Songs of the Week: November 11 - 17, 2024

“My Angel” by Basia Bulat

Last week, Basia Bulat shared the lead track form her upcoming album Basia’s Palace, called “My Angel”.

The new single is a lush song that highlights her impeccable voice, with Basia explaining, “This is a song about love at first sight–a rush of overwhelming emotion that feels definite, unmistakeable, and mysterious all at the same time. I wanted my singing on this song to reflect the way that I wrote the music: sneaking in moments while my baby daughter was sleeping, rushing to the Wurlitzer in the basement when an idea struck in the middle of the night. The string arrangements on ‘My Angel’ and the entire album were all written and performed by Drew Jurecka and I love how he captured the mystery and romance of love at first sight, the violins transforming into something divine.”

Basia’s Palace is out February 21 on Secret City Records, and she’ll be hitting the road shortly after with a stop here in Vancouver on April 30 at the Hollywood Theatre!

• Kirk

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“Ring Pop” by CARYS and FEATURETTE

The bright colours in the “Ring Pop” video caught my eye first, and the infectious beat and spicy lyrics have had me listening on repeat.
Aviva Mongillo aka CARYS teamed up with bff Lexie Jay of FEATURETTE for this badass song about bad bitches, that gives me shade of another recent obsession of mine, “Guess” by Charlie XCX ft Billie Eilish.

The two bands are heading out on an Ontario tour together - and hopefully we’ll get to see them on this side of the country soon.

• Christine

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“Doing My Best” by Sam Lynch

On Friday, Vancouver’s Sam Lynch released her latest album Outline, as well as videos for each song! (well, aside from the two already out)

My early favourite off the album is “Doing My Best”, a simmering tune that builds to a swelling chorus.

You can check out the video below, see Sam’s YouTube page for all the videos, and catch her live at the Fox Theater on December 4th for her album release show!

• Kirk

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“Take a shot” by Sunsetter

Alongside the release of their new album, Heaven Hang Over Me, Ontario’s Sunnsetter (the music project of Andrew McLeod), also dropped a new video for the single “Take a shot”.

The track starts out with a slow-building fuzz and then crashes into a grungy introspective song about “recognizing your own flaws. Following through, and knowing what you believe in without hesitation.”

The Nirvana vibe I got was confirmed when I read that the album title was actually a misheard Nirvana lyrics - “When Cobain sings ‘have a hangover now” it accidentally translated to Andrew’s ears as “heaven hang over now.”

Give it a listen below.

• Christine

Songs of the Week: November 04 - 10, 2024

“Adelaide” by CJ Wiley

Earlier this year, I saw Skye Wallace at Green Auto, and even though I only caught the last few songs of opener CJ Wiley, I made a mental note to keep an ear out for them in the future. So I was happy to see their newest single, “Adelaide” pop up in my inbox!

The song is a slow-burning, heartfelt track about chosen family and growing together instead of apart, with Wiley explaining: “When I was writing songs for my album, Boy Golden introduced me to the writer Bell Hooks, who has many beautiful perspectives on love. The quote, ‘Love is as love does. Love is an act of will—namely, both an intention and an action,’ really resonates with me. It reminded me of the relationship I have with my best friend.
I wrote ‘Adelaide’ for my best friend during a tough time she was going through. I wanted it to serve as a reminder that no matter what happens, I’ll always be there for her. We met in high school in grade 10 drama class—she was the ‘good kid,’ and I was the stoner kid always getting into trouble. As adults, we lead very different lives; I’m constantly on the road while she has a 9-to-5 job that keeps her anchored in Toronto. Despite our separate paths, we talk almost every day and go on adventures whenever we get the chance.
We’ve experienced a lot of ups and downs and seen each other evolve through many stages of life. ‘Adelaide’ is a song about choosing to grow with someone rather than growing apart.”

You can watch the video below, and grab their debut LP, So Brand New, when it’s out on February 28 next year, via Tiny Kingdom!

• Kirk

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“Heartbreak Autobahn” by The Harpoonist

I got immediately side-tracked when I saw the video for the song “Heartbreak Autobahn” from the new solo effort by The Harpoonist. I recognized the main character as Jonas Shandel from the (former) band Headwater, and then realized that he’s been performing with the band.

The music video is a cute one, where you follow Jonas’ character through the streets of Victoria as he nabs wallets, pickpockets phones, and convinces some kids to help him rob lead signer Shawn Hall of his guitar, change, and yes, his harps.

The new album Did We Come Here To Dance just came out this past week - and you can listen to it by clicking here.

• Christine

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“Lucky Dragon” by Odd Marshall

Last week, Ontario’s Odd Marshall dropped an ode to a rundown Chinese restaurant in Pittsburgh that frequented.

“Lucky Dragon” is a raw and energetic song, about the woman who ran the restaurant, Cici, as he elaborates: “I remember paying for a meal with loose change. The stoic lady behind the counter, Cici, never befriended me as much as I tried to learn Chinese. She was busy, I was usually drunk.”

The song is off Odd Marshall’s debut album out later this year, Sand & Glue, which was produced by Don Kerr, featuring Mike O’Brien on lead guitar and Jason Haberman playing bass!

• Kirk

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“Backwater, NW” by Menno Versteeg

We got the final single from singer Menno Versteeg’s debut solo album recently - and Why We Run’s release is just around the corner on December 13th.

After some solo shows around the country, Menno headed out with Elliott BROOD, and then Tokyo Police Club, and will be ending his string of tours back here in Vancouver on December 1st and 2nd opening for TALK.

I’m looking forward to finally hearing all the new music in person, and in the meantime will be listening to this new one “Backwater, NW” - a song about feeling lost and alone - a few more times.

• Christine

Songs of the Week: October 28 - November 03, 2024

“The Act of Living” by Skye Wallace

Last Friday, Skye Wallace (finally!) released their latest album, The Act of Living, and celebrated with a horrific video for the title track.

Made in collaboration with Blind Luck Pictures, the video follows a blood-soaked Skye on a killing spree, surprising their bandmates while camping in the woods, perfectly fitting the manic energy of the song.

The murderous video also encapsulates the themes of life, death, and transformation on the new album, with Skye explaining, “I was always extremely afraid of death, couldn't look it in the eye. I’d be up at night when I was 5 or 6 years old worried sick that my mom and dad would die in a car accident, or that the return of the bubonic plague was more or less imminent. A few years ago, I was present for the death of my grandfather, with whom I was very close. But instead of the dreadful moment I was expecting, it was intimate, beautiful even.”

You can watch “The Act of Living” below, and should pick up the full album right now!

• Kirk

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“Awkward Connector” by Combine The Victorious

Fun new track from Vancouver’s Combine The Victorious (who just played a set at Red Gate in Vancouver this Saturday).

Of “Awkward Connector” they say:“Sometimes things don’t quite fit in life but we manage to find our way eventually .. it’s okay to be awkward and maybe we just need an adaptor.”

Really loving the harmonies on this one and hope to catch the band live again soon!

• Christine

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“Silver Bullet” by The Matinee

Speaking of new releases out this past Friday, Vancouver roots-rockers The Matinee dropped their latest EP, End of Scene, a collection of B-sides recorded with their previous album, Change of Scene.

The EP includes their latest single, “Silver Bullet”, a perfect song for cruising around, as singer Matt Layzell describes as an ode to that ol’ reliable car:“If you've owned a vehicle so long that the driver's seat is finely contoured to the curves of your body and warmly wraps around you like your grandparents' chesterfield, if you aren't bothered by that clunk you occasionally hear when the transmission shifts going uphill, and if you have your dad's Nitty Gritty Dirt Band cassette stuck in the tape player on the dash, you probably know the feeling of talking to your ride like it just needs a little encouragement to keep going that extra mile. And it always does, somehow. It might not be the prettiest one on the lot, but hot damn, does it get you where you're going in style.”

Find the EP out now, and have a listen to “Silver Bullet” below!

• Kirk

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“Don't Let It Bring You Down (Live from The Hangar)” by Talia Schlanger

I always love when an artist selects a cover and really (like, really) makes it their own, and Talia Schlanger did just that with this Neil Young cover.
The guitar, her unique vocals (not to mention the range) and the fact that it’s also live off the floor all give “Don’t Let It Bring You Down” a brand new flavour.

The track comes from a new EP release Latent Lounge live from The Hangar - and includes two songs from her release this year, Grace for the Going, as well as the and another cover - “Chelsea Hotel” by Leonard Cohen.

The whole EP release is worth a listen (click here to hear all four tracks) and makes me want to experience her music live even more.

• Christine

Songs of the Week: October 21 - 27, 2024

“The Local” by Jody Glenham

It’s always frustrating when an unreleased song gets stuck in your head, and that’s exactly what happened when I saw Jody Glenham tease an upcoming EP during her set for Car Free Day a few weeks back. But luckily, now I can spin “The Local” on repeat.

The new song is the first single off that EP, Still Here, and is a moody yet optimistic tune about strength and persistence. Have a listen, and keep an ear out for Rich Hope on backup vocals!

• Kirk

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“Serene Demon” by Art d’Ecco

Last week, Art d’Ecco not only released a sprawling epic, but also announced his upcoming album!

Clocking in at over seven minutes, “Serene Demon” is a four-part song with twists and turns, and while Art jokes the premise is straightforward (saying “it’s literally an existentialist and a true believer walk into a bar and debate”) it is musically anything but simple, as he admits “That song is the most challenging thing I’ve ever written.”

You can watch the equally intense video below, and mark February 14 of next year for the release of Serene Demon.

• Kirk

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“Ghostbusters” by Elliott BROOD

It’s only a few more days until Halloween, and I knew it was finally time to share this super fun cover of “Ghostbusters” by Ontario’s Elliott BROOD!

The band just did a string of shows promoting the release of their two latest albums Town, and Country - which hopefully means we’ll see them out west again soon!

• Christine

Songs of the Week: October 14 - 20, 2024

“The Ballad of You and Me” by Tariq

Tariq is back!

The Vancouver musician makes his return with a new style - departing from the folky sound he’s known for best. Of it Tariq says: “this project is a way to experiment with collaboration and also a heavier sound. I want to create something that resonates in its live form, in front of a big crowd at a festival, something that will be entertaining to watch and sound big and bold.” 

His new band is full of familiar faces from the Vancouver music scene, including Robert Chursinoff on drums, Peter Carruthers on Bass/Keys, and Adam Nanji on Guitar. 

The first single “The Ballad of You and Me” will be on a three song EP, which is slated for release mid-January 2025.

• Christine

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“Do Like I Do” by Peter Dreams

As a July Talk fan, I’ve been eagerly following the slow drip of songs from Peter Dreimanis’ new solo project, Peter Dreams. And I’m happy to see there’s finally an album announcement, along with the latest single!

For his solo debut, Peter is joining forces with Toronto’s MOONRIIVR, and next year will be releasing the aptly titled Peter Dreams and MOONRIIVR. The latest song off the album is “Do Like I Do”, a slow burn that builds to a chaotic wail of synth and saxophone.

Peter Dreams and MOONRIIVR is out on February 14 next year, and a month later you can catch Peter on the big screen in Ryan Coogler’s upcoming film SINNERS!

• Kirk

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“Silencio” by Patrick Watson

We’ve got new music from Patrick Watson this week (and I’m hoping everyone reading this knows him for more than his song “Je te laisserai des mots” that went extremely viral on TikTok)!

“Silencio” is about the almost three month period of time where he couldn’t speak or sing, and the thoughts that arose during that time - “Does he talk too much?,the anxiety that comes with reliving a conversation, learning to be a better listener and the power of silence.”

The track sees him partnering up with French singer-songwriter November Ultra, who also experienced the trauma of losing her voice after her body shut down after her first tour - “I could hardly breathe and had to relearn”.

Hopefully this single being released means even more new music is on the horizon.

• Christine

Songs of the Week: October 7 - 13, 2024

“Year Of The Rabbit” by Kylie V

It’s officially the “Year of the Rabbit”. At least according to the latest single from Kylie V.

The new song is off their upcoming album, Crash Test Plane, and spotlights their soft, heartfelt vocals. Kylie says the new track is “a song I wrote while healing from a breakup and reflecting on my (incredible) friends/support system and my feelings after the fact. I was inspired a lot by Andy Shauf and Sufjan Stevens in the writing and production of this one and it means a lot to me. The track is produced by my great friend Josh Eastman and features us two on most of the instruments, with Jess Jones on drums, Gregory Dent on trumpet, and a handful of friends singing on the outro.”

You can grab Crash Test Plane on November 15th, the same day you can see Kylie V’s album release show here in Vancouver at the Hollywood Theatre, alongside David Vertesi and Club Sofa!

• Kirk

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“girl of my dreams” by Ten Kills The Pack

What a sweet little love song for a chilly October morning!

The new track “girl of my dreams” by Ten Kills The Pack (aka Sean Sroka) is his first new independent song since parting ways in early 2024 with his record label.

Of how it came to be Sroka says: “I sent what is now the chorus of this song as a little self deleting voice message jingle to my partner who was touring overseas at the time; trying to help count down the days we had away. From there it just kept turning in my head, so I turned off the tv and wrote it that night".

I literally said “aww” out loud when reading that. Hopefully we get more from him soon!

• Christine

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“Next Life” by FEATURETTE

Toronto trio FEATURETTE released their newest single last week, along with news of a brand new album.

“Next Life” (co-written with Mother Mother’s Ryan Guldemond) is a catchy, synth-driven electro-pop tune, that comes with a fun video that blends live action and animation. Singer Lexie Jay explains, “One of our greatest undertakings yet as FEATURETTE, we’re leaning into our namesake by crafting ‘featurettes’ as a regular part of our single releases. For this particular short, I was really inspired by an episode of Animaniacs I saw as a kid. It was about a beautiful piece of gold wrapping paper and its journey to becoming trash after being discarded once the gift it was meant to wrap had been opened. I wanted to take the same concept and apply it to a coffee cup (enter: Regular Joe), and see what that character might do with their life given a second chance—a Next Life. What adventures they might go on, and who might affect their story along the way.”

The new album is called Panic Pills, and you can grab it early next year, on January 31st. Until then, check out the video below!

• Kirk

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“Synthacon” by Rich Aucoin

I’m still riding high from the show Rich Aucoin put on the other week, and was very stoked on the synth set he held that opened the night off.

We are inching closer to the release of his Synthetic: Season 3 on October 30th, and we got another new single from it titled “Synthacon”.
He recorded it at the Vintage Synthesizer Museum on a synth called, you guessed it, a Synthacon.

Listen below and have yourself a Monday dance party!

• Christine

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