In celebration of our annual beer issue, I’ve only really been listening to Mean Jeans’ still-perfect party record On Mars. Having said that, there was still some amazing new content to hit the world wide web this week. Here’s a little taste of what’s new.

JEFF the Brotherhood “Sixpack”
In theory, I should hate this. In addition to having a truly embarrassing name, JEFF the Brotherhood enlisted the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach to produce their upcoming Hypnotic Knights EP, and you should all know how I feel about the Black Keys by now. As a producer, though, Auerbach brings out the best in this fuzzy two-piece, further exemplifying just how great they are at Weezer-meets-Ramones summer anthems.

Nü Sensae “Swim”
Speaking of two-pieces… well … Read More

Illustration by Tom Bagley

I hope you like doom-laden crust, wildly popular experimental indie, outsider electronica and mainstream rap, because that's what I've served up for you in this edition of Weekly Leaks.

Tragedy “Close at Hand”
Without much warning, legendary d-beat monsters Tragedy have returned with a brand new album called Darker Days Ahead. Cookie Monster vocals, gigantic buzzing guitars and bleak-as-fuck imagery are all present, as evidenced on the track “Close at Hand.” Have a listen, and make sure you stick around for the crushing slow parts at the end.


Animal Collective “Honeycomb” / “Gotham”
The biggest experimental indie band in the world has returned: last week Animal Collective dropped a surprise batch of … Read More

Illustration by Tom Bagley

This column was written before news surfaced of the tragic passing of Beastie Boys member Adam "MCA" Yauch. If you'd rather just listen to the Beastie Boys all day, no one could argue with that. I spent most of my week listening to the various projects of Fast Forward Weekly cover star Jean Sebastien Audet, which you can check out here (start with Zouk Fuck, then Darren Wantz, then the rest). But there were some other things worth a spin or two as well.

Kuhrye-oo “Give In (For the Fame)”
I think Kuhrye-oo might be my favourite of the Edmonton/Montreal projects to emerge from Gobble Gobble (now Born Gold). On “Give In (For the Fame),” Calvin McElroy offers up some cut to shreds R & B alongside crazy warm atmospherics and some … Read More

After teasing us with leaks over the past few months, Sled Island have revealed the full line-up for their 2012 edition. Added headliners include the likes of Hot Snakes and The Spits. The festival also includes appearances from some of the best smaller acts working in Canada today.

Here's the full lineup so you can start stressing about seeing everything now:

Illustration by Tom Bagley

Another week means another batch of songs that I really enjoyed in the past week. Have a listen and let me know what you think in the comments. Please. I NEED YOUR APPROVAL.

Ty Segall Band “Wave Goodbye”
It’s safe to say that big-haired garage pop guru Ty Segall is at the height of his career, with new releases coming out all over the place. Dude has a full backing band now, too, who will release their debut album Slaughterhouse on June 26 via In the Red. If “Wave Goodbye” is any indication, this going to be a seriously heady psych fuzz attack.



d’Eon Music for Keyboards Vol. II
If you’ve ever spent more than 15 minutes with me, you know that beneath all the posturing I’m really just a guy who loves Blink 182. That’s why I’m … Read More

Mark your calendars for July, because the Calgary Folk Festival has announced their full lineup! Running from July 26 to 29, organizers have unveiled their full lineup.

Yes, Sinead O’Connor has canceled for unknown reasons (although recent Twitter outbursts have definitely hinted at mounting instability.)

Still, a lack of Sinead shouldn't stop you from enjoying a packed-to-the-brim lineup that includes 100 Mile House, Sam Baker, Del Barber, Barr Brothers, Shelley Bean, The Beauties, Beirut, Mark Berube, Besh o DroM, Bettysoo and Doug Cox, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Blitz the Ambassador, Renato Borghetti, Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires, The Breakmen, Junior Brown, Marco Calliari, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Chatham County … Read More

Illustration by Tom Bagley

In celebration of international jazz cigarette day, here is a collection of my favourite Sublime songs. Just kidding, I don't have any favourite Sublime songs. Because they're ALL my favourite! Just kidding again... Sublime is the worst band.

What I'm getting at is that the Weekly Leaks hiatus is over. Here's some new music that's worth checking out.

Death Grips The Money Store / "I've Seen Footage" video
For me, one of my most anticipated releases of the spring has been the debut full-length from ballsy, experimental rap trio Death Grips. The Sacramento group, which includes Hella drummer Zach Hill, will drop The Money Store on April 24 via Epic, but you can stream the whole thing below. As a bonus, check out the video … Read More

First of all, how the hell could anyone have been violently slashed at the Coldplay concert? From where I was sitting, it was the most cleancut show I’ve ever attended. The men could only be described as “people who noticed when Randy River and Bootlegger went out of business,” while the women, a vast majority of whom could be described as “cool moms,” were dressed more business casual than any administrative employee I ever saw in my years as a temp. A lot of sleeveless blouses for the women and weirdly cut black leather jackets for the men.

While the Saddledome normally smells like hot dogs, beer, weed and farts at these giant events, the Coldplay concert smelled very upper middle class. The room’s collective cologne wafted together … Read More

Brush up on your Steve Martin comedy records and rewatch The Jerk, because the white-haired wonder is going to be hitting town on Saturday, July 21 at the Jubilee Auditorium for an evening of bluegrass and comedy with his backing band The Steep Canyon Rangers.

While the focus is certainly on the music, a press release promises that "Martin delivers hilarious quips and anecdotes while performing an impressive array of bluegrass music throughout the evening."

Tickets for the event will be available on Saturday, April 14 via Ticketmaster.

Watch the band perform their aptly titled "Jubilation Day" on Ellen below.

Illustration by Tom Bagley

Here we go with the third ever edition of Weekly Leaks, the blog post where I tell you all the cool stuff I enjoyed on the internet this week. And no, I didn’t miss the new Best Coast single… I just think it’s one of the worst songs I’ve heard all year.

Chromatics Kill for Love:
Portland doom disco purveyors Chromatics finally released their long-awaited new album Kill for Love to digital retailers this week, and it goes above and beyond expectation, making it my number one album of the year so far. Look for a review in next week’s issue of Fast Forward, and stream the whole thing below courtesy of band member Johnny Jewel.


PS I Love You “Princess Towers” :
Speaking of album-of-the-year material, Kingston, ON duo PS I … Read More