The Way It Is

For the fortunate ones(including myself) who got to see Nicole Atkins & The Sea live when they opened for The Long Blondes at Lee's Palace in June, it was a revelatory experience. She was so comfortable in her skin, with a soulful, torchy voice that resonated with so much emotion that I virtually had goosebumps. She already has a wonderful 6-song EP "Bleeding Diamonds" under her belt. I'm looking forward to her debut album "Neptune City"(regardless of what Spin says) being released October 30 through Columbia Records. A number of songs are streaming over at her MySpace and they're wonderfully fleshed out, at times, quite lush-sounding songs of melancholy. Nicole Atkins & The Sea are back in Toronto opening for The Raveonettes at Lee's Palace on October 14 but I wouldn't be surprised if an upstage was in order. Nicole makes her television debut on the Late Show With David Letterman on October 30. And did you know Nicole was an American Express card holder? Check out the television commercial she did for them below which apparently debuted on tv a few weeks ago:

YouTube: Nicole Atkins - American Express television commercial (2007)
YouTube: Nicole Atkins & The Sea - "Neptune City" (music video)
MP3: Nicole Atkins & The Sea - "The Way It Is"
MySpace: Nicole Atkins
:
:
And in concert news:

Ms. Julie Doiron is at The Drake Hotel for a 19+ show on September 12, tickets $10.00. Julie will be performing at the 2007 Polaris Music Prize Gala party at the Phoenix on September 24, which is by-invite-only, fyi. My invitation must've got lost in the mail.

Toronto folk-country troubadour Justin Rutledge is scheduled for an all-ages show at Trinity St. Paul's on October 13, tickets $22.50. He'll also be at the Junction Arts Festival in Toronto on September 8.

Cuff The Duke are a The Mod Club for a two-night stint of alt-country on November 29-30. Their new record "Sidelines of the City" is out through Hardwood/Universal on October 23.

Magic

In addition to their previously announced CD release show at the Horseshoe Tavern on October 26, The Diableros will also be at The Drake Hotel on September 9 with The Cansecos, Grassy Knoll & The Magic Bullit and more for Toronto International Film Festival showcase.

Friends of The Diableros, The Airfields post about what they've been up to this summer, including the recording of their full-length album in July with Dale Morningstar at The Gas Station studios.

According to Pitchfork, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band hit the road this Fall for a tour which'll stop in Toronto for a show at Air Canada Centre on October 15. Bruce has a new album "Magic" coming out on Columbia on October 2.

NME reports that Irish lads The Thrills newest album "Teenager" is set for a US release on October 23. (I'm assuming US release also means Canadian.)

I'm assuming that their Lee's Palace gig must've went well when they were last here because The Pipettes are back in Toronto for a show at The Opera House on October 5.

Pop weirdos, Ween will be at The Docks on October 26. Their new album "La Cucaracha" comes out this Fall.

Jenn Grant is scheduled for a show at the Phoenix on November 8, according to Paquin Entertainment. A headlining show perhaps?

Psst. Stars are rumoured to be playing University of Toronto's frosh concert tomorrow(August 30). I'm assuming, as it has been in past years, that the concert will again be in the field at the back campus. Could not find a lick of evidence online confirming this show, but a few people have left me comments about the rumour. Hey, I'll take a chance and pass by after work tomorrow. Plan B, you can go see a free show by Joel Plaskett Emergency at Yonge Dundas Square also happening tomorrow, and that show is confirmed. Update: According to commenters Stars AND The Hidden Cameras will be performing at U of T's frosh concert NEXT Friday September 7 in the field at the back campus starting around 4:30 pm(which means calling in sick to work or going to work and leaving early!). Frigs...now I gotta decide between going to that show or the Ryerson one(with You Say Party! We Say Die!, k-os, M.I.A.) at Toronto Centre Island. Dang.

I updated my previous post with one of my photos from the Camera Obscura show at the Phoenix on Sunday night. Any reason to post a photo of the lovely Traceyanne.

Come Back Margaret

On a jump from tomorrow when I hope to post more about yesterday's great Camera Obscura gig at the Phoenix, check out Eye Weekly and It's Not The Band I Hate... who both review the show and basically said almost everything I wanted to say anyway. So maybe I won't ramble any more about it tomorrow. Or maybe I will.

I have some photos from the show. Tracyanne's a doll.

Okay, here's some concert announcements:

You Say Party! We Say Die!, k-os, and M.I.A. are playing at Toronto Centre Island on September 7 as part of Ryerson University's frosh festivities. I got the info off of YSPWSD's MySpace and I think I might just crash this[supposedly the show's only for Ryerson students] in lieu of the Virgin Festival[happening Sept 7-8 oops, I meant Sept 8-9] which I'm not sure I still want to go to(ever since Amy Winehouse cancelled). But I really want to see M.I.A. On the topic of frosh concerts, anyone know yet what bands/artists are lined up for University of Toronto's frosh concert?

Via Stille Post, just about honorary Ontarians by now, Japan's Zoobombs return for some shows around the Golden Horseshoe, making a stop in Toronto for shows at the Silver Dollar on October 9 and October 16. They also be in Montreal for Pop Montreal and in Halifax for the Halifax Pop Explosion. All dates over at their MySpace.

Annuals with openers Manchester Orchestra are at The Mod Club on November 3[via Pitchfork].

Glass Candy return for a show in Toronto on November 1 at a venue TBA. Their MySpace lists it as a Halloween show but it's a day after Halloween. Those crazy kids. They have a few new demos streaming over at their MySpace, if their disco-y, electro-pop is your thing. If anything, it's fun.

Super Trouper

The dog days of summer are upon us but what better way to ease the transition into Autumn than a Camera Obscura show. They play tonight at the Phoenix[scheduled set time 9:45 pm] with openers The Last Town Chorus[who I've been interested in checking out] going on at approximately 8:30 pm. And considering I haven't made it out to many shows this summer, this one should be a good one. I hope they peform their cover of the ABBA tune "Super Trouper" which you can sample below:

YouTube: Camera Obscura - "Super Trouper" (live - ABBA cover)

I thought the following was such a terrific Camera Obscura cover by a fan(and a Canadian one at that!) that it warranted me linking to it. It's a wonderful piano treatment of Camera Obscura's "Let's Get Out Of This Country"[she also performs a few other cover songs worth checking out]. Update: The name of the person performing the Camera Obscura cover below is Sara Rodrigues and she's a Toronto singer-songwriter:

YouTube: Sara Rodrigues - "Let's Get Out Of This Country" (Camera Obscura cover)
:
:
MySpace: Camera Obscura
MySpace: The Last Town Chorus

Back To Black

Boo to Amy Winehouse having to cancel her upcoming North American tour dates including her appearance at the Virgin Festival in Toronto, which now I'm not so sure I want to go to Day One of the festival anymore. Yay for the Spoon show being moved from Phoenix to Kool Haus...this is one of the few times I'm happy for such a change of venue but only because I waited too long and it sold out for the original venue - hopefully I'll snag a ticket for the Kool Haus show if I don't again sit on my ass too long. I'm not sure when the extra block of tickets go on sale - they aren't yet available through Ticketmaster.ca. Spoon info via Chromewaves.

Just three Canadian dates to look forward to if your a fan of Queens of The Stone Age who'll be in Vancouver on September 1 at Orpheum, Toronto on October 15 at Hummingbird Centre and October 16 in Montreal at Metropolis. The Black Lips The Black Angels and Biffy Clyro will be opening the Toronto show according to Emerge. Tickets on sale Friday August 31 at 10 am.

Another round of tour dates is on the horizon for Scout Niblett who returns to Toronto for a show at Silver Dollar on October 23.

The Exclaim Wood, Wires & Whisky Tour featuring Elliot Brood, The Acorn, Plants & Animals, and Sunparlour Players, plus special guests makes its way across Canada starting in Montreal @ Casa Del Popolo on October 11 and ending in St. John, Nfld at Elwoods on November 24. The tour stops in Toronto for at show at Lee's Palace on November 16.

The Besnard Lakes have another round of tour dates starting in September and bringing the band back to Toronto on October 12 at the Horseshoe Tavern.

Beggars Group Canada lists Holy Fuck playing somewhere in Toronto on September 29 as part of the all-night arts Nuit Blanche festival. And if you hadn't already heard, Holy Fuck just signed with British imprint Young Turks which is part of the XL Recordings group of labels. The label expects to release theband's debut full-length, entitled "LP" on October 23.

Loudon Wainwright III is at Hugh's Room on December 3 according to Pollstar...it's not listed on his MySpace, but not entirely within the realm of possibility since his MySpace lists he's in Buffalo, NY for a show on December 4.

Rilo Kiley performed a live acoustic session(including songs 'The Moneymaker' & 'Under the Blacklight') for BBC 6 Music's Gideon Coe program on August 20, 2007. Listen here(session is about 1 hour and 40 min into the program and program is only archived for about a week after the original broadcast date). Rilo Kiley are at the Phoenix on September 18 in support of their newest album "Under The Blacklight".

Dream, Dream, Dream, Dream, Dream

Halifax by-way-of PEI's Jenn Grant continues to impress with her first music video for her song "Dreamer"[via A Quiet Revolution]. I could do without the contemporary dance sequence part way through the video but the dream-like forest/bicycle scenes are interesting and the performance/dance contest sequence at the end is just plain fun. The video features her beau Jason Burns(of Halifax band Down With The Butterfly, and also part of his sweeties' touring band), her bandmates and other musician friends. Check it out:

YouTube: Jenn Grant - 'Dreamer' (music video)

Jenn makes her way back to Toronto for a show at the El Mocambo on September 5 opening for New Zealand's The Veils. More tour dates over at her MySpace.

The next volume of the Burn To Shine DVD series was filmed on July 29, 2007 in Atlanta(54 Moreland Ave.) and Chad Radford has some photos from the shoot. This volume will feature performances by 12 bands which include Shannon Wright, The Liverhearts, The Selmanaires, Deerhunter, The Black Lips, Delia Gartrell, The Mighty Hannibal, The Carbonas, The All Night Drug Prowling Wolves, The Coathangers, Snowden and Mastodon. Info via Creative Loafing Atlanta and Dry Ink. Plus thanks to Cable and Tweed for the heads up as well as introducing me to the diverse sounding The Selmanaires who are at the Horseshoe Tavern with The Black Lips on September 23.

I checked out The Beating Heart Festival in Mississauga last Friday night hoping to see/hear The Diableros but they either played first or cancelled altogether(I only stuck around for Woodhands[punky/electronica - not my thing] and Fox Jaws[terrific, as always]). Fortunately, they're on the cusp of releasing their new album which finally has a title, "Aren't Ready For The Country" which will be released on Tuesday October 16th on The Baudelaire Label. Their official website will launch October 1 with a full album stream. In the meantime, there's a few song samples("Nothing Down In Hogtown", "Left From The Movies") streaming over at their MySpace. First impressions? Pretty good. They pretty much continue along the lines of where their debut album "You Can't Break The Strings In Our Olympic Hearts" left off, with songs awash with generous amounts of hammond organ and guitar, a punctuacted rhythm section and Pete's wavering vocals. I'm curious to hear the rest of the album to hear if the melodies are as strong as those on their debut lp. There's a few select tour dates so far including a CD Release party in Toronto at the Horseshoe Tavern on October 26 - tickets $8.00.

The New Pornographers' Carl Newman got married over the weekend. Congrats. Apparently, at the wedding reception Neko Case sang a "fiery set of songs about love gone wrong." Wish I could have seen/heard that. Perhaps her set was a little like her set for NPR's World Cafe last Friday(August 17, 2007)[via Largehearted Boy]. The New Pornographers' newest disc "Challengers" is out tomorrow in Canada through the Last Gang Records imprint - I got a copy of it in the mail last week and it's pretty excellent. 'My Rights Versus Yours' is as nearly spine-tingling at times as 'The Bleeding Heart Show' and I've had it on repeat all weekend.

Concert Announcements & Other News

According to Pollstar, My Brightest Diamond and Tim Fite will be at The Drake Underground on September 11.

Oh, and that K-OS/Joel Plaskett Emergency bill at the Kool Haus on September 19 I mentioned the other day...it's part of something called Bazaar Disco Tour which will also include You Say Party! We Say Die!, Jewish Legend and Bonjay. Tickets $29.50 and went onsale yesterday.[via TorontoSun.com]

Via Brooklyn Vegan, Swedish garage-rockers The Hives are scheduled for their own headlining show at the Phoenix on October 3. Good news for those who didn't want to have to pay the hefty price tag to see The Hives open for Maroon 5 at Air Canada Centre the following night.

The Architecture in Helsinki show in Toronto on October 18 has been moved to The Opera House from Lee's Palace. Their newest album "Places Like This" will be a Polyvinyl release already out in Japan and Australia in July and in Europe on August 13, and coming out in North American next week on August 21. Audio samples and tour dates over at the band's MySpace.

Spoon performed an acoustic live session for BBC 6 Music's Gideon Coe program yesterday(Aug 16/07) morning, including dynamite versions of "Don't Make Me A Target" and "Don't You Evah". Listen here(session is about 1 hour and 40 min into the program and program is only archived for about a week after the original broadcast date). Spoon are in Toronto for a show at the Phoenix on October 15.

And keeping with live sessions, UK's The Magic Numbers performed a live session for KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic which you can view/listen to here. They stop in Toronto for a show at Lee's Palace on August 29.

Finally, good news that Matt Pond PA have just announced a first round of North American tour dates. Bad news that Toronto isn't one of them...one sole Canadian dates though in Vancouver at The Plaza Club on October 11. Lucky bastards. Matt Pond PA's new album "Last Light" see's the light(oh I kill myself) on September 25. Spin spoke to Matt Pond about the new album(oh and I just found out that Neko Case contributed to it!)[via Largehearted Boy]

Concert Announcments

Canoe -- Jam! is listing a few upcoming shows I haven't been able to confirm elsewhere. M.I.A. is listed at The Drake Hotel on August 25 although I highly doubt this is true since her confirmed tour dates indicate she's in Paris, France on August 24 and London, England on August 26. If anything fans'll check her out at the Virgin Festival at Toronto Island Park on September 8.

K-os and Joel Plaskett Emergency are listed at Kool Haus on September 19[only K-os' website confirms him for the show] while Hot Hot Heat and Sebastian Grainger et Les Montagnes are listed at the same venue on October 8. Joel's website does lists him and the full band doing a Ryerson show at Dundas Square on August 30. Hot Hot Heat's new album "Happiness Ltd." is out September 11 through Sire/Warner - listen to a sample of the first single "Let Me In" over at their MySpace.

And finally, Jose Gonzalez is listed at The Mod Club on December 7.

Pollstar indicates that Fionn Regan will be back in Toronto for a show at Horseshoe Tavern on September 26.

Enough rumour mongering - the following are confirmed:

In addition to their show at Air Canada Centre on September 21, Beastie Boys will be playing a show at Hummingbird Centre on September 22. Presale begins tomorrow at 10:00 am while general onsale is Friday August 17 at 2:00 PM EST. Tickets are $56.50. Check out info at Ticketmaster.ca.

Heads up from Chartattack who mention that The Donnas will be in Toronto for a show at The Mod Club on October 3 to support their upcoming album "Bitchin'" which the gals are releasing independently through their own label Purple Feather on September 18.

Concert Announcements & Other News

I went Florida for vacation for a week(between July 29 and August 5) and the Band of Horses show at Lee's Palace on August 11 sold out. That's the SECOND time I missed seeing the band(third time if you count the Sasquatch Festival my bro and I attended in 2006 where I also missed BoH's set). For a sold out show, people are surprisingly quiet about it although Neiles Life has some photos from the show.

Constantines guitarist Steve Lambke aka Baby Eagle releases his second solo effort "No Blues" on September 11 through Outside Music[via Outside Music].

The new Nathan Lawr and the Minotaurs album "A Sea of Tiny Lights" comes out on October 2 on cd and vinyl through the Calgary based label Saved By Radio and Saved By Vinyl and to celebrate Nathan has a few upcoming tour dates including August 16 at The Boat, and then September 30 at Sneaky Dee's as part of the Wavelength series. Check out his MySpace for Wakefield and Montreal dates as well as to listen to a few tracks from the new album.

Old news I think but I wasn't aware until today that Iron and Wine are coming to Toronto for a show at Danforth Music Hall on September 25[via Inland Empire Touring]. Coincidentally that's also the date Iron and Wine release their new album "Shepherd's Dog" through Sub Pop. Mr. Beam was in BBC 6 Music's studio for a live session on the Gideon Coe program on August 9, 2007 - listen here(the session is about 1 hour and 40 minutes into the program and the link is only good for a week from the date of the original broadcast). I just finished listening to Sam perform to "Lovesong Of The Buzzard"), just his vocals and acoustic guitar, and it was freakin' beautiful.

Ninja Tune's Sixtoo has an upcoming gig at The Drake Hotel on September 30 prior to heading off to Montreal for a couple of dates(including one as part of Pop Montreal). [via Outside Music] Sixtoo will be promoting a new LP "Jackals and Vipers in Envy of Man" which comes on September 11 through Ninja Tune. Songs from the new album are streaming over at Sixtoo's MySpace.

A Weewerks Records roadshow featuring Ox, Two Minute Miracles, and Barmitzvah Brothers stops in Toronto for a show at Sneaky Dee's on October 11.

I just mentioned last week Vancouver-based band Bella whose debut disc "No One Will Know" comes out September 18 on Mint Records and now the band has some confirmed upcoming tour dates, including a few for Toronto. They're at the Horseshoe Tavern on October 23 then The Drake Underground on October 28. All tour dates over a their MySpace.

Wayne Petti(who'd been promoting his solo disc "City Lights Align" for the last little while) returns to the Cuff The Duke fold as the band is set to release their new album "Sidelines of the City" on October 23 on Hardwood/ Universal. The band's representation Paquin Entertainment lists a few upcoming Canadian tour dates, the closest to these neck of the woods being in Hamilton, ON on October 25 at a venue TBA. The band's website says to keep an eye on their MySpace for soon-to-be posted song samples from the upcoming new album.

I'll say the following is tentative only because I got the info from Pollstar and neither are listed at the artist's website or MySpace - Los Angeles band Sea Wolf are scheduled for a show at the El Mocambo on November 9 while Jenn Grant is scheduled to be at the Phoenix on November 8.

Ottawa's The Acorn return to Toronto on November 24 for a show at Horseshoe Tavern to promote their new album "Hope Glory Mountain" being released through Paper Bag Records on September 25. A whack more Canadian dates can be found over at their MySpace, as well as a jubilant-sounding new song("Flood Part I") streaming over there.

And way off into the future, The Cowboy Junkies will be performing the entirety of their landmark 1988 album "The Trinity Session" live at Massey Hall with special guests on February 28, 2008. Tickets onsale August 20 at 10 am, prices $29.50 - $49.50.

Favourite Skin

concert review: Ohbijou @ Hot and Spicy Food Festival, Harbourfront Centre (Toronto, Ontario), August 10, 2007



Hot and Spicy aren't usually the adjectives that come to mind when one thinks of local orch-pop outfit Ohbijou but there they were at Harbourfront last Friday night as part of the Hot and Spicy Food Festival entertainment. It seemed even lead Ohbijou Casey Mecija had a chuckle out of their presence there. And whether it be a baby crying in the back or a ship in the harbour honking it's horn during one of their songs, it was definitely a summer vibe. Yes, the sounds of summer. As the sun went down on a beautiful summer evening, Ohbijou provided the soundtrack with songs off their debut album "Swift Feet For Troubling Times", a breezy mix of keys, cello, banjo, trumpet, guitar, bass and percussion. The pace of the set was superb, alternating slower and faster tempo songs, infusing a dose of energy with polite head-knodders like "St. Francis" near the beginning of the set and later on with the country-esque "To Rest In Peace On Righteous Tides"(what I recall Casey referred to as a hoedown). They also introduced a new tune which I believe Casey said was entitled "Thunder Love"(a lo-fi audio recording of which I got on my digital camera and have provided for download below). The only thing Hot and Spicy about Ohbijou's set might have been Jennifer Mecija's 70's-inspired tank top and tennis shorts outfit(ha ha, I said it) but the breezy, melancholy of Ohbijou's tunes otherwise proved to be the perfect soundtrack to those dog days & nights of summer that approach us.

Here are my photos from the show.

MP3: Ohbijou - 'Thunder Love' (live at Harbourfront - August 10, 2007)
MySpace: Ohbijou

Wanna Be Your Friend

Right off the bat I want to point to Chartattack who report on an Inbreds tribute album which will be coming out on Gooseberry Records, entitled "Wanna Be Your Friend: A Tribute To The Inbreds". It'll feature a bevy of east-coast artists and as an added bonus The Inbreds return the favour by including several of their own covers of other artists' songs. On a tangent, the Chartattack link above mentions Ruth Minnikin(who is included on the Inbreds tribute album) who at the time of their interview with her had been packing for a gig in New York with The Heavy Blinkers. The Heavy Blinkers' MySpace indicates the gig is tonight(Aug 8). And my question is, where's that double album(or any album for that matter) you've been promising your fans for the last few years?

Vancouver new wave pop band Bella(who I've mentioned and have been quite fond of their music in the past) will release their debut CD "No One Will Know" on Mint Records but for the time being their record label is offering a free download of their first single:

MP3: Bella - 'Give It A Night'

Serena Ryder will play the Mix 99.9 FM Beachfest at Sunnyside Park on Labour Day(September 2). Serena goes on tour with Paolo Nutini in the U.S. this Fall. All dates at her MySpace.

Pitchfork gives a heads up that Stars has added more dates to its tour schedule, although other than their scheduled Toronto Virgin Festival appearance on September 9 the only other date in this neck of the woods is in Waterloo, ON at The Starlight Room on September 4.

Snailhouse, with Bruce Peninsula and Tusks are at the Tranzac on September 5.

Jade McNelis is at the Rivoli on September 19 to celebrate the release of a new music video(I wonder which song?) plus the rerelease of her debut EP "All The Fables" with new artwork.

Making up for some previously cancelled Toronto shows, UK's Mystery Jets return on September 20 for a show at El Mocambo.

So the previously rumoured August 13th date for the Beastie Boys at Molson Ampitheatre fell through for one reason or another but Canoe -- Jam! and Pollstar are now listing a September 21 date at Air Canada Centre. It's not listed at the Beastie Boys' official web site but I have a good feeling that the date is true.

Possibly the hardest working woman on the tour circuit, rockin' country songstress Carolyn Mark hits the road tomorrow night for a Canadian tour which basically heads eastward stopping in Toronto for a show at the Tranzac Club on September 28.

Canadian sister duo Tegan and Sara and their band plus their openers American female hip-hop trio Northern State will be at Danforth Music Hall for a two-night stint on October 7 and 8[via Chartattack]. Tegan and Sara's new album "The Con" is in stores now. Northern State's new album "Can I Keep This Pen?" comes out August 28.

Regina Spektor continues her climb towards playing larger venue, and is scheduled for a date at Kool Haus on October 11. I recall her previous Toronto appearance was at The Mod Club and before that the Rivoli. But big enough for the Kool Haus now? I don't know.

The last I heard of Unkle...I don't even recall, it's been so long. Unkle comes to Toronto for a show at Lee's Palace on October 19. Apparently Unkle never toured North America until now and will be touring with a live seven piece band. This'll probably sell out. Unkle's newest album "War Stories" is in stores now.

Tough and Go's Enon invade Sneaky Dee's on October 22.

Rogue Wave return to Toronto for a show at The Mod Club on October 27. They'll be promoting their new album "Asleep at Heaven's Gate" out September 18th on Brushfire Records. Listen to the band's cover of The Beatles "All You Need is Love" over at their MySpace. Terrific. Oh, and Rogue Wave will be touring with Feist in September although not in Toronto. Boo!

Portland, Oregon post-punk-pop trio The Thermals finally come to Toronto for a show at the Horseshoe Tavern on October 27, tickets $12.00.

Contest - Win A Copy Of The Russian Futurists - 'Me, Myself & Rye' - CLOSED

Back from my Florida vacation for a day now and dreading have to go back to work tomorrow, but the recharge I got as a result of a week off down in Florida hopefully prepared me to get myself mentally back into this blog. First order of business, my first contest. I don't expect to have many of these so here's one for you - courtesy of EMI, I have three copies of Toronto's The Russian Futurists' "Me, Myself and Rye" to give away. Recently released on Upper Class Recordings, the album collects songs from the band's first three full-lengths. I've mentioned before admiring the band's blend of psychedelic, electronic, and pop influences capably steered by it's heart(and no pun intended) Matthew Adam Hart whose quirky vocals and songwriting give the Futurists' songs its distinction. Great stuff. First 3 people to e-mail me[mouse over the little e-mail icon at the right for my e-mail address] get the CD.

Philogynist has photos from The Russian Futurists' afternoon set at The Drake Hotel Sky Yard from last week(Saturday July 29, 2007). Raymi posted a video clip on YouTube of the band at The Drake Hotel Sky Yard performing 'Paul Simon'.

Over at NOW, talking Toronto with The Russian Futurists.

Video: The Russian Futurists - 'Paul Simon' (music video)
MySpace: The Russian Futurists

UPDATE: THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. CONGRATS TO DAVID, MIKE & STU! YOUR CD's WILL GO OUT IN THE MAIL SOON.

I Believe In A Good Of Life

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. As a matter of fact, I've been on vacation with family(father, sister, her husband, their baby, and two nephews). We've been in sunny Orlando, Florida since Sunday(July 29, 2007). We rented a rental house in Kissimee and it's been rest and relaxation in between the obligatory trips to Disney World, Epcot Centre, and Universal Studios. We also went to Downtown Disney and are planning a trip to MGM studios. Man, these places are ENERGY hogs - the energy that these places suck to run the air conditioning, lighting, and such but that aside there's things to enjoy and places to see.

We went shopping a few days ago to one of the many outlet malls, and the strangest moment was hearing The Hidden Cameras' "I Believe In The Good Of Life" being pumped through the PA system in the Puma Store.

Prior to the trip, I'd uploaded Jade McNelis' "All The Fables" to my mp3 player before recalling she'd be lived in Florida for a time, so I've been listening to her a lot. Also, I've been listening a lot to The Coast just to remind me of home.

That's it for now. Returning on Sunday afternoon. Yay for returning on a long weekend!