Alex's Staff Picks

illuminati hotties' "777" Is a Slow-Motion Montage
Exclaim! Staff Picks
PUBLISHED Mar 6, 2025
For self-described "tender punk" peddler Sarah Tudzin a.k.a. illuminati hotties, the standalone single "777" represents a vibe shift. While...
Casper Skulls' "Dying in Eight Verses" Reflects on Generational Cycles of Rock
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PUBLISHED Mar 5, 2025
Casper Skulls have released a few songs from their upcoming album 'Kit-Cat,' and I'm enjoying how completely out of step they sound with...
Panda Bear Wants It Darker on 'Sinister Gift'
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PUBLISHED Mar 3, 2025
Panda Bear's 2007 masterpiece 'Person Pitch' is on my desert island list of all-time favourite albums, and while I doubt 'Sinister Grift'...
cootie catcher Make Smart Indie Pop with "Dumb lit"
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PUBLISHED Feb 28, 2025
When talking about music with friends, I've begun hyping up cootie catcher as Toronto's next trendy indie rock band, and the new single...
Jenny Hval Is in Full Bloom on "To be a rose"
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PUBLISHED Feb 26, 2025
The opening verse of Jenny Hval's "To be a rose" wafts like cigarette smoke and floral fragrance, drifting ephemerally on a cloud of...
Father John Misty's 'I Love You, Honeybear Demos, etc.' Feels Like Real Love, Baby
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PUBLISHED Feb 20, 2025
'I Love You, Honeybear' is Father John Misty's biggest and best album — but "Real Love Baby" is his biggest single, and the newly released...
Avalon Emerson's "Don't Be Seen with Me" Is a Ravey Daydream
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PUBLISHED Feb 18, 2025
A couple years ago, my wife and I were obsessed with Avalon Emerson's dream pop album '& the Charm,' so we bought tickets to her Toronto...
'Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory' Proves Itself
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PUBLISHED Feb 11, 2025
When a longtime solo songwriter suddenly starts gives their backing band co-billing, it doesn't usually fill me with confidence about their...