Toronto Unplugged

Toronto’s Crystal Castles have already proven they can sell albums. Now they’re proving that they can sell albums…on vinyl.
In addition to this week’s CIMS album chart, there was a TOP 50 Vinyl chart – week ending July 20, 2008
Crystal Castles self titled album came in at a very impressive 34 – trailing the likes of Radiohead In Rainbows, My Morning Jacket Evil Urges, Wolf Parade At Mount Zoomer and Coldplay Vida La Vida.
Here is the top 20…
TW LW Title Artist
1 D METALLICA MASTER OF PUPPETS
2 22 …read more

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This week we’re still pulling some key tracks from other blogs in the channel.  We are diversifying our portfolio so to speak.  Start out your day with some quality Jazz.  Some people don’t ‘get’ jazz.  Appreciation can be simple for jazz and any other genre – listen to it and pick out why it’s different from what you normally listen to.  For jazz, your mind will race at the complexity and magic of the sounds.  The Jazz and Blues Lounge is our online authority for Jazz and Blues and here are two key tracks.  Keeping with the jazz …read more

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Here you go Lana Gay…I’m expanding your Band Pairings concept to this side of the Net.
Band at SXSW + a Beverage + BBQ’d something…
The Tom Fun Orchestra…
Tom Collins (Hayman’s Old Tom Gin…of course)..
BBQ’d Nova Scotia Lobster…
Fun Dip for dessert…who remembers fun dip?
No idea what I’m talking about…go here.

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The Coast is quickly becoming one of Toronto’s most talked about Indie sensations. This track The Lines Are Cut lets you in on the buzz.

The Salingers are another Toronto band getting some pre-hype. The band is working hard to get a sharp new release out. If their Myspace tracks are any indication, this band will be big. Standout track: 2025
Swedish rockers The Hives recently challenged the Swedish players of the Vancouver Canucks to a game of hockey at General Motors Place. Word is that the band didn’t have a goalie, so they used build …read more

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Around the b5media Music Channel, a few bloggers have listed off tracks that are stuck in their head. In addition to our list of ‘songs that get stuck in your mind‘ some others have listed songs (both good and bad) that they can’t shake. Have you say by checking them out….
Metal Martyr has listed some terrible songs that Scott would love to shake out of his melon.
Beatles Invasion throws it back a decade or two and lists some gems like Come On Eileen and a little Kung Fu Fighting
On the verge of insanity – because of songs like …read more

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Toronto Unplugged needs your help….
We’ve been charged with creating a list of bands/musicians/artists to watch in 2008 – those who we think will break the scene.
We have our personal favorites, but we want to hear from you.  Who are you following as of late?  Who have you seen lately that blew you away?   Is there a release that you can’t stop playing?
There will be a good number of Toronto/Canadian bands that will rise through this year and (with your help) we will list them here.
The list will be posted in roughly two weeks – with links to each artist/band …read more

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Decent week this week for shows in Toronto…and it all starts tonight…yes, a Sunday.
Xavier Rudd sings to the sold out crowd at the Danforth Music Hall tonight. Vampire Weekend play a hyped up ’show of the year’ at the Horseshoe Tavern.
The Kooks are at the Mod Club on Monday, The Bravery rock out the Opera House on Tuesday, Andrew W.K. will explode at the Sound Academy on Thursday and Thrice is at the Kool Haus on Friday.
The Kooks are at the Mod Club on Monday, The Bravery rock out the Opera House on Tuesday, on Thursday Andrew W.K. will …read more

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Do you follow Hype Machine? If you’re in to music, I suggest you do.
Easy and cool way to find (and listen to) bands generating hype. Everywhere.
The Hype Machine follows music blog discussions.  Every day, thousands of people around the world write about music they love — and it all ends up there.
The Hype Machine sidebar will constantly update every time the page is refreshed – making it easy to listen to what is getting hype in the world of music.
This minute’s list features Feist and a New York band who is getting huge hype and playing a sold …read more

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A fellow friend and blogger Arjun at The Good Musician proposed the questions to a number of us bloggers, “what artists would you not want to trade places/lives with?”
A great question. I had to base my answers on a few criteria: I couldn’t immediately name the members of Nickelback one after another (it wouldn’t have made for a diverse list), I would consider everything – having to play a certain genre/CD all the time, personal life matters and career health.
So here were the ones that jumped into my head…
Flavor Flav – although fun for a few days, the …read more

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Here are three songs that crept their way into heavy rotation this past week. There is a hearty mix of…an up and coming pair of young American musicians touring through Toronto shortly, a Canadian group from Winnipeg who take their curling very serious, and a six shooter from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Click play on the songs below to listen. If you’ve got a site, check out Songza, they’ve made it easy to stream your favorite music.
Leave a comment and give us your songs and we’ll stream them weekly.

At the El Mocambo Feb 9

At Toronto Winter City Festival …read more

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