November 2010
1 post
Hottest Bands In Canada, 2010 edition -... →
September 2010
2 posts
Copyright License Fees Drive Pandora Out of Canada →
Very sad and lame, though I’m still kind of curious how relavant Pandora will remain in the age of services like Ping, Rdio, and Spotify:
“Online streaming music services such as Pandora are abandoning plans to launch in Canada, claiming licensing fees are too high: ‘These rates … are astronomical,’ Tim Westergren, founder of California-based Pandora, wrote in an...
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Calvin College canceled New Pornographers concert... →
Troy Reimink of the The Grand Rapids Press does a great breakdown of what happens when ignorance gets in the way of good music.
According to a statement from the college: “(A)fter weeks of discussion and consideration, the irony of the band’s name was impossible to explain to many. The band’s name, to some, is mistakenly associated with pornography. Consequently, Calvin, to...
May 2010
2 posts
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The Weakerthans Play Benefit Show for Library... →
Yet again, I love Canadians. The Winnipeg folk-punk band, The Weakerthans, will hold a special fundraising show for the Regina band, Library Voices, who lost their equipment and some personal possessions when a water line burst in their practice space.
More updates coming soon!
I don’t think anyone actually follows this blog, but just in case, I wanted to let you know that I haven’t abandoned this blog. Things got very busy, and I got a bit behind, but I hope to have some spare time again soon.
April 2010
10 posts
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The Junos "were like lithium" →
By the time the telecast started, many of my favourite albums of 2009 had already won Junos: Bell Orchestre for instrumental album of the year (As Seen Through Windows), Charles Spearin for contemporary jazz album of the year (The Happiness Project), Billy Talent for rock album of the year (III), and K’naan for artist of the year. After decades of grumbling about the Junos, this was the first...
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You Say Party! We Say Die! drummer Devon Clifford... →
The saddest thing I’ve heard all week. Vancouver Sun did a touching piece on the late Devon Clifford. He will be missed greatly.
read more
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Hannah "The Gorgeous" Georgas Interview at earbuds... →
Amazing singer/songwriter, Hannah Georgas, talks to earbuds and ticket stubs:
“Chit Chat” is about the kind of people that you meet all the time— you’re talking to them and they don’t even really care what you have to say. They just want to get all this verbal negative crap out and it’s really draining. That was the experience I had, and I just came home and unloaded it through...
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Tokyo Police Club Sign With Dine Alone →
It’s time to stop calling Dine Alone an indie label. They’ve got Arkells, City And Colour, Moneen, Alexisonfire and Hot Hot Heat among their ranks, and now they’ve added Tokyo Police Club. The Newmarket, Ont. indie rock quartet will release their Champsophomore album on June 8 through their Mean Beard label, which will be distributed through Dine Alone. Singer/bassist Dave...
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Arcade Fire, Spike Jonze Collaborating On... →
Freakin’ love Spike Jonze! Very good news!
According to /Film, the director will be in Austin, TX to do a short film with the band based on the concept of “friends growing apart.” MTV also got a Jonze spokesperson to confirm the collaboration and location, but he wouldn’t name any other details.
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Listen: Oh Canada vol. 9 →
1. Hawksley Workman – (The Happiest Day I Know Is A) Tokyo Bicycle (*) 2. Paper Beat Sissors – Flicker 3. My Lovely Son – New Chance 4. Gigi – The Old Graveyard (Feat. Karl Blau) 5. Coeur De Pirate – Comme Des Enfants (*) 6. Lee Harvey Osmond – Cuckoo’s Nest 7. Cam Penner – All Of Yesterday (*) 8. Chris Page – Two Twenty Twos 9. Milks & Rectangles – Don’t Fall Into The Wrong Hands 10. We Are...
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Listen: CBC Radio 3 releases SxSW Canadian Blast... →
This week on the Sessions podcast we have a hand-picked selection of some of the outstanding performances recorded live in Brush Square at the Canadian Blast BBQ at SxSW.
Radio Radio
Justin Rutledge and the Beauties
Hollerado
You Say Party! We Say Die!
Born Ruffians, Plants and Animals
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The Indie Files finds the future of Canadian music →
Amanda Ash over at The Indie Files got a chance to attend The Cultch’s IGNITE! Mentorship Program. After she spoke on a panel about media relations in the arts, she met the future of Canadian music:
These kids, ranging from spoken word gurus to songwriting superstars to drama queens to dancing kings, are quite talented. I later got the chance to sit in a group with just the songwriters and...
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Holy Fuck's Latin album out May 11th →
I know, I’m a bit late with this, but holy fuck! Holy Fuck has a new album, Latin, coming out May 11, 2010. From Spinner:
The band revealed the details of the album on […] occasionally lewd site Chatroulette.com and gave anxious fans a chance to hear first single ‘Latin America.’ Founding member Graham Walsh is very pleased with the record, but he told Spinner that,...
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Listen: Patrick Watson Recorded Live at Montreal's... →
Patrick Watson and his band The Wooden Arms return to their home base of Montreal to play a sold-out performance at Le Metropolis. Be sure to listen for “Underneath the Morning Sheets”, which he plays for the first time live!
March 2010
12 posts
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Fucked Up ask SXSW Why? →
A great essay by the 2010 Polaris Music Prize winners, Fucked Up, is posted on their blog, which goes deep into the music industry economic system, particularly that of the annual SxSW festival.
This is important for a lot of reasons, all of which have to do with you as an economic actor. Something that should be forefront in the minds of every band and every record label is how this is the...
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Check out CanadianBlues.ca! →
Just kind of ran into this website randomly through Google Alert. Very expansive and up-to-date information on anything blues-related in Canada.
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Arcade Fire To Headline Osheaga 2010 Festival In... →
Arcade Fire will headline the first night of the two-day 2010 Osheaga Music And Arts Festival, scheduled for July 31 and August 1 at Parc-Jean Drapeau in Montreal. Arcade Fire, who are currently working on a new album, will be joined by second night headliners Weezer, plus Pavement, Metric, The National, Deadmau5, The Cat Empire, Keane, The Black Keys, Stars, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion,...
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“For new bands, I think a major label is the safest place to be […]...”
– Jack White of The White Stripes (from The Guardian)
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DD/MM/YYYY Doing the Impossible and Scheduled for... →
How many shows can you play in five days before you collapse from exhaustion? DD/MM/YYYY will attempt to find out when they play 20 (yes, that number is correct) shows during the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas next week. Vivian Girls and The Mae-Shi have performed 18 shows at South By Southwest in previous years, but DD/MM/YYYY intend to make those two acts…
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You Say Party! We Say Die! Vancouver acoustic... →
Chels at Narrow Crafts does it again with a great concert review and (brief) interview with You Say Party! We Say Die!
So I scored a couple of tickets to see Vancouver’s You Say Party! We Say Die! do an acoustic set at a local radio staion. I was pretty pumped for this intimate set, and YSP!WSD! delivered. Not really surprised.
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Joel Plaskett's 'Three' doubles it's value →
Joel Plaskett swept the East Coast Music Awards stage in a multiple of threes as the iconic rocker’s triple-disc album ‘Three’ earned him six ECMA awards out of his leading eight nominations.
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CBC Radio 3 presents Canadian Bands @ SXSW 2010... →
CBC Radio 3’s most talented producer, Chris Kelly, has put together an amazing playlist of 100 bands you have to see while at SXSW next week! I know what I’m listening to all day tomorrow!
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The Line of Best Fit releases Oh! Canada volume 8 →
Yet another Oh! Canada! release The Line of Best Fit blog. Volume 8 features:
1) Japandroids – Art Czars 2) PS I Love You – Facelove 3) The New Pornographers – Your Hands (Together) 4) The Pack A.D. – Crazy 5) Jason Collett – Love Is A Dirty Word 6) Deromantic – Drunk & 35 7) Paul Pigat -John Henry Part 2 8) Madison Violet – The Woodshop 9) Woodpigeon – My Denial in Argyle 10) We Are The...
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2010 JUNO Award Nominees →
Here are the nominees for the 2010 Juno Awards. From the Juno Awards website:
Each year, artists across Canada submit their best work for consideration in to 39 categories. This year, CARAS (Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) received the highest number of submissions in the awards history. To facilitate the nominating & voting process, CARAS works year round to ensure the...
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Born Ruffians Announce New Album, Say It →
Free MP3 Download: “Sole Brother”
February 2010
18 posts
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Japandroids - ICA London →
Great review and some awesome photos of Japandroids in London.
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Neko Case voices character in new Adult Swim pilot →
Alt-county songstress Neko Case is starring in a new show for Adult Swim that recently won a fan vote to be picked up for a full season. The show is titled Cheyenne Cinnamon and the Fantabulous Unicorn of Sugar Town Candy Fudge and Case provides the voice of the titular character, who according to show creator Dave Willis is “a Strawberry Shortcake pop princess that lives in a candy...
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Amie Street teams up with Rightflow for Canadian... →
RightsFlow, a leading provider of bulk mechanical licensing and royalty services, announced a deal to handle Canadian royalty reporting for Amie Street, the fast growing online digital music retailer with a one-of-a-kind demand based pricing system.
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Tegan and Sara Making More Headlines →
Not even 30, identical twins Tegan and Sara Quin have amassed an impressive catalog of six full-length albums in the past 11 years. But during that time, the industry itself changed, switching up the same variables they struggled to get past — getting a manager, signing to a label. Now, with the industry so fluid, Tegan and Sara just roll with the flow.
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“In a recent survey conducted by Maple Leaf Foods, 43% of the respondents said...”
– Bacon Today
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DOWNLOAD: Oh! Canada Volume 7 from The Line of... →
Pretty cool mix from a really great blog! And volume 7 no less. Think I have some catching up to do!
Oh, and for the record, I also have a mix called Oh Canada! and a newer mix too!
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Google Sheds Light on MP3 Blog Crackdown →
The outcry occurred after Google’s blogging service, Blogger, shut down a number of music blogs, claiming that the files posted on the sites violated its terms of services. Among the blogs affected were I Rock Cleveland, It’s a Rap, LivingEars and Pop Tarts Suck Toasted. Google has since explained the closures, writing in a statement, “When we receive multiple DMCA [Digital...
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Metric and Alexisonfire lead nominations for the... →
Montreal band Metric and Alexisonfire from St. Catharines, Ont., have each scored four nominations for the Annual Independent Music Awards.
The awards, to be given this March during Canadian Music Week in Toronto, honour achievements of Canadian and international artists in the independent music sector.
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The Maritimes is making Montreal run for its money →
Montreal has reigned supreme as the Canadian independent music capital, but the Maritimes may be taking that title soon enough!
The Maritimes may not have been called “the most influential music scene in American music” lately, but the music scene emerging from the East Coast of Canada is still one of the most interesting, innovative and refreshing movements at work. But it didn’t just happen....
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Ticketmaster / Live Nation Merger Unstoppable →
Basically, things have been tighter in the Justice Department since Obama has been in office, but the merger between Ticketmaster and Live Nation is both ethically right, and morally wrong.
The Justice Department’s trustbusters argue that there was little else they could do. They could be right. There was a risk that Live Nation would sell its ticket service if the merger was blocked and...
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“All of the NFL ads during the Super Bowl have the opening few notes of Arcade...”
– Brizzly explanation of the “Arcade Fire” trend during Superbowl XVIV
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Two founders of Besnard Lakes launch side-project... →
The Soft Province’s self-titled debut album will be out sometime this year through Three Ring Records. Lasek recorded it at his Breakglass Studios in Montreal, while Gardiner also spent time cutting it over two years in Regina. The final sessions were laid down in August 2008, when Gardiner flew to Montreal with a 12-string guitar and some songs.
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Amanda Palmer recruits Tegan and Sara along with... →
Wha-wha-whaaaaat?! Amanda Palmer wrangles up a very impressive cast of characters including: Tegan and Sara, Frances Bean Cobain, Weird Al Yankovic, Andrew W.K. and author/fiance Neil Gaiman!
Evelyn Evelyn is a concept album about two conjoined twins who have spent their lives in the circus. Yeah, okay. I’m sold!
Frances Bean Cobain, late Nirvana singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain’s...
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Fucked Up and Xiu Xiu Lose Camel Cigarette... →
Lesson here kiddies: Even if you see it in a publication does not mean it’s real. Do your homework!
Back in November of 2007, Rolling Stone ran a mysterious editorial called “Indie Band Universe,” where they listed some independent bands from across North America. However, the piece was also littered with strategically placed mentions of Camel cigarettes because, well, it was alleged to be...
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Ho-ly awesomeness! The Toronto electro-duo...
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Ticketmaster / Live Nation Merger Given the... →
This affects Americans and Canadians alike, I think.
Under the terms of the agreement filed Jan. 25 in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, officials with Ticketmaster and Live Nation agreed to make significant changes to their merger, including divesting assets and licensing software in order to make the ticketing market more competitive.
They just have to give up their assets...
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Documentary Follows 5 Independent Canadian Artists →
A couple of months ago, I ended up at the premiere of Born To It, a simple and inspiring film by director Tim Thompson about “creating, sustaining and chasing your dreams.”
The 92-minute documentary features the musical journeys of five independent Toronto-based musicians and the roads they have travelled to sustain their artistic existence.
January 2010
20 posts
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New Canadian Indie Music Group on Vimeo →
A new group was created on Vimeo. Not exactly sure what’s it’s going to be used for, but might be fun to sign up, check it out, and share your favorite Canadian indie music videos!
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Dog Day "Oh Dead Life" →
Almost missed this one! Great track on CBC Radio 3’s Blog by Dog Day (Halifax, NS). Fun, poppy, and instantly catchy!
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40th Juno Awards to be held in Toronto 2011 →
Last night, at the Toronto Board of Trade’s 122nd Annual Dinner, it was announced that Toronto will play host to the 2011 Junos! The event will also mark the award’s 40th anniversary!
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The Zolas Produced Their and Other Vancouver... →
Gray and Dobrzanski are fully ensconced in the Vancouver music scene. The opening song on Tic Toc Tic references local uber-indie venue The Biltmore (where they will kick off their upcoming tour with a CD release party on Jan. 27). Gray’s roommate is Tyler Bancroft from Said the Whale. The Zolas just opened a gig for Hey Ocean! at The Vogue in Vancouver, and Dan Mangan stopped by the sound...