Justin Trudeau's son Xav didn't rank very high in our list of last year's best nepo baby singles, but since then he's been going through pop star bootcamp, i.e. getting career advice from his dad's girlfriend Katy Perry and being encouraged by Drake. That seems to be paying off, because his new single is actually kinda good!
While he used to make murky noir&B in the vein of XO and OVO, "DOWNTOWN" sharpens the hooks considerably. With mumbling AutoTune melodies, "Lil Carbon Tax" shifts in the direction of the Kid LAROI. The fun part comes when the beat drops at the 40-second mark, giving the song a dance undercurrent à la "Blinding Lights."
It's not the most original single we've ever heard, and it's certainly not going to change anyone's life, but still! This is a significant levelling up, and it sounds like this might be playing in the background of a pretty fun night out. With a few more leaps forward like this, maybe people in the future will say things like, "Did you know that Xav's dad used to be the leader of Canada?"
Rising Canadian country music star Annika Catharina just dropped new EP Up All Night, which you can stream in full today below.
Co-written by the artist alongside Wes Mack, Doug Folkins, Aidan Johnson-Bujold, Jada Leroux, Spencer Burns, Bailey Jacobson, and producers Dan Botch and Garrett Ward (a.k.a. the Renaissance), the seven-track EP is said to "explore new ground while retaining her distinct country essence and adding deliberate touches of rock and folk." Up All Night marks Annika Catharina's second release with the Renaissance, following her 2025 debut, You and Me.
The Fraser Valley-based artist shared in a release, "This EP is inspired by things that can keep us up at night — ideas, stories, songs that make us want to dance, and the deeper thoughts we have as we experience life and discover who we are. Up All Night navigates the balance between having fun, embracing chaos, learning from the past, and looking ahead with confidence and self-awareness."
The record includes previously released tracks "Better Hands," "Under Covers," "Dancing with the Devil" and "Old Habit," as well as three as-yet-unheard songs, which you can hear now.
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Mongolian metal legends the HU released their new album HUN today courtesy of Better Noise, and you can listen to it in full below on the player of your choice.
Ahead of hitting the North American trail with Rob Zombie, then UK and Europe on their own headlining tour, the HU's latest — originally titled Between the Heaven and Earth — literally translates to "human" in their native tongue. With earthy beats and warrior vocals beckoning on its opening track, the album throws listeners for a loop by Track 2, which enlists NOTHING MORE vocalist Jonny Hawkins, adding an unexpected but seamless Western edge.
"In our third album, we tested many boundaries and used different techniques to perfect the combination of traditional instruments with heavy metal music genres," said Jaya (tumur khuur, tsuur, throat singing). "The concept of the HUN album comes from universal experiences we all go through collectively as humans in this world. Our hope is to remind our listeners the importance of introspection through variety of songs from slow to fast rhythmic songs."
Alongside the release, the band have shared a new music video for "Horsemen," inspired by "the legendary Mongolian warriors who once rode across much of the known world," according to the band.
They added, "These warriors were known for their discipline, intelligence, courage, and incredible skill. They were called the 'Army of the Heavens' because of their unmatched mobility and strength. This song celebrates their spirit and honours the qualities that made them legendary. It's a reminder that true power comes from discipline, wisdom, and unity." Lock all the way in for the song's second half!
Check that out below, where you'll also find the band's album streaming in full alongside their upcoming tour dates
The HU 2026 Tour Dates:
08/20 West Palm Beach, FL - iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre *
08/21 Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre *
08/23 Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre *
08/24 Charlotte, NC - Truliant Amphitheater *
08/26 Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center *
08/27 Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center *
08/29 Burgettstown, PA - The Pavilion at Star Lake *
08/30 Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake Amphitheater *
09/01 Toronto, ON - RBC Amphitheatre *
09/02 Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center *
09/04 Clarkston, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre *
09/05 Tinley Park, IL - Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre *
09/06 Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center *
09/09 Maryland Heights, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre *
09/10 Kansas City, MO - MORTON Amphitheater *
09/12 Greenwood Village, CO - Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre *
09/14 West Valley City, UT - Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre *
09/16 Airway Heights, WA - BECU Live at Northern Quest *
09/17 Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre *
09/18 Ridgefield, WA - Cascades Amphitheater *
09/20 Concord, CA - Toyota Pavilion at Concord *
09/29 Glasgow, UK - O2 Academy ^
10/01 Bristol, UK - Prospect Building ^
10/02 Bournemouth, UK - O2 Academy ^
10/03 Newcastle, UK - O2 City Hall ^
10/05 Belfast, UK - The Telegraph ^
10/06 Dublin, Ireland - 3Olympia Theatre ^
10/08 Birmingham, UK - O2 Academy ^
10/09 London, UK - O2 Academy Brixton ^
10/10 Manchester, UK - O2 Apollo ^
10/11 Norwich, UK - UEA ^
10/14 Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique ^
10/15 Hamburg, Germany - Sporthalle ^
10/17 Munich, Germany - Tonhalle ^
10/18 Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle ^
10/19 Warsaw, Poland - Stodola ^
10/20 Warsaw, Poland - Stodola ^
10/22 Cologne, Germany - Palladium ^
10/23 Utrecht, Netherlands - TivoliVredenburg ^
10/24 Tilburg, Netherlands - 013 ^
10/27 Paris, France - L'Olympia ^
10/28 Lyon, France - Le Radiant ^
10/30 Zurich, Switzerland - X-Tra ^
10/31 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg - Rockhal ^
* supporting Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson and Orgy
^ with Skáld
Grindcore godfathers Napalm Death made an appearance in one of the most unexpected venues they could have picked: their very own NPR Tiny Desk concert.
Uploaded yesterday (July 15), the English four-piece made history as the first grindcore band on Tiny Desk. It's not every day a band this heavy gets a Tiny Desk concert, especially not a band that innovated the genre in the same way Napalm Death did.
In a press release, Barney Greenway, vocalist and frontman, said he's been a passive fan of Democracy Now! on NPR for a decade, and was surprised when they were asked to play the desk. He said they knew this would introduce them to an audience that might not be familiar with the genre, but there was no chance they'd turn down or soften their sound.
Barny says in the release: "We hope everybody at least gets something from it, even if it's just an understanding of musical abrasion being pushed to the nth degree."
In the same statement and during the set, Barney encourages people to support public access broadcasting. Barney's stage banter is something the band is known for; he regularly discusses social, political and economic issues that inform the band's subject matter, and this was no exception.
After their first few songs, Barney introduces the band and says their goal with this performance. "We are here to heartily support public access broadcasting. Unfortunately, it is under attack from all sides, in the UK as well as over here, and we have to take care of it; it's precious."
Barney further implored in a press statement, "Please always support public access broadcasting in view of the ongoing relentless attacks upon it."
The performance itself is fantastic, as is expected from Napalm Death. The sound mix is great: it strikes a balance between the clarity you need in a live setting and the abrasive noisiness the band is known for.
The set includes songs from all of the band's eras, including big hits like "Scum," "Everyday Pox" (a personal favourite) and their post-punk inspired "Amoral," which was written by longtime Napalm Death bassist Shane Embury, who couldn't tour with the band due to health issues.
They end, of course, with the shortest song of all time, maybe their most well known one, "You Suffer."
I've been a defender of "You Suffer" for years now, beyond it just being a funny novelty song. The single line of the song, "you suffer but why," is a legitimately fantastic note to end the set. The band inhabits a genre about misanthropy and pain, and routinely sing about suffering, but are among the few to consider why.
Lars Gotrich of NPR Music said that he had been saying no or "maybe later" to grindcore bands trying to get on Tiny Desk because he wanted the first grind band to be the one that started it. In the press release, he said: "There is only one NAPALM DEATH, not only exemplary of extreme music but also what it takes to be human in what feels like an inhumane time."
Hopefully the floodgates are broken now. Let's get some more grinders on NPR Tiny Desk! Here's my wish list: let's get Pig Destroyer, Soilent Green, Full of Hell, and the greatest grindcore band of all time, Fuck the Facts.
Let's not stop at grind either — Matt Sheridan, who filled in for Embury on bass for this tour, is wearing a Primitive Man shirt during this performance. Why not get Primitive Man in here, too?
This performance is awesome. It's now my favourite Tiny Desk. Check it out below. Fuck music, make noise, grind forever.
RHCP bass slapper Flea has been showing another side of his musical character this year with the album Honora and the ensuing tour. Now, he's brought his band to NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts.
The clip finds Flea playing trumpet and electric bass while backed by his usual crew of Anna Butterss (electric and upright bass), Josh Johnson (keyboards and saxophone), Deantoni Parks (drums) and Tortoise's Jeff Parker (guitar).
They jam their way through a few cuts from Honora: a Thom Yorke-less take on the slithering "Traffic Lights" and the jittery "Morning Cry" before Flea gets on the mic for the slam poetry freakout of "A Plea." While introducing the ensemble, Flea — famously one of the best rock bassists of his generation — describes Butterss as "much better than me" at bass.
Watch the Tiny Desk set below.
In the all-time canon of amazing/terrible/ridiculous sequel titles, 2 Fast 2 Furious is surely at the top of the list, closely followed by Die Hard 2: Die Harder, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel, and of course Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. Well, a new contender has entered the mix: Godzilla Minus Zero.
This mathematically illogical film is the sequel to 2023's excellent Godzilla Minus One — itself already a pretty confusing title, apparently referring to Japan being brought even lower than its at-square-zero situation after World War II. So what does Godzilla Minus Zero mean, exactly? We've done the math, and Godzilla minus zero is just Godzilla.
A synopsis describes the movie like this: "Godzilla Minus Zero picks up in 1949, two years after the tumultuous events of Godzilla Minus One, and continues the story of the Shikishima family as they face an all-new calamity. As previously announced, Ryunosuke Kamiki returns as Koichi Shikishima, the hero who stood against Godzilla's terror in Godzilla Minus One, and is joined by Minami Hamabe as Noriko Shikishima, who miraculously survived Godzilla's first attack on Tokyo."
It sounds awesome! Actor Min Tanaka has joined the cast, and writer/director Takashi Yamazaki returns from the previous movie. See a teaser trailer below.
Godzilla Minus Zero arrives in Canadian cinemas on November 6 via Cineplex Pictures, making it the first-ever Japanese project filmed for IMAX. We can't wait for subsequent films in the series, which we assume will be called Godzilla Minus Minus One, Godzilla You Can't Divide by Zero and Godzilla 3.14159 I Forget the Rest of the Digits of Pi.
Today marks exactly a year since the impossible happened: Oasis bruvs Noel and Liam Gallagher reunited and it actually went really well. To mark the occasion, the band have shared the teaser trailer for their upcoming tour documentary, which is now called Don't Look Back in Anger.
The extremely epic trailer is just 46 seconds long, showing a hyped-up crowd cheering while a tom drum is dramatically sound checked. There are a few voiceover clips from the Gallaghers, marvelling at the improbability of the reunion and the possibility of conflict: "The way it finished — unacceptable," and, "It's gonna be chaos." The trailer includes the opening notes from "Morning Glory."
The film previously didn't have a title, but this teaser confirms that it's called Don't Look Back in Anger, which was probably inevitable. What else were they gonna call it?
A press release promises, "The film is an unapologetically uplifting account of the biggest musical event of 2025, capturing the experience and emotions of the band and their fans across the world. The unique perspective includes rehearsal, backstage, and onstage access as well as the first joint interviews with Noel and Liam in over 20 years. Alongside the band's sold-out world tour, the film also explores the profound emotional impact of this phenomenal global cultural moment and what their music means to audiences and generations worldwide."
Don't Look Back in Anger arrives in theatres on September 11 and on Disney+ before the year's end. It's created by Steven Knight, and directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace.
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Buckle up and steady your nerves, this fall Jay Baruchel brings Canadian stunt driver Ken Carter's daredevil exploits to the silver screen in The Stunt Driver.
The film reunites Baruchel with his Goon director, Michael Dowse, and will follow Carter's glorious attempt in 1976 to complete a mile-long jump across the St. Lawrence River, while simultaneously battling personal demons and public doubt.
Mongrel Media will be releasing The Stunt Driver in theatres on September 25.
Until then, check out a teaser for the film below, fashioned after the nostalgic Heritage Minutes our great country continues to hold near and dear to our glowing hearts.
It's Canada Day, and Bryan Adams is marking the occasion by releasing an anti-Trump, pro-Canada song called "51st State."
The anthemic song doesn't get overly specific about the issues at hand, mostly dealing in broad statements about a "line in the sand" and how "we're better off together." The most direct it gets in addressing Donald Trump and his annexation threats is when Adams sings, "So let me give you some advice, mister / You might have too much on your plate / Go'n load us up with tariffs / But we'll never be the 51st state."
Hear the song below. It's available to purchase on a 7-inch that, quite naturally, is pressed on split-colour red-and-white vinyl.
For the first thirty seconds of listening to Cara Delevingne's new single, I was concerned that my DSP app was glitching out, which isn't a great sign. It also validated why this is the first time I found out the actor also makes music.
"Need It" isn't awful per se, it's just trying really hard to be some experimental industrial track when it's not. Despite getting Fiona Apple as a co-writer, it's just a run-of-the-mill hop onto the club pop bandwagon. This isn't a rip on the trend; it's just a little oversaturated these days. Add "Need It" to the pile!
Along with playing drums in Said the Whale, Spencer Schoening has quietly put together an interesting catalogue under various names: Air Creature for ambient work, experimental jazz as Ducksback, and woodsy folk under the name Fir. Now, he's finally released what qualifies as his debut solo album under his own name.
June follows a couple of EPs under his given name. It's a nine-song album that, in an email to Air Creature's mailing list, Schoening revealed was written mostly in 2024 and then recorded, mixed and mastered in more recent weeks.
The nine-song album consists of minimal, introspective folk songs, centred on delicate fingerpicking and tender vocals and only the subtlest of overdubs.
Stream the album below, or pick up a copy as a pay-what-you-want download on Bandcamp.
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Edmonton-based country-pop riser Mandy McMillan has shared the music video for her new track "LTMFG," a song that begs you to let the motherfucker go.
"This song came after realizing that I was blocking my own peace by holding onto pain, expectations, and people too tightly," McMillan said in a press release. "It started as a funny post-breakup concept, but it carries a deeper message about surrender, self-worth and liberation. It's a reminder to love yourself and embrace the power, humour and confidence in reclaiming yourself."
The cheeky acronym-driven song is complete with a Karly Watson-directed music video, which is part rage room, part Western fantasy.
"It's so easy to hold onto things because we're scared of the unknown, but sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is simply let go of what's no longer aligned," McMillan shares. "To me, the lasting message of 'LTMFG' is about the permission to choose yourself without guilt and let heartbreak turn into empowerment and growth."
Watch the music video for "LTMFG" below, and stream it on Spotify and Apple Music.
Do you like water? If so, you'll like roughly 60 percent of me — and probably even more of the seventh studio album from Huntington Beach, CA-hailing reggae-rock prodigal suns Dirty Heads: 7 Seas is out today via Better Noise Music.
"This album has something for everyone," the band's Jon Olazabal said in a statement. "Every mood, every vibe, every occasion. Having beers at the beach? Gotcha covered. Need some hype ass, late night bangers? Gotcha covered there, too. And everything in between, as well. We worked our asses off on this record, and as a band and individuals, we've been through a lot during the process. We are stoked to release it into the wild and for people to find their own connections with these songs."
If you think the band are just riding the wave of titling the record 7 Seas, think again! Dirty Heads have also teamed up with 4ocean, an organization that aims to remedy the ocean plastic crisis. Frontman Jason Watson and members of the 4ocean team embarked on an excursion, removing over 750 pounds of trash from the Key Largo shoreline that has since been recycled into a Dirty Heads 4ocean bracelet.
"I've been a longtime fan of the Dirty Heads, so partnering with them to help drive real impact for the ocean is pretty awesome," said 4ocean CEO and co-founder Alex Schulze. "This collaboration gives fans a way to be part of the mission, and every bracelet purchased funds the removal of one pound of plastic and trash from the ocean, rivers and coastlines worldwide."
The Dirty Heads 4ocean bracelets are also included in a premium eco box set, which features a 7 Seas record pressed on eco-mix vinyl made of 100 percent recycled compound, comprising trimmed flash and leftovers from any colour vinyl that cannot otherwise be reused.
Songs for every occasion in the band's signature colourful blend of reggae, hip-hop, alt-rock and pop? A vinyl/merch campaign dedicated to saving the oceans? Artwork that conjures fun-loving pirate vibes? Summertime? Shiver me timbers, the treasure is all too close now — you'd best be setting sail on 7 Seas below via your streaming platform of choice.
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Ahead of embarking on their North American tour — which includes stops in Toronto and Montreal at the end of the month — heavy legends Evanescence release their latest album, Sanctuary, today courtesy of BMG.
Produced by Zakk Cervini, Jordan Fish and Nick Raskulinecz, the band's sixth studio album has thus far earned them their first-ever No. 1 song on Billboard's Hard Rock Song Chart with lead single "Who Will You Follow."
Vocalist Amy Lee shared of the record:
This album is over three years in the making, and finally listening back to it all at once, about to release it to the world, I am so damn proud of every second of it. It's overwhelming. Working on it has been my outlet for so much that feels wrong and out of control, and a place to ignite hope through the power of music and connection… good thing we have the tour all lined up or I wouldn't know what to do with myself now! I've been completely obsessed. I'm dying for the fans to hear this.
Lee recently sat down with Exclaim! for the Summer Festival Guide to discuss the lead-up to the band's expansive touring plans coinciding with their tight recording schedule. "The energy and urgency was big, but good," she shares. "So many talented people were there working on it and loving it and caring about it at the same time. That was really my whole focus this year up until a month ago."
She continues, "This is our new album tour; that's the whole point of the tour. ... I want to create this Sanctuary world. I don't want to give that away, but we'll be playing almost the whole new album plus lots of other songs, so we're just finding a way to make it all work together and be one big, giant, gorgeous thing."
See the band's touring schedule here and read Exclaim!'s interview with Amy Lee in the latest issue, on newsstands now.
Hear Sanctuary in its entirety below.
Having signed to ANTI- for their first indie release since the early 2000s, Death Cab for Cutie's 11th studio album I Built You a Tower is out today, and you can listen to it in full below ahead of their return to the road this summer.
Teaming up once again with legendary producer John Congelton, IBYAT finds the band returning to less ornamental roots, a minimalism inspired by touring the respective anniversaries of low-tech 2000s favourites Transatlanticism and Plans earlier in the decade.
With their road-wound energy intact, Death Cab returned to the studio armed with a newfound appreciation for the band's core sound, making sure to dodge the "return to form" trope in favour of centring principal songwriter Ben Gibbard's signature vulnerability. In writing the album, the vocalist, in the throes of divorce, began constructing an internal emotional landscape to compartmentalize his grief.
"I view my life experience, my memories, as a skyline," Gibbard tells Exclaim! "It's as if you're seeing an aerial shot of New York City or Toronto or whatever, and you're seeing these various buildings of different sizes, and each one of those buildings is a time in your life. … I'm building towers, and I can kind of see that there's this emotional landscape."
Through that process, he ended up with songs like lead single "Riptides" or "Pep Talk": "Just this thing of, 'I just have to get up today. I just have to find something to get up for today. And it's kind of a plea to the people around me: if you see me slipping, if it looks like I'm about to jump, you gotta grab me."
He continues:
Even in the darkest moments of grief, be it a divorce, death of a loved one, whatever kind of grief that one might be experiencing there — there has to be that crack. As Leonard Cohen once said, "There's the crack in everything, that's where the light gets in." Sometimes it's just a crack. And sometimes you throw your shades up, and the sunlight is just pouring in, and you feel as if everything's gonna be okay. Sometimes it's just a crack of light, but that crack of light is hope.
Listen to I Built You a Tower in full below, and read Exclaim!'s recent interview with Gibbard for the Summer Festival Guide, on newsstands now.
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It's release day for Montreal psych-pop trio Hush, whose dreamy debut album For Dolly arrives today courtesy of Simone Records.
"The record sits in a space between endings and beginnings," vocalist Paige Barlow said of the record. "It's both light & deliberate, like an eager hand playing gently with the focus."
Alongside the instrumental efforts of band members Miles Dupire-Gagnon and Gabriel Lambert, Barlow crafts a hazy dreamscape, buoyed by jangling guitar and deliberately phase-shifted drums. A self-described exploration of texture, the record provides it in surplus; surreal psychedelia is paired with moments of straightforward pop, the band never letting ears wander on one sonic diea for more than a moment.
Recommended to anyone still mourning the creative split of Tame Impala and Melody's Echo Chamber. Have a listen to Hush's For Dolly on the player of your choice below.
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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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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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Wait, so is it rock or not? Charli xcx was quoted by British Vogue as saying, "We're making rock music," and she named her new single "Rock Music" — but then she subsequently clarified that it's "not actually rock music."
Well, the single is out, as we can confirm: "Rock Music" is indeed rock music.
It is, of course, Charli's distinct take on rock music. It begins with a juddering electronic loop, and the hook disorientingly stretches the word "rock" into oblivion, as if a snippet of Charli's voice had been copy-pasted into the grid of a DAW. It's cold and digital, the work of people huddled around a computer rather than jamming together on instruments.
And yet it's still unquestionably rock music, a heavily processed guitar resembling "Celebrity Skin" run through a filter, with acoustic drums smashing their way through a simple caveman beat.
Most authentically "rock" of all are lyrics that find Charli singing about how "the dance floor is dead" and that she's making rock music. "Rock and Roll All Nite," "I Wanna Rock," "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" — there's a great tradition of on-the-nose rock songs about how rock music rocks, and bonus points if you work in a bit about how dance music sucks.
I'm not sure this will capture the zeitgeist like BRAT, but it's silly, fun and undoubtedly rocks.
Legendary punk rock band Social Distortion have lost none of their fire, and today they make their much-awaited return with their eighth studio album, Born to Kill, out now via Epitaph Records.
Getting their start in Fullerton, CA, Social Distortion became famous for their raw, primal, West Coast sound. They captured the rebellious nature of youth — something that they still keep in mind.
"I want these kids today to realize what it was like back then," frontman Mike Ness told Rolling Stone. "Every generation has a rebellious movement, and this is a period I don't want to be forgotten. ... As I was writing, I noticed a recurring theme: revisiting the feeling of being suppressed."
Born to Kill is infused with the band's signature style of defiance; what's unique is that this time Ness speaks to America's youth, and to the current moment. In their single "Born to Kill," Ness sings, "Revolution can sure be fun / Turn the status quo, it's to your dismay." The single has amassed millions of streams since its release, proving the band's continued resonance.
"The Way Things Were" is nostalgic and hopeful about the power of music: "No one said that life would be so hard / So I planned out my escape with an old guitar / I wrote a song with a stolen riff, if you ain't got a song, you ain't got shit." It's a particularly potent sentiment considering that Ness went through cancer treatments during the making of the album.
Co-produced by Ness and Dave Sardy, with appearances by musicians like Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Lucinda Williams, Born to Kill is the latest milestone in a career stretching back close to 50 years.
Listen to the album below, and catch Social Distortion on tour with support from the Descendents and the Chats.
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The anniversaries are coming in quick succession for Joel Plaskett. Last year, the songwriter was honoured with a covers compilation for his 50th birthday, and now he's released a new single, "Fill in the Blanks," to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the current lineup of the Joel Plaskett Emergency.
Plaskett wrote "Fill in the Blanks" in 2024 as an assignment for an online course he was taking about Marshall McLuhan's 1964 book Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. The songwriter said in a statement, "I was imagining April Wine jamming with Steve Miller but then Dave [Marsh, drums] and Chris [Pennell, bass] took it to Portland Street like they always do."
This is the group's first new music since 2021's Twenty Years Gone: The Joel Plaskett Emergency Revisits Down at the Khyber — itself a 20-year celebration of the band's first album (when they had a slightly different lineup).
Check out a video for "Fill in the Blanks" below. It's out as a limited edition 7-inch via turtlemusik / ADA Worldwide / Warner Music Canada. Plaskett's original cassette demo is on the B-side (and will be streaming on May 29). The vinyl is available to buy here.
Joel Plaskett Emergency 2026 Tour Dates:
05/30 Fergus, ON - Meadows Music Festival
07/09 Sydney, NS - Makin' Waves at Wentworth Park
07/17 Woodstock, NB - Dooryard Arts Festival
07/25 Fredericton, NB - New Brunswick Highland Games
08/1 New Glasgow, NS - New Glasgow Riverfront Jubilee
08/20 Hubbards, NS - Shore Club on the Cove
08/21 Hubbards, NS - Shore Club on the Cove
08/22 Hubbards, NS - Shore Club on the Cove
Ontario songwriter TALK is taking fans with him in a "Time Machine" with the first single of his new era.
The song begins as a pensive acoustic tune before swelling into a dramatic rocker with '70s flair. The single artwork (seen above) reads "Chapter One," suggesting that more material is on the way.
TALK explained in a statement, "I'm one of those people kept up at night by mistakes I've made in the past. The world spins fast, life goes quick. Every person, at some point in their lives, made a wish for a time machine to go back and fix some dumb mistakes. This song represents mine."
TALK co-produced the track along with Joey Moi, Tofer Brown and Connor Riddel. "Time Machine" follows the artist's 2023 album Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees, which included the hit "Run Away to Mars."
Hear the song below. It's out via ArtHaus / Big Loud Rock.
Los Angeles-based hardcore outfit Monk have enlisted Canada's own George Pettit (of Alexisonfire) to lend his vocals to a new track, "No Gods," out today courtesy of Dine Alone Records.
Backed with a cover of Blur's "Song 2," the lathe-cut 7-inch single is available for pre-order now.
Vocalist Frank Bach shared of the original A-side:
"No Gods" is about owning your life. It's a rejection of giving your power to systems, fear, leaders, or anyone else. The video reflects that… war, protest, false idols, all showing what happens when people stop thinking for themselves and just follow. It's not anti-spiritual, it's anti-passive. Decide who you are, take responsibility, and act on it. That's where the freedom is.
The collab with George came naturally. I've been a long-time fan, and Alexisonfire were one of the first bands I saw live as a teenager getting into alternative music. I think most Canadian millennials from that era share a similar story. Being able to DM George and have him jump on the track feels like a full-circle moment.
Listen to the "No Gods" below.
"My name's Gwenifer Raymond. And I mostly play guitar," she says — before doing far more than just that. Honestly, it's a mystery how her acoustic didn't burst into flames with the kind of swift, polyrhythmic skill she so effortlessly pulls off with just a couple of fingers.
Fresh off a run of North American tour dates, the Wales-born, Brighton-based guitarist is the latest artist to step behind the Tiny Desk. The three-track set is hypnotic, a little chaotic, yet completely controlled. With just six strings, Raymond's talent is exhilarating but also baffling, in all the best ways.
The timing isn't accidental. Raymond is in the middle of a busy touring stretch that will carry her through the fall with stops in Orilla, Ottawa and Guelph this summer.
She's also lining up a steady stream of releases. A new live album, Live at WFMU, lands April 24, capturing a raw session recorded at the tail end of her 2025 East Coast tour. It pulls from recent work, including the widely praised Last Night I Heard the Dog Star Bark, and leans into the stripped-back intensity that defines her live sound.
Further out, her early records You Never Were Much of a Dancer and Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain are getting remastered vinyl reissues, arriving September 4. Long considered modern staples of fingerstyle guitar, they're being reintroduced with a fuller, more expansive sound.
But right now, it's the Tiny Desk that does the heavy lifting. Minimal talking, just her and the guitar — and somehow, that's more than enough. Watch Raymond's performance below, where you'll also find her upcoming tour dates.
Gwenifer Raymond 2026 Tour Dates:
05/03 London, UK - Shake The High Road Festival
05/03 Stroud, UK - NeoAncients Festival
05/07 Wrexham, UK - Focus Wales
05/08 Aalborg, Denmark - Shelter from the Storm
05/09 Brussels, Belgium - Vorst Nationaal / Forest National (with Mitski)
05/21 London, UK - Royal Albert Hall (with Mitski)
06/01 Barcelona, Spain - Primavera A La Ciutat
06/06 Newcastle, UK - Marrapalooza
06/13 Rouen, France - Rush Festival
06/20 Nelsonville, OH - Nelsonville Music Festival
07/03 Roskilde, Denmark - Roskilde Festival
07/05 Orillia, ON - Mariposa Folk Festival
07/10 Ottawa, ON - Bluesfest
07/17–19 Guelph, ON - Hillside Festival
07/24 Baie-Saint-Paul, QC - Le Festif!
07/31 London, UK - Hush Festival
08/16 Grande Prairie, AB, CA - Bear Creek Folk Festival
08/22 Suffolk, UK - FolkEast
08/26 Sydney, Australia - Lazy Thinking
08/27 Brisbane, Australia - Cave Inn
08/28 Melbourne, Australia - Northcote Social Club
08/29 Adelaide, Australia - Arthur Art Bar
Céline Dion's comeback is continuing to ramp up, as the iconic belter has returned with the new single "Dansons."
The French-language ballad comes as Dion prepares to take the stage for a residency in Paris in September and October, marking her first concerts since her diagnosis with stiff person syndrome and cancellations between 2022 and 2024.
The song was written by Dion's frequent collaborator Jean-Jacques Goldman — the songwriter who also penned nearly all of Dion's 1995 album D'eux, the best-selling French-language album of all time.