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FYI

Kiwi jr.: Leslie

The Toronto garage-pop combo previews a debut album with a short and snappy tune featuring jangly guitar and catchy hooks that leave you wanting to hear more.

Kiwi jr.: Leslie

By Kerry Doole

Kiwi jr. - "Leslie" (Mint Records). This Toronto band of former East Coasters is the newest signing to West Coast indie label Mint Records, one of this scribe's favourite imprints.


A debut album, Football Money, is being readied for release on March 29, preceded by this delightful tease of a first single. The group's sound is termed garage-pop, and a label source cites the likes of Stephen Malkmus, Robin Hitchcock, and Thrush Hermit as reference points. To these ears, this track evokes '80s English band The Wonder Stuff. It is catchy and fun, and is well-served by a video clip that is both inventive and entertaining in its parody of French noir films. At 2.19, the track sure leaves you wanting more (the album's 10 songs take up just 27 minutes).

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The four members of Kiwi Jr. all live in Toronto, though they originally hail from Charlottetown, PEI, separately finding their ways to the big city over various points in the past decade. “It’s very much a Toronto record,” says singer-guitarist Jeremy Gaudet in a label bio. “Even though we’re East Coasters, there’s no nostalgia or romanticizing small towns. This album is about the neighbourhoods we live in and our lives here.”

“Instead of being introspective, these songs are looking outward,” Gaudet explains. "This album is about the people we meet and things that happen to make up our days and weeks. It’s less about trying to express ourselves — it’s more interpreting the outside world.”

Of note: Guitarist Brian Murphy also plays in Alvvays, and Football Money was produced by Aaron Goldstein (Daniel Romano, City and Colour).

Kiwi jr. will launch the album with a hometown show at The Baby G on March 28.

Links
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Bandcamp
SoundCloud
Publicity: Ryan Dyck, ryan@mintrecs.com

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Megan Moroney
CECE DAWSON

Megan Moroney

Country

Megan Moroney To Play Montreal and Toronto on Upcoming Am I Okay? Tour

As part of the tour, the musician will make her debut performance at Radio City Music Hall.

After opening shows for Kenny Chesney this summer, Sony Music Nashville/Columbia Records artist Megan Moroney has revealed that 2025 will see her spearheading her upcoming Am I Okay? Tour, which will launch March 20 in Montreal.

The 25-show tour, which will run throughout the spring and summer, will go through August. The tour will visit cities including Boston, Houston, Toronto and Washington, D.C., as well as two shows in her homebase of Nashville. Notably, the tour will highlight Moroney’s debut performance at New York City’s historic Radio City Music Hall on March 26.

This article was first published by Billboard U.S.

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