Magazine

Alex Kress is a Toronto based photographer who takes the intangible vulgarities of punk music and moulds them into something beautiful. Her work is a monochrome feast for the eyes; boasting a visual representation of Toronto's thriving punk scene that is as fraught and endearing as it is encapsulating. "It is frightening sometimes. Authentic and stripped down. It's punk." After she moved to Toronto in July 2015, Alex made it her mission to get to know the city's punk scene an

The title of the piece explains it. Here are some Canadian bands we think (hope) you'll love. VCR (Toronto) are a lot of fun and a lot of noise and a lot of shit. They blend a brash punk rhythm, with incandescent hooks and abrasive vocals to make a compilation of bittersweet sounds that are hard to swallow. But it tastes oh so good once you do. If you like Fat White Family you'll probably like VCR. Pelt yourself about your room for a while. It's healthy. Find VCR on the follo

The Birmingham four-piece brought their trance inducing alt-rock sound to a sold-out King Tuts. Jaws do melancholy very well. Their latest release, Simplicity, is an album that manages to take on the themes of anxiety, uncertainty and depression and transform them, over the course of 11 songs, into something bitter-sweet and hopeful. The lyrics are dark, but the sound is bright, loud, dreamy. All of this makes for a great, rounded album - it has peaks, valleys and interludes;

D.I.D have hit us in the jugular for the third time this year. Brand new track I Meant To Hurt You came out on Friday and they've just announced the release of their sophomore album, The State We're In, coming December 2nd. D.I.D have been teasing us for the past two years, releasing the Fast Food EP in 2015 along with a cheeky little festive number, TV Christmas. They dangled some Flush bait in front of our eyes earlier this year, with the follow-up Killer Whale reeling us i

They waited two years to share it, but JAWS have finally dropped their second album, Simplicity. The sophomore is a far cry from the Birmingham lads' fuzzy-edged debut, Be Slowly. This LP brags a natural maturation from '2012 indie kids' to 'heavy-weight alt-rock champions'. "I'm just a boy but I'll be a better man" Opening track, Just a Boy features some vehement lead guitar, which assists in birthing a dark and heartfelt sound that was never really present in JAWS' music b

SWEET WHITE are five lads from Aberdeen with a bittersweet alt-rock sound that grabs you by the heart strings and doesn't stop pulling. Scotland caught onto the band after the release of their debut EP, Monet - which included their most popular single at the time, Tides. The five musicians built up a following after playing shows with Baby Strange and headlining a 9-date Scottish tour. However, Jake (vocals), Ruairidh (Guitar), James (Guitar), Shaun (Drums) and Corrin (keys)

The Temper Trap have been an almost-hit since 2009. Their eclectic debut album, Conditions, set their career alight, taking them from a small group of alt-rock dreamers, to an internationally appreciated pop-music unit. Their 2006 track, Sweet Disposition, was their all-access ticket to the mainstream. The Temper Trap moseyed onstage at Toronto’s Phoenix Concert Theatre with their long wispy hair flowing in a non-existent wind. Noise from their eager crowd ricochets through t

BRONCHO are a unit of alternative rockers from Oklahoma, in the U.S. The lo-fi-esque quartette ventured to Glasgow on October 3rd, as part of their ‘Double Vanity EU tour’. They played one of Glasgows' most popular basement venues, packing out the intimate floors in a space that is irregularly small for this rising band. Ecstatic supports sets from The Pale Kids and Grand Prix set the evening off to a fantastic start. These two artists are sure to be headlining their own EU/U

DANCEHALL are a punk-infused, garage rock band from London. According to their Facebook page, the trio have been around since January, but their definitive sound implies that this band - whether individually or not - have been brewing creativity for a bit longer than that. Photo taken from DANCEHALL Facebook page Have a listen to their third SoundCloud listing, Vs and Gs. This rampant track is A-side to the band's debut 7" vinyl release, coming to you lovely people on October

Tenement Trail is a multi-venued festival run by the Glasgow-based production company Tenement TV. This all-dayer is in its fourth year, having grown bigger and bigger since its first run in 2013. It spans from Broadcast, Nice n Sleazy's and O2 ABC; to Flat 0/1, King Tut's and more. With its many successes, the Tenement Trail (TT) has quickly become one of the best independent music festivals that Scotland has to offer. The TT team have knocked it out the park with their line