Toronto Concert Update: September, October, November

I’ve been anticipating a bumper crop of concerts in Toronto this fall, and what a harvest it’s going to be! Tune-yards, Lykke Li, Peter Bjorn and John, Ra Ra Riot… my wallet’s going to be as empty and cold as my ex-boyfriend’s parents. And so, Music Between Friends presents our fall edition of the Toronto Concert Update.

SEPTEMBER

Peter Bjorn & John @ Lee’s, 19+
Fri Sept 2, 2011 and Sat Sept 3, 2011 – $20.00

Harlan Pepper @ Rivoli, 19+
Thurs Sept 8, 2011 – $10.00

Said The Whale @ Mod Club, All Ages
Thurs Sept 8, 2011 – $16.00

Empire of the Sun @ Echo Beach, All Ages
Tues Sept 13, 2011 – $41.00

Kid CuDi @ Molson Amphitheatre, All Ages
Thurs Sept 15, 2011 – $29.50-55.00

Olivia Tremor Control @ Lee’s, 19+
Fri Sept 16, 2011 – $18.50

Vivian Girls @ The Shop, 19+
Fri Sept 16, 2011 – $15.00

Mother Mother @ Sound Academy, All Ages
Sat Sept 17, 2011 – $26.50

Two Door Cinema Club @ Kool Haus, All Ages
Sat Sept 17, 2011 – $21.00

Toro Y Moi @ Opera House, 19+
Sun Sept 18, 2011 – $20.00

Starfucker @ Lee’s, 19+
Tues Sept 20, 2011 – $13.50

The Shins @ Phoenix, 19+
Thurs Sept 22, 2011 – $31.00

Tahiti 80 @ Horseshoe, 19+
Thurs Sept 22, 2011 – $13.50

Kid Sister @ Wrongbar, 19+
Sat Sept 24, 2011 – $15.00

Tune-Yards @ Lee’s, 19+
Mon Sept 26, 2011 – $16.50

Girls @ Mod Club, 19+
Tues Sept 27, 2011 – $16.50

Mates of State @ Phoenix, 19+
Wed Sept 28, 2011 – $16.00

Ohbijou @ Trinity St. Paul’s, All Ages
Fri Sept 30, 2011 – $20.00

OCTOBER

Foster The People @ Sound Academy, All Ages
Sat Oct 1, 2011 – SOLD OUT

Naked and Famous @ Phoenix, 19+
Thurs Oct 6, 2011 – $21.00

Ra Ra Riot @ Lee’s, 19+
Thurs Oct 6, 2011 – $17.50

Portishead @ Sound Academy, All Ages
Mon Oct 10, 2011 – $59.50

Drums @ Mod Club, 19+
Tues Oct 11, 2011 – $16.00

Braids @ Horseshoe, 19+
Fri Oct 14, 2011 – $12.00

Yukon Blonde @ Lee’s, 19+
Fri Oct 14, 2011 – $11.50

Iron & Wine @ Sound Academy, All Ages
Sat Oct 15, 2011 – $28.50

Dum Dum Girls w/ Crocodiles and Colleen Green @ Lee’s, 19+
Sun Oct 16, 2011 – $17.50

Neon Indian @ Lee’s, 19+
Tues Oct 18, 2011 – $15.00

GIVERS w/ Lord Huron @ Wrongbar, 19+
Wed Oct 26, 2011 – $13.00

Friendly Fires @ Phoenix, 19+
Sun Oct 23, 2011 – $21.00

Metronomy @ Mod Club, 19+
Wed Oct 26, 2011 – $16.00

Death From Above 1979 @ Sound Academy, All Ages
Thurs Oct 27, 2011 and Fri October 28, 2011 – $36.00

Chad Vangaalen @ Mod Club, 19+
Fri Oct 28, 2011 – $20.00

Blitzen Trapper w/ Dawes @ Opera House, 19+
Thurs Oct 30, 2011 – $18.50

NOVEMBER

Holy Ghost @ Hoxton, 19+
Tues Nov 1, 2011 – $17.00

Chromeo @ Sound Academy, All Ages
Wed Nov 2, 2011 – $31.50

Lykke Li @ Sound Academy, All Ages
Tues Nov 15, 2011 – $31.50

Radio Dept @ Mod Club, 19+
Thurs Nov 17, 2011 – $15.00

Elliott Brood @ Phoenix, 19+
Fri Nov 18, 2011 – $20.00

The Kooks @ Sound Academy, All Ages/19+ Area
Wed Nov 23, 2011 – $25.00-35.00

Timber Timbre @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre, All Ages
Sat Nov 26, 2011 – $27.50

Jay-Z & Kanye West @ Air Canada Centre, All Ages
Wed Nov 23, 2011 and Thurs Nov 24, 2011 – $59.50-250.00

That’s it for now, friends. Enjoy the concerts and make sure to grab a band tee for me.

Sasha’s Favourite Albums of 2010

The following 10 albums round out my all-time favourites to listen to over the past year in ascending order.  Enjoy, and please comment with your favourites of the year, I’m really interested since I am not able to listen to every single album that was released in 2010!

#10 - Causers of ThisToro Y Moi
This album made for great travel music; despite whether I was driving, forcing a driver to listen to it, or on the GO/subway.  I like the tone of Chad Bundick’s voice and his lyrics are really sweet.  Watching them perform live was a bonus and only made me like the album more. Take a listen to Imprint After, Blessa, and Talamak.

Talamak – Toro y Moi


#9Eyelid MoviesPhantogram
I have a crush on these songs, because they seem so effortless and sweet but still have this funky side to them.  As Far As I Can See has a bit of a motown vibe, and When I’m Small and Mouthful of Diamonds (the most popular of the album) are upbeat and dancey.  Then it has songs like 10 000 Claps and All Dried Up that hit you in the gut when you pair their lyrics with Sarah Barthel’s voice. Yet another musical front-woman that makes me envy her talent.

When I’m Small- Phantogram


#8 - Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. RagerKid Cudi
Even though this album was just released, I am constantly listening to it. I go from start to finish without skipping over songs (something I don’t do often with albums that have over 13 tracks, since I suffer from musical ADD…).  Plus, blasting these songs in my car and pretending I can rap is incredibly fun. My favourites: Mojo So Dope, We Aite (Wake Your Mind Up), MANIAC,  and REVOFEV.

REVOFEV – Kid Cudi


#7 –  Animal ShapesGeographer
I like that Geographer has this synth-y sound to its songs and how it also pops some of the ol’ cello in there.  Kites is the stand out of this trios EP, but Night Winds, Verona and Paris are just as awesome to me.  There’s something special about Michael Deni’s voice, who started up the band after the tragic death of his sister and father; it’s almost angelic. Especially when he hits those high notes.

Kites – Geographer


#6Forgiveness Rock RecordBroken Social Scene
I pretty much just wrote a love letter to Broken Social Scene in my last post so I’m not going to say why this album made my list.

Romance to the Grave – Broken Social Scene


#5 - Say ItBorn Ruffians & ChampTokyo Police Club (TIE)
Trying to figure out which one of these bands I like more would be like picking a favourite sibling.  I only have one sibling, so I never have to choose in that scenario. I don’t want to choose in this one so I made them tie.  Both have adorable frontmen who write geeky romantic lyrics that make you feel like you’re reading their diaries, sorry, jooournals… and I’ve probably seen them maybe a dozen times combined? So clearly I’m a fan.

What to Say - Born Ruffians



Favourite Food
- Tokyo Police Club




#4 – This is Happening – LCD Soundsystem
I love this album.  Two of my favourites are Dance Yrself Clean and Home.  I love how they build (and build up) a song – it’s like James Murphy has it to a science. Just wait for the 2:55 mark of Dance Yrself Clean and hopefully you will get what I mean. Other songs I love: All I Want and Pow Pow.

Dance Yrself Clean – LCD Soundsystem


#3SwimCaribou
Making my top three was easy, and putting them in order wasn’t all that hard either.  Swim will no doubt be several people’s favourite album of the year.  Take a listen to Odessa (a mega hit this year) off of Swim and you will understand why this band is so special.  Because you will no longer be sitting reading this post.  You will be up.  Out of your seat. Dancing.

Odessa – Caribou


#2The SuburbsArcade Fire
I must admit I was late on the Arcade Fire bandwaggon, and I don’t harness a personal love or awe of talent for its members (most likely because I’ve never seen them live). All I know is I really like the music they make. I even had a weird moment of making awkward head shakes when thinking of what to write about this album because I like it so much.  And the whole idea of urban decay and the feeling of emptiness in suburbia isn’t lost on me. My favourites from this album: Rococo, Modern Man, Ready to Start, and City With No Children, but my all time favourite was the continued version of Suburbs (insert weird and awkward head movements again from me just thinking about that song).

We Used To Wait – Arcade Fire




#1
Teen DreamBeach House
I saved the best for last (because that’s the point of these lists…). I have easily heard this album start to finish over a hundred times since it has been out. The dreamy and sad tone in Victoria Legrand’s voice, the easy listening quality of it without being boring. It’s just a solid album.  If that wasn’t enough, they also sound just as perfect live as they do on the album.


Take Care – Beach House

Toro Y Moi Daytrotter Session

Here is a LINK to the daytrotter session by Toro Y Moi.  I had the pleasure of seeing them with Katie when they opened for Caribou in Toronto.  I love Chazwick Bundick’s voice (yes that’s the name of the singer) and the whole sound was incredible live.  My favourite of these is definitely Blessa, I think it’s beautiful – I can’t stop listening.

Search for a life every second
every day
every night
it’s a blessing

p.s. A late September Playlist is in the works… it may become an October Playlist

MBF July 2010 Playlist

Happy Canada Day Weekend! Here is my FIRST full and DOWNLOAD-ABLE playlist for the site — perfect for the long weekend. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I have been.

Track Listing
01 Om Nashi Me - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
02 Wires & Wool - The Envy Corps
03 Big Love - Kevin Drew
04 Lay it Down - Peter Bjorn & John
05 First Date Kit - Tokyo Police Club feat. Luke Lalonde
06 Almost Crimes (Acoustic) - Broken Social Scene
07 St. Peter's Day Festival - Ra Ra Riot
08 Hard Rain - Shout Out Louds
09 Osaka Loop Line - Discovery
10 Blessa - Toro Y Moi
11 FLowers and a Wreath - Still Life Still
12 Out of the Blue - Julian Casablancas
13 Diplomat's Son - Vampire Weekend
14 All I Want - LCD Soundsystem

					

Songs for the Long Weekend

Here are a few songs that are on my weekend playlist:
Toro Y Moi– Leave Everywhere


Atlas Sound ft. Noah Lennox– Walkabout


The Clash– The Equalizer
Surfer Blood– Floating Vibes


Arctic Monkeys– My Propeller


My favourite part of this song is probably about 2:30 minutes in.

Summertime

Cary’s post about past and present summer songs made me want to post some of my favourite summery songs. Here are just a few:

The Drums single Let’s Go Surfing (notice how reading Cary’s posts also taught me how to properly reference songs).  There are a few versions in that player, the first is the original.  It’s off their Summertime! (how fitting) EP I think it came out in 2009, but it will be one of my summer 2010 jams.

The Causers of This album by Toro y Moi has summer written all over it. The song I chose was Talamak because it has a funkier beat to it, plus I’m a sucker for cute lyrics: “Make another telephone call, think of you and me”.  If  I could write the back-stories to songs, Talamak would be about the boy counterpart  to Broken Social Scenes girl from Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl. The lyrics “Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me” just match up well with it.  It would make an adorable movie montage … barf

For the summer songs you want to dance to, go to Kid Cudi, or at least the people who remix his songs. The David Guetta remix of Memories and (my favourite) Steve Aoki’s remix to Pursuit of Happiness have been staples on any iTunes playlist I’ve made, why stop this summer…

Kevin Drew’s Summertime Dues– I would save this one for a rainy day, mainly because it is a slow, somber song, but also because at the end the drums sort of sound like thunder.  You may have to listen to your music reasonably loud/on earphones to appreciate this.  Either way, Enjoy!