French saxophonist Sakina Abdou returned to FIMAV following a sublime solo performance just two years ago at the 2024 edition of the festival. This time, she brought a trio made up of countryman Toma Gouband on drums and Polish pianist Marta Warelis to perform an electrifying set of improvised music.
The show started inauspiciously, with Abdou abruptly darting off stage tending to some forgotten pre-show task while Gouband filled time pacing the stage nonchalantly clapping wood blocks together, occasionally letting pieces tumble to the ground. Eventually Abdou returned and got set in her centre-stage position and waited for the drummer to circle back closer to his kit.
The trio's strategies relied much less on action and reaction to individual choices than is common with improvisation. Rather than mirroring notes or phrases, each player ran on roughly parallel paths, making adjustments to elements of tempo and intensity, finding occasional empty spaces to leap into or, just as likely, provide supplementary silences. In the first half of the concert, Warelis's piano had some very mild prepared elements within its body, creating ghostly layers of harmonics and overtones to enhance her frequently staccato attack. Gouband's kit was very idiosyncratic, with a bass pedal adapted to beat upwards into his largest floor tom and an ever-changing grab bag of objects ranging from bells to tree branches laid across the drums or used as ersatz sticks.
Held within the eye of the other players' storm, Abdou wielded her instrument with a care and precision that still commanded full attention and communicated a passion central to the themes. Switching between tenor and alto seemed to signal times for a change of approach in the other two artists, and provided a reset and resting point in her own play. In the latter part of the hour-plus performance, Warelis stood and added new objects within her soundboard, playing the strings directly while Gouband found a variety percussive sounds that locked him to her in a kind of clattering euphony.
It was persistently engaging, with many surprises leaping out of passages that at first seemed to follow predictable patterns. The connection between the players allowed frequent crossing of invisible boundaries, creating a circumstance where their work was less about musical affinity and more bonded by a management of the auras surround their respective instruments. It had the transcendent quality that elevates improvisation to its highest levels.
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The drone is a musical element that can produce an incredibly varied response from a live audience. Where some easily enter a contemplative space, others are prone to an impatience with the perceived monotony of the sound. Some are soothed by the tonal wash that envelopes them, but others just experience the classic "nails across a chalkboard" phenomena of ear-splitting cacophony. Consider the bagpipes, for example.
Ben Grossman and Katelyn Clark, transplants respectively from Ontario and British Columbia now living in Montreal and performing together as Beast, approach the drone with very pure and historical perspective. Grossman plays the hurdy-gurdy, a kind of enclosed and wheeled violin variant that dates back from the 10th century, an instrument that is somewhat esoteric but familiar by name, if only due to the Donovan song "Hurdy Gurdy Man." Clark manages to out-obscure him with her instrument, the organetto, which apparently had been very popular in the 13th to 16th centuries, especially in religious music contexts, but never benefited from a '60s psychedelic pop revival. The organetto is a small two-octave keyboard that plays notes through what very much looks like some Julia Ducournau fantasy where an accordion is forced to mate with a small pipe organ.
The duo played two extended pieces that concentrated on the timbre of the instruments, making small adjustments to accent and inflection, resulting in a fine-grained sound that entwined their instruments into a single force. The rise and fall that came with each new, slow compression of Clark's bellows suggested an oceanic reverie punctuated by occasional celestial overtones.
For the last piece, they broke the drone's surfaces and played a score that featured a very deliberate back and forth of variations upon a musical measure. In a coarse analogy, it felt a little like a medieval version of duelling banjos, with the core call and response plus slight suggestions of one-upmanship eventually resolved in a harmonic union of melodies. Not that it was going for a comic tone, but it had moments of real gravity, at times suggestive of the "Dies irae" theme notably used in the opening of Kubrick's The Shining.
Overall the show felt part historical reenactment and part ritual. The experience had a curious effect, mostly because the sounds were familiar but channelled through such unusual instruments. It was clear that the spell's effect was powerful enough to draw a good portion of the audience to the stage post-show to quiz Clark on the origin, construction and make-up of her instrument. Perhaps the medieval equivalent of modern pedal board peepers.
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Wherever you land on the whole Geese psyop allegations thing, we can all agree that WIRED's article was informative in shedding light on the icky kinds of marketing strategies being used by big pop stars and indie artists — or, perhaps more accurately, their teams — alike to compete for algorithmic attention online.
Moderators for r/indieheads, the largest indie music community on Reddit, have now called out indie record labels for astroturfing on the subreddit.
UPDATE (5/15, 4:55 p.m. ET): r/indieheads has posted an update, revealing that labels begun getting verified in order to promote their releases transparently.
The subreddit also named one of the labels that had been astroturfing: "One label who will not be joining the record label verification program is Verve Label Group, who we caught operating a burner account solely dedicated to promoting their own releases on Reddit." Verve is usually associated with jazz rather than typical indieheads fare, but there are some exceptions, including Kurt Vile, Bat for Lashes, Everything but the Girl, Phosphorescent, Rufus Wainwright and Arooj Aftab. It's not clear which artists Verve attempted to promote on r/indieheads.
"After some investigation, we have noticed an influx of accounts run by record labels on the subreddit attempting to blend in with our regular user base, usually only posting or commenting about artists/bands that are on the labels they work for," they wrote in a statement issued late last week.
The statement continued, "We are not going to reveal who these labels are at this time, but it was disappointing to find them engaging with our subreddit with a near-total lack of transparency (and it was disappointing for me personally finding out how long some of these accounts had been operating)."
Going forward, the mods will allow labels and distributors, verified by themselves or Reddit, to post and comment, so long as they follow the rules — and any anonymous accounts run by labels, posting about the artists they represent, will be permanently banned upon discovery, as well as likely excluded from future verification.
Any labels interested in being verified to post in r/indieheads are being encouraged to message the mods directly. (Reddit is currently running an alpha test of verified profiles, which have cropped up on this subreddit in particular, mostly in the form of news organizations like WIRED and Far Out Magazine; posting a link to an Exclaim! article from a non-verified account, for example, is banned.)
Some users in the comments section are encouraging the moderators to name the labels, while others suggest they would've been prominent posters in the "new album" threads that drop on Thursday nights.
"There's a reason why Chaotic Good and other marketing companies like them are targeting platforms like TikTok over Reddit, because you cannot easily manipulate trends here like you can there," the mods' statement added. "Or at the very least, you cannot easily manipulate trends on our subreddit, as that's due to the hard work of not only our mod team, but our userbase who have been very good at sniffing out bullshit."
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Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie does an incredibly convincing Russian accent — so convincing, in fact, that he brought it back for another role in a different show.
Having perfected the accent as hockey hunk Ilya Rozanov, the actor also appeared in this week's episode of Apple TV+'s sci-fi drama For All Mankind, making a one-scene, one-line appearance in the eighth episode of Season 5, titled "Brave New World."
Playing a character simply credited as "Russian Spetsnaz Soldier," he warns a Martian-born character, "Mars-y, just remember which side you're on." Given how small the role is, we're willing to bet it was filmed before Heated Rivalry blew up.
Check it out below. The new season of For All Mankind isn't very good, so believe us when we say that it's not worth watching all of Season 5 just for this scene!
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In Scott Thomson's welcome and introduction to the 42nd Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville (FIMAV), the event's artistic and general director outlined some of the new initiatives he was introducing with this edition, the first full scale presentation since he took charge of the festival back in 2024. The main innovation is an improvement of access for the general public, with more free concerts in informal settings as well a couple of shows with low price tickets, underwritten by the town of Victoriaville, to entice the curious to dip their toes into the churning waters of improvised and experimental music. The first such show was also the festival launch with Amirtha Kidambi's Elder Ones.
Described as purveyors of "protest songs," the New York-based quintet certainly filled the bill — both via Kidambi's passionate introductions that called for action against the fascists and oligarchs wielding destructive power in the offices and industries worldwide, and in the fiery play that backed up the rhetoric.
Though the group has the shape and feel of an ecstatic jazz outfit, twin saxophones punching through acoustic bass and drums with Kidambi's harmonium and voice at the centre, their musical barrage blended flavours from punk, South Asian and Arabic song, with tinges of electronic and noise rock.
The songs aimed straight for the heart of current injustices, such as the squandering of resources for profit in "Loot the Future," and the state police tactics of ICE in "Bootlicker Blues." While the pieces mostly eschewed the classic "pause for solo" methodology of jazz and improv, there were several places where band members were spotlit to literally highlight their contribution to the fray. Overt polemics are not necessarily the norm at the festival, though Kidambi rightfully identified the underlying political act that lives within artistic expression, which is something not to be taken for granted.
The short first evening of shows was closed out by Darius Jones and his trio playing music from their current project, Legend of e'Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye). Though Jones has ties with Kidambi and has made music with others from the Elder Ones camp, this show kept to a much more meditative and introspective tone.
Exploring themes of African-American healing, Jones's compositions have a rigorously practised and intellectual structure that holds their energy in check. They had the feel of modal jazz but with a modern ear for turning concrete ideas into something much more fluid.
Bassist Chris Lightcap and drummer Gerald Cleaver played with subtle hesitations and variations on themes, creating peculiar asymmetrical loops that were beguiling. What initially felt a little low-key and safe compared to the preceding show came alive and electric with their piece "Another Kind of Fabric." With elements of minimalism playing with repetition and sudden shifts in tempo, each member of the trio flashed their bona fides while holding things tightly together. It was a concert that spoke with clear declarative language, though without any overt aggression.
By their connection, intersection, and by their disparate natures these first two concerts of the festival provided a welcome to the audiences both veteran and, hopefully, new. It'll be interesting to witness what this new open-armed strategy will yield in their attempts to peak curiosity in the previously uninitiated.
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Yaeji has mapped out a summer DJ tour across Europe and North America, including a lone Canadian stop.
Kicking off in June at D.C. Pride, the trek will bring the singer-producer to L.A. and Rothbury, MI, ahead of a performance at Vancouver's Fortune Sound Club on July 2. From there, Yaeji will perform Seattle, Denver, Austin, Dallas, San Fran and Chicago ahead of crossing the pond for a UK/European stint. The trek concludes with a supporting slot at Robyn's Brooklyn show on September 4.
"ALL ABOARD! DJ TOUR SUMMER 2026," Yaeji wrote in a press release. "can't wait to be playing my favorite tunes for you all summer long.. ❤"
Check out the list of dates below and head to Concert Central to find more Canadian shows.
Yaeji 2026 Tour Dates:
06/20 Washington, D.C. - BERHTA (D.C. Pride)
06/26 Los Angeles, CA - Lights Down Low
06/28 Rothbury, MI - Electric Forest
07/02 Vancouver, BC - Fortune Sound Club
07/03 Seattle, WA - Substation
07/04 Denver, CO - The Church
07/09 Austin, TX - The Concourse Project
07/10 Dallas, TX - It'll Do
07/17 San Francisco, CA - The Midway
07/18 Chicago, IL - Concord Music Hall
07/30 Copenhagen, Denmark - O'Days
08/01 Barcelona, Spain - Nitsa
08/08 London, United Kingdom - Maiden Voyage
08/09 Berlin, Germany - Magma
09/04 Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center *
*with Robyn
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Summer Noise Fest, a new one-day festival, will host its inaugural edition in Oshawa at the Biltmore Theatre on July 11 — and organizers have unveiled the event's full lineup.
Headlined by the Wild High, Summer Noise will also feature sets by Excuses Excuses, the Jailbirds, Double Experience, Army of One and Zaftig.
Doors for the all-ages event open at 6 p.m. with the show at 6:30, so don't be late!
Tickets are available through the Biltmore's website for $33.90 plus a surcharge.
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Toronto-hailing singer-songwriter LØLØ released her sophomore album god forbid a girl spits out her feelings! last month, and now she's revealed that she'll be taking it on the road across the US and Canada this fall on a headlining tour.
After playing several US and Canadian festivals throughout the summer, the god forbid a girl goes on tour! will officially begin at Toronto's Opera House on September 17. She'll play another Canadian date at Montreal's Cabaret Fouf a day later (September 18).
After a run of US shows, she'll return to Canada for additional dates at Edmonton's Double Dragon (October 1), Calgary's Commonwealth (October 2) and Vancouver's Pearl (October 3) before continuing the rest of the tour stateside.
Presales begin May 19 at 10 a.m. local time, which will be followed by general sale on May 21 at 10 a.m. local time. You can check out the schedule below, and head over to Concert Central for more Canadian tour announcements.
LØLØ 2026 Tour Dates:
09/17 Toronto, ON - The Opera House
09/18 Montreal, QC - Les Foufounes Electriques
09/21 Detroit, MI - EI Club
09/22 Pittsburgh, PA - Spirit Hall
09/23 Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
09/25 St. Paul, MN - Amsterdam
09/27 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre
09/28 Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall
10/01 Edmonton, AB - Double Dragon
10/02 Calgary, AB - Commonwealth
10/03 Vancouver, BC - The Pearl
10/05 Seattle, WA - Barboza
10/06 Portland, OR - Holocene
10/08 San Francisco, CA - Brick & Mortar
10/10 San Diego, CA - Voodoo Room
10/11 Los Angeles, CA - The Roxy Theatre
10/12 Phoenix, AZ - The Rebel Lounge
10/15 Austin, TX - Antone's
10/16 Houston, TX - HOB Bronze Peacock
10/17 Dallas, TX - Puzzles
10/19 Orlando, FL - The Social
10/20 Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade - Hell Stage
10/22 Washington, D.C. - 9:30 Club
10/23 Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live
10/25 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
10/26 Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
Founding Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi has dropped out of the band's upcoming world tour for an undetermined amount of time.
The news was announced via the Strokes' Instagram story, and according to the statement, Valensi's departure is temporary. "Nick will be taking a temporary break from the scheduled tour, but we look forward to his return," the post reads in part.
During Valensi's absence, the band will be joined by Longwave's Steve Schiltz, who some fans will remember from the Strokes' "early NY days."
Though Valensi played at Coachella 2026 with the band, he was not present for a few shows earlier this year, including their stint on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
The Strokes' new album Reality Awaits arrives on June 26.
The "angry Black woman" stereotype has survived generations and currently experiences an unsettling life on the internet. The beauty of Aleshea Harris's Is God Is comes from the spaghetti Western mythologizing of this idea as an ecumenical practice, creating one of the most uniquely visceral films in recent years.
The film follows twin sisters, Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson), both of whom literally and figuratively carry the scars of their father's abuse. Anaia has received the brunt of the disfigurement, with burn scars covering one side of her face, which have caused her to be a bit more apprehensive and taciturn, especially in comparison to Racine who assumes the role of the Rough One and a staunch defender of those who dare remark about her sister's appearance.
Early in the film, they receive word that their mother, Ruby (Vivica A. Fox), is on her deathbed and requests to see her daughters. When the twins arrive, dressed in their childhood Sunday best, they pause at the foot of mother's bed. As Ruby recounts the fateful night, we realize that beneath the long sleeves, face covering and blanket lays a woman covered in burn scars from head to toe, a woman whose life since that night has known nothing but pain and suffering.
Ruby — or "God" to the girls, as Racine reasons mother created them, so therefore she's God to them — delivers her daughters a single death wish: for them to find and kill their father, the reason for all of their horrors in life.
Initially conceived as a stage play that received critical acclaim during its Off-Broadway run in 2018, Harris adapts her original script for the silver screen with such creativity and bold direction, it belies Is God Is's status as the playwright-filmmaker's feature directorial debut. Harris instills a musicality across the film that drives the story, from the exquisitely timed needle drops to the cadence with which Racine speaks to the clattering of the nurses' nails as they braid Ruby's hair. A specific rhythm paces the story to guide audiences, almost akin to the peaks and valleys of a bombastic sermon.
From the outset, we understand the fury of these women. As we journey with them on their way to find their father, we're given even more reasons. Harris ensures we make pit stops along the road to take in the varying experiences of others with this man, the most pointed being Erika Alexander's Divine the Healer, the twins' father's second wife who stood by her man as he faced criminal charges for his violence against Ruby and their daughters. Alexander's energy and comedic timing lend the film subtext and levity — a woman of God laying in wait for her estranged husband to return after abandoning her while pregnant.
Is God Is finds humour in dark places, because what else can we do in the face of evil? In this film, the father (Sterling K. Brown) is evil incarnate. Moving away from his natural baritone, Brown opts for a higher-pitched voice that is absolutely terrifying to witness. Brown's calm and measured Monster brings to life generations who disposed of women as if tossing an apple core out the window, bringing with him the required entitlement to do so.
Harris reclaims the angry Black female caricature society seems hellbent on applying in broad strokes, but she doesn't justify, excuse or explain where the seeds of this trope derive. Instead she builds an epic tale around the concept, pulling from the best acts of vengeance told throughout history: the Old Testament, Greek tragedies, Sergio Leone, Park Chan-wook.
Is God Is will also undoubtedly draw favourable comparisons to Quentin Tarantino in style and tone. As a certified Tarantino detractor, I walked out of Is God Is wondering if this is what Tarantino film bros see and feel watching his movies. If so, I get it now, and thank God I have Harris for my pulpy works of fiction now.
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Every week, we reconnect with our primal hunting-and-gathering instincts to put together The Eh! List, a curated playlist of the best new Canadian music — a place where the latest tracks from faithful CanCon favourites and burgeoning new discoveries collide.
This roundup features fresh releases from Jacques Greene, Shania Twain, CFCF, DijahSB, City Fidelia, Wolf Parade's Spencer Krug, Purity Ring's mmj, Crown Lands and, like it or not, Drake. You can also catch up on the latest album releases here.
Listen below on Spotify or Apple Music.
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So many album releases, so little time. It goes without saying that there is an absolute wealth of new music being released on a weekly basis, so here's a handy little page to help you keep track of what's out today (in bold below), as well as recent releases from the past couple of weeks and what's on the horizon for the next couple.
Look for the little flag emoji to denote fresh homegrown LPs, and check out The Eh! List for more of the week's best new Canadian music.
May 8
Action Bronson - Planet Frog (Independent)
Alaskan Tapes - Blank Slate, Open Space (We All Speak in Poems) 🇨🇦
Basement - Wired (Run for Cover Records)
Beau Nectar - Dandy (Indica Records) 🇨🇦
Black Veil Brides - Vindicate (Spinefarm Records)
Broken Social Scene - Remember the Humans (Arts & Crafts) 🇨🇦
Ray Bull - Please Stop Laughing (AWAL)
Chinese American Bear - Dim Sum & Then Some (Moshi Moshi Records)
Cola - Cost of Living Adjustment (Fire Talk Records) 🇨🇦
Croz Boyce - Croz Boyce (Domino Recording Co.)
Deb Never - ARCADE (GIANT)
Kurt Deimer - A Grog is Born (Bald Man Records)
Olof Dreijer - Loud Boom (dh2)
Fireball Kid - Deer Path to a Shortcut (Born Losers Records) 🇨🇦
Fire-Toolz - Lavender Networks (Warp Records)
The Flatliners - Cold World (Dine Alone Records / Equal Vision) 🇨🇦
Ellen Froese - Solitary Songs (Victory Pool Records) 🇨🇦
General Chaos - Can't Please 'Em All (Stomp Records) 🇨🇦
Greenhouse Ensemble - Mezzanine (Independent) 🇨🇦
Aldous Harding - Train on the Island (4AD)
The Haunted Youth - Boys Cry Too (Play It Again Sam)
Stix Hooper - Cookin' Up the Groove (Stix Hooper Enterprises)
Hoperfilly - Let the Time Pass By (Clause Studios) 🇨🇦
Ingested - Denigration (Metal Blade Records)
Loraine James - Detached from the Rest of You (Hyperdub)
Karcius - Black Soul Sickness (Independent) 🇨🇦
Kiesza - Dancing and Crying: Volume 3 (ZST) 🇨🇦
Khôra & Mas Aya - Primordial Mind (Marionette) 🇨🇦
Nicholas Krgovich - Boss Tape (Orindal Records) 🇨🇦
Abigail Lapell - Shadow Child (Outside Music) 🇨🇦
The Lemon Twigs - Look for Your Mind! (Captured Tracks)
lucky break - made it! (Fire Records)
Lykke Li - The Afterparty (Neon Gold Records / Futures✦)
McCaslin Dahle - MXD (We Are Busy Bodies) 🇨🇦
MUNA - Dancing on the Wall (Saddest Factory Records)
runo plum - Bloom Again (Winspear)
Laura Roy - Late Bloomer Season (AURA Music) 🇨🇦
sadie - Better Angels (Bloody Knuckles)
Social Distortion - Born to Kill (Epitaph Records)
Sunforger - Weight (Cooked Raw / Julia's War) 🇨🇦
Unwed Sailor - High Remembrance (Current Taste)
War on Women - Time Under Tension (Smartpunk Records)
Whitehorse - All I Want Is All of It (Six Shooter Records) 🇨🇦
Aaron Wylder - Brand New TV (Independent) 🇨🇦
May 15
All-American Rejects - Sandbox (Slick Shoes)
Amrita - Amrita (Independent) 🇨🇦
Towa Bird - Gentleman (Interscope Records)
Crown Lands - Apocalypse (InsideOut Music) 🇨🇦
Desiree Dorion - Pieces of Me (Independent) 🇨🇦
Drake - HABIBTI (OVO Sound) 🇨🇦
Drake - ICEMAN (OVO Sound) 🇨🇦
Drake - MAID OF HONOUR (OVO Sound) 🇨🇦
Eluvium - Virga II (Temporary Residence Ltd.)
ES:MO - Sunshine in My Bones (Independent) 🇨🇦
ETA IVtet - Happy Today (International Anthem / Nonesuch)
The Field - Now You Exist (Studio Barnhus)
Peter Frampton - Carry the Light (Ume)
GIVĒON - BELOVED: ACT II (Epic Records)
Gun Outfit - Process & Reality (Upset the Rhythm)
Jont - Walk Right Through (Independent) 🇨🇦
Jungle Rot - Cruel Face of War (Unique Leader Records)
Ivy Knight - Iron Mountain (Scenic Route)
Spencer Krug - Same Fangs (Pronounced Kroog) 🇨🇦
Mad Honey - Bridge over Cumberland (Deathwish Inc. / Sunday Drive)
Maluma - Loco x Volver (Sony Music)
Alex Martin Ensemble - Les pôles Volume I (Independent) 🇨🇦
Kevin Morby - Little Wide Open (Dead Oceans)
Mýa - Retrospect (Planet 9)
Genesis Owusu - REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE (Ourness)
Poolgirl - Still Not Getting What I Want (Petit Village Records) 🇨🇦
Rhododendron - Ascent Effort (The Flenser)
Rostam - American Stories (Matsor Projects / Secretly Distribution)
Dua Saleh - Of Earth & Wires (Ghostly International)
Smerz - Easy (Escho)
SUSS - Counting Sunsets (Northern Spy Records)
Telehealth - Green World Image (Sub Pop Records)
charles tilden - vincible (Independent) 🇨🇦
Touch Girl Apple Blossom - Graceful (K / Perennial Records)
Von Groove - Born to Rock (Frontiers Music) 🇨🇦
Webster - WEB DuBois (Coyote Records) 🇨🇦
May 22
6LACK - Love Is the New Gangsta (LVRN / Interscope Records)
Atamone - Prologue (Nikamo Productions) 🇨🇦
Bleachers - everyone for ten minutes (Dirty Hit)
Crash of Rhinos - Logbook (Independent)
Noah Derksen - Mercy on the Skyline (AWAL) 🇨🇦
Alela Diane - Who's Keeping Time? (Fluff & Gravy)
Dimmu Borgir - Grand Serpent Rising (Nuclear Blast Records)
Kat Duma - Lullaby (Independent) 🇨🇦
Future Islands - From a Hole in the Floor to a Fountain of Youth (4AD)
Hush - For Dolly (Simone Records) 🇨🇦
Hyd - Hold Onto Me Infinity (Cascine)
Simon Joyner - Tough Love (Grapefruit Records / Sophomore Lounge)
JPEGMAFIA - Experimental Rap (AWAL)
Mia Kelly - Big Time Roller Coaster Feeling (Independent) 🇨🇦
Nora Kelly Band - So Wrong for So Long (Mint Records) 🇨🇦
Chantal Krevizazuk - In My Own Voice (Wax Records) 🇨🇦
Tommy Lee - Tommyland Rides Again (604 Records / BMG)
Little Barrie - Gravity Freeze (Easy Eye Sound)
The Living Orchestra - Last Generation (Independent) 🇨🇦
James McGowan Ensemble - Threads of Fate (Independent) 🇨🇦
Mind Enterprises - Negroni Love (Independent)
M.I.M.E - RESURRECTION (Independent) 🇨🇦
aja monet - the color of rain (drink sum wtr)
Ed O'Brien - Blue Morpho (Transgressive Records)
Bill Orcutt and Mabe Fratti - Almost Waking (Tin Angel Records)
Maisie Peters - Florescence (Ginger Bread Man / Asylum Records)
Trevor Sloan - Sparrows Sing While Leaves Decay (Independent) 🇨🇦
Spouses - I Could Be Your Dog (Kálfholt Records) 🇨🇦
Stranger Still - We Might Not Tell Everybody This (All-Set!) 🇨🇦
We're still waiting on those May flowers all those April showers were meant to give, but at least we have streamers to brighten up our days.
Jon Bernthal gives us the most this month with two one-off specials that hope to give Punisher and The Bear fans exactly what they need, and he's at least half successful. Also returning to the streaming waves is Richard Gadd, with his hotly anticipated follow-up to Baby Reindeer. Documentaries also return to the fore this month, with a celebrity profile and two cultural investigations leading the charge.
For more recommendations, read our past editions of Tune In or Turn Off here.
Tune In: The A List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas
(Crave)
Documentarian Eugene Yi directs the latest installment of HBO's The List docuseries that examines various underrepresented communities in media. (Previous chapters include The Black List, The Trans List, The Out List and The Latino List.) For the humorously titled The A List, Yi interviews members of the Asian diaspora ranging from Kumail Nanjiani and Sandra Oh to Connie Chung and Tammy Duckworth. Interestingly, Yi also includes Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, drawing audiences in to question the umbrella term of "Asian American." Interviewees provide intimate, thoughtful and uplifting stories that encompass the community with nuance and acceptance.
Tune In: The Bear, "Gary"
(Disney+)
The surprise prequel episode no one asked for but The Bear fans deeply deserve. The one-off hour-long special offers viewers a glimpse into the world of Mikey (Jon Bernthal) and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) before Mikey's untimely death and the beginning of the series proper. It's a buddy road trip filled with a few laughs but mostly tense exchanges and a massive breakdown — classic Bear activities. The final season of the once-great series begins on June 25, and hopefully Season 5 builds upon "Gary" in a meaningful way.
Tune In: Half Man
(Crave)
Following on from the massive success of Baby Reindeer in 2024, Richard Gadd returns to streaming with a series somehow darker and more intense than the multi-Emmy-winning Netflix miniseries. Half Man takes us into the world of step-brothers Niall (Jamie Bell) and Ruben (Gadd), from their violent and loyal childhood to their uneasy and volatile estrangement in adulthood. Flipping back and forth between past and present, Half Man considers masculinity unapologetically and with a bracing honesty the world requires right now.
Tune In: Marty, Life Is Short
(Netflix)
One of Canada's most beloved comedians, Martin Short is currently experiencing a late-stage career resurgence thanks to Only Murders in the Building and his live touring shows with Three Amigos co-star Steve Martin. It only makes sense, then, that Short would be the subject of the latest celebrity profile by Netflix. The movie takes us through his early days in Hamilton and Toronto before setting sail for Hollywood, where the '80s brought movie success. Those aware of Short's life know the many losses he experienced in his youth (his older brother and parents all died before Short reached 20 years of age), as an adult (his beloved wife Nancy Dolman succumbed to cancer in 2010), and in the very recent (long-time friend Catherine O'Hara and his daughter Katherine died earlier this year; the documentary is dedicated to both). So it becomes especially touching that Marty, Life Is Short be a celebration of the joy Short experiences in his life and the joy he's brought to others.
Turn Off: The Punisher: One Last Kill
(Disney+)
Unlike Jon Bernthal's other one-off streaming special above, The Punisher: One Last Kill adds little to a fan-favourite series. Although Netflix's final Punisher series dropped seven years ago, Bernthal's re-emergence as Frank Castle in Daredevil: Born Again gave the character a second life, prompting One Last Kill. While the stunts are cool, and the final sequence rivals anything Marvel's done, Bernthal waves at the opportunity and fails to give Castle and the Punisher any noteworthy development.
Turn Off: Roommates
(Netflix)
Roommates marks Chandler Levack's second go as a director-for-hire. Unlike the Canadian series My Dead Mom, Jimmy Fowlie and Ceara O'Sullivan's script doesn't offer Levack nearly enough to make this direct-to-Netflix film her own. The bones of a good college comedy exist somewhere within Roommates, but they're just not sturdy enough to support an earnest college try from one of Canada's most promising directors.
Tune In: The Theft
(TVO Today)
For many of us in North America, Afghanistan is known as the country on the receiving end of the US's post-9/11 warmongering. In The Theft, director Aisha Jamal lends the country a far more nuanced and well-deserved exploration. Jamal's documentary focuses primarily on the loss of Afghan culture due to the colonial pillaging of their artifacts, which now sit prettily in museums around the world. The Theft would be an excellent double feature with Mati Diop's Dahomey, which navigates the debate surrounding whether the spoils of war and colonialism should be returned to their home countries. Jamal's offers viewers an important documentary that considers the layered and complicated dynamics at play and the challenges confronting Afghanistan's ability to preserve their culture and have agency over their heritage.
Prog duo Crown Lands have unveiled their latest concept record. Apocalypse is out now via InsideOut Music.
Like its predecessors, Ritual I and II, Apocalypse was recorded entirely in the band's home studio, where it was created almost entirely by themselves. For reinforcement, they called in producers Nick Raskulinecz and David Bottrill.
That continuity aligns with the story Apocalypse tells, as it exists in the same timeline as their earlier works, advancing the narrative. This is most aptly seen in the 19-minute title track.
"With long-form songs, it always starts with the music," drummer and vocalist Cody Bowles said via press notes. "We built 'Apocalypse' from instrumental sections, some older riffs, a lot of newly inspired ones, and mapped them out on a whiteboard, figuring out how one section could melt into the next."
Listen to Apocalypse in its entirety below. Get your copy here.
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Saint John, NB's AREA 506 Festival has announced its 11th annual festival lineup, with the festivities taking place over the New Brunswick Day long weekend (July 30 to August 2) at the Waterfront Container Village.
The festival will kick off Thursday with a Boxcar Festival night, featuring performances from the Dead South, Kathleen Edwards, the Martin Boys, Kylie Fox and Zack Ingles, followed by Friday sets by Soul Asylum, Crash Test Dummies, Marcy Playground, Grand Theft Bus, La Patente and Waylon Napadogan.
Saturday continues the festivities with Marianas Trench, Wheatus, Valley, Absolute Losers, Penny & the Pits, Beauts and Constant Greetings hitting the main stage, and the weekend will conclude with the Glorious Sons, Wolf Parade, the Dirty Nil, Caged Animals, Customer Service, Dad Patrol, and Nate and the Busy Boys on Sunday.
In addition to musical programming, the festival also offers family-friendly experiences, pop-ups, food trucks and a vendor market.
"We are thrilled to be bringing incredible live music to the Saint John waterfront again this summer," said Ray Gracewood, AREA 506 Founder and Committee Chair. "And the addition of the fourth day is really a testament to the support the festival receives from this community. The team has been working hard to put together another exciting lineup for year number eleven."
Early-now bird tickets have sold out, but Tier 1 prices are still available as of press time. Weekend, two-day, single-day, VIP, cabana and corporate passes are on sale now via the festival's website. Children 12 and under will be admitted free.
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The annual Victoria Ska & Reggae Festival is coming back to Vancouver Island from June 24 to 28. The festival will feature an impressive lineup featuring plenty of the titular genres, as well as punk from Lagwagon, funk from Five Alarm Funk (pictured above) and more.
Most shows will take place in downtown Victoria across different live music venues, while others will bring the festival to Tofino and Squamish. The festival will also offer free shows, such as its opening-night kickoff party, which promises Brazilian funk, reggae and more.
Here are five must-see artists performing at Victoria Ska & Reggae Fest 2026. Find more details, including ticket info, at the event's website.
Bedouin Soundclash
Based in Toronto, this band has a long and celebrated history stretching back to the early aughts, when they rose to fame with their hit single "When the Night Feels My Song." In 2022, the band released their album We Will Meet in a Hurricane, continuing their tradition of fun, infectious music that pushes rock, reggae and folk into new territories.
Tanika Charles
With two JUNO nominations under her belt, this soul artist will not be one to miss. Tanika Charles pulls in the crowd with her warm and soulful vocals. Last year, she released her album Reasons to Stay, discussing everything from self-love to the skeletons in the family closet.
Five Alarm Funk
This Vancouver band are groovy and unstoppable. This ensemble is famous for its high energy, blaring horns and music that makes you want to dance all night. They are festival favourites across Canada, and will surely bring the party.
Lagwagon
Making their debut this year at the festival, this band are staples of the American punk scene. Lagwagon promises a night you won't forget, opening up the pit with fast tempos and introspective lyrics.
Souls of Mischief
California natives, Souls of Mischief are part of the hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics, who have helped to shape the sound of West Coast rap over the course of a career stretching back 35 years.
Car Seat Headrest's excellent 2016 album Teens of Denial turns 10 this month (feel old yet?), and now Will Toledo and co. appear to be teasing a remake for its upcoming anniversary.
This past week, fans received a CD titled Teen of Denial (Joe's Story) in the mail, along with a letter from Matador Records and Toledo explaining the project as a companion piece to Teens of Denial.
As transcribed by Reddit users based on images of the letter, Toledo described Joe's Story as feeling "more like the album Teens of Denial was meant to be."
"Sometime last year, it was suggested to me that we do something for the ten-year anniversary of Teens of Denial, so I started looking back on this album to see what we might do," the note begins. "Most of the songs I'd come up with over a two-year period at the end of my college days, when I was struggling with a lot of cynicism and misplaced aggression. But by the time the songs were done, I was living in Washington, Car Seat Headrest was a full band with a record label, and in spite of the turmoil of the writing process, the final album was pretty enjoyable for everyone to work on."
It continues, "This time, looking back at the songs, I wanted to feel like there was a story being told through the album, though I'd never imagined it as being a narrative work."
Speaking about how he borrowed the idea to use the name "Joe" as a placeholder in song titles from Daniel Johnston, Toledo explained that each track on the album reflects what Joe's going through. "Joe is a character going through some of what I experienced, and some of his own problems. Telling his story, and not just my own impressions of life at the end of the teen years, brought a new level of compassion and wholeness to the album."
The letter concluded:
For anyone familiar with Teens, comparisons with the original will be inevitable, but I do hope that as much as possible, people can come to this album on its own terms, approaching it as a teen, hearing the music and story for the first time. I believe music is an ongoing story, and albums don't always do justice to its dynamic, ongoing nature. What gives it life is the new ears that hear it, and the new hearts that engage with it. I'm so grateful that this is a work that people have kept coming to, and I hope that this presentation does them honor with a fresh offering to the conversation. We've known that "it doesn't have to be like this"; now we can wonder "what if it were like this?"
You can read the full statement here.
According to posts shared by fans, it appears that three new songs have been added to Joe's Story's tracklist, replacing original ones: "Optimistic Son," "Joe Drives Again" and "The Ravenous House." You can check out the posts below.
An official release date for Joe's Story has not been revealed yet.
Car Seat Headrest's last studio album is 2025's The Scholars. We spoke with Toledo about the album last spring; you can read the interview here.
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What's the greatest lyric in rock 'n' roll history? That's a rhetorical question, because we all know it comes from blink-182's "The Rock Show," as confirmed by this week's roundup of the funniest music memes and entertainment shitposts — also featuring Shakira's linguistic breakdown and the millennial electronica political compussy.
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We Are in the Future is back with 10 more shows you won't want to miss out on this year in Toronto, Ottawa and Hamilton.
Including Pokey LaFarge (pictured above), Swervedriver's anniversary tour, Etran De L'Aïr heading back to Toronto and more, make sure you grab tickets before they sell out!
As always, head over to Concert Central for more Canadian tour announcements, show listings and more.
Etran De L'Aïr
Horseshoe Tavern, June 30
Get tickets:
Saharan rockers Etran De L'Aïr had to cancel their US tour after their visas were rejected, but luckily they're returning to Toronto on June 30 to perform live at the Horseshoe Tavern! Get tickets now.
Árný Margrét
Drake Underground, July 14
Get tickets:
Árný Margrét never expected anyone to hear her songs. A homebody who had long-worked in her family's bakery in a small fishing town in Iceland serendipitously found herself in the little Reykjavik studio of producer Guôm Kristinn Jónsson — Kiddi, as she'd soon begin to call him — back in 2021. She tracked 10 tunes in a day and soon returned to track 10 more in what would later become the catalyst work for her sensational 2022 debut album, they only talk about the weather — a startlingly lucid snapshot of an indie folk start, tender feelings tucked into alluring melodies.
In Margrét's songs, life could be disorienting; in her early work with Kiddi, she reckoned with it, safely.
Catch her live at the Drake Underground on July 14.
Swervedriver
Ottawa's Bronson Theatre on August 20 and Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre on August 21
Get tickets here and here:
Swervedriver are celebrating 35 years of raise, where they'll be playing the full album live across North America this year along with a load of extra songs from the back catalogue. Catch them August 20 at the Bronson in Ottawa and August 21 at the Phoenix in Toronto.
Jon Spencer
Ottawa's Bronson Theatre on September 9, Toronto's Great Hall on September 10 and Hamilton's Bridgeworks on September 11
Buy tickets here, here and here:
Songs of Personal Loss and Protest was recorded with Spencer's super-powered touring band, and if you've been lucky enough to see them in the past few years — they've been playing non-stop, destroying audiences from Akron to Osaka, from San Jose to Santiago — then you know that Spencer is still fronting the world's greatest rock'n'roll live show: rama-la soul-shaking set for stun, sweat-soaked, and ultimately, beautifully, uplifting.
Catch Spencer across Ontario on September 9 in Ottawa, September 10 in Toronto and September 11 in Hamilton.
José González
Danforth Music Hall, September 12
Get tickets:
José González is in a class by himself. Hailed by Rolling Stone as "someone whose subtle, carefully crafted music delivers rewards to listeners who know how to wait," González's stellar career can only be described as a dream. From selling out tours on virtually every continent to headlining prestigious festivals around the world to being asked to perform at 2020's Nobel Prize Award Ceremony and seeing his recorded music exceed 1 billion streams, González is one of the most exciting and in-demand touring artists working today.
Whether appearing alone with his guitar or with a 20-piece orchestra or choosing between duo and trio formats, his performances are never merely shows they are events — and González has every intention of continuing this tradition as he prepares his fully solo tour in support of the eagerly awaited release of his fifth studio album, Against the Dying of the Light.
The record provides a welcome reminder of the Gothenburg, Sweden-based artist's understated appeal and unabashed intimacy, a quality Billboard praised as "one of the most recognizable sounds in indie rock." The album explores human nature and its uncertain future through the power of his distinctively engaging, deeply contemplative, acoustic-base songcraft.
Catch him live at the Danforth Music Hall on September 12.
Pokey LaFarge
The Concert Hall, September 18
Get tickets:
For two decades, Pokey LaFarge has walked his own effortlessly cool road as an exceptionally iconoclastic troubadour — forthright, genuine, and markedly keen to put it all out there. Rent Money now sees him pushing forward yet again in what can be safely declared his finest collection to date, both as an heartfelt expression of personal experience and as no-nonsense social commentary. With its twanging guitars, plucky rhythms, and undeniably captivating melodies, the album soars and swings, its joyous refrains belying the inescapable undercurrent of constant worry and angst that permeates these troubled times.
As always, the Illinois native deftly traverses the genre boundaries, seamlessly integrating the myriad strains of 20th-century American music with a freewheeling command of earnest song craft, inspired performance, and subversive creativity. Rent Money stands tall as an indisputable high-water mark for LaFarge — a defining collection from a one-of-a-kind artist of rare ingenuity and uncommon candor, now as ever, determinedly crafting a sure-footed brand of deeply human music all his own.
LaFarge and his band return to Toronto on September 18, get tickets now.
Everything Everything
The Concert Hall, October 1
Get tickets:
No-one quite operates in the realm of the visionary Everything Everything. Setting dystopian Black Mirror-style concepts to songs which thrillingly find the sweet spot between esoteric experimentation and art-pop accessibility, the band have earned critical acclaim and a devoted following in equal measure, leading to five Ivor Novello and two Mercury Prize nominations, a run of six consecutive Top 10 albums, and major headline shows including London's Alexandra
Palace.
Don't miss the celebration of their iconic album Get to Heaven live at the Concert Hall on October 1.
The Bobby Lees
Longboat Hall, October 20
Get tickets:
It's easy to hear why the Bobby Lee's have earned fans in legendary musicians like Iggy Pop, Debbie Harry, and Henry Rollins. They're as uncompromising in their sound and generous with their energy as any of their punk ancestors who first rewrote the rules of engagement back in the 1970s.
The band's fourth album and Epitaph debut New Self marks a thrilling new chapter for the band while doubling down on what's always made them so magnetic. Their ferocious presence has always been undeniable, but New Self elevates their sound to even brasher heights. Produced by Dave Sardy and Alex Pasco in Los Angeles, the album sets the Bobby Lees' signature bravado loose across a wide and reverberating soundscape. They've never sounded quite this expansive or emboldened before.
The Bobby Lees return to Toronto in support of their new record New Self. Catch them live on October 20 at Longboat Hall.
Hovvdy
Horseshoe Tavern, November 9
Get tickets:
Hovvdy's Will Taylor and Charlie Martin have occupied a distinct corner of the modern-day indie landscape for more than a decade. Having evolved from their understated slow-core beginnings in Austin, Texas, they're now seasoned veterans of the scene.
Across their first five studio albums, the duo established their trademark sound of twangy indie rock, 2000s-inspired pop-country, and emotional acoustic ballads with strong pop sensibilities. Their last two records saw them processing life's most intense emotions more openly than ever before, from declarations of love in its many forms on 2021's True Love, to grappling with loss and personal change on their latest self-titled album, Hovvdy. But the songs of Big World have them trading in overt emotional directness for subject matter that leans enigmatic, contemplating their place in the world through a mosaic of songs that sees the band at their most secure and self-aware.
Don't miss their show at the Horseshoe Tavern on November 9. Get tickets now.
Steven Page
Danforth Music Hall, November 27
Get tickets:
Steven Page will be touring with his Trio for a special series of shows to support his new holiday album, Steven's Greetings, set for release in the fall of 2026.
The highly anticipated release will be comprised of new originals, holiday favourites he wrote during his Barenaked Ladies years as well as traditional holiday songs sung by one of the most recognizable and powerful voices in music today. In addition to seasonal music, Steven will also be performing the hits we all know and love from across his nearly 40-year career.
Get tickets to the show at the Danforth Music Hall on November 27 now.
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Drake fans (and haters) already knew they'd be getting ICEMAN today; what they didn't realize was that they'd also be getting two more Drizzy albums, as the Toronto rapper dropped three albums simultaneously at midnight.
In addition to ICEMAN with its 18 songs and 66-minute runtime, he also dropped MAID OF HONOUR (14 songs in 45 minutes) and HABIBTI (11 songs in 36 minutes). All told, that's 43 songs across two and a half hours of music.
ICEMAN's only guests are Future, Molly Santana and 21 Savage, whereas the other records have a few more: MAID OF HONOUR features Stunna Sandy, Central Cee, Popcaan, Iconic Savvy and Sexyy Red, while HABIBTI features another appearance from Sexyy Red along with Loe Shimmy and PARTYNEXTDOOR.
Hear the albums below.
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Head into the long weekend with the latest roundup of newly announced tours coming to Canada, including new dates from Quebecois alien duo Angine de Poitrine (pictured above), WU LYF's rescheduled tour and more.
As always, check out Concert Central for more Canadian tour announcements, show listings and more.
Angine de Poitrine Tour Dates:
06/26 Picton, ON - Base 31 Festival
08/25 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
11/05 Toronto, ON - History
Basement with Big Boy and First Day Back Tour Dates:
11/11 Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
Alex Cameron Tour Dates:
09/21 Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa
11/14 Vancouver, BC - The Cobalt Cabaret
caroline Tour Dates:
11/14 Toronto, ON - East End United Church
11/15 Montreal, QC - Les Foufounes Électriques
Chance the Rapper Tour Dates:
08/15 Montreal, QC - MTELUS
08/16 Toronto, ON - History
09/25 Vancouver, BC - Freedom Mobile Arch
Channel Tres Tour Dates:
09/14 Toronto, ON - The Danforth Music Hall
09/15 Montreal, QC - Beanfield Theatre
09/30 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
Choir! Choir! Choir! Tour Dates:
12/04 Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre
12/09 Victoria, BC - Royal Theatre
12/11 Trail, BC - Charles Bailey Theatre
12/12 Edmonton, AB - Midway Music Hall
12/13 Calgary, AB - Palace Theatre
12/15 Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings Theatre
12/19 Toronto, ON - Massey Hall (early show)
12/19 Toronto, ON - Massey Hall (late show)
12/20 Ottawa, ON - National Arts Centre (early show)
12/20 Ottawa, ON - National Arts Centre (late show)
12/22 Montreal, QC - MTELUS
Counterparts with Balmora and A Mourning Star Tour Dates:
09/05 Hamilton, ON - The Music Hall
Deadbeat Beat Tour Dates:
07/08 Toronto, ON - Dina's Tavern
Devours and Wants Tour Dates:
06/04 Victoria, BC - Lucky Bar *
06/05 Nanaimo, BC - The Globe ~
06/06 Vancouver, BC - The Astoria #
06/12 Regina, SK - The Cure %
06/13 Saskatoon, SK - Amigo's ^
* with Fruit Music DJ, Sienna Hill
~ with Zoe the Strange
# with Ringfinger, David Lunch
% with bitbitbit
^ with Actor Director
Etran de L'Aïr Tour Dates:
06/19 Calgary, AB - Sled Island Music & Arts Festival
06/21 Edmonton, AB - Double Dragon *
06/22 Saskatoon, SK - Capitol Music Club
06/24 Winnipeg, MB - Blue Note Park ~
06/27 Victoria, BC - TD Victoria International JazzFest
06/28 Vancouver, BC - Vancouver International Jazz Festival
06/30 Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
07/04 Montreal, QC - Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
07/10 Halifax, NS - TD Halifax Jazz Festival
* with TIMELAPSES
~ with the Broke Spokes
Everything Everything Tour Dates:
10/01 Toronto, ON - The Concert Hall
Fiver Tour Dates:
06/05 St. John's, NL - Lawnya Vawnya Festival *
07/17 Dartmouth, NS - Sanctuary Arts Centre *
07/18 Hampton, NS - Johnny's Country Lounge *
07/19 LaHave, NS - West Dublin Hall *
07/22 Kingston, ON - Many Moons ~
07/23 Guelph, ON - TBA ~
07/24 Toronto, ON - Dina's Tavern *
07/25 Montreal, QC - La Sotterenea *
* with the Fiver Trois
~ solo
José González Tour Dates:
09/11 Montreal, QC - MTELUS
09/12 Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
09/13 Calgary, AB - The Palace Theatre
09/15 Vancouver, BC - Orpheum Theatre
Niall Horan Tour Dates:
03/30 Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena
04/02 Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
05/29 Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
Hovvdy Tour Dates:
10/15 Vancouver, BC - Hollywood Theatre
11/09 Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
Journey Tour Dates:
09/24 Edmonton, AB - Rogers Place
09/26 Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome
09/27 Saskatoon, SK - SaskTel Centre
09/29 Winnipeg, MB - Canada Life Centre
11/04 Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena
KATSEYE Tour Dates:
10/30 Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
11/01 Hamilton, ON - TD Coliseum
Pokey LaFarge Tour Dates:
09/18 Toronto, ON - The Concert Hall
09/19 Ottawa, ON - CityFolk Festival
12/12 Vancouver, BC - Hollywood Theatre
Daniel Lanois Tour Dates:
08/01 Orillia, ON - Orillia Opera House
08/02 Lindsay, ON - Flato Academy Theatre
08/04 Meaford, ON - Meaford Hall Arts & Cultural Centre
08/08 Sarnia, ON - Imperial Theatre
08/09 Fergus, ON - Fergus Grand Theatre
08/10 Picton, ON - The Regent Theatre
10/09 Wolfville, NS - Devour! Studios
10/10 Halifax, NS - Rebecca Cohn Auditorium
Leenalchi Tour Dates:
06/21 Ottawa, ON - Ottawa Jazz Festival
06/25 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace
06/26 Montreal, QC - Festival international de Jazz de Montréal
06/27 Vancouver, BC - Vancouver International Jazz Festival
MUNA Tour Dates with hemlocke springs Tour Dates:
10/06 Toronto, ON - The Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Paris Paloma Tour Dates:
10/18 Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
Perfume Genius Tour Dates:
09/27 Vancouver, BC - Hollywood Theatre
Allison Russell Tour Dates:
10/22 Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
10/23 Montreal, QC - Beanfield Theatre
10/24 Quebec City, QC - Imperial Bell
10/25 Ottawa, ON - National Arts Centre (Southam Hall)
11/03 Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings Theatre
11/05 Edmonton, AB - Winspear Centre
11/06 Calgary, AB - Grey Eagle Resort & Event Centre
11/09 Vancouver, BC - Chan Centre
Slow Pulp with Her New Knife Tour Dates:
11/16 Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
Jon Spencer Tour Dates:
09/07 Quebec, QC - L'Anti
09/08 Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz
09/09 Ottawa, ON - Bronson Centre Theatre
09/10 Toronto, ON - The Great Hall
09/11 Hamilton, ON - Bridgeworks
11/08 Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
Sweeping Promises Tour Dates:
09/22 Vancouver, BC - Fox Cabaret
11/03 Toronto, ON - Monarch Tavern
11/04 Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa
Swervedriver Tour Dates:
08/19 Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz
08/20 Ottawa, ON - Bronson Centre Theatre
08/21 Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
This Is Lorelei Tour Dates:
10/20 Vancouver, BC - Hollywood Theatre ^
10/30 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace !
10/31 Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz PDB !
^ with Colin Miller
! with @
Vieux Darka Tourné Tour Dates:
09/09 Kelowna, BC - Red Bird Brewing
09/11 Victoria, BC - Upstairs Cabaret
09/12 Vancouver, BC - The Pearl
10/03 Toronto, ON - Koerner Hall
Tove Lo with Mallrat Tour Dates:
09/22 Toronto, ON - Coca-Cola Coliseum
Tricky Tour Dates:
09/29 Vancouver, BC - Hollywood Theatre
10/08 Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
10/09 Montreal, QC - Le Studio TD
WU LYF Tour Dates:
07/21 Toronto, ON - Adelaide Hall
07/31 Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
Ahead of releasing their new album From Here to Ohio on June 12 (via We Are Time), Deadbeat Beat have announced a North American tour in support of the record.
The summer trek kicks off with a release-day show in Detroit with support from Lightheaded, after which the band will go on to perform primarily stateside, with the exception of a lone Canadian date at Toronto's Dina's Tavern on July 8. From there, the trek wraps up later in the month, south of the border on the East Coast.
Coinciding with the tour announcement, the band have also shared new album cut "Heaven," about which they shared, "Musically, 'Heaven' is influenced by 'Noise' by Beat Happening and the Sunday Sunny Smile EP by My Bloody Valentine, while the vocal melody in the coda is reminiscent of Arthur Russell's delivery on 'Love Is Overtaking Me.'"
Hear that below, where you'll also find the band's complete tour itinerary.
As always, head to Concert Central for more Canadian show listings.
Deadbeat Beat 2026 Tour Dates:
06/12 Detroit, MI - Paris Bar *
06/13 Columbus, OH - Cafe Bourbon Street
06/14 Cleveland, OH - Little Rose Tavern
06/26 Madison, WI - Mickey's Tavern
06/27 Indianapolis, IN - State Street Pub
06/28 Chicago, IL - Color Club
07/08 Toronto, ON - Dina's
07/09 New York, NY - Berlin
07/10 Bethlehem, PA - CAT
07/11 Philadelphia, PA - TBA
07/12 Providence, RI - Lost Bag
* with Lightheaded
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The Queer New Wave of the '80s and '90s was arguably the last time LGBTQ+ cinema could be solely and definitively classified as "independent cinema." Films cobbled together by a tiny crew of artists and activists, who had virtually no money, with the simultaneous goal of self-expression and rejection of the heteronormative mainstream. To say these films were radical, in form and content in equal measures, would be an understatement: the driving force was a subversion and transgression of convention in the name of liberation.
Even before this movement in queer filmmaking, LGBTQ+ cinema had always held strong ties to the avant-garde. From Jean Cocteau's experimental work on the male form from the '40s to the '60s to the lesbian avant-garde filmmakers of the '70s (such as Chantal Akerman) who effectively paved the way for the Queer New Wave, LGBTQ+ cinema has almost exclusively survived in the shadows, on the fringes, in the underground.
This is why writer-director Elliot Tuttle's feature debut, Blue Film, prevails as oddly refreshing, even though it doesn't package itself to be (in fact, it takes deep contemplation after an initial screening to reach this consideration). In our current era of mainstream LGBTQ+ filmmaking — where queerness can often feel diluted or diminished — it's rare to come across a truly transgressive film. Tuttle's two-hander chamber story of a camboy spending the night with a pedophile who also happens to be his former elementary school teacher is exactly that. As bold as it is deeply unsettling, Blue Film begs a brave audience, but rewards those willing to sit with the discomfort.
Blue Film is not subtle about making us uncomfortable. Tuttle opens his film with an OnlyFans-esque livestream of Aaron Eagle (Kieron Moore) degrading his subscribers, calling them F-slurs and questioning their masculinity. "This is what a real man smells like," he says as he flexes and gropes himself. It's all a persona, of course, a fantasy he plays out for his paying fans, and one he carries out — or tries to, at least — in person with Hank (Reed Birney), who pays Aaron $50,000 for one night together. Hank, however, has his own secret: he's a pedophile who "fell in love" with Aaron when he was a student in his class about 10 years prior.
The real test of the film for audiences doesn't come from Hank's revelation per se, skin-crawling as it may be, but that Aaron, upon learning that Hank is a pedophile, isn't actually turned off. The $50,000 serves as a major motivator for the content creator, but, in a twisted way, Hank's admission of love for him not only makes him want to stay, but makes him want to sleep with Hank even more.
Tuttle's writing becomes its most illuminating here, even when it tackles the darkest of subject matter. On one hand, Aaron's bravado unravels over the course of the night to reveal Alex (his real name and self), a young man with a broken heart who sells his body to fill the void. Moore delivers an instantly seductive turn as Aaron — he looks good and sells the fantasy — but he's exceptional when it comes to the emotional nudity required for the role. In these moments, Tuttle favours extreme close-ups of Moore, and every shift of the eye and twitch of the lip illustrates an impressively layered performance from the actor.
On the other hand, Hank spends the night dissecting his own pedophilia for Aaron, answering every question posed, from the assault that lead to Hank's arrest and subsequent incarceration to what he saw in Aaron when he was a kid in Hank's class. These scenes urge us to look away, especially because of how Hank frames his classrooms as a place of courtship and truly believes the boys were flirting with him back then. Though creepy and slimy, Birney gives us something fascinating to watch; the earnestness with which he portrays Hank is a captivating choice. Judge the character all you want — and rightfully so — but there's no denying the actor executes it well.
The constant contradictions within Blue Film and the consequent exercise it offers to the audience represent the source of its singularity. Tuttle splices home video-style snippets of an unnamed young boy enjoying his childhood carefree in between Aaron's camboy footage and Hank's stomach-churning descriptions of the boys he targeted as a teacher. Whether this child is meant to be Aaron or Hank is up to interpretation.
In either case, Tuttle doesn't want his audience to sit back and relax; rather, he challenges us to hold innocence and evil in tandem. It's a tall order to fulfill — and not many mainstream audiences will be up for it — but radical subject matter begets a radical approach.
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Chance the Rapper is celebrating the 10th anniversary of his mixtape Coloring Book with a tour that will take him across the US and Canada this fall.
After wrapping up his summer trek on August 1 (which includes four Western Canada dates), the anniversary celebrations will officially commence in Cleveland, OH, on August 11.
Amidst several US dates, Chance will pop back up to Canada to play shows at Montreal's MTELUS (August 15), Toronto's History (August 16) and Vancouver's Freedom Mobile Arch (September 25). The tour will conclude in Pittsburgh, PA, in October.
Presales will begin May 19 at 10 a.m. local time, and general sales will follow on May 21.
Check out the itinerary below, and head over to Concert Central for more Canadian tour announcements.
Chance the Rapper 2026 Tour Dates:
08/11 Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
08/14 Waterloo, NY - The Vine Showroom at del Lago Resort & Casino
08/15 Montreal, QC - MTELUS
08/16 Toronto, ON - History
08/18 New York, NY - SummerStage Central Park
08/20 Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall at Fenway
08/21 Huntington, NY - The Paramount
08/22 Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore Philadelphia
08/23 Asbury Park, NJ - Stone Pony Summer Stage
08/25 Baltimore, MD - Nevermore Hall
08/29 Raleigh, NC - Red Hat Amphitheater
08/30 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
09/01 Birmingham, AL Avondale Brewing Company
09/02 Cincinnati, OH - The Andrew J Brady Music Center
09/03 Atlanta, GA - Coca-Cola Roxy
09/05 Tampa, FL - The Ritz Ybor
09/06 Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Live
09/08 Memphis, TN - Satellite Music Hall
09/09 New Orleans, LA - The Fillmore New Orleans
09/10 Dallas, TX - South Side Ballroom
09/12 Houston, TX - 713 Music Hall
09/13 Austin, TX - Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park
09/16 Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Financial Theatre
09/18 Reno, NV - Grand Theatre at the Grand Sierra Resort
09/21 Wheatland, CA - Hard Rock Live
09/22 San Francisco, CA - The Masonic
09/25 Vancouver, BC - Freedom Mobile Arch
09/26 Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
09/27 Portland, OR - Theater of the Clouds
09/29 Salt Lake City, UT - The Union Event Center
10/01 Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium
10/02 Council Bluffs, IA - Harrah's Stir Cove
10/04 Milwaukee, WI - Landmark Credit Union Live
10/06 Minneapolis, MN - The Armory
10/07 St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
10/10 Louisville, KY - Old Forester's Paristown Hall
10/11 Pittsburgh, PA - Citizens Live at the Wylie
Good news for anyone who missed out on getting tickets for Angine de Poitrine: The alien microtonal duo are doing an additional run of shows.
The band's first new show is an appearance at Picton, ON's Base 31 Festival on June 26. After their initial summer run, they'll play Denver's Odgen Theatre on August 13, and Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom on August 25.
After a pair of US dates in September, Khn and Klek de Poitrine will return to Toronto to play History on November 5. They'll end the new dates by playing a good chunk of shows south of the border, ending at Portland's Crystal Ballroom on December 11.
Angine seems dedicated to making sure real fans get into this latest batch of shows. Presale begins May 19 at 10 a.m. local time, and can be accessed by signing up here. As of time of publication, no general on-sale information is available. "No robots allowed," they wrote on Instagram. Aliens, however? More than welcome.
UPDATE (05/14, 2:42 p.m. ET): As per press notes, general onsale for all new Angine de Poitrine tour dates starts May 22 at 10 a.m. local time.
Check out the new run of dates below.
Angine de Poitrine 2026 Tour Dates:
06/26 Picton, ON - Base 31 Festival
08/13 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
08/25 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
09/12 Austin, TX - Levitation at Stubbs
09/17 Washington, D.C. - Lincoln Theatre
11/05 Toronto, ON - History
11/16 Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel
11/17 Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel
11/19 Boston, MA - Royale
11/20 Philadelphia, PA - Franklin Music Hall
11/25 Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
11/27 Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl
12/02 Minneapolis, MN - First Ave
12/04 Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
12/08 Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
12/11 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom