Hinds returned, sans rhythm section, with "Coffee" back in February. The Madrid group's guitarist-vocalists-songwriters, Carlotta Cosials and Ana Perrote, have gone on on their own, and today are announcing the band's fourth album — previewed by new single "Boom Boom Back" featuring Beck — and a fall North American tour. Viva Hinds, the follow-up to 2020's The Prettiest Curse, arrives September 6 via Lucky Number Music. They recorded it in rural France with producer Pete Robertson, and it features a further guest appearance from Fontaines D.C.'s Grian Chatten. In addition to parting ways wit ..read more

If you too have somehow managed to tune out Marvel content for an impressive stretch of time now, you'll be glad to know that your peace can be further protected: the MCU is embarking on a new mission to decrease the layers of its multiverse, and will release no more than three movies and two TV shows annually. CEO Bob Iger said today during Disney's quarterly earnings call that this is part of the company's overarching strategy to focus on quality over quantity — a strategy that's "particularly true with Marvel" [via Variety]. "We're slowly going to decrease volume and go to probably about ..read more

As we patiently await news on Venus Fest's 2024 edition, the festival's organizers have detailed this summer's mentorship program, set to take place in a hybrid capacity from June 15 to July 28.  The course will feature eight hours of one-on-one virtual mentorship sessions with musicians and industry experts, three in-person workshops with guest artists in Toronto, peer-to-peer sharing sessions and a $500 honorarium awarded for full participation. Mentors guiding the learning process include Detroit-based harpist Ahya Simone, Vancouver singer-songwriter Kimmortal, entertainment lawyer L ..read more

UK stalwarts Johnny Marr and James will be embarking on their first co-headlining North American tour together this fall, making a few Canadian pitstops along the way in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. "I remember The Smiths being on tour with James in 1985," Marr said in a press release. "We admired them and even did one of their songs in our set. I've been a fan of theirs ever since and being out on tour again after 40 years is a really great thing." James' Tim Booth added, "Nearly 40 years ago James toured with the Smiths on the Meat Is Murder tour. We were met with such generosity and k ..read more

Alvvays are coming home to roost after a long bout of touring their groundbreaking, Grammy-nominated, third full-length album Blue Rev. The band will return to Toronto for a trio of shows in December, hitting the Concert Hall on December 5, 6 and 7. They'll see support from cootie catcher. Tickets for those shows go on sale to the general public this Friday, May 10, at 10 a.m. local, following a slew of presales that begin with Alvvays' own artist presale tomorrow (May 8) at 10 a.m. local. Back in 2022, Exclaim! named Blue Rev the best album of the year.  ..read more

Victory Pool and Midnight Agency have teamed up for a can't-miss Canadian Music Week showcase, featuring six of the country's most exciting emerging artists. Presented with support from Exclaim! and Collective Arts Brewing, the event sees the two music companies bring their six-act bill to the latter's Toronto taproom and cafe, located at 777 Dundas Street West. Taking place June 6 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., the afternoon of live music includes performances by singer-songwriter and Islands member Geordie Gordon, Alberta alt-country artiste Shaela Miller, Anishinaabe singer-songwriter Evan Redsky ..read more

Macklemore's reputation precedes him. Sure, while he may be an easy target for cheap shots as a white rapper who rose to acclaim with a song about spending $20 at the thrift shop — and another one about thinking he was gay in Grade 3 because his uncle was and he kept his room straight — he has also proven himself to be capable of making a real political statement. Now, amid the Drake/Kendrick Lamar rap beef, he's giving everyone some much-needed perspective with the pro-Palestine protest song, "Hind's Hall" (sample lyric: "I want a ceasefire, fuck a response from Drake), which Tom Morello ha ..read more

Punk supergroup OFF! are calling it quits, having just announced their farewell shows. The group led by Keith Morris (Circle Jerks, ex-Black Flag) and Dimitri Coats (ex-Burning Brides) will play three final shows July 17 in Chicago, July 19 in New York and July 26 in Los Angeles. Founding drummer Mario Rubalcaba (Earthless) will be behind the kit for these gigs. A press release notes that the band will be going on an "indefinite hiatus" after these gigs. While the word "hiatus" suggests it might not be a permanent, the posted also uses more definitive phrases like "final farewell shows" and ..read more

Amid the diss-track battle royale between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, the latter's property in Toronto's upscale Bridle Path neighbourhood has been taped off by police following a nearby shooting. UPDATE (5/7, 10:47 a.m. ET): The victim of the shooting has been identified as one of Drake's security guards [via The Toronto Sun]. The 48 year-old was taken to Sunnybrook Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds, which are believed to not be life-threatening, and has reportedly been taken in for surgery.  As CBC reports, the shooting took place near the corner of Bayview and Lawrence at around 2 ..read more

Acclaimed Nicaraguan-Canadian composer Mas Aya has announced a new album, previewed today by lead single "Tú y Yo" featuring Lido Pimienta. While extremely prolific and renowned for his work with the likes of U.S. Girls, Sook-Yin Lee, Tanya Tagaq and beyond, Coming and Going is the follow-up to the polymath born Brandon Miguel Valdivia's breakthrough album as Mas Aya, 2021's Màscaras. The new LP — described in press notes as Valdivia's "most intimate and personal effort to date — arrives on July 12 through Telephone Explosion Records. Mastered by Sandro Perri, Coming and Going is the product ..read more