Toronto Unplugged

Fresh from the cover of Now Magazine is Handsome Ned.  And son of a devil, was this man ever handsome…in a musical way.  Handsome Ned was a King and Queen West community legend.  Living above the Cameron House and taking up residency there performing both as a solo performer and with his or various other bands – Handsome Ned would join anyone and everyone on stage and at the time, it made for some of the most memorable sets in the scene at that time.
From Now…
“For almost five years in the early 80s, Handsome Ned was the King of …read more

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If some of the bands that have been on the scene of late made resolutions…and if I somehow knew what they were…and if they were resolutions that I wish lacked longevity and were in fact broken…than these would be them.
Picture the Broken Social Scene town meeting just before New Years,
“This year folks, we are going to collectively commit to no side projects.”
A hush of silence.
Some of the best albums of this past year in Canadian music have been Broken Social Scene sides.
I was saying to my wife a few days ago…I wish I was around for the days of bands …read more

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(Xavier Rudd)
Australian Xavier Rudd is practically an adopted Canadian – factoring in his extended Canadian tours, further extended stays recording new music and albums and lastly, his unexplained success. Rudd seems to like Canada. And as of yesterday, Toronto has been rewarded with a third show at The Danforth Music Hall.
Rudd’s first scheduled performance on Thursday January 31st sold out instantly. His second show on Friday February 1st just sold out. Just announced on Rudd’s website is a third show on Sunday February 10th. Tickets go on sale on January 11th here.
There might be …read more

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CBC Radio 3 is on to something. Their Track of the Day segment is being turned over to their loyal podcast and streaming audience.
Everyone has a track by a local band that has resonated with them. Spread the word. Tell people. That is the heart of the music business. Now, you can send it to Radio 3 and hope to get a national and global voice…on a podcast anyway.
The podcast segment entails one of the hosts to pick a tune from New Music Canada and tells you why you should listen to the …read more

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Here is what is on the concert horizon for this week. Kate Nash at the Mod Club is a decent start to an interesting 7 days.
Mon Jan 7th – Kate Nash – Mod Club
Tue Jan 8th – Run With The Kittens – Cameron House
Tues Jan 8th – Walk off the Earth – Horseshoe Tavern
Wed Jan 9th – Nada Surf in-store performance, Sonic Boom at 7:15 pm
Wed Jan 9th – Recovery Child – The Rivoli
Fri Jan 11th – Latefallen – Opera House
Sat Jan 12th – The Vapids – The Kathedral

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Historically, the Junction is a neighbourhood in Toronto that derives its name from a junction of four railway lines in the area known as the West Toronto Diamond. The centre of the area is Dundas Street West and Keele Streets.  This Junction eventually became know as the City of Toronto.
Locally, The Junction is a band you should check out.  Start listening to them to become familiar before their gig on Feb 2 at the Shoe.  Their song Components of Four may have made to your speakers as it got some decent rotations on various broadcasts and podcasts.
Here’s the skinny…The Junction …read more

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Here are some options for catching some gigs in the city on this Friday night. There are some solid bands taking the stage, just browse your favorite venues below and pick your vibe.
Recco: If not heading to the Phoenix grab a date and check out the Reservoir.
Phoenix: Die Mannequin and the Dresden Dolls – $19.50
Cameron House: An Evening Out CD release
Lee’s Palace: Rock For Humanity benefit w/ I Hate Sally (rock/punk)
The Horseshoe: 63 Monroe, Saigon Hookers, Alpha Project and Storm Alongs (rock/indie/glam)
Reservoir Lounge: The Jake Rude Swing Sextet (jazz) – the Reservoir is always a good bet
The …read more

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The Underground Garage is one of the top rock and roll bars in the city. If you’re visiting Toronto and are looking for a good night out you have the check out The Underground Garage.
 
Located at 365 King Street West. They have recently taken over the upstairs space, which is where you’ll find the place while they finish their construction in the Underground.
 
You will find rockin’ music practically every night – one night could be a tight band covering everything from Jimi to Radiohead, another night could be a killer residing house band and another you might find …read more

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There is so much good music floating around right now. All of your favorite indie podcasts, streams and programs are doing a year in review. Songs from earlier in the year are being listed, played and brought back into podcast and MP3 rotations everywhere. When you start listening to the various lists you realize what a great follow up this year was to the last with regards to the Canadian music scene.
Here are a handful of tracks from this year and beyond to discover or re-discover.
Stars The Night Starts Here

Tokyo Police Club Your …read more

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CBC Radio 3 handed out their Bucky Awards yesterday. Full stream of the Podcast can be found here. This is one of the Top streamed music programs on the Internet.
CBC Radio 3 has a broad understanding and grasp of the music scene in Canada. Their Indie reach and influence makes it a true promoter and advocate of music culture in our cities and towns.
Back to the Bucky’s. I love how the winner of each award is most often reached on the phone to get their reactions – winning categories like Best Lyrics, Best Sweatin’ to the …read more

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