New Music Roundup: Woodhawk, Born Ruffians, TDJ, Purity Ring, Shame, and more
Happy June and hello new releases! This week we were blessed with full-length albums, EPs, and singles spanning from stoner metal to hard rock to deep dub. These artists didn’t come to play, and some of the vibes here were so well-done they could have brought us to tears—of course, we mean happy tears, headbanging tears, and maybe some growing pain tears. Make sure you check out our Sounds of Reverie playlist on Spotify to follow along because maybe your next favourite song is just a listen away.
Coming from Calgary, AB, rock-trio Woodhawk released their album Love Finds a Way on June 6, marking their first studio album release in six years. Woodhawk channels the spirit of classic hard rock—massive riffs, tight rhythms, and soaring choruses—while injecting it with a modern stoner rock intensity and emotional depth. Their past releases have carried fantastical themes, but this latest drop shows a new direction for the band—one where they communicate deep introspection and tangible feelings of love and loss. The collection kicks off with “Grave Shaker,” an energetic song that sets the scene for the nine-track production mastery. Tracks like “Relapser” and “Truth Be Told” carry arena-ready choruses with teeth. Driving rhythms take this album home, with each song being catchier than the other. Our personal favourite is their closing track “Killing Time” which is the most tender we have seen them. The gentle opening riff screams of moody Metallica, but they can’t help but make it their own with precise vocals dancing over rolling chords. Woodhawk is already a leading-player in the Canadian rock scene, but the strides they made with this release has us on the edge of our seats for what is to come next. - Emma Marshall
Returning with their first new music of 2025, Edmonton duo Purity Ring released “Many Lives”, a pulsing, atmospheric triumph that reaffirms the duo’s uncanny ability to blend eerie vulnerability with dreamlike pop clarity released on their label The Fellowship. Megan James' voice floats weightlessly above Corin Roddick’s shimmering, downtempo production, conjuring a mood that feels both fragile and otherworldly. Lyrically meditative and sonically immersive, “Many Lives” leans into the duo’s more tender instincts while still retaining that signature glimmer of dark magic. It’s a slow burn that lingers long after the final note. Check out the RPG-video game inspired music video below for the full world-building experience! - Jess Arcand
South London post-punk outfit Shame are back with a shot of straight adrenaline in their new single ‘Cutthroat’. Energized with searing, engine-revving riffs and indie-sleaze shouted hooks, ‘Cutthroat’ is the first single from the group’s upcoming album of the same name. Cutting snares keep the head-banging pace. This track flings your ears into reckless rock abandon with an instantly-classic hook meant to be shouted through cigarette-dangled lips: ‘motherfucker I was born to die’. Lead singer Charlie Steen brings it home on a chorus so effortlessly copacetic to the new age of rock. Coming before a super-sized tour of Europe in the fall, Shame will be supporting Queens of the Stone Age on night two of their nearly-sold-out Rock N Roll Circus festival in Sheffield, England. If ‘Cutthroat’ is any indication of the album to follow, we should all be so proud to live in this next era of Shame. - Brooklyn Billinghurst
Toronto-based indie rock band Born Ruffians is on our radar with the release of Beauty’s Pride on June 6. This 14-track album is a story from start to finish, infusing playful structures with a tale of human experience. Each song on this album is not like the last in terms of energy, structure, and overall tone, but they are all tied together by the seven stages of grief. One notable metaphor in this release is between the opening track “Mean Time” and track 13 titled “In The Meantime.” We hear the album kick off with their distinct and lively energy while they sing about how life inevitably changes, and time must take things away. They explore how the world keeps turning, singing “A first kiss, a first date in the mean time; six feet of soil in the mean time; that big, old, mean time.” Fast forward near the end of this album, they revisit these themes with a slower tempo and retrospection. They position themselves in this “meantime,” which can be assumed to be the present. Consequently, they position their love in the past, singing “You’re in there somewhere; In the winter breeze; You’re in the meantime; That big, old, mean time.” The album concludes with their titular track bleeding of acceptance and moving on, ultimately forming a massive circle. Overall, this album was created with intention, but the loose metaphors leave much up to interpretation of the listener. This type of artistic expression with purpose is what sets Born Ruffians apart in the indie rock scene. In the coming weeks they are setting out on a North American tour where they can perform beloved tracks from this album which was two years in the making. - Emma Marshall
Hailing from Sherbrooke, QC, electronic DJ and producer Wraz hit us with a new EP, Pieces, on May 30. Wraz is a dynamic force in the Canadian and international bass music scenes known for his deep, dark, and immersive sound. With a strong educational background, he combines his theory of jazz, classical music, and composition to curate one-of-a-kind music. In Pieces, we hear heavy basslines, intricate drum patterns, and atmospheric textures all tied into a bow with his immaculate production style. His careful blend of dubstep, grime, and drum & bass is meticulous and curates an all-encompassing listening experience. Having taken his sound to the stage of numerous major festivals, and even shared the stage with massive dubstep artists like Truth and Zeds Dead, Wraz is influencing the world of EDM with his distinctive approach to sound design. - Emma Marshall
TDJ’s latest offering, “Where Is My Angel,” is a euphoric heartbreak anthem drenched in Y2K trance nostalgia. Riding a wave of fluttering synths, breakbeats, and celestial pads, the track builds toward an emotional release that feels both intimate and colossal. Crack out the glowsticks and get ready to dance, as “Where Is My Angel” further solidifies TDJ as a leading voice in the new wave of rave-pop revival. She will release her debut album TDJ out June 26 - a long awaited, highly anticipated release after a lengthy time of dropping singles and DJ mixes. - Jess Arcand