Alle The Dreamer, aka Alessia Iorio, is a songstress from Toronto, Canada who is best known for her dynamic songwriting and unique dream-pop sound. Although Alle loosely describes her music as pop, her fluid blend of vintage and cutting-edge influences has created a sound that is distinctively Alle. This can all be heard in her debut EP, Starting Over, which will be released on October 6th.

Alle established herself in the local music scene early on, writing and recording with collaborators in Toronto, LA, and London. Among them; Samuel Gerongco (Alessia Cara), Bram Inscore (BTS, Andy Grammer), Jeff Shum (John Legend, Camila Cabello), Dayyon Alexander (Demi Lovato, Dua Lipa), and Negin Djafari (Drake). Alle has also accumulated numerous credits: as a featured artist on DVBBS’ single “Wicked Ways” and Morgan Page’s “Beautiful Disaster,” and as a co-writer for Little Mix’s “F.U” (from the 5x platinum album Glory Days), two singles for K-POP superstar Suho, and Baby Ariel’s 2019 track ‘I Heart You’.

On highlighted single “Run Home To You” Alle’s pop prowess shines in an honest, dynamic and anthemic single, inspired by the whirlwind of emotions a heartfelt relationship brings.

“I am just reflecting on how confusing relationships can be, the dynamics, dating in your 20’s, the highs and lows, and all the feelings you go through and experience for the first time.”

“‘Starting Over’ came to be in a very organic way. The more songs I wrote, the more clarity I had on what the underlying themes were from all the music I was writing. Writing this EP was a time of self-reflection, and self-isolation. It taught me the beauty in letting go and having faith. I struggled with these ideas my whole life as I’m a chronic overthinker. I let overthinking & overanalyzing mindset steal joy from special moments instead of being present.”

Pkew Pkew Pkew are one the most criminally underrated bands in North America. Hailing from Toronto, this pop-punk trio of party-loving delinquents have spent the better part of a decade relentlessly touring Canada, the US and Europe. Open Bar (2022) was written prior to 2020 and its release was intended to provide solace, a time capsule of the pre-lockdown days. Their brand new album, Siiick Days, is about getting back to work—only to call in sick and party instead.

The recently restructured band (Ryan James McKinley left on friendly terms, ushering in Kate MacLean) has crafted an incredibly thoughtful, cohesive, introspective and hilariously joyful LP. Most of the songs were written in solitary moments walking to the grocery store, riding the subway or hanging out in the bathroom at the local bar. 

Focus track “Farside Bathroom” is having some alone time at the band’s local watering hole, Farside. Even when you’re partying with your friends and having a genuinely good time, sometimes you just need to take a break somewhere, anywhere – to answer some emails, take a breath, and reset your mind. 

Jiants is a three piece Indie/pop band from Toronto lead by the songwriting of ex-professional skateboarder Jesse Landen. Jiants performs a unique blend of nostalgic sounding lo-fi indie pop songs complete with great hooks and soaring leads. Once hailed by Paste Magazine as “a band to watch,” they have just finished their fourth album, Tall Tales, and it’s their best effort yet. The record was engineered and produced by Gavin Gardiner (The Wooden Sky) at All-Day Coconut Studios and is set to be released November 10th, 2023.

Their latest single, “Moon Lit,” is a dreamy yet driving track. Jesse explains:
Moon Lit is about walking up to the fact that you might just be chasing the nostalgia of imaginary summer love. It’s about catching yourself dreaming of lustful, humid, summer nights that keep you in a perpetual loop of hypothetical excitement for the unknowns just around the bend. But this time something feels different. There’s a slow unraveling reality that these kinds of nights are now filling you with emptiness and maybe don’t serve you as well as they used to.

As a rising Canadian alt-pop artist, Lauryn Macfarlane’s honest and vulnerable songwriting style and personality are what draw audiences in and leave them wanting more. Having opened for and shared bills with various acts including Aysanabee, Chantel Kreviazuk, Donovan Woods and Kathleen Edwards, Lauryn has honed in on a presence and aura onstage that commands attention. In the summer of 2022, she had the opportunity to go to Los Angeles and work with Montreal-born producer Jason Kellner. The Montreal-based artist’s brand new single, “Dive,” came out of those sessions.

Written right as she was falling madly in love, it’s a fun yet vulnerable song about allowing yourself to fully “Dive” into a relationship with your whole heart, even though you know you could very well be crushed by the wave. This song is the first time a producer has given Lauryn an instrumental to write to with free reign on melody and lyrics. To her surprise, it came very easily and is a new way of collaboration that she is eager to pursue more of in the future.

Baby Jey is an Edmonton indie pop band who wear their love of classic disco and synth-pop music on their sleeves. “What’s the Point of Saying Sorry,” the lead single from their upcoming LP, Crop Circles, was recorded using vintage keyboards from the 80s and 90s, the Korg M1 and the Yamaha Motif ES7. 

Its lyrical themes have a double meaning, explains the band: 

“Some people listen to the song and think it’s about someone who is bitter, saying ‘who cares that I’m hurt, as long as we’re sleeping together, then everything must be fine.’ 

But other people take a straight up understanding of the lyrics – that words can only say so much and that there are things we can express with physical touch that are also emotionally powerful. 

Saying sorry can be important but spoken language isn’t the only way that people communicate.”

Baby Jey’s members were raised on the Canadian prairie, only to spend their college years studying and playing shows in the urban jungle of New York, finally moving back to their home of Alberta amidst the frenzy of the global pandemic. 

Their sophomore album, Crop Circles, blends spacey synthesizers, cosmic samples, and subtle hints towards their prairie upbringing, including pedal steel guitar. Crop Circles will be released in full on November 24th.

It would be overly simplistic to categorize The Americans as merely a country band and leave it at that. Such a label is often used by journalists taking the easy way out, but doing so would grossly underestimate the band’s depth. Country, as a genre, is incredibly broad and almost to the point of becoming an ambiguous descriptor. The Americans, however, are a group that draws inspiration from a wide array of sounds and styles, seamlessly threading intricate tones and textures throughout their music. This warrants a much closer examination.

“Strays” is a concise and remarkably impressive collection of five songs. These songs are all it takes for the band to persuade listeners that they deserve keen attention, perhaps even more than that – they deserve to be heard. While they may have one foot in the expansive realm of country music, they use their other foot to gracefully traverse various musical landscapes, dabbling, and dancing through any sonic pastures that pique their interest.

If we were to label the opening track, “When You Get Back,” as country, it would be a brand of country that is anthemic, dynamic, and soaring. It spans the spectrum from soothing lows to breathtaking crescendos, from spaciousness to reassuring weight. “Land of The Free” offers a fresh and honest perspective, possibly even a subversive take on the American Dream. It delves into the same territory that artists like Springsteen or Steve Earle explore when they shine a light on the darker aspects of American society. This track fuses elements of indie-folk and understated Americana.

“William (For Leadbelly)” showcases their ability to navigate slow-burning musical paths, shifting seamlessly between melody and intensity. It adds layers of sonic complexity along the way, oscillating between mood and dynamics, blending strength with emotional depth.

Demonstrating their capacity to craft songs that are both delicate and impactful, “I Belong To You” stands out as a love song that transcends clichés, conveying its message with unfiltered honesty and relatability. “Kingdom” serves as the grand finale, commencing unassumingly but evolving through significant dynamic shifts and powerful musical passages. It encapsulates the band’s musical prowess, incorporating the signature elements that make them exceptional, culminating the album on a perfect note.