blogTO | Posts by Gary

blogTO | Posts by Gary http://www.blogto.com/ Toronto blog Copyright 2008 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:54:18 PDT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Brasstronaut Land in Toronto Vancouver indie jazz quartet Brasstronaut played their first show in Toronto last night at the Drake in support of their impressive debut Old Word Lies EP. It was a showcase of sorts, hosted by their label Unfamiliar Records. Although their ingredients might not impress the jazz crowd most of the band's members come from, it's the indie-centric vocals of keyboardist Edo Van Breemen that put this band more in the "interesting indie pop" section of my mind - a place that's reserved for bands like Beirut.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/10/brasstronaut_land_in_toronto http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/10/brasstronaut_land_in_toronto Music Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:43:27 PDT Music Gary 2008-10-09T11:43:27 Call & Response: Cadence Weapon Rollie Pemberton (aka Cadence Weapon) is an amazing hip hop producer/emcee from Edmonton. He infuses his killer beats with pretty much every other style of music he likes - mainly electro, house, and techno. His lyrics and rhyming patterns are refreshingly influenced more by the UK grime scene than they are American hip hop and at age 22, he's also a retired Pitchfork writer. That's a lot of "cool" for one guy from Edmonton. Maybe that's why he's blowing up so fast?

His Dad was a pioneering hip hop DJ in Edmonton, so I guess it's also in the genes. Cadence Weapon released his debut album Breaking Kayfabe in 2005 and just released the very amazing follow-up Afterparty Babies on various indie labels around the world. The first single "In Search of the Youth Crew" has made it's way around the blogs and it's a perfect blend of futuristic hip hop and underground house. He just got back from a European tour and he also played some of the biggest festivals in the UK this summer.

Cadence Weapon plays Lee's Palace next week. I exchanged some words with Rollie about his goals as an artist, his new album, and plans to form a futuristic power gang.

More...

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/10/call_response_cadence_weapon http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/10/call_response_cadence_weapon Music Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:04:16 PDT Music Gary 2008-10-03T12:04:16 My Bloody Eardrums Last night I saw Irish shoegaze legends My Bloody Valentine play in Toronto - the only Canadian date on their North American reunion tour. One word can sum up my experience: Ahhhhhh!!!

After releasing two classic modern rock albums (1988's Isn't Anything and the 1991 masterpiece Loveless) and never finishing their third, My Bloody Valentine went into hibernation for over 15 years. About a year ago, the band's original line up (Shields on guitar and vocals, guitarist/vocalist Belinda Butcher, Debbie Googe on bass and Colm O'Ciosoig on drums) was offered a fortune to re-unite. After a handful of dates in the UK and the US, My Bloody Valentine brought their $400,000 worth of guitar amps and effects pedals to the Kool Haus.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/09/my_bloody_eardrums http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/09/my_bloody_eardrums Music Fri, 26 Sep 2008 22:44:17 PDT Music Gary 2008-09-26T22:44:17 Call & Response: Lal This week I'm a ladies man. The fifth annual Ladyfest Toronto is on this weekend and, according to the website, it is a four-day arts, music and culture festival put on by a "do-it-yourself collective who seek to promote urban feminism".

Four amazing nights of music are included in this year's festival and local world music activists Lal headline the launch Thursday night at The Boat. Led by out-spoken singer Rosina Kazi and producer Nick Murray (aka Murr), Lal have been trying to make a difference since they released their amazing trip hop debut Corners back in 2002 on Toronto's Public Transit Recordings.

Over the past six years they've explored all kinds of musical genres via a handful of singles and their sophomore record Warm Belly High Power, all while taking their music and message to a growing number of cities and ears. Their new album Deportation is very political and their most cohesively written album to date.

I spoke with Rose and bassist/composer Ian de Souza about their new record, the upcoming US election, and how we can make our city better.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/09/call_response_lal http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/09/call_response_lal Music Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:14:48 PDT Music Gary 2008-09-16T12:14:48 Canadian Pride in The Ballroom and Abroad Friday night was the third time I've seen Team Canada DJs in action. They really lit it up at The Ballroom Friday night.

Grandtheft and D.R.one can rock any party. Each time I've seen them has been for completely different crowds but the result is always the same: people dance and have fun! They had The Ballroom packed all night long, as they dropped random samples of all genres over classic hip hop.

More...

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/09/canadian_pride_in_the_ballroom_and_abroad http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/09/canadian_pride_in_the_ballroom_and_abroad Music Sun, 14 Sep 2008 15:18:50 PDT Music Gary 2008-09-14T15:18:50 Call & Response: Picastro Baroque indie band Picastro have flown the Toronto flag worldwide for over ten years now. They have a very moody, introspective sound thanks to lead singer/songwriter Liz Hysen. Her haunting melodies stick with you long after the record ends and her thought-provoking lyrics leave you with lots of questions.

Picastro are signed to Polyvinyl Records - the very influential indie label that is home to breakthrough acts like Of Montreal, Architecture in Helsinki and Asobi Seksu. Their distinct, lo-fi recording approach is refreshing to hear and it reminds me of all the great lo-fi bands I loved in the 90's.

Their three full-lengths (2001's Red Your Blues, 2005's Metal Cares and last year's over-looked gem Whore Luck) have taken them across North America and Europe several times over - perhaps with the help of their high profile collaborators Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu) and Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy.

But don't give those cats more credit than they deserve for Picastro's success. This has happened too often online and Liz would like to put an end to it. I spoke to her about the two huge misconceptions that surround her band among other things, including the effect of rain on produce.

Keep reading for the complete interview.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/09/call_response_picastro http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/09/call_response_picastro Music Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:48:44 PDT Music Gary 2008-09-10T11:48:44 Vfest 2008: B-Living It Up In The Dance Tent For the second time, Bacardi B-Live produced a dance tent at Virgin Festival Toronto. They know how to put on a good party and it was definitely the place to be this weekend on Olympic Island.

Vfest day 1 was filled with lots of sunshine, Richard Branson sipping mojitos in the VIP area, and two missed flights that prevented both dance tent headliners (Switch and SebastiAn) from making it into town for the party. This sounds like a disaster but the crowd didn't mind seeing MSTRKRFT headline instead. Their remix of the Justice hit "D.A.N.C.E." still manages to make people lose their minds.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/09/vfest_2008_bliving_it_up_in_the_dance_tent http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/09/vfest_2008_bliving_it_up_in_the_dance_tent Music Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:20:00 PDT Music Gary 2008-09-08T14:20:00 Delaware House: The New Acoustic Underground The four dedicated souls in local indie rock band Howl literally live their art. They all moved into a house on Delaware Avenue and set up a basement studio for rehearsals and recordings. They also started putting on acoustic shows in their garage. How cool is that?!?

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/09/delaware_house_the_new_acoustic_underground http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/09/delaware_house_the_new_acoustic_underground Music Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:40:00 PDT Music Gary 2008-09-05T09:40:00 Call & Response: Slim Twig Paper Bag Records has had a solid year - You Say Party! We Say Die! and Woodhands went all the way to Beijing for crying out loud! Well, rockabilly punk Slim Twig might be the next big export for Paper Bag. He's got a lot going for him: an artistic urban upbringing in a house full of filmmakers, a main role opposite Ellen Page in Bruce McDonald's film The Tracy Fragments, and two solid EP releases (Derelict Dialect and Vernacular Violence).

Paper Bag has decided to release both EPs as a single LP and Slim Twig will celebrate this with a big show at The Music Gallery Saturday night. I spoke with Slim about his upbringing, his aspirations, and his fascination with fire and brimstone.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/09/call_response_slim_twig http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/09/call_response_slim_twig Music Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:45:00 PDT Music Gary 2008-09-04T09:45:00 Hard Labour at the Guvernment Although I have been into the local club/party scene for over ten years, I attended only my third mega party at the Guvernment when I went to their annual Labour of Love event Sunday night. What lured me to it this time? I had fun at Decadence back in March and was interested in catching MSTRKRFT again, in addition to a long list of impressive DJs in at least seven different rooms. And so the labour began.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/09/hard_labour_at_the_guvernment http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/09/hard_labour_at_the_guvernment Music Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:19:00 PDT Music Gary 2008-09-03T12:19:00 Call & Response: Keys N Krates
Live remix band Keys N Krates have been mashing up music to new heights since I first talked about them back in February. They have played all over Western Canada, down the US West Coast and they even rocked some parties after the Juno Awards.

Their biggest audience though seems to be on YouTube. DJ Jr-Flo (a former Canadian DMC Champ), Matisse (keyboards) and Tune (drums) have taken full advantage of their band's visual strengths and their YouTube channel gets heavy traffic with some of their more popular performance clips drawing nearly 10,000 views.

Their last show in Toronto was a sell out. They play this month's edition Shuffle at Revival this Friday night. I spoke with Matisse about the crazy shows they've played out West, their new mixtape project, and converting Lindsay Lohan.

Keep reading for the complete interview.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/08/call_response_keys_n_krates http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/08/call_response_keys_n_krates Music Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:30:32 PDT Music Gary 2008-08-27T12:30:32 Call & Response: Cuff The Duke
Oshawa's crown princes of alt-country Cuff The Duke have been living the high life lately. After releasing Sidelines of the City - their third full-length on Hayden's Hardwood Records last October - they toured venues big and small across North America, as themselves and as Hayden's backing band.

Perhaps their greatest accomplishment was opening for Blue Rodeo at Massey Hall? I was curious about that and about what secret "guests" might be joining them on stage for their two shows at the Horseshoe this weekend.

My very first Call & Response was with lead singer Wayne Petti last June about his debut solo record. So I guess he's the C&R MVP. Congrats Wayne!

Keep reading for the complete interview.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/08/call_response_cuff_the_duke http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/08/call_response_cuff_the_duke Music Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:10:30 PDT Music Gary 2008-08-20T12:10:30 Call & Response: Rock Plaza Central

Seven-piece roots band Rock Plaza Central might be Toronto's highest profile Americana band. Led by talented singer/songwriter Chris Eaton, they released their breakthrough album Are They Not Horses last year to much worldwide acclaim, signed to influential indie label Yep Roc Records and toured all over North America and beyond.

As they work on their much-anticipated follow up record, Rock Plaza Central are playing the summer festival circuit across Canada. They play The Theatre Centre this Friday night as part of Summerworks.

I spoke with band member Don Murray about all the attention they've been getting, how the new record is coming along, and (of course) the rain. Note: Don swore twice and edited himself both times. I thought that was hilarious.

Keep reading for the complete interview.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/08/call_response_rock_plaza_central http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/08/call_response_rock_plaza_central Music Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:05:22 PDT Music Gary 2008-08-13T12:05:22 LCD Soundsystem DJs Make Disco Special Again
LCD Soundsystem ringleader James Murphy and his drummer Pat Mahoney love disco. A lot. Not cheesy 70's disco though. They champion the kind of disco that Murphy refers to as "real liberation music for people who know where to go".

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/08/lcd_soundsystem_djs_make_disco_special_again http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/08/lcd_soundsystem_djs_make_disco_special_again Music Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:49:45 PDT Music Gary 2008-08-12T16:49:45 Call & Response: Bruce Peninsula
No, not this one. Today we're talking about local 11-piece gospel/folk collective Bruce Peninsula. They are stacked with talented singers and musicians, including Casey Mecija of Ohbijou. I would put them in the same category as Sunparlour Players - both bands seem to channel a higher power through their music.

After releasing a 7" and playing a sold out acoustic show at St. Andrew-by-the-Lake Church on Toronto Island last month, Bruce Peninsula somehow found adequate transportation for themselves and took off on a seven-date East Coast tour which ends this Saturday at the Whipper Snapper Gallery.

Thanks to Lauren at NO SHAME (the show's promoter) I managed to get a hold of Peninsulite Neil Haverty on the road to chat about writing songs on the porch, how they manage to tour, and how it's all about balance when it comes to the weather.

Keep reading for the complete interview.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/08/call_response_bruce_peninsula http://www.blogto.com/music/2008/08/call_response_bruce_peninsula Music Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:59:35 PDT Music Gary 2008-08-06T14:59:35