Episode 99
Broken Social Scene – Not Around Anymore
Surfrajettes – Hockey Night in Canada
Status/Non-Status, Julie Doiron – Good Enough
Silversun Pickups – Au Revoir Reservoir
Beatrice Deer – The Bear
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever- Sunburned in London
Metric – Victim of Luck
Asher White – Half Twain the Jesse
Valerie June – Joy! Joy!
Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene – Not Around Anymore
Four of my five songs are all from this last week’s Exclaim! list pretty amazing to find four terrific songs on one list. My last one is from the Guardian.
First – Broken Social Scene, their first single since 2017.
Not Around Anymore and the album in general was born out of reunion and loss, bringing longtime producer David Newfeld back into the fold after 20 years apart while navigating the losses of his and frontman Kevin Drew’s mothers. The band’s signature horns feel like a nostalgic warmth glowing at the centre of the track as Drew and company lament that “there’s no need to lie here anymore/ cause it’s all gone away.” While it’s easy to fall into the darkness of that sentiment, the music provides a blanket of comfort, its layers of voices coming together to remind us we’re never in this fight alone. It may not be the galvanizing rally cry we’re used to getting from Broken Social Scene, but it’s still reassuring in its own unique way. — Melody Lau
Broken Social Scene’s first single in 9 years, and 6 more songs you need to hear this week
Broken Social Scene’s first new song in nine years, Not Around Anymore, is a must-hear track this week. (Billboard; graphic by CBC Music )
Status/Non-Status, Julie Doiron – Good Enough
From the same CBC article – Songs you need to hear
It’s probably safe to assume that most, if not all, dreams of a career in music start out with a teenager listening to their favourite artists on headphones in their bedroom, staring up at the ceiling like it’s a sold-out crowd. For Adam Sturgeon, the band on his boombox was Moncton indie legends Eric’s Trip. Now, his band Status/Non-Status has a new single featuring Eric’s Trip bassist, and renowned singer-songwriter, Julie Doiron. The collaboration showcases what both artists do so well — thoughtful and delicate lyrics over a sprawling track that unfurls with enough edges to make it feel honest and human. The message Sturgeon is delivering with the song is one he wrote for a friend who’s been dogged by a feeling of hopelessness their whole life. It’s also a refreshing reminder for everyone from the bedroom dreamers to the Super Bowl headliners, and anyone in between: “You’re what’s good enough.” — Nathan Gill
Beatrice Deer – The Bear
The Bear
A beautiful song and story
This is a true story about an old woman who encountered a polar bear and killed it with nothing but her walking stick and mittens. It is said that she walked far behind her family because she was old and frail as they traveled the lands looking for animals during the famine. Also, children had priority on the dog sled leaving no space for Elders. Part of Inuit values was allowing the younger people to survive during the famine before Elders since they’re the future and Elders have lived long already. As the old woman walked at night by herself, she met the large mammal and without any weapons on her, she thoughtfully placed her mittens at the end of her stick and as the bear opened its jaws lunging at her, she jabbed the stick into his throat choking it and killing the massive bear. She reached her family at dawn as she often did and shared the good news about the fresh meat for everyone.
Singer-songwriter Beatrice Deer has announced she will release her new album, Inuit Legend, on April 3.
Deer, based in Montreal, was born and raised in Nunavik and is half-Inuk and half-Mohawk.
She is known for music that blends rock, folk and traditional throat singing, a style she has dubbed “Inuindie.”
According to a press release, Inuit Legend reimagines and “brings a bold new vitality” to legends and true tales passed down from Deer’s ancestors.
“With its deliberative focus on stories of feminine power, the album makes for a thrilling document of transformation and survival – a narrative closely aligned with Deer’s own journey in struggling against the extraordinary hardship endemic to her homeland of Nunavik,
Metric – Victim of Luck
Like Broken Social Scene, Metric has a new album out now and both bands will tour together this summer – only one Canadian show!!
Canadian indie bands Broken Social Scene, Metric and Stars are joining forces for a new North American tour beginning this summer.
The All the Feelings tour is in support of Broken Social Scene’s upcoming May 8 album, Remember the Humans, the supergroup’s first in more than almost a decade.
The tour kicks off on June 8 in Austin and has only one Canadian stop, ending with a hometown Toronto show on on Aug. 7.
Not very impressed.
Metric will also be supporting its album Romanticize the Dive, out on April 24.
Metric – Victim of Luck (Official Music Video)
Metric’s upcoming ‘All The Feelings Tour’ dates with Broken Social Scene and Stars are above. Visit here tickets and more information. Information on UK and European tour dates is expected in the coming weeks.
Valerie June – Joy! Joy!
2000–2009: Career beginnings
June relocated to Memphis in 2000 and began recording and performing at the age of 19, in the duo Bella Sun.[2] After her marriage ended, she began working as a solo artist, combining blues, gospel and Appalachian folk in a style that she describes as “organic moonshine roots music”, and learning guitar, banjo, and lap-steel guitar.[2][3] She became associated with the Memphis-based Broken String Collective.[8][10]
2017: The Order of Time
Rolling Stone listed June’s second album, The Order of Time, as one of the 50 Best Albums of 2017, citing “her handsomely idiosyncratic brand of Americana, steeped deep in electric blues and old-time folk, gilded in country twang and gospel yearning….a blend of spacey hippie soul, blues and folk with June’s pinched, modern-Appalachian voice at the center”.[31][32]
In a 2017 interview, Bob Dylan was asked what artists he listened to and respected; June was among the artists he mentioned in reply.[32
She has recorded three best-selling solo albums and written songs for legendary artists such as Mavis Staples and The Blind Boys of Alabama. She has been praised by Bob Dylan and shared the stage with myriad artists including John Prine, Norah Jones, Tyler Childers, Dinosaur Jr., Booker T. Jones, M. Ward, Robert Plant, Meshell Ndegeocello, Avett Brothers, Dave Matthews, Angelique Kidjo, Willie Nelson, Brandi Carlile, and Elvis Costello
More notes
Surfrajettes – “Hockey Night in Canada” single
The Surfrajettes is a surf band that has been active on the Toronto scene for the last ten years. In 2018, the group gained attention for an instrumental surf cover of Britney Spears hit song “Toxic”.
The Surfrajettes – Britney Spears Toxic Surf Cover
They have since released two albums and now have a wonderful version of the Hockey night in Canada theme song.
Silversun Pickups – “Au Revoir Reservoir” – Tenterhooks
The Silversun Pickups is an American band from Los Angeles. They have been kicking around for about 25 years and have released 7 albums. Their latest, Tenterhooks came out last week.
It was a difficult decision to choose one track but I eventually settled on this beauty.
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever- “Sunburned in London” – single
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, also sometimes known as Rolling Blackouts C.F., is an Australian indie rock band, formed in Melbourne in 2013.
Their three albums, Hope Downs (2018), Sideways to New Italy (2020) and Endless Rooms (2022) are all absolutely marvelous. After a few years absence, Sunburned in London is a welcome return.
Asher White – “Half Twain the Jesse” – Jessica Pratt
Asher White is a 25-year-old who has released 17 albums! In February, White released a cover album of Jessica Pratt’s self titled album.
Here is the Pratt original
Here’s the cover
Her explanation for doing the whole album is found near the end of this excellent article.
Whole-Hearted 