Canada is sometimes considered to be the USA’s younger cousin, with a wealth of fantastic bands and artists emerging from the country over the decades. The nation shows no signs of slowing down either, with a whole host of underground acts just waiting for the world to love them. I wanted to shine a light on some of those artists here – hopefully you;ll discover your new favourite band in the process!
Review by Jane Howkins
Photo by Laughing In Slow Motion
Laughing In Slow Motion – CABIN FEVER
First up is Laughing In Slow Motion, a rock band with a somewhat folky sound. A lovely set of acoustic guitars open CABIN FEVER up, before the electric guitars kick in on the heavier chorus. One of the things I loved about this track is that the bass is really prominent, grooving along underneath the surface of the tune. The vocals are really emotive, standing out particularly on the verses. The mellow guitars add an extra layer of goodness, playing out wonderfully underneath a chorus of glorious backing vocals.
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White Dove – Hurts Like Hell
Hurts Like Hell changes things up a little, as it’s a very different tune to the previous song on this list. A gorgeous piano melody trickles underneath White Dove’s strong vocals, as they rise higher and higher, soaring like an actual dove. The chorus introduces an electric guitar that oozes away in the background in a distorted way, adding a sense of the dramatic to the piece. Hurts Like Hell is an incredibly haunting song – those vocals are particularly stunning to behold.
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Phil Marinucci – FLY
Musician and artist Phil Marinucci is clearly highly influenced by the classic rock music that became so popular in the 80s, if FLY is anything to go by. The track has a really expansive sound, featuring a selection of crashing riffs, colliding in style with the more harmonious synth melodies. The chorus elevates things further, making the tune sound incredibly anthemic. It’s a hugely expansive song and one that should get stuck in your head instantly!
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Beaugé Soleil – Eagleaire
Beaugé Soleil has created something really interesting with Eagleaire. It’s an electronic track, but it’s rather different from a lot of the EDM you normally hear on the airwaves. A groovy bassline runs through the piece, also acting in a melodic manner. Programmed, synthy orchestral elements add an extra backing to the tune, as the sultry female vocals simmer along in the forefront of the track. The song also features some rapping, mixing things up nicely and adding a touch more variety.
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Tom Orlando – Fool in Love
If you’re a fan of rap music, Fool in Love is the perfect song for you. Tom Orlando’s lyrics are really thought-provoking, elevating his status as a rapper well above his peers. Tom is also joined by Mary Dee on this song, who sings the chorus in a lovely way. A slow piano melody trickles away in the background, as a slew of synths swirl around in the background. The beat has a typical hip-hop style, with the fast pace keeping your toes tapping throughout. It really is a banger of a song!
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nasmore – Welcome to the Hell
nasmore is an artist I’ve featured before, and I just can’t get enough of his music! Welcome to the Hell is another amazing tune, having quite an eerie vibe to it at times. It’s extremely atmospheric, changing through several distinct movements as the song progresses. Different male and female vocals chime in at different points, drawing you into nasmore’s captivating world. Welcome to the Hell mixes rock, pop and electronica together perfectly, appealing to fans across the board.
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Scot Free Sessions – Istanbul
Taking things down a notch is Scot Free Sessions with the gorgeous song Istanbul. The acoustic guitar melodies that open the tune up sound expertly produced, having a lovely flowing quality to them. The vocals are a little raw, but they actually suit the rootsy style of the music well. A subtle string section appears in the background at times, helping to accentuate the rest of the music. The female vocals on the chorus underline the lead vocals well, making it all sound extremely beautiful as a whole.
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Dana Schindel – Keep Moving Forward
Keep Moving Forward is Dana Schindel’s debut release, making it sound all the more impressive! It’s a slow and stripped-down folk song, also having elements of Americana and country present within the mix. A slide guitar motif plays against the main acoustic guitar melody, as Dana sings along in a heartfelt way. The beat picks up a bit as the chorus appears, although it still remains a fairly steady tune throughout. It sounds really pretty though, and I can’t wait to hear what Dana comes up with next time around!
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Alex Krawczyk – A Song for You
Folk singer-songwriter Alex Krawczyk has a sound straight out of the 60s, as A Song for You has elements of both modern and traditional folk music. Alex has a fantastic singing voice, full of clarity and soul as she leads the main melody to this lovely tune. It’s mostly made up of acoustic guitar chords, but a little electric guitar solo appears later on, stirring up an extra sense of variety. It’s a really pretty tune and one you need to check out now!
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Spitty – Not For Me
Not For Me is another rap song, featuring a rather interesting flute melody playing in the background. The flute motif makes the tune sound really unique, especially when mixed with the hip-hop beat. Spitty’s rapping has a fantastic flow, seeing him really living up to his name by spitting the lyrics out in an extremely fast manner. Little video game sounds can be heard occasionally, adding some even more interesting sounding flourishes to this frantic rap tune.
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The Doonesbury Band – Gotta Get High
If you like your music more on the lo-fi end of the spectrum, The Doonesbury Band are for you! Gotta Get High is a bluesy tune with a minimalist vibe. The track has a steady beat, seeing the bass and drums combine together perfectly to create a creeping atmosphere. Little guitar licks break off every few seconds, adding more layers to the piece. The vocals are a little distant sounding, but they work brilliantly, adding more of an ambience to this amazing tune.
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Beyonix – New Dawn
New Dawn sounds immense from the off, featuring a huge bass beat and an array of intriguing percussion effects. Beyonix builds up the music over the course of the tune, with extra synth flourishes appearing over time to create something that sounds simply magical. Some programmed vocals can be heard, although it’s a largely instrumental tune. However, when the music is this good, it really doesn’t need to much in the way of vocals. If you like your techno on the more experimental side of things, this is for you!
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The Dolls Are Good – 126
I’ve never really forayed too much into the drum and bass genre, but when it’s this good, I can’t help but share it! 126 features all the drum frills that you might expect from the genre, but the background music is also rather beautiful at times, giving The Dolls Are Good an extra edge. The song goes through several different movements, changing things up rapidly and keeping your attention lit throughout. The piano is particularly astounding, with the fast rhythm fitting the beat perfectly.
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Melyssa Lee – Sunflower (Acoustic Version)
As the name suggests, Sunflower (Acoustic Version) is the acoustic version of Melyssa Lee’s original track. It’s a folky song, featuring just a simple acoustic guitar melody as the main instrumentation. However, it doesn’t really need much more, as the music is gorgeous as is. Melyssa’s vocals are clear and beautiful, fitting the music well. The main chord sequence is beautiful, hitting some particularly haunting notes on the chorus. The backing vocals accentuate Melyssa’s voice perfectly, drawing you in straight away.
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Eight Thousand Birds – Blue House
Blue House is the debut single to be released by Eight Thousand Birds, making it all the more impressive! It’s an amazing piece of music, drifting straight into your brain on the first listen. The tempo is fairly slow, but it’s quite haunting in the way it works with the lead vocals, which swirl in lovely style throughout the track. The chorus only elevates things further, seeing a much greater pitch range, as the vocals rise higher and higher. This is perhaps my favourite song on this entire list.
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Lonely Little Kitsch – The New Scene
Closing things off with a bang are Lonely Little Kitsch, a Canadian alt-rock duo. The New Scene contains a great deal of energy from the very start, with huge riffs being the name of the game here. Despite the heaviness of the tune, it’s also rather catchy – particularly on the chorus. The buzzsaw guitars have a fantastic groove, creeping through the track alongside the bassline. The vocals are used to great effect, following the main riff found on the verses. If you like your rock and roll, this is for you!
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