As an admitted music addict, I spend a good amount of my life searching for songs – new and old – that I might fall in love with. I’ve listened to a huge range of genres, though I think it’s near impossible to find every single nook and cranny where music thrives.
However, in my search to satiate a never relenting hunger for new music, I’ve stumbled upon some hidden gems that you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.
I had the pleasure of hearing these talented musicians perform “Marco Polo” at the 2014 Toronto Buskerfest, and probably would have thrown my entire wallet at them on the spot if my (sensible) parents hadn’t stopped me from doing so, although part of their intervention was probably largely due to the fact that I’d stood there fangirling for so long that we were going to end up missing the subway. But I digress.
The Australia-based Bearded Gypsy Band has a unique sound that’s hard to pin down as a specific genre but lies somewhere in the realm of gypsy, folk, roots, and jazz music. Influenced also by Celtic, blues, and folk music from around the world, the Bearded Gypsy Band cites Andrew Bird and Django Reinhardt as two of their biggest influences. It’s been incredibly difficult to find any other band with a style like theirs, and it’s a fantastic breath of fresh air.
The Korean music industry has grown to worldwide popularity, and in the midst of big-name groups and heavyweight soloists, it’s extremely easy for talented musicians to become a face in the crowd. One such artist is Lim Kim, whose unique voice and vocal control earned her third place in the music competition Superstar K3 alongside bandmate Do Dae-yoon. While winning a number of major awards and charting high with several songs, she remains a member of the lesser known domain of the K-pop world.
I highly recommend listening to “Rain” with English subtitles; I personally connected very deeply to the lyrics as a writer and especially as a young person still in the process of growing up. The beautiful “Without Knowing It All” and addicting “All Right” are other tracks of a repertoire of earworm songs that can be played over and over without growing tiresome.
I’ve been consistently hesitant in getting into heavier music genres, and although The Menzingers certainly aren’t the heaviest the music world offers, their music was toeing the edge of my comfort zone. It was a combination of gut-wrenchingly honest lyrics and a raw connection with listeners that pushed them into the zone of genius rather than becoming categorized as something frightening.
“My Friend Kyle” paints a picture of loss and it, along with the other tracks on The Mezingers’ new album, delivers commentary on deeply relatable topics such as self-conflict and struggle. “Rodent” features a set of beautifully written lyrics (‘I’ve tried running, I’ve tried hiding / I’ve tried everything but dying / Damn the days we took for granted’) and is quite simply goosebump-inducing.
Cole Plante is the youngest artist of these featured five and one of the most popular. His popularity is well-deserved. At the age of 17, he’s one of the rising artists in the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) industry and has worked alongside many of the major players in his field.
In addition to straight up dance tracks like “Forever”, he has also worked on soundtracks for movies such as “REZOLUTION” for TRON: Legacy and songs in partnership with rising vocalists including Ruby O’Dell in “If I Fall”.
I was introduced to Toe by a friend about half a year ago. They epitomize the description of a hidden gem. Formed in 2000, this Japanese math-rock/post-rock/instrumental group has undergone significant change in their sound since conception, though their style continues to be deeply emotional while retaining a consistently minimalistic style. Their drummer is quite possibly one of the post-rock world’s best, and much of the band’s intricate sound is owed to the discipline and acuteness in his playing.
“Metronome” is, while not in any way conventional, one of my favourite tracks by Toe and an eye-opening journey to one of the more unexplored realms of rock music. Other notable tracks include the more melodic “Two Moons” and the intriguing “The Future is Now”.