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By: Michael Del Vecchio Welcome back to “What I’m Diggin’.” This series will feature weekly posts by contributors, guest bloggers and musicians. My name is Michael Del Vecchio. Grab your shovel and join in – this is what I’m digging: 1. Scarves. If you’re experiencing Game of Thrones withdrawal, find me walking around Toronto in my permanent frozen corpse costume. Based on personal research since New Year’s, I’ve come across this formula: Your face + cold air = cracked skin It’s not great, folks. Wrap up that face of yours. 2. Starbucks Coffee Over the holidays, the spirit of Christmas shoved a Starbucks (#notsponsored) gift card into my stocking. Starbucks – do you love it or hate it? Do you go for their house brews – Pike and Blonde? (Coffee blends, or detectives from a 70s cop film? Leave your flavour crimes in the comments below.) Do you indulge in their seasonal-themed, coded-language, syrup-induced fever dreams? Or do you avoid the modest-mermaid cafe entirely? 3. Sunset Rollercoaster on AudioTree Live These guys from Taiwan play some smooth funk. From what they say to the interviewer, you can tell that they’re jokers who like to keep it light and have fun. That’s a good reminder going into 2019. AudioTree always grabs great artists and puts on a great set. NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts does this as well. 4. Journaling Are the days already stringing themselves together? Journaling is a great way to organize your thoughts and experiences. Throw some of that mind chaos in one place. This has applications even if you don’t want to journal with writing. Download the “1 Second Everyday (1SE)” app (#alsonotsponsored), so that at the end of the year you have a visual collage of 2019. You record one second of every day to edit together later. People have reported that their memory and decision-making improved when they stick with journaling. Comment below some things that you have already forgotten this year. 5. The Idea of Going the Gym Everybody knows that gyms get packed in January. The trend is that people start the new year by going to the gym, and then sometime around the middle of the month, Fitness Thanos snaps his fingers. Instead of disappearing completely, most of these new faces walk off to Pizza Hut, or their couches or where ever. Until those extra gymgoers get trapped in the Failed-Diet Stone, or whatever, this week I’m just going to be thinking about going to the gym. Stay tuned for next weeks post. Follow Michael on Instagram here. Like our Facebook page if you want. Follow us on Instagram if you want.

It’s THAT time of year again, festival lineups are being released just about every day now. Even though it’s Winter, it has us craving dancing in the sun listening to our fave bands. Here are all the lineups that have been released thus far: Bonnaroo Where: Manchester, Tennessee When: June 13-16 GA Ticket price: $319 Lineup thoughts: LOTS of variety here. Phish reunion is pretty tight! There’s a lot of skepticism from people on social media, but it’s a cool idea that nobody expected. Overall, headliners aren’t necessarily the most currently relevant, but it’s nostalgic. I dig it. The Governors Ball Where: NYC When: May 31-June 2 GA Ticket price: $305 Lineup thoughts: A lot of festivals this year are sort of messy with putting the right artists together on the right days. Gov Ball did this perfectly, well done. Coachella Where: Indio, California When: April 12-14 AND April 19-21 GA Ticket price: $429 Lineup thoughts: I like the mixture of the big and small names here, and it was pretty huge of them to bring back Tame Impala. I think all of the big and small names are some of the best. Firefly Where: Dover, Delaware When: June 21-23 GA Ticket price: $299 Lineup thoughts: In the past, Firefly has had some really big headliners, followed by weaker acts. This is their strongest lineup yet. Shaky Beats Where: Atlanta, GA When: May 10-11 GA Ticket price: $129 Lineup thoughts: Meh.

By: John Mendoza My name is John Mendoza and welcome back to “What I’m Diggin.” This series will feature posts by our contributors, guest bloggers, and musicians. It’s finally 2019 and a lot of new changes in my life have already begun to take root. Here is what I’m digging this week: 1.) Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse Spider-Man is one of the most well-known superheroes in the world, and this movie is all about a crossover between different “Spiderpeople” around the multiverse. The movie was a joy to watch overall and had an amazing visual comic book aesthetic that sets it apart from other animated films out there. It’s probably my favourite Spider-Man movie (and favourite pieces of “Spider-media”) out there. 2. Bathroom Serenade This video was first posted by a bunch of high school students way back in October 2008 — meaning the video has already experienced its ten year anniversary! There’s something about their minor mistakes in their performance, their 2000s fashion and the acoustics of a high school bathroom that sells it as a total nostalgia trip. Also, that one guy in the blue shirt forgot to wash his hands and that pisses me off way too much. 3. Isak Hedtjärn — Jazz Whistle At first, you might think that whistling is just something you learn in elementary school. It’s easy to do but not a log of people would say that they’ve “mastered” whistling. As a jazz clarinetist/saxophonist, Isak Hedtjärn is used to having great breath control and a strong embouchure. Transferring those skills over to whistling, Hedtjärn has made a name for himself as a jazz whistler. 4. Meditation and asoftmurmur.com After a long semester of work and school last year, I found it hard to take some time to reflect on life. The winter break has helped me find some inner peace and mentally prepare myself for 2019. Specifically, I love using asoftmurmur.com. With the website, I can choose different sounds like rain or singing bowls or I can play them all at the same time. 5. Super Smash Bros Ultimate As a long-term Smash Bros. fan, I finally managed to scrounge up enough money to buy myself a brand new Nintendo Switch and a copy of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Last semester, I didn’t have a lot of time to destress. Now that I have this new game (along with an empty bank account), I can now play this 70+ character fighting game to my heart’s content. 6. Apricity by Harrison Toronto native and musician Harrison released his second album “Apricity” last year and it’s one of my favourite albums leading into 2019. It’s a sensual, contemplative electronic album that incorporates elements of dream pop, electro-funk and ambient music. My favourite pick on the album is Better ft. Daniela Andrade.

By: Gemma Mastroianni In all honesty, I think I felt the most uninspired I have in awhile by new music this year. I had a difficult time compiling this list, hence why I’m going to let you all know right now that it’s in no particular order. This is simply a collection of the new albums I enjoyed the most this year and why. I wanted to do the typical “Top 20 albums of the year” sort of thing, but it just wasn’t sitting right with me, so here it is: 1.)Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino – Arctic Monkeys The band took a really different approach for this one. What makes this a top album of the year is the new dark and psychedelic atmospheric sound they took on. This sounded extremely different from the rest of their albums, which was a huge risk to take considering their last album got them mainstream radio-play. Not only di they change their sound with the risk of the new fans not liking it, but they did it right. 2.) Black Panther – The Soundtrack Personalized movie soundtracks are becoming increasingly popular. This soundtrack totally hit the nail on the head. Kendrick Lamar was a big part in production of the album, and I actually liked it a lot better than DAMN. Collaberations include SZA, Schoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, and so much more. The 14 track soundtrack is up-beat, intense, and passionate, with a perfect flow. 3.) Astroworld – Travis Scott This one took a bit longer to grow on me, but I’d say it’s the best out of Scott’s albums thus far. Some would say that this album is crap based off of Scotts lack of technicality within his style, but that’s biased in a sense. You need to go into this album listening to it with the understanding that THAT is his style. You can’t escape the constant “yeah” and “it’s lit!” So with that being said, this is one of his best albums thus far. It’s spacey and atmospheric, and it takes you somewhere else. 4.)Little Dark Age – MGMT This one was worth the wait. As soon as you hit play, it feels like you’re sent straight back to the 80’s. Sound quality is turned back a knotch, but not in a way that’s compromising but rather just matching the era that the album is going for. Lyrics tend to be shocking and explicit, something like Ariel Pink would write- but it works. The whole album is very 80’s Psychedelic Pop. 5.) 7 – Beach House Beach House did a great job of re-defining their sound through this album. They keep their shoegaze Indie sound their known for, while incorporating more of a dream pop sound. 6.)Marauder – Interpol This was as more upbeat release in comparison to other Interpol albums, but they really hit the nail on the head with this one. They stay true to their moody rock roots, while still kicking it up a notch. 7.)Twin Fantasy – Car Seat Headrest This re-working of his album from 2011 is a reflection of singer Will Toledo’s adolescence. It talks about drug experimentation and abuse, sexual identity, and a realm of emotions, giving every listener something to connect with. It’s not entirely different, stylistically speaking, than the prior album- I actually see it as more of a continuation. The interludes are great, production is on point, and its epic. 8.)Saturation III – Brockhampton Part 3 of the Saturation album series is potentially one of the best. The collection of tracks is up-beat and intense. Although subject matter of psychological distress continues into this album, this isn’t something that brings weakness to the collection of albums, as just about every song on this album is strong. The highlight of the album is definitely SISTER/NATION due to the variation of tempo and vocal intensity. 9.) Stone Woman – Charlotte Day Wilson Calm, cool, and collected is the effect this EP has on listener’s ears. It touches on some personal topics and includes elements of Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Psychedelica. Her vocal capabilities have been further demonstrated in other tracks, but her range utilized goes perfectly with the vibe of this EP 10.) Swimming – Mac Miller This is one of the darker Miller albums. There are a few up-beat tracks such as “What’s the Use?” but most take a slower pace. The beats in this collection contain sounds of R&B, groove, and even a bit psychedelic, sometimes sounding similar to Tyler, the Creator. It features themes of grief, heartbreak, hopelessness, and vulnerability. There is definitely less rapping in comparison to his past albums, but he pulls it off. Rest in Peace, Mac. 11.) Be The Cowboy – Mitski I love the emotional rawness of this album – the ups and the downs. The draw she has to her husband while also coping with feelings of loneliness and vulnerability. The instrumentals are exciting, big, they draw feeling.

By: Michael Del Vecchio Born Ruffians celebrate Shondi Festoon at Danforth Music Hall with POESY and Luna Li. The crowd converged into Danforth Music Hall for the next show of the Born Ruffian’s North American tour. The balcony seats were just eight dollars and eighty cents (before the Ticketmaster fees no one had a say in). Born Ruffians would later announce this was a deliberate move to celebrate the 888 A.D. event that inspired everyone’s favourite holiday, Shondi Festoon. The concert was a celebration of the long-loved holiday, with each band making time in their set to wish everyone a great Shondi. First up, POESY. A powerful voice balancing volume and clarity and melody. The band played a combination of rock tunes and ballads. Everybody in the hall moved – linked to the rhythms and each other. Near the end of the set, POESY said to the crowd – think of a mistake you made, and during the next song – forgive yourself. At some points during the set, the drums overpowered the other instruments in the mix. Feedback crackled from the speakers during one song. Live shows aren’t perfect, and that’s kind of the whole point. The band’s stage presence and microphone skill got the crowd involved in the show physically and emotionally. POESY made blood pump, hands wave and feet stomp. The next band’s quiet verses, loud choruses and smooth vocals made the crowd sway. Luna Li brought a guitar, a violin, no shoes, a lot of skill. The short set was packed with a lot of emotion: reverb-washed guitars; soft-but-deliberate vocals; ambiguous and emotional lyrics; and dynamic volume in each song. The music set an atmosphere while the band and audience built off each other’s energy. Feedback screeched near the middle of her set and cut through a song, but the crowd cheered, and the band played on. At one point, the band turned inward and for a few moments, every person in the hall was giving their attention and energy to the singer. For Born Ruffians, the microphone stands were tied with flowers and the stage was fitted with Shondi decorations. The singer would tear some of these flowers off and throw them into the crowd during the songs. Born Ruffians combines indie rock with some flavours of Canadian folk. There was moving and dancing to the shuffled rhythms and upbeat tempos. The crowd participated in every call-and-response vocal in the songs. The theatre’s curtains were fixed with lights that shined in different configurations during the setlist. Confetti dropped from the ceiling and drifted down into the crowd. The singer/guitarist and bassist stood in the middle of the stage, with the drummer and the keyboard player on either side of the stage facing towards to centre. The singer/guitarist, bassist and drummer all took turns speaking directly to the crowd throughout their set. The bassist said that he recognized almost every face in the front row from all the previous shows on that tour. The drummer announced that tonight’s celebration of Shondi would be Andy’s last show with the band. They didn’t say why the long-time keyboard player was leaving, but they slid back into the groove of the night by playing a new song for the crowd – a bluesy, upbeat rock song. At the end of their set, Born Ruffians declared that they would play right to the end of their time. They invited the opening musicians back and their friends, the band Little Junior, until over a dozen people collected on the stage. Together, they played “I Wanna Be Sedated” by The Ramones and then jammed out until the show was over. Born Ruffians used their stage time and 10-year history to celebrate talented, young artists and celebrate a tradition by giving Toronto a great show. Every musician did a fantastic job of sharing their energy with the crowd through the music.

Welcome to our new series, “What I’m Diggin.” This collection will feature posts by our contributors, guest bloggers, and musicians. Here’s the first one, by yours truly! In Utero- Nirvana When Winter comes and the sun goes away, my taste in music tends to go along with that. Lately I’ve been feeling the darkest of the three Nirvana albums. Is it fixing my weather-affected mood? Probably not, oops. Year end lists I’m always reading these constantly in the month of December. I find myself constantly looking for new ones, and don’t worry- we have one coming for ya with the best albums of the year. Sleeping the heck in I’ve said “Good Morning” far too much at 2pm this week, to be quite honest. I’ve been having some good brunches and sweat pants hair tied chillin with no make up on moments though. Cannot complain. Music Documentaries As I’ve been off of school for a week or so, I’ve been taking some time to enjoy the things that I love. I really enjoyed watching “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck.” Hit me up with some more recommendations.

By: Ryley Chorowiec 2/5 Muse… My hopes and expectations were turned into black holes and revelations. In their eighth studio album, The British alternative prog rockers dive deep into their long and unholy obsession with infusing electronic elements into their already complex music. Simulation Theory takes the listener on a polarizing extra terrestrial journey which after 40 minutes, might leave you with quite the headache. The Devonshire trio and their overuse of 1980s synthesizers and electronic beats is nothing new. Our first major experience with this was on their 6th album, The 2nd Law, where the band shocked many listeners with their incorporation of Skrillex-like noises. Simulation Theory ramps these sounds up to an 11, making it difficult to pick out the most honourable artistic qualities from the music. The album art, created by Stranger Thing’s artwork designer Kyle Lambert confirms my suspicions on just how much Netflix Matt Bellamy and the rest of the guys have been watching over the past three years instead of diligently working to release a better quality of music. Although I don’t question the bands devotion to their craft, it seems as though this album was easily thrown together as an attempt to crush Spotify and Apple Music charts. Being co-produced by Timbaland, maybe this shouldn’t have come as such a surprise to me. As a big Muse fan, I was naively hoping this record would be a return of their original stylistic elements. The band’s 2015 release of Drones saw the trio return to a slightly more original rock sound, unfortunately while still not packing very much of a punch at all. From the beginning of the album, it seems as though Muse are still bitter about losing their 2012 battle for the James Bond theme song against Adele’s “Sky Fall.” The vibes in the opening track “Algorithm” made me feel like they’re on a Liam Neeson mission which requires them to be on a space shuttle, set in 2055. Sure, chomp on a purple mushroom cap or two and give it a listen-it might be your thing. However, a sober mind can only take so much noise at once. As I listened to the album I found it extremely difficult to pick out sounds I liked due to the overwhelming hum and buzz of electronic sample pads and outer-space synthesizers. The special effects on tracks like “Propaganda” and “Blockades” make listening unbearable at certain points, while tracks like “Pressure” and “The Dark Side” might just have your feet shuffling across your bedroom floor. Funny enough, it appears the bands leading two singles “Dig Down” and “Thought Contagion” might just be the worst tracks on the whole record suffocating you with their innovative sounds. There’s no doubt that Matt Bellamy’s vocals are the highlight of this album. Bigger and better than ever, he makes a habit of reminding us just how hair raising and mesmerizing his vocal range can be. It’s a shame that both Matt’s vocals and guitars are often drowned out by the pulsating electronica that comes with every new Muse album. When audible, Bellamy’s guitar tones are creamy and fuzzy, with Brian May-like undertones. Bassist Chris Wolstenholme carries the rhythm section throughout the album with groovy and fluid bass lines, meanwhile I would likely be able to recreate Drummer Dominic Howard’s performance via garage band drum machines in my basement. Overall, we can definitely classify this record as innovative. Muse have long experimented with electronic elements within their music, and this is truly a huge dive into the murky waters of electronica and over production. If one thing is certain, Muse definitely has one of the most loyal fanbases on the planet. The trio’s fans will eat up pretty much anything they put out- and keep jamming arenas until they’re sold out. If you’re looking for something to take you another frequency during some type of psychedelic experience, this might just be the album for you. However, I’m going to have a very hard time attempting to listen to this album again with my brain in its average setting. The album has definitely reached success, peaking at No.1 On the UK Billboard charts just earlier this week. With that being said, this record seriously lacks the traditional rock and roll ambience which built the empire Muse now look down upon from their throne, alongside Timbaland, and by the next record, who knows, maybe even Steve Aoki at this point… Favourite Tracks: “The Dark Side” “Pressure” Least Favourite Tracks: “Propaganda” “Dig Down” “Something Human”

By: Andrew Biancanello 5/5 Being their most introspective and thematic release to date, The Story So Far craft a record that is both reminiscent of their staple high-energy pop-punk sound featured on previous efforts, ‘Under Soil and Dirt’ and ‘What You Don’t See’, while simultaneously touching on the somber nature of their self-titled effort from three years ago. ‘Proper Dose’ marks a significant progression in the band’s evolving sound, culminating all of the elements that make them who they are; Kevin Geyer and Will Levy interchangeably delivering rhythm-driven guitar choruses dotted with chiming, folk-inspired leads, Kelen Capener’s warm and consistent bass backbone, Ryan Torf’s intricacy and pummeling drumming stability and Parker Cannon’s raw and passionate vocal delivery. Production of the album was left to the competent hands of Sam Pura who helmed production on the band’s prior releases, establishing the soaring, dual-guitar energy that constitutes the band’s forefront, their polished and acoustic undertones illuminating the band’s tightly-knit distortive moments. While undoubtedly a ‘summer’ album due to it’s both hazy sound and visual aesthetic, reminiscent of the band’s hometown of Walnut Creek, ‘Proper Dose’ summons strong notions of nostalgia and inner reflection, bearing much relevance going into the later seasons alongside their true return to roots. This aesthetic is concerned primarily with lead vocalist Parker Cannon’s focus on drug use and personal growth. Guitarist Kevin Geyer’s performance on keyboards introduces a whole new layer of dimension to the band’s anthemic sound, allowing the album to have its softer, more ambient moments, as featured on tracks ‘Upside Down’, ‘Take Me as You Please’, ‘Line’ and my personal favourite, ‘Growing on You’. These acoustic tracks build upon the more delicate moments of their discography, as featured on their 2015 EP, ‘Songs Of’, showcasing frontman Parker’s ability to transition between his passionate abrasiveness and emotionally layered harmonies. Parker’s melodic focus on this album coincides with his deeply reflective and confessional lyrical content, mainly centered around his transition from marijuana to codeine, as he sings about his struggles of chasing a greater high and defining his own ‘proper dose’. The album’s titular track defines Parker’s struggle to write in his solitude, having overcome the immediacy of the break-ups that inspired the band’s earlier releases. The second track, ‘Keep This Up’ serves as a fast-paced self-warning, outlining the dangers of previous opiate abuse and the damage it’s caused but still focusing on the ‘cadence’ of the future. This song marks the way in which the album permeates an aura of hope despite the severity of Parker’s struggle, as his dialogue with himself is a message of redemption from the dark place in which he found himself. The next song and the album’s first single, ‘Out of It’ elicits Parker’s stagnation in his apartment, number 51, in which he self-reflexively speaks to a version of himself that he is growing tired of, urging himself to abandon the woes of the past and leave the negative vices and voices behind him. ‘Take Me as You Please’ is probably one of the most important songs on this record. Having written three albums about essentially one individual, he finally tells himself to let the bitterness go and remember that it is ‘all love’. He has come to peace with his past relationship and is feeling more confident in himself. The folk-inspired guitar strumming supported by the illustrious organ sounds allow this song to resonate with glorious warmth and happiness, as Parker realizes that his bitterness is fading away in a new light. ‘Let it Go’ and ‘Upside Down’ build upon this theme, the theme of coping with transitions and and the attempt to abridge the damage of past relationships while accepting how love causes much turmoil and how the silence that occurs when it’s all over is overwhelmingly disorienting. ‘If I Fall’ speaks of the fear of relapse and the dangers of codeine while at the same time opening a window of hope as Parker knows that within himself, he can no longer put on a front and is striving to attain his true self and construct progressive goals to work towards. The lead guitar riff at the end of this track is absolutely iconic of the band’s melodic punk sound, the simple yet soaring leads close the song with positivity and brightness, it’s folk-esque tone coincides perfectly with the embedded message of optimism, incorporating the band’s classic one-two-three formula and the warm fade of Kevin Geyer’s keyboard additions. The next track, ‘Need to Know’ is the album’s purest proclamation for help as Parker’s ending lines, ‘save my soul’ define the album’s raw cry for help and his striving necessity of redemption. The track, ‘Line’ places bassist Kelen Capener at the forefront, with his humming bassline providing the album with a mellow break from the brightly aggressive energy. ‘Line’ brings back the lyrics from ‘Let it Go’ in a softer re-imagining, a clever move by Parker, expressing the duality of the quietness and the commotion of his usage of ‘lean’, highlighting the spectrum of lightness and darkness associated with the album’s aesthetic. The song is bittersweet but serves as an excellent prelude to ‘Growing on You’. This next track affirms Parker’s yearning to start anew and his urge to grow and reconnect with those he has lost along his path of turmoil, his friends, ex-girlfriend, brother and family. He expresses sympathy with others who are also struggling, expressing that starting fresh ‘like a blade that’s new’ is his new-found perspective of hope that he has found to regain himself. He is finding his own light but also craves the light of another, to come and help him grow once more. The final and conclusive track, ‘Light Year’ is the song that culminates the essence of the entire album while simultaneously bridging all of the band’s albums together. Being the album’s longest track, it serves as the climax of the band’s work thus far. “How did I get here, feels like a light year, I should have no fear, yet my hands are slick”, Parker’s words here exclaim his awareness of life’s journey through music and that he has ventured on thus far yet still being humble of the fears and struggles that exist a long the way. “Never try to lie to me” reflects ‘Empty Space from 2013’s ‘What You Don’t See, “I asked, and you lied”. What Parker is saying here is that he can no longer handle the mistrust and deceit of the past, he has moved forward and needs stability, he has become too fragile to be damaged by the mistrust of others as he is finally learning to trust himself. The title, ‘Light Year’ symbolizes the brevity of Parker’s musical journey and the band’s journey, as he has had time to reflect upon the scope of his path and how he has both regressed and evolved as a person and as a musician. Ultimately, ‘Proper Dose’ is the band’s most lyrically driven and introspective record that demonstrates the band’s growth as people and as a musical unit. Their maintenance of their punk roots with the incorporation of more indie elements craft a bright, luminous and passionate record that showcases each member’s versatility. The conversational guitars, warm and wavering pulses of the bass, the delicate intricacy of the drums, the lush keyboard soundscapes and hazy acoustics form an intelligently crafted canvas on which Parker vocally paints his deep struggles with substance and past-love, stepping cautiously out into the warm and new-found light of the sun, “I’m stepping outside now. I’ll leave you behind now. I finally came down I’m ready to let it all out…yet my hands are slick.” Having been devoted to listening to this band just before I entered high school, my emotional connection to this band and this record is beyond comprehension. It’s relevance to me both lyrically and musically is something that stems deeper than even I can understand and well beyond the surface of what others see or claim to see. To truly appreciate this record is to truly understand the gravity of the band as a whole and the gravity of Parker as an inspiration and as a reflection of a true and honest human being, opening his heart and soul in the purest and most passionate way possible, all masks removed. About the Author Andrew A. Biancaniello is an amateur writer attending Brock University for degrees in English and History. He is a member of Niagara-based bands Past the Verge and Sunnycide as well as New Union and Occultic. He is currently working on a new project with former members of Headrush.

By: Ryley Chorowiec It’s not just a phase Mom… Sneaky Dee’s, Located at Toronto’s College and Bathurst streets, is one of the cities most infamous music venues. Occasionally described as a modern day CBGB’s, Sneaks is home to world class tex mex, local music, cheap beer, and for the last three years, Homesick’s Emo Nite. Homesick is a weekly club night instalment that occurs every Friday at Sneaky Dee’s. Music curated by Homesick’s resident DJ Alex Payne ranges from pop punk, hardcore, and all the nostalgic tracks. As a devoted fan to Metal and Punk Rock, I realized my attendance at Emo Nite was long overdue. Coming in from the cold, you get through security and enter the toasty, gloomy abyss. As my nose adjusts to the faint stench of stale beer, I walk up a staircase filled with posters for local shows. I soon find myself standing flat-footed, in one of the craziest parties I have seen in a very long time. Theres already an active mosh pit taking place while other skate-rats bounce around the stage, seemingly to be working as homesick’s personal hypemans. A bit odd? Sure, but that’s exactly why I came here. I realized I’ll need a beer before I do anything else, as I was a bit too sober for what was happening. Prices are good: $4.25 for typical bar rail and bottled beers before midnight, $5.25 afterwards. I’m not picky when it comes to what I’m drinking at a dance party like this, but if you’re looking for premium beers or liquor, be prepared to pay a little more. Satisfied, with a beer in both hands, I decide to make my way towards the stage to see if I can have a chat with the DJ. When asked what Homesick is all about, Alex said: “Homesick is a place where we can all embrace the music we used to get laughed at for listening to. This is the music that shaped me growing up, and homesick allows a safe space for everyone to enjoy and celebrate this music together.” Since 2015, Homesick has done exactly that. By welcoming anyone and everyone to the party, Homesick’s Emo Nite is likely one of the most demographically diverse bars you’ve ever attended. This was confirmed to me once I witnessed a seemingly innocent young man in an Abercrombie t-shirt ignite a game of tonsil hockey with a girl wearing fish nets and combat boots. As I struggled to walk around the two new lovers I couldn’t help but think to myself that I just potentially witnessed two completely different worlds collide through the power of music. Regardless, it is very clear to me that this bar is bringing people together in one form or another. I soon decide that I didn’t wear my dancing shoes for nothing, and I better go do my thing. The music is loud, and mostly what I was hoping to hear. DJ Alex Payne allows her creativity to flourish by creating all of her sets on the fly, reading the vibes of the room to choose the next track. Homage was often paid to a few hometown heroes like Billy Talent, Alexisonfire, and Silverstein. Sneaky Dee’s always supports local music, so it’s no surprise that Jordan Black of Like Pacific was guest DJing alongside Alex following his set earlier that night at The Hard Luck Bar. Classic early 2000’s tracks like Panic! At the Disco’s “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” and My Chemical Romance’s “Welcome to the Black Parade” had everybody in the room moshing along, while tracks like Bring Me the Horizon’s “Shadow Moses” invited spin kicks and flying limbs. Even some unsuspecting guilty pleasures such as 3oh!3’s “Don’t Trust Me” were a bop. A few pints later, after a failed crowd surfing attempt and working on a few spin kick moves of my own, I decided it was time to take a break. I headed down to the smokers area outside of the venue to try and better understand what it is that brings people back here every weekend. I stumbled around outside for about half an hour, asking everyone I could find one question; Why are you here and not somewhere else? “This shit is crazy. We do not have this in Egypt”-Yamen “It’s actually my first time, my friends are like…super hardcore. y’know? ” – Sierra “Good beer, Good friends, Good music, Good times.”-Steve “Because i’m truly a scene kid at heart, the drinks are super cheap, and I can wear whatever the fuck i want”-Megan “I keep coming back pretty much every Friday because Homesick is where I go to sing and dance, hangout with new and old friends, and pay tribute to the era of music that really shaped my life into what it is today. Sneaks has definitely become my home of nostalgia for high school memories through the music. Ive played shows here, and its always an awesome room to be in.” -Vijay By the end of the night I had realized that this is much more than a weekly event. This is a community. A community that gather every week to drink themselves halfway to death, blow off steam, and express themselves in a way they may not be able to any other day of the week. My kind of community. Homesick has branched out to numerous cities across Ontario. They have monthly installments in Oshawa and London, while also making pop up appearances in Kingston and Ottawa. It seems as though the community surrounding these genres of music is not only large and ever-growing, but seriously devoted to keeping the scene alive. Maybe you appreciate that, maybe you don’t. Maybe you’re just looking for a place to drink. If I can tell you anything for sure, its that this is the place to go for one wild night. Rating: 8.5/10 Cover: $10 after 11PM Bars: 2 ( secondary bar located on side stage) Music: Pop Punk, Metalcore, Posthardcore, Alternative Favourite Tracks: Coheed & Cambria – A Favor House Atlantic The Used- The Bird and the Worm Jimmy Eat World – The Sweetness Give me a follow on the gram, and stay tuned for some more nights out on the blog. – Ryley

By: Alexandra Rodobolski This post contains spoilers. If you’ve been on the internet at all in the past 48 hours, you would know that Bohemian Rhapsody, the Queen biopic, was just released. The film’s opening weekend grossed $141.7 million worldwide, making it a wildly successful release for its genre, despite mixed reviews from critics. Though Bohemian Rhapsody received only a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I’d have to say this film is nearly perfect. The emotional deep dive into the life of Freddie Mercury and the pulsating rock and roll of Queen’s music creates a film that super-fans and music lovers can appreciate. The pressure of having to recreate the story of someone who was beloved by so many was certainly overcome by the film’s creators. Bohemian Rhapsody offers a look behind closed doors that fans have been highly anticipating. It follows the band from conception to super-stardom, the trials and tribulations of their musical talent being doubted, and band members falling out and coming together once again. The detail put into the story shows that the creators took great care in consulting the people closest to Freddie, even having Mercury’s soul mate, Mary Austin, read and approve the script. Though she’s kept herself distant from the project, knowing that the one person who knew Mercury best thought that the film did his story justice takes the movie to the next level. The film stars Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, whose performance was nothing short of stunning. Even if all else failed, Malek’s performance would surely have the project be one that was Oscar-worthy. His transformation into the Queen frontman has rightfully received praise from Mercury’s bandmates and family. If one thing should be critiqued, it would be the pacing at the beginning of the film. For a biopic, it offers almost no context of how the band came to fame. It seems as though they go from performing in a dingy dive bar, to rocking out on the BBC. Though, with a run time of around 2.5 hours, it’s understandable that some details could not be included. The film ends with a flawless rendition of Queen’s legendary performance at the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium in 1985. This emotionally charged performance has you on the edge of your seat begging that Rami Malek just recreates the entire set. I’m convinced that the creators must have sat down and watched the actual live performance at least one hundred times to get every frame perfect, and it doesn’t go unnoticed. Aside from the story’s choppy beginning, the film’s beautiful adaptation, gorgeous cinematography and larger-than-life performances earn a 9.5/10 rating from me. I’d highly recommend you see this film if you haven’t yet. Whether you’ve been a long time fan of Queen or just enjoy the power of music in general, the celebration of Freddie Mercury is one you can’t miss out on.

By: Robyn Bond 2.5/5 In their latest release, The Arkells manage to deliver a well-produced divulgence into a hybrid of 80’s pop and alternative rock. In doing so, they stray far from their more folk/indie rock roots and it seems some of their authenticity as well, falling victim to a barrage of cliché lyrics except for a few diamonds in the rough. Over the course of listening to this album, one is subject to a whirlwind of different sounds and generic tastings. It seems as though their fifth full-length album displays more of a willingness to experiment with new directions than any previous work. In a sense, the album showcases the group’s ability to pull off different niche sounds. In another sense, it showcases a collection of songs that, as a whole, seem a little incoherent and jumbled. The album starts off strong with the feel good, drum driven and crowd-jump worthy Hand Me Downs. The song features a charming narrative and will definitely be uplifting for their audience. This is one I’m sure will be an introduction to many a live performance, which the Arkells give very well, by the way. Unfortunately after this strong opening track, it’s a bit of a nosedive. Their attempts to seemingly ironically reproduce some 80’s trends of shout back vocals, slappy production and synth-driven melody. For example, on the pump-up track “People’s Champ” and “Eyes On The Prize” fail to do much but parody songs of a similar sound, parts of a genre they seem to be desperately trying to rehash. These songs are very predictable and even cringe-worthy at times. A particularly low point is in the bridge of “Eyes On The Prize”, featuring call and response “everybody say heyooo” between the lead vocals and a choir of children repeated a number of times. Yikes. Although the chorus motif “keep your eyes on the prize baby!” has a charming and catchy melody, it doesn’t get to shine because of the deafening clichés nested in the rest of the song. “Saturday Night” successfully overshadows “People’s Champ’ and “Eye’s on the Prize” as a more originally crafted feel-good pop tune, although the incessant repetition of the chorus makes it a tad bittersweet. It’s a shame those songs are grouped on an album beside almost completely different songs like “Show Me Don’t Tell Me”. One of the most redeeming and well written songs on the album, it is a return to the Arkells authenticity and offers a true breath of emotion. The rolling nature of the instrumentation, effective storytelling, originality of structure and seeming allowance of the melody to carry the song make it a truly exceptional gem on this album. The same goes for “Don’t Be a Stranger”, but for it’s own reasons. It features one of the strongest vocal performances and most tasteful examples of mixing on the whole album. The vocal production takes inspiration from Cage The Elephant producing a similar fuzzed out energy and catchiness. The punchy and prominent drums in this song pave the road for energetic and well-placed changes of pace. It is one of the least blatantly predictable songs on the album and shines through the rest. The same can be said for the groovy Company Man, which features a nice surprise of heavier guitar parts accompanying the chorus. Overall, Rally Cry lacks flow. It seems as though The Arkells dip their toes in a number of ponds, but just a few too many. The band has some serious work to do when cutting the fat on their albums. It is a fun listen and is sure to provide some great additions to their live show arsenal, but as far innovation and comprehensive strength there’s work to be done on the next record. Favorite tracks: “Show Me Don’t Tell Me”, “Hand Me Downs”, “Don’t Be A Stranger” Least favorite tracks: “Relentless”, “American Screams”, “Peoples Champ”, “Eyes On The Prize”

Were throwing a party, with a really cool line-up. You’re invited. Heres the deets: When: November 29th Where: click here Tickets: $10 at door, or buy in advance here The Command Sisters Electric guitars, sister harmonies, award-winning songwriting, and an exhilarating live show; these are a few reasons why the Command Sisters have been turning heads internationally, earning nods from the likes of Guitar World and NME. And with their pop debut on the horizon, this is the calm before the storm. ​ From their latest efforts, the girls collaborated with platinum producers Disco Fries (Tiesto, Krewella), which resulted in progressive dance banger “Earthquake” (Armada), heard on The Today Show with 2.5m+ streams to-date. ​ Following the success of this collaboration, the Commands felt there was more magic to be made. After a short trip to New York City, the two duo’s wrote and recorded 8 tracks together in the span of 3 days – which later became the Command Sister’s highly anticipated pop debut, which will be released early 2017. Picture HAIM’s sister harmonies, Taylor Swift hooks, mixed with Phantogram’s edge and a whole lot of distortion – and you have the Command Sisters. Quinn Mills and the Common Era “Quinn Mills is the REAL DEAL!” That’s high praise for the 17 year old singer-songwriter coming from professional musician/producer Buddy Hyatt. Mills is living up to that praise. He has already released two singles, “James Dean” and “Take It”, and played legendary venues like The Bitter End, Pete’s Candy and The Sidewalk Café in New York, and The Silver Dollar Room and The Linsmore Tavern in Toronto. He has even performed at the highly esteemed New York Songwriters’ Circle Showcase. Mills has worked with some of the best in the music business: Buddy Hyatt (Toto), Nir Z (studio drummer for John Mayer and Jason Mraz), and Chad Cromwell (Neil Young’s drummer). Mills is a gifted guitarist who writes pop, R&B songs that have catchy melodies and lyrical depth beyond his years. At 16 years old, Mills was signed by Dan Marshall and Tom Petrone to a management and publishing deal with their company MP Music House. Mills also plays keyboards, bass and drums, and even produces his own songs. Mills is now backed by an incredibly talented back up band with 25 year old Chris Buysse on drums and 19 year old Julian Guzman on bass. Kyle Duke and the Brown Bag Boys Multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer Kyle Duke is a rising artist in the indie rock scene. Since moving to New York in 2015, Duke has been hard at work spreading his own lo-fi brand of psychedelic, guitar-driven rock to new audiences with the help of his band The Brown Bag Boys. Following the release of his first self-produced EP Snack Time, and its follow up Aquatic Pop in 2017, Kyle began gaining more national and international interest through Indie and college blog coverage, along with radio play. Since, he has released a handful of singles that lean more into the heaver aesthetic of the punk and metal acts that he grew up worshipping, and continued to expand his following. Come and celebrate the launch of The Soundtrack with these artists that you don’t wanna miss!