AC/DC - Mistress for Christmas

How had I not heard this song until last week?



Official Website | AC/DC

Ladytron - All Over By Xmas

Should I just consider posting Christmas songs for the rest of the month? Even if I don't, let's at least post this lovely seasonal one by Ladytron. Recent Ladytron news over at Under The Radar. Their most recent album, their 7th, was "Time's Arrow", released at the beginning of 2023.



Official Website | Ladytron
Purchase: Ladytron - "Time's Arrow"

Pulp - Background Noise [new song]

Last month, Pulp introduced a new song to their recent live set, entitled "Background Noise". Deets at NME.

Feels like 1995 again. And a classic-sounding Pulp song at that.


Official Website | Pulp
Purchase: Pulp - "Hits"

Shane MacGowan, R.I.P.

It is with deep sadness to read the news first thing this morning about the passing of Irish musician and and The Pogues frontman, Shane MacGowan. With the passing earlier this year of Sinead O'Connor, this has been a sad year for Irish popular music.

As an Asian-Canadian teenager growing up in the late 80's, Celtic music was as far removed from my musical tastes as could be given my affinity for British alternative bands like The Smiths, The Cure, Echo and The Bunnymen, Depeche Mode, and New Order at the time, but The Pogues managed to gain a foothold into my music listening. The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" (included on their 1987 album "If I Should Fall From Grace With God") ranks as one of my favourite songs of all time, and the fact that Shane has passed away just as the Christmas season has begun, will make listening to this song during the Christmas season, bittersweet for years to come.







Official Website | Shane MacGowan
Official Website | The Pogues
Purchase: The Pogues - "If I Shall Fall From Grace With God"

MGMT - Mother Nature

This is hitting pretty good right now on this gloomy, rainy day. Sombre but also very hopeful sounding. MGMT's new album "Loss of Life" is being released February 24, 2024. You can pre-order the new album through their website. Pitchfork has all the deets.



Official Website | MGMT

BADBADNOTGOOD & Charlotte Day Wilson - Sleeper

New sultry, airy, soulful tune from Toronto's BADBADNOTGOOD and Charlotte Day Wilson. Deets at Pitchfork.



Official Website | BADBADNOTGOOD
Official Website | Charlotte Day Wilson

Feist: Hiding Out In The Open | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Official Website | Feist
Purchase: Feist - "Multitudes"

I Saw The Light

I am still in awe of discovering good songs I've never heard before which just confirms that as much as I thought I knew about music, there is so much I don't know. Terry Hall's rendition of the Todd Rundgren classic "I Saw The Light" was a song I discovered randomly off YouTube after Hall's passing (R.I.P) in late 2022, incorporating an easy listening, romantic vibe with the most delectable Bacharach-esque pop melody. The song was featured on Hall's 1997 album, 'Laugh'. To be honest, I don't think I'd ever even listened to Todd Rundgren.





Instagram | Terry Hall
Official Website | Todd Rundgren
Purchase: Terry Hall - "Laugh"
Purchase: Todd Rundgren - Greatest Hits

Choir! Choir! Choir! + Feist sing for Sinéad O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2U

Covers, are covers, some good and some downright terrible. But this is impeccable. Leslie Feist's time seems to be split between living in L.A and Toronto and there's a covert nature to her that you never hear about her unless she's ramping up for new music or a tour. I mean, she did did play a hometown gig in Toronto this past May, so good on her, but she seems content with motherhood to her daughter Tihui, and that's quite alright with me. So it is quite the treat to know of Feist's continued connection to Toronto and her contribution to the Sinead O'Connor tribute show on July 29, 2023 at The Opera House in Toronto - and done as a fundraiser for CAMH.



From the video details on Youtube:
"Upon hearing the tragic news of her passing, we worked quickly to present a night in Sinéad’s honour at Toronto’s Opera House. It sold out quickly. Forty-minutes before show time, our friend, Leslie Feist, texted us to say that she was on her way to join us to sing lead on Nothing Compares 2 U, a Prince-penned song that Sinéad made uniquely her own. What followed this sequence of events was nothing short of magical."

Official Website | Feist
Official Website | Sinead O'Connor
Official Website | Prince

The Chemical Brothers featuring Beck - "Skipping Like A Stone"

The new Chemical Brothers' song featuring Beck on lead vocals, has been growing on me - setting aside their signature big-beat sonics for a more toned-down, yet still upbeat, electro-pop sound. From their newest album "For That Beautiful Feeling", their first in four years, released last month .

Offical Website | The Chemical Brothers
Purchase: The Chemical Brothers - "For That Beautiful Feeling"

The Breeders - Go Man Go

Hadn't caught this song or seen this video until now, although it was released back in late June. What a timewarp back to the 90's. New video (featuring the classic lineup of the band) to go with a previously unreleased track by The Breeders, included on the 30th anniversary reissue of "Last Splash". Deets at Stereogum.



The Breeders | Official Website
Purchase: The Breeders - Last Splash: 30th Anniversary - 2LP's with Colored Vinyl 12-Inch

The Breeders - "Divine Mascis"

Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis takes the reins on vocals on this previously unreleased version of The Breeders' "Divine Hammer" (cheekily entitled "Divine Mascis") which will be included as part of the 30th anniversary reissue of The Breeeders' album "Last Splash". Pitchfork has all the deets. Love this. J, himself, is currently on tour into the new year, for select US, UK, and European dates, celebrating the 30th anniversary of his Dinosaur Jr. album "Where You Been" while The Breeders are also starting their tour today(!) for select US dates through to next summer, including dates opening for Olivia Rodrigo.

The Breeders | Official Website
Purchase: The Breeders - Last Splash: 30th Anniversary - 2LP's with Colored Vinyl 12-Inch (released Sept 29, 2023)
Purchase: Dinosaur Jr. - Where You Been (Deluxe Expanded Edition/Double Gatefold/Blue Vinyl)

Fazerdaze - Bigger

I can't pinpoint when I came across New Zealand artist Fazerdaze - I think it was during the pandemic that I may have come across her on YouTube. Born Amelia Rahayu Murray, Wikipedia describes her as " .. known for creating music that blends dreamy pop elements with grungy shoegaze influences", a more than apropos description for Fazerdaze's newest song "Bigger". Amidst the melody and Murray's dreamy vocals, is a slow, churning grungy guitar riff with some occasional spoken-word verses and interesting keyboard contributions, whirring at times, with a nice, unexpected piano break 3/4 of the way into the song. Murray only turned 30 years of age this past January and it is interesting to note that she had taken a 5-year break, due to burnout, between her debut album "Morningside" released through Flying Nun in 2017 and her return in 2022 with her EP "Break". So she doesn't have a tonne of music so far, but what I've heard so far is a fine addition to New Zealand and Flying Nun's terrific pop music catalogue. No word yet on a new album, so in the meantime, delve into her music on YouTube.



Fazerdaze | Official Website
Purchase: Fazerdaze - "Morningside"
Purchase: Fazerdaze - "Break" EP

Broken Social Scene - Looks Just Like The Sun

Toronto stalwarts, Broken Social Scene returned to Hamilton to play Supercrawl [setlist] this past Friday Sept 8. It's been over a decade since I saw them live and the last time was also at Supercrawl in 2011 when the band was embarking on a hiatus from playing live, at least locally. While the band returned to active duty in 2013 that coincided with my departure from blogging and my sort of disconnect with music over all. I set aside, even listening to music, to focus on other life priorities. But being over a decader older, and wiser, and with a few life goals achieved, I'm reconnecting to music again, even if it's sometimes nostalgic. I have no effort to review the show, but would like to add a few comments - BSS are as musically tight and proficient as ever (my God, Andrew Whitemen's guitar-picked tones on "Meet Me in The Basement" are glorious); the addition of Kevin Drew's song "Out In The Fields" (from his upcoming new solo effort "Aging" in tribute to the passing of Kevin's mother was nice, with vocals being performed by Dwayne Gretzky vocalists Jill Harris [a current BSS member] and I believe Tyler Kyte. Broken Social Scene live shows were meant for end-of-summer celebrations and when Andrew Whiteman took a turn on vocals for their song "Looks Just Like The Sun", it was dream-like brilliance.

Broken Social Scene - "Looks Just Like The Sun"
(from the album "You Forgot It In People")

From the information posted at the YouTube page:

Sameer Cash captured our July 2023 shows in Yellowknife and Whithorse in glorious 8mm. The footage was edited to “Looks Just Like The Sun” by Colin Medley. Please consider donating to the northern communities that have been affected by the devastating wildfires this summer:

https://tinyurl.com/Super8relief

Broken Social Scene | Official Website
Purchase: Broken Social Scene - "You Forgot It In People"

Kevin Drew - Out In The Fields

All the deets over at Pitchfork with regards to Broken Social Scene frontman Kevin Drew's upcoming new album "Aging".

Ahead of thew new album, Kevin has released a couple of new tunes to sample below - "Out In The Fields", a vibrant, melodic song sounding a bit like a stripped down BSS, and the melancholy, introspective piano gaze of "Party Oven".

Broken Social Scene play Hamilton, ON's Supercrawl and will headline the TD Stage on Friday September 8.

Kevin Drew - "Out In The Fields"


Kevin Drew - "Party Oven"


Kevin Drew | Official Website
Purchase: Kevin Drew - "Aging" (cd//vinyl out September 22, 2023)

The Replacements - Can't Hardly Wait

Back in the 80's as pre-teen and teen, the public library system was my introduction to a lot of music and bands I wouldn't have heard otherwise and one of those band's was The Replacements and specifically their album "Tim". Not knowing their Mineaopolis, or Twin Tone / punk roots, I took The Replacements at face value as a terrific, major-label rock band. Had I been less of an Anglophile-centric music listener at the time (having been a fan of The Smith, The Cure, New Order, etc) I'd have probably dug The Replacements a lot more. As music videos rose to prominence in the 80's, it was a hoot to see the band release the same video for "Bastards of Young" and "Left of the Dial" as a fuck-you to the record company. But I was barely acquainted with the band even through to the late 80's as well as when the band broke up in the summer of 1991. I can't pinpoint when I started to reacquaint myself with the band (maybe the late 90's, or possibly early 2000's) but I was interested and fortunate enough to see them live when they played Riot Fest in Toronto in August 2013. Stereogum has all the deets on the upcoming box-set reissue of "Tim (Let It Bleed Edition)" being released September 22 through Rhino Records, which will include a number of bonus tracks including a previously unreleased cello version of "Can't Hardly Wait" as well as a newly remastered version of "Left of The Dial" amongst other unreleased recordings:


via Stereogum


via Stereogum







The Replacements | Official Website
Purchase: The Replacements - "Tim (Let It Bleed Edition)"

The Beaches - Blame Brett

One casualty of falling out of favour with indie music (moreso due to my own exhaustion with the discovery process rather than thinking there wasn't still good indie music being made) over the last 10 years is ignoring the local talent. Such is the case with Toronto band The Beaches who started out on the indie route in 2013, releasing a number of EP's over the years. They got signed to Island Records and their debut album "Late Show" (produced by Metric's Emily Haines and Jimmy Shaw) was released in 2017. Over the years they've been getting airplay on local stations like 102.1 The Edge and Indie88 (88.1 FM) - I'm sure I've heard a bunch of their songs over the years. I hesitate to mention they're an all-girl band, but yes they are and they are very cool. Their current tour Canada / U.S. tour itinerary, from September through to November (including a two-night stint at Toronto's Massey Hall on Nov 1-2) shows the band selling out a number of shows already, so yes they must be doing something right. I guess there is no better time to jump on the bandwagon than the present. Their second album "Blame My Ex" is set for release on September 15, the first single which is the punchy, infectious, poppy "Blame Brett" which the local alt-rock stations have been playing.

The Beaches - "Blame Brett"


The Beaches | Official Website
Purchase: The Beaches - "Blame My Ex" (set for release on September 15, 2023) [link to come]

Everything But The Girl - Run a Red Light

After going inactive in 2000, with their last full-length being 1996's "Walking Wounded", UK duo Everything But The Girl returned to active duty with the release of their most recent full-length "Fuse" just this past April. They were fairly influential to me back in the late 80's when I first discovered them through borrowing cassette tapes of theirs through the public library system and was quite excited for the band as they gained later popularity through their forays into electronic dance music and drum n' bass with singles like "Missing", "Before Today" or Tracey's vocal contribution to Massive Attack's "Protection". I have yet to listen to the new album except for the singles so far, but it's the sparse, acoustic, piano-accompanied "Run A Red Light" which is deeply affecting, as melodically and harmoniusly rich as any of their best work - a song to quiet the chaos that surrounds us. It's joyful to see the return of EBTG, approaching aging with grace and vitality.

Everything But The Girl - "Run a Red Light"


Everything But The Girl | Official Website
Purchase: Everything But The Girl - "Fuse"

TURNSTILE & BADBADNOTGOOD “NEW HEART DESIGNS”

Very interesting collaboration between Toronto instrumental hip hop / jazz outfit BADBADNOTGOOD and Baltimore melodic hardcore band Turnstile, as three songs (“Mystery,” “Alien Love Call,” and “Underwater Boi, from Turnstile's 2021 LP "Glow On") are reinterpreted on a surprise joint EP entitled "New Heart Designs". The EP is expected to be released on vinyl later this year. BADBADNOTGOOD's instrumentalism DNA is all over this and the melodic elements and vocals brought by Turnstile fits in quite nicely.

Turnstile | Official Website
BADBADNOTGOOD | Official Website
Purchase: BADBADNOTGOOD - "Talk Memory"
Purchase: Turnstile - "Glow On"

Olivia Rodrigo - Bad Idea Right?

Olivia Rodrigo burst on to the pop music scene in 2021 with her debut LP, "Sour" quickly garnering fans and accolades. I'm highly impressed that she wrote and or contributed to writing all the songs on her debut LP and appreciate that she dips her toes into a variety of influences on the album. Her second album "Guts", is set to be released in Canada on September 8, 2023 and its second single "Bad Idea Right?" (the first single, being "Vampire") was recently released. Alternating between spoken-word and singing lyrics, it's a spunky slice of new-wave-meets-90s-alt-pop, riding along a rhythmic guitar / bass groove - a song about hooking up with an ex, and punctuated at the end of its chorus by "Fuck it, it's fine". Good fun.

Olivia Rodrigo - "Bad Idea Right?"


Olivia Rodrigo | Official Website
Purchase: Olivia Rodrigo - "Guts" (to be released Septembre 8, 2023)
Purchase: Olivia Rodrigo - "Sour"

The 1975 - About You

So I've come to accept, for awhile now, that new music no longer appeals to me as it did with my younger self, my appreciation of listening to music and developing my tastes coming of age in the eighties as a pre-teen and then teen, and even as music ruled my life through my twenties into my early forties. I started my blog in 2007 when I was 36 years old and ran it for approximately 10 years, and yeah it was like my second youth, going to countless shows and even reaping the benefits of this blog and getting free / discounted passes, photo privileges and or promo cd's. But then I stopped blogging to focus on other life priorities. However, I hadn't relegated myself to nostalgia listening to eighties and nineties music on repeat either. I'm less inclined now to explore 'indie' music, but and now more drawn to explore the mainstream, seeking to find those diamonds in the rough. Five albums in, UK band The 1975 released their latest LP "Being Funny In A Foreign Language" late last year, having released a string of singles, including their gorgeous track "About You" has been on repeat for me. I first discovered the track at the beginning of 2023 when Amazon Prime released a clip on YouTube of the band performing the song at Madison Square Gardens on November 7, 2022,.

Unabashedly romantic, nostalgic, and melodic, but sombre, its swirling, atmospheric mix of violin, synth and saxophone, is interesting and lead vocalist Matt Healey's swoonful vocals make this song deliriously inviting. Two thirds of the way into the song, when the dreamy vocals of guitarist Adam Hann’s wife Carly Holt kick in for her own verse, it is icing on the cake.

The song's account of a relationship between two people that are no longer together, but apparently could be under different circumstances, beckons the question, why are they apart? Aside from that unanswered question, the sadness of it still remains. A gorgeous song, but full of heartache.

The 1975 – "About You" (Official Music Video)


The 1975 – "About You" (Live from Madison Square Garden)


The 1975 | Official Website
Purchase: The 1975 - "Being Funny In A Foreign Language"

Paramore - This Is Why

The title track from Paramore's sixth album released earlier this year in February, this is a surprisingly infectious slice of post-punk (echoes of Gang of Four, and Talking Heads at least to my ears). Mind you, I'm not at all familiar with Paramore except for tracks like "Only Exception", and having heard labels like "emo" thrown around when mentioning them, this track is not at all what I would have expected from them.

Paramore: This Is Why [OFFICIAL VIDEO]


Paramore: This Is Why | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon


Paramore | Official Website
Paramore - "This is Why" (LP) (purchase at Amazon.ca)

Sinead O'Connor, R.I.P.

Sinead, you will be missed.

The one that started it all:

from the LP, The Lion and The Cobra"

One of my faves:

from the LP, "I Do Not Want What I Havent Got"

I love the following duet with Shane McGowan of The Pogues:

from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, "Two If By Sea"

The following is also a duet, and one I had only discovered when Terry Hall passed away in December 2022:

from the LP,"Collaborations"

Her interpretation of this Disney classic was sweet:

from the compilation album,"Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films"


Sinead O'Connor | Official Website

George Harrison - "What Is Life"

George Harrison - All Things Must Pass (Amazon.ca)
George Harrison | Official Website