Songs of the Week: May 26 - June 01, 2025
“Ice Tea” by Skye Wallace
What’s your favourite summer drink and new favourite summer jam? For Skye Wallace, it’s “Ice Tea”.
Even though the Toronto singer’s previous album The Act of Living came out late last year, they’re already dropping a new single, influenced by “Old Peel” from New Zealand’s Aldous Harding (who gets a songwriting credit on the track). Skye explains: “I was desperately trying to reconnect with myself and the music I make. Listening to 'Old Peel,' I felt a spark of inspiration, a flood of lyrics and a storyline that felt important to pursue. It was like old folk singers repurposing melodies with their own newly-written words. 'Ice Tea' is my homage to the song that reawakened my creative self.”
You can watch the video (which Skye used to announce another new release coming soon), which is directed, edited, & coloured by Skye, with cinematography by Teagan Johnson, and dedicated to the memory of artist, poet, and activist jes sachse.
Kirk
“Good Times” by Total Fucking Darkness
Total Fucking Darkness just wants you to have “Good Times”.
The collaboration of Torquil Campbell (Stars), Stephen Ramsay (Yougn Galaxy), and renowned producer Tom McFall have been giving us a slow drip of dopamine with their dance hits all year long, with the latest being a partially spoken word synth banger.
As the song promises “oblivion” and I feel like this blurb from their press release sums it up better than I could:
What surrounds the stars in the sky? Total fucking darkness. Where can you have the most fun? In total fucking darkness. Who’s yer new favourite dance act? Total fucking darkness.
Have a listen below, and get ready to dance.
Kirk
“Tree of Life” by Art d’Ecco
Recently been super obsessed with the new album (Serene Demon) by Vancouver’s Art d’Ecco and was excited to see there was a video released for the track “Tree of Life” (one of my favs from the record).
Of the song Art says “the words speak for themselves - partnership starts with planting a seed - sometimes we grow together, sometimes we grow apart”.
When I first heard it I was already into the funky bass groove in the song, and then that saxophone solo hit and I almost fell out of my chair.
I cannot wait for the hometown show on Thursday the 12th at the Fox Cabaret - I’m bringing my dancing shoes for sure.
Christine
“Mahaha: Tickling Demon” by PIQSIQ
Last week, acclaimed Inuit throat singing duo PIQSIQ released their latest album, Legends, and along with it, new single “Mahaha: Tickling Demon”.
On the new album, sisters Tiffany Ayalik and Inuksuk Mackay present eight songs based around beloved figures from Inuit culture, with Tiffany saying, “We wanted to honour our traditional stories—narratives that are not just entertainment, but fundamental to Inuit identity. These legends have long been how we pass on critical teachings: How to stay safe on the land, how to live in the right relationship with each other, with the animals, and with the spirit world. These are stories of survival, respect, and deep connection to place.”
And Inuksuk adding, “We created visual slideshows for each legend and sourced historic and contemporary Inuit artworks that depicted these beings. While recording, we projected these images in the studio, and then sang to what we saw and felt. It was deeply immersive and visual; we let the visuals guide our vocal responses.”
You can find the album on bandcamp & everywhere else, and listen below to “Mahaha: Tickling Demon” (who “haunts the land and tickles people to death — if you are found frozen with a smile on your face, it was likely the work of Mahaha”).
Kirk
