T’was the night before Christmas and all through the house, each stereo system blasted awesome new sounds. That’s right, folks, this week’s Soundcheck is full of tunes for you to enjoy while you sit back and relax over this holiday season.
Saskatoon band Close Talker wowed critics last year with their album, Timbers, and today the group officially releases a cassette(!) EP called Slow Weather (but you can still hear it on SoundCloud if you aren’t in Saskatoon). The EP features two stripped-down versions of “Creatures” and “She’s On Fire”—both appearing on their debut album—and two brand new tunes for fans to check out.
Toronto/Halifax duo Baby Cages released a new video for their song “Dark Arts.” The duo, known for blending gloomy musical riffs with haunting vocals, created a video that looks more like a series of staged paintings with help from director Heather Rappard.
And lastly, to help get you feeling the holiday spirit, Canadian musical darlings Arcade Fire made an appearance on Zach Galifianakis’s Funny or Die show Between Two Ferns. You can watch the whole episode below or fast-forward to 3:27 to check out the band’s version of “Little Drummer Boy.”
Photo: Mixtape/Jane Caulfield