Be a tourist in your own city.
Updated: December 2025 [Originally posted December 7, 2021] Listen & Follow on Spotify I had always wanted to make an all-local, holiday season Playlist! âïžđ I Heart Hamilton turned 10 in 2021, and by then, I had come across enough local holiday tunes to round out a festive mix (so far including Hamilton and Burlington … Read more
Listen & Follow on Spotify The cozy and atmospheric season of autumn is well underway! Time to crank up a new batch of local releases. Are you a musician from Hamilton and the surrounding area? Let me know what youâre up to! Iâm always looking for new local music to play on my weekly radio … Read more
Listen & Follow on Spotify Time for our next installment! So many new local releases, so little time! Iâve been putting together monthly Playlists since 2011 (here on the blog and Spotify). This year, giving myself a little more time in between to gather more tracks, and round them up by the seasons in quarterly posts. Crank up these jams … Read more
Listen & Follow on Spotify Here we go! Wrapping up the 11th year of I Heart Hamilton with the annual Best Of Playlist. As I always say, it’s so tough to narrow down and rank music, so please use this as your jumping off point to discovering more, and show your support for local artists. … Read more
Listen & Follow on Spotify Arkells â âDance With Youâ feat. CĆur De Pirate and Aly & AJ [Listen]On s’Ă©tait vus, au loin, enfinTa peau brillait sous les refletsDes miroirs au ciel qui abĂźmaientNos rĂȘves, nos lendemains Arkells brought the party last month with the return of their hometown show, The Rally, at Tim Hortons Field. … Read more
Listen & Follow on Spotify Arkells & Cold War Kids – “Past Life” [Listen]Iâm sick of running from a past lifeI donât care about the next oneAm I running from the moment?Or the city where I come from? First off, huge congrats to Arkells – the band just took home the JUNO Award for Group Of … Read more
Listen & Follow on Spotify iskwÄ & Tom Wilson – âStarless Nightsâ [Listen]I always liked my companyIn loneliness I felt truly freeThe music partnership of iskwÄ and Tom Wilson is a beautiful one to watch. The pair teamed up last fall for a cover of Tom’s “Blue Moon Drive,” and now they put their spin … Read more
The Crowleys – âMaking Friendlyâ [Listen]I don’t know how to tell you that I want to be friends with youIn this new day and ageThe Crowleys coming through with another gem! If you’ve frequented their live shows like I have over the years, this instrumental will be familiar to you. The band says this song … Read more
This Ain’t Hollywood 345 James Street North By Kristin Archer Photos by Lisa Vuyk It’s been a rough year for me, as a Hamilton music fan! First my beloved New Hands broke up, then Harlan Pepper also decided to call it a day. Alas, we must go with the flow, and be grateful for all … Read more
The JUNO Awards Mills Hardware 95 King Street East By Kristin Archer A month before the JUNOs, JUNOfest treated us to a sweet night of hometown talent. Perfect for Valentine’s evening, the concert titled “The Love Song Edition” featured a stellar lineup: Ben Somer, Brad Germain (Dinner Belles), Dylan Hudecki (By Divine Right, Cowlick), George … Read more