Ottawa trio who stitch together garage, surf and punk in a way that is far different and better than what you may be thinking. Their newest cassette EP is a treasure of deceptively tight, gnar riffs that go well with dancing, driving, surfing and pouring blue light on your buddy’s head.

Brooklyn rad/weirdness from the fertile mind of Russel Grey ½ of my favorite band from the borough Justice of the Unicorns. C.H.O.D.E. or Compassionate Humans Occupy Dumpster Earth, are a scrappier project by far but every bit as irreverently fun and dankly musical, with winning song titles like “Bacteria and Squirrels”.

Splinter faction of PVD’s saxpunx Downtown Boys, Malportado Kids is comprised of singer Victoria Ruiz with Joey L DeFrancesco on the bass and beats. Their shows are a breathless dance party with ‘core political videos projected over a glittering uber-posi cumbia punk mashdown. So good, so fun, throw this EP on and dance till babylon falls.

Montreal electrogaze duo making some nice flux between electronic, shoegaze and some paisley underground inflections. These three tunes are crunchy, well constructed and have a really pleasing glam-ness to them that make a possibly cold genre pretty sexy. Great!

So this is what the members of legendary Philly weirdo grind-prog band An Albatross is up to. Much more straight blast beat laden riffology here, one misses the cheesy keyboards and guitar wanking that defined AA… however if you forget that body of work for a second, it’s a rather expertly served slab of screaming 50 second blasts of faithful grind played by master musicians. I still miss An Albatross though, one of the best bands I ever saw live!

Full-pin party rock n roll from the feral trenches of montreal’s punk/garage scene. APAP aren’t turning over too many new rocks here, but instead laying down thick glam hooks aplenty with one purpose in mind: inspiring mad dance parties and maximum fist-pumpage. Ain’t nothing wrong with that!

So this band exists ephemerally in Montreal, in some sort of murky netherworld just churning out compelling electronic jams that are thickly and expertly produced. Just the right amount of aloofness and androgyny in the vocals, complementing the druggy disco lope of the beats and synths that wash lazily over the landscape. Really kind of gorgeous, and I hope to hear more from this promising band!

Giddy-core 8 bit punk maverick duo Math the Band explode out of Providence with a full-on spazzy new album that is inexhaustible, relentless and driving to the point that it makes me feel old. I love this but I think I might both have a heart attack or shit myself if I ever played in a band like this. But I’d have the time of my life doing it! Simply awesome!

Toronto trio recently transplanted to montreal and are quickly growing some new roots and shoots here. Really pleasing and upbeat power-pop stuff that sticks to your ears immediately. Sort of rocking an early Deadly Snakes vibe with a touch of some 90s pop punk goodness like Pete Krebs or The Mice. Great vocals and guitaring by namesake Dany Laj with foundation solidly offered by ace rhythm section Jeanette Dowling and Lewis Handford on bass and drums, respectively. I’m sure the band would prefer I link to their catchy new EP, so I will , but the thing of theirs I enjoyed the best was this little lo-fi apartment session, which hit me in the sweet spot. Enjoy.

Some band I heard of only because someone confused my band ( Leamers ) with them in name. A complete mystery to me other than that they are from Montreal apparently and aside from a very obvious worship of Wolf Parade have a unique batch of acumen and skills that are imminently attractive to these ears…