Mngwa

A sprawling worldbeat collective from Vancouver, MNGWA are a common sight in Western Canadian summer festivals. Featuring eight core members from Latin, reggae, jazz and rock backgrounds, the band often brings in guest musicians to...

Andrew Franey

A survivor of the late 90s punk boom, Andrew Franey was a member of Hamilton-based Smoother, who got signed to a major label deal in the early 2000s. After commercial success made him become disillusioned...

The Shangs

For a band with such a short and obscure career, Hamilton's art-punk/garage band Simply Saucer continue to impact Canadian music. With a start in the 70s, a renewed interest in the 90s, a tour and...

Alex Cuba

Alex Cuba, originally from Cuba, has become a mainstay in Canadian Latin and worldbeat music. He lives in a decidedly cold place now, northern B.C., but his music remains unapologetically Cuban. His previous efforts saw...

Tri Nguyen

This CD is a compelling mix of traditional Vietnamese and western and other classical styles, and it's a new favourite of mine. 

Ho Chi Min City-born Nguyen Huu Tri (stage name: Tri Nguyen) is a classically-trained...

Defend The Rhino

Defend the Rhino is a one-person drone and electronic band from Edmonton. Nathanial Sutton has been recording for about ten years and has three full albums to his credit, Glisten being the third. His music...

Talltale

Talltale is Tatiana Zagorac, an electronic and pop artist from Edmonton. A Japanese Fever Dream is her first EP, and is a reflection on fascination with Japanese culture. The album is based on three trips...

Kiwi Jr.

Vancouver's Mint Records has the uncanny ability to find great obscure Canadian bands. More often that not, each Mint release has a manic energy to it, an energy of youth, innovation and nervous tension. Toronto's...

Plaster

Plaster is the alter-ego of Italian experimental electronic musician Gianclaudio Hashem Moniri. Formerly a duo, this is the second album Plaster has released as a solo artist. The music here is underscored by a constant,...

Hyness

An indy rock band from southern Ontario, Hyness are rooted in the jangly, fuzzed-out alternative rock of the mid 90s. They form their sound out of the vocals of Marcus and Amy Addams, a married...

Black Suit Devil

Black Suit Devil is the alter-ego of Toronto based songwriter Andy Du Rego. The band is mostly Du Rego, with a wide variety of guest stars. The Freedom Sessions is a classic-rock album in the...

Yamantaka // Sonic Titan

With their large sonic influence on Canadian music, it's hard to believe that Yamantaka//Sonic Titan's latest album, Dirt, is only their third album to date. Formed in 2007 as a combination music/art collective out of...

The Pack A.D.

Vancouver's The Pack A.D. Have become one of Western Canada's most loved rock acts. With more than 10 years of almost constant touring and recording behind them, they've just released their latest album Dollhouse, their...

Chad VanGaalen

Calgary's Chad VanGaalen is Canadian indy rock royalty. He's also earned it, having started his career in 2004, riding around Calgary on his bike and sharing his handmade albums with his audience. Now, 13 years...

Potengowski Anna Friederike

Flautist Anna Friederike Potengowski wanted to go back to the very beginning of known human musical language. In 2010, she began studying what is known about paleolithic bone flutes and to speculate what techniques people...

Todd Rundgren

When a legendary musician and producer puts out an album in today's music scene, it's either destined to be legendary or a return to form, or an embarrassment. Todd Rundgren's latest, White Knight, sadly, falls...

Old 97's

Venerable Americana/alt-country band Old 97's are now on their 11th album, and over 20 years together as a band. Along with bands like Whiskeytown and Uncle Tupelo, they essentially invented the alt-country genre. Songwriter and...

Needles//Pins

Vancouver's Needles//Pins are part of the fine tradition of punk rock from the West Coast. They are made up of three friends who wanted to hang out more together and formed a band. They've had...

Ohama

Calgary’s Tona Ohama is a true survivor of the Canadian music industry. He’s been recording in relative obscurity since 1979, sticking almost exclusively to electronic music. To call him just a synth-pop artist would be...

Nicolas Horvath

Four years ago, Monaco-born pianist Nicolas Horvath began to record Glassworks, his project to make all of U.S. composer Philip Glass’ solo piano works available. This is the fifth and final volume in the Glassworks project,...