We Speak Music

Mickelson Delivers His Most Personal and Politically Charged Album Yet

Published

2 years ago

February 25, 2025

After years of carving out a name as one of the most compelling voices in Americana and folk-rock, Mickelson returns with, If You Can’t Be Right, Be Loud., a record that showcases his ability to dissect the complexities of modern life with unflinching honesty.

Lauded by critics for his genre-defying approach, Paste Magazine describes his music as “the balance between strong, subtle, unexpected, and sophisticated.” On this latest album, Mickelson embraces that ethos fully, weaving together politically tinged anthems and introspective ballads.

A highlight of the album is “Amplify,” a powerful opening track that encapsulates the tensions of the current political landscape. “I couldn’t ignore what was happening around me,” Mickelson explains. “This song, and really the entire album, reflects the frustration so many of us feel.”

Yet, If You Can’t Be Right, Be Loud., is not just a protest record—it’s also a deeply personal journey. “Glowstick” and “Two Flat Tires” explore mental health and addiction with striking vulnerability, while tracks like “Small Town Scandal” lighten the mood with sharp humor.

Mickelson’s meticulous craftsmanship shines throughout, as he not only wrote and performed much of the album himself but also handled the production. The result? A collection of songs that, as Glide Magazine notes, feature “fervently emotive vocals and melodic precision that reminds the ears of Steve Earle.”

A particularly exciting moment on the record is Mickelson’s collaboration with **Colin Moulding of XTC, whose bass work on ‘Only Grey Matter Boiling In My Head’ and ‘Blue Is The Warmest Color’ elevates the songs to new heights. “Having Colin on these tracks was a real honor,” Mickelson says.

With, If You Can’t Be Right, Be Loud., Mickelson proves yet again why he remains one of the most essential voices in modern Americana. Americana UK sums it up best: “The combination of the layered vocals and instrumental textures, along with a tune that feels immediately familiar, is what makes this album anthemic.”

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Doja Cat Brings the Tour Ma Vie World Tour to Scotiabank Arena on November 25

Published

5 hours ago

November 2, 2026

Leo Bodei

Portrait of Doja Cat with long blonde hair against a dark background.

Doja Cat. Photo courtesy of Doja Cat on Instagram.

Doja Cat brings her Tour Ma Vie World Tour to Toronto on Wednesday, November 25, with a 7:30 p.m. show at Scotiabank Arena. It is one of the last stops on the biggest headlining run of her career, and it lands in the middle of a heavy week for the building.

The tour supports Vie, her fifth studio album, released in September 2025. The record is an 1980s inspired turn back toward pop, led by the singles “Jealous Type” and “Gorgeous,” and the live show has been built as a full scale arena production. Latto joins the bill as special guest for the entire North American leg, which runs 31 dates from the October 1 opener in Detroit to the December 1 finale at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Toronto gets the show near the end of the run, with Boston on November 23 before it and Montreal on November 27 after it. By the time she reaches Scotiabank Arena, the production will have played more than twenty North American arenas, on top of earlier legs across Oceania, Asia, Latin America and Europe. Earlier in November the tour also plays Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Atlanta.

Fans have been getting a look inside the tour straight from Doja Cat herself. She has been filming the run on Ray-Ban Meta glasses, posting point of view footage from backstage, soundchecks and life on the road, so the Toronto crowd will see a show that has been documented almost night by night. Tickets for November 25 are on sale through Ticketmaster. With the Garden shows in New York closing the tour one week later, the Toronto date is one of the final chances to see this production before the run wraps.