Next Week in Music | July 15-21 • New Books

Chances are, if I'm not listening to music or watching it, I'm reading about it. If you're in the same boat, here are the music-related titles due this week: More...

Girlfriend Material | Cool Car

WHO ARE THEY? The latest CanRock sorta-supergroup side project, Girflfriend Material co-stars Tokyo Police Club keyboard player Graham Wright and guitarist Josh Hook, along with Hollerado drummer Jake Boyd...

Pretty Vicious | Beauty of Youth

WHO ARE THEY? Four baby-faced Welsh rockers who reportedly snagged a major-label deal after playing just four gigs — and despite being too young to drink in much of...

Metz | Automat

WHO ARE THEY? The rightfully respected, long-serving noise-punk trio from Toronto. WHAT IS THIS? Their fourth full-length release and first anthology is a chronologically sequenced compilation of singles, demos and...

Bones UK | Bones UK

WHO ARE THEY? The dynamic, daring and dangerous duo of Rosie Bones and Carmen Vandenberg, last seen (and heard) lending their talents (and attitude) to guitar hero Jeff Beck...

Africa Express | EGOLI

WHO ARE THEY? A unique, shapeshifting musical collective — launched by Blur/Gorillaz/The Good, The Bad & The Queen frontman Damon Albarn in 2013 — that unites African artists with...

Various Artists | The Music of Red Dead Redemption II

WHO ARE THEY? Producer and slide-guitar master Daniel Lanois, along with D'Angelo, Willie Nelson, Rhiannon Giddens, QOTSA’s Josh Homme and other artists that you never expected to contribute to...

Sum 41 | Order in Decline

WHO ARE THEY? The impressively resilient and unrepentantly in-your-face Canadian pop-punk veterans fronted by singer-guitarist Deryck Whibley. WHAT IS THIS? Their seventh studio album — out July 19 — is...

Various Artists | The Lion King Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

WHO ARE THEY? Beyonce, Donald Glover, Seth Rogan, Billy Eichner, John Oliver, Chiwetel Ejofor and the rest of the A-list cast from Disney’s new live-action update of the animated...

Scott Stapp | The Space Between the Shadows

WHO IS HE? The frequently troubled, oft-maligned and apparently unstoppable rocker who may still be best known as 1) The former frontman of much-loathed ’90s outfit Creed and 2)...

Paul McCartney | Amoeba Gig

WHO IS HE? The cute one. The former leader of Wings. And oh yeah, the guy who wrote the soundtrack to most of your life. WHAT IS THIS? The long-awaited...

Ed Sheeran | No. 6 Collaborations Project

WHO IS HE? Remember that ginger bloke who played a Lannister soldier in the seventh season of Game of Thrones? Turns out he's also a bit of a singer. WHAT...

Back Stories | My Album Reviews From July 9, 1999

Two decades ago, new albums from Captain Beefheart, Santana, Limp Bizkit and others were spinning away in my portable CD player. Here’s what I had to say about them...

Back Stories | My Hilarious 2009 Interview With Steel Panther’s Michael Starr

Way back in 2009, I interviewed Steel Panther frontman Michael Starr. Far as I know, I was the first Canadian journalist to talk to him. At that time, their...

Playing Catch-Up | Today’s Crapload of New Album Release Dates

To quote the immortal David Lee Roth: 'We have always hated each other.' No, wait. That's the wrong line. What I meant to say was: 'Heard you missed me...

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