Toronto-based new-wave rock band THE FRAMEWORK’s highly anticipated sophomore album ‘Before Tonight’ will be released August 4th.

THE FRAMEWORK formed in late 2006. At barely 3 months old, the band garnered national attention as a result of winning runner-up in the Toronto Mix 99.9’s 2007 RadioStar Songwriting Contest, for the song, “She Thinks I’m Famous”. The combination of buzz from the contest and the band’s catchy synth-rock epics instantly set The Framework up with an extensive online international fan base and sparked the interest of media outlets such as Metro and InsideE Magazine who describes the band’s new record ‘Before Tonight’ as “A confidently cool synth-rock assault that strikes a nonchalant medium between happy pop and stadium rock”. International attention has ensued with the band scoring invites to perform at the coveted Midpoint Music Festival in Cincinnati, packed shows in New York City at the Canal Room and the North by North East music Festival in Toronto (being named one of 5 top acts at NXNE 2007).

The Framework – Upcoming Dates ::
June 13th School of Rock – Molson Amphitheatre – Toronto, ON
June 19th The Rivoli – Toronto, ON
June 25th London Music Club – London, ON
June 26th Seventy Three – St. Catherines, ON

You might remember Marco DiFelice as the leadsinger of canuck indie juggernauts superGARAGE. But with the release of Sun That Somewhat Sets, DiFelice has dropped the growling guitars and pop sweetness of his old gig in favor of contemplative folk music. Real gorgeous stuff that gets by on subtlety, texture and pure emotion. Meet Marco Solo (get it?), a streamlined, grown-up DiFelice, crafting full-bodied suites of sound from his guitar and anything else lying around. The video for lead single “Your Ghost” reflects Marco’s introspective aesthetic with dark, pencil drawn animation. It kind of creeps us out. But, you know, in a good way.

Joni NehRita is a songwriter in the truest sense of the word. Every song is its own entity but she also has the ability to float from classic R&B to reggae, pop, and jazz. NehRita’s fans boast that her music is “smooth, infectious, lush, and inspiring” and that she has “the voice of an angel”. Having a live rhythm section on her album gives her songs an earthiness and vibrancy that’s often lost on R&B/urban records today. Lyrically, Joni reflects on matters of the heart and challenges us to live more spiritually. If you missed her performance at Maxwell’s in Ottawa, Philip Bast from The Record was there to capture some live footage and chat with Joni for a few minutes. Watch it here!

Toronto quintet The Great Bloomers specialize in galloping roots, deliciously sloppy indie rock, and spindly guitar-led noise nuggets that pack as much potency in three minutes as neatly-composed pop records do in 40. Formed only a few short years ago, the Great Bloomers have quickly transformed into one of Toronto’s most inspiring young bands. Their ascent can be chalked up to, among many other things, the strength of last year’s compact debut EP. Both reminiscent of 90s giants past, and slacker rock icons to come, tracks like the sprawling, triumphal “Catching Up” cobble together harmonica, swathes of noise, and awesomely atonal Malkmus noodlery to create deeply affecting, timeless indie rock.

There couldn’t be a better name for this Toronto mystical disco three piece. Lioness’ Vanessa Fischer, AKA the soul-punk queen of No Dynamics, boasts one of the most primal voices in all of Canada, a surprising roar more befitting of the Serengeti than Southern Ontario. Joining her in the aptly named venture are controller.controller vets Jeff Scheven and Ronnie Morris, whose propensity for dark, stomping disco pulses only further accentuates Fischer’s show-stopping wail. Forming only one short year ago, the band has put the early fruits of its labor together on a self-titled EP, produced by Rob Sanzo at Signal to Noise and delivered by the fine folks at New Romantic. The sound? Everything from a synth shoved through a lawn mower to a Nintendo dying in the desert. All replete with the kind of impassioned howls and fuzzed-up bass lines that’d make The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Death From Above 1979, and Shiny Toy Guns jealous with envy. Don’t believe? Check this.

Title: Stars
Location: Toronto
Link out: Click here
Date: 2008-12-08

In my other life, I cover the mobile technology scene, and happened to be in Toronto for Telus’ launch of the BlackBerry Storm. You wouldn’t expect to find one of Canada’s most preeminent bands at such an event, but Stars were there to rock the house and seriously up the cool factor. I was able to snag a few videos before my camera died. You can see the rest after the jump, and I’ve posted Stars upcoming shows below.

Thursday December 11th, 2008 Toronto, ON – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Friday December 12th, 2008 Toronto, ON – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Saturday December 13th, 2008 Toronto, ON – Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Title: The Beat Freakers
Location: CiRCA, Toronto
Link out: Click here
Date: 2008-12-12

The Beat Freakers are pretty much exactly what the name suggests. Two dudes who have sex with beats in a gyrating, pelvic assassination style. Didn’t make any sense? Well then check out their MySpace. Oh wait, they don’t care about MySpace. In fact, they go on a hilarious tirade about how much they hate MySpace on their profile. News Corp. didn’t catch the following:

“We hate Myspace and refuse to ever update this.

We don’t like to take pictures of ourselves, because we don’t matter. With a little luck and plenty of hard work, anyone can do what we do. They just won’t look as good doing it.

We’re the last of a dying breed of electronic musicians. We don’t care about genres, we don’t bother you to vote for us, we don’t talk about the philosophy behind our synthesizers, and most importantly, we enjoy getting up on stage and acting like complete and utter jackasses. We produce records that have no relation to what we’re currently playing, and we often pay out of our own pocket to give people a product that they won’t cut drugs on. We’re a riddle wrapped in a paradox, shoved down a question mark’s throat.

The funny thing is – this works.”

Do you love them yet? I do. The duo are both really young, 23, and put together insane mixes with the likes of Mix Master Mike, The Drummatic Twins, Soul of Man, Rabbit in the Moon, Donald Glaude (our favorite), Jesse Saunders, Ed Rush and Optical and DJ Craze. Check them out at CiRCA this Friday, December 12th. They’ll be playing a show that is sure to be as hype as the above vid.

Details:
19+ I.D. REQUIRED / $15
126 JOHN STREET, TORONTO, CANADA
+1 (416) 979-0044

Title: Rudely Interrupted
Location: Sneaky Dees, Toronto
Link out: Click here
Date: 2008-12-09

Inspiring is a word that gets tossed around all too often in music journalism. But in the case of Rudely Interrupted, it’s the most fitting adjective possible. Arguably Australia’s most unique group of musicians, five out of six band members share a range of physical and intellectual disabilities – blindness, deafness, Aspergers, Autism and Down Syndrome. But you’d have no way of knowing listening to pop gems like “Don’t Break My Heart,” because, as Time Out suggested, “their music is some of the most energetic and genuine to emerge from the Australian rock ‘n’ roll underground in recent times.” The band will be making a Canadian appearance before heading off to the UK. Check them out at Sneaky Dee’s in Toronto tomorrow, December 9th.

If you’re still unaware, Sway, an upcoming media figure and musician from Toronto, launched a youth music program called Outside The Box to encourage and facilitate free music lessons for underprivileged children in Toronto aged 7-13 in response to cuts in arts funding. The program has been highly successful and it is the aim of everyone involved to make it a national campaign by 2010.

The first season of classes is about to end and there will be a wrap party with a media presence on Saturday 13-December. It’d be awesome if you could help promote this event and the wonderful program. You are also, of course, invited to attend and support the event.

Join the FaceBook group here.

Full details:
Masaryk-Cowan Community Centre
220 Cowan Avenue
Toronto, ON
M6H 3Y1
11am-4pm
*All activities and recording will take place on the 2nd floor.

Title: vitaminsforyou
Location: The Drake, Toronto
Link out: Click here
Date: 2008-12-06

Bryce Kushnier’s vitaminsforyou have been hailed as the early originators of the lo-fi bedroom electronics scene. After having received critical acclaim for their albums I Am Sorry For Ever and For Always, as well as The Legend of Bird’s Hill, vitaminsforyou went on to tour with big labels around the world. Their tours have brought them through North and South America, as well as throughout Europe. They’ve played with The Stills, The Notwist, Ghislain Poirier, Venetian Snares and more. As I’m sure you’re super impressed right now, you should take a listen for yourself. A free track was posted to the vitaminsforyou MySpace page and we’re hosting it here. Or, you could check them out at The Drake on December 6th in Toronto.

flesh_pjthon by vitaminsforyou