Neighbourhood Mixtape

The Neighbourhood Mixtape: We'll Never Leave

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: Metric, "Speed the Collapse"

"Fate don't fail me now," sings Metric's Emily Haines in the ballad-banger "Speed the Collapse" - the second song that we've been allowed to hear from the band's upcoming album Synthetica (June 12). The song swells and fades with Haines' threadlike vocals, as wailing sirens and heartbeat rhythms remain. Pre-order the album here.

Track #2: The Effens, "Darling Man"

Post-punk band The Effens released their EP Beginners Luck for free this week, a five-song blast assemblage. Listen to the laconic opening track "Darling Man", with its near-soaring cacophony of wobbly guitars and jangly lyrics.

Track #3: Moonwood, "Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society"

The illusive "Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society" reveals exotic escapism through a minimalist approach of organic instruments filtered through freak-folk ambience and bleary serenity - a cinematic album.

Track #4: Attagirl, "Hearts"

Feel the summer vibes in the sunny pop songs that shine on Attagirl's album The Cruelest Month and the breezy song "Hearts". Download it for free here.

Track #5: CELLPHONE, "One Last Shot"

Our favourite track this week is Cellphone's "One Last Shot", where music notes are awkward yet endearing, and where warped, deliberately lopsided hooks are strange but enticing. Get the band's S/T (limited edition) cassette here.

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


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