Jessie Ware, 'Tough Love'
Jessie Ware first exploded into the musical universe with her 2012 release, Devotion. Lauded as a success, and nominated for two BRITs and the Mercury Prize in the process, Ware became a bonafide mainstay (on my playlist, at least). Her new album, Tough Love, beats the sophomore slump with its silky smooth jazz-infused pop songs. Take your pick from Tough Love's 11 songs, but we recommend you start with the album's title track. — Nicolle Weeks
First Aid Kit, 'Walk Unafraid' (R.E.M cover)
The sisters who make up First Aid Kit (Johanna and Klara Söderberg) love playing cover songs. Over the years they've covered Jack White, Paul Simon, Johnny Cash, Abba and, of course, Fleet Foxes — the cover that originally brought them international attention. This time around, they've done an incredible cover of R.E.M's "Walk Around" for the soundtrack to Wild, the new film starring Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon. The song finds the sisters taking their acclaimed harmonies and transforming them into a beautifully contemporary track. Let's hope the movie is just as good. — Matthew Fisher
To hear the original R.E.M cover, see below:
Howard Shore, 'Clarice' from The Silence of the Lambs
Munich Symphony Orchestra
When The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies opens on Dec. 17, movie theatres around the world will be filled once again with the stirring sounds of Howard Shore's music. While Shore's Oscar-winning mixture of Celtic wind instruments and new-agey strings works well in Middle Earth, on its own it makes me feel like I'm about to have a disappointing massage. So this week I'm listening to music from one of his earlier successes, The Silence of the Lambs, to remind myself of his range as a composer. — Robert Rowat
Jordan Klassen, 'Firing Squad'
A feel-good song called "Firing Squad"? This new track from Jordan Klassen arrives as fall turns to winter, as the snow gathers, as the sun seems to be slipping too far away — and it's just in time. Here, the Paul Simon-esque jangle, bright falsetto and playful whoops mix atop an artful use of gun-shot staccatos and rhythms. And by the time Klassen belts out the refrain, "I really want to go somewhere," you'll feel well on your way. With yet another example of his clever, accessible pop-folk, it remains a small mystery to me why Klassen isn't yet a household name across Canada. — Brad Frenette
Derek Wise, 'Lake'
A few weeks ago, we introduced you to Drew Howard of Toronto hip-hop collective Get Home Safe. This week, we’d like to introduce you to his colleague Derek Wise. His new song “Lake” has his scratchy baritone flow laid overtop an eerie, echo-y, intentionally uncomfortable soundscape. This is not rap for the club; this is rap for taping black plastic bags over your windows. — Chris Dart
Editor’s note: strong language, NSFW.
Adonis Puentes with Pancho Amat, 'Veinte Años'
The latest single from Grammy Award-winning artist Adonis Puentes is beautiful. On his new album, Veinte Anos: Homenaje a Maria Teresa Vera, Puentes teams up with legendary Cuban tresaro Pancho Amat to pay homage to Cuban singer Maria Teresa Vera. Together they’ve transformed her seminal composition, "Veinte Años" (Twenty Years), incorporating a lush, sweeping arrangement with a playful bite and energy. Puentes performs in Toronto and Montreal this week. — Judith Lynch
Marian Hill, 'Got It'
Ease into this musical melange and let it wash over your ears and brain. Marian Hill, an electronic duo from Philadelphia, make chill sonic feasts that straddle R&B and electronic with subtle jazz influences. Listen to "Got It" and you will be pleasantly surprised to find yourself bouncing in your rolling office chair. — Nicolle Weeks
Sharon Van Etten, ‘Your Love is Killing Me’
Sharon Van Etten’s newest album came out in the spring, but this newly released video for "Your Love is Killing Me" brings her anger and heartbreak back to the forefront. It follows a woman (played by Carla Juri, Wetlands) from an early morning bar stop through one hell of a desolate walk in NYC, as Van Etten sings of a soul-crushing love ("Burn my skin so I can’t feel you/ Stab my eyes so I can’t see you./ Try to tell you this when I’m sober/ How I feel about loving you") that she can’t escape. It's beautiful and devastating all at once — Van Etten's signature style. — Holly Gordon
by Holly Gordon via Electronic RSS
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