For this New Music Friday report, we’re heavy on singles as we’re about to hit the window for spring releases, which begins next week. There are many familiar names of this list.

Singles

1. Tori Amos, Shush (Fontana)

This is the latest advance single from her upcoming concept album, In Times of Dragons, which might be the most political thing she’s ever done. To recap, the album sees Amos adopt a fictional personality who happens to me married to a “danger, power-hungry billionaire” who uses his money and influence for evil. Sound familiar?

2. Autumn Kings, Gone Gone, Gone (Hopeless Records)

Born in LaSalle, Ontario, but now relocated to Detroit, Autumn Kings have toured with Bush, Pop Evil, Sublime with Rome, and Hollywood Undead. Their songs have also been heard on Football Night in America and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. They’ve got a Toronto gig at the Mod Club on April 29.

3. Elephant Stone, Everything is Evil (Independent)

Montreal’s Elephant Stone is now 2o years into a career that merges elements of Madchester with the sounds of India. This time, it’s a blast of punk and psych that’s over in less than two minutes. An album entitled ASHA (named after leader Rishi’s late mom) will be out this summer.

4. Dee Lav, Rock and Roll is Dead, feat. Danko Jones and Big Sugar (Independent)

Dee is actually Dmytro Lavereniuk, a Kyiv-based rocker and former bassist for a group called Cardinal Birds. Thanks to the magic on online collaborations, he has this new rockabilly-ish track that features guitar from Danko Jones and Big Sugar’s Gordie Johnson on drums. The inspiration is the memory of his dad giving him two tickets to Deep Purple when he was 16.

5. Mumford & Sons (with Chris Stapleton), Here (Glassnote)

Another collaboration which, I confess, I might have missed earlier, but it’s only now being serviced to radio as a single. Country and folk seem to be living together these days, so this combination isn’t as strange as it might seem. Mumford & Sons have crossed over into country recently, performing with Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, and Sierra Ferrell. It was only a matter of time before one of the biggest names in country was brought in on a song.

6. Softcult, Not Sorry (Easy Life Records/Orchard)

Softcult is nominated for JUNO this weekend, so the release of this single is good timing. Mercedes and Phoenix just wrapped up a North American tour with Lights and the reviews for their debut album (like this one) have been spectacular. This is the latest single from their album, When a Flower Doesn’t Grow. They might be my favourite new Canadian band right now.

7. Sublime, Until the Sun Explodes (Atlantic)

Yes, that Sublime, but this time with original frontman’s son, Jakob doing the singing. This is the title track of the band’s first album in nearly thirty(!!!) years and first with Jakob out front. They describe the project as “rooted in the band’s classic sound while opening a new chapter.” Watch for the album’s released on June 12.

Albums

1. Courtney Barnett, Creature of Habit (Mom+Pop Music)

I’ve been a fan since her first album came out in 2015. She’s quirky, smart, articulate, and very honest. This album, her fourth and first in five years, was written and recorded after moving from Australia to LA. See if you can pick out all the references to change throughout the album.

2. Flea, Honora (Nonesuch)

In the 40-plus years the Red Hot Chili Peppers have been together, the only solo albums have come from John Fruisciante–and they sounded nothing like the Peppers. Same thing with this debut solo album from Flea. Not only does he play bass, but he goes back to the trumpet, the very first instrument he learned to play. Guests include Thom Yorke and Nick Cave. Looking for something different his week? Here you go. This single with Yorke is both slithery and funky.

3. New Pornographers, The Former Site Of (Merge)

There’s a new drummer for their 10th album (please don’t ask what happened to the old one). This album was supposed to be out almost three years ago, but Neko Case was unavailable due to various contractual commitments. Then came the drummer issues, so all the sessions had to be scrapped and re-recorded with a session player. Love the quantum physics reference in this single. Fun fact: New guy Charley Drayton is who we hear on Love Shack by The B-52’s.

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Something occurred to me the other day: did the person who came up with the term “one-hit wonder” ever come up with anything else that good? I know that’s a real Steven Wright/Mitch Hedberg thing to say, but I’m serious.

I looked it up. The Oxford English Dictionary traces its origin to about 1914, when baseball was starting to become America’s pastime. It was given to pitchers who held the opposing team to just one hit.

We do know that when Ramon Monzant was pitching for the San Francisco Giants in 1956, he was given that nickname. To be called a “one-hit wonder” was very high praise.

But around the same time, “one-hit wonder” migrated over to the music world and acquired a pejorative ring. In musical terms, a one-hit wonder was an artist who could manage one—and only one—big song. Everything else they might have done was a flop, a stiff, a failure, and was ignored.

Billboard magazine began to incorporate the phenomenon of the one-hit wonder when it came to its charts. Their definition was an artist who released just one song to reach the Top 40—the realm of “hits” on the singles charts.

But that’s pretty narrow and really only considers songs and artists for that one chart. What about all the other non–Top 40 artists who achieved fame for one—and just one—song?

The more I went down this rabbit hole, the more intrigued I became. Was there a way to look at the history of alternative music to determine the biggest one-hit wonders of all time?

There just might be. And after going through a lot of numbers and statistics, I may have cracked it—but I’m going to let you be the judge. This is part one of the 50 biggest all-time alt-rock one-hit wonders of the last 50 years.

Songs heard on this show:

• Tones on Tail, Go!
• School of Fish, Three Strange Days
• Timbuk 3, The Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades
• Tenpole Tudor, Sword of a Thousand Men
• Icicle Works, Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)
• Wall of Voodoo, Mexican Radio
• Richard Hell, Blank Generation
• Kon Kan, I Beg Your Pardon
• M/A/R/R/S, Pump Up the Volume
• Julee Cruise

Eric Wilhite supplies the playlist.

The Ongoing History of New Music can be heard on these stations.

• 102.1 The Edge/Toronto – Sunday night at 7pm
• Q107/Toronto – Sunday night at 9pm
• Live 88-5/Ottawa – Saturdays at 9am and Sundays at 6pm.
• 107.5 Dave-FM/Kitchener – Sunday nights at 11pm
• FM96/London – Sunday nights at 8pm
• Power 97/Winnipeg – Sunday nights at 10am and 10pm
• 107-3 The Edge/Calgary – Sundays at 10am and 10pm
• Sonic 102.9/Edmonton – Sunday at 8am and 8pm
• The Zone/Victoria – Sunday at 9am and 9pm
• The Fox/Vancouver – Sundays at 10anm and 10pm
• The Goat Network/Interior BC
• Surge 105/Halifax – Sunday at 7pm
• WAPS/WKTL The Summit/Arkon, Canton, Cleveland, Youngstown – Mon-Fri at 9pm

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

You’ve probably heard of Tre Cool, the Green Day drummer with the funny nickname. But did you know there was another one?

When Green Day first formed as Sweet Children in 1986, Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt bounced between drummers for a couple years before settling on their friend John Kiffmeyer in ’88. Kiffmeyer was better known by his stage name of Al Sobrante, and is credited as such on Green Day’s early releases. But where did that name come from?

The story goes that Kiffmeyer was out running one day, and somehow tripped and knocked himself out. When he came to, he awoke near a sign that read “Welcome to El Sobrante, California,” which was Kiffmeyer’s hometown. But he was woozy and misread it as “Welcome, Al Sobrante, to California.”

Kiffmeyer was confused and briefly believed he himself was the Al Sobrante the sign was referring to, and after retelling the story the name stuck.

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

RCMP say three people have been arrested after a large quantity of illicit drugs was uncovered in a shipment of pickles.

The RCMP Federal Policing Pacific Region said in a release that police had identified two suspects allegedly involved in the importation of drugs from Canada into Australia. Once they started investigating, the RCMP identified a shipment of drugs about to be exported to Australia from B.C.

In January, RCMP officers and officers with the Canada Border Services Agency at the Tsawwassen Container Examination Facility intercepted a shipment of 115 kg of methamphetamine hidden in jars of pickles.

They were destined for Melbourne, Australia.

On March 17, two men, ages 40 and 63, were arrested in Australia and homes in Sydney and Melbourne were searched.

The following items were seized during the searches, according to RCMP:

• $400,000 in cash
• Eight one-kilogram silver bars
• A luxury vehicle
• Jewelry and watches
• Electronic devices
• Drug paraphernalia

The 40-year-old man has been charged with one count of attempting to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs, and one count of conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs.

The 63-year-old man was charged with one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs.

On March 17 in B.C., a 46-year-old foreign national was arrested in Kelowna.

RCMP said he was later released, pending further investigation, and has been referred to the CBSA for appropriate immigration enforcement action.

Investigators with the RCMP Federal Policing Pacific Region Drugs and Organized Crime Section executed search warrants at multiple locations, including Abbotsford, Lower Nicola, and Kelowna, seizing multiple cellphones and electronic devices.

“Today’s announcement is the direct result of sustained international cooperation and the dedication of law enforcement professionals across multiple countries,” Tim Arseneault, Acting Deputy Regional Commander, RCMP Federal Policing, Pacific Region, said in a release.

“Drug trafficking knows no borders, and neither does our drive to confront it. This operation demonstrates that our partnerships are not only strong but growing stronger.”

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The bodies of the two Air Canada pilots who died in a collision on a runway at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday have returned to Canada.

Pilots carried the casket of Jazz Aviation first officer Mackenzie Gunther off a plane at the Ottawa International Airport on Thursday afternoon. Capt. Antoine Forest’s body was then flown from Ottawa to Montréal Trudeau International Airport.

Forest’s death has sparked an outpouring of sympathy in his hometown of Coteau-du-Lac, Que., southwest of Montreal. The Air Line Pilots Association says the deaths of the two young aviators have also shaken up the industry.

“As we navigate the coming days, look out for one another,” Gil Renaud, a captain with Jazz, told his colleagues in a message posted by the association.

Renaud, who is based in Montreal, flies the CRJ-900 aircraft, the same model implicated in the tragedy on Sunday night. He was recently elected to serve a two-year term as an officer at the pilots union. “If the seat next to you feels a little heavier or the silence feels a little louder, reach out. We are a community built on mutual support, and we will move forward together.”

Gunther, 24, and Forest, 30, died when their Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck after landing at the New York City airport. The fire truck, responding to a separate incident aboard another plane, was cleared to cross the runway, seconds before the Air Canada plane landed.

Roughly 40 people were treated at hospitals for injuries, including the two firefighters and a flight attendant who survived after being thrown onto the tarmac while still strapped in her seat. Most have since been released from hospital.

The runway where the plane landed at LaGuardia was reopened Thursday morning. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said the tarmac resumed operations at around 10 a.m. after the runway and its associated infrastructure were “repaired, inspected and confirmed” to meet Federal Aviation Administration regulations for safe operation.

The agency, which oversees the region’s airports, said reopening the second of two runways at LaGuardia, one of the busiest airports in the country, will help “restore full operational capacity,” though it advised travellers to still check with their airline for flight statuses.

LaGuardia continues to register the most delays and cancellations among airports in the United States with more than 300 cancelled in the last 24 hours, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking website.

The destroyed Air Canada plane and the fire truck were towed from the crash site late Wednesday as the National Transportation Safety Board continues its investigation. The agency said Thursday that the truck has been placed in an undisclosed, secure location and deferred questions about the status of the plane to Air Canada.

The airline has said the plane would be placed in a hangar and that it would soon begin the process of reuniting passengers with their baggage and other personal belongings.

Michael Rousseau, the company’s CEO, also apologized Thursday for his inability to express himself in French after facing calls to resign over his English-only message of condolence.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2026.

— With files from The Associated Press

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Three separate incidents in Saskatoon involving overheight loads striking overpasses this month are under investigation, after the latest crash caused renewed traffic disruptions.

According to a news release by Saskatoon police, all three incidents, on March 5, March 11 and March 22, involved overheight or overweight loads damaging infrastructure.

In the March 22 incident, a vehicle struck the CPKC rail overpass near Circle Drive and 108th Street.

Investigators later confirmed the McKercher Drive overpass along College Drive was also struck.

Police say the McKercher Drive overpass was also later confirmed to have been damaged.

The driver initially left the scene but was later located by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Martensville.

Charges in that case include exceeding regulated weight limits, damaging public infrastructure and failing to comply with permit conditions.

In an earlier incident on March 5, a semi-trailer hauling an excavator struck the Circle Drive overpass along Highway 11.

Charges include damage to public improvement, driving without due care and attention, operating with a major defect and exceeding maximum height restrictions.

A second incident on March 11 at Circle Drive and 108th Street resulted in charges including failing to comply with permit conditions, failing to complete a daily inspection and exceeding permitted dimensions.

Police say all charges were issued as summary offence tickets.

Investigators said the files will be forwarded to the City of Saskatoon solicitor’s office to consider legal options due to the damage to municipal infrastructure.

Authorities are reminding operators to follow all height, weight and transport regulations and inspect their loads before travelling to help prevent damage and ensure safety.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission has submitted its final report to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

Among the report’s recommendations are an additional two ridings for Calgary, one more riding in the city of Edmonton, and the modification or consolidation of several other ridings in Calgary, Edmonton and central and southern Alberta.

The net result is two new constituencies that would be added in the provincial legislature, should the recommendations be adopted by the government.

This would increased the total number of MLAs from 87 to 89.

The changes are meant to reflect population changes around the province and ensure effective representation for all Albertans.

In Calgary, there would be three new ridings called Calgary-Nose Creek, Calgary-Confluence and Calgary-McKenzie.

However, the existing riding of Calgary-Peigan would be eliminated and the areas within it added to adjacent ridings.

North and west of Calgary, there would be three ridings called Aidrie-East, Airdrie-Cochrane and Cochrane-Springbank.

In central Alberta, the existing ridings of Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre and Lac St. Anne-Parkland would be consolidated into the surrounding ridings of Lacombe-Ponoka, along with the new urban-rural ridings of Edmonton-Enoch and Edmonton-Beaumont.

The report recommends six ridings in Edmonton’s urban core be consolidated into five, with several of them also given new names.

No electoral boundaries are recommended to be removed or added in southern Alberta.

However, the boundaries of the ridings encompassing the city of Lethbridge, along with the ridings surrounding the city would be modified to reflect the greater population growth in Lethbridge-West compared to Lethbridge-East.

The report also recommends Northern Alberta retain all nine of its current electoral divisions.

If adopted as recommended, the riding with the largest population would be Calgary-McKenzie with an estimated population of 62,772 people, while the riding of Edmonton-West Henday would be the second most populous with 61,775 people.

The least populous ridings would be in the northern part of the province where the riding of Central-Peace Notley would have a population of 28,715 people and the riding of Lesser Slave Lake a population of 30,011 — variations from the average riding population that are allowed because the ridings are large in area and sparsely populated.

The Electoral Boundaries Commission was established on March 28, 2025, and it held more than 30 public hearings across Alberta, both in-person and online as well as receiving nearly 2,000 written submissions.

It presented an interim or “draft” report to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in Oct. 2025 and its final report on Thursday morning.

Not all five members of the commission are in complete agreement, though.

The final report also includes a “minority report” written by two of the commission’s members, who recommended a different set of electoral divisions, including greater use of “hybrid” ridings around Alberta cities to “improve regional representation, bridge artificial urban/rural divides and to manage population shifts.”

The conflicting recommendations are leading the Opposition NDP to warn that members of Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party are trying to gerrymander electoral districts to increase the power of rural votes.

The law dictating the boundary change process says the legislative assembly has the power to implement the commission’s majority report either in full or with amendments.

Chief government whip Justin Wright says the UCP caucus is reviewing the recommendations and will have more to say at a later date.

The complete report can be viewed online at assembly.ab.ca.

With files from The Canadian Press.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Alberta’s government says it’s soon instituting provincewide rules to police bad behaviour among local municipal councils.

The move comes after Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative government prohibited councils last year from adopting their own codes of conduct, saying those codes were being misused to silence dissent on municipal councils.

Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams says he’ll propose changes to the Municipal Government Act in the coming weeks to bring provincial third-party oversight to ethics complaints in an effort to prevent abuses and boost public trust in local leaders.

Williams says the new Councillor Accountability Framework will also propose publishing the salaries of municipal officials in the name of transparency.

Dylan Bressey, president of Alberta Municipalities, says they’ve been calling for the re-institution of codes of conduct and are pleased to see independent investigators as part of the plan.

Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi says Smith’s government has violated ethics rules in the past and its effort to oversee the behaviour of other levels of government is like “the fox guarding the hen house.”

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Manitoba’s two-highest ranked women’s curling rinks are both breaking up.

Team Kerri Einarson is making some pretty significant lineup changes just days after winning silver at the World Championship and Team Kaitlyn Lawes is disbanding altogether.

The Einarson rink is parting ways with longtime third Val Sweeting and alternate Krysten Karwacki. The Einarson team came together eight years ago, and together Einarson and Sweeting won five national Scotties Tournament of Hearts titles, including four in a row.

Karwacki was temporarily elevated to the lead position after Briane Harris was given a doping suspension early in 2024 before Karlee Burgess came on board.

In making the announcement on social media, Team Einarson also posted that Reid Carruthers will no longer serve as their coach after he just retired as a player.

Second Shannon Birchard and lead Burgess remain with Einarson.

The Team Lawes split comes after playing together the last four years. The skip and lead Kristin Gordon both announced they are taking a year off from competition, while second Jocelyn Peterman and third Selena Njegovan are still exploring their options for next season.

Njegovan is a former teammate of both Einarson and Birchard and would seem like an obvious replacement for Team Einarson.

Team Lawes won the 2024 Manitoba Scotties and just lost the national Scotties final to Team Einarson in February. But they didn’t win a grand slam event and failed to make the playoffs at last year’s Olympic trials.

Team Lawes was the fifth ranked team in Canada.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

There was little afterglow from his first Brier win still fuelling Matt Dunstone as his team ramped up for the men’s world curling championship.

Dunstone, Colton Lott, E.J. Harnden and Ryan Harnden out of Winnipeg’s Granite Curling Club open the LGT World Men’s Curling Championship on Friday afternoon against South Korea and at night against Italy in Ogden, Utah.

Dunstone beat Alberta’s Kevin Koe on March 8 in St. John’s, N.L., for his first Canadian men’s championship, and also the first for Lott.

“A lot of relief has kind of settled in. It kind of feels like playing with house money now a little bit,” Dunstone said.

“I like the two weeks in between. It’s short and sweet and gives us enough time to quickly get our feet back on the ground again and keep on going.

“We’re very ready. We’ve played in a lot of big games this season. The entire field, nobody’s new to us.”

Dunstone last represented Canada over a decade ago when he won a world junior men’s title. Lott has worn the Maple Leaf in world mixed doubles with wife Kadriana.

The Harnden brothers have more international experience in men’s curling. They were world silver medalists in 2013 with their cousin Brad Jacobs and won Olympic gold with him a year later.

“It’s been a while for me. Too long, as I’ve been telling people — 13 years,” Ryan Harnden said. “Things have changed for me. I’m better now than I ever was as a lead.”

E.J. Harnden was also a world silver medallist as Brad Gushue’s second in 2023 and 2024. The 42-year-old intends to retire after the world championship.

“I could not have written this any better,” he said. “To be able to win a Canadian championship in my last year of competitive curling, alongside my brother Ryan, and sharing that with Matt and Colton for their first Canadian championship, going to worlds, I have a ton of excitement.

“This just feels like it’s a bonus.”

Dunstone, who can return to the 2027 Montana’s Brier in Saskatoon as defending champion, will need to replace his second eventually.

“All I’m going to say on that matter is you’re going to hear from us after the worlds,” Dunstone said.

The top six countries among the 13 at the conclusion of pool play advance in Ogden.

The top two gain direct entry into the semifinals while the others play off to join them in the final four. The medal games are April 4.

The field includes seven-time world champion Niklas Edin of Sweden.

Edin’s third, Oskar Eriksson, accused Jacobs’ third Marc Kennedy of “double-touching” a stone during a game between the two countries in February’s Olympic Games.

Kennedy’s profanity-laced response went viral and spawned many social media memes.

Harnden doesn’t expect tension to carry over to Canada’s game Tuesday against Edin.

“I don’t think it has sort of any relation to our team and to what transpired,” he said.

“Have a great relationship with that team over the last number of years on the tour. Things happen in the high-pressure situations. I don’t see it becoming an issue or coming up in any way, shape or form, but who knows?”

Gushue skipped the last Canadian team to win a men’s world title in 2017 in Edmonton, and was a runner-up four times after that.

Gushue’s lead Geoff Walker is Canada’s alternate in Ogden. Dunstone has a savvy helping hand for tasks such as rock scouting.

“The biggest thing is to help these guys out and I owe them,” Walker said. “Both E.J. and Ryan have went into that role for us over the years and did a great job.

“I’d just like to see these guys win and help Canada out and bring a world title back to Canada. I’m going to do everything I can to try to make things easier on these guys and hopefully put some good rocks in their hands and get their coffees bright and early in the morning.”

In addition to Jacobs claiming Olympic men’s gold, Rachel Homan’s team earned women’s bronze in Cortina, Italy.

Manitoba’s Kerri Einarson took silver Sunday in the women’s world championship in Calgary.

“Canadian curling has been on a nice little stretch here,” Dunstone said. “I’m excited to be a part of that and hopefully continue that run that we’ve been on.”

© 2026 The Canadian Press