Bedouin Soundclash, ‘We Will Meet in a Hurricane’ — 3.5/5 Stars
Bedouin Soundclash is a name you maybe haven’t thought of in a minute, but those of us old enough to remember 2004 might have fond…
toban turntable
TDJ, ‘SPF INFINI 2’ — 4/5 Stars
TDJ is the pseudonym of Montreal-based producer and artist Geneviève Ryan-Martel. Specializing in a retro brand of Eurodance and trance, her music is glossy but…
Status/Non-Status, ‘Surely Travel’ — 4/5 Stars
Rock is played out. This is the elephant in the room during any discussion of rock music. Every corner has been explored, and rock’s days…
Booter, ‘10/10’ — 5/5 Stars
With a 10/10 name that connects its music scene to the prairie experience, local Winnipeg band Booter’s debut album 10/10 is a fantastic first entry….
Kiwi Jr., ‘Chopper’ — 4.5/5 Stars
Toronto indie-rock group Kiwi Jr. is back once again with another batch of sticky, smartly constructed songs. The band popped on the scene with 2019’s…
JayWood, ‘Slingshot’ — 3/5 Stars
JayWood’s Slingshot doesn’t quite follow through on its conceptual ambitions, but its infectious grooves and hazy summer vibes still make it a worthwhile listen
Pierre Kwenders, ‘José Louis and the Paradox of Love’ — 4/5 stars
Pierre Kwenders, born José Louis Modabi, has spent nearly all of the past decade breaking down borders in music. The result is a heady mix of genres and languages, incorporating rumba, electronic, hip hop and R&B.
Kyla Charter, ‘Edible Flowers’ — 3.5/5 stars
Toronto-based singer Kyla Charter has had an illustrious career as a background singer in the CanCon music machine. Her CV reads like a CBC Radio One playlist, performing with artists like July Talk, Patrick Watson, Rich Aucoin and Alessia Cara. Now Charter is stepping out on her own with her debut album Edible Flowers.
North Graffiti, ‘Modern Relics’ — 4.5/5 stars
Self-described as adding “modern flare to a vintage aesthetic,” North Graffiti’s album Modern Relics successfully reflects its musical tagline. Just like the album’s cover, the “punk & roll” local group pulls together the fragments of vintage punk and rock past with present instrumentals.
Niall Mutter, ‘Pass Me By’ — 3/5 stars
For the past near-decade, the indie world has been afflicted with the “post-Mac DeMarco malady.” Not that it’s always a bad thing, but for a long time people have been latching onto the watery, chill, bedroom pop style and using the aesthetic to cover up lazy songwriting. It’s refreshing to hear something good in this tired idiom for once. Niall Mutter, through the power of being a smart songwriter, has done just that on his new EP, Pass Me By.