Blog: For the 'records'

I didn't realize that my trip to New York City and CMJ last week would have taken such a toll on me this week because outside of work I've been downright pooped so apologies for the delayed NYC / CMJ content. New York City has been on my travel destination list for the last decade but somehow I didn't pull it together until now. It's a spectacular city, full of diversity, culture and history and for the five day and nights that I was there I was intent on absorbing as much as I could, not that it [...]

NYC-bound tomorrow and still in the midst of packing but I am looking forward to CMJ immensely. I'm a bit overwhelmed going through the CMJ schedule and deciding what to pick but fortunately I came across My Free Concert which has JUST ABOUT ALL the skinny on both official and unofficial parties happening during the CMJ Music Marathon this week. And not only that but My Free Concert have partnered with No Pulp Music to host their own 2-night [Tues Oct 19 & Fri Oct 22] shindig at Arlene's [...]

The minor media attention given to Toronto electro-dance pop trio Young Empires and their apparently fantastic NXNE show at the Dakota Tavern back in June some how evaded me but now I'm noticing. Actually to be more truthful, music blogger friend Ryan O'shaughnessy (of music site Tunes in T.O. ) had mentioned to me back at the end of August that British music publication NME had contacted him for permission to use one of his photos of the band for an upcoming issue, and that was actually the first time the [...]

Of all the Canadian acts that are playing CMJ , I may actually make an effort to see Montreal duo No Joy . Made up of members Jasmine White-Gluz and Laura Lloyd the duo have already released a 7" through hip Brooklyn-based upstart Mexican Summer . The label is set to release the duo's debut full-length Ghost Blonde on November 16. With a bio that makes references about the band's sound to My Bloody Valentine and Lush , the first influence is particularly strong and as a lover of all [...]

Sufjan Stevens @ Massey Hall: photo by Michael Ligon Review to come. Photos: Sufjan Stevems, DM Stith @ Massey Hall, Toronto (October 13, 2010) MySpace: DM Stith MySpace: Sufjan Stevens

Diamond Rings: photo by Michael Ligon Having had a splendid week already with both Belle and Sebastian and Sufjan Stevens playing terrific shows at Massey Hall in Toronto, under normal circumstances that'd keep me content for a while. However, the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City is taking place next week from October 19 to the 23 and guess who'll be covering it? Yes, me! Covering it for this blog anyway. I'm not sure yet whether I'll be posting any updates from the front - it'll all depend on what sort [...]

Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian: photo by Michael Ligon Review to come.

The Walkmen: photo by Michael Ligon The various spectrums of rock n' roll were on display this past Saturday night with a trio of acts that were bound to please everyone. It would only take one look at the MySpace URL of first opener Blood Feathers to guess what they specialized in. The Philly outfit were indeed a rock n' roll band of the highest degree, pumping out hard-rocking, r n' b, rockabilly-tinged numbers. Taking a reverse take on The Ramones whose members each took on Ramone as their last [...]

Woodpigeon @ Yonge Dundas Square: photo by Michael Ligon So as the photo above attests to even the pigeons couldn't resist checking out Calgarian indie folk outfit Woodpigeon who stopped in at Yonge Dundas Square for a free noon hour show. It was during last year's NXNE that was the first and only time I'd seen Woodpigeon live, so the free show at the Square this past week was a good chance to get reacquainted with them, even if I couldn't catch everything since I had to get [...]

  Nuit Blanche in Toronto: photo by Michael Ligon This past Saturday night was the Toronto's fifth annual Nuit Blanche, an all-night contemporary arts festival. I've made it out to every Nuit Blanche except for the inaugural one back in 2006, and this year's one just about the chilliest, but at least the rain held off. I made a conscious effort to try to avoid the crowds as much as possible so I started out in Zone C in Liberty Village and Parkdale before heading west to Downtown Toronto to check out [...]

Norman Blake & Gerard Love of Teenage Fanclub: photo by Michael Ligon It's been a good five years since Scottich power popsters Teenage Fanclub last played Toronto touring their last album Man Made but with a new album to promote entitled Shadows , the band have once again hit the road, last week stopping in for a two-night stint at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto. I was fortunate enough to take in the second night. Opening the show were Montreal's Elephant Stone . Brainchild of Rishi [...]

Review to come. Photos: The Stills @ Marilyn Bell Park, Toronto (September 10, 2010) MySpace: The Stills

Terry Hall of The Specials: photo by Michael Ligon Review to come. Photos: The Specials @ Sound Academy, Toronto (August 28, 2010) MySpace: The Specials Video: The Specials - Intro / Do The Dog / New Era (Live @ Sound Academy - Toronto Aug 28/10) * * courtesy of karbonbee

Win and Regine of The Arcade Fire: photo by Michael Ligon Review to come. Photos: The Arcade Fire, Janelle Monae, The Sadies @ Olympic Island, Toronto (August 14, 2010) MySpace: The Sadies MySpace: Janelle Monae MySpace: The Arcade Fire

Richard Baluyut of Versus: photo by Michael Ligon It was a 90's Merge Records comeback as Chapel Hill's Polvo and Brooklyn's Versus took over Lee's Palace last Friday night. The 1990's was my coming of age period in terms of indie rock, and Versus(along with Seam , Aminiature , and Toronto's own Venus Cures All ) was one of the the first real indie bands I saw live when they played the El Mocambo in 1995. During that period I started to discover [...]

Local promoters Collective Concerts sent out a Facebook message today that they'll be selling tickets at the door for The Arcade Fire show today at Olympic Island so if you haven't yet picked up a ticket, get yourself down there fast. Doors are at 4:00 pm and tickets at the door will set you back $64.00. Support for today's show are Kansas City sensation Janelle Monáe and Toronto's always dependable The Sadies . Wow, I'm just listening to some samples of Janelle for the first time on her MySpace , [...]

photo credit Denny Renshaw Many hearts are a flutter with the news that the one Sufjan Stevens is touring this fall and taking his show to historic theatres and venues across North America, and yes including a few Canadian dates. He will be in Toronto for a show at the grand old lady of Shuter Street, Massey Hall on October 13. A special presale for fans will take place today(August 10) with a limited number of tickets going onsale and expected to sell out quickly, but otherwise tickets will go [...]

Many of us are looking forward to The Arcade Fire 's show at Olympic Island this weekend. They just played a show at Madison Square Gardens in NYC with a Terry Gilliam -directed live stream to YouTube - some good quality video has surfaced over at Vimeo . But just prior to that, one of the band's earliest performances caught to video filmed by a friend of the The Arcade Fire's Richard Parry surfaced on Vimeo . It was filmed at the Rivoli in Toronto in 2003; I'm not sure which month in 2003 the performance [...]

Joey Burns of Calexico: photo by Michael Ligon More often than not bands tour to promote a new release but sometimes they tour for touring's sake such as the case with Tucson's Calexico who stopped in Toronto for a show at the Phoenix Concert Theatre on July 22. Similarly, openers Toronto trio Elliott Brood aren't promoting a new release either but came out to open the show before working out their performance legs on their own tour jaunt. It's surprising it took me so long to [...]

The Hold Steady's Craig Finn: photo by Michael Ligon Review/photos to come. Photos: The Hold Steady @ Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto (July 16, 2010) MySpace: The Hold Steady