The Violet Archers, solo project of Rheostatics’ Tim Vesely, release two new songs today. “Animal Song,” is about inspiration, that unknowable innermost cavern from which creativity flows. “When inspiration comes, it comes like an animal in the night,” says Vesely.

In “Keep It In The Ground” and “Quiet This Morning,” two new songs by The Violet Archers, frontman Tim Vesely makes his thoughts on the climate crisis clear. “I think of it as me expressing myself as an individual, and then hopefully striking a chord with other people who are thinking along the same lines, and then creating a vibration that’s a little bigger than myself,” Vesely says.

Bash through the trees at canis lupus level with “Here Come The Wolves,” a new video for the title track to Rheostatics’ album, out today. Directed by Jennifer Baichwal and Nick de Pencier, the team behind Anthropocene (TIFF’s Best Canadian film this time last year) and Long Time Running, the video for “Here Come The Wolves” captures the song’s multitudes.

City of Glass, hall of mirrors: “Vancouver,” a swooping birds-eye view of a city constructed in memory and imagination, is the third cut from Rheostatics’ Here Come The Wolves out in advance of the album’s September 6 release date. The dizzying pacific cynic travelogue builds and flutters around Martin Tielli’s vocals, a hypnotic and delicately jittery opener to the band’s first new record in over a decade.

Ever bound for ragged glory, Rheostatics occupy a unique place in the Canadian music landscape, pulled together and apart for nearly forty years. Finding grace in the reality of endurance, Rheostatics show us a special type of longevity, through upheaval, personal (and personnel) change, and a basic refusal to play the game in any way, shape or form, stretched over decades. Now, Rheostatics return with Here Come The Wolves, their first new album in 15 years.

Welcome to our live album. As we recorded it – that is, as we dragged two digital tape machines and a mixing board across the country and unboxed them nightly, often in haste and with minutes to spare before hitting the stage – we had no idea that, upon reflection, this would turn out to be a defining recording for us.

The Rheostatics bring their art rock mythos back to The Horseshoe Tavern this spring for a long weekend of consecutive shows, a format that points to the days of the Fall Nationals and the band’s double-digit back-to-back-to-back-to-back (15 in a row, one year) performances.

After a successful Group of 7 concert series at Toronto’s AGO in September, The Rheostatics are back on stage this Spring at Massey Hall. They’ll be performing on April 29, 2016 for the Live at Massey Hall Concert Film Series with special guest Amelia Curran. Presale tickets go on sale Monday, February 22 at 10am. Public on sale begins Friday, February 26 at 10am.

And for that impossible-to-shop-for special someone, we’re just about to save your bacon. In my case, that would be veggie bacon, due to my dietary preferences, which perhaps makes me even harder to shop for… oh well! Martin Tielli, the man – the mystery, is putting together a small catalogue of his amazing artwork offerings

From acclaimed musician and author Dave Bidini comes a brilliantly original look at a folk-rock legend and the momentous week in 1972 that culminated in the Mariposa Folk Festival: Writing Gordon Lightfoot, The Man, the Music, and the World in 1972.