Songs of the Week: January 16 - 22. 2023
“Dumpster Gold” by Murray A. Lightburn
Followers of this here website will probably know that The Dears are one of my top favourite bands, so my ears perked up when I saw new music from singer Murray A. Lightburn.
“Dumpster Gold” is the lead single off his third solo album, and is a heartbreaking tale of reconnecting with the past. Murray explains: "About a year or so after my old man passed, my mom called and said, 'Murray, I’ve made a big decision: I’m selling the house'. She’d been there for 50 years. We were the only family that ever lived in it, one of many identical houses in a section of Brossard, Quebec. On our way out, we sifted through everything; most of it was going to the dump. There were many worthless treasures that were meaningful only to us. A couple of things now sit around my house. My father wasn’t an expressive man to me. I am left with these fragments to piece together a connection to him."
The new album, Once Upon A Time In Montreal, is out March 31, and as Lightburn jokes, is an audio version of a biopic, inspired by the passing of his father, a jazz musician from Belize who moved to Montreal via New York to reconnect with his teenage sweetheart.
Kirk
“I Don’t Feel It Like I Used To” by Louise Burns
Well, this song made my whole week, I love it that much.
“I Don't Feel it Like I Used To” is the latest track released by Louise Burns, off of her newly announced new album Element (set for release on April 21 via Light Organ Records).
Louise said she “felt torn between writing something more gothic country like my older catalogue, or trip hop and sample based like the music I was listening to. Naturally it turned into both…”
Between this release, the cover of “See You” she put out in the fall, and the list of contributors she has for the album, I cannot wait to hear more from Element!
Christine
“Evolution” by Braids
It’s been a minute since we’ve heard new music from Montreal’s Braids, so I was excited to hear the experimental pop band drop a new single “Evolution”, as well as announcing their next album.
The swirling song spotlights singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s vocals, with the singer explaining “Evolution in and of itself is a patient act. Our pursuit of the individual self, which comprises all realms of human emotion, is sweetened with the intention and act of patience from ourselves, from those that we love and those who love us.”
Euphoric Recall, set for release on April 28th through Secret City Records, and you can check out the trippy video for “Evolve” below!
Kirk
“Married By Elvis” by Begonia
Usually I want to write about the song itself, but for this new track from Begonia, “Married By Elvis” - from her upcoming album Powder Blue, I just HAD to talk about the video.
Of it she says: “I started becoming obsessed with picturing the music video I wanted to make for it. I’ve always been fascinated by tribute artists, and I wanted to just be in an Elvis Tribute Artist club for a day. I held on to the idea for two years and then finally decided to make it happen with beautiful freak director Ryan Steel. We hired some of the top tribute artists in Western Canada and Ryan totally captured the earnestly absurd joy I was after. I don’t really believe in marriage and I’m not even really an Elvis fan but I do believe love can make you do some strange things and that’s what this song is all about.”
It doesn’t disappoint, those Elvis’s are serving looks.
Can’t wait for the entire album to come out, and hopefully for a Vancouver show to be announced!
Christine
“Truths You Outrun” by Hillsburn
The Halifax indie-pop powerhouse Hillsburn is back with a brand new EP coming soon.
The latest tease is “Truths You Outrun”, a slow-burner with beep bass & shimmering sax, about “a lonely season spent ‘trying to mute my fear’ before realizing it wasn’t possible.”
Check out the song below and keep an ear out for Stories, the new EP out March 10.
Kirk
