Within is an alt/indie folk trio out of Toronto. Or “freak folk” as they say. They play dark, stripped down folk tunes. Definitely leaving plenty of space on the canvas which is a pleasant change to what we are probably used to hearing on a regular basis. The vocalist is rather enchanting with a trippiness to her voice that reminds me of Grace Slick or Dolores O’Riordan. They recently released an EP “Young” and below is the title track first single. – Kris Gies

Wasting Time are a pop-punk band from Toronto specializing in mean-spirited jokes and acting like twelve year olds. Twelve was a fun age. They released a new record in May called “Tales from the Morgue”. Track 2 is titled “Hang Out At The Beach (Slapfish Tacos)” and I knew I would like that tune immediately. Hanging by the beach and driving an El Camino is all I ever really want to do so they these fellas basically nailed it. They play Sneaky Dee’s on July 6^th opening for LETDOWN along with Gold Route and Closer to Zero. – Kris Gies

Local genre-bending gypsy rock band The DropUps have been hosting a bi-monthly event at the Junction City Music Hall called “Put Your Boots Up.” The event has grown a steady following as The DropUps introduce various other interesting bands. Saturday June 16^th is the sixth “Put Your Boots Up” event and along with The DropUps, the event will feature Montreal gypsy-punk band Fidel Fiasco and local trash-folk act Jack Daniel’s Band. Have a look at The Drop Ups latest video “Sheffield Lights”. Doors at 8. 5 Bucks. – Kris Gies

David Madras is a singer/songwriter from Toronto making nice sounding Americana/roots tunes. Similar to a Justin Townes Earle kinda vibe. He just released a new single “Hercules”. This track carries a nice rhythm with a crisp sounding lead guitar while lyrically it seems more melancholy. That dynamic helps add layers to the track as a whole. You can see Madras perform at Open Tuning on Clinton St. on June 9^th. – Kris Gies

Fuzzy grunge rock band Lush Buffalo hang around with a lot of the great garage bands currently occupying some of the best venues in Toronto. I would say their garage sound is more Seattle and less California. By that I mean more straight up head bangin rock and less reverb and echo. Meatpuppets, Melvins and Bleach is what I’m hearing. Cool tunes on their self-titled album. Lush Buffalo plays The Baby G on Friday June 8 with Jean Daddy, D-BOY and Jeepay Lovecraft. – Kris Gies

Cherry Blaster rolls on with a new tune just released titled “Demo Reel”. The track opens with deep synth and a carnival-like keyboard floating over top. There are some deeper thoughts in the lyrics though as she explains:

“I’ve never been particularly good at taking initiative in social situations, and this has often allowed me to retreat behind walls of self-protection. Demo Reel paints a picture of what I initially feel from this vantage point”.

See Cherry Blaster perform live on June 17^th at Handlebar. – Kris Gies

Soul singer Laura Cole is back with the follow up to her award winning “voodoo rock” album “Dirty Cheat.” Her new project was recorded at The Pool House and self-produced along with bandmate Chris Chiarcos. The title track sets the tone for this “Hawaiian Soul” album and the timing of this release couldn’t be better as the summer starts to heat up. This tune will have you looking for the nearest piece of shade to sit back, relax and enjoy your own piece of paradise. It’s out there somewhere for everyone. “Piece of Paradise” will be available online on September 21st however you can score a physical copy of the album at their release party being held at The Music Hall – New Vision United Church in Hamilton on Saturday June 2^nd. – Kris Gies

Neavv (formerly known as GRAY) is a Toronto based artist who makes alternative synth pop along with producer “DV”. Her latest track “So Sick” is like a rockin’ version of a hit pop tune. It has all the synth and thumpin’ kick you would want in a pop tune to crank in your car but also has some real instrumentation and a rippin’ solo reminiscent of an 80’s hair metal song. Listen to the track below to see what it’s all about. – Kris Gies

Ellevator is an alt-rock band from Hamilton representing Arts & Crafts Records. Their self titled debut EP is available now! Here’s how they describe the journey in creating this piece:

“We conquered our fears, learned our lessons, lent our ear to strangers, took advice, ignored advice, played to empty bars, sweat it out with full rooms, bet the farm, spun tall tales, told the truth, rode the highway, took a long, hard look in the mirror, got proud, and stayed humble to bring you this record.”

Ellevator just finished touring Canada where they opened for the likes of Matthew Good and Our Lady Peace. Their next Toronto gig is at the Field Trip Festival on June 3^rd. You can also see them open for The Arkells at Tim Horton’s Field in Hamilton on June 23rd. – Kris Gies

Toronto garage rock duo Rooftop Love Club are back with some brand new music videos from their latest album “Jejune”. Part 2 of 3 has just been released and features the track “Kill It (If You Want It)”. The video follows the main character from Part 1 (which can be seen here) to an empty parking lot where he practices all his new moves however trouble ensues when his skills are put to the test! The track is a bluesy 2 piece rocker that has a next level of heaviness added to it which really helps it rip….or helps YOU rip if you’re the guy in the video. Stay tuned for Part 3 and make sure to check out Rooftop Love Club on June 2^nd at the Horseshoe Tavern when they open up for Teenage Head. – Kris Gies

Toronto punk-surfers Knifey have released a new music video for their track “Serf.” Shot on a cold, windy beach earlier this year the video shows the guys wearing sweatshirts and crushing beers in interesting ways…among other things. Really catchy tune as well. Here’s what they said about the video:

“When coming up with a video concept for ‘Serf’ we wanted to create something that was fun and reminded us of those almost cheesy pop punk music videos of the late 90’s and early 2000’s that we all love. We hope our suffering brings you joy.”

Knifey plays The Horseshoe Tavern on May 18^th along with Beef Boys, Vypers, Lush Buffalo and The Killer Wails. – Kris Gies

Grounders released a brand new record in late February of this year. It’s hard to pinpoint all the influences they combine which I say is a good thing. The track “Bringing It In” mostly sounds like a tune from an old VHS movie. The bass and keys carry the tune right from the 80’s directly to your ears. It’s got funk and psych vibes thrown in as well. They went down to SXSW after the release and have now announced their Toronto release party for “Coffee & Jam” will be May 19^th at the Baby G along with Carl Didur and Champion Ski. – Kris Gies