Songs of the Week: April 03 - 09, 2023

April 10, 2023 by Kirk Hamilton in Song Of The Day

“Dancing With The Moonlight” by Hotel Mira

As they kick off their North American tour, Hotel Mira has dropped their latest single, “Dancing with the Moonlight”.

The manic, infectious tune is the third single off their as-yet-unknown upcoming album, and frontman Charlie Kerr says the new song is “about my anxieties of moving to L.A., and that ‘this town is going to eat you alive’ kind of shit. It’s a Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey of a performer trying to make it, and the sacrifices you make to do that…and the fact that people do it anyway. There’s something noble about going after something with such a minimal success rate.”

Check out the new song below, which was produced by Steve Bays (Fur Trade, Hot Hot Heat), and catch them here in Vancouver on June 24 at the Hollywood Theatre.

Kirk

“Road to Hell” by The Matinee

Speaking of “third singles from an upcoming album by a band working with Steve Bays”… The Matinee shared “Road to Hell” last week.

The new single comes just in time to be added to your ‘summer road trip’ playlists, with the band sharing "Everyone has a past, and everyone has a secret they’d rather keep than spill. Matt Rose brought this idea to the table, with vignettes of life and those reflective contemplations we all have when we find ourselves alone at night. We workshopped it right there in the studio, adding another verse and a bridge to finish it off. The song found its groove as a Tom Petty rocker pretty easily… we are looking forward to adding this one to the live set!"

There’s also no solid word on their upcoming album, but hopefully we’ll be hearing (and seeing) more from them this summer.

Kirk

“Are We Good” by Hayden

Hayden’s new album, Are We Good, was released last week, and the title track was also dropped.

I’m a huge fan of this album, start to finish, and I’ve covered a lot of the singles as they were released - so they’re not much else to say except I love it!

Check out “Are We Good” below and then give the rest of the record a spin by clicking here.

Christine

Songs of the Week: March 27 - April 02, 2023

April 03, 2023 by Kirk Hamilton in Song Of The Day

“This Too Shall Pass” by Hannah Georgas

After teasing it’s release last week, Hannah Georgas dropped her new song “This Too Shall Pass” on us!
This track comes with the promise of a new album, where Georgas takes the reins on production, and the recording process was done in Toronto on analog equipment.
Of the vibey little pop tune, she says:
“I think we have all experienced pain from things that have hurt us in our past and carried that weight on our shoulders long after the fact. Sometimes those feelings can resurface and affect us in our everyday lives. I know at least for me it has! This song was inspired by the idea of being able to recognize those feelings when they resurface and to try to move forward in a healthier way.”
Can’t wait for more music from Hannah!

Christine

“Visions” by FRANKIIE

FRANKIIE is having some "Visions". The hazy, psychedelic new single is the second look at their upcoming sophomore album, Between Dreams.

Vocalist/guitarist Francesca Carbonneau says: “When dreams and memories entangle with our present moment, we can begin to question our entire reality. Visions is about that feeling, about sensing something beyond what’s happening right in front of you...as if right below the surface, anything you’ve ever lost is there; waiting for you to reach out your hand and grab it back. Like déja vu, which is something I experience frequently, a single moment can feel surreal, strange and yet strikingly familiar all at once.”

Between Dreams will be out on June 2 via Paper Bag Records, and below is the video, directed by Brandon Fletcher.

Kirk

“Bloom” by Louise Burns

As we inch closer to the new album from Louise Burns, we get one last tease, with the release of the latest single "Bloom" last week.

The new song is an instant earworm, its bright and airy melodies perfect as the weather starts to turn. Of the inspiration for the new track, Burns explains:
“I got heavily into nostalgia as a coping mechanism during the pandemic which influenced some of the sonic palettes I was choosing. I suppose I tried to make a chill out downtempo love song inspired by mid-90’s video game music… I brought it to Jason (Corbett, co-producer) and he really made it come alive. I think it’s my first attempt at a proper love song, in my own faux-misanthropic way…”

The new album Element drops later this month, April 21st on Light Organ Records!

Kirk

“Reality Bites” by Mise en Scene

Manitoba’s Mise en Scene is back with a brand new EP out soon, with a look at the title track dropping last week.

"Reality Bites" was inspired by the '94 movie of the same name, and is a burst of raw emotion and catchy melodies.

The new EP, Reality Bites is out on June 23rd via Light Organ Records.

Kirk

“The Love Still Held Me Near” by City and Colour

If you were at BC Place last week for the RHCP show, you might have caught City and Colour opening it up.
I saw dozens and dozens of instagram stories of the set, and all of them in awe of the performance. Of particular note was Dallas’ band, made up of many familiar faces from our Vancouver music scene.

The new record came out this week, and the title track “The Love Still Held Me Near” was released as well.
It’s a phenomenal album, and I’m proud of the work my friends did to help create it.
Check out the latest song below.

Christine

“Head for the Hills” by Justin Rutledge

Prolific singer/songwriter Justin Rutledge is gearing up for the release of his tenth(!) studio album, Something Easy. Last week he released a video for the latest single, "Head for the Hills".

Rutledge says “I feel like I’ve spent the last 20 years of my life trying to escape the city. I made it out a couple of times—once almost for good—but I guess the skyline called me back. I wouldn’t mind a quieter place to stand one of these days. I’ve tasted that life, and it was good to me. I slept better and woke before the sun, worked with my hands, filled my body with books, and anticipated the solitude at the end of each day. I wrote this song for those who search for that kind of life.”

Check out the video, directed by Kyle Gatehouse, below. And keep an ear out for Something Easy, coming out on May 19 on Outside Music.

Kirk

Songs of the Week: March 20 - 26, 2023

March 27, 2023 by Kirk Hamilton in Song Of The Day

“LOL Trash” by Fur Trade

Fur Trade is back!

It’s been quite a while since “Kids These Days” from Don’t Get Heavy (ten years in fact - 2013! I looked it up) and I was super excited to see the new song in my inbox.

The press released bills “LOL Trash” as “a soaring indie-sleaze glam rock track” which, I think pretty much sums up Fur Trade in general.
The video is also super fun, with some familiar Vancouverite faces, and the boys on a roof.
More please!

Christine

“Hiro Up From The Woodshop” by Wayfinding

About a year ago, Wayfinding debuted at the Calgary Folk Music Festival, and now they’re gearing up to release their debut EP.

Comprised of a lot of familiar faces — Cassia Hardy (Wares), Ryan Beattie (Chet and Himalayan Bear), Marek Tyler, and Matthew Cardinal (both from nêhiyawak) — the band released their latest single “Hiro Up From The Woodshop”, a haunting song that simmers with intensity.

Check out the lyric video below, and their self-titled EP will be out April 21 on Victory Pool Records!

Kirk

“Gaagige” by Zoon

Zoon (Zoongide’ewin), is getting ready for the release of their sophomore album Bekka Ma'iingan with their gorgeous new single, “Gaagige”.

Songwriter Daniel Monkman says “I wrote the music for 'Gaagige' when I was going through a period in my life of questioning life and death. In my language, 'Gaagige' means forever. I started to obsess about the concept of 'forever.' When I was younger, that concept started to scare me because I really wanted death to be the final resting spot. Now, ten years later, I have a new relationship with death and this song is about me accepting and not worrying.”

Bekka Ma'iingan is out April 28 on Paper Bag Records, and you can check out the trippy visualizer for “Gaagige” below!

Kirk

Songs of the Week: March 13 - 19, 2023

March 20, 2023 by Kirk Hamilton in Song Of The Day

“Sink or Swim” by Blue J

Vancouver’s Blue J is back with their first new track since their debut album, A Sign Of Good Luck.
The song, “Sink or Swim”, concerns addition and the helplessness one feels in trying to deal with someone else’s issues. And, as lead singer Justice McLellan says, “caring so deeply about someone who’s struggling that you abandon yourself.”

The end of the press release said to stayed tuned and that there was more from Blue J coming soon - hurray!

Christine

“I Told You So” by Del Barber

A sorrowful tune from Del Barber this week, just over a month away from the release of his new album Almanac.

Originally writing the song from the perspective of his neighbour over the loss of her husband, the tale of grief took on a new meaning when his father passed:
"I wrote it before my dad passed—before he was even sick—but it became an anthem for me in the months after his passing…Looking back, I feel like this song was a gift from [my dad].”

Almanac will be out on April 28th, but you can see Del live in Vancouver on April 12th at the Biltmore Cabaret.

Christine

“Heartbreaker by Design” by Your ex and I

I’m not gonna lie, there are times when I’ll check out a band simply because I’m amused by their name. Sometimes those bands end up being kind of forgettable, but other times you get someone like Your ex and I.

The Montreal band wears their British post-punk influences on their sleeve with songs like “Heartbreaker by Design”, a high energy tune which is “a harrowing tale of jealousy, gaslighting and infidelity. What if you found out your partner has been secretly dating their ex for two years? The song exposes the true story behind their singer’s discovery of an ex’s double life - from deleted emails to made up receipts for so-called business trips. How much would you look the other way to stay ‘happy’?”

The song is off their recently released EP, YXNI, and you can check out the cool pop art lyric video below!

Kirk

Songs of the Week: March 06 - 12, 2023

March 13, 2023 by Kirk Hamilton in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Fuck Around Phase” by Housewife

Housewife is in their “Fuck Around Phase”.

Taking no time to rest after last year’s EP You'll Be Forgiven, Housewife (aka 20-year-old Brighid Fry) released the gritty new song which Fry describes as “about learning to enjoy yourself and be present after going through a difficult time. I want to embrace being messy and not take things too seriously!”

“Fuck Around Phase” also promises to be “the first taste of Housewife’s more mature and intentionally genre-blending sound”, and I’m looking forward to hearing what’s next.

Kirk

“We Live On A Fucking Planet And Baby That's The Sun”
by ALL HANDS_MAKE LIGHT

First off, “We Live On A Fucking Planet And Baby That's The Sun” is the early contender for best song title of the year.

Secondly, I was all in on ALL HANDS_MAKE LIGHT as soon as I saw it was the duo of Ariel Engle (La Force, Broken Social Scene) and Efrim Manuel Menuck (Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mt. Zion).

I’m not sure how I managed to miss the self-titled EP they released a couple years, ago, but this ten minute(!) tour de force (no pun intended) that takes a journey from haunting synths to cacophonous drums. It’s the first song from their upcoming full length debut, Darling The Dawn, which will be out on April 21st, and if it’s any indication on the rest of the album, it’s gonna be one to pick up immediately.

So turn the lights off, close your eyes, hit play, and drift off through space for the next ten minutes.

Kirk

“Mom Jeans // Mom Genes” by Miesha and The Spanks

As we get closer to the release of the new album, Miesha and The Spanks are giving us another tease with a high energy song about the chaos of parenthood called “Mom Jeans // Mom Genes”.

Miesha Louie says: “It's more than just about the new mom-fit jeans that I'm wearing though, that's just the metaphor. It's also the super tough mom genes that get us through that day to day of ups and downs and emotional manipulations and breakthroughs and pure joy that come with our role as matriarch. My babies were a great gift to me and I wouldn't change anything, but as I try to balance motherhood with everything that I had before, things can't help but fall off the scales. Moms are just out here doing their best, loving their babies, and trying to make time for loving themselves too.”

Unconditional Love In Hi-Fi is out April 14 on Mint Records, and the duo announced a string of western Canadian shows, including here in Vancouver at The Lido on April 13.

Kirk

“Words With You” by Chromeo

I needed some funk this Monday morning - and low and behold, new music from Chromeo!

Been a while since we had something new from the Funklordz, after their lockdown-inspired EP Quarantine Casanova.
No news in the press release if this is the first of many, or (fingers crossed) a tour to happen in the future, but I’ll keep my ear to the ground.

Christine

“Uummati Attanarsimat (Heart of Glass)” by Elisapie

It’s been nearly four years since Elisapie released her previous album, but last week we got a hint of something new with “Uummati Attanarsimat (Heart of Glass)”.

The gorgeous cover of the Blondie classic was translated from English to Inuktitut by Elisapie, and inspired by a childhood memory, dancing with her cousins.

No word on a new album, but Elisapie also announced Uvattini, a series of shows that “combine music, narration, video and performance to create a space of ritual where past and present merge”. Those take place in Montreal and Quebec City in December of this year.

Kirk

Songs of the Week: February 27 - March 05, 2023

March 06, 2023 by Kirk Hamilton in Song Of The Day

“Bad Addiction” and “Stay Gold” by The Matinée

After teasing with some acoustic, live-off-the-floor tracks, The Matinée has finally dropped the first new single(s) from their brand new album, due out later this year.

The new songs are classic roots-rock tunes from the Vancouver group; “Bad Addiction” featuring soulful backup vocals from The McCrary Sisters, and “Stay Gold” inspired by a compliment singer Matt Layzell gave to fellow Vancouver musicians John Sponarski and Brandon Wolfe Scott.

On “Stay Gold” Matt says “Our pal Brandon Wolfe Scott made the video, and both the song and video were smoking hot. I commented on Johnny's social post that I wanted to “roll this up and smoke it. It was that good. And then I realized that was a lyric in itself and I should find a way to write it into a song. I think I even commented something to the effect of “and don’t use that... it’s a lyric I am working on!” That was the spark for "Stay Gold". Thanks Johnny!”

It’s been a minute since The Matinée’s last album, so hopefully we hear it sooner rather than later!

Kirk

“Apple” by Braids

The release date for the new Braids album is fast approaching, and we’re getting another look at the album, with the latest single “Apple”.

The bubbly, upbeat track is punctuated by a swell of orchestral strings, as singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston conveys “a celebration of seeing new possibilities in the eyes of a lover, acknowledging past loss with a new state of heart that’s been opened and filled.”

Check out the trippy video below, while you wait for the new album, Euphoric Recall, out April 28

Kirk

“Trouble Found Me” by The Darcys

Another banger of a song from The Darcys came out this week and it’s been stuck in my head the whole time.
“Trouble Found Me” centres around trying to outrun yourself, and the trouble you “guess you were looking for” finding you anyways.
It is the latest release from what is an expect fall album from the duo and I can’t wait for more

Christine

“Marker” ft. The Zolas by dwi

On the latest track from dwi, he’s joined by some familiar faces.

“Marker” features his bandmates from The Zolas, on a punchy tune that features what dwi calls a “kiss track” from The Zolas’ Zach Gray.

dwi explains, “I’ve always wanted to write a song where I could experiment with rapping. It’s the first time I’ve ever done it. ‘Marker’ is a song about people who use power to take from others but eventually will get caught. Zach’s (The Zolas) verse is a kiss track, which we coined to be the opposite of a diss track.”

The new track is off dwi’s upcoming project “Zoo Life”, which will be out later this year, in July.

Kirk

“On A Beach” ft. Feist by Hayden

A new track from Hayden that features Feist?! I’m in.

But wait… the video for “On A Beach” also stars Matt Berninger from The National, and Steve freakin’ Buscemi!? I don’t think I need to sell you on this one.

Are We Good is set to release on April 5th, and I’ve loved everything from it so far, and can’t wait for the rest.

Christine

“You Can Let Go” by Half Moon Run

Half Moon Run is back with new music, and a massive fall tour announcement that will see them perform two nights at the Commodore Ballroom on November 2nd and 3rd.

“You Can Let Go” is accompanied by a lyric video that sees Eli Tomlinson starring as “disgruntled office drone”, with the seamless camera shot, swinging around an office watching the man and his increasing boredom.

The style of the song harkens back to OG Half Moon Run sound, with the ever-present harmonies the band is known for. Stay tuned as I am sure there is more music (and an album announcement) to follow.

Christine

Songs of the Week: February 20 - 26, 2023

February 27, 2023 by Kirk Hamilton in Song Of The Day

“Moonlight Stay Above” and “When The Storm Has Passed”
by Great Lake Swimmers

I know there was a global pandemic, but it still feels like FOREVER since we’ve heard from the Great Lake Swimmers, but that changes now!
Not one, but two songs, “Moonlight Stay Above” and “When The Storm Has Passed”, from the Ontario band.
The new album promises feelings of "doubt, followed by discovery. Demos that ended up as finished tracks. New beginnings, rear-view reflections, and ruminations on the fluidity of time.”
Uncertain Country will be released on April 23rd, but in the meantime enjoy to two releases below.

Christine

“How I Loved You” by Jenn Grant (feat. Amy Millan)

The upcoming Jenn Grant album is going to be a who’s who of some of the best musicians in Canada.

Aside from Grant herself (obviously) the album includes collaborations with Kim Harris, Aquakultre, Basia Bulat, Bahamas, Dan Mangan, Kevin Drew, Ria Mae, Josh Qaumariaq, Slow Leaves, Joel Plaskett, Tim Baker, and Hannah Georgas & Amy Millan, as heard in the new single, “How I Loved You”.

Grant says “I have been thinking a lot about the idea of heartbreak lately, and how we try to cover up the pain and the joy that led to it just to feel nothing at all. And that maybe it is better to feel everything rather than nothing. Maybe we do not need to forget, and we just need to feel. Because it is the reason humans are together on this earth. To fall in love, to break apart, to feel, cry, grieve, and grow stronger. This is what love is to me. This song is going to break your heart as it did mine.”
With Amy adding, “Prepare for listening to “How I Loved You” by being alone. This way you may cry like you have to, want to and need to for as long as you can remember. Then you can listen to it 17-1700 times consecutively and cry a little more. That’s what happened to me anyway.”

Check out the video (directed by Kevin Drew!) below and mark June 21st for the release of Champagne Problems.

Kirk

“Once Upon A Time In Montréal” by Murray A. Lightburn

As we inch closer to the release of Murray A. Lightburn’s newest solo album, we get another glimpse, this time with the title track, “Once Upon A Time In Montréal”. The new single features Murray’s voice soaring, while building to an incredible sax solo from Frank Lozano.

Lightburn has joked the album is an audio version of a biopic, heavily inspired by the passing of his father, and on the title track he notes “After getting an education in Jamaica and England, my mom got a job in Montreal as a nurse. My father was living in New York. They had dated back in Belize and reconnected years later in New York. My father didn’t really want to leave for Montreal, but he did. And it was hard for him: the harsh winters, the language barrier, the colour of his skin. He was a skilled musician but that was barely going to keep the lights on — never mind feed a growing family. His lack of formal education, and his lack of French, limited his opportunities. Nevertheless, he just wanted to be with her. So he figured out a way, and that’s what his life was mostly about, I think — what I’ve deduced. Maybe there’s way more to it and that’s the romantic version, but it’s a version at least I can understand. Nothing else computes. My parents stayed married for 56 years.”

Once Upon A Time In Montréal is out March 31 on Dangerbird Records, and if one of my most anticipated albums of the year so far!

Kirk

“Pure” by Rich Aucoin

Rich Aucoin continues his synthwave journey this week, with a new look at the second of his four part album series.

The first album, Synthetic: Season 1, was recently nominated for a JUNO award under Best Electronic Album. The follow up — appropriately titled Synthetic: Season 2 — has been teased with a few singles, including last week’s new release, “Pure”, a six minute masterclass in synth.

Rich also announced a run of North American dates, including here in Vancouver on June 1st at the Fox Cabaret!

Kirk

Photo credit: Sarah Melvin & Colby Richardson

Songs of the Week: February 13 - 19, 2023

February 20, 2023 by Kirk Hamilton in Song Of The Day

“In Lightning”
“Hiding Out In The Open”
“Love Who We Are Meant To”
by Feist

What’s better than a new Feist song? Two new Feist songs.
What’s better than two new Feist songs? Three new Feist songs!

And that’s exactly what we got last week, with an extended look at the upcoming album, Multitudes. The three songs hint at the album’s depth, with “In Lightning” being a cacophonous song that lives up to the title; the gorgeous guitar and orchestral swell of “Love Who We Are Meant To”, and haunting, layered vocals for “Hiding Out In The Open”.

Multitudes is out on April 14th, and check out a playlist of all three new songs below!

Kirk

“Garden” by FRANKIIE

Vancouver’s FRANKIIE is back with a brand new song, the first single from their upcoming album. “Garden” is a psychedelic, reverb-soaked dream pop from the duo of Vocalist/guitarist Francesca Carbonneau and vocalist/keyboardist Nashlyn Lloyd.

Lloyd says the song “was inspired by writing retreats to the northern Sunshine Coast of BC where we could detach from the intensity of urban life and focus on music together. We would write all afternoon in the cabin, and take a break to slow down and watch the stars expand forever. The stillness I feel while listening to the ocean or being surrounded by trees is always something I am longing to reconnect with while living life in the city.”

Between Dreams, the second full-length album from the group, drops June 2nd, and watch the live-off-the-floor video while you wait.

Kirk

“Our Back Garden” by Brandon Wolfe Scott

Okay, so great minds think alike, right?
For the second garden-based song this week, Vancouver’s Brandon Wolfe Scott reflects on three years of living with his partner in a home in East Van with access to a beautifully-lush garden.
Interacting with the family with young children upstairs, including during the height of the pandemic, the song has become an ode to them as the family moved away and the house now sits empty.

The track will be on Brandon’s upcoming EP, Slow Transmission, due out on March 23rd.

Christine

“They Don't Love You (Like I Do)” by Babe Corner

Over the past few months, Babe Corner has slowly been teasing their debut full length, and the latest is the new single, “They Don't Love You (Like I Do)”.

With beautiful harmonies that build to some incredibly catchy synth, the new song comes shortly after announcing the release date of the album, Crybaby, on March 21st, as well as a pair of release shows in Victoria and Vancouver — March 24 and 25, respectively.

So mark your calendars and have a listen below!

Kirk