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Category Archives: TVD Canada
TVD’s Fright Night
in Canada
Halloween is here and these Canadian artists want to help set you in just the right mood. With a wide variety of music and spooky videos, this playlist will do just that.
Happy Halloween!
“Monster Hospital”
Metric Official | Facebook | Twitter
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TVD Ticket Giveaway: Riot Fest Toronto, 8/24 and 8/25
“We may not be the prettiest festival, but we’ll totally sleep with you on the first date.”
Riot Fest is back and we want you to go! The punk rock festival originated in Chicago nine years ago and has expanded to various cities since. 2013 brings Riot Fest & Travelling Exposition to Denver, Toronto, and Chicago.
First up, Toronto!
Riot Fest Toronto kicks off on Saturday, August 24th with performances by Real Friends, Structures, The Ghost Inside, Grade, Mayday Parade, Every Time I Die, Pierce The Veil and A Day To Remember. The two-day festival continues on Sunday, August 25th with Toronto’s own The Flatliners, who are set to release their brand new album Dead Language through Fat Wreck Chords on September 17th.
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TVD’s Rounds Per Minute in Toronto
“Vinyl is the real deal. I’ve always felt like, until you buy the vinyl record, you don’t really own the album. And it’s not just me or a little pet thing or some kind of retro romantic thing from the past. It is still alive.”
—Jack White
You can read a lot about the revival of vinyl shops these days, which makes you wonder if they were ever really considered a rarity. From the dedicated, old soul, collectors to the new and trendy younger generations, there will always be a place for vinyl records in the hearts of the music obsessed.
Here are our top 10 Toronto record stores, old and new!
Rotate This
801 Queen Street West
Rotate is one of Toronto’s best known independent record stores carrying a variety of music including punk, hip hop, jazz, hardcore, reggae, electronic, and primarily, indie. Scour through new and used vinyl from artists in Canada, US, England, and around the world. Rotate is also a great outlet for concert tickets to see your favourite artists playing in the city.
Cabin Fever Collective
1669 Bloor Street West
Cabin Fever is a new independent record store/cafe/art gallery in Toronto’s High Park area that celebrates the idea of record shops being a place for music lovers to meet and hang out for hours. Browse their great selection of vinyl, experiment with their extensive list of loose leaf teas, coffee and baked goods, have a seat and check out the local art and interesting DIY decor surrounding the shop.
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TVD’s Guide to the Best of Canada’s up and coming artists at Canadian Music Week
Over 1,000 artists, 60 venues, 6 nights.
Canada’s largest new music festival is in its 31st year of showcasing some of the hottest acts and emerging Canadian artists. While CMW offers seminars, interviews, mentoring and networking for those leading and shaping our industries—for fans with a passion for new and live music, it is simply one of the best weeks of the year.
From March 19-24th, over 100,000 music fans are drawn to the city of Toronto to embark on the week-long path of music discovery that is Canadian Music Fest. Established as one of the largest and single longest running entertainment events, the festival has earned acclaim for introducing such artists as Metric, Crystal Castles, Arcade Fire, Mother Mother, Alexisonfire, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Ting Tings, AWOL Nation, Bedouin Soundclash, and many more.
With such an extensive list of artists, my advice is this: skip the ones you already know you love (they’ll be back) and take the time to find and discover the best of Canada’s up and coming artists. Here are TVD’s Top 20 recommendations for Canadian Music Fest 2013!
JULY TALK
Thursday, March 21st, 2013 – 1am at Lee’s Palace
Toronto, Ontario’s indie pop-rock band July Talk houses a unique girl-guy vocal duo that you will either love or hate. Find charm in the softness of Leah Fay’s voice and appreciation in the unconventional, Tom Waits-esque voice of Peter Dreimanis. This refreshing and modern dynamic bears witty lyrics and instrumentation to deliver the fun.
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The Best of 2012: TVD’s Favourite Canadian Releases for 2012
Twenty-twelve is coming to an end and it has been a great year for Canadian music. The following are our picks for TVD’s favorite releases by Canadian artists for the year.
While you may have heard some of these records, there are definitely a few underdogs that you may not have been introduced to, so hear me out and you may just find some new favourites. Cheers to discovering new music!
Half Moon Run, Dark Eyes | This band is either completely on the ball with everything an indie music connoisseur is digging lately and running with it, or putting this record out this year was simply perfect timing.
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TVD Does
M For Montreal
Since 2006, M For Montreal has been putting Montreal and Canadian music in the spotlight. This is the seventh year for the annual festival founded by Sébastien Nasra, in collaboration with the legendary British festival programmer Martin Elbourne (Glastonbury Festival, The Great Escape). The full-grown four day festival brings 100 performances to 16 venues and features no less than 100 Canadian artists, as well as a number of international artists.
Where to go and what to see at any music festival can be overwhelming. With M for Montreal’s long list of up-and-coming and also well known acts, TVD Canada is here to help you out. Whether you know them yet or not, these are twelve acts that you will not want to miss this year at M for Montreal.
KANDLE
Thursday, November 15th, 2012 – 2:25pm at Café Campus
Friday, November 16th, 2012 – 11:30pm at Casa Del Popolo
Kandle Osborne, daughter of Neil Osborne (54-40), was born in Victoria, British Columbia and is currently based in Montreal, Quebec. A young girl with an old soul, Kandle brings a graceful beauty to dark and mysterious songs.
HALF MOON RUN
Wednesday, November 15th, 2012 – 11:30pm at Sala Rossa
The members of Half Moon Run hail from Ottawa, Ontario and Comox, British Columbia and their early 2012 debut release, Dark Eyes, has been well received internationally. Their perfect and unique combination of indie, folk, pop and electronica guarantees a mesmerizing live performance.
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TVD Recommends: Vancouver’s Main Street Vinyl Record Fair, 11/10
Vancouver! Don’t miss The Main Street Vinyl Record Fair this Saturday, November 10th, 2012, brought to you by Badbird Media, The Georgia Straight, and CiTR 101.9FM.
Attend the event and pick up a Vancouver Vinyl Discount Card, free with your admission, to save at some of your local record shops including Neptoon Records, Highlife Records, Redcat Records, Zulu Records, Dandelion Records and Zoo Zhop!
In support of CiTR 101.9FM, Girls Rock Camp and Safe Amp, The Main Street Vinyl Record Fair and Community Music Silent Auction will give you an opportunity to donate your old records to charity and receive a tax-deductible receipt for 50% of the market value. 100% of proceeds go to support local charitable organizations.
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TVD’s Fright Night
in Canada
Halloween is here and these Canadian artists want to help set you in just the right mood. With a wide variety of music and spooky videos, this playlist will do just that.
Happy Halloween!
“Monster Hospital”
Metric Official | Facebook | Twitter
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Brad Fillatre celebrates the release of his debut EP For Your Weakness
in Toronto
Newfoundland born, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Brad Fillatre took the stage at The Drake Hotel in Toronto after releasing his debut solo EP For Your Weakness through Sparks Music/Universal Music Canada this week.
Fans and friends filled the underground venue and found their seats as Brad opened the set with an acoustic guitar and harmonica. “Get out of my heart, get out of my head…” Everyone quieted down as Brad began playing the fourth track, “Face The Dark,” off of the new six-song EP.
After the second song, Brad invited a full band on stage for a few more, including two tracks from For Your Weakness. The switch of dynamics held the crowd’s attention and interest as he then beautifully closed the set alone, with a raw and stripped down version of “New Tattoo,” the first single from the release.
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Eric Solomon set to release new album November 22
For everyone looking for something new, with a bit of familiar, check out Eric Solomon and his new album Time Bomb being released on November 22nd.
Born in Montreal and raised in the African Congo, Eric was taught classical piano as a child before quickly graduating to drums, guitar, bass and keys. Eric’s sound is a unique brand of synth driven, electronic pop music infused with classic soul melodies that has been getting a lot of play all over the world this last year.
Describing his sound as “old sounds done new”, Eric’s music along with his various high profile remixes for artists such as The XX and Passion Pit have received rave reviews from Arjan Writes and Rolling Stone.com, in addition to landing him on the list of most trafficked songs on Hype Machine. His latest single “Addicted” is getting radio rotation across Canada, and the French version “Accro Te Toi” has spread like wildfire in his home province of Quebec.
A video for “Addicted” will be released later this week.
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Osunlade – Envision (Remixes)
For all the house heads.
Some brand new remixes of Osunlade’s masterpiece, Envision. For those interested, this track comes fresh off of Pyrography – Osunlade’s final house album EVER!
Support the artists, buy the music.
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SonReal – Scream
Brand new video from Vancouver’s Son Real. Song is called Scream, and is the next single off of the album Where’s Waldo.
Another amazing Canadian on the come up.
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OVO Festival This Past Weekend
In case you missed the OVO Festival this past weekend… guests included Rick Ross, Nas, Lil Wayne, J. Cole, and Stevie Wonder!
According to Drake, who spoke to Much Music after the show, Stevie Wonder is supposed to be helping out with the production and writing of his next record.
Video Recap:
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The Best in Canadian & International Talent comes to Toronto for NXNE June 13-19
It’s a red letter year for NXNE as it has been for Candian music all around! From Shad to Fucked Up, Red Mass to Candy Coated Killahz, we are getting pretty darn excited for what’s to come just seven short days from now!!
650 bands, 40 films, 50 pannels. Phew! Tackling NXNE can be a daunting task. Here are a few picks to help you weed through the plethora of sweet sounds next week from TVD Toronto’s Krishna Nair.
Careers in Science
Toronto band Careers in Science don’t quite fit into the angsty, anarchic niche that punk bands have carved for themselves (and into their arms). In fact, they have taken the joy in Joy Division and gone beyond the dark somberness of DIY punk band depression to create a revelry of virtuosic guitar playing, energetic drumming and pure, uncorrupted rock n roll ideologies. While drawing inspiration from band like Black Flag, Fugazi, Big Black and Minor Threat, all members of the band are unapologetic Devo fans (drummer Eric Borque even sports a Mark Mothersbaugh tattoo). Their shows are lively, devoid of unnecessary banter and a celebration of youth, power and rock n roll.
Rancho Relaxo Wednesday, June 15 @ 1AM
Braids
Braids are a sign that music cannot be classified or pigeon-holed nowadays. Some might say the Calgary-based quartet are electronic art rockers while others would place them in the ever-bloating dream pop category. However, ethereal is a word that often gets hurled around when describing Braids, and anyone who has heard vocalist Raphaelle Standell-Preston will testify to their out-of-body exporting skills. Clearly cerebral and as far removed from the mainstream as one can get, Braids offers audience an intoxicating mix of subtle electronica, tribal chants and surreal lyrics. Their shows are carefully constructed to showcase their deft ability to create an atmosphere that is both unreal and comforting at the same time.
The Garrison Friday, June 17 @ 11PM
The Great Hall Saturday, June 18 @ 11PM
Teenage Kicks
Hailing from Toronto, Teenage Kicks (yes, like the classic Undertones track) are a rare entity during these mass produced, autotune-driven, commercial dark ages that we live in. Lead vocalist/guitarist Peter Van Helvoort has a blues-based sensibility that is fundamental to the rock n roll sound yet is thoroughly refreshing to hear today. Teenage Kicks are loud, abrasive and seem to be yelling out to those who have fallen by the rock n roll wayside. They have reduced music to its most basic elements without the filly adornments that are considered de rigueur nowadays. With guitars, drums and vocals all crying out for attention, the Teenage Kicks will ensure that the NXNE stays fun and rambunctious.
The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern Saturday, June 18 @ 9PM
Chang-A-Lang
Chang-A-Lang, the lo-fi garage-pop trio from Toronto has always known how to put on a splendid show. With catchy pop hooks, killer guitar riffs and lyrics celebrating the mundane realities of everyday existence Chang-A-Lang certainly appear to be a bunch that enjoys what they doing. This positive energy is transmitted towards their audiences and turned them into one of the most lauded live acts on the indie circuit. Apart from being brilliant musicians, the trio possesses an intellectual sense of humor that gives their songs a quirky quality reminiscent of Wes Anderson flicks. This is certainly one of the most exciting bands to watch out at this year’s NXNE.
Bovine Sex Club Saturday, June 18 @ 11PM
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