Author Archives: Diana Medeiros

Halloween is here and these Canadian artists want to help set you in just the right mood. With a wide variety of music and spooky videos, this playlist will do just that.

Happy Halloween!

“Monster Hospital”
Metric Official | Facebook | Twitter

“I’m Confused”
Handsome Furs Official | Facebook | Twitter

Read More »

“We may not be the prettiest festival, but we’ll totally sleep with you on the first date.”

Riot Fest is back and we want you to go! The punk rock festival originated in Chicago nine years ago and has expanded to various cities since. 2013 brings Riot Fest & Travelling Exposition to Denver, Toronto, and Chicago.

First up, Toronto!

Riot Fest Toronto kicks off on Saturday, August 24th with performances by Real Friends, Structures, The Ghost Inside, Grade, Mayday Parade, Every Time I Die, Pierce The Veil and A Day To Remember. The two-day festival continues on Sunday, August 25th with Toronto’s own The Flatliners, who are set to release their brand new album Dead Language through Fat Wreck Chords on September 17th.

Read More »

“Vinyl is the real deal. I’ve always felt like, until you buy the vinyl record, you don’t really own the album. And it’s not just me or a little pet thing or some kind of retro romantic thing from the past. It is still alive.”
—Jack White

You can read a lot about the revival of vinyl shops these days, which makes you wonder if they were ever really considered a rarity. From the dedicated, old soul, collectors to the new and trendy younger generations, there will always be a place for vinyl records in the hearts of the music obsessed.

Here are our top 10 Toronto record stores, old and new!

Rotate This
801 Queen Street West

Rotate is one of Toronto’s best known independent record stores carrying a variety of music including punk, hip hop, jazz, hardcore, reggae, electronic, and primarily, indie. Scour through new and used vinyl from artists in Canada, US, England, and around the world. Rotate is also a great outlet for concert tickets to see your favourite artists playing in the city.

Cabin Fever Collective
1669 Bloor Street West
Cabin Fever is a new independent record store/cafe/art gallery in Toronto’s High Park area that celebrates the idea of record shops being a place for music lovers to meet and hang out for hours. Browse their great selection of vinyl, experiment with their extensive list of loose leaf teas, coffee and baked goods, have a seat and check out the local art and interesting DIY decor surrounding the shop.

Read More »

Over 1,000 artists, 60 venues, 6 nights.

Canada’s largest new music festival is in its 31st year of showcasing some of the hottest acts and emerging Canadian artists. While CMW offers seminars, interviews, mentoring and networking for those leading and shaping our industries—for fans with a passion for new and live music, it is simply one of the best weeks of the year.

From March 19-24th, over 100,000 music fans are drawn to the city of Toronto to embark on the week-long path of music discovery that is Canadian Music Fest. Established as one of the largest and single longest running entertainment events, the festival has earned acclaim for introducing such artists as Metric, Crystal Castles, Arcade Fire, Mother Mother, Alexisonfire, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Ting Tings, AWOL Nation, Bedouin Soundclash, and many more.

With such an extensive list of artists, my advice is this: skip the ones you already know you love (they’ll be back) and take the time to find and discover the best of Canada’s up and coming artists. Here are TVD’s Top 20 recommendations for Canadian Music Fest 2013!

JULY TALK
Thursday, March 21st, 2013 – 1am at Lee’s Palace
Toronto, Ontario’s indie pop-rock band July Talk houses a unique girl-guy vocal duo that you will either love or hate. Find charm in the softness of Leah Fay’s voice and appreciation in the unconventional, Tom Waits-esque voice of Peter Dreimanis. This refreshing and modern dynamic bears witty lyrics and instrumentation to deliver the fun.

Read More »

Twenty-twelve is coming to an end and it has been a great year for Canadian music. The following are our picks for TVD’s favorite releases by Canadian artists for the year.

While you may have heard some of these records, there are definitely a few underdogs that you may not have been introduced to, so hear me out and you may just find some new favourites. Cheers to discovering new music!

Half Moon Run, Dark Eyes | This band is either completely on the ball with everything an indie music connoisseur is digging lately and running with it, or putting this record out this year was simply perfect timing.

Read More »

Since 2006, M For Montreal has been putting Montreal and Canadian music in the spotlight. This is the seventh year for the annual festival founded by Sébastien Nasra, in collaboration with the legendary British festival programmer Martin Elbourne (Glastonbury Festival, The Great Escape). The full-grown four day festival brings 100 performances to 16 venues and features no less than 100 Canadian artists, as well as a number of international artists.

Where to go and what to see at any music festival can be overwhelming. With M for Montreal’s long list of up-and-coming and also well known acts, TVD Canada is here to help you out. Whether you know them yet or not, these are twelve acts that you will not want to miss this year at M for Montreal.

KANDLE
Thursday, November 15th, 2012 – 2:25pm at Café Campus
Friday, November 16th, 2012 – 11:30pm at Casa Del Popolo
Kandle Osborne, daughter of Neil Osborne (54-40), was born in Victoria, British Columbia and is currently based in Montreal, Quebec. A young girl with an old soul, Kandle brings a graceful beauty to dark and mysterious songs.

HALF MOON RUN
Wednesday, November 15th, 2012 – 11:30pm at Sala Rossa
The members of Half Moon Run hail from Ottawa, Ontario and Comox, British Columbia and their early 2012 debut release, Dark Eyes, has been well received internationally. Their perfect and unique combination of indie, folk, pop and electronica guarantees a mesmerizing live performance.

Read More »

Vancouver! Don’t miss The Main Street Vinyl Record Fair this Saturday, November 10th, 2012, brought to you by Badbird Media, The Georgia Straight, and CiTR 101.9FM.

Attend the event and pick up a Vancouver Vinyl Discount Card, free with your admission, to save at some of your local record shops including Neptoon Records, Highlife Records, Redcat Records, Zulu Records, Dandelion Records and Zoo Zhop!

In support of CiTR 101.9FM, Girls Rock Camp and Safe Amp, The Main Street Vinyl Record Fair and Community Music Silent Auction will give you an opportunity to donate your old records to charity and receive a tax-deductible receipt for 50% of the market value. 100% of proceeds go to support local charitable organizations.

Read More »

Halloween is here and these Canadian artists want to help set you in just the right mood. With a wide variety of music and spooky videos, this playlist will do just that.

Happy Halloween!

“Monster Hospital”
Metric Official | Facebook | Twitter

“I’m Confused”
Handsome Furs Official | Facebook | Twitter

Read More »

Newfoundland born, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Brad Fillatre took the stage at The Drake Hotel in Toronto after releasing his debut solo EP For Your Weakness through Sparks Music/Universal Music Canada this week.

Fans and friends filled the underground venue and found their seats as Brad opened the set with an acoustic guitar and harmonica. “Get out of my heart, get out of my head…” Everyone quieted down as Brad began playing the fourth track, “Face The Dark,” off of the new six-song EP.

After the second song, Brad invited a full band on stage for a few more, including two tracks from For Your Weakness. The switch of dynamics held the crowd’s attention and interest as he then beautifully closed the set alone, with a raw and stripped down version of “New Tattoo,” the first single from the release.

Read More »