Exclaim! Staffers Pick the Can't-Miss Acts of Festival Season 2023
This summer, Canadian music fans are spoiled for choice: wherever you look on the map, there are amazing music festivals taking place, from
Exclaim! Staff•Jun 19, 2023
music features Archive
8 Emerging Canadian Artists You Need to Hear in June 2023
This month's gaggle of New Faves are thrashers, crooners, party starters and quiet observers — they do it all, and they do it well. With a
Exclaim! Staff•Jun 16, 2023This Funny Week in Funny Tweets: June 16, 2023
We must eat the yachts, you got caught, not knowing the word spot, you want me to do WHAT, and much more from this week in funny tweets. J
Vish Khanna•Jun 16, 2023King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard's 20 Best Songs Ranked
Listening to King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard's 23-album, 231-song discography takes 16 hours and 21 minutes — that is, if you exclude a co
Isabel Glasgow •Jun 15, 2023Streaming Must-Sees (and Must-Skips) in June 2023
With summer blockbuster season officially underway, the Toretto family, Ariel and robots in disguise are dominating our cinemas, but at hom
Rachel Ho•Jun 15, 2023Who Is the Weeknd, Anyway?
Abel "the Weeknd" Tesfaye is arguably the biggest pop star on the planet, but his first foray into TV isn't going well. After a shallow fir
Alex Hudson•Jun 15, 2023Killer Mike Says He Has Made the "Album of the Year, Unquestionably"
While some rappers live in duality where their hip-hop personas and real selves never cross, Michael Render will tell you he and Killer Mik
Vernon Ayiku•Jun 14, 2023Canadian Artists Recommend Must-See Acts at This Summer's Music Festivals
If Canadian artists aren't performing on stages around the country (and beyond) this summer, chances are they'll be among the crowd, catchi
Alex Hudson and Calum Slingerland•Jun 13, 2023Canadian Artists Rev Up Their Tour Vans
Now that June is here, Canadian artists are hitting the road. But before they can walk out on stage, musicians need to make sure that one p
Alex Hudson•Jun 12, 2023Pantayo Explore the Limitless Possibilities of Kulintang Music: "There Is Space for People Like Us"
It took years of learning and experimentation to produce the eight songs on Pantayo's debut album. While it was in many ways the culminatio
Ian Gormely•Jun 9, 2023This Funny Week in Funny Tweets: June 9, 2023
One record they won't set, having worked with Brett, a misogynist parrot, the climate makes us fret, and much more from this week in funny
Vish Khanna•Jun 9, 2023Jayda G Tackles "Intense" Moments of Family History: "It's Very Raw"
Jayda G is ready to release one of the most personal works of her life. A collection of entwined stories, eras and emotions, Jayda's new LP
Chris Bryson•Jun 8, 2023Jenny Lewis Is Letting Her Dog Lead the Way
Jenny Lewis has a new album on the way, along with a hefty heaping of tour dates – but she's focused on the little things. "The joy is in
Nicholas Sokic•Jun 7, 2023Allison Russell Celebrates Her "Fierce, Hard-Won Joy"
Allison Russell pinches herself to make sure that she's not dreaming. After two decades of playing in folk bands and subsistence touring, h
Laura Stanley•Jun 6, 2023Movies Inspired by Our Favourite Childhood Toys and Games
Movies and toys have always been a match made in heaven, regardless of which came first. Creating and selling toys based on a movie isn't n
Rachel Ho•Jun 6, 2023Relive Spring Reverb 2023 in Photos, Including Dizzy, Zoon, Status/Non-Status and More
For the second year in a row in downtown Kingston, Spring Reverb brought a whirlwind of kinetic energy from June 1 to 4, ringing in the new
Exclaim! Staff•Jun 5, 2023This Funny Week in Funny Tweets: June 2, 2023
Dog on Dog & Bun on Bun, Succession, remembering Phil Hartman, unpopular opinion, and much more from this week in funny tweets. May 26
Vish Khanna•Jun 2, 2023Exclaim!'s 25 Best Albums of 2023 So Far
The ingénue, the prodigy, the blinding comet of talent that comes crashing to earth from seemingly out of nowhere — there are few character
Exclaim! Staff•Jun 1, 2023Marie Clements Brings the Truth of Residential Schools to the Big Screen
A week before filming began on Bones of Crows in 2021, the Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc First Nation reported that the remains of 215 children we
Rachel Ho•May 31, 2023Foo Fighters' 20 Best Songs Ranked
In a pop music climate that has become less and less accommodating to straight-up rock bands, Foo Fighters have stood tall through all of i
Dave MacIntyre•May 30, 2023This Funny Week in Funny Tweets: May 26, 2023
Throwing star summer y'all, orcas heed the proletariat call, ChatGPT takes it all, Carmelo Anthony rebounded the ball, and much more from t
Vish Khanna•May 26, 2023The Dirty Nil Say "Fuck That" to the Music Industry Carnival as They Become More Uncompromising Than Ever
Luke Bentham is keenly aware of the situation. The founding frontman and guitarist for Ontario rock trio the Dirty Nil, Bentham and his l
Dillon Collins•May 24, 2023The Smiths' 12 Best Bass-Driven Bangers
Without Andy Rourke, the Smiths would have simply been a mopey goth act. Although there's no questioning the songwriting genius of Morriss
Daniel Sylvester•May 23, 2023This Funny Week in Funny Tweets: May 19, 2023
How do I land, me getting ready for plans, just so I understand, nice Canadian comedy fans, and much more from this week in funny tweets.
Vish Khanna•May 19, 2023Indigo De Souza Navigates Humanity's Beautiful Wreckage: "We Just Were Meant to Destroy"
When I call Indigo De Souza, she's in a parking lot. "A random gas station in Iowa," to be somewhat more specific, pulled over for a brief
Kaelen Bell•May 19, 2023Leith Ross Is Here to Heal Listeners (and Stray Cats)
"I'm an involuntary cat sitter," Leith Ross declares during the middle of their interview with Exclaim! Just before our call, the 24-year-
Heather Taylor-Singh•May 18, 2023Exclaim! Staffers Share Their Favourite Dock Rock Anthems for May 2-4
Ah, the first long weekend of the warmer months. There's a culture of it in scattered spots across Canada, as it's something of a rite of p
Exclaim! Staff•May 18, 2023shame Embrace Being Uncool in Pursuit of Honesty
If there's one near-universal truth about your mid-20s, it's that you're bound to lose some friends. There's something about the brain's pr
Sydney Brasil•May 17, 2023Streaming Must-Sees (and Must-Skips) in May 2023
As warmer weather finally deigns to join us, the streaming service offerings this month are a little less hot. A couple flashy Marvel
Rachel Ho•May 16, 2023This Funny Week in Funny Tweets: May 12, 2023
A drumhead people mistake for a potato, tape for a burrito, the King Charles show, insane for this though, and much more from this week in
Vish Khanna•May 12, 2023Hear the Week's Best New Canadian Music: Pierre Kwenders, Charlotte Cardin, DijahSB
It's Mother's Day this weekend, and in addition to being the brunch event of the year, it's also a great time for new Canadian music — and
Exclaim! Staff•May 12, 2023Charlotte Cornfield Ranks Her 5 Best Songs
Charlotte Cornfield is the type of songwriter whose lyrics are universally relatable precisely because they're so specific — the kind of wr
Alex Hudson•May 9, 20238 Emerging Canadian Artists You Need to Hear in May 2023
The first official day of summer is still a ways away, but that feeling is in the air — something's shaken loose, all those stiff, rainy bl
Exclaim! Staff•May 9, 2023This Funny Week in Funny Tweets: May 5, 2023
No, We Are Not Changing Our Name, amazing bathroom aim, a scripted NBA game, the most ever shower shame, and much more from this week in fu
Vish Khanna•May 5, 2023blink-182's 10 Best Songs Ranked
"Girls are fuckin' gnarly. Fuckin' girls. Now, we'd be the first to admit, I like kissing them girls. I like boobies. I like boobies." Tha
Alex Hudson•May 4, 2023Witch Prophet and SUN SUN Left Toronto and Found a Farmhouse Sanctuary
Recording at home is nothing new for songwriter Witch Prophet and producer SUN SUN — but that process felt utterly renewed when the musicia
Kyle Mullin•May 3, 2023Gord Downie and Bob Rock's Electrifying Collaboration Goes "Beyond Friendship"
Those hanging onto the notion that Gord Downie's posthumous album would be a solemn affair simply don't know Gord Downie. Built from hours
Daniel Sylvester•May 2, 2023Every Song from Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 'Fever to Tell' Ranked from Worst to Best
A lot has changed since the early 2000s. Computers are smarter, ordering food is easier and cars drive themselves (kind of). Yeah Yeah Yeah
Trevor Morelli•Apr 28, 2023This Funny Week in Funny Tweets: April 28, 2023
Absolutely no notes, Don and Tucker in the same boat, Jimmy Buckets gloats, Barbie and Oppenheimer warrant the same quote, and much more fr
Vish Khanna•Apr 28, 2023The National's 20 Best Songs Ranked
Over 20 years into their career, the National have achieved a belated dominance in the indie rock scene. With their eight past albums — the
Alex Hudson , Megan LaPierre and Nicholas Sokic•Apr 27, 2023In 'BlackBerry,' Jay Baruchel and Matt Johnson Celebrate "Canadian Small-Man Complex"
It's remarkable how little credit BlackBerry (and Canada) get for having a major hand in the world we currently live in today. Even those
Rachel Ho•Apr 26, 202310 Must-Hear Highlights from Mac DeMarco's 199-Song 'One Wayne G'
Earlier this year, Mac DeMarco expressed his disenchantment with the state of the music industry, telling Exclaim!, "How indie rock looks n
Alex Hudson•Apr 26, 2023Harrison Is Embracing His Inner Corniness: "I'm Tryin' to Make Popcorn"
Harrison is too hard on himself. The 27-year-old Toronto producer and pianist has worked with a who's who of Canadian rap, including Cade
Kyle Mullin•Apr 25, 2023Zoon on Temp Job Tantrums and the Life-Altering Influence of Beck and A Tribe Called Red
In any other year, Zoon's Daniel Monkman would likely have spent the months surrounding their acclaimed debut album, Bleached Wavves, on th
Alex Hudson•Apr 24, 2023The Best and Worst Releases of Record Store Day 2023
Record Store Day has gotten distinctly less flashy over the years. It used to be a time of star-studded Flaming Lips compilations and liqui
Alex Hudson and Calum Slingerland•Apr 21, 2023This Funny Week in Funny Tweets: April 21, 2023
1 PM on a Tuesday, went back to the NRA, can you explain the gaps in your résumé, check marks for which Elon will pay, and much more from t
Vish Khanna•Apr 21, 2023Ari Aster Isn't Surprised by the Mixed Response to 'Beau Is Afraid': "I'm Not Going to Compromise"
When Ari Aster was working on his first two features, 2018's Hereditary and 2019's Midsommar, something even bigger was brewing. In fact, h
Marie Saadeh•Apr 21, 2023Stefana Fratila Took a Trip to NASA and Captured the Sound of Our Solar System
Have you ever wondered what the planets sound like? Toronto producer Stefana Fratila has, and she went on a five-year mission to find out.
Daryl Keating•Apr 20, 2023We've Edited a Bunch of Canadian Album Covers for Your Seriously Stoned 4/20 Celebrations
From the celebrated potheads of pre-legalization eras past, to more modern Cannabis Heroes, the influence of cannabis on Canadian culture i
Calum Slingerland , Sydney Brasil and Alex Hudson•Apr 20, 2023Meet the Canadian Filmmakers Making Waves with Breakthrough Films
There was a shift in the Canadian film industry back in the '80s and early '90s. Exciting new filmmakers like Clement Virgo, Patricia Rozem
Rachel Ho•Apr 19, 2023