Teke::Teke's exploration of parallel lives, 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:

• Boslen. 
• Nate Husser. 
• Nicolaas and Kallitechnis.
• Tafari Anthony.
• Teke::Teke.
• Sean Leon.

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.

'Santa Muerte,' Boslen

"You could tempt the devil," Boslen admits on "Santa Muerte," his spicy track about star-crossed lovers. The Vancouver musician happily sings about succumbing to a dangerous love interest, despite the darkness the ill-fated romance will create. Hopelessly in love with a stilettoed siren, Boslen reveals he's been bewitched: "You make me love, love, love, love, love like a fool." He explained in a press release that he felt empowered by a pendant he found during a trip to Cancun, which inspired him to name the track after the saint of death. "Santa Muerte was [cast] out because she was said to bring on evil spirits. Certain people wore her pendant to be fearless while others never felt worthy enough to carry that power," Boslen said. "I'm at a point in my journey where I feel both fearless and worthy. This pendant embodies the energy and storytelling I'll be sharing in my new music." "Santa Muerte" nudges listeners to indulge their most toxic impulses, arguing that it's better to fall hard and end up heartbroken than play it safe. — Natalie Harmsen

'Lemons,' Nate Husser

Montreal rapper Nate Husser always brings the energy. He has quickly become one of the most exhilarating new artists in Canadian hip-hop, and on his latest single, "Lemons," that momentum continues. It's an upbeat number and the tempo accelerates and decelerates, creating a spirited back-and-forth. However, once you dig deeper than the song's electrified beat and Husser's bold delivery, it becomes clear the artist is riddled with grief. He raps about losing family and people he grew up with in the tight-knit community of Little Burgundy. He grieves two people close to him that he lost in the span of two weeks ("RIP Jedi and Stunnin"), and he later mentions Ms. Janet Coombs, who also passed. Husser never utters anything as cliché as "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade," but the meaning of that adage permeates his lyricism. Perseverance through it all is the only way forward for him: "On the outside I look cool/ but on the inside I be numb/ Ain't got no choice but to keep our heads high." — Kelsey Adams

'Hold Tight,' Nicolaas, Kallitechnis

Nicolaas is the latest incarnation of Winnipeg-based producer/songwriter Rob Bakker, who channels his fascination with disco, house and funk from the '70s and '80s into the "perfect soundtrack for any club or runway," as he puts it. "When I think back to that time, the best way I can summarize the sentiment is to say 'everything was new and anything was possible,'" he told CBC Music. "With the amount of negativity going on in the world these days, going back to that state of mind is the best way for me to stay focused in a positive, optimistic way."

"Hold Tight" fulfils that promise with an opulence of sound that recalls dance classics like Shirley Lites's "Heat You Up (Melt You Down)" and D Train's "You're the One for Me." Ever versatile, Kallitechnis inhabits the esthetic with sensuality and a commanding demeanour. "I knew it was going to take a soulful and interesting voice," Bakker says, adding, "I couldn't be happier with the outcome." — Robert Rowat

'Falling Back,' Tafari Anthony 

Tafari Anthony is a staple in the Toronto music scene, having performed, written and produced for artists like Tanika Charles, the Fretless and most recently contributing background vocals to drag queen Priyanka's SYNTH-featured single, "Bad Bitches Don't Cry." Now, almost three years after his Juno-nominated EP The Way You See Me, Anthony is back with an infectious pop track, "Falling Back." Kicking off with airy keys and handclaps, "Falling Back" builds into a propulsive rush as Anthony sings about the push-and-pull of a relationship where "I'd sacrifice pretty well anything for just a moment of bliss… even though it rarely came," as he described in a press statement. Adrenaline and hope keep pulling Anthony back in, and it's easy to hear and feel how enticing that all is on "Falling Back." — Melody Lau

'Doppelganger,' Teke::Teke

Montreal band Teke::Teke often takes familiar sounds and puts a spin on them; their music evokes nostalgia, but always filters it through a modern lens. That's the case with their latest single, "Doppelganger," takes inspiration from '60s Okinawan music and then adds elements of '70s Japanese pop ballads and '60s French pop à la Serge Gainsbourg. Its lyrics, by singer Maya Kuroki, tell the story of parallel lives, which is something the band's members resonated with, with member Sei Nakauchi Pelletier saying in a statement: "Being of mixed Japanese and French-Canadian culture, I always feel like in some way I'm living two parallel lives… a big part of me is here in Canada, obviously, but another part of me is on the other side of the planet… this could be said about most of us in this band." While there aren't many bands that sound exactly like Teke::Teke, their search for identity and belonging in the world is something that listeners all over the world can connect to. — ML

'Blood,' Sean Leon

Sean Leon continues to break production boundaries with his work, and this new single from the Toronto-based rapper/producer/visionary is an escape from the regular formula his fans expect (gritty lyrics, dark musical tones and a braggadocious bravado of sorts). "Blood" kicks off with dark sounds coming from a boiler-room brawl, but as the song progresses, Leon takes you to a melodic world led by blazing horns and electric guitars, and a beat that transports you to an unfamiliar atmosphere. Leon continues to reinvent himself with each track he puts out, and "Blood" is a true testament of what's to come from the self-proclaimed "Black Sheep." — Ryan Chung