The Dearly Bereft have put together a great piece of laid-back, beautiful art. Funeral Music, while dark and haunting, and sometimes completely terrifying, is a unique collection of music. Made up of pieces of several long standing bands from the Peel Region, the band really came together with a hard hitting record. From Laura Palmer, taking musical cues and title from the murder-mystery show Twin Peaks, to the ambient-folk of Some Devil, the Afghan Whigs-meets-country of Radio In The Funeral Parlour, and the rock-out finale of So It Goes, this record was short, sweet, and not a moment of filler to be found. I really loved these 7 songs, and can’t wait to see what’s still to come. December 27th, come out for a holiday matinee show at The Central, starts at 1pm sharp.

Cody W

 Drawing from indie electronic and dance-pop music, BLAJK are creating a mellow backdrop to the night of your life. Layers of vocals, light guitars, synths, clicks and pops all creating a bouncing, but laidback groove to really pound the dance floor. New single French Class seems to draw from popular electronic acts like The XX and USS, finding a happy mix between trance-like romantic production and emotional vocal and melody. BLAJK are having a night out at the Drake Hotel on December 18th, with Zords and Mune, so bring your favorite person and your dancing shoes!

 DeerGod sure help get the blood pumping. Their “Still Coming” album is fill to the brim of blasting drums, searing guitar leads, pure poison lyrics and energy in spades. The opening track is an ambient noise opening that swells into Beggar’s Canyon, which kicks the doors wide open. From the mile-a-minute assault of raw punk rock, to the dreamy, ambient groove of Trees and Nimbus Break keep every second of new music fresh, never doing what you’ll predict they’ll do. DeerGod are playing their last show of the year on Dec 19 at Wasted Space in Oshawa, for a benefit gig to raise funds for PFLAG; Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. I can’t think of a better way to raise money for a good cause.

 Cody W

 Fresh in the Toronto scene, Stars Algonquin play an easy goin’ kinda rock n’ roll. They just released their debut EP "One Million Stars" late November. The track "Everything is Blue" has a laid back 70’s feel to it; the harmonies could be straight from the 70’s for all I know. It’s almost ELO meets Boston. These guys must have afros. Along with the classic vocals, the tune features some groovy bass lines in the verse and spacy guitar licks in the chorus. Cool tune. The next track "July 13" has a slow intro that turns into a straight up pop rocker that picks the pace up a bit. Sounds like it could have landed on Tom Petty’s Wildflowers record, and I hear some Sloan influence in the chorus too. It’s a nice, catchy, jangly track. This band is brand new, so check their facebook page for upcoming shows and other news.

Kris G

Pet Sun has been one of my favorite bands to come around in the last year. They have 2 EPs and a single "Never Quit" available right now, but new tunes from them have been long awaited to say the least. Their new EP "Shade Driver" has three tunes on it. The first is a 6 minute dirty masterpiece "Dark Planet" which begins with a sweet guitar lick and a mellow groove. It expands into a full on garage onslaught for the chorus. Hold on, cause half way through they slow the pace down and turn the fuzz up ,which, in turn, essentially f*cks shit up. It’s captivating; you’ll get lost in the "Dark Planet". The following tune "Zenifer" is their fuzzy pop song; catchy rhythms and a sweet ass solo to finish it off. "Mrs. Warp" is the next track which has an extended guitar/vocal intro and an intense doom vibe. When the drums kick in it has a slow head bangin’ feel to it. These guys like to tease; obviously I’m excited that they are releasing new tunes, but I just selfishly want a full record already! Go get "Shade Driver" by Pet Sun on physical disc or digital now!

Kris G

 For some reason, I thought that good pop-punk was a genre that died in the 90’s, but Brampton based four piece band Stockholm Siesta has proven me very wrong. They released their EP, Fixin’ To Be A Lot Better, and it has quickly become one of my favourite records of this year. The opening track, Cannibals, brings to mind bands like Blink 182 with it’s sweet mellow melody over some pretty subtly dark lyrics. Dance of the Dead shows that the band isn’t averse to playing some really fast and upbeat tunes that just make you want to move to the beat. Ask Me How is the song that really stands out to me and kind of won me over on this EP. There’s just something about that smooth guitar melody, and I’m kind of a sucker for any song with a good build-up at the end. It doesn’t hurt that the vocals are one hundred percent spot on here. The boys appear to have something in the works in terms of new releases, so stay tuned.

Mike B

 Bike Thiefs are full out; they hit the ground running right from the start. The new EP, These Things Happen All The Time, is short, and not even close to being sweet. Punishing, blasting beats with soaring, grating vocals make for a mean punk explosion, drumming up flashbacks to your favorite sweaty deafening basement shows. The ones that really let you sleep when you were finally finished fighting your war against the rest of the crowd. “Redline” is the one moment where the band takes their collective foot off the pedal, and still put out a pounding and wailing scream-along, combining a great melody with absolute reckless fun-rock. Bike Thiefs now have physical copies, a la vinyl EP, for sale, and you should get them before they’re gone.

Cody Wright

 When I first listened to Payday off the upcoming album, The Lick Is In The Lisp by Datura Daydream, I really had no idea what to expect or think. However, the Toronto based three piece band has completely blown me away with this amazing (mostly) instrumental track. Payday starts off slow with a super funky bass riff and a catchy drum beat that justs flow so perfectly in sync. Distorted and screechy guitars transition the song through its middle, accented by the song’s few ambient lyrics, and then wraps up with a mellow groove that I still have stuck in my head. Then there’s the video, which you need to see to truly appreciate the song, as it syncs perfectly with theme and feel. Hands down, Datura Daydream is one of the acts I’m definitely keeping my eye on in the upcoming year. Make sure to get your hands on Datura Daydream’s new album, which drops on December 12 with a release party at the Holy Oak, along with guests Love McPherson, We Were Heads, and HAMS.

Mike B

 So I came across this band called Elvyn. Let me tell ya; if you’re feelin’ like some easy going pop rock tunes, you’re in for a treat. They happen to have just released their second album "Valley of the Kilowatt Hour". Opening track "Ellie" is a solid tune, like a Tom Petty rhythm section layered in some Blue Rodeo guitar work and some sweet melodies all over it. The vocals could be straight from the 60s. Muchos catchy, that’s for sure. I will be humming this track in my head for a while. They’re mixin’ up some straight power pop with almost a Nova Scotian edge to it and I think you’ll like it. Elvyn is doing a double album release party with Run With The Kittens (as well as the Alpacas) on Friday December 11 at the Horseshoe Tavern.

Kris

Vancouver-born Tara Beier is an impressive tour-de-force – actor, director, and one hell of a singer-songwriter. Last year, Beier independently released her debut EP, Purple Trees, which was met with great reception and put her on the map as one of Canada’s unique folk acts. Beier’s combination of styles and sounds, ranging from simple acoustic ballads to catchy pop-like melodies prove that she can take any vibe and truly make it her own. The song Mayan Sun in particular has a sound that just sticks in your head. Earlier this year she recorded her upcoming album,  Hero & the Sage (release yet to be dated), and released the title track. It’s got a smooth and memorable acoustic melody that helps show off Beier’s impressive vocal range and talent. If I were you, I’d make sure to check out Tara Beier along with The Silverthorns at Hugh’s Room on November 30th.

Mike B

 Jennifer Budd brings the flow and mean old school R&B vibes with her debut album “Lip Service”. Hints of gospel, blues, and funk blend together to make a raucous entrance, lit up with slick production and some classic horn stings to drive the point home. From the slippery groove of album opening “Church”, to the rock-n-soul of “The Colonel”, this album brings a full and honest effort of an artist showing her raw physical talent and emotion. Lead single “Don’t Even” starts in the small dark corner of an after hours lounge, and ends centre stage in a flurry of flashing lights. “Lip Service” drops November 13th, with a release party at the Park St Gasworks, Hamilton, November 14th.

– Cody Wright

  Pretty Odd is a pretty fitting name for the Mississauga based 5-piece alternative rock band, and they just released their impressive latest album, The Drab. “The Drab” really encapsulates with catchy drum beats, mellow psychedelic guitar riffs and smooth vocals, but pushes the band into more of an experimental rock sound. Pretty Odd loves to change groove and time, which takes a lot of talent, and keeps a first time listener on the edge of their seat. Vocal heavy songs like Stood in Waves show off and emphasise the clever songwriting without coming off as pretentious. The diversity in the album’s sound listening through almost feels like listening to more than just one band – after a couple songs, I had to check to make sure I was still listening to the same artist.  Overall, The Drab is a unique experience that sucks you in and keeps you there until the end of the album. I can’t recommend this enough to anybody looking for a new sound that combines a whole range of alternative genres. Keep an eye on Pretty Odd, because they’re only going up from here. Check them out with fellow Deli band Denim Skeletons, Nov 27 at Clarke Memorial Hall in Mississauga.

Mike B