“This is rock music that hits differently. It’s Kurt Cobain shit. It’s Jimi Hendrix shit. It’s the Steve Jobs of this rock shit.” That’s vocalist/guitarist Densil McFarlane talking about his band the OBGMs and their Polaris-shortlisted 2021 album, The Ends. If he sounds like a man who doesn’t lack confidence, that’s because he doesn’t. “The whole album is about not being bashful and just going out and getting it,” he says. “A lot of people who do music sink into self-deprecation, but we’re comfortable telling people how we feel about ourselves—good and bad—and the good is: I don’t think there’s a band that does what we do on a record.” If there’s something crucial beyond the music, it’s that the OBGMs—rounded out by drummer Colanthony Humphrey and bassist Joseph Brosnan—aren’t your typical rock band. “This is a black-fronted punk band, and that’s really important,” McFarlane says. “Rock n’ roll is mostly white suburban kids—that’s what gets promoted. But we are black and we out here. I was inspired to make rock music when I saw a black guy onstage, and if someone sees that in us, I hope it will inspire a new generation to go after this.” Behind his confidence, the title The Ends reflects a dark period in McFarlane’s life—one that almost ended the band. Back in February of 2018, at the end of the OBGMs (that’s The oOoh Baby Gimme Mores) last tour, McFarlane was ready to pull the plug on the whole operation. “I thought it was over,” he says. “I thought me and music was over. My life wasn’t very good at the time, people around me were dying, and everything I was making sucked. I thought it was a sign that I needed to do something else.” After a six-month hiatus and a whole lot of soul-searching, McFarlane started writing again. “I basically had a conversation with myself and found that the reasons I was making music were wrong and upside-down,” he says. “I was making it to fit a certain mold, but it lacked truth. It lacked honesty. That’s why it wasn’t able to come out the way I wanted it to. So I changed my strategy on songwriting. I started talking about things that were more relevant to me and more relevant to my community—and just talking about how I actually feel in words that are not compromising.” That pivotal attitude shift resulted in a completely different approach than the one McFarlane took in writing the OBGMs’ self-titled 2017 debut. “I approached this one in the darkness and alone,” he says with a laugh. “The last album was an album built on compromise. The thought process was other people first as opposed to ourselves. So this time I was just thinking about me and us—the team—and how we do this. That’s the biggest change between the approaches: I stopped thinking about other people.” Self-assurance restored, McFarlane rehearsed the songs with his bandmates before hitting Dream House Studios in their hometown of Toronto with Grammy and JUNO award-winning producer Dave Schiffman (Trash Talk, PUP, Rage Against The Machine). Those sessions resulted in The Ends, released in October 2020 on Black Box. Given the current state of the world, opinions will surely vary. Not that McFarlane cares one way or the other. “You can love us or hate us,” he says. “I’m aiming for that. We’d prefer the love—we’re full of love—but I’d rather you hate me than feel indifference.” New album SORRY, IT’S OVER will be released on October 22, 2024.

Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Spotify | Apple Music

•

Bad Waitress’ antsy art punk revels in fits of fury and ego. It spits in your face and winks, ferocious and playful. The Toronto-based four-piece play like they’re conspiring or casting a spell, each member wielding a different power, howls and erratic drum fills and fiery riffs fueling one another.  That improvisation spirit doesn’t stop at their music. Katelyn Molgard, Nicole Cain, Kali-Ann Butala, and Moon finish each other’s sentences. Their conversations flow like free jazz. When asked to describe Bad Waitress’ sound, they agree on one word: conviction. The path that led them together follows a similar rhythm. Kali (vocals & guitar) and Moon (drums) started jamming as The Nude Dogs back in 2014. Katelyn (vocals & guitar) joined two years later, and by 2018, the trio would release their Party Bangers EP under the name Bad Waitress.  Bad Waitress’ debut full-length album, 2021’s No Taste, finds strength in mood swings, from upbeat “groovin down the street” songs like “Strawberry Milkshake” to “I’m gonna fucking punch everyone” songs like “Lacerate,” as Nicole puts it. “It’s good to listen to when you’re walking alone at night. I get really anxious, but I feel powerful when I listen to this album, like I’m fucking untouchable. It’s basically a self-defense album.” Traces of Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and The Stooges can be heard throughout No Taste. The band also cite jazz as an inspiration. Moon’s background playing improv jazz, blues and swing makes it an essential force, at the core of Bad Waitress’ music and collaborative process.

Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | Apple Music

•

Toronto “noise quartet” Burner objectively presents one of the best live sets in the province. Captivating and frantic, the empowering live performances of front-person Deshaun Molloy mesh seamlessly with the incredible musicianship, providing a sonic backdrop that will surely send your senses directly to the late ’90s. One of the hardest working bands in Ontario, Burner has shared the stage with bands like Show Me The Body, The Armed, Metz and Little Junior, amongst a host of others. The band’s debut LP Become Nothing is out now.

Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | Apple Music