Songs of the Week: June 30 - July 06, 2025

“Sunshine” by Royal Wood

Summer’s in full swing, so maybe you need a little more “Sunshine” in your life?

The new song from Royal Wood comes with the announcement of his ninth studio album, Dear John. It’s an upbeat, summer jam that Wood says is “inspired by the Buddhist ideology that behind every cloud is a forever blue sky. No matter the metaphoric storm in life, peace and love are always present. Once you steer your heart with this principle, hope and faith return. I wanted the song to feel like sunshine itself. Like I had it in a bottle, and I could drink it. This is my summer jam.”

Have a listen below, and kee an ear out when Dear John drops on October 17 via Cordova Bay Records.

• Kirk

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“Good Luck, Babe!” (Chappell Roan Cover) by Rose Cousins

I’ve heard Chappell Roan’s song “Good Luck, Babe!” probably 100 times, so when I saw that Rose Cousins covered it, I needed to hear it.

There’s something special about a cover when it completely becomes it’s own, and this is definitely one of them. It takes the sentiments from the original and puts it into a delicate and soft reworking that creates an air of melancholy.

Beautiful job and hopefully we can hear it in October when she performs at St James Hall on the 6th!

• Christine

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“Pine” by Kathleen Edwards

Kathleen Edwards is giving us another tease of her upcoming album Billionaire with the stripped down, vulnerable new track “Pine”

The song came to Edwards on the road, as she explains: “On the 2-day drive from Ottawa to Nashville, a line popped in my head, ‘when we go our separate ways, the thought of you stays.’ By the time I arrived in Nashville I had written ‘Pine’ and it was the first track we put down for this album. Friends who can’t be lovers. A classic country song. At first the arrangement made me feel incredibly bare and exposed, but I now love the spare production, Jason’s super dry electric solo makes me feel like Dusty.”

It’s a gorgeous song to crank on the car stereo on a late summer night, with the windows down as the sun sets. Listen for yourself below, and note down August 22nd for the release of Billionaire.

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: June 23 - 29, 2025

“Wrong, Wrong, Wrong” by Great Lake Swimmers

Every time Ontario’s Great Lake Swimmers release a new song I remember they’re going on tour with Elliott BROOD…and then I remember it’s not until October.

The latest offering is titled “Wrong, Wrong, Wrong” - a song, according to lead singer Tony Dekker about “being on the edge, in deep despair. The consolation is that it places trust in the understanding of the listener – it’s almost as if the song is speaking directly to a sympathetic friend. Although the music and instrumentation deceptively suggest a sunnier attitude, the lyrical gist is about trying to make sense of a deeply troubled world."

Really love the pedal steel on this track (played by Jimmy Bowskill) as it give the song a bit of a twang. Check it out below!

• Christine

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“Adore You” by Yukon Blonde

Last month, Yukon Blonde dropped their first new single in a while, and now they’ve not only released a second song, but announced a new album as well!

The new song, “Adore You” is a high energy ode to rock & roll and performing on stage, and I can already picture it as being the big closer to their set as they hit song festivals this summer, and go out on the road this fall.

Bassist James Younger elaborates, “Songs can be signifiers of a mood—they can capture something ethereal. I once told Brandon, right before a show, to "leave it all out there.” A couple of months later, he brought it up, said he liked that feeling, that call to arms. This song is about exactly that. Leaving it all out there. Playing your heart out for the people who showed up, who paid to be in the room with you. It’s a thank you to them, and to the wild, winding musical journey that brought us all into the same space, at the same time, chasing the same electric moment.”

Friendship & Rock 'n' Roll is out Sept 19 on Dine Alone Records, and you can check out the lyric video below, which needs to be cranked loud.

• Kirk

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“Château de sable” by Cœur de pirate

Following a three year hiatus, Coeur de pirate recently announced a new album and shared the title track. Now, she’s giving another tease with the latest single “Château de sable”

Translating to “Sandcastle”, the new song is a lush, piano-laden song with Cœur de pirate’s gorgeous vocals soaring en français.

The new album Cavale releases September 26 via her label Bravo Music, and you can check out the dreamy video for “Château de sable” below!

• Kirk

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“Samson & Delilah (Circa 2003)” by Matt Patershuk

On Friday, Alberta singer/songwriter Matt Patershuk announced his sixth studio album, DOG. TIGER. HORSES. and shared the opening track “Samson & Delilah (Circa 2003)”

The new single features Matt’s warm vocals paired with a folk twang, for a song with some very unexpected inspiration: the Kelis banger “Milkshake”.

Patershuk elaborates, “I took the well-worn Bible story of Samson & Delilah and brought it forward to 2003 when Kelis’ song was eating up the airwaves. Though I’m not a religious person, I love Bible stories for the same reason that I love old folk songs. The have been polished to near perfection over a long time, and the good ones distill some important element of the human experience for us to consider. This song is told from Samson’s point of view. Betrayal, deserved or not, is a large, dusty, dry pill to swallow.”

Have a listen for yourself below, and mark September 19th for the release of DOG. TIGER. HORSES. on Black Hen Music.

• Kirk

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“Home” by Mac DeMarco

As someone that just spent 5 days in the woods and on the water, this new Mac DeMarco song (“Home”) made me smile because the video is of him canoeing - apparently near his mom’s home in Canada. Many birds (and a seal!) make an appearance, including some Canada geese.

The new single comes with an announcement of a new record, titled Guitar, that Mac says is: “as close to a true representation of where I’m at in my life today as I can manage to put to paper. I’m happy to share this music, and look forward to playing these songs as many places as I’m able.”

The album will be released on August 22nd and you can pre-order it right now - and hopefully hear the new tracks…if you got a ticket to his sold-out show on September 24th in Vancouver!

• Christine

Songs of the Week: June 16 - 22, 2025

“Babe, We'll Find a Way” by The Dears

It’s been a minute since we’ve heard from The Dears, but what better way to celebrate 30 years as a band than a new single!

“Babe, We'll Find a Way” is a classic, soaring Dears tune, with singer / guitarist Murray Lightburn explaining, “The music came down all at once, strings, guitar – melodies. It was so strong and vivid. It pines for the breakthrough, we know it’s there! It’s so tangible. When that happens, inner strength takes over. There’s a motivation, a reason to get out of bed. You can feel the sun on your face and maybe a little later a smile will take over.”

The band also announced they signed with Next Door Records as well as a spat of tour dates out east, so hopefully we’ll be hearing more from them real soon!

• Kirk

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“Magic Mountain” by Twin Rains

Toronto’s Twin Rains is back their third single of the year “Magic Mountain”. The name comes from a novel by Thomas Mann that the band’s Christine Stoesser read during the pandemic.
She says: “The Magic Mountain, in my understanding of it, is this intangible place where all the ideas and themes of your life culminate, like the proverbial hill you’d die on. The song’s lyrics were inspired by a charismatic figure in my life who led followers up one mountain—only to turn around and do a complete 180 and lead a following up an opposite path. The song became a meditation on the way our ideas shape not only our own lives but the lives of those around us and ultimately the earth itself.”

Accompanying the song is a black and white video that shot in Sedona of a cloaked figure walking through the rock formations (which I’ve learned from the press release are said to be “energy vortexes” -hmm!). Check it out below!

• Christine

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“Moose Jaw” by haftu

If you weren’t aware, I’m a chatty person and will talk to strangers and bartenders wherever I go - I always choose the seat at the bar….
Well, I’m in Ontario right now, and I stopped by Halo Brewing with my laptop to do some work, and ended up talking it up with the server and his friend. The server was wearing a band shirt, so naturally I made a mental note to look them up later.

Cut to the next day and I’m set up in the sun on my brother’s patio with my work and throw them on. The mellow sounds of Toronto’s haftu were the perfect soundtrack for my morning cup of tea in the sunshine. I listened through their debut EP CONFETTI (released in December 2024), and their two other singles and wanted more.

The track “Moose Jaw” jumped out to me with the funky opening that melted into a mellow slow jam with dreamy vocals - perfect for the hazy Toronto day around me.
If they ever head to Vancouver, I’ll be there in a hurry.

• Christine

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“Traded In Your Name” by The Deep Dark Woods

Last week The Deep Dark Woods not only dropped their latest single, but also announced their next full length album!

“Traded In Your Name” is a mesmerising track that frontman Ryan Boldt says was “originally written during the Changing Faces sessions, but it never quite came together the way I wanted. I remembered it during a day of recording for the new album—we ran through it once or twice, and that was it. Evan Cheadle added a beautiful harmony on the chorus—probably my favourite harmony ever recorded on one of my songs.”

You can check out the visualizer below, and mark October 3rd for when The Circle Remains releases on Victory Pool Records!

• Kirk

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“Quviasukkuvit (If It Makes You Happy)” by Elisapie

In honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day (which was June 21), Inuk singer-songwriter Elisapie released a brand new cover & performance of “Quviasukkuvit (If It Makes You Happy)”, filmed at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Much like the covers off her album Inuktitut, the Sheryl Crow classic was translated to Inuktitut for a gorgeous rendition, which you can watch her perform among works by Inuit artists featured in ᐆᒻᒪᖁᑎᒃ uummaqutik: essence of life, a display of selected pieces from the MMFA’s collection of Inuit art.

Watch the video below, and keep an eye out for Elisapie as she hits the festival circuit this summer, including a stop at the Vancouver Folk Fest.

• Kirk

Songs of the Week: June 09 - 15, 2025

“Let It Hiss” by The Barr Brothers

Last week The Barr Brothers announced their long awaited new album and dropped the title track, “Let It Hiss”.

The album comes eight years after 2017’s Queens of the Breakers, as the brothers Brad and Andrew have been incredibly busy since then, and they found they needed a new approach on this album. Brad explains, “In 2022, we found ourselves at a breaking point. It was clear something had to change. The real story of this record is the story of that change and everything that came after.”
With Andrew adding, “Let it Hiss is what happened when we stopped pretending everything was fine and finally listened to what was actually going on.”

Let It Hiss features some heavy hitters like Jim James (of My Morning Jacket), Patrick Watson, and Elizabeth Powel (of Land of Talk) and you can pick it up October 17 on Secret City Records.

• Kirk

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“Chinatown” by Adam Mah

Back from a year’s hiatus from music, Adam Mah returns with a new single “Chinatown”, originally recorded for his debut, 2023 album Year Of The Dog.

During the time away since “Chinatown” was recorded, Mah’s life drastically changed with the end of a 12 year relationship - but the song itself speaks to the “nostalgia of love rekindled and the quiet joy of shared moments in a new home”.

Mah says that the song is a snapshot of the relationship and “it’s about the beauty of starting over with someone, and the tapestry of the city becoming part of your story.”
I can’t wait to hear more!

• Christine

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“Lipsync” by Debby Friday

With her new album out in a few weeks, Debbie Friday has dropped a tease with the scorching video for the electro-rap jam “Lipsync”.

The video was co-directed with frequent collaborator Kevan Funk, and was shot in only thirty (30!) minutes at the historic Massey Hall in Toronto.

Check it out below, and you can pick up The Starrr Of The Queen Of Life when it drops on August 1st.

• Kirk

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“Rock N’ Roll Band” by The Dirty Nil

Appropriately writing about an Ontario band while I’m sitting at a cafe in Ontario - but it’s a good thing I have my earbuds in for this LOUD one from Hamilton’s The Dirty Nil.

“Rock N’ Roll Band” is the new single from their upcoming album The Lash (due out July 25th via Dine Alone Records) and if any wanna be rockstars are reading this, it’s billed as a “snarling, full-volume gut check for every wide-eyed hopeful with rockstar dreams”.

The lyrics speak for themselves, but the refrain (“someone else is getting rich, not you”) has me picturing sweaty crowds shouting it back to them on stage.
Speaking of which, they’ll be in Vancouver this July 26th at the Rickshaw Theatre!

• Christine

Songs of the Week: June 02 - 08, 2025

“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

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“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

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“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

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“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

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“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

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“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: 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

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“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

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“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

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“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

Songs of the Week: May 19 - 25, 2025

“Colours of My Dreams” by Yukon Blonde

Yukon Blonde is back with a brand new single about the highs and lows of being in a band, called “Colours of My Dreams”.

Bassist & singer James Younger says “Playing in a band is like being in a family. It’s a cliché, but most clichés stick around because they’re rooted in something real,” but also adds “There’s the other side too: the fights, the quiet grudges, the cold stares when someone’s not pulling their weight during a snowy 2 a.m. load-out in Montreal.” Younger finishes by sharing, “Over the last decade, one thing’s stayed solid: when life goes sideways and the ground starts to shake, that damp room and this band have been the only place I’ve wanted to be. It’s the one thing that keeps setting me straight again.”

“Colours of My Dreams” is exactly the jam you would expect from the band, which you can listen to below!

• Kirk

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“Give It Up” by Royal Wood

One of Canada’s smoothest vocalists Royal Wood is back with a brand new single, “Give It Up”.

The raucous song is about tuning out the noise, with the singer/songwriter explaining: “This song is a message to myself to live to my fullest potential at a time when the world is all too scary and social media tells us to be like them. It's a call to action, a reminder to listen to the quiet voice within, make genuine art, and truly live the life I choose. After all, why else are we here?”

Check out the video below!

• Kirk

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“Finger” by Mother Mother

Well, the first line in this song certainly grabbed my attention immediately.

“Finger” is the latest track from Mother Mother, off their upcoming album Nostalgia, and explores double standards and gender roles. Singer Ryan Guldemond elaborates: “The song addresses several societal double standards: the stigma surrounding female promiscuity compared to the celebration of male conquest, the absurdity of the animal class system — why are some creatures considered food while others are viewed as pets? — and the feelings of shame that heterosexual men may experience when exploring sensual pleasures that are not traditionally considered masculine.”

You’ll have to check out the video — directed by Sterling Larose — to hear that opening line for yourself (I don’t want to spoil it). And mark June 6th on your calendars for the release of Mother Mother’s tenth(!) studio album, Nostalgia.

• Kirk

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“One More Dance Around The Sun” by Great Lake Swimmers

So excited that Great Lake Swimmers are back with their first new music since 2023’s Uncertain Country.

The timing of the release couldn’t be more perfect as “One More Dance Around The Sun” is the perfect summertime road-trip song - and the weather is starting to match that now!

Of the tune lead singer Tony Dekker says: “This song pinpoints a very distinct feeling for me. Riding around in the summertime with the windows down — maybe after a solid workday, maybe on route to an epic road trip, or maybe just seeing familiar surroundings with renewed vision. It’s about perseverance, new beginnings, and the searching that invites wisdom and perspective as the planet spins on.”

The band also announced a tour with Ontario’s Elliott BROOD but we’re going to have to wait until October 23rd to see them in Vancouver at the Biltmore Cabaret.

• Christine

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“If You're Gonna Change Your Mind” by Logan Richard

Last Friday, Logan Richard released his latest album Character Traits, as well as a video for the track “If You're Gonna Change Your Mind”.

The song is a funky jam that Richard co-wrote with his friend Chris Kirby, and he explains “We wanted to write a fun song that I could rip a guitar solo over, and we came up with this. I think it is groovy, and love all the sweet sounds that producer Josh Van Tassel threw on it.”

You can check out the chill park video below for that solo, and pick up Character Traits now!

• Kirk

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“Gher Bede (Sanguijuela)” by Empanadas Ilegales

Vancouver band Empanadas Ilegales is about to release their new record, Sancocho Trifásico, on June 6th and they’re celebrating with a record release party on the same day at the Hollywood Theatre.

The latest single “Gher Bede (Sanguijuela)” took inspiration from Swan Lake and reimagined it with “classical inspiration and Latin psychedelia”. Plus the title “Gher Bede” translates from Farsi as 'shake it,' 'groove,' or 'move your hips' - which you’ll definitely be doing when you hear them perform.

• Christine

Songs of the Week: May 12 - 18, 2025

“Yvonne” by Foxwarren

I am so sad that I have to wait until December for Foxwarren to finally make their return to Vancouver (December 4th at the Vogue), but I’m so excited that their new record, 2, will be released next week on May 30th!

The second track released from the upcoming album is “Yvonne” - a “compulsory study of love’s strange spell” and the bands says “Yvonne, the woman scanning the beach each morning for buried treasure, deserves a love song too”.
The song starts with sounds of a shoreline - waves and seagulls and builds to add drums, harmonies and strings.
It’s a gorgeous little track and is accompanied by an equally beautiful video by artist Meghan Fenske.

• Christine

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“baby blue frigidaire mini fridge” by Ada Lea

Ada Lea (aka Montreal’s Alexandra Levy) has announced her latest album, when i paint my masterpiece, and dropped a brand new song called “baby blue frigidaire mini fridge”

The lead single is a lilting love song which highlights Levy’s soft vocals, as she reflects on the inspirations: “The Chantal Akerman film where the camera moves in slow circular pans around her apartment. Then what if the frame quickly zooms out as far as it could possibly go? And in that wide pull back, what we recognize as universal is still ‘this chair, this window, this mountain view.’ Then, move out again, even further. What we are left with—three things: ‘our old time souls, this old time moon.’ Two things, I mean.”

when i paint my masterpiece is out August 8 on Next Door Records and you can check out the video for “baby blue frigidaire mini fridge” below!

• Kirk

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“Gospel” by Chinese Medicine

On Friday, Toronto’s Chinese Medicine released their sophomore EP, The Trans Agenda.

The album starts off hard, fast, and heavy with “Gospel” — taking aim at the church’s hypocrisy — and doesn’t let up from there. Frontwoman Juno Hailey says of the new EP, “I was inspired to write after growing tired of hearing accusations that we’re pushing some ‘evil agenda’ onto children. The only thing trans people have ever pushed is radical self-love. This album is meant to highlight the hypocrisy of it all. This album for me at least, holds all the emotions of my transition, anger, sadness, joy, etc. I hope it provides that same sense of catharsis to the listeners, as it gives me.”

“The Trans Agenda” (which was initially announced on March 31st in celebration of International Transgender Day of Visibility) is out now on Twin Fang Records!

• Kirk

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“Mental Mentality” by Pig Pen

I’ve been waiting for this song since Pig Pen announced their existence in March!

The super group includes Matty Matheson (Vocals), Wade MacNeil of alexisonfire (Guitar / Vocals), Daniel Romano (Guitar), Ian Romano (Drums), and Tommy Major (Bass).

While most people would recognize Matty from either his cooking videos or his role on The Bear, I actually went to high school with him and spent many a time in a mosh pit at shows in Niagara - so seeing him on stage is so awesome and feels full circle.

The band has announced their album will be released 

• Christine