![[Best of 2011] Adam's List](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/3945872_lg.jpg)
Tweet vaso link It's hard to tell whether this was a really great year for music or if I was just paying attention more than last year. That sums up my feelings at the end of every year. I don't want to do too much of an introduction because I have quite a bit to say. I'm not putting these releases in any particular order, they are just my favorites. Some I listened to more than others, but putting them [...]
ARTIST: The SWAG Report 71 with freebie mp3 downloads for songs by The Deep Dark Woods, Crooked Fingers, Cobra Skulls, CSS, Elliott BROOD and more! So much more! DATE: 08-24-11 WRITER: Don Loder Hey Junkie, Don' tell nobody, but I got somethin' extra special fo' ya dis week. Ya know how a usually nickel an' dime it aroun', swipin' one song from those who ain't lookin'? I'm proud of myself this week because this [view more]
Frank Yang Hands down, the best thing to happen to NXNE in recent years is the designation of Yonge-Dundas Square as the festival's main stage and making the shows staged there - usually featuring the lineup's biggest names - free for everyone. And what's better is that despite being located in pretty much the most central and public place in the city, there's been no signs that they festival has been concerned about diluting the quality of the performances to be a little more family-friendly; witness last year's near-carnage of Iggy & [...]
Filed under: Concerts and Tours , News , Exclusive Chromewaves Stuart Berman is the singer of Toronto post-punk garage-rock band the Two Koreas , who performed twice at this year's NXNE festival. He's also the online editor of Toronto city magazine The Grid , overseeing and contributing to their daily NXNE coverage. Spinner asked him to write about what it's like to experience NXNE from both sides of the stage. [...]
Michelle Ford Another year, another NXNE , another NXNE preview post. I'll apologize in advance if this one's a little less thorough or exploratory than previews past, as travels and general business has taken up time that would usually be spent cruising band websites and Myspaces Facebooks, Bandcamps and Soundclouds. But I can offer one unconditional endorsement for the coming week, and I'd like to think it's not a wholly obvious one: Vancouver's Louise Burns . Her debut Mellow Drama came out a couple [...]
Here is part 2 of who I shall see at NXNE 2011. This being Thursday June 16, 2011. Things are starting to pick up that night. Again I am too overwhelmed on who to see! 7PM Snowblink at The Music Gallery Hopefully I will try to catch their set but I have to go to a interview at around 7:30pm. 8PM Ruth Minnikin at Dakota Tavern [...]
The Two Koreas describe their music as "glacial garage" or "garage-rock encased in ice, perfectly preserved in its most primal state." And their newest album, Science Island is full of icy and persistent tracks unconcerned with any need to pause (aside from a 45-second instrumental). The glacial aspect of Science Island conceals something big beneath the surface, something to break through and get to, almost like a jawbreaker. It's an album you want to listen to for a long time, something you imagine your kids or future-kids listening to someday. In [...]
F##k Yeah! That was my initial, unpolished reaction after my virgin spin through Midnight Brown by The Two Koreas . Of course, you had to be here to fully-appreciate my shit-eating grin and my awkward Tiger-on-a-bender fist pump. But you know what? Midnight Brown is so good I don't even mind acting a fool in front of the cleaning lady. This Toronto outfit has been doing their thing since 2003, and on March 1st will be taking the wraps off their latest full-length, Science Island . [...]
The Two Koreas new tune, "Midnight Brown", is a frenetic tune bursting at the seams with both energy and instant catchiness. The Two Koreas jagged, riff-heavy rock samples from the glory decades in music's recent past, with nods to '60s garage beat, '70s British punk, '80s post-punk, and '90s alternative rock, a sound the band labels "glacial garage". The Toronto band's 2007 sophomore effort Altruists tore it up on Canadian radio and earned the group some early blog buzz. The haven't lost a step in the past four years as they are about to unleash their...
Japandroids: photo by Michael Ligon Last Saturday night at the Horseshoe Tavern presented a triple-bill that musically varied from artist to artist(from local post-punk outfit The Two Koreas , to Swedish skronk-pop group Love Is All , and Vancouver indie-punk guitar-drums duo Japandroids ) On the other, what the bands had in common, were energy, although the opening bands couldn't surpass the intensity of the audience response during Japandroid's set. Two words - body surfing. Although I'd arrived during The Two Koreas set partway I'd [...]
LAST NIGHT: DAY 1 / APRIL 2 Last night we saw The Two Koreas , Love Is All , and Japandroids at Il Motore . It was a grrreat time. As per usual at Il Motore, the crowd was doin' the stand-still during the first two bands, which I suppose is alright since most people came exclusively to see Japandroids. But in a way, this is a bit of a shame. Not all music is made for moving around, but The Two Koreas and Love Is All both certainly don't fall into that [...]
No foolin', April's gonna be WILD. There are over 20 shows going in just under two weeks, and there is at least one every day from April 2 to April 12. Here are your options: Friday, APRIL 2 The Two Koreas (Toronto, ON), Love Is All (Sweden), and Japandroids (Vancouver, BC) at Il Motore [ $15 ] Delorean (Spain) and Miike Snow (Sweden) at Club Soda [SOLD OUT] [...]
Filed under: Live It Out , Canada One of the hottest tickets at North by Northeast was last night's book launch-slash-label showcase hosted by Toronto indie stalwart Arts & Crafts, celebrating local music scribe Stuart Berman's recently released 'This Book Is Broken,' a history of Broken Social Scene. The event's already palpable buzz was magnified by the "Special Guest Headliner." Since the line-up featured several members of BSS playing in their solo guises, it wasn't much of a stretch to guess who that might be.
( Note: I'm mentioning last night's Wombat Wednesdays Valentine's special after the fact, because a) February curator Magali Meagher has several more Wombat Wednesdays scheduled this month, and b) several performers have upcoming shows, including Gentleman Reg's in-store and CD release, and Levi Macdougall & Katie Crown at Laugh Sabbath and, well, my shows . The Wombats in Love show was slated for a profile yesterday on the site, but I've been a busy fella, and I [...]
Progressive soul? Math jazz? Neo-funk-folk? When I saw Left Of Zero play the Rancho back in August , I knew that if I ever hear their recorded work, it would border on the impossible to slide the band into any particular genre. And sure enough, despite the fact that I've been listening to their infectious self-titled full length relentlessly this week, descriptive terms continue to elude me. They have a sound that harks back to another era; an era of sophisticative musical arrangements and sultry vocals that melt your soul. The opening sweep of 3 [...]
Compilations can be a tricky animal to tame. If they're well done, they contain a wide range of tracks that span not only artists but also genres. There-in lies their strength and weakness. To be successful, a compilation turns you onto music that you normally wouldn't have picked up on. It takes you a step or two (or three) outside of your comfort zone. That's where you can run into their weakness. The odds of you finding a whole collection of tracks (a diverse collection I should say) that completely flip your lid is about as great as Britney [...]
concert review : Wire , The Two Koreas @ Lee's Palace (Toronto, Ontario), October 7, 2008 When a band like post-punk legends Wire 1) step on the reunion bandwagon [although as I understand they never really disbanded] and 2) and who's tour actually makes it to your hometown(or within an accessible distance) part of my wanting to go, even if I'm only vaguely familiar with their music, is to get a history lesson of sorts. Wire are on of those bands who I was too young to have even known about [...]
Broke like me? I don't know about you, but with NXNE starting up in a couple of days I can hear my wallet cringing. Fear not, worried penny pinchers, for free concerts abound this week in venues large and small. As usual, Criminal Records and Sonic Boom will be clearing their aisles to make room for some excellent free shows. Here's how they break down so far: Thursday, June 12 The John Henrys - 7pm, Criminal Records [...]
myspace :: label There's a terrific scene in Ratatouille where the spindly armed, long faced critic realizes that at his best, his words are still nothing in comparison to those trying to create . I've always believed this to be true, which is why you never really read scathing reviews or quick dismissals. So, before we get started I'll just admit that it's easier to throw this out there and move on. Front man Stuart Berman writes for Pitchfork as well as the highly credible Eye Weekly, but rather than hiding [...]
Toronto's rock band, The Two Koreas, are planning to reveal a new EP titled Sessions EP that includes a collection of past fan favourites and tasty new jams for your listening pleasure. The EP will be released on June 12 on Unfamiliar Records on vinyl and mp3 format. To celebrate the release they will rock that same day at The Beaver in Toronto (EP Release Party). Then 48 hours later, they will perform at El Mocambo (June 14) as part of The Musebox NXNE Showcase at 11pm! Now, if you live in [...]
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blogTO - Toronto Indie Music and more
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Donald Glover TANKS at Sasquatch.
