouver acting scene — as well as the ‘Bargaining’ stage in the cycle of grief.

The band says, “Another Level was heavily inspired by NXIVM - a sexual slavery cult that lured people in under the guise of their personal and professional “Executive Success” seminars. The track begins with booming, roomy drums and then pulls into a tight, crisp, and punchy soundscape when the rest of the band kicks in. In the last chorus you’ll hear all four band members' individual voices overlapping and intersecting - representing the many voices of inner turmoil when you realize you got more than you bargained for in a deal with the ‘Devil’.”

(Not-so-fun fact: I went to high school with one of the more infamous members of NXIVM, Nicki Clyne.)

Check out “Another Level” below and just try not to have it running through your head for the rest of the day.

• Kirk

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“Smoking Weed Alone” by Tegan and Sara

After a whole slew of single releases over the last few months (including several different music videos), Tegan and Sara’s new album Crybaby is out now!

Also out at the beginning of next week will be the release of their new TV show “High School”, based off their memoir of the same name, and the duo will perform on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday.
If you’re in Vancouver on November 20th, they’ll be performing at the Commodore Ballroom.

Oh, and I can’t forget that this post is about a new single, “Smoking Weed Alone”, the 5th off Crybaby, of which they say “there’s a chorus where we’re sort of singing to each other, and we haven’t done that before, in our career”. Check it out below.

• Christine

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“Lustre Parfait” by Gord Downie & Bob Rock

I did a double take when I saw Gord Downie’s name alongside '“new music”, but I had to expect there would be a giant well of unreleased music from such a talented man to release posthumously.

“Lustre Parfait” is super fun and upbeat, in a very non-Tragically Hip way. Honestly you could swap in Max Kerman’s vocals and I would 100% have believed this was an Arkells song - between the keys, background vocals, and horns!
It could be because Gord wrote the lyrics over the music that Bob Rock provided him, and apparently there is more to come from the collaboration….MUCH more. I can’t wait, his voice has been sorely missed.

• Christine