This week
Week 34
Aysanabee – War Cry
Allison Russell /Brandi Carlile – You Are Not Alone
Born Ruffians – I Fall in Love Every Night
The Heavy Heavy – Miles and Miles
Rosa Linn – SNAP
Darling Congress – Lazarus
Breeze: – Come Around ft. Cadence Weapon
Yot Club – U Dont Kno Me
Bells Larsen – Double Aquarius
Aysanabee: War Cry Exclaim!
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Evan Pang made sure to check in with his grandfather in Thunder Bay.
“It was important for me to record some of this, because not only were there outbreaks happening, but his health wasn’t so good at the time,” he said.
But soon, those conversations became deeper, uncovering family stories and setting Pang on a new journey of personal reclamation. So, with his grandfather’s blessing, he started recording their chats.
“We spent the first year kind of getting to know each other in a way that we never had before,” the Toronto-based musician told Unreserved host Rosanna Deerchild. “I basically spent the first year of the pandemic interviewing my grandfather.”
A lot has changed since then. Pang now goes by Aysanabee, after reclaiming his family’s name. He left his career in journalism to become a musician. He’s so far performed at nearly 100 shows and festivals, and signed with Ishkōdé Records, an Indigenous, women-led record label.
CBC
Allison Russell /Brandi Carlile – You Are Not Alone
Montreal native makes a second appearance on the Old Fellas podcast. At this point, “You are Not Alone” is a standalone 2022 release. After having a fairly traumatic childhood, Russell sings songs of strength and positivity. She is joined on this song by American multi award winner Brandi Carlile.
Born Ruffians: I Fall in Love Every Night (2020) Verge – Juice
“I Fall In love Every Single Night” is the opening track from Born Ruffians’ new LP, and is their first single since their 2018 album Uncle, Duke & The Chief.
Guitarist and vocalist Luke Lalonde says of the new single, “When the darkness isn’t fully engrossing me, I feel very fortunate for the world we live in and the people I have in my life. It’s easy for me (and I think for a lot of people) to take things for granted. There’s a constant narrative I’ve noticed being pushed that the world is a big, mean, scary place. We’re constantly being drilled by bad news, perpetual fear. You can forget how beautiful the world is and you can forget to even notice the person right next to you… I’m feeling a renewed sense of love not only in my relationships but with the world in general. There is an overwhelming amount of love in the world, you just have to focus on it every once in a while.”
The Heavy Heavy – Miles and Miles
The Heavy Heavy:have described their sound as the “The Rolling Stones meets The Mamas & The Papas”. The band reminds one of Bob Welch era Fleetwood Mac as well. The track “Miles and Miles” is taken from the Brighton UK based group’s sole ep. The tune sounds as if it could be blasting from an AM radio station circa 1973. Here they perform on Stephen Colbert’s Late Show Me website.
The Heavy Heavy are creating a stir in the music press as well. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/jul/16/one-to-watch-the-heavy-heavy-life-and-life-only
Rosa Linn:SNAP (2022) Verge
“Snap” is a song by Armenian singer Rosa Linn, released on 19 March 2022.[2] The song was written and composed by Linn, with Larzz Principato, Courtney Harrell, Allie Crystal and Tamar Kaprelian.[3] The song represented Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Italy. (Wikipedia)
It’s not those numbers that count towards the chart, though – but users are going on to streaming platforms – which do contribute to the figures.
“Everything is going crazy and it’s a dream come true,” the 22-year-old told BBC News.
It’s the second-highest charting song from this year’s competition, behind the United Kingdom’s Sam Ryder, who got to
At the grand final in Turin, in May, Snap finished in 20th position out of 25 – receiving no points from the UK in either the public or jury votes.
“That was my first time on a big stage but it felt so right. It felt like home,” Linn explained.
(BBC)
Darling Congress – Lazarus from album Jubilant Blue 2022
Taken from the 2022 album Jubilant Blue, Lazarus, was a long time in the making as COVID interrupted the album’s production. Darling Congress is Peter van Helvoort bassist for The Glorious Sons and one time a member of Teenage Kicks. “Lazarus” apparently deals with that bands break up seven years earlier when the song was actually written.
Breeze: Come Around ft. Cadence Weapon (2021) Verge
Toronto-based producer and artist, Josh Korody (Nailbiter, Beliefs) who works under the moniker, Breeze is sharing his new single, “Come Around” which features a guest appearance from the tipped Canadian rapper/artist, Cadence Weapon who found acclaim from Stereogum, FLOOD, Brooklyn Vegan, Bandcamp Daily, Exclaim and more for his recent album, Parallel World – listen below. The new single arrives in line with the news of Korody’s second album under Breeze titled Only Up, set for release via Hand Drawn Dracula on August 26, 2021.
Yot Club -U Dont Kno Me
Yot Club is a lo-fi bedroom pop project from Mississippi. The band is solely old Ryan Kaiser, writing and recording everything. Kaiser came to the public’s attention withe Tik Tok viral sensation, YKWIM?,” (You Know What I Mean). Apparently it’s had over two million streams on Spotify. “u dont kno me” is the first single off his forthcoming debut album Off the Grid. To quote, “The song is about outgrowing one’s environment—a feeling that Kaiser knows well, having relocated from Mississippi to Nashville last year.
The video is good deadpan fun. https://floodmagazine.com/104526/yot-club-u-dont-kno-me-first-listen/
Bells Larsen Double Aquarius (2022)
Bells Larsen (they/he/il) is a Montreal-based singer/songwriter. Larsen’s songs weave together deeply cathartic lyrics and memorable melodies, distilling the personal within the universal. In the fall, Larsen will release their debut record, which was made possible with support from the Canada Council for the Arts. This music explores the theme of queer loss in its many guises.
Whole-Hearted 