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 that you can download or stream as a soundtrack for the week. The theme for our thirteenth installment, inspired by being winter homebound, is movie days and nights. I'd also like to say Happy Birthday to my girlfriend! This collection's for you.

Track #1: Wildlife, "Drunken Heart"

Our collection opens this week like an old movie countdown. Lights flash black and grey, while Wildlife's "Drunken Heart" plays in the background. The track's bass line and lyrical ballad remind us of classic Westerns, where a duel ensues. When the epic keyboard howls, we imagine Toronto's deadening winter turn into a setting sun, with cowboys, their fingers making waves beside their pistols.

Track #2: TERUKO, "Drifting"

When you listen to TERUKO's "Drifting", you hear a musician who sounds in love with music. Her song, which uses real sounds of waves from Lake Ontario and distant vocals, reminds me of those quiet moments and long-held shots in Sofia Coppola's films. "Outside it's pouring rain, and it makes every place look the same," sings TERUKO as her dreamy voice drifts away with the waves.

Track #3: DD/MM/YYYY, "Thriller!"

DD/MM/YYYY was kind enough to lend me their new track "Thriller!", which will be released on a split 12" with guitar charmer Marnie Stern. Clouds of distortion make up the backdrops and cover vocal static in electronic canopies - an incidental dialogue between suspense and sci-fi.

Track #4: Hands & Teeth, "Until the Night"

Hands & Teeth's "Until the Night" hits the sweet spot. Natasha Pasternak's vocals are lovely and subtle - a mood piece you warm up to. The track is a guilty pleasure, like a romance flick your friends will make fun of you for watching, but you pop in anyway.

Track #5: Ruby Coast, "Liza Liza"

When I listen to Ruby Coast's "Liza Liza", it's like I'm putting on a pair of shoes made of clouds. It's a feel-good love song and, at the same time, a cure for a broken heart. It's the kind of song you want to slip on to your lover or ex-lover's mixtape - its galloping harmonies reminiscent of John Hughes' film endings.