Born Ruffians – Uncle, Duke & The Chief

Luke Lalonde was feeling lost. Following the release of Born Ruffians’ 2015 album, Ruff, the frontman admits that he was “losing focus and losing desire, I guess, for what the band was.” To Lalonde, Born Ruffians’ identity is deeply embedded in its original three-person lineup, which included bassist Mitch Derosier and drummer Steve Hamelin. The latter left the band in 2013.(CBC Music (First Play))

Hannah Epperson – Slowdown

Having received praise from the likes of Bandcamp Daily and Indie Shuffle, Canadian artist Hannah Epperson is not only a successful Ultimate Frisbee player for Canada’s national team, but a skilled songwriter who creates utterly captivating offerings.(Get In Her Ears)

Josh Mover & The Shakers – Into a Ghost

Sarcastic, but direct. Caustic, but melodic. Cutting, but heartfelt. Smart ass, but working class. Josh Mover & The Shakers new EP is a study in juxtaposition. ‘Into a ghost’ is confounding in the best way. Is this a punk rock record? Pub rocket? Elvis Costello reborn? A takedown of modern romance? A plea to the forgotten? A million questions, and one answer: a absolute earworm of a listen. Sit down, grab a whiskey, and hopefully a lyric sheet. Every witticism is a must hear.(New Noise (Album Stream))

M.M. Crone – M.M. Crone

MM Crone is a Montreal duo comprised of Philippe Petit and Margaux Tabary. They make gritty indie electro music with a twist. You’ll probably do a double-take at first, but don’t stop, let the unusual vocal delivery seep into your ears as you’ll get the vibe the more your listen.(IX Daily)

Ought – Room Inside The World

If you go back to the great post-punk bands of the late ’70s and early ’80s, you’ll find plenty of artists who started out avant-garde and challenging and stayed avant-garde and challenging throughout their career. But you’ll also find a stereotypical arc that played out in the history of ’80s music: that of the young and feverish post-punk band discovering poppier forms as they grew up, gradually warming to the gloss of new wave, the muscularity of mainstream rock, the general notion of accessibility and more direct hooks. It was a very common turning point, from Simple Minds to Joy Division/New Order, one that tons of bands in their lineage — like, say, Merchandise — have followed in decades since.(Stereogum)

Shred Kelly – Archipelago

Known for their innovative and seamless fusion of tradition folk instrumentation and energetic modern rock, B.C.’s Shred Kelly have produced their most ambitious offering to date with their fourth LP, Archipelago. In this exclusive #CMPremiere, we’re bringing you the brand new video for the album’s second single, “Don’t Ever Look Back.”(Canadian Musician Blog)

US Girls – In a Poem Unlimited

‘In a Poem Unlimited’ is the sixth studio album from multi-disciplinary artist Meg Remy, released on 4AD under her decade-long U.S. Girls project. Let’s start at the beginning: I love the title. I absolutely, sincerely do love it. Its off-key rhythm, the way it doesn’t mean anything and then you think about it, and suddenly, Oh GOD! You get it. It’s saying something about the way that poetic form can contain the universe, maybe. Or it’s a metaphor for the absolute freedom that writing poetry offers, if only you can do it. It’s a four-word poem in its own right. (Loud And Quiet)