Spring is around the corner, and the music is also getting warmer. In addition, the new music just keeps on coming, where we cannot keep up. The Weekend Showcase 4.07 edition, as such, is a little bit longer with 58 songs. It easily could have been 70. Anyway, the mini-playlist features artists  representing 12 countries, including: Australia, Austria, Canada, England, […]

Nine more songs occupy The Matinee ’18 February 22nd. A couple of indie giants return and plenty of smaller bands that you ought to know. Anyway, let’s get to the music. Speedy Ortiz – “Lucky 88” (Boston, USA) RIYL: Veruca Salt, Hop Along, Girlpool As a band enters the “veteran” phase of their careers, they tend to dial down the […]

The music scene has become “girly” in Bono’s opinion. The U2 frontman bemoans the lack of “rage” in rock in this month’s Rolling Stone cover story: “I think music has gotten very girly. And there are some good things about that, but hip-hop is the only place for young male anger at the moment – and that’s not good. When I was […]

More than 2,500 songs shared, some 200 LPs and EPs reviewed, thousands of photos from concerts and festivals, and dozens of premieres later, we’ve arrived at our annual tradition of sharing our favorite songs of the past 52 weeks – also known as The Mega, Mega Playlist of 2017. This year’s playlist is the biggest yet. The 2015 version had […]

This was a sensational week for new music, and, as a result, we were extremely busy. We covered six LPs and one EP, featured three premieres, and had two photo essays. Daily picks for Ottawa’s annual CityFolk were also shared. And of course, we had our daily mini-playlist features. All this coverage has yielded a 59-song long Weekend Showcase 3.36 […]

Okovi by Zola Jesus Already more than a decade into her career, 28-year old Nika Roza Danilova – aka Zola Jesus – has consistently delivered some of the most forceful and spectacularly dark albums. Her second record, Stridulum, is a modern-day masterpiece. Conatus was a bold step in creating languid, acoustic Goth dramas. Her 2014 LP, Taiga, was a departure, as she aimed […]

On this first weekend of September – a long weekend for some around the world – let the sparks fly with the Weekend Showcase 3.34 edition. This mega-playlist features 52 fantastic new songs, including a few song-of-the-year candidates. So sit back, grab a cold one, and play these sweet tunes by artists representing 12 countries. They are Australia, Canada, Denmark, […]

Today’s mid-week serving of new music cocktails is a dark and stormy blend. We start with some brooding synth-pop and add in some art rock, a dash of Icelandic soul, and end with a double shot of Americana.   Zola Jesus – “Siphon” (Seattle, USA) RIYL: Austra, Phantogram, PJ Harvey Zola Jesus has the dark equivalent of a Midas touch […]

July is the heart of the festival season with numerous festivals underway, such as Latitude Festival in Suffolk, England; Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago; the RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest in Ottawa; and many more across the world. If you’re not attending any these festivals this weekend, then we have the next best thing – the Saturday Sampler July 15th edition! […]

The Weekend Showcase 3.22 edition is a pretty special one. It features some of our favorite artists and bands of all-time plus several rising musicians with the potential to be massive stars. In addition, there are a number of politically-charged songs that will blow your mind. This isn’t the protest music of the ’60s and ’70s, but a new era […]

These five delicious new audio cocktails to get you through your Wednesday. Today’s mini playlist shines the spotlight solely on North American artists for a change. Let’s begin in the Emerald City with this dynamic tune. Zola Jesus – “Exhumed” (Seattle, USA) RIYL: Austra, Agnes Obel, Phantogram The dramatic new single from goth-pop siren Zola Jesus will do one of three things: “Exhumed” will either […]

From her days as a goth queen to an ethereal songstress Nika Roza Danilova – also known as Zola Jesus – has constantly been searching for new sounds and approaches, never satisfied with the last album she’s released regardless of its success. It is fitting, therefore, that she has named her new album Taiga – the Russian word for the […]

Several terrific albums are streaming this weekend, among them: Retro indie rock outfit Foxygen, who have a love-hate relationship with each other, return with the double LP …And Star Power. Canadian audiences can listen to the album at CBC Music while US residents can hear it on NPR. Ethereal singer-songwriter Nika Roza Danilova – better known as Zola Jesus – returns with […]