Song of the Day: January 11, 2020 - "RIP" by We Are The City

We’re only weeks away from the release of RIP, the highly anticipated new album from We Are The City, and they’ve given us one last tease in the form of the title track.

“RIP” is a deeply personal and emotional song, and nothing I can say will give it justice, so I am going to include a couple tweets from the band talking about the song.

4 months later he died from a fentanyl overdose, January 26th 2018. I re-recorded the vocal and improvised new lyrics a few days after I found out.

— 𝑾𝑬 𝑨𝑹𝑬 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑪𝑰𝑻𝒀 (@WeAreTheCity) January 10, 2020

Leading up to the release of the album, the band has also opened a pop-up shop. Located at 568 E Broadway in Vancouver, the space is a “creative arts hub” where people can come and work, if they need a shared space. There will also be special events, like the album’s release party, screenings of their feature films VIOLENT and ASH, and a few intimate shows from local bands they want to see live (including Said the Whale). And to cap off the month, they’ll be playing a pair of shows before shutting the whole thing down.

You can check out all the details (AND see a live feed from a webcam in the store) on their website here. If you’re swinging by tonight, they have vaguely hinted that “Cayne might play.”

Song of the Day: January 10, 2020 - "4am Eternal" by Blonde Diamond

We’re barely a minute into this new year/decade and we’re already being hit hard with new music from Vancouver’s own Blonde Diamond.

“4am Eternal” drips with dreamy electro-pop, the band’s ethereal sound propped up by Alexis Young’s seductive vocals. The band says the new single is “a swirling, arpeggiated soundtrack to multi-love and sexual autonomy.”

Stream it below, and if you’re in Vancouver, be sure to head down to The Astoria tonight for their single release show, as mentioned in the Gigs of the Week today!

(Also, between this and Louise Burns’ latest album, is it safe to say that sexy sax solos are making a comeback??)

Song of the Day: December 13, 2019 - "Give This Up" by Raincity

Well, Raincity is an appropriate name right now, given the soggy last few days…weeks….month? Sigh…

But the band and their new video are anything but dreary. “Give This Up” is a funky, fun song (and video) with sax, bass, and a whole lot of soul.

And if that pick me up does it for you, the band is opening for Five Alarm Funk at the Commodore on December 26th in their annual Boxing Day show. Away for the holidays, but still hoping to catch them live? They’ll also be at Guilt & Co. on January 18th!

Song of the Day: December 12, 2019 - "Dream Final" by Alex Maher

“Dream Final” is the first single and the title track from Vancouver musician Alex Maher’s upcoming EP.

The new album is his third effort, and is set to be released on February 21 in 2020. Major issues like climate change and social alienation are going to be addressed in the EP, which balances tough subjects with dance beats and jazz.
Check out the first release below!

Song of the Day: November 11, 2019 - "Pool" by Mat Prince

Vancouver’s Mat Prince (Young Pacific, Bowen and the Uproar, and Chica) recently put out his debut solo release, with the lead single “Pool”.

The EP, Love Handles, is about the awkwardness of growing up and not being super confident in yourself (which, if you’re not careful can hit you hard while listening, not that I’m speaking from experience or anything). But nothing I can say will top the description of “Pool” on the Soundcloud page:

”This song is about how you get to an age where your body betrays you, and you can’t muster up the courage to show it to the world. Probably because your nipples got too hairy too young or something.”

So have a listen below and be ready to feel some feels.

Song of the Day: November 10, 2019 - "Lightworkers" by KINLEY

Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist (and former Hey Rosetta! member) KINLEY recently released a brand new song called “Lightworkers”.

The soft and gorgeous song is said to be a “call to action” about preserving a great love between two of the songwriter’s dear friends. KINLEY explains “I wrote this love song for my best friend Chrissy and her amazing fiancé Ryan. It's the story of them meeting and falling in love and becoming engaged, but also a call to all the Lightworkers (A lightworker is a special person that some people believe has an almost psychic ability to intuit what other people are thinking, feeling or need, in order to heal.) to help Ryan heal quickly from his cancer diagnosis. After a 14-hour surgery and many good vibes being sent to him, he has made an incredible recovery and they will be getting married in PEI at a later date!”

Have a listen below!

Song of the Day: November 8, 2019 - "Around Here" by Hawksley Workman

A new track from Hawksley Workman, right before he’s about to kick off the Canadian leg of his tour this November, to support his latest album Median Age Wasteland.

“Around Here” isn’t on that release, and while it’s not a typical song you think you’d hear from Hawksley song-style-wise, his description of it definitely is: “It is a meditation on belonging and the dark, slippery moments when love challenges…when it slips from a feeling into work, into a mission statement of mutual truths.”

Hawksley will perform at the Imperial in Vancouver in a few weeks on November 17th!

Song of the Day: November 7, 2019 - "Peachy Keen" by Golden Cinema

If you (like me) are still not over the demise of Two Hours Traffic, might I offer you a Golden Cinema in this trying time? The PEI band has some familiar faces/voices/drumming, including Andy MacDonald and Derek Ellis, who are joined by Chris Robison on guitar.

Their latest single is a moody, groovy jam that will instantly lodge itself in your head, and the band says the lyrics are abstract, allowing “you, the listener, to develop your own personal meaning.”

Take a listen below!