Dave Labarge

Titus Andronicus — the Shakespearean play — is amongst the author’s most violent and least respected works, and thus a fitting name for a New Jersey-based punk band. Titus Andronicus — band, not bard — indeed can be violent at times both in instrumentation, as well as within honest lyrics cynically spit out in an airing […]

When listening to groove band AudioInFlux, the first word that comes to mind is funk. It flavors an extensive array of other self-identified, stylistic influences found in the band’s music, and keeps you locked in. Jazz, soul and hip-hop are all equally represented in the Rochester-based outfit’s eclectic output, but mostly serve as accoutrements to […]

The music of California by-way-of Vermont trio The Devil Makes Three makes it easy to dance with the devil. Or is it to the devil? There is plenty to admire in the band’s folksy blues, whether it’s the fiendishly deployed acoustic guitars, bluegrass-evoking banjos, or the demonically cool stand-up bass. They say idle hands are […]

Early in 2013, Canadian quintet Young Galaxy released its fourth album, “Ultramarine,” one which ultimately landed itself high on the short list of Polaris Prize nominees announced midyear. Featured on the album is song of the year candidate “Pretty Boy,” an astounding opening track and perfect introduction to the band’s superlative electro-pop. Front woman Catherine McCandless […]

If you prefer a lesson in environmental responsibility to go along with your music, perhaps the Campus Consciousness Tour may be up your alley. Visiting college campuses across the nation, the CCT’s aim is to combine popular music with social consciousness in educating students about the environment; in both message and touring practices alike, the hope […]

Brooklyn outfit The Men are nothing if not prolific, releasing new work at a pace of one and sometimes two records a year. Technically gifted, the band also seems to have designs on presenting observers with a genre categorization quandary, bouncing between new musical affectations with ease. While most easily defined as owning something of […]

For Darwin Deez, a sense of whimsy goes a long way. Frontman Darwin Smith in particular is but one part of the quirky image the band is striving for/achieves. Smith’s hipster perm, hippie headband, and astoundingly long neck above which that curly mop hangs all serve to convey an indelible image that meshes well with […]

Imagine sitting down to tackle an old video game. You are treated to an assortment of 8-bit tunes. Imagine the surprise then, when the various melodies resemble actual songs with a keen sense for pop sensibilities and are so catchy they slightly distract you from the game initially. As the game proceeds you feel the […]

At some point in early 2012, word started to disseminate about a superfluously voweled band from California named The Neighbourhood. Armed with an effectively scant bio and a few moody, atmospheric, and altogether catchy alternative pop tracks, the outfit quickly gained traction on blogs and across the pond on BBC Radio 1. Despite the limited […]