Song of the Day

Song Of The Day: The Courtneys – Silver Velvet

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Flying Nun Records got its start it the early ’80s, making its name with such legendary acts as The Bats, The Clean, Tall Dwarfs, and The Dead C – all of them from New Zealand. So it’s fairly noteworthy that the label has signed its first act not to hail from New Zealand – Vancouver’s The Courtneys.

The Courtneys’ second album, appropriately named The Courtneys II, will be out February 17 of next year, but in the meantime, have a listen to the fuzzy, punky, poppy sound of lead single “Silver Velvet.”

Song Of The Day: Agnes Obel – Golden Green

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“Golden Green,” a haunting, vibraphone driven song off of Danish singer/songwriter Agnes Obel‘s latest album Citizen Of Glass, comes across as quite lovely sounding in its own way despite the somewhat dark subject matter.

According to Obel, the song is inspired by Yuri Olesha’s 1927 novel Envy and is about “how the mind can develop stories and change reality whilst under the influence of envy,” The theme of envy comes through in lyrics such as “To spoil my soul” and “I am climbing a sky of golden green,” while the sparse arrangement sets the perfect tone.

Citizen Of Glass is out now on Play It Again Sam. Check out the video for “Golden Green” (directed by Mew’s Jonas Bjerre) below:

Song Of The Day: Lydia Loveless – Same To You

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Although she’s only 26, Lydia Loveless is already a veteran, having released four full lengths and an EP since 2010 and her latest, Real (out on Bloodshot Records), is one of her best yet. The opening track off the album, “Same To You,” really stands out with it’s lyrics detailing someone who’s considering getting out of a bad relationship and a chorus that’s somewhat reminiscent of Ottawa’s Kathleen Edwards.

Check it out below, and while you’re at it, maybe check out Lydia Loveless live when she plays Adelaide Hall on November 5.

Song of the Day: High Tide 15:47 – And The Bubble Burst

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In my many years of song-listening, I’ve found a few songs that present a weird combination of laid-back sound and high-intensity motivation. For example, Ben Kweller’s “Penny on the Train Track” made me actually go to train tracks and … well … lay a penny on the track (OK full disclosure, that’s a lie – it was my sister, Celeste, who actually went and laid a penny on the train tracks. She’s always the cooler one).

So after that disclaimer, if you still trust me enough to keep reading, let me introduce to you another single I’m quickly getting into: High Tide 15:47‘s “And the Bubble Burst.” The track reminds me a lot of that compelling combo Kweller had. The Newcastle sextet puts together an indie-rock-pop-infused ballad that gets your toes tapping from its opening beat, but its catchy, laid-back sound also has a compelling message: walk a mile in my shoes/they don’t feel like they used to. While it may be more difficult to convince someone to actually switch shoes than to lay a penny on a train track, the song has been replaying in my head since I first heard it. It’s a great sound with a great message – one we could all probably stand to hear a time or two. So give it a listen or two!