Canada
Articles, blog posts, and videos relating to Canadian artists, figures, or events.
- Priestess “I Am The Night, Colour Me Black” Video ()
This video captures the feeling of one of the craziest live settings around, a Priestess show. I mean, or what I’d imagine a Priestess show to be like, since I’ve never seen the band live. But anyways, you get the picture. The video is pretty cool as it actually captures the songs insane energy. [This […]
- Swan Lake “Beast Moans” ()
Swan Lake, on paper alone, is a blessed band. Dan Bejar (Destroyer/New Pornographers), Carey Mercer (Frog Eyes) and Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade/Sunset Rubdown) comprise the holy trinity of indie. Some people will undoubtedly hate them, “OK, buddy, uh, I was just tryin’ to cheer us up so go ahead. Put on some old sad bastard […]
- Chris Kinnon (of Lions in the Street) Interview ()
Lions in the Street are one of those bands that you can’t help but enjoy. There is a great divide between groups who dabble as a full blown rock n’ roll machine and those who live it, Lions in the Street is the latter. Presenting a ying to the Toronto art-band scene’s yang, this Vancouver […]
- Priestess “Hello Master” Review ()
Priestess’s release of Hello Master comes at a time in which blossoming metal revivalists are not simply becoming fashionable, but are sparking dialogue questioning which generation was better. Generation Budgie says it’s better, but Generation Priestess at a stronger, more determined level that some of the genre’s figureheads could only dream of reaching. Voted Montréal’s […]
- Punk Rock Graduation Part 1 ()
There’s something special about what our host, Angela, is going through in this particular time of her life. She’s on her way to her senior year in high school, and presuming she graduates, she’ll be looking forward to a new chapter of her life. As I graduated from a high school in Calgary I thought […]
- Victor Scott ()
Victor Scott, a London-born Vancouver musician, plays to the amusement of the ears within the context of a variety of genres. Before taking a seven year detour into the wonderful world of jazz guitar Scott found himself longing for more musically, and it was this search that brought him to John Zorn, Daniel Johnston and […]
- The Lovely Feathers “Hind Hind Legs” Review ()
What an odd thing it is to compare other people of the same age to yourself, isn’t it? In my high school, someone a year ahead of me was drafted into the NHL. Nationally, the trend becomes bleaker. Lebron James was born over a year after I was. I can barely spit out “necessity” and […]
- Priestess ()
Let’s play a quick game: Wolfmother is to Australia as Priestess is to…Canada. The Montreal band one of a few is helping to give me the feeling that retro metal is coming back into fashion. There’s always been something about stoner rock that gets me down. It tends to seem far less melodic at times […]
- Nardwuar The Human Serviette “Doot Doola Doot Doot…Doot Doo!” DVD Review ()
I first became in the know on who Nardwuar was like many Canadians, through his segments on Much Music. It was his absolutely distinct interviews with the celebrities, rock stars and even the average schmuck (but for the most part, celebrities and rock stars) with which Nardwuar carved a name for himself within the scene. […]
- Ashley MacIsaac “Pride” Review ()
My first encounter with Ashley MacIsaac was with the high tempo punk-fiddle “The Devil in the Closet” off of his 1995 crossover album, Hi, How Are You Today? I went to a classy, sit down concert of the Nova Scotian’s at Calgary’s Jubilee Auditorium…with my mom…and it was rad; from there on out I’ve been […]
- The Meligrove Band “Planets Conspire” Review ()
So many great bands have come from Ontario and Quebec as of late that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with things. Toronto’s Meligrove Band is one of the recent buzzers that have really clicked with me. The band’s brand of smooth, piano driven rock might not exactly rock your face off, but it […]
- Duane Andrews ()
Recent East Coast Music Award winner for “Instrumental Recording of the Year,” St. John’s, Newfoundland’s Duane Andrews serves as not merely a guitar player, but a continuation of history. His use of traditional folk, jazz and classical styles effortlessly plot a scene, voice dialogue, and peak before concluding and exiting the song in an entirely […]
- The Birthday Massacre “Violet” Review ()
Ah yes, the spooky kids. It’s really hard to stay away from poking fun at a band which appear entirely in Hot Topic clad, and call themselves Chibi, M. Falcore, Rainbow, Aslan, Rhim and o-en. OK, and they have song titles like “Horror Show,” “Play Dead,” and “Happy Birthday.” Please bear with me. The band […]
- Ultimate Power Duo ()
One would think that “the masters and purveyors of demolition rock” would hail from a multi-decade history of kickin’ ass and takin’ names. Well, they don’t. Saskatoon’s Ultimate Power Duo started two years ago, and have seen both coasts of Canada and all places in between. Their sound calls back to original American punk, y’know […]
- Nardwuar Interview ()
Nardwuar has long since made a name for himself through his unique, high pitched interviews in which he is known to delve into areas of pop culture history generally unknown to the masses. His band, the Evaporators, follow suit, living in obscurity while playing music reminiscent of a parade of caffeine induced indie-geeks (the good […]
- Danko Jones ()
I’ve been a fan of Danko Jones since the release of their single “Bounce” around 1999. With a tight knit, pounding funk rock, I was introduced to the band initially through the music video for the single. I remember being blown away by an abundance of sexually intensified power and I was greatly impressed by […]
- The Meligrove Band ()
Mississauga’s Meligrove Band started up roughly eight years ago in a scene described by drummer Darcy Rego as “if you played shows in Mississauga you were playing in a lineup of 1,000 shitty pop-punk bands playing covers.” Coincidentally Billy Talent emerged from the scene and found fame instead of The Meligrove Band. I’ve never understood […]
- The Golden Dogs “Everything In 3 Parts” Review ()
Capturing buzz amongst the ever evolving Toronto rock scene has become seemingly effortless in recent time, akin to the early 90’s and Seattle based groups. However, in both situations, the value wasn’t behind capturing notice, it was maintaining the value behind the acclaim. After being casually clumped in with other Canadian bands of the time, […]
- The Leather Uppers ()
With a fan base that includes Andrew W.K. and fellow Canadians Nardwuar and Danko Jones, The Leather Uppers have achieved notoriety for both their stage show and their gritty, garage-revivalist sound. Forming in Toronto in 1991, “Classy” Craig Daniels and “Groovy” Greg Tymoshenko formed the duo as a reaction to the stagnant Toronto scene. With […]
- The Golden Dogs ()
Canada’s Chart Attack has called them the best live act in the country. From what I hear though, Toronto’s The Golden Dogs have a little buzz going on with their music too. Last year the band was pegged as the next big thing, with many likening them to the Arcade Fire. I don’t know that […]
- Novillero ()
Accumulating a solid rock band from the ruins of a “lounge pop” band from Winnipeg might not always be as easy as it sounds, but Novillero seem to have done so without losing an ounce of their clever delivery. “Hypothesist,” a glossy garage rock number, outshines “Ceremony” slightly though both sound reminiscent of a scene […]
- Tegan and Sara at Minnesota Zoo (Apple Valley, MN) ()
This show was a different kind of experience for me. Most of the shows I’ve been to have been in “clubs” and this one…was in…THE ZOO. I will get into the ranting after the actual review of Tegan and Sara’s set …IN THE ZOO… Tegan & Sara – They performed a good selection of songs, […]