Find out what's new and hot with our our bi-weekly local music roundup.

ORCHARDS / ORCHARDS / JANUARY 3RD
This is THE stuff. I find that Orchards has a rare ability to always fully captivate my attention. Like if I'm listening to it at my computer I find myself suddenly gazing out the window or if I'm walking I hardly pay attention to any dogs on the street. It's very beautiful and it's richness and sincerity sneaks into your guts (the ones in your belly and in your way.)

So best listen to Orchards when you're in a situation where there's a benefit to being removed: like on the subway or in a traffic jam. Or when a loved one is being a turd.
Listen/download/whatever their debut self titled EP HERE.

FORT YORK / THE SHORT SEASON / JANUARY 18TH
Even though I had a good time listening to the EP, I'm going to save it till the spring. I've had a case of "spring-lust" since December and I have it real bad. This winter has been very cruel, with rapid temperature changes never giving our bodies a chance to properly adjust, which has left our nerves raw and belly's flipped. Oh cruel Lord Frost, plunge your cold blade into our hearts and be done with it!

So I'm finding it very important for my well being to avoid things that make my cold bones ache for the warmth of the summer sun. And Fort York is most positively is summer time music. But that's just me and I'm a baby. Listen to this record whenever you like HERE — at your own risk! (it might bring about SAD)

OS TROPIES / TROPICALIA! / FEB 6TH
Take a look at this excerpt from the Os Tropies bio on their offical website: "Os Tropies are a group of musicians and friends brought together by Brazilian popular music from the 60's and 70's, writing new original tunes inspired by Tropicalia greats." That certainly sounds exciting, does it not? I'm not familiar with Brazilian popular music from the 1960s or 1970s but it must be good based on the simple merit that it inspires people from Toronto in 2013. Make up your own mind by listening to their EP Tropicalia!

It also just so happens they are in the midst of a month long residency at the Piston, a venue near to my heart because of the simple fact that there's a DJ night where a saxaphonist plays along with records. If you want to learn more you can also check out my excellent review of their show last week.
BONUS FREAKY FACT: If you stare at any of the circles on the cover art, the other ones appear to rotate.

THOMAS D'ARCY / WHAT WE WANT / FEB 6TH
Here's a neat video for Thomas D'Arcy's single "Credit" from his new album What We Want. The song is as catchy as a bush fire with a cold, with The Cars/Robert Palmer vibe which is totally cool. The lyrics, however, are a spot grouchy which I guess is ok in this current positive music landscape. I just don't think it's helpful or even accurate to call today's youth entitled given that they were already born into a culture of supreme entitlement. What I'm trying to say is that we're allentitled, young people are the poor bastards who do not get their entitlement fulfilled. Luckily kids these days can get their kicks off the internet and, you know, video games are super good.

CHLOE CHARLES / BREAK THE BALANCE / FEB 13TH (NORTH AMERICAN RELEASE )
I truly think if you played a Chloe Charles track off her new album to someone in the 1980's it would blow their minds. It would sound like future music to them. They'd like it because it's still a pop song but the album's instrumentation, her cadence, and the...the...the... sloppy preciseness of it all would sound pretty far out. Sometimes I like to think about these sort of thing.

Then again, that can be said for a lot of music today. A real concern is whether or not Chloe Charles blows the mind of today's listener. I'm going to guess yes. Not everyone, to be sure — but some will suffer the head explosion. And isn't that enough? What do you want music to do for YOU?

Head over to her offical website to hear the whole damn thing.

HI THERE: If you have a hit new single, EP, LP, mixtape or video, I'd certainly like to hear it as I'm sure many others would as well. So send it/them to me, Eric Boshart, at (ericboshart [at] blogto [dotcom]. Just, for the love of Doug, make sure they are new because this column is a green grocer: only fresh.