Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a Canadian Beacon, summoning you to catch the best new singles and videos from around the corner and around the country. Push the button; the button is good:
Sam Jr. | Let’s Go Surfin’ In The USA
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The inspiration for this song struck during a post-pandemic tour with Broken Social Scene in the U.S., a place I hadn’t visited in a while. I saw some dark shit. The song is from the perspective of the darkness taking hold of people, but the punchline, which I only say once, is Let’s Go Surfin’ In The USA, a nod towards the good that’s still left. The tune captures this contrast, acknowledging the challenges while celebrating the inherent goodness and beauty. It’s a reminder to focus on the positives amid the new darkness.”
Elephant Stone | The Spark
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Since their debut in 2009, the psych-pop creation of Rishi Dhir along with bandmates Miles Dupire (drums) and Robbie MacArthur (guitar), and Jason Kent (keys/guitar), have released five critically acclaimed LPs and two EPs, toured extensively throughout North America and Europe, been nominated for the prestigious Polaris Music Prize and picked up praise from near and far. As a highly regarded sitar player, Dhir has also collaborated with indie-rock icons (Beck) and legendary cult bands (The Brian Jonestown Massacre).”
Monowhales | Backbone (Cinematic Version)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “I get knocked down, but I get up again.”
Terra Lightfoot | Come Back Around
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Juno-nominated singer-songwriter Terra Lightfoot has a bright, bold new pop-rock album to share with the world entitled Healing Power, out this Friday Oct. 13. Lightfoot was struck by a sense of personal and creative freedom while writing the record, one that finds her collaborating with trusted producer Gus van Go to share songs about perseverance, along with the continual growth and change that is required to lead a fulfilling life. Healing Power features the synth inflected rocking anthem that is Come Back Around, a song which Terra wrote in the Ontario Place parking lot on the shores of Lake Ontario on the same day as fellow album track Need You Tonight. “I think the intention of doing the right thing doesn’t always work out the way we want it to,” she says. “For me, the biggest takeaway from this song is that it’s helpful to know that you can always get back up after you make a mistake. The lesson you were supposed to learn will still be there waiting for you until you’re ready to try again.”
Espanola | Espanola, Again
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “If there were a Venn diagram of the modern stalwarts of Canadian rock ’n’ roll, there in the middle you’ll find Espanola’s Aaron Goldstein. As the go-to sideman for some of the country’s most recognized songwriters for the last 15 years, Goldstein has played pedal steel and electric guitar for the likes of Arkells, City & Colour, Kathleen Edwards, Lee Harvey Osmond, Daniel Romano and Cowboy Junkies, to name a few. However, despite performing to hundreds of thousands of satisfied fans, to quote the man himself, “Nothing beats the feeling of plugging in an SG and fronting your own band.” On Espanola, Again, the group’s second full-length, Goldstein found a sonic soulmate in producer John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr, Waxahatchee). Together, the duo went to work bringing Goldstein’s tight songwriting to life with rough and tumble arrangements that at times recall The James Gang and others the cerebral alt-country of Wilco or the power pop of Sloan.”
Living Hour / Ophelias | Hard To Say Goodnight
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Today, Living Hour and The Ophelias are sharing the new single Hard To Say Goodnight. The song marks the first collaboration between the two bands, who met at SXSW 2023 and quickly became friends and fans of each other’s music. The song paves the way for both bands to head out on tour together through the midwest USA this month. Hard to Say Goodnight is a retro-inspired love song which mixes sensibilities from indie-folk, hollowed out dream pop, and lo-fi country. With swirling strings, vocal layers and harmonies, and druggy distorted keyboard the song floats in a heavenly beauty while repeating catchy vocal hooks throughout. The flutes and violin introduce a triumphant element to the song and the mixing by Rick Spataro (Florist) adds a diy art-pop texture to the production.”
