Various

Birth of a Dead Medium is a compilation of the core group(s) behind Toronto's music/art/public space/etc. the Dupont Spadina Corner Collective. Assembled and working under a common ethos built from DIY philosophies and a genuine interest in bettering their community, the DSCC has some strong musical support on Birth of a Dead Medium the likes of Toronto gospel folk punks Barn Owl. Their two tracks are the strongest of the (relatively small) bunch, with their sound bearing solid similarities to the recently lauded Appalachian goth of Bruce Peninsula, but with a nod to the dramatic conventions of emo or post-hardcore. The rest of it is a continued display of member-swapping teamwork that churns out some more great, scrappy folk punk from the Falling Trees, some grungy emoting about death by Graham Cavalier and a sweetly sinister girl/guy minor key mash-up that starts with a delicate, jazzy, Arts & Crafts-ish piano/horn intro but eventually turns into an awesome early Against Me! quasi-ballad. It's an accurate representation of the well-known collaborative spirit that permeates much of Toronto's music scene, even if this one is mostly left in the dark.