Written by Slone Fox Best Intentions encompasses the feeling of a mid-2000’s Warped Tour, with a sound that feels like Simple Plan or We the Kings could be hiding just around the corner. Their newest single “At the Ocean” sounds like the song you’ve had stuck in the back of your head since you were a teenager, and now you’ve finally managed to put your finger on it. It’s fresh and nostalgic all at the same time. Hailing from the Hannah Montana capital of the world, the Nashvi

According to the dictionary, the definition of fun is “enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure.” When it comes to Calgary punk lords River Jacks, though, the definition of fun bends to include minimally showered but raucously talented men thrashing around on stage after spending weeks driving across Canada in a van. With hearts full of love, songs filled with hard-hitting lyrics, and brains overflowing with fart jokes, River Jacks are set to kick off their spring tour

If you're on the hunt for a unique whirlwind of an album, Daggerplay’s Subterranean Reality is the perfect fit. The album captures an 90’s punk tone, but also incorporates the early punk sound of classic bands such as The Ramones, Rancid, and The Clash. These Finnish rockers find a way to still remain original even with relatively mainstream influences. Fuelled by merciless punk rock rhythms, this group surprises you with the occasional sounds of violin, banjo, and glockenspi

Nashville’s pop-punk trio Best Intentions kick off their 2019 with a catchy song to propel themselves into the new year. New single “Twisted” is a track that highlights the personal struggles of a toxic relationship. Though the deeper meaning behind the song may be sad, the track itself is set with an upbeat tone. The lead vocals are crisp and dynamic, bringing a catchy hook that will entice listeners to put the song on repeat. Lyrically, the song teases the band’s potential

With every news story in the world posted on way too many platforms, it’s easy to lose sight of things happening right under our noses. Massive news stories remain fairly consistent in subject matter, and we're constantly provided with a flood of tweets about that one celebrity breathing and doing things like an average person. It's easy to become blind to things happening in our own backyards. That's where American High comes in. The California band just dropped their newest

Vancouver’s Dead Cells’ debut release, Demo 2018, is a raucous garage-rock offering with U.K. punk flare. The band’s lyrics are eerie and dark, death seems to be a consistent theme throughout the piece, and the album’s cover is beautifully obscure. “Your ghosts will light the flame to your effigy” - "Effigy," Dead Cells The opening track “Effigy” thrusts you into a cold sweat with the thrashing of twangy guitars complimented by the haunting echo of the bands frontman. The aud

Subverter’s demo EP smashes you like a Surrey coke-dealer with a bottle of Crown Royale. Hard, heavy, and a little uncalled-for. The opening track “Manic Depressive” opens with a riffy groove riff that explodes into assaulting soundwaves layered with the guttural howls of a frontman with a message. The subsequent tracks “Pick Up Your Fence,” “Sticks and Stones,” and “Pharm Life” follow suit with a barrage of angst-filled sounds inspired by the likes of D.I., Black Flag, and o

Southern Californian band Dead Friends 46's newest release Hardcore creates a pure punk vibe that will take you back to the roots of music, often drawing inspiration from bands you would find in the mid to late 80s. The band's latest project comes out of the gates at full force, placing you right in the middle of the mosh that’s felt with the band’s old school spirit. A spirit that is filled with strength, force and exertion that doesn't hide itself one bit. Dedicating each s

Astral Cloud Ashes have released their newest track titled "Get Out to New York," a song that is no doubt relatable to anyone who has ever been urged and pushed to do something that other people think is best for them. Starting in 2016, the New Jersey-based project is written and performed by Antony Walker in the studio. Without a current live setup, the project has been 100 per cent studio-based, with some contributions from Jason Neil on backup vocals and Max Saidi on drums

Introducing a new track from everyone’s favourite genre: biker psychedelia. “Right in Your I” by Lord Sonny the Unifier is the perfect mix of gritty and sweet, similar to gravel dipped in the finest artisan caramel, or maybe a sandbox filled with sugar. Gravelly in the most soothing way, “Right in Your I” features wailing vocals, broken up with cheery piano solos and dark, spiraling guitar riffs. A safer alternative to back alley fist fights, Lord Sonny the Unifier makes the

Living in this day and age, it’s hard not to see the music industry as a rat race. Whether it's social media marketing campaigns, or the stigma of fitting into the right genre, sub-genre or musical aesthetic that "sells", it's sometimes hard to find a place with the sake of the music itself in mind. Enter Dad Thighs. We met at their jam space before a practice at Red Gate, a venue/jam space/art space that oozes with creativity and a sense of community that so many people ha

Photo Credit: Kevin Maretz Patricide and Guantanamo Bay are two things that are decidedly not upbeat. For Calgary-based musician Spencer Jo Burgess, though, the contrast between his subject matter and the raucous presentation of it is exactly what sets it apart. His lethal combination of punk and folk are showcased in a way that is very fast, very honest, and very to the point. And, this time around, very acoustic. Tackling subject matter which most shy away from has always b

Dead End Drive In makes music for people who smoke three cigarettes at the same time and can punch through a pane of glass without being phased. With the release of their first full-length album Mea Culpa, the Vancouver-based band has showcased their uncanny ability to make you reminisce about rowdy times that you never even had. Through concrete lyrics and vocals that are both wailing and gritty at the same time, Mea Culpa makes you nostalgic for back alley fist fights and s

photo by Selena LaBelle My face was high-fived by the scuffed Converse All Star attached to a crowd surfing man with a beard. The shoe lurched at my face unexpectedly like a horror movie jump scare, a metaphorical Voorhees blade that thankfully didn’t strike a gash through my forehead. When it came to lack of bloodshed, I was one of the lucky ones. The announcement of Comeback Kid and No Warning was an excitable surprise for the Canadian hardcore scene. Collectively, the pair

Chilliwack's premiere pastorcore farm-punk poster-children the Spewers have finally dropped their highly anticipated LP Cowshit, Corn & Crackheads, which allegedly serves as a tribute to their hometown. Beneath the band’s self-deprecating, sarcastic exterior lies a blazing, street punk inspired sound layered with thrashing riffs and raw grit. It’s an offering that takes their unresolved bottled emotions and smashes the teenage angst-filled glass over your head relentlessly fo

Artist: Not Inpublic Album: Not Inpublic Released: 2015 Hometown: Surrey, British Columbia If you’re not listening to Not Inpublic’s album Not Inpublic IN public, you’re missing out. The Surrey-bred band’s self titled album, released November 11, 2015, consists of 8 songs ranging from scorned lover to rubbing lotion on the skin vibes. Giving reminiscent notes of early punk, Not Inpublic succeeds in enacting the same feelings the genre instilled in any angsty teens; unexpla

Artist: The Corps Album: Tales From 2814 Released: 2018 Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia Recorded right here in Sector 2814, the Corps have unleashed the sounds of superheroic punk rock with their full-length debut. The album opens with the pop-punky “Supergirl,” which is shaded with sounds you’d hear in Tony Hawk Pro Skater. The next song, “Blackest Nights” rides a much thrashier wave, combusting violently from the previous track. The album continues its punk rock assau

Thrashing the scene for nearly 40 years, Ripcordz are easily one of Canada’s most tenured and respected punk rock groups. Forming in 1980, the trio from Montreal have been wreaking havoc on these maple-leaf ridden grounds, and lands beyond, with their speedy, guttural sound, influencing wild mosh-pit behaviour into audiences, who dance and wail like beings possessed by spirits of anarchy. Anyone who has seen the Ripcordz perform would concur that shit will undoubtedly go hayw

Artist: Tuesday in Japan Album: WasItACarOrCatISaw Year: 2018 Hometown: Surrey, British Columbia Tuesday in Japan are an electronic noisecore duo that blend elements of classic punk, thrash metal, hardcore, and electronically produced blast-beats. Tugging the strings between the sombre, clean vocals of female vocalist Lucky Sabharwai and the agonizing screech of guitarist/producer Troy Ounce, Tuesday in Japan’s newest effort WasItACarOrACatISaw is a chaotic mixture of intense

Artist: The C U Next Tuesdays Album: “Fight, Fuck, Drink, Destroy” Year: 2017 Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia Grab your black lipstick and vibrator because this is the 90’s-esque empowerment you’ve been waiting for. Being unapologetically blunt is The C U Next Tuesdays approach, and you’re going to have to love it or shove it. Their debut album Fight, Fuck, Drink, Destroy, released December 8, 2017, will make you think the five-member Vancouver band coined the term: gr