LISTEN/DOWNLOAD: Art Imperial - Surf Suburban EP

Art Imperial - "When I'm With You (I Feel Dumb)"


Art Imperial - "The Inbetweener"


The title Surf Suburban evokes the sound you'd expect: surf rock straight from the suburbs. It's the kind of music that kids who weren't anywhere near a beach back in the '50s would make in their garages, eliminating the miles that separated them from the nearest coastal town. In much the same way, Art Imperial crafted this 6-song EP in the basement of his mother's house, tucked away in the suburbs. What's more, Imperial not only crafted these songs in the suburbs, he worked on them during a long winter in Toronto, which, let's face it, could not be farther from the beach or summertime.

Strider Hero: Just What You Want to Hear

Imagine the best elements of your favorite indie bands in one place.

That's basically the simple description for Toronto's stellar Strider Hero. Singer Art Imperial has soothing vocals that pack just the right amount of grit. With his brother Michael, Strider Hero exudes a confident sound predicated on warm, shimmering melodies and thoughtful, eclectic arrangements. The dark and light in their sound serves as a perfect thematic counterbalance for Art's lyrics. It all comes together to help make the band appeal to a wide range of tastes.

Hear and download three tracks after the hop.