URNE SETTING FIRE TO THE SKY SPINEFARM RECORDS When it comes to URNE’s sound, such textures thrive on the tension between emotional weight and the wonder that embodies their diverse melodies, which have come to make up the firestorm of grit, [...]
HOWARD JONES LIVE AT THE MARQUEE CHERRY RED RECORDS I was lucky to see Howard Jones on his first Canadian tour in 1984. It was just following the release of his first solo album, Human’s Lib, and he was brilliant and energetic. He put on a great [...]
GOLDFINGER NINE LIVES BIG NOISE Goldfinger is back in action, delivering another infectious dose of ska-punk with their aptly titled album, Nine Lives. The album’s name resonates, considering Goldfinger’s remarkable 33-year history since their [...]
JULIAN TAYLOR ANTHOLOGY VOL. II BOWLING TURTLE With over 25 years in the game, Julian Taylor remains among Toronto’s most prolific songwriters. Contrary to 2023’s Anthology Vol. 1, which focused primarily on his work with the Julian Taylor Band, [...]
LESS THAN JAKE BORDERS & BOUNDARIES (25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION) FAT WRECK CHORDS I really wish pop-punk bands would stop making me feel old. The latest in what seems to be a raft of anniversary releases, Borders & Boundaries is a portrait [...]
T. GOLD LIFE IS A WONDER AND IT’S CRUEL SLEEPY CAT RECORDS No, this is not a somewhat melancholic, soul-inflected singer songwriter behind a name or a moniker of T. Gold, but a core duo of Saman Khoujinian and Gabe Anderson, supported by a [...]
SYKOFANT LEAVES SYCOPHANTASTIC RECORDS Sykofant is a progressive rock band from Oslo, Norway, consisting of Emil Moen (guitar, vocals), Melvin Treider (drums), Per Semb (guitar), and Sindre Haugen (bass). Their new EP, Leaves, is actually part [...]
YĪN YĪN YATTA! GLITTERBEAT Dutch-based psychedelic band YĪN YĪN embraces the perfect imbalance in their fourth record, Yatta!, which translates to ‘We did it!’ in Japanese. YĪN YĪN is known for their blend of Southeast Asian influences, disco, [...]
