Editor's note:
Welcome to our first playlist takeover! Following our dive into several international music markets (Lebanon, Finland, India, etc.) and some of their specificities thanks to our Logbook guest writers, this is the first of a new format we will be developing in parallel to guest articles over the coming months. We hope our playlist takeovers will allow you to discover new musical gems from across the world, along with the indie label gems behind those signings. Four our first take on the format, we have a good vibes selection from Toronto-based Mar Sellars, focusing on anglophone Canadians band! So strap on your dancing shoes and let's go! Make sure you save the playlist to your library on Spotify to be able to go back to it easily, and let us know in the comments what you think and where we should head to next!
About the curator:
Mar is an artist manager and radio host with her own company Mar On Music.
She manages Partner, Goodbye Honolulu, Tallies and Poolblood.
Originally from Vancouver, Mar lived in London UK for 8 years where she played in various bands and worked for BBC radio. She has toured in numerous Canadian and UK bands, been a CBC radio personality, worked as a European booking agent, music publicist and now runs her own MGMT company in Toronto.
She loves radio and hosts a weekly new music show on CHUO 89.1FM & CHMA 106.9FM in Canada. Mar champions indie artists above all else.
"Welcome to Canada, a large spread out country with hidden treasure pockets dotted along our 7000+ km stretch of land, these hidden gems also include the music and artists of our large diverse country. You’ve got to travel the whole country to find all the musical gems of Canada. I’ve worked in radio programming for years in Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa. I currently program a weekly new music radio show. These are some of my favourite new CanCon, as we call it (Canadian Content), tracks released in the last year. You’ll hear everything from glam rock to electro to indie pop to straight up rock n roll. Enjoy!". Mar.
Who's featuring?
ART d'ECCO - I Am The Dance Floor
A mysterious character who is part David Bowie, part David Byrne, and who calls British Columbia’s Gulf Islands his home. Art d’Ecco is about to release his second album In Standard Definition via Paper Bag Records (April 23). This song makes me miss dancing and clubs.
Stacey – DMT
Stacey is originally from Toronto but has been living between Los Angeles and Toronto for the past few years. She’s a pop artist, a retro fashion icon and probably most importantly of all Stacey started a private Facebook group for women and gender non-confirming musicians and music industry people in Toronto which has become one of the greatest resources in the Canadian music industry (in my own humble opinion). “DMT'' is taken from her forthcoming debut album Saturn Return which should be out sometime in 2021.
Les Deuxluxes – Everything Of Beauty
This Montreal duo of Anna Frances Meyer and Étienne Barry packs a mean rock n roll punch. Though they’re a two piece, their sound is so full, you’d think they were a four piece. The first time I ever saw them play was at a pool party in a small mining town in Northern Quebec. “Everything Of Beauty” was the first single off their 2020 album Lighter Fluid out on Bonsound and it was one of my favourite songs of 2020.
Partner – Honey
I like to describe Partner as if Beavis and Butthead were lesbian guitar pros who listened to way too much AC/DC. I am biased though as I manage this band. Partner are lesbians and they are guitar pros, they released their second album Never Give Up at the end of 2020 on You’ve Changed Records. “Honey” is the story of how lead guitar player Josée Caron got her golden axe (a Les Paul). Partner have called 6 different Canadian provinces home over their lifetime, a truly Canadian band with roots in tiny East Coast towns.
TEKE::TEKE - Yoru Ni
A Montreal 7-piece band playing traditional Japanese instruments with raging guitars, TEKE:: TEKE take inspiration from Japanese surf rock to Brazilian psychedelia to Bulgarian folk. Their debut album Shirushi is coming out May 7th via legendary Olympia WA indie rock label Kill Rock Stars.
Jane Inc – Gem
Jane Inc is a new solo project from Toronto’s Carlyn Bezic, best known for her work in U.S Girls and Ice Cream. Carlyn has been a guitar shredder on the Toronto scene for years playing in numerous local bands. “Gem” is the first single from her debut album Number One, out on Toronto label Telephone Explosion Records.
Ruby Waters – Difficult
Ruby is a Metis singer/songwriter from Shelburne, Ontario (population 8,126), now based out of Toronto. Her parents were both touring musicians and had a strong influence on their daughter’s musical ambition, “Difficult” is from her second EP If It Comes Down To It.
Madisyn Whajne - Dagger
Toronto artist Madisyn is a survivor of the Sixties Scoop, taken at 2 years old by the Canadian government to live with a white family. “Dagger” is from her debut album, Save Our Hearts, (December 11) produced by Montreal super-producer Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade).
Mise En Scene - Dance My Life Away
Formed by art school dropouts Stef and Jodi, Mise En Scene relocated to Winnipeg MB and have been making tunes since 2012 and released this excellent album Winnipeg, California in 2020 on Light Organ Records.
Poolblood – Here’s Where the Story Ends
Poolblood is Maryam Said from Toronto. Her debut EP Yummy came out at the end of 2019 on Shamir’s new label imprint Accidental Popster. Poolblood is currently working on her debut album for a 2022 release. This is a super fun cover of the Sundays.
Goodbye Honolulu – Cut Off
From Toronto, Goodbye Honolulu have been playing in each other’s bands since they were in high school. Now in their mid-20s, they’ve released 3 EPs and are about to release their debut album. They call Selena Gomez, Kate Nash, Hinds and many other amazing artists fans and friends. “Cut Off” is from their upcoming debut due out later in 2021.
Kandle - Honey Trap
Vancouver songstress, full name Kandle Osbourne, comes from a musical pedigree (her dad is in 80s/90s Can-rock band 54-40). Kandle has cut out a place of her own in the Canadian music market, with a throwback sound and really strong vocals reminiscent of Amy Winehouse. “Honey Trap” is the second single from her forthcoming album, Set The Fire.
HILOTRONS – Echo Of My Last Joke
Hilotrons is a project from experimental pop composer Michael Dubue. Their latest album Lonely Cinema (released on December 30 2020) was inspired by 1960's Italian film soundtracks and a penchant for psychedelic pop, all songs feature Caylie Runciman (from the Ottawa band Boyhood) on lead vocals.
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson – OK Indicts
Leanne is a modern-day renaissance woman, an academic writer and musician. Leanne is Mississauga Nishnaabeg, she is the renowned author of Noopiming: The Cure for White Ladies (named a best book of the year by the Globe and Mail, Canada’s national paper) and many other books. “Ok Indicts” is from her most recent album Theory of Ice out now on Toronto’s You've Changed Records. The album received overwhelmingly good reviews gaining a 10/10 in Exclaim and 8/10 in Pitchfork.
Luna Li – Need a Lil Love
Luna Li is the alter-ego of Hannah Bussiere, a multi-instrumentalist (she even plays harp!) from Toronto. Originally known as Veins, Luna Li is known for her Instagram “jam videos” which she started in COVID-19 lockdown sharing musical layered video clips of her playing multiple instruments in her bedroom. This tune can be found on the 2017 Opal Angel EP.
Marie Davidson & L'œil nu – Renegade Breakdown
A trio of old friends and long-time musical collaborators, this is the title track of
Renegade Breakdown out on Ninja Tune. Marie Davidson is critically acclaimed in Canada having been Polaris Prize nominated for her previous work.
April 2021. Playlist curated by Mar Sellars in Toronto, Canada for Compass Music.