Full Name: Dan I’m still up and believe it or not the same person who just wrote that blog is writing this… gutted. Going to sleep but sleep lately has just been one non stop dream about the drama I deal with during the day. You can now found all my insane ramblings here: http://theonetimeithoughtimademymind.blogspot.com/
I just need to get this stuff out somewhere.
Hello TWM Readers…
I think I am more exhausted today and now well Weds evening than I have been in perhaps my entire life. NXNE just happened to fall on what was the busiest week in recent Rancho Relaxo history. We were open from Tuesday straight through till Monday night. I was at the venue for various parts of every NXNE night and all of Tues, Weds, Sun and Monday.
You’ll notice some incomplete coverage. I apologize for that. The weekend was tons of fun at NXNE but it also had a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes that made even making it to the venues and dragging myself out to 4 AM almost impossible. Here’s a quick recap of what I saw and didn’t write about…
Spookey Ruben at Dundas Square: Some really lousy and cheesy R & B band delayed Spookey’s set about an hour and so I only saw three songs. Still, I saw enough to realize that Spookey Ruben if given the right exposure and publicity could be more vital to the music scene today than he ever was when he had his string of hits back in the 90’s. Such energy, such a fun demeanor on stage and just a wicked guy to boot. I need to see a full set with his band asap.
Old Man Lueducke @ the Rivoli: I actually knew so little about Old Man Lueducke that based on the CD cover I saw before passing the album along to Tyler for review I thought he actually was an old man. Turns out that is more in spirit than anything else. Easily the best banter of the weekend and definitely the most earnest musician I’ve witnessed in ages. Oh and he also writes ridiculously pretty songs that I now want to know all the words to so next time I see him I can sing along. Unfortunately the Riv is horrible for chatty overly well dressed types who really don’t care what is going on and that did seriously hurt the vibe.
Elder Roche @ the Hideout: Tyler isn’t fond of the Hideout. I liked that my exhausted ass could plant itself in a fairly comfy leather couch and have a few drinks off my feet. Unfortunately for Mr. Roche that was the highlight of the set. His backhanded comments to the chatty crowd were kind of weak. Either you play through or say something with some vindication man!
Epigram @ the Hideout: Much better! I recently found out that Megan Hamilton had joined Epigram and since she is one of my most beloved locals musicians I specifically called an audible to be at the Hideout for this set. Alas an overly packed Horseshoe resulted in us also catching the above Elder Roche.
For me this was the surprise set of the weekend. With Tyler angry about being at this venue and my other TWM writers annoyed I made them watch Elder Roche the set needed to be gold. For me at least it was. It sounds not even remotely close to anything else Megan is involved in. Instead it’s an intense, experimental sound that was only all the more heavy juxtaposed with what we had heard earlier in the night. Pedals galore… vocals gymnastics that made me wonder if the poor guy singing would speak again on Sunday and only one blip being really weak work by the sound tech on the backing vocals. If you have two talented backing vocalists it’d be nice if you would let me hear them Mr. Sound Tech!
Slim Twig @ The Dollar: I saw a band in between this but was mainly drinking and hanging out at the Rancho so putting an evaluation on it would be pointless. I dug Slim Twig quite a bit. At this point I was hearing everything well on the way to being drunken so that many people slagged it for not being tight or on key probably eluded my ears. I found it rowsing and it would have led better into the Schomberg Fair than the Oholics did.
Then at 3 AM the Schomberg Fair took the stage. I manage them so you aren’t about to get words of critique from me nor was I in any shape to tell you anyhow. What ensued was one of the most fun 45 minutes I’ve had in my life. So many close friends, so many people from bands I love came out to support a band consisting of basically the nicest guys in the Toronto music scene. It was triumphant and I was proud to be a part of it.
So now what? I have sort of an NXNE hangover and I am not really sure where the online TWM is going. We need more content! I need to write more reviews… get back to doing interviews etc. The photo section is in a sad sad state I don’t even know if it will ever be back.
But there is also exciting news on the horizon. Tyler Wade and I had a meeting tonight laying the groundworks for the TWM Collective. Which is going to be something to keep an eye on… we have big and exciting plans for where this is going and the readers of twowaymonologues.com are going to get more of a 360 experience than ever before. Offline, online and all over the province. I’m not going to let the cat out of the bag yet BUT stay tuned friends as this is going to be our craziest endeavor to date.
I feel a really serious explosion of activity coming on within me… both online and offline and I intend to use this blog as a means to bring you with me. I warn you though! The grammar will be horrible, the topics won’t all be about music and you are going to be very much inside my head by reading it.
But it might be fascinating as I once had a blog that was all gonzo style writing and train of thought thinking. So all I’m saying is stay tuned… sometimes when my life is most out of control is when the best things come out of me.
So yesterday I left my house at about 2 PM and got home at a little after 4 AM. So needless to say I didn’t get to blog my Friday reviews. So here they are!
Ok City Ok @ the Silver Dollar (9 PM): So the Silver Dollar takes the cake I think for the best venue for the festivals. Everyone and their dog runs off to the Horseshoe to lineup and see bigger, poppier bands that get more airplay and end up lining up for an hour and missing the chance to see another band somewhere else. But usually you can get in the Dollar and end up getting a better atmosphere, cheaper alcohol and always more interesting bands.
Ok City Ok were ok. The cynic in me sort of found it a bit curious when the Caucasian frontman for the otherwise fully Japanese band continuously announced to the crowd that they were from Tokyo without ever explaining how he fit into the equation. Maybe he has lived his whole life in Tokyo but I just would have liked to know. The lead singer was actually sort of boring which was a shame because the other three players were really entertaining and talented. With a different frontman this band could be wicked.
Action Makes @ Silver Dollar (10): Action Makes are supposed to be a really cool band and I’ve been meaning to check them out for a while. Problem is they never seem to play anymore. Problem with that is I thought they were super sloppy on Friday night at the Dollar. I can tell that if this band were playing regularly and practicing regularly that these songs would have been tighter and the set a lot more memorable. I would see them again but not if they are just lingering around playing big festival shows.
The Primaries @ Rancho Relaxo (11): The Primaries were playing what I believe was their second show since becoming a three piece out of the ashes of a band from London who were called the Knaves. So colour me surprised when this band played a higher energy, tighter and the whole far more entertaining set than Action Makes did at the Dollar.
Their sound isn’t that full and that might be a problem because with three members and songs that are a tad predictable in nature they’ll have a tough time getting repeat audiences. Still, this is a band to watch and one of the pleasant surprises of the festival for me.
Golden Hands Before God… @ Savannah Room (12): And here ladies and gentlemen is the set of the festival for me. Surrounded by some of my closest friends, including Jenny who has been spending the last few weeks completely obsessing over Golden Hands’ amazing soon to be released EP I was at a fever pitch waiting for this set to start.
The Savannah Room stage is tiny, but all six members fit on it even if it meant tambourine specialist Jamie Greer had to get up to his crazy antics while hardly being able to move his feet. GHBG owned that room… everywhere I looked people were dancing, banging their head, shouting to their friends about how awesome what was going on was. And the band knew it… they channeled all that energy and fired it back at us in the crowd ten-fold. When their trademark set closer “All Together Now” came on Jamie came out and handed a shaker to me and a few others in the crowd and called Aaron from the Speaking Tongues up to sing along. I think it was perhaps my favourite rock moment in my life to date.
Hot Springs @ Sneaky Dee’s (1): I can’t even review this. I apologize but I was riding high on the previous set and just wanted to tell everyone about it. Not to mention some crazy shit was going down that I won’t get into here… Hot Springs I owe you a mulligan.
We Are Wolves @ Sneaky Dee’s (2): This wasn’t that well kept of a secret band at Sneak’s but that is good because for the second time that night I was in a bar surrounded with some of my closest show friends in the city. I also had my lovely fiancee dancing with me and sharing what was such a good set it almost could have rivaled what I saw at the Savannah Room earlier.
Big props go out to Chantal who worked the sound for We Are Wolves Friday and had Dee’s sounding better than I’ve ever heard it before. I guess you would call We Are Wolves electro rock all I know is that I haven’t danced at a show in months yet this was the second time in three hours you could find me dancing and losing myself in the intense energy and forever memorable choruses. The lead singer got a bit too reggae in his banter which was weird but forgivable. If you saw them at the El Mo Saturday night instead I feel your pain. I heard that set didn’t even come close to comparing.
The Hots @ the Supermarket (9 PM): The Supermarket was a pretty happening place to be last night, starting with the Hots and followed by Cancel Winter, Amos the Transparent, Great Bloomers and Angel Pier. That was, in my opinion, one of the best line-ups of the festival.
I manage the Hots so I really can’t say anything non-biased, but I was impressed with the crowd and the energy they exuded during their set. I was not impressed — and never have been impressed — with the brutal sound at the Supermarket. From what I’ve been told, this problem continued all night.
Medallions @ Rancho Relaxo (10 PM): I’m really stoked about Medallions, to be honest. Formed from the remnants of two notable bands for Canadian indie music fans (Controller Controller and Frontier Index), this new Toronto band left a favourable impression on me last night at the Rancho.
Of the two bands, I hear more similarities to Controller Controller for sure. The song structure, the guitar and even the drum beats will remind you of what was so great about that band. Medallions have a lot of vocals coming from their drummer too, which is always neat if done right. This is the beginnings of some really catchy indie rock that will definitely get people dancing. So why was their set was less than 25 minutes long?
Black Hat Brigade @ Neutral (11 PM): Watching these five guys attempt to maneuver around that stage without completely tripping over one another was entertaining. Black Hat Brigade are a band I’ve seen a few times now, and I have never been disappointed. They do need a bigger stage than this, though, to really be able to leave an impression.
It also seemed that an extra vocal mic could have been helpful… or a better vocal mic, for that matter. If you haven’t been to a BHB show, do yourself a favour and check one out. They are one of the few up and coming bands in the city who don’t seem in a rush to end their songs before they approach 4 minutes. Instead they allow really beautiful ebb and flow to develop as the songs crash into peaks and then rest in valleys, leaving you anxious for the next peak to come around again. I sort of hope the double percussion doesn’t become a trend because people will use it without knowing how to. If you want to see how it should be used, Black Hat Brigade are the band to see.
Young Rival @ Sneaky Dee’s (12 AM): This set didn’t do much for me at all. It was tight, but it felt way too safe for my liking. I like tight indie-rock, and I book bands that play it all the time at the Rancho. However, I like tight indie-rock that distinctly sounds like the band I am hearing. You could blindfold me and put me back in a bar tonight with Young Rival playing, and I probably wouldn’t be able to tell you that’s who it was. This band has a strong following and their future is bright. It’s just not for me.
The Darcy’s @ Sneaky Dee’s (1 AM): The Darcy’s actually are the perfect continuation to what I was saying above: a tight, dancey indie-rock band that does manage to still have a unique sound that remains very identifiable to their band.
To me, The Darcy’s exude that feeling you get from a band of very close friends rather than several musicians who just started playing together. Bands like that just seem to have a sense for what the other members are going to do and the songs always sound just a bit different because of it. I’m not sure I’m totally sold on the matching suits, but it definitely adds to the lasting mental image the listener has of the band. It might just be a touch too ragged for the more commercial success a band like Young Rival is having right now, but I think there is more longevity to this type of indie rock.
In case any of you are wondering where I can be found for NXNE I’d thought I would post the schedule I intend to try and keep up here. Of course… secret shows… packed houses and geography may end up changing a couple things but please let me know if you are going to be at any of these spots!
Thursday
9:00 - The Supermarket (The Hots)
10:00 - Rancho (Medallions — new project from members of Controller Controller)
11:00 - Neutral (Black Hat Brigade)
12:00 - Sneak’s (Young Rival)
1:00 - Sneak’s (The Darcy’s)
Friday!
9:00 - Silver Dollar (OK City OK)
10:00 - Silver Dollar (Action Makes)
11:00 - Rancho (The Primaries — formerly known as the Knaves)
12:00 - Savannah Room (Golden Hands Before God *pick of the festival*)
1:00 - Sneak’s (Hot Springs)
2:00 - Sneak’s (Mystery show… not telling but you want to be here!)
Saturday!
9:00 - Rancho (Catnip — as part of the a night of Australian bands)
10:00 - Silver Dollar (Adam & the Amethysts)
11:00 - Sneak’s (Guest Bedroom)
12:00 - El Mo (The High Dials)
1:00 - El Mo (We Are Wolves)
There it is! Let me know what you think I should be doing instead:)
*Note*: Typically I write sorta whatever comes from my brain and then Terri goes and edits it so that you the reader can actually understand what the hell I am trying to say. Tonight… this is not happening — so good luck!
Tonight I saw Carnival Moon at the Tiki Room in the Tranzac. I heart the Tranzac… if I could pick one venue to own and book the shows at it would be this lovely place. However, I had never saw a show in the third and smallest of their rooms (the Tiki Room). Picture a rather large living room with some chairs, a couch, and a makeshift stage setup and that’s basically the Tiki Room. I’ve been in there before during the day and never had a clue shows went on there. It was here surrounded by some friends and a bunch of people who clearly are passionate about music to have ended up here on a Monday night that I had my first experience with Carnival Moon.
Or as Elaine Kelly put it because of the absence of Stefan Banjevic the other half of the band, Carnie Moon for tonight. You might know Elaine from playing fiddle with Key Witness, or have been at a show she played with the Weather Station. But neither would really provide any indication as to what you get with Carnival Moon.
Armed with nothing but a beautiful, semi intimidating harp Elaine nestles in close to the harp while still trying to keep the microphone close enough that you can hear. I can’t tell you who is a good harp player and who isn’t… my knowledge of the harp begins and ends with the lovely Joanna Newsom. I can however tell you that it looks harder to play than any instrument I have ever witnessed.
If you closed your eyes and listened to any of Elaine’s songs you might have thought there were two people playing. Instead it was just her two hands somehow playing two distinctly different parts so well that you could easily be fooled. Vocally… Elaine has a quiet voice and one that may cause her some difficulties in bigger more jammed rooms. But I post this as a blog because Elaine is a friend and I am biased. Still, I know that she’ll overcome that because her voice is beautiful… she just needs some confidence in it.
Now I need to see the full Carnival Moon asap to see how Stefan’s unique talents compliment Elaine’s. I definitely think this is an act to watch, and recommend you find a way to see them in the near future.
Me? I’m going to spend the rest of my night re-listening to that old Joanna Newsom record I love so dearly and had somewhat neglected in recent times. Thanks for the reminder Elaine!
Dan
Wow.
It’s been this long…. I guess in many ways the length between blog posts from me is sort of the point of this blog in the first place. Don’t worry, I’ll make it make some sense just stick with me for a few minutes.
For four + years I’ve been plugging away at TWM. From the days when it was a blog with nobody but me posting… until the first version of the dot-com was made for me and allowed TWM to have an expanded roster. Just at the end of 2007 we finally got the new 2008 version of TWM up and finally I’ve been happy with what we have here.
I’ve been somewhat unhappy with the output of TWM lately. The reviews have not been coming in at the pace that I wish they would, and I just haven’t had the time like I have in the past to pick up the slack. I could have rushed something out, but those usually aren’t worth reading anyhow.
Some of you know, others don’t but the TWM series that I’ve been doing at the Rancho has resulted in a pretty awesome opportunity for me. I’ve been hired as the new full time booker at the Rancho Relaxo. This is an unbelievably chance for me, and one that I am so grateful to have. It will come with some changes though… and don’t worry I’m not about to shut down TWM. I am however, going to be moving into a bit more of a managerial role with the site.
I still intend to file regular show reviews (yes it seems I’m the only one who files those anyhow), start doing more and more interviews and try to revitalize that section of the site. But you won’t be reading as many reviews from myself. I’m just involved with a lot of these bands and now and it seems you could make an argument that I am in many cased having bias towards some of them. I’ll still the file the odd review of a band who never would play TWM at the Rancho. But for now, I’ll be adding a few writers in the weeks to come in the hopes that we can get back to daily review updates.
I love TWM, and have some really exciting things in store for you in the months to follow (both offline and online). For those of you who read my reviews regularly, hopefully you’ll find the live reviews will do the trick!
If you want to write for TWM send an email to dan@twowaymonologues.com and let’s talk.
Dan
Sorry I’ve been slow on this. I have excuses, but who cares? I should really be doing a couple of these per week. This one is going to be ridiculously easy to do because it’s more an announcement than a blog. Usually we roll out one show at a time via the main content part of the page that greets you every time you come to TWM. And if you are on facebook we do it the same way.
I have dates confirmed all the way through to the end of April now at various venues around Toronto so I thought I’d use this forum to give a sneak peak of what is to come for the live part of TWM in the months to follow. Let it begin:
Friday, January 25th @ Rancho Relaxo (300 College) cost $5:
10 PM – Bass Lions (http://www.myspace.com/basslions)
11 PM – Roflcopter (http://www.myspace.com/roflcopterrock)
12 PM – The Eatons (http://www.myspace.com/theeatons)
This promises to be a really fun night. All three bands are definitely on the up and up and have in their own way mastered their art of making catchy indie rock. Bass Lions go on first but they might just have the brightest future of the bunch so come by early.
Friday, Feb 8th @ Rancho Relaxo (300 College) cost $7:
10 PM – B.A. Johnston (http://www.myspace.com/bajohnston)
11 PM – The Stables (http://www.myspace.com/herecomethestables)
12 PM – The Schomberg Fair (http://www.myspace.com/theschombergfair)
So here’s the deal. If you haven’t seen B.A. Johnston play a show then your life is incomplete. The man relentlessly tours all over the country, playing his hilarious brand of music. I saw him several months ago and have been trying to get him to play a TWM show ever since. Trust me, you need to be at this show. After that the night just flows flawlessly with the Stables and the Schomberg Fair who are pretty much made to play after one another.
Saturday, Feb 16th @ the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern cost $8
9:30 PM – Great Bloomers (http://www.myspace.com/greatbloomers)
10:30 PM – Key Witness (http://www.myspace.com/thekeywitness)
11:30 PM – Raised By Swans (http://www.myspace.com/22806563)
12:30 PM – First Person Shooter (http://www.myspace.com/1stpersonshooter)
This is not a TWM show. But I was asked by the amazing Raised by Swans to help with promoting and booking the night. This is very exciting for me! Raised by Swans were one of the first bands we interviewed for TWM, and are fronted by Eric Howden who formerly was in another of my favourite bands Gandharvas. They are one of the most beautiful bands I know of. Accompanying them on the bill are the addictive yet always unique Great Bloomers, TWM favourites Key Witness, and ending the night is the high energy electro grooves of First Person Shooter. Please come out if you can!
Thursday, Feb 21th @ Rancho Relaxo (300 College) Cost $5
9:45 PM – The Wisk (http://www.myspace.com/thewisk)
10:45 PM - Blue Sky Borderline (http://www.myspace.com/blueskyborderline)
11:45 PM - The Miles (http://www.myspace.com/themilesthemiles)
Again this isn’t a TWM show but it has been booked and will be promoted by me. These bands all are eager to play with one another and that usually leads to an awesome atmosphere at a show. Come out and catch some bands that are on the cusp of breaking out in this city and be in the know!
Friday, Feb 29th @ Rancho Relaxo (300 College) cost $7
10:00 PM – Nich Worby (http://www.myspace.com/nichworby)
11:00 PM – The Basement Arms (http://www.myspace.com/basementarms)
12:00 PM – The Winks (http://www.myspace.com/winks)
Bands coming from all over for this one. Nich Worby and his awesome band will be driving up from Kingston to play their first show in Toronto in a long while. The Basement Arms well they pretty much broke up and so I didn’t think I would ever see the day where we got to have them on a TWM show, but thankfully I’m wrong. You won’t get many more chances to see this band. Lastly, the Winks are coming in from Montreal to play their tremendously catchy yet quirky indie-art-pop. Shows go on in Toronto all the time where if you miss it you can catch them again next week, but this show is guaranteed unique.
Thursday, March 13th @ Tranzac (Main Hall) Details to be determined
Friday, March 28th @ Rancho (300 College) $7
10:00 PM – TBD
11:00 PM – TBD
12:00 PM – Tin Bangs
I was thinking about this the last few days and some of the names that came to mind were surprising even to me, on both lists really.
Let’s begin with some of the disappointing records because this should be fun.
Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist: How can something rank as disappointing when my expectations for it were already so low? By sucking more than I ever thought Billy Corgan was capable of sucking. This record never had any business being released, and I stood by Billy when you put out that solo record and I was stoked when I heard the band was getting back together. But the band didn’t get back together, instead you release a new solo record under the guise of a Pumpkins record because you are a timid, and pathetic man. Shame on you! Now I don’t even want to listen to my old Pumpkins records that I actually do like.
Architecture in Helsinki - Places Like This: Whaaaaaa happened? How did a band that I put up on such a pedestal after the impeccable In Case We Die end up releasing this over-the-top bubblegum syrupy sweet pop bullshit? Ok that is harsh, the album isn’t even that bad really. Still if I hired Picasso and he painted me a relatively decent landscape I could buy at any mall in the country I’d be pissed off. Know what I mean?
Marilyn Manson - Eat Me Drink Me: The only reason this record was so bloody disappointing is because of a press release somewhere seemingly deciding to compare Eat Me Drink Me to some of Bowie’s finest work. Apparently press releases work because I must have read a half dozen reviews championing this as Manson’s best work, and comparing it to Bowie. I took the bait and having always been very interested in Manson’s music admittedly got a tad excited for what I would find. Too bad the comparison was a bogus one and maybe applicable to one, or two songs at best on the entire record. The rest of the time Manson spent trying to recapture days that are long long past.
Kanye West - Graduation: It’s not very cool for an indie music website to crown Kanye like this site and this writer has been known to do, this much I realize. However, I have no regrets for having done it and stand by those statements. 2007 is where my love affair with Mr. West ends. Save the awesome decision to work with Daft Punk, the rest of this record mires in mediocrity and dare I say laziness. It was probably inevitable that Kanye would decide to just keep following the formula and get paid rather than put his heart and soul into the music. I’m still disappointed about it. Wake up Mr. West!
Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew Sings Spirit If: This doesn’t have anything to do really with what I think about Spirit If as a record and everything to do with how it was presented. The fact is Broken Social Presents: Mike Tyson sings Spirit If would sell records and Arts & Crafts and BSS know this. When all around the province people were opening up their Alt-Weeklies to see an ad for a show with Broken Social Scene in about 86 font and Kevin Drew squeezed in fineprint next to it that’s questionable ethics. And where it gets even uglier is when they chose not to just admit it. This isn’t just a problem with this record but the label really in general lately, I understand you need to put food on the table guys n gals just say so already! Don’t start piling up lies, it’s unbecoming.
Surprise Records of 2007
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible: I felt weird typing that just now yet I truly believe it was a surprise that this record was actually really damn good. Many lesser bands would have wilted under the immense pressure of following up an album with as much momentum as Funeral. Not Arcade Fire, they did it and some could argue they even topped it. I’d actually go as far as to argue that this album is underrated because it has become so cool to dismiss it as being inferior that people are forgetting about it when it comes to year end lists, etc.
Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace: Yes I just went here! The first big concert I ever saw was a Foo Fighters show and I’ve had a weak spot for them ever since. That weak spot has not however prevented me from giving up on them almost entirely for the last five or so years. And then comes Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace almost out of nowhere and I’m reminded why I was so into this band in my teenage years. I don’t listen to many of The Edge (Toronto Radio station) type bands anymore but I truly believe of those bands the Foo Fighters are the cream of the crop.
Bonde Do Role - With Lasers: I love Arular by M.I.A. and so I just sort of made the assumption I’d love Kala. I was wrong, thankfully Bonde Do Role filled that gap in my musical taste wonderfully. I remember talking to Aldona on msn as I was listening to this the first time completely wowed by how catchy, unique, and random With Lasers was. I didn’t see it coming but am happy it came.
Geoff Berner - Wedding Dance of the Widow Bride: Big thanks go out to Glyn for this one whose review of the record caused me to go back and revisit for myself. That a klezmer record would even come close to making our top 50 is remarkable and a sign that Geoff Berner is really onto something. He can’t sing, and there really isn’t much going on here and Wedding Dance is all the better for it. Now if I could only convince Terri to use one of these songs for our wedding…
Raine Maida - The Hunter’s Lullaby: You can read my review in the archive to see what I had to say about this one, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that mildly enjoying this release might be the wildest surprise I’ve had all year.
Cheers,
Dan
Right now, you are probably thinking: wait a minute, this isn’t the site I’m used to.
Finally, TWM has had a redesign. The early site got us far enough, and I thank Cam Tomsett and Chris Richard for the work they did. But the truth is that we’ve outgrown the original site’s restrictions.
One of our many new features is that writers now have their own blogs, where they can talk about whatever their heart desires. Ronan had an idea a few months back that individual writers have their own year-end lists like “Dan’s Top Toronto Albums” as a supplement to the collective 2007 list, and I liked it. So with that in mind, here are my Top Ten Toronto (and Surrounding Area) Records of 2007.
10. The Assistants – Self Titled: The Assistants are part of a strong contingent of Toronto bands bringing shoegaze back. Some people, including myself, like to call it newgaze or nugaze. Whatever you call it, what is clear to me is that Kiley Meehan, his band and the others revitalizing this genre in Toronto have found an untapped goldmine of potential. Music lovers are always on the lookout for the new movement and where it’s coming from, and I see no reason why it won’t be right here in Toronto with bands like the Assistants leading the charge.