The Kills Satellite from their new album, " Blood Pressure"

After spending 2010 with Jack White's super band, Dead Weather, Alison Mosshart is back to her rock band, The Kills. The duo is set to release their new album, "Blood Pressure" on April 5th. Here is a track from their album that you can stream: Satellite!

 The Kills - Satellite by DominoRecordCo 

The kills will be performing in Toronto on May 1st at the Sound Academy 

The Queen Killing Kings- Mashup "Reinventing Language" and "Wonderwall"

 When I was over at Bryen's place for dinner last week, he introduced me to an amazing band that opened for "Pretty Reckless" on October 17th, 2010. The Queen Killing Kings is a Cincinnati-based rock band with various influences. It's very hard to define a genre for this band. I was instantly in love with their jazzy beat and the Queen alike vocals.

The band recently posted a new video of a mashup song: an original by the band "Reinventing Language" and "Wonderwall" by Oasis.  Check it out! 

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for Bryens' CD review for this band! I can't wait to see this band live!

Last Minutes Weekend Planer

 Unlike last weekend, we can expect fairly mild weather this weekend. Meaning it's time to go out and have some fun!!! There are a couple of charily shows around the city - you can be a part of good cause, while having a blast. It is like killing two birds with one stone! Don't miss out!!!

Friday, January 28th

Live Love Large: People with AIDS Benefit with Gentleman Reg, Hooded Fang, Kat Burns and more

at Metropolitan Community Church (115 Simpson street)

Us and Others CD release-Win Win Charity Fundraiser with Nate Kreiswirth of Cancel Winter, US and Others, and Hue

at El Mocambo (464 Spadina Avenue)

A indie folk/rock band, Us and Others is finally set to release their debut album, "Patchwork". But this is not a normal CD release party. The band teamed up with the venue for fundraising event for the Serving Charity. All the proceeds from the night (including tickets, CD sales, and even drinks) will all go as a donation. Door opens at 8:30 and the cover is $10! 

Saturday, January 29th

C is for Cure : Benefit For Neil Haverty with Evening Hymns, Austra, Timber Timbre, Snowblink and more

at Music Gallery (197 John street) 

-This is an afternoon and evening show for raising money for cancer research, and for the front man of Bruce Peninsula, Neil Haverty, who was recently diagnosed with cancer.

How to Dress Well, with Grimes

The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street west)

At last, but not least, our most beloved band, The Artful Vandelays are playing at Teranga Bar (159 Augusta Avenue) with Jagged Black Desire, Xephyr, and A rock/country/soul band from Sudbury, Pistol George Warren.

EDGEFEST 2011 line-up has been announced

One of the biggest Toronto music festivals, EDGEFEST, has announced itsline-up; It includes Rise Against, A Perfect Circle, The Weakerthans, Tokyo Police Club, Arkells, The Reason, and more!!! The Edge is offering a special early bird price is $39.50 if you purchase it between Wednesday, January 26th at 10:00am- Friday, January 28th at 10:00p.m. (Click here to get the Pre-sale password!) You can still get the same pricing on the general sales from this Saturday, January 29th at 12:00p.m (while supplies last) Don't miss out this great opportunity to get your ticket! 

Stamp- the Rural Alberta Advantage

 Any sneak-peaks of a new album by the most anticipated Toronto folk rock band , The Rural Alberta Advantage, pump me up! Their album, "Departing" is due to be out in March 2011.  Rolling Stone magazine recently posted the music video for the song 'Stamp' off the new album on their website. The aggressive drumming and catchy humming between vocals is exactly what I was waiting for! However, I'm not terribly fond of the concept of the video but you at least get some insight into the new album from the song. Thankfully this is not their official music video. Yes, you can expect the real one to be awesome. Click here to check out the video.


I heard this song back when the three piece band played at Lee's Palace on December 16th, 2010. (Click here to read a review of the show.) 

Click here to download Stamp for free from Paper Bag Record's site. Also the band recently announced their spring tour schedule. Click here  to check it out.

The Dresden Dolls Should Have NO Connection to Shitty Electro.

I don't know how I feel about this.

As someone who grew to love Amanda Palmer's work as one half (the best half) or the Dresden Dolls I feel that this is a real departure for her.

It's like a cheap version of Peaches. I'm sure a whole lot of people will feel differently about that but this just has all sorts of shitty stupid electro cliches. At least Peaches is innovative when she is being ridiculously awesome.

That said I love the message of the song at the same time - even if it's glorifying her personal choice. I suppose it's her music she'll do/say what she wants.

Too bad the background music sucks. I could see this being twisted and warmed into an amazing Dresden Dolls song.

The Stokes unveiled a track list for their new Album,"Angels"

The alternative rock quintet, The Strokes, unveiled the title and tracklist for their forthcoming album, their first since 2006, this morning on their official website. The title "Angels" supposedly represents the new record's sound. It is set for release on March 22nd. Stay tuned for any updates on Music Psychos! Click here to check the announcement.

Angels' track list

01 Machu Picchu

02 Under Cover of Darkness

03 Two Kinds of Happiness

04 You’re So Right

05 Taken for a Fool

06 Games

07 Call Me Back

08 Gratisfaction

09 Metabolism

10 Life Is Simple in the Moonlight

Stuck Tune Syndrome:Something Good Can Work by Two Door Cinema Club

It's been an endless repeat of Two Door Cinema Club since the Toronto show with Tokyo Police Club on January 15th (Click here to read the review.) I can't stop listening  their hit tune, Something Good Can Work. It is infused with pop melodic sensation that make listeners dance. It's like irresistible magic spun by the Northern Irish trio.



They also just released a EP remix album with various artist - Passion Pit, the Twelves, and Moulinex. (Click here to check out the album on Spinner.com.) It gets better - if you are into remixes, be sure to have a listen to the following mash-up. It's not only on stage that the Tokyo Police and Two Door Cinema Clubs join forces (I'm still grinning at the encore ensemble performance of "Last Night" at their show last weekend). Click here to check out the mash-up of  " Breakneck Speed/ Something Good Can work". I guarantee that you will at least find it interesting.

ColinResponse, the Close Encounters, and New Stems at Tiger Bar on Jan 14th Friday

A gig with 5 lineups a night might seem like it would be a boring or even an overwhelming event. However, last Fridays' show at the Tiger Bar was a very well-organized showcase of artists from a wide range of genres, enough to entertain anyone.

When I arrived, an acoustic solo artist, ColinResponse was on stage, giving my night a good start. Despite the chatty crowd, he managed to pull together some lovely tunes. Once he began playing his first song, the audience began to take notice, quieting down to listen as his vocals were killer. A cover Maroon 5's Sunday Morning, finally drew undivided attention from the audience. His original songs were well-written and provoked emotions: I just wished others were with me to share in the experience. He sang as if he was talking to the audience and telling a story. The last song, Only Hope, was covered beautifully and it was unfortunate that the audience didn't pay more attention to his performance as it was a great one. Maybe they were there for a different kind of music, understandable due to the variety present in the evening's lineup. Personally, I would love to see ColinResponse perform again. I highly recommend his music and believe an atmosphere involving red wine, and great company would be the perfect setting to experience this artist.

Following the ever-so sweet ColinResponse's performance, a young pop-funk group, the Close Encounters turned the knob clockwise and rocked the stage. Their performance  was just so powerful and fun to watch. They completely changed the vibe of the bar from something romantic and mellow to energetic and raunchy. The main vocalist, who also made an appearance during  ColinResponse's performance,  has a crazy amount of talent. She seemed a sweet little girl, however, opening up her voice told us a different, powerful and charismatic story.

At this point I decided to stay for one more band, which, it turns out, was a great decision. The psychedelic/folk rock band, New Stems was on next. As they got rolling, their rhythm became so cohesive and infectious. They provided jazzy grooves that had everyone dancing. A number of people were there to see the band, and the crowd was audibly excited. I loved how it was an instrumental song, Jack's Wax, that gave me a different perspective on the band, making me pay full attention to their performance. I  grabbed their CD, so I am excited to enjoy  their music at home. (Don't forget to check out a CD review coming up shortly!)


It was a fun Friday night, and I enjoyed the sounds of many of Toronto's up and coming talented musicians.  Hopefully we'll hear more from these artists in the near future.




(Photo Credit: Aaron Savatti January 2011. Click here to contact Aaron for any photo inquiries.) 

Tokyo Police Club at Kool Haus On Jan 15th with Two door Cinema Club

Since the release of 2010's hit album, " Champ", Tokyo Police Club had not come back to their hometown as headliners: They actually played twice with Flaming lips and Phoenix last year. Though it was a great opportunity for the quartet to be opening for such big bands, Toronto fans had been waiting for them to have their own show.

They opened the set with a hit song, "Favorite Colour.", which surprised me as I have always felt this song would be played in the encore due to the energy that the song brings. But as an opening song it set the pace for the rest of the show - igniting a fire in long-waiting fans. They rolled through a great medley of songs from all the albums including Citizens of Tomorrow, Breakneck Speed, Your English is Good, and more. Being overheated in the venue ( I never thought I would sweat so much in the middle of the cold winter), I danced more than all the shows last year because I was just so pumped to see them live. I would say I " jumped" rather than "danced" though. (or I danced as if I was shot in my legs for sure...)

The Encore was nothing but tremendously amazing. Came back shortly on a stage with "Favorite Food" ( Editor note: I definitely thought they would play this song to open for the show just like the album...), the quartet delivered another couple of songs to the fans.  The excitement reached the triumph as they played a song, "Cheer it on". There were crazy mushings and divings going on right up at the front. Then a song,  "Wait Up ( Boots of Danger) completed the night. The humming part of the song echoed the entire venue. I felt goosebumps on my skins just as I was so stroked to be a part of the show.

But it wasn't the end of the story: the opening band, Two Door Cinema Club also came back on the stage, and the front man of the Toronto-based band, Dave claimed that they would play a song together and the song was about 10 years old. With such a curiosity, my crew was guessing what would that be. When my ears caught the intro guitar jamming , instantly I went " OMG, OMG,OMG!"- it was "Last Nite" by the Strokes. Dave's voice was perfect for the song and couldn't believe how tight all the nine members from both bands sounded. It was a perfect ending for the show.

Thanks to the world that we live in, I found a YouTube video of the song. Here you go! You get to feel the excitement!

On my way to home on TTC, I heard the hamming of "Wait Up" from everywhere.  It was a perfect show from the beginning to the end to start off live shows in 2011.

DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 REUNITE AT COACHELLA 2011

Somewhat to the dismay/disapproval of my friends, I've never had a passport. I never really had a need nor real desire to leave the country. This has been a sticking point for one specific friend for a looong time!

But I will be getting my passport as soon as humanly possible now. All because of this date: April 17th 2011.

This date, to some will mean nothing. To others, it might be a birthday, an anniversary, a fine date for a breakup, a fine day to take that step to ask that special girl/boy out - god forbid they say no and ruin your life.

For me April 17th holds special meaning - I've only had such a connection to few other bands.

Death From Above 1979 are reuniting to play Sunday April 17th at Coachella this year! This is another case of a band I'd never dreamed that I would have the chance to see! By the time I discovered them it was too late, they had already broken up and I had missed out.

but now I have a chance and you're damn right I am seeing them!

New stems, Colinresponse, The Close Encounters, BF Soul, and Ninja Funk Orchestra at Tiger bar on Jan 14th

Happy Friday everyone! Is it just me, or has this week been extremely long? Back to the old routine after the holidays. Well, luckily it means there are a bunch of shows to check out!

There is an amazing event going on tonight at the Tiger Bar to cheer you all up or just give your weekend a good start. The Tiger Bar Jam will feature a number of Ontario-based band -  New Stems, Colinresponse, The Close Encounters, BF Soul, and Ninja Funk Orchestra.  I have not seen any of these bands before, but I have been listening to  all of them on either their websites or MySpace. Surprisingly, each band has there own distinctive style ranging from acoustic folk to funk rock. My favorite so far is Ninja Funk Orchestra. They have some very catchy grooves.  I cannot wait to see each band rocking out on stage tomorrow.

The doors are at 8 p.m. Tickets are only for $10.00. However, if you join Jamtastic group on Facebook, cover is only $8.00! Click here to go to the Jamtastic group Facebook page. For the further details about the show, click here to go to the Facebook event page. 

I hope to see you all tonight at the Tiger Bar and let's make it an awesome one!

Featured Band of the Month January 2011 : The 24th Street Wailers

Our first 'Featured Band of the Month' for this year is The 24th Street Wailers. The winner of the 2010 Toronto Blues Society's annual New Talent Search is releasing their very first album, "Dirty Little Young'uns" . I will have a CD review, interview, and of course, a live show review. The CD will be actually released in February, but a digital version of the album is currently available on iTune.


The below is a list of up-coming shows: You should check out the Toronto-based young blues quartet!

• Jan 15th Sat Blues Summits Five  Delta Chelsey Hotel
• Jan 16th Sun Blues Summits Five Delta Chelsey Hotel
• Jan 17th Mon Blues Summits Five Delta Chelsey Hotel
• Jan 20th Thu The Reservoir Lounge at 7p.m 
• Jan 22nd James Joyce Pub
• Feb 3rd Gladstone Hotel - Melody Bar - CD release show :8:30 start
• Feb 19th James Joyce Pub
• Feb 25th The Blue Goose Tavern
• March 6 Blues Matinee Hollywood on The Queensway
• March 12 Golden Pheasant "The Duck" (St. Catherine)

Further information about shows, check out the Facebook page (Don't forget to 'like' their page!)


Don't miss any updates for the 24th Street Wailers on Music Psychos!

Canada Music Festival Line-up have been announced

One of the biggest Toronto music festivals, Canada Music Festival,(aka Canada Music Week) has just announced its 2011 full lineup. It takes place between March 9th to13th this year at 50 venues across the city, setting 800+ artists on a stage during the five nights.Click here to check out the full lists.

Janelle Monae, Shad, Hollerado and Hannah Georgas will be closing out the festival on on March 14th. This is certainly going to be a wicked week for Toronto music fans! A number of  band reviews from Toronto, who will be participating in the festival can be expected from our blog! Stay tuned...

Thank you, Happy Birthday by Cage the Elephant

 It is such a great week to start off 2011 with all the new releases coming! My usual ritual on Monday is to check out some new tunes on  Spinner.  Thank You Happy Birthday by alternative rock band, Cage the Elephant, was one of the CDs available for free streaming. The Kentucky five-piece band had emerged in the indie music scene with a successful self-titled debut album in 2008, Cage The Elephant, including their hit, Ain't No Rest For The Wicked. They have become so popular all over the world, including the UK, Japan, and of course the North America.


If you are a big fan of melodic rock verses with such catchy rapping - which you’ll often find on that first album - then you would be very surprised with their new record: It is very different from the first album – this new release is grungier with lots of screaming. Some songs like '2024' and 'Shake Me Down" does still remind you their debut album – but most of songs would shatter your first impression of the band. So I would say it depends on each person whether or not he/she will favor this album. In fact, a number of CD reviews are giving mixed opinions. I like most of the songs, but found a few songs too extreme, such as 'Indy Kidz'.


I think it is such a good change for the band to expend their stylistic range more so than they had with their first album. If you didn't like the first album, give them another chance. It’s worth it - especially if you like 90s' rock bands like the Pixies. You can listen to the entire album for free at  Spinner.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Favorite song of the album: Always Something

Upcoming CD releases in 2011

Happy New Years everyone! Here we are... 2011. One more year left! There are so many anticipated CD/LP releases in 2011. Some have a set date, but not do others. Please also keep it in your mind that they are also subject to changes.

• Cage The Elephant - 'Thank you, Happy Birthday' on Jan 11th
• The Decemberists - 'The King Is Dead'  on Jan 18th
• Tennis - 'Cape Dory' on Jan 18th
• The Go! Team - 'Rolling Blackouts on Jan 31st
• Cut Copy - 'Zonoscope' on Feb 8th
• Bright Eyes - 'People's Key' on Feb 15th
• The Dears - 'Degeneration Street' on Feb 15th
• Mother Mother - 'Eureka' on March 15th

The below are the ones without a firm release date or title. But they are in various stages of development:

• Aerosmith   
• Fiona Apple  (Spring)
• Atoms of Peace (Tom Yorke's project with Flea)
• Black Lips (Spring)
• Death Cab for Cuties (Spring)
• Escalates
• Fleet Foxes
• Foo Fighters
• Franz Ferdinand
• Jane Addiction
• Jamiroquai
• Justice
• Marilyn Manson (Fall)
• The Mars Volta
• No Doubt
• Radiohead
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Rush
• The Rural Alberta Advantage (March)
• The Shins
• The Strokes (March)
• The Veronicas
• Amy Winehouse

My picks are the Strokes, Radiohead, the Rural Alberta Advantage, and the Dears. I can't wait to listen to their new albums. I will make sure to inform any updates on the releases from the above bands! Stay tuned....

Best of 2010: Best Live Act Top 3

2010 was the year that saw me going to more live shows than I have in my entire life so far .  It started off with Guns N' Roses and Johny Alexander and ended with The Artful Vandelays - totalling close to 50 bands this year.  So to sum up, here are my  top 3 picks for bands who blew my mind in 2010 .  

1. Ok Go
It'd been almost 5 years since OK Go paid a visit to Toronto. This year, the band stopped by twice after the release of new album, "Of the Blue Colour of the Sky" to satisfy the long-waiting fans in town. I was able to go to both shows, setting myself up right in front. The hyper-creative quartet delivered outstanding shows as anticipated: Lots of confetti and little tricks in each song. What made it so special was that the front man, Damian, grabbed my camera and recorded one of my favorites songs, Oh Lately It's So Quiet. I haven't posted the video on my blog yet, but I might share it with you guys in the future, so stay tuned.


Here are the show reviews for both shows: April 23rd at the Mod Club , October 14th, at the Phoenix.
 

2. Foxy Shazam

2010 was the year of Foxy Shazam. I fell madly in love with the band when I first saw them opening for Hollerado at the Horse Shoe Tavern: on endless repeat on my ipod and a constant habitual checking of any information that crops up about them. My 2011 resolution for Music Psychos is to score an interview the lead man, Eric. Click here  to check out my review of their show.  October 16th, at Horse Shoe Tavern

3. Broken Social Scene

Broken Social Scene's show at the Sound Academy is the most recent larger gig that I have been to. This might be one of the reasons why they made the cut. However, I still clearly remember the every details of the show: the peaking emotional moment when the band played Anthems For A Seventeen Year Old Girl  Click here to check out the review.



So there we have my top 3. Let me know who you liked the most in 2010! I promise you that in 2011 I will deliver more reviews and amazing band and show reviews in and around Toronto!