The Neighbourhood Mixtape is a collection of newly-released songs by Toronto musicians. The mixtape is meant to celebrate Toronto's music culture and provide a forum to listen to and discover new local music.

Every Sunday, I post a five-track mixtape (along with my own mini-reflections for each track) that you can download or stream as a soundtrack for the week.

Track #1: The Paint Movement, "Is It True"

The Paint Movement make their impression with "Is It True", as brass and percussion topple in a featherweight framework hung on a jazzy backbone.

Track #2: Jane's Party, "Bringing Me Down"

Jane's Party are known for their catchy and upbeat hooks. Yet even when they sing about hardships, like in "Bringing Me Down", they still manage to spill their souls with a light touch.

Track #3: Cuff The Duke, "Standing on the Edge"

Listen to Cuff The Duke's new track "Standing on the Edge". The open-ended, earthen pop/country tune is part of the band's new LP Morning Comes, which hits store shelves next month.

Track #4: Thom Huhtala, "Where We Can Still Go"

Thom Huhtala sings in near-empty silence, and "Where We Can Still Go" echoes with faraway mystique and the weight of captured dream energy. His vocals are airborne, fluttering with the strum of his guitar and skip of drums.

Track #5: The Cosmic Eye, "Red Letter Blues"

The Cosmic Eye's LP Fights the Giant Octopus is available for free download on their Bandcamp page. And the LP's leadoff track "Red Letter Blues" is as colourful and tangled as its cover art, interweaving electro-gaze with psychedelic sweeps.

If you wish to be a part of The Neighbourhood Mixtape, you can contact Aldrin at aldrin [at] blogto [dotcom]