Ah, the weekend. A time to get drunk and make mistakes. Dangerband, a snotty power pop explosion from Toronto, is here to soundtrack that experience for you. On the surface, “Stupid Boyfriend”, sounds like a juvenille response; a Ducky-worthy plea sung over top of a chugging guitar riff, banged out keys and sing/shout backing vocals.(…)
If some mountain-climber-who-plays-an-electric-guitar type A&R dude (word to the GZA) were to come to me and say “Shane, I need a young, up & coming group for airplay on Canadian Urban Radio, stat!”, who would I recommend? Well, my actual answer would be more along the lines of “Who is this & how did you(…)
The finest in middle-aged hip-hop. This one sentence disclaimer serves as the entire description on the bandcamp page for Sitting Music, the latest album from charismatic Toronto emcee Abdominal. Strictly speaking, as a 38 year old white dude who’s been a lifelong hip hop enthusiast, anything described as “middle-aged hip hop” should be 100% up(…)
Fire x Fire? Yes please. After that snowbomb-filled weekend I’d suggest you bring out all of the fire and try to melt some of these ludicrous snowbanks back down to functional size. Regardless of their inability to blowtorch my driveway clear, a new song from Toronto four piece Fire x Fire (or Fire By Fire)(…)
Tamara Lindeman‘s evolution as a song writer is nothing short of staggering. Her first songs were recorded to help her grieve; she learned chords, new instruments and how recording works in almost real-time, needing all to document her most personal thoughts. She was rough around the edges, although truthfully, her songs did their best to(…)
A few weeks ago, we hosted a benefit concert to raise money and awareness for cancer research. The opening act, Acres & Acres, sang beautifully, sad songs from their latest LP, Truth & Sky. Hearts broke with every gentle pick or bended steel note, but the room was happy. That’s what Acres & Acres brings(…)
Hype Man. Do the kids even know what a Hype Man is these days? I mean these days it seems like dudes either only perform via a youtube video of their “exclusive freestyle” directed by their friend who is, coincidentally, a hot new filmmaker, or they hit the stage with the 14 dudes they met(…)
At Least There’s Commotion, the latest LP from Ottawa’s Hilotrons, is a frantic remedy to the sedated state of Canadian music. After a five year hiatus, Michael Dubue has returned with a twitchy collection of new wave that might finally give the songwriter the attention he deserves. With some help from talented friends (Jim Bryson,(…)
Get your motor runnin’. Which in this case, means crank up your enthusiasm for finely-crafted hip hop, with a conscience, from Saskatchewan. The hip hop in question is Steppenwolf, the new single/video from the MC & Producer team-up of Kay the Aquanaut and Factor. I posted on the duo’s introductory EP last year, and this(…)
Two years ago, Wildlife exploded with an EP and uncontrollable as reckless as a hitchhiking hatchet man. They sung of the water, not as a retreat but as an awakening. Strike Hard, Young Diamond was a rebirth. … On the Heart is more polished and mature, but “Dangerous Times” is no less triumphant or bold.(…)
