I just watched a TV news report about local mudlarkers — aka people who apparently have nothing better to do than wander up and down the filthy riverbank scavenging for so-called “treasures” like old bottles and (I kid you not) discarded bricks. Yeah, no thanks. I prefer to stay inside on my couch, scouring my in-box for the latest and greatest Canadian singles and videos. Like these:
Charlie Houston | Lewps
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Fresh off a U.S. tour supporting The Beaches, Charlie Houston announces her debut record, Big After I Die, a nine-song exploration of the precarious and often surreal experience of learning who you are while transitioning between phases of life. Today, she shares the single Lewps, a riff-heavy alt-pop single that evokes the genre-shifting vibes of Tame Impala and Yves Tumor. The song — about overthinking embarrassing moments to a point of insanity — features Houston’s signature humour and honesty. “I often find myself reliving my most embarrassing moments months or years later for absolutely no reason,” says Houston. “I think this is a very relatable problem. I find it hard to be present, I’m always thinking about the past and things I wish I could have done differently. Such as one time while playing baseball with my ex-girlfriend and her friends I tried to run to first base and ate it before I even got there.”
The Weather Station | Window
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Weather Station — the project of Toronto Tamara Lindeman — recently announced Humanhood, her new album out Jan. 17. Today, she presents the climactic single and video Window, The song is an anthem of escape. The slashing guitar and spiraling electronics conjure a panic attack, the mind demanding answers. “I can’t explain right now,” she sings during one of the album’s most gripping moments, “just that I’m leaving.” The song’s video, directed by Philippe Léonard, presents Lindeman’s performance of the song projected out the window of a moving van onto trees, forest and passing signs, recalling the rippling fabric motif of the Humanhood album art. Lindeman describes the video as being “filmed on the island of Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs, Quebec late one night with battery powered projector, with many attempts to get that one perfect take. Philippe’s note to me was ‘You are the window.’ ”
Ten Kills The Pack | Girl Of My Dreams
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sean Sroka, known as indie outfit Ten Kills The Pack, has become known for his confessional-style lyricism that explores the rough edges of the human condition. Stemming from his DIY days cutting his teeth in the music scene of Toronto, pausing his musical path for poetry, or playing in his slop punk band around the city, Sroka pens his experiences in a way that blends an ethos of punk with the kindness of folk. Today, he shares the new video for recent single, Girl Of My Dreams. “I think it’s the cutest video I’ve ever made,” says Sroka. “I was happy to be able to make and direct something of my own with the same spirit of making the song, just going out and doing it for yourself. That’s my puppy Fenne and I think she has a bright future in acting, but I’ll let her decide when she gets older.”
Ombiigizi | Shame
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ombiigizi, the Anishinaabe-Canadian band led by Daniel Monkman (aka Zoon) and Adam Sturgeon (aka Status/Non-Status), are sharing the video for Shame, the title track from their recently released sophomore album. “Shame is a thing we all share,” they say. “While the last album (2022’s debut Sewn Back Together) focused a lot on the positive force of healing despite odds, Shame lets things slide. It shares the things we don’t always say, it calls to others to heal and reminds them it’s OK — to feel, to be angry or sad, and that the world we experience can set the drag on high. But always it calls you in and forward.” The Shame video puts these feelings to the test, opening with complete silence and a black screen for nearly the first 10 seconds, creating a tense moment of stillness. Then, viewers are drawn into clips of flowing water and a hypnotic chant singing “we have to stay true when we try to explain shame.” What unfolds is five minutes of what feels like a complete short film. The story follows an astronaut figure who appears to be unfamiliar with the world around him, lost and displaced, until he comes across a masked figure who comes from the sea and seems to connect with him.”
Matt Zaddy | Far Too Long
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Known for his soulful blend of folk-rock and modern influences, singer-songwriter Matt Zaddy is sharing his latest single, Far Too Long. The song marks a pivotal moment in Zaddy’s career as he delves into the struggle of finding balance between work, music, and personal life. Far Too Long draws inspiration from a personal realization Zaddy had while balancing his demanding day job and a music schedule, working over 80 hours a week between the two. Little did he know he was reaching some kind of a breaking point. After a conversation with his younger brother, who asked about his week, Zaddy realized he had lost a week of his life to burnout. This moment of self-awareness led to the track’s creation. Zaddy worked with Juno-nominated and Emmy-winning producer Ross Citrull to bring it to life. “I’ve always believed that music has the power to connect us. This song speaks to my own struggles with balance — between work, music, family, and friends. I think we’ve all been there at some point, and sometimes it takes hitting a wall to realize we need to make a change.”
Peter Landi | Somewhere
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Peter Landi is a multi-instrumentalist who hails from Long Island but he has called Toronto home for most of a decade. Shortly after moving to Toronto, he joined forces with Canadian punks Single Mothers, and has since become an in-demand touring and studio drummer for artists like Julianna Riolino, Espanola, Eamon McGrath, The Drew Thomson Foundation and many more. Like his peers, Landi was uncertain about his future in 2020. Canceled tours gave him time to comb through his demos, sparking a new phase in his songwriting. The result was a collection of singles that were lyrically personal in a new sonic landscape. The latest offering from that collection, “Somewhere,” is about the unknown. It was a very unstable time for both Landi and his partner – and for the entire world – when he wrote this song. Displaced from regular life, staying with their families and at times living in separate countries. The couple didn’t know what was going to happen that day, let alone later that month or year, but as long as they were able to be together, it was okay. They would go on long daily walks with no place in mind, so their daily adventures and the greater journey of what they were going through is what inspired Landi.
