The Neighbourhood Mixtape: Weekend Wars

The Neighbourhood Mixtape is a collection of newly-released songs by Toronto musicians. The mixtape is meant to celebrate Toronto's music culture and provide a forum to listen to and discover new local music.

Every Sunday, I post a five-track mixtape (along with my own mini-reflections for each track) that you can download or stream as a soundtrack for the week.

Track #1: The Elwins, "Time to Kill Time"

Our twenty-fifth installment opens with The Elwins' "Time to Kill Time", which spins like a carousel - its laid back rhythm, cool and refreshing, a horchata on a warm spring's day.

Track #2: The Most Serene Republic, "Zoltar Speaks"

"This isn't me, I'm not an adult / I'm a thirty-year-old man with the soul of a thirteen year old / I've made up my mind / Tomorrow, I'm going back," sings Adrian Jewett, who shares The Most Serene Republic's secret to killing time without growing old in their musical homage to the Penny Marshall-directed classic film Big.

Track #3: Teenage Kicks, "Brooklyn Bridge"

"Brooklyn Bridge" evokes the drama we experience growing up, amplified like a storm that brews inside a wounded youth, who won't accept defeat.

Track #4: Madrid, "Bam Bam Brother (Digits Remix)"

The brisk keyboard sequences and striding beats in "Bam Bam Brother" evoke neon-lighted streetscapes and midnight chases of shadows that slip quietly into the alley when no one's looking.

Track #5: The Weeknd, "Loft Music"

The Weeknd samples Beach House's "Gila" and gives us a punch drunk love song. Download The Weeknd's entire mixtape for free on their website to see what the hype is all about.

If you wish to be a part of The Neighbourhood Mixtape, you can contact Aldrin at aldrin [at] blogto [dotcom]