This Week in Music rounds up the latest news, releases and concerts coming to Toronto.

Optical Sounds release free compilation
Toronto label Optical Sounds celebrated the release of their second compilation this weekend with a huge eight-band show. I hope that went... smoothly (do these things ever?). You can grab the whole thing for free on their Bandcamp, meaning you get songs from Toronto, Brooklyn, Boston, and Montreal artists like B17, The Auras, Prince Ness, Chevalier Avant Garde, MIMICO, Flowers of Hell, Tess Parks, the BB Guns, Ostrich Tuning, and the Disraelis (plus way more). Haven't heard of any of that? Well, the compilation is free and so too arguably is your will.

Dine Alone Records releases a free SXSW sampler
Dine Alone hosted their first SXSW showcase last Wednesday, and Dine Alone bands playing SXSW included Tokyo Police Club, Lucius, Noah Gundersen, Solids, The Apache Relay, Clear Plastic Masks, The Howlin' Brothers, Glass Towers, DZ Deathrays, Cerebral Ballzy, and Broncho. That's tons of bands. It kinda sounds like "dyin' alone records" when you say it out loud, but the whole comp (which you can download here) sticks with high energy jams you're more likely to pre-drink before roller derby to alone.

Stream the new Kevin Drew on NPR
The whole thing.

New Toronto vids

SlowPitch - Temporary Gateway
SlowPitch is calling this #afrofuturism‬. As always with this turntable master, it's very sci-fi and has no regard for trends or PR slickness. SlowPitch, you are a breath of refreshing martian air in this town.

Ice Cream - "Fired Up"
Meg Remy of U.S. Girls directed this new Ice Cream (TO's Carlyn Bezic and Amanda Crist) video, meaning it's a good week for Toronto music. Rookie snapped on the premier, the song has killer (speaking of) U.S. Girls-goes-tropical vibes, and the whole thing just feels right. Catch Ice Cream live this Saturday.

This week's hot ticket

Marker Starling at Twin Peaks Residency / March 22 / Handlebar (159 Augusta) / PWYC
All month, the Julee Cruise Ships are doing a Twin Peaks residency at Handlebar (playing your fave tracks from David Lynch's unfinished romp in the Black Lodge) joined by five different artists all together over the month, but Saturday is the one to hit if you're a true fan of Twin Peaks' aesthetic. Marker Starling, formerly known as Mantler, is an angel of strange, sincere nightclub kitsch. See below.

See also:

• BassWeek
• Foundry: Red Bull Music Academy Night
• The Dirty Nil
• Black Marble
• The Internet - Bizzarh - Ice Cream
• Foundry: DJ Harvey

Recently Announced Concerts

• Pup and Alvvays / March 29 / Toronto Public Library Yorkville Branch
• Petra Glynt & US Girls at First Thursdays / April 3 / the AGO
• Doom Tickler / April 12 / May
• Mount Eerie / April 20 / Soybomb
  
• Kitty Pryde / April 25 / Rockpile West
• Lana Del Rey / May 13 / Sony Centre
• Skrillex / May 30 & 31 / Echo Beach
• Murder By Death / June 13 / Lee's Palace
• Melissa Etheridge at WorldPride 2014 / June 20 / Nathan Philips Square
• Beck / June 27 / The Sony Centre
• Goo Goo Dolls and Daughtry / July 3 / Molson Ampitheatre
• Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden / July 27 / Molson Amphitheatre
• Peter Hook & The Light / Nov 11 / The Danforth Music Hall

What we got up to this week

• The top 5 dance music labels in Toronto right now
• TIME returns with Grimes and Death Grips at Fort York
• No fun Toronto turfs Foundry from dream venue
• The top 5 acts to catch at BassWeek
• Kyary Pamyu Pamyu makes Toronto cute for a night

Photo of (the real) Julee Cruise