In the midst of holiday season, new album releases lessen considerably, but there are some notable new releases and album announcements.
Hamilton musical maverick Chris Houston (Forgotten Rebels) has just delivered a vinyl version of his 2023 full-length, Rapid Detox. An impressive list of guests include Gord Lewis (Teenage Head), Lori Yates, Steve Koch, Randy Bachman, Bazil Donovan and Cleave Anderson (Blue Rodeo) and Michael Fonfara (Lou Reed).
Also out this week is Words Underlined, a trio record from adventurous Toronto jazz saxophonist and composer Patrick Smith. This is the first release from a new imprint, Lit Soc Records, from popular Toronto book store/music venue Sellers and Newell.
advertisement
There are also a number of newly announced albums and singles. That includes hotly-tipped Juno-nominated Ontario sibling alt-rock duo Softcult, who will put out a new full-length, When A Flower Doesn’t Grow, on Jan. 30 on Easy Life Records. The group has just announced 2026 Canadian tour dates, with three headlining shows in Toronto (Jan. 30), Winnipeg and Saskatoon, followed by shows supporting Lights. Their new single, "Queen of Nothing," is a shoegazey song about what the band describes as “the double standards, harsh judgements and unrealistic expectations that patriarchal society places on women."
Slather on the Honey, the debut album from Clothesline From Hell, will come out next month via 444%. The band is the project of Toronto artist Adam LaFramboise, and influences on his diverse sound range from Nirvana and Nine Inch Nails to Elliott Smith. New single, "Truest Sound," delivers a softer side of the project, with layers of acoustic guitars, ghostly "oohs" and a repeating drum break.
Here is the full album release calendar.
December
5: The Dirty Nil, Live At The Dine Alone Store
5: Hugo Blouin, Le buffet (Ambiances Magnétiques)
5: Géraldine Eguilluz and Michel F Côté, hORs TempS (Ambiances Magnétiques)
advertisement
5: cleopatrick, SCRAP
5: Matt Lang, All Night Even Longer -deluxe edition
5: Tim Baker, Full Rainbow of Light - deluxe
5: Betaboys, Great Pretenders (Bandcamp)
5: Kid Koala, The Storyville Mosquito - picture disc vinyl
8: Bryan Adams & Friends, A Great Big Holiday Jam (Bad Records)
12: Patrick Smith, Words Underlined (Lit Soc)
12: Chris Houston, Rapid Detox - vinyl
26: Sean Stephens, Lest I Remember
January 2026
9: Calling All Captains, The Things That I’ve Lost Out (New Damage Records)
16: Clothesline From Hell, Slather On The Honey
21: Katie Tupper, Greyhound (Arts & Crafts)
23: 54-40, PORTO
23: Dana Sipos, Golden Molten
26: Jo Passed, Away (Youth Riot Records)
30: Softcult, When A Flower Doesn’t Grow (Easy Life Records)
30: Gab Bouchard, Encore
30: New Saint, Santo
30: Luca Fogale, Challenger (Nettwerk Music Group)
February
6: Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Laughter In Summer (Transgressive)
6: Nick Schofield, Blue Hour (Backward Music)
6: Daphni, Butterfly
13: Boy Golden, Best of Our Possible Lives (Six Shooter Records)
13:LARKK, Cinders
27: Bibi Club, Amaro (Secret City)
27: The Sheepdogs, Keep Out Of The Storm
27: Garrett T. Willie, Bill's Cafe
March
13: Malinowski, Under A Landslide of Stars
13: Marie Celeste, Tout ce qui brille
advertisement
13: Various Artists, Covered - A Tribute to Nash the Slash (We Are Busy Bodies)
