We’re doing another Bandcamp Listening Party for an upcoming album on Hand’Solo Records. This one is for Max Moon’s solo debut, The Grand Howl, and it’s going down at 7 PM EDT on Sunday, Sept 21. The album is a mix of experimental hip hop, barstool rap, and spoken word poetics. Come add your voice to The Grand Howl!
“A truly fun and different listening experience for me. One I would like to have more of.”
– Copy This Cassette
A great review of The Dirty Sample’s Beats To Murder Rappers 2 beat tape from Copy This Cassette. Read it right here:
“Kaboom Atomic … builds some of the most intellectual rap lyrics I’ve ever heard.”
– Copy This Cassette
Copy This Cassette ‘zine has written a most excellent review of the cassette version of Kaboom Atomic x The Dirty Sample’s latest collab album, 2 Cents. Give it a read right here:
Shortly after the official release of Max Moon’s debut solo album, The Grand Howl, the Nickel City MC will be playing a couple of big shows. In Toronto he will be opening for Blueprint alongside his Magick Show homie Johnny Bizness and local rap hero D-Sisive. The show is at The BLK_SPACE on October 10, 2025, and it will be hosted by Hand’Solo’s own Mickey O’Brien, another of Moon’s compatriots in Magick Show. It should be a crazy show!
Get your tickets here.
And then on October 24, 2025, Max Moon will be celebrating the release of The Grand Howl with his album release party at Townehouse Tavern in his hometown of Sudbury. He will be joined by Mickey O’Brien and Johnny Bizness, as well as Karnival and experimental rock band Magic Pelvis. Folks in Sudbury are in for a treat!
Get more info here.
You can stream a few tracks from the new album or pre-order it on digital, CD or cassette on Bandcamp.
Chadio & The Gumshoe Strut will be appearing on one of my favourite podcasts, Fresh Juice, to discuss their new album as well as their origins, other new releases, and playing games with the hosts. Should be a fun time! Tune in if you can…
Watch here:
Max Moon drops the video for “Scrawlings” featuring Ultra Magnus, the second single from his upcoming album, The Grand Howl.
Max Moon continues to do it on his own terms with “Scrawlings”, the second single from his upcoming debut record, The Grand Howl, out September 26, 2025 on Hand’Solo Records. The self-produced song pushes into new territory with trap and bongo drums and crackly vinyl loops. It is a blazing lyrical barrage although Max still hits introspective notes and touches on down and out themes, while featured fellow Hand’Solo compatriot Ultra Magnus enters like a cannonball with the dynamic energy he’s become known for. “Scrawlings” is a barstool banger and a synthesis of two unforgettable characters in the Canadian rap landscape.
The new visuals for “Scrawlings” include scenes of Max Moon rapping in his natural habitat: the back streets and trails of the Nickel City. The great time Moon and videographer Johnny Bizness had cruising around the city shooting this thing is apparent in the video. Unfortunately, Ultra Magnus couldn’t make the shoot but his presence is undeniable as soon as you hear his voice over the beat. We hope you enjoy this exploration of the Great Sudbury area!
Written and performed by Max Moon and Ultra Magnus
Produced by Max Moon
Video by Johnny Bizness for Gritty Nickel Media
And if you’re interested in checking out The Grand Howl ahead of the official release of the album on September 26, 2025, you can hit up the Bandcamp Listening Party on September 21 at 7:00 PM EST.
“Taken together, “Mr. Proteus” and “DEAD END$” remind us that art’s sharpest edges are often forged outside the spotlight.” – Folded Waffle
Folded Waffle has provided a pair of reviews for two singles that are pushing at the boundaries of hip hop with their experimental outsider art…
The first single from Proteus x Black Art Ninja is out now…
With an abundance of lo-fi singles and videos under his belt, Proteus should need no introduction, but that’s what you’re getting anyway for the first single from his upcoming album, Hey Motherfucker, with frequent collaborator Black Art Ninja on production. “Mr. Proteus” reveals an MC with a dense delivery of braggadocio raps that reference everything from anime through comics and sci-fi to the supernatural in a mix of written and freestyle flows. BAN’s uptempo beat is a catchy Motorik Volca 303-style bassline with an 808 and Volca drum pattern. A squealing improvised Electrolobotomy custom synth line drops in throughout along with backing vocals by Peachy Tickles, Misty Beavers, and the BAN Choir singing the praises of—and sometimes insulting—Mr. Proteus. The single also contains a shorter radio edit that flips around the order of the lyrics to create a song that is significantly different from the original album version. Welcome to the weird world of Proteus!
Written and performed by Proteus
Produced by Black Art Ninja
“[A] brutal and candid track that will keep listeners locked in from start to finish.” – Word Is Bond
New review by Word Is Bond of “DEAD END$” featuring ShrapKnel, the third single from Max Moon’s upcoming album, The Grand Howl…
“With “DEAD END$”, Max Moon cements his reputation as a fearless new voice in alternative hip-hop, while reminding us that the genre’s most exciting artists are born from risk, reinvention, and unbridled collaboration.” – Zillions
Zillions provided an excellent review of Max Moon’s new single, “DEAD END$”, which features guest vocals by Shrapnel’s PremRock and Curly Castro.
