Songs of the Week: March 09 - 15, 2026

“See the Light” by Whitehorse

Not only did we get a new single from Whitehorse last week, but a new album has been announced as well!

The folk rock couple of Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet released their latest single “See the Light” a gorgeous song which harkens back to the early days of the band’s romanticism, ‘with a perspective only afforded by over two decades of musical and matrimonial partnership.’

The album was inspired by Melissa holding a photo of a 19th century farmhouse and saying “Let’s make a record that sounds like this place” and will be a family affair, with their son Little Jimi playing Wurlitzer and Hammond organ on the album, and daughter Chloë Doucet opening for them on tour!

The new album All I Want Is All of It is out May 8th, and they’ll be on tour this spring (no Vancouver date yet, but crossing my fingers for one soon!)

• Kirk

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“Hey Amanda” by Broken Social Scene

Broken Social Scene recently announced their first new album in over 10 years was set to be released on May 8th.
Remember The Humans will see the regular players as well as additions throughout Hannah Georgas, Lisa Lobsinger, and Feist and more.

The second single “Hey Amanda” is a groovy track (I’m partial to the horns!) that they describe as an “anthemic expression of youthful rebellion through melodic refrains, memorable lyricism, and the brash, beautiful punctuation of the sprawling group's many voices” and that “this is a song about being yourself, and how people will always question that.”

The massive tour they announced with Stars and Metric still only has one Canadian date in Toronto, but crossing our fingers we’ll be added on soon!

• Christine

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“Ride” (feat. GROUPLOVE) by Arkells

This past week Arkells released their fourth track from their upcoming album Between Us and this one comes with a collaboration with GROUPLOVE!

Of the song “Ride” lead singer Max Kerman says: “On its face, the song is about riding a bike in the city. That unbridled feeling of pedalling along to the song in your head.  But beneath the surface, the bike's a metaphor. When life tries to bribe you with a litany of material things, can a simple, utilitarian object like a bicycle be all you need?”

It certainly makes me dream of summer bike weather, which should be here by the time the band is in town to play their three sold out shows at the Penthouse, Hollywood Theatre, and Commodore Ballroom in May!

• Christine

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“Beaten To Write” by Total Fucking Darkness

Every time Total Fucking Darkness releases a new song, I just want to copy the press release verbatim, because nothing I can say will match their energy.

The trio of Torquil Campbell, Stephen Ramsay, and Tom McFall have promised to usher us back into the Void with the pulsing bass and earworm chorus of their new single, stating “Oh! You didn't think you were leaving, were you? Whether you thought you wanted it or not, you're getting, ‘Beaten To Write’.”

It’s a beautiful day out for once. You decide to treat yourself to ice cream even though you never allow yourself the indulgence because, after all, at this stage of your life it’s “a moment on the lips, and a lifetime on the hips,” but you decide to do it anyway because you went to the fucking gym this morning, after all. So there you are, feet hurting, you left the gym two hours ago and you’re still sweating and you’re asking for two scoops of pralines and cream, and you pay fucking ELEVEN dollars for it but you think “I don’t care today, it’s beautiful out and something’s got to change eventually, this bad luck can’t go on forever” and then suddenly SPLAT… the sound of your ice cream hitting the ground because you just got a low balance notification from your bank and your phone got caught in your jacket pocket as you were taking it out to check it, and it knocked the fucking ice cream out of its cone.

Fuck yeah. Beaten to write.

What surrounds the stars in the sky? Total fucking darkness.
Where can you have the most fun? In Total fucking darkness.
Who’s yer new favourite dance act? Total fucking darkness.

You may now pass.

• Kirk TFD

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“The Otherside” by Rise Carmine

Rise Carmine is the moniker of Toronto based, multi-instrumentalist Liam Colbert, and last week he released his latest single, “The Otherside”

The song is a trippy psyche-rock jam, with Liam explaining, “We understand and experience the world in moments, beats on a grid. All we can ever experience is right now. Even past memories or future plans are fabrications that we rehash or conjure up in the very immediate ‘now’. I can’t help but see my life in terms of periods of time (years, months, minutes, seconds) that are slowly (or quickly) ticking by. This song is about yearning to see, feel and hear what exists in the in-between, and in turn, hopefully escape the the cage of time and the very human experience of watching life tick by.”

The release comes with an incredible, seven minute one-take video, that combines “The Otherside” with another new track “Second Love”, and features a dance choreographed by Tavia Christina, danced by her and Christian Lavigne.

Have a watch below!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: February 02 - 08, 2026

“Not Around Anymore” by Broken Social Scene

Broken Social Scene is back!! After weeks of teasing, the iconic Canadian group has released a brand new single, and announced their next album!

“Not Around Anymore” is a dense song with a chill vibe that pushes back against the nostalgia hinted in the lyrics, “by invoking a past that has vanished, the song unexpectedly floods the present with a glow that rivals the very greatness being lamented.”

The new album Remember the Humans seed the band reuniting with producer David Newfeld — who they last worked with on their 2005 self-titled album — and features contributions from Hannah Georgas, Lisa Lobsinger, and Feist! It’s out May 8th, and this summer they’ll be embarking on a dream tour with friends Metric & Stars. Only one Canadian date has been announced (Toronto, of course) but there is a nice month-long gap between Oregon and Michigan…

• Kirk

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“Victim Of Luck” by Metric

And speaking of Metric…! They’ve also announced their next album, and dropped a new single with “Victim of Luck”

The new track feels like classic Metric, as its lyrics look back on the early days of the band, with Emily Haines explaining, “The song ‘Victim Of Luck’ and really the entire album is about the romance of a less than perfect life. It’s about dropping the mask of self-consciousness and vanity. It was a long journey for me to get out of my own way and I wanted this song to be a rallying cry for that, better late than never. You can be as much a victim of good luck as bad. So when we started out yes we were broke and we were playing to ten people and there was nothing for us to fall back on but we refused to give up, and it’s not as though we’re all superstar billionaires now, but that was never what we were after. It turns out the grind is the thing you wouldn’t trade and the bonds you made can’t be faked. What we wanted is what we have and we’re not victims of anything. We dedicated our lives to each other and it’s the best feeling in the world”

Romanticize The Dive is arriving April 24, and you can check out the video for “Victim of Luck” below, which follows the song’s theme with photos and clips from the band going back years!

• Kirk

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“Next Summer” by Arkells

New Arkells alert!
Last week the band announced their new album Between Us which is set for release on April 17 and well as dropping it’s first single after some fan previews on social media.

Of the first, and very catchy, track “Next Summer” frontman Max Kerman says: “When someone new enters your life, do you ever wonder, ‘what did last summer look like for this person? And for me? And what will next summer look like? This song is a nod to the beauty and the mystery of what might lay ahead, and an appreciation of how we got to today. There’s a longing in the song, but it’s hopeful.”

The album will feature the likes of Portugal. The Man, as well as Poolside, and hopefully after their European tour, and JUNO Awards performance, we’ll hear about what THIS summer has in store.

• Christine

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“Internet, Sex and Drugs” by Gay Nineties

It’s been a long time since we last heard from Gay Nineties, but when they reunited last year opening for Dear Rouge, the Vancouver band teased a new single which I’ve been eagerly anticipating the release of ever since.

That new song is “Internet, Sex & Drugs” and is as hook-filled and as sharp as ever, with the band hardly missing a step.

Have a listen below, and catch the band as they open for July Talk on the western leg of the upcoming tour!

• Kirk

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“You Will Always Get Away With It” by Nixon Boyd

After the release of new music and reformation announcements from Hollerado I didn’t expect to get some new solo project work, but that’s exactly what came out this past week.

Nixon Boyd has released a sweet tune “You Will Always Get Away With It” that has major Andy Shauf meets Coconut Records vibes.

Describing the track Nixon says: “I was thinking about some of the longest-lasting relationships in my life when I was writing this song, and realized that in all of them, there’s this understanding and acceptance of the little shortcomings we all sometimes have in our effort to be good friends. Sometimes we’re late for things, sometimes we don’t listen as attentively as we could, sometimes we borrow things that we promise to give back but never get around to it - the list goes on.
But I think that in good friendships we forgive these things, and if we do, we can wind up bugging each other in the exact same silly ways for decades, rolling our eyes at each other but loving each other anyway, which I think is both hilarious and comforting. I know the minor tonality of this song could make it seem darker than it is, maybe as a one-sided relationship where one person does all the work, but at its core it’s this little back-handed love song about how friendship is a journey in which we forgive just about anything as we go through life together.”

The press release says: “lots more to come from him this year!”, so we have that to look forward to!

• Christine

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“Die For Love” by MALINOWSKI

We’ve got more music from Jay Malinowski (best known as one half of Bedouin Soundclash) this week, en route to the release of his first solo album in a decade.

“Die For Love” is the latest single from his solo moniker MALINOWSKI from Under A Landslide of Stars, which is out April 3.

The track is full of catchy lyrics and guitar and it “explores the clash between love and death, and the warped mindset of someone who believes they belong together”.

Jay has tour dates set for the spring including a night at St James Hall here in Vancouver on April 24th, which sounds like an intimate night, not to be missed!

• Christine

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“Living With It” ft. Feist by Charlotte Cornfield

It’s a little over a month before Charlotte Cornfield releases her next album, Hurts Like Hell, but we’re getting a tease with the second single “Living With It”, featuring the one and only Feist!

On how the pair came together, Cornfield elaborates “I had secretly dreamed of having her sing on the record and mentioned it to [producer] Phil Weinrobe, who she is also friends with. When Phil reached out and she said yes, I sent her a couple of songs, hoping she would gravitate towards this one. She did, and she added her Feist magic to it, which is undeniable.”

Their voices blend together beautifully on the vulnerable track which features Cornfield “diving into the wreck of emotions beneath the surface of a painful memory”. The song comes with a new video, by Ali Vanderkruyk and Sara Melvin, and Hurts Like Hell will be out on March 27.

• Kirk

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“Eastside” by Good Kid

Toronto’s Good Kid have exploded recently, and as they get ready to drop their debut album, they’ve released their newest single, “Eastside”.

The punchy, fast paced anthem “traces the moment when a former friend becomes an adversary” and comes with a video that was animated by a contest-winning fan of the band!

Watch the video below, and pick up Can We Hang Out Sometime? when it’s out on April 3.

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: October 27 - November 02, 2025

“What Good?” by Arkells

After a couple weeks of teases, Arkells have given us the first hint of their upcoming album with “What Good?”

The new single is a classic, boisterous Arkells banger, which asks the question What good can come from the noise of modern day life. Though as frontman Max Kerman elaborates: “The song doesn’t pretend to have neat answers—but it points toward where meaning might still be found. The sun, the moon, the neon glow of your neighborhood bar. Things we can share, things that feel real.”

The album is due out next year, as the band promises more info (and tour dates) are to come, so for now check out the video below!

• Kirk

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“Airport” & “The Only Truth” by The Weather Station

Earlier this year, The Weather Station released the acclaimed album Humanhood, and is now back with a pair of new songs from that recording session with the rollicking “Airport” and the rich, gorgeous “Only The Truth”.

Tamara Linderman explains why the songs were omitted from the album, saying “There were so many strong songs I left off Humanhood because the album had such a narrative arc to adhere to. ‘Airport’ was one of them that I’m glad to release now. I’ve always hated airports; I find them so dehumanizing. This song tells a story of a person trying to mirror what is around them; that sort of shutting down, not caring, acting like you don’t care even when you really do. At the heart of it though is, of course, an intense longing, and a hope for something alive that feels like it can't be.”
And she describes “Only The Truth” as “one of my favourite songs from Humanhood and just didn’t make the tracklist at the very last moment, but it feels so relevant and connected with the record. It intersects with ‘Neon Signs,’ it expands on the same idea; that the truth is this sort of lumpen, complicated, organic thing. Falsehoods and lies glimmer, reach towards you, need you; but the truth ‘doesn’t care if you care / all it ever is is there.’”

Check out both new singles below, and make sure to check out Humanhood if you haven’t yet!

• Kirk

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“Human” by Hawksley Workman

Canada’s troubadour Hawksley Workman has announced his Canadian tour to support his latest EP, Fly Like An Ego and I couldn’t be more excited.

Hawksley’s live show has always been something fantastic to watch and one of my favourites to see, and his statements on what this tour is going to be has got me giddy…
“For the last UK solo run, I pushed myself to perform newer and more ‘forgotten’ songs. You can rehearse endlessly, but a song only finds its confidence in front of an audience. Mr. Lonely and I are now diving into rehearsals, adding a new big rock-club section and dusting off older duo pieces. We may even transform ourselves, from time to time, into a Dance-Rock Power Duo, and yes, the keytar will finally make an appearance.
On these two tours you can expect to hear some long-forgotten orphans, in particular the song ‘Striptease’, which is arguably my biggest hit in Canada, and a song I rarely play live. We are also planning on some extreme deep cuts like, ‘Above Ground Pool’, which has never been played live.  Expect some introspective moments and some exciting rockers too!”

I’m excited by all the tour chat, so check out the video for “Human” from the new EP, which features Canadian actor/comedian Chris Locke!

• Christine

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“Mountainside (acoustic)” by David Vertesi

I cannot believe it’s been fifteen years since David Vertesi released his debut solo album Cardiography. And to celebrate, he’s releasing a special acoustic reimagining of the whole thing.

Along with the announcement of the new album (and vinyl), Vertesi has released “Mountainside (acoustic)”, a stunning version of the already beautiful song.

Have a listen below, and you can check out a special live show on December 7th here in Vancouver at The Gallery @ Artech!

• Kirk

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“Giallo” by Rich Aucoin

The fourth and final season of SYNTHETIC, Rich Aucoin’s incredibly ambitious project, has finally arrived (mine came in the mail last week!).

To celebrate Rich released the video for the track “Giallo”, which was filmed by Malcolm Macmaster & Seth Daniel Willard and starring Florence Wallace & Malcolm Macmaster.

Season 4 comes with the most synthesizers used, compared with the following three seasons, and clocks in at 103 unique syths, and brings the total to 162, which blows my mind.

This might be my favourite of the four (I think I say that with every new release), and I’m excited to hear it on my record player finally!

• Christine

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“Breakaway” by Blue Jay Valley

How about being the youngest Canadian band to EVER sign to a record label!? Well that’s exactly what Blue Jay Valley did when they signed with the new label Fink City Records headed up by Vancouver punk rock legend Billy Bones (of Clampdown Record Press, the Vicious Cycles).

With an average age of 11, the band is comprised of Noa (lead vocals, age 11), Josh (guitar, age 12), Obi (drums, age 11), and brothers Mikey (lead guitar, age 12) and Alex (bass, age 10).

They are following up their debut EP, We Like To Rock, with their new one Breakaway on November 15th with a show at Green Auto.
Check out the title track below!

• Christine

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“Slanted” by Shad

Speaking of album releases, Shad’s latest Start Anew is finally out!
Been excited to get the whole package since he released the first single “Bars and BBQs” and I cannot wait to hear some of the new stuff live when he rolls into town for a show on January 17th at the Hollywood Theatre.

With the album, Shad also released the single “Slanted” with a video directed by Justin Broadbent (who also did the album artwork). Of the track Shad says: “"Slanted" is a song about the proverbial slippery slope. Or the proverbial frog in boiling water. Whatever metaphor you want to use to describe how things can slide in the wrong direction while we fail to notice. It's hard work to perceive the slope before it's too late and restore balance. But it's often the main task at hand.”

Now excuse me, I’m off to listen to this one front to back…

• Christine

Songs of the Week: June 03 - 09, 2024

“Big Feelings” by Arkells

Arkells just don’t have an ‘off’ mode. They just released their album of covers, Disco Loadout: Volume 1, and now ahead of their Big Feelings Tour later this year, they’ve dropped the eponymous song.

“Big Feelings” is a perfect title for the new tune, full of the band’s usual infectious energy, and singer Max Kerman explaining “In the studio, this track was a burst of energy and felt like it came together quickly. When you have something with propulsion, you just hang on and try to steer it the right way. Immediately, we understood it would be unruly, and that the spirit of the song was more about the collective unvarnished expression than any conventional ‘songwriting rules.’ The most satisfying songs are often the ones where we surprise ourselves.”

You can catch Arkells here in Vancouver on November 15 when they play Rogers Arena(!!) with K.Flay!

• Kirk

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“Stay Forever” by Begonia

After announcing her new album (Open Swim) and releasing the first single (“Get To You”) in April, Begonia has dropped a second single for us!

“Stay Forever” is a slow, melancholic song with Begonia’s beautiful vocals over a delicate piano, and is about being “free of self judgment and open to love”.

It’s a simple, yet gorgeous piece of work.

• Christine

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“Magic Wand” by Energy Slime

Energy Slime is back with a not only a brand new song, but a new album coming soon!

The duo of Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle announced their new LP Planet Perfect and gave us a hint of what’s to come with “Magic Wand”. The lead single may hit a little close to home for people — especially artistic types — in Vancouver, as it’s an upbeat, bouncy track about being priced out the city you live in.

Arner elaborates, “Specifically this is about trying to have fun in a place that is destined to become condos. In general it's about living in a city that is hostile to me and my friends. I've lived here my whole life but I feel like I'm being squeezed out.”

Check out the video below, directed and edited by Delisle, and mark August 9th on your calendars for the release of Planet Perfect, on We Are Time Records.

• Kirk

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“Ooh La La” by ADNAMA

It’s been a few months since we’ve heard from Vancouver’s Adnama, but last week she dropped her latest single, “Ooh La La”.

The simmering synth tune is “an 80's throwback to when soundtracks were great.”

Have a listen below!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: June 26 - July 02, 2023

“Air I Walk” by Zeus

Oh my gods, Zeus are back! It’s been nearly a decade since we last heard from the Toronto quartet, but they have returned with a brand new album, CREDO.

Along with the album announcement comes their first single, “Air I Walk”. Picking up exactly where they left off, the incredibly catchy song features the band’s unparalleled harmonies and throwback rock sound.

CREDO is out September 8th on Arts & Crafts, and immediately became one of my most anticipated albums of the year.

• Kirk

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“Just Another Day” by Royal Wood

Royal Wood is back with a 5-song EP Just Another Day (set to come out September 22), and has released the title track.
He not only (for the first time) solely wrote, arranged, performed and produced the song himself, but also engineered and recorded it as well.

He’s heading out on the road to support living legend Bonnie Raitt - although the closest stop to Vancouver is Penticton, that might be worth the drive for that show!

• Christine

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“Skin” by Arkells

Arkells have to be one of the hardest working bands going right now. They recently announced a new album, which will be their third new album in as many years (four if you count the acoustic album Campfire Chords).

The latest single is “Skin”, and feels destined to be a big singalong at Arkells’ legendary live shows. Singer Max Kerman explains the song “is about choosing to love more purposefully, about finding meaning in the hard stuff. It’s about coming to the understanding that the best and deepest relationships are far beyond what we experience on the surface.”

Sticking with their two-word title scheme, the new album is called Laundry Pile and drops September 21st!

• Kirk

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“Baby Teeth” by Haley Blais

This week Haley Blais announced that her sophomore full-length album, Wisecrack, will be due out on September 15th (via Arts & Crafts)!
We’ve had three singles released from said album over the last few months, and with the release announcement came another one, titled “Baby Teeth”.

The track comes with a super trippy video that I could see being on the Prism Prize list next year (speaking of, this year’s winner is announced on Thursday).
Of the song Haley says: “It’s a bunch of snippets of my life, of seemingly insignificant moments that made me who I am today, I think.”

• Christine

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“Walk Among the Stars” by Odds

Last week Odds released the third single from their upcoming album, Crash The Time Machine!

“Walk Among the Stars” is described as “a musical map pointing to fond memories of camaraderie and creativity. It's set in the town of Bath, Ontario and it's a tribute to friendship. Kindred spirits raise a toast on the frozen lakeshore. It's a rock 'n roll landscape painting.”

Check it out below, and keep an ear out for Crash the Time Machine, out August 4th!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: May 15 - 21, 2023

“Parfaite à l'écran” by Karkwa

My eyes nearly bulged out of my head when I saw there was a new song from Karkwa out last week.

“Parfaite à l'écran” is the first new song from the Francophone band since they took an “extended break” over a decade ago, and it sounds like they haven’t missed a beat; rich and lush in sound, with Louis-Jean Cormier’s captivating vocals.

The song is just the first taste of a new album, which will be out September 8th, and Karkwa has announced a few tour dates, but mostly in Quebec with one Toronto date. Hopefully with a new album out, they make it back over to the west coast at some point!

• Kirk

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“Everyone’s Moving Out East” by Half Moon Run

Me: Is this going to be about everyone moving during the pandemic?
*checks press release……YEP!

We got another new tune from Half Moon Run this week, “Everyone’s Moving Out East”, a few weeks ahead of the release of their new album Salt, on June 2nd.

Of the song the band said “..it felt as if many people were uprooting their lives and moving on to some greener pasture. Perhaps part of you would want to go with them, but alas, you must stay.” I definitely said goodbye to a lot of friend that moved to the Maritimes over the last few years, so this one hits close to home.

• Christine

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“Laundry Pile” by Arkells

A sweet little ballad and an album announcement from Arkells!
“Laundry Pile” came out this past week with the news that the new release will be on September 21, and will also be called Laundry Pile.

Of the album, Max Kerman says: “… Laundry Pile is a chapter that documents some of the messy parts that end up teaching you a lot: love, regret, desire, shame, and the longing to get it right. The title track is out first, and it’s a memory honouring the little moments that represent a true partnership.”
Curious to hear more of the tunes, as it seems like a fun creative project for the band, and might be different from what we’re used to from them.

• Christine

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“Hulk Hogan Slammed Andre The Giant” by Wolfie’s Just Fine

The latest song from Wolfie’s Just Fine (the moniker musician/comedian Jon Lajoie) is a gorgeous ballad about inspiration and overcoming massive odds.

It is also, as you may have realised, about the night that Hulk Hogan bodyslammed Andre the Giant in front of 90,000 screaming Hulkamaniacs at the Silverdome for WrestleMania III.

But really, it’s about being nostalgic for those amazing moments as a child. Lajoie elaborates that “Hulk Hogan Slammed Andre The Giant” is “an ode to a window of time in my childhood when the world felt simple, and unfettered and unfiltered joy was still easily accessible. A time when Hulk Hogan defeating Andre the Giant meant that everything was going to be okay for ever and ever. When playing with my WWF wrestling figurines in my backyard with my older brother was more thrilling and exciting than any roller coaster ride or $200 million dollar blockbuster film. As an adult, I rarely have access to that kind of emotional exhilaration because, you know, life. However, that pure, blissful, unadulterated, child-like joy is so powerful, that even the memory of it can cause a small portion to travel through time to the present and put a silly smile on my much-too-serious forty-two year-old face.”

The song is the first single off his upcoming album, Everyone Is Dead Except Us, which is out June 16.

• Kirk

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“Everything Once” by Hotel Mira

The latest single from Hotel Mira is for everyone that struggles with addiction and metal illness. I don’t think there’s anything I can say that would be better than the poignant words words lead singer Charlie Kerr shared, so:

“He was the kind of guy who would come see your band even if only 6 people showed up. Risking humiliation, he would sing extremely loud and dance up a storm. It created an illusion that would have you thinking if just for a second, you were playing to a packed stadium. There’s undeniable bravery and kindness in that. Y’see he supported my pipe dream of being a singer. When he would have new people over to his folks’ place he would always take the time to show people what I was working on with whatever band I was playing with. He even had an ongoing joke that I should name my band after him. Hoping that a song in his honour will suffice.”

“When I think about him, I think about the unbearable pain someone can walk with and the lengths they go to not feel that pain. I think about putting your life in a stranger’s hands. I think about someone changing into something that no longer resembles the sweet kid that I grew up with. I think about the effort he was putting in to get out from under it all, and I think about how many loved ones I have lost with a similar story,”

“Everything Once” is the fourth single from Hotel Mira’s upcoming album, which we’ll hopefully get word on sooner rather than later!

• 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: August 29 - September 04, 2022

“Teenage Tears” by Arkells (feat. Tegan and Sara)

A few weeks ahead of their latest album, Blink Twice (yes, it’s a follow up to last year’s Blink Once), Arkells have unveiled their latest collaborators: Tegan and Sara.

“Teenage Tears” is melancholic song, and frontman Max Kerman says: “There’s a particular kind of intense emotional pain that reminds me of high school. It’s not worn down, chronic kind of pain. It’s a sharp and confusing sad. This song is about how occasionally you can still feel that kind of sadness as an adult. We were trying to do something that might feel somewhere between Olivia Rodrigo and The National or Bon Iver.”

The new song comes with a video shot in Vancouver’s (in)famous Kingsgate Mall, check it out below!

• Kirk

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“Faded Like A Feeling” by Tegan and Sara

Speaking of Tegan and Sara (and Vancouver landmarks)….

They too put out a new single, which will appear on their soon to be released 10th studio album, Crybaby, (due October 21). “Faded Like A Feeling”’s video was shot on the swing set at Hastings Mill Park near Jericho Beach (their last video for “Yellow” was at Locarno Beach!) - and happens to be directed by Mark Myers, who did the video with the Arkells as well!

The tune is about the “mysterious ebbs and flows of love and relationships” and the hazy vibe of the beach adds perfectly to the mood of the song.

• Christine

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“Matilda” & “Robot Writes A Love Song” by PUP

I love a good live album - when it’s done well and you get the energy of the crowd in there, it can be the next best thing to seeing a band live.

Well one of my FAVOURITE bands to see live is PUP and they’re giving us just that with an album recorded in Toronto at multiple venues and titled PUP Unravels Live In Front Of Everyone They Know.
Appropriate since it’s their hometown.

The first two songs released (the album drops on October 12th) are “Matilda” & “Robot Writes A Love Song” which you can hear below.

• Christine