Songs of the Week: September 30 - October 06, 2023

“A Day In The Life” by Shad

Holy crap we have a whole new EP from Shad!

Four brand new songs from the EP Reel Speakers were released last week. Of how it came to be, Shad says:
“Last summer, I decided to write, record, and release a two (or three) verse freestyle every week for 10 weeks on Instagram. I did it as a creative exercise, a fun way to connect with community, and also a tribute to some of my favourite beats for Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary. Those freestyles sparked a collaboration with the super dope producer and artist 14KT, a longtime favourite that I connected with in-person in 2019 at the DJ Jazzy Jeff’s incredible Playlist Retreat. What began with KT crafting a beat for one of those freestyles spiraled up into this project.”

You can listen and download to the whole EP on Bandcamp by clicking here, and I chose “A Day In The Life” for this week’s song based on the line about taking naps (which made me laugh). Give them all a listen!

• Chrsitine

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“Baby” by Basia Bulat

Oh boy, this just jumped to the top of my most anticipated albums for next year so far. Last week, Basia Bulat announced her newest album, Basia’s Palace, as well as the first single, “Baby”.

The new song is a fun, upbeat tune that spotlights the Montreal singer’s amazing voice, with Basia explaining,
“I wrote this song many years ago but never could get the lyrics and performance quite right. I wanted to try it again after becoming a parent–it’s about how we can’t control how or when we’re going to evolve even when we desperately want to. We keep making the same mistakes until we notice a pattern repeating, and even then, change is hard when we have to fully surrender to it. Could I make that predicament something I wanted to dance to? Could I sing the lyrics with joy instead of the sorrow I was channeling in the past? Nothing in my life has made me want to evolve faster, better, stronger than parenthood and the universe keeps throwing that desire back at me with a laugh and a wink, reminding me that things take time and to just love myself for being human. So this song from my past I couldn’t let go of finally made it onto a record–after all the times I tried to get it right I knew I finally had ‘the take’ when my daughter kept asking to hear it again.”

Basia’s Palace is out on February 21 of next year, via Secret City Records, and you can check out the amazing one-take video below (someone remind me of this when the next Prism Prize for music videos rolls around!)

• Kirk

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“Neon Signs” by The Weather Station

And another addition to my most anticipated for 2025 is the upcoming Humanhood from The Weather Station!

Toronto’s Tamara Lindeman announced the new album for The Weather Station with the instantly-captivating lead single “Neon Lights”, of which she says,
“I wrote ‘Neon Signs’ at a moment of feeling confused, upside down, at that moment when even desire falls away, and dissociation cuts you loose from a story that while wrong, still held things together. The song came with multiple strands entwined; the way that something that is not true seems to have more energetic intensity than something that is, the confusion of being bombarded with advertising at a moment of climate emergency, the confusion of relationships where coercion is wrapped in the language of love. Ultimately though, isn’t it all the same feeling?”

Humanhood drops January 17 on Next Door Records, and you can watch the video, directed by Lindeman, below!

• Kirk

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“Jocelyn” by The Beaches

Totally forgot to post this one last week!

The Beaches released a new track titled “Jocelyn” dedicated to their fans, and revolving around their new-found audience.

“We wanted to write about the experience of feeling undeserving of all the reverence that was being thrown away after 'Blame My Ex' did so well. All of us in the band are just a bunch of messy girls, and we felt strange about the way that some people were putting us on pedestals,” says singer Jordan Miller.

“Blame My Ex” co-writter Lowell kept singing the name “Jocelyn” and the band decided to seek out a fan with the same name. “We kind of wrote it about this brilliant young woman, and about the experience we were going through, feeling uncomfortable and undeserving of Jocelyn's adulation.”

• Christine

Songs of the Week: September 23 - 29, 2024

“Bad Dog” by Menno Versteeg

Another new song from Menno Versteeg this week that you should watch below for the video alone. Starring alongside him are comedian Chris Locke and actor Mary Hollis Inboden (Kevin Can F**k Himself, The Righteous Gemstones)…and a whole bunch of dogs, including his own (named Roger).

The track is about “loving someone or something through their worst moment”, and will be on his debut solo album, Why We Run, out December 13th!

Menno is in town this Thursday (October 3rd), performing at The Heatley with a few other pals.

• Christine

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“Great Minds” by TAURO

TAURO is the new collaboration between jazz pianist & singer-songwriter Cynthia Tauro and Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning, and last week they shared their debut single, “Great Minds”

With a groovy R&B beat, and Cynthia’s voice intertwining with Canning, the new tune is about a long lasting love between two people, with the band elaborating: “They know they shouldn’t be together, but somehow the feeling of them still lingers”

“Great Minds” also comes with a cool video, from animator Jared Sales, which you can watch below!

• Kirk

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“Earthsong” by Jennifer Castle

As we creep closer to the release of Camelot, the upcoming album from acclaimed songwriter Jennifer Castle, we’re getting another tease with the latest single, “Earthsong”

The gorgeous & sparse new single is driven by her incredible vocals, with Castle saying “‘Earthsong’ was one of the last songs I wrote for what would become Camelot. Seeded from hope, imagination, destiny and resistance, the line that works on me like medicine is ‘I belong to the world.’ Feels good to say and mean that.”

You can pick up Camelot when it drops on November 1st, and check out the video below, which Jennifer made with her sister Sarah!

• Kirk

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“1986” by The Darcys

The Darcys first album in four years, Rendered Feelings, came out this week and it’s another great one from the duo.

Drummer Wes Marskell has this to say about the record:

“Rendering Feelings took a really long time to… render. As it does, life got in the way. Jason and I were both going through massive changes, and at different times confronting past traumas, breaking up, making up, and relapsing to old behaviors and flawed patterns. At one point, we both found ourselves in long-distance relationships which, in turn, made the two of us in a long distance relationship. Spoiler: LDRs are bad for productivity.
In part, that’s why the record is so conversational, we wrote it as if every lyric could be pulled from a phone conversation (or text) one of us had over the past four years. Technology became a theme, as did UFO’s for some weird reason.”

I did wonder about the UFO themed merch they had going on. Listen to the track “1986” below and the rest of the album full of bangers (that I can’t wait to hear live) by clicking here.

• Christine

Songs of the Week: September 16 - 22, 2024

“Eddie Vedder” by The Matinee

The Matinee just wants to be friends with “Eddie Vedder”.

On their new tune, named for the grunge icon, singer Matt Layzell shares: “We grew up listening to Pearl Jam. Their album TEN came out at a formative time in our lives, and watching the band continue to evolve and stick it out together has always been something to aspire to. I was in a bit of a rut, feeling like I was attracting nothing but bad luck. The kicker was my car breaking down after a road trip and having to fork out my whole tax return. I took a walk with my dog to the dog beach here in Vancouver and remembered the moment the trouble light came on, which was around the Vedder River. Vedder. Eddie Vedder. I don’t know why, but I just said it out loud, “I wish Eddie Vedder was a friend of mine”. I perked up quite a bit as I realized my day wasn’t so bad sitting on a log, watching the waves. I started thinking about the things I’d ask Eddie if he was there, just chewing the fat with me. Eddie, if you hear this song, let’s grab a coffee sometime—it’s on me.”

The new song is the kind of catchy, roots-rock jam you would expect from the band (and I’ll bet they’re currently pretty happy they didn’t pick the frontman to another ground-breaking 90s Seattle grunge band to sing about).

You can check out the lyric video below, and find the song on their upcoming End of Scene EP — featuring B-Sides to their latest album Change of Scene — which is out November 1st.

• Kirk

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“If God Is A Woman” by Larkin Poe

I first heard of Georgia-bred, Nashville-based Larkin Poe at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival in 2019 and was instantly hooked.
This week they put out a new single titled “If God Is A Woman” and announced a new album Bloom, to be released in January.

Of the bluesy new track, Rebecca Lovell says “If God Is A Woman’ was written as a reminder to resist the typecasting of women, both conscious and unconscious. There are many shades of existence, and we had fun painting abstract with this sardonic blues.”

I hope we get more soon from these Grammy winners!

• Christine

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“Life of the Party” by Housewife

With their third release of the year, Toronto’s Housewife is looking to be the “Life of the Party”.

Though despite the name, the haunting ear-worm is a little on the darker side compared to their latest songs, with Brighid Fry explaining, “’Life of the Party’ is the closest I’ll ever get to making the music 13 year old emo me wanted to make. It’s a totally self pity fest, which is sometimes exactly what you need! I made this song with Mikky Ekko and Aaron C Harmon, and we wrote it about the cognitive dissonance you get between people’s perception of how your life is going versus how you actually feel it's going. I totally love my job, but I think sometimes people make a lot of assumptions about me based on the fact that I’m a musician. People see me on stage and assume that I’m this super confident person living a super glamorous life, and that is just not the case. Once I get off stage, I am a very anxious person who doesn’t like being the center of attention - so I wanted to write a song about balancing people’s opinions of me with how I actually feel about myself.”

No word on a full album from Housewife, but you can watch the lyric video below.

• Kirk

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“Candles” by Sunset Rubdown

I still sorta can’t believe that we have new music from Sunset Rubdown, but this past Friday, the Vancouver band released their first album in 15(!) years, Always Happy To Explode.

And to celebrate, they dropped their latest single, “Candles”, an upbeat song that started as one of Spencer Krug’s song-a-month project on Patreon in 2020, it was rediscovered and reworked by the band for the new album.

Always Happy To Explode is available now, and you can see Sunset Rubdown as they strike out on tour, starting October 10 here in Vancouver at the Rickshaw Theatre

• Kirk

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“All Bets Are Off” by Japandroids

It’s less than a month until the final album from Japandroids - with Fate & Alcohol being released on October 18th.

It is bittersweet getting new music from the band but knowing that it’s the end and we won’t be getting a tour for it, but I will take whatever they give me!

The latest track release is titled “All Bets Are Off” and singer/guitarist Brian King shared his journaling/thoughts on the night that inspired the closing track of the album:

“Night off. I could have rested though (of course) I didn't. The crew were on one and the party was well underway when I arrived. The other patrons didn't seem to appreciate our noisy and colourful presence (squares), but the boys were blissfully unaware, hurling hot words at one another and making absurd bets with their per diems, like whether it was possible to light a cigarette with a pistol shot. I knew where this was going and wanted no part of it. 

I slunk to a shadowy corner and ordered a cocktail, spur to my jaded spirits. I was gathering material for a book on bar life and it was the perfect place to watch the hungry hearts of Saturday twist towards the blue emptiness of Sunday morning. Poolroom tigers and nightclub kittens, on the prowl for a piece of anything. Cups and lips, quips and quirks, I frantically jotted it all down sparing no detail. Another cocktail? Don't mind if I do! The night was primed and I felt punk. 

Seeing her immediately stripped me of my powers. A thousand thoughts, frozen and kept in cold storage, thawed all at once. She was not the same woman I had known, exuding a subtle elegance and sensuality I had never seen before; she looked breathtaking. Every exquisite nuance like salt on old love-cuts. Chicly dressed too, which added to my agony. The imbalance between us was obvious, making me self-conscious. Still, I decided to let it play out. Cue the music.”

• Christine

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“Fear it comes in waves” by Sunnsetter

Sunnsetter is the latest music project from multi-instrumentalist, composer, and mixing engineer Andrew McLeod, and last week they released their latest single, “Fear it comes in waves”.

The new tune is a raucous song that Andrew says is an examination of “the daily dread or anxiety that just finds its way into your everyday life, in waves, even when you find ways to cope with it.”

Along with the new single, the band announced their upcoming album, Heaven Hang Over Me, which is out November 15!

• Kirk

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“Armour” by bloom effect

bloom effect is a Vancouver trio made up of members from Argentina and UK, and last week they released the first taste of their upcoming EP Portents,

“Armour” is a shoegaze- y dream-pop vibe, with ethereal vocals from singer Jula Lafit, and you can have a listen below!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: September 09 - 15, 2024

“Dead End” by Skye Wallace

Rat Summer might be coming to an end soon, but that just means we’re getting closer to a brand new album from Skye Wallace!

Skye has been releasing singles over the past few months, but just finally announced the release of The Act of Living. Along with the news, she’s dropped her latest single, “Dead End”. Much like those recent songs, “Dead End” was written alongside Hawksley Workman — also featuring his Mounties-bandmate Ryan Dahle on guitar — and hits just as hard.

No stranger to dark themes, Wallace explains, “This was my take on a work of fiction dictating the story of the Reaper falling in love and being very upset about it. I wanted to capture the eternal exhaustion of the infernal job title, and the wild panic that love instills in the heart of the Great Reckoner. I based the concept initially on City of Angels, where Nicholas Cage’s character is an angel who falls in love with a human and is given the choice to give up immortality and eternity in order to spend it with her. ‘Dead End’ is about a similar offer given to Death. The single is paired with an audio drama by the same name, featuring sound design by award-winning podcast editor J Strautman.”

Have a listen below and make sure to mark down November 1st for the release of The Act of Living!

• Kirk

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“Let The World Turn” by MOONRIIVR

This is just such a happy little track!
Super group MOONRIIVR have announced two live, off-the-floor collections called The Tascam Series EPs.

The Dorval Sessions and Live At Jenny’s Bar see the band in and around Toronto performing on front stoops, and at local businesses, and of course at Jenny’s Bar.

The first release is the track “Let The World Turn” - which was originally on the band’s debut release Vol 1.

• Christine

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“The Trickster” by Francis Baptiste

Francis Baptiste a songwriter from the Osoyoos Indian Band (Syilx) released a new album this summer titled Sənk̓lip, the Trickster. The album is infused with his native language, Nsyilxcən, that fewer than 100 people can speak fluently.

The title references Sənk̓lip (which means coyote), “a mischievous, flawed figure. He’s selfish and boastful. His desires get him into troubles that are often comedic.” Syilx parents use stories of the coyote to teach their children how to learn through failure, and Baptiste says the album '“chronicles his struggles with fatherhood, addiction, and depression, through the lens of the urbanized Indigenous experience”.

In “The Trickster” he focuses on the humour used to cope with dark situations or tragedy, like the humorous coyote Sənk̓lip. Check it out below, and give the rest of the album a spin (and read the stories behind each song) by clicking here.

• Christine

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“Quviasukkuvit (If It Makes You Happy)” by Elisapie

A year after her acclaim album Inuktitut, Elisapie has released a new cover, this time of the Sheryl Crow hit, “If It Makes You Happy”.

Like the other covers on Inuktitut, the song was translated into her mother tongue, and reimagined, this time as a dark and haunting tune. And Sheryl Crow was similarly chosen by her childhood memories, with Elisapie saying,

“An image that always comes to mind, no matter where I travel or live, is of the people dancing at the magical and dramatic Ikkarivvik Bar in Kuujjuaq. In my mind's eye, it is always Friday night, and the moon is full. Most people are either a little drunk or very drunk. The bar and the dancefloor are an escape, and people dance to forget and escape. I recognize so many faces and I can see their smiles and closed eyes as they dance.

 If It Makes You Happy was so popular in the North, and it reminds me so much of when I was teenager. It played on TV and radio, and we listened to it at home. Those lines made us want to scream along with Sheryl. Her song liberates my people in the North, giving them the words to shout about being sad without feeling ashamed.

 When I perform this song, it has Sheryl Crow's enthusiasm, but my Inuit sensibility slows it down, echoing the rhythm of the land.”

You can listen to the cover below, and check out the Polaris Gala tomorrow (Tuesday) night to see if Inuktitut takes home the prize!

• Kirk

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“Cannonball” (The Breeders cover) by Thunder Queens

Want more cover songs for your week? How about a fun cover of Cannonball, originally from The Breeders, by Thunder Queens?

Their version stays true to the original, while adding Thunder Queen’s usual bright harmonies and youthful energy.

And in more Polaris news, another reason to tune in to the Gala is to see the trio backing Jordan Miller from The Beaches, for their Polaris Gala showcase!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: September 02 - 08, 2024

“ElectroComp” by Rich Aucoin

I think I might need to make this song my new morning alarm.

We’re finally getting a taste of Synthetic: Season 3, the four-part project from Halifax’s Rich Aucoin.
Like the first two releases, Rich composed the instrumental albums at on vintage synthesizers at the National Music Centre, and the Vintage Synthesizer Museum.

The track, aptly titled “ElectroComp”, was made “on a bunch of old ElectroComp synthesizers” and is a hard and driving techno song, that when I closed my eyes I immediately pictured the rave scene in The Matrix Reloaded - which might just be because no matter what style of music he creates, Rich finds a way to scratch a nostalgic itch.

You can catch Rich doing his penultimate tour of the current version of his live show on October 3rd at the Fox Cabaret.

• Christine

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“come on, baby! be a good girl for the camera” by Ada Lea

Last week, Ada Lea announced her new EP notes, with the brand new single, “come on, baby! be a good girl for the camera”

Her lilting vocals drive the song, that Ada Lea said she wrote “while on a very challenging tour that took everything out of me. Over the years, I’ve developed a suspicion that your skin must be made of macho steel to ‘make it’ in the industry—you’ve gotta be able to suck it up, put a nice smile on your face, and do a little dance with a twinkle in your eye. The chorus runs with that belief, in a cheeky, non-committal and playful way.”

You can pick up the notes EP on October 4th, and check out the video co-directed by Lea and Lawrence Fafard below!

• Kirk

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“Come Save Me” by Peter Dreams

July Talk frontman Peter Dreimanis has released his second solo single under the moniker Peter Dreams.

“Come Save Me” sees Peter joined by members of MOONRIIVR for a song full of energy and swagger, that is “a foil to a deeper, more delicate truth about overconfidence and the human condition: our self-doubt will be waiting for us at the end of the ride.”

Still no word on an album from Peter Dreams, but if you’re lucky enough to be in the Hamilton area, he’s part of the incredible lineup for this year’s Supercrawl!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: August 26 - September 01, 2024

“GREY RUBBLE - GREEN SHOOTS” by Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Godspeed You! Black Emperor is back!! Last week the band quietly dropped the intense new track, “GREY RUBBLE - GREEN SHOOTS” and announced the new album, NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD, which is out October 4th.

The band did not elaborate on the title, but it is likely referencing a new report about the death toll of Palestinians in Gaza. They did, however, say the following when announcing the album:

THE PLAIN TRUTH==
we drifted through it, arguing.
every day a new war crime, every day a flower bloom.
we sat down together and wrote it in one room,
and then sat down in a different room, recording.
NO TITLE= what gestures make sense while tiny bodies fall? what context? what broken melody?
and then a tally and a date to mark a point on the line, the negative process, the growing pile.
the sun setting above beds of ash
while we sat together, arguing.
the old world order barely pretended to care.
this new century will be crueler still.
war is coming.
don’t give up.
pick a side.
hang on.
love.
GY!BE

• Kirk

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“Take Me For A Ride” by The Sheepdogs

Somehow I totally missed the announcement from The Sheepdogs of a new album (Paradise Alone - which is out now) and a new single “Take Me For A Ride”.
It’s a fun and catchy track, that sounds like a road trip song from the 70’s!

The band is currently out on a North American tour (you can hop over to Seattle and see them on the 20th), and then are heading to Europe in the fall.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to open the window and play some rock and roll!

• Christine

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“Four Chords” by Dan Mangan

Vancouver’s Dan Mangan has released his Being Elsewhere Mixed CD with all the b-sides and rarities from around the time he was creating the original album.

Today’s lyric video release is for the song “Four Chords”, which also originally played during the credits of the film FLOAT.
And speaking of movies, the video is set to all of the scenes between Wesley and Buttercup from the movie Princess Bride, which is just plain fun.

• Christine

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“a bit of coquitlam” by P:ano

I almost missed this, but a couple weeks ago, Vancouver’s P:ano announced their first new album in nineteen (19) years!!!

Now a quartet of Nicholas Krgovich, Larissa Loyva (of Kellarissa), Julia Chirka and Justin Kellam, the band released the chill single “a bit of coquitlam” as a tease of their upcoming album, ba ba ba.

You can take a listen below to the ode to the city where Krgovich and Loyva met, and mark September 17 on your calendar for the album’s release — as well as Sept 14 for their album release show here in Vancouver at the Cultch!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: August 19 - 25, 2024

“Demons” by The Darcys

Almost missed this announcement from The Darcys, but we have new music (“Demons”) and an album release date September 27th for their new album Rendered Feelings.

Of the new track the band say it is “raw and honest and a bit melancholic, if we're being real. It's about how love sometimes falls apart even when you're doing your best to hold it together. You know you should let go but you're compelled to keep trying to make it work which only makes it harder.”

The band always has the best merch, and aside from pre-ordering the (clear!) vinyl, they’ve got water bottles, sticker sheets and very cozy looking sweaters!

I can’t wait to hear more from the album, get my hands on it soon, and hope there’s a tour announcement on the horizon!

• Christine

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“Let It Rain” by Valley

Toronto’s Valley has dropped their latest single from upcoming album, Water The Flowers, Pray For A Garden.

“Let It Rain” is the fourth single from the upcoming album, and features lovely vocals from the trio, and a plinking piano sounding like raindrops.

Frontman Rob Laska explains “‘Let It Rain’ is a song about change and overcoming. It’s very much dedicated to the band and how it’s been the one constant in our lives through love and loss. To the people we’ve become, to the people we’ve left behind and the people we have yet to meet. Acceptance of growing old and learning to be ok with that is at times a difficult conversation to have with yourself. Being in a band and specifically in the music industry, it can at times feel like a storm hanging over your head symbolizing that it’s too late. Who said you’ve run out of chances? It’s about letting all those feelings come out and taking them for what they are, which often results in you realizing that you have so much life to live ahead of you.”

Check out the lyric video below, and you can grab Water The Flowers, Pray For A Garden when it’s out on August 30.

• Kirk

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“Pray For You” by MAUVEY

Last week, MAUVEY announced the third and final instalment of his Before The Album series, Before The Album 3:1, with the afro-fusion “Pray For You”.

The new single is an anthemic tune, with MAUVEY explaining, “Each song on Before The Album 3:1 is an anthem, designed to inspire, celebrate and uplift the listener. Distributing love is my purpose and my goal. “Pray For You” has a no frills message that gets straight to that point.” 

You can grab Before The Album 3:1 on October 25th!

• Kirk

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“Sweet Surrender” and “Basement Apartment” by Haley Blais

Haley Blais has decided to pay tribute to two of Canada’s best Sarahs, dropping a pair of cover songs last week.

First up is a gorgeous rendition of Sarah McLachlan’s classic “Sweet Surrender”, followed up with the incredibly vulnerable “Basement Apartment” from Sarah Harmer. Blais reflects, “Sarah McLachlan was a huge musical inspiration to me growing up; Sarah Harmer was integral to the journey of Wisecrack. I wanted to pay homage to the two artists that shaped me as the artist I am today.”

You can listen to “Sweet Surrender” and watch a live performance of “Basement Apartment” below!

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: August 12 - 18, 2024

“Cliché Town” by Sunset Rubdown

As we creep closer to the release of the new album from Sunset Rubdown, called Always Happy To Explode (their first new album in 15 years!), we’re getting another tease with the latest single, “Cliché Town”.

Subscribers to Spencer Krug’s patreon may recognise it, as the original demo was released in 2020 as part of his song-a-month project, but now the tune has been reworked & re-recorded with the full band.

“Cliché Town” explores “feelings of frustration and hopelessness that can come with being stuck in a small town, specifically the sensation of being trapped next to, or rather below, unhinged neighbors” and at six minutes long, really gives strong ‘descent into madness’ vibes.

Have a listen below, and mark September 20 on your calendars for the release of Always Happy To Explode, as well as October 10, when Sunset Rubdown kicks off their tour with a show here in Vancouver at the Rickshaw!

• Kirk

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“Why We Run”, “Videostore”, and “Don’t Look Away”
by Menno Versteeg

I love a good multi-single drop, and that’s exactly what we got from Menno Versteeg this week.

Three new singles from his upcoming solo album (due out December 13th), including the title track “Why We Run”.
Of the song Menno says: "I was working on a soundtrack for a kids movie with my long time friend and Hollerado collaborator Nixon Boyd and we needed a song for a scene where some bullies were chasing a kid down the hall of a school. The lyrics evolved into being about way scarier stuff like the adults who are bullies professionally. Of course the movie people didn’t wanna use it. I mean WE ARE leaving the kids a pretty gnarly set of circumstances, but hey, maybe it’s funnier if we try to make it a surprise?"

He also announced on Instagram (along with a hilariously gross story) that he’ll be doing a string of solo shows including a stop in Vancouver at The Heatley on October 3rd (and I’m just hoping I can run between that and the Rich Aucoin show that night!)

• Christine

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“New Low” by Meko Brain

A few months back, we got our first taste of Meko Brain, the solo project from Mike O’Brien — who you may know from Zeus, or playing with Bahamas, Jason Collett, and Dan Mangan, among many others. Now, we’re not only getting a new song, but news of his debut album, Wonderment!

The latest single is called “New Low”, and comes with smooth vocals and grungy guitars, which Mike explains; “many of my other songs have a more acoustic folk sound so I wanted to bridge the more acoustic, organic folky sounds with this slinky pop song. I love how it turned out. I ended up layering the vocal several times to get a wide yet intimate sound. It all culminates with a satisfying fuzzed-out guitar riff to bring it home! As for the lyrical idea, I started to form this idea of a guy who knows his partner is being unfaithful but doesn't want it rubbed in his face. If it's not stated out loud then he can continue to carry on the charade that he doesn't know what's going on. So in a sense, it became a dance song about self-pity. I wanted to make a video that matched this idea but in a not-too-literal way, so we enlisted Jack Harrison who created an amazingly simple yet effective video that matches the song's mood perfectly!”

You can watch the trippy video now, and snag Wonderment when it’s out on October 9!

• Kirk

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“Future is Bright” and “Beautiful Sights” by Arielle Soucy

Coming off her ‘024 Polaris Long Listed debut album, Il n'y rien que je ne suis pas, Montreal’s Arielle Soucy just dropped a Double A-Side, Two Hopeful Songs featuring, well, exactly that.

“Future is Bright” and “Beautiful Sights” are a pair of gorgeous songs that feature warm acoustic guitars and soaring synth, mixed in with her incredible vocals.

Two Hopeful Songs is out now, and you can have a listen to both below!

• Kirk

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“Lost in the Plot (acoustic)” by The Dears

Nothing reminds you of the inexorable march of time like album anniversaries, but it’s worth it when they come with a beautiful new release.

This year, The Dears celebrate their seminal album No Cities Left with a Definitive 20th Anniversary Edition. Along with one of my favourite albums of all time on white vinyl, you’ll also get a a whole host of bonus acoustic tracks, like this version of “Lost in the Plot”.

You better believe I’ve already pre-ordered mine, and until it’s out on September 13, you can listen to Murray Lightburn’s fragile voice serenade you below.

• Kirk