Article and Photography by Andreea Moore ( Andreea the Narrative ) One of the hottest little venues these days is Art Bar. Set somewhere between a theatre and a classroom, it has a warm, cozy feel that lends itself perfectly to intimate shows. It embodies everything that makes a great small-room performance: interactive, familiar, and welcoming. There’s an essence of a house concert here; that close, almost secret feeling that gives the night an exclusive, shared energy. Lach

by Scott Roos Our Grade - C+ Released on Oct. 17th, Regina's Sifu and the Hat's “Wakin’ Up” is a bold attempt at the traditional blues genre. While it doesn’t completely break new ground, it delivers enough grit and energy to make an impression. With a press release citing Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, R.L. Burnside, and Junior Kimbrough, listeners can expect something raw, angular, and lived-in. Instrumentally, to a degree, the track succeeds. The groove has a decent, unforc

by Scott Roos Our Grade: B+ Softlung, the Saskatoon-based project of S.J. Kardash, returns with “Midnight Mountains,”  a smooth, well-crafted single that leans heavily on strong production and clean melodic instincts. Released on November 4th, the track is silky without being slick, with clear attention paid to how each element sits in the mix. It flirts with adult contemporary territory with a light touch of alt-rock but keeps enough indie-pop character to avoid sounding ove

By Scott Roos band photo courtesy of Fake Paradise Free Fall Released March, 2025 Our Grade - A In March, Saskatoon’s Fake Paradise released their single Free Fall. Collectively, It's a head-bobbing reminder of just how heavy a local band can get. From the first note, guitarist Jace Irvine’s fuzz-laden riff grabs you by the ears and drags you straight into a Master of Reality –era Black Sabbath mood. There’s a boogie-like swing to it, heavy but moving, the kind of riff that m

by Scott Roos photos by Justin Broadbent It’s hard to believe that Shad, the London, Ontario-born wordsmith and hip-hop thinker, is marking his 20th year putting music into the world. “Yeah, it feels good. You know, yes 20th. I put up my first album 20 years ago,” Shad tells NSMZ, sitting back and letting that milestone sink in. “It feels like my 20th year of…putting out music. That’s how I think about it more than kind of being ‘in the business,’ I guess.” And yet, Shad’s re