Toronto Unplugged

THE FREE PRESS launch their debut full-length album ‘HALF TRUTHS & WHOLE LIES‘, at the Horseshoe FRIDAY JULY 11. Doors at 9PM. $8 at the door.
The Free Press’ have worked long and hard at preparing for the debut of their first full-length album, which is out independently this week.
This unapologetically-pop group goes against the grain in choosing to write songs about relevant political and social issues, matching the lyrics with an upbeat tempo and catchy hooks. It’s a refreshing take on feel-good music.
The band sets a good example of social responsibility; even the packaging of the new …read more

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The Fringe is Toronto ’s largest theatre festival.
In 2008 Toronto’s Fringe Festival will host over 800 artists from Ontario, Canada and around the world, with over 135 unique productions in more than 25 venues.
Productions range from dramas to musical extravaganzas to improv and take place in local theatres as well as in unusual spots: playgrounds, parking lots and more. The festival also hosts a beer tent, two outdoor patios and a free nightly Cabaret.
unjuried, unexpected, unforgettable
Music wise, there are some solid acts (free of charge) at the Fringe Club, 292 Brunswick. There’s something different every night, including a special …read more

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Matthew Good is used to touring with his acoustic guitar.  It is a little easier on the body…perhaps because it is more about the music and lyrics and less about the ‘rock’.  This tour, to the delight of fans, Good has decided to crack out his electric again, but admits it’s taking a toll on his body.
“I woke up this morning feeling like I’d run a marathon after which I was hit by a bus, dragged four blocks, and then set upon by wolves,” he said on his website, matthewgood.org, the day after the concert.
The band on this tour is …read more

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Most may know Toronto’s historic Fort York for the annual beer festival…most might not remember any of it, but that’s standard. The Rogers Picnic has declared Fort York home for their annual bash celebrating great music. This year’s bash will feature New York’s Vampire Weekend.
In case you missed Vampire Weekend when they were last in Toronto at their crazily hyped show at the Horseshoe Tavern, this is a chance to see them at another unique (although much larger) venue.
The other acts at this year’s Rogers Picnic includes Animal Collective, Cat Power, Dizzee Rascal, Tokyo Police Club, Born Ruffians, …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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Produced by Martin Terefe, who also produced 2005’s Retriever and 2002’s Cobblestone Runway, Exit Strategy of the Soul was recorded in varied locations including studios in London, England and Havana, Cuba. Its ambitious arrangements, backed by a punctuating and swelling horn section on nearly every song, complete an album that is one of Sexsmith’s most wide-ranging in breadth of sound and feel.
With Ron Sexsmith’s disarmingly warm, inviting voice and his brilliant lyrical melancholy, the album’s 14 tracks contain observations on spirituality, love and the ever present hope that the beauty of life can overcome the world’s harshness. Also included here …read more

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One of the most talked about Canadian bands right now is Nova Scotia’s Tom Fun Orchestra. The 10 piece Soul | Western Swing | Post Punk outfit is touring the globe and giving everyone something to rave about along on the way.
Their recent release You Will Land with a Thud has received rave reviews from music authorities at everywhere. Description? …the sound of exotic birds standing on the sides of forgotten highways, flapping their wings in the winds of speed-induced truckers.
Seeing this band live is an experience – your eyes race the stage to keep up with …read more

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It took a blogger in Austin Texas during SXSW to introduce me to The Cliks.  Finding out I was from Toronto, the lead blogger for Austin Sound Check indicated that one of her favorite bands was from our humble abode – a band called The Cliks who ’sound a bit like early Pretenders.’
The Cliks are known for their blazing, uncompromising live performances.  Their brand of rock is a throwback to what is fresh again.   In this same breath,The Cliks will be opening  for The Cult at The Sound academy tonight (April 12).
Late ticket pickups can be sought after here.
The Cliks …read more

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The globally successful and popular Virgin Festival will rear it’s commercial head and try its hand in Calgary on the June 21 & 22 weekend.The lineup is quite strong: Stone Temple Pilots and The Tragically Hip will headline, but it is the supporting acts that are generating all the chatter.
Here is a snap shot of the meat and potatoes…
The Flaming Lips, City and Colour, Matthew Good, Stars, New Pornographers, Constantines, Face to Face, Attack in Black, The Dudes, Said the Whale, The Spades, The Whitsundays, Ten Second Epic and quite a few more.
One day passes go for $75 and …read more

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Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island’s Two Hours Traffic is a band that you will likely hear blasting out speakers – depending on what circles you find yourself in.  The brand of ‘Anthemic Pandemic’ powerpop is prefect for this season – the bridge between winter slumps and patio season.  Their upbeat sound is sure to bring joy to your journey from A to B.
Two Hours Traffic is a Canadian indie rock band who chose their title after a line in the prologue to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Although often described as the band that Halifax guitarist Joel Plaskett took “under his wing”, …read more

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