I just wanted to give a quick wrap-up of my 2009 NXNE experience. I managed to take in 17 bands over 4 days, as well as both the NXPO hall and the set-up in Yonge Dundas Square.Most pleasant surprisesI had heard good things about Montreal's Les Handclaps but I hadn't heard anything myself. I didn't even anticipate catching their show, but laziness took over and I skipped King Khan to stay at
It's Day Two of the NXNE Festival in Toronto. I took the opportunity this afternoon to check out the NXPO ehibit hall. This is a solid idea and a great addition to the festival. The exhibit hall features music related vendors, services, and collectibles. The booths are a little sparse this year, but that's to be expected out of the gates. I hope they keep it up.I also managed to take in a
Not familiar with the Polaris Prize ? They're like the Grammy's, except Canadian, and the jury is made up of people who like and care about music, and there's only one category, and the winner gets a cash prize. So, in another far more accurate way, they're the opposite of the Grammy's.... Despite being the editor/owner/president of this here prestigious blog I was not selected to the Polaris Jury. I know, I'm shocked too. But, luckily, you all still get to hear my thoughts on the Polaris process through my contribution to [...]
Back from my trip to Alaska I've got a fresh 3 More for you to check out for the weekend:FlotillaFor those who like: Arcade Fire, Ra Ra RiotThis Montreal band has just released their second full length album.Flotilla's MyspaceRah RahFor those who like: Arcade Fire, New PornographersYou want catch yet experimental music? Look no further than this Regina band. Read my interview with them here.Rah
So out of seemingly nowhere, Regina has become a bustling musical hot bed. Not bad for what Winnipeggers have called "the crotch of Canada". In fact, the scene has developed so many good indie pop bands that it's starting to get a Moncton circa 1993 aura about it.One of the brightest lights on the scene is the 6-piece Rah Rah. Their full length album, Going Steady, is a marvellous collection
Tuesday night saw Regina 6-piece Rah Rah play their second of two shows in Toronto this week. The gig on this night was at the famed El Mocambo.On the band's solid debut album, Going Steady, they tend to sound like a cross between the dramatic indie orchestral rock of Arcade Fire and the intelligent power pop of The New Pornographers. In a live setting it is definitely the art rock side that
~ Scarlet Youth - "Sunshine Girl" ~ If this song is any indication, then Finland and Germany make a great team - at least when it comes to making shoegaze music. Has that hazy, almost kind of chilly feel to it, despite the title. ~ Mimicking Birds - "The Loop" ~ This is one of those gloomy, beautiful songs that I love with a passion. Like a blanket to wrap around your shoulders when the world feels cold and cruel. Simply listen and revel in its beauty, I [...]
Irresistible Regina indie pop ensemble Rah Rah are coming to Toronto play a pair of shows May 11th (The Boat) and May 12th (El Mocambo). I had the chance to speak with band members Kristina Hedlund, Erin Passmore, Samra Sahlu, and Marshall Burns about the shows and more:T. O. Snob: Thanks for taking the time to do this with us. You're playing in Toronto on May 11th and 12th. If someone hasn't
As many of you know I have the attention span of a 6 year old and this blog is a fun outlet for me to try out new stuff. Some stuff lasts (see: my pick of the week ), some doesn't (see: virtually everything else ), and its hard to tell what's going to happen with this, but I had a lot of fun creating these posters this (Sunday) afternoon. If you're in a band and saying to yourself, "GAWD, I wish I could get the R.O.B. to make me a poster" just ask, I can't imagine [...]
Tonight at Pat's Pub in Vancouver, Regina's very own Rah Rah ! mp3: " F--- NAFTA " by Rah Rah mp3: " The Innocent One " by Rah Rah
Rah Rah going steady : a CD (that I'm pretty sure is about love and relationships, maybe with the exception of the song "F- NAFTA") by a big sounding (I'm not sure how big they actually are) band from Regina, SK of all places. Their press release, like press releases I get from small bands, rhymes off what other people have said about them and lists the bands they sound like: Arcade Fire, New Pornographers, Wilco, Neil Young, The Weakerthans, Broken Social Scene . Which, to me, is just kind of a list of [...]
Rah Rah going steady : a CD (that I'm pretty sure is about love and relationships, maybe with the exception of the song "F- NAFTA") by a big sounding (I'm not sure how big they actually are) band from Regina, SK of all places. Their press release, like press releases I get from small bands, rhymes off what other people have said about them and lists the bands they sound like: Arcade Fire, New Pornographers, Wilco, Neil Young, The Weakerthans, Broken Social Scene . Which, to me, is just kind of a list of [...]
You know you're getting old when the coolest band in your hometown is led by your friend's kid. True, Marshall Burns of Rah Rah's dad Mike is, like, way older than me. And y'know what? I'm fine with being old, cuz I was young long enough. I try to think of Regina with nothing but affection, but sometimes I can't shake the feeling that it really is the cultural wasteland it pretends to be sometimes. Putting aside the question of whether or not there was any real merit to spending $18-million so that a handful of [...]
myspace I'll be honest; it's rare that the bands playing those beautiful, lush anthems win me over these days. I think once Arcade Fire took over the world, all of sound-alikes that popped up in the following few years helped make soaring epics a bit played out. That's probably why, even with all of the positive things I heard, seeing the Montreal icons listed on Rah Rah 's influence turned me off a bit. Then I heard Going Steady and realized that the Regina rockers are more than just [...]
This evening I threw on a couple albums to keep me entertained as I finished up some work. I figured a few of them for good candidates to provide a song of the week that I could post when the day-job was finished. Little did I know what I was getting myself into, as Rah Rah 's Going Steady was among those chosen and there was no way the Regina band's highly enjoyable debut was going to settle for a simple one-song post. Diverse, melodic and engaging throughout, it became very clear to me as [...]
But seriously, folks ... I guess this the kind of intervention that results from economic policy that doesn't believe in government intervention. Strangely, Stephen Harper doesn't want to influence any elections, not the one down there, and especially not the one up here, by giving his opinion. Probably because in the past he's supported and promoted the same kind of laissez-faire approach to the economy that led what looks to be of the biggest corporate welfare grabs in history. As the NY Times puts it, "It is the financial equivalent of the Patriot Act." [...]
Thank you to everyone who made a gift to KEXP during the Winter 2007 Membership Drive. The drive ended on March 2 and we exceeded our goal of $498,000! You can be proud that your efforts have lead to another record drive! Your partnership enables KEXP to provide a whole community of listeners with unique music experiences. We wouldn't be the same without you. For more information on supporting KEXP, please check out our member section . Fujiya & Miyagi, photo courtesy of Alan Bee [...]
Snob's Music
London, ON: Burgeoning Metropolis
I Am The Crime
A Bulldozer With A Wrecking Ball Attached
AWmusic
Herohill
Wolves, Hawks and Kites
KEXP Blog
Sleigh Bells - Demons (Official Music Video)
The Rains of Castamere by The National
A-Trak & Dillon Francis - "Money Makin'" (Official Video)
DIIV "How Long Have You Known?" (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
Nas - Daughters
Video: 2:54 - "Creeping"
Sleeve: “1991″ by Azealia Banks
Tango In the Attic: "Sellotape"
