Every week, CKUA’s hosts submit their songs for our weekly House Blend playlist: an exciting new release, a beloved classic or just an old personal favourite. We mix it all together to create a sonic concoction that’ll help kick off your week. Check out what’s on this week’s playlist.
The Playlist
The Picks
Baba: Seasick Steve, “Started Out With Nothin'”
“This song is about nothing”, says the man himself. Seasick Steve is a late bloomer but he has a lifetime of experiences to bring forward in his songs. Unusual and meaningful!
Hayley Muir: Daniel Romano, “Roya”
Daniel Romano is one of Canada’s most interesting, innovative and hard-working musicians. He’s constantly putting out new music and he’ll be releasing an album, Modern Pressure, later this year. Roya is the lead single and it’s got a bit more energy and pop sensibilities than his previous stuff. Beautiful, catchy and in true Romano-form has an unexpected, heavy sitar diversion in the last 30 seconds. The dude’s always full of surprises!
Lionel Rault: Mike Farris, “Jonah & The Whale”
Deep southern-fried gospel — blue-eyed soul at it’s very best!
Oskar Zybart: Neko Case, “Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth”
Short, sweet and powerful — this is the sound of magic.
Allison Brock: Dave & Phil Alvin, “Feeling Happy”
Because I am “Feeling Happy” that Dave & Phil Alvin will be playing The Calgary Folk Music Festival this July! The relatively recent musical reunion of the two brothers sounds like they’re having a blast. I guess that shouldn’t come as a surprise for these former Blasters.
Dianne Donovan: The Dramatics, “WhatCha See Is Whatcha Get”
Amazing vocals: the background vocals are as important as the lead. The instrumental parts are just as vital. I dare you not to groove to it. Over the years, I’ve been assembling a very short list of “perfect songs”. Remember when you were a kid and you drew or coloured your perfect little work of art, and then you decided to add “one more colour” and you ruined it? Well, a truly perfect song or recording, is one that is perfect as it is and any amount of tampering would ruin it — this is one such song.
Grant Stovel: Joel Plaskett, “Bittersweet Melodies”
This is part of the latest round of Polaris Cover Sessions: great Canadian musicians re-interpreting great Canadian songs. Joel chose a track by one of his favourite artists, Feist. He says he “tried to make this sound like Joel Plaskett covering Feist, covering the Bee Gees covering Feist”.
*This song is not available on Spotify. Listen to it here.
Tony King: Audrey Ochoa, “Low Interest Rate”
Audrey Ochoa is proving herself to be one of the most interesting, progressive jazz artists anywhere. For this recording, Afterthought, she enlisted an electronic DJ and producer based in Vancouver, named Battery Poacher, to aid in fleshing out some of her ideas. The result is a playful mix of textures that comes off like a Fellini film bursting with colours and light!
Mark Antonelli: Dave Heath, English Chamber Orchestra, “Home From The Storm”
It’s an evocative nature study blending classical music for flute and chamber orchestra with the sounds of a thunderstorm. It really caught my ear when I first played it back in 2003 and I’ve enjoyed it ever since!
Monica Miller: San Fermin, “August”
With an eight-piece, “pop orchestra” featuring two vocalists, the new album, Belong, is their most accomplished and personal so far. Leader, Ellis Ludwig-Leone’s anxieties and fears joyously blossom to life with bold sounds and ideas.
Amy Van Keeken: Chris Cohen, “In a Fable”
From his 2016 album, As if Apart, it sounds like Georgie Fame a bit and is a smooth bit of loveliness. Spring is on its way!
Terry David Mulligan: Paul Butterfield, “In My Own Dream”
This is a step away from the blues we knew him for. He didn’t growl or honk and shout. “In My Own Dream” is a superb track which is beautifully-played and one-of-a-kind — haunting and memorable. This is all you can really ask of great music. I have it on Golden Butter vinyl, but it’s also the title track from one of his last albums in 1968. It has a great David Sanborn solo.