AOIFE

Meet AOIFE, soulful singer-songwriter based in Hamilton. A mixture of folk, rock and pop melodicism influences the surface of AOIFE’s soulful musical makeup. AOIFE pulls inspiration from life experiences, always aiming to create music for people who can relate and feel a deep connection with her music. AOIFE’s EP when all is said and done, available for streaming now.

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The Beans

Born and raised in the east-end of Hamilton, Ontario, The Beans create a rich sonic concoction out of their diverse musical and cultural backgrounds. Melting dreamy psychedelic melodies, and upbeat disco- and Latin-inspired rhythms into energetic rock ’n’ roll, The Beans experience is always fresh, reflecting the light-hearted spirit of three friends who have been creating together since childhood.

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Sean Bienhaus

Sean Bienhaus is an independent artist, performer, and producer from Hamilton, Ontario. As an artist, his focus is on honesty, poetry, and storytelling. His songs revolve around themes of mental illness, community, love, and resilience, with music centred in sounds of folk, pop and rock. Sean started out as a guitarist, playing rock songs with his high school band, but with the onset of lockdown in 2020, he began experimenting with home recording. After putting out his first full-length album in late 2021 (You Won’t Ever Know) Sean found a love not just for musical creation, but also the art of production. I decided that this was something worth learning about, and went off to study audio production and engineering at the college level, immersing myself in the art of recording. Today I not only write, record and produce my own music, but also regularly work with other artists on their own projects. Working steadily as a gigging musician and artist since 2023, Sean is occasionally supported by a backing band, but mainly appears as a one-man acoustic act.

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Rachel Bobbitt

Rachel Bobbitt is an artist from Nova Scotia, Canada. Now based in Toronto, she draws inspiration from her music from movies, books, and friends.

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Born In The Eighties

Hamilton’s favourite party band, Born In The Eighties plays the best in ’80s through ’00s.

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Born Ruffians

In the lead-up to the release of Born Ruffians’ ninth album, Beauty’s Pride, the band’s singer/guitarist Luke Lalonde received a glowing endorsement from a notoriously hard-to-please critic: Luke Lalonde. “Whenever we finish a record, if I don’t hate it, I’m usually just over it and I don’t want to hear it again for a while,” he says. “Whereas when I put this record on, I actually think, ‘I like this! I think I might be a fan of this record!’” We should take his opinion to heart—after all, no one’s in a better position to evaluate a Born Ruffians record than the guy who’s served as their principal songwriter for over 20 years now. When Lalonde, bassist Mitch DeRosier, and drummer Steve Hamelin left their hometown of Midland, Ontario in 2004 to make a go of it in Toronto’s vibrant post-Y2K indie-rock scene, the world was a very different place: “digital music” amounted to mislabeled files illicitly procured on Limewire after a five-hour download, mp3 blogs held king-making power over the underground, and social-media interaction was limited to checking out your friend’s band’s lo-fi demos on their janky MySpace page. Since then, Born Ruffians have evolved as dramatically as the industry around them, gradually shifting from the precocious ‘n’ ferocious racket of their 2006 self-titled EP to the streamlined, studio-savvy indie-pop of 2013’s Birthmarks to the rousing E Street-inspired anthems of 2020’s JUICE. The moment you drop the needle (or cursor) on Beauty’s Pride, it’s clear Born Ruffians have made good on a five-year-old promise to rip it up and start again. Just as the introductory synth fanfare of Kid A’s “Everything In Its Right Place” instantly demarcated Radiohead’s career into before/after phases, the opening of Beauty’s Pride presents an equally disorienting about-face, with a flurry of fidgety beats and beaming electronics whisking you into the euphoric strobe-lit banger “Mean Time.” Says Lalonde: “I just wanted to write something dancey, something completely out of the mould of the band. I was not writing it as a Born Ruffians song, that’s for sure.” Recorded with returning Birthmarks producer Roger Leavens, and featuring mixing assistance from Gus Van Go (Metric, The Beaches), Beauty’s Pride is a studio creation through and through. While it was a bit of a shock to see a scrappy indie-rock band like Born Ruffians get signed by UK electronic imprint Warp back in 2006, the tranquil textures and electronically manipulated vocals of “All My Life” would fit right in with its roster of ambient soundscapers today. Other tracks savvily reanimate classic alt-rock styles for these totally-wired times: “Supersonic Man” imagines Oasis writing songs that sound like 2067 instead of 1967; “Do” is a ‘90s Weezer jam taken over by Daft Punk’s robots; and “Athena” harkens back to that early ‘80s moment when anti-social post-punk bands started writing socially conscious pop songs with exotic and excitable keyboard melodies. (Lalonde describes it as a track that “dips into capitalist dystopia for a moment, but in a fun, danceable way.”) Even seemingly straight-forward motorik indie-pop cruisers like “What a Ride” and “To Be Seen” are threaded with swirling synth effects and processed vocal filters that heighten the overall sense of disorientation and delirium. But the album’s shapeshifting productions and stylistic detours are anchored by a certain thematic consistency—however accidental. Pretty much all of the bands Born Ruffians came up with in the mid-2000s Toronto scene are long gone—Magneta Lane, Henri Faberge & The Adorables, and Wilde’s old band Spiral Beach, to name just a few. And last year, even their most successful peers—Tokyo Police Club—called it a day after a 20-year run. Born Ruffians have arrived at the point where a lot of bands give in to the nostalgic lure of album-anniversary tours, start contemplating the casino/fairground circuit, or call it quits. But the beauty of Beauty’s Pride lies in its refusal to accept any of those predestined fates. Rather, it presents Born Ruffians as the rare veteran act that can still make you feel like you’re discovering your new favourite band.

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Buddah Abusah

Buddah Abusah is a dynamic hip-hop artist, songwriter, producer and audio engineer hailing from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Known for his distinctive fusion of Lo-Fi, neo-soul, and hip-hop, Buddah embodies the spirit of a “Modern Day Hippie,” championing messages of peace, love, and equality through his music.

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Basia Bulat

Basia Bulat is a singer-songwriter living in Montreal, Canada. She offers both a distinctive voice and artistry that pulls as much from gospel and soul as it does from classic folk. In addition to her skills as a powerhouse vocalist, Bulat is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, recording and performing on electric guitar, piano, autoharp, ukulele, bass and charango. Her new album Basia’s Palace, mixed by Tucker Martine (Beth Orton, Neko Case, The National), and with string arrangements by Grammy-nominated composer Drew Jurecka (Dua Lipa, Metric, Alvvays), got its start in 2022. A new home, a new family, a pause: the singer was finally finding time to hear her own thoughts, to think about old stories, to boot up her Nintendo to play Dragon Warrior 4. The album that emerged from this, released February 21, 2025, is the softest and most searching of her career. Since releasing her debut, Basia has shared the stage with artists like St Vincent, Sufjan Stevens, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The National, Michael Kiwanuka, Daniel Lanois, Beirut, Destroyer, US Girls, Jim James and more. She’s been featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, performed #LateShowMeMusic Series on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and on Later with Jools Holland, and received support from The Needle Drop, The New York Times and more. Bulat is a three-time Polaris Music Prize finalist and has been nominated for five JUNO Awards.

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Cadence Weapon

Cadence Weapon is Edmonton-born, Hamilton-based rapper, producer, writer and poet Rollie Pemberton. His 2021 album Parallel World won Canada’s Polaris Music Prize. The son of a pioneering hip-hop radio DJ, Pemberton grew up around a diverse library of music. Splitting his time between Edmonton’s experimental electronic and underground rap scenes as a teenager, Pemberton eventually developed a hybrid of both styles. Cadence Weapon has released six albums, five of which have been nominated for the Polaris Music Prize, with Breaking Kayfabe (2006) and Hope In Dirt City (2012) and Parallel World (2021) being shortlist nominees. Pemberton has toured extensively following the success of these albums, playing festivals like Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, Pitchfork Music Festival, Roskilde and Primavera Sound and performing shows with artists such as Public Enemy, Diplo, Questlove, De La Soul and many more. Pemberton’s music is known for pairing groundbreaking production with incisive, socially conscious lyricism. Pemberton served as Poet Laureate of Edmonton from 2009 to 2011, making him the literary ambassador of his hometown. His poem “The Garden” was incorporated into a bronze sculpture at the Alberta Legislature Grounds in Edmonton in 2018. Pemberton was the narrator and a writer for the VICELAND television series PAYDAY and Mister Tachyon and he has hosted lectures and conducted live interviews for CBC q and Red Bull Music Academy. Pemberton’s memoir called Bedroom Rapper was published by McClelland & Stewart in May 2022 and his album ROLLERCOASTER was released in April 2024.

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Jean Caffeine

“You may not have heard of Jean Caffeine but you’d be a lot cooler if you had” quipped the Dallas Observer. Jean Caffeine has had more lives than a cat. She made a zine and made the first wave punk scene in San Francisco. She drummed for all female bands in San Francisco and NYC, most notably Pulsallama who opened shows for the Clash and toured England and New England. Pulsallama was sampled by hip hop artist, Danny Brown and a posthumous live release came out on Modern Harmonics in 2020. In the late ’90,s Jean moved to Austin and rebranded as a front person songwriter in the raucous, cow-punk outfit, Jean Caffeine’s All-Nite Truckstop. When the truck stopped, Jean continued making solo records and started a career as an art educator. Marriage brought Jean to Hamilton and Toronto in the early aughts. There she exhibited artwork on James Street North and at the Carnegie Gallery. Jean played many punked-up folk shows regionally, backed by Mike Trebilcock of the Killjoys and Simply Saucer. In 2016, they performed Sadie Saturday Nite, a one-womanish show about coming of age in the punk scene at the Hamilton Fringe Fest and at the Cameron House in TO. Possibly slowed but unstoppable, Jean toured this spring with a Dallas based punk band called Thyroids up to New Jersey where they each performed sets on WFMU.  New album Generation Jean is available Sept 5 via Austin-based Flak Records.

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Sarah Church

Sarah Church’s latest single, Pause Button, marks another milestone for the Cayuga-based singer-songwriter. Since her acclaimed 2023 debut album Letting Go, Church has released standout tracks like Drive and Always a Way, paving the way for her forthcoming album, Shadows of Time. Known for powerful live performances at iconic venues across Ontario and beyond, Sarah’s music, including her debut CD, is available on all major streaming platforms and in select independent stores.

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The Commune

The Commune is a Hamilton-based folk-rock band founded in 2023 by Irish-Canadian singer/songwriter Finbar Wall. Roots-rock, alt-Americana, and the true folk tradition blend into a brand-new sound. Plainspoken and poetic lyricism complement the street-level rock ’n’ roll that has built The Commune’s formidable reputation as one of Hamilton’s most promising young live acts in the last decade.

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Council House

Council House just returned from Manchester, UK after recording our debut release which was released in January.

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Criminal Inhibition

Criminal Inhibition is a hard rock band with shameless honesty, punk attitude, undeniable ambition… and absolutely nothin’ to lose. Founded outta Waterloo by people driven to push limits, who measure inner peace by the ache of their bodies and the ringing in their ears; This is a band embracing everything which was ever raw and human in rock. Every song is a true story, every emotion is overwhelming, every interaction is real, and every guitar solo f#@%in’ RIPS.

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cute

Born out of the metallic, industrial backdrop of Hamilton, Ontario and inspired by records deemed unlistenable by peers, cute creates a sonic landscape that is at once crushing, immediate, and meditative.

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Dammit Goldie

Dammit Goldie is a band from Hamilton, Ontario, known for their energetic performances and eclectic sound. Their music blends elements of rock, punk, metal and alternative, creating a unique and dynamic sound that is equal parts innovative and familiar.

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The Darcys

The Darcys are an LA-based alt-pop duo originally from Toronto, known for their glossy production, anthemic hooks, and unpredictable live shows. With hits like “Running for the Hills” and “and critically acclaimed albums Centerfold and Rendering Feelings, they blend rock, pop, and electronic influences into something uniquely cinematic. Whether you’re here to dance, feel, or both — don’t miss The Darcys live.

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Don’t Hit Your Head

Don’t Hit Your Head started with a simple goal—bringing live music back to Hamilton’s youth. The band’s members got tired of the same recycled DJ sets and top 40 loops at every bar, club, and event, and decided to change that. The music they love—Yussef Dayes, MF DOOM, Doechii, old Nintendo soundtracks, D’Angelo, and beyond—deserves to be played live. We take the sounds that move you, blend them with a jazz-infused style, and put on a show that feels fresh every time.

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Eyes Like Opals

Eyes Like Opals is a diverse band that likes to explore different genres — folk to heavy rock — and emotions to help people when they need it.

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James Favron

Award winning artist James Favron is a multi-talented singer, rapper and musician with a passion for bringing people together and creating undeniably memorable performances. Pairing melodic, story driven rap with catchy pop hooks and Soulful seasoning has gained James the attention of fans who value quality music.

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Foxwarren

Canadian quintet Foxwarren is Andy Shauf, Avery and Darryl Kissick, Dallas Bryson, and Colin Nealis. Their new album, 2, is out May 30th via ANTI-. 2 is a fun and surprising record, where boundaries between genre and song are constantly blurred. Built on 20 years of friendship, Foxwarren ostensibly plays folk music, where warm tones and cantering rhythms buoy songs of characters wrestling with existential quandaries inside of twilit vocals. But after touring their lauded, Juno Award-nominated, 2018 self-titled debut, Foxwarren decided to do it all differently, eventually dropping the familiar band-in-a-room routine to instead plug those songs, and various other sounds into a sampler to create 2. In their own home studios across four provinces, all five members would upload song ideas, melodic phrases, or rhythmic bits to a shared folder. In Toronto, Shauf would then plug these into a sampler and construct songs from the fragments supplied by his bandmates, leaning into classic hip-hop techniques and musique concrète alike as unlikely lodestars. Foxwarren would convene at weekly online meetings, offering long distance suggestions about which way a song might shift. The result is mesmerizing and uncanny, an album that traces two sides of a relationship through 37 minutes of collage art.

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Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Godspeed You! Black Emperor released a string of albums from 1997-2002 widely recognized as redefining what protest music can be, where long-form instrumental chamber rock compositions of immense feeling and power serve as soundtracks to late capitalist alienation and resistance. The band’s first four releases—especially F#A#∞ (1997) and Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven (2000)—are variously regarded as classics of the era and genre. Godspeed’s legendary live performances, featuring multiple 16mm projectors beaming a collage of overlapping analog film loops and reels—along with the distinctive iconography, imagery and tactility of the band’s album artwork and physical LP packages— further defines the sui generis aesthetic substance, ethos and mythos of this group. GY!BE has issued two official band photos in its 25-year existence (the second a 2010 recreation of the first from 1997) and has done a half-dozen collectively-answered written interviews over that same span. The band has never had a website or social media accounts. It has never made a video. Few rock bands in our 21st century have been as steadfast in trying to let the work speak for itself and maintaining simple rules about minimizing participation in cultures of personality, exposure, access, commodification or co-optation. Following a seven-year hiatus that began in 2003, Godspeed returned to the stage in December 2010 (curating the UK festival All Tomorrow’s Parties) and the band’s post-reunion period has now lasted over a decade, marked by hundreds of sold-out live shows and three additional albums, all of which have been met with high acclaim. G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END! – the band’s fourth post-reunion album (and eighth overall) – arrived April 2, 2021. NO​ ​TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28​,​340 DEAD – the band’s fifth post-reunion album (and ninth overall) – was released on October 4, 2024.

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Delyn Grey

Delyn Grey is a powerhouse Canadian rocker whose gritty, blues-infused sound and raw lyricism have set her apart in the modern rock scene. Known for her authentic and electrifying performances, she has captivated audiences sharing stages with notable acts like Frank Turner, Jim Cuddy, Bif Naked, and Alex Cuba. Delyn has been mentored by legendary producer Steve Lillywhite (U2, Talking Heads) since first meeting in 2018. Delyn brings a level of depth and intensity that transcends her years, marked by hauntingly soulful vocals and a magnetic stage presence. Delyn’s music combines classic rock influences with a modern edge, drawing comparisons to artists like Janis Joplin, PJ Harvey, Larkin Poe, Nirvana, and Amy Winehouse. She has amassed an impressive social media following for her unapologetically bold approach to rock. With her fierce independence, powerful storytelling, and undeniable talent, Delyn Grey is a rising force in rock music, poised to make an unforgettable impact on every stage she graces.

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Hamilton Children’s Choir

Over its 48 year history, the Hamilton Children’s Choir has seen more than 1,700 children and youth participate in the choir, performing and traveling around the world. Going far beyond technical excellence, the choir consistently dazzles audiences with its focused sound, brilliant repertoire, and captivating stage presence. A pivotal moment for HCC was in 2003 when Zimfira Poloz became Artistic Director. Her passion and skill transformed the artistic and educational approach of the choir. Under Zimfira’s direction, the choir ventured on more than 10 international tours and participated in five international competitions where they earned the Grand Prize Award. In 2022, Zimfira’s leadership came to a close, and Melanie Tellez, who had served as Assistant Artistic Director since 2015, was appointed Artistic Director. HCC is proud to be one of the most sought-after choirs invited to perform locally, nationally and internationally. It is rare for a community-based children’s choral program to achieve such a reputation without the traditional audition-only model. HCC has evolved into six progressive choral ensembles and has adopted a more inclusive approach which increased enrolment from 80 to 200 singers. Driven by a team of passionate artistic leaders, Hamilton Children’s Choir is dedicated to exploring fresh approaches to choral music that reduce barriers, strengthen the choral art form and demonstrate that artists come in all shapes, sizes and ages.

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Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra 

The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra (HPO) was founded in 1884 as The Hamilton Orchestral Society and grew to become one of Canada’s major professional orchestras. Today, the HPO is a leader in Hamilton’s robust arts community where it provides professional orchestral services and music education programs to address the needs of the community. The HPO continues to commission and premiere works and is one of the artistic jewels of the Hamilton/Burlington area, enriching and serving the cultural life of the region. In addition to its mainstage concert series at Hamilton Place, new programming such as the annual What Next Festival of New Music and Indie Series bring the live orchestral experience to a broader range of people. The HPO is led by conductor and Music Director Gemma New. As a key contributor to the development of a vibrant downtown, and a resource for the city in attracting and retaining the creative class, the HPO is an important part of this community.  The HPO has been a recurring favourite at Supercrawl, staging collaborations with Basia Bulat (2011), Hachey the MouthPEACE (2013), Thought Beneath Film (2014), Illitry (2015), Black Collar Union (2017), The Altobeelays (2018), Twin Within (2019) and LTtheMonk (2023).   

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Neil Haverty

As frontman of Toronto alt-folk ensemble Bruce Peninsula and as a solo artist, Neil Haverty has released several critically-acclaimed LPs and toured extensively, including stops at SXSW, Supercrawl and the Dawson City Music Festival. Neil has focused mainly on screen composing in recent years, scoring feature films (Wildhood, Body & Bones), video games (Floodland) and episodic series (Avocado Toast, Who Owns The World). This year Haverty is preparing to release a slew of new music, including more score work and plenty of singing songs too.

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Jambassadors

The product of a new program offered by An Instrument for Every Child (AIFEC) and the Hamilton Music Collective, AIFEC’s Jambassadors is a unique, performance-based program in which children will experience the “ins and outs” of being in a band, with instruction from professional musicians. This program covers the entire musical journey — from auditions, through rehearsing cover songs and even writing your own original material… all building-up to an onstage live performance in a professional concert setting. The program is currently looking for rock and funk musicians and vocalists, approximately 12-15 years old, with enough proficiency on their instrument to learn to play a few classic cover tunes, and help write at least one original song.

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Ro Joaquim

As a multifaceted artist—penning lyrics, composing melodies, and captivating audiences—Ro Joaquim’s ability to defy genres has garnered him a unique fanbase, while his richly narrated perspectives on growth, vulnerability and connection unites and resonates with his listeners.The Toronto-based singer-songwriter and spoken word poet is ready to take the world by storm. Infusing influences of new wave, soul and RnB, Joaquim’s discography weaves together a collection of sound that’s an entirely refreshing and unexpected twist on old favourites. Tunnelling deep into retro-soul revival, Joaquim aims to elevate the smooth sounds of soul to modern classic status.  The textured production and impeccable song-crafting bring to life richly narrated perspectives on spiritual growth and self-identity. Although Ro Joaquim hails from the UK, Toronto has already claimed him as their own — that’s probably why his visage adorns a one-storey mural in the downtown core.

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KTxKP

KTxKP is a high energy hip hop duo consisting of Hamilton rapper Ktriggs and Port Credit based musician Kristen Prince. KP brings her rock and jazz influences to the duo’s original tracks which she produces, pairing perfectly with KT’s insightful and heartfelt songwriting. Both Ktriggs and Kristen Prince are no strangers to the art of improvisation – live shows include freestyle jams, original tracks,and cover songs with the their own personal twist.

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Rob Lamothe

Rob Lamothe has released 8 full-length CD’s as a solo artist. He has shared stages with everyone from Guns ‘n’ Roses to members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and has toured throughout Europe close to 30 times now. Rob spent 15 years on the faculty at Interprovincial Music Camp, north of Toronto, where he built and ran a Songwriting Camp for kids aged 12 to 18. Rob has worked with many young artists over the years who have gone on to score record deals and tours around the globe. In 2010, Rob was named ‘Volunteer of the Year’ for Haldimand County. He’s helped develop community-based initiatives like skateparks, PRIDE Events, Arts Festivals and not-for-profits. Rob served for five years on the Board of Directors for Haldimand-Norfolk REACH, supporting youth and their families. Rob has been an Associate Producer for two award-winning films: a short documentary called The Water Walker, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in late 2020, and Boil Alert a feature-length documentary released in September 2023. Over the last decade or so, Rob has had the honour of working with some of North America’s preeminent Indigenous artists. Rob co-produced Logan Staats’ 2023 album, Light in the Attic and he also produced the Two Suns CD for Six Nations rock band The Ollivanders, which won a Native American Music Award for Best Rock Recording.

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Hua Li

Hua Li’s project has often worked the fruitful tension between opposing forces, whether being mixed-race, bisexual, or overtly political and softly vulnerable. Now the “half-Chinese, half-militant, half-rapper of your heart” is back with ripe fruit falls but not in your mouth, her most ambitious and personal record to date. Playing between hazy R&B, hip-hop, jazz and electronic, Hua Li’s sophomore LP takes the imaginary garden as a proxy for cultivating home. With complex vocal arrangements, lush production by Alex Thibault (aka Gloze), and big, vibrant mixing by TNGHT’s Lunice, ripe fruit is a private confessional on a loud-ass record. Following 2019’s Dynasty and 2020’s critically acclaimed Yellow Crane EP, ripe fruit is characteristically libertine. Textured and sensual, the Montreal multi hyphenate balances her rich tone with danceable, electronic signatures. The rapper is fierce and frequently funny, erupting from gauzy runs to deliver a quick uppercut that stings. An artful collaborator, Hua Li co-wrote and performed on Gayance’s 2023 Polaris short-listed album, Masquerade, and is the touring DJ for Inuk electro-pop throat singer, Riit. Her charismatic stage show has taken her around the world, including tours with Cadence Weapon and Fat Tony. Luminous and compelling, Hua Li shows it takes tenderness to let things ripen, and guts to let things die. In-between is a kind of rapture that begs to be savoured.

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Linebeck

Linebeck blends dreamy indie rock with a playful, high-energy live show—often performed in matching pyjamas. Hailing from Hamilton, ON, they craft emotionally rich, hook-driven songs laced with video game and anime-inspired sounds. While their music is full of intention, their performances are all about fun, creating a show that feels like a party you don’t want to leave. Catch them live and see why their mix of nostalgia, chaos, and camaraderie keeps crowds coming back.

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Loaded Dice

Legendary Celtic punk rockers Loaded Dice are back! Capping off a chaotic national tour before screaming fans at packed venues across the country, the DICE headed for the calm of the studio. The result: One of the finest punk albums ever created, merging mainly studio tracks with a handful of killer live  performances. It’s Rockport Records recording artists Loaded Dice unleashed – with hard-drinking anthems, boozy ballads and, The Hammer, the band’s rough-edged tribute to their Hamilton hometown. Closing it all off is their less than subtle salute, “Kiss My Ass” – but that’s the Dice for you: rude, crude and in the mood for mayhem!

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Lonely Little Kitsch

Lonely Little Kitsch is an alt-rock band from Niagara, Canada formed by Kristen Goetz and Nolan Jodes as a project without boundaries or expectations. As lifelong music fans and self-described “music nerds,” they wanted to create their own brand of alternative music that wasn’t defined by current trends or labels. The result is 100% unabashed, authentic LLK – no trying to fit into a specific genre or sound. The release of their debut single, “The New Scene” caught an unexpected buzz for the duo, finding placement on CBC Radio across Canada, FM radio including 102.1 The Edge, and even a video feature for NHL games on Sportsnet. Since that first release, LLK’s subsequent singles have seen radio airplay throughout North America and beyond, TV features, and write-ups on notable music outlets. In 2024, Kristen and Nolan brought in new band members Dave Haley (bass) and Waz Jenko (drums) to start playing live shows, quickly landing spots at bucket list Canadian venues. The band is currently finishing their first album, due for release later this year.

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Los Chukos

Los Chukos are Hamiltons Alt-Vato Rock Band. Our sound consists of various influences from Rock , Latin, Punk, and Classic genres. We are a 5 piece band showing off our love for music, and pride for our city. Our feel is high energy mixed with positivity riding on top of rhythms that you can’t help but move to.

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Lost Faculty

Lost Faculty is one of the most exciting acts in Canadian rock in 2025.  The band was booked not once but twice for NXNE 2024, and with sold out shows in Hamilton, Toronto, and Halifax in 2024, the band made a name for themselves with their raw, frenetic live sets.  These Hamiltonians are set for a massive year with their new EP, Tripper, due out in February; a summer full of festival dates already confirmed; and a west coast tour in March 2025 on the books.  Lost Faculty is undeniably next up in the long line of iconic Canadian rock and roll.

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Loversteeth

Loversteeth made their mark in atmospheric hard rock, blending intense sounds with impassioned lyrics to create a vibrant, expansive sonic landscape since 2022. Through their conceptual projects, the band captures themes of grief, love, and exile, pairing deeply emotive lyrics with surging rhythms and memorable hooks that seamlessly unite beauty with intensity. Following the release of their debut self-titled EP in April 2022, Loversteeth embarked on a journey to refine their sound through powerful live performances and new releases. Showcasing Brandon McCabe’s vulnerable, dynamic vocals, Zach Fratoni and Karl Lebel Viens’ experimental guitar work, and Charles Capretta’s hard-hitting rhythms, their music draws listeners in with an evocative range of tone, texture, and emotion.  Since their debut EP, Loversteeth has played over 50 shows across Ontario and Québec, supporting acts like Vended and Celeste. With the release of three singles — “Feign”, “Branches of Argyle”, and “Embedded” — the band continues to fine-tune their craft, delivering a high-energy, loud, and immersive live experience that resonates deeply with audiences. Having established a solid foundation, Loversteeth are poised to take their sound to new heights, bringing their captivating mix of raw emotion and thought-provoking atmospheres to audiences far and wide.

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Lucky Honey

Hailing from the vibrant music scene of Southern Ontario, Lucky Honey is a dynamic alternative rock-pop band that has been turning heads and winning hearts since their debut. Blending infectious melodies with heartfelt lyrics and high-energy performances, this group has quickly carved out a space for themselves in the Canadian music landscape. In mid-2024, Lucky Honey released their first single, “One You Call,” a track that garnered over 20,000 streams within months of its release. The success of the song marked the beginning of an impressive rise for the band, which was amplified by their fast-growing Instagram presence, amassing over 6,000 followers in less than a year. The momentum carried into live performances, where Lucky Honey sold out their debut show at Hamilton’s Mills Hardware. Their live appeal also led to a coveted Sugar Beach Session at Toronto’s 102.1 The Edge, further solidifying their reputation as a must-see act. The band has also graced TV screens, performing live on networks such as CTVand CHCH, showcasing their versatility and charisma to audiences across the region. A standout moment of 2024 was their selection to perform at the Sound of Music Festival, a prestigious event that highlighted their growing influence in the alternative rock-pop scene. With plans to release a brand-new single in March 2025 and more shows on the horizon, Lucky Honey is poised to continue their upward trajectory. Whether streaming their music, catching a live show, or following their journey online, fans are falling for Lucky Honey’s irresistible charm and undeniable talent. This is just the beginning for a band destined for even greater heights.

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Minuscule

Bombastic, soaring and playful, the post-modern harmonic collective Minuscule is on a mission to make you feel. Offering a genre-bending blend of intricate harmonies and emotionally stirring, tongue-in-cheek lyricism, Minuscule has won over audiences nationwide, appearing in festivals such as: Hillside, Robson Valley, Springtide, Mission Folk, Starbelly Jam, Cicada Fest, Live From The Rock, and more. They have collaborated with genre-spanning Juno- and Polaris-nominated artists, receiving a 2021 Juno nod for their choral arrangements. The sophomore album arrives spring 2026, with features and collaborations from Canadian music royalty such as Dave Clark (Rheostatics) and Mark Lalama (Canadian Idol) as well as Floridian gospel darling Leon Timbo.

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Nezqwik

Nezqwik is modern and raw. Even if performing the exact same setlist for two different performances, every show is completely different due to the improvised and spontaneous nature of the music. This invites people to come see us play over and over, and allows us to keep our content fresh and exciting to play. Add in the cinematic soundscape provided with tactful musicianship, and it’s clear that Nezqwik is a music collective that is palatable for any listener, no matter their background or taste.

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NOVIÆ

NOVIÆ is a group of Hamilton musicians each contributing their unique perspective to the collective tone. Implementing techniques and sounds from genres such as Stoner Rock, Blues, Shoegaze, Doom, Post Rock, and Ambient Drone, NOVIÆ aims to take the listener to a place of ambient, meditative bliss, and massive crescendos of distorted riff-dense frequency worship.

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PYPY

Montreal’s PYPY (pronounced like ‘π π’…with a long ‘i’ or a rather than long ‘e’, thank you very much) offer up a mind-searing concoction of sinister wah-wah freakouts, a post-punk aesthetic, fuzz distortion, bumping bass lines and the necromantic scree of co-lead singer Annie-Claude Deschênes.’

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Rapid Transit

After a brief 30 year hiatus, Hamilton’s own Rapid Transit returns to the scene in 2025 featuring Rob Fekete (keys), Paul Intson (bass), Mike Filice (sax), Kevin Vienneau (guitar) and Dave King (drums). They will be performing tunes from their releases Rapid Transit and Speed. Blending elements of contemporary funk and instrumental jazz, the melodic styling of Sly and The Family Stone and the high energy of Miles Davis are some of the many musical flavours present in their sound. New recorded music is on the horizon for 2026 with live shows to follow.

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Rexford Drive

Before the Hamilton-born members of Rexford Drive could even play instruments, they were best friends who grew up on the same street; Rexford Drive. The band is Patrick Silva on vocals, Rocco Macri on bass, TJ Medeiros on drums, and George Elchuk on guitar and backing vocals. They’ve released 4 singles and an EP, and have headlined numerous sold-out shows in Ontario. The band wins fans over with high-energy, tight and thought-out performances without taking themselves too seriously on stage. Their unique blend of pop, indie rock and punk creates a sound that is fresh yet very familiar.

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Rocket and the Renegades

A veteran rock n roll band out of Hamilton, Rocket and the Renegades has been support for Robert Gordon, Teenage Head, Junkhouse, Gene Champagne, and the Shakers. They have just released a self-titled full-length album. The culmination of four years of hard work, it was recorded, mixed and mastered at Hamilton’s Blue Tilt Studio≤

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Shealagh Rose

Shealagh Rose is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist hailing from Hamilton, Ontario. Developing her voice and songwriting in Toronto at Humber College’s Bachelor of Music program, she worked with mentors like Rik Emmett, and had the opportunity to record backup vocals with legendary producer Ken Scott. She was a regional finalist in CBC’s 2017 Searchlight competition with her song “Dream” off of her debut EP Island. Lush with soulful vocals, addicting progressions, and beautiful string sections, the record boasts the aesthetic of indie folk anthems. While Shealagh’s sophomore release nods to her earlier works with folk lyricism, the reverberating guitar textures, grittier synth sounds, and layered breathy vocal harmonies blend the lines between folk music, indie rock, and dream pop The EP Safe in our Silence is now available on streaming.

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Evan Rotella

Niagara singer/songwriter, Evan Rotella has been playing music live for nearly a decade already and has been writingsongs for almost that long. He’s honed his musical chops playing festivals, theatres, patios, bars, and parties from Niagara to Ottawa, from Pittsburgh to Asbury Park.

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$EAMS

Comprised of beat maker Seth Stolz and veteran emcee Ezekiel38, $EAMS is a Flint, Michigan/Hamilton, Ontario sister city collaborative hip hop duo. The group is rooted heavily in 90’s boom bap, experimental electronic and down tempo. Since the foundation in the winter of 2024, $EAMS has released a featureless full length LP entitled Ope, which is available on all streaming platforms.

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ShaaMaa

Born out of spontaneous connection and sonic curiosity, ShaaMaa is an instrumental trio weaving improvised soundscapes that feel both ancient and futuristic. Based in Hamilton and formed in spring 2023 at The Mule Spinner, the group is made up of Willy MacAulay (acoustic and electric guitars), Cesar Cordoba (keys, synths, accordion) and Gurpreet Chana (tabla, percussion). All three were deep in their own creative processes at The Cotton Factory when the walls — and musical boundaries — started to dissolve and their instruments began to eavesdrop on one another. What followed was a series of unplanned musical exchanges, shaped by intuition, rhythm, and trust. Introduced formally by Glen Marshall (the group’s recordist and collaborator), ShaaMaa quickly became more than a jam — it became a practice of deep listening and presence. Their performances are living sessions, each one different, inviting audiences into immersive sound journeys where no map is needed and every note is a discovery. Drawing from diverse musical traditions, electronic textures, and improvisational roots, ShaaMaa creates a cinematic blend of ambient grooves, textured rhythm, and meditative momentum. Whether in the studio or on stage, ShaaMaa is a conversation. Between instruments, between friends, between spaces. The kind you don’t want to end.

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shishi

This is what surf music would sound like if it was made in the dark near the frozen shores of the Baltic sea. Because it was. Benadetta, Victoria and Teresa (these are definitely not their real names) are a trio of Lithuanian mermaids who create “zero-waste trash music” under the name “shishi”. They sing about how it feels to be living in times when nothing makes sense anymore. Their music is perfect for people who care about what’s going on, but don’t really know what’s happening. Genre-wise, shishi takes sugar, spice and everything nice from surf rock and blends it with a chemical formula that has been distilled from the raw sounds of the best riot-girl and punk bands. The result is a beautifully awkward eco-friendly vibe reminiscent of indie surf frontrunners like La Luz or Tennis smashing into the powerful femininity of bands like Hole, Kleenex and Delta 5. The band known as shishi was initially formed by three vocalists trying to play instruments they couldn’t play. Their 2018 debut album NAx80 contains a secret swear word and was released after some intense and rapid learning sessions (it was around this time that they became mermaids, just in case you were wondering). Nominations, festivals and tours followed. As the instrumental skills improved in 2020 shishi was signed by The state51 Conspiracy to release their follow up album Mafitishei, in which the band searches for new seas on which to splash around. After two years, a new album was born: Nearly Happily Ever After (2022). shishi touches on a variety of themes: from gloomy birthdays to the sense of losing control of your life; from family issues to the stress of burning out – a familiar feeling for everyone navigating modern society. If this biography left you feeling more confused than informed and you suddenly want to dance upside-down, you are now in the perfect mood for some shishi.

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Spookyguava

Hamilton-born alt-rock artist Spookyguava brings raw energy and sharp hooks to every track. With a raw, fresh vibe and songs like” Obvious” and” Sev7n””, he’s building a sound that’s both fresh and familiar—driven by emotion, grit, and fueled by nostalgia. Blending the raw energy of 2000s pop punk with modern indie and alternative influences, spookyguava a.k.a “the Y2K rockstar” delivers anthems that resonate with many.

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Steve Strongman

Canadian guitar ace, JUNO winner, and multiple Maple Blues Award winner Steve Strongman has just co-produced, co-written, and guested on the Fabulous Thunderbird’s 50th Anniversary 2024 release Struck Down, on Stony Plain Records. This record debuted at #1 in both the United States and Canada, and features Strongman with guests Bonnie Raitt, Billy Gibbons, Keb Mo, Taj Mahal, Mick Fleetwood, Elvin Bishop and Terrence Simien. Strongman toured extensively supporting the Thunderbirds in 2024/2025.  Strongman, also a Memphis International Blues Challenge award winner for best solo/duo guitarist, is one of the most talented Blues-based artists in the world today. Beyond his undeniable strengths as a songwriter, guitarist and front man is his ability to engage his audience and deliver incredible performances at every live show. With his inimitable guitar playing and soulful vocals, Strongman delivers incredible performances with power and passion. Steve Strongman has a way of stirring a crowd that evokes the emotion, maturity and authenticity of classic blues themes.  Steve has shared the stage with International blues royalty including B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Joe Cocker, Robert Cray, Jeff Healey, James Cotton, Roy Clark, and Jimmie Vaughan to name a few. Steve Strongman is warmly regarded as Mississippi guitar legend Mel Brown’s “Blues son”.

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Thunder Queens

Thunder Queens are a fierce & fast-rising teen trio from London, Ontario, blending punk spirit with pop instinct and a deep sense of emotional honesty. Formed in childhood and forged through DIY shows, community spaces, and loud basement rehearsals, their music balances high energy with thoughtful storytelling. After releasing their debut LP Strike One in 2024, Thunder Queens continue to evolve, writing new stories, taking up more space, and pushing their sound into bold new territory.

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TOBi

TOBi is a four-time JUNO winning rapper and singer, born in Nigeria, moving to Canada as a child. He quickly found an outlet in writing and performing music. Voted by Complex Magazine as “a top artist to watch,” TOBi has received critical acclaim from the likes of Billboard, Rolling Stone, i-D, COLORS, PAPER, and Sway In The Morning. His latest album PANIC, was released in 2023 to high praise—including a sweep of the rap categories (Best Rap Album, Best Rap Single for “Someone I Knew”) at the 2024 JUNO awards. TOBi’s previous project, ELEMENTS Vol. 1 was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, and won the JUNO for Rap Recording of the Year in 2021. He was also Nominated for Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year and he performed at the Opening Night Award Ceremony. ELEMENTS Vol. 2 was released to high praise in July 2025, continuing the series 5 years from the original. TOBi released his debut STILL in May 2019, exploring themes of vulnerability, post traumatic growth, self-reflection and masculinity in his time emigrating from Nigeria to Canada. TOBi has amassed over 100 million streams globally to date. On top of recording and performing, TOBi is a co-founder of UNPACK Community, a series of discussions on mental wellness in creative fields.

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Menno Versteeg

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Alex Whorms

On her feet, dancing behind a bright red keyboard, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alex Whorms joyfully blends pop, folk, jazz and almost anything else that strikes her fancy.  The former biophysics major has established herself as “a stand out in the Hamilton scene” (I Heart Hamilton), with TV and radio performances, a Hamilton Arts Award, and songs that exude “real, honest purity” (CBC). She has performed at Toronto Pride, Hamilton’s Festival of Friends, even Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music, and shared the stage with Lorraine Segato, Abigail Lapell, and Ben Caplan. Her fourth EP, Daylight Chasing Dusk, comes in September.

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CJ Wiley

Tearing through Canada on a groundswell of gripping slacker rock, non-binary singer-songwriter CJ Wiley doesn’t waste any time. Twirling guitars, a steady drum beat, crunchy bass; ballads twanged slightly country, anthems skewed slightly grunge; a message of love and anger, healing and rancour, Wiley’s musical project is urgent and undeniable.  Performing alongside artists like Tokyo Police Club, Shannon and the Clams, or Haley Blais, and already a mainstay in the city’s queer music scene as the host of the Big Gay Night concert series, Wiley introduces themselves in songs as categorical and entrancing as the sold out shows they organize. Aflame in a stirring spectrum of soulful Sheryl Crow Americana and the electric grumblings of Garbage or Hole, sometimes in the space of a single song, Wiley’s distinct voice carries their project with the wit, candour, and excitement of an artist with a striking perspective and a heart that demands to be heard.  2025 marks the release of So Brand New, Wiley’s debut full length LP.  The artist sojourned to Winnipeg to record with Boy Golden and that polished western resonance is obvious from the album’s first blasts. It’s a definitive new height for Wiley. It’s a passionate, tongue-in-cheek statement of certainty in themselves, a down-and-dirty roots-rock revelation that burns in a firestorm of its own conviction. Wiley sings of starting fresh, loss, gender, and how expensive it is to be alive, carving out a decisive path for themselves on a highway into and over the horizon — and they’re bringing you with them.

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Donovan Woods

Since he released his first album a decade ago, award-winning singer-songwriter Donovan Woods’ blend of folk, country and pop has resonated with audiences all over the world. Throughout his distinguished career, Donovan Woods has built a devoted following who cling to the acclaimed songwriter’s every word. Never one to mince words, Woods is one of music’s most vulnerable storytellers and on his latest album, Donovan takes that a step further. Honest and unflinching, on Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now, his seventh studio album released in 2024, Woods takes a long look inside and isn’t necessarily thrilled with what he sees. For an artist who isn’t afraid to bear his soul, this is as emotionally gritty as he has ever been. While amassing a catalogue of rousing and acclaimed music of his own, he has worked with some of the top songwriters to craft cuts for performers ranging from Tim McGraw, Ben Platt, Ashley Cooke, Barenaked Ladies, Phillip Phillips and Charles Kelley of Lady A.