The Matinee ’18 August 21st edition is full of musical delights, which will give you the buzz of a dozen espressos. But unlike the caffeinated drink, these nine songs will leave you on a high all day and maybe all week. We travel to Japan, Turkey, Scotland, the USA, and Australia for today’s mini-playlist. Ah! Kosmos – “Wide” (feat. Özgür […]

The Matinee ’18 July 24th features new music that will stir every bone in your body. There are intimate and dreamy numbers, raucous punk, spaced-out psychedelia, and boom anthems. So if you need a pick-me-up or something to calm the nerves, you’ll find it in the mini-playlist. Basement Revolver – “Dancing” (Hamilton, Ontario)  RIYL: The Cardigans, The Raveonettes, Lush […]

 The weather for the final day of Rockfest was perfect, possibly even a little too hot in the afternoon. Concert-goers enjoyed the cooling spray of the fire hose at the day’s most oppressive moments to keep from overheating. The bands on offer for Saturday covered many metal and punk sub-genres as well as a double dose of alternative rock […]

The Matinee ’18 May 25th edition has some fun and entertaining new tunes plus a couple of softer, more relaxing tracks. If you’re heading off for the long weekend, we wish you a fun but safe time. And of course, bring plenty of great music, and hopefully the songs below will populate your playlist.   Albinos Congo – “Double Your […]

From stunning numbers that will leave you vulnerable to rambunctious numbers that will leave you celebrating who you are, The Matinee ’18 May 22nd is filled with nine great songs. The mini-playlist kicks off with some haze from one of the coolest, little bands in the world. Baywaves – “I’m Tryna” (Madrid, Spain) RIYL: Tame Impala, Masasolo, Pond The Spanish […]

With Easter now passed and spring technically here, the movie industry heads into its busiest season. There has already been one massive blockbuster (Black Panther), and at the end of this month The Avengers: Infinity War will be released. So in honor of the annual tradition where we spend our hard-working dollars to be entertained for a couple of hours while devouring […]

The Matinee ’18 April 5th features nine songs that will either take your breath away or melt your face – even if you cannot speak the language. There are artists and bands capturing the spirit and energy of bygone eras and others taking music to new places. Some of the songs will also entertain you for their lyrics while other […]

From groovy pop-rock numbers, raucous indie-rock and alternative anthems, stunning dream-pop, foreboding post-punk and indietronica, and creative art-rock, The Matinee ’18 March 6th feels more like autumn than spring. Nonetheless, the music is, as always, terrific.   Hinds – “The Club” (Madrid, Spain) RIYL: Wolf Alice, Honeyblood, Divinyls One could make a strong argument that Hinds are largely responsible for […]

The Matinee ’18 February 16th is full of surprises with a few all-time favorites unveiling new songs to go with tracks from fast-rising “newcomers”. There’s a bit of almost everything below, from rockers to slow burners to melodic ballads. Happy Friday everyone! Courtney Barnett – “Nameless, Faceless” (Melbourne, Australia) RIYL: Courtney Barnett We still remember the day – one of […]

As festival lineups are revealed, a recurring pattern is evident – most of the bands and artists listed are men. Women and female-fronted bands make up less than half – or in some cases only a quarter – of the revealed performers. It’s a surprising development not only because we are currently experiencing one of the great social revolutions of […]

The Matinee November 10th edition is another trip around the world and across music genres. There are some intimate and personal numbers, cathartic political statements, and just some fun tunes. Crack open your favorite beverage and start the weekend with these nine songs. The Boxer Rebellion – “Love Yourself” (London, England) RIYL: Frightened Rabbit, Editors, Phosphorescent When The Boxer Rebellion […]

There are nine Grade A selections on offer on The Matinee October 26th edition. Most of the numbers are fun and even a bit outrageous. A few are gentle nods to the past, musically and lyrically. Then there is one song that sticks out for being, well, odd. Enjoy the songs and hopefully you’ll find one if not nine new […]

We have another nine new music selections for your listening pleasure. There’s quite a bit of variety on this one from cinematic songs that belong in an IMAX film to classically told stories to upbeat earworms. The Matinee October 12th has something for every mood. Ceiling Demons – “The Rose” (North Yorkshire, England) RIYL: Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Nick Cave […]

Rock. That’s pretty much what you will find on The Matinee September 28th edition. There’s no electro- or synth-pop, no indietronica, and not even indie-pop. Every single song today is guitar-driven. Seven of the songs are outright rockers and only two could be considered “pop-rock”. There’s also a huge European flavor, particularly from the UK, on the mini-playlist because, let’s […]

A kaleidoscope of new music is featured on The Matinee September 8th edition. There’s something for everyone, so spin each song and enjoy the artistry of these emerging artists and bands.   Anna of the North – “Always” (Oslo, Norway) RIYL: CHVRCHES, Yumi Zouma, Keep Shelly in Athens Today is the big day for Anna Lotterud and Brady Daniell-Smith, who […]

“This world is very cynical There will be no happy endings here At least for some men” This quote isn’t from Bernie Sanders, Barack Obama, or Jeremy Corbyn. It’s not from noted philosophers Marshall McLuhan, Noam Chomsky, or Michel Foucault. Those three lines are from “Come With Me”, the creepy centerpiece of Arrows Of Love‘s new album that succinctly encapsulates what […]

The second day of Rockfest had a beautiful start as the day began sunny and warm, giving everyone a chance to dry out. I ventured over to the smaller Tony Sly stages for the first time to see Pup who drew a large and enthusiastic crowd to their relatively early show. People chose well as this band never disappoints! Eagles of […]

About a month ago, the grounds that were to host Rockfest were underwater and concerned grew as to whether the festival would be able to proceed. Thankfully, the 2017 edition and its amazing lineup proceeded with few glitches. Rock fans put any fear of the weather behind them and came for the music. The muddy grounds were avoided by some […]

At the end of June for the past eleven years, the small community of Montebello, Quebec hosts one of Canada’s largest rock festivals. A town with a population barely over a thousand somehow manages to host a crowd that is estimated at around 200,000. Many festivals chase popular artists of any genre in order to attract concert goers, but Montebello […]

Highly rated indie-rock band False Heads tore up Camden Assembly on Saturday night, as they headlined a busy night in the Camden venue. At times it was hard to see what was going on in the badly lit room, but there was plenty of action on the stage from vocalist Luke Griffiths who barely stood still for more than a […]