12 March 2026 - Lights - COME GET YOUR GIRL

Honestly, I knew there was gonna be a Lights song come March.  Probably today, but because things happened, I had to rearrange.  

Because I WAS going to intentionally skip posting one day in February to make something happen.

And then I did not. Because I got sick of rearranging things. 

And then more things happened and I just moved this back.  Because it was just easier.

On January 28th, she very much told me (and all Lights fans) exactly what song that was gonna be.   

You see, that's the day she released the song "COME GET YOUR GIRL" and its accompanying video, two days before she released A6EXTENDED, the deluxe edition of her fantastic 2025 album A6, about which one critic said: 

More than a decade after Siberia and Little Machines, A6 is the first Lights record that really feels like it belongs beside them - not as a sequel, but as their evolved equal. It’s a neon‑soaked grief diary that shows she is still the blueprint for the new wave of alt-pop, folding the heavier, LŪN‑era electronics into synth‑pop songs about damage, numbness and clawing your way back to yourself. she manages to make the "glitch-pop" trend feel grounded and visceral rather than just aesthetic, hitting with the urgency of someone rebuilding in real time. - Literally me. 

Yeah, I put A6 #7 on my 2025 list.  

This video is why I put it there.  If you are a Lights fan and you recognize the scenes from the "Second Go", "Toes", "Running With The Boys", "Giants", or "Prodigal Daughter" videos (guess we have our next two Lights posts written), you have a sharp eye.  The scenes from those videos are recreated pretty meticulously (no idea if the scenes were redone or if these are digitally enhanced versions of the originals but I'm leaning towards the former) (Edit: I know now that they were, indeed, redone), but she's clearly singing the song, today, modern-day.  It's definitely 2026 Lights, not 2011 Lights with her lips changed.  

The song (after which her 2026 tour is named) is also great, but dang, the video is distractingly good. 

Today is NOT the 2000th post on Wicked Guilty Pleasures.  It was supposed to be, but stuff happens.  #1000 was mentioned above. THAT, I did not plan.   

Yeah, it was supposed to be 2000.  Oh well. 

But because we did some rearranging, we get to heard this song, live, from February 26th!!!!!

11 March 2026 - The Beaches - Blow Up

Told ya.

Yes, the band named after their neighborhood in old Toronto is probably just gonna be posted here every year now.  

No, seriously, this map is from Wikipedia.

And while the rest of the world learned about them because Jordan Miller decided to write a song about Brett Emmons, they've actually been making music for more than a decade.  Today's song is from their 2021 EP Future Lovers, and it has an ever-so-slightly poppier sound than their current stuff - but it's still pretty excellent.

The band doesn't play this song much anymore, but when they do, they play it as part of a medley I had to crudely edit, and yes, my sister is very excited to hear it.

10 March 2026 - Saya Gray - SHELL ( OF A MAN )

Saya Gray was born in 1995 and grew up in the Beaches neighborhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 

Yes, the same neighbourhood as a group we'll definitely be posting probably tomorrow.

Saya was the daughter of classical musicians - and parents who TAUGHT music, both privately and at world-renowned institutions.  She has released two albums.  In 2025, she released SAYA, which was shortlisted for the Polaris Prize and, according to one critic:

"Saya Gray’s SAYA is like scrolling through someone’s brain: songs splinter mid‑phrase, guitars and strings smear into each other, and you’re never quite sure where the groove is going to land. It’s dense and sometimes disorienting - it's not an easy listen, and even took a few listens for me to connect - but once it clicks, it becomes the thing to put on when regular alt‑pop feels too tidy and you want something to gently pull your head apart and rewire it for 40 minutes." - literally me

I sincerely liked the album on first listen, but with subsequent listens, it went from pretty good album to absolutely chaotic and indispensable soliloquy on heartbreak.  This song is one of the more upbeat on the album and it makes me smile, every time. 

I mentioned Polaris, and yeah, she performed this song at the Polaris Concert and Award Ceremony.

I didn't get too deep into it above, because I wanted you to SEE that 1) she's an absolute wizard on the guitar and 2) her vocal range is next level

This wasn't special for Polaris.  She's just that good.  

And she opened her NPR Tiny Desk Concert - a year ago - with this song, too.

9 March 2026 - Shad - The Old Prince Still Lives At Home

Shad is just a great guy.  Born in Kenya, but raised in London, Ontario, Canada, he has built a fun and engaging style.

You may remember we've featured Shad once before.  That time, I were really there for Lights.  

This time, I'm here because, as part of my 1000 albums listening project which is quickly turning into a 2000 albums listening project, I listened to Shad's acclaimed second album, The Old Prince, which is far less Kanye and far more Big Willie Style than his later work that was previously featured.  

And, I posted on Instagram that I loved The Old Prince.  And, to be fair, several other albums. 

I got one response.  Guess which London, Ontario based rapper was the responder?

To be fair, Lights liked it, too. But she didn't respond

So, yeah, that day, I said to myself, "Next March, we are telling all TWELVE blog readers about The Old Prince and how great it is."  Because it is. 

It's a fun, modern hip-hop classic that sounds timeless, with an award-winning video that seems inspired by a trip to Bel Air or something.  The song is very much about... well, still living at home. 

The Old Prince was very much short-listed for the 2008 Polaris Prize, and although he didn't win, he did perform this song at the gala. 

And the performance is a classic.  He does it LIVE, with instruments.  In the lead-up, you can hear he credits Common and Lauryn Hill as influences, and I definitely hear it.  

8 March 2026 - Baby Nova - Virgin Heartbreak

What happens when you mix electropop and great storytelling?

You get Baby Nova, the stage name for Kayleigh O'Connor, who has been signed to a publishing deal since she was 16.  Her earlier synth-folk sound has been replaced by something a little poppier, but still telling the good stories.  

She's from Nova Scotia, so.... there's that.  

In January, after a lot of singles, Baby Nova finally released her debut album, Shhugar, and it is delightful.  Here's a single from that album that I hope is a worldwide hit by the time you read this.

7 March 2026 - The United Steel Workers of Montreal - Émile Bertrand

This six-piece collective that originally started off as a bunch of street performers in 2004 ended up staying together for seven years, releasing three albums and cementing themselves in Quebec folk-country lore.   

This is from their 2007 2nd album Kerosene & Coal, and is about a restaurant in Montreal. The video is mostly consisting of working class scenes from along the Lachine Canal in Montreal - they were a working-class group making working-class music.

I really wish they were still around, because they made some amazing music. 

I always want to try to get you a live version, so you can see the band in action.  THIS was hard, but this short live performance includes this song, and you can see the mellow dynamic of the band. 

Oh, and keep listening. There's a lot of great songs they play. 

6 March 2026 - Marie Davidson - Sexy Clown

Marie Davidson's 2025 album City of Clowns was shortlisted for the 2025 Polaris Prize. 

And rightly so.  Not only was it an innovative album that merged pop, techno, and... spoken word, it was, in the words of one great critic:

"City of Clowns is what happens when Marie Davidson points her dry, dark sense of humor at capitalism and nightlife and decides to dance on their graves instead of just eulogizing them. It’s electro, spoken word, satire and genuine anxiety all tangled together, and in a year obsessed with AI and hustle culture, this record felt like someone finally saying, “This is insane, right?” over a beat you can actually move to.​" - Literally me

She may be from Quebec, but her songs are international hits, and his album even hit the charts in the UK.

And yes.  I did indeed do a Quebec artist singing in English.

This was one of four singles from the album, and, in my opinion, the best of the four. Co-written by Davidson, Pierre Guerineau, and Belgian producers Soulwax, the song is kind of about awkwardness. 

I know that the song is kind of about awkwardness because that's literally what she said when she opened the 2025 Polaris award show with THIS song.

By the way, the performance is incredible.