5 March 2026 - Ribbon Skirt - PENSACOLA

This is the 2000th post on Wicked Guilty Pleasures. And it had to be an artist that was special..... a song we were saving for this month.   

One of my favorite albums of 2025 was Bite Down by Ribbon Skirt.  Seriously.  I ranked it #3 and even that seemed low.  It blew me away from first listen.

So, when they quickly released a follow-up EP in the summer of 2025 called PENSACOLA, I was very much expecting to be disappointed. 

Nope.  JUST as spectacular.  Just as incredible. 

This is the title song from that EP.  It is dark and brooding and a work of art.   The video is just as dark and brooding and leans into their indigenous roots. 

And yes.  They're from Montreal.  

They haven't really performed the EP's song very much, but they did at this show in October, when they were opening for Wombo.

They are both charming and spectacular. 

4 March 2026 - Cœur de Pirate - Château de sable

OK, I know I'm pushing it with the francophone content.  I promise I'll post an English-language song tomorrow.... from someone possibly not even from Quebec.

It would be a little funny if we posted an English-language song by someone from Quebec, wouldn't it?

Today, we're going to go ahead and just put that œ right on our clipboard, because we're talking about Cœur de Pirate and I just REFUSE to type it "oe".  Nope, it's "œ" or it's nœthing.  

Today's song, written by the artist, is the second single from her 2026 album Cavale, which is of course very good and pretty.   This song really highlights her piano skills on top of her unique vocal.  

I'd love to say she's going to win the Juno for Best Francophone Album this year (we're writing this before the nominations) but there's no way she beats Lou-Adriane Cassidy. (Yep. BEFORE the nominations are made, I'm making THAT bold prediction). Which our favorite heart of a pirate, who owns and leads Bravo Musique - the label that is the home to BOTH Cœur de Pirate AND Lou-Adriane Cassidy..... so she wins either way. 

Juno winner or not, this song is gorgeous, and I think I like the piano edit - without the synth accompaniment - even better. 

3 March 2026 - Bibi Club - Amaro

You would not think it based on my native language, but our March francophone content really traditionally does well.  

Now, I don't usually open March with three straight days of it, but....

Anyway, Bibi Club, the Polaris-shortlisted duo from Montreal consisting of Nicolas Basque (of Plants and Animals, if you are so inclined) and Adèle Trottier-Rivard, just released a new album last Friday.  This song, the first single and title song from the album, is cool and trippy and gives us Phantogram-meets-.... oh, I didn't think that analogy through very well.  But really, rock-electronic duo from the Snow Belt of North America.... where else did you expect us to go with that.  

Anyway, it's very good, and both written and produced by the duo.  It is still a side project for now, but it's quickly becoming a core part of the Montreal music scene.  

And you can't even tell it's in French, can you?

2 March 2026 - Lou-Adriane Cassidy ft. Ariane Roy - Ariane

Told ya.

This is a live performance of Lou-Adriane Cassidy's song "Ariane" WITH Ariane singing, too!

Ariane also appears on the record, but wasn't it far more impressive to see them live?

Lou-Adriane Cassidy will return. 

2 March 2026 - Ariane Roy - Berceuse

We're finally here.  

I've had drafts for Ariane Roy for years. I just needed an excuse to post her music.

So why not give her an individual day and take away from the Cassidy family funfest?

Well, Ariane Roy and Lou-Adriane Cassidy are very much friendly with each other - the latter literally had a song called "Ariane" on her album Journal d'un Loup-Garou. They did a live album together!  And, if anything is going to take the Francophone Album of the Year award at the JUNOS away from Lou-Adriane Cassidy, it's Ariane Roy's excellent Dogue. 

This song closes Dogue and is just great. Enjoy it. 

2 March 2026 - Lou-Adriane Cassidy - J'espère encore que quelque part l'attente s'arrête

I definitely did NOT expect last year that we'd be opening Maple Leaf March (which yes, I know.  We opened yesterday - but, actually, as you'll see in a minute, still applies) with an artist I had not heard of.

ESPECIALLY not a francophone.  

Here we are.  

Daughter of famed Quebec singer Paule-Andrée Cassidy (see what we did there?) and Serge Lacasse, who was a professor of music at L'Université Laval, both had a profound influence on her career.  No, she did not attend  L'Université Laval - she forged her own path.

This song is from her excellent 2nd album Lou-Adriane Cassidy vous dit: bonsoir and it holds up well against her 3rd and 4th, both released in 2025 (her third topped my Wicked 25 in 2025 and her fourth ALMOST made it on the list, too). It's a short and lively French pop song that would fit on English radio just fine. 

You can see how bouncy and lively the song is is she performs it - first, just like on the record.   Also, the song is a little punk, isn't it????

Lou-Adriane Cassidy will return. 

1 March 2026 - Paule-Andrée Cassidy - Ici

I usually open Maple Leaf March with someone you have heard of, because I've written about them in the past.    

Well, this year, I wanted to set a table - with an artist who most people outside of Quebec would never have heard of, despite her nearly 30-year career.  

And, make no mistake - Paule-Andrée Cassidy is a legend in Quebec independent music.  We've talked a lot here about the chanson francaise movement in Quebec, but she was one of the early adopters.  She still makes music, too - this is from her 2023 album Au bal des océans.  The song - co-written by Alexandre Martel (the producer), Gabriel Desjardins, Paule-Andrée and her daughter - is an absolute masterclass on a new classic album.