I have zero interest in sports. So naturally, one of my social media algorithms has arbitrarily and randomly decided to inundate me with posts from every professional and amateur football, hockey, baseball, basketball and soccer team / franchise / organization / fan club / memorabilia collector in existence. Sigh. On the plus side: While I scroll through clicking ‘see less’ and ‘mute’ endlessly, I have plenty of time to check out these new singles and videos from Canadian artists. They came to play:
Checkerboard Floors | Well I Do
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Checkerboard Floors want to play music you dance to, and they’ve been doing it for well over a decade. Aside from their energy-packed live shows that have crowds singing and dancing along, nothing more clearly demonstrates the Hamilton band’s drive than the songs they’ve been releasing independently. That includes their latest EP, Let It Ride. It puts the trio’s full range on display, as it powers through modern indie rock, to classic ’70s / honky tonk vibes, to late ’60s surf / soul, to vintage British Invasion pop-rock. During the course of the EP’s 12-minute runtime, the listener is met with swagger, catharsis, sorrow, and a dose of optimism.”
The Wring | Badlands
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After releasing their fourth album Nemesis in September, Canadian prog rockers The Wring invite fans to enter the Badlands with their latest lyric video. Says bandmember Don Dewulf: “Bad behaviour of major media outlets has given rise to powerful lower tier/social media that operate without any requirement for truth or decency; conflicting accounts, conspiracy theory, assertions without proof but presented as fact. It’s everywhere, but most obvious in the U.S.A., where almost every issue is dramatically polarized. Even the average semi-intelligent person doesn’t really know what to believe anymore. Musically, Badlands starts with a crushing bass riff leading into an angular verse and a very metal pre-chorus. The chorus is open and singable. I love the solo. It’s got some Lydian forms which has a ‘crooked major’ jazzy kind of vibe. Fun to play.”
Son Of Dave | The Kids Are Coming Home For Christmas
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Each holiday season, Winnipeg’s Son Of Dave puts out another cheeky one. This is the sixth; a jump-blues from a grumpy boomer-parent perspective. Wrapped up with his signature blues harmonica and beatbox vibes, this one gets the body swinging for a good, irreverent shout-along.”
SweetBeast | Dream Eater
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Kelowna’s rising psychedelic stoner-rock outfit SweetBeast reveal their new single Dream Eater, from their debut album Illusions. The single showcases the band’s signature blend of celestial psychedelia and earth-shaking desert rock across its hypnotic 5:29 runtime. The band say: “This track holds a special place in our hearts, as it has been with us on our journey since the inception of SweetBeast in 2018. Dream Eater explores the delicate interplay between dreams and reality, capturing the essence of fleeting thoughts and whimsical fantasies. With its haunting melodies and evocative lyrics, we aim to transport our audience to a world where the subconscious reigns supreme.”
Vikki Minor | The Labyrinth
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vikki Minor, an award-nominated neo-’90s alt-rock artist, unveils her latest single The Labyrinth. Inspired by gothic fairytales and the grunge music she grew up loving, Minor delivers a cinematic, emotionally charged track exploring themes of depression and resilience. With its intense melodies and raw vocal performance, The Labyrinth marks a powerful evolution in her discography, blending the energy of her live shows with a sound reminiscent of ’90s alternative icons like Alice in Chains and Garbage. Minor collaborated with producer Zachary Zanardo (ZZ) to bring this track to life. The writing process was deeply personal, using the metaphor of a dark, gothic maze as a way to process her own struggles with depression. “The Labyrinth was my way of conveying a dark time in my life through the lens of a mythical place,” she says. “The metaphorical lyricism and intense melodies I get to belt out in the song is really cathartic. It’s a way to process emotions while creating something that’s deeply personal yet universal.”
Cassidy Taylor | Evergreen
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Celebrate the holiday season with Cassidy Taylor’s newest single Evergreen. Inspired by the nostalgia of Christmas, Evergreen offers an upbeat, youthful take on the holiday season and the importance of family and loved ones. “The older I get, the more stressful Christmas becomes, and I wanted to create a song that embodied how it used to feel before it was all about money,” Taylor says. Recorded from her home studio, the track was engineered, produced, mixed, and mastered by Yanni Caldas. With Stacey Shopsowitz on bass and Alexandr Zelenskiy providing background vocals, Evergreen has a classic feel that’ll be relevant for years to come. Influenced by pop contemporaries such as Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter, Cassidy is constantly pushing the boundaries of her music, and Evergreen is proof.”
