Slowcity.ca Open Mic - Family Day edition: Broken Social Scene, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Saxsyndrum, Adam Baldwin, Parting Gift, Pop Evil, Lydia Ainsworth and iskwē

Nothing says Canadian music family like Broken Social Scene, the thunderous hug of a band of BFFS, awesome in their own right individually and yet together still awesome. The TO crew have a new EP out, ‘Let’s Try The After - Vol 1,’ and they step up to open the Fam Jam open mic. Stay and listen to the rest of the voices, its quite the collection of folks and feelings, just like a family but remember its not a real family reunion until some one cries.
Happy Fam Jam with Tedeschi Trucks Band, Saxsyndrum, Adam Baldwin, Parting Gift, Pop Evil, Lydia Ainsworth and iskwē

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

The arias and symphonies of Yes We Mystic find the surface on new single 'Please Bring Me to Safety'

Yes We Mystic - Yes we are excess, yes we are an all at once, yes we are abandon, yes we are exuberance, yes we are celebration, in the here and now and now this here and now and this here and now. . . The Winnipeg art-pop collective have a new album due, ‘Ten Seated Figures’, on April 19 via DevilDuck Records. The first single released form this their second album is “Please Being Me to Safety.” The track has the Cancon new romanticism of arias and symphonies but these spoons have been melted into the gaunt figurines of Giacometti - hey find the fun where you can, and should I falter in my task of imagining my own happiness please bring me to safety safely.

Yes We Mystic dedicates this song and its release to Darryl Weeks, their publicist who died suddenly and unexpectedly last weekend.

 “Darryl was such a kind man, a bright light, who was so passionate and hardworking. Connecting this past week with others who knew or have worked with him has only helped illuminate what a special guy he was,” says Adam Fuhr (vocalist/guitarist who produced this new record). “It meant so much to us that he loved this record, and we’re lucky to have known him in what turned out to be the last few months of his life. He will be sorely missed by us and the rest of his community, and our thoughts go out to his family.”

Slowcity.ca echoes those remarks and offers too condolences to the Darryl’s family and friends.

Darryl Weeks of Stagefright Publicity, photo by Vanessa Heins

Slowcity Open Mic Night - Yellow sun on the snow edition; Shad, Howlin' Circus, Madison Violet, Rachel Beck

Quite an eclectic line-up tonight for this week’s open mic. Shad, Madison Violet, Rachel Beck and Metric

---

---

Howlin’ Circus - Mar 2- Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto
Rachel Beck - Mar 7 - The Dakota Tavern, Toronto
Metric - Apr 26 - Scotia Bank Arena, Toronto

---

---

The moment I met Andrew Bird I swear

By Will McGuirk

Ah yes Andrew Bird , there is a lot of seventiesy softy rock here, coyly cocky hat, Billy Joel, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Clair, Brandy, the mournful smile, the hint of sadness in the corner of her eye, and so yes “Sisyphus”, pushing the rock everyday only to wake up at the bottom again, a groundhog day of futility but as my mate Camus says we must imagine him happy so put your arms around the Bird and imagine there is a happiness in this here song from his album, ‘My Finest Work Yet’ too . Who knows if the title is apt but who are we to disagree with a writer so intent in his craft. And listen to Bloodless too - slotted in below, also from the same record.

HEALTH releases heavy new single "FEEL NOTHING'

By Peter Fitzpatrick
Guest Contributor

California trio HEALTH released FEEL NOTHING today, a new single from the noise rock band’s upcoming LP, VOL. 4 :: SLAVES OF FEAR.

FEEL NOTHING is being released in partnership with Adult Swim Singles, a program where Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim showcases singles for free listening weekly for 52 weeks.

VOL. 4 :: SLAVES OF FEAR, their follow-up to Death Magic from 2015, will release Feb. 8. The band has already released two other singles from the new album, Slaves of Fear and Strange Days (1999).

FEEL NOTHING is strong, heavy and intense. It has elements of indie rock, EDM, and hard rock, with a punchy vibe throughout.

HEALTH will be touring North America to support the album, with a stop in Toronto on April 23 at Velvet Underground.

Slowcity.ca Open Mic Night - baby its still cold outside edition; Wild Rivers, L.A.Foster, Radiant Baby, Bailen and David Gray

By Will McGuirk

Tonight’s open mic - it’s yet another snowy edition so lets see if we can warm up with these tracks from Wild Rivers, L.A. Foster, Radiant Baby, Bailen and David Gray.

---

Radiant Baby Feb 23 - The Baby G, Toronto
Wild Rivers Feb 27 - Opera House, Toronto; Feb 28 - Mill’s Hardware, Hamilton
David Gray Jun 7 - Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto

---

---

---

---

Guitarist Donna Grantis' releases single 'Diamonds & Dynamite", debut solo album due Mar 22

The other night I was listening to some jazz by a new kat introduced to me and I said that sounds like jazz, capital J jazz, cemetery institutional sealed done jazz. Jazz is not gone its still going as Jazz goes. New jazz oughta sound like jazz from the 50s sure but spilling through the 60s, 70s, 80s 90s, 00s gathering up channels and nuance, tech and grooves and all those experiences one would imagine an 80 year old would have. So folks, presenting Donna Grantis, about as now jazz as you can get now. The Prince collaborator, member of 3RDEYEGIRL and New Power Generation, has a solo album titled Diamonds & Dynamite coming March 22 on Entertainment One. Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready appears as a guest on a couple of tracks, which were already released as the A and B of a seven inch vinyl. Find it dig it listen.

The Strumbellas release new single, the disco'd spiritual 'Salvation'

With a mix of flannel and sparkles The Strumbellas drop their new single, “Salvation” - its a pumped up Kawartha cosmic poptastic track with the Strumbos signature harmonics and a disco ball in a woodsy cabin feel. The band have been globetrotting since the release of their mega-seller, Hope, playing Lollapalooza and Life Is Beautiful, they also beat out Drake and Mendez for the 2017 Single of the Year JUNO for “Spirits”. They are working on the next album, their fourth, but no date yet. In the meantime as they say get yourself some Salvation.

Long Range Hustle at the Legendary Horseshoe Nov 29

I miss the ocean, I miss the water, the salt, the spray, the waves, the sounds - this is the closest I have come to walking the seashore. Its maybe the roiling piano, maybe the cymbals, maybe distant horizon of the voice, maybe all. The Long Range Hustle are from Kingston, home to that band that sang '“Yer Not The Ocean”. The ‘Hustle ’re not the ocean either but they are more than ‘Town’ I think. They’re playing the ‘shoe in TO Nov 29.

Shred Kelly release video for 'Jupiter (Any Other Way)'

While you are looking at the moon and Mars conspiring in the night sky listen to "Jupiter (Any Other Way)" by the riveting Shred Kelley and take a celestial trip. You're welcome

Casper Skulls to grow with Audiotree North

Audiotree North will launch Friday May 11 as part of CMW at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern with Ought, Caspar Skulls, Begonia, Pkew Pkew Pkew and Pony performing. An Audiotree North live session with Casper Skulls has been released. It follows on the session by Lido Pimienta which can be seen here. 

Lido Pimienta focus of Audiotree North video series, CMW launch at the Horseshoe May 11

2017 Polaris Music Prize winner Lido Pimienta performs "Fornicarte es un Arte" at Toronto's Revolution Recordings as part of a new collaboration between Audiotree of Chicago and Paquin Entertainment in TO. The goal is to create a new platform to showcase new acts. Audiotree North will launch Friday May 11 as part of CMW at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern with Ought, Caspar Skulls, Begonia, Pkew Pkew Pkew and Pony performing. Pup and Begonia have also been featured previously by Audiotree North.

George Thorogood Meet & Greet at Sunrise Pickering Apr 25, plays Massey Hall Apr 26

By Will McGuirk

Iconic rocker George Thorogood is paying a visit to Durham Region Wednesday April 25 2018. He will be at the Pickering Town Centre location of Sunrise Records for a meet & greet, a day prior to his Party of One show at Massey Hall in Toronto. The first 200 people to purchase one of Thorogood's albums that day will be given  a wristband allowing them to meet him. He will be there 6 - 8 pm. Vinyl reissues for classic George Thorogood albums, "Bad to the Bone", and "Born to Be Bad" were released on March 30th. "30 Years of Rock" by George Thorogood & The Destroyers, which includes the hit songs "Bad To The Bone" and "I Drink Alone", as well as classic covers of "Who Do You Love?", "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer", and many more was also released. This current tour marks the 40th anniversary of Thorogood (and the Destroyers).