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New Metric Photos |10.21.09 show at Massey Hall

We’ve just loaded some great Metric photos from their show on Oct 21, 2009. Thanks to Karen Bourgon for sending them. Read the review from the show.

Metric at Massey Hall - 10.21.09

1 comment November 14th, 2009

SPOT: Swell Season performing secret show at Dakota

There’s always something special going on in Toronto… somewhere. And more often than not, for great music it’s a the Dakota Tavern (see clip below) near Ossington and Bloor. Yesterday was no exception, with Glen Hansard from Swell Season (from the movie “Once”) performing a secret show in prep for their performance November 2nd at Massey Hall.

Read the great cover article on this week’s Eye Weekly for more information. I was able to see them last year at the same venue, and was utterly blown away. They are promoting their new album, Strict Joy release this fall.

-ROBB ENG

Add comment October 29th, 2009

SPOT: Matt&Kim @Reverb Oct 1

Along the wave of pop-synth came a brooklyn duo called Matt&Kim. I was lucky enough to squeeeeze into the Whippersnapper Gallery by College and Clinton during the 2009 North By North East Musical Festival. Due to technical issues at the start and a the runs from some bad Thai Food earlier in the day, the duo put on a shortened set, but still made it the best 25-minute dancy bang you could ask for.

Matt plays synth and sings. Kim bangs on the drums. It’s a simple yet super fun combo that had the crowd jumping and playfully singing along. M&K are starting to get some exposure with their hit single “Daylight” being featured on a Bacardi video, and were recently on Jimmy Kimmel live in August. Not bad for a little dynamic pop duo.

Be sure to check them out before someone like Apple gets a hold of them!

Matt&Kim
Thursday, Oct 1 @8PM
Reverb
$13.50

Tickets available at: Rotate This!, Ticketmaster

Add comment September 1st, 2009

CLIP: Dan Mangan @the Wreckroom 11.26.08 (click for video)

Dan Mangan from Vancouver has been recording a sophomore album to his first release, Post Cards and Daydreaming. He’s got a deep, raspy powerful voice accompanied by stripped down acoutic guitar that’ll make anyone stop to to listen.

Although he was a bit rusty being in the studio vs. relentessly on tour and playing folk festivals up the guitar hole, he put on a decent set at the Wreck Room on the corner of Bloor and Spadina. It was part of IndieCan Radio, a local indie music radio/podcast that puts on a free weekly show showcasing indie artists.

More photos from IndieCan

1 comment December 3rd, 2008

NXNE 2008

It’s days before the 14th annual North by Northeast Music & Film Festival (and Conference) hits Toronto. This Thursday June 12- Saturday 15, 2008 at over 50 venues in downtown Toronto will host over 300 bands from around the world. Sure, it’s no SXSE, the mecca for indie artists, but it’s still a great opportunity to see both local and international artists without slepping it out to Austin, TX.

Having been a delegate, volunteer and general concert goer in the past, NXNE will deliver some great music, helping launch local artists like Tokyo Police Club, Moneen and Pilate (whatever happened to Pilate anyway?). This year’s line up has a ton of international artists to discover, especially a bunch traveling all the way from down under.

Highlights: Sloan, My Morning Jacket, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, the Besnard Lakes, Dan Mangan, Magenta Lane, People in Planes, Two Hours Traffic, Matt Mays and El Torpedo, We Are Wolves, Great Lake Swimmers, Hey Rosetta!, White Cowbell Oaklahoma, Julie Doiron, Swervedriver, Redd Kross, Sheek Louch, the High Dials, French Kicks, Black Diamond Bay (featuring the Dears’ Patrick Krief), the Diableros, Uncut, Young and Sexy, and Carina Round.

Similar to SXSW, there’s a film festival component to North by Northeast. Of particular note is the debut of the premiere episode of “The Side Street Project”, which gets Holy Fuck, Buck 65, and Emm Gryner jamming on Springsteen’s “State Trooper”, Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”, and Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me”.

Click HERE for the full list of artists and films.

Check out highlights from NXNE 2007.

Add comment June 10th, 2008

SPOT: Dan Mangan @NXNE

With North By North East Music festival fast approaching, tons of artists will be rummaging through the big smoke in the beginning of June. One such artist by the name of Dan Mangan, a Vancouver BC singer/songwriter has swept likes of CBC Radio 3 ala Podcast Host Grant Lawrence and his listeners with his all encompassing folk vocals that has stopped even the most rowdy and rambunctious crowds. The track, Unnatural Progression , stopped me in my tracks. His deep rooted, personal vocals and soft guitar backdrop will warm any evening – despite how sad and pensive they may be.

As part of his cross Canada tour, he’ll be playing a couple venues in June.

June 13 June 12 – Toronto – The Rivoli - "TMB Lawyers" Showcase for North-By-North-East (Time TBC)

June 14 – Toronto – The Savannah Room - North-By-North-East @10 PM. Savanaah room is a bit of a hole but will give a truely intimate vibe; guaranteed he’ll blow you away.

Dan Mangan – "A Passport Approved" Live on Indie 103.1

www.danmanganmusic.com

www.myspace.com/danmangan

3 comments May 29th, 2008

SPOT: The Presets @Kool Haus, May 30

The rising electro-retro-rock duo from down under have come up to take over North America. The Presets have won over Australia with a #1 Aussie album selling out shows across the country.

The Syndey-based duo explodes with a blend of dirty house dance to get your heart pumpin’ along with psychedelic Depeche Mode inspired synthpop trance sounds to blast you to another dimension. Their pulse pounding ‘My People’ is a club staple.

The Presets perform this Saturday, May 31 @Kool Haus.
Doors @8PM
$16.50

Tix available at Rotate This! and Ticketmaster.

The Presets – “My People”

Add comment May 28th, 2008

Hillside Festival: July 26-27, 2008

There were many Hillside Festival goers who were largely pissed at the lack of weekend passes available for the 2008 Hillside Festival. Stores in Toronto had only a handful (literally) of ticket available, with passes selling out online/telephone in <20 mins. They’ve got a reason to be mad, since in previous years “early birds” went in 20 mins, but weekend passes were available at least for a couple of days.

What happened? Did popularity double vs. last year? Are they offering less $90 weekend passes this year, in favour of making more $$ selling regular tickets?

Given the calibre of the Guelph music and community arts festival each year, one can’t complain at the regular price tickets. Although you’d miss out on Friday night, full day saturday and sunday tix would cut a $120 hole in your pocket. Most weekend festivals usually start at $200, and at this festival you great locally produced food, water stations, minimal brand-invasion, recycling stations and dishwashing stations.

There is a blind faith Hillside concert goers have with this festival, given the panic to get weekend passes without knowing more than 5 (of >30) artists that will be performing. As a volunteer-enabled concert, Hillside is all about enjoying the music and community; not just to make a profit and a mass event for corporations to sell their brands.

This year’s preliminary line up is shaping up to be excellent:

Get your tickets at Ticketpro via the Hillside website. Tickets will sell out so get them fast!

Add comment May 28th, 2008

SPOTlight Toronto Artist: Justin Rutledge (click for video)

Oh Justin Rutledge, an alt-country singer/songwriter taking the country by storm. He’s a well mannered, humble guy with a piercing stare and stark resemblance to a young Elvis that’ll make your hair stand on end. And that’s before he even hits the stage.

I was lucky enough to catch him a few times over the past few months, some here and some in nearby town. His mellow “sway” songs (as he likes to call him) cast a mellancholy spell on the crowd as he performs. When I saw him at the Horseshoe, he put on a 2+ hr set, going well past 2AM. Here I was thinking it’d be done by midnight like most acoustic shows. He has a devoted following of fans young and old, thanks to his timless country roots, but with a modern twist to keep him relevant.

His sophmore album, The Devil on the Bench in Stanley Park, pilots the listener into his world of love songs, yearning woes, haunting darkness, and drinking. One can’t mistake his token whiskey drinking sunday afternoon songs; it’s as if we’re sitting with Lucinda, Emmylou or Willie in Texas. Then I look out at the 6-foot snowbanks and remember where I am!

If you haven’t yet seen Justin Rutledge around in the city, do so before it’s too late. I reckon, it may already be.. he frequents the Horsehoe, Dakota Tavern.. if you’re lucky he may pop up at the Cameron House, where he paid he dues cutting through a weekly residency.

Horshoe Tavern, 12.09.07

Lee’s Palace, 06.07.07

-ROBB

Got a local artist we should SPOTlight?

Email: robb@SPOTtheGroove.com

Add comment March 11th, 2008

Adele taking over Toronto – March 26@Rivoli (click for video)

ADELE
March 26 @Rivoli
$12.50
**SOLD OUT**

For those of you who haven’t heard of her, Adele is an emerging UK soul/pop artist. When I listen to her i hear Jill Scott meets Amy Winehouse (minus the drama), with a bit of earthy warmness ala Corinne Bailey Ray.

She’s taken the UK by storm and is coming to take over the Americas. Given that her show at the Rivoli is already sold out, it appears she’s already got a hold of us.

And who wouldn’t, with such an earthy, soulful pop sound. Songs of heartbreak, unfulfiled relationships and not getting what you want round out a sad but gut-wretchingly honest debut album. You can’t help but get sucked into her world and pay undivided attention.

Check out her website, featuring a widescreen version of her title (and most palatable for mainstream) track, “Chasing Pavements”. Be sure to check out Daydreams and Best of Last, demonstrating her raw, honest, stripped down self.

If you have tickets, congratulations – enjoy her now before she grows to bigger and less intimate venues!

“Daydreamer” – Live on Jools Holland

Add comment February 26th, 2008