There’s something wonderful about being a tourist for a few days.
You walk more. You look up more. You stop and sit in places for no reason at all. You eat things because the menu looked interesting and not because it was practical. And if you’re lucky, you end up having one of those moments where you think: this is pretty good right now.
This week I’m writing from Vienna where my wife is working and my daughter and I have been doing our best to support her by wandering around and eating our way through the city. It’s a tough assignment, but somebody has to do it.
Over the last few days we’ve walked through old streets, listened to people speaking languages I can’t understand, visited places built hundreds of years before Canada was even a thought, and I’ve been reminded that sometimes the best experiences happen when you don’t really have a plan.
Music can be like that too.
Sometimes you press play because you know exactly what you’re looking for. Other times you stumble onto something and twenty minutes later you realize you’ve played it three times in a row and now you’re telling your friends they have to hear it.
This week there’s more Australian music than should probably be legally allowed, new songs from Olivia Rodrigo, Charli XCX, Muse and New Order, plus Dutch once again opening the gates of the Øven and unleashing whatever horrors he found this week.
Are you still looking for your new favourite song?
There’s a pretty good chance it’s somewhere in the playlist below. All you have to do is press play.
Swapmeet
I’ve featured every Swapmeet track from their upcoming album Mount Zero – why stop now?
The Adelaide band dropped their latest song, “2 C U”, earlier this week and I like it. Then I liked it again. For this one I’m getting a bit of a Dinosaur Jr. vibe, especially in the guitars.
I get asked why I feature so much Australian music and the answer is pretty simple – Aussies and Canadians have similar musical attitudes. We both punch way above our weight when it comes to producing incredible music.
Like I said, simple.
Party Dozen
Might as well make my point with the second Aussie band in a row. Here’s Party Dozen mixing things up with their latest single, “Special Unit”. The sax-and-drums duo have now added guitar to the mix, expanding their already chaotic punk energy.
This feels like early-’80s new wave having a nervous breakdown. The band will be in Toronto on June 4 opening for Amyl and the Sniffers at the Molson Amphitheatre, so if you’re heading to the show – get there early.
Overpass
I’ve also featured every single from Overpass’ upcoming debut album Elsewhere, Always, so I might as well continue the trend.
“Is This Real?” is the final single before the album arrives in two weeks and, once again, it’s another solid track. I’ve had a couple of conversations about the Birmingham band recently and everyone seems to land in the same place: we may be onto something pretty special here.
The Coral
It must be tough releasing a perfect song right out of the gate and then spending the rest of your career living in its shadow. That’s kind of what happened to The Coral.
Their debut album was beloved, Mercury Prize nominated, and featured one of the best songs of the decade in “Dreaming of You”.
The band quietly dropped their twelfth album 388 a few weeks ago before finally putting it onto streaming this week. There’s a lot to enjoy as the album embraces the sound of the ‘70s Zambian music scene, perfectly showcased in “Ride That Train”.
Olivia Rodrigo
The world of pop is in a really good place right now. Or at least I can confidently say the ladies are holding up their side of the bargain.
With the return of Hilary Duff, an excellent album from Slayyter, and Charli XCX continuing to do Charli things, it’s nice to see Olivia Rodrigo still putting out bangers.
She dropped “The Cure” this week and, as the Austrians say: Das ist ausgezeichnet.
I need to stop assuming she’ll eventually release a dud and instead accept reality: she’s all about bangers, so just enjoy the ride. “The Cure” might be my favourite thing she’s released in a couple of years and I’m now officially in the I CAN NOT WAIT FOR THE NEW ALBUM camp.
Charli XCX
Speaking of Charli, she dropped a new song yesterday called “SS26” and I like this one too. Her 2026 output seems to have divided fans pretty evenly. I’m not divided in the slightest.
“Wuthering Heights”? Good.
“Rock”? Great.
This one? Also good.
I think we’re watching a star operating at the absolute top of her game and I’m loving it.
Blondshell
Blondshell is back with another driving single, “My Heart Has to Work So Hard”.
She’s been putting out banger after banger over the last couple of years and I’m happy to report that trend doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.
New album on the way? Fingers crossed.
Stand Atlantic
Okay, back to another Aussie band. Sydney’s Stand Atlantic have been putting out post-emo power pop for over a decade and they don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Also, their new song is called “Velcro,” and you know… I already have enough search competition for The Velcro Staircase as it is.
Right now it looks like a standalone single, but fingers crossed this is just the beginning and album number five arrives soon.
Muse
Muse continue rolling out songs from their upcoming album The Wow.
“Hexagons” is classic Muse: prog-alternative excess with guitars everywhere, Matt singing angelically, the rhythm section holding everything together, plus synths... synths... and more synths.
New Order
The newly inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band have announced a new compilation album arriving in July. The Best and Rest of New Order is a huge 47-track collection featuring fresh mixes of all your favourite New Order songs.
Well... maybe not all of them. Because I’m still waiting for “Here to Stay” from the Retro compilation to finally make its way to streaming.
So until then, I’ll settle for the new version of “Spooky” and the Sub Sub 12-inch mix.
Ed O’Brien
The Radiohead guitarist – no, the other one – is back with his sophomore album, which also happens to be one of the best-reviewed releases of the week.
While Blue Morpho absolutely feels like its own thing, comparisons to later Radiohead records are unavoidable. There’s psych-folk guitar, atmospheric beats, and all the elements fans love from that era.
Lead track “Incarnations” doesn’t stray too far from that territory and is absolutely worth your time.
The Mosh Pot
XCOMM
Favourite New Album Alert
We’ve featured a couple of tracks from XCOMM as we’ve been building toward their debut album and now Time to Burn is finally here. Let’s just say I’m pretty happy.
There’s a lot to like here – from straight-up punk anthems and aggressive bursts of energy to songs that pull things back and remind you it isn’t always about stage diving and bruises. One of the more melodic moments is “Running Zeroes”, which actually reminds me quite a bit of Sum 41.
It’s one thing to have a famous father open a door for you. It’s another thing entirely when the songwriting and talent are good enough to keep that door open.
And this definitely feels like a sign of that.
Dismiss
When was the last time I featured music from Greece? It’s been a spell, to say the least. Here’s “I Need”, a three-minute shot of adrenaline courtesy of Athens’ finest – Dismiss.
Dutch’s picks
Quicksand
Post-hardcore veterans Quicksand are gearing up for their third studio album since returning from hiatus and have started teasing a few new songs. “Crystallize” sounds like the band are firmly back on track with solid, no-BS punk rock.
NOFX
NOFX’s ongoing farewell parade continues with the wonderfully melancholic “40 Years of Fuckin’ Up”.
No surprises here – it follows the classic NOFX template with the usual NOFX lyrical observations that somehow hover in that strange place between juvenile and oddly profound.
The Dutch Øven
John Carpenter
John Carpenter has announced Cathedral, which is both a graphic novel and an accompanying album arriving in early August. Each song on the album will correspond to a chapter in the novel. According to the press material, the story for Cathedral was inspired by a dream that somehow turned into a metal record.
Honestly, that feels very John Carpenter.
Carpenter is joined by guitarist Daniel Davies and son Cody Carpenter on synths. “Lord of the Underground” perfectly blends guitars and eerie atmospherics and feels like the kind of song that makes you want to keep turning pages.
Love this concept. And I think this might be the perfect gift for Dutch or Dutch Jr.
Witch Club Satan
Normally I avoid music that actively scares me, but since the Norwegian all-female black metal band are embarking on their first North American tour, I figured: okay, let’s do this.
Here’s Witch Club Satan’s latest single, “The Kids Will Kill Us”
They’ll be in Toronto a week from tonight, followed by Montreal and plenty of stops throughout the U.S. along the way. You’ve been warned.
156/Silence
The Pittsburgh metalcore band play the Opera House in Toronto tonight and naturally I’m out of town. 156/Silence have a new album arriving in September and we now have the first single, “No Arms”. It certainly sounds like the band are gearing up for a good one.
Dutch’s Take:
Everything is coming up 156/Silence. A new album drops in September, they’re playing The Opera House tonight, and earlier this week we got the excellent new single “No Arms.”
It’s still impossible to categorize 156/Silence because the influences are all over the place – but the song just sounds cool.
Dutch’s Pick
Dutch’s Pick: Dimmu Borgir
This week sees veteran extreme metal act Dimmu Borgir release their tenth studio album, Grand Serpent Rising.
The symphonic black metal band will likely earn the coveted award for Most Skipped Song of the Week with “Slik Minnes en Alkymist”, but for those looking for dark Halloween vibes during these sunny spring days – we’ve got you covered.
Canadian Corner
sundayclub
Favourite New Song Alert
I’ve featured a bunch of songs from Manitoba’s sundayclub as we gear up for their debut self-titled album, but their latest single “Blue Wave” might be my favourite yet.
I definitely get Alvvays vibes from this one, but that’s not to say it isn’t original. It’s more of a statement that if you like guitar-driven indie rock with that “I can’t put my finger on why this sounds Canadian, but jeepers, it sounds Canadian” feeling – you’re going to love this.
I love everything about it, from the uplifting energy to the excellent fade-out. I’m fully on the “Blue Wave” and I’m not sure I’m getting off until this thing lands somewhere in my year-end Top 40.
Kiwi Jr.
Toronto indie band Kiwi Jr. have announced that their fourth album will arrive in August and have released the first taste with “Blowin’ Up”.
There’s a very strong ’80s college radio feel to this one – jangly guitars, hooks everywhere, and the kind of song that somehow sounds familiar after one listen.
Catchy as anything.
Festival Watch: Winnipeg Folk Festival
Kathleen Edwards
Last summer Kathleen Edwards released Billionaire. The album is chalk-full of the folk gems we’ve come to expect from the Ottawa native over the years.
There’s always been something wonderfully unforced about Edwards’ songwriting. She has a way of making songs feel like conversations you’ve somehow walked into halfway through – honest, smart, and lived in.
Here’s “Fla”.
Logan Richard
As longtime readers know, I camp every year in Prince Edward Island and anytime I get the chance to feature music from the Island, it’s all systems go.
Logan Richard released the deluxe version of his second album Character Traits today. Here’s one of the new additions to an already excellent record: “Yet to Let Me Down”.
He feels like exactly the kind of artist that’s going to thrive at Folk Fest – good songs, good stories, and one of those sets where you suddenly look around and realize a crowd has quietly gathered around you.
Ben’s Folk Revue
Le Ren
Lauren Spear is a BC-born, Montreal-based artist who performs under the name Le Ren. She has announced her sophomore album Don’t Be Funny Without Me, due out August 28.
Judging by the first single, “Free Wheeling”, this feels like the kind of album that arrives at exactly the right time – a perfect soundtrack for those late-summer evenings when the air starts getting cooler and the leaves begin thinking about changing colour.
Widemouth
Like most Canadians, when I see a band name like Widemouth my brain immediately jumps to Wide Mouth Mason.
But after one listen, the Chicago band and their Central Time Zone cousins don’t actually have much in common.
“Raincoat” is the latest single from the group’s upcoming debut album No Gasoline, arriving next Friday. There’s something wonderfully understated about it – the kind of song that doesn’t demand your attention but quietly earns it over a few listens.
Cover Tune of the Week
Primus
Nobody really talks about Ronnie James Dio enough. But RJD was one of those towering figures in metal whose fingerprints are everywhere. From popularizing the iconic devil horns to fronting bands like Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and of course Dio, he helped shape what heavy music became.
And then there were the songs. “Holy Diver”, “Rainbow in the Dark”, “The Last in Line” – absolute classics.
Primus have now taken on “Holy Diver” as part of their new Handful of Nuggs EP and thankfully they didn’t completely Primus-ify it. Their version stays pretty close to the spirit of the original, which I don’t mind at all.
Some songs don’t need to be reinvented. Sometimes they just deserve another lap.
Live Tracks of the Week
DARA
Bulgarian artist DARA won Eurovision Song Contest this past week, becoming the first Bulgarian artist to accomplish the feat. DARA first rose to prominence after reaching the final of The X Factor: Bulgaria and has steadily built a huge following since.
Her latest single, “Bangaranga”, isn’t really for me, but I completely understand why people are connecting with it. Sometimes Eurovision songs aren’t necessarily about subtlety – they’re about hooks, energy, and getting 100 million people to remember you after one listen.
Gojira
To celebrate their 30th anniversary, Gojira have released an absolutely epic live version of “Global Warning”.
Usually this kind of thing gets banished to the Øven, making it easier for readers who don’t care for metal to simply keep scrolling. But in this case, I think it deserves a wider audience.
Heavy? Absolutely. But also massive, atmospheric, and a reminder of just how good this band has become.
Band of Horses
I know what you’re thinking – three songs in the Live section this week?
But when three completely different and excellent performances land in the same week, rules are made to be broken.
Released 20 years ago on Band of Horses’ debut album, “The Funeral” remains an incredible song. Built around themes of anxiety and emotional exhaustion, it’s one of those songs that somehow feels deeply personal and absolutely massive at the same time.
Pitchfork named it the 67th greatest song of the 2000s and it’s difficult to argue with that. It’s epic. And this version is outstanding.
Just ‘Cause
Falco
I visited the Haus der Musik the other day and there was plenty about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Franz Schubert – but not nearly enough Falco.
Growing up in the ’80s, most of us knew Falco for the worldwide smash “Rock Me Amadeus”, but there was always more to him than that one massive hit. He was cool, strange, stylish, and somehow managed to make German-language pop feel like something the entire world needed.
“Vienna Calling” has always been a favourite of mine and, considering where I’m writing this from, it feels pretty on the nose this week.
Happy Birthday
Johnny Gill
Happy 60th birthday to Johnny Gill.
Gill first broke through in the ’80s as a member of New Edition before launching a successful solo career that would eventually span eight albums. He is probably best known for “Rub You the Right Way”, the infectious single from his self-titled 1990 album that climbed all the way to No. 3.
There was something about that era of R&B where artists could be smooth without trying too hard. Gill had one of those voices – confident, soulful, and seemingly effortless.
Beyond music, he also built an acting career with more than 80 film and television credits to his name.
Happy birthday Johnny – and here’s to still knowing the right way.
Happy Anniversary
Hollywood Park
Early in the pandemic we were all searching for something – anything – to do. One of the things I got pretty excited about was the new The Airborne Toxic Event album Hollywood Park. Released on May 22, 2020, it followed frontman Mikel Jollett’s memoir about his traumatic early life.
I’ve always loved an afternoon at the ponies – in fact Jane and I spent an afternoon there earlier this week. So, to have an album that dealt with growing up, memory, family, and looking back at a younger version of yourself, it hit me in exactly the right place.
It was a strange time for all of us. Days blended together, routines disappeared, and we were all trying to find something that felt normal.
For me, Hollywood Park helped make that time a little more bearable.
Goodbye
Dennis Locorriere
Dennis Locorriere was a founding member, guitarist, and primary lead singer of Dr. Hook. The band would go on to score eight Top 20 hits, including their most famous song, “Cover of the Rolling Stone”.
His songs would later be recorded by a murderer’s row of artists including Bob Dylan, Helen Reddy, Willie Nelson, and Olivia Newton-John, just to name a few.
Locorriere retained ownership of the Dr. Hook name and continued touring under it until recently.
Dennis Locorriere died last weekend from complications related to kidney disease. He was 76.
If there’s a new song you loved this week and I missed it, let me know in the comments – the playlist is always evolving.
We’re pretty lucky to have all this music. Have a great weekend, everyone. Life’s short. Tell someone you love them. Be good to one another.