Local Music
The secret soul legacy of Toronto's Cameron House
From 1991 to 1994, Wednesday nights at the Cameron House were a platform for some of today’s most talented singers, DJs, artists, directors and poets, including Director X and Divine Brown Twenty-five years later, Queen West has never been the same. more
Best Toronto songs of the week: Isla Craig, Tony Price, Harrison
Check out brand new songs from Toronto artists Isla Craig, Tony Price, Harrison, Alice Glass, Prime Boys, K. Forest and more. Local artists get psyched in this week's edition of #NOWplaying, which includes a Spotify playlist of new tunes. more
Martin Fox
Korea Town Acid is creating her own electronic sound world
Jessica Cho, who DJs under the name Korea Town Acid, is having her busiest year yet. The Toronto artist has released her debut EP, Mahogani Forest, on Cosmic Resonance. more
APTN to launch new Indigenous radio station ELMNT.FM in Toronto
APTN will soft launch ELMNT FM, its new radio station on 106.5FM, later this summer in Toronto. It will feature a mix of Indigenous and non-Indigenous music and talk programming. ELMNT will also launch in Ottawa on 95.7FM in mid-July. more
Comic concert review: Vag Halen are the queer heroes we need
Vag Halen's Heavy Leather Parking Lot: a comic concert review. The 80s cock rock cover band kicked off Pride with Heavy Leather Parking Lot, a tribute to queer/dyke leather bars and tailgate parties, and we illustrated it and turned it into a comic. more
Tona's Black Mirror is a defiant outlier from the Toronto hip-hop sound
Tona's syllable-cramming delivery and gritty beats go against the melodic vocal delivery and smoothed out ambient soundscapes that some would immediately associate with a Toronto hip-hop sound in 2018, but that doesn't mean he should be overlooked. more
Toronto singer/songwriter Jordaan Mason finds positivity in sadness
Toronto singer/songwriter Jordaan Mason's new album Earth To Ursa Major asks big questions about mental illness, gender identity and the universe and finds comfort in not knowing the answers. more
Review: Bernice's new album is breezy, whimsical and delightful
Bernice's new Arts & Crafts album Puff LP: In The Air Without A Shape finds the ever-evolving Toronto band bottling their eclectic energy for seven songs. more
Arden Wray
L Con's Insecurities In Being is packed full of great ideas
Album review: The new record from Toronto singer/songwriter L Con (aka Lisa Conway), Insecurities In Being, is moody and complex, and it arrives fully on its own terms. more
Samuel Engelking
Doors Open Toronto 2018 welcomed live music into unconventional spaces
Doors Open Toronto 2018 featured music all over the city. Ziibiwan played at Native Child and Family Services, Chelsea McBride Group accompanied jazz history, and shows emanated from backyards and museums. more
Samuel Engelking
The Weeknd's XO crew discuss their new creative incubator
Hxouse aims to eliminate barriers for young Toronto creatives hoping to break into music, fashion and design more
Toronto band S.H.I.T. on how to stay punk in 2018
Toronto punk band S.H.I.T. are streaming both their new album What Do You Stand For? and their new compilation Complete S.H.I.T. at NOW. They're also announcing a show at Double Double Land. Read our interview with guitarist Greg Benedetto. more
Bonjay and Too Attached on the limits of "diversity"
On their upcoming Diversity Tour, Canadian musical acts Bonjay and Too Attached satirize the "inclusive" banner that often obscures pursuits against racism, homophobia and oppression. more
New Chance forges her own path on her debut EP
After singing backup vocals of Lido Pimienta and Jennifer Castle, Toronto electronic producer Victoria Cheong, better known as New Chance, releases her own debut EP, a five song . more
Witch Prophet's debut album perfectly balances the personal and political
Album review: Witch Prophet's The Golden Octave – the Toronto alt-R&B singer/songwriter's long-awaited debut album – is fully realized, empowering and so gratifying. more
Andrew Graham
Bulkhead premiere Route Sixteen, a prime bit of new Toronto techno
Bulkhead debut the new song Route Sixteen, which also features Joel Eel. Plus: check out new songs from Witch Prophet, Ralph, Ebhoni, Bonjay, Jennifer Castle and more on this week's #NOWplaying playlist. more
Matt Williams
Jennifer Castle searches for the perfect combination of words
On her new album Angels Of Death, Toronto singer/songwriter Jennifer Castle battles against the finality of death and sends a comforting message down the line. In this interview, she goes deep into her writing process. more
Nyssa sings the untold stories of women in rock
Toronto electro-glam singer Nyssa has been in bands since she was a teenager and she's channelled her experiences into Champion Of Love more
Tanja-Tiziana
Drake and Migos are coming to Toronto: Just announced concerts
The Aubrey And The Three Amigos Tour hits the Air Canada Centre in August, but no word yet on OVO Fest more
Samuel Engelking
Meet StarStatus, the winner of our NOW Star contest
Introducing StarStatus, the Toronto rapper/singer/dancer/songwriter who won a showcase at Canadian Music Week 2018. more
