blogTO | Posts by Gary

blogTO | Posts by Gary http://www.blogto.com/ Toronto blog Copyright 2009 Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:03:18 PST http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Call & Response: VLSONN Representing East York, VLSONN is an electro DJ/producer who's on the path to success. Although he's still flying under most people's radars, this guy has some great-sounding analog grooves rockin' on his Myspace page.

He's caught the attention of Craig Hill, head honcho of local label YYZ Records (home to great Toronto acts like TMDP and Madrid). VLSONN headline's Craig's Rollin' & Scratchin' party tonight at Supermarket.

I spoke with VLSONN about his productions, his dream remix project and the simple things in life.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/11/call_response_vlsonn http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/11/call_response_vlsonn Music Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:21:22 PST Music Gary 2009-11-06T00:21:22 Call & Response: Olenka & the Autumn Lovers I first saw Olenka & the Autumn Lovers open for Megan Hamilton earlier this year at the Rivoli. They were great - a cheery collective playing an eclectic mix of folk, alt country and waltzes.

Olenka Krakus and her band of merry musicians released a couple EPs and their self-titled debut full-length in 2008. They're wrapping up an Eastern Canadian tour this week and play The Garrison tonight with Toronto favourites The Wilderness of Manitoba.

I spoke with Olenka about loving autumn on tour, the eclectic nature of her music, and writing lots and lots (and lots) of songs.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/10/call_response_olenka_the_autumn_lovers http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/10/call_response_olenka_the_autumn_lovers Music Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:01:10 PDT Music Gary 2009-10-27T19:01:10 Call & Response: Barletta Since I last spoke with Barletta, he has become one of the most profilic producer/remixers out of Toronto in this half of the "aughts". With over 120 tracks/remixes/edits to his name, I can't think of anyone who's been busier.

Barletta's work has caught the ear of Tremendous Records - the fresh, new Montreal-based "future pop" label founded by Grandtheft (one half of the amazing Team Canada DJs duo) and backed by local indie jaugernaut Last Gang.

Tremendous is releasing Barletta's kickin' new single "Whisper" in style tomorrow night at Wrongbar. I spoke with Barletta about the new sound of his new single, sexy stuff and moving out of Scarborough. There's also free guestlist spots!

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/09/call_response_barletta http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/09/call_response_barletta Music Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:33:26 PDT Music Gary 2009-09-30T10:33:26 Call & Response: Shout Out Out Out Out I think Shout Out Out Out Out are one of the best Canadian rock/dance hybrid bands ever. When I see them play live I can't decide whether I want to dance or just jump up and down. I'm not alone. Last time I saw them play Lee's Palace, the crowd at the front looked more like a mosh pit than a dance floor.

Their latest album Reintegration Time is full of analog synth goodness, guest vocals by the likes of Cadence Weapon and production that almost makes you feel like you're at one of their shows.

But it's all about seeing them live. I can't wait to catch them this weekend at Wrongbar w/ local electronic duo TMDP. I spoke with bandleader Nik 7 about how four bass players and two drummers came together, making bad choices, and being on fire. There's also a contest!

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/09/call_response_shout_out_out_out_out http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/09/call_response_shout_out_out_out_out Music Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:19:25 PDT Music Gary 2009-09-30T10:19:25 Call & Response: Todor Kobakov Todor Kobakov is a talented Bulgarian-born, Toronto-bred pianist, keyboardist, composer and arranger who graduated from the University of Toronto's music program at the age of 20. Aside from performing with and arranging for several high profile bands, he also submitted a fantastic string quartet remix for Radiohead's "Nude" remix contest.

Similar to Solo Piano by Gonzales, Todor's debut album Pop Music (out now on new TO label 88 Calibre) is mostly classical piano pieces played using traditional pop song structures. He gets vocal help on two songs from Emily Haines and Tunde from TV On The Radio. Those celeb guest spots might initially attract folks to this album, but the beautiful piano playing should seduce them to stick with it.

I'm looking forward to seeing Todor perform his new songs at an intimate venue on Shaw Street this weekend. I spoke with him about his musical childhood, his new album and the unique nature of his upcoming shows.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/09/call_response_todor_kobakov http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/09/call_response_todor_kobakov Music Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:58:21 PDT Music Gary 2009-09-29T14:58:21 Call & Response: The William Blakes The William Blakes are from Copenhagan and they're Denmark's crown princes of quirky indie pop. Their catchy and well-produced songs have made them a household name over there. It also helps that two of the members are already Danish celebrities in their own right. Lead singer/songwriter Kristian Leth is a TV personality, while trumpet/keyboard player Bo Rande (also a member of Blue Foundation and who has played with Mew) is a popular music producer who apparently has worked on "almost anything worthwhile that ever came out of Denmark".

Their album is called Wayne Coyne. Yes - that Wayne Coyne. I spoke to them about this, how they made the album in only a week, and some strange Toronto museum they're hoping to visit while they're here for a show this weekend.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/09/call_response_the_william_blakes http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/09/call_response_the_william_blakes Music Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:44:05 PDT Music Gary 2009-09-10T16:44:05 Call & Response: Julie Fader Julie Fader is a talented singer/songwriter, musician, and visual artist. I recently found out that I've seen and heard her more times than I thought. She's a member of Great Lake Swimmers and also supports Sarah Harmer and Chad VanGaalen.

When she finds time, Julie's creates her own beautiful ambient folk-rock. Her debut solo album OUTSIDE IN (Hand-Drawn Dracula) was produced and recorded by her boyfriend Graham Walsh (of Holy Fuck) and features lots of well-known indie musicians - including the big names she supports.

Julie and her band play the Hand-Drawn Dracula TIFF Showcase tonight, alongside Brian Borcherdt, Megasoid and many others. I talked to Julie about her album, her art, and writing backwards.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/09/call_response_julie_fader http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/09/call_response_julie_fader Music Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:07:11 PDT Music Gary 2009-09-08T16:07:11 Call & Response: Brandon Sek DJ/blogger Brandon Sek might not yet be on the mainstream radar but his electronic music blog Curb Crawlers (CC) is quickly becoming one of the best spots to go for what's good in the underground. CC is full of under-the-radar tracks, remixes and exclusive mixes.

Brandon has been DJing for years and he really knows what he's doing. His musical knowledge is obvious with one visit to his blog, but he's also great at building a DJ set. With Curb Crawlers' notoriety, his DJ profile is on the rise. He's one of the residents at a very cool new weekly called ARCADE which launches tonight at the Mod Club.

I spoke with Brandon about his blog, his approach to DJing and I got the inside scoop on his 2009 picks.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/08/call_response_brandon_sek http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/08/call_response_brandon_sek Music Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:01:37 PDT Music Gary 2009-08-20T12:01:37 Call & Response: Picastro Moody, chamber pop band Picastro launch their new album tomorrow night at the Tranzac with Nadja. Become Secret is a somber collection of songs featuring lovely layers of piano, cello and droning guitars.

It's been exactly a year since I last spoke with bandleader Liz Hysen. She writes imaginative songs and plays with a solid rotating cast of musicians in the Toronto scene. The songwriting is, as usual, quite deep and I asked Liz about this, vinyl, and places she likes in Toronto.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/08/call_response_picastro http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/08/call_response_picastro Music Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:58:55 PDT Music Gary 2009-08-20T11:58:55 Call & Response: Stop Die Resuscitate Dark electro locals Stop Die Resuscitate have been lurking around Toronto's underground spotlight for a long time. Now, with a more melodic sound and a new album being prepped for release, they're looking to jump right into the center of it.

SDR first caught my attention a couple years ago at a Pride performance, and they've made some of my favourite electro remixes, making dark bangers out of songs by the likes of Apostle of Hustle, Deerhoof, Tegan and Sara, and You Say Party! We Say Die!

The new album (The Gloom) won't be released until early next year, but SDR are previewing it in its entirety tonight at The Drake. I spoke with lead singer Lucas Costello about their album, their new sound and why "everybody" says they should move to Europe.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/08/call_response_stop_die_resuscitate http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/08/call_response_stop_die_resuscitate Music Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:49:18 PDT Music Gary 2009-08-18T15:49:18 Call & Response: Germans Local fuzzy indie rockers Germans (a popular band who haven't played live in over a year) make their return at the Summerworks festival. Lots of cool theatrical and musical events are happening every night, and one of the musical highlights has got to be this gig.

Germans have been on an indefinite hiatus since a really bad experience on tour in the US. I remember reading a blog post about it, and it was really dark. Fast forward to present day though, and with a revamped line-up they're headlining an all ages show Saturday night with the Great Bloomers.

I spoke with Leon about his band's break, their new album and hot, sweaty bodies.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/08/call_response_germans http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/08/call_response_germans Music Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:46:30 PDT Music Gary 2009-08-13T15:46:30 Call & Response: Library Voices Library Voices are a ten-piece indie pop collective from Regina. They've had a crazy year. Since blogTO last spoke with them, they've been recording their first album in between lots of touring across Canada. Along the way they've somehow been robbed of $10,000 worth of their gear. Bummer!

People seem to really like their debut EP and "Drinking Games" - the new song posted on their Myspace page - sounds even better. They played Edge Nu Music Night at The Horseshoe last Tuesday and they're doing it again tomorrow night. They're apparently the first band to ever play the night two weeks in a row.

I spoke with Michel Dawson about the band's highs and lows on the road, their upcoming album, and their thoughts on our city.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/07/call_response_library_voices http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/07/call_response_library_voices Music Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:10:26 PDT Music Gary 2009-07-14T16:10:26 Call & Response: Culture Reject Culture Reject is the solo project of ex-Black Cabbage songwriter/musician Michael O'Connell. I was a big fan of his old band - Black Cabbage were one of the most interesting bands on the club circuit in the 90s.

Culture Reject's first release (out now on White Whale Records) features local indie legend Jim Guthrie and is influenced by Michael's travels to Africa and Cuba, as well as his work with at-risk youth here in Toronto at Sketch.

I spoke with Michael about his travels, his work with Sketch and his show at Wavelength this Sunday.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/07/call_response_culture_reject http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/07/call_response_culture_reject Music Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:08:27 PDT Music Gary 2009-07-14T16:08:27 Call & Response: Gonzales Gonzales, the talented Canadian pianist/songwriter/producer, had to move to Europe to become famous. But nowadays he's slowly becoming well-known in North America for his creative piano-based pop, and his amazing work with Feist. In a world where someone like Rufus Wainwright can be really successful, I think Gonzales should be a household name. In addition to making his own quirky music, Gonzales also collaborates with a diverse group of artists. He will seemingly try anything - like breaking the Guinness World Record for longest concert by a solo artist (pictured above).

Back in 2004, Gonzales released a beautiful album in Europe called Solo Piano. It's still one of my favourite chillout albums. Arts&Crafts is re-releasing the album here as a deluxe re-issue with a bonus DVD containing performances and some odd bits like a crazy press conference in Berlin.

Gonzales plays the Mod Club on September 30. I spoke with him about the making of Solo Piano, working with Feist, and the pains that come with breaking a world record. There is also a contest!

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/07/call_response_gonzales http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/07/call_response_gonzales Music Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:02:04 PDT Music Gary 2009-07-11T15:02:04 Call & Response: The Wilderness of Manitoba Local folk ensemble The Wilderness of Manitoba make really pretty music that always puts me in a better mood whenever I need to fight off the doldrums.

Started by Will and Scott of Provincial Parks and Delaware House, this acoustic project is seriously augmented by vocalist Melissa and Stefan on cello. They make flawless four-part harmonies and collectively create a special vibe in any room they play - whether it's their basement (where they recorded their new EP Hymns of Love and Spirits), the garage out back (Delaware House), or on a stage around town (they recently opened for The Rural Alberta Advantage to a packed Horseshoe crowd).

The Wilderness of Manitoba play Wavelength tomorrow night. I spoke with the band about their sound, their new EP and winning the rock lottery.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/07/call_response_the_wilderness_of_manitoba http://www.blogto.com/music/2009/07/call_response_the_wilderness_of_manitoba Music Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:57:46 PDT Music Gary 2009-07-11T14:57:46