Toronto Music Scene

Happy October - We want your feedback!

2009-10-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

We admit we're not the best bloggers. However, we hope our constant tweets and fresh articles have been enough to keep you stoked about this city's amazing music. Here's what we've been up to:

Backend
We've been working hard at making TMS as accessible as possible in terms of everything from navigation to appearance. We've spent a good deal of time working on the "related posts" feature. This might be boring to you, but for us it's exciting. Now when you click on an article about Die Mannequin, for example, it pulls up all articles/reviews on the site pertaining to Die Mannequin. It's definitely a fun feature we're enjoying on our end.

Contributors
Don't be alarmed if you're seeing new names pop up on TMS. We're getting our contributors out there. If you're interested in contributing, do not hesitate to contact Sheena (that's me!). We're especially looking for people to write show reviews. If you're an avid lover of live music why not give us a shout. TMS is very much a community and the more shows we cover the better it is for the community as a whole.

Contests
To make TMS even more exciting for our readers, we will be posting contests on a regular basis. We've already posted three and we have many more lined up, so keep check back often. Still to give away: Modernboys Moderngirls, the Johnstones and Balconies (to name a few).

Feedback
We're starting to get ideas together for the launch of TMS 3.0 and we're looking for your feedback on the following areas:
- What sections of the site do you read the most often?
- What sections of the site fo you read the least?
- What features or layout differences would you like to see in order to make your navigation and viewing experience more pleasurable?
- Would you like to see anything added to TMS?

If you have any suggestions or feedback (both positive and negative critiquing), please contact TJ and let us know what you would like to see on TMS>

As always, keep on Rockin,

Sheena
www.torontomusicscene.ca

WHY HELLOOOooooOooOoOooO!!!!

2009-07-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

Wow, talk about an un-updated blog. I'm surprised the blog police didn't track me down and serve me with papers. On and on we gooo....

WARPED TOUR
We spent some time hanging out at the 15th Annual Warped Tour on July 10. We got to meet some wicked punk rockers and some not-at-all punk rockers. Seriously Kevin Lyman, what the fuck? I know times are changing and we all need to make our money, but doesn't enlisting Myspace bands totally diminish the credibility of the tour as a whole? Have I become a jaded old lady, or do "bands" like BROKENside and Millionaires have more of a right to be there than actual musicians, AKA people who actually know how to play guitars and drums in real life?? If punk rock is dead, it died when these two forces combined. Harsh, but true.

TWITTER
The reason I had to post my rant on this blog is because it wouldn't fit on our BRAND NEW TWITTER ACCOUNT!!! Seriously, I have never been so excited for 140 characters in my entire life. We'll be adding a link on the home page so you can see our updates all the time. Don't forget to follow us! We'll return the favour. We believe in give and take.

Other things you should know:
- We have recently gotten a bunch of new contributors, so expect more fresh faces and content on Toronto Music Scene
- We will be making a show announcement VERY SOON!!!
- Keep checking back, constantly adding new content

Keep on rockin!

- Sheena

CMW + Updates!

2009-03-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

First off, I apologize if things have seemed quiet on the TMS front. Both TJ and myself were hit with a nasty flu virus we're still fighting off. Though its worst was seemingly during CMW, we didn't let it stop us! We went to shows every night and will be bringing you reviews as soon as possible. We also chatted with the Ghost is Dancing and Machetes, so look forward to those interviews.

A lot of things have been happening behind the scenes too. TJ has been working tirelessly to add tons of band bios to our roster, so if you're ever looking for new music be sure to check that section out.

We've also been working on upping initiatives that will expose TMS to a broader network of websites and people. You will probably notice some small changes to TMS, but rest assured it is for the greater of Toronto music. We love the music in this city and want the world to see the great talents being featured on TMS.

That's all for now! Stay tuned for updates and photos!

Keep on rockin',

- Sheena

Who Will Be Canada’s Next Radio Star?

2009-02-19T18:30:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

Just got this press release stating the finalists for the 16th annual Canadian national songwriting competition have been announced. Canadian Radio Star is part of Canadian Music Week.

Taken from the release:

The finalists will perform at the Canadian Radio Star showcase, with performances by hosts Andy Kim and Tomi Swick, taking place at the Library Bar, Fairmont Royal York Hotel on Friday, March 13, 2009. Presented by the Songwriters Association of Canada (SAC), this showcase will allow all the finalists to perform their winning songs to a live audience.

The regional finalists are:
STATION WINNER SONG TITLE
CKZZ-FM The Latency "Tonight, I Love You"
CFBR-FM My Sister Ocean "IndoctriNation"
CJAY-FM Zoo Lion "Pry"
CJDJ-FM John Antoniuk "Out There"
CIZL-FM Jeffery Straker "Flatlines"
CKMM-FM Taylor Demetrioff "Now Boarding Flight 586 to Winnipeg"
CKFM-FM Tigerbomb "Nothing To Prove"(Patrick Cooke/Jay McGroarty)--> Toronto
CKQB-FM Watters Brothers "Life Is A Gas"
CJFM-FM Seven Days "Angel Lies"
CJYC-FM Stephanie Mainville "Wait"
CFRQ-FM Andrew Hunter "The Feel Good Song"
VOCM-FM The Insiders "This Time Now" (Jeff Martin/Tino Borges)

Regional finalists were picked by participating radio stations and public on-line voting based on the creativity, originality, composition, lyrics, melody and radio airplay potential of their songs.

For more information and to vote for your favourite check out www.radiostar.ca.

SHRED Party at Tattoo Rock Parlour tonight!!!

2009-02-11T08:54:00.001-08:00

Though not officially affiliated with TMS, I've been working with the SHRED charity and we're having ourselves a ROCK SHOW/DANCE PARTY tonight. Come check it out and say hi if you have a chance!

Are you also throwing shows? Send us your flyers and we'll post them in the blog.

Rock!

- Sheena

Wanna be a rockstar?

2009-02-10T12:19:00.000-08:00

So maybe you missed the application deadline for Canadian Music Week (or maybe you didn't, you just want more, more, more!) and you're wondering what other kinds of opportunities are available out there for you.

Well my friends, I have some great news. Certain gigs are accepting artists right now!

BATTALA ROCKSTARS

Battala Rockstars, the group that throws on those huge BotB competitions eventually resulting the winning band receiving a grand prize value at $25,000 which includes recording time, touring, exposure and more…see full grand prize details below, is accepting applications for their 2009 Battala Series.

Bands can sign up to receive a registration package at www.battalarockstars.com.

NORTH BY NORTHEAST - June 17-21

NXNE is gearing up for its 15th year of extended last call, drunken rock and roll debauchery and of course, 500 wicked bands. Time to apply my friends.

Click here to apply via Sonicbids.

Click here to check out more about NXNE.

ALlllloOooOOoOoooooooOOoOOo!

2009-01-29T11:54:00.000-08:00

Why hello friends!

We put out a call and you listened! Mass amounts of records have shown up in my mailbox over the past couple weeks and we've been reviewing as fast as we can. The front page is all CD Reviews, I think that's a TMS first! We've got some more coming your way, including the Artist Life, The Creepshow, Isle of Thieves, Jane's Party and more!

Don't worry though, we love us some live shows and interviews so this is what we've got coming up for you lovelies.

Feb 5 we're hitting Punkorama/Underground Operations' FU Awards where we'll be chatting with DIE MANNEQUIN (finallllly) and the FLATLINERS!

Feb 11 the Beatitful Unknown and DJ RacerMotorz are playing a benefit show for a snowboarding charity called SHRED that I, Sheena, am involved with. I booked these performers and would love if you could come to Tattoo Rock Parlour to support SHRED (www.shredforyouth.com), TMS and Me!!!!

Feb 13 we're checking out and chatting with the Von Bondies (and you better be too, because this is pretty damn epic!!!)

There will be much more to be announced soon. We're also looking to get back into throwing rock parties, let us know if your band is interested in playing!

Keep on Rockin'!

luv Sheena

HAPPY 2009!!!

2009-01-08T15:21:00.000-08:00

Hey Kids,

SOooOoo as you may have noticed, we never ended up doing a little chit-chat with Lacerda, so that will be rescheduled for a later time. And although I promised you fest of CD reviews, mass amounts of holiday parties, individual family events, a snowboarding trip to quebec and a case of anxiety seems to have hindered our efforts!

Never fear though, we've been busy beavers lately. One of our 2009 resolutions is to review lots of CDs! In order to do this WE WANT YOU TO SEND THEM TO US!!! Contact info is on the site.

We're going to start booking a bunch of interviews too...we don't like being MIA and we miss you muchly.

See you soon....Scout's honour!

- Sheena

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays everyone!!!

2008-12-22T09:39:00.000-08:00

TMS has been a little quiet lately, but that doesn't mean we haven't been working! As you can see, we've recently added some new contributors to our roster and are super excited about having their content added to the site!

This has been a HUGE year for us. Our readership more than doubled, we had our three-part live music series at Annex Wreckroom in the summer and we got to check out some of the hottest shows and chat with the best bands this city has to offer.

We can't wait to keep getting bigger and bigger, which is why we're currently in the planning stages of making 2009 our best year yet! It's going to be exciting, just wait and see!

Tonight we're headed to the Kathedral to check out Lacerda and Brighter Bightest. We'll be chatting with Lacerda, so check back tomorrow to see what these guys have planned for the New Year. Over the holidays we'll also be reviewing a ton of CDs and then kick starting it all over again in January.

TMS would like to thank you for all of your support over this past year. None of this would have been possible without you. We've been having a blast and we hope you've enjoyed yourselves discovering new bands and checking out shows.

Have a safe and happy Christmas/Holiday and New Years. Can't wait to see you in 2009!

Lots of love and, of course, rock!

- Sheena and TJ

I get on the TTC

2008-12-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

Hello loyal blog readers!!!

The TMS camp has been busy these days organizing contributors and trying to cover as much material as possible. Last night we caught Verge's free Arkells and Moneen show at Tattoo Rock Parlour and had a blast! The sets were super tight and the place was PACKED! Moneen was obviously the hit of the night as they haven't played the t-dot in far too long. In fact, last time I saw them live was when we interviewed Kenny at Wakestock 07 and before that was bamboozle in Jersey! I used to see these kids all the time when they were rocking the Brampton scene. They're currently working on some new material and played some of their new songs, which are amazing. We're definitely looking forward to checking that record out.

There will be tons of new content coming up over the next couple weeks, so stay tuned for that!

JUST FOR FUN you should check out Randal Paul's song "I Get On (the TTC)." Trust me, you will appreciate this hilarious rap!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-Ky7dQLuNg

Benefit show a success!

2008-11-20T11:42:00.000-08:00

The TMS benefit show for Invisible Children at the Smiling Buddha Bar last night was a great success!

The cost was pay-what-you-can with all donations going directly to the Invisible Children foundation. In total we raised just over $250, which sounds small but this is going to help rebuild a school in Uganda.

I personally would like to thank the following people:

The attendees: for braving the snow and coming out anyway. Your support means everything!
Daniel White, Drew Seale, Cody Elliott-Smith, Joe MacLeod, Morgan David and Eddie: for donating your time and providing amazing music throughout the night
Wayne: At Smiling Buddha Bar, for letting us hold our event there.
TJ: for rocking the sound
Jessica: My partner in crime for this show. Thanks for believing in Invisible Children and working so hard. The event worked perfectly.

We're hoping to do another installment in late January, so stay tuned for that!

Thanks again to every for making this event not only successful, but also a ton of fun!! TMS loves you!

Rock on!

- Sheena

Hellz yeah, TMS is bangin' these days!!!

2008-11-17T13:09:00.001-08:00

We've received an overwhelming response from people wanting to contribute to TMS and we couldn't be more stoked! What does this mean, you ask? It means there will be more shows covered, more bands interviewed, more news and articles posted. More, More, More!! Just like what Billy Idol wanted.

This past Thursday we sat down with punk rockers the Artist Life, err Dean from the Artist Life, for an awesome candid interview about finding balance between being a musician and being a high school teacher. Look forward to that Wednesday.

We also have a TON of wicked interviews coming up, which we will keep you posted on as some dates are up in the air.

- Rehab for Quitters
- Every Avenue
- Semi Precious Weapons
- Bury the Bully
- More, more, more!!!

ALSO, don't forget the TMS benefit show is THIS wednesday, as in two days from now, and I better see your pretty drunk faces showing support for good solid acoustic tunes and Invisible Children.

Rock on!

- Sheena

Good news scenesters!

2008-11-11T22:14:00.001-08:00

Rock and roll may be hard on your liver, but it's good for your heart!

A new study released yesterday claims listening to music two or three times a week is potentially as beneficial as exercise. It seems this is because listening to music generally makes us happy and since the mind has such a massive influence on the body, happy thoughts generally lead to better health.

Not that you needed another excuse to go to shows every week, but it's definitely an interesting little read. Check out the article at the Toronto Star here.

Rock on!

- Sheena

TMS presents the Invisible Children Benefit Show!

2008-11-11T22:07:00.000-08:00

Time to apply for NXNE 09!

2008-11-11T06:41:00.000-08:00

2008 hasn't even ended yet, but it's already time to start thinking about next year's music festivities.

Submissions are now open for NXNE, undoubtedly one of the biggest conferences of the year. Like the majority of the festivals, bands don't really make any money to play, but the exposure is huge. Suddenly music fans are everywhere. Even those Stillepost kids crawl out of their parents' basements and attend shows.

NXNE wants you to know that Canadian artists showcasing at NXNE are eligible for:

* $10,000 via the Rogers Fan Choice Award (NXNE 08 winners: The Midway State)
* $2,000 via the Galaxie Rising Star Award(NXNE 08 winners: Major Maker)
* an opportunity to be included in the NXNE Top 60 Tip Sheet – a list of NXNE showcasing artists sent to a database of close to 300 national radio programmers and music directors.

To make a submission, check out the Sonic Bids site by clicking here. They are also now accepting video submissions, which can be submitted by clicking here.. All submissions are due by January 31, 2009.

For everything else NXNX, click here.

Rock on!

- Sheena

TMS Acoustic Benefit Show Announced!!!

2008-11-11T06:24:00.000-08:00

TMS has been a little quiet on the show front lately, but we have just announced we'll be holding an acoustic benefit show at the Smiling Buddha Bar on November 19th (That's just over a week from now kiddies).

We're teaming up with the University of Guelph-Humber division of Invisible Children to raise awareness and money for this amazing cause.

Invisible Children improves the quality of life for war-affected children by providing access to quality education and innovative economic opportunities for the community in Uganda.

WHEN: Wednesday November 19, 2008. Doors at 8 p.m.

WHERE: The Smiling Buddha Bar, 961 College St (college/dovercourt)

COST: Pay what you can! All money will be donated to Invisible Children.

MUSIC:
8:00 - Doors
9:00-9:30 - Daniel White
9:45-10:15 - Drew Seale
10:30-11:00 - Cody Elliott
11:15-11:45 - Joe MacLeod
12:15-12:45 - Morgan David

Hope to see you all there! You can check out the facebook event by clicking here!!!

We'd also like to remind you to stand for a moment of silence at 11 a.m. this morning in honour of those who fought to make this country what it is today. For any of you who have seen Heavy Metal in Baghdad you know music is a freedom we take advantage of here. In many countries around the world it is forsaken. Thank you Canada!

Improvements to the blog!

2008-11-11T06:18:00.000-08:00

Sheena here. As a result of this blog rarely being updated, it experiences an unfortunate amount of neglect. While our main pages get hundreds of hits per day, yesterday our little blog merely got six!

Well my friends, I am going to take it upon myself to give you a reason to check the blog! Not only will I be updating about TMS news and shows, but I'm also going to be writing about other music news in the city from festivals to big local news.

I will also post show posters on here...so if you have a show poster on here send it to me at sheena[@]torotomusicscene.ca.

That's all for now friends!

- Sheena

WTF TMS? Why aren't you keeping us in the loop??

2008-10-08T10:12:00.001-07:00

Big things are happening for TMS right now! Aside from getting record hits lately, we've also got a ton of awesome things coming up.

Tonight Sheena is hitting the Indie Week Launch Party at Tattoo Rock Parlour. I'll be checking out TMS faves Vesta Varro and chatting with Toronto's the Dunes. TJ will be a mere streetcar ride away at Clinton's for the Driftwood/Hormoanes show. Indie Week is in full force as of tonight. For a complete listing check out the TMS Live Music Listings or visit indieweek.com.

Tons of request have been rolling in and I apologize to those bands and artists we haven't responded to yet. If you think you could write a stellar show or CD review let us know! We are always on the look out for writers and love to diversify our contributors list!

Also, check back soon for some exciting shows that are in the works!

ROCK!

- Sheena

Massive Updates!!!

2008-09-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hello my good friends!!!

As you may or may not have noticed, TMS has just added five fresh articles including two show reviews and three interviews!

We still have some more content coming this week, including an interview with Montreal's October Sky and a CD review of Toronto band Coal Mine Canaries.

Coming up in the near future we'll also be announcing another show, so look forward to that. We're in the process of locking down our bands and then you'll be the first to know!

Indie Week is fast approaching, so you can rest assured we're getting ready for that and we'll be nailing down a ton of interviews for you guys. Interested in doing a little rock reporting yourself? Let us know and we'll see what we can do to hook you up. The more coverage the better, we always say!

Until next time, keep on rockin!

- Sheena and TJ

Interview Updates

2008-09-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

As you know, Virgin Fest was this weekend and Toronto Music Scene was there to capture all the action! We sat down with We Are the Take, Bad Flirt and OPOPO for awesome interviews. We'll have those articles up by Sunday (sorry we've been so busy!).

Interview with the Waking Eyes, the Arkells and MGMT have been rescheduled for a later date, but we'll keep you updated on those.

We also sat down and talked with Montreal's October Sky at their CD Launch Party last week and we'll have that interview up soon too.

Lots of exciting interviews coming your way soon. Thanks for reading!

MAD UPDATES!!!

2008-09-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

It seems I have neglected to update this blog in quite some time, meaning I have a TON of things to talk about!

Live Music Series
Toronto Music Scene would like to thank each and everyone of you who came out to party at our rock shows this summer, including:

Show one: ZUKU, Frankie Whyte and the Dead Idols, the French Painters (formerly the Automatic), and Downsview

Show two: Farewell to Freeway, Kathleen Turner Overdrive, Brane and Red October

Show three: The Ocean Buried, Morre, Broken Sons and Space is for Stars

We've currently got two more shows in the works, one is a departure from our more rock-centered shows that will feature some stellar acoustic acts and the other one is a potential all-ages show that we will be announcing later.

Up-coming articles
We've got a ton of content coming up this week including interviews with Saint Alvia Cartel, Dragonette, Holoscene and a book review on a fictional novel by a Toronto Author. Tomorrow night we're heading to the Rivoli to check out the CD release party for Montreal's October Sky, followed by an interview with the guys. Should be wicked.

Virgin Fest
Virgin Fest is a mad guilty pleasure for those of us at TMS, and this year is no exception. We'll be chatting with as many local bands as we can and also some of the talent on the mainstages, including MGMT!!! Coverage for that will be up as soon as it's written, so make sure you check every day. Also if you see us at the show, be sure to say hello! We love meeting our fellow rockers!

Contest
Don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to see Matt Pryor, Kevin Devine and Birds or Wales.

See you soon!

- Sheena

TMS Presents Farewell To Freeway - Burning The Day - Kathleen Turner Overdrive

2008-07-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

TorontoMusicScene.ca Presents

Thursday August 7th 2008

12AM Farewell To Freeway
http://www.myspace.com/farewelltofreeway

11PM Burning The Day
http://www.myspace.com/burningtheday

10:15PM Kathleen Turner Overdrive
http://www.myspace.com/shittykto

9:30PM TBA

Doors @ 9PM

Advance Tickets Available at: www.ticketweb.ca
This is a Legal 19+ Event. Photo ID Required

One Year Anniversary Party a wrap

2008-07-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

TJ and myself would like to extend a huge thank you to the bands who played the one year anniversary party at the Annex Wreckroom, the friends, fans and music lovers who attended it and the Annex Wreckroom for letting us have it there.

Overall the event was a success and aside from a broken string and not staying quite on track there weren't any technical difficulties...which is an accomplishment in the world of live shows!

Downsview, the French Painters (formerly Automatic), Frankie Whyte and the Dead Idols and ZUKU marked not only a stellar line up, but the perfect way or us to celebrate one year of kick ass local music.

We're currently in the process of getting ready for TWO MORE SHOWS happening in August (the 7th and the 21st) and we will have full line ups for you ASAP.

ALSO coming up this week: interviews with Beth in Battlemode and Holoscene.

Edgefest is this weekend and you can bet we'll be catching up with as many of the Toronto bands as we can!! July is a wicked month for festivals: edgefest, warped tour and wakestock all in such close proximity of each other!!!

We'll see you soon everyone!

- Sheena

HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

2008-06-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

TMS is celebrating our one year anniversary with a rockin show at the Annex Wreckroom on July 3!

Doors are at 9:00 pm, with cheap buckets of Blue all night!

We've got a stellar line up. If you'd like to be considered for a future show drop us a line!

Hope to see you there!

NXNE + UPDATES

2008-06-18T10:28:00.000-07:00

I realize I haven't updated this in a while and you're probably wondering what the heck is going on with TMS.

We had a CRAZY NXNE weekend and will have all articles and reviews up within a week. We had the opportunity to sit down with Holoscene, Beth in Battlemode and Modern Boys Modern Girls for interviews, as well as a chance to see tons of bands at what felt like every venue across the city. Stay tuned for that - maybe your band will get a shout out!

ALSO, I have not forgotten about DOA. That will be up by the weekend. I admit I've been super busy and have somewhat neglected my editorial duties. I will make it up to you by coming to your shows and exhibiting my amazing headbanging skills.

WE WILL BE MAKING A HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT NEXT WEEK!!! It's gonna be big...so check back often!!

Thanks for being awesome rockstars,

- Sheena

WE NEED WRITERS!!!

2008-05-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

Torontomusicscene.ca is dedicated to bringing local music lovers interviews, show reviews, articles, album reviews, biographies and show listings of bands in Toronto or bands passing through Toronto that we think our readers would enjoy.

Since we are expanding at such a rapid rate, it is hard for us to keep on top of all the interview, review and show coverage requests we get. My inbox receives tons daily. It is time for us to expand our roster and obtain some regular contributors!!!

If you are interested in writing for us, please specify which area (or combination of areas) you would prefer:
- articles/interviews
- show reviews
- CD/EP reviews

We cannot pay our readers, but I can try to get you into shows for free and help coordinate interviews. You may notice a heavy rock influence in our content, but we are interested in and open to all genres and local talent and we review both bands and solo artists.

If you have an idea of a show or band you would like to cover, let me know and I will set something up. Otherwise I have a long waiting list of bands looking for coverage and I can assign you someone to cover.

I would love if all of you could write for us, even if it is only one article/review a month. We are looking for contributors to begin immediately.

If this sounds like something you're interested in, please click here to email Sheena now for more information.

Thanks!

D.O.A. + LOTS OF NEW ARTICLES!

2008-05-11T19:11:00.000-07:00

Last night, the TMS team (AKA Sheena and TJ) went to dinner with Joe "Shithead" Keithley of D.O.A. fame. Keithley was one of the first Canadian punk rockers who began his music career in '78. Their 30th anniversary tour brought them to the Horseshoe, so prior to their performance we headed to the Gorilla Monsoon to talk punk rock, politics, life and lessons with one of the most interesting and influential Canadian musicians of all time.

To me this was a surreal experience. Although he is not too keen on the comparisons, to put it in perspective D.O.A. has been called the Canadian version of the Clash. Keithley is the only original member who maintained his role throughout the entirely of the band. He is the father of three, and as we learned, his son's baseball coach, an activist, an anarchist, an author, a record company founder (Sudden Death records) and a punk rocker. He has more stories than anyone I have ever spoken with and has dealt with his fair share of hate and misunderstanding throughout his journey. He is hilarious and fascinating, and to have had the opportunity to talk to him is in my opinion a representation of my success and my potential thus far.

The funniest part of the interview was when Joe was telling us about how he is a health freak and really tries to eat healthy, but was treating himself to fish and chips tonight (which both broke his health rule and his "don't eat seafood 30miles off the coast" rule). Telling us how important this is, he then proceeded to put an entire forkful of tarter sauce in his mouth! He thought it was coleslaw...omg it was so funny. None of us could stop laughing for like 10 mins I swear. hahahaha!

I'm going to try to get that article up pronto!

We've also just added ZUKU and Automatic, so if you haven't read those yet give it a shot.

UPCOMING ARTICLES:
- Shortwave
- 3Tards
- D.O.A.

Thanks for reading,

- Sheena

New Articles + Reviewers wanted

2008-05-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

New Articles
Just so everyone knows, the interviews with the Automatic, ZUKU and Shortwave will be up by tomorrow night!

Reviewers Wanted
We have been getting a ton of CDs lately - if anyone is interested in writing a review on these albums or for a show please contact us!

Special Ops cancels tour due to cancer

2008-04-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

Montreal rock piece Special Ops has canceled their upcoming cross-Canada tour due to bassist Waldo Thornhill's unfortunate colon cancer diagnosis, according to a press release issued by their publicist yesterday.

“This is really a difficult moment for me, I really wanted to do this tour, but on the advice of my doctors I must remain in Montreal and do treatment," Thornhill said it he release. “It was a life or death choice for me and I want to thanks the fans for understanding and I look forward to my return to the stage.”

Three dates will still be played thishttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif summer:

June 7, 2008, - The Underground, 41 Catharine St., Hamilton, Ontario
June 28, 2008 - Club Social, 810 East Main Street, Welland, Ontario
July 19, 2008 - Bar St Laurent, 5550 St. Laurent. Montreal, Quebec

Toronto Music Scene wishes Thornhill the best of luck in his recovery.

To read an interview TMS did with Special Ops in 07 click here.

To learn more about this disease, the risk factors and when screening should begin, please visit the Canadian Cancer Society website.

INTERVIEWS!!!

2008-04-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovely music friends!

I'm sure you're wondering why the heck we haven't added any new articles in a while? Rest assured, NEW THINGS ARE ON THE WAY!!

This week we'll be sitting down with:
- Zuku - Lee's Palace, April 30
- Automatic - Lee's Palace, April 30
- BigIdeas Clinton's on May 1st

As well as reviewing an album for Toronto punk band the New Enemy.

All of these articles will be up by Sunday night, but as always they will be posted as they come in!

Are you checking out any cool shows? If you are and you want to write a review for TMS, be sure to drop us a line. We love and welcome contributions!

ALSO: BIG NEWS IS GOING TO BE ANNOUNCED IN THE NEXT COMING WEEKS!! It's going to be EPIC!!

Cheers,

- Sheena

We're Back!!!

2008-04-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

HELLO EVERYBODY!!

TMS has admittedly been rather low key lately - both TJ and Sheena have been juggling admin TMS duties with personal endeavors including hockey tournaments, thesis papers and really bad colds!

The WARM WEATHER is amongst us, which means its time to get ready for summer festivals, nightly shows and our beloved patio season!!

If your band wants coverage now is the time to contact us! Let us know what you're up to and which show would work best. We're in the process of doing lots of booking and have a ton of exciting announcements coming up in the near future.

Thanks for your patience, it's now about to pay off!

Don't forget to enter the Constantines contest if you haven't already!

Check back soon for mass updates!!!!

Constantines Contest

2008-04-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

The Constatines Kennsington Heights Album Cover In anticipation of the Constantines newest album Kensington Heights(April 15, 2008), Toronto Music Scene and Arts & Crafts Records would like to give you a chance to win a Constatines prize pack.

To enter e-mail contests[at]torontomusicscene.ca . Be sure to include your name, address and something that proves you are the ultimate Constantines fan. Be creative. Ideas for proof include pictures of the Constatines, pictures of you with the band, letting us know how many shows you've been to, a song or poem about the band, a cover song your band does of the Constantines, a youtube video, etc.

The prize pack includes:
- 1 copy of the new 7" single Hard Feelings
- 1 Constatines T-Shirt
- 1 Exclusive Kensington Heights poster

Contest closes Friday, April 18th, 2008 at 11:59pm. Winner will be announced April 30, 2008.

See the Constantines live during the following dates:
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 -- London, ON -- Call The Office
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 -- Waterloo -- The Starlight Room
Thursday, May 1, 2008 -- Toronto, ON -- Phoenix Concert Theatre
Friday, May 2, 2008 -- Ottawa, ON -- Capital Music Hall
Saturday, May 3, 2008 -- Montreal, QC -- Club Lambi

The Constantines
Rules And Regulations:
- 1 Entry per person
- Entries by employees of Arts & Crafts and Toronto Music Scene are void
- All pictures, songs or any other materials submitted for this contest may be used in any promotions by Toronto Music Scene, Arts & Crafts or The Constantines as they see fit.

Seeking Hip Hop Reporter

2008-03-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

Toronto Music Scene is looking for someone to cover hip hop artists around Toronto. We have been receiving tons of interest from hip hop artists and bands and would love to diversify the music covered on the site.

If you are interested in being our hip hop correspondent please contact Sheena to get some more information. We are open to having more than one person cover these events.

On another note, the interview with Awake and Dreaming is now up so make sure you check it out!!

CMW GALORE!!!

2008-03-09T16:25:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

CMW weekend is almost over, and TMS have been super busy running around the city checking out sooo much music and drinking sooooo much alcohol (YAY for 3am last call!) haha.

We'll be putting a bunch of new articles and reviews up on the site over the next few days. We had a chance to talk to Lights and the Creepshow this weekend, so stayed tuned for those.

Highlights of our weekend included:

- Tokyo Sex Destruction @ the Silver Dollar
- Almost not getting into the Rivoli to see Lights (but thankfully we did!)
- Tequila with Tin Bangs (They're playing tonight at Rancho Relaxo if you're not too hungover)
- Frankie Whyte and the Dead Idols ... fucking amazing!!!!
- Trying to sneak members of A.P.E and Birthday Massacre into Alpha Galetes
- Hanging out at Shanghai Cowgirl with Jimmy when it failed haha
- Hailing cabs in the middle of Queen St.
- Accidentally kicking someone who turned out to be Colin from Said the Whale after we sadly missed their set
- White Cowbell Oklahoma and their burlesque dancer...amazing!
- Seeing Darrin Pfeiffer at the Horseshoe (we didn't talk to him though)
- Finally meeting the legendary contributor Jason Daniel Baker (who apparently thought Sheena wasn't real!)

I'm sure the list goes on....feel free to comment with your crazy stories!

Also the interview with Latefallen from last week will be up tomorrow at the latest. Those guys also played this weekend, but we didn't get to check them out.

Don't forget tomorrow is the Queen benefit show at the Reverb/Holy Joes. We hope to see you there!

Tuesday is also awesome: TMS faves VESTA VARRO will be playing a show with Awake and Dreaming (who we will be talking to) as well as Low Level Flight and Auto Pilot. Tuesdays are free so come show your love and say hi!

That's it for now. Thanks again to everyone for all of your awesome support.

- Sheena and TJ

RIP Jeff Healey

2008-03-03T11:43:00.000-08:00

Toronto blues singer Jeff Healey died last night in hospital at the age of 41 after a lifelong battle with cancer that had left him blind.

Thestar.ca is reporting Jeff Healey's Roadhouse was closed and chained shut today, though TMS is not sure if that is typical for the venue during the day.

Healey was nominated for numerous Juno and Grammy awards and received various other awards throughout his career in the Jeff Healey Band.

TMS would like to extend sympathies towards Jeff Healey's family. We hope Jeff Healey's Roadhouse will keep his memory alive.

UPDATES!!!

2008-03-02T10:39:00.000-08:00

ARTICLES
Last weekend Toronto Music Scene sat down with Tin Bangs. That article will be up early this week - we apologize for the delay! As will articles about Latefallen and A.P.E (both wicked shows, by the way!).

CONTRIBUTORS
Thank you to everyone who has shown interest in writing for TMS. We will be meeting to establish writer's guidelines early this week, which we will then pass along to those of you who have expressed interest. Sorry if I have not gotten back to you yet, I will be contacting each of you this week.

CMW
So many shows, so little time! We're still trying to figure out precisely where we'll be during CMW, but we hope all of you get to catch some great shows! For us it looks like we will be at the Rivolo on Friday, the Horseshoe on Saturday and at various venues on Thursday. We'll be bringing you reviews and interviews with both Toronto bands and bands who are heading to Toronto. I'll update a list of people we'll be talking to once we get everything confirmed!

That's about it for now. Hope everyone had a good weekend and we'll see you this week!

Cheers,

- Sheena

Record page hits reached!!!

2008-02-28T09:06:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of you, Toronto Music Scene reached record page hits yesterday, surpassing our previous record by over 100 visitors!

Thanks to everyone and all of the bands who have been posting links to the site and articles. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Don't forget tonight is the Playdead guitar showcase at Shanghai Cowgirl, with A Primitive Evolution playing the after party at the Bovine at 11:30. We'll be there, will you?

New interviews/articles

2008-02-25T13:49:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone:

New articles will be posted over the next two days: Luke Sneyd, Downsview, Tin Bangs and Space is For Stars.

Thursday we'll be heading to the Bovine to check out A.P.E and the Playdead art show at Shanghai Cowgirl next door. Friday we'll be hitting up two shows: the Bovine again for Latefallen's video launch party and the Reverb for Burning the Day's CD release party. Hope to see you there!

Getting ready for Canadian Music Week

2008-02-25T08:10:00.001-08:00

Alright, I am going through 19 Pages of bands and venues trying to figure out the logistics of seeing as many great bands as possible during Canadian Music Week. Its going to be a good one this year so get your wristbands early. We'll keep you posted on the bands Toronto Music Scene will be checking out.
If your in a band and playing CMW, feel free to shoot us a line and add to my workload!

-TJ

BANDS WANTED FOR A GREAT CAUSE!

2008-02-22T12:57:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

I stumbled upon this post on Facebook today. As many of you know, an awful fire ripped through Queen St. earlier this week destroying numerous shops and houses. Someone is trying to organize a benefit show to raise money for the people who lost their houses and they're looking for people to help out.

Date: Monday, March 10, 2008 at 8:00pm
Location: reverb//holy joe's
Street: queen//bathurst

They posted these details:

corey and i are trying to put together a benefit for the people who lived in the apartments above the stores on queen that burned down.
so we need some participation from everyone, whether you have a band that wants to play, wares to sell (crafts etc), or just to come and donate some clothes, money, or whatever else you may have.

I really hope this comes together. TMS will definitely try to be there. If you're in a band and you want to help, please go to the facebook page and let them know. (let us know too!).

- Sheena

Photo credit: http://torontoist.com/2008/02/phototo_queen_s.php

Flyers and Promotion!

2008-02-21T12:54:00.001-08:00

ATTN: Everyone,

If you're trying to promote an upcoming show, email me the FLYER and I'll post it on this blog.

Just another way TMS is trying to help Toronto bands.

Downsview and Luke Sneyd

2008-02-18T21:45:00.000-08:00

Hellooooooo everyone,

We just got back from checking out Downsview and Luke Sneyd at the Horseshoe and we had a blast!

Downsview was such a fun show! The entire band knows how to rock and make everyone laugh! The crowd was pretty small but LOYAL to the core, which automatically ups their cred in my opinion! The interview was super fun, but unfortunately due to group hugs caused us to miss a little bit of Luke's set. Luke too was awesome: great show, great guy, great interview, so stay tuned for that.

I highly recommend both of these bands, so be sure to check them out at their upcoming shows in March....we'll have more details on those gigs later.

Those articles plus a show review will be up in a couple days, so keep checking back.

I hope you all enjoyed your first family day of all time. Long weekends in February not as fun as long weekends in the summer.

Until next time,

- Sheena

Hunter Valentine article posted

2008-02-17T21:50:00.001-08:00

Hunter Valentine article from Thursday now up on the site! Let us know what you think.

Add us to Facebook!

2008-02-17T11:03:00.000-08:00

Just to let everyone know, we have both a Fan site and a group on Facebook, so if you haven't already you should totally add us! Feel free to promote shows and bands to let us and everyone else know what you're up to!

Upcoming interviews and awesome shows

2008-02-15T08:41:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had an awesome V-day, we attended the Hunter Valentine show and caught up with Adrienne Lloyd afterwards to talk music, girls and V-day itself. It was a wicked show with a rockin' crowd, so look for that article up later this weekend!

On Monday we'll be hitting up the Horseshoe to check out Luke Sneyd and Downsview. Mondays are free at the HS, and thanks to Ontario's recently introduced Family Day, it will be a great way to top off the long weekend.

CMW: Are there any bands playing CMW you're dying for us to interview or review? Post a comment on this blog and let us know!

Have a rockin' weekend everyone!

- Sheena

Happy Valentine's Day from TMS

2008-02-14T14:10:00.001-08:00

A big Happy Valentine's Day from all of us (all two of us) here at Toronto Music Scene!

If you don't already have plans tonight, why not stop by the Reverb where we'll be catching some Hunter Valentine . Apparently there is going to be a mad game of matchmaker so grab a friend and come on down!

If that's not your thing, there are a TON of wicked gigs tonight, including:

Automatic + 3Tards @ Jeff Healey's Roadhouse
Brtual Knights + Andrew W.K. @ the Sound Academy

AND

Open Hearts @ the El Mocambo

I just want to highlight this last event for a minute: It's a charity event put on by Amnesty International and will be featuring performances from Blurred Vision, Luke Sneyd, Chris Bottomley, Joel Lightman and the Moroccan Drum Ensemble, Hallelujah Drummers. Tickets for this event are %15 or $10 with a canned food donation.

Hope you get a chance to check out one of the awesome shows tonight. If you see us at the HV show be sure to say hi! Until next time,

- Sheena

Snazzy new layout!!

2008-02-12T20:05:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't noticed, TMS has undergone some major updates in the aesthetic department!

We're still working out the tweaks, but we're definitely pumped about the launch of TMS version 2.0. It's not finished yet, so please be patient with us as we figure it out.

There's a sweet feature at the top where you can choose your preferred colour: blue, orange or green. I personally dig the blue, but you're an individual, let your heart guide you in your new layout colour decision.

I saw this band play live today called Grand:PM, you should totally check them out. We'll see if we can sched something with them during CMW. I'll keep you posted.

Until next time,

- Sheena

Canadian Music Week

2008-02-04T09:25:00.000-08:00

Is your band playing Canadian Music Week and you're looking for some coverage? Email sheena[at]torontomusicscene.ca. Please provide a myspace link, show info and contact information. Thanks!

UPDATE AND NEWS!!!

2008-02-03T20:05:00.000-08:00

Hey kids!!!

We were using this blog periodically throughout the summer, but it's now about to become a full force edition to Toronto Music Scene. This is where we'll be making posts about recommended upcoming shows, responses to shows we attend, new bands we're interested in checking out as well as random posts about things were up to.

To start off, TMS has a lot of awesome articles heading your way. We just sat down with Matt Drake from DODGER and the article about that will be up tonight. We absolutely love Dodger - they make us want to dance, skank and rock out all in the same song. If you haven't had the chance to yet, you definitely need to check them out ASAP!

As well we will be interviewing HUNTER VALENTINE on Saint Valentine's Day itself...should be an awesome show!

Then we've got TIN BANGS on February 23rd and LATEFALLEN On February 29th.

And of course, the 26th annual Canadian Music Week is fast approaching and you can guarantee there will be tons of great coverage between March 5-8.

Don't forget to keep checking out the site and this blog for new things all the time!

Keep on rockin'

- Sheena and TJ

The Junction Video Interview

2007-09-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

From Wakestock 2007 Toronto Music Scene interviews Jackson from Toronto band The Junction

Goldfinger Kelly Lemieux Video Interview

2007-09-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

Kelly LeMieux from Goldfinger in an Interview with Toronto Music Scene host Sheena Lyonnais

Goldfinger almost starts a riot @ Wakestock 2007 in Toronto

2007-09-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

This video was taken by us at Wakestock 2007 in Toronto. Goldfinger, who normally brings members of the audience on stage for the song Mable, angered security guards with their antics. Their performance was than cut short by 10 minutes, so they decided to play "Fuck Ted Nugent" but changed the lyrics of the song to "Fuck Security".

Taken from http://www.torontomusicscene.ca

The Interview with Goldfinger bassist Kelly LeMieux before the incident can be found at:
Toronto Music Scene

Reviwers wanted

2007-09-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

Anyone who wants free tickets to a Toronto show so they can review a band and have their work published should contact tj[at]torontomusicscene.ca or check out www.torontomusicscene.ca

Looking For Toronto bands

2007-09-12T16:35:00.000-07:00

Toronto Music Scene is looking for Toronto bands, DJ's and Hip-Hop Performers. Send a bio, pic and any upcoming shows to tj[at]torontomusicscene.ca

ill Scarlett

2007-09-12T16:33:00.001-07:00

Toronto Music Scene will be seeing ill Scarlett tonight at Humber College for frosh week. The review should be up this week. Check www.torontomusicscene.ca for details. Should be a fun show.

Virgin Fest 2007

2007-09-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

We just finished at Virgin Fest and were able to get some good interviews. Shortly we will have video/print articles for The Reason, Honeycut, Birds of Wales and the organizer behind V-Fest Toronto. Hopefully we can make up the interviews we lost out on with dd/mm/yyyy and The Constantines.
For those of you that missed out, Saturday Interpol put on a lazy half-assed show. Sunday, The Killers and The Smashing Pumpkins brought the crowd to their knees!
Check out www.torontomusicscene.ca