NXNE is a hard fest to navigate. Imagine being told you could eat 1,000 meals over seven days for a menial ticket price. Several options would arise: 1) get really picky (involves a lot of research); 2) shrug and gorge yourself until you're burnt out on food for weeks by day three; 3) nibble and wander noncommittally; 4) eat what your foodie friends tell you to eat (possible indigestion); 5) get stressed and don't end up eating anything: read reviews and feel bad about what you missed.

Hey, if you're in category five, don't feel too bad. The truth is thousands of bands perform in Toronto every month or so anyway, and they usually have time to soundcheck. If you're really into beating yourself up, though, here are some (mostly visual) highlights of the fest, from the fans to the bands to surprising aesthetics of Toronto's lack of bike parking.

Stumbling around late on any given night, you're bound to hear some ridiculous things. During the week-long NXNE festival, though, there is a whole other breed of conversation you'll have the pleasure of overhearing. While there have already been some mid-fest compilations of great overheard lines ("You're like Bob Dylan with a uterus"), we've rounded up the top tweets and our (sadly) personal experiences for your reading pleasure. Some of it features sex, some of it features music, but much of it features beer-addled brains and loose tongues.

Matt Berninger, frontman of The National, gestured at the H&M billboard across Yonge-Dundas Square while introducing a song. "This," he said gravely," is for Beyonce."

On Friday night, as part of NXNE's free concert series, The National played a long set in the packed square. Lit by neon billboards, they opened with "I Should Live In Salt," the lead track from their new album Trouble Will Find Me, and then proceeded to just rip through a well-curated 90-minute set. There was a great balance between old and new tracks, something that the more seasoned fans of the band in the crowd appreciated, I'm sure.

This Week in Music rounds up the latest news, releases and concerts coming to Toronto.

As NXNE excitement dies down, you might be inches away from death yourself. You're going to need to pull yourself together though, pals: Japandroids are in town this Monday night, and they know you have the strength to push through (Tuesday sounds like a good day to call in sick). Speaking of calling in, Japandroids were a little mopey during our phone chat.

I could tell it was going to be a fun and democratic interview with noisy and anthemic garage rock duo Japandroids - because there was only one phone between the two of them, David Prowse would start the interview and pass it on to Brian King for the second half. Just ten minutes in, Prowse had already apologized for bumming me out, and commented on how this was a "total bummer interview." How did my conversation with a couple of the nicest Vancouverites go down in flames? Read on, dear reader, and find out.

If you're as sick of whack slow music as I am Cellphone offers good reception. It's fast, it's eerie, it's cool, it's now, and most importantly, it sure gets your head boppin'.

I recently chatted with the fearsome foursome over email to get some insight to this can of nuts called "Cellphone." Be warned they are a beast with four heads: I asked them separately a series of questions that ended up highlighting each unique personality. Mike: the Party Dude. Alex: cool but rude. Jay: builds machines (brain) and Eric: a giant rat (jk).
Using these unique responses I was able to use my trained writing ability to present a cohesive yet individual Q & A with Toronto's Cellphone.