Songs of the Week: June 02 - 08, 2025

June 09, 2025 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Save Your Soul” and “Say Goodbye, Tell No One” by Kathleen Edwards

Last week Kathleen Edwards graced up with not one, but two brand new singles, while announcing her next album, Billionaire. Both “Save Your Soul” and “Say Goodbye, Tell No One” are classic Kathleen jams, with soaring choruses and sharp, barbed lyrics.

The album was produced by Jason Isbell and Gena Johnson, and Edwards shared, “I decided to call the record Billionaire because the word is used in such a caustic way these days. But we should all want to be billionaires in life, to be rich in experience, friendship, purpose, and the pursuit of the things that bring us joy.”

If the new songs are any indication, I can’t wait for Billionaire to drop on August 22, (pre-save it here!)

Kirk

“Little Plans” by Dust Cwaine

Vancouver’s Dust Cwaine returns with their latest single “Little Plans”, the lead from their upcoming album, Twin Lakes.

Co-written by Hotel Mira’s Charlie Kerr, the song is an upbeat, synth-rock banger, which Dust explains is “a T4T love story that celebrates the joy of trans love. I wrote it in my living room with my friend Charlie Kerr. I was excited about the new person I was seeing, and this potential for transformation and magic seemed to be all around me. I told him I was so in love that every time I saw this person, I refused to wash my hands after they left so the scent would linger. That excitement of new love, and that particular power that T4T love brings, can take the everyday minutiae of your life and transform it into something you would have never thought was possible.”

The album is out later this year, but you can watch Dust slowly twirling through some familiar Vancouver locations in the video below!

Kirk

“Peter and the Wolf” by Patrick Watson

We’ve been getting a few singles and teasers from Patrick Watson, but officially have an album announcement - Uh Oh will be released on September 26th!

Little bit about the album from the press release: “The eleven new, original songs find Watson meditating on the idea of life being a series of “uh ohs”, a little phrase uttered in response to everything from childhood accidents to our most overwhelming anxieties. For Watson, it came to mind when faced with the biggest “uh oh” that a singer could endure: he lost his voice. Unsure if or when he would be able to sing again, his new album took a new shape. A collection of collaborations with friends and strangers; artists that he wanted to hear sing. Uh Oh represents a vision that Watson has chased for his entire life, the culmination of 20 years of musical exploration and lived experience that enabled him to translate the films in his mind to the sounds and words swirling in your ears.”

The new track “Peter and the Wolf” doesn’t have a collaborating vocalist, it’s an eerie and dark tune “inspired by the ghosts of New Orleans and the pitch black-ness of being in the forest in the dark”.

Christine

“Eye Of The Storm” by Georgia Harmer

Georgia Harmer has been releasing a steady stream of music this year, and now we finally get news of an album release, with the release of the title track “Eye of the Storm”.

The soft, intimate song highlights her stellar vocals, and Harmer says it’s “about the feeling of carrying the weight of someone else's well-being on my shoulders. It's about the feeling of responsibility and helplessness towards the problem of someone else's sadness. It's about emotional labour and my default willingness to take on the feelings of people around me, whether it even helps them or not. And how the weight of that can hold me back from my own life.”

Eye of the Storm is out on August 15th, and below you can check out the very mood-appropriate video — director Norman Wong with cinematography by Tristan C-M. She’s also announced a slew of Canadian tour dates, including here in Vancouver at the Biltmore Cabaret on November 22!

Kirk

“Andy Magoffin” by Two Hours Traffic

I Never See You Anymore, the first album in over a decade from East Coasters Two Hours Traffic, is finally here!

The song was inspired by people and places that the band never sees anymore since they stopped touring full-time - hence the album title.
The song references Two-Minute Miracles’ Andy Magoffin, and a tavern in Sackville they used to perform at that’s now closed.

Filled with sing-a-long-able bah-ba-da-buh-ba’s and a fun guitar solo to close out the song, this one is CATCHY!

Christine

“Headcrusher” by Penny & the Pits

Penny & The Pits is the new project from Maritime musician and Motherhood bassist/keyboardist Penelope Stevens, and last week they shared a new one from their upcoming album, Liquid Compactor.

“Headcrusher” is a raucous surf-punk anthem about “trying to blame yourself for someone else's bad behaviour. But then it's also about refusing to do that anymore and just sending them out to die at sea,” says Penelope Stevens.

Liquid Compactor is out on June 27th, and of course the video is an homage to the beloved Kids in the Hall bit!

Kirk

Songs of the Week: April 28 - May 04, 2025

May 05, 2025 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Olive Garden” by PUP

I got so excited when I saw that PUP announced a tour to support their new album Who Will Look After The Dogs?, and then I saw that they’re touring with Snotty Nose Rez Kids and my little brain exploded. That’s going to be a hell of a tour and you can count on me being at one of the shows on November 24th at The Pearl, and 25th at the Commodore (ugh, that’s so far from now!).

The latest track off of the album is “Olive Garden” - yes, about the chain restaurant - and the band even did a release party on the first of May with a whole Olive Garden theme.
About the song itself, lead singer Stefan Babcock says:
“This is a very stupid, but also wonderful song. The band gets all the credit for turning it into something really special. Zack (who plays drums) heard my cute little acoustic guitar demo and decided we should try and make it as heavy as possible. Which is objectively, a very annoying thing to suggest. But you know what, I’m glad I kept my stupid mouth shut, because it works. There’s a real magic in the way these sweet vocal melodies are bludgeoned by a wall of disgusting, grinding, detuned guitars. The whole song is kinda upsetting and uncomfortable but also, catchy and fun. And I don’t care what anyone says, ‘Olive Garden’ rhymes with ‘Grandma in a coffin’ – listen to this crap and tell me I’m wrong."

Christine

“Dreaming” by The Darcys

The Darcys tour with The Blue Stones starts up again this week, and I can’t wait to see them when they play Vancouver on June 6th.

The band also announced a new EP, I Must Be Dreaming, with a few different versions of the track “Dreaming”, and a cover of Dua Lipa’s song “Don’t Start Now” that SLAPS (here’s the Spotify link).

I can’t wait to hear all new new music from their album Rendered Feelings live next month too!

Christine

“Take It On” by Georgia Harmer

Last week, Georgia Harmer released her third single of the year with “Take It On”, a slow-burn introspective piece driven by her raw vocals.

Harmer explains the song is “about the way I see myself, and the ways I have assumed others see me. It’s about the emotional labour of taking on conflict around me - and creating it internally - sometimes for the sake of having something to solve, to worry about, and noticing how that habit has weighed me down. This song is me holding a mirror up and being very honest about what I see.”

Hopefully we get news of a new album soon, but until then you can watch the video below, directed, shot, and edited by Nora Rosenthal.

Kirk

“eau miroir” by Ambre Ciel

I know there is less than zero chance this song was written & recorded for me, specifically… but everything about the new track from Ambre Ciel — from the haunting vocals to the beautiful piano to the sweeping orchestral arrangement assisted by Owen Pallett — is square in my wheelhouse.

“eau miroir” is the second single from the Montreal singer’s recently announced debut album still, there is the sea, which immediately shot up the list of my most anticipated albums of the year.

Have a listen below, and grab the album still, there is the sea when it’s out on June 6 via Gondwana Records.

Kirk

Songs of the Week: March 17 - 23, 2025

March 24, 2025 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Without You” by Aysanabee

Multiple JUNO-winning artist Aysanabee is back with new music and an album announcement!

Edge Of The Earth is set to be released on June 20th and the theme of the album is“situated on the dividing lines drawn by decisions and choices made in critical moments. The songs of this collection, many borne out of conversations with friends, lovers and self, reflect on the emotional crossroads and precipices that catalyze major life changes.”

The first track “Without You” mourns the loss of his granfather, Watin (which was also the name of Aysanabee’s first album") and the accompanying video was filmed on the Naotkamegwanning First Nation - showing off the cold and frozen winter.

His voice is so powerful and cuts right into you, and I cannot wait to hear more from the album to come!

Christine

“Little Light” by Georgia Harmer

Last week, Georgia Harmer released her second single of the year with a song for the spring in “Little Light”.

The new tune is a gentle hymn featuring Harmer’s gorgeous voice, and she explains the song “is an homage to a very peaceful place out in the country where I lived for a few months, and a new love taking root. It's a very hopeful song, about being led to inner solace, and feeling like the blinds are being opened to let the light in a little bit more than they'd ever really been. It's a song about tranquility and reverence, for the place I was in, physically and emotionally, and trying to take in the beauty that surrounded me and let it seep inward enough to make me feel like I could be part of it.”

No news on if there’s a album on the way, but here’s hoping for more soon!

Kirk

“Disease with No Name” by Matias Roden

Vancouver’s Matias Roden is diving deep into existential dread with his latest single “Disease with No Name”.

Drawing inspiration from a his own struggles with chronic pain and frustration of being dismissed by doctors, and Roden says “I wanted this song to feel both intimate and grand—like you’re sitting alone with your thoughts, but they’re expanding beyond the room, beyond the city, into something huge and uncontainable”

Take a listen with the video — directed by Peter Faint — below!

Kirk

“odessa (she-side)” by pssyclwz

I love a good cover song, and what’s even more interesting is a cover from a completely different perspective. Which is what Toronto’s pssyclwz has done with Caribou’s classic “Odessa”, making a haunting “she-side” from a brand new point of view.

She elaborates, “"Odessa" was a song I've always wanted to cover, but I knew it had to be more than just a copy. I tried everything from live instrumental to acapella versions, but it was producer Samuel Kochany's beat that really brought this concept to life. I wanted to honour the original, but also add my own spin. Using my voice to replace some of the instrumental components was ambitious, but we didn't give up on the idea, and I'm really glad we stuck with it.”

Have a listen and watch the lyric video below!

Kirk

Songs of the Week: February 03 - 09, 2025

February 10, 2025 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“Can We Be Still” by Georgia Harmer

Georgia Harmer is back with her first new single since her debut album Stay In Touch in 2022.

“Can We Be Still” is a chill tune that highlights her incredible voice, and Harmer explains the song is “about lifelong best-friendship and striving to protect it from the inevitable changes that come with time. It’s about having a shared vision of the future and a desire to preserve it, to see the plan for ever-lasting closeness through.”

You can watch the video below (directed by Talvi Faustmann at Rosedale Heights School Of The Arts in Toronto) and keep an ear our for more to come!

Kirk

“10 Feet Tall” by Current Swell

I needed a beachy-vibe track on this cold February morning!

Victoria staple Current Swell is back with a new single, “10 Feet Tall”, from their upcoming EP Peacekeeper.

Of it they say it’s “an anthemic ode to youthful freedom and resilience [that] embodies the unshakable confidence that comes from being surrounded by the right energy and mindset.”

The band is about to head out on tour next month with a stop in Vancouver at the Commodore Ballroom on March 21st and then they’re off to the UK!

Christine

“Television, a Ghost in My Head” by Frog Eyes

We’re less than a month away from the new album from Frog Eyes, and getting the latest tease with the lead track, “Television, a Ghost in My Head”

The frenetic song comes with a video shot by singer Carey Mercer of a seal lounging near a ferry dock in Vancouver, with Mercer explaining:

“A ferry harbour is a bit like airport-space: all energies and commerce centered around that which is departing or arriving, but outside of the reductive human conception of the space, there is another galaxy of personalities and endeavours. My buddy the seal was really hamming it up, like they knew I had a record coming out and that I would sit on a rock and capture their silly energies, like they were ready for their close-up, as they say. So I filmed two vids, delighting in the comic energy and the various intrigues and characters floating in and out of my screen, and then sent them to Derek (Janzen - long-time visual collaborator), who sweetly agreed to line them up and place my words at the bottom of the screen.”

Have a watch below, and mark March 7th on your calendars for when new album The Open Up comes out!

Kirk

“Bang Bang Bang” by Fake Shark

Fake Shark is back with a new one and it’s… a banger.
See what I did there? Because the song is called “Bang Bang Bang”? You get it.

The funky bass, drums and shaker, and call-and-repeat gives me me total Cake vibes and I LOVE IT.

The band say it' “is a song about knowing you’re being talked about behind your back. It’s a helpless feeling, but also kind of freeing. You can find out who are your real people, so in this sense, it’s not a sad song, it’s a positive party song.”

Christine

“You Don’t Know Me” by BAWAH

Last week, BAWAH (formerly known as MAUVEY) released the first part of an incredibly ambitious project, MAUVEY TO A BAWAH — a four-part album series, a film series spanning 48 episodes, and a 48-chapter book.

Spanning the entire year, BAWAH will have new releases every week: new music on Fridays, new episodes on Mondays, and new book chapters on Wednesdays.

All 48 songs will tie in to a film episode, woven into a larger narrative that is “as much about reclaiming his past as it is about forging a future”. The film is directed by award-winning Andrew Huculiak (who you may musically know from We Are The City or Big Kill, or theatrically from Violent and Ash) and shot by long-time collaborator Joseph Schweers (Amazing Factory).

You can watch the first episode (titled Push Ups and a Bathroom Mirror) below, as well as listening to “You Don’t Know Me”, the first single from Part One of the series, MAUVEY TO A BAWAH: THE FIRST 13, which is out May 1st.

Kirk

Songs of the Week: November 28 - December 04, 2022

December 05, 2022 by Kirk Hamilton in Song Of The Day

“Headrush” and “Homes” by Georgia Harmer

Earlier this year, Georgia Harmer released the excellent debut album Stay In Touch, which she’s now revisiting, sharing alternate versions of a pair of songs.

“Headrush” and “Homes” are both turned into gorgeous, piano driven tunes, wth Harmer explaining, “It’s been just over a year since ‘Headrush’ came out and started slowly introducing the world to Stay In Touch. The songs on the album were written over the course of many years, through many periods of huge growth. These alternate versions take two of the foundational songs on Stay In Touch back to how they sounded when I first wrote them, just words and melodies of emotional processing. Singing them now in this way brings me back to their meaning, and the way it evolves and stays true over time.”

Check them out below!

Kirk

“Beautiful Life” by Jill Barber

We’ve already had a couple glimpses of Jill Barber’s upcoming album Homemaker, and the latest comes with “Beautiful Life”.

Barber says it’s a reminder “that social media doesn’t tell the whole story. That a pretty picture doesn’t always reflect the whole truth, and that living a rich and beautiful life is about embracing the messy chaos of it all- the raw, authentic, and real moments, rather than just the highlight reel.”

And the new tune comes with a charming lyrics video that (literally) illustrates that point, which you can watch below! Then, mark down February 10th for the release of Homemaker, on Outside Music.

Kirk