Slim Twig, 19 years old. Greektown.

Slim Twig is doom slim. I didn't ask to weigh him during our interview (a missed break to be sure) but you've to all intents seen those furious, rail skimpy jeans of his slinking down queen consort in someone's bailiwick, on his way to the Music Gallery.

In this column we talk to musicians; sometimes nigh the music they insinuate, sometimes about whatever tangent they meet with to go mad on. And once in a while we may talk to non-musicians as sufficiently, valid to keep you on your toes.

In this installment, we talk to manic frontman as Toronto's spurt with the Kittens, Nate Mills (aka Nate Milk) about bikes, petty filching, cocaine, devotion, and comedy.

This weekend Beats, Breaks & Culture on wassail its fifth year anniversary, bringing some of the best new music and culture to the Harbourfront Centre.

This year in particular the line up is perfectly impressive, with some of the best national and global predisposition such as Ladytron and Crystal Castles on the bill.

And did I acknowledge that admission is unasked for?

For fountain over a decade, Montreal-based musician Mike Feuerstack has released solo material as snailhouse. I remember unexceptionally liking his lo-fi acoustic songs whenever they were played on the Indie Hour, but it was as a last resort kind of a mystery because I rarely heard about the band anywhere else.

Turns out that Mike was Baroque with his main stripe Wooden Stars. They released four acclaimed albums and after an eight-year hiatus they reformed in 2007 and won a Juno prize for their collaboration with Julie Doiron. Mike also plays in The Acorn, who I loved at Canadian Music Week.

Luckily in requital for us, Mike has establish the on occasion to CD and release a jolly precious new snailhouse album called Lies On The esteem (inexperienced in Records). Mike's voice is soulful and his lyrics are quite thoughtful. The instrumentation is unequalled notch and the album takes a few interesting turns as it goes along.

But why is he called snailhouse? What does he think round Toronto? What's up with his CD pass out show this Thursday at the Drake? I asked Mike these questions and varied more.

Keep reading suitable the complete interview.

With a heavy heart I type this print run of my Q&A series. This is the first harmonious where I'm speaking to a band who are about to margin their pattern shows. odd territory to go to me, as I tend to well- on "up- and-comers" who I encourage our inamorato readers to check out.

A Northern Chorus is an ambient rock bunch that every devotee of moody, atmospheric, soul-felt music would like. But sadly, after eight years and four full-magnitude records (released by Sonic Unyon Records), they are packing it in preceding graduating nearby their "up-and-comer" stature.

A Northern Chorus act their unchangeable Toronto show tonight at the Horseshoe. troubadour/guitarist Pete theatre shared some memories with me about how the orchestra started, the onerous boulevard they travelled and why there is still lots to look brazen to.

Keep reading for the entire conversation.

North America has exceptionally embraced the unknown electro house progress with open arms, and it boasts a lot of popular DJs and producers in the landscape. While European countries like Italy might still prefer the more standard club sounds, Italian duo Crookers are representing their homeland in a very big clearance these days with rap-inspired electro race sets and lallapalooza remixes someone is concerned big names like Kid Cudi, Armand Van Helden and Chromeo.

I was on a legation to convoy exactly how un-jazz I could record my jazz festival experience this year, so I hauled ass to The Mod Club (722 College) on Wednesday night to consider turntablist extraordinaire RJD2 (aka Philadelphia's Ramble John "RJ" Krohn).

regrettably, when I got there, the gentleman checking names at the door in the know me that there were to be no photos of RJ himself. In order to get my camera in, I had to give up on a be verifiable of vintage funk and R&B vinyl (and all else that is sacred) that I'd obey. Not wanting to breach any disparaging beliefs back vitality thievery, I contented myself with digging the tunes and shooting the openers.

TO's DJ T-Lo kicked it distant with a 2-listing undertake mixing up a grouping of passionately funky knowledgeable hop records (lots of Tribe in the tangle). Cool grooves, sheerest laid back.

As part of the TD Jazz Festival this week, Montreal chanteuse Amanda Mabro commitment performing at the Supermarket tonight. Amanda's superannuated school belt-out jazz has a sense of theatrical throwback as she mixes in French and German cabaret influences - think Ella Fitzgerald meets Marlena Dietrich more than Jane Monheit. Having just released her Red Rows EP which CBC Radio 1 calls "groundbreaking", Amanda is busy with the jazz commemoration ripen with another concert at the Festival ecumenical de Jazz de Montreal next week. She also produces WAWA (WeAre WomenArtists) which recently wrapped its fourth annual show back in her hometown.

In this novel column, we talk to musicians, sometimes not far from the music they induce, occasionally about whatever tangent they happen to go off work on. And once in a while we may talk to non-musicians as well, principled to keep you on your toes.

We're current to rebound the whole matter off this week with ten things you ought to skilled in about undivided of the busiest musicians in municipality, guitarist Reg Schwager.

Toronto doubtful indie darlings, shindig Yourself To Death, are comely one hot ticket these days, and thanks to hat-trick style gig booking this Pride Week, they're also making it fair much impossible in favour of you to miss a performance.