It’s been a quiet last couple of years for classic punk rock, but thankfully Montreal’s East End Radicals are back with their hard-hitting new album Zero Hour. The follow-up to 2012’s strong Carry On sees the band testing new waters and experimenting with different sounds, but they never drift too far from their signature recipe: 100% pure clenched-fist punk rock. […]

Pond, The Perth, Australia psychedelic band, is making a statement with their latest release – Man It Feels Like Space Again.  Pond shares members with that other little Perth-based band, Tame Impala.  However, this should not be looked at as a side project. Tame Impala is Kevin Parker’s musical outlet, and Pond, likewise, belongs creatively to Nick Allbrook and Jay Watson.  Pond is already […]

The Virgance is the solo project of Suffolk, England multi-instrumentalist Nathan Smith, who previously was with ’90s indie outfit Ripley and later a collaborator with electronica act Loveless. As a solo artist, the best way to describe Smith’s music is a more shoegazey Explosions in the Sky. Like the Austin, Texas quartet, Smith focuses on creating music that captivates and […]

Demander While listening to Sleater-Kinney’s terrific comeback, No Cities to Love, I was reminded of a band that I adored and followed back in the mid-2000s. The band – Demander. Formed in 2004, the New York City trio’s arrival was timely, as Demander filled the void left by Sleater-Kinney’s indefinite hiatus in 2006. Like the legendary riot grrrl founders, Demander […]

On their sophomore release (first on Merge Records), Twerps have refined their sound and put together an incredibly fun listening experience. Although most of their influences are vintage (think The Feelies, The Clean), Twerps have a way of making their sound still relevant. The Aussie jangle-rockers are set for an adventurous 2015 with tour dates opening for Stephen Malkmus & […]

The Portland, Oregon-based, folk-rock veterans, The Decemberists return with their 7th album, What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World. Their last effort, The King is Dead, was the band’s biggest commercial success to date (debuting at number one on album charts) and found the band pulling back from the obscure lyrical references of early works and focusing more on pop hooks and a cohesive […]

Arguably the busiest, if not the hardest working, man in not just indie rock but music as a whole is back with another new release. This time teaming up with Brooklyn indie label, Famous Class, Segall has released a special edition 7″ EP entitled Mr. Face. The EP retains the whirling psychedelic rock that Segall has long been associated with, […]

One of our favourite Hidden Gems of 2015 was Sumeau, whose psych-pop was overshadowed by the plethora of mainstream and indie music coming out of Los Angeles. To kick off 2015, we head back to the City of Angels for our first Hidden Gem of the year (at least in terms of an actual band) – Susan. Unlike Sumeau, Susan […]

Originating from Chelmsford in Essex of the UK is indie outfit Little Donkey. Late in 2014, they released their third EP, Real Woman, a compilation of foot-stomping, roots-rock tracks. The quartet’s sound resembles the great roots-rock coming out of Australia from such acts like Ash Grunwald, Jeff Lang, and Xavier Rudd (sans the didgeridoo). While each of the EP’s five […]

It’s probably not a coincidence that Dublin’s Paul Mangan took on the moniker Clockwork Orchestra. With an approach that crosses between Stanley Kubrick’s brilliant yet maniacal A Clockwork Orange, the bravado of Ariel Pink and Richard Swift, and the punching electronica of Devo, Mangan has created an equally bizarre yet fun, whimsical, and zany album with A Fish for a […]

As we continue our look back at 2014, there were two characteristics or trends that really stood out. First, there were a large number of bands who reinvented themselves. Some of them made our Favourite 50 Albums of 2014 list, including Parquet Courts, Wye Oak, and Strand of Oaks. The other big trend was the retro vibe emanating from so many […]

In case you missed or just wanted a summary or was waiting for this final list instead of reading each of the 10 pieces, here is a run down of our 50 Favourite Albums of 2014. Our list, as always, is in alphabetical order, as to rank them is nearly an impossible exercise with the thousands of albums that were […]

As we sit back and enjoy time with our families this week, what better way to celebrate the spirit of the season than with music. We have an eclectic mix of classics and the not-so-conventional holiday songs to brighten your mood. We hope everyone has a safe and relaxing holiday. We hope you enjoy the playlist, which you can stream […]

And we’ve made it to the end. But first, a quick recap: Day 1 – Alvvays, Angel Olsen, The Antlers, Beck, and Benjamin Booker. Day 2 – Chad VanGaalen, Conor Oberst, Coves, Damien Jurado, and Doug Keith. Day 3 – Dream Boat, Eagulls, First Aid Kit, Future Islands, and Hamilton Leithauser. Day 4 – Hiss Golden Messenger, Hospitality, Hurray for […]

Formed in Rouen, France but with roots also in the UK, Mannequins is the latest arrival on the burgeoning French indie scene. Last month, they released their debut album, Worthless, a compilation filled with hook-laden, indie rock tunes. With a touch of Interpol, the sounds of Scottish bands like Glasvegas and The Twilight Sad, and the early days of Toronto’s […]

We’re down to the final two days of our Countdown with five more albums to list. The S’es still dominate with three more today. But first, if you lost track of the album, you can find them in the following articles: Alvvays to Benjamin Booker; Chad VanGaalen to Doug Keith; Dream Boat to Hamilton Leithauser; Hiss Golden Messenger to Jesse […]

Numbers 36 to 40 are up next and all five once again fall under the letter “S”. The previous albums can be found in the following posts: 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-25, 26-30, and 31-35.   SPOON, “THEY WANT MY SOUL” It is hard to believe that Spoon has been releasing truly outstanding music for over 20 years. What is not […]

Here are five relatively new tracks that you may or may not have heard. There’s one well-known rock band on the list and the other four are young bands or artists looking to make a splash in the new year. The mini-playlist is below, and here are the tracks you’ll find and a little bit about the artist. Dick Diver […]

Thirty down and twenty more to go. If you are just joining the countdown of our 50 favourite albums, you can find the previous albums, listed alphabetically, in these posts – 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-25, and 26-30. And now, here are albums 31 to 35, which all are under the letter “S”.   S. CAREY, “RANGE OF LIGHT” Bon […]

Ethereal, creative, and breathtaking, that’s the music of Jupiter, Florida’s Caroline Sans, who goes by the moniker Sur Back. Today, Sur Back shares “Occam’s Razor”, a single off of her upcoming record Kitsch which is due out next year and we are honoured to have been asked to release it as the Canadian premiere. “Occam’s Razor” is interesting in a similar […]