Toronto-based singer, rapper, songwriter, and producer Cubanbrown unveils his new EP, Ready for Change, led by the smooth, groove-soaked single “Deep Pyar.” Seamlessly blending Toronto hiphop with Desi influences and multilingual lyricism, the project captures the heartbeat of the city’s South Asian diaspora. Built on English, Urdu, Punjabi, and Haryanvi, the songs explore connection, authenticity, self-love, and the power of deep-rooted cultural identity.

Throughout Ready for Change, Cubanbrown showcases the many sounds of Toronto’s Desi hiphop movement. Each track serves as a vibrant expression of identity and evolution. “Toronto is the most multicultural city in the world, and this is sonically reflected in this project,” he says. “It’s beats inspired by Toronto hiphop, meeting multilingual songwriting that represents South Asians here.”

Produced by Toronto’s Hunnabeats, the EP’s lead single, “Deep Pyar,” sets a lush, underwater vibe from the first beat, laying the groundwork for Cubanbrown’s romantic bars about the kind of love that runs deeper than oceans. “It’s about expressing the weight of true love,” he says. “Not lust, but the real deal – that ‘Deep Pyar.’”

From lines like “your love is so deep, deeper than a river or a sea” to playful metaphors like “next to you honey isn’t sweet, cuz you’re my favorite treat,” the track is a heartfelt, catchy tribute to love in its richest form. Brij Beniwal’s feature brings buttery Haryanvi melodies, while Cubanbrown weaves English and Urdu throughout, all culminating in a final chorus lifted by Jersey kicks for an unforgettable finish.

Hamilton, Ontario’s The Dirty Nil unveil their fifth album, The Lash, via Dine Alone Records. Ultimately, The Lash sounds exactly like what the title implies – a cold, hard crack of the whip by the Canadian rock band, one that snaps them with a much needed reset after nearly 20 years of exploring the light.

Following the hardcore-laced heat of “Fail in Time” and the snarling honesty of “Rock N’ Roll Band,” the record’s focus track, “This Is Me Warning Ya,” showcases a strikingly different side of the band — cinematic, spacious, and surprisingly romantic. “This is Me Warning Ya” trades distortion for orchestration, bringing in violin and cello to build a darkly elegant backdrop for Luke Bentham’s crooning vocals.

The track taps into the raw emotionality that defines The Lash, while highlighting the album’s most intimate, string-laden moment.

I was definitely on a Frank Sinatra listening kick. I wrote it really quickly and was happy with it. There were no revisions or alterations from the first draft. When we recorded it, our friend Sara Danae came in to play violin on what I had laid down, it really made it sound lush. We asked if she could also play some cello as well. Despite never playing one before, she bowed out a simple but beautiful passage and I was over the moon with the final result.

– Luke Bentham on “This is Me Warning Ya.”

Toronto-based alternative rock band Eleven Minutes Late returns with “Caligo,” a rhythmic, captivating single that fuses Latin-inspired grooves with rock energy and undeniable dancefloor spirit. Built around a magnetic drum beat and layered with each member’s distinct musical personality, “Caligo” is an invitation to move – a soundtrack for catching someone’s eye across the room and feeling that instant spark.

From the first rehearsal, “Caligo” was about harnessing joy and letting it loose. “It’s the kind of song that makes you want to move,” says drummer Luis. “It started with a Latin groove and turned into something that feels like each of us – upbeat, and just fun as hell.” Lead guitarist Vincent adds, “It’s an up-tempo party song that encourages the listener to let loose and get lost in the rhythm without thinking too hard.”

The track evolved organically from a simple idea into a full-band creation. Luis brought in the heartbeat of the song – a Latin-style drum pattern – and the band built it up layer by layer, blending bouncy basslines, wah-infused rhythm guitar, and a bright lead melody. Even the song’s title was a collaborative process, arising from an inside joke, a Pinterest search for “cool Latin words,” and a unanimous band vote. 

Toronto-based indie pop/rock artist Brodie Christ returns with his new single “Now I Can’t Dance,” a joyful, reverent love song orbiting devotion and desire. With an energetic pulse and interstellar metaphor, “Now I Can’t Dance” is a tribute to awe—in partnership, in politics, and in the gravity of love.

“I wanted to write a tribute song to my partner. She is a powerhouse and an inspiration. She is the type of person that exudes high levels of both beauty and intelligence. She is a person that people orbit around. I wanted to express that her entire being creates gravity and here I am just trying to float around and be part of her solar system,” says Christ.

Built on an expressive bassline by Kyle T Bass, locked-in drums from Miles Gibbons, and a light, looped vocal sample woven through the verses, the track is a sonic standout on Christ’s upcoming full-length album Big Feelings (out October 15, 2025).

Listen to “Now I Can’t Dance” HERE.
Watch the official video for “Now I Can’t Dance” HERE.

The song’s infectious rhythm and heady metaphor are backed by unexpected depth. Although it started as a love song, Christ couldn’t avoid societal critiques.

“Even in writing a tribute song, I found it hard not to be political. My frustration around widely accepted ideas of nation states and borders, control of people and migration, and privatization of assets like water comes through. The view from space allows perspective to see how petty, silly, and fabricated walls and borders are. I am inspired by a quote from Thor Heyerdahl: ‘Borders? I have never seen one, but I have heard they exist in the minds of some people.’”

There’s both lightness and weight in “Now I Can’t Dance,” a contrast that feels foundational to Brodie Christ’s approach as a songwriter.

It’s work, getting loose, gotta leave it all in the other room
It’s work, on the floor, gotta clean it till our feet go raw

Thematically, Christ continues his deep dive into the fragile and funny parts of the human condition. Big Feelings, recorded following a string of life-altering events—including the loss of his father, the birth of his daughter, and a full shift in lifestyle—finds Christ grappling with both personal evolution and public chaos.

“Each song on Big Feelings packs an emotional punch,” he explains. “I used to think of the songs as an outlet, a means to share emotions I couldn’t express in my everyday life. But now, I need to really feel and communicate these everyday feelings as they come up, no matter how difficult. The songs can tackle bigger things.”

“Now I Can’t Dance” feels both celestial and grounded—an honest celebration of being pulled into someone else’s orbit, willing to spin there, reverently and rhythmically.

Vancouver-based pop artist Matías Roden latest single is “On the Run” – a melancholic, joyful, and ultimately bittersweet synth-pop track about a common gay male experience: the fear of commitment and the instinct to flee just as things start to get real. It’s a “pre-heartbreak song,” as Roden calls it, capturing the electric high of early romance alongside the creeping sense of its inevitable end.

Framed by country-inspired songwriting, dark synth textures, and a hooky pop-rock spirit, “On the Run” channels disparate influences – from sunset car rides to Depeche Mode – into a compelling story of fleeting love and fragile connection. Co-produced with acclaimed Canadian artist Louise Burns, the song features drums crafted entirely by Roden, who chopped and stitched together samples to build the pulsing heartbeat of the track.

Written after a short-lived relationship where both intimacy and impermanence were inescapable, “On the Run” leans into dualities: sparse, minimalist verses that give way to denser, sweeping choruses before stripping back to near silence in its final moments. The ebb and flow echo the unpredictable rhythms of desire, fear, and longing.

The official video for “On the Run” mirrors the song’s wistful tension with a clever country-inspired concept that blends queer visibility and political commentary. It follows two cowboys fleeing America for Canada, culminating in a kiss beneath a massive Canadian flag – a direct nod to Bruce Springsteen’s iconic “Born in the USA” imagery (as is the single artwork which is a mirror image of Springsteen’s iconic Born in the USA album cover, just with a Canadian flag instead of American). It features a defiantly Canadian twist at a time where the country is grappling with issues of nationhood and identity as its relationship with its southern neighbour is tested. 

Featuring actor Connor Riopel (Amazon Prime’s Laid), the video pays tribute to Roden’s adopted homeland while sparking conversation about LGBTQ+ rights, national identity, and belonging.