The magic of Canada’s “French as a second language” education is that most of us were never able to get that good with only a few hours of immersion per week (who knew??). Let me paint a picture for you — I turn on “La barricade“, the new single from Les Shirley & Ariane Moffatt. I get excited when I recognize commonplace words like “table” and “world”. Then I read the lyrics and feel the room shrink around me as my heart shatters into thousands of sad little unilingual pieces. This song is harrowing, made even more painful by the added grace & elegance of being sung in one of the romance languages.
These ladies are absolutely killing it with their catalogue of both French & English tracks, and it turns out they had a lineup on deck of other women who are ripping it as well. Listen to their guest playlist (and their single “La barricade”) below and read the band’s thoughts on each track!
Remi Wolf – “Quiet On Set”
Remi is an up and coming sensation out of LA. This song is a banger, it’s got some really cool 8-bit sounds and a groovy beat topped with badass lyrics and vocals. The whole album is a sensation and it’ll definitely be the soundtrack of your summer!
Meg Myers – “Running Up That Hill”
Rapha recently discovered this cover of Kate Bush’s famous hit song. The voice is captivating and it’s got some cool roomie drums that bring back the 80’s.
Christine and the Queens – “People, I’ve been sad”
Chris is always very solid with the vocal melodies. This song comes from her latest EP and we’ve been obsessed with the chorus and the bass line. ‘You know the feeling, you know the feeliinnnnng!!’ Bonus: there’s some verses in French too, exotic.
The Japanese House – “Something Has To Change”
Ever since Rapha discovered Amber Bain AKA The Japanese House back in 2017, it was love at first listen. She’s produced by The 1975 (you can tell by the soundscape) and her melodies are infectious. It’s the perfect break up soundtrack, sad but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Ideal for late night bike rides in the empty and post-rain wet city streets.
HAIM – “I Know Alone”
HAIM are just three sisters out of San Fernando Valley that absolutely RULE. They are effortlessly cool and their third album Women in Music Part III is simply a masterpiece. This song is particularly edgy with its drum machine beat.
Ariane Roy – “Tu voulais parler”
Ariane is coming out of Quebec City and is quickly imposing herself as a solid lyricist and an amazing musician. This song is one of the best out of her first album that just came out in early 2022. Great album from first to last track, bold production. Give it a listen, an amazing Quebecois artist.
Noga Erez – “End of the Road”
Absolute killer track, amazing flow! In love with this Israeli singer-rapper.
Orla Gartland – “More Like You”
This is an earworm, beware! We discovered through a live performance of that track on YouTube (so good btw) and it’s been on repeat ever since. Love the lyrics of this song that reflects the struggles of the youth nowadays having to grow up with the internet and constantly comparing themselves with unrealistic standards.
Calamine – “Hochelagurl”
Calamine is a queer and feminist rapper coming out of Montreal (and a good friend of ours). The texts are charged with love for her city and are aimed to break the rap industry majority lead by male artists. It’s in French but everyone should hear about her, it’s part of a revolution.
Les Deuxluxes – “Lighter Fluid”
Anna Frances Mayer is a queen of Rock. The two piece band from Montreal just kills it on stage, slaying and powering through a rock set like it was effortless. You’ll fall in love with their energy, their sick riffs and for her amazing vocals.
Leave a Comment