This 4 piece band from Ottawa really are the kings and The Cardboard Crowns have got the crowns to prove it. That makes their music royalty. So take a long listen to their latest record "Global Citizen". The opening track "Pulling Teeth" has some Atlantic Canadian rock vibes to it. Borderline celtic rhythm mixed with some straight ahead punk rock. They call themselves a blend of ska/reggae/punk and this comes flying out at ya in the title track of the album. These guys have got a killer fusion of genres, paired with nice groovy basslines, and a drummer who does an outstanding job of keepin it real. It’s still summer, so throw the crowns on the ol’ pod while you’re cruising in your Jeep YJ, roof down, and enjoy. Or better yet go check out the Cardboard Crowns at the Garrison 08/21 – Kris ‘Big City’ Gies

The well dressed, lovable scruffians from south-western Ontario are back en-force. With a new double a-side single, singular story arc music videos to match, Oh Geronimo are bringing their unique branch of electric-folk to music fans and high-fantasy fans alike. The new 7”, The Flood/Waves (TheFlood-Pt2) is crisp, clean, heartfelt, heartbreaking, and just plain good. The Flood retells the story of the band’s cliche, poorly maintained college rental house, the walls leaking and drenching their home and belongings in a seemingly unstoppable layer of misery. Allegory to the difficult, transitory period of time that comes with growing up, The Flood maintains a beautiful, determined outlook at a bleak, seemingly unsurmountable problem. The swirling, swelling music that accompanies is amazing in it’s layers, both rootsy and rocking, electric and eclectic, banjos and crashing drums painting a dreary, energetic picture behind dreamily harmonized vocals. Waves, part 2, is equally as moving, with the music growing and pulsating bigger and louder than it’s counterpart, but the lyrical content taking a crushing dark look at the truth; sometimes, it just doesn’t work out. Love and life have ups and downs, it’s typical but unavoidable. More unfortunately, not every story ends on a high note. Waves is seemingly short, with a terribly abrupt ending, as if we all drowned with the band, swallowed by the sorrow that can engulf us from time to time. The one upside is this; the music that emerged from the darkness is gratifyingly intelligent, nuanced and energizing, and altogether reassuring, as the darkest of nights usually end with the brightest of lights. The videos to go along with the new 7” are a tribute to high-fantasy, borrowing from the likes of Tolkien and George RR Martin. The costumes all seemingly genuine (I hope it’s not real fur for the leg braces, folks!) and the acting and effects on par, it’s a joking-but-not-really-joking take on fantasy realms from the Lord of The Rings and A Song Of Ice And Fire novels. The camerawork and editing capturing the dim and bleak feeling from the songs, as well as matching the aesthetic from the film/television adaptations of the novels, are wonderfully shot. The dedication to character and scene makes you wonder if all involved enjoyed themselves, with their shredded clothing and ever-present drowning (both in theme, and literally). Focusing on a band of travellers, ambushed in the first video, and confronted by an evil sorcerer in the second, our heros are left with an equally unsure ending from the singles themselves. We don’t find a conclusion, we just see the leader of the band, in both senses, up to his neck in rushing water with no help in sight. Find them playing 08/20 @ The Rivoli – Cody Wright

When a band classifies their sound as “Pussy Rock”, one can only assume they’re merely taking the piss out of themselves. But there really is something empathetic about Boat Culture’s sound. That’s not to say the tracks on their EP Half Old lack a backbone. Boat Culture have patented a style of punchy power-pop occasionally tinged with swirling reverb. All this is successfully expressed without an ounce of jangle. So many bands feel the need to get all jangly with their sound when exploring this territory. Not Boat Culture! Each song on the EP holds it’s own so well, it’s hard to pick a standout track. So we’ll let you decide which one is best. With that said, it would be wise to catch them at The Smiling Buddah on August 20. Don’t miss out! -Chris PJ D

These days, it’s common to find fans of indie rock with a nostalgic appreciation for early 2000s mainstream pop punk. While some dismiss it as a sound of yesteryear, others, like Hamilton’s No King For Countrymen instead choose to embrace the sound while incorporating it in their own style. The content on their recent EP A Year In Recovery channels this influence with modern indie rock production, resulting in five powerful tracks full of charging rock tempos and retrospective lyrics. “Alright You Win” a tour de force of heavy guitars, pulsing basslines and the signature passive-aggressiveness found in pop punk lyrics. No King For Countrymen have made a science out of blending introspective content with bursts of indie rock energy, all neatly packaged together with clean production. The Countrymen will be bringing their signature sound to The Cavern in Toronto on August 20. -Chris PJ D

There’s nothing worse than when your extra value meal comes with old fries. Anyway, Toronto band, New Fries in all honesty…they might be insane. Listening to their 2014 EP Fresh Face Forward, their tunes are quick, rockin’ and trippy with most of the songs timing out under 2 minutes. The bass lines are groovy and the drums hold the fort, but it’s the vocals that really stand out. Although imposing at first, I found myself really interested in what the messages were behind the jumble of madness, that is the New Fries. Keep it fresh, indulge in some New Fries, They’ll be playing at the United Steel Workers Hall on Saturday August 8 –Kris Gies

There seems to be an influx of reverb-heavy power-pop these days. That’s no knock, either. It’s hard not to be suckered into the swirling layers of tender vocals and hook-heavy garage rock. Something about it just screams summertime. Toronto’s PONY is no exception. Their recent Crushed EP depicting a marker- coloured pop can on the cover is symbolic of a more innocent time when summer romances were as fragile as, well, a pop can. Such is the subject matter on each of the four tracks. Sometimes it’s harder determining what is more fragile, the guitars or the vocals pleading for lost love. In this territory of indie, Alvvays and Best Coast are the true frontrunners, but PONY are not far behind at all. Catch them at The Silver Dollar Room on August 8th. – Chris PJ D

Blue-eyed-cottage-soul, bringing the groove and the vibe. The Naked Wild sure are. Bare, super-clean production, and great energy make for some superb late-night, laid-back party songs you could play all day long. Throwing back some mean guitar licks and air-tight rhythm, the boys make the record sound fun, and like they had fun recording it. “Brett’s Song” has lead singer Nick belting out some fun-rhyme schemes coupled with some real-rock out moments, with brother/lead guitarist Mitch really ripping through the whole tune. “Neighbour” calls back to a 50’s pop-groove, coupled with a modern-ambience that makes you wonder why you haven’t it heard a million times already, as the bassline pops and skips around them. “Rabbit Proof Fence” has some beautiful melodic moments, even a post chorus “la-la-la” that I dare you not to catch yourself singing later. Last but not least “Summer” finds Mitch taking over the mic, with a raspier take on a song that begs to be played as a backdrop to the start of a night-to-be-remembered. The mellow verses and rock-chorus serve as a great close to the short but sweet EP. All in all, Beauty Fools catches the essence of what playing music with friends is supposed to be, fun, and hopefully loud. Make sure to Check out their full EP, and keep up to date with their facebook for up-coming shows. – Cody Wright

Bad Dad & The Pool Girls have been charming the local scene for a couple of years now with their soul-infused, west coast melancholic folk rock. In fact, “charming” pretty much sums up everything about this band. Their description on their facebook page (which you can go ahead and “like” right here) states that their music is “where old souls meet young bodies.” This frame of mind resonates perfectly throughout their recent self-titled LP. Over the course of nine tracks, the music morphs from a west coast folk style to a melting pot of funk, soul and indie. Lyrically, it’s all over the place, with the majority of the songs either about laying down the funk on a member of the opposite sex (“Lay It On Me”, “Get Down”) or a good ol’ fashioned murder ballad (“Bloody Murder”, “Forty-Five”). Somehow, someway, the BD/PG’s are able to make these subjects mesh behind catchy melodies. Mr. Bad Dad and his pool girls will be playing their hazy summer tunes at The Silver Dollar Room on August 6th. – Chris PJ D

Lips-a 3 piece rock band based out of Toronto, they’re a Self proclaimed "terrorist glam rock" band…and I couldn’t agree more. Last year they released a track called "Painkiller" with a crazy music video, which uses clips from a short film called "Girl In the Rubber Mask"; written and directed by Franck Blaess. The song is a straight ahead rocker with serious 90s vibes, steady drums rock along in line with the driving bass line as the guitar sprinkles in some tasty treats throughout the verse. Overall the song captures a great vibe, with good harmonies over the chorus, and a singer who doesn’t lack in keeping things interesting. These guys appear to be new on the scene; however, they headlined Lee’s Palace last week, if you missed that, you can see them on 08/03 @ Horseshoe Tavern. – Kris Gies

In a musical era where there exists a plethora of easily likeable indie pop bands with an extensive collection of catchy, hook-laden songs, London’s Ivory Hours is a genuine standout. The most surprising thing about this band is that they are somehow still unsigned. However, they’ve benefitted by receiving professional production help from seasoned veterans João Carvalho (mastering) and Dan Brodbeck (producing) on their recent full-length Morning Light. Ivory Hours is a rather young band exhibiting the confidence of experienced musicians through bright, poppy guitar and vocal melodies. Lead single “Warpaint” is chock-full of delicate staccato guitar and tempo changes that mask the lovesick lyrics with lively hooks. Ivory Hours is both figuratively and literally making noise in Canadian indie rock, and are a can’t-miss act at the upcoming Turtle Music Festival on August 1st in Parry Sound. Could be worth the trip, me thinks. – Chris PJ D

This 4 piece blues rock group hails from Burlington/Hamilton, Pete Van Dyk & The Second Hand Band are known for throwing down a nice boogie indie rock combo around town. They have just released a new self-titled album (engineered and mixed by bass player JD Norwood) with a music video for the lead single "Talk of the Town". This track has a bluesy banger of a verse that settles into a laid-back stoner groove chorus "Bad Scene" from this record is pure story-telling blues delight with the swaying rhythm being held down smoothly by JD and drummer Scott Carruthers. Pete leads the group with his howlin’ vocals and sweet rhythm guitar. Meanwhle his younger brother (Shr)Ed.is lighting his Strat on fire shredding the blues away…literally. These guys play @Homegrown Hamilton 07/31 -Kris Gies

Yeomans are bringing tidal waves of lo-fi psychedelic surf rock, right to you from Toronto. Their self-titled EP released late last year, includes four diversely influenced tracks. With a crashing start Big Bike show cases their roots, simple guitar licks, laden with psychedelic effects, paired with lo-fi vocals. They’re mixing up some tasty sounds that’ll make you abuse the repeat button. Head out on this warm Wednesday night 07/29 and catch them play @ The Cavern Bar