If you find yourself bopping along to the songs on Ivy Tripp one minute, then holding back tears the next, don’t be alarmed: that is exactly what’s happening inside this beautiful new record from Waxahatchee, otherwise known as Alabama-born Katie Crutchfield.

Crutchfield grew up in Birmingham’s underground punk scene, and sang in pop-punk band P.S. Eliot with her sister, Allison (now in Swearin'). P.S. Eliot disbanded in 2011, and since then Crutchfield has been making stark, confessional songs under the name Waxahatchee that harken to her punk days — blending distortion and drumming flairs that tie her past and present self together perfectly. She’s not leaving her feminist punk roots behind; she’s finding those roots a new voice.

Waxahatchee is named after a creek not far from Katie Crutchfield's childhood home in Alabama. (Illustration by Ahmed Khalil/CBC Music)

On Ivy Tripp, her third full-length as Waxahatchee and first release on major indie label Merge Records, Crutchfield stays true to her DIY background: the album was recorded and engineered by Wherever Audio's Kyle Gilbride in Crutchfield's Long Island home, with drums recorded in the gym of a local elementary school. On the track "Summer of Love," you can hear a dog barking in the background as the vocals and instruments fade out.

Album opener "Breathless" starts us off with the essentials: Crutchfield’s steady, strong vocals sound out over distorted keys, singing, "You look at me like I’m a rose/ Singing a song that you don’t know."

There’s a glimmer of hope in that down-note of an opener, and the music on Ivy Tripp actually hits uplifting levels, with loops and drums that keep you afloat. But Crutchfield’s lyrics hold steady in their heft, tethering you to earth, ripping your heart out just as you’re hitting that sweet melodic spot.

Case in heart-breaking point: the first single, "Air," with a guitar riff and drum line that’ll have you hitting repeat before you’ve realized three minutes have gone by. Thirty seconds in, the drumming intensifies, and by the time we’re halfway through, "Air" becomes a marching-band anthem for your emotions. But over that rhythmic beat come lines like "I left you out like a carton of milk/ you were quick to query me, but I wanted you still." The drumming becomes more immediate, and Crutchfield sings, "You were patiently giving me every answer, as I roamed free."

On Ivy Tripp, Crutchfield asks the questions that sit and fester in our hearts. Where are we going? With whom are we going? And how do we carry ourselves confidently through it all?

"I think a running theme [of Ivy Tripp] is steadying yourself on shaky ground and reminding yourself that you have control in situations that seem overwhelming, or just being cognizant in moments of deep confusion or sadness, and learning to really feel emotions and to grow from that," said Crutchfield in a press release.

In a year that brought us the thrilling Sleater-Kinney reunion album, No Cities to Love, Waxahatchee’s Ivy Tripp is a quieter but equally strong chapter in the riot for voice. Crutchfield is getting older, maybe wiser. But she is not giving in.

Ivy Tripp will be released April 7. Pre-order through iTunes.

Find me on Twitter: @hollygowritely

The Air Conditioned Nightmare is the new album by Doldrums, the Montreal-based experimental electronic band that made its debut with 2013’s Lesser Evil. Available April 7 via Sub Pop, you can stream it above for one week. Pre-order it here.

The phrase "Air Conditioned Nightmare" was taken from the title of a collection from late poet/author Henry Miller, published in 1945, which described his return to the U.S after 10 years as an expatriate in Paris, as well as the subsequent alienation he felt.

"America is no place for an artist: to be an artist is to be a moral leper, an economic misfit, a social liability," Miller wrote. "A corn-fed hog enjoys a better life than a creative writer, painter or musician."

An apt inspiration for an album that is full of conflict, using samplers to create a blend of discordant noises with industrial drums and occasionally uplifting vocals. Music fit for Montreal’s late-night warehouse parties, which is where frontman Airick Woodhead got his start along with the likes of Grimes and Majical Cloudz.

In a press release, Woodhead writes that "Conflict is at the heart of this album. There’s a lot of paranoid sentiment and dystopian imagery in there. The threat of a mundane reality ties it together, as does an obsession with plasticity. Songs come from specific feelings or images. Anxiety is my default state."

The Air Conditioned Nightmare tracklist

1. “Hotfoot”
2. “Blow Away”
3. “Funeral for Lightning”
4. “We Awake”
5. “Video Hostage”
6. “Loops”
7. “iDeath”
8. “My Friend Simjen”
9. “Industry City”
10. “Closer 2 U”

What do you think of The Air Conditioned Nightmare? What are your favourite tracks from the album? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @CBCRadio3. 

Follow Jesse Kinos-Goodin on Twitter: @JesseKG

The highest debut on our chart this week is "Secret Friend" from Toronto's GROUNDERS. Milk & Bone are steadily making their way up the chart and Viet Cong moves up one spot to be our #1 song this week.

Here are the top 30 songs on CBC Radio 3 in full:

30. PROGRAMM "Like The Sun" 
29. Dagan Harding "Naked Eye"
28. Humans "Tell Me" 
27. Weed "Thousand Pounds"
26. Seoul "The Line" 
25. Mardeen "Silver Fang" 
24. Coyote "Proof Of Life"
23. SAVVIE "It’s OK"
22. Limblifter "Dopamine"
21. Taylor Knox "Fire"
20. Operators "Ecstasy In My House" 
19. Galaxie "Portugal"
18. Braids "Miniskirt"
17. The Elwins "Is There Something"
16. Lids "Sarsfest"
15. Astral Swans "September"
14. Daniel Isaiah "Heaven Is On Fire" 
13. Calvin Love "Daydream"
12. The Acorn "Influence" 
11. Grounders "Secret Friend"
10. Milk & Bone "Coconut Water" 
9. Whitehorse "Sweet Disaster"
8. Nick Diamonds "The Sting"
7. Faith Healer "Again" 
6. Alvvays "Party Police"
5. Masia One "88 Vibes"  
4. Twin River "Laugh It Off" 
3. METZ "Acetate"
2. Kathryn Calder "Take A Little Time" 
1. Viet Cong "Silhouettes"

Are there any new Canadian indie songs out there that we should know about for our countdown? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @cbcradio3.

It's easy to find new music that sounds old. Bands like New Lost City Ramblers, Carolina Chocolate Drops and countless folk-revival bands have made careers meticulously emulating old music to the point where you expect to hear a record-sizzle sound on your MP3.

Pokey LaFarge does something very different: he makes old music new again. He may dress like it's 1933 and he's in charge of the New Deal, but when he sings his brand of hybrid ragtime/blues/Western/parlour songs, you begin to feel what this music was meant for: entertainment and joy. Listening to LaFarge never feels like doing your history homework; it never feels like eating your porridge. It feels like you're listening to a man playing old-style music, but you want to dance anyway.

On his new album, Something in the Water (April 7, pre-order it here), LaFarge and his band sing about common themes you find in a lot of pop, rock or hip-hop recordings: love, loss, despair, confusion — but in a more subversive way. While so many artists are desperate to make forward-sounding music, there's something actually quite subversive about staring into the microphone earnestly and singing lines like, "She's a pain in my brain, drives me insane, but I love her just the same" ("Something in the Water").

This album runs the gamut from the ragtime of "Wanna Be Your Man" to evocations of Latin/Mexican folk music ("Goodbye Barcelona"). Simply put, LaFarge represents the past, present and, in many ways, the future of American music.

Follow Tom Power on Twitter: @TomPowerCBC 

There's something wonderfully lived-in and compelling about the straightforward, stripped-down, sing-and-strum approach.

It helps when the person behind the guitar is someone like Josh Rouse, a songwriter who knows how to observe the in-between moments of our lives, the things that really matter but that often get taken for granted or glossed over in favour of the sexier, bigger, bolder highlights.

His newest album, The Embers of Time, which you can listen to one week before its release in the player above, might sound a bit heavy-handed and sobering, but the record is actually wonderfully nuanced and humble.

Packed tight with moments that are both ultra specific and universal, it's like a tidal pool on a clear day that reflects back your own image while also revealing all of the wonder below the surface. It's a neat trick perfected by great songwriters, and with this album, Rouse takes another surefooted step toward the likes of Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon.

Pre-order The Embers of Time.

Tracklist:



Every week, Rich Terfry looks back in our Rear-view Mirror at a great song from the good ol’ days. This week, the story behind Amy Winehouse's "Rehab."

In July of 2011, Amy Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning. Many around her thought she had a problem several years before and encouraged her to get help. Her refusal spawned her signature song.

When Winehouse's management team tried to persuade her to enter an alcohol rehabilitation program, she went to her father for a second opinion. She explained that her main problem was that she was lovesick, and that there was no rehab program for that. Her father agreed and she fired the management team. Shortly after this episode, she explained it to her friend and producer Mark Ronson, as they were out for a walk in New York City.

Winehouse said to Ronson, "They tried to make me go to rehab but I said, 'no, no, no.'" Ronson was concerned as a friend, but as a producer, he heard music. He turned to Winehouse and said they needed to get back to the studio right away.

In the lyrics of the song, Winehouse says she'd "rather be at home with Ray" and that "there's nothing you can teach me that I can't learn from Mr. Hathaway," referring to singers Ray Charles and Donny Hathaway, suggesting that all she needed to feel better was the music that she loved.

The song was an instant hit, was critically acclaimed and hugely successful. The song also earned Winehouse three Grammy Awards in 2008.

Three years later, she was gone.

A more tragic signature song there never was. "Rehab," by the late Amy Winehouse.

John Cougar Mellencamp, 'Pink Houses'

New York Dolls "Personality Crisis"

Modern Lovers "Roadrunner"

George Jones "He Stopped Loving Her Today"

Bruce Springsteen "Born in the USA"

The Beatles "With A Little Help From My Friends"

Rolling Stones 'Miss You'

The Coasters 'Run Red Run'

Elvis Costello, 'Alison'

James Brown, 'Hot (I Need to be loved loved loved)'

Inner Circle, 'Tenement Yard'

Ray Charles, 'I Don't Need No Doctor'

Curtis Mayfield, 'Freddy's Dead'

Gang Starr, 'Beyond Comprehension'

Bo Diddley, 'Bo Diddley'

Aretha Franklin, 'Rocksteady'

CCR, 'Have You Ever Seen the Rain'

Howlin' Wolf, 'Smokestack Lightning'

Bobby Womack, 'Across 110th Street'

Roy Orbison, 'In Dreams'

Foggy Hogtown Boys, 'Man of Constant Sorrow'

Pink Floyd, 'Wish You Were Here'

Neil Young, 'Cortez The Killer'

Bob Dylan, 'Subterranean Homesick Blues'

Little Eva, 'Loco-Motion'

Elvis Costello, 'Watching the Detectives'

Jimmy Cliff, 'The Harder They Come'

The Verve, 'Bittersweet Symphony'

Roberta Flack, 'Killing Me Softly with his Song'

R.E.M., 'Radio Free Europe'

Radiohead, 'No Surprises'

Led Zeppelin, 'Ramble On'

Glen Campbell, 'Wichita Lineman'

Rolling Stones, 'Beast of Burden'

Listen to Strange Trails by Lord Huron below, until April 7. You can pre-order the album here.

The album is the sophomore release from the Los Angeles-based indie folk outfit. We asked the band's founder and frontman, Ben Schneider, to give us a few words about Strange Tails: 

"There's no direct narrative connection between Strange Trails and the previous album Lonesome Dreams. The stories here are separated by time, location and characters. Many of the themes have carried over and evolved, but there's a touch of something more sinister and evil lurking here; an underlying darkness and unease.

"I envisioned it as an anthology of weird fiction. In addition to what you hear on the record, we'll be expanding the stories and characters in a number of ways including comic books, music videos, web sites, an interactive phone number and hopefully a short film. Tales of greasers, ghosts, crooners, cowboys, beauties and beasts wind, overlap and tangle."

Tracklisting: 

1. "Love Like Ghosts"
2. "Until the Night Turns"
3. "Dead Man’s Hand"
4. "Hurricane"
5. "La Belle Fleur Sauvage"
6. "Fool for Love"
7. "The World Ender"
8. "Meet Me in the Woods"
9. "The Yawning Grave"
10. "Frozen Pines"
11. "Cursed"
12. "Way Out There"
13. "Louisa"
14. "The Night We Met"

Follow Brad Frenette on Twitter:@bradfrenette

Polls are open in the first round of Searchlight voting. You can head to the Searchlight homepage, start up the player and browse, or search by name, region or genre. You can vote for 10 songs per region per day. That means artists can help support other artists without hurting your chances of advancing. In fact, working together will help artists advance (and it's a great way to meet other bands around the country).

Polls for this round close on Monday, April 13, at 2:59 p.m. ET. The acts that make it to the next round will be announced on the radio and online the following afternoon (Tuesday, April 14), so make sure you tune in to your afternoon CBC Radio One program (they'll be playing Searchlight music throughout the competition, so tune in and feel free to reach out to them on Twitter).

Voting is open to anybody, anywhere, and we hope fans from all over the world will discover the music entered in Searchlight.

Artists: Searchlight is what you make of it, so connect with your fans, and other bands, and come up with fun and creative ways to promote Canadian music. Producers are listening, and the music they find will work its way into CBC programming. We've collected some tips based on what worked in previous years, and some graphics to help you share your music. We hope you'll find that useful.

Good luck!

Have you ever noticed that Gonzo from the Muppets looks an awful lot like Shock G from Digital Undergound, who famously wears that Groucho glasses and nose disguise? Youtuber Mylo the Cat noticed, and he created this mashup featuring Gonzo rapping the 1989 Digital Underground hit, "The Humpty Dance."

Here's the original by Digital Underground, for reference.

The Prism Prize is an award handed out to the best Canadian music video of the year. Often referred to as the Polaris Prize for videos, the prize is voted on by a jury of over 90 broadcasters and music journalists and is now in its third year.

On Sunday night, the trophy and $5,000 prize was handed to Calgary’s Chad VanGaalen for his animation of Timber Timbre’s “Beat the Drum Slowly.”

Watch the winning video below:

Each day, Rich Terfry and Radio 2 Drive wraps up your day with music and stories about the interesting things going on in the world.

Rich's pick - "By This River" by You'll Never Get to Heaven: 

Junk In The Trunk: 

A visit from a friendly owl: 

14 ways technology has made our lives better: 

Dog tired: 

Rear View Mirror: 

Every week, Rich Terfry looks back in our Rear-view Mirror at a great song from the good ol’ days. This week, the story behind Amy Winehouse's "Rehab."

In July of 2011, Amy Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning. Many around her thought she had a problem several years before and encouraged her to get help. Her refusal spawned her signature song.

When Winehouse's management team tried to persuade her to enter an alcohol rehabilitation program, she went to her father for a second opinion. She explained that her main problem was that she was lovesick, and that there was no rehab program for that. Her father agreed and she fired the management team. Shortly after this episode, she explained it to her friend and producer Mark Ronson, as they were out for a walk in New York City.

Winehouse said to Ronson, "They tried to make me go to rehab but I said, 'no, no, no.'" Ronson was concerned as a friend, but as a producer, he heard music. He turned to Winehouse and said they needed to get back to the studio right away.

In the lyrics of the song, Winehouse says she'd "rather be at home with Ray" and that "there's nothing you can teach me that I can't learn from Mr. Hathaway," referring to singers Ray Charles and Donny Hathaway, suggesting that all she needed to feel better was the music that she loved.

The song was an instant hit, was critically acclaimed and hugely successful. The song also earned Winehouse three Grammy Awards in 2008.

Three years later, she was gone.

A more tragic signature song there never was. "Rehab," by the late Amy Winehouse.

John Cougar Mellencamp, 'Pink Houses'

New York Dolls "Personality Crisis"

Modern Lovers "Roadrunner"

George Jones "He Stopped Loving Her Today"

Bruce Springsteen "Born in the USA"

The Beatles "With A Little Help From My Friends"

Rolling Stones 'Miss You'

The Coasters 'Run Red Run'

Elvis Costello, 'Alison'

James Brown, 'Hot (I Need to be loved loved loved)'

Inner Circle, 'Tenement Yard'

Ray Charles, 'I Don't Need No Doctor'

Curtis Mayfield, 'Freddy's Dead'

Gang Starr, 'Beyond Comprehension'

Bo Diddley, 'Bo Diddley'

Aretha Franklin, 'Rocksteady'

CCR, 'Have You Ever Seen the Rain'

Howlin' Wolf, 'Smokestack Lightning'

Bobby Womack, 'Across 110th Street'

Roy Orbison, 'In Dreams'

Foggy Hogtown Boys, 'Man of Constant Sorrow'

Pink Floyd, 'Wish You Were Here'

Neil Young, 'Cortez The Killer'

Bob Dylan, 'Subterranean Homesick Blues'

Little Eva, 'Loco-Motion'

Elvis Costello, 'Watching the Detectives'

Jimmy Cliff, 'The Harder They Come'

The Verve, 'Bittersweet Symphony'

Roberta Flack, 'Killing Me Softly with his Song'

R.E.M., 'Radio Free Europe'

Radiohead, 'No Surprises'

Led Zeppelin, 'Ramble On'

Glen Campbell, 'Wichita Lineman'

It looks like Jay Z is hoping to make a big splash with Tidal, his new streaming service launching today. According to the countdown clock on Tidal's homepage, the site will launch at 5pm Eastern, and chances are it will include some exclusive tracks by some pretty big artists.

While the homepage boasts "the best High Fidelity sound quality," that isn't the real draw. Tidal will feature new releases from certain artists before competitors like Rdio and Spotify. The site's goal is apparently to sign "first-window" deals with artists, so tracks will appear exclusively on Tidal before other services can stream them.

A number of high-profile artists, including Madonna, Kanye West, Daft Punk, Beyonce and Arcade Fire have tweeted about the service with hashtag #TIDALforALL. Some have also changed their profiled picture to this blue square.

While the caché of being associated with Jay Z and Roc Nation may be reason enough for artists to sign on with Tidal, there are also financial reasons. Apparently the service is offering payouts of up to twice as much as its competitors. That may be why Taylor Swift signed onto Tidal after removing her music from Spotify.

Stay tuned for updates, and check out Tidal's promo video, featuring Chris Martin, Nicki Minaj, Madonna and more.

5 more hours...TIDAL.com @TIDALHiFi#TIDALforALLhttp://t.co/PJpMD488rM

— Rihanna (@rihanna) March 30, 2015

LISTEN

audio Listen to CBC Music's Pop 40 stream

 

There's so much music and yet so little time to listen to it, which means you barely have enough time to find it. Let us help you with this little roundup of some of the albums that you can stream online this week.

Artist: Portico
Album: Living Fields
Where: Consequence of Sound

"The vocals all feel like a natural fit for the alternatively glitchy and smooth compositions, sliding in like members of the outfit themselves. It’s a collection of structured ambiance, ethereal but knowingly corporeal."

Artist: Cityreal
Album: Prologue
Where: Exclaim.ca

"Cityreal has an album called Lost in Vancouver due out later this year, but in the meantime, the British Columbia rapper is releasing an EP called Prologue."

Artist: The Mountain Goats
Album: Beat the Champ
Where: NPR Music

"[A]n ambitious concept — a nostalgic but mostly realistic look at the workaday Southwest underworld of the pro wrestlers he idolized as a kid."

Artist: Josh Rouse
Album: The Embers of Time
Where: CBC Music

"[A] songwriter who knows how to observe the in-between moments of our lives, the things that really matter but that often get taken for granted or glossed over in favour of the sexier, bigger, bolder highlights."

Artist: Drenge
Album: Undertow
Where: The Guardian

"While the spirit of uninhibited punk rock is still very much in tact (We Can Do What We Want, Running Wild), their songwriting has edged away from youthful brattiness and into the stern malevolence of your early 20s."

Artist: Jesse Malin
Album: New York Before the War
Where: Paste Magazine

"'I made this record in the sticks of Virginia and on the cobble stones of New York,' says Malin. 'This record was written through a time of personal battles and struggles—sometimes at home, sometimes traveling the road—finding ways to celebrate the moment and find something real in what some might call dead end and disposable times.'"

Each week, staff from CBC Music, Radio 2, 3, Sonica, CBC Hamilton and Whitehorse collect songs they just can't get out of their heads, and make a case for why you should listen, too. Press play below and discover new songs for your listening list.

Let us know in the comments what catches your ear, or if you have new song suggestions.

IsKwé, 'Nobody Knows' (Searchlight contestant)

Iskwé tackles the tragic and horrifying reality of more than 1,200 missing and murdered Aboriginal women with this track produced by The Darcys. Yes, it's a propulsive dance jam, but it's also searing, emotional and deeply political. The Cree/Dene/Irish artist's vocals are a stark contrast to the backing beat, and there's a breathless tension as she enters near-primal falsetto territory over the plaintive chorus, "Nobody knows, nobody knows." It's devastating because it's true.
— Andrea Warner

Vote for your favourites in Searchlight now!

Nick Ferrio, 'Hell or High Water'

From Ferrio's upcoming album, Amongst the Coyotes and Birdsongs (May 28), "Come Hell or High Water" is a lovely throwback of an old-country tune. He dips just far enough into the twangy vintage pool to sound true to the genre, while also giving a fresh folk voice to his work. If you’re looking to slow-dance with your sweetheart at the county fair, Ferrio's got your number.— Holly Gordon

Tona and Rich Kidd, 'Show Me Some Love'

On his new track, "Show Me Some Love," Torontonian MC Tona and Rich Kidd — two-thirds of Juno Award-winning group Naturally Born Strangers — team up to talk about their love-hate relationship with the rap game. On one hand, hip-hop is their art form and the reason they get up in the morning; on the other hand, they’re justifiably pissed off at a genre that increasingly values style over substance and a music industry that, in Canada, still doesn’t give hip-hop the respect it deserves. And they do it all with deft skill, as you’ve come to expect from NBS. Real talk doesn’t get much realer than this. — Chris Dart

Yukon Blonde, 'Saturday Night'

The '80s are back, and they sound pretty awesome. West Coast indie rockers Yukon Blonde are finally back at it after some time off, and although we’ve connected the band to earlier sounds from the '60s/'70s, their new single, "Saturday Night," sounds like it's moved into the next decade — which could be an extension from lead singer Jeffrey Innes's solo work from earlier this year with High Ends. With a new album expected this summer, it also appears the band has grown in size, having added Rebecca Gray, formerly of Chains of Love, to the roster. — Matt Fisher

Kate Tempest, 'Lonely Daze'

Kate Tempest is a British poet, playwright and rapper who delivers thoughtful, engaging and cool songs reminiscent of fellow U.K. artists the Streets and Lady Sovereign. She has captured the attention of New York Times literary critic Michiko Kakutani. She was a standout performer at SXSW this month. Her debut record, Everybody Down, is a concept record of sorts, set in London and following fully realized characters and situations involving sex work, drug deals gone wrong, money, boredom and city life. Headphone listening highly recommended. — Jeanette Cabral

Editor’s note: this track is a little older than we'd normally suggest, but Tempest has been doing so well at SXSW that we couldn’t resist.

Earl Sweatshirt and Action Bronson, 'Warlord Leather'

It's been a great month for rap fans, with a large part of that having to do with both Action Bronson and Earl Sweatshirt dropping new albums (on the same day even!). The two teamed up with producer and longtime collaborator the Alchemist for "Warlord Leather," which is just fun to say. According to the description on Soundcloud, it also contains backing vocals from Lou Diamond Phillips (not sure we believe that, though). There's no real deep meaning to this song, which is more of a showcase for the rappers to spit some punchline-heavy, NSFW bars over a dark, cowbell-heavy beat. Sometimes that's all you really want.
— Jesse Kinos-Goodin

Editor’s note: strong language warning, NSFW.

Glory Glory, 'Indigo Son' (Searchlight contestant)

Every city has a best-kept secret band and Halifax is no different with this Searchlight entry. Take the dreamy vocals of your favourite New Wave band, the sophisticated guitar riffs that make your Indie jam band amazing, and the rhythm section that gets you on the dance floor in your town's Marquee club, and you have Glory Glory. This song will have you two tapping, head nodding, and maybe even arm waving - all at the same time. — Kerry Martin, Searchlight associate producer

Vote for your favourites in Searchlight now!

Buffy Sainte-Marie, 'Power In the Blood'

The 74-year-old folk singer brings the chills with this inspirational foot stomper, a rousing, scorched-earth anthem that reaffirms Sainte-Marie's rebellious voice and sets the tone for her forthcoming record, Power in the Blood. — AW



H a u x, 'Homegrown'

H a u x, a New York City-via-Boston band, consists of Woodson Black and Emily Brouwer, with Mike Wagz providing percussion behind their vocals. "Homegrown" is an ethereal track, layered with hauntingly beautiful harmonies, sentimental lyrics and folk-driven instrumentation. It is a simple, minimal track, steady and sparse, but still so full of emotion and overwhelmingly reactive. — Joan Chung

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, 'The Travelling Kind'

They’ve been friends for years and their last collaboration, Old Yellow Moon, won them a Grammy Award. So it’s no surprise that Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell have teamed up for another album together, called The Travelling Kind. Fellow musician Joe Henry produced the new disc, and it’s out May 12. — Julian Tuck

Beth Moore, 'OK OK'

Moore is an indie singer-songwriter with delightful energy, heartfelt lyrics and a distinctive spark. Her sophomore record, Five Out of Ten, comes out on March 31, which is where you can find this song. If you love it, you can also vote for it on the Radio 2 Top 20. — JC

Jeff Morris, 'Blue Sky Falls' (Searchlight contestant)

Edmonton's Jeff Morris is going to impress a lot of people with his Searchlight entry, "Blue Sky Falls." Every bit of this is well crafted. He's got a new album due in the summer, and I'm looking forward to checking that out. — Mike Miner

Vote for your favourites in Searchlight now!

Donovan Woods, 'Portland Maine'

Country superstar Tim McGraw included a version of Donovan Woods' song "Portland Maine" on his latest record, but the Canadian songwriter's own version deserves a listen. The track was just released earlier this month. — Dave White, CBC Whitehorse



Jamie xx, 'Loud Places'

If you're thinking that Jamie xx's new track sounds a lot like the xx, that's because it features Romy from the xx. The main thing is that "Loud Places" somehow makes its way through your ears, up to your brain and then courses its way through your veins and gives you tingles all over. Jamie xx is one of the most talented musicians of his generation, whose influence can be seen all over today's musical landscape, and it shows on the new collection of songs he's made available on his website. — Nicolle Weeks

Little India, 'Oola' (Searchlight contestant)

Finally there's a way to put pop-rock in your ears without the sad, sugary, sticky mess. Little India's sound takes you on a fun, three-and-a-half-minute ride on the beaches of California, out for a refreshing swim, then for ice cream, all without ever leaving drummer Dallyn Hunt's basement in Vancouver.— KM

Vote for your favourites in Searchlight now!

Sales, 'Getting It On'

Orlando duo Sales released their independent EP in 2014. The track "Getting It On" was released in January, but it's picking up some buzz now. In the tradition of a cheerier xx, Sales' lo-fi guitar-pop dreamily floats into your ears and pulls you into listening effortlessly. — NW

San Fermin, 'Emily' (the Colourist remix)

The quiet dude busting a move, seemingly in his own world, in the middle of the floor at the club? This is his song. Dance like no one's watching, friend; go on with your non-conformist self. — AW

I Am the Mountain, 'Bear Hug' (Searchlight contestant)

Determined to save the folk genre from "pseudo-luddites who sought to dress like characters from The Grapes of Wrath," these harmony superheroes deliver a stripped-down folk song that reminds you how simple a great song really can be. Living just outside of Calgary in Chestermere, this Searchlight entry grabs your attention from the first acoustic strum to the final vocal harmony. — KM

Vote for your favourites in Searchlight now!

There is probably nobody more enamoured of silent-era films than composer and producer William Perry. For 12 years, he was music director of the film department of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, where he fell in love with the legendary stars of silent films simply by looking up at the screen while he accompanied them on the piano.

Perry's latest recording project is a second volume of his popular Music for Great Films of the Silent Era, streaming above until April 6. Ireland's RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Paul Phillips, and soloists include two Canadians: flutist Timothy Hutchins and mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta. This promotional video takes you behind the scenes:

"Wallis is a rare talent, remarkably bright, and takes direction extremely well," said Perry via telephone from his office in Pittsfield, Mass. He had been following Giunta's career as she rose rapidly and successfully in the ranks of young singers at the Metropolitan Opera, and suggested to her that she would be the right soloist for Silent Film Heroines, his song cycle for mezzo-soprano and orchestra that opens the new album.

Each of the cycle's eight movements is dedicated to a legendary silent-era heroine. Perry adapted the music he had composed to accompany their films, adding lyrics and a vocal line to complete the suite.

"He can write a beautiful ballad, or 11 o'clock number that immediately takes you back to another time," mezzo-soprano Giunta told us via email. "But his music truly comes from his soul, and tells his own story, too."

"His depth of musical knowledge simply blows me away," she added. "He has some pretty amazing stories about his life as a composer, and our rehearsals were peppered with anecdotes of his adventures and the illustrious characters he has met over the years. This man has had an astounding range of experiences in life, and he brings that richness to his composing."

In this video from the recording sessions in June 2014, Giunta sings Perry's "Peter Pan," invoking the silent film role that put New Jersey native Betty Bronson's name in lights back in 1924.

Also featured on Music for Great Films of the Silent Era, Vol. 2 is Perry's Summer Nocturne for Flute and Orchestra. While not directly associated with silent film, its principal theme comes from music Perry composed in 1972 for Three Wise Fools (1923), a film directed by King Vidor.

Montreal flutist Hutchins gave the concert premiere of Summer Nocturne in the early 1990s, and championed the work with subsequent performances with l'Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and Charles Dutoit.

Perry describes Hutchins as "a joy to work with," adding, "there isn't another North American flutist with his beauty of tone."

Ophi-what?

Speaking of tone, the sound of the ophicleide is not something you hear every day, and that's part of the appeal of Perry's four-movement concerto for ophicleide and orchestra, Brass from the Past.

A brass instrument with the keys of a saxophone, the ophicleide was favoured by Wagner and Berlioz, but was eventually pushed aside when the much louder tuba was invented. The ophicleide's decline coincided with the rise of the earliest silent films.

Perry, fascinated by the history of musical instruments, was browsing one day and discovered an album by ophicleidist Nick Byrne. He bought the CD, loved it and contacted Byrne to suggest a collaboration.

"I wanted to create a concerto for ophicleide and orchestra before everyone went rushing to compose one," says Perry, laughing.

Hearts of the World

The final work on the album, Hearts of the World, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the First World War and is based on Perry's score for the 1918 D.W. Griffith film of the same name. Here, Giunta is joined by baritone John Brancy, who sings and narrates.

Perry has composed for Broadway, and his writing includes elements of jazz, dance and Americana, and all of this comes to the fore in Hearts of the World, with 12 minutes of effusive passages for strings, colourful instrumental effects and nostalgia-tinged lyrics.

Download or pre-order William Perry: Music for Great Films of the Silent Era, Vol. 2 here.

Tracklist

Silent Film Heroines: A Song-suite for Mezzo-soprano and Orchestra

1. "Lillian Gish: Orphans of the Storm (1921)"
2. "Mary Pickford: Pollyanna (1920)"
3. "Greta Garbo: A Woman of Affairs (1928)"
4. "Gloria Swanson: Fine Manners (1926)"
5. "Vilma Bânky: The Night of Love (1927)"
6. "Betty Bronson: Peter Pan (1924)"
7. "Pearl White: The Perils of Pauline (1914)"
8. "Janet Gaynor: Seventh Heaven (1927)"

9. Summer Nocturne for Flute and Orchestra

Brass from the Past: Concerto for Ophicleide and Orchestra

10. "Blue Ophicleide"
11. "Military Ophicleide"
12. "Pastoral Ophicleide"
13. "Latin Ophicleide"

14. Hearts of the World

Follow Robert Rowat on Twitter: @rkhr

There are many signs that you have “made it” as a band, and in my own mind, having your own nachos at Toronto's Sneaky Dee’s is one of them. Look, I know it’s not the same as getting on the bill at Glastonbury, but let’s be honest, it’s pretty great. The long-time nacho institution and indie rock venue has added many band related foods to their menu over the years: from the F**ked Up Breakfast, to Lights “Cactus in the Valley” nachos, to “the Cancer Bats “Destroyer” nachos (which really are fries, by the way,) it was about time that Sneaky Dee’s expanded their menu with a new take on nachos.

This time around sexy dance punk duo Death From Above 1979 get their time to shine! From the press release:

“The Death From Above 1979 Nachos feature Sneaky Dee’s famous tortilla chips covered in cheese, layered with pulled pork, sliced habaneros, jalapeños, black beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, green onions, an entire sliced avocado, and topped with a full habanero pepper. The nachos are now available for a limited time price of $19.79. Nacho enthusiasts can now enjoy the first pulled pork nacho dish to grace the Sneaky Dee’s menu.”

As a nacho connoisseur and DFA super fan I have taken it upon myself to eat three plates of the (vegetarian version) of these. Meat eaters, I feel like the spicy pulled pork are what makes these nachos a dream, so please, report back. If you like spice and avocado, you will be very happy.

This has me thinking, what other bands should be immortalized in Sneaky Dee’s nacho hall of fame?
What ingredients would their nacho dish contain? 

Let us know in the comments below or tweet @cbcradio3.

Also, if you do come to Toronto, my personalized order at Sneaky Dee's is King’s Crown, minus the meat, add shredded lettuce. It’s not on the menu yet, but trust me on this one. I have eaten my own body weight of these nachos every year since 1999.

The CBCMusic.ca Festival is fast approaching. On Saturday, May 23rd at Echo Beach in Toronto (909 Lake Shore Blvd. West) you can take in sets from an all-Canadian lineup.

Patrick Watson, Bahamas, Coeur de pirate, Jenn Grant, Joel Plaskett Emergency, Tanika Charles, Lindi Ortega, the Strumbellas, Fred Penner, Choir! Choir! Choir! and the winner of our next Searchlight contest will take the stage.

General admission tickets are $39.50 (plus service charges), and free for kids 12 and under. Do you have your tickets yet?

Each day, Rich Terfry and Radio 2 Drive wraps up your day with music and stories about the interesting things going on in the world.

Rich's pick - Techno jam made with pizza delivery man: 

Junk In The Trunk: 

Life hacks for cats

Fritz can't catch

Jerk of the week



Some of the most intense and moving sacred music in the Western classical canon has been written for Holy Week — the days between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. It's hardly surprising, considering the dramatic nature of the story of the Passion of Jesus Christ.

What music do you return to? Is it Tallis's Lamentations of Jeremiah? One of the Passions by Bach or Heinrich Schütz? Or maybe Allegri's Miserere? Let us know in the comments below. And watch for the return of CBC Music's 24/7 Classical Easter stream, which runs from 12 p.m. ET on Maundy Thursday, April 2, to 12 p.m. ET on Monday, April 6.

Our vote goes for the aria "Erbarme dich, mein Gott" from Bach's St. Matthew Passion, especially this rendition by contralto Maureen Forrester, violinist Dragotin Hrdjok and I Solisti di Zagreb, recorded in 1964. Of course, there are many wonderful versions of this aria performed with greater historical accuracy, but Forrester's stately tempo, opulent voice and incredibly long lines are staggering:

If your cat needs surgery in the near future, you may want to see if the veterinarian has read the latest research about the use of music to help felines cope with general anaesthetic.

The Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery published a study on March 30 called "Influence of music and its genres on respiratory rate and pupil diameter variations in cats under general anaesthesia: contribution to promoting patient safety."

The study concludes that the use of music during surgery promotes automatic nervous system activity and "may contribute to allowing a reduced anaesthetic dose, minimizing undesirable side effects and thus promoting patient safety."

The researchers also tested the effectiveness of different genres of music. Twelve cats undergoing surgery were fitted with headphones and exposed to two minutes each of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn" and AC/DC's "Thunderstruck." The classical music produced the lowest heart rates and the smallest pupils, indicating the most beneficial effects.

Nora the piano cat could not be reached for comment.