Popular Manipulations by The Districts The “Leader of the Free World” utters threats like “fire and fury” as part of his foreign policy approach. Meanwhile at home, he refuses to call overt acts of racism and hate for what they are. One of music’s biggest stars was in court to defend herself as a victim of sexual assault. And each […]

Today’s mid-week serving of new music cocktails is a strictly American playlist for a change. The Melodic Tonic May 17th edition features sun-kissed singles from the four corners of the U.S., from the Pacific Northwest and southern California to New York City and down to Florida. Escape into these tunes for some sweet relief from the news!   RAC – “I Still […]

It’s Friday!!! To help you end the work week while kicking off the weekend, The Matinee March 31st edition goes a little longer. Instead of the usual six songs, we’ve included nine for your listening pleasure. The extended version reflects the quantity and quality of great new music we’ve been receiving. And we still have the Saturday Sampler to go! […]

The Matinee March 10th edition features more songs that fall under the category of “instant classic”. Well, at least be in the running for our favorite songs of the year. This batch of nine begins with one of our favorite bands and ends with a song that is one of the funniest of the year. For what it’s worth, Jeanette, […]

The Matinee March 2nd features a few familiar names and several names you ought to know. Eight songs are on tap, many which will get you ready for the arrival of spring.   Calvin Love – “Warm Blindness & A Cool Breeze” (Edmonton, Canada) RIYL: John Lennon, Leonard Cohen, American Wrestlers Last year, Canada lost a legend, an iconic figure […]

The Matinee February 16th arrives with a six-pack of new music. Let’s just get to the music.   Girl As Wave – “Speed Of Light” (New York City, USA) RIYL: The Bangles, Belinda Carlisle, Moving Panoramas It’s been a month since she debuted her first single as Girl As Wave, and we still know very little about the former folk-singer-turned-indie-pop-starlet. […]

The Matinee January 10th features nine stellar songs to jump start your Tuesday. There are some breathtaking electronic / ambient numbers, a couple of fierce rockers, and a few tunes that will take you back in time.   Doombird – “Sheer” (Sacramento, USA) RIYL: Maribou State, Phoria, Lane 8 At the tail end of 2016, Doombird released their debut album with […]

The Matinee October 20th features a lucky seven pack of new music. Many of the songs sound fresh and exciting, offering new takes on genres that may have gotten a little long in the tooth. Of the seven songs, three come from the city of Melbourne. This is also the first time we have not shared anything from the USA. […]

The Matinee October 13th once again features ten new songs that span different parts of the world. Some familiar names return. One of our Artists to Watch for 2016 finally shares a new song. And, of course, there are some hidden gems, particularly the last song on the list. Happy Thursday everyone!   American Wrestlers – “Hello, Dear” (St. Louis, […]

The Matinee September 22nd extends to ten songs. The list is in reverse alphabetical order. Be sure to read and listen right to the bottom; otherwise, you’ll miss a treat from a singer-songwriter with one of the best baritones on the planet.   Vaudou Game – “Revolution” (Lyon, France & Lomé, Togo) RIYL: Fela Kuti, Konono No. 1, Bombino, James […]

The Matinee September 15th once again spans multiple genres and scours the globe for the best new music. A few favorites return while several have just released either their debut or second singles. The summaries are shorter this time around, and the list is organized in reverse alphabetical order.   Wolf People – “Ninth Night” (North London, England) RIYL: Russian […]

Eight songs occupy The Matinee June 28th edition, which offers a range of music that includes electro-pop, southern rock, art-rock, and even some disco-pop. I’ll keep this as brief as possible so you an enjoy these great new tunes.   ANi GLASS – “Y Ddawns” (Cardiff, Wales) RIYL: Bats for Lashes, Karen O, Goldfrapp You might be familiar with the […]

Like yesterday’s Melodic Tonic, The Matinee April 12th features a number of emerging singer-songwriters who will dazzle you with their poignant storytelling and intimate sound. Then there are a handful of bands who will help put a spark into your day.   Basement Revolver – “Johnny” (Hamilton, Canada) When Alvvays released their debut album two years ago, they opened the […]

While the April weather can be highly unpredictable in many parts of the world, within the realm of indie music it’s the time of year when the delicate songs get more intimate while the anthemic ones are more summery, more explosive, and a whole lot more boisterous. Saturday Sampler has a bit of everything, although we’ve often for more energetic […]

The weekend is finally here, and it offers us another opportunity to share more great new music. The Saturday Sampler for March 5th has a little bit of everything: gritty blues-rock, shimmering indie-pop, soulful indie-rock, disco-psychedelia, and even some operatic indie-pop. Sit back, relax, and spin these ten awesome songs that will get your weekend started with a bang! The Bonnevilles – […]

In 2014, Sunflower Bean were dubbed the hardest working band in New York City by OhMyRockness. Two years later, the young trio have released their first full-length LP, Human Ceremony. The band draws from a variety of influences and styles – drummer Jacob Faber and guitarist Nick Kivlen grew up on Long Island and played in classic rock bands that […]

It’s Thursday. You might be a little sluggish this morning as the week drags on and the weekend cannot arrive soon enough. We have your solution – The Matinee August 13. It’s your daily dose of new music that hopefully will give you a bit of a jolt, although there are some more solemn tunes today.   Yung – “Blue […]

There are a countless number of albums that lure you in at the start but are unable to sustain your attention for its entirety. Then there are the rare gems like Gary McClure’s debut under the moniker American Wrestlers that not only grab hold of you from the first song, but by the end of it you are the one […]

I’m not writing about The Districts because they played two fantastic shows at the Ottawa Bluesfest or that we had a fun interview (o.k., maybe those played minor roles), but rather this is an opportunity to revisit some great music produced by a young, emerging band over the past year. Established in 2009 when they were in their mid-teens, Rob […]