Hailing from Kingston, Ontario; this duo consists of Ted Evans and Amanda Pants. By the sounds of it The Meringues natural personalities are cranked up to the max while performing together which gives their live shows a contagious energy alongside their bubbly punk rock. Their debut album drops on Friday October 12^th and contains this lead single “Tell Me Twice.” Give ‘er a spin and check the Meringues release party at the Mansion in Kingston. – Kris Gies

First of all rock n roll never died but if you need proof then crank up this new track from Head. “Your Money” is a rippin’ new tune from this dirty power trio. The guitar sets the tone immediately. You know you’re going to be getting sweaty listening to it. The bass rumbles and the drums thump in great rock n’ roll style. There isn’t enough dirt rock like this around right now so enjoy some Head like you know you want to. Head rocks the Monarch Tavern on November 10th. – Kris Gies

King Beez are celebrating a decade of destruction this year. 10 years of pure surf rock madness. Their new single “Tsunami” is classic King Beez. It ain’t your grandpa’s surf rock. These guys crank it up and infuse it with all kinds punk, metal, and grease. You can witness the Beez unleash all hell across Ontario on their Decade of Destruction tour which includes a stop at their homebase of Cherry Cola’s on October 20^th along with Black Magic Flower Power, NLP and On The Verge. – Kris Gies

Olivia and the Creepy Crawlies are an indie-folk band originally formed in London, Ontario while members attended college together. They now call Toronto their homebase but ventured back to London to record their latest record “Room To Grow” at EMAC Studios with producer Moe Berg and Engineer Rob Nation. The sound is impeccable on the title track with beautiful vocal harmonies throughout. I also particularly like the country & western style lead guitar licks that noodle away as the song progresses. They will be hosting a Double Release Party along with JJ & The Pillars on October 5^th at Lee’s Palace. – Kris Gies

The annual garage/psych extravaganza is back on in Toronto this coming weekend. The Night Owl Festival has brought in some amazing bands from all over the world such as King Khan & The Shrines, Night Beats, Michael Rault, Pearl Earl and the Allah-Las but also boasts some of the top local bands on the circuit. Here are the locals you won’t want to miss:

Brenda – A Deli favorite; Brenda brings a big fuzzy intensity along with a unique loud/quiet dynamic that makes you wanna bang your head and lock your doors simultaneously. Brenda will be playing Friday at The Horseshoe Tavern.

Peeling – A part of the Buzz Records team; Peeling blends pure noise rock with eerie grunge influences. Peeling plays Saturday at Lee’s Palace

Vypers – Heavy garage rock influenced by that California psych sound. These guys have really come into their own with the release of their latest EP “Champion 100”. “Mr.Girl” is a highlight where they add some nice melodies to their garage rock chaos. Vypers also play Saturday Night at Lee’s Palace

Luna Li – She is known as the garage rock princess of Toronto. Luna Li plays both guitar and violin which makes for a wild combo. She released a new single “Silver Into Rain” over the summer and will be playing the closing show for The Night Owl Festival on Sunday at the Rec Room.

All shows will also include tarot card readings, facepainting, colouring and so much more. Ticket and event information here. – Kris Gies

The Poor Man’s Blues Brothers from Hamilton are back with their latest LP of sliding delta demento blues titled "Blues on the Brain". Frankie shreds the slide guitar and percussion while Jimmy staight hollers into a microphone and/or harmonica. Their latest LP is filled with fuzzed out blues, gospel and country tunes. Not only do they crank out bad ass versions of traditional tracks but they always come equipped with some of their very own homemade “Burn Your Blues Away” hot sauce. A must-purchase when you see Frankie & Jimmy live. Which you can do at Doors Pub in Hamilton on October 20^th along with The Jesse James Medicine Show and The Ginbombs. – Kris Gies

Fresh indie rock from Toronto; Jiants blends 90’s alt-rock with “modern indie sensibilities”. Their latest record “Odd Trouble” was released earlier this year. The title track leads off the album with a relaxed pace, in-the-pocket rhythm section and a vocal melody that could be a blend of Coldplay and Neil Young. It has some rural indie rock feels despite being straight from the city. Jiants will be opening for Restorations along with Wild Pink at the Garrison on October 17^th. – Kris Gies

Hot Lips are one of the most talked about bands around Toronto right now. They have an aggressive rock sound with some electronic influences not too far off from a Death From Above style. They are able to achieve this with their bass/drums/synth instrumentation. Their whole vibe has a dark sexiness to it which is apparent in this brand new video for their track “Piranha”. This live-off-the-floor video was recorded at Playdead Cult Studios and recorded/mixed by their longtime producer Josh G. Bowman. Alex Black (bass) and Keith Heppler (drums) lay down a thunderous rhythm while vocalist Karli Forget wails throughout the whole song and even grabs a bass of her own near the end for a slammin’ double bass attack. Hot Lips have a number of shows lined up across Ontario this fall including their single release party at Junction City Music Hall on October 13^th. – Kris Gies

If you’re expecting Grizzly Coast to be a band full of burly bearded lumberjacks then you might be surprised to find that it’s actually the musical project of Toronto based poet Alanna Kavanagh. She released a new single “Zuzu’s Petals” last month. This track is indie/folk mixed with alt-country. It’s a relaxing summer tune with catchy guitar licks carrying on behind the wonderful voice and lyrics. It’s the kind of tune you’ll want to re-listen to a few times to see if you can figure out what she is exactly talking about. Very well put together track. – Kris Gies

Power trio The Mercy Now are veterans of the Toronto indie-rock scene. Although they have been relatively quiet this year they are gettin’ back in the saddle, ready to rip some rock n roll again. On Thursday September 13^th they hit the Bovine Sex Club stage to show off some brand new tracks along with Hot Kid and Garbanzo. The lead single “Because of You” from their latest self-titled record shows the band’s more soulful side. It’s a catchy tune with nice harmonies and a thoughtful sentiment. Be at the Bovine on September 13^th to see what the Mercy Now has been cookin’up. – Kris Gies

The Dreamboats are throwin’ it back to the good ol’ days. The Happy Days perhaps. When life was about root beer floats, writing love letters and selling lemonade (a few of the band’s interests). They put on an old school rock n’ roll show full of dancing and nostalgia. The Dreamboats recently released a music video for the track “Run Away”. As much of a throwback as it is, it still has the volume cranked right up. They will be hosting a special rockabilly night at the Horseshoe Tavern on Saturday September 8^th along with The Surfrajettes and The Greasemarks. Don’t forget your brylcreem! – Kris Gies

Gnarly Horse are a new fuzzy indie band out of Toronto. When I first put on their track “Dopamine” I thought it was going to be a straight up folk tune but then they stomp the pedals and here comes the rock! It turns into a ripper track with some pop punk influences. This track comes off their “Maybe I’m Certain” EP which is available on their bandcamp. Gnarly Horse plays The Baby G on Thursday September 6^th with Gregory Pepper, Girlongirl and Desire Lines. – Kris Gies