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
Orest Soltykevych: Zuill Bailey and Lara Downes, “Sure on This Shining Night” by Samuel Barber
One of American composer Samuel Barber’s best-known works. He wrote it as an art song in the late 1930s. It’s set to text by the American poet, James Agee.
Grant Stovel: Ann Vriend, “All That I Can”
This new, vintage-sounding soul-blues ballad just won Ann the 2017 Cobalt Songwriting Prize for Blues Composition.This song is not on Spotify. Listen to it here:
Baba: Joanna Chapman-Smith, “The City Of Stone”
Joanna Chapman-Smith, from Toronto, brings this concept album, Elon & The City Of Stone. It has many styles of musical expression woven in the track and the album. This song is not on Spotify. Listen to it here:
Terry David Mulligan: Joey Landreth, “Whiskey”
Because it’s the start of what’s going to be an outstanding solo career.
Brian Golightly: Bob Dylan, “Like a Rolling Stone”
When Bob Dylan asked, “how does it feel?”, he illuminated the conflicted spirit of an era and posed a question that could only be answered with his song: “Like a Rolling Stone”. That’s how it feels.
Oskar Zybart: Beach House, “Space Song”
Feeling adrift? Here is some gorgeous accompaniment to carry you through.
Lionel Rault: Chuck Prophet, “Bad Year For Rock and Roll”
Fun, groovy and timely.
Lisa Wilton: Beirut, “Goshen”
I recently revisited Beirut’s 2011 album, The Rip Tide. As good as the whole thing is, “Goshen” is my favourite track. Well, tied with Santa Fe. It’s a gorgeous, moving piece with rich instrumentation. Mellow, but never boring.
Mark Antonelli: Ruben Feffer & Gustav Kurlat, “Airgela”
Boy And The Word blew me away and this piece of music is heard throughout the film. It’s an intense distillation of joy. The title is actually the Portuguese word for joy spelled backwards! The music is amazing on its own, but when you combine it with the film’s visuals, the result is unforgettable. I agree with the reviewer who said the film was one of “beauty, wonder, sadness, pain and joy.”This song is not on Spotify. Listen to it here:
Tony King: Laura Marling, “Wild Fire”
She may have only flirted with the California sunshine, but her time in America made an indelible impression on Laura Marling. She has experimented with blending alt country into the mix in the past, but in this case the virtual autopsy on her relationship is visceral, raw and darkly touching.
Amy Van Keeken: nhiyawak– “Tommaso”
Can’t stop listening to this first track released in December by nhiyawak, a band comprised of Kris Harper, Matthew Cardinal, and Marek Tyler. In their own words: “three Indigenous musicians coalescing at the intersection between traditional and contemporary music.”This song is not on Spotify. Listen to it here:
Monica Miller: Jenn Grant, “Galaxies”
Oh…just listen to that voice! First single from Paradise which will be out March 3rd.
Lark Clark: KutiMangoes, “Ouagadougou”
This is a terrific Danish Afrobeat band recording with guys from Burkina Faso — the capital is Ouagadougou. They base their sound on Fela Kuti and Charles Mingus (?!)
Hayley Muir: Hurray For The Riff Raff, “Rican Beach”
Talented and incredibly-interesting artist, single from upcoming album and it is a JAM.
David Ward: Foxygen, “Follow The Leader”
A big production with horns, strings, backup singers, sha-la-las, what more do we want?
Elliott Garnier: The New Pornographers, “High Ticket Attraction”
A toe-tap- inducing pop gem about tossing scientific knowledge and the Magna Carta into the drink. It’s a rock song for the surreal times in which we now live.
Dianne Donovan: Catherine Russell, “When Lights Are Low”
A fine jazz standard that is not over-used. The whole album, Harlem On My Mind, is great! I love the arrangements, her relaxed vocals and everybody’s swingin’.
Cam Hayden: Fiona Boyes, “Lay Down With Dogs”
Great track from her Blues Music Award-nominated CD, Professin’ the Blues. It shows off her sense of humour and great playing!
Kathryn Calder: Little Scream, “Wishing Well”
It’s a beautiful song!
Kodi Hutchinson: Kent Sangster’s Obsessions Octet, “A Matter Of Time”
A great fusion of different genres and feels from one of Canada’s great ensembles, lead by saxophonist, Kent Sangster!