Live music picks for MONDAY JANUARY 28 through FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2013. MONDAY JANUARY 28 / THE GROWLERS / HORSESHOE TAVERN / 368 QUEEN W / $11.50 - $13 / 19+ Fans of psychedelic surf rock won't want to miss this one. The Growlers , out of California, have been perfecting and evolving their unique sound since bursting onto the scene in 2006. It can best be described as a mix of psychedelic, garage, and surf rock, with some lo-fi country elements thrown [...]
Live music picks for TUESDAY JANUARY 15 through SATURDAY JANUARY 19, 2013. TUESDAY JANUARY 15 / WILLY MASON / THE GREAT HALL / 332-334 QUEEN W / $12 / ALL AGES 28-year-old folk singer/songwriter Willy Mason has accomplished quite a bit since he burst onto the scene in 2005. He's released three albums, including Carry On , which came out just over a month ago. And perhaps most impressive, he's toured with such artists as Mumford & Sons , [...]
Live music picks for WEDNESDAY JANUARY 9 through SATURDAY JANUARY 12, 2013. WEDNESDAY JANUARY 9 / QUICKSAND / THE PHOENIX / 410 SHERBOURNE / $37.50 / 19+ New York post-hardcore band Quicksand should serve as a cautionary tale as to what can happen to a group if they fail to live up to a label's expectations. Formed in 1990, the band released two albums before in-fighting and stress stemming from underachieving led to the band's breakup. Now, they've reunited and embarked on a North American tour, which [...]
Live music picks for MONDAY DECEMBER 31, 2012 through SATURDAY JANUARY 5, 2013. MONDAY DECEMBER 31 / THE SADIES / HORSESHOE TAVERN / 368 QUEEN W / $31.50 / 19+ If you're still looking for something to do this New Year's Eve, this is a party that you'll definitely want to consider. Local alt-country legends The Sadies have performed at the Horseshoe on New Year's for the past 11 years, and it's always one of the better parties in the city. This [...]
Live music picks for WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26 through SUNDAY DECEMBER 30, 2012. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26 / ALEXISONFIRE / SOUND ACADEMY / 11 POLSON / $52.50 / ALL AGES One of the most popular bands of this generation, St. Catharine's own Alexisonfire is officially calling it quits, and this will be their last set of shows in Toronto (until they decide to do a reunion tour down the line - let's face it, the odds are good). You'll have four opportunities to see [...]
Live music picks for WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 19 through SATURDAY DECEMBER 22, 2012. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 19 / LOWEST OF THE LOW / HORSESHOE TAVERN / 368 QUEEN W / $26.50 - $30 / ALL AGES The Horseshoe's 65th anniversary rolls on with a series of fantastic shows, and this week, local heroes the Lowest of the Low will play two nights in a row. After supposedly breaking up for good in 2007, the band has reunited and is picking up right where they left off, with a unique [...]
Live music picks for TUESDAY DECEMBER 11 through SATURDAY DECEMBER 15, 2012. TUESDAY DECEMBER 11 / JAPANDROIDS / THE PHOENIX / 410 SHERBOURNE / $25.75 / 19+ It's been quite a year for Vancouver's Japandroids - between the release of their critically-acclaimed album Celebration Rock , to being named "Band of the Year" by Spin, 2012 was a year to remember for the indie rock duo. This show is part of Edge 102's Jingle Bell Rock concert series, and $1 from [...]
Live music picks for TUESDAY DECEMBER 4 through SATURDAY DECEMBER 8, 2012. TUESDAY DECEMBER 4 / LEON REDBONE / HUGH'S ROOM / 2261 DUNDAS W / $47.50 - $55 / ALL AGES Simply put, you won't see a more unique show this week, or maybe this year, then Leon Redbone live at Hugh's Room. He specializes in interpretations of early 20th-century music, including vaudevillian and ragtime tunes, and very little is know about his past. In fact, there are theories that the [...]
Live music picks for MONDAY NOVEMBER 26 through SATURDAY DECEMBER 1, 2012. MONDAY NOVEMBER 26 / LYDIA LOVELESS / THE DRAKE HOTEL / 1150 QUEEN W / $10.50 - $12 / 19+ Lydia Loveless may be only 21 years old, but her music projects the confidence of a much older soul. She specializes in a blend of alt-country and punk, and while this combination may sound a bit unusual, it works surprisingly well. Loveless's music exudes a level of confidence that [...]
Live music picks for TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20 through SATURDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2012. TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20 / ...AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD / LEE'S PALACE / 529 BLOOR W / $18.50 - $20 / 19+ It might not be a sound that appeals to everyone, but no one can say that Austin-based alt-rockers ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead aren't masters of the technical aspect of music. With a blending of genres including post-hardcore [...]
Live music picks for MONDAY NOVEMBER 12 through SATURDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2012. MONDAY NOVEMBER 12 / YELLOW OSTRICH / THE GARRISON / 1197 DUNDAS W / $13 / 19+ It's always refreshing to come across a band with a unique and fresh sound, and this is certainly true of Brooklyn's Yellow Ostrich . In the past, they've opened for Of Monsters and Men and Los Campesinos! , and now they're on tour in support of their latest album, Strange Land . Their [...]
Live music picks for MONDAY NOVEMBER 5 through SATURDAY NOVEMBER 10, 2012. MONDAY NOVEMBER 5 / THE ASTEROIDS GALAXY TOUR / DANFORTH MUSIC HALL / 147 DANFORTH AVE / $20 / 19+ Chances are that you've heard the funky sounds of The Asteroids Galaxy Tour , even if you think you haven't. The Danish sextet has been on the scene since 2007, and their catchy blend of indie pop and acid jazz has appeared in a plethora of shows and commercials, including one for iPod touch [...]
Live music picks for MONDAY OCTOBER 29 through SATURDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2012. MONDAY OCTOBER 29 / MILO GREENE / HORSESHOE TAVERN / 368 QUEEN W / $16.90 / 19+ Milo Greene isn't one specific individual - in fact, it's an indie folk quintet out of Los Angeles. At first listen, you may dismiss them as having a similar sound to bands like Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros and Of Monsters and Men . And while this may be true, in no [...]
Live music picks for MONDAY OCTOBER 22 through SATURDAY OCTOBER 27, 2012. MONDAY OCTOBER 22 / BLITZEN TRAPPER / LEE'S PALACE / 529 BLOOR W / $17.50 - $20 / 19+ In the spirit of full disclosure, I'm an absolutely huge fan of Blitzen Trapper . So when I say that this is a must-see show, you may want to take it with a grain of salt. But if you do decide to check these guys out, I just know you won't come away disappointed. For [...]
Live music picks for MONDAY OCTOBER 8 through SATURDAY OCTOBER 13, 2012. MONDAY OCTOBER 8 / NEIL HALSTEAD / DAKOTA TAVERN / 249 OSSINGTON / $22.50 - $25 / 19+ As a founding member of Slowdrive and current member of Mojave 3 , Neil Halstead has become one of Britain's most respected and renowned artists. Since 2002, he's released three solo albums, including Palindrome Hunches , which came out in September. If you're a fan of sweet and sorrowful indie rock, [...]
Live music picks for MONDAY OCTOBER 1 through FRIDAY OCTOBER 5, 2012. MONDAY OCTOBER 1 / WILLIS EARL BEAL / THE DRAKE HOTEL / 1150 QUEEN W / $15.50 - $18 / 19+ Willis Earl Beal is an artist/musician who has one of the coolest gimmicks on his website that I've ever seen. If you write him a letter, he'll draw you a picture and send it back. And if you give him a call (seriously, his number is on the site), he'll sing a [...]
Live music picks for TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18 through FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2012. TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18 / WYE OAK / HORSESHOE TAVERN / 368 QUEEN W / $12.50 - $15 / 19+ You might be asking yourself: "Self, why does Wye Oak call themselves Wye Oak?" Well, the answer is simple - the Wye Oak used to be the state tree of their homestate of Maryland. Cute name aside, this duo, comprised of Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack, specializes in a unique brand of indie folk [...]
Live music picks for TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 11 through SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2012. TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 11 / RUSTED ROOT / LEE'S PALACE / 529 BLOOR W / $28.95 / 19+ You've heard of Rusted Root , even if you think you haven't. To be more accurate, you've heard their biggest hit, 1994's "Send Me On My Way." It's been used in everything from movies, to commercials, to Boy Scouts of America promotional videos. But it would be a crime to believe that this song is the only [...]
Live music picks for WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 5 through SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2012. WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 5 / FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS / THE MOD CLUB / 722 COLLEGE / $34.75 / 19+ Everybody needs a little bit of soul and funk in their lives, but it's not a genre that you see a whole lot of these days. That's part of what makes Fitz and the Tantrums such a breath of fresh air - it's like listening to music from the '60s with a little bit [...]
Live music picks for TUESDAY AUGUST 21 through SUNDAY AUGUST 26, 2012. TUESDAY AUGUST 21 / RUSSIAN CIRCLES / LEE'S PALACE / 529 BLOOR W / $18.13 / 19+ Instrumental music is always hit or miss, but with Russian Circles , you're essentially guaranteed high-quality material at every turn. Based out of Chicago, this three-piece has been together for the better part of eight years, and in that time they've gone from opening for bands such as Tool to headlining their own shows. They're now regarded as [...]
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L.A.M.P. “Springtime” [mp3]
