Thursday night at Wrongbar, newly minted local heroes BADBADNOTGOOD brought their hip-hop influenced jazz (or is it jazz influenced hip-hop? Does it even matter?) to an event honouring the late James Dewitt Yancy, better known as J Dilla. Generally regarded as one of the greatest and most versatile hip-hop producers of all-time, J Dilla's solo material and frequent collaborations with other artists has only gained in renown since his unfortunate premature death six years ago today. A packed, seemingly sold-out venue was ready to pay their respects to the legend, and one of the most talked about bands to emerge [...]
For our latest installment of get to know a DJ series, I chatted with legendary Toronto DJ Mark Oliver, who along with fathering the rave movement in Toronto (and beyond) back in the late 1980s has enjoyed more residences that can be easily kept track of. I could keep going with the glowing intro, but lest I cast myself as the quintessential fanboy, let's jump into the interview. How did you get started Deejaying? And how did you find yourself in Toronto? I was interested in music from an early [...]
Live music picks for TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7 through SUNDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2012. TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7 / THE KILLS / THE KOOL HAUS / 132 QUEENS QUAY E / $34.50 / ALL AGES Critically acclaimed indie-rock duo The Kills will be making a stop at the Kool Haus as part of a two-month trek throughout North America. The group, made up of singer Alison Mosshart and guitarist Jamie Hince, have released four albums, the most recent being last year's Blood Pressures . It's a unique sound [...]
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour brought their cosmic blend of retro acid-pop-cum-dance music to the Hoxton on Monday night. A psychedelic light show, great sound production and an incredibly polished backing band all helped songwriter Lars Iversen and vocalist Mette Lindberg put together a great set. I was a little apprehensive to hear songs like 'Lady Jesus' from 2009's Fruit going in last night. After all, the Asteroids Galaxy Tour's sound on record is nothing short of arresting: huge drums, horns and hooks placed carefully on top of one another, beautiful and intriguing, but [...]
This Will Destroy You hit Toronto a lot - they've been here at least four times in less than two years. The Texas foursome must be doing something right; Lee's Palace was packed for their Saturday show with Mountains and Amen Dunes. When I last saw New York three-piece Amen Dunes , they were in a rush to get back on the road, which made for a disappointing show. This time, frontman Damon McMahon seemed more relaxed, and though this performance was less intimate than what would follow, the band's droning, distorted garage [...]
I haven't cried at a show since Sarah Harmer in 2001, you guys. I used to think some Constantines songs made me strangely emotional but take Bry Webb, a cello, a slide and lap steel guitar, the fact it was my lady time, and songs about his young son and I was set to cry me a motherfucking river! Saturday night Bry Webb played his album release show (two back to back shows actually) at The Music Gallery. Webb's performance was so powerful and earnest that, combined with the gorgeous setting, [...]
For the latest instalment of our get to know a DJ series, I sat down with DJ Lucie Tic . The honorary Torontonian has several residences, including Slowed with Toro Toro at Wrongbar, Classic at the Crawford, Push It at Slacks Bar, Green Bin at Czehoski's, and Loose Hips at Andy Poolhall. Tic was also kind enough to send along a mix she made just for this occasion, which you can check out at the conclusion of our chat. How did you start DJing? Well, I've always been [...]
On Friday night, Young Empires played at the Horseshoe to celebrate the release of their debut EP, Wake All My Youth . And while it's been a busy week for the Toronto band, with appearances on the Edge and MTV Live, they did their best to end the week in style with a sold out show at the Horseshoe. The band opened their set with "Rain of Gold." The song, propelled by an unlikely looped flute sample, turned out to be an ideal way to excite the Horseshoe's still limbering crowd. At [...]
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 : Isla Craig and The Continental Drift , "Marbles" We begin this week's mixtape with the [...]
Thursday night The Horseshoe was packed for a Dine Alone records extravaganza featuring Dinosaur Bones . It was their fourth birthday, aw. Starting with a burst of energy perhaps still lingering from Young Rival's set, the quintet played songs from 2010's Birthright EP, 2011's My Divider and a few yet-to-be-released new songs. On display immediately was the band's professionalism, precision and skill. They have a stadium pop-rock (think The Stills, Muse) quality that was surprising to hear at The Horseshoe (it's up to you whether you think that's [...]
On Provider , Bry Webb shakes your bones and spirit with his lonesome voice and elegant guitar work. Drawn out of shouts from his time as lead vocalist of Constantines , Webb closes you in a world of tender thoughts and poetic wonder. The songs in Provider are personal and are sung from the perspective of a true storyteller with a warm, quiet soul. Each strum tells a kind of hardened, living history and every word that follows Webb's melody is a fleeting hush that's special if you hold onto [...]
On Monday night, while Bloor and Lansdowne lay under a carpet of snow, a small group had made it out to assemble on Placebo Space's couches and floor cushions to see Dent-De-Lion's Toronto stop on his long winter tour. Dent-De-Lion is Aymeric Hainaux , a solo performer from France who is currently crossing North America with his harmonica, accordion, echo pedal, assortment of junk percussion, and his most important instrument: himself. Every note and gesture counts with Dent-De-Lion. Combining beat-boxing, minimalism, noisy experimentation, performance art, and dance, Hainaux moves fluidly, [...]
Chicago soul legend Mavis Staples brought her signature brand of gospel and folk songs to the Royal Conservatory of Music's incredibly ornate Koerner Hall Sunday night. Having scored her first hit with the Staple Singers' "Uncloudy Day" all the way back in 1956, one might be led to think that her enthusiasm for performance or ability to command a crowd might have diminished over the years. Luckily, this was anything but the case as Staples and her stunning backing band awed a reverent, sold-out crowd for the entirety of their 100-minute set. The a [...]
Live music picks for WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 1 through TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2012. SATURDAY FEBRUARY 4 / BRY WEBB / MUSIC GALLERY / $12 / 19+ In 2010, one of Ontario's finest bands, the Constantines, decided to go on hiatus, leaving Toronto without the voice of the group's frontman, Bry Webb . Thankfully, Webb is back with a new record, Provider . The songwriter's newest material sees him exhibit the same kind of lyrical wit that marked his early career, though this most recent batch of songs is tempered [...]
Entering The Garrison just after 9 p.m. on Saturday night, a line of potential concert goers were informed that the Yamantaka//Sonic Titan gig was definitely going to sell out - it was just a matter of when. Despite sheets of ice covering sidewalks and brutal January winds, the hype surrounding Y//ST combined with a solid line up of lo-fi openers had made the show a hit. Long haired, hooded opener Sexy Merlin began at ten, alone with a mic and some pedals before a drum-kit. Aside from the appeal of looking like [...]
Montreal's Thee Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra chose not to allow media cameras into their Lee's Palace show on Friday — a questionable decision given that, as I predicted, many fans successfully smuggled in cameras, but not a particularly surprising one. Silver Mt. Zion is an offshoot of notoriously media unfriendly Godspeed You! Black Emperor . The worst part about the photo ban is that I can't show you the first thing fans saw upon entering: a framed, up-side-down photo of Stephen Harper mounted above the stage (I must say, Harper looks better [...]
Cass McCombs' show at the Garrison this Friday night was a treat for all those in attendance. The opener, Frank Fairfield — a violin and banjo-toting songwriter from California — set the stage with whimsical, southern-style tunes that had the crowd tapping their feet and clapping along with the occasional "Yip!" hollered into the night. When McCombs and his band finally hit the stage just before midnight, the crowd was right riled-up and ready to sway to songs from his most recent release, Humor Risk. The backdrop — a glittering matrix [...]
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 : Bry Webb , "Asa" If you haven't yet, you must listen to [...]
What can I say that a Tool fan doesn't already know about their epic live shows? Even if Maynard Keenan claimed the band was a "little rusty," you would have never known it as they took the ACC with full force last night. They kicked off their set promptly at 9:05pm to a packed and amped crowd after openers Intronaut warmed everyone up with their fast and heavy riffs. Starting off hard and fast, they played "Hooker with a Penis," off of their critically acclaimed album from 1996, Ænima . Maynard's voice [...]
Almost two years ago, Toronto's music community shed a collective tear when Wavelength held its final weekly concert at the Garrison. Launched in 1999, the series had held five hundred weekly concerts. And while Wavelength has gone on to bigger and better things as an annual festival, a void has remained in this city's Sunday night music schedule. Thankfully that's about to change. In a story first picked up by the Grid's Stuart Berman, a new weekly series is set to launch this February. In a press release posted over on his [...]
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Childish Gambino - "Heartbeat" (Official Music Video)
James Blake – Live Album
Mux Mool
Circo Voador anuncia shows de The Kooks, Foster The People, Friendly Fires, Gogol Bordello e mais
