Jayda G's shimmering dance elegy, and 5 more songs you need to hear this week

Here at CBC Music, we're always on high alert for new songs by Canadian artists.

This week, we're listening to new tracks from:

• The Franklin Electric.
• Pup.
• Jayda G.
• Sadboi.
• Dacey featuring Kimmortal.
• Deelo Avery.

Scroll down to find out why you need to listen, too.

What new Canadian tunes are you currently obsessed with? Share them with us on Instagram @cbc_music. 

To hear more about these standout songs, tune in to CBC Music Mornings every Thursday (Canada-wide) with producer Ryan Chung and host Saroja Coelho, and Here and Now with Gill Deacon every Wednesday afternoon (in Toronto). Both are available via CBC Listen.

'Monsters,' the Franklin Electric

On June 30, the Franklin Electric will release its fifth studio album, Oh Brother. The title refers to bandleader Jon Matte's sibling, who has long suffered from addiction and its devastating repercussions. "Addiction and personal struggle should not be kept secret," Matte says, explaining that through his album, he hopes "to help break a stigma that exists around these very common issues and encourage people to heal and express their lived experiences."

The album's fourth advance single is "Monsters," and its gently swaying compound meter and soothing acoustic guitar pull you into Matte's meditation on "embracing your dark side and making friends with the monster within," as he says in a press release. The restraint of Matte's singing only serves to accentuate the final refrain, when his voice just soars. Bob Dylan's influence is palpable not only in the melodic contour, but also Matte's deceptively — and devastatingly — simple turns of phrase:

You can't hide from the things that you are,
Now you woke up the monster,
It'll follow you always,
No matter wherever you are.

— Robert Rowat

'How to Live With Yourself,' Pup

Last year, Pup released its fourth studio album, The Unraveling of PupTheBand. Now, as the band continues touring — they're returning to their hometown of Toronto this Friday to open for Alexisonfire before heading back to Europe for more dates — the punk quartet has released two B-sides from its last release. "How to Live With Yourself" is signature Pup: a fast and furious anthem that builds into a sing-along peak backed by vocals chanting, "I barely miss you anymore," to an ex. This was one of the first tracks the band worked on for The Unraveling of PupTheBand, but which ultimately missed the cut, though singer Stefan Babcock notes in a statement: "Sometimes it feels good to write a catchy, miserable ripper that feels like it captures exactly what this band is about." For longtime fans, "How to Live With Yourself" is a gift to tide us over until the next Pup release; for newcomers, this isn't a bad place to start, to get a concentrated dose of just what Pup is all about. — Melody Lau 

'When She Dance,' Jayda G

She's gonna let her hair down,
Ain't takin' it from no one,
You're gonna lose your mind,
When she dance, dance, dance, dance.

Jayda Guy has had an incredible few years. The Grand Forks, B.C.-raised producer and DJ, who works under the moniker Jayda G, nabbed a 2021 Grammy nomination for her track "Both of Us," was tapped to make remixes for Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and Haim, and has performed at festivals including Glastonbury and Coachella. When she was forced to take time away from her jet-setting career during the pandemic, though, Guy focused inward: more specifically, on 11 hours of recordings that her father made shortly before he passed away when she was just 10, and a forthcoming album about her relationship with him. 

Guy, which she released on June 9, is an introspective, adjacent step away from Guy's normally bumping DJ sets, but instead of being overly (and understandably) sombre, it pulses with the joy of life —  and near-final track "When She Dance" is a perfect dose of that spirit. A disco-laced kiss to her paternal grandmother, "When She Dance" jump-starts with a buried bass beat and synth slaps, and evolves into a low-key banger that sees Jayda G centring herself both behind the scenes and in front of the mic: Guy is the first full project where she's the main singer, having only done it once before on the single "Both of Us." When Guy lets her own hair down on the chorus and sings "dance, dance, dance," you'll be joining in on her exaltation. — Holly Gordon

'Ms. Do You Wrong,' Sadboi

When rapper Megan Thee Stallion famously proclaimed it was a hot girl summer, her motto took on a viral life of its own, igniting a movement of self-love across social media. Several years later, people are still putting their own spin on the confident mantra, with the latest coming from Toronto rapper Sadboi: "It's a Sadboi summa, get wit it or cry about it," she announced with a post about her dancehall-tinged new single, "Ms. Do You Wrong," on Instagram. The track fits perfectly in the celebratory vein of hot girl summer, as Sadboi raps about her self-worth, detailing how irreplaceable she is over tropical beats. As she turns up with friends and shimmies cheerfully in the music video, listeners can't help but get caught up in her infectious energy. "I ain't chasing none of y'all/ I'm having fun with all of y'all," she states, before turning around and beaming, drink in hand. "Ms. Do You Wrong" easily captures the carefree vibe that's essential to anyone looking to turn up and have a good time. — Natalie Harmsen

'Getaway,' Dacey feat. Kimmortal

This summer, we aren't cutting our crushes loose — we are being vulnerable and confessing our feelings. "Getaway," the latest single from Dacey, delivers a glimmery, feel-good love song that lets you easily imagine sun rays warming your face while daydreaming about faraway places with your love interest. Weaving together elements of indie, pop and lo-fi hip-hop, the Vancouver band has been creating its own playful, smooth concoction of genres since its first release in 2019. Lead singer Dacey Andrada shows off her vocal talents effortlessly on "Getaway," moving between soulful singing and catchy cadences, while also flexing her lyrical cleverness: "Maybe it's not what you're used to/ but you've been curious/ call it Blues Clues/ if I don't f--k it up/ what could you lose?" Adding more sparkle to the song is a feature from fellow Vancouverite Kimmortal, who brings their intricate and witty lyricism to a verse that gives a nod to the iconic Magic School Bus series. "Getaway" is yet another fun track from a band that notoriously produces upbeat grooves with seductive melodies, and it will get your body moving while also getting you in your feels. — Vanessa Conley

'Scholaristic (Na Eme),' Deelo Avery 

The sweet cadence of Deelo Avery's voice may be instantly recognizable to listeners who have heard him in soulful pop duo Garçons or in hip-hop collective No Tourists. "Scholaristic (Na Eme)" is his first solo effort, and he's veering away from the sounds of his previous output onto yet another distinctive sonic path. The track pays homage to Nigerian icon and godfather of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti. For an added touch of authenticity, Avery enlisted the help of guitarist Efe Jazz, who is one degree of separation from Kuti, having worked with the artist's grandson Made. Afrobeat blends Yoruba music and high life with jazz and funk to create a genre teeming with life, and Avery swoons and laments over spirited guitar and improvisational musical arrangements that are full of the genre's life-giving essence. Yinka Bernie's production is the magic that makes everything shimmer on "Scholaristic (Na Eme)." Bernie has previously worked with rising Ghanian-American star Amaarae, an artist pushing her country's contemporary sounds forward, and he brings some of that innovative flare to the track. "Scholaristic (Na Eme)" is an intriguing new single from Avery, an artist with an already impressive back catalogue, leaving us itching to see what's next. — Kelsey Adams