Stuck Tune Syndrome : Sam Roberts band, "I feel you"

I'm sure that everyone has these: a couple of bands which you've heard the name thousands of time; yet you just haven't had a chance to give it a shot. Sam Roberts' band was one of these bands on my list despite my big love for Broken Social Scene. I think it's due to their band name - I felt it was unattractive. (and it only slightly reminds me of "Matthew Good band")

It was just this week when I decided to listen to CBC 3 radio's weekly chart, The R3-30. Their new track, "I feel you", has been climbing up on the chart lately. The endless repeats of their tunes has started immediately after the first listen of the song. My co-worker came to my desk, asking who it was today. Half proudly, but half shamefully, "Sam Roberts' Band, don't you know?" I said to him.

I love the change between the second verse and chorus. It builds up energies before reaching the chorus and eases into it so smoothly; as if nothing - yet everything - has happened. But in my mind, I can clearly feel the debris after a tide of grungy melody with saying:

All in love and love is war
Take everything it wants more
All in love and love is war
Remember who you fighting for

The new album, Collider is set for release on May 10th. The band have also announced a North American tour, including a two night stand at Massey Hall on June 3rd and 4th.

Tour dates:

5/16 Washington, DC - Rock N Roll Hotel
5/18 New York City, NY - Bowery Ballroom
5/20 Boston, MA - Brighton Hall
5/24 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour
5/25 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
5/26 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios
5/28 Vancouver, BC - Malkin Bowl
5/29 George, WA - Gorge Ampitheatre (Sasquatch! Festival)
6/3 Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
6/4 Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
6/6 Minneapolis, MN - First Ave
6/7 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
6/8 Detroit, MI - St. Andrew's Hall

Here is another track from their new album, " The Last Crusade".

The Last Crusade by Rounder Records

Hollerado released a new music video, " Got to Lose"

The energetic Toronto pop rock band, Hollerado, released their third music video from their album, " Record in a bag" today. It is my favorite song from the album, "Got to lose". This video is taken with one shot, while blooming a number of umbrellas. Well done!

Hue

Let's do some fun math. (I said fun! Don't go sighing now!) Here is a fun equation that I've invented today.

Two Door Cinema Club's uplifting hooks + Arcade Fire's orchestral pop tunes + Death Cab for Cutie's superior song writing = "hue".

"HUE??" I'm sure that question must pop up on your mind. Hue is a indie pop rock quintet from London, Ontario. They have been touring in Ontario and making music in the last few years. Now they are finally set to release a new album this year.

hue's music consists of  frantic and fast paced happy tunes, which makes you want to dance and jump around. If you are into indie pop bands such as Tokyo Police Club, or Bang! - then they are definitely your cup of tea.

 The Bump by hearhue

The band claimed that it is hard to describe the genre of the hue's music and I strongly agree - their music has various influences from a variety of different genres. 

Genre issues aside; what I am certain of is that with the dramatic energy in songs like "You Will be the One",  I definitely want to see them live!

 You Will Be The One by hearhue

hue may be fairly new to the game. Yet, make sure to keep eyes on this band and new record as they are not just another indie band. Click here to check out their Facebook page for more details and updates!

Matters, "Get in or Get out"

I was heartbroken when I heard a rumor about the Toronto rock band D'urbervilles' breakup. The band posted on their website a single sentence, "D'bervilles is dead."  I strongly believed that the success of the front man John's O'Regan's solo project - Diamond Rings - had something to do with the breakup. I felt like someone punched a hole in my heart. Hated for Diamond Rings grew in it's place. 

However - as many of you might know already - the quartet has not disbanded. Instead they have decided to change their band name to have a fresh start. Their new moniker is 'Matters". They have posted a few new songs on their official website. The first single, "Get In or Get out" is one of my recent endless repeats.  O'Regan's (or Diamond Rings') trademark's techno-driven hooks successfully mingle with fast-tempo punk-ish melody which makes you bang your head. I would highly recommend it to even those of who are not big fans of his Diamond Rings materials. Just give it a try.

Here is a video of the first single "Get in Or Get out. Enjoy!!!

Duff Mckagan's Loaded : The Taking (Album review)

The former bassist of the legendary Guns N Roses - Duff McKagan - released a new album the Taking with his new band Loaded last week. (In Loaded, McKagan sings and plays rhythm guitar.)

This album has a strong punk influence - high energy, uplifting hooks and grungy riffs from the top to the end. It reminds me of good old 90's rock. However, if you compare it with his previous bands - GNR and Velvet Revolver - this album does not live up to some expectations - some people might say it lacks originality. This record will not wow you in terms of their song writing. BUT if you are looking for another album of alluring heavy rock, then this album is still something that is easy to enjoy!

Rate: 7.0/10

Favorite tunes: Easier Lying, and Cocaine

Here is the first single from the album, "Dead Skin". Enjoy

Sloan announced a new tour date

The Canadian legendary rock band, Sloan, is set to release a new album, XX ( the Double Cross) on May 10th. This album is  their 10th album in 20 years of their career. I'm sure that I am not the only one who is all pumped up for the release of the new record. Some songs, including "Follow the leader", are already available on the internet ( Check out CBC Radio 3)

Here is what the band has to say about the new album.



More excitingly, the quartet  just announced a new tour on their official website today. The Toronto show is  on June 22nd at Mod club. Don't also miss a free in-store performance on May 14th at 4p.m at Sonic Boom!!!

Here is the complete list of their tour;

XX LIVE DATES

May 2011

May 25          Cleveland, OH at Grogshop

May 26          Chicago, IL at Subterranean

May 27          Minneapolis, MN at 400 Bar

May 28          Winnipeg, MB at The Pyramid

May 29          Saskatoon, SK at Louis’ Pub

May 31          Edmonton, AB at Starlite

June 2011

June 1           Calgary, AB at Republic

June 2           Penticton, BC at Barking Parrot

June 3           Vancouver, BC at Commodore Ballroom

June 4           Seattle, WA at Tractor Tavern

June 5           Portland, OR at Doug Fir

June 7           San Francisco, CA at Café Du Nord

June 8           Los Angeles, CA at Bootleg Theatre

June 11         Milton, ON at Milton Rocks Festival

June 22         Toronto, ON at Mod Club

June 24         Philadelphia, at Kung Fu Necktie

June 25         Baltimore, MD at Ottobar

June 27         Vienna, VA at Jammin’Java

June 28         Cambridge, MA at TT The Bear’s

June 29         New York, NY at Bowery Ballroom

June 30         Brooklyn, NY at Knitting Factory

July 2011

July 1            Kanata, ON at Kanata Canada Day Celebration (Festival)

July 21          Meaford, ON at Meaford Hall

July 22          Belleville, ON at Empire Square Live (w/ Stone Temple Pilots)

July 23          London, ON at Rock The Park Festival

July 29          Barrie, ON at Kempenfest (Festival)

July 31          Kenora, ON at Harbourfest (Festival)

August 2011

Aug 6            Chatham, ON at Rockstock (Festival)

The National performed "Start a war" with Win Butler (Arcade Fire)

According to Pitchfork, the front man of Arcade fire, Win Butler had a cameo appearance in the National's opening act at UCI Pavilion in Chicago last night.  When the band started performing a song called " Start a war", Butler jumped on the stage and started singing a chorus with them. Thanks to the internet, we are able to see this dream collaboration. I just wish there was a high quality video out somewhere. Let me know if you find a good one. This is the best one that I've discovered. The chatting in the background bugs me a bit while trying to concentrate on their performance. Yet, it is still epic to encounter a performance with such talented singers.

Lollapalooza announced this year's lineup

At last, Lollapalooza announced this year's lineup last night. As to celebrate it's 20th anniversary, the lineup is gorgeous!!! It includes Muse, Foo Fighters, Eminum, and Coldplay. You can check the complete listing from their official website. It takes place between August 5th to 7th at the Grant park in Chicago. I may also go to this years' Lolla. If so, you can expect a full coverage from us! 

Yay or Nay: The Kooks covers Peter Bjorn & John's hit tune

You've probably heard this song , "Young Folks" before, even without knowing whose song it is. It's the Swedish rock band, Peter Bjorn and John,  who composed this alluring tune. This song reminds me of  good old days when I used to work at GAP.  The closing chain had such a fun in-store playlists, including Feist's "Feel it All" and Phoenix's "Listomania".



It seems that this song is not only favored by GAP. This song has been covered by a number of artists. ( Click here to check out various covers of this song via Hype Machine). I picked my favorite cover of the tune. The Brit pop rock band, the Kooks covered it for 2008 NME Awards.

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Would you say Yay or Nay for this cover!? Let us know!

NXNE announces this year's lineup

One of the biggest music festivals in Toronto, North by North East (Aka NXNE) has announced this year's lineups today. It includes:

Devo, Descendents, Stars, The Pharcyde, Men without hats, Digable Planets, Hot Water Music, The Dodos, Shad, Twin Shadow, Deerhoof, Off, Art Brut, and more.

The festival will take place between June 13 to 19th across the city. More information, Check out their official site. NXNE is famous for having secret guests and last minutes adds. So be sure to stay tuned with our site for more updates!

Adele covers The Stroke's hit song " Last Nite"

"It's been 10 years since this song was released"- nostalgically claimed by Dave Monks, the frontman of Toronto pop rock band, Tokyo Police Club, during their Toronto show with Two door cinema  club on January 15th,2011 at Kool Haus as they performed the Stroke's Last Nite.- Yes I know,  it's hard to believe a decade has gone by  since the band released their first album, " Is This it?".

The Brit female singer, Adele, must have been 11 years old when the song came out. Now she is grown up and  her new album, 21, has been climbing up on the billboard chart. Her stunning voice surprisingly matches with the uplifting tune by the NYC rock band. Let me know what you think of the cover!

Coachella 2011 the best moments

Are you suffering from post-Coachella blues? I know I am. Thanks to the internet and Youtube, I was able to witness some of the awesomeness of the festival! I wish i was able to go. Why does it have to be so far away? If you’ve missed the live stream of the festival, don’t fret! I’ve got you covered.  I’ve collected some of the highlights of the 3 day festival for you!!





Ce Lo Green’s performed his hit tune “Fuck you” and “Crazy” as performed with Gnarles Barkley.  The performance was subpar for this talented vocalist.  He was well aware of this fact and apologized to the crowd! Part-way through the band’s intro to a cover of Journey’s “Don’t stop believing” he got the signal to wrap it up. The band seemed rather unhappy about it but I guess that’s what happens when you show up 30 min late for your performance.  I bet that caused the festival organizers a few near heart-attacks! I bet his cover would have been awesome!





Two Door Cinema Club threw an awesome dance party at Coachella. They are most definitely one of the best new artists on the block.







Whenever Montreal’s super group, Arcade Fire, plays the song" Wake Up", it gives me goosebumps. It is amazing how this song has the power to bring everyone together in chorus. Enjoy their performance from day 2 of the festival.





The Black Keys delivered a compelling performance at the festival as usual. It was the drummer, Patrick's birthday.- Happy birthday Patrick!!!







Here is another video of their performance.





On the last day of the festival, The Strokes had such a charismatic appearance. The webstream was classic in black and white, giving the performance a vintage feel.  The band performed a number of their hit tunes. Here’s a video of the last 14 mins of their performance. 


If you have footage or found videos of anything else awesome from Coachella 2011, please share it with us! 

Hollerado with the Sheepdogs and Free Energy at the Sound Academy on April 15th, 2011

I was able to score a free pass for another night of Pina the inside Edge; with the Sheepdogs, Free Energy, and Hollerado last Friday April 15th, at the Sound Academy.


Saskatoon classic rock band, the Sheepdogs, have become one of my recent favourites. They surely have gained a number of new fans despite the difference in genre with other bands of the night. The band shared their nostalgic 70's classic rock tinged songs including " The one you belong to", " I don't know", and " Southern Dreaming" and certainly got the audience moving. After their performance, I dropped by at their merch table. There were a number of folks there chatting with the band and expressing how awesome their performance was. So the band had been kept plenty busy before I could finally grab copy of their new album, "Learn and Burn".

Free Energy, the second opening band;  received a surprising reaction from the audience. Their front man Paul Sprangers had been "Beiberized" since I saw him back in October 2010 with Foxy Shazam and Hollerado. He used to have a hippie 70's hairstyle just like his other band members. "Beiber, Beiber!!!" -The audience yelled, the chanting echoing throughout the venue. It seemed his appearance was the only thing that the audience talked about. The crowed gained the momentum once Hollerado jumped onto the stage to support their former tour mates.  Yet it eased very quickly right after the Toronto quartet left the stage.

At long last; Hollerado hit the stage. Not only did they blast the audience with their trademark confetti - they also threw us tons of colourful glow sticks too! Unfortunately though, the audience ended up shooting them back to the stage. The band seemed not to care about it much and continued having a blast. They entertained the audience - as anticipated - with compelling energies. They also performed Neil Young's "Rockin' in the free world" just like their show back in October.  (click here to read Kanae;s review from the night.) As it was the guitarist, Nixon Boyd's birthday, the front man Menno Versteeg asked the audience to sing the Happy Birthday song - but not in the normal way. He requested us to sing it as terribly as we possibly could - which made me burst into laughter with my friends. It reminded me of how much it is fun to go to a show with very good friends to share the moment with them. If you are planning to see the band in the future, be sure to bring lots of friends to share in the awesome atmosphere the band creates!

The Black Lips spent a wild night in Toronto April 16th, 2011

A night with the Atlanta garage rock band; the Black Lips, was wilder than any shows that I had witnessed in the past few years. 

Our editor, E.T and I luckily found a spot upstairs with a nice wide view of the stage. I was little hesitant about our seating as I love going up front for any shows. Yet, it was a smart decision that was made after all. (Thank you E.T!)

Opening acts by the White Wires and Vivian girls were mediocre at best. The White Wires opened for the night with a big smile on their face. They seemed joyful and excited on the stage, but the feeling just didn't transmit to the audience. It was predictable how the rest of their performance would proceed due to the lack of variety in their songs. Vivian girls, instead, had great hooks on each song they performed. I was especially fond of the drummer's powerful beats. However, I found the vocal was very hard to listen to ( It might be due to the sounds in the venue.) Blasting guitars and bass killed the weak vocals - it wasn't what I wanted to hear from what is supposed to be a good band. I'd drown myself in the sea of boredom after these two opening bands.

I thought sitting on the chair during the show was making the night so boring. I was regretting the choice that we made until this point. Everything turned epic once the Black Lips hit the stage. The band shared some of the new songs from their upcoming album, "Arabia Mountain". According to E.T, these songs were well-mixed and sounded less messy (thanks to to Mark Ronson's magic hands!) They also performed fan favourites including O' Katrina  (yay Scott Pilgrim!) and Bad kids, which escalated the madness in the room.

The Black lips certainly knows how to provoke their audience. The mosh pit was so crazy that I was so grateful not to be in the crowd downstairs. A  goof jumped on the stage, having escaped from the stage hand -but was easily kicked off the stage by the security guys. Another girl climbed up on the stage, kissing the guitarist and touching the balls of the bassist and went back into the crowd. The guitarist of the White Wires was one of the craziest among the mash pit, jumping off the stage several times.Then the front man, Cole Alexander, dived into the crowed, and came back without a shoe. 

The chaotic night continued further when they came back on the stage with a couple more songs for the encore. The Black lips sure know how to party. I captured the amazing moment from the second floor for you. Enjoy!

The Osheaga Added more lineups

The Montreal music festival has announced more additions to its lineups this morning. It includes Janelle Monae, Broken Social Scene, Cypress Hill, the Rural Alberta Advantage, and more. The below list is the new additions to the lineup.

Cypress Hill / Janelle Monae / Broken Social Scene / Joseph Arthur / Baths / Oh Land / Charles Bradley / Uncle Bad Touch / DâM Funk / Rural Alberta Advantage / An Horse / Jacques Greene / Midway State / A-Rock et Shaydakiss

You can purchase the tickets from their official website.

The festival takes place between July 29th to July 31st in Montreal.

Coachella webcasting live performance!

One of the biggest music festivals in North America, Coachella, has stepped up to the next level of the live show entertainment. The three-days music fete in Indigo, California, is now available for a free live show streaming from the Youtube Channel. Click here to enjoy your favorite bands from your computer this weekend.

Arctic Monkeys released a new video, " Don't sit down cause I've moved your chair"

It's been only 3 days since Arctic Monkeys released a free streaming of their single, " Don't sit down cause I've moved your chair" from their new record, " Suck it and See" (Which is set to be released on June 6th.) According to their official website, they are ready to release the music video of the song. Trust me, the new album is going to be available before you know it. Meanwhile, enjoy the single and stay tuned for any leaks of the album on Music Psychos.

Vote the Sheepdogs for " Do you wanna be a Rock & Roll star?" contest

Today, April 14th, is the last day to cast your vote to decide who will advance to the round 3 to be the cover of the legendary music magazine, Rolling Stone this summer. Among top 8 candidates of  "Do you wanna be a Rock & Roll star? ", there is only one Canadian band remained: The Saskatoon based rock band, the Sheepdogs. They have come a long way and made it to the top 8. After this round, only 4 bands will proceed to the next round based solely on the public voting. Click here to read a story of the band by Rolling Stone. You can also watch a 24-mins long video of their live performance.

Don't forget to vote the Sheepdogs!!!