Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Mixylodian - The Drake

A kaleidoscopic sonic flurry of keys and drums, no-holds-barred rock-out, fast-paced, catchy, from hip-upstarts that convince you, that yes, they're having a blast up there. A mish-mash of electro-rock. A futuristic step forward.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Fox Jaws - The El Mocambo

Fox Jaws is all about elegance, drama, and wickedly inspiring rock. All the sets remind me of the Sly Stone song--I Wanna Take You Higher. Soaring through the clouds, an epic flight, a musical life-force, led by a strutting diva-jewel. Use your imagination, and Fox Jaws is playing ontop of a castle, waiting for the winds of heaven to wisk you away.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Hamilton Trading Co - The Boat

Great set by the HTC choir. The impassioned singer-songwriter, collective theatrical spirit, and infectious vocal power. Uplifting windswept spirituals--in the heart of Kensington Market. Rejoice.

The Schomberg Fair - The Horseshoe

Introducing their debut CD to the world, a rapturous country-blues-rock revival, full of mojo, full of passion, forging a niche in the TO scene, announcing the bands arrival. Jamming, steady, foot-stompin' fun. For those about to rock, we salute you. Let The Schomberg Fair show you the way.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

The 6ixty 8ights - The El Mocambo

Toronto is experiencing a mini-renaissance of 60's-meets-Britpop rock thrills. OK. Maybe I'm just biased. Enter the 6ixty8ights. Dynamic uptempo riffs, sunny harmonies, solid key-laced pop, a sprawling Beatle-esque sweetness. Stuff like this is like peering into the archway of yesterday, and infusing it with something more contemporary. Peace, love, and dammit, some of the catchiest UK inspired music in the city.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Public - The Rivoli

Some bands just all the right elements for a bright future. Brash-guitars, hook-filled melodies, drawing on both a soaring UK inspired sound and a slice of hard-edged rock heaven. Magnetic vocalist Chris just snags you in, and the band is a tight-burst of rhythmic energy, flamboyant and hard-hitting. The CD release was a success. Great turn-out. Public shines, just like it's path ahead

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Vive Quebec Libres - The Velvet Underground

An explosion of garage-rock noise, primal riffs, high-energy, really captures the spirit of what rock should feel and sound like. The ground rumbled and was scorched. C'est bon.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Flying Eyes - The Horseshoe

Some rock bands look and sound like what, well, what rock bands should look and sound like. A soaring rock flight, charismatic frontman, searing guitar-riffs, and a tight, dynamic, high-energy sound. Straightforward and raw. Excitement unleashed.

Monday, April 21, 2008

The Reveries - Sneaky Dee's

Inventive, ramshackle, minimalist folk-blues fused with an avant-garde spirit. A sound straddling the bluesman summoning creative, spiritual strength at the crossroads, and the spontaneous eclectic alchemy of Krautrock. Musical monks on an intergalactic exploration.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Proof Of Ghosts - The Silver Dollar

Straddling that delicate balance of existing and dreaming, in the realm of swirling atmospheric textures, folk-tinged spirituals, symphonic-like grandiosity. A slice of breezy rural life, gentle and exhilarating, in this urban jungle.

Picturesound - The Velvet Underground

Picturesound is a revelation. A technicolour, hook-ladened UK-inspired sound that owes as much to the psychadelic 60's and John Lennon, as it does to mid 90's Britpop and the NME/Melody Maker. Almost like peering through a starry-eyed looking glass and uncovering a trippy psych-tinged jewel. Color, rocking, excitement, sheer creativity. Astonishing.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Opopo - Rancho Relaxo

Futuristic electro-driven hip-hop-meets-rock designed to melt your brain and scorch the dancefloor. An energetic live-show, pulsating with rhythmic beats, with a cool posse of killer rhymes. This is an old-school kind of cool, full of attitude and reckless energy, so crank it up. You're all invited to the party.

Friday, April 18, 2008

The Miles - The Boat

These young rock-stars are here to have fun. And they make sure you're having a blast watching them. This trio is a well-oiled rock and roll machine, the kind of posturing, the kind of explosive energy that captures the essence of rockabilly and 60's garage rock. This is fire-breathing music. Straight from the gut. Straight from the heart. Just ask the crowd who were whipped into a sweaty foot-stomping frenzy. With this band, the best is yet to come.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Evening Hymns - The Drake

A validation of the fact that some performers descend from a little left of heaven. A lo-fi cosmic spectacle straddling swirls of stunning noise laced with that singer-songwriter spirit. Uncomplicated, honest, and beautiful. Experimental soundscapes, a psychedelic-headtrip from an underground mystic. Welcome to the magic bus.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Burning Hell - The Silver Dollar

A symphonic folk-meets-rock kaleidescope of sound, bright keys, infectious and lush, flowing and buoyant, adventurous, almost like a celebration of music itself. Ontop of that, great Martha & The Muffins cover. Keep to your musical vision.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

The Paper Makers - The Drake

A supercharged duo of buoyant guitar-driven rhythms, sweet vocals/harmonies, and pulsating drumming. A super combination of folk, blues and rock. A catchy high-energy delivery that's poetry in motion. With their exquisite charm, The Paper Makers make you want to sing along.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Purple Hill - Sneaky Dee's

Blissed-out roots-rock fused with equal-parts rock, equal-parts neo-psychadelia, really making for a high-octane, high-energy live performance. A band that really blurs the line between hypnotic shimmering guitars and twangy folk-laced Americana, making for a sprawling sound that uniquely Torontopian. Great band

Magnolius - The Rivoli

The spirit of classic hip-hop lives, shaped into a modern-spectacle, a fierce powerful performance, visually with the screens, and dynamic dancers, really assures everyone that that old-school flame, with it's burning passion, and dense feverish beats, demonstrates that hip-hop, and I mean of the elite, is alive in the T Dot O.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Parkdale Revolutionary Orchestra - Rancho Relaxo

The key words here are revolutionary. And orchestra. An enchanting operetta of scintillating strings, alluring vocals, chamber-music fused with avant-garde and lo-fi rock elements. Almost like an irresistible courtship ritual, swirling, playing, experimenting, and seducing. A contemporary ode to forbidden love. Straight from Parkdale.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Run With The Kittens - The Horseshoe

Interstellar rock warriors, Champagne and Nate make a formidable duo, rippin' guitar riffs and the consummate showman. The music is a rapidfire combination of candid charm and reckless bone-crushing energy, igniting The Horseshoe into a foot-stomping dance-a-thon. These gunslinging astral-commandos were brought here for one thing. To entertain. Mission accomplished--but the party ain't over yet.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Boxes and Bags - Rancho Relaxo

I do believe the hyperkinetic energy set-off a chemical reaction that grew facial hair and burned-off clothing. Chaotic sonic gems by a band of young starry-eyed cosmic commandos. A live-show that's fun, intense, making for gut-busting hellraisin'

Thursday, April 10, 2008

The Outbred Inlaws - The Kathedral

A live revolution of leather-clad guts-and-glory, a country-tinged punk-riot that document fast livin', beer-swilling and hot chicks. You know that these road-tested rock-and-roll mercenaries have lived the life. Seems fitting that their set followed female cake-wrestling. Decadent to the very end man.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Telegram - The Horseshoe

Brigid's soaring vocals reminds me of Amy Lee, haunting and powerful. Guitarist Philip is absolutely stellar, sparkling Johnny Marr-like chimes, central to a riff-driven high-energy sound, part swaggering Britpop, part surging indie-rock. Heart-bursting brashness. Just a great TO band.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Mahogany Frog - The Drake

A sonic brew of epic prog-rock falling somewhere in between King Crimson and Hawkwind, intense solos that invokes Led Zeppelin, with the psych-rock tendencies of The Warlocks and The Black Angels. This is an adventurous, ambitious, mind-bending head-trip, capturing the true spirit of rock explosiveness and grandeur. Perhaps Canada's answer to The Mars Volta. Spellbinding.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Teenanger - Sneaky Dee's

Teenanger embodies that 70's punk spirit, the decadence, the manic energy, that audio-adrenaline rush. A bit of Ramones, a bit of The Damned, a bit of the New York Dolls. Fiery, raw, and thrilling--a raucous kick-in-the-ass that sparks musical insurrections.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Cold Dead Hands - Neutral

This is what rock and roll should sound like. Should feel like. Powerful, merciless, and dangerous. The spirit of classic rock, thunderous riffs and percussion, just pulverized the entire room, whipping the frontline moshers into a frenzy. A rock and roll force that always delivers the goods. That always rekindles that fire. That always takes me home.

Deromantic - Rancho Relaxo

Steve is a musical troubadour, with deep resonant vocals that wisk you away to another place. The music, carefully crafted gems that sparkle with passion, evocative, emotional, a sense of stillness fused with euphoric celebration. Really is a pleasure to watch. To experience. Entertaining.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Dead Messenger - Savannah Room

The room was witness to an uprising, snarling explosiveness, pure balls-out energy. As long as the simmering danger, primal rawness and boiling intensity remains in a live performance--music revolutions will continue to sprout forth. Dead Messenger. Haggard Beast. Blood, sweat and anarchy.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Secret Japanese Girlfriend - Tranzac

A master of musical eclecticism, endearing vocal urgency, as well as a deft piano-masterstroke. This is where the avant-garde and singer-songwriter co-exist, almost like audio post-modern art. Open your imagination and enjoy.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Llions - The Horseshoe

Inspiring key-laced pop, beautiful intricate harmonies, this is the kind of rousing chemistry that only a brother-sister duo can achieve. Bursting with energy, Llions makes for a colourful, fun, and infectious good time.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Friendlyness & The Human Rights - Sneaky Dee's

Friendlyness and The Human Rights is music for your heart and soul. That was a great set at Sneaky Dee's. Spiritually touched by reggae, the inspiration, the rhythmic heartbeat, artistic freedom unlocking the shackles, a meditation-meets-celebration on what binds people together. If you recognize the universal power of music, you will find peace in your heart, soul, and spirit.

The Champion Heartache - The Drake

A swooning roots flight, falling somewhere in between Wilco and catchy rock. Folk sweetness, breezy harmonies, and concise guitarwork. A lush sound, that’s soulfully smooth, equal parts alt-country fused with 70’s soft-rock, coupled with sparkling indie-type energy. Extracts of twang and gritty swagger, The Champion Heartache is cohesive sound that bursts of colourful flavours.