Emmett McCleary is of the opinion that it’s much easier to write a sad song than a happy one, though you might not catch it right away in his intricate, snappy tracks.

Philadelphia’s Alex Giannascoli has released his much-anticipated sixth full-length release, Rocket, and it is as murky and expansive as ever.

Mac DeMarco returned to his old Montreal stomping grounds for two sold-out shows at Metropolis.

An entertaining set that harkened back to a traditional rock feel.

Cambodian-psychedelic rock group Dengue Fever opened for the Saharan blues collective Tinariwen.

It took them about 23 hours to reach North America from Melbourne, but for a week now Quivers has been taking Canada by storm with classic Aussie optimism.

She’s back to mostly singing with the booming voice of her first few albums, though she did (thankfully) play songs from White Chalk and Let England Shake.

Diet Cig’s first LP shines.

Field of Love is a vibrant jungle of synth and vocal harmonies with an overarching theme of pleasurable love; the album comes just in time to usher in Montreal’s great thaw.

A chat with Carla Sagan about the intersection of academia and musicianship, the success of “Supermoon,” and what the band has planned for the upcoming summer.

I can think of nothing better to do than gaze out of a window at the snowy deluge from the comfort of my home, with Fog Lake’s Dragonchaser playing on loop in the background.

When the topic of McGill student musicians comes up, it’s rare that the name Alexia Avina isn’t mentioned.

While touring on his latest release, the excellent Drunk, Thundercats Montreal stop did not disappoint the significant crowd that ventured out to catch the show.

I ventured up to Le Dépanneur Café in the Mile End a few weeks ago to chat with Molly Drag (née Michael Hansford) about his upcoming album, Whatever Reason.

Human Voicing, the fourth album from Montreal band The Luyas, showcases the band’s ability to play off of the tension between the moody and the playful.

Run the Jewels are not known to sugar-coat or present their lyrics on a bed of roses, and on RTJ3 they are as blunt and sharp-tongued as ever.

A vodka-stained shirt, a fight, saving a life, sweat, and bruises summed up a night at A$AP Ferg’s Turnt & Burnt tour stop in Montreal.

We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service provides the nostalgic sound of the OG Tribe with some new perspective.

A cinematic and folky kind of psychedelic soul music impossible to pin down.

How could these low-fi leaders of the Midwest emo scene, now approaching middle-age, deliver the same je ne sais quois melancholia reflected in the average twentysomething?

I’m going to have my reservations with shows at Newspeak from now on, but if Wiki’s ever playing there again, I’ve learned that you should show up a lot later than you would think.

My Woman, Angel Olsen’s latest album release, has left me in pieces with its mix of distantly dreamy and direct, full-bodied sounds.

Noname’s debut mixtape, Telefone, exhibits her versatile skills as an artist with bubbly production that’s coated on every track and can instantly fill a room with glee.

A master of sound design and manipulation, Manchester-based Andy Stott graced the world with a new creation this year.