Songs of the Week: October 17 - 23, 2022

“East Coast” by Hayden

So, I sat straight up in my chair when I saw this in my inbox: The first new music from Hayden since 2015!

“East Coast” is a gorgeous ballad and has rolling piano throughout, with added guitar over the end. In the press release he says the song was inspired to write this song after covering a Leonard Cohen song (Avalanche) and you can definitely get those vibes when listening.

While he’s only touring in Ontario this November/early December, a new album is anticipated for early 2023, and I hope that a West Coast (see what I did there?) swing brings him this way as it’s been far too long.

• Christine

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“Another Level” by Hyaenas

Vancouver’s Hyaenas dropped their latest new single last week, “Another Level”, about the cult NXIVM — which preyed on the Vancouver acting scene — as well as the ‘Bargaining’ stage in the cycle of grief.

The band says, “Another Level was heavily inspired by NXIVM - a sexual slavery cult that lured people in under the guise of their personal and professional “Executive Success” seminars. The track begins with booming, roomy drums and then pulls into a tight, crisp, and punchy soundscape when the rest of the band kicks in. In the last chorus you’ll hear all four band members' individual voices overlapping and intersecting - representing the many voices of inner turmoil when you realize you got more than you bargained for in a deal with the ‘Devil’.”

(Not-so-fun fact: I went to high school with one of the more infamous members of NXIVM, Nicki Clyne.)

Check out “Another Level” below and just try not to have it running through your head for the rest of the day.

• Kirk

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“Smoking Weed Alone” by Tegan and Sara

After a whole slew of single releases over the last few months (including several different music videos), Tegan and Sara’s new album Crybaby is out now!

Also out at the beginning of next week will be the release of their new TV show “High School”, based off their memoir of the same name, and the duo will perform on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday.
If you’re in Vancouver on November 20th, they’ll be performing at the Commodore Ballroom.

Oh, and I can’t forget that this post is about a new single, “Smoking Weed Alone”, the 5th off Crybaby, of which they say “there’s a chorus where we’re sort of singing to each other, and we haven’t done that before, in our career”. Check it out below.

• Christine

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“Lustre Parfait” by Gord Downie & Bob Rock

I did a double take when I saw Gord Downie’s name alongside '“new music”, but I had to expect there would be a giant well of unreleased music from such a talented man to release posthumously.

“Lustre Parfait” is super fun and upbeat, in a very non-Tragically Hip way. Honestly you could swap in Max Kerman’s vocals and I would 100% have believed this was an Arkells song - between the keys, background vocals, and horns!
It could be because Gord wrote the lyrics over the music that Bob Rock provided him, and apparently there is more to come from the collaboration….MUCH more. I can’t wait, his voice has been sorely missed.

• Christine

Songs of the Week: September 26 - October 02, 2022

“Instant Cash For Gold” by Jill Barber

Jill Barber is back and planning on trading her old songs in like “Instant Cash for Gold”.

The brand new song is a competitive folksy tune, which Jill says is “a reflection on the chasm that exists between the personal value that music holds for people, relative to its commercial value. Sadly, the persistent undervaluing of music forces so many of us musicians to trade it all in—often in a defeated way, much like those willing to trade in their most valued possession out of pure desperation to have cash in hand.”

“Instant Cash for Gold” is the first single off her upcoming album Homemaker, written about the disparity between Jill Barber the musician, and Jill Barber the wife & mother. She jokes, “One day I was headlining Massey Hall, and the next day I was sweeping a messy hall”

Mark down February 10th as the release date of Homemaker, on Outside Music

• Kirk

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“I Can’t Grow Up” by Tegan and Sara

Another week, another track from Tegan and Sara’s upcoming album Crybaby - due out October 21st.
”I Can’t Grow up is a fun little pop song about “not being able to grow out of bad habits in relationships”, which definitely seems to be a recurring theme with the new music.

On top of the album the twins new show High School, which is based on their NYT best-selling memoir, is also debuting this month on Amazon Prime on October 28th. I’ve seen a few clips and am definitely going to be tuning in!

• Christine

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“Ghost” by Tim Sheinman

What if Celine Dion and Elliott Smith fell in love, when they were both up for an Academy Awards in 1998?

That’s the question that the upcoming narrative puzzle game Riley & Rochelle wants to answer. A tale of love & pop in the 90s, the game features music co-written by developer Tim Sheinman and Natalia Yanchak from The Dears, who also co-write the game.

In the game, you put together a documentary about the titular pair, piecing together their rise and fall, in both music and love, with an original 16-song soundtrack that spans their careers. Natalia says "We get to a point in the story where Riley and Rochelle are writing music together, and we really see their worlds collide. While these two musicians are super happy recording whatever songs they want, their labels and fans are not. So we have our indie rocker and our pop diva collaborating on something that comes out like Portishead, Bjork, or Zero 7. Riley and Rochelle are making weird, unusual art without any consideration for marketability or capitalist intentions. The fallout is brutal and you'll have to play the game to find out how it ends!"

“Ghost” is the second song released from the game, and featured vocals from Colombes Ran. You can check out the full soundtrack, as well as the game, on October 18th. But if you can’t wait, you can check out a demo of the game on Steam right now!

• 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

Songs of the Week: April 25 - May 01, 2022

“All Comes Crashing” by Metric

It’s been a hot minute since we’ve heard new music from Metric, but last week they released the lead single for their brand new album!

The buzzing synth and crunchy guitars of “All Comes Crashing” is the first taste we’re getting of Formentera, due out on July 8th.

Frontwoman Emily Haines says “Not everyone has a conventional life with conventional relationships,” says front woman Emily Haines. “All Comes Crashing” is a love song that goes beyond romantic love, it’s an expression of solidarity with whoever it is you would want to have beside you in the event of catastrophe. It might be your best friend, it might be your blood brother or your dog. The song is dedicated to those you consider your family, whatever that looks like for you.”

They’ve also announced a pretty extensive tour for later this year, including Canadian dates (like August 13 here in Vancouver) with Dear Rouge, an absolute perfect pairing!

• Kirk

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“Fucking Up What Matters” by Tegan and Sara

Seems like we’re getting new music from a ton of long-standing Canadian artists right now (see above and below as well).
Well, Tegan and Sara put out a new single from their upcoming TENTH album. According to Tegan, “Fucking Up What Matters” felt like an ode to the moment in your life when you realize that you have most, if not all of the things you wanted and you start to think about what would happen if you just walked away from it all.

The twins recently jumped labels over to Mom+Pop Music, and their TV adaptation of their memoir High School is in production now. We'll definitely be hearing and seeing more from the duo soon.

• Christine

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“Capelton Hill” by Stars

New music from Metric and Stars in the same week?! In anticipation for their upcoming album, From Capelton Hill, Stars released the title track, “Capelton Hill”.

In classic Stars fashion, the song featured back & forth vocals from Torquil Cambell and Amy Millan, with Torq saying:

“This song sounds like an ending. And maybe it is. It's certainly a moment of looking back; at what we've done together, and what we've lost along the way. It focuses on this band’s enduring obsession: loss. The cost of loving somewhere or someone is the fact that you lose them. The last two years have taught us all a lot about loss; loss of loved ones, of time, of memories, of simple pleasures. That loss hurts. We're all hurt, and there is no way around it, you can only go through it. Whether you're ten or fifty, things change. But on Capelton Hill, maybe things can stay the same. For just one more year.”

From Capelton Hill is out May 27, and their tour kicks off right here in Vancouver on June 4th!

• Kirk

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“Long Way Down” by iskwē and Tom Wilson

The duo of iskwē | ᐃᐢᑫᐧᐤ (Cree Métis) and Tom Wilson | Tehoh’ahake (Mohawk) have released a few singles over the past couple of years, and now we’re finally getting word of their debut album!

Mother Love is out July 20, and that announcement comes with the latest single, “Long Way Down”. Opening with a bouncy guitar line, the song features a fantastic contrast of voices between iskwē and Tom.

Have a listen for yourself below!

• Kirk

Song of the Day: September 29, 2016 - "Boyfriend" Tegan & Sara Remix by The Darcys

The Darcys remixed Tegan & Sara's song "Boyfriend".
I danced around my apartment, while cleaning, to it.
And now I pass it along to you.
Listen!