Free You Say Party! We Say Die! Instore in Toronto Tonight

Vancouver's You Say Party! We Say Die! are playing a free in-store tonight at Criminal Records (493 Queen St West) in Toronto at 8 p.m.

Facebook Event Page

Later, of course, they are playing at the Phoenix Concert Theatre (410 Sherbourne St. in Toronto) with Think About Life, Little Girls and Vaneska.

Facebook Event Page

YOU SAY PARTY! WE SAY DIE! XXXXCANADATOUR2009 - 1



You Say Party! We Say Die! - Like I Give A Care @ Il Motore

An Evening of Free Music in Toronto Tomorrow

If the recession has been keeping you at home then Tomorrow is your day. The Most Serene Republic, Zeus, Still Life Still and the Rural Alberta Advantage are all playing for free tomorrow.

Your evening starts at 7 p.m. at Soundscapes (572 College Street) where the Rural Alberta Advantage are playing a free in-store set.
(Facebook Event Page).

That will be done by 8 p.m. and now you are downtown, on College St. and you have two hours to make your way over to Queen Street. Most of this time you will be surrounded by places where you can grab a bite for not very much money.

Whatever you do with the two hours in between - you should arrive at the Horseshoe Tavern by 10 pm for another free show ("Nu Music Night") which features Zeus at 10pm, Still Life Still at 11 and the Most Serene Republic at midnight. (Facebook Event Page).

What you spend on food in between and/or beer at the shows is up to you but if empty pockets have been keeping you in this might be a chance for you to break the cycle.

Rural Alberta Advantage - In the Summertime



Zeus - How Does it Feel (at CMJ)



Still Life Still - Pastel



The Most Serene Republic - Heavens to Purgatory

Free Show for Fanshawe Students on Fri. w/ Immaculate Machine, the Zolas & Chris Rayburn

Via Open House Arts Collective: Vancouver's Immaculate Machine are playing a free, all ages show at the Out Back Shack (Fanshawe College) with the Zolas and Chris Rayburn.

The show is completely free and all ages (with a Fanshawe Student ID). It doesn't get much better than that! (If you're waiting for the band to pay you to show up - you're in for a long wait.)

Immaculate Machine - Only Love You For Your Car

Win Tix: Fri. the 13th Shout Out Out Out Out Vancouver Show

Emonton's Shout Out Out Out Out aren't on tour but they are playing a Frieday (November) the 13th show in Vancouver at the Richshaw Theatre and we have some extra tickets. So, if you're in Vancouver, or you're going to be and you'd like to go to the show for free compliments of NxEW and Six Shooter Records just drop an email to northbyeastwest@gmail.com - a winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday!

Shout Out Out Out Out feat (Edmonton's Poet Laureate) Cadence Weapon - Coming Home

Blue Rodeo (and Guests) Street Party & Rooftop Show to Launch Album and Tour

I found out originally from Chartattack that Blue Rodeo is hosting a street party and rooftop show at 2:30 on Tuesday afternoon (Nov. 10) at the Diesel Playhouse (55 Blue Jays Way). I've asked around a bit since then and a little bird told me that Blue Rodeo will be joined for that show by Julie Fader and Cuff the Duke's Wayne Petti. So if you're anywhere near downtown Toronto tuesday might be a good day to take a late lunch, or just call in sick and make a day of it. How many more opportunities like this will you get before the snow comes?

The reason, of course, for the show is the new album. According to that Chartattack post:

"Things We Left Behind, out the same day, is Blue Rodeo's 12th studio album and features 16 new tracks spanning two discs. The album will be available in a number of different formats, including two CDs, double vinyl and a special iTunes LP. A digital package will also be available. It will include: interactive album notes, exclusive photos of the band and portraits of their most prized instruments, a song by song commentary from Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor and a special acoustic performance of four new songs from the album."

After Tuesday you can see Blue Rodeo at:

Nov. 5 Montreal, QC @ Le Savoy
Nov. 11 Halifax, NS @ The Carleton
Nov. 13 New York, NY @ City Winery (acoustic)
Nov. 14 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
Nov. 15 Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live
Nov. 19 North Tonawanda, NY @ Riviera Theatre
Nov. 20 Chicago, IL @ Martyr's
Nov. 24 Victoria, BC @ Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre
Nov. 26-27 Vancouver, BC @ The Centre In Vancouver For Performing Arts
Nov. 29 Calgary, AB @ McMahon Stadium (Grey Cup)
Dec. 4-5 Stratford, ON @ Festival Theatre
Jan. 5-6 Calgary, AB @ Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Jan. 7-8 Edmonton, AB @ Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Jan. 9 Kamloops, BC @ Interior Savings Centre
Jan. 11 Banff, AB @ Eric Harvie Theatre
Jan. 12 Red Deer, AB @ Enmax Centrium
Jan. 14 Lethbridge, AB @ Enmax Centre
Jan. 15 Saskatoon, SK @ TCU Place
Jan. 16 Regina, SK @ Conexus Arts Centre
Jan. 17 Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
Jan. 18 Thunder Bay, ON @ Community Auditorium
Jan. 20 Kirkland Lake, ON @ Northern College Auditorium
Jan. 23 Saint John, NB @ Harbour Station
Jan. 24 Moncton, NB @ Moncton Coliseum
Jan. 25 Charlottetown, PEI @ Confederation Centre
Jan. 27 Glace Bay, NS @ Savoy Theatre
Jan. 28 Halifax, NS @ Metro Centre
Jan. 30 St. John's, NL @ Mile One Stadium
Feb. 2-3 Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
Feb. 5 Barrie, ON @ Molson Centre
Feb. 14 Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place
March 5 Oshawa, ON @ GM Centre
March 6 Kingston, ON @ K-Rock Centre
March 7-8 Belleville, ON @ Empire Theatre
March 10-11 Peterborough, ON @ Showplace Performance Centre
March 12 Hamilton, ON @ Hamilton Place Theatre
March 24 Kitchener, ON @ Centre In The Square
March 25 London, ON @ John Labatt Centre
March 26 Cornwall, ON @ Aultsville Theatre
March 27 Montreal, QC @ Place Des Arts
April 9 Sudbury, ON @ Sudbury Arena
April 10 Sault Ste. Marie, ON @ Essar Centre

Toronto: Free Feist Show Tomorrow at 7 p.m.

Via Arts & Crafts: It's just been announced that Feist will be playing a free show tomorrow in Toronto at Bay & Bloor to celebrate the Holt Renfrew window unveiling. Show starts @ 7 p.m. (expect crowds!).

Free Cuff the Duke show at CIUT (Toronto) on Tuesday

If you're in Toronto on Monday, at around 2 pm and are looking for something to do (other than what you're supposed to be doing I guess) Cuff the Duke is playing a free show at CIUT's new digs in Hart House (89.5 Tower Road).

Cuff the Duke - Take My Money and Run

Toronto: Free instore w/ Julie Fader, Brian Borcherdt, Jose Miguel Contreras Thursday

Criminal Records, 493 Queen St West in Toronto is hosting a free in store this Thursday (September 17, 2009) for the stars of the Hand Drawn Dracula record label. Those stars would be

Julie Fader



Just adding this in there after the fact, coincidentally Julie Fader was interviewed today by the Ben Mulroney of Canadian indie music Grant Lawrence - you can listen to the interview at the Radio 3 blog.

Brian Borcherdt



and Jose Miguel Contreras (By Divine Right - who reportedly have a new album coming soon)



More details at the Facebook Event Page.

Surrey Fusion Festival

If you're a Vancouverite who' s not headed out to the Vancouver Folk Music Festival next weekend (July 17-19) because of the hefty festival pricing, consider heading out to the Surrey Fusion Festival in the 'burbs on that same weekend.

Now why would you want to head out all the way to the former Car Theft Capital of North America, you may ask? The following is a highlight of the artists you can see for free

July 18th:

JOEL PLASKETT & THE EMERGENCY 9:00 pm
BARNEY BENTALL & THE GRAND CARIBOO OPRY 8:00 pm
SAID THE WHALE 7:00 pm

July 19th:

ALEX CUBA 8:00 pm

JON AND ROY 6:00 pm

You can see the full line-up here. Did I mention that it's free?

They say that good things come to those who wait. For me, who is not willing to miss out on a performance by Basia Bulat at the VFMF, I'll be racing from Jericho Beach all the way to Holland Park, just in time for Said The Whale's set. See you there!

Toronto: Holy Fuck, Broken Social Scene Play Free All Ages Shows at Harbourfront Centre Next Weekend

I know that many of you are headed to Windsor this Saturday for the Radio 3 Phog Phest but for those of you staying in Toronto, Harbourfront totally has your back.

On Friday Night the show starts at 8:00 PM with Montreal's Winter Gloves, followed by Phog Phest headliners, "the Larry Bird's moustache of indie rock" Holy Fuck at 9:30. If you decide to linger after that you'll see DD/MM/YYYY at 11 and Styrofoam Ones to close out the night.

Holy Fuck - Lovely Allen



Then on Saturday at 8 PM (from what I can tell with no opening act and no one to follow) - Toronto mega-collective Broken Social Scene are on.

All of this is all ages and free:

Broken Social Scene - 7/4 Shoreline

Hey Ocean! plays free concert

Via a Facebook update, Vancouver-based Hey Ocean! announced a free concert in their hometown for Car Free Day. That's this Sunday, June 14th, at 6:45pm. The concert will take place in the middle of the street around the intersection of Main St. @ 16th St.

The band also announced that this will be drummer Dan Klenner's last performance with the band. As for who will be taking his place, no word yet.

On another note, they're still looking for entries for their T-shirt design contest.

Free Said the Whale in store at NXNE

Vancouver's Said the Whale are coming to NXNE, playing the Reverb on June 20 - but if you can't make that show (or even if you can) they are also doing a free instore at Criminal Records (493 Queen St West) at 6 pm on the 19th! A full list of tour dates are below. You can also catch the premeire of their new single "The Magician aka Camilo" on CBC Radio 3 Podcast #208!

Said the Whale - the Light is You



Tour Dates

June 12th - Lethbridge, AB - The Slice
June 13th - Calgary, AB - The #1 Legion
June 18th - London, ON - Call The Office
June 20th - Toronto, ON - Reverb (NXNE)
June 23th - Windsor, ON - Phog Lounge
June 24th - Peterborough, ON - Red Dog
June 25th - Hamilton, ON- The Casbah
June 26th - Sarnia, ON - Patty Flaherty's
June 28th - St Catherines, ON - SCENE FEST
July 8th - Winnipeg, MB - Lo Pub
July 9th - Saskatoon, SK - Amigo's
July 10th - Edmonton, AB - The Pawn Shop
July 11th - Kelowna, BC - The Habitat

Edmonton: K-Os Storms W.E.M with Free Beats

Waiting in line from as early as 2 P.M. (as this cash-strapped student blogger did) for doors at 8, an opener at 9, and the headliner not until 10 can be a brutal experience. Lucky for all those in attendance at the Edmonton Event Center (Ed's, to locals) in West Edmonton Mall's "pay what you want" show last night, the wait was well worth it.

The schtick of Toronto rapper/rocker/crooner K-Os's entire Yes!Karma Tour is that the shows are not ticketed and entry is on a first come, first served basis. Everyone who made a donation to the David Suzuki Foundation was also thanked with a copy of the aptly titled It's Yours! CD, which includes fan-remixes off of his latest album Yes!.

Regina, Saskatchewan openers Library Voices certainly brought the party, but Edmonton crowds can be fickle, and the party remained onstage. All 9 members of the upbeat indie-rock collective looked to be having a fantastic time, but the crowd was largely unmoved by their loud attempts to get everyone rocking.

When K-Os finally hit the stage however, the crowd was 100% with him. Oldies like 'Crabbuckit' and 'Heaven Only Knows' had the older fans singing along to every word, while new tracks such as 'I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman', lifted from the Phantom Planet song, and O.C. theme song 'California' rocked the fans both new and old.

To catch K-Os in a city near you, check here for upcoming tour dates:

Sebastian Grainger + Dinosaur Bones May 21 in Toronto

Thursday, May 21 at the Whippersnapper Gallery in Toronto (587A College Street) Dinosaur Bones and Sebastian Granger and the Mountains are playing a free all ages show. The show doesn't start until 11 pm though so 'All Ages' doesn't necessarily mean 'All Ages.' It's an 'All Ages that can stay out until 2 in the morning' show. But it is free.

On Edit: I had originally posted that this show was free - it's not, it's $10 bucks, I don't know where I got the free from, but $10 isn't too bad.

Facebook Event Page is Here.

Speaking of Sebastian Granger though - check out the 20th Edition of Colin Medley's Soundcheck:

Soundcheck #20: Sebastien Grainger

Betty Burke at This Ain't the Rosedale Libary Apr. 29

Maggie MacDonald has a new music project and there is a free show coming up. That is the gist of what I needed to say but it will take me a minute to get there. If the name sounds familiar (or even if it doesn't) read on. Maggie MacDonald is easly one of the most impressive people in Toronto.

Starting in Cornwall, Ontario as a teenager she put on live shows and ran a fanzine called Saucy while serving as a student trustee on her local schoolboard. While attending the U of T in 1999 she ran as a NDP candidate for MPP. The next year her second play A Clockwork Gorbachev won the Hart House Plawriting Award and the Robertson Davies Award For Playwriting.

Her first novel Kill the Robot was pubslished in 2005 and her play Rat King the Rock Opera (with music from Bob Wiseman and Laura Barrett) played the New York International Fringe Festival in 2007.

So we've covered her career as a politician, playwright and author but this is a music blog right? So what about the music?

So far she has been a regular member of the Barcelona Pavilion, the Hidden Cameras, she was the founder of the Dating Service and the Grand Pubah of the Republic of Safety. (Imagine what she might do after she turns 30??)

Anyway, back to where I started. Maggie MacDonald's new musical project Betty Burke which features "Singer/guitarist Holly Andruchuk is known for her band with the Brothers Elliot, and the Buffalo Builders. Stephanie Markowitz is a filmmaker who directed and produced 'The Rat King.' Finally, Shaun Brodie is the busiest musician among us, playing with AC Newman, The Hidden Cameras, Hayden, Veda Hille, Duplex, and many more." are playing a free show with Brian Joseph Davis at This Ain't the Rosedale Libary (86 Nassau Street, Kensington Market, Toronto) at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29.

The Facebook Event Page is here!

Hidden Cameras - Smells Like Happiness (Hillside - 2005)



Republic of Safety - Disposable World (last ROS Show ever)

Record Store Day in Vancouver!

Saturday April 18 - Neptoon Records @ 3561 Main Street in Vancouver is having their Record Store Day with live bands in store from 1pm until 7pm. A list of bands is as follows with possibly other bands playing as well:

Midnight Dragon, Thee Manipulators, Spitfires, Captain Dust, Green Hour Band and Bleeding Horse Express.

Admission is FREE so no excuse for not being there! I'll be there taking photos of some of the bands so stop me and say hello! :)

Neptoon Records (and Red Cat as well) will have tons of sales on all things music. So head on down and enjoy the afternoon on Main Street. The store is located between E 19th and 20th Ave.

Just sayin' you should try to check it out if you can. FREE ADMISSION.

You can also check out Zulu Records on w4th and Burrard and also Danelion Records on Broadway at Main Street. Give them a call to find out what live music they have or music sales or both!

Did I mention its FREE ADMISSION?