 | Friday, March 14, 2025 | |  | Friday, March 14, 2025 | | Happy March 8 to all who celebrate.
For more than 100 years, this day has marked International Women’s Day, and while it’s important to celebrate the wins of political and social gains that we have made over those decades, it’s a particularly hard year to do that with the many daily offences that women and gender-diverse people are still required to bear.
Sometimes, you just need to rage out. So a little further along in this newsletter, you’ll find the perfect playlist for the times we live in — and you oughta know that we had the most cathartic time putting it together. | | | | | | | | | |  | | | Two months after Buffy Sainte-Marie was stripped of her Order of Canada, the Juno Awards and Polaris Music Prize have also rescinded the singer-songwriter's awards.
The two organizations cited the fact that Sainte-Marie is not Canadian as their reasoning, which comes days after the artist released a statement saying she "made it completely clear" that she is an American citizen and holds a U.S. passport when she was awarded the Order of Canada in 1977. | | | | | | | | | |  | | | The 2025 Juno Awards are on March 30, and to celebrate we've launched the Juno Sessions: a series in which emerging musicians cover songs by artists who have previously won the coveted Juno Award for songwriter of the year.
To kick things off, Toronto's Good Kid brought its indie-rock edge to Nelly Furtado's 2000 breakout hit, I'm Like a Bird. "It didn't feel like it had aged at all," the band told CBC Music. Let us know if you agree! | | | | | | | | | |  | | | A rage anthem means something different to everyone, which is why we asked all of CBC Music’s team members for songs that channel women’s rage — and they delivered. Whether you habitually reach for Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill when you need to scream, or Kimmortal’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-certified Sad Femme Club is your jam, this list will give you what you need. | | | | | | | | | |  | | | We could all use a break right about now, and live music is the perfect prescription for whatever’s troubling you.
Whether you're looking to pump up your day or discover new music, CBC Music's new, 24-hour live stream delivers a constantly evolving soundtrack that reflects Canada's vibrant music scene. Tune in to this 24/7 playlist featuring a diverse range of genres, from indie and pop to R&B and rap, and from well-known Canadian artists to emerging talents. | | | | | | | | | |  | | | Crabbuckit. Sucks to Be You. California (by Wave, not Joni Mitchell). That’s just a sampling of songs that were only famous in Canada — a particular type of Canadian phenomenon thanks to Cancon regulations from the 1970s. A little bit of love goes a long way here (right?). And we promise, this isn’t the story of how the Tragically Hip was never able to make it big in the States — you’ll be surprised to find out which songs were huge without making much of a sound elsewhere. | | | | | | | | | |  | | | Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley, Dave "Brownsound" Baksh and Jason "Cone" McCaslin visited our studio and squared off with AI to answer a handful of completely opinion-based questions — and then compared them to AI’s output. While (dis)affectionately calling it Al (with an “L”), the band found out just how tough it can be to predict what their new pal would say. | | | | | | | | | |  | | | Less than 24 hours after announcing its 2025 nominees, the East Coast Music Association faced backlash for what some artists labelled a lack of transparency and communication.
In January 2025, the association fired its new CEO, Blanche Israël, replacing her with its former CEO, Andy McLean. Now, Mo Kenney, Stephen Hero and Wolf Castle are among the nominees who are withdrawing their names in protest of what happened, asking for more clarity around recent events.
“There's one thing that the ECMA owes its members, and it's the full story," said nominated reggae artist Jah’Mila, who still plans on attending the East Coast Music Awards in St. John’s in May but said she will be using her platform to demand answers. | | | | | | | | | |  | | | In honour of International Women’s Day, Frequencies pumps some powerful voices from Ukraine to India and more through your speakers. You’ll meet one of Peru's most beloved musicians, as well as a Japanese singer whose ethereal sound is inspired by music from Disney and Studio Ghibli films. | | | | | | | | | |  | | | Mae Martin, a.k.a. one-third of the Handsome pod, released their debut album last week — a collection of "earnest music," as they've described. A few words from our weekly column of songs you need to hear:
What [the debut album] lacks in punchlines is more than made up for by heartfelt songwriting and an innate ability to capture a comforting sense of millennial nostalgia. One of the best examples is the warm reverie of lead single Good Dream, an acoustic number that nods to a moment when Martin was "living in a state of fear," but has now found a way forward that is light and optimistic. | | | | | | | | | |  | | | It may be a musical first. Bells Larsen hits the Top 20 chart this week with a piece of high-concept art: harmonizing with his own voice before and after transitioning. Bells recorded his upcoming album, Blurring Time, in his former “high” voice, before he began testosterone. Once his voice dropped, Larsen asked longtime friend and collaborator Georgia Harmer to write vocal arrangements to harmonize with his new “low" voice — to stunning effect. The first single is a self-duet called 514-415 and enters the chart with the most online votes.
Vote now for your favourite songs to move up the chart. | | | | | | | Thanks so much for joining us for this issue of Listen Up! If you loved it, feel free to let us know at listenup@cbc.ca — and use the same email if you have questions or suggestions. Please share it with your friends, family and even enemies via cbc.ca/listenup. | | | |
