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We last caught up with Vancouver indie rock trio PHILOCERAPTOR when they swung through Toronto last summer for NXNE – it was a sweltering and muggy day outside, and we proceeded to drink a bunch of beers over nachos and then walk 30 minutes across Toronto to their next gig; along the way though we concocted the strangest idea: what if we filmed a band on an open-sky roof.

Those of you who’ve been hanging out with iM for a while know this as the start of our video series SKYLINE (soon-to-be up-and-running again now that the weather has become more accommodating).

But luckily it also sounds like PHILOCERAPTOR have been hard at work with producer/mixer Spencer Carson and engineer Jesse Gander at The Hive on their first full-length LP Stop Ruining Fun.

The release is set to hit the internet May 21st, but Steve, Justin, and Phil have started the lead-up hype with two early track releases: a stream for Booze Hounds and Bridge Trolls, and a studio video tease of sorts for Thicker Stuff – check that out in the embeds below.

PHILOCERAPTOR officially drop Stop Ruining Fun on May 24th with an album release show at Vancouver venue The Cobalt, with CRYSTAL SWELLS and WAR BABY in support.

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We’re starting off the week strong in Canadian music with the latest video from Toronto garage punk quartet THE OOOHH BABY GIMME MORES, who just dropped the official video for their new single Beat Up Kidz.

Directed by Ryan Enn Hughes and animated by a Hughes-led team of hands, the video showcases the Toronto quartet in studio performance fashion, but with each frame subsequently made black-and-white and put through what looks like a poster edge filter and a grain filter before being individually-highlighted in primary red/yellow/blues to create a slick (and potentially seizure-inducing) flashing light effect.

It’s not really clear right out of the gate whether the song is condoning the act of beating up kids (I would presume fans of either a certain tween vampire book series, or a teen-oriented male pop star) or about the kids themselves who have been beaten up, but THE OBGMs have always been pretty positive rock dudes so one can only imagine that it’s supporting the later.

Check out the video below (be wary if you’re epileptic), and if you like what you hear you can also snag a copy of the track HERE by sharing it on Facebook or Twitter.

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The brainchild of synth/vocalist Thrice Noble and guitarist Scott Glenn (both of NAMES OF STARS), LA-based electro-pop duo VERHOVEN* dropped their debut self-titled EP earlier this week, and it flaunts the kind of hooky riffs that continue to perpetuate the contemporary electro-pop movement, but with a polished flair that many don’t seem to have this soon out-of-the-gate.

Featuring five tracks including lead single Manimal, and a cover of HALL & OATES’ Out Of Touch, VERHOVEN’s debut EP is a fun pop-y shining light that takes vocal cues from both early PETER GABRIEL and SILVERSUN PICKUPS and pairs it with melodic tunes that harken back to chiptune music, alongside something akin to a merger of Tennessee electro-rock trio ROYAL BANGS, GOO GOO DOLLS, and New Orleans rockers MUTEMATH.

VERHOVEN flaunts a great pairing of synth/guitar leads, the bass is dance-inducing, and the drums are nice and punchy to hold everything in place. Lyrically the band deals with themes of sex, intoxication, delusion, ecstasy, and paranoia – so essentially your early 20s wet dream, or the day-to-day living experience of an avid VICE reader.

Canadian contemporaries YOUNG LIARS, FACTS, and CHRISTIAN HANSEN would be easy parings for a good live bill if VERHOVEN happened to make it up to Toronto sometime (read: drop us a line if you are in the area guys and I’ll set it up). In the meantime, hit up that embed below to get familiar with the LA duo.

*I’d wager, a re-spelling of the name of Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven [ROBOCOP, TOTAL RECALL, STARSHIP TROOPERS, BASIC INSTINCT, HOLLOW MAN, SHOWGIRLS] to ensure proper pronunciation (ala LED ZEPPELIN)

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Toronto duo DUSTED have been a little bit off the radar as of late, but Brian Borcherdt (HOLY FUCK) and producer Leon Taheny (FINAL FANTASY, RITUALS, BRUCE PENINSULA) are back with a new video for Bruises off their summer 2012 debut LP Total Dust. (Hand Drawn Dracula)

Directed by long-time label friend Benjamin Portas, and shot in remote Australia, the video for Bruises sees the lo-fi electronic act’s music set to a washed-out, lens-flared, pastel-shaded scene of a man wandering around a farm land area shortly before what appears to be an attack on his life – check it out below.

DUSTED are set for dates at NXNE 2013 in June, and Osheaga 2013 in August alongside a special Osheaga presentation at Théâtre Corona with THE BESNARD LAKES, and VALLEYS. No word yet on if there’s any new DUSTED musical material in the works, but those two are busy guys so that’s for sure a possibility.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

06/15 – TORONTO, ON – NXNE (Hand Drawn Dracula showcase)
08/01 – MONTREAL, QC – Théâtre Corona (w/ Valleys & Besnard Lakes)
08/02 – MONTREAL, QC – Osheaga

Lucas Silveira made history when he was the first “out” transgender man ever to be signed to a major record label. He led his indie-pop-rock band, THE CLIKS, to international success with the release of Snakehouse in 2006. The record captured the attention of pop-legend CYNDI LAUPER, who invited the band to join her on two consecutive True Colors tours. Their sophomore album Dirty King (2009) was released in a time of personal turmoil for Silveira. Shortly after the record dropped, the band went their separate ways, and Silveira was faced with some important decisions to make.

Often when bands announce a hiatus fans recognize it’s likely the beginning of the end. However, THE CLIKS’ four-year break has bred a whole new start. Silveira knew that if he were to find success career-wise, he must first prioritize his personal life. He was dealing with deep-seated conflict: a mismatch between his internal identity, and his outward appearance. Discomfort in his own skin was leading him down a path of depression that undoubtedly would throw his life aspirations to the wayside. To ensure a brighter future, it was time to begin the process of transitioning to the body that would match the person living inside it.

Unfortunately, undergoing hormone therapy threatened his most valued asset: his singing voice. The treatment creates the same experience as found in a pubescent boy: the voice will crack, be uneven, and difficult to control. Doctors warned that he could lose his tone and range indefinitely. Taking the treatment slowly, in combination with vigorous vocal exercises, he attempted to minimize damage to his vocal chords.

He used this time as an opportunity to explore musical creativity – sparking an evolution in his songwriting. Locking himself in a Brooklyn apartment, he began experimenting with new sounds and styles. The result was his first solo album, Mockingbird (2011), and exciting ideas for new CLIKS material.

After much anticipation, THE CLIKS are back this month with Black Tie Elevator. This album is outstanding – they’ve re-branded with a soulful, bluesy tone, roaring with authenticity. It’s matured, filled out, and thoughtfully produced. The voice resulting from Silveria’s transition is mind-blowing; deep and husky, he showcases exemplary vocal control and hair-raising, sultry tones.

Producer Hill Kourkoutis and Silveira collaborated on the first single Savanna: an upbeat song about how it’s hard to keep the player on lockdown. Classic ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ by female backups provide a 50s essence, wherein Silveira digs into a gritty tone as he croons away. The video is a birds-eye-view of a pretty-young-thing eagerly chasing Silveira through some familiar Toronto locations.

Dark Passenger represents the haunted tone present throughout the album. Lyrically, morbid imagery is combined with dark romance: “Did I see the colour red / streaming down beside the bed / it’s a lovely shade for you.” There is a natural ease behind the amalgamation of his baritone voice and these solemn, bluesy stylings.

Representing a different side of THE CLIKS’ songwriting, 1000 Violins is an acoustic-pop number that calls to mind the TIMBALAND-produced version of Cry Me a River. This song exemplifies the album’s high-quality production. Decorated with a brilliant string section, it allows the melodies to swell and dampen.

With Black Tie Elevator, THE CLIKS have fearlessly represented the value of change: they’ve taken their stripped-down, indie-rock sound, and deeply matured it into soulful blues-rock. Complimenting Silveira’s new-found deep, sultry, vocal chords, they’ve produced filled-out arrangements that create cohesive tonality. He has displayed growth as a songwriter, taking the power behind simple progressions and applying his own melancholic, introspective spin. Through the transformation of THE CLIKS, Silveira has shown that honouring self-authenticity reaps the largest reward.

Tomorrow (May 10th) is the Black Tie Elevator release show at The Drake Underground in Toronto. As Silveira is a local to the city, it’s surely going to be to be one helluva show!
And as if you need another reason to be excited for Pride this year: THE CLIKS will be gracing Toronto Pride’s stage on June 28th, 2013.

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Montreal-based quintet YOUNG GALAXY dropped their fourth LP Ultramarine with Paper Bag Records at the end of April and leaked out a trio of tracks ahead of the release: Pretty Boy, Fall For You, and New Summer.

Their third release – 2011′s Polaris Prize-longlisted Shapeshifting – was one of my favourite albums of that year, so the fact that the band teamed up once again with Swedish producer Dan Lissvik for Ultramarine (this time physically in Gothenburg rather than online over Skype), is great news for me and other fans of that new interpretation of the band.

Ultramarine is super synth-heavy, and harshly rhythmic in the musical structures (often with that sharply truncated micro-KORG tone), so it doesn’t stray too far from the musical formula of the preceding album. Fall For You sounds like the sort of minimally-orchestrated synth-pop that Toronto contemporaries AUSTRA might put out, and down-tempo track New Summer definitely shines as one of the stand-out surprises on the release.

The rest of the album alternates with dark and dance-y electro-pop tracks, and the majority really push the layered synth compositions alongside some interesting noodly guitar hooks – In Fire and Privileged Poor are especially interesting listens that I’m going to have to reflect on further before making any true final assessments of the whole album.

Suffice to say though, Ultramarine is an enjoyable listen and a solid follow-up to Shapeshifting – check it out below.

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Toronto electronic man Alt Altman may be balancing time between Toronto and Berlin at the moment, but all the bouncing around doesn’t really seem to be slowing his creative output in his dark synth-pop persona DIGITS.

Back in February, DIGITS dropped the video for Love Is Only Affection – premiering on The Fader. Directed/Edited by Seth Mendelson, the video sees a Bowie-like lady alien (seemingly injured from some sort of escape or crash) stumbling across a couple mid-makeout session and then (as most aliens do) commencing to observe – check it out below (WARNING: It’s sorta NSFW).

DIGITS is likely back in Berlin at the moment, but June sees him hit Un Sol y Sombra Festival in Madrid before a handful of Toronto dates surrounding NXNE (see dates below).

Upcoming Live Dates:

06/08 – Madrid, ES – Un Sol y Sombra Festival @ La Casa Encendida
06/14 – Toronto, CA – Not Unlike Showcase @ Handlebar (NXNE)
06/15 – Toronto, CA – TSO Late Night Concert series @ Roy Thomson Hall

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Back at the end of March, Toronto/Portland Maine rock quartet THE BOX TIGER dropped their latest single Knives – off their upcoming debut full-length – and soon set about following it up with an official video directed by Paul James Duck (who previously did videos for ELOS ARMA, LIFERUINER, and SAFE TO SAY).

The Knives video sees the band stumbling upon a seemingly cult-related plot involving the death of a young girl in a winter snowscape – whether they’re supposed to be investigators or just a bunch of randoms who let curiosity get the better of them isn’t clear, but by the end of the video it seems they may have become involved in something a little more sinister than just a murder – check it out below (and snag yourself a PWYC DOWNLOAD off Bandcamp).

THE BOX TIGER hit the stage again later this month on May 16th at The Horseshoe Tavern with THE STRUMBELLAS and HARLAN PEPPER, and on May 21st at The Drake Hotel with LAURA STEVENSON AND THE CANS and FIELD MOUSE.

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We first met Kemptville ON electro-rock trio FIRE AND NEON last year at Rancho Relaxo shortly after they took a finalist spot in the Ottawa 88.5 Big Money Shot – we soon afterwards got them on board with our CMW 2012 showcase with Two Way Monologues, and have been eagerly looking forward to some new material.

Last week, the band released its sophomore EP Intentions and it’s a great showing of the dance-ier direction they were first starting to take back during the Big Money Shot when they first wrote the EP’s lead track Kerosene.

Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jon Drew (TOKYO POLICE CLUB, FUCKED UP, THE ARKELLS, THE WEEKND) at Dream House Studio, the polish on the release is fantastic.

With Drew at the helm too there are greater number of musical variations in the production of each track rather than the straight up hard dance rock that the group was previously fronting – adding much more subdued sections in Kerosene and Good Intentions, string-like synth arrangements in Closer, and Sleep Through Walls which builds from laid-back pseudo-acoustic to a near-industrial rock number – check out Intentions in the embed below.

FIRE AND NEON next hit the Ottawa Rock Lottery at Mavericks on May 18th

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Last week Toronto garage-rock quartet THE DYING ARTS dropped a three-track sampler for their upcoming debut full-length alongside the premiere of the video for the release’s lead single Authentic – what AUX calls a “hifi call-out to poseurs”, but what I’d call a reinforcement of the themes that make REAL rock relatable (and interesting) to the average listener: frustration, anger, raw energy, and an all-out audio free-for-all on your eardrums.

Directed by band frontman and MMVA-award winning director Mike Portoghese (THE DARCY’s Don’t Bleed Me, PS I LOVE YOU’s Get Over), the video showcases the band amid extremely quick cuts and lens flares in an impromptu underground rock show setting.

Having been involved in the production day of the video I can honestly say it’s impressive what one can do with editing as that room full of people was surprising to see in the completed video. My favourite part is still that production assistant in the crowd hanging from the pipes on the ceiling as at points he was suspended upside down so he was really throwing himself into the role. I’m not sure if that actually made it into the final video, but we can make it a Where’s Waldo-type search game!

Check out the Michael Phillipe Norberg-engineered three-track album sampler and the video for Authentic below. And hey! Keep your eyes out for yours-truly in the crowd at the 2:04 mark.

THE DYING ARTS hit the stage at The Silver Dollar on Saturday May 11th supporting GOODNIGHT, SUNRISE for their 3rd birthday party w/SKY OF SOUND and RULERS OF THE MOON rounding off the night.