Toronto Unplugged

This track from Brendan Canning ‘Hit The Wall‘ was the first single from Canning’s solo album titled Something For All Of Us. The album was released on May 5, 2008 and was available as a free download on the Arts & Crafts website.
The song is a smooth yet funky track with Canning’s power-pop trait rocking through. With the first real days of summer coming around the corner, this is a patio track. Enjoy.

Brendan Canning is a founding member of Broken Social Scene and a veteran indie rock performer who has been a member of various notable …read more

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Friday July 4th @ 8pm Arizona’s Jimmy Eat World will play Toronto’s Sound Academy. Jimmy Eat World are no strangers to Toronto having toured here almost a dozen times.
From their 1994 self titled debut, through (my favorite) Clarity, to their latest offering 2007’s Chase The Light, Jimmy Eat World have grown from a stumble upon band to a mainstream favorite.
If you’re a fan of the band, this should be a solid show as they will be trying out some new material as well as falling back on some of their old (but great) stuff. As well, JEW …read more

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Part Two of Saturday Night happenings at NXNE tonight…
The Worst Pop Band Ever – With influences ranging from Radiohead to Miles Davis, Bjork to Brad Mehldau, TWPBE is a Toronto-based group that tries to amicably reconcile their love of improvisational music with pop.
Rex @ 12AM
Revival Dear – As a roots rock band from Toronto, Revival Dear has found a way to pay homage to the past and herald in the future at the same time. Somewhere between the Band and Fleetwood Mac.
**This will be a great gig**
Cadillac Lounge @ 12 Midnight
Emily Weedon & Delta – Recommended if you love Dolly …read more

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Said The Whale is as much a product of Vancouver’s tremendous natural beauty as it is of the city’s budding independent music scene. Electronic indie rock that captures the essence of what it means to be young, free and heartbroken.
Rivoli @ 11PM
Run With The Kittens – Ripping some musical styles from the past, some from the future, this foursome is hell bent on showing people a good time with a repertoire ranging from darkly witty Dylan-esque tunes to stompers worthy of Motorhead.
Holy Joe’s @ 11PM
The Two Koreas – Like soggy cigarette butts in melting snow banks, Toronto’s preeminent practitioners of …read more

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The El Mocambo Tavern (462-464, Spadina Ave., Toronto ON M5T 2G8) (aka “The El Mo”) is a live music Toronto institution. Located on Spadina Avenue, just south of College Street, the bar played an important role in the development of popular music in Toronto since the 1940s. It is perhaps best known for hosting two Rolling Stones shows on March 4 and 5, 1977 that were recorded for release on the band’s Love You Live album.
Throughout NXNE, The El Mocambo will be one of the hottest venues of the Festival. Toronto Unplugged profiles the gigs shaking out both upstairs …read more

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North by Northeast (or NXNE) is an annual four-day live music and film festival and music conference in Toronto, Ontario held the second weekend each June. This year’s Festival will run from June 12th – 16th.
It began in 1996 and was patterned on the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. Each year, three-dozen music venues host hundreds of bands from Canada, the United States and all over the world. Each music venue hosts five bands a night (9 p.m. onward), and the majority of the venues are grouped along downtown Toronto’s Queen St. West, College St. West, and …read more

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Getting big into podcasts lately.  Not just me…but a lot of people I know.  There are some very insightful minds on virtually every subject and more and more of them are developing podcasts.
One podcast I was recently introduced to by my man Jim, is John Sakamoto’s Anti-Hit List.  There are a few things I like about this podcast:  1. JS knows his shit  2. Music discovery is a beautiful thing  3. Some of the tunes are outstanding
The Anti-Hit List is a weekly music column by Canadian music critic John Sakamoto.
The column presents a countdown list of Sakamoto’s ten favourite non-hit …read more

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Here is a great Toronto Rock and Roll band….
The Salingers are four friends who share an ideal, a romantic notion of sorts: That rock music can make the small and mundane feel epic and vital, and provide a hopeful soundtrack to the inevitable negativity that surrounds. Or perhaps most importantly, that it can make you walk a little differently – with a little more purpose, with a greater sense of self.
The Sound…part throw back to the late 80’s/early 90’s UK rock scene, part Strokes influence with catchy quick hooks, and some Sloan influence (but way, way cooler).
Standout Track:  2025
The Salingers …read more

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Silverstein, illScarlett, Cancer Bats, Teenage Head and the Black Lungs are set to rock the 13th annual S.C.E.N.E. Music Festival on Sunday, June 29th 2008. The renowned all-ages, one-day music festival will feature 151 performers at 13 venues and 16 stages across downtown St. Catharines.
S.C.E.N.E. Music Festival (St. Catharines Event for New Music Entertainment) spotlights the best and brightest of the independent music scene, presenting an eclectic roster to thousands of music fans. From intimate clubs to large …read more

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Hello Operator is a breakthrough band. They were called a “newsmaker” in Macleans magazine, and listed as “one of 12 bands to watch out for” by Canoe.ca after their exciting Canadian Music Week performance. Their video for Chasing Satellites has been in regular rotation on Much Music and Much Loud since November 2007 and have been featured on MTV Live.
The band just returned from an 8 week tour zig zagging across North America. Throughout the tour we would get random updates through msn, Facebook and email. Cameron’s Brewing is a big fan of the band and threw …read more

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