Smokey & The Bloozehounds…..sultry bluesy rock n’ roll from right here in the Big Smoke! Drawing influences from classic rock, alt-country, straight blues and even a little grunge. There’s something for everyone with the Bloozehounds. Based on the name I think you better have some beer and/or whiskey close by while listening to them as well. They just released their latest record "Another Man’s Sins" in January of this year and it’s packed with whiskey soaked rock n roll. Listen to the title track to get an idea of what the Bloozehounds bring to the table. They’ll be playing the Painted Lady this Thursday with Yeomans and Flamingo Báy.

Couple of young fellas here from Burlington, Ontario. Hello Harvard has been makin’ some local noise and stealin’ all the young girls hearts lately. Their EP "Silly Things" is set to be released in May. They sound like what would happen if a pop band from the 50’s had a baby with a pop band from the 90’s. They will be playing the Painted Lady on May 5th as part of Canadian Music Week. Here’s their debut video "Falling Fast".

Hamilton has had some really good garage bands come through there in recent years but one that has sort of slid past my radar is Billy Moon. This guy has some really nice garage pop-rock goin on…really catchy melodies with fuzzed out guitars…it’s a perfect combo. They’re most recent release is an EP called "Young Adult". These fellas are worth listening to for sure. Have a listen to "Young Girls" to get a feel of what Billy Moon is all about. Then go see the band LIVE at the Horseshoe Tavern this Saturday Night. – Kris Gies

Funky Jam Trio Toadhouse are back in action! These 3 talented musicians from Hamilton have been on a hiatus for about a year….one of them decided to have a kid can you believe that? Good news is they are back and ready to jam their hearts out for you. Their album "Bufo" was released in September of 2014 and all you really have to do is look at the track lengths to know exactly what they’re all about. I saw them at the Corktown a few years ago and I don’t think they took a break during the whole set I saw. Smooth transitions from part to part as well as song to song. They can improvise if needed and just keep going. All of em sing too. So Hamilton is in line for a wicked night of progressive jam tunes on Friday at the Casbah with Toadhouse, Must Stash Hat and the Human Race. – Kris Gies

Bourbon Fueled Funkabilly Grunge Blues….if that doesn’t sound appetizing to you then I’m not sure we can be friends. That’s how describe Jim Dan Dee. They’re a 4 piece outfit that plays some greasy blues rock jams complete with a heavy dosage of slide guitar and a dash of saxophone to keep it hot. They released an EP last year called "5 Stiff Shots"…which absolutely would go down well while jamming their tunes. The EP opens with "Fucked Up" which also makes sense given the album title. That track is loaded with juicy slide guitar riffage and lyrics you’ll be singing along with by the end of the track. I recommend these guys if you feel like tying one on this Friday April 1st. Jim Dan Dee rocks the Hideout! – Kris Gies

Bluegrass punk comin’ outta St.Catharines. Dirtfight is a 4 piece string band that’ll inspire you to drown your sorrows in a barrel whiskey. What happens after that is up to you…and the whiskey. That’s what the weekend is all about right? They have a few releases available on their bandcamp page. Including their latest single "Hitchhiking With A Bleedy Head". Its based on a true story so that fact along with the title of the song should entice you to listen to how the hell they ended up in that kind of situation. Dirtfight plays with Frankie & Jimmy and Stinkbox tomorrow (Saturday March 26th) at Homegrown Hamilton! – Kris Gies

Bad Reed are a 4 piece alt-rock group from Brantford. They have an interesting mix up in their tunes. Their self titled EP was released in June of last year. The track "Punch It" has grungy guitars wailing away over top of a tight rhythm section but the synth and vocal work is what really stood out for me. The singer has some Grace Slick vocal action that’s slightly mesmerizing. Add in the synth and your mind will be gently spinning throughout the track. A good mix of catchy and uniqueness coming from Bad Reed. You can see them LIVE at Homegrown Hamilton on Friday March 25th. – Kris Gies

3 guys, music and ties…kinda like 5 Guys Burgers and Fries…except these 3 guys can all sing…really well! Xprime are a pop rock outfit from Niagara Falls. They’ve been making a decent buzz around here since the release of their latest album "PM". Not only are these guys extremely proficient at their individual instruments they can all sing and harmonize together damn near perfectly. It’s very impressive to see them pull off their 3 part harmonies live. Their tunes will make you wanna dance and that’s a fact. Listen to "Dance Tonight" from their album "PM" and go see Xprime live on Thursday March 24th at Adelaide Hall. – Kris Gies 

A trio of seasoned vets based in Hamilton; The Zilis have been playing together in some form for almost a decade if not more. These fellas know their rock n’ roll and they can also shred their instruments. Drummer Zander Lamothe and bassist Justin Bozzo have scooped up individual instrument awards in recent years at the Hamilton Music Awards and guitarist Sean Royle with still shred you to pieces. They’ll play all night if you let em and they can improvive with the best of ’em. I highly recommend both of their albums "Sketches" and "Sketches II". They are part of a very deadly lineup at the Cameron House on Saturday also featuring Womb, Olivia & The Creepy Crawlies and The Kerouacs. Tunes at 9:30. – Kris Gies

Live music for a good cause and an absolute SUNDAY FUNDAY! That’s Band for Boobs…the 3rd Annual Event going down at the Casbah in Hamilton this Sunday. The live tunes start at 2PM with Big Rude Jake and goes on all the way until midnight featuring many local artists such as Buckshot Bebee, Melissa Marchese, Ian Andrews, Duane Rutter, Mary Simon, Johnny Debt, King Beez and main gal behind this event Ginger St. James. 25 bucks gets you dinner and a show or you can scratch the dinner and pay 15 bucks for a single ticket. All the proceeds go towards breast cancer research and women’s shelters. So go give them your money and have a really good time at Bands For Boobs #3. Sunday March 20 at the Casbah in Hamilton.

Hello Harvard is a group of nice pop rockers from Burlington. They’re hard at work on their debut EP "Silly Things" which we’re expecting to be released in the next few months. If you want to get a taste of what these guys are all about then have a listen to their song "Trappers". In this tune they challenge you by saying "I dare you to dance with me" but by the time you hear that…you’ll already be dancing! This tune has some serious foot tapping potential. It has the feels of today’s indie rock but with some oldies flare mixed in. It’ll make you wanna groove though. So if you’re feelin’ dancy this weekend you can catch Hello Harvard on Friday Night at the Horseshoe Tavern! – Kris Gies

Pet Sun has finally released their first full length record and it’s about time! If you’ve had the chance to see this garage group from Hamilton live then you’re probably just as excited as I am. They’re "Feel Like I’m Going Away" EP was a bad ass intro to the band but this record takes them to new sonic levels. New track "The Dawn" kicks off the record with a swift punch to the face before sliding into previously released single "Never Quit". I literally can’t handle one of the tunes though…in a good way…you ever been on a bus or in public and you see someone enjoying the music on their headphones way too much? That’s me listening to "It’s So Sweet". However if I needed to choose a track from the album to be my wrestling entrance music it would have to be "Demo Spunk". When the beat kicks in with the vocals is when the pyro hits and I step through the fog and creep through the smog en route to a world championship. This record is the real deal. Pet Sun are currently touring through the States. Catch their CD Release Parties on April 2nd at Doors Pub in Hamilton and April 15th at the Silver Dollar in Toronto. – Kris Gies