Alex's Staff Picks

Future Star's Nostalgia Hits Home on 'It's About Time!'
Exclaim! Staff Picks
PUBLISHED Jul 16, 2024
For reasons that are difficult for me to fully articulate, there's something so quintessentially Vancouver about Future Star, whose...
Mo Kenney's "Evening Dream" Is a Polaroid of a Bittersweet Breakup
Exclaim! Staff Picks
PUBLISHED Jul 3, 2024
Mo Kenney's "Evening Dream" is a breakup song that plays out like a movie — even when the emotions are painful, the hazy glow of nostalgia...
Vivian Girls' Cassie Ramone Captures Otherworldly Enigma on 'Sweetheart' Solo Album
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PUBLISHED Jul 1, 2024
The first time I played Vivian Girls' self-titled 2008 album on vinyl, I listened to the entire thing at the wrong speed before I realized...
PONY's "Freezer" Is Impeccable '90s Cosplay
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PUBLISHED Jun 6, 2024
Toronto duo PONY specialize in grungry, very '90s alt-pop — and new single "Freezer" is a perfect example of them doing exactly what they d...
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' "Frogs" Hops to Glorious Heights
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PUBLISHED May 29, 2024
"Frogs" dives right in. From the song's opening moments, the latest single from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds explodes with a stately...
Nap Eyes' "Feline Wave Race" Is a Patient Reintroduction to Halifax's Slacker Rock Philosophers
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PUBLISHED May 16, 2024
Nap Eyes' most recent album, 2020's 'Snapshot of a Beginner,' featured an absolutely gorgeous ballad about evolution...
Kelly McMichael's "Bomb" Is a Blast
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PUBLISHED May 15, 2024
St. John's songwriter Kelly McMichael continues to drop explosive tunes in advance of her new album. "Bomb" is a blast of '90s pop rock ene...
Remi Wolf Laughs Through the Tears on Aching "Alone in Miami"
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PUBLISHED May 10, 2024
Remi Wolf has incredible knack for making raw confessions alongside goofy jokes, each tone making the other more intense by contrast...