Listen to our Songs You Need to Hear stream
Each week, staff from CBC Music, Radio 2, 3, Sonica, CBC Hamilton and Whitehorse collect songs they just can't get out of their heads, and make a case for why you should listen, too. Press play below and discover new songs for your listening list.
Let us know in the comments what catches your ear, or if you have new song suggestions.
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, 'Far From Men'
Like a plague of musical locusts, the string-and-piano score for the forthcoming French film Loin des hommes (which debuted at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival) swarms the listener, providing an atmospheric transport to the mountains and deserts of Algeria in slow-building cacophony. The musical bonds between Cave and Ellis is no surprise to anyone familiar with their work on the Bad Seeds or Grinderman, and as a solo duo, they continue to corner the market on making great scores for desolate films (see also: The Proposition, The Road and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford). You can stream the entire score via Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' YouTube page. — Brad Frenette (@BradFrenette)
Bravestation, 'Actors'
This Toronto-by-way-of-Kingston trio has tinkered with its sound over the last few years, figuring out where Bravestation fit in the dream-pop sphere. On "Actors," its latest single, the band discovered exactly where it belongs: somewhere between Caribou and Chromeo, and it's electrifying. This is the kind of track that coaxes you out onto the dance floor after a long, hot summer day. — Emma Godmere (@godmere)
Gianna Lauren, 'Mistakes'
Recorded at Echo Lake studio just outside of Halifax, this is the first release from Gianna Lauren's upcoming album, Moon Through Window. Lauren manages to keep her vocals hauntingly beautiful over a bed of pulsing rhythm, staccato horn hits and bright guitar riffs. The Halifax-based musician includes crunchy synth scales on "Mistakes" to back some of her great guitar work. Moon Through Window will be Lauren's third full-length album, and is due out in the fall.
— Kerry Martin (@OhHiKerry)
Gianna Lauren
"Mistakes"
Will Currie & the Country French, 'No Nothing'
This new track from Ontario's Will Currie & the Country French starts out as a Muse-y piano ballad, but quickly swerves into lush orchestral pop. There's a sense of scope here that really only happens when you have the true power of a horn section at your disposal backed by orchestral percussion and a wash of strings. “No, Nothing” is theatrical, powerful and awesome. — Adam Carter (@AdamCarterCBC)
The Weather Station, 'Way It Is, Way It Could Be'
Toronto singer-songwriter Tamara Lindeman, a.k.a. the Weather Station, released her third full-length this week, and with it came the video for the wistful opening track, "Way It Is, Way It Could Be." From Loyalty, out via Outside Music this week, the track is a slightly weary road-trip tale, which Lindeman takes literally in the new video, travelling by car through rural areas of Eastern Canada (though she lists Montmagny, Que., as a mapped point in the lyrics, it was actually filmed in the Niagara region). The melody is light, warm and a fitting soundtrack for driving across vast Canadian landscapes. Turn it up, and drive away.
— Holly Gordon (@hollygowritely)
Shamir, 'Call It Off'
I had a list of things I hoped to accomplish by the time I was 20, and Shamir Bailey has checked off several of the things I have yet to even come close to finishing. Today, the 20-year-old electro-indie artist released his first album on XL Recordings, called Ratchet — think St. Vincent sans the chunky guitar riffs. In the video for his song "Call It Off," Shamir transforms from a clothing store clerk into a Muppet. Sadly, I think that one will go unchecked on my list, but at least I can live it vicariously through Shamir in this great dancey song. — KM
Joey Alexander, 'My Favourite Things'
While "My Favourite Things" isn't quite a guilty pleasure (go ahead, try to write a hookier tune), it's not exactly my go-to tune when I feel like singing. It creeps into my consciousness every Christmas and Easter, then promptly fades into the background to await the next holiday season. Then I heard pianist Joey Alexander's version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein song. Playfully subtle, Alexander gets right to the heart of the song, celebrating the elements that have made it a time-honoured classic. I don't mind that it's been stuck in my head ever since. Oh, did I mention that Alexander's 11 years old? And self-taught? Try not to hate on him for that. Just enjoy the music.
— Judith Lynch (@CBCJudith)
Thee Oh Sees, 'Web'
Thee Oh Sees are back with their distinct brand of garage/psych music, and it's better than ever. Their album opener, "Web," is a spacious but hopping guitar- and bass-driven number that can't help but have you thinking they had UmmaGumma on repeat before hitting the studio — and that's a good thing. Get your psych on for the summer and check out the band’s new album, Mutilator Defeated at Last, via Fader. It's full of garage-y goodness. — Heather Collett (@HeatherCollett3)
Metric, 'The Shade'
Sometimes things are simple: the new Metric track is a jam. Aside from an unfinished track last year, this is the first new music from the Toronto synth-pop group since 2012’s Synthetica, and it’s just in time for summer. Thank you, Emily Haines, for giving us this summer’s earworm chorus. — HG
Orange O'Clock, 'Belly Button'
Pretty big week for Orange O'Clock last week. Not only did they win Searchlight, they dropped their new album, Crazy Carnival. Check out "Belly Button," their new video featuring crunchy Hives-style garage rock, kung fu and spooky ghosts. And this week they're in Songs You Need to Hear! The winning streak continues! — Mike Miner (@mikeminer)
by Holly Gordon via Electronic RSS
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