My new home: www.singinglamb.com
ENJOY :)
Monday, October 13, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Temporary Leave
Hello,
As you've noticed, I haven't posted many updates as of lately (although there are plenty to be reported and I apologize for not doing so - I'm just dying to tell you all though!!). Due to school (orientation week at Ryerson can be quite the time-sucker) and work, I will temporarily be leaving...BUT ONLY TO RETURN WITH A REAL WEBSITE! (well, at least hopefully) We're in the midst of configuring a fantastic-looking website complete with everything you'll ever need to survive (musically) in Toronto! I've also decided to drop "Pavement Puddle Stars" (which saddens me, but it's for the best) and just continue on using the name, "Singing Lamb". Anyway, hopefully the next time you see a post, it'll be a pretty little link to my new website! Thanks for reading (all three of you who may read this blog!)
P.S. I apologize for the massive usage of brackets in this message. I just re-read it and those darn brackets are quite overwhelming to read through..
xoxo,
Mel
As you've noticed, I haven't posted many updates as of lately (although there are plenty to be reported and I apologize for not doing so - I'm just dying to tell you all though!!). Due to school (orientation week at Ryerson can be quite the time-sucker) and work, I will temporarily be leaving...BUT ONLY TO RETURN WITH A REAL WEBSITE! (well, at least hopefully) We're in the midst of configuring a fantastic-looking website complete with everything you'll ever need to survive (musically) in Toronto! I've also decided to drop "Pavement Puddle Stars" (which saddens me, but it's for the best) and just continue on using the name, "Singing Lamb". Anyway, hopefully the next time you see a post, it'll be a pretty little link to my new website! Thanks for reading (all three of you who may read this blog!)
P.S. I apologize for the massive usage of brackets in this message. I just re-read it and those darn brackets are quite overwhelming to read through..
xoxo,
Mel
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Catching Up, Going Out
I've failed miserably to update shows in Toronto lately. Here's a quick run-down of some highly recommended shows in the next few months:
08/27 Final Fantasy
As previously announced (like, a long time ago), Toronto's Final Fantasy (a.k.a. Owen Pallett) will be at the Music Hall on Wednesday along with guests, Nico Muhly, Doveman, and Sam Amidon. Tickets were just replenished at Rotate This! and Soundscapes, so you can just head on down and pick up some tickets for $20 (+ additional charges). Final Fantasy is always amazing live, but what should be interesting to see is if Pallett will debut any new material (which he does promise) from his upcoming EP (or LP, that’s rumoured to have been significantly pushed back again to 2009). If I remember correctly (from reading his message boards), there may be new merchandise or music for sale at the show - so look out! (ALL AGES)
08/23 Woodhands & 08/27 You Say Party! We Say Die!
I don't know much about the Burroughes Building on Queen St. but it seems to be a hotspot in August for shows. First off, we have Toronto's Woodhands rocking the building with their energetic, dance-filled set tonight and then B.C.'s You Say Party! We Say Die! will attempt to outdo the duo with a set that I bet will be equally as fun and energized. I understand the second show intertwines with Final Fantasy's show, so it's your call. They're both unbelievable acts and are both worth checking out live. I already settled on Final Fantasy (mainly because I purchased my ticket before I discovered this show). Decide now! Tickets are available at Rotate This! and Soundscapes now. (both 19+)
09/06 Slim Twig
I haven't heard much from Slim Twig before but this LP release party should be a nice starting point. This show will be taking place at the wonderful Music Gallery and Josh Reichmann Oracle Band and the Huckleberry Friends will open, so there's already two more reasons why you should/need to attend! Slim Twig is currently signed to Paper Bag Records alongside some of the best (in my opinion) artists today, so this shows much potential. I should really start checking out his music now, shouldn't I? (ALL AGES*)
09/27 Trekzac
I've mentioned this already, but this year's Trekzac will have a mind-blowing list of bands playing the night-time portion of the event. Here's the official list:
The Bicycles
Laura Barrett
Woodhands
Green Go
the Vulcan Dub Squad
the Rural Alberta Advantage
Mackenzie King (formerly ontario power generation)
the Gravity Wave
the Cheap Speakers
Dwight Schenk (basement arms)
Tetris Hold'em
Jason Doell (ex vulcan dub squad)
the Klingon Assault Group
Unbelievable, right? (19+)
09/28 Word on the Street Fest (FREE)
Chromewaves was kind enough to inform me that this year's Word on the Street Festival will include a music stage presented by Eye Weekly this year. Acts include Laura Barrett, Ohbijou and many others. It’s free...so what more do you need to hear?
10/04 Chad Vangaalen
With a new album out next month (entitled Soft Airplane, on Sept. 9), Vangaalen’s show at the always amazing Mod Club should be a good one filled with new, exciting tunes. Opening for the ex-Polaris nominee will be Women, whom received plenty of help from Vangaalen on the recording of their latest self-titled record. So far, I like what I hear from Women, so pending that everything goes well for me, I’ll be there for sure. (ALL AGES*)
10/09 Jamie Lidell
My favourite soul-funk man is returning to the Opera House once again in October for yet another presumably amazing show. I was lucky enough to catch his (short, yet memorable) set at this year’s Osheaga Festival and his live fusions of his recent works and spontaneous spurts of improvisations makes for a really fun time. So definitely check him out live if you have failed to do so because something tells me that he may not return so quickly after this show. (19+)
11/01 + 11/03 Feist
As we all know, Feist was slated to play the Air Canada Centre (can anyone say “upgrade from the El Mocambo”?), but to add to the joy that is Feist’s beautiful music, she has decided to add another Toronto date two days before her ACC debut. The new show will be held at Massey Hall, a venue of which she is quite familiar with, since she played a two-nighter there last May. Her show has been through some changes of late (as in, the past year or so) where she has incorporated lovely projector art and such – makes for some adorable entertainment! If you are indeed a big fan of Feist’s, I strongly recommend you splurge on a ticket and see her, but if not, I’d suggest you check out any of the following shows below. Pssst, I recommend Massey Hall. But that’s just because I would find it awkward to see her at the ACC – and all the good tickets are probably gone by now. (ALL AGES, both)
11/07 Apostle of Hustle
Fellow Arts & Crafts labelmate and friend to Feist, Apostle of Hustle (led by Broken Social Scene guitarist, Andrew Whiteman) will be playing a show at the Glen Gould Theatre in November, shortly after Feist’s shows. So if you’re in an A&C mood, I’d go check out this show. Apostle of Hustle (judging from the set I saw of theirs at last year’s Rogers Picnic) is quite the live band – not to mention Whiteman’s unbelievable dance moves. The man’s got skills. (ALL AGES*)
11/08 Matt and Kim
Matt and Kim are quite possibly the two nicest people you will ever meet. I’m not the only one to claim this too, anyone who’s ever spoken with this endearing couple can back me up on this. But that’s beside my point – my point is that they are fireballs of energy on stage. It’s almost impossible to not have fun at their shows. They will be accompanied by Best Fwends at the Whippersnapper Gallery on Nov. 8th. (ALL AGES*)
11/15 Winter Gloves (FREE)
Every year, the North York Central Library (thank goodness I actually live near that!) holds a free concert filled with amazing acts such as Final Fantasy, Ohbijou and The Bicycles (previous years) and this year proves to be no different. No details as to a full line up yet, but Paper Bag’s newest family member, The Winter Gloves are already posting on the MySpace that they are indeed playing this FREE event. I was able to catch them play a couple of songs at Criminal Records back in March, and they did leave a considerable impression on me. If I remember correctly, I said that with time they could improve a lot and become quite the band to look out for. Well, we’ll just have to see on Nov. 15th now, won’t we? (ALL AGES)
* indicates uncertainty on the status of the show. I'm pretty sure it's all-ages, but there is a slight chance that it may not. Sorry!
08/23 Woodhands & 08/27 You Say Party! We Say Die!
I don't know much about the Burroughes Building on Queen St. but it seems to be a hotspot in August for shows. First off, we have Toronto's Woodhands rocking the building with their energetic, dance-filled set tonight and then B.C.'s You Say Party! We Say Die! will attempt to outdo the duo with a set that I bet will be equally as fun and energized. I understand the second show intertwines with Final Fantasy's show, so it's your call. They're both unbelievable acts and are both worth checking out live. I already settled on Final Fantasy (mainly because I purchased my ticket before I discovered this show). Decide now! Tickets are available at Rotate This! and Soundscapes now. (both 19+)
09/06 Slim Twig
I haven't heard much from Slim Twig before but this LP release party should be a nice starting point. This show will be taking place at the wonderful Music Gallery and Josh Reichmann Oracle Band and the Huckleberry Friends will open, so there's already two more reasons why you should/need to attend! Slim Twig is currently signed to Paper Bag Records alongside some of the best (in my opinion) artists today, so this shows much potential. I should really start checking out his music now, shouldn't I? (ALL AGES*)
09/27 Trekzac
I've mentioned this already, but this year's Trekzac will have a mind-blowing list of bands playing the night-time portion of the event. Here's the official list:
The Bicycles
Laura Barrett
Woodhands
Green Go
the Vulcan Dub Squad
the Rural Alberta Advantage
Mackenzie King (formerly ontario power generation)
the Gravity Wave
the Cheap Speakers
Dwight Schenk (basement arms)
Tetris Hold'em
Jason Doell (ex vulcan dub squad)
the Klingon Assault Group
Unbelievable, right? (19+)
09/28 Word on the Street Fest (FREE)
Chromewaves was kind enough to inform me that this year's Word on the Street Festival will include a music stage presented by Eye Weekly this year. Acts include Laura Barrett, Ohbijou and many others. It’s free...so what more do you need to hear?
10/04 Chad Vangaalen
With a new album out next month (entitled Soft Airplane, on Sept. 9), Vangaalen’s show at the always amazing Mod Club should be a good one filled with new, exciting tunes. Opening for the ex-Polaris nominee will be Women, whom received plenty of help from Vangaalen on the recording of their latest self-titled record. So far, I like what I hear from Women, so pending that everything goes well for me, I’ll be there for sure. (ALL AGES*)
10/09 Jamie Lidell
My favourite soul-funk man is returning to the Opera House once again in October for yet another presumably amazing show. I was lucky enough to catch his (short, yet memorable) set at this year’s Osheaga Festival and his live fusions of his recent works and spontaneous spurts of improvisations makes for a really fun time. So definitely check him out live if you have failed to do so because something tells me that he may not return so quickly after this show. (19+)
11/01 + 11/03 Feist
As we all know, Feist was slated to play the Air Canada Centre (can anyone say “upgrade from the El Mocambo”?), but to add to the joy that is Feist’s beautiful music, she has decided to add another Toronto date two days before her ACC debut. The new show will be held at Massey Hall, a venue of which she is quite familiar with, since she played a two-nighter there last May. Her show has been through some changes of late (as in, the past year or so) where she has incorporated lovely projector art and such – makes for some adorable entertainment! If you are indeed a big fan of Feist’s, I strongly recommend you splurge on a ticket and see her, but if not, I’d suggest you check out any of the following shows below. Pssst, I recommend Massey Hall. But that’s just because I would find it awkward to see her at the ACC – and all the good tickets are probably gone by now. (ALL AGES, both)
11/07 Apostle of Hustle
Fellow Arts & Crafts labelmate and friend to Feist, Apostle of Hustle (led by Broken Social Scene guitarist, Andrew Whiteman) will be playing a show at the Glen Gould Theatre in November, shortly after Feist’s shows. So if you’re in an A&C mood, I’d go check out this show. Apostle of Hustle (judging from the set I saw of theirs at last year’s Rogers Picnic) is quite the live band – not to mention Whiteman’s unbelievable dance moves. The man’s got skills. (ALL AGES*)
11/08 Matt and Kim
Matt and Kim are quite possibly the two nicest people you will ever meet. I’m not the only one to claim this too, anyone who’s ever spoken with this endearing couple can back me up on this. But that’s beside my point – my point is that they are fireballs of energy on stage. It’s almost impossible to not have fun at their shows. They will be accompanied by Best Fwends at the Whippersnapper Gallery on Nov. 8th. (ALL AGES*)
11/15 Winter Gloves (FREE)
Every year, the North York Central Library (thank goodness I actually live near that!) holds a free concert filled with amazing acts such as Final Fantasy, Ohbijou and The Bicycles (previous years) and this year proves to be no different. No details as to a full line up yet, but Paper Bag’s newest family member, The Winter Gloves are already posting on the MySpace that they are indeed playing this FREE event. I was able to catch them play a couple of songs at Criminal Records back in March, and they did leave a considerable impression on me. If I remember correctly, I said that with time they could improve a lot and become quite the band to look out for. Well, we’ll just have to see on Nov. 15th now, won’t we? (ALL AGES)
* indicates uncertainty on the status of the show. I'm pretty sure it's all-ages, but there is a slight chance that it may not. Sorry!
NOTICE: this post was intended to be posted about two weeks ago...so clearly there are more shows that’s been announced since then...
They're So Hot, Boom
In the past two days, I've quickly developed a new obsession and I'm pretty sure you've heard of these two guys - Flight of the Conchords? I've always wanted to watch their critically acclaimed HBO series, but failed to find full episodes online. So when my friend showed me some YouTube clips of their live stand-up, I immediately fell in love. They're hilarious, smart and incredibly likable. To prove how much I've fallen for Jermaine and Bret, I bought Season 1 of the show within 24 hours and their debut album (consisting of tunes from the show) the day after that. Even though I couldn't really afford to splurge like that, I couldn't resist. (Criminal Records was super-smart too - they started playing "Inner City Pressure" when I walked in, therefore I was subliminally summoned to pick up the record. Damn them!) Anyway, the series (so far) is as funny as I expected and the album is just as good. I highly recommend everyone to watch/listen to some Flight of the Conchords NOW. (I also dare someone to sing "The Most Beautiful Girl (In The Room) to a girl - in fact, I'd love it if someone sang that to me!)
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Spoiler Alert
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Montreal updates will come soon; I promise. But for now, you can settle with this piece of joyous news!
I've been a fan of Laura Barrett for a little over a year now. Her unique Kalimba skills paired with her transfixing voice captures listeners immediately and it's almost impossible to avoid her adorable personality. Ever since I purchased the re-released copy of her Earth Sciences EP (Paper Bag Records), I've been craving more. And ladies and gentlemen, we shall wait no longer.
As reported on Chart, Barrett will be releasing her debut full length entitled Victory Garden (again, via Paper Bag) on September 23rd. The following is the tracklisting:
"Wood Between Worlds"
"Consumption"
"Spoiler Alert"
"Chidiya"
"Bluebird"
"A Certain Major Vinylsky"
"Ferryland"
"The Sharper Side"
"Space Seed: The Musical"
"Escape To The Sun Dome"
"Rien A Declarer"
"To The Stars!"
If you'd like to catch her live (which I highly recommend), she'll be making appearances at Hugh's Room (with Royal Wood) on August 14th and The Theatre Centre (with the Sunparlour Players, as part of the Summerworks Music Series) on August 16th.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Oh My God.
I've just returned from an unbelievable long weekend in Montreal and updates will pour in very soon! Promise!
xoxo,
tired wreck
xoxo,
tired wreck
Monday, July 28, 2008
Swedish All-Stars
Do you remember those days in high school when almost every person you pass in the hallway could’ve easily fit the profile of a stereotypical group? You know...the “popular” folks, the athletic jocks; the nerdy Asians...the list can go on and on. Well that’s the feeling I get whenever I see a video clip of Lykke Li’s crew of musicians accompanying her as she sings. Let’s just call them the Swedish All-Stars. The first time around, Li was surrounded by the All-Stars which consisted of members of Shout Out Louds, The Concretes, Laakso, and how can we forget Robyn. This time around, the popular Take Away Shows Series (from La Blogotheque) follows Lykke Li and fellow tour buddy, El Perro Del Mar as they spontaneously perform songs on the streets of San Francisco (I believe). The first time, not only were there more people, but Robyn took away most of Li’s vocals during the chorus of “I’m Good, I’m Gone”, which was fine, but just a tad annoying after the 36th time viewing the clip. For the Take Away Series clip, Lykke was able to take the reins more with the lead vocals, especially for the cutesy pop number, “Dance Dance Dance” (in which, Li did in fact dance to while singing). Anyway, see for yourself HERE.
In other news, the line-up for the up-coming outdoors All-Caps show has been announced. On August 9th, people of all ages can enjoy a free show which includes the likes of Huckleberry Friends, Hooded Fang, and Word Burger. Details to come (sorry, I’m too sleepy and tired at the moment...). Thus far, I have not heard of the latter two acts, but I must recommend listening to some Huckleberry Friends as they are pretty wicked.
Happy listening/watching!
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