all things past serve to guide you on your way

Men I Trust ft. Helena  Break For Lovers  ||  This is smooth.

A few years ago, when I thought I already owned all of their records, I came upon this Cons EP – The Modern Sinner Nervous Man – at Sonic Boom Records. I had never heard of it at the time, so maybe you haven’t either! Check out one of its three songs right here.

Neil Young  Razor Love  ||  I started watching the series Transparent today, and, on top of being a great show, it’s got a lot of amazing music. Episode 2 ends with this Neil Young song that I had never heard before. I really should start digging deeper into Neil’s back catalogue.

Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment  Sunday Candy  ||  I cannot stop listening to this song. Join me, won’t you?

Duffy and The Doubters  Doubters  ||  Are you a Ladyhawk fan? If not, stop reading this and go and listen to all of their music right now. Everyone else – did you know that frontman Duffy Driediger put out a full album called Scriptural Supplies back in 2010? It happens to be pretty great, and you can stream (and purchase) the whole thing right here. Get into it.

Zaki Ibrahim  Draw The Line  ||  I got to see Shad play Massey Hall last week as a part of the awesome Live at Massey Hall series, and he put on an excellent show. Many of the attendees may not have been familiar with opening act Zaki Ibrahim, but I think they quickly became fans. Check out the above video from this talented Canadian-South African artist.

Hayden  Rainy Saturday  ||  I heard this song playing in a bar a few nights ago, and it’s been stuck in my head ever since. I’ve been aware of Hayden for a long time, but I never really got into his music – until I saw him perform at Jason Collett’s Basement Revue this past December. It all clicked, and I’ve been going through all of his albums ever since. Hayden has a new album coming out next week, and to promote it he’s playing intimate shows in various diners across Toronto; I hope I can make it out to one!

Forth Wanderers  Blondes Have More Fun  ||  The other day I saw this post by Canadian proggy post-punk dudes Ought, compelling me to check out Forth Wanderers – a New Jersey-based group that I hadn't heard of before. As it turns out, they are indeed so good! Give their latest album Tough Love a listen; this track in particular has been playing on repeat in my earbuds.

St. Vincent  Strange Mercy  ||  The excellent St. Vincent may have just won a Grammy for her more-recent, self-titled album, but this title track from her previous effort has really been lodged in my brain lately. This week, you see, I finally got to see St. Vincent perform live! It was a really captivating show – featuring a multi-level stage, choreographed dance moves, and even comedic monologues. If you can, be sure to grab a ticket in a city near you! 

Don't Stop Or We'll Die  Once In Awhile  ||  The world lost a great comedic mind last week. Actor/writer/producer/comedian Harris Wittels died tragically at the age of 30 on February 19th. I'd been a fan of his for years. I won't eulogize him here or anything; that's been well done by many already. What I will do is tell you about his band – Don't Stop Or We'll Die. Harris was the drummer, playing alongside fellow funny people Michael Cassady and Paul Rust (the lead singer, whom you may also recognize as one of the titular Inglorious Basterds). The majority of their songs are comedic, but this one is a pretty straightforward pop-rock earworm. Dig it.

Jon McKiel  Sleep Cities  ||  In the summer of 2011 I spent four months living in London, Ontario. I had many new experiences over these months; I also enjoyed a lot of new music discovery. I don't recall where I first heard Jon McKiel, but I do remember picking up his album The Nature Of Things at (famous London record store) Grooves on a whim. It was a good impulse. This album relaxes me in a way that few others do. Check out this track, but do give the whole album a start-to-finish listen if you can.

Bry Webb & Casey Mecija  Oh! Sweet Nuthin' (Velvet Underground cover)  ||  Here are two of my favourite voices – and two of the most recognizable in Canadian indie music. Bry (solo artist and member of Constantines) and Casey (member of the sadly now-defunct Ohbijou) perfectly mix gravel and sweetness in this duet. The track appeared on the Friends In Bellwoods compilation, which raised funds for the Daily Bread Food Bank. (Their website is no longer online, but the album is still available on iTunes, so if you buy it I'm sure you'll still be helping out!)

Rah Rah  Chimneys  ||  I know it can be easy to ignore EPs. But when it comes to Regina's Rah Rah, although the three full-length albums they've put out are all fantastic, 2011's The Sailors EP may be my favourite of their releases. It is comprised of three songs that I adore equally – that fit together so nicely into a little package of sonic pleasantness. This is the opening track Chimneys; I implore you to listen to the other two and see what I'm talking about.

SS Cardiacs  I Don't Mind You Have No Spine  ||  This band – led by Jessie Stein, now of The Luyas – was not active for very long (2004-2005), but they did manage to put out one lovely album in that time. I don't quite remember where I managed to pick up a physical copy of it (while living in Edmonton, nonetheless), but I'm glad I did! Check it out.

Attack In Black  Find Me A Guided Line (Live)  ||  It's no secret that Attack In Black are one of my favourite bands, so of course I have done my best to acquire every piece of music that they've ever recorded. This gem is from the CBC Radio 3 Sessions podcast, in 2008 or thereabouts, where the guys played a handful of never-before-heard stuff. This tune is unique for AIB in that one of the verses is sung in French!

TOPS  Way To Be Loved  ||  This song is so, so catchy. TOPS played the Drake Hotel here in Toronto last night, and they put on a great show. Get into them.