Onglish – “Channels” [Listen]
It’s a long life
You can change channels
It’s alright
Local producer Onglish moves into the spotlight a little more with his latest release. After being in front of the microphone where he honed his production skills as a solo performer, plus being part of the awesome hip hop duo SOAP with Toronto MC, Scribe, Onglish now takes on double duty as producer and vocalist. Describing this new bop: “‘Channels’ is a song that tracks the changing career paths of Brett’s father and grandmother and how his own career changes have mirrored theirs.”
SouthEastAngel – “Amethysts & Raindrops” [Listen]
Ask me about my existential dread
SouthEastAngel, a.k.a. Gabriel Arcega, is a 20-year-old Hamilton-based artist who recently shared a new two-song project, Amethysts & Raindrops. Describing the alt-pop tracks, he says, “the project is a story about this summer and my experiences, questions [and] realizations that I’ve had.” Really looking forward to hearing more from this project!
Uncle Lift Off – “Airport Security” [Listen]
It’s okay to yo yo, day by day
One thing less, one less thing
Overtime, it’s fine
Is it not you, you
Uncle Lift Off is a local three-piece band comprised of siblings Elinor (vocals, guitars, etc.), Ian (production, mixing, keyboards, guitars, and mastering) and Olivia (backups and bass). Right from pressing play on their new album Out Of It, and “Airport Security” kicked in, I knew I was in for a really fun listen. As the song literally says, “Strap in, and have a good time.” Elinor shares on the group’s Bandcamp page: “We are three people who love to be creative independently. This was the primary reason for me wanting to produce music with them, was to see what the synthesis of our worlds might actually sound like…so far I know it’s goofy, it’s awkward, it’s subtle, it’s outrageous, it’s beautiful, it’s fun and it’s Uncle Lift Off.”
Ten Minute Detour – “Golden Tapestry” [Listen]
Cut me loose
Set me free
Calgary-formed, and now Hamilton-based, band Ten Minute Detour just shared their latest album, Golden Tapestry, in September. The indie Americana band had been hard at work for the past few years in their home studio and are excited to finally share this record. They share on Instagram: “I think the most incredible thing is that we took on this project in the middle of a pandemic, pushed through the stop-and-go of COVID life, and still had the creative energy to come in and do the best we could. We couldn’t be more proud of the effort and care we took to make this the best album we could.” Celebrate the release and catch the band playing Mills Hardware on October 14.
Tripper and the Wild Things – “Get Burnt” [Listen]
And farther and farther
And farther down the line
Hamilton’s indie rockers Tripper and the Wild Things are back with another pop rock banger. They describe the track as being “about coming to terms with the impermanence of our lives, and reckoning with the complex emotions that it brings.” Lead singer Josh Keillor adds that it’s a transitional song for the band, after adding a new band member and of course dealing with the global events of the last few years. Check out their latest EP, Fever Dreams, out now.
Silvertone Hills – “Stubborn Lovers” [Listen]
Playing mind games
No answer any time I call
More from our local indie rock scene, Silvertone Hills just shared a new tune. They say that “Stubborn Lovers” is an “anthem for a love gone wrong” and reminds us that “there are no dead ends on the road to happiness, only detours.” As your resident local tourist, I love that sentiment! This new track leads the way for the band’s upcoming debut full length, due out in 2023. Check out the music video for this track.
LEWI V LØNE – “Out Of Options” [Listen]
It’s time to kiss the past goodbye
I’m always stoked to hear a new local artist on my radar! LEWI V LØNE is not new to making music, however; he has been creating for at least 9 years now, evolving from trap to rock, as you’ll hear with his latest single, “Out Of Options.” I am so here for the resurgence of pop punk, and felt that wave of nostalgic right away with this tune (along with the nod to Evanescence with the first lyric – that takes me back!). Check out the music video, and give LEWI V LONE a follow on TikTok (for more music, and super impressive yo-yo skills)!
cute – “voodoo dissolve (demo)” [Listen]
There’s a new noisy rock crew on the Hamilton scene, called cute. The band features members from Memory Lakes, Delta Days, and Dizzy Spells. They’ve been jamming out demos and finding their sound for the past couple months and shared a bunch of tracks so far on Bandcamp. They also just took the stage at Doors Pub, which no doubt was a raucous time.
Golden Feather – “You’ve Been On My Mind” [Listen]
I know if we ever see each other again
Our eyes will sparkle and shine
Watching local musicians collaborate is such a fun part of exploring our music scene. Golden Feather has a lot of familiar faces – the project was started by Steve Kiely and Brad Germain (inspired by their love of the Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band, and other bands that like to jam). The band’s first show was halted due to the onset of the pandemic, but Brad and Steve, along with bassist Ronson and guitarist Chris Wheeler, worked on songs remotely and recorded their debut album. Later in 2020, Gareth Inkster joined, and the lineup was completed. Golden Feather just dropped their Now & Then EP, which was self-produced and recorded live off-the-floor.
Ariana Fig – “Running Man” [Listen]
Maybe I’m lonely
But I don’t know why
‘Cause you’ve been in my head
All day and all night
Local singer songwriter Ariana Fig is building up a beautiful and solid discography with the string of singles she has released this year. She shares that this new tune, “Running Man,” was one of her favourites to create, adding, “This song is so personal and beautifully complicated and I hope you all love it as much as I do”.
Arkells – “Teenage Tears” feat. Tegan and Sara [Listen]
And now I wonder how you’re doing
Like I’m asking for a friend
Now we’re changing our passwords
Changing addresses, changing
Arkells build upon world of Blink Once, released in September 2021, with Blink Twice, a brand new album released almost exactly one year later. I’d say I enjoy this one even more! The band has really honed in on this anthemic pop rock, and deliver even more of it with this release. One listen, and these melodies stick with me; they’re tracks that make me want to sing out loud (also which makes their live show so much fun, and I’m grateful to have experienced The Rally in Hamilton this summer). The features on the album are also super fun – Aly & AJ (I’m still so excited by that one!), Cœur de Pirate, Lights, Tegan and Sara, Joel Plaskett, Cold War Kids, Jake Clemons, and Wesley Schultz (of The Lumineers).
Family Of Things – “Shine Your Light” [Listen]
Love yourself today
It’s gonna be alright
Indie duo Family Of Things share an uplifting new single. I absolutely love their release from earlier this year, “Slingshot” (and gorgeous live video shot at The Mule Spinner), and the musicians have continued down that soulful path. “Shine Your Light” is a beautiful message that we could all use right now.
Daniel Lanois – “My All” [Listen]
Prolific musician and producer, and huge part of Hamilton’s music history, Daniel Lanois, just shared a brand new album, Player, Piano. The album features a series of instrumental piano performances, recorded at Lanois’ studio in Toronto with the help of co-producer Dangerous Wayne Lorenz. The artist describes the album’s opener, “My All,” as “…a melody I wrote as a sendoff to my little brother who passed away. The piano part is based on an approach I learned from Steven Tyler from Aerosmith. Some time back, Steven was at my house playing my upright piano, he showed this style of repeating a chord on the right hand, while playing a moving melody on the left hand. It was a turning point in my piano playing…Thank you Steven!”
Found a new gems thanks!
Happy to hear! Thanks for listening, Lindsay!