Local Music
Kontravoid's Undone resonates beyond the dance floor
Toronto electronic music producer Cameron Findlay, better known as Kontravoid, follows his 2012 self-titled debut with Undone, a five-song EP with an ominous, all-encompassing dark take on house and tecnno. more
Asad Aman
Cancer Bats celebrate 10 years of Hail Destroyer at Lee's Palace
Cancer Bats, the Toronto metalcore band, celebrated their breakthrough album Hail Destroyer, while still looking forward at the first of two nights at Lee's Palace. It helps that they dropped a surprise new one, The Spark That Moves, the same day. more
Tess Roby's Beacon is an impressive synth pop debut
With precise and assured vocal delivery, = Montreal-via-Toronto singer Tess Roby explores how the past resonates with the present. Here debut album Beacons is out on Italians Do It Better. more
Amanda Fotes
Chastity build community around a barn in Whitby
Chastity played a show at a barn in Whitby with Metz on Friday, April 13 – a benefit for Frontenac Youth Services. With so many of their peers going to Toronto, the rafter-rocking punk band are passionate about keeping their own DIY scene alive. more
Kardinal Offishall drops new version of Northern Touch for the Toronto Raptors
Kardinal Offishall debuted a new version of the 1998 Canadian hip-hop classic Northern Touch for the Toronto Raptors. The full new version dropped before the team's first playoff game against the Washington Wizards. more
Rising stars shine in this playlist of new Toronto music
This week's #NOWplaying features a ton of great rising artists, including Jaunt, iaamSaam, Hard To Kill and Roam. And, sure, also Drake and the Weeknd. Listen to the full 20 song Spotify playlist of Toronto music here. more
Samira Hafezi
How Amai Kuda bartered, cooked and taught her way to a new album
Amai Kuda et Les Bois' new album AfroSoul Volume III: Re’ has just dropped, and the local artist/activist and her collaborators bartered, cooked and taught to fund it. Read how, in her words. more
Photos by Samuel Engelking
U.S. Girls is untangling the misogynist mess of America
There's suddenly a lot of attention on U.S. Girls. Toronto’s Meg Remy is untangling America’s misogynist mess with lush disco grooves. The time is right for her subversive brand of political pop. Read our cover story interview here. more
Samuel Engelking
The Sorority are ready to shake up the world of hip-hop
The Sorority – Keysha Freshh, Haviah Mighty, pHoenix Pagliacci and Lex Leosis – have joined forces as the all-female Toronto rap group The Sorority. We interviewed the group about lyrical hip-hop, female empowerment and their debut album, Pledge. more
The stories behind three iconic Canadian hip-hop photos
A massive exhibition devoted to Toronto's hip-hop scene is underway at McMichael Canadian Art Collection more
New Toronto music playlist: McCallaman, Moon King, Lonely Wholesome and more
Listen to 20 brand-new Toronto songs we're digging in this week's #NOWplaying, which includes McCallaman, Moon King, Lonely Wholesome, Ice Cream, Charlotte Day Wilson and much, much more. more
Abraham Thodakee
Where's the support for Toronto's beatmakers?
Toronto has some of the world’s best hip-hop and R&B producers, but they're struggling for resources. Why the industry should support the people behind the scenes. more
Chelsee Ivan
Frigs' slow-release fury
Toronto band Frigs took their time to find their power, and it paid off. We interviewed them ahead of their release show for their debut album Basic Behaviour, which takes place April 7 at the Garrison. more
Matt Barnes
Why Born Ruffians are turning their album release into a five-night spectacular
Born Ruffians are following in the footsteps of Alvvays and Daniel Caesar and are choosing multiple nights at Lee's Palace over one at a bigger venue like Danforth Music Hall or Massey Hall. Here's why. more
Tory Lanez brings his Memories Don't Die tour to Toronto: Just announced concerts
Tory Lanez is coming to Toronto's Rebel as part of his Memories Don't Die tour. Plus more just announced concerts: the Outlaw Music Festival featuring Willie Nelson and Sturgill Simpson, the return of Venus Fest and a CMW show at Lower Bay Station more
The Weeknd retreats into numbness on My Dear Melancholy,
Toronto R&B superstar The Weeknd (mostly) trades misanthropy for vulnerability on the six-track EP My Dear Melancholy, more
The Weeknd's releases surprise EP My Dear Melancholy,
The Weeknd just released his new project My Dear Melancholy, and Wasted Times leads this week's #NOWplaying roundup of new Toronto music. Also: a shot-for-shot remake of Carly Rae Jepsen's I Really Like You by Little Junior, Blimp Rock and more. more
New Toronto music playlist: Hex, Jaunt and Art Department
Listen to 20 songs from local artists including Faiza, Jonas Bonnetta, Art Department, Hex, Jaunt and Yamantaka // Sonic Titan on our weekly Spotify playlist #NOWplaying more
Richmond Lam
Yamantaka // Sonic Titan are tired of the "maelstrom of confusion” that follows them
Yamantaka // Sonic Titan just released their heavy and ambitious new third album Dirt on Paper Bag. In this interview, the Toronto band say they're "here to rock, not wax philosophical about culture and race all day." more
