It's a new year, it's a new wave — Exclaim!'s Class of 2025 concert series is officially in session! We're about to school you on the local Toronto up-and-comers you need to know throughout the month of January with seven spellbinding showcase lineups proudly supported by Mary Brown's Chicken.
Everything starts with a bang this Saturday (January 4) at the Monarch Tavern. Below, you can get acquainted with the high-octane first round of acts on the honour roll that are set to take the stage and earn stars in the margins of your playlists the year.
January 4: Monarch Tavern
Things are bound to escalate quickly with Accelerant in the mix. The Toronto noise rock risers are fresh off the release of their self-titled debut album last October via the Cooked Raw Label, and the development of their fiery brand of rock — which the band's Nathan Patrick says is "at the heart" of their sound: "We add noise samples and synth backing tracks to expand that a bit, but we're just a rock band" — is set to reach hyper-speed in 2025, with plans for another album and a UK tour in the works. They're eager to test the waters with some new material, which Class Of attendees will be among the first to hear.
Defying conventions is the name of the game for Gaijin Smash. The distorted bass and synth-driven post-punk trio named themselves after a now-defunct blog written by an African American ESL teacher, and according to bassist/vocalist Conor Freeborn, the pair are equally inspired by the innovation of Canadian music industry platforms like !earshot Distro and Side Door. Gaijin Smash are are looking forward to Wolfgang being behind the soundboard to make them sound stellar as always at the Monarch, and the impending 2025 release of their next EP — the follow-up to 2020's Play Date — as well as a suite of music videos.
"Fierce, unapologetic, and dripping with passion and grit." That's how frontwoman Juno Hailey describes the caterwauling catharsis of Chinese Medicine, who draw from new wave, '80s post-punk and queercore influences to unleash something raw and primal. The crew will make their Twin Fang Records debut with release their second EP — produced by Graham Walsh (METZ, July Talk) — in 2025, continuing their foundational thread of contributing to a "more diverse and global music scene" that the advent of accessible production has enabled.
Come see what all the buzz is about. Fuelled by Houndstooth Lager, Palm Sander are more armed and seething than ever for 2025, and it's easy to see why. The unpredictable post-rock quartet have spent years cutting their teeth playing shows across town and have earned fans in colleagues like Class of 2020 grads Burner — and are likewise looking forward to checking out fellow high-voltage enthusiasts Accelerant's Class Of set. This year, Palm Sander will be putting all of the noise that goes into stripping down a piece of wood on record with an album release that's sure to require safety equipment.
Check out the Facebook event link for more details on this week's show and the rest of this year's Class Of concert series, presented in partnership with the City of Toronto's music office. Advance tickets are on sale now via Showclix.
Next up:
01/10 Your Grandad / Shunk / Ancient Greece / the Crime Family - The Monarch Tavern
01/11 Tara Kannangara / Blush / Wild Black / Angel Apricot - The Baby G