Songs of the Week: May 17 - 23, 2021

“Yung DiCaprio” by The Zolas

As we creep closer to the release date for Come Back To Life, the latest album from The Zolas, we’re getting yet another tease; this time with the video for their latest song “Yung DiCaprio”.
Lyrically inspired by DiCaprio himself — specifically, his role in Baz Luhrmann’s ‘96 take on Romeo + Juliet — and sonically inspired by the same era of Britpop, the pulsing song is exactly what you need to get pumped for the week.

• Kirk

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“Windermere (feat. Dan Mangan)” by Yaehsun

Toronto multi-instrumentalist & producer Yaehsun (aka Jason Haberman) has collaborated with a long line of Canadian rockers, including Zeus, Jason Collett, Yukon Blonde, and The Wooden Sky to name a few. His latest song "Windermere" is a dreamy, wistful track that features vocals from Dan Mangan.
He says “When I first wrote the instrumentation to this song I was envisioning long drives at night, moving quite quickly. After Dan sent me his vocals with the chorus line “slow down” I felt a bit altered. My daily ritual while working on this song changed shape, day into night this bizarre perception of time circled around me - and still does. Devouring seasons, gathering hope, pondering subtle breezes that turn to rapid growth and repetition. All in time - go easy on yourself.”
Have a listen below!

• Kirk

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“Song” by Lydia Ainsworth

Just ahead of releasing her new album, last week Lydia Ainsworth shared a new video for her latest single “Cosmic Dust”. Animated by multimedia artist, director and producer Eli Welbourne, the video brings to mind the planetarium laser light shows, fitting not only the title of the song, but the spacey, ethereal vibe the track gives off.
So lay back and have a watch, and if you like it, be sure to pick up her new album, Sparkles & Debris, which came out this past Friday!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: May 03 - 09, 2021

“No Good” by Kandle

Last week Kandle released the fourth(!) single from her upcoming album, but this one came with some details on the release. Set The Fire comes out on May 28, and the latest single “No Good” is also the first in the Garden Sessions, an open-air series with Kandle, Debra-Jean Creelman and Kendel Carson performing acoustic versions of songs from the album.

• Kirk

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“Am I Just Gonna Stand Here (While You Take My Girl Away)” by Whitehorse

With their album Modern Love still hot off the presses, Whitehorse has announced yet another new album to come this year! Strike Me Down comes out September 10, and it’s heralded by the (awesomely titled) “Am I Just Gonna Stand Here (While You Take My Girl Away)”. The song comes with a kaleidoscopic video that is very fitting of the dizzying, swirling 60’s tinge.

• Kirk

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“When I Come Around” by Nap Eyes

Yes, that “When I Come Around”. I love hearing cover songs, but am usually bored if it’s just a 1:1 exact copy of the original (what even is the point, in that case?). Luckily, that’s not at all what we get with this version of a Green Day classic from Nap Eyes, as the band turns the angsty anthem into a heartfelt, introspective tune.
The EP (which also features a cover of Bonnie Raitt’s Thank You) is out at the end of the week.

• Kirk

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“Muse Needs A Wife” by Debra-Jean Creelman

Speaking of Debra-Jean Creelman, the Vancouver singer/songwriter has announced a brand new album of her own, and released lead single “Muse Needs A Wife”. The song features her vulnerable voice lilting over gorgeous strings, exploring themes of duality, or as Creelman explains: "It feels like there's a 50’s housewife and a road-dog warring it out inside of me.”
The album, Threshold, comes out July 16th, and features some familiar names like Joseph Hirabiyashi, Jesse Zubot, James Meger, Molly Guldemond, Louise Burns, and Peggy Lee.

• Kirk

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“On & On” by Half Moon Run

The new Half Moon Run EP (titled Inwards & Onwards) is set to be released on June 18th and I’m pretty darn excited for it. It feels like from this new single “On & On” and the previous one, “How Come My Body”, that the sound of the new record might be closer to vintage Half Moon Run, which is all thumbs up from me.
Check out the spacey visuals in the video below while sitting in a sunny patch of light.

• Christine

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“Unsolicited Advice” by Charles Spearin

In recognition of Mental Health Week last week, Charles Spearin released a song he had been pass around among friends for the better part of the past year. Spearin wrote the words and music to “Unsolicited Advice” as a “raw, spontaneous, heartfelt letter to his two teenage kids. After recording it, and listening back, he felt it was something larger - a letter to friends and family, a letter to his younger self, a love letter from Generation X to Generation Z; basically a letter to everyone who needs it.”
Check out the video, animated by Jared Sales, below!

• Kirk

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“Winter Is Coming In” by Alex Henry Foster

Alex Henry Foster was brought to my attention in our 3AM inbox and watching the video for “Winter Is Coming In” just made me miss live shows so much I almost cried.
Give it a view below - and click here for another one from him from the same live show called: “The Son Of Hannah”. (Both are from his most recent album Standing Under Bright Lights.)

• Christine

Songs of the Week: March 15 - 21, 2021

“Honey Lungs” by Said the Whale

Despite certain… worldwide events… 2020 was a very busy year for Said the Whale. Along with frequent livestreams, the band was hard at work on a new batch of songs, with the first self-released single dropping last week.
“Honey Lungs” reminds me of the grittiness of some of the bands early songs, but with modern day production — even if I didn’t know they were working with Steve Bays (of Hot Hot Heat, Mounties, and like eleventeen other bands) I feel like I would have been able to tell just from listening — and will absolutely be stuck in your head for the rest of the day.
Risk the earworm below, or check out the band’s Patreon for sneak peaks of more to come!

• Kirk

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“How Come By Body” by Half Moon Run

Beautiful new single from the newly JUNO-nominated (for Group Of The Year and Adult Alternative Album of The Year) Half Moon Run. “How Come My Body” is dreamy and simplistic, and comes with a video that made me miss live shows and people even more. We don’t have a set date for the new album, just a “later this year” - but in the meantime, more of this please!

• Christine

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“I Wanna Make Promises (That I Can’t Keep)” by Whitehorse

Surprise! Not only did Whitehorse release a new song last week, but announced a brand new album was to come mere days later! Modern Love released Friday, and lead single “I Wanna Make Promises (That I Can’t Keep)” is a laid back, sultry number, with an early contender for lyrics of the year:

Let’s argue in Ikea
Make a scene, go home and fuck
On unassembled furniture
Fresh off the moving truck

• Kirk

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“Parade” by Lydia Ainsworth

Ahead of her brand new album Sparkles & Debris (due out May 21), Lydia Ainsworth has released a gorgeous new song called “Paradise”. Her ethereal voice is backed by her usual electronic soundscapes, but in a departure from her previous albums, Ainsworth is also joined by live drums, guitars, and bass for this album. If the first single is any indication to how the rest of the album will be, I can’t wait to hear it.

• Kirk

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“Starlight” by Chad VanGaalen

Two weeks ago Chad VanGaalen released another song from his now-released album World's Most Stressed Out Gardener, and I lamented the fact that it didn’t come with a music video.
Well, cut to this week, the full album is released and another single, “Starlight”, gets the signature VanGaalen music video treatment. This is slowly becoming one of my favourite records of the year.

• Christine

Song of the Day: March 16, 2019 - "Tell Me I Exist" by Lydia Ainsworth

Phantom Forest comes out May 10, but we’re getting another tease at the new album from Lydia Ainsworth with the latest single, “Tell Me I Exist”.

The existential song has an ethereal vibe, and Ainsworth says in an interview: "I find many facets of social media to be meaningful and I feel more connected than ever with kindred spirits who I'd probably not been able to connect with had the technology not been there. But I am afraid of the way it is being harnessed by dictatorial powers. Our faces all stored in a tidy database. Technology has become a distraction to the truth."

She also announced a batch of tour dates, but looks to be skirting Vancouver, so hopefully will be back here sooner than later!

Song of the Day: February 18, 2019 - "Can You Find Her Place" by Lydia Ainsworth

Just last week, I was wondering about when we were going to hear new music from Lydia Ainsworth, and just like that… a brand new song!

“Can You Find Her Place” is the first single off the upcoming album Phantom Forest, and Ainsworth says the song is “about Mother Nature's elusive yet powerful strength in the face of adversity. I'm singing a number of the songs on Phantom Forest from the perspective of Mother Nature and her views on humanity's hubris, however on 'Can You Find Her Place' I am using my voice as a kind of Greek chorus singing about where you can find her strength, setting the scene for Phantom Forest."

Take a listen below, and be sure to snag the album on May 10th!

Song of the Day: February 11, 2017 - "Afterglow" by Lydia Ainsworth

As we get closer to its March 31st release, we get another taste of the new Lydia AInsworth album, Darling of the Afterglow.

"Afterglow" is a rich and absolutely haunting song, with a vaguely creepy video to match. Check it out below, and make sure to catch her on tour, including a Vancouver date at the Fox Cabaret on May 4th. 

Song of the Day: January 12, 2017 - "The Road" by Lydia Ainsworth

One of my favourite sleeper albums of '014 was Right From Real by Lydia Ainsworth, and now we're on the heels of her followup, called Darling of the Afterglow.

It's out March 31st but you can get a taste with the orchestral electronica vibes of the first single "The Road" right now. Check out the captivating video below, and make sure you're at the Fox Cabaret here in Vancouver on May 4th to see her live.