Japan-born, New York-based Mitski Miyawaki – aka Mitski – introduced her upcoming fourth album with the song Your Best American Girl, a sly alt-rock anthem that plays around with themes of dating and identity by pairing massive riffage with the chorus “Your mother wouldn’t approve of how my mother raised me, but I do, I think I do.”
“I wanted to use those white-American-guy stereotypes as a Japanese girl who can’t fit in, who can never be an American girl,” she said of the single’s blunt homage to 90s power pop.
If Your Best American Girl’s instantly gratifying melody is any indication, the young musician’s Puberty 2 album, out July 17 on Dead Oceans, is going big, but not at the expense of the nuanced songwriting and quarter-life angst that made 2014’s Bury Me At Makeout Creek a great record.
Mitski last played in Toronto at Smiling Buddha in November. She hits the Horseshoe this summer at the end of a two-month North American tour.
At the Horseshoe (370 Queen West), July 22, doors 9 pm. $14. On sale now at ticketfly.com, the Horseshoe, Rotate This and Soundscapes. See listing.
FREE N LOSH Supermarket EP release. 8 pm. March 18.
TEENAGER, FAKE PALMS House of Vans Skateboarding. Vans 50th Anniversary Celebration. Doors 9 pm. RSVP to attend. houseofvans.com. March 19.
THE KEINMUSIK SHOWCASE: &ME, ADAM PORT, JAMIE KIDD, MIKE GIBBS Secret Location 10 pm. $25-$43. eventbrite.ca. March 19.
CAREER SUICIDE, FAZE House of Vans Skateboarding Vans 50th Anniversary Celebration. Doors 9 pm. RSVP to attend. houseofvans.com. March 25.
HONEY DIJON Coda doors 10 pm. March 25.
WHIP-ITS, THE BEVERLEYS House of Vans Skateboarding Vans 50th Anniversary Celebration. Doors 9 pm. RSVP to attend. houseofvans.com. March 26.
SONNY FODERA Coda doors 10 pm. $20-$25. flohtoronto.wantickets.com. March 26.
LOWER DENS, FRIGS, BLUNT CHUNKS Silver Dollar Red Bull Music Academy. Doors 8 pm. $10, $3 with RSVP. redbullsoundselect.com. March 31.
MIJA THE Hoxton doors 10 pm. $15. ticketweb.ca. April 1.
THE NAKED AND FAMOUS Mod Club doors 7:30 pm. $31. ticketweb.ca. April 1.
SMASHING SATELLITES, RED SUN RISING Adelaide Hall doors 7 pm. $13. On sale March 11. rotate.com, soundscapesmusic.com, ticketmaster.ca. April 8.
RON HAWKINS & DO GOOD ASSASSINS Rivoli 8 pm. April 14.
BIBLICAL Horseshoe doors 9 pm. $10. ticketfly.com, horseshoetavern.com, soundscapesmusic.com, rotate.com. April 15.
LOUDPVCK The Hoxton doors 10 pm. $15. ticketweb.ca. April 15.
HOTNUTS SHLUMPADINKA COUTURE WITH MACY RODMAN The Garrison doors 10:30 pm. $10-$15 at the door. April 16.
CROSSS Smiling Buddha 8 pm. April 27.
KIRAN AHLUWALIA FLATO Markham Theatre 8 pm. $54-$59. April 28.
THE RHEOSTATICS, AMELIA CURRAN Massey Hall doors 7 pm. $18.94-$29.50. masseyhall.com. April 29.
HIGHS Lee’s Palace doors 8:30 pm. $12. rotate.com, soundscapesmusic.com, ticketfly.com. April 30.
LIGHTS Danforth Music Hall doors 7 pm, all ages. $37.50-$55. On sale March 11. ticketmaster.ca. May 3.
BARONESS Opera House doors 7 pm. $25. On sale March 11. rotate.com, soundscapesmusic.com, ticketfly.com. May 3.
HOLI LOVE FESTIVAL WITH BRYSON TILLER Woodbine Park doors noon, all ages. $50-$70, after-party only $30. holilovefestival.com May 7.
VETIVER Lee’s Palace doors 8 pm. $20. rotate.com, soundscapesmusic.com, ticketfly.com. May 10.
JANE’S PARTY Horseshoe doors 8:30 pm. $10. On sale March 11. horseshoetavern.com, ticketfly.com. May 12.
SOLIDS, STOVE, CLIQUE Smiling Buddha doors 9 pm. $10. rotate.com, soundscapesmusic.com, ticketfly.com. May 13.
TWIN PEAKS Horseshoe doors 8:30 pm. $15.50. rotate.com, horseshoetavern.com, soundscapesmusic.com, ticketfly.com. May 16.
PALEHOUND Drake Hotel doors 8 pm. $12.50. rotate.com, soundscapesmusic.com, ticketfly.com. May 18.
BLAQK AUDIO, NIGHT RIOTS Mod Club doors 8 pm. $21. ticketweb.ca. May 18.
ENTER SHIKARI Mod Club doors 6 pm. $24.50. entershikari.com/shows. May 19.
THE KILLS Danforth Music Hall doors 7 pm. $29.50-$34.50. ticketmaster.ca. May 21.
HOTELIER, TOLD SLANT, LUNE Hard Luck doors 7 pm, all ages. $16.50. rotate.com, soundscapesmusic.com, ticketfly.com. May 22.
MAGRUDERGRIND Coalition May 24.
DIGITALISM The Garrison doors 9 pm. $20. On sale March 11. ticketmaster.ca. May 26.
MUTUAL BENEFIT, FLORIST Drake Hotel doors 8 pm. $13.50. rotate.com, soundscapesmusic.com, ticketfly.com. May 27.
JMSN Horseshoe doors 8:30 pm. $17. horseshoetavern.com, rotate.com, soundscapesmusic.com, ticketfly.com. June 1.
I MOTHER EARTH, EDWIN Phoenix Concert Theatre 20 Years of Scenery & Fish. 8 pm. $34.50. ticketweb.ca. June 3.
MONUMENTAL WITH THE HOLY BODY TATTOO AND GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR Hearn Generating Station 8 pm. $32.77-$77.97. luminatofestival.com. June 14-15.
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: RUFUS DOES JUDY Hearn Generating Station 8 pm. $44.07-$123.17. luminatofestival.com. June 23-24.
SHAD Mod Club doors 7 pm, all ages. $20. ticketfly.com. June 24.
MITSKI Horseshoe doors 9 pm. $14. horseshoetavern.com, rotate.com, soundscapesmusic.com, ticketfly.com. July 22.
VELD FESTIVAL Downsview Park Details TBA. veldfestival.com. July 30-31.
CAMP WAVELENGTH Artscape Gibralter Point on Toronto Island wavelengthtoronto.com. August 19-21.
ROB ZOMBIE, KORN, IN THIS MOMENT Molson Amphitheatre Return Of The Dreads Tour. Doors 5:30 pm. $29.25-$83.75. On sale March 11. livenation.com. August 23.
JOHN PRINE, RON SEXSMITH Massey Hall 8 pm. $69.50-$99.50. September 9.
STREETLIGHT MANIFESTO Danforth Music Hall doors 7 pm. $23.50-$30. ticketmaster.ca. September 23.
See more music listings here.
music@nowtoronto.com
