Happy October - We want your feedback!

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!!!!

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!

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?

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!!!

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?

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!

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!!!

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!!!

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

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!

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!!!

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!

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!

Time to apply for NXNE 09!

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!!!

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!

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??

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!!!

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

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!