Live Review: Anna Calvi @ Lee’s Palace in Toronto Dec 8

annacalvi604

annacalvi604Just She and Her Guitar
By: Laura Phillips
December 14, 2011

Mothers, bring your young daughters: the Anna Calvi route is female values wrapped up in a bow. While Thursday’s performance at Lee’s Palace played to a wider demographic of the 19+, the British artist managed to exceed already high hopes with her on-stage aloof and a couple of electrics.

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Study finds loud music leads to more alcohol consumption, Toronto Music Scene then forgiven all sins

JD

JDGet ready: The Horseshoe is about to get even louder!
December 16, 2011

New research conducted by University of Portsmouth psychologist Dr. Lorenzo Stafford shows that yes, loud music does indeed lead to higher alcohol consumption. Turns out loud music makes alcohol taste sweeter, AKA makes it easier to drink at a much faster rate. “Since humans have an innate preference for sweetness, these findings offer a plausible explanation as to why people consume more alcohol in noisy environments,” Dr. Stafford says.

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Live Review: Austra play Toronto’s Phoenix Dec 1, 2011 with Young Galaxy and Tasseomancy

btw-austra

btw-austraBy: Laura Phillips
December 10, 2011

Rousing a crowd comes easily to Austra and its posse of interchanging stage-friends. Alongside Katie Stelmanis’ iced (and increasingly signature) operatics, the band’s homecoming show at the Phoenix last Thursday pledged theatrics and the posture of a group in its prime state of mind.

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Feature Fridays: Music publicist Jon Asher – The three things every band needs to know about image awareness

jonasher

jonasherMontreal-based publicist Jon Asher of Asher Media Relations gives his perspective on what it takes to get noticed in the music industry in Feature Friday #2.
By: Jon Asher
December 9, 2011

First off, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Toronto Music Scene for inviting me to write one of their guest columns. Now, being part of the Canadian Music Industry for the last few years, I have experienced different aspects of the industry and I hope that my experiences can help those in search of valuable resources in spreading their music to their audiences. Today I’ll tell you the top three things every band needs to know to promote successfully.

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CD Review: Playdeaf – The Super Sexy Market 


playdeaf

playdeafBy: Natasha Pavlovic

December 1, 2011

4/5

Toronto band Playdeaf’s latest release The Super Sexy Market is definitely super sexy. With its sultry, biting lyrics and deep, dark rock, it’s an album you can strip to (if you’re into that sort of thing). It is definitely intense. Vocalist/guitarist Playdeaf Jeff has a voice that makes your body tingle and would make for the perfect soundtrack to a mellow, intimate night in.  It’s easy to lose yourself while listening to the album’s raunchy, trippy sound. Each song invites you in with a deep, drawn out intro and then captivates the ears with quick guitar and sharp bass. It’s hard not to press repeat as it makes you feel so alive when listening.

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”

Tiny Danza

Toronto Band Tiny Danza

Rock / Hip Hop / Pop

Toronto Band Tiny DanzaAfter six years of working hard and kicking ass, TINY DANZA are about to blow up. They hail from Toronto, Ontario and are a perfect blend of hip-hop, dance and r&b. Not satisfied with the state of contemporary music these days, they’re committed to writing songs that are at once sophisticated, accessible and meaningful; it’s where art music meets hip-hop.

Inspired by musicians such as The Roots, Donny Hathaway, Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis, Michael Jackson and The Beatles, their music combines live drums, synth keys and electric guitar with soulful vocals and tight rapping to create a signature sound that unifies the best elements of both electronic and acoustic sounds. They continue to be inspired by artists such as Usher, Drake, Florence and the Machine, Arcade Fire and modern hip-hop acts such as The Cool Kids, and Wax. There is something for everything in their music.  At a TINY DANZA show, you’ll see people from all walks of life nodding out to the hypnotic grooves, spellbinding guitar solos and infectious vocal hooks. The effect is timeless; nostalgic yet innovative.

This electric 5 piece has appeared at all the major clubs in Toronto. They’ve shared the stage with acts such as Down With Webster, JENNA, The Elastocitizens, Jr. Mint, Miles Jones, YUKA, Najjah Calibur, The North, Radio Radio, The Ascot Royals, Fresh Kills and have also been featured performers at the Beaches International Jazz Festival and Canadian Music Week.

Their first single, “Beat Fly”, has garnered them much critical acclaim internationally through features on CBC Radio 3, Blind I For The Kids, Whotune and Hype Machine.  It will be featured on The Amazing Compilation alongside Colm Wilkinson, Natalie McMaster and Dan Hill of Blue Rodeo to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society. As well, the single was one of three songs selected by Whotune and Harmonix to be professionally authored and published and is available now for download in the latest release of ROCKBAND for Xbox and PS3.

No strangers to the press, they have graced the pages of Now Magazine (July 29-August 5, 2009 | VOL 28 NO 48) and were selected as one of the Top 10 Bands of 2009 by blogTO. As well, Andrew Santaguida (keys) was featured in the Dec 2009 issue of Keyboard Magazine. They have been praised for their unique sound and great energy by numerous blogs such as Chicago Now, Indie Shuffle, Around in Sound, Blind I, Future of Rap Music, From the Garage and Sidewalk Hustle. Most recently they were featured in GridTO (Oct, 2011) for their show with MTV host Andy Milonakis.

The band shows no signs of slowing down for 2011.  Most recently, they were chosen by industry judges as the winners of Indie Week 2011, coming in first place out of over 200 other groups. They have completed a sucessful tour of Eastern Canada playing shows in Quebec City and showcasing at the Halifax Pop Explosion. Their show at Canadian Music Fest was a runaway success and they have performed live on the Nat and Marie Show. They were the headline performers at the Zauntourage Party for Sick Kids charity event organized by former Blue Jay and Sportsnet broadcaster Gregg Zaun and represented Toronto at the Festival Envol et Macadam in Quebec City. Additionally, their self-produced, full-length studio album, You Could Have It All…, recorded at Canterbury Music Company in Toronto with engineer Sam Ibbett and mastered at The E Room with the legendary Peter J. Moore was released in June 2011 through Bent Penny Records/Fontana North and is available across Canada at HMV and worldwide through Bandcamp,  iTunes and Amazon.com.

2012 will be a big year for TINY DANZA as they will be touring the UK in May as winners of Indie Week 2011.


Contact Tiny Danza:

Tiny Danza MySpace

This is Me as a Woman

This Is Me As A Woman

Acoustic / Experimental / Visual

This Is Me As A Woman

This is me as a Woman are an emerging and promising Toronto band that has listeners and fans questioning how to genre it. This is Me as a Woman are tired of seeing genuine and eclectic Canadian bands be ignored or underrepresented in the mass public and media. This is me as Woman have just released their self-titled EP; recorded/mixed at Acoustik Roots Studio, mastered at Woodshed Studio.

This is Me as a Woman’s founding member Kimberly was born in the bushes of Northern Ontario and was drawn to music at a young age.
Gravitating to the guitar and finding her own aggressive style, This is Me as a Woman’s singing/song writing can be described as intriguing, experimental and captivating. Incorporating finger-tapping, loops and entrancing vocals, you will find This is me as a Woman unconsciously stuck in your head.     

Presently, This is Me as a Woman continues to incorporate powerful vocals into her unconventional and experimental guitar playing, while recently adding a very hard-hitting, force bringing drummer Jay and bassist Joe DiMaio (the Bulletproof Tiger) gracefully pummels your ears while keeping it in the pocket so tight you can’t fit your hands in them. Together they have quickly been astonishing diverse crowds across the city and will to continue to do so.

 

Contact This is Me as a Woman:

This Is Me As A Woman Bandcamp

WATCH THIS: The Darcys – “Don’t Bleed Me”

The Darcys Don't Bleed Me

The Darcys Don't Bleed MeDecmeber 8, 2011

For those that saw our preview to “Don’t Bleed Me,” the new music video from the Darcys is now here.

Toronto band the Darcys have released their first video for “Don’t Bleed Me” from their newest self titled album.  “Don’t Bleed Me” is really a cinematic feat for a music video done by a local band.  Directed by Mike Portoghese, the video plays out like a deleted scene from the movies “District 9” and “Battle Los Angeles.” Only this time we witness the destruction of the city of Toronto and even the CN Tower.

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Feature Fridays: The Paint Movement Presents: The Movement of Pain Tour 2011

paint movement

paint movementIntroducing Toronto Music Scene’s Feature Fridays! We’ve invited guest columnists to tell us stories, tips and lessons learned through grandious adventures in the music industry. Feature Friday #1 is from Wes McClintock of the Paint Movement who tells us about surving car crashes and being saved by Yukon Blonde and the CAA.
By: Wes McClintock
The Paint Movement
Decemeber 2, 2011

Three alignments, three oil changes, new control arm, ball joints, water pump, new headlights, new wipers, one totaled trailer, one rental trailer, one flat tire, one rental van, three CAA phone calls, one U-Haul roadside assistance, three different mechanics, three cancelled shows, three blizzards and two tow trucks in just two weeks. This is what touring is all about.

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LISTEN UP: Dine Alone Records releases free sampler for the holiday season

Dine Alone Records Holiday Sampler

Dine Alone Records Holiday Sampler

December 1, 2011

December is now upon us and the holiday season is here, so to celebrate Dine Alone Records has released a holiday sampler for music fans everywhere.  Unfortunately the album doesn’t have their artists doing Christmas carols, but this “stocking stuffer” contains 17 tracks featuring bands like City and Colour, Monster Truck, Parlovr, Library Voices, Deer Tick, The Sheepdogs and more.

Download the sampler at: Dine Alone Records

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