Ontario JUNO Award-winning rock trio The Dirty Nil are sharing “Am I The Menace?,” a new cut taken from Free Rein to Passions Deluxe, set for digital release on April 4th, 2024 via Dine Alone Records. 

When we cut this one and our producer, John Goodmanson, heard my lyrics, he laughed and called me a brat. A semi-sincere self examination, compiled from observing others. 

– frontman Luke Bentham

On Free Rein to Passions (2023), The Dirty Nil followed their instincts down to the note to produce their most authentic work to date. They jammed away in their practice space for weeks, not overthinking anything or taking any external input. They didn’t sweat the small details or fret over transitions and arrangements. Less second guessing, more reckless abandon. It’s the same approach to rock they’ve taken since they were kids.

Sonic Unyon just announced Billy Talent, Tokyo Police Club, PUP as the headliners for this summer’s 3-day Because Beer Craft Beer Festival in Hamilton, ON. They’ll be supported by Cancer Bats, Dizzy, NOBRO, Chastity, Cuff the Duke, Daniel Romano’s Outfit, Born in The Eighties, Status/Non-Status. 

Nestled in the scenic west harbour waterfront of Pier 4 Park, just a short stroll from the West Harbour GO Station, Because Beer will take place on July 12, 13, 14, offering a unique opportunity to sample hundreds of craft beers and ciders from dozens of top craft beer and cider makers, chat with brewers, and enjoy hours of fun. Festival-goers can take in a great music stage as well as delicious fare served up by specialty food vendors. 

Tickets info is available here and more details are in the press release here.

Born and raised in South-Central Trinidad, John Orpheus is a multicultural musician, author and performance artist. “Get Right!” is the title track introducing his new EP out on June 21st, which combines his playfulness, fluency and affection for the past. Lush with hip hop swagger and “whole school” vibes, he demonstrates an evolving set of tastes that maintains his vibe of welcoming in the whole diaspora: from dancehall to hip hop to funk to Afrobeats.

Funky, fun, and wavy, Orpheus excitedly shares that the lead single is about: finding your swag, securing the bag, and eating well. It’s a party vibe with an old school funk energy reminding you to get up, get down and get right. The goal is to dance and shake off whatever is holding you back from your best and baddest self. Sauce is what you put on food to give it flavour. This tune is the sauce.

“Get Right!” is accompanied by a music video directed by Agata Waclawska and Alex Exists, with Agata revealing that “the secret to John‘s coolness lies in his ability to not take himself too seriously yet simultaneously deliver a meaningful good time.”

Since releasing his album SAGA KING in 2021, he has been busy promoting his memoir SAGA BOY (Penquin Random House), writing two children’s books and a forthcoming debut novel titled BLACK CHEROKEE (Simon and Schuster). John Orpheus and his writing alter ego Antonio Michael Downing are co-creative forces on an artistic roll in 2024.

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically? 

Our sessions were spontaneous: myself, producer Mike Schlosser and drummer Adam Bowman went to the studio without any prep but with the intention to be as FUNKY as possible. On the first day of the first session when I walked into the studio, Adam was testing the drums and Mike was testing the mics by recording him just playing around. I heard what he was playing and immediately started writing lyrics because it felt so wavy. That is how GET RIGHT! was born. It was a no-brainer as the first single because it captures the world we wanted to create: The Whole School. A vibe that exists in all eras at the same time. 

2.What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)? 

Moon Reel Media are known for their bold and fashion forward visuals and that is exactly why I worked with them on GET RIGHT! I wanted it to feel energized, engaging, with a lot of personality in the clothes, sets and dancing. This vision we evolved catches the danceable, fun, tongue-in-cheek vibe of the song. 

3.What was the process of making this video?

The recipe was: 1. Invite 20 badass musicians and artists and performers in their own right. 2. Dress them to the 9s 3. Turn them up to 10 4. Have fun for 8 hours on a Sunday and capture it all. 

Incorporating traditional Ojibway music and culture with modern influences, roots/rock musician Mitchell Makoons has received radio play across Canada, United States and on SiriusXM with three of his singles reaching top 10 on the Indigenous Music Countdown. 

Formerly known as Mitchell Mozdzen, he released five EPs under his legal name accompanied by their own Western Canadian tour. In early 2021, Makoons decided to change his stage name to something that nodded to his Ojibway heritage. Makoons is an Anishinaabemowin word that means “Little Bear or Bear Cub.” Since Mitchell Mozdzen’s spirit name is “Standing Strong Black Bear” and he is only 5’5, this name is perfectly fitting.

Makoons suffered over two dozen concussions throughout his adolescent years as a result of sports. By the age of 18, he was battling alcoholism as a means of coping with the concussions’ impact on his mental/physical health. During the pandemic, Makoons realized that he needed to make a positive change and sought help from his doctor. Over the course of a couple years, he saw tremendous improvements. In 2021, his head injury was finally healed enough to be cleared for sports for the first time in a decade. 

“I’m in a new chapter of my life now,” Makoons says. “I’m no longer scared of my own fatality, every second of the day. I focus on fostering great relationships with people and writing music that the world can connect with. I am a changing man.”

Hailing from Guelph, ON, Royal Castles are Katrin Sawatzky, Jordan Gabriel and AJ Johnson. Together they blend riffy guitar licks, wooly bass and ear-candified harmonies to create their own sound of nostalgic but contemporary garage-power-pop. The band’s sophomore album, Just The Hits, was released in 2021 and recorded at North Of Princess Studio with producer Zane Whitfield (Glorious Sons, Blue Stones). 

Royal Castles have partnered again with Whitfield and are in the midst of releasing five new songs towards an EP entitled Singles Night, set for release on April 19th. “Stage Fright” can be paralyzing if you let it, but it can also act as a fuel to make you push past something that scares you. That’s what the third release ahead of Singles Night  is about – fearing something or someone and pushing past to harness that nervous energy.

It’s been one hell of a wild ride for Wine Lips. Originally formed in Toronto back in 2015 as a part-time project between Cam Hilborn (vox, songwriter, guitar) and drummer extraordinaire Aurora Evans, they are joined by Andrew Donofrio (guitar) and Wes Martin (bass). Wine Lips quickly escalated into a full-blown, full-time, full-on international phenomenon, touring across the world with sold out shows, scoring a handful of great licensing deals (ABC’s The Rookie, Hockey Night In Canada, Population 11) and they are now readying their fourth full-length album, Super Mega Ultra, for release on April 5th via Stomp Records. Their third LP, Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party, hit 20 million streams on Spotify.

Their follow-up to lead single “Derailer” is “Fried IV,” with Hilborn explaining: “I’ve written a version of ‘Fried’ on every record we put out, so naturally I had to add a ‘Fried IV’ to this album…It was the last song recorded for [Super Mega Ultra]…and it became one of my favourite tracks.”

Recorded by Simon Larochette at The Sugar Shack in Ontario, Super Mega Ultra is jam-packed with 12 ramped-up supersonic ear-scorching auditory delicacies. What may be Wine Lips’ most ambitious undertaking to date explores new thematic territory while firmly maintaining their signature psych garage punk rock panache. Bad Nerves, Meatbodies, MONSTERWATCH, The Macks will accompany them on their North American tour kicking off on April 25th with nearly 30 dates announced so far.