are Heidi Donnelly and Edmund Lam, a Montreal-based electro indiepop duo and real-life couple whose collaborative efforts on-and-off the stage have lasted longer than most modern rock n' roll romances. Their 2005 debut album Goodbye Friend, Welcome Lover generated a lot of buzz on the blogosphere, drawing comparisons to , and friends and got them spots on festivals around Canada and across the border such as the in New York.
After three (long) years, Hexes & Ohs will finally be releasing their follow-up entitled Bedroom Madness this September. The band is currently en route to our fair city for tomorrow night's at the , sharing the stage with , and . I spoke to Edmund this morning and asked - why the bloody hell did it take so long?
are a six-piece indie pop band from Montreal. They are led by former member Nick Thorburn - the talented singer/songwriter/visual artist formerly known as Nick Diamonds. They just released their second album called Arm's Way on high profile label ANTI- (owned by ) and are playing tomorrow night at the Phoenix as part of a non-stop tour schedule even larger than the one they had for their debut full-length Return to the Sea.
I spoke to Islands member and former-Torontonian Patrick Gregoire about the making of the new record, what he thinks of Toronto, and the promise of sweet smelling .
From time to time, we get projects that require a certain talent, such as recording a voice over. We’re working on building a database of Voice Over talents in the following areas:
- English Male Voice: American and British accents.
- Arabic Female Voice: Traditional Arabic - must be good in grammar.
You will most likely be reading scripts for corporate videos, commercials, and possibly do some character acting. If you have the experience in these things, and preferably have a demo of your work, drop us an email at info@mellostudio.com.
, one of this city's best independent music stores, is packing up the vinyl and closing their doors later this month. The moving date is scheduled for May 28th.
But fear not, Rotate This fans. A new store will open on June 1st only blocks away in the old Songbird Music location at 801 Queen Street West.
Both and have played striking shows on their own in Toronto, but tonight they are partnering to bring-it-up at
If you were left with a little emptiness for French electro-pop after last month, which was certainly one of the of the spring, tonight just might top it.
's highly-anticipated after-party at for last night's Molson Amphitheatre show was the anticlimax of the week.
We had been told by the club promoters that Kanye West, Rihanna, Lupe Fiasco as well as Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo and Shay Haley of N.E.R.D., and everyone else from their crew will be hanging out there "for a little R&R" after the show.
"If you feel like joining the party, we'd love to have you as our guest," the invite enticed.
I was among a civilized scrum of photographers and videographers awaiting a photo op just inside the entranceway of Circa. We waited and waited, some of us for over two hours for the celebs to show and pose for us in the stripey tunnel, which would have made for some cool shots.
But this turned out to be a false alarm.
We were finally whisked away to where they were to enter through a back door. CITY-TV, CTV, ET Canada, Toronto Sun and a host of others joined me for this chance to catch a glimpse of the hip, pop prima donnas.
When the door finally swung open and one of the celebs came in, some six-foot-six, bald and burly bouncer stuck his fat finger in everyone's face and yelled at us not to take any pictures, as if we were a bunch of unwelcome paparazzi or rabid teenage fanboys.
Toronto-based soul/hip hop sensation recently released her official debut record Eclectica (Episodes in Purple) to a capacity crowd at the Mod Club. Since I didn't get my Q&A back from her people prior to the show, this is my first post-event Call & Response.
The show was great. , and warmed the eager crowd up nicely, and Zaki enthralled everyone in the place with her beautiful voice and passionate charisma. I heard a girl gush about Zaki behind me on the streetcar ride home. People love her music and they love her performances even more.
I have to admit that Zaki's music was new to me but I got into it right away. Her record - just as the title suggests - is an eclectic mix of beats and moods. I found more out about Zaki when we talked about her multi-continental upbringing, her undescribable attraction to Toronto, and her feelings toward technology.
, 's highly-anticipated third album debuts in-stores and online today. Recorded in their hometown Montreal, the album takes you on a socio-political road trip "from the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro" ("Love at the End of the World"), through the stripmalls of North America ("Stripmall Religion") and its final destination "Detroit '67". Love also contains the catchy lead single "".
The photograph above was taken during the taping for their show airing on Saturday, where the band previewed most of their new tracks to the media and contest winners. Unfortunately majority of the crowd were teenage fans of , who were slated to play after. Nonetheless the Canucks held their own and . If you're more a Sam fan and want to be one the first to own the new album plus a gorgeous signed limited edition Chemical City lithograph poster, continue reading for contest details.
Ever wanted to catch a glimpse of what live radio looks like? 's Saturday morning comedy-variety show is always a fun listen, but you can also reserve seats for free in advance and be a part of the live audience. Reserved seats often get scooped up quickly, but for an exciting upcoming episode of the show, the CBC has been kind enough to set aside tickets for seven blogTO readers and their sidekicks to check out the show at .
On May 24th, led by host Brent Bambury, GO! will be celebrating and for this special show will also exploring music and the amazing talents of the often-overlooked sidemen/sidewomen in bands. It'll be the bassists, the drummers, and the trianglists getting the spotlight. With live musical performances by and , it's sure to be a great experience, and an awesome way to start your Doors Open adventures.
Welcome to the Toronto Portraits. Every Friday we're going to profile a young, dynamic Torontonian, and each week we're photographing them in a different Toronto neighbourhood.
Hannah Krapivinsky, 20 years old. Dundas West.
What's the best arts high school in Toronto? Or, more pointedly, which one churns out the best musicians? Is it the old guard, the 27-year-old (my alma mater), or the inner city challenger, ?
, one of this city's best independent music stores, is packing up the vinyl and closing their doors later this month. The moving date is scheduled for May 28th.
Ever wanted to catch a glimpse of what live radio looks like? 's Saturday morning comedy-variety show is always a fun listen, but you can also reserve seats for free in advance and be a part of the live audience. Reserved seats often get scooped up quickly, but for an exciting upcoming episode of the show, the CBC has been kind enough to set aside tickets for seven blogTO readers and their sidekicks to check out the show at .