This Broken Mixtape

Pop Music is an independent record store located in the East Chinatown district of Toronto.

Owner Derek Antonio, who was previously the GM of the now-defunct HMV Superstore, offers a less-judgy crate-digging experience compared to some of his competitors.

I talked to Derek about adapting to a new business model during the pandemic, building his music collection through Columbia House as a young child, and Record Store Day 2020.

The women-led Toronto band OKAN seamlessly blend their Afro-Cuban roots with jazz, folk, and international flavours.

Their music evokes a great deal of passion, so it's rather fitting that their namesake stems from the word for heart in the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria.

I talked to band leaders and real-life couple Elizabeth Rodriguez and Magdelys Savigne about their upcoming sophomore album Espiral, the political turmoil in Cuba, and the trick to keeping their romantic and professional relationships separate.

Minzi Roberta is a woman of many hats, including DJ, promoter, writer, filmmaker, and designer.

As the co-founder of the arts and music collective Kuruza, Minzi has thrown some of the hottest parties in the last two years.

On S5E03, I talk to Minzi about growing up in Japan as a biracial person, the importance of listening to a playlist in order, and how to be a better ally to the black community.

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Ezra Furman has spent more than a decade making honest and intelligent punk rock music.

On the heels of soundtracking two seasons of the popular Netflix series Sex Education, she's back with her eighth album entitled Twelve Nudes.

We talk to Ezra about the new album's self-assured lyricism, how she recently came out as transgender, and the enormous impact of discovering Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground at 15.

Australian indie rock singer-songwriter Alex Cameron hails from New York by way of Sydney.

Though some critics have compared his songwriting and music to Bowie and Nick Cave, Alex himself says he's most influenced by Roy Orbison.

We talk to Alex about his third album Miami Memory, his personal and creative relationship with actress Jemima Kirke (Girls), and collaborating with The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers.

project that features lo-fi dream vocals and minimalistic beats.

As one-half of indie art-rock duo Lilla Drömland, Pallas Athene explores the theme of man vs machine in an increasingly dystopian world.

We talk to Breanna about her new self-titled EP; meeting her musical hero, Massive Attack's 3D; and being the musical black sheep of her family.

After archiving hundreds of Toronto concert flyers on Instagram, Daniel Tate teamed up with music professor and historian Rob Bowman to expand the project into a comprehensive book.

Published by Dundurn Press, "The Flyer Vault: 150 Years of Toronto Concert History" is a fascinating exploration of the city's most seminal live music shows.

We talk to Daniel and Rob about some of their most memorable concerts, Toronto's dark history of racist minstrel shows, and convincing Rush's Geddy Lee to write the book's foreword.

Toronto lo-fi, hip-hop/punk band M.I.N.D. conjures the sounds of early N.E.R.D., Rage Against The Machine, and the Beastie Boys.

Tweens Mazin (vocals), Oscar (drums), and Wolf (keyboard) formed the band four years ago after meeting at an alternative elementary school.

We talk to the boys about their disparate musical influences, their debut EP Fire, and how sometimes parents just don't understand.

As the executive director of Regent Park School of Music, the man behind experimental pop project Friendly Rich, and the host/producer of Industry Tactics podcast, Richard Marsella wears many hats.

He's set to release his 11th studio album with accompanying music video, which will premiere at Friendly Rich's Indie Arts Festival on November 2nd.

We talk to Richard about RPSM students being sampled on the new Taylor Swift album, his DIY approach to music videos, and the hellish monstrosity of seeing Billy Idol live as a young child.

The Awesome Music Project is a Canadian fundraising initiative designed to further research relating to music's profound impact on mental health.

Through their new book and a series of events, the nonprofit is spreading awareness on how music can reduce stress, ease depression in the youth, improve the quality of life for dementia patients and even help premature babies grow and develop.

We talk to co-founder Rob Carli about AMP's long-term goals, their upcoming book launch, and his work as a film and television composer.