Photo by Alex Carré
Calling on the driving rhythms of dark post-punk and motorik krautrock, Toronto’s Hot Garbage seamlessly work shining melodies and swirling textures into deliberate, brooding arrangements. Fans of Sonic Youth, Broadcast and 70’s era Iggy Pop should no doubt find a familiar pull into their raw sound, which draws inspiration from a wide and eclectic range of musical genres and art forms. As they put the last touch on a third long-player to be announced later this year, the four-piece venture into noise rock with the release of standalone single Wewu, scheduled for January 20th, 2026 via Mothland.
Following the release of EPs Max Blonda in November 2017 and Coco’s Paradise in April 2019, Hot Garbage entered the studio with Juno-nominated producer Graham Walsh (of evil experimental Toronto supergroup Holy F*ck) in early 2020 to cut a selection of tracks live off the floor. The result was a blazing standalone single, Easy Believer, and the group’s debut long play offering, RIDE, composed of 33 reverb-soaked minutes to be pressed to vinyl and released on Mothland in October 2021. Stephan Boissonneault at Aquarium Drunkard refers to the album as “a feast for the senses containing fuzz-filled riffs, whirling organ, an adept utilization of post-punk auxiliary percussion, and hypnotic vox,” adding that “it’s the kind of album you throw on loud when you want to get lost and laugh into the void.” British critic Iain Key at Louder Than War stoically bestows his seal of approval: “Highly Recommended”. They followed with Precious Dream (January 19th, 2024 via Mothland & Exag’ Records), a sprawling collection of songs written in isolation and brought together in studio in late 2022 with visionary producer Graham Walsh (METZ, Preoccupations, Holy Fuck, !!!) at the helm once again, offering an exhilarating new breath into the world of post-punk and modern psychedelia, a listening experience that is equally cathartic and introspective. Singles were championed by SiriusXM The Verge, the full-length climbing to #1 on !Earshot’s Top 50 and #56 on NACC’s Top 200. BrooklynVegan’s Bill Pearis describes it as “superior garage rock with a healthy dose of gothy post-punk”, Exclaim! adding: “Precious Dream is just as shadowy and weird as much of the great garage psych out there, and while it may not rewrite the book on guitars, keys and drums, it's still a monolithic release for Hot Garbage that should secure their status as the always-shifting genre's new vanguard. 8/10”
Aside from studio endeavours, Hot Garbage have toured their intense live sets throughout Canada, the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom, including stops at festivals like LEVITATION, Freakout Fest, Purple City, M for Montreal, Sled Island, and Pop Montreal. In addition to touring in support of contemporaries L.A. Witch and Frankie & The Witch Fingers, the road-hungry quartet has also shared stages with Osees, Ty Segall, Geese, Mdou Moctar, Wand, Kikagaku Moyo, JJUUJJUU, and Dead Meadow. After catching them live, Ben Lemieux at Quip Magazine concluded that “the band understands the theatrically implied expectations of the genre, striking a perfect balance between the gossamer vocal quality of early shoegaze and the cranked-up, guitar pyrotechnics emblematic of the 60s and 70s rockers.”
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“The single delivers a dynamite jolt, zipping past with manic chuckles, sharp punk licks, and distinctively eccentric production from Holy Fuck’s Graham Walsh. This gritty, mocking tune does more than merely dazzle — it sends your senses spinning, thanks to thunderous beats, supremely warped bass, guitar, and organ, and echoing voices floating over a foreboding surge of sound and resonance. Aficionados of those reminiscent of Sonic Youth, Frankie and the Witch Fingers, or Joy Division might fancy a befuddled amble through this passionate, albeit bleak, piece; a touching clarity is on the horizon.”
“Hot Garbage dive deeper into their brutalist, post-punk and psychedelia roots at full throttle with their new album — something made overwhelmingly clear by “Snooze You Lose” alone, which busts the door open in a barrage of distortion, feedback and maniacal laughter.”
“The new single serves as the album opener, and sets the tone with a perfect balance of post-punk and krautrock. The track opens with an explosive, fuzzed out opening before launching into gritty, anthemic guitars.”
“In a mere 8 minutes, the band traversed uncharted sonic territories that left listeners grasping for more. And those listeners are in luck… because word on the street is there’s a new Hot Garbage record in the oven.”
SHARED STAGE WITH:
OSEES, TY SEGALL, WAND, KIKAGAKU MOYO,SIMPLY SAUCER, MDOU MOCTAR
FRANKIE & THE WITCH FINGERS, L.A. WITCH, DEAD MEADOW, JJUUJJUU, THE OBGMS