Congrats to this year’s nominees for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. For those who aren’t up to speed, the contenders on the short list are Bad Company, The Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Billy Idol, Cyndi Lauper, Mana, Joy Division / New Order, Oasis, Outkast, Phish, Soundgarden and The White Stripes. I can only see one name on there that I would veto instantly. I’m sure you can guess who it is. Pity there are no Canadians in the running this year, but that’s the way it goes. Perhaps one of these artists will make the cut someday down the line. Let the campaigning begin:
Pup | Hallways
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto punk heroes Pup — comprised of Stefan Babcock, Nestor Chumak, Zack Mykula and Steve Sladkowski — will release their fifth album Who Will Look After The Dogs? on May 2. It was made in L.A. with producer John Congleton over the course of three weeks, and it’s the culmination of Pup’s past decade of constant touring and palpable, livewire chemistry. Out today is the lead single Hallways. The first song Babcock wrote for the album, Hallways is bracing and raw, but its lightness keeps it together: ‘Cause when one door closes, it might never open / There might be no other doors.’ “Within days of announcing our last album, coincidentally titled The Unraveling of Puptheband, my life unexpectedly imploded. I wrote the lyrics for Hallways while all that was going on. It was a weird fucking week,” says Babcock. “The title of our new record, Who Will Look After The Dogs?, is what I wrote at the top of the page, the very first thing written for this album. I think it’s devastating, but in a ‘Holy shit this is overdramatic’ kinda way. At least in context of the line that comes before it. That’s what makes it funny to us. That overblown stuff we all say in our dark moments can be hilarious once you’ve cooled off a bit. I don’t know if anyone else thinks it’s funny, but sometimes you gotta laugh at yourself. It’s the only way out of the abyss. Trust me.”
DVTR | Né Pour Flâner
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After less than two years of existence, DVTR are definitely shaking up the Canadian punk scene, touring Mexico, Japan, Europe, U..K and many more in less than a year… and in French, s’il vous plait. Here they are with a shiny new fast-paced banger Né Pour Flâner (Born To Loiter), accompanied by a DIY camcorder recap of their recent Asian tour. “We’ve been lashing out at everything with our music recently: Patriarchy, the death industry, corrupt cops, the goddamn Olympics and whatnot,” says Jean Divorce. “2025 is kumbaya, so here’s some POSITIVE energy, with a track about something DVTR loves, for once. Loitering! Let’s bring loitering back in style.” The troublemaking duo and their unpredictable stage antics just won Revelation of the Year, Punk Album/EP of the Year and Animated Music Video of the Year at the Canadian GAMIQ Gala, ending their crazy 2024 ride with a soldout 500-capacity show at legendary venue Les Foufounes Électriques in Montreal.”
Keegan Powell & The Jetpacks | Beginning Of Life + My Maker
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian musician Keegan Powell delivers a double dose of captivating soundscapes with the release of his latest singles, Beginning of Life and My Maker. With his band The Jetpacks, Powell revisits these tracks from earlier phases of his career, reimagining them into their definitive forms. The result is a seamless blend of nostalgia and reinvention that captures the raw energy of their live performances. Initially inspired by the mesmerizing Eminence Front by The Who, Beginning Of Life took shape the night before a studio session. Originally recorded for his 2019 EP Is+Was, the track evolved over the years, with Powell describing it as “a blueprint for a song that would never end.” The band’s reprise of the track in 2024 cements its place as an eternal, ever-evolving anthem. My Maker takes a different path. Written in a sudden burst of inspiration, Powell only later recognized its profound theme of rejecting immortality. “As endless as eternity seems to be, I have to laugh in its face and ultimately thank Mother Nature for the chance to live,” he explains. Originally featured on his 2023 album Fear Be Gone, the song captures an indifference to the inevitable while embracing life with fierce resolve. The band’s performance immortalizes their synergy, recorded live in just a few hours at Aaron Goldstein’s studio in Toronto.”
Helena Deland | Silver And Red
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Acclaimed Montreal songwriter and musician Helena Deland returns with Altogether Unaccompanied, Vol. V, the newest installment of her beloved series of EPs which she began releasing in 2018. Deland shares: “When I finished recording what I thought would be my first album, in 2017, I was faced with a miscellaneous bunch of songs. Instead of wiggling them into the expected format, I released them as a series of short EPs called Altogether Unaccompanied, volumes I-IV… The series becomes an open-ended place for me to share songs which haven’t made it on to albums, or which seem to exist on their own, more or less unaccompanied.” The release of Altogether Unaccompanied, Vol. V comes with a video for the track Silver And Red shot by Nik Arthur, capturing a timelapse view of a quiet brook fighting through winter ice.”
Jordan Venn & The Slizneys | ♡WWI>SPQR♡
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With M@GIC W*RDS, Toronto rock outfit Jordan Venn & The Slizneys pay tribute to the golden era of ’90s alternative rock, crafting an album that’s both nostalgic and refreshingly modern. At the heart of the record is the dynamic and lyrically profound “♡WWI>SPQR♡, a high-energy, grunge-infused exploration of mortality and the weight of history. Inspired by the viral discussion of how often men think about the Roman Empire, ♡WWI>SPQR♡ flips the script — Venn realized he thinks about the First World War even more. The song captures the inescapable human tendency to reflect on the past, drawing connections between historical moments and personal mortality. Driven by shifting dynamics — from clean, melodic passages to gritty, full-throttle rock — ♡WWI>SPQR♡ balances weighty themes with the sheer fun of rock ’n’ roll. “Rock is ultimately fun, and so is history,” says Venn. “I think education is important, but it doesn’t have to be sombre — even when it’s serious.”
Yves Jarvis | Decision Tree
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Yves Jarvis shares the new single Decision Tree, a final teaser from the Canadian artist’s forthcoming album All Cylinders, out Feb. 28. One of many road songs on All Cylinders, Decision Tree is about an existential fork in the road — “forging ahead through the unforeseeable outcomes of each choice,” as Jarvis puts it. The track plays out like a vignette from a film, with Jarvis noting he evoked Eric Weinstein, Scritti Politti and The Jackson 5 for the song. All Cylinders is the golden and textured new album from one of Montreal’s most exciting up-and-coming talents. The record is the ultimate introduction to Jarvis, the moniker of singer-songwriter-producer Jean-Sébastien Yves Audet. It is Jarvis’s most precise and vulnerable body of work yet. The title, in reference to an automobile’s engine, came in part from the process where Jarvis wrote, produced, and performed all 11 songs himself – without a single additional contributor, transforming his vision into a cosmic auditory anthology.”
Pierre Kwenders | Everyday (ft. Lady Donli & Gafacci)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pierre Kwenders, the Congolese-born, Montreal-based musician, songwriter, and DJ, unveils Everyday (ft. Lady Donli and Gafacci), the second single from his forthcoming EP, Tears On The Dancefloor out Feb. 26. Tears On The Dancefloor marks Kwenders’ first project since his lauded album José Louis And The Paradox Of Love. On the heels of the previous single We Like (ft. Poté), album opener Everyday is a celebration of unconditional love. In Kwenders’ words, “It embodies the laughter and sleepy yawns of every morning, reflecting a love that is genuine and ready to embrace whatever comes our way.” The track features Nigerian singer-songwriter Lady Donli and producer, DJ, and songwriter Gafacci. Kwenders adds: “I’d like to give a heartfelt shout-out to Lady Donli for joining me on this; it feels like a wonderful continuation of our first collaboration. Our combined energy has brought this song to life, deepening its essence and making it even more meaningful.”
Robert Thomas & The Sessionmen | Beside You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “East Coast storyteller Robert Thomas and his talented duo, The Sessionmen, release their heartfelt new single, Beside You. A poignant reflection on the challenges of life on the road and the deep longing for home, the track melds folk, Americana, and roots influences into an intimate and deeply relatable narrative. Beside You captures the ache of separation and the profound gratitude for the one you love, offering listeners a tender yet powerful reminder of what truly matters. Co-written with renowned musician Ray Legere, the song’s lyrical depth and haunting melody have made it a live favourite, evoking memories and emotions in audiences far and wide. “I wrote Beside You in the quiet of a hotel room, longing for home after years of life on the road,” Thomas says. “The chorus came to me in the middle of the night, fully formed: ‘To lie beside you, that is heaven, and there’s no place on the earth I’d rather be.’ This song is a love letter to my wife and a reflection on the realization that no matter how hard we work or how far we go, the greatest prize is being with the person you love.”
