Songs of the Week: April 03 - 09, 2023

April 10, 2023 by Kirk Hamilton in Song Of The Day

“Dancing With The Moonlight” by Hotel Mira

As they kick off their North American tour, Hotel Mira has dropped their latest single, “Dancing with the Moonlight”.

The manic, infectious tune is the third single off their as-yet-unknown upcoming album, and frontman Charlie Kerr says the new song is “about my anxieties of moving to L.A., and that ‘this town is going to eat you alive’ kind of shit. It’s a Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey of a performer trying to make it, and the sacrifices you make to do that…and the fact that people do it anyway. There’s something noble about going after something with such a minimal success rate.”

Check out the new song below, which was produced by Steve Bays (Fur Trade, Hot Hot Heat), and catch them here in Vancouver on June 24 at the Hollywood Theatre.

Kirk

“Road to Hell” by The Matinee

Speaking of “third singles from an upcoming album by a band working with Steve Bays”… The Matinee shared “Road to Hell” last week.

The new single comes just in time to be added to your ‘summer road trip’ playlists, with the band sharing "Everyone has a past, and everyone has a secret they’d rather keep than spill. Matt Rose brought this idea to the table, with vignettes of life and those reflective contemplations we all have when we find ourselves alone at night. We workshopped it right there in the studio, adding another verse and a bridge to finish it off. The song found its groove as a Tom Petty rocker pretty easily… we are looking forward to adding this one to the live set!"

There’s also no solid word on their upcoming album, but hopefully we’ll be hearing (and seeing) more from them this summer.

Kirk

“Are We Good” by Hayden

Hayden’s new album, Are We Good, was released last week, and the title track was also dropped.

I’m a huge fan of this album, start to finish, and I’ve covered a lot of the singles as they were released - so they’re not much else to say except I love it!

Check out “Are We Good” below and then give the rest of the record a spin by clicking here.

Christine

Songs of the Week: February 27 - March 05, 2023

March 06, 2023 by Kirk Hamilton in Song Of The Day

“Bad Addiction” and “Stay Gold” by The Matinée

After teasing with some acoustic, live-off-the-floor tracks, The Matinée has finally dropped the first new single(s) from their brand new album, due out later this year.

The new songs are classic roots-rock tunes from the Vancouver group; “Bad Addiction” featuring soulful backup vocals from The McCrary Sisters, and “Stay Gold” inspired by a compliment singer Matt Layzell gave to fellow Vancouver musicians John Sponarski and Brandon Wolfe Scott.

On “Stay Gold” Matt says “Our pal Brandon Wolfe Scott made the video, and both the song and video were smoking hot. I commented on Johnny's social post that I wanted to “roll this up and smoke it. It was that good. And then I realized that was a lyric in itself and I should find a way to write it into a song. I think I even commented something to the effect of “and don’t use that... it’s a lyric I am working on!” That was the spark for "Stay Gold". Thanks Johnny!”

It’s been a minute since The Matinée’s last album, so hopefully we hear it sooner rather than later!

Kirk

“Apple” by Braids

The release date for the new Braids album is fast approaching, and we’re getting another look at the album, with the latest single “Apple”.

The bubbly, upbeat track is punctuated by a swell of orchestral strings, as singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston conveys “a celebration of seeing new possibilities in the eyes of a lover, acknowledging past loss with a new state of heart that’s been opened and filled.”

Check out the trippy video below, while you wait for the new album, Euphoric Recall, out April 28

Kirk

“Trouble Found Me” by The Darcys

Another banger of a song from The Darcys came out this week and it’s been stuck in my head the whole time.
“Trouble Found Me” centres around trying to outrun yourself, and the trouble you “guess you were looking for” finding you anyways.
It is the latest release from what is an expect fall album from the duo and I can’t wait for more

Christine

“Marker” ft. The Zolas by dwi

On the latest track from dwi, he’s joined by some familiar faces.

“Marker” features his bandmates from The Zolas, on a punchy tune that features what dwi calls a “kiss track” from The Zolas’ Zach Gray.

dwi explains, “I’ve always wanted to write a song where I could experiment with rapping. It’s the first time I’ve ever done it. ‘Marker’ is a song about people who use power to take from others but eventually will get caught. Zach’s (The Zolas) verse is a kiss track, which we coined to be the opposite of a diss track.”

The new track is off dwi’s upcoming project “Zoo Life”, which will be out later this year, in July.

Kirk

“On A Beach” ft. Feist by Hayden

A new track from Hayden that features Feist?! I’m in.

But wait… the video for “On A Beach” also stars Matt Berninger from The National, and Steve freakin’ Buscemi!? I don’t think I need to sell you on this one.

Are We Good is set to release on April 5th, and I’ve loved everything from it so far, and can’t wait for the rest.

Christine

“You Can Let Go” by Half Moon Run

Half Moon Run is back with new music, and a massive fall tour announcement that will see them perform two nights at the Commodore Ballroom on November 2nd and 3rd.

“You Can Let Go” is accompanied by a lyric video that sees Eli Tomlinson starring as “disgruntled office drone”, with the seamless camera shot, swinging around an office watching the man and his increasing boredom.

The style of the song harkens back to OG Half Moon Run sound, with the ever-present harmonies the band is known for. Stay tuned as I am sure there is more music (and an album announcement) to follow.

Christine

Songs of the Week: February 06 - 12, 2023

February 13, 2023 by Christine McAvoy in Song Of The Day

[Fair warning, this week it’s three song picks from me (Christine), and they’re alllllll melancholy. So get ready to sway, bob your head and get into some feels.]

“Miss Fort Erie” by Hayden

Back in October, Hayden released his first new music since 2015 with the single “East Coast”. Well, now we’re moving slightly west with “Miss Fort Erie” (as someone from the Niagara Region of Ontario I did a double take at the title).

The press release called him the “king of downcast Canadian indie-folk” - and this might be true, as the new track is about balancing a young family, being out on the road, and downplaying the adventures, which he’s embarked upon again with his current tour.

Speaking of, Hayden will be in Vancouver this Wednesday, performing at Christ Church Cathedral.

Christine

“Telephone” by Andy Shauf

Andy Shauf’s new album Norm, is officially out, with this latest single and music video to celebrate.
It’s funny, when I was listening to “Telephone” I was thinking “a lot of people don’t do that these days” and then I read in the press release that this is about an imagined person because Andy “hates talking on the phone” - so there we go.

If you recognize the video as similar to the one for “Catch Your Eye”, that’s because it’s the same character, animated again (in the immediately recognizable style) by Chad VanGaalen.

PS Andy will be here, performing at The Orpheum on March 11th!

Christine

“The Moment Is A Wild Place" by Gord Downie & Bob Rock

Okay, this one made me tear up, especially as it was just recently Gord’s birthday last week.
“The Moment Is A Wild Place” is another track from Lustre Parfait - the collaboration between Downie and Bob Rock, recorded from 2009 to 2016.

"They keep saying, ‘Just live in the moment / What they don't say / Is the moment / Is a wild place.”

The lyrics, written before his diagnosis, just tug at my heartstrings, along with the soaring vocals.
Such a treat to get these songs - the whole album of which will be fully released on May 5th.

Christine

Songs of the Week: October 17 - 23, 2022

October 24, 2022 by Kirk Hamilton in Song Of The Day, Songs Of The Week

“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

“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

“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

“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