"Move your tail!" PISS vocalist Taylor Zantingh says to her cat with a laugh as her camera is obscured by a blur of fur. "She just missed me because we got home yesterday. She's just being a clinger," Zantingh adds with a smile as the cat settles beside her.

The noisy, genre-bending hardcore punk quartet have just returned to Vancouver from their third European tour and are valiantly pushing through jet lag to chat with Exclaim! over Zoom on a bright September morning. They're in great spirits, talking and cracking jokes with ease, the bond between band members palpable.

This bond is essential to how PISS operate, prioritizing communication and centring the well-being of all members so everyone feels supported. This is especially important when creating and performing art dealing with gender-based violence and sexual assault, topics they explore on 2024's three demos EP and on their debut album, you made me / skin on linen.

"I'm very grateful for the dynamic that we have, because it's built on a foundation of trust and total safety. I've always felt so respected and appreciated and supported. We communicate very well with each other, [and] even when things get tense or uncomfortable, we work through things really, really quickly. What we're doing right now wouldn't be possible if we didn't have this, because being a traumatized person on stage in front of so many people isn't easy," Zantingh says.

The supportive environment also results in the band having "lots of fun times" says drummer Garreth Roberts.

"It's true: when we're together, we just laugh non-stop. It's fun and easy, even when things are hard. For someone like me, who's always been surrounded by anxiety and catastrophizing, it's hard to articulate some of the ways that the dynamic brings peace to my life," Zantingh adds.

The connection between band members has been present since their formation in 2023, when guitarist Tyler Paterson convinced Zantingh to move from Victoria to Vancouver and start a band. The lineup was quickly rounded out by the addition of Roberts and bassist Gavin Moya, both of whom Paterson knew from the city's indie and folk scenes. While Zantingh has been in punk and hardcore bands her whole life, and Paterson has had an interest in heavy music since he was young, the louder musical direction was new sonic territory for Moya and Roberts.

"It was definitely a bit of an adjustment, and ultimately ended up pushing me to challenge myself musically in ways I hadn't really before. I've definitely grown in a lot of ways just as a music listener and a performer. That's been really, really gratifying," Roberts says.

"It was definitely eye-opening," says Moya, who went to school for music and has a strong background in theory. He credits seeing Paterson create different, harsher sounds with his guitar with helping him rewire his brain to operate outside of the rules that dictate the "right" way to play.

"The approach of structuring the sounds of the song around the narrative isn't something I really thought of before, and seeing Tay and Ty talking about that stuff was really exciting. It kinda feels like I've been in a different music school for the last few years," he adds with a smile.

"The school of rock!" Roberts chimes in, eliciting laughter and a nod of agreement from Moya.

While Paterson grew up with a love of heavy music, he felt like something important was missing until he met Zantingh. "I loved the idea of playing noisier stuff, but I felt like the integral part is the voice in it and what you want to say. That was something that never really clicked with me for a lot of the bands I'd been in when I was younger, so I ended up doing less noisy stuff, kind of in the folk realm and [the] shoegaze side of things. Tay and I met at a point where I was getting to a stage in my musical life where I was a little bit disillusioned. I just felt very stuck in a box creatively and like I'd hit a ceiling, so I was really searching for something," he says.

Around the time he met Zantingh, Paterson was just finishing his film degree at UBC, something he credits with changing his approach to songwriting. "That kind of rewired my brain about thinking about sonics and storytelling and song form in a more cinematic sense, rather than a more conventional sense," he reflects.

While the heavier musical direction was familiar to Zantingh, taking music seriously was new. "[Music] was just this space for me as a writer to just sort of run free and not think critically about it in any way and just be playful. It was always a place for me to not overthink things, whereas with writing, I was overthinking constantly," she says.

That all changed when she began working with Paterson, Moya and Roberts, and gave her writing, including poems she'd been working on since undergrad, a musical home. "My skill set as a writer and a performer just expanded so much upon meeting the boys. Just everything fell together so easily and it's so strange to have been trying so hard to write about the same subject matter for, honestly, like a decade, and then all of a sudden be like, 'Oh my god, collaborating with these three people, I now have the tools to actually make something that actually feels meaningful to me,'" Zantingh reflects.

"I think there's the unavoidable question of making this music with three men, but what ended up happening was an experience that was so healing for me to have these three kind, open, talented men work so hard to uplift the message that I'm driving without ego," she adds. "When I started the band, I had a very low self-image. I remember the first few songwriting sessions with Ty, feeling so anxious to tell him what I thought we should do, but then through the relationship, I found so much confidence after years and years of working with men who made me feel small or put me down."

The four friends have grown exponentially in the past three years, and this growth has been mirrored in the band's rise. They went from not expecting anybody outside of Vancouver to pay attention to the project to touring extensively nationally and internationally, and signing with not one but two powerhouse indie labels (Paper Bag Records in Canada and Sub Pop internationally) for the release of their debut album, you made me / skin on linen. It was all on the strength of their intense live show, which begins with a content warning, and their visceral three-song demo.

Their success cannot be looked at without exploring the role the subject matter they deal with has on the band. "Being in this particular project and talking about this specific subject matter carries a really interesting weight when it comes to looking at the reception. On one hand, as an artist it's so fulfilling and rewarding to have so many people approach you after a show and say they resonate with what you've done, but because of what the subject matter is, I'm constantly struck by what it means about our world that so many people are so hungry for this type of music and so many people feel so moved by it," Zantingh says.

"It's a very strange place to be in as an artist because it's my art, which is a product outside of me, but it's directly connected to my body and directly connected to the lived experiences of every single person in the room when we're sharing the songs. At the end of the day, even if you directly have not been assaulted or a been victim of violence yourself, I truly believe that sexual violence is a soul wound that touches everybody in some way. I think that's something that is impossible to ignore when you look at the reception that we've gotten," she continues.

Paterson recalls that seeing the reaction of the crowd after their first show reassured them they were on the right path and describes the growth of the band as "shocking, surprising and fulfilling at the same time."

"It's just been a roller coaster ride that none of us really expected to happen, and things have just accelerated at such a pace that we're trying to all keep our bearings while things keep getting bigger and bigger, which I think we're doing a pretty good job of," he notes.

The band's live show attracted the attention of producer Colin Stewart, who saw one of the first videos they ever posted, a video of them performing "time loop at hot slit" at a friend's house. He got in touch and offered to record their debut album. The quartet accepted and headed to the Hive Creative Labs in Victoria over the 2024–2025 winter holidays to record you made me / skin on linen with Stewart and Max Frazer.

PISS moved quickly, recording the album in about a week, barely leaving the studio save for getting food and ringing in the New Year with a short walk outside, an experience that Roberts says "was like stepping into another world," and one that Moya likens to being "in a spaceship."

Paterson says, "Colin is genuinely one of the nicest people I've ever met. He really wanted to make sure that everyone felt at home. He knew the subject matter of the album before, he wanted to create a really safe and secure atmosphere so we felt comfortable there and we weren't worried about any technicalities. He was just ready to do whatever we wanted, whether Tay wanted to be doing vocals in the live room with us or separate with a PA. There was nothing that he wasn't willing to try, and I think that just made everything so smooth for us."

Stewart sent a couple of rough mixes to Paper Bag label manager Brendan McCarney. McCarney recalls in an email to Exclaim!, "I listened to them and immediately asked for an introduction. I genuinely don't remember the last time I heard a couple songs and felt so floored. I flew out to Vancouver to have breakfast with them less than two weeks later. We became pals. I instantly sent them a record deal for Canada, and then I stepped in as manager a couple months later."

Moya says of the meeting, "We hit it off immediately with [him] and the rest of the team at Paper Bag. It was only our second meeting with a label and we were all so stoked that anyone cared, because this was early days. We had just recorded the album and we were like, 'Holy crap, someone wants to sign our album? This is crazy!'"

When asked about what makes him excited about PISS, McCarney responds, "Absolutely everything: the intense and surreal live show, the truly perfect music/album, and most importantly, the message. This is the most important band in the world right now — I say this completely devoid of hyperbole. They are such a wonderful, fun, loving group of people. I'm very lucky to work with them, but I'm honoured to call them dear friends."

These sentiments are shared by Sub Pop president Tony Kiewel and A&R manager Matt Kolhede, who met the band during their US tour opening for Omni in 2025. While the music and live show initially caught their attention, Kiewel comments that meeting the band in person "made us certain we could be good partners for them."

He reflects, "I don't know that I've ever met a band that has such a clear sense of themselves, their music, and their audience before. They are just so incredibly thoughtful, and while they take everything they do very seriously, they manage to balance it with an overwhelming kindness for each other and their fans."

Kolhede adds, "Their music means a lot to people and the band knows it, so they go to great lengths to take care of their audience so that their shows and the community they build is one that is safe and supportive. They're exactly the type of artists that we want to champion at Sub Pop."

Kolhede helped bring to life the band's idea to partner with autonomous spaces — self-managed social centres, frequently with an anarchist bent — to make physical copies of the record more accessible across North America. Moya has been working on building the list of places, saying, "It's been a ton of emailing and messaging people on Instagram. It was Tay's brilliant idea and we've been working with Matt, [who] is an excellent, helpful person. It's actually been surprisingly difficult to hear back from places, [but] we've got a good list now, and we're very excited."

The idea came about when Zantingh was working with Vancouver-based fundraising and community events organizing collective Fervorists and trying to figure out how to combine physical media and community organizing.

"I am a huge believer in physical media and owning the things that you own. I also know how restrictive prices are, and I don't wanna undersell the value of what I've made [because] this has literally taken a life-long physical toll on me. I kept thinking about how many people we meet at PISS shows who are very inclined towards liberatory politics and a lot of people are young and they're intimidated, or they don't know how to get involved," she says.

"I saw this initiative as this perfect merging of these two worlds where not only would I be able to get more copies of the record into people's hands who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford a vinyl or a CD, but also get our audience into these radical spaces to meet people in the real world where they could start doing community organizing work, or just [make] connections with people in their communities. It's been definitely one of the most fulfilling aspects of the album rollout for me," she continues.

The power of physical media is on full display on the album cover, which features a quilt created by Zantingh, the final piece of the art project surrounding the album, with the title written as if the record were hanging in an art gallery. For this quilt, photos of Zantingh dancing were given to other artists to interpret and abstract before the image was returned to her to complete the final sequence.

"[The art went] from very embodied to [being a] literal object. We took the same dance studio that the first photo was shot in and had an artist paint the final contortion of the body. I sewed the quilt and I chose the fabrics. I felt like it was important for me to have this final say because I had given up so much control, and that was the point of it. The last, final piece is my attempt to be like, 'Okay, what am I making out of this? How can I take these things that I didn't necessarily control and turn them into something that feels like it'll be representative of the record as a whole?'" Zantingh says.

Along with the songs that make up the album, the band also incorporate samples, including the sound of children playing, and clips of writers and activists — such as Toni Morrison, Andrea Dworkin, Vikki Reynolds and Manon Garcia — speaking. They also bring a written interview with German militant feminist group Rote Zora to life with bursts of noise and Zantingh's affecting vocal delivery for the penultimate track, titled "Rote Zora. 'Resistance is Possible.' Emma, no. 6, June 1984, pp. 39-41."

These samples reinforce the message of the record and serve to offer different perspectives on gender-based violence in order to meet everyone where they are in their respective journeys.

"I hoped that the samples would sort of function as a reading list, where you could read a really wide range of ideological perspectives on dealing with the issue of gender-based violence, so you could come out of the record with the tools that you need to form an opinion that fulfills whatever it is that you're facing. I'm very aware that there's no singular path out of these things for us as individuals, [or] for us as a whole. Wherever you are, there will be somewhere for you to have a starting point," Zantingh explains.

"I don't think that the record would be successful if it was prescriptive or dogmatic in some way of 'this is the answer' because, ultimately, there isn't an answer that anybody has found that works completely. If there was, we wouldn't be here."

The samples also play a role in PISS's live shows, forming a cornerstone of their set. While the set can always be scaled back if need be, in the past few years they've arrived at a setlist that is more or less written in stone, which allows them to hone the songs as well as their performances.

"I'm really making sure we're locked in whenever we're playing live," Paterson says. "For me, Garreth and Gavin, holding down the fort and making sure all of our parts are taken care of and there's this really solid foundation so Tay's able to do her thing over top of that [is important]."

No matter how many times they play the same set, it always affects Zantingh differently. "All sorts of different things will impact how a set turns out, which is interesting. It amazes me how we can play the exact same thing and I feel so differently. Sometimes I'll be in the green room crying after a set because I feel so horrible, and other times I'll be jumping up and down like, 'Woo! That was so fun!' It's so weird, and it's the same set, so I don't know what makes the difference. I don't even have a theory, it's just something that is," she contemplates.

One song that changes at every show is the closer, "i keep trying to change the ending." On the record, the track features violin by Dexter Hodgins of Vancouver-based punk/emo band Hillsboro and an extended noise section, but live, this passage gives Zantingh space to improvise.

"That's the one area of the set where I don't impose too much routine on myself, so every time that a person sees it live, that section is a little bit different. When you see it live, sometimes I'll be repeating a phrase, I'll be panting, I'll be tangling myself in the microphone, sometimes I take my earplugs out and cover my ears — whatever the spirit moves me to do, whatever the collective soul moves me to do," she says with a laugh.

"I'm proud of how that last song ended up coming together. I just really love that song. It's the final closure piece of the whole project, so it has a lot of power and meaning behind it," Roberts says. "In a live context, it exists almost as this exhale that happens at the end of the set that I had never experienced before as a performer [or] as an audience member."

This feeling of release was crafted on purpose. After an album and set filled with ferocious instrumentals, visceral vocals and affecting samples, not to mention the extended noise section on the track itself, Zantingh describes the mellower ending of the song as being like "a little lullaby at the end, a calming refrain."

"The way that it resonates with people when we perform it is definitely very overwhelming. I can't even look at people when we play that song because I'm already feeling emotional myself, and then when I see those emotions mirrored on the people in the front row, it sometimes sends me over the edge. I'm always looking right above people's heads," she says.

"I feel most proud of the way the record has been able to connect with people outside of the demographic that I had in mind. A lot of people who don't normally engage with underground arts spaces, a lot of people who are maybe older. The way it's been able to reach men also has been a very humbling journey. I think that something a lot of people forget when talking about the men who really appreciate the project is that child sexual violence, especially, does not discriminate based on gender," Zantingh reflects. "I think it's a testament to all the effort I made to make something that was both challenging and safe."

Being able to reach people through their music is one aspect of the project that means a lot to PISS, and is reflected in everything they do. There is a true sense of care in our virtual room, in how they speak to each other and to me, bringing me into conversations and being incredibly gracious when the Zoom link needs to be renewed twice after our allotted 40 minutes.

"I think more than anything, I'm just really grateful to be in a band that I find so artful and creatively fulfilling. I just get to hang out with my best friends. The whole experience has been amazing and I'm really proud of all of us," Moya says.

"We're a grateful bunch," Zantingh says with a smile.

https://exclaim.ca/music/article/prepare-the-ground-2027 2026-09-29T14:00:00.000Z

Toronto's Prepare the Ground has begun teasing its 2027 lineup, with bands due to descend on the city's West End from June 4 to 6.

Taking over Trinity St. Paul's Church, Lee's Palace, Dance Cave and Tranzac, plus a dedicated theatre for movie scores, the first wave of bands enlisted to perform includes Agalloch, Bosse-de-Nage, Dark Castle, Franklin, Junius, KEN mode performing a secret set, Lamp of Murmuur, Malfet, Primitive Man performing Observance, SubRosa, Thrä and more. 

Three-day passes are currently on sale. More bands will be announced in the coming months. 

]]> Allie Gregory @exclaim.ca https://exclaim.ca/contact https://exclaim.ca/music/article/london-on-s-call-the-office-gets-its-own-documentary-watch-the-trailer 2026-09-28T16:02:31.758Z

Beloved London institution Call the Office closed its doors back in 2020, and while it hasn't been torn down or replaced, it hasn't reopened yet either. Now, the venue is getting its own documentary.

Sean Stanley directed the doc, which is simply called Call the Office. A trailer includes interview clips with Death from Above 1979, Supersuckers, Ian Blurton, Elliott BROOD, Kittie, Bif Naked, Joe Keithley, the Sadies, Lou Barlow, Danko Jones, Shad, Nashville Pussy, Mike Watt, and members of Barenaked Ladies and Sum 41.

Watch the clip below, produced by Secada Films. Call the Office will premiere at the Windsor International Film Festival on October 31.

]]> Alex Hudson @exclaim.ca https://exclaim.ca/contact https://exclaim.ca/music/article/a-boogie-wit-da-hoodie-announces-artist-10-year-anniversary-tour 2026-09-28T16:01:42.129Z

It's time to get your boogie on, because American rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie is celebrating 10 years of his 2016 record Artist with a string of live dates taking place this fall and winter. 

The anniversary shows will kick off in Elmont, NY, at the end of October. He'll play two more US dates before heading north for a lone Canadian show at Scotiabank Arena on November 28. He'll conclude the rest of the trek stateside.

Presales begin this Wednesday (September 30) at 10 a.m. local time, which will be followed by general on-sale on Friday (October 2).

Check out the itinerary below, and head over to Concert Central for more Canadian tour announcements. 

A Boogie wit da Hoodie 2026 Tour Dates:

10/29 Elmont, NY - UBS Arena
10/30 Elmont, NY - UBS Arena
11/07 Boston, MA - Agganis Arena
11/14 Philadelphia, PA - Liacouras Center
11/28 Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena
12/05 Orlando, FL - Orlando Amphitheater at Central Florida Fairgrounds
12/12 Minneapolis, MN - The Armory
12/19 Hartford, CAT - Peoplesbank Arena

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]]> Karlie Rogers @exclaim.ca https://exclaim.ca/contact https://exclaim.ca/music/article/pomme-details-new-album-la-forteresse-shares-lead-single 2026-09-28T16:05:31.764Z

Canada-via-France singer-songwriter Pomme has announced her new album la forteresse, out November 20. Alongside the announcement, she previews the effort via new single "seule dans la foule," which came to be at Aaron Dessner's studio. 

In a release, Pomme explained that the track "deals with the feeling of belonging, but also with the need to create one's own path, to free oneself from societal norms, by being multiple, while admitting that one doesn't always know who one is," adding that it metaphorically addresses "never compromising artistically to fit industrial and capitalist expectations."

Hear that below, where you can also read Pomme's full statement about the track. 

"seule dans la foule" (alone in the crowd) from my upcoming album la forteresse (the fortress) is a song that deals with the feeling of belonging, but also with the need to create one's own path, to free oneself from societal norms, by being multiple, while admitting that one doesn't always know who one is.

In the verses, I recount the sensation of having to create my own path, off the beaten track, of paving a trail in the wilderness because the paths that already exist don't resemble me or don't attract me. The forest and the trails are a metaphor for life paths, for the choices we make when we truly listen to ourselves, and realize that we won't follow the ready-made routes (a single house, a place to put down roots, a nuclear family, biological children).

But it's also a metaphor for the idea of never compromising artistically to fit industrial and capitalist expectations. The crowd represents the other, but also society, the injunctions to be. Alone amid the injunctions.

The choruses, on the other hand, are like a confession: they tell of self-doubt, despite the accomplishments and the confidence gained over the years, despite the desire to break free. What I am, deeply, is bound to change. Freely. The choruses share this confidence.

I started writing "seule dans la foule" at Aaron Dessner's studio (Taylor Swift, Bon Iver, Girl in Red). This experience opened up new ways of writing and composing for me, and encouraged me to produce the album on my own. This track established itself as the first single from la forteresse to be revealed: it brings together its themes while carrying them in a more immediately melodic, more pop form.

]]> Allie Gregory @exclaim.ca https://exclaim.ca/contact https://exclaim.ca/music/article/postmodern-jukebox-announce-mississauga-performance 2026-09-29T15:00:00.000Z

Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox have announced the sprawling Future Is Vintage World Tour, and in addition to a massive US leg, the band are due to perform a lone gig in Canada next month. 

The trek includes a whopping 62 dates, with the band hitting Mississauga's Living Arts Centre on October 30. 

The band — whose mission is to reimagine contemporary pop songs in the styles of yesteryear's music legends — promise to enchant old souls and the young at heart with a multi-instrumental stage show, taking attendees through 100 years of vintage popular music genres, thanks to their roster of beloved singers, dancers and instrumentalists. 

"In the midst of the AI hype all around us, some folks have gone so far as to proclaim that in the not-so-distant future, all of the music that we listen to will be AI-generated... we'll gladly take the other side of that wager," Bradlee said in a statement. "On the 2026 Postmodern Jukebox North American tour, we're humbly presenting our own unique vision of a spectacular future; one that is built upon the timeless musical genres of the past and the authentically human spirit of creativity that inspired them."

Concertgoers can enjoy a buffet dinner before the show inside LIVE Restaurant, steps away from the theatre, and are encouraged to dress in their vintage best. 

Tickets to the performance at the Living Arts Centre are on sale now. VIP packages are available (with a limited number courtesy of Please & Thank You).

Take a peek at Postmodern Jukebox's take on Sabrina Carpenter's "Please Please Please," featuring Tori Holub on lead vocals, below. Head to Concert Central for more Canadian show listings. 

]]> Allie Gregory @exclaim.ca https://exclaim.ca/contact https://exclaim.ca/music/article/the-b-52-s-devo-vancouver-concert-review 2026-09-28T14:44:16.028Z

On Sunday night, two American rock bands who had both sworn to never tour again, found themselves on the stage of Rogers Arena, delivering performances that would make you think they were ready for another 10 years on the road.

If you couldn't guess from the hats or sparkles, these bands of course were DEVO and the B-52s, who decided in 2025 to join forces to co-headline the "Cosmic De-Evolution Tour." This isn't a head scratcher in terms of pairing; both groups are known for creating humorous and danceable tunes that repel some and entrance others. I personally felt mostly entranced by their performances, but there was certainly an elephant in the very large room.

DEVO kicked off the show with "Don't Shoot (I'm a Man)" off their 2010 album Something for Everybody. I was quickly reminded of their concept of de-evolution, the ethos that defines the band's music. In a time where humans seem to be more easily manipulated by media and consumed by consumerism, it dawned on me that their message is more relevant than ever. Like all great art, they don't offer a clear solution, but maybe the solution is their act of performance.

Although the band is highly politically charged, I don't think they said a single word to the audience outside of the songs. Their message is wrapped in a satirical box best delivered through new wave and post-punk rhythms, and I think it's best that way.

The guys seemed like they were having a total blast: Mark Mothersbaugh's anxious, jittery vocals paired with Gerald Casale's robotic deadpan delivery made for a constantly entertaining set that may have felt a bit one-note if it were just one vocalist, as their songs can begin to feel a bit repetitive after a while.

There were some beautiful costume changes throughout their set. The five men started off in black suits with the words "Reverse Evolution" printed on the back, eventually shedding the suits for their classic yellow jumpsuits and "energy dome" hats, and later tearing off their sleeves and being in their final form by the time "Uncontrollable Urge" came on. Mark Mothersbaugh's kneepads and shin-high black socks added to the hyper-specific world-building of the DEVO costumes.

The end of their set was a spiralling synthesizer tornado that was way too awesome to save for the last moment of their set, although the crowd seemed happy and ready for the B-52's.

When the B-52's started playing it was like a virus was making its way through the stadium that caused people to move involuntarily. As I went to the bathroom, I could see that even the most stern-looking security guards were grooving to the music. Many concertgoers, in addition to DEVO energy dome hats, were garbed in the retro-futurist attire that the B-52's are known for.

Being born in 2002, I can't fathom what it must have been like to grow up listening to these groups — I have to rely on stories from my parents — but it was clear that this group meant a lot to many people. In the stands, people of all ages were shimmying in a way I haven't seen often in Vancouver, let alone at Rogers Arena.

The band had their old music videos playing behind them on the large screen, feeling the nostalgia for the retro-futurist past that once was. Now I suppose they are retro-futurist-nostalgists? The big screen displaying their younger selves makes it clear that the "glory days" are quite literally behind them, but they are still able to draw in a devoted crowd.

The performance was let down by the sound. For bands like DEVO and the B-52's, who don't exactly have sing-along songs and mainly make music for dancing, the room felt hollow, and it was abundantly clear that these bands belonged in a club. From the stands it felt more like a strange museum exhibit than a concert at times.

That being said, the last two songs "Love Shack" and "Rock Lobster" were absolutely euphoric. The energy of those two songs is unmatched: the strange overlapping harmonies, angular guitars and punk-y drums gave so much to love. The lobster mascot coming out for their last song was the cherry on top.

One can't deny how much fun they are having on stage. For a band that started out by trying to recreate the essence of a drunken Chinese-food fuelled jam session, they seem to be carrying that torch with them all these years later. If you can't dance to these songs, you might have a case of snobbitis.

]]> Sean Finan @exclaim.ca https://exclaim.ca/contact https://exclaim.ca/film/article/hockey-night-in-canada-returns-for-pwhl-games 2026-09-28T14:19:59.476Z

Hockey Night in Canada isn't completely done after all. The CBC might no longer have the rights to any NHL games, but it will return to air a PWHL game instead.

Hockey Night in Canada will launch its new season on December 5 with the Montréal Victoire playing Hamilton's yet-to-be-named new team.

From the sound of things, PWHL games won't air quite as consistently as NHL did, since a press release notes that Hockey Night in Canada will broadcast eight games in the upcoming season. As always, Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts will feature at least one Canadian team.

Hockey Night in Canada will now be a sub-brand of CBC Sports Primetime, CBC's new weekly sports show airing on Saturday night, hosted by Andi Petrillo.

"Our partnership with the PWHL opens a new chapter in sports history. We are proud to announce the return of the iconic Hockey Night in Canada brand, building on this beloved Canadian tradition with the PWHL's growing fanbase and providing audiences across the country with free access to world-class hockey," CBC exec Chris Wilson said in a statement. "We're delivering on our commitment to equal coverage of women's sports across our platforms and look forward to elevating the athletes and stories at the heart of the game."

]]> Alex Hudson @exclaim.ca https://exclaim.ca/contact https://exclaim.ca/music/article/riley-green-maps-out-2027-north-american-tour 2026-09-28T14:12:38.093Z

Earlier this month, country dude Riley Green released his latest album That's Just Me, and now he's detailed plans for a 29-date headlining stadium tour, which will take him across the US and Canada next year.

The tour will begin on April 1 in Spokane, WA. After two more US gigs, he'll head north to play Edmonton's Rogers Place (April 8), Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome (April 9) and Saskatoon's SaskTel Centre (April 10). 

He'll forge his way east throughout the US, and will return once again to Canada to play Toronto's RBC Amphitheatre on June 11. Green will continue the rest of the tour stateside.

Presale begins tomorrow (September 29) at 10 a.m. local time, with general on-sale following on Friday (October 2) at 10 a.m. local time. Check out the tour dates below, and head over to Concert Central for more Canadian tour announcements. 

Riley Green 2027 Tour Dates:

04/01 Spokane, WA - Numerica Veterans Arena*+•
04/02 Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena*+•
04/03 Eugene, OR - Matthew Knight Arena*+*
04/08 Edmonton, AB - Rogers Place*+•
04/09 Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome*+•
04/10 Saskatoon, SK - SaskTel Centre*+•
04/29 Raleigh, NC - Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek^+•
04/30 Knoxville, TN - Food City Center^+•
05/01 Greenville, SC - Bon Secours Wellness Arena^+•
05/06 Fort Worth, TX - Dickies Arena^+•
05/07 Wichita, KS - INTRUST Bank Arena^+•
05/08 Rogers, AR - Walmart AMPA+•
05/20 Tulsa, OK - BOK Center^+•
05/21 Dallas, TX - Dos Equis Pavilion^+•
05/22 Lafayette, LA - CAJUNDOME^+•
06/03 Brandon, MS - Brandon Amphitheater*+•
06/04 Orange Beach, AL - The Wharf Amphitheater*+•
06/10 Mt. Pleasant, MI - Soaring Eagle Casino*+•
06/11 Toronto, ON - RBC Amphitheatre*+•
06/18 Gilford, NH - BankNH Pavilion*+•
06/25 Clarkston, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre*+•
07/15 Syracuse, NY - Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview*+•
07/16 Allentown, PA - PPL Center*+•
07/22 Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion*+•
07/23 Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center for the Arts*+•
07/24 Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center*+•
07/29 Evansville, IN - Ford Center*+•
07/30 St. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheater*+•
07/31 Milwaukee, WI - American Family Insurance Amphitheater*+•

* with Muscadine Bloodline
^ with Randy Houser
+ with Jake Worthington
• with Hannah McFarland

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]]> Karlie Rogers @exclaim.ca https://exclaim.ca/contact https://exclaim.ca/music/article/giles-martin-beatles-rubber-soul-remix-interview 2026-09-28T13:42:47.917Z

Some years ago, after listening to a fresh remix of the 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by his old outfit the Beatles, Paul McCartney shared an emotional moment with the reissue's producer, Giles Martin.

They were in a big room at Abbey Road Studios in London, UK, where Giles's dad, the late George Martin, spent hours producing Beatles records, and the Pepper playback made McCartney sentimental.

"He said, 'You know, we were so lucky to have your dad,'" Martin recalls, speaking to Exclaim! from an anteroom at the same Abbey Road facility. "And he goes, 'You know, we're so lucky to have you as well.' And I went, 'Wow, well, I'm so lucky you asked me to do this stuff.' And he gave me a hug, and he went, 'Well, maybe we're all lucky.'"

Listening to Giles Martin's fresh mixes of 1965's Rubber Soul and the early song sketches, magic-in-the-making studio chatter (hear a good-natured George Harrison patiently trying to teach "Think for Yourself" to the unprepared, perhaps even disinterested Lennon/McCartney camp), and one rather surprising home-recorded demo for the unreleased, unfinished John Lennon song "Little Girl," which are included in its new deluxe edition (out on October 2), it's clear that luck was only a small part of the Beatles' achievements.

George Martin and audio engineer Norman Smith were game to indulge a young band pushing themselves to be great songwriters, while also learning how to use the recording studio as an instrument to expand their sound.

What they came up with was the most pivotal record of their trajectory. Rubber Soul — with its introspective, mature lyrical slyness, abstraction, Indian influences, proto-psychedelic tape-speed manipulated instrumentation, and heady folk rock sound — changed popular rock music forever. Everyone involved with its original recording was simply very good at their jobs.

For Giles Martin, who was born four years after Rubber Soul was released (and shares his October 9 birthdate with Lennon), revisiting a session from 60 years ago required a time traveller's mentality.

"I sort of pretend that it hasn't been made and mixed yet. I think, 'Okay, the band's been on tour, they've been in America,' and it's an interesting album because it's the casting off of Beatlemania in a way. They're writing songs, not just about love; it's very bittersweet."

Martin always had ambitions to be a songwriter in his own right but, when his dad's hearing declined, Sir George called upon his son to aid him in his audio engineering and production work. Giles's foray into the Beatles archives began with the revelatory three-volume Anthology set in the mid-1990s, but it was his deconstructionist remixing and reimagining of the Beatles' works for the Cirque du Soleil show Love, and its subsequent 2006 soundtrack/mash-up album, that was an eye-opening turning point.  

"I remember I got to 'Help,' which was in the show, and there's very little you can [manipulate] with 'Help' — it's just an acoustic guitar, bass and drums song. And, you know, Paul said, 'What have you done to this?' And I said, 'Well, I haven't really done anything to it.' And Paul goes, 'Well, what do we pay you for? Your job is to do things, and if we don't like it, then we won't use it,' or, you know, you get fired or whatever. So, my job is to work on these tracks, and it's with a lot of love and care, but freedom as well."

He adds, "It's a job. I mean, at the end of the day, you need to be a professional. It doesn't matter who your father was."

The extensive and insightful liner notes from this new Rubber Soul set suggest some conflict over the sound of the album. The Beatles wished their records could be as powerful and bass-heavy as those by American artists like the Miracles or Booker T. & the M.G.'s (the latter's influence is certainly palpable on the wonderful instrumental and early versions of Rubber Soul songs included here). Ever the dutiful, confident go-between, George Martin wound up tangling with the label's mastering and manufacturing technicians. When they employed their desired mixes and instructional notes, Martin and the Beatles' prescribed bass frequencies would create "kangaroo records," where needles bounced up and down on test pressings.

Matters got testy enough that EMI's Quality Assurance lab engineers recorded notes that Rubber Soul was "unable to cut" to vinyl. Even worse, engineer Harry Moss rejected a test pressing of what would eventually be known as one of the greatest albums of all time by dismissing it as "badly recorded." Giles Martin stifles a chuckle about all of this.

"It's funny, it's very much belt and braces that's always gone on in Britain, and in other places. Great art is made from the constraints of situations. My dad actually got flown over by EMI to the Come Fly with Me sessions with Frank Sinatra to try and work out why the Americans could be so much louder, and how they achieved this."

He continues, "And the Beatles and my father and the engineers pushed things as much as they could. But John Lennon said to my dad — they met up [just] before [Lennon] died — 'I wish we could have recorded everything properly.' And my dad said, 'What do you mean? How about "Strawberry Fields"?' [Lennon] goes, 'Especially "Strawberry Fields." Like, we could get it right this time.' So, their demands were so high, and that's what makes great art, right? You never actually get there. That's the thing, and so it's the same with sound."

To do everything he can to make albums like Rubber Soul as mighty as his father and the Beatles envisioned them sounding in the '60s, Giles Martin has embraced machine learning and source separation tools in his remixing of Beatles music to overcome some of the four-track recording limitations and emphasis on mono mixes of the time. Drummers today might be startled to learn that for the Rubber Soul sessions, Ringo Starr's kit was only outfitted with two microphones: one for the kick drum and one overhead mic for the rest of the set, a standard practice back then.

Though they've always sounded terrific, Martin has been able to further enhance Beatles songs by employing modern technology.

"'Norwegian Wood' is John playing acoustic guitar and singing on the same track. So, even though it'd be two microphones, they're put on the same track. Now, that means that when the stereo mix is made, which is an afterthought, he's on the right-hand side and the band's on the left-hand side. So, with machine learning, I can separate the two microphones that he used into a vocal and acoustic guitar, and now we can have his vocal in the middle and the acoustic guitar slightly on the right. That's more natural; if you were listening to John Lennon [singing], you wouldn't be facing the other way.

"Also, with the amount of people that listen to music on headphones — I think 80 percent of music's listened to on headphones now, maybe more — it makes more sense to be able to have a vocal in the centre. So, I'll use anything I can get my hands on to make it as natural as possible."

By this point, Rubber Soul has been commercially available on vinyl, 8-track tape, cassette tape, compact disc, and all manner of other digital and streaming formats. After the painstaking lengths he went to to remix and restore the album, which format would Martin hope people use to hear the full scope of sound by the Beatles?

"Yeah, it's interesting. So, if you were [at Abbey Road], I'd probably play you the [spatial and surround sound] Dolby Atmos mix in a really good room, because I can create the atmosphere around you [such that] you're in the room with the band, and that's really exciting for people. But it has to be done the right way.

"But when I did Sgt. Pepper's, they cut the vinyl of the mix I did, and I approved it, and I was like, 'This sounds really good' And I work with this company called Wrensilva that make beautiful consoles [record players]. They're based in America. And I have a console that I helped them design at home, which weighs about the same weight as a car, but it's in our living room.

"And we decided to have martinis and just listen to records on a Saturday. I put on a Stan Getz album and a Quincy Jones album, and I was like, 'This is music engagement, how it should be' — listening with people you love and listening to a vinyl record is probably the thing.

"If I'm being emotionally valid, that's what I'd choose. If you asked me [how I'd like to] listen to music for the rest of my life, I'd be in that room with people I love, probably with a martini, and listening to records I love like that."

Hear this entire conversation with Giles Martin on a forthcoming episode of Kreative Kontrol with Vish Khanna.

]]> Vish Khanna @exclaim.ca https://exclaim.ca/contact https://exclaim.ca/music/article/zeus-book-ontario-fall-tour-in-support-of-new-album-lost-and-found-the-say-us-archives 2026-09-28T13:50:41.878Z

Last Friday (September 25), Canadian pop-rock gods Zeus announced their fifth studio album. Titled Lost & Found (The Say Us Archives) (out October 9), the album is a collection of unreleased material recorded around the making of the band's 2010 debut record, Say Us. 

The new album is previewed by the single "Lions Pride," which Mike O'Brien described as a track "that's always had a special place in our hearts and is exciting for us to finally get to share it."

O'Brien continued, "This collection in many ways tells the whole story of the inception of our band. Each songwriter coming from his separate corner and finding a sound together. These songs didn't end up fitting the picture that became Say Us but they serve to fill in the gaps in that time period. We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane as much as we did."

Zeus have also mapped out a string of live dates in Ontario taking place next month. They'll play shows in Windsor, Chatham, Cambridge, London, St. Catharines and Hamilton throughout October. Tickets are on sale now. 

Find Zeus's tour itinerary below, and head over to Concert Central for more Canadian tour announcements. 

Lost & Found (The Say Us Archives):

1. John & Daryl
2. Lions Pride
3. More Than Friends
4. Kindergarten
5. Have a Little Faith
6. Don't Block the Sun from Your Eyes
7. Light Get Through
8. Mother, Mother
9. Saturday in the Cold Sun
10. Fight You'll Find
11. Hurts Me to Know
12. Please Don't Go
13. Super Supa Supupu Coin Coing!

Pre-order Lost & Found (The Say Us Archives).

Zeus 2026 Tour Dates:

10/15 Windsor, ON - Meteor
10/16 Chatham, ON - The Fortress
10/17 Cambridge, ON - Farm League Brewing
10/28 London, ON - Rum Runners
10/29 St. Catharines, ON - Helliwell Hall
10/30 Hamilton, ON - Collective Arts Brewing

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]]> Karlie Rogers @exclaim.ca https://exclaim.ca/contact https://exclaim.ca/music/article/slipknot-book-2027-stadium-tour 2026-09-28T13:21:26.396Z

Masked metal dudes Slipknot have announced their (sic)est Stadium Tour for summer 2027.

Following a UK show, the group will play North America in July and August of 2027, then a few South American dates. The North American leg includes two Canadian shows: Montreal's Parc Jean-Drapeau and Toronto's Rogers Stadium. Both of those Canadian stops feature Bring Me the Horizon and Kublai Khan TX, while the Montreal date also includes Vended.

A press release promises "a brand new set, new staging and a setlist spanning across their career."

Following presales throughout the week, tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday (October 2) at 10 a.m. local time.

Slipknot 2027 Tour Dates:

07/03 London, UK - Wembley Stadium #!
07/16 Washington, D.C. - Nationals Park ~%
07/18 Queens, NY - Citi Field ~%
07/21 Montreal, QC - Parc Jean-Drapeau ~^@
07/23 Toronto, ON - Rogers Stadium ~^
07/25 Chicago, IL - Soldier Field ~$
07/28 Hershey, PA - Hersheypark Stadium ~!
07/31 Boston, MA - Fenway Park ~!
08/03 Nashville, TN - FirstBank Stadium ~^
08/06 Houston, TX - Daikin Park ~+
08/09 Commerce City, CO - Dick's Sporting Goods Park ~=
08/13 Inglewood, CA - SoFi Stadium ~=
08/15 San Francisco, CA - Golden Gate Park ~&=
08/18 Phoenix, AZ - Chase Field ~&
09/04 São Paulo, Brazil - The Town*
09/08 Buenos Aires, Argentina - Estadio Huracán #
09/12 Santiago, Chile - Estadio Nacional #
09/14 Lima, Peru - Estadio Nacional #*
09/16 Bogotá, Colombia - Vive Claro #

# with Marilyn Manson, Hatebreed
~ with Bring Me the Horizon
% with Acid Bath
! with Lorna Shore
^ with Kublai Khan TX
@ with Vended
$ with Lamb of God
+ with Polyphia
= with Loathe
& with Motionless in White

]]> Alex Hudson @exclaim.ca https://exclaim.ca/contact https://exclaim.ca/music/article/w-i-t-c-h-toronto-concert-review-second-summer-festival 2026-09-27T20:03:40.700Z

"Love, unity, mercy… Love people without condition."

If there was a thesis to W.I.T.C.H.'s hallucinatory performance yesterday (September 26) at Toronto's Lee's Palace, it would be those few words spoken by frontman Emmanuel "Jagari" Chanda midway through the set. On the final night of Second Summer Festival, the legendary Zamrock band brought their decades-spanning catalogue in front of Toronto audiences for the first time ever, and music lovers both young and old turned out to witness it.

Not many bands have a history as interesting and tumultuous as that of W.I.T.C.H. — whose name itself is fittingly an acronym for We Intend to Cause Havoc. Jagari, the founding vocalist, quit the band in the late '70s due to Zambia's economic crisis, opting for a life as a teacher and miner instead. 

After his departure, the band's lineup took a couple different iterations before fading away altogether by the mid-'80s. However, since their original catalogue was given a series of reissues in 2011 and 2012, W.I.T.C.H. — and the Zamrock genre as a whole — have had a global resurgence.

Nowadays, Jagari has reclaimed his role as vocalist, and Patrick Mwondela, who played with the band post-Jagari in the '80s, has also returned on keys. The lineup is completed by Kabanga Jones on guitar, Tommy Kirby on bass and Oli Mason on drums. Jones emerged as the most valuable player of the night, his fuzzed-out, woozy guitar taking centre stage on multiple songs that saw him deliver groovy solos, much to the audience's delight.

For their live debut in Toronto, the band played newer tracks "Waile" and "Kamusale" off 2022's Zango and 2025's SOGOLO, respectively, but the setlist was dominated by classic favourites from their sonically expansive releases of the '70s and '80s. As true masters of the genre, W.I.T.C.H., served up an eclectic blend of psych and blues rock with traditional Zambian influence.

Now in his 70s, Jagari was the captivating leader of the show. Looking incredibly comfortable on the stage, he busted moves to the funky guitar riffs and singing synths while showering the space with his rich vocals. Between songs, he was somewhat of a preacher, taking his time to tell stories about the songs' histories and the compassionate messages he aims to spread through the music.

As he danced around on stage, he was feeding off the crowd's energy in the same way they were feeding off his, creating a feedback loop of enthusiasm and elation in which no part could function without the other. Many times, Jagari approached the edge of the stage to reach down and high-five the energetic fans in the front row.

When the band neared the end of their performance, Jagari asked the crowd, "How many more should we play?" Someone, speaking on behalf of everyone, yelled back, "Never stop!" 

As the band ripped through a heavy, psych-punk ending to their final track "Evil Woman," the Gen Zers in the room rushed in front of the stage to open up the largest mosh pit I saw all weekend at Second Summer.

If they hadn't already staked their claim to the status before, W.I.T.C.H.'s comeback over the past 15 years has cemented the band's position as an undeniable cult classic. Jagari is that guy — and by the way he commands the stage and audience, he seems to know it.

]]> Payton Knox @exclaim.ca https://exclaim.ca/contact