The Simcoe Scene

I’m a sucker for expansive, riff-centric music that is even remotely influenced by the occult. So it’s no surprise that I was an instant fan of AAWKS from the offset.  Releasing their first EP during the early onset of the pandemic, AAWKS offered some much needed relief from the anxiety of reality. From the humble origins of their 2-track EP (the third track has been indefinitely locked away in the vaults), their sound, arrangements, and content have broken free of any confinement.  AAWKS is not a boastful outfit, but offer their concoction of psychedelic stoner rock and a down-tuned doomy chaser with an otherworldly swagger and ease. Psychedelia as a genre has an uncanny ability to blend with any other genre it is mixed with, and makes for a mind-expanding experience when blended by musicians with the skill and acumen to get the mixture just right. And AAWKS gets it right every time.  A full-length album, an EP, and a split EP later, AAWKS returns with their second f...

  Almost exactly one year since releasing their debut EP, Baytown Hardcore’s Slewfoo t return with Built For War, their new EP that lives up to its name.  Slewfoot came to exist out of necessity as the hardcore scene in Barrie was in need of a line change, and to fill up a roster with new contenders. In a very short amount of time, Slewfoot ’s dynamic and unrelenting live shows became the place to be and helped Baytown Hardcore bring much deserved attention to the music coming out of Barrie.   Their Misconduct EP was a heavy-hitting introduction that packed massive riffs, blasting drums, and aggressive vocals, collectively creating a variety of styles that never went stale. Built For War doubles down and delivers a bigger, and more devastating punch that leaves a lasting impression in its modest 11-minute run time. If Misconduct was a haymaker - swung wildly, guided by nothing but raw power in a general direction, Built For War is the calculated knockout right-...

  Sophomore albums can make or break any band. The second album is a major hurdle that many talents fall short of clearing. But Barrie’s own Crast confidently traverse the curse with Headspace, a dominating and fuzz-laden follow-up that end s any skepticism about the longevity of this four-piece.  Showcasing their characteristically explosive guitar riffs and unapologetically raw tone, the production and overall run of Headspace demonstrates healthy and dynamic growth without losing the essence of Crast . Blending elements of fuzzed out alternative, hard rock, psychedelic rock, and dabs of hardcore, Crast delivers 10 tracks that are unique and seamlessly cohesive as part of the whole album.  Led by singles ‘Headlights’, ‘Best Face’, and ‘Plaster’, Headspace follows suit with each track boasting purposeful and provocative time changes that keep the listener engaged from front to back. The driving instrumentation acts as the perfect vehicle for lyrical content that is b...

To describe all that  Planet Silencio  offers would pose the same  difficulties as accurately describing a dream as soon as you wake up - the feeling is vivid, and the affects are fresh, but words just don't seem to do it justice.  The second full-length LP from Barrie-based modern rock band Club Silencio  is a vibrant and expansive dreamscape built upon smoothly layered vocal melodies and distorted guitars. The juxtaposition between the dreamy instrumentation and the lyrical content holds the  listener in uneasy suspension, wondering if or when a sudden drop is coming.  A collection of 11 songs, the first half of Planet Silencio is sunshine pop for a modern, more informed audience and is rich with atmospheric textures. The second half boasts the band's own brand of power pop, filled with driving drum patterns, anthemic choruses and bridges, and soaring guitars.  Club Silencio do not limit themselves to any established criteria for how to make mus...

Abraxas Reflux and their recently released  Rotten EP reeks of wisdom that only comes from being unjustly fucked with for far too long, and are screaming for some much deserved accountability. The Toronto hardcore outfit are a smart, and dangerously relevant force that exemplify what great musicians do best - give a voice to the voiceless, and be beacons for the disenfranchised.   Combining 4 new tracks with their previously released self-titled debut EP (released in 2022), Rotten fearlessly confronts issues that unfortunately plague each day, including right-wing extremism, attacks against body autonomy, the housing crisis, religious hypocrisy, and villainizing the vulnerable.   Preceded by singles "Constant" and "Rope Bunny", the band sets the tone for their new material that leaves no room for repose. Every track is a bullet point of rectifiable issues, and delivers each one with the passion of someone who has been on the receiving end of trauma. With no time to ...

  Nearly a decade since the establishment of Frank Dux (pronounced 'Dukes', not 'Ducks'), the Cambridge four-piece have released their debut and it was well worth the wait.  Product of Our Youth is a melodic punk oddity. Every track feels so fresh and exciting, but is intimately laced with nostalgia that immediately transports the listener back to the days of meticulously crafting the perfect mixtape. It hits you in all the right places.   Blending elements of pop punk, skate punk, and hardcore, Frank Dux have composed a love letter to the music that has influenced them and an entire generation that grew up with late night drives (usually with a shitty aux cable), days at the skate park, and scraping enough money together to see a show at a greasy little club we couldn't tell our parents about.   The guitar work is sharp, with riffs that drive each track without feeling repetitive. Lyrically, Product of Our Youth touch the pillars of late 90's/early 2000s p...