Song of the Day: Death From Above 1979, 'Romantic Rights'

Here I come -  I am en route to Montreal music festival, Osheaga this morning avec moi amis.

Today's song of the day has to be this song, 'Romantic Rights' by Toronto rock duo, Death From Above 1979. They are the one of the main reasons that I am heading to the music festival. I was so pumped to hear about the reunion of the band early this year. Although they has participated a number of music festivals across the continents, it is unfortunate that DFA1979 has not announced any hometown shows yet. I hope it is only a matter of time...

Stay tuned with all the updates from Osheaga!

Hot Hot Heat goes to ' Rehab'

The tragic sudden death of  British singer, Amy Winehouse struck a number of us over the weekend. Her remarkable musical skill had often overshadowed by her problematic life style. Yet, many of us still remember how talented she really was.

BC indie rock band, Hot Hot Heat, shared a Youtube video of 'Winehouse's hit tune, 'Rehab.'  I love the guitar-filled grungy melody, amplified with airy drum beats. Enjoy. 

Memphis @ Lee's Palace on July 20th

Torquil Campbell has built up quite a name as a member of the Montreal pop rock band, Stars. The band has hit their milestone of creating alluring tunes for a decade.  Yet, that is not the only hat he wears. With a fellow artist Chris Dumont, he has created a different history with a duo called Memphis. With the recent release of their latest album, 'Here Comes a City', Memphis revisited Toronto with the opening bands, Freedom or Death and Paper Lions. 

The stage presence of Campbell was in a grip of force. He was clearly the centre of attention during the entire set, right from the very beginning when he hushed the audience before ringing a bell. He stormed out compelling voices injected with emotions, escalating as he sang from the bottom of his heart. "This might be one of the best shows that I've performed!", Campbell exclaimed. He seemed impassioned to perform at Lee's Palace with familiar faces (his wife and friends) in attendance to witness his performance that very night. 

The duo continued sharing beautiful melodic tunes from their latest album, including 'I Want the Lights on After Dark.' I can't forget to mention the cohesiveness of the sound with both the due and the back band, as the chemistry between them was almost palpable. 

However, by the middle of the show, I couldn't help feeling overwhelmed by Campbell's presence. Dumont quietly shadowed himself with the back bands. There was a point where I couldn't tell if he was a part of the band or a back-up for Campbell. I almost felt like it was a one-man show.

Song of the day: Butch Walker and the Black Widows, 'In Bloom'

It's been a week since the Spin Magazine released a free download of a tribute album for Nirvana , 'NewerMind' on their website. (Click here to check out article and get your free copy of the album.) I was blown away by the gorgeous list of artists, who participated in the album: Foxy Shazam, Surfer Blood, Titus Andronicus and more. After listening to the album many times,  one of the songs from the album has been in heavy rotation on my iPod- 'In Bloom', covered by Butch Walker and The Black Widows.

Aside from his producing works and solo career,  Walker is also known as an artist who can make a great cover song, including a cover of Taylor Swift's 'He belongs to me'. I love how he brought the hauling guitar solo into the song. -"In Bloom." "We slipped some Yes into the guitar solo," he admits. "It's a tribute inside a tribute.", exclaimed by Walker with an interview on Spin Magazine. Enjoy.

Song of the day: hue ' The Bump'

This morning, I was looking for some happy tunes to bring me up to get through another busy day and found a perfect tune.-'The Bump' by  Toronto pop band, Hue, is today's song of the day. The simple, but infectious fun melody was all what I needed to boost my energy.

With the recent release of their new album, ' Starting Fires',  the quintet is actively participating in different gigs in Ontario. I saw them during last month's Pedestrian Sunday at Kenginton Market. Their memorable hooks instantly attracted people who were just passing by on the street. There was a little elder guy, who was walking by in front of the performance, then stopped to watch it while enjoying the tunes from the street.- I found it very adorable that everyone was enjoying their tunes on a lovely Sunday afternoon.

They have recently released a new music video for The Bump. I love watching it as it reminds me the warm feeling that I have when I spend a great time with my friends. It makes me smile whenever I watch the video, and I hope it will put a smile on your face to shine your day, too! 

Hey Rosetta! Announced a fall North American Tour

There is a band who I tried to see multiple times, yet I failed to do so as their tickets are always sold out very quickly- Hey Rosetta!.

Newfoundland/St' John indie rock band has announced their fall North American tour, starting from Los Angels' show on November 8th. The Toronto date is on November 24th, at Phoenix theatre.

You might think getting a ticket for a November show is too early. Yet, make sure to grab yours as soon as possible. Before you know it, it's going to be sold out.  With the recent release of their new album, 'Seeds', they have gained their popularity as they have made it on the shortlist for 2011 Polaris Music prize. I am going to check them out at Osheaga, but I am definitely going to check out the Toronto show in November.

Enter your email to receive a free download of a song, 'Welcome'

Here is a music video of my latest favorite song of the band, ' Yer Spring.' Enjoy!

Hollerado announced the fall tour

Lovable Manotick pop rock band, Hollerado has just announced their fall tour, including the Toronto date on October 15th, at Opera House.

The band is currently recording some of the new tracks and participating national summer festivals. For their fall tour, they will be touring with Pack A.D, Young Rival, Wild fire, and Yukon Blonde. Don't miss their energetic and fun performance in Toronto!







Tour date:8/6 Collingwood, ON - Wakestock
8/13 Peterborough, ON - Hootenanny on Hunter 
9/4 Edmonton, AB - Sonic Boom Festival
9/14 Sudbury, ON - Townhouse ^
9/15 Sault Ste Marie, ON - Loplop Lounge & Gallery ^
9/16 Thunder Bay, ON - Crocks ^
9/17 Winnipeg, MB - West End Cultural Centre ^
9/18 Regina, SK - The Exchange ^
9/19 Lethbridge, AB - Tongue 'n' Groove ^
9/21 Vancouver, BC - Venue ^~%
9/24 Victoria, BC - Rifflandia
9/25 Cumberland, BC - The Waverley Hotel ^
9/27 Nelson, BC - Spiritbar at the Hume Hotel ^
9/28 Fernie, BC - The Grand Central
9/29 Calgary, AB - Republik
10/1 Saskatoon, SK - Amigo's Cantina #
10/7 London, ON - Call the Office *
10/8 Hamilton, ON - The Casbah *
10/9 Barrie, ON - The Mansion Nightclub *
10/12 Peterborough, ON - Merket Hall *
10/13 Kingston, ON - The Mansion *
10/14 Brantford, ON - The Alexander *
10/15 Toronto, ON - The Opera House *

Song of the Day: Color Revolt-Naked and Red

Happy Monday everyone! What a crazy weather in Toronto!-Lots of lightenings and thunderstorms this morning, which makes me very excited. It also reminded me of this song, 'Naked and Red' by Color Revolt.

This song was a part of free downloads on Spinners in March for SXSW special and since then, I've been a big fan of the band.

The grungy melody and screaming in this song escalated my heartbeat. That's why I thought I would share this song with you all.

The Oxford rock band, has just played a show in Toronto last Friday July 22nd at Kool Haus, which I just found out... I hope the band will visit the city very soon.

Song of the day: Handsome Furs- 'What about Us'

I was at Sonic Boom the other day with my friend, appreciating the soon-to-be-disappeared basement with full of vinyls and collectives.  After going through a number of CDs and records, I couldn't help listening to Montreal duo, Handsome Furs' new album, ' Sound Kapital', which was recently released on June 28th. So here is today's song of the day from the album, 'What about Us.'

Handsome Furs is a hubby and wife project by Wolf Parade's Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry. I personally prefer the duo than any other bands that Boeckner has involved in due to impeccable hooks with synth beats and the consistency in music.

Handsome Furs is to perform in Toronto on August 1st at Horseshoe Tavern. I will gladly be checking them out at Montreal music festival, Osheaga next week!

A liveshow review: Thomas Dybdahl on July 19th, 2011 at Drake Hotel

In one of the hotter evenings of the summer, Norwegian singer songwriter, Thomas Dybdahl brought an enthusiastic performance in Toronto on July 19th, 2011 at Drake Hotel.

 

The opening act, Nina shared very quiet and calming tunes with the audience. The attentive crowd paid full attention to the singer on stage and it felt like I could even hear a pin drop.

 

The singer kept everything simple- from her guitar stokes to her whispering voice. Although her style enhanced the beauty of her vocals, which floated with ethereal melodies that generated from a single guitar, I couldn't help wondering how it would have sounded if she created some melodic hills from time to time.

 

Thomas Dybdahl and his band quickly set up their gears soon after and before I knew it, they were ready to deliver their very first performance in Toronto. It was interesting to see how he paid careful attention to the audience. Dybdahl excitingly exclaimed that he would love to get to know how everyone ended up in the same room and came to his performance. Friendly inquiries continuously popped out from him in-between songs: "Do u guys have any questions?", "Any songs that you would like to hear?", etc. It was when the singer encouraged the audience to sing along during a song called ‘Cecilia’ - “Here I am, Flesh and Bones”, that the venue became as one and the shy audience finally connected with the singer. From that point on, it was his game and he continued to impress the audience with more songs including ‘Love Story’.

 

I especially fell in love with the performance in the sense that Dybdahl was able to create a one-time only experience with the audience. Not only did they mix delicate melodies among the members on the stage, but they also enclosed it with deep thoughts and feelings. I felt privileged to be a part of sharing the moment with everyone present.

 

Dybdahl and his band ended the performance with a song entitled, "Songs". His remarkable tunes from tonight will certainly be among the  "songs" that I will always remember.

Song of the day: The Artful Vandelays, 'Silent Revolution'

My co-writer/editor, Bryan Shi's band, The Artful Vandelays, has just announced their very first show at Horseshoe Tavern. It will take place on August 8th, Monday and a good news is it's going to be a free show. Click here to check out the details on the Facebook site. 

To celebrate this awesome gig, I picked one of their songs, 'Silent Revolution' as today's 'Song of the day' Enjoy.

Metric announced a release of a remix album in fall

A few months ago, I read an article about why people listen to music. One of the reasons that researchers named was music is a means to bring back memories. Some tunes are associated with a time in our lives so closely that listening to a song can easily trigger an emotion from the past.


Toronto pop rock giant, Metric just announced a release of a remix album, called 'Fantasies Flashback'. This remix album is derived from a project that the band has worked on since December 2010 in their official website.- Which the band asked the fans to send stories and photos capturing their 'most memorable fantasies-era experience." After receiving numerous entries, they have decided to produce a "Fan-made" remix album.


The remix album is set to be released on Oct 11th, 2011 in selected store, and a pre-order special package is also available via their online store.  


So let me ask you, " Which Metric's song is your fantasies-flashbacks and why"? Mine is definitely "Black Sheep" 

Song of the Day: Paper Lions, ' Lost the War'

I'm very stoked about tonight's Paper Lions and Memphis's show at Lee's Palace. When I saw their performance at Horseshoe Tavern last month, the drummer, David Cyrus MacDonald, exclaimed that they would probably be back in town in September. However, here they are!!! The band is ready to deliver another fun performance tonight.


They are to perform at 8:30, so make sure to get to the venue early!

Song of the day: Mutemath-Chaos

As getting up at 5a.m in the morning because of the heat and my kitten, I needed something to get me going. The very first tune that I played this morning was 'Chaos' by Mutemath. I thought I would share it with you all.

This song always puts me in a weird mood- it initially makes my pulse go up to the point that I feel uneasy with the eccentric beats. (As the drum beast, Darren King, blasts prodigious beats in this song, I'm convinced that he is one of the best drummers alive. ) However, when I hear a part of the chorus, "I always see you when my sight is lost", I feel the anxiety is ceased right away. It is interesting to find myself relating to the song in an odd way.

The New Orleans trio is now ready for their 3rd album, 'Odd Soul', which is set to be released on October 4th, 2011.

Thomas Dybdahl on July 19th, at Drake Hotel

After a decade of creating music idependently, Norwegian artist, Thomas Dybdahl has established his own style to distinguish himself from the other ambitious young singer/songwriters who come a dime a dozen. Not only has he won multiple awards and is recognized by the media (including Q Magazine, who described him as "one of the most talented singer-songwriters from the Norwegian scene"), he also infuses different influences in various music genres and shares meaningful lyrics in his songs.  

The latest album, 'Songs', which was recently released on July 12th (via Strange Cargo/ Universal Music Group) clearly demonstrates things that makes him shine: his soft voice echoes as if he is whispering in our ears and it only escalates when a song reaches a chorus with emotional triumph. Plaintive songs, including, 'Rain Down on me', sink my heart as I listen, but he is not afraid to share the pain. Rather, he lets us face the reality and eases the pain with heartwarming words and compelling melodies. 

My favourite song from the album is 'A Love story'. Songs about love might sound cliche, but this song truthfully embraces the reality of Love. 

Honey i told you
That these things never last
And one of these days now
You`ll start dreaming of the past
When life was once too short for all the things we`d do and the shots we`d call
And endless summer without a fall
When promises were meant to keep
And nighttime wasn`t meant for sleep
A love story at it`s peak
Doesn`t it feel good
To know that you`ve been loved
And doesn`t it make you
Laugh when you think of
The day when we all got lost on the old mans farm
Just trying to get across 
It was only then i knew what love was
Sunday mornings that never ended and hangovers that never mended
A love story atit`s peak




Thomas Dybdahl is performing this week, July 19th, Tuesday at Drake Hotel. Don't miss it.

Song of the day: Perfect Darkness by Fink

I always seek for some easy-listening tunes on Monday mornings, trying to put myself back on the track of my daily life by paying extra attention to the lyrics after a fun/ energetic weekend. I encountered a song called ' Perfect Darkness' this morning. This song is written and performed by an English Guitarist, Fin Greenall. His new solo project, 'Fink' has just released a new album, 'Perfect Darkness.' Click here for a full- album listening via Spinners. 

The acoustic delicate tune was what I exactly needed to clear my mind. Just like the lyrics say, "Perfect Darkness is all I can see"

We Barbarians announced a new North American tour in fall

Long Beach rock band, We Barbarians, has been quite busy after the release of their last album, ' There's this, There's that' in 2009, touring with amazing bands, including Ra Ra Riot, Tokyo Police Club, Cold War Kids, Passion Pit, and Local Natives. After this year's SXSW, the trio has settled down in Brooklyn, New York, to start a new chapter in their continuous journey. Now, they are ready to go back on the road again and release a new EP (, which soon to be announced.)


Toronto date is set to be on September 3rd at the Drake Hotel with ANR. Click here to check out their latest EP, 'Stroke by Stroke.' and Stay tuned with Music Psychos for any updates on the new  EP release!!!










Tour dates:
8/7/11 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theater ^
8/8/11 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls ^
8/9/11 – Buffalo, NY @ Tralf ^
8/31/11 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge w/ Pepper Rabbit *
9/1/11 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall *
9/2/11 – Montreal, PQ @ Casa del Popolo *
9/3/11 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake *
9/5/11 – Detroit, MI @ Lager House *
9/6/11 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme *
9/7/11 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle *
9/9/11 – Urbana, IL @ Canopy Club *
9/10/11 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry *
9/12/11 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile *
9/13/11 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge *
9/15/11 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill *
9/16/11 – Fresno, CA @ Audie’s Olympic *
9/17/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite *
9/20/11 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar *
^ w/ Foster The People
* w/ ANR

Boris accounted a new North American Tour

After releasing two complete distinctive sets of records, 'Attention Please' and 'Heavy Rocker', Japanese rocker group - Boris - is now all ready to rock out the North American continent as the new tour dates have been released yesterday via their official site. The Toronto date is set for October 23rd at Lee's Palace..








10.07 San Luis Obispo, CA: SLO Brew 
10.08 San Francisco, CA: Regency Ballroom 
10.10 Portland, OR: Hawthorne Theater 
10.11 Vancouver, BC: Biltmore Cabaret 
10.12 Seattle, WA: Neumo's 
10.15 Denver, CO: Marquis Theater 
10.16 Omaha, NE: The Waiting Room 
10.17 Minneapolis, MN: Varsity Theater 
10.18 Madison, WI: Majestic Theater 
10.19 Chicago, IL: Metro 
10.20 Oberlin, OH: Dionysus Disco /Oberlin College 
10.22 Detroit, MI: Magic Stick 
10.23 Toronto, ON: Lee's Palace 
10.24 Montreal, QU: Cabaret du Mile End
10.25 Boston, MA: Royale Nightclub 
10.27 New York, NY: Irving Plaza 
10.28 Philadelphia, PA: Union Transfer 
10.29 Washington DC: Black Cat 
10.30 Carrboro, NC: Cat's Cradle 
11.01 Atlanta, GA: The Masquerade 
11.02 Orlando, FL: Firestone Live 
11.03 Tallahassee, FL: The Engine Room 
11.04 New Orleans, LA: One Eyed Jacks
11.07 Oklahoma City, OK: ACM@UCO 
11.10 Tempe, AZ: The Clubhouse 
11.11 San Diego, CA: The Casbah 11.12 Los Angeles, CA: EL Rey  


The psychedelic trio is reminiscent of a Japanese rock singer, Ringo Shina. You can sense it in the video below for the track 'Hope/Riot Sugar.' The two-song embedded video can tell  you a lot more about the band;  the trio wears a number of hats. They blow my mind with the way that they are not afraid to go bounce from genre to genre.





In addition, they will be performing their Toronto show with Asobi Seksu. The American pop duo is going to bombard Toronto with dream pop from the stage to fire up the audience. Don't forget to score your tickets!

Jack White meets Hip hop = Black Milk

Who would have guessed that the garage rock king, aka the lead singer/guitarist of the legendary White Stripes, Jack White would be involved in any hip-hop business. Under his record rebel, 'Third man record',  he has taken a role in producing a hip hop rap artist, Black Milk from Detroit.The first single, 'Brain' is  recently released via Third man record. I adore the intro which is coated with funky synth sounds. You can easily tell that there is huge influence from the rock star in the song by just listening to the song.

 No one can stop this guy from producing any kinds of music...



Black Milk - Brain by weallwantsome1