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  Her earlier synth-folk sound has been replaced by something a little poppier, but still telling the good stories.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.

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?