The Deep Dark Woods
A BALANCED BLEND OF PERFECT SOUNDS COMES TOGETHER AT THE GREAT HALL FRIDAY Story by Kate Davies Photo provided by The Deep Dark Woods In a digital age where musical airwaves have often been suffocated by over-processed and emotionless tunes, The Deep Dark Woods are a breath of fresh air. This talented five-piece’s...
CMW 2012 Wrap-up
OUR FAVES FROM THE CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK SHOWCASE Story by Kate Davies Photo by Tim Georgeson Best Canadian Group: Half Moon Run Being widely buzzed about has the potential to be either a blessing or a curse, as we have all seen from Lana Del Rey’s infamous Saturday Night Live performance earlier this...
The Indies
12TH ANNUAL SHOWCASE OF CANADA’S BEST INDIE MUSIC Story by Megan Leahy The 30th annual Canadian Music Week has come and gone taking with it yet another round of great shows and 4AM last calls. The highlight of last week’s festival was Saturday night’s SiriusXM Independent Music Awards, affectionately known as The Indies. Celebrating its...
ZZBRA
WRITING A NEW CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF CANADIAN HIP-HOP Story by Laura Cappe Photo provided by ZZBRA ZZBRA is Moka Only and Evil Ebenezer – a hip-hop duo that delivers abstract rap music through clever mediums. Brought together by visionary Canadian video director Stuey Kubrick, ZZBRA: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is a concept...
Win Ting Tings Tickets!
WE’RE GIVING AWAY 2 PAIRS OF TICKETS TO THEIR ALL AGES SHOW AT THE PHOENIX APRIL 6th!! Please enter your information below. If you get the math wrong, you can’t win. Sorry! Contest closes Wednesday April 4th, 2012 at 5PM (EST). Winners will be contacted by e-mail on Thursday April 5th . Approximate retail...
Nash “Taken Away”
MONTRÉAL MUSICIAN PLAYS THREE DATES DURING CMW Story by Alice Greene We’ve all felt a little out of control at times – like life’s taking us on a crash course and we’re a little unprepared (to say the least). Nash, who released his debut album The Death Of Reason in October of last...
Martha Meredith
TORONTO-BASED SONGSTRESS PERFORMS TONIGHT AS PART OF CMW Story by Odessa Paloma Parker Photo provided by Martha Ramsay Clear, honest, pure – all things that describe Martha Ramsay’s airy odes to love and love lost. Martha Meredith, as she’s known on the music scene, will take the stage as part of Canadian...
CMW Picks
15 MUST-SEE BANDS TO CHECK OUT THIS WEEK Story by Kate Davies Well, folks, it’s that time of year again! Time to slap on that wristband, break out the festival gear, and prepare yourselves for a week of non-stop music and good times. Being the single longest-running conference focusing on the business of...
Said The Whale
COLLABORATION IS KEY ON THEIR LATEST ALBUM, LITTLE MOUNTAIN Story by Laura Cappe Photo by Johnathan Taggart Vancouver-based indie rock band, Said The Whale (composed of Ben Worcester, Tyler Bancroft, Nathan Shaw, Spencer Schoening and Jaycelyn Brown) are practiced storytellers. Deeply influenced by art, nature and their surroundings, they offer listeners a glimpse inside...
Pond
THEIR NEW STUDIO ALBUM IS OUT TODAY Story by Laura Cappe Photo by Ben Hayes Australian hippie collective Pond creates music that reflects their lifestyle. Recorded in 2010, Beard, Wives, Denim (out today on Modular Records) came to life at a friend’s farmhouse-turned-studio. The story is actually very ’60s; ‘a love-in, be-in’ of sorts, with...
Amen Dunes
DAMON MCMAHON EXPLAINS WHAT’S IN A NAME Story by Adam Steel Photo by Sebastian Mlynarski Damon McMahon, the brains behind Amen Dunes, is something of an enigma. Blessed (or cursed) with a voice that falls somewhere between hedonistic caterwauling and a mutable murmur, as if he were calling up from the bottom of the...
Ben Caplan
TOUR TRIUMPHS, HALIFAX LOVING & A SHOW TONIGHT AT TORONTO’S SUPERMARKET Story by Poppy desClouds Photo by Courtney Lee Yip Before Ben Caplan committed himself to music, he contemplated becoming a Doctor of Philosophy. Inevitably, through our conversation about music, tours, and his feature-length album, this positively passionate and wonderfully well-read musician convinced me...
Urbanears
LISTEN IN STYLE WITH THEIR S/S12 COLOURS Story by Alice Greene White’s alright, but why not coordinate your ear gear with your wardrobe this Spring? Urbanears, the Scandinavian brand of headphones, brings the noise in a range of stellar new colours for the season, from mustard to mocca and everything in between! No matter what...
Love Is The Drug (Todd Terje Disco Dub)
1975 SINGLE IS REMIXED/REVAMPED FOR MODERN MUSIC FANS Story by Odessa Paloma Parker Roxy Music’s enduring influence can be heard all over the airwaves today, and there’s good reason why. Their mix of art house experimentation and catchy rhythms have inspired everyone from Radiohead to Frank Black. Recently their tune “Love Is The...
Steam Whistle UNSIGNED
CONCERT SERIES KICKS OFF ITS 2012 SEASON ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH Story by Adam Steel What is live music without beer? A silly question to which we all have our own sensible answers, I am sure. For some indie up and comers, beer can mean the difference between touring, practicing, and performing, and heading back...
Love From Afar
21ST CENTURY COMPOSITION FLOURISHES IN ALL CANADIAN PRODUCTION Story by Odessa Paloma Parker Photo by Michael Cooper Some may associate only murder, action and intrigue with opera, but sometimes there’s a more subtle tale to tell. In Kaija Saariaho’s Love from Afar, two people share their story of obsession and the idealization of one another,...
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
PLAYING TORONTO ON FEBRUARY 6, METTE LINDBERG DISHES ON THEIR HEINEKEN COMMERCIAL, HER FASHION FINDS AND THEIR NEW ALBUM Story by Rachel Martin Photo by Sigurd Grünberger Plaid got the chance to chat with lead singer, Mette Lindberg, of The Asteroids Galaxy Tourabout their new album, Out Of Frequency, their (now underway) North American tour and all...
Young Empires
CELEBRATING THE RELEASE OF THEIR DEBUT EP, WAKE ALL MY YOUTH Story by Laura Cappe Photo by David A. Pike For most musicians, creating music is about connecting with an audience while doing what they love. This holds true for Toronto’s Young Empires. These four guys – Matthew Vlahovich , Jacob Palahnuk, Robert Aaron Ellingson, and...
Los Campesinos!
ROB ‘SPARKLY DEATHCAP’ CAMPESINOS! DISHES ON HEAT RASH, LETTERMAN, AND THE ART OF NOT SELLING OUT Story by Adam Steel Photo provided by Los Campesinos! Don’t let the name throw you: they are not a mariachi band, but rather a unique group of mild-mannered, moderately-tattooed, multi-instrumentalists, six years and four albums into a critically-acclaimed career that has...
Over The Bluffs Release Party
JOIN THE HOLIDAY CROWD TO LAUD THE LAUNCH OF THEIR DEBUT ALBUM Story by Alice Greene What Friday night wouldn’t be complete without a party? Last week we told you about The Holiday Crowd’s debut album, Over The Bluffs, launching on January 24th. We also photographed the band in some of early spring’s best...
Little City
BASEMENT JAMS, A SATURDAY SHOW AND THEIR UPCOMING 7″ Story by Poppy desClouds Photo Provided In an absolutely charming phone-date, Shaun Axani of Toronto’s Little City discusses new records, great shows and busy cities – all the elements that have helped make up the band. They’re a lovely, lively indie-rock ensemble that will be taking Toronto by musical and...
The Holiday Crowd
THEIR DEBUT ALBUM DROPS JANUARY 24TH Photographed by Jen Squires Styling: Kirsten Reader (Judy Inc.) Grooming: Taylor Savage (Judy Inc.) Story by Kate Kilgour January 24 marks the release date of The Holiday Crowd’s debut album, Over the Bluffs. Partly inspired by lead singer Imran Haniff and guitarist Colin Bowers’ Scarborough, Ontario, upbringing, the record clearly...
Pond
FULL-LENGTH ALBUM DROPS MARCH 6TH Story by Odessa Paloma Parker Photo by Matthew Saville On a snowy January day, it’s nice to think about the finer times in life – sunshine-filled days hanging out with friends, good tunes and good times. Pond, the Aussie band comprised of Joseph Ryan, Nick Allbrook and Jay Watson, would...
Gabrielle Papillon
WE TALK MUSIC, CANADA AND HER NEW RECORD Story by Poppy desClouds Photo by Kofi Broughton In a coffee shop on a busy Monday morning in downtown Ottawa, I take a seat across the table from Gabrielle Papillon. Surrounded by layers of clothing, bags, and her guitar, she sits smiling, calm and content. In only 20 minutes she is able...
Kristian Noel Pederson
A DIFFERENT SHADE OF CHRISTMAS TUNES Story by Navi Lamba Photo by Jake Chirico When you experience the delightfulness of Kristian Noel Pederson, the discovery that he also writes and records incredibly charming Christmas music makes complete sense. However, it should be noted that Kristian’s songs don’t add up to your average holiday fare of...
The War On Drugs
LAST WEEKEND’S SHOW AT THE HORSESHOE Story by Kate Davies Photo by David Hartley Equally as amazing as unrealistic, the idea of a Bob Dylan x New Order collaboration on an ambient, shoegaze album can lead you to a happy place in the realm of The War On Drugs. These Philadelphia musicians play with a set of Americana-infused...
Poetry Jazz Café
KENSINGTON JAZZ CLUB OFFERS VENUE FOR PERFORMERS TO SHARE THEIR PASSION Story by Hannah Rittner Photo by Lissa Varga Toronto evenings only promise to get colder; a new place to warm you during the coming winter nights is the Poetry Jazz Café on Augusta Avenue, an electric pulse inside the heart of Kensington. When I last visited, I immediately...
