Archive for October, 2008

My Heart Keeps Beating Like a Hammer

October 30th, 2008 | By: Melody Lau

Metric

Metric

I’m not going to lie; I’ve practically given up on Metric.

I haven’t heard much from the band since their 2005 release, Live it Out and I’m pretty sure fans were growing impatient of the new record. Sure, there were plenty of new tracks live (for MP3′s,www.metricforum.com is where you can find it all), most of which are pretty good, but come on guys, give me a release date already.

So I noticed today, the band’s official site had a new page posted up and it at least tells me something, finally. As the video tells, Emily Haines did take off to Buenos Aires for a bit sometime ago and clearly some good came out of it as she returned to the studio with a fresh mind and new songs. The song, “Help, I’m Alive”that plays throughout the video is actually new to me, as I have not heard of it. I actually really liked it, especially as a quieter, piano song, as opposed to the fuller, synth-infused version at the end of the video. This gives me a rejunanated sense of hope for Metric. Maybe 2009 will be the year I fall in love with Metric all over again. We’ll see when the new album drops “early 2009″. God, please let that be true.

Metric, as mentioned in my last post, will be playing at the Sound Academy on December 13th along with a whole slew of amazing acts. Tickets go on sale Saturday; presale’s on now.

Yesterday, Feist posted quite a riddle on her MySpace blog, saying:

In Toron?to,? out came a sign
Of wood,? nails?,? it wasn’?t fine

Last night?,? it said there?’?s been a heist
A stage? was took,? stole?n by Feist?

A crowd? arriv?ed,? a line up made
It might? be time for anoth?er raid

A Queen? still? true,? the King a spous?e
In Came Ron, a real full House

A lady watch?es,? ten times? an ant
If after? eight?:? late,? late,? pant,? pant

And after not only reading this message at 10:00 p.m. but also not understanding it for a while, I finally realized that Feist had played a secret show at the Cameron House on Queen St. last night at 8:00 p.m. This literally brought tears to my eyes. Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to wait to see Feist at the more spacious Massey Hall on Saturday. At least I won’t have to have a riddle guide me there. Just a brain to remind me of the directions and to remember to bring my ticket.

Someone please let me know how Lykke Li’s show last week went! Opening act, Friendly Fires recently covered Li’s “I’m Good, I’m Gone“. I’m usually not a fan of many covers (okay, that may be a lie…) but this one is actually really good! Lykke Li still does it better, but Friendly Fires puts quite a fresh spin on it.

Do you religiously follow/read the online blog, B(oot)log? If you do, and you’ve been wondering, like I have, why there have been no updates of late, maybe this will explain.

The Two Koreas will be playing at the Gladstone Hotel on November 3rd.

Some things just look weird at first glance. You know what I mean? Here are some examples that I noticed tonight:

Steven Page Gets Off.

The Gay Blades on Ice Across America.

…maybe it’s just me.

M.I.A. has a new song out (from her How Many Votes Fix Mix EP), “Shells (Slow)”.

Lioness talks to Chart about Controller.Controller. They play at Wrongbar on November 14th.

The Hives are getting sued for plagiarism. Read more here.

In the Halloween spirit, Houston Press has decided to have some fun and pick out 28 “Creepy” album covers. See them all here.

Love is All is also having some Halloween fun. Watch here.

New Beck video for “Gamma Ray” here.

That’ll be it for now! Sorry for the slew of news! Just felt like I needed to tell you some stuff.

Musically,
Melody

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The News from Your Bed

October 28th, 2008 | By: Melody Lau

Metric

Metric

I apologize for the following brief and impersonal post, but I shall be sleeping soon because of early Tuesday classes. Curse you, Tuesdays. But on the brightside, here is a mini-slew of news for you all!

Built to Spill covered M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” in Italy recently. Watch here. Awkward? Let me know what you think at melodylau.620@gmail.com.

Stars have added a third date in Toronto, at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre (I should go just to check out this venue… ) on December 11th. Tickets will go on sale on November 1st. It is arranged seating, so if you want a good spot, pick up tickets early, as I have yet to get mine!

Also, Metric has just announced a tiny tour. Here are the following details from Exclaim!

“Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver, get ready for “Jingle Bell Rock,” a cross-Canada holiday tour set to launch in December featuring two of the most prominent independent acts in Canadian music,Metric and Tokyo Police Club, along with special guests the Dears, DJ Mike Relm and November’s Exclaim! cover stars Sebastien Granger and the Mountains.

The tour will visit six cities with shows taking place at large capacity indoor venues complete with retail villages, creating an outdoor festival vibe but without the snow drifts and toques. Along with bringing great live music to the Canadian masses, the tour seeks to raise awareness on the issue of disadvantaged youth, and benefit organizations such as Covenant House, which provide services to help get youth off the streets and back onto a positive path.

Check out exclaim.ca/contests this week for your chance to win a pair of passes to a show near you, along with swag from each of the artists involved with the tour. And don’t forget to visit Metric’s MySpace page to hear an unreleased, and currently untitled new track produced by Gavin Brown.

Jingle Bell Rock tickets will be available this coming Saturday, November 1.

Jingle Bell Rock tour dates:
12/13 Toronto, ON – Sound Academy
12/15 Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre
12/16 Saskatoon, SK – Praireland Park
12/17 Edmonton, AB – Shaw Conference Centre
12/19 Calgary, AB – MacEwan Hall
12/21 Vancouver, BC – Vouge Theatre”

Just a fair warning to those who are planning to attend the Toronto show, it will come at a hefty price of$37.50. I was totally stoked for this event ’til I saw the price-tag. But hey, if you’re still interested, tickets go on sale November 1st, as the Exclaim message already mentioned. I’ll give you this – Metric and The Dears put on a heck of a show (most of the time). We’ll see how up to it I am… and how many magazines I have to sell for money to buy tickets with.

Alexisonfire has added a second show in Hamilton on December 20. Good for you if you can find a way to commute there. If you actually are, please let me know and take me with you!

Toronto band, Great Lenin’s Ghost finally have some new tracks up on their MySpace. Listen here!

Fan of Rock Band? Well this is perfect for you then, my friend.

That’ll be it for now, folks. Sleep, here I come! Oh, and the title? Awesome Bishop Allen song, as I am listening to it right now… and it’s quite relevant, I’d like to think. Except I am delivering news to you from my bed! It would also make sense if you are reading this post from your bed! Wow… I really need some sleep. Goodnight!

Musically,
Melody

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Sunday Morning Coming Down

October 27th, 2008 | By: Max Mertens

Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash

It took me a few weeks, but I think I’ve finally learned my lesson about the downfalls of excessive drinking in university. I spent my entire Sunday in bed with a splitting headache (mind you, the fire alarm going off at about 11 a.m. didn’t help matters) and a turbulent stomach, and now I am going to attempt to write a post to prove to myself I haven’t completely wasted the day. So here are some random music-related thoughts that have been floating inside my head the past weekend.

First off, I heard the new Killers single “Human” off their upcoming fourth album Day & Age (scheduled for release November 25th), and I have to say that I wasn’t terribly impressed. I was hoping that the new Killers songs would sound darker and more post-punk, like their awesome collaboration with Lou Reed on “Tranquilize” from their b-sides and rarities album Sawdust, but this just sounds like their more weaker material from Sam’s Town.

Another fourth album also being released that same date is 808′s and Heartbreak from the Louis Vuitton Don himself, Mr. Kanye West. At last count, West has dropped four songs from the album, to mixed reviews from music critics and listeners alike. Other than “Love Lockdown“, which is stellar, I have yet to be impressed by any of the other tracks (“Robocop”, “Coldest Winter”, “Heartless”). C’mon Kanye, everyone knows that you can’t sing – stick to rapping, and leave that Auto-Tune shit to T-Pain. If you tend to feel otherwise about The Killers’ or Kanye’s new material, drop me a line at mmertens@ryerson.ca.

On a positive listening note, if you ever wondered what The White Stripes would sound like if they were fronted by Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, you should probably check out San Diego’s Grand Ole Party. Oh, and in case you were wondering what Karen O has been up to these days, she has a new side-project called Native Korean Rock & The Fishnets which is decidedly more mellow (but still very good) than the YYYs.

In Halloween-related news, I’ve finally decided who I’m going as! Want a hint? Check this out then.

Also, if you’re looking for a good show to attend on October 31st, here are a few that might be a good time:

Spiral Beach + others @ The Centre Of Gravity Theatre (1300 Gerard St.)
Thunderheist + VNDLSM + Mansion + Barbi @ CiRCA
Fucked Up + Sex Vid + Quest For Fire + Jack of Heart + Demon’s Claws @ Sneaky Dee’s
Dungen @ The Horseshoe Tavern

Anyways, that’s all for me tonight. Hopefully a few more hours of sleep and my body can be back to functioning normally.

Cheers,
Max

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Wishing Well

October 26th, 2008 | By: Melody Lau

Love is All

Love is All

Have you ever felt like you’ve been stuck in a listening rut? Well that’s exactly what I’ve been feeling right now. Everyday I turn on my Windows Media Player and scroll through my artists, I think to myself, “Why don’t I have anything to listen to?!” (Similar to when I look into my closet in the morning and think, “Why don’t I have anything to wear?!”). So I’ve been on a quest – a musical quest for new music. And I guess that little push was just what I needed!

I’ve heard of Love is All for quite some time now (since the release of their 2005 LP Nine Times That Same Song) but I just never actually listened to them. So when I saw a new video for their single, “Wishing Well” on Pitchfork, I decided to give it a go – and I loved it! Lead singer, Josephine Olausson’s voice seriously reminds me of someone, but I just can’t put my finger on it… it’s good nonetheless. Their sound is a perfect combination of punk and pop and a sprinkle of Swedish charm. If you’re also enjoying what you hear, Love is All will be making a tour stop in Toronto on December 11th at the Horseshoe Tavern (19+) and their new album, A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night, will be out on November 11th.

While I was on Pitchfork, I also read up on some of their coverage of this year’s CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival, particularly taking notice of Amy Philips’ Thursday coverage. At first, I read her post because of Sebastien Grainger, but when I scrolled to the end, I noticed a few shots of an artist named Little Boots. The review was not a positive one, as it criticizes her live act but I was intrigued anyway. So I immediately looked her MySpace up and began to listen to “New in Town”. At first, the keys and snyths were a little overwhelming but as soon as the chorus kicked in, I was hooked. That is one gosh darn catchy song! Definitely check her out if synth-disco-pop is your thing. Maybe not live though… It’s okay though, she’s not stopping by Toronto anytime soon anyway.

And most recently (as in this morning), I just started listening to a great Australian duo named An Horse. Sara Quin (of Tegan and Sara) had written a MySpace blog about the duo and in my curious state of mind, I decided to check them out. And they are definitely perfect for fans of Tegan and Sara. The duo of Kate Cooper and Damon Cox are currently doing some tour stops with the T&S and their new album is available now on iTunes.

I’ve also downloaded (whoa, I haven’t done that in a while…) some Hercules and Love Affair, Marnie Stern and the new Land of Talk album, so I’ll get back to you when I finish listening to them all. I feel rejuvenated with musical energy! But please, if you would like to feed me more music, send me your suggestions at melodylau.620@gmail.com!

In other news around the city…

Pink Mountaintops will be at the Drake Hotel on November 7th. Tickets are $10 and are available now at Soundscapes and Rotate.

Tokyo Police Club are playing an exclusive show, brought to you by The Edge 102.1 and Jack Daniel’s Studio No. 7. The event will be taking place on November 9th at 8:00 and it will be 19+. Details as to where are still TBA and if you want to win tickets, you’ll have to listen to The Edge or go to jdstudiono7.com for further details.

That free Diableros show at Kensington Market today has been cancelled. The band apologizes and will be playing at The Boat in December instead.

Goodnight Loving, The Stolen Minks, The Weirdies and WWI will be at Sneaky Dee’s on November 5th.

Hot damn, I wished I was there.

That’ll be it for now! Happy listening. If you were also in a listening-rut recently, I hoped this helped.

Musically,
Melody

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Murder, Blank Looks on Girls & Knives

October 24th, 2008 | By: Max Mertens

Crystal Castles

Crystal Castles

For the past three weeks on my daily walk to class, I have been tortured by a poster. This poster is brightly-coloured and has on it the dates and names of upcoming artists and DJs playing at one of Toronto’s premier nightclubs CiRCA. Yet there’s one date and name on that poster that is particularly taunting, and every day I have to look at it on my way to my journalism labs and politics lectures.

OCT. 24TH – CRYSTAL CASTLES

Usually, I’m happy about my age. I mean there are enough all-ages shows here in Toronto to choose from to keep me contented, and I know enough people to buy the “substances” that being 18 does not permit me to. However, every so often, there is a show that makes me wish I was just one year older. My friends, this is that show.

Love them or hate them (there’s really no middle ground with C.C.), there’s no denying that the duo of Alice Glass and Ethan Kath have been become a fixture on the international electronic circuit, with their unique brand of glitchy synth thrash (which they describe as being influenced by “murder, blank looks on girls and knives”) and reputation for chaotic live shows. When I first listened to the band’s self-titled debut album, I said to myself, “this sounds like the soundtrack to a video game”, but the album quickly grew on me. If you’re 19 or older and I haven’t convinced you to go to this show, please check this out. Also on the bill are Lymbyc System, which you can check out here. Please guys, do it for me.

While I’m on the subject of synth thrash and electronic, I’d also like to recommend a trio of artists. One is a Parisian that goes by the comic book-influenced identity of The Toxic Avenger and like any good electro artist from France’s capital, he perfers to hide his face behind a mask a la Daft Punk. Also from France, is Sexual Earthquake In Kobe (great name huh?), a more post-punk influenced trio that have a song inspired by an actress in that TV series Big Love (you know the one about the Mormon family in Utah). For real, it’s called“Love With Chloe Sevigny” and it’s completely awesome. Finally closer to home, we have Crystal Antlers from Long Beach, California, who have been getting a lot of love from the blogs and music magazines recently – and for good reason to – the song “Until The Sun Dies (Part 2)” is particularly good.

In other Justice-related news, if you haven’t heard the duo’s stellar new 18-minute (!!!) long single“Planisphere” mixed exclusively for Dior Homme’s Spring/Summer 2009(except Dior Homme is French, so it’s actually “Printemps-ete 09″) runway show, you can listen to it here.

Well considering I have two quizzes in class tomorrow and it’s now 2 in the morning, I had best call it a night. Have a good weekend everybody, and I’ll see you back on here on Monday.

Cheers,
Max

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Optimistic

October 24th, 2008 | By: Melody Lau

Spin Magazine, circa 2001

Spin Magazine, circa 2001

Fatboy Slim? Papa Roach? Erykah Badu?!

Oh the sweet, sweet times of February 2001. I’ve recently developed quite the addiction to selling my old magazines to the wonderful world of BMV. Yes, I’m just a tad (and by tad, I mean VERY) poor and just knowing that I’m sitting on a goldmine of cash in my room is giving me a glimmer of hope. Anyway, in addition to my selling addiction, I’ve also developed a new buying addiction – old issues of magazines at BMV. Very complimentary to each other, no? So a couple of days ago, I picked up a Feb. 2001 issue of SPIN and the second I opened it, nostalgia hit me. It’s weird to think that 2001 was seven years ago, but it’s more weird to see that some things haven’t changed. According to that year’s reader’s poll results, Radiohead was voted best artist, best live act and best song (for “Optimistic”). Just shows how timelessly amazing Radiohead is.

Okay, now back to 2008…

Halloween is just around the corner and I’ve finally figured out what to dress up as! Do not fear if you haven’t decided yet though as Stereogum are here to save the day! Here are some of their suggestions. I personally recommend Rivers Cuomo and M.I.A. so if you end up choosing those, please send me some photos and I shall post them up in some sort of special Halloween blog! Random fact (if you didn’t know already), I dressed up as Feist from her “One Evening” video two years ago… people just assumed that I was a nurse.

Ever wondered what happened to the Pipettes since two-thirds left earlier this year? Well the remaining member, Gwenno, talks to Pitchfork about new members and new music.

The Octopus Project will be in Toronto on October 28th… but according to Chromewaves, the location is a mystery.

Also, feeling some Tegan and Sara withdrawal since the end of their whacky MySpace video-adventures? Well Tegan is apparently keeping a temporary blog thing with Spinner for the next few weeks. Read it here!

Must See Shows Tonight:
Lykke Li + Friendly Fires @ The Mod Club
The Common Dears + Beekeepers Society + Great Lenin’s Ghost + Flying Eyes @ Silver Dollar
Crystal Castles @ Circa
Foals @ Lee’s Palace

I would kill for tickets to Lykke Li. “Breaking it Up” has been my song of the week; I’ve literally listened to it 20-30 times a day. It’s ridiculous. Also, I’m currently listening to Friendly Fires for the first time and I quite like what I hear. Its part pop, part disco, but not enough cowbell. Haha!

I know I promised that the shows page would be up but Tech Nerd is busy at the moment being all nerdy and such so please bear with us. I will also sporadically disappear from time to time to tend to educational duties. But for now, I shall finish sorting through my next stack of magazines to sell…

Musically,
Melody

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“There’s music on the station and I’m just listening to cold wind whistling…”

October 23rd, 2008 | By: Max Mertens

Japanese Motors

Japanese Motors

I was traipsing across Dundas Square yesterday on my way across town yesterday around 6 p.m. and saw the snow flurries for myself. The sunlight is actually reaching into my dorm room today, but the wind is still reminding that winter is fast approaching.

I’ve seen several different responses to fighting the oncoming winter blues lately. The most common is probably denial, while others are rushing out to buy warmer clothes after realizing they didn’t pack nearly enough, and as for those here from someplace that never sees the temperature dip into negative degrees (such as B.C. or Bermuda), are huddling in the rooms wondering what they’ve got themselves into.

My solution? Find some good music that puts you in a sunnier, happier place. I’d like to recommend Japanese Motors, a garage-rock/pop quartet from the warm shores of Costa Mesa in Orange County, California, who were recently signed to the taste-making machine that is VICE Records. If they sound like they just came from the beach, it’s probably because they did – lead vocalist Al Knost is a pro surfer and they shot their video for“Single Fins And Safety Pins” on the beach. Alas if I had been quicker, I would have noticed they played a free show here at The Horseshoe Tavern last night but hopefully they’ll be back soon.

Two other bands that I’ve been listening to of late are Seattle’s Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band – if you like Modest Mouse or Wolf Parade you should check them out, and garage rockers from Ron Burgundy’s hometown of San Diego, The Muslims. Also I know that Mel has already recommended Bishop Allen and Noah and the Whale, but I would just like to add my ringing endorsement as well.

That’s about all I have for today, and it is already starting to feel a little warmer out. I’m going to see Justice next week at CiRCA (there are tickets left! – check out http://www.wantickets.com or visit Rotate This on Queen Street West for details), so check back here next week and hopefully I’ll have some pictures for Singing Lamb. Oh, and whoever knows the name of the song that I headed this post with and the artist(s) that sing it, be the first to email me at mmertens@ryerson.com, and I’ll hook you up with a sweet prize.

Cheers,
Max

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Bandwitch

October 23rd, 2008 | By: Melody Lau

Kevin Drew and Leslie Feist

Kevin Drew and Leslie Feist

1234, Broken Social Scene no more?

Well at least for Feist, it is. As reported by NME two days ago, our favourite indie-darling-turned-international-superstar, Leslie Feist, has made it quite clear that she doesn’t intend on returning to her musical family, BSS. “It’s not really as interesting for me as it once was,” said Feist, who also had a very publicized (or at least it was in my eyes – as a crazed fan) relationship with BSS co-founder/singer, Kevin Drew. Well, I guess that answers your questions as to who won’t be showing up at the November shows in Toronto. This means, all our hopes lie within Emily Haines, Amy Millan and Lisa Lobsinger to fill in her gaps. Oh dear god. Not that there’s anything wrong with those lovely ladies (because I actually do love each of them and their respective outside projects), but no one will ever sing “7/4 Shoreline” the same way. Time to panic/cry/throw a chair out the window in an angry rage? I think so.

In solo-Feist news, here’s her new video for “Honey Honey” (off of 2007′s The Reminder). I’ve seen better from her, but at least it’s not “1234″ for the 8 billionth time…

Matt and Kim also have a new video out this week for their new single, “Daylight”. As if these two weren’t cute enough already, this video just solidifies how light-hearted and fun this couple is. Watch out for an interview with the band coming soon to a ‘Features’ page near you!

Speaking of news from a couple of days ago, I just wanted to inform Long Blondes fans (not that they haven’t found out already) that the band is no longer together. I was never too big of a fan; I enjoyed their two albums but was never too attached to them, but they will be missed for sure. If you haven’t listened to them before, I recommend you do and pout over what you’ve just missed out on.

If you recall my last blog, I mentioned Magneta Lane; and interestingly enough, I stumbled upon some news (finally!) on the band and their recent whereabouts. According to their MySpace blog, the trio (or is it quartet now? Does the dude count?) will be releasing their upcoming follow-up to 2006′s Dancing With Daggers,Gambling with God in March/April 2009 via Last Gang Records. Their newest single, “Ladybones” have been on their MySpace page for quite some time now, but will soon be everywhere as it was just premiered on The Edge 102.1 today. Exciting!

Also mentioned in my previous post were Katie Stelmanis and Emma McKenna of the now defunct Galaxy. If you actually checked out Stelmanis and thoroughly enjoyed her, then you’re in luck as she’ll be one of three opening acts for Fucked Up’s October 30th gig at Sneaky Dee’s, along with Final Fantasy, $100 and The Vivian Girls. That line-up literally made me squeal like a five-year-old just now. As for McKenna, There’s always her show on Sunday afternoon, which will be accompanied by a brunch – a la Laura Barrett’s CD release-party-style?

Also, weird/random note: Chromewaves is looking a tad different, you see?

Anyway, that will be it for now. I know I’ve stabbed that “no holiday” notion to death by now. But I’M not stabbing it, Ryerson is stabbing it! Homework is stabbing it! Sarah Palin is stabbing it! Okay, that last one made no sense, but I just wanted to say that. Before you proceed to listen to some of the recommended bands, please go and watch the Sarah Palin appearances on SNL – ridiculously amazing! Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are my heroes.

Musically,
Melody

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Here Now

October 20th, 2008 | By: Melody Lau

Galaxy

Galaxy

“Girl Power!”

Wasn’t that just the best catchphrase created by evil record/marketing execs in order to profit from millions of young girls EVER? Unfortunately, I actually bought into it when the Spice Girls shouted that on my television screen but I still genuinely support all-female bands today – note I said bands, not “girl groups”. Yeah fuck you, Pussycat Dolls. Fuck you.

This is an extremely belated note, but as we’re on the topic of girl bands, I was thoroughly upset to find out that Magneta Lane’s all-girl line up now includes a dude. Where has this so-called “girl power” gone? For the past two days, that was exactly what I set off to find out. And so, here’s my little list of all-girl rocking bands that you should listen to now!

Hearts of Palm UK – Hearts of Palm UK were actually the most recent discovery… as I just looked them up twenty minutes ago. By accident. I went to Chromewaves to see if there were any Sunday posts and noticed that Frank Yang had posted a couple of tracks and links to this Californian electro-pop trio. So far, so good. I really dig the cute, catchy blips and beats paired with the sweet voice of vocalist, Erica Elektra. According to their MySpace blog, their record, For Life, was just released last week, so that’s exciting!

Galaxy – I’ve been listening to Galaxy for the past month or so and I’ve grown quite a love for Katie Stelmanis. Her vocals, along with Emma McKenna’s, are just the perfect amount of conviction and energy to combat the powerful rock chords of their music. In a sad turn of events, Galaxy is actually no longer together, but I highly suggest people to listen to Stelmanis’ solo music as well, and McKenna too.

123TEN – I first saw these three young ladies when they opened for Final Fantasy last year at the Tranzac Club and I immediately fell in love. Okay, wait that’s a lie. I thought they were really weird at first… then I fell in love with them. They’re fun, crazy and ridiculously fun live. But unfortunately, this trio has also joined the list of greats who have disbanded recently. What’s even more shameful is that they only have two songs on their MySpace. If only you can listen to “Whale Fight” and “Tools”… amazing.

Pony Da Look – These women are hardcore awesome. Heavy on the keyboards and the Ladytron-esque beats, these Toronto rockers are like Torontonian Mira Aroyo’s and Helen Marnie’s. According to their MySpace bio, they’ve been described as “Medieval ghost pop”…yup, that about sums it up perfectly. While the band was on a brief hiatus, they have made a comeback this past year with their new album, “Shattered Dimensions”which is released via Sloan’s record label, Murderecords. I suggest you folks to check out some of the remixes on their website as they are quite good!

Others to Check Out:
Vivian Girls
The Stolen Minks
Pony Up!
The Pipettes
Huckleberry Friends

Hall of Famers:
Sleater Kinney
Le Tigre
Bikini Kill

In some tiny (but earth-shatteringly terrible!) news, those who were hoping for Montreal’s Land of Talk to open for Broken Social Scene at the Sound Academy in November will be disappointed (or thrilled?) to hear that they will only open on the second night, while The Beauties will open on the first night.

Also in Arts & Crafts news, Stars will be making a special appearance, opening for Coldplay in Ottawa tonight -strange!

Anyway, I shall bid you a good day for now. But I believe I have left you with some listening to do… so go do it! And I say that with love, by the way… not in a bitchy way at all. Damn texts – can never convey proper tones! I think I need sleep. Now. (side note: I say sleep because I write all blogs the night before they are posted. Therefore it’s actually 1:32 a.m. right now. And I have class at 10 a.m… oh, the joys).
Goodnight/day!

Musically,
Melody

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October 19th, 2008 | By: Melody Lau

Two Hours Traffic

Two Hours Traffic

A few weeks ago, as I was walking to the bus stop, I noticed a field of frost. I didn’t think much of it then, but that image is the only thing I can think of now, as I’m in my freezing room bundled under several layers of blankets. It’s getting cold here in Toronto – which always brings back a nostalgic memory of last December, when I saw Broken Social Scene for the first time.

Interestingly enough, I will have to endure another cold evening for Broken Social Scene next month when I see them on November 27th at the Sound Academy. And I was just about to purchase tickets to the second night too when I read that Two Hours Traffic will be playing an all-ages gig at the Whippersnapper Gallery on the 28th. Nice difference from the slew of Lee’s Palace shows they’ve been doing, so if you’ve been dying to check them out but you’re unfortunately under-aged, I highly suggest this show!

In a whole whack-load of other news…

My favourite Swedish songstress, Lykke Li has an alternative video for her single, “Breaking it Up”, similar to the un-official video for “I’m Good I’m Gone”. As I’ve mentioned countless times on my old blog, you must listen to this girl! Unfortunately, her upcoming gig at the Mod Club is sold out, so if you’re one of the lucky ones holding a ticket, please let me know how the show goes!

Speaking of new videos, Beck also has a new one out for “Modern Guilt”

According to Stillepost and Chart, Sailboats are White are calling it quits after 7 years.

One of my favourite movies last year, Once, is apparently turning into a Broadway. Hmm…

Need some reading to do? Read this!

That’ll be it for now, sorry for the lack of posts this weekend!! That will never happen again!

Musically,
Melody

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