The Hives are coming back to Toronto.   The band will be joined by opening act The Donnas at the Kool Haus on March 3rd.

Tickets have just went on sale here at Ticket Master.

The Hives are a rock band from Fagersta, Sweden that first rose to prominence in the early 2000s as a leading group of the garage rock revival. Their breakthrough came with the release of the “best-of” compilation Your New Favourite Band, featuring their most commercially successful song “Hate to Say I Told You So“. The band produces punk-influenced garage rock songs and wear matching black and white suits.

Formed in 1993, The Donnas are an American all-female hard rock/punk rock band from Palo Alto, California.  They draw inspiration from The Ramones, AC/DC, and Kiss.

Post from: Toronto Unplugged

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 like the Beatles and Dylan and the Stones who each put out 7 – 10 albums in 5 years. I said that it would never happen again. This might be as close as it will ever get.

Here are some more…

Local bands are going to keep grinding away on the traditional path to musical stardom.  Break it and try something bizarre and cutting edge to get your sound out.

Ticketmaster is going to add more convenience to their convenience charge – I can only imagine what this would entail…propably another $2.

Concert venues are going to continue pleasing the beer drinking audiences with serving only or two mainstream tasteless beers.  Come on…give us something decent and we’ll bitch less about having to pay $10.  Best venues for beer selection…Lee’s Palace, The Dakota Tavern and The Danforth Music Hall.

Post from: Toronto Unplugged

This past year saw truly good musicians and bands break out in the city. This is always refreshing to me…when bands that you’ve seen in small bars and venues (that you always knew were great) start getting major buzz and recognition and can watch the success unfold.

2008 will carry and continue this trend of good (if not great) bands breaking out – the momentum of great music and hungry bands in the city is too strong to steer otherwise.

The Assistants could very well be one of our next bands to break. According to their Myspace page, they describe themselves as Psychedelic/Shoegaze/Folk.

They are a refreshed throwback. A reinvention of influence. They have a unique familiarity. And…they are a great band making great music.  Their self titled debut The Assistants is a must purchase and one of the best Toronto releases of 2007.

Here is their official bio…

The Assistants formed in the spring of 2004 and are led by singer-songwriters Ciaran Megahey and Kiley Meehan. Initially a trio, the band aimed to fuse electronic ambiance with classic songwriting. By using a plethora of drum machines and keyboards, the Assistants created a sonic brew that drew comparisons to New Order and the Jesus and Mary Chain. Now, nearly three years later, the band has blossomed into a formidable pop ensemble with the addition of Adam Boyle on drums, Tim Munro on bass and Ildiko Kaszas on keyboards. 2007 also marks the release of the band’s self-titled debut album.

Recorded in Toronto at Sleepytown Sound, the Assistants resists sonic padding in favor of a stripped down immediacy. Over the course of ten songs, the band proves to be a creatively restless entity, shaking off one style only to quickly settle into another. The album shifts gears rapidly, veering from the Beatle-esque shuffle of “In My Dreams,” to the glam-inspired stomp of “This Time.” The wistful pop of “Planet News” crafts a beguiling mix of Morrissey and the Byrds, while the sinister undercurrent of “Taste It” exudes a bold swagger. By the final crescendo of “Consent”, The Assistants makes its’ case as a glowing introduction.

The band released their first album independently on February 3rd, 2007.

Standout Tracks (head to their Myspace page to have a listen)

Planet News, And Then Again, This Time

The band doesn’t have any listings posted yet for 2008, but we’ll post them once they do.

Watch for the Assistants in 2008.

Post from: Toronto Unplugged