Songs of the Week: December 08 - 14, 2025

December 15, 2025 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“The Dogs of God” by Jay Malinowski

Jay Malinowski (one half of Canadian band Bedouin Soundclash) has been working towards releasing his first solo album in over ten years. Under A Landslide Of Stars is set to drop on March 13, 2026 and features the track “The Dogs of God”.

The song came to be after Malinowski appeared on Podsongs, a podcast “where artists interview inspiring people and then write a song inspired by the exchange, provided the catalyst for this evocative piece. In speaking with (Irish philosopher Richard) Kearney about his philosophy of anatheism, or the return to God after God, Malinowski found himself drawn into reflections on doubt, imagination, humor, and the sacredness woven into everyday life.”

Of it Jay says: “Speaking with Richard sent me on an unexpected path. We talked about laughter as a sign of the holy, and his mention of the ‘Dogs of God’ brought back the story of St. Roch, patron saint of dogs. It made me realize how the dogs in my life opened me to mystery and compassion. The song became a tribute to them and to the grace found in loyalty, loss, and love.”

It’s a beautiful Celtic-style song that you can check out below.

Christine

“Queen of Nothing” by Softcult

In a little over a month, the sibling duo Softcult will be releasing their debut full length album, and they just released a new single with “Queen Of Nothing”

The dreamy track delves in to deep issues like society’s expectations on women, which vocalist Mercedes Arn-Horn can explain better than me: “This song is about the double standards, harsh judgements, and unrealistic expectations that patriarchal society places on women. We’re expected to be sexy, but only as it applies to the male fantasy; somehow a virgin and a slut. We’re expected to constantly nurture the men in our lives, and shamed if our aspirations exceed becoming wives and mothers. The world demands maturity from us, but discards us when we’re old and “unfuckable”, our value reduced to our ability to attract men. And when we attract men, we’re labeled “whores”. We’re expected to be “cool” and “like one of the guys”, but not too abrasive, loud, or “unladylike.” Our intelligence and our success is tolerated so long as it isn’t too threatening or intimidating to our male counterparts. From unconscious biases to blatant sexism, misogyny and gender violence, women face an impossible amount of discrimination in the world today. And no matter the amount of vitriol or ignorance we endure, we’re still expected to smile. This song is about the realization that these cycles of abuse are bigger than our personal experiences. It’s recognizing the systemic nature of mistreatment and discrimination.”

Have a listen below, and mark January 30th for the release of their album, When a Flower Doesn’t Grow. You can also catch them on tour net year, with some shows of their own as well as supporting Lights! No Vancouver date yet, though…

Kirk

“Truest Sound” by Clothesline From Hell

Last week, Clothesline From Hell released the fourth and final single from the upcoming debut LP, Slather On The Honey.

“Truest Sound” is the album’s closer, capping it off with an understated intensity. Adam LaFramboise elaborates the song is “a quiet closer, indebted to a lineage of final songs that are stripped back acoustic moments. A poignant note for the album to finish with, the title itself refers to the silence that comes after conflicts have been aired.”

The album is out on January 16th next year, and you can check out the new single below!

Kirk

Songs of the Week: October 13 - 19, 2025

October 20, 2025 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Falling Apart” by The Rural Alberta Advantage

Last week, The Rural Alberta Advantage released their first new music of the year with “Falling Apart”.

The single is a classic RAA slowburn, and comes with a video of them performing it live, as well as the announcement of a run of tour dates in the States early next year.

No word on a new album (or Canadian dates) so fingers crossed we hear more from them soon!

Kirk

“First Kiss” by Larkk

A month back Danielle McTaggart of Dear Rouge announced a solo project titled Larkk and released a dreamy instrumental piano track, and now we have the first song with lyrics!

“First Kiss”, which was co-written with American spoken word artist Derek C. Brown, is also dreamy and piano-focused but with added depth from strings and Danielle’s delicate vocals.

Danielle says “First Kiss is about that meeting point between memory and imagination—where a moment can be both the start of something and the echo of everything that came before. It’s a type of confession and a beginning. It’s gentle and raw, hushed and insistent—a small light in a dark room. There are threads of poems woven inside, fragments that helped me open the door, but the song is ultimately me telling myself: I’m ready to feel again. I’m ready to risk softness. I’m ready to name the thing that once only lived as a shape in the dark. First Kiss, is the first step, to singing out the world inside.”

Christine

“Sounds Like a Deal” by Alex Little

Alex Little is back (and this time without her Suspicious Minds) with a brand new single from her upcoming EP, Spider in the Sink.

“Sounds Like a Deal” is a catchy garage rocker that was inspired by a recent documentary on The Jerry Springer Show, of all things, with Alex explaining: “The poor treatment and exploitation of the people on the show was truly awful and I needed to sing about it.”

It also features some familiar faces; Tony Dallas on drums and Hayz Fisher on bass, with James Younger producing! You can have a listen below, and make sure to grab Spider in the Sink, on November 19th.

Kirk

“Whoever You Are…” by Clothesline From Hell

I’m not gonna lie, part of why I listened to Clothesline From Hell in the first place was that Adam LaFramboise named his project after a pro wrestling move. But I kept listening because of songs like the new single, “Whoever You Are…” a twitchy earworm with deeply introspective lyrics.

Adam says, “Most days this is my favourite song on the album. It’s become an endorsement for baptism by fire. The hardest lessons being the only life-affirming ones, available to anyone who resists warping the past into something tragic. Placing blame on someone else, only to pity yourself, never had longevity in mind. It’s a sped up healing process, but eventually it comes back to fuck you over and steer you clear of any sort of enlightenment.”

The new song comes with the announcement of his debut full length album, called Slather On The Honey, which is available early next year, on January 16th.

Kirk

“End Of The Road” by Royal Wood

Royal Wood’s ninth album Dear John is out now and with it came the latest single “End Of The Road”.

Of it Royal says: “the song came to me almost in a dream. The moment my fingers touched the keys the melody and words played themselves out. I remember sitting back and listening to the demo recording that I had fortunately captured and it was all there. Everything I needed to say that day. I think this song healed my heart, and set the tone for this album. When the words revealed themselves, I knew what they meant. I was going to fall in love with life, music and my career again.”
The record is a love letter to his younger self and he says he wrote it to create an album that the kid in him would love.

Christine

Songs of the Week: September 08 - 14, 2025

September 15, 2025 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“K.I.S.S.” ft Jon Kabongo & “Islands” by Shad

I hate sitting on embargoed songs (it feels like keeping a secret for a person) when really I just want to share here!
And that’s how I felt about waiting to post these two new song from Shad that came out early last week. They followed up his single “Bars & BBQs” and they will all appear on his new album Start Anew on October 31st.

“K.I.S.S.” aka the acronym for Keep It Simple Stupid features Jon Kabongo (which I thought was a spelling error, but it’s just a coincidence!) and Shad says it’s “inspired by the idea that we should take our work seriously but not take ourselves too seriously”.

In his newsletter Shad says that “Islands” is inspired by the book/concept “Islands Of Sanity” that his friend once mentioned to him: “The term "Islands Of Sanity" refers to communities that not only help people survive challenging times but also provide models for a better future. They aren't necessarily big or well-known groups but they are uncommonly cohesive, caring, and creative. The idea felt like exactly the kind of thing I wanted to explore on this album.”

The album is full of collaborations, both on production and performances, and I can’t wait to get more from it. There’s also been a show/tour announcement, so circle your calendars for January 17th as Shad will be coming to the Hollywood Theatre!

Christine

“Tears Of A Nation” by The Dears

A couple months ago, we heard the first new music from The Dears in a while, and now they’ve announced a brand new album! The Montreal band’s ninth studio album is called Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful!

The news is heralded by the brand new single called “Tears Of A Nation”, a soaring, powerful song with Murray Lightburn’s vocals bursting through.

Of the album, Murray says: “I remember when it clicked in my brain what I was writing about. It was soon after we played a series of shows celebrating the 20th anniversary of No Cities Left. I was on stage surrounded by wonderful musicians, playing songs I wrote in my 20s. My kids and my mom were sitting up on the balcony of the theatre. Natalia was just to my right. I told the audience that sometimes it gets tough but that life is beautiful. I asked the audience to say it with me, three times: A mantra; a wish; an affirmation.
Life is tough. We experience challenges all the time. In our darkest hours we might think it’s never going to be better. But if we can just make it through, we find out what we thought was impossible; that we could smile again, maybe even laugh. We feel our loved ones. We find out how strong we can be. The songs in this record are for everyone and anyone. They are meant to be supportive.”

Pick up the new album when it’s out on November 7th via Next Door Records, and check out the video — directed by Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew — below!

Kirk

“Moral Panic” by Vivek Shraya

The new release from Vivek Shraya gave me major “Starálfur” by Sigur Rós vibes!
“Moral Panic” starts off with looping vocals, but then quiet instrumentals are layered and then the vocals come in, building and building until the end.

With poignant timing, Shraya speaks of the song: “Fear has long been a political tool to divide, distract and control and it’s more important than ever to be vigilant about what we are consuming and believing. At the same time, there is legitimately a lot to be afraid of right now and also looking ahead.”

The new album New Models will be out on October 8th and there are only a few tour dates announced - for now!

Christine

“Hotter Than The Sun” by Begonia

We’re just over a month away from the new album from Begonia, and getting a new tease with the song “Hotter Than The Sun”.

The latest track off Fantasy Life is a quirky, upbeat tune, which sees Begonia pondering, “Do butterflies appreciate their own beauty? Does a moth know that the closer they get to the light could also mean potentially dying at the light's hand? Don’t ask me. I just know that sometimes I dream of just being an insect and flicking my wings around at will. I can honestly say with this record that I’m accepting myself now fully for the first time. I feel like I've said that before but this time I actually mean it. I’m not saying it’s easy but it’s far less exhausting then trying to fit in anyone else’s version of who I should be. I’ve always struggled with a very loud inner hater and I feel like making this song is attempting some kind of scruffy diy exorcism. I’ll let you know how I feel the more I sing it.”

Check out the video, and make sure you have October 24th in your calendar, when Fantasy Life drops, on Birthday Cake Records.

Kirk

“On Ice” by Clothesline From Hell

You better believe I’m going to check out a band named after a pro wrestling move.

Clothesline From Hell is the musical project of Toronto’s Adam LaFramboise, and last week he released his latest single, “On Ice”.

With an intense, driving beat (perhaps not what you would expect from a project named after a cowboy-turned-businessman) Adam says, “The song is as loud and dumb as I’ll ever allow myself to get. It should be frustrating, but it ends up being cathartic. I just wanted to make a really catchy pop song that also felt dangerous. This is the kind of pain you feel in your funny bone; it's weird and potent and I can’t help but laugh.”

No word on a full album from Clothesline From Hell, but have a listen to “On Ice” below!

Kirk