It's gettin' hot! It's gettin' rainy! It's gettin' combination hot 'n' rainy! Summer is for real here, and you're gonna need some new tunes to get you through those long days by the pool and/or parked in front of your window unit.
This month's crop of new Canadian favourites include shaggy folk rock by way of New Brunswick, ferocious post-hardcore from Toronto and ambling folk-pop by way of British Columbia, just to name a few.
Keep reading to meet Exclaim!'s latest New Faves, and head over to our Spotify playlist to hear them alongside our previous homegrown favourites.
Bootlicker
Victoria, BC
For fans of: Discharge, SSD
Bootlicker make urgent, often frantic and always intense punk, inflected with shades of UK82, D-beat and the best of American hardcore. The production is lean, blown-out and raw, all buzzing guitars, subterranean bass and pounding drums. On their just-released second LP, 1000 Yd. Stare, the band tackles all of society's many, many ills, from the continued presence and enduring effects of Colonialism to the rise in fascist and right-wing beliefs to genocide, killer cops and global warming. This stuff will set your conscience on fire. Although 1000 Yd. Stare was recorded live by guitarist and vocalist Lewis, bassist Mark and drummer Lucas, the band transforms into a five-piece behemoth on stage, with Athena and Josh on guitar and Goat on drums. Confrontational and political, this is crusty, powerful music for a fractured world. Put this on, and kick a hole in the sky.
Marko Djurdjic
Chris Belliveau
Memramcook, NB
For fans of: Serge Gainsbourg, Link Wray, Bob Dylan
After years working as an accompanying musician to a myriad of other artists, Memramcook, NB's Chris Belliveau finally struck out on his own in 2022, releasing his eponymous first album. Inspired by Cajun music, retro country and blues, Chris Belliveau found the longtime sideman stepping into his own, a playful, bruising collection of songs that revealed a singular voice. Though he's been relatively quiet since, there's more to come on the horizon. Keep your eyes and ears peeled.
Kaelen Bell
Terry Green
Mississauga, ON
For fans of: Blind Girls, Basque, Heavenly Blue
After a seven year wait, the Mississauga skramz outfit return with their sophomore album Provisional Living, out now. Terry Green have the incredible ability of combining blistering musical technicality with moments of serene melody. A highlight of Provisional Living, "Full Lip," showcases familiar strains in Terry Green's style while also embracing a more straightforward rock 'n' roll sound.
Mark Tremblay
Judgement
Toronto, ON
For fans of: Alexisonfire, Hawthorne Heights, Arm's Length
The GTA post-hardcore four-piece make music for your inner 2000s southern Ontario emo kid — complete with battling screamo and melodic vocals. Debut EP Define Alive arrived in 2021, and the band have been steadily rolling out new singles since. "Currents (Inhale)" marks their latest release, a love song that will leave you breathless.
Allie Gregory
Pranatricks
Comox, BC
For fans of: Dralms, Bon Iver
Andrew Clements is a New Fave, but he's certainly not new on the Canadian music scene, having played in the electro-funk duo Fur Bearing Animals back in the aughts. These days, he makes stark folk as Pranatricks, layering his quiet troubadour tunes with subtle psych textures and spooky harmonies. He released his debut album, Cherished, in January 2023, and followed it up barely a year later with Elements of this April.
Alex Hudson
Joe Rocca
Montreal, QC
For fans of: J.I.D, Aminé
After taking a break from the scene, Montreal rapper Joe Rocca is back with his sophomore album Hybride, which combines introspective lyrics and funk-forward synths for a truly engaging listening experience. Rocca surrounded himself with producers JMF (Planet Giza) and Felix Petit (Les Louanges) while collaborating with both R&B newcomers (Rauze, Malia Laura) and rap keb veterans (KNLO). The result? A personal and versatile collection of tracks that he'll be showcasing this summer while touring Quebec, joined by members of his group Dead Obies.
Antoine-Samuel Mauffette Alavo
Smush
Vancouver, BC
For fans of: Pretty Sick, Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine
Although Smush is a relatively new band from Vancouver, their sound is straight from the '90s. With just two singles so far, they've quickly introduced themselves as an act to keep an eye on. Their tracks "if we didn't cry" and "lizzy mcguire" offer a noisy shoegaze taste of what to expect from their debut LP if you were here, i'd be home now, due June 15th. The release will be celebrated with a show on release day at Green Auto Body in Vancouver, followed by more show announcements this month.
Eden DaSilva
Fruit Snack
Montreal, QC
For fans of: Phoebe Bridgers, Bon Iver, alt-J
Born and raised in a small town in BC, Zach Smith relocated to Montreal in 2015 to pursue a creative career as a singer-songwriter under the moniker Fruit Snack. Cutting his teeth in the local scene over the past so many years, he developed his now-signature voice that sets him apart from any other indie folk artist out there. His latest single "driving around in cars with girls" is an endearing showcase of his unique approach to songwriting and musical compositions.
Vanessa Tam
Listen to tracks from these and other New Faves on our Spotify playlist: