With an overwhelming number of new/established, Canadian/Worldwide acts invading Toronto, Canadian Music Fest is a fantastic event for checking out new bands, known bands, and random bands, all while drinking until 4AM. CMW/CMF is held annually each Spring — an appropriate kickoff to festival season.

Here are the Top Three Live Highlights from Canadian Music Week 2012:

Powerhouse Toronto rock stars Die Mannequin helped bring in CMW with an always fun set on Day One at Revival. Lead singer Care Failure can amp up a mid-week crowd with nothing but her raw vocals and guitar, while Anthony Bleed, Stacy Stray, and Dazzer Scott provide a picturesque setting for their gritty, original rock ‘n’ roll.

Promoting their April movie release for Hard Core Logo 2 — a mocumentary following 1996′s original, they had a solid performance that included Do It Or Die, Candide, and Orson Wells + 2012, three songs off the HCL2 soundtrack.

A new album in the works and plans for touring, this is the year of Die Mannequin. Check out the trailer for Hard Core Logo 2:

* * *

Vancouver-based band The Pack A.D. delivered an explosive set at The Horseshoe Tavern on Day Two. Singer/guitarist Becky Black and drummer Maya Miller comprise The Pack, a duo with vibrance that literally overpowered the bar’s sound system and had a tightly-knit mosh pit forming a head-banging pack situation of its own.

The crowd was a mixture of nearly everyone off Queen Street, front row center majority being drunk metal fanboys, thoroughly enjoying the band’s rock/pop/electro-vibe intensity.

With the recent radio success of their single Sirens off fourth album Unpersons, The Pack A.D. are on their way up, evolving from bluesy-rock to slightly catchier hooks, and being compared musically to The Black Keys, The Kills, and The White Stripes. Some melodic similarities aside, this duo has a personality entirely of their making. Bouncing around the stage and climbing speakers armed with her guitar and Joan Jett effervescence, Becky has presence and The Pack A.D.’s music has even greater impact when performed live.

* * *

You will never see Dragonette play in a grungy bar again. Not because they’re too good for getting down and dirty, but the sheer capacity factor of their growing fan base.

Dragonette are Martina Sorbara, Dan Kurtz, and Joel Stouffer — formed in 2005, the Toronto/UK-based trio deliver new and fresh electro-pop effortlessly, without being overtly flashy or gauche. Their music has a wide appeal, staying power, and radio single success. Collaborations with the likes of Kaskade and Martin Solveig have garnered them well-earned mainstream recognition, evident in the the array of audience present at Dragonette’s CMW show at The Hoxton.

The over-an-hour-long set was a compilation of radio hits and singles off their second album, as well a few new forthcoming tracks. Opening with major hit single Hello (by French DJ/producer Martin Solveig), The Hoxton would continue to remain in a perpetual state of vibration — fans old and new, all signing along.

The music continuously flowing, each song blended seamlessly into the next with added beats overtop and between songs. A dubstep breakdown during Big Sunglasses was ingeniously eargasmic. If Dragonette played all night, you would be dancing all night. Under the influence of second-hand happy smoke, the encore featured Okay Dolore and Dragonette’s very first single I Get Around.

In terms of music and sound composition, this was Dragonette’s best Toronto performance to date. The bass was low, synths filthy,  the energy energizing. Exhibiting a varying sound, growth is evident as it leads to musical freshness, well ahead of other electro-pop acts around today.

With a third album in the works, singles are being previewed online. Check out the newly released The Right Woman:

With upcoming North American tour dates, including Coachella, you can bet Dragonette will be making your motor run.

Notable mention: Also playing The Hoxton were Young Empires, another Toronto-based band. Their lively “haute rock” set got the pre-Dragonette crowd amped for the ensuing dance party.

Kathy Griffin, ladies and gentlemen. When it comes to life, the 27-year-old (read: 50 year-old) prides herself on having no shame in self-promoting — the main focus of her television show My Life on the D-List, documenting the constant struggle of clawing her way to the top of the Hollywood food chain. A feat which appears to have ironically been achieved based solely on her celebrity scandal tattle-tales and never apologizing for it.

The not-so-D-List-anymore comedienne took the stage at Toronto’s Sony Centre on Sunday night, stirring up a riot of hilarity and laughter. The sold-out crowd was a majority of gays — Kathy’s loyal followers and main demographic, their friends, a spattering of husbands most likely forced by their wives to attend, and anyone else with a good sense of humour and an open mind.

The show began with a montage of antics from various television appearances and Kathy prancing onto stage after video introductions from the likes of Paris Hilton, Rosie O’Donnell, and Betty White. Opening with a summary of what the evening’s sporadic ramblings were to bring, her set would include Lohans, Madonna at TIFF, and backstage dirt from last week’s Emmy Awards. Having just flown in from a show in Windsor, Kathy ratted on their mullet policy and the city being “Detroit with an accent”. She paints a detailed retelling of events and interactions, incorporating spot-on imitations, dramatic facial expressions, and gesticulating wildly. The feel to Griffin’s stand-up act is that of a night out with friends, listening to your BFF go on about how hopped up on medication Carol from Human Resources was last Friday during Happy Hour. But it wasn’t Carol from Human Resources, it was Paula Abdul… “Allegedly”.

To really understand and appreciate Kathy Griffin’s material, one must possess a high caliber of knowledge of celebrity culture and the latest tabloid gossip. With today’s fame-obsessed society and idol-worshipping ideals, Griffin’s take on all that is trivial balances out the overly contrived, all the while being a part of what she eye-rolls at most. It is the ultimate in irony that delivers a most hysterical outcome and truly enjoyable comedic entertainment.

That’s Kathy Griffin, the fiery redhead who voluntarily, in the name of television, has been filmed being Vajazzled and getting a poolside Pap smear while wearing a bikini and simultaneously conducting a press conference. She is also a huge supporter of repealing Prop 8, rallied against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, and has performed in Iraq on a military base for the U.S. Troops. As well, telling Jesus to “suck it” during a 2007 Emmy Awards acceptance speech is just one of her many own intentional headline-grabbing shenanigans of past, present, and future.

An evening with Griffin would not be complete without mention of The Bachmanns and Palins. Material you may think would be stale at this point is presented in such a way that it remains funny. Alongside Celine Dion impersonations, a fan favourite is Kathy’s mother Maggie Griffin; a 91-year-old, Kathy-proclaimed alcoholic who loves to drink and has seemingly unknowingly coined the term “tip it” — referring to pouring every last drop of drink out of her precious box of wine. Kathy also draws from her own experiences, such as “eye-fucking” the border patrol officer and a retelling of her recent first late-night hotel room encounter with pot brownies and subsequently watching Suze Orman, not realizing she was high, and thinking Suze Orman herself was sitting next to her. Then, the reciting of a text from “Cher, motherfuckers. Cher”; A gay hush fell over the audience as Kathy read a received text message from The Cher. Kathy and Cher are friends and she will make sure you know it. And, of course, being in Canada, Toronto got blamed for raising Justin Bieber, giving him a lesbian haircut, and sending him off into the world. Kathy Griffin is a Belieber. Her act also featured an array of genitalia jokes — something intertwining old Tim Horton’s donuts and her vagina.

The solid two-hour chat fest finished off with Nancy Grace as a topic, a standing ovation, and KG strutting back-and-forth to The Black Eyed Peas’ The Time before being pulled off stage.

Permanent smiles exited the building. Kathy Griffin Hollywood domination in full effect. Suck it, Oprah.

Under the scorching heat of the sun, a steady stream of black apparel and band tees made their way to Toronto’s Downsview Park for an all-day headbanging exhibition. Heavy T.O. 2011: A summer weekend-long heavy metal/rock festival featuring some of the world’s biggest acts in the scene. Taking after Heavy MTL, this is the first year of Toronto experiencing the heaviness, which took place July 23rd & 24th.
Sponsored by Jägermeister, there were 24 artists over the span of two days, most notably including Rob Zombie, Megadeth, Slayer, Motörhead, Billy Talent, and Anthrax.

A side-by-side double stage set up proved an effective time-saving way of ensuring each band was up and playing on or around their scheduled time. Each stage was cordoned off for that particular area, which made things fairly organized. From afar, the mosh pit was like looking onto rough waters. Those who came out alive from behind enemy lines were drenched, rain or shine. A little cloudy downpour on Saturday evening did nothing to taint the party.

A music festival brings out the most interesting of the interesting.

There was no shortage of band tees and inspirational quotes.

Motörhead and Megadeth were Saturday’s final back-to-back headliners, with Megadeth finishing off the day with a two-hour performance.

California’s 80′s thrash-metal band Slayer brought out the majority of fanfare to Heavy T.O.’s second day. Even the stage’s security was headbanging. Loud and proud.

Following Slayer was Toronto-based band Billy Talent and the reception was less-than-welcoming. As some form of ironic protest, hardcore metal fans made the effort to run up to the stage during BT’s set, armed with the sole intention of booing them. Taking it all in stride, Billy Talent somewhat depressingly took non-fans’ hateful signs and acknowledged them to the crowd; “We’re Billy Talent from Toronto. We’re ‘I hate Billy Talent from Toronto’”, etc. One concert-goer’s charming poster read “I came for The Jonas Brothers and instead got Billy Talent.” BT stated their awareness of not being a “metal band” and that they were simply happy to be there, as well as to be alive in this day in age. A little bit over-compensative, but props for the band playing through aggressive and live in-your-face hate, with support from a moderately-sized cheering section up front. Loyal fans are loyal. Overheard rumblings suggested Billy Talent should have performed before Slayer. This may have been true, although why there have to be such strict genre-boundaries imposed is beyond comprehension. Enjoyment of music is universal.

The headliner of Day 2 (and arguably the entire event) was Rob Zombie. Eagerly awaiting the final performance of Heavy T.O. 2011, fans basked in an opening soundtrack of Johnny Cash – the perfect mood-setter for Zombie’s image, as the evening approached nine-thirty. Pyrotechnic fireballs and giant moving robots were just a part of the outrageously theatrical performance. The first song was Jesus Frankenstein and the energy did not dissipate throughout the hour-and-fifteen minute show. With the entire band trading their feathery-gothic costumes for garb printed with the Canadian flag, the set included a tribute to Canadaland and RZ’s guitarist John 5 playing O Canada — with his teeth. All set against a backdrop of a custom-constructed set and projection screen of video clips, the show featured Superbeast, Living Dead Girl, Mars Needs Women, Pussy Liquor, Sick Bubblegum, Thunder Kiss ’65, and Dragula, finishing off a second encore with Lords of Salem — which is also the title of Zombie’s new in-the-works film. With Rob Zombie focused on movie-making, this Toronto show was one to catch as production of Lords of Salem will take time away from touring. And it was a good one.

In summation of the weekend…

 Fancy Slayer is fancy!

Crowd Photos by Kaliopi Kuzyk & Julia Stacey

“Weird Al” Yankovic

What is being personally pegged as the event of the summer, Mister Weird was in Toronto July 16th for two back-to-back shows at Massey Hall, in promotion of his new album Alpocalypse.

The double two-and-a-half-hour extravaganza was a medley of parodies old and new, including a finale of Perform This Way (Lady Gaga gem), video clip montages, comical costumes, a very White & Nerdy Segway, and an encore featuring The Saga Begins and Yoda – all of it being recorded for an upcoming TV/DVD concert special. A front row seat almost guaranteed some intimate one-on-one Weird Al hip-thrust action during Wanna B Ur Lovr.

The wide-range crowd was a flurry of rowdiness and pure excitement, laughter, and admiration of the comedic stylings of Weird Al — a legend with a career that has been holding strong for over twenty years. The act was overflowing with energy, in large part sourced from the audience’s enthusiasm of being in the presence of someone so worthy of recognition. And, “to the snotty barista at the Queen and Victoria Tim Horton’s” — you were called out.

Speaking of magical, bestowed upon me was the honour of being one of two back-up dancing cheerleaders during Weird Al’s live rendition of Smells Like Nirvana. An epic stage-rush, amazing crew, and rehearsal preview aside, a true appreciation of Weird Al Yankovic was born. He’s not insane, he just performs that way, hey!

Rehearsing Wanna B Ur Lovr. Like a boss.

Remote-controlled R2-D2 just chillin’, illin’ — but where are the Stormtroopers?
Oh, they’re lurking the backstage halls with Darth Vader.
An empty venue, awaiting eager fanfare.

Pre-show cheerleader pride!  And 5, 6, 7, 8!

Showtime! The view from behind.

This song will be embedded within my soul forever.

Sayonara!

“Someone gave me some GHB and I think it’s kicking in.”

Drugs, sex, rock ‘n roll — these are the life and times of Mickey Avalon. Born Yesche Perle, the now rap-rock star from Hollyweird, California has a lot rap-talk about.

Inspired by experience with hustling on the streets and having lived in a half-way house, Mickey’s dark and raw lyrics will not apologize for your grandmother’s heart attack — but your mom may forgive with the inappropriate amount of “Jane Fonda” (something to be researched). Mickey’s music-making endeavours began with some fiddling around on friends’ production gear “for fun”, and giving out homemade CD’s to anyone he met along the way. Like so many aspiring artists, sharing his tracks via MySpace proved to be a successful gateway for recognition. On the scene since 2004, Mickey’s tracks will make you feel grimy, infused with a feeling of oh-so-wrong-it’s-right.

Bring in 2011 and Mickey Avalon has gained a broader spectrum of recognition, having fresh new track Stroke Me (sampling Billy Squier‘s The Stroke) featured in TV spots for Bad Teacher (an occurrence he simply describes as “fun”), as well as a few gigs with Ke$ha before she was mainstream’s darling. Having been under the same management, Ke$ha was sent out to into the world of Mickey Avalon to gain some ground and teachings in performing; “They knew she was about to be really big and stuff, so they just wanted her to get her feet wet and practice playing.” They have also worked together on a song titled Sticky Mickey and crushed an apparent rumour that Mickey writes Ke$ha’s lyrics — a fitting yet confirmed to be false rumbling.

In other collaboration news, Mickey says he would like to work with Lucinda Williams and claims to love country music — an unexpected revelation from this underground LA badass. In terms of rappers; “I mean I like Jay-Z, I guess.” Already sourcing a mixture of genres, some good ol’ country would be an interesting combination with his nonchalant vocals. Mickey’s past associations include a rap group featuring Andre Legacy and Dirt Nasty, the now extinct musical collection known as Dyslexic Speedreaders. Releasing his self-titled debut album in 2006, new music has been a long time coming; “It’s taken forever to come out because of like politics and stuff.” You can expect “the same old shit.”

In five years, Mickey hopes to still be kicking in the music scene — “Better than being dead or in jail.”

After a long awaited appearance, Mickey Avalon made his way to Canada, stopping by a Thursday night party at Toronto’s Century Room. Crawling over the DJ booth onto a makeshift bar-stage and hanging onto the rafters, Mickey drawled over his own music as best he could, having traded musical substance for substance, in keeping with his perceived public image. The club regulars, after-workers, and sleaze lovers were overly receptive of Mickey Avalon’s less-than-impressive bar-crawling antics. Girls swooned and swarmed to present themselves at his side; “A lot of girls like to come to my show, so that’s good ’cause that gets the guys to the shows”. There were certainly more than a few lust-crazed eyes. They knew his lyrics when his conscious abandoned the mic. Mickey opened with a cover of Paradise City, which held up enough to be labeled complete, and somewhere in there we got a slurred-yet-acceptable rendition of My Dick — if there is a song to remember, it has be the one inspired by the most important appendage. Other (strictly) melodies included: Waiting To Die, So Rich So Pretty, Mr. Right, Fuckin’ Em All, and Jane Fonda (evidenced below). Multiply the captured footage by a grande total of seven attempted tracks and that was the entirety of set. The 1AM gig lasted an approximate fifteen minutes.

Although this Toronto showing was barely that, I believe in a Mickey Avalon comeback — the glam-sleaze rap rock performance we will always fiend for. “Have fun, get laid, lost your inhibitions” — courtesy of Mickey himself, a show guarantee you will not find as undiluted anywhere else.

Look out for Mickey’s second album to be released at the beginning of next year, an EP around July 25th, and a second chance coming soon to a venue near you.

Interview and Photos by Melania Fedyna 

*  *  *

Tip Number 1: Location, location, location! Park your entourage camp in an area where you are guaranteed to not get trampled, can still see/hear the stage without much obstruction or having to plow yourself into a moshpit of reckless abandon, and in relative direct proximity to facilities and/or alcohol serving station. This is the holy trinity of prime real estate.

Tip Number 2: You’re only as strong as your weakest bladder. AKA The key to survival. Scope out the bathroom situation. Get neurotic and attempt to time your binge-drink consumption in accordance with artist set times you know you will not want to miss. There is nothing worse than getting amped up for a set and mid-way being struck with the feeling, having to break through a pack of pissed-off (pun) folk and sprinting to and from your party approximately 10 minutes across the field. You will not be getting back into your prime concert-watching pit spot. Don’t pee in a bottle.

Tip Number 3: Pack light. Do not be that asshole in an over-populated crowd wearing a giant knapsack literally packed for a weekend nap. If you must haul your camping gear and kitchen sink, leave the luggage with a designated reliable babysitter somewhere on the outskirts of traffic. Or, put over-readiness to good use and become an evil genius:

Tip Number 4: Rocking everywhere! I am a passionate advocator of booty shorts in any situation. But if there were ever an appropriate time for the wearing of acid-washed denim cut-offs, this would be it. Lending itself to Tip Number 1, one does not want to have to be ripping off mutiple complicated layers of spandex, chiffon, fringe, etc. in a 2×2 Porta-Potty cubicle, especially toward the end of the day when the charming combination of humidity and sweat has become an adhesive and vision is impaired for a variety of reasons. The less clothing the better (but please, wear some semblance of coverage). This transferable rule also applies to one’s every day public exposure — including cut-offs. Hey, if you’ve got ass-confidence, own it. Below, a selection of festival-acceptable footwear:

Tip Number 5: Protect yourself. This is not in reference to those fornicating on the dance floor, but rather alertness to the elements. Nobody fiends to be dealing with a heat-stroke-ridden passer-outer in the center of a stampede, so stay hydrated (a vodka-water isn’t water) and all that stuff your mother told you. Bring a light sweater, and weather-wary, an umbrella. Protecting oneself also applies to staying conscious of elbows-in-face and the general rowdy trouble makers. For a more mellow experience, plant yourself nearer to the Woodstock demograhic, ifyaknowwhatImean. Mosh at your own risk.

*  *  *

I will be putting the above TBD-helpful tips to practice in the upcoming weeks, specifically at Toronto’s first edition of Heavy T.O. — a two-day rock extravaganza being held at Downsview Park. Heavy-hitting headliners include Motörhead, Slayer, and Rob Zombie. If preparedness was ever needed, this would be the time. Will report back.

Until then, keep fit and have fun!

‘Tis the season for fresh beginnings; A perfect fit for the dreamy new electro-pop synth-sounds of Uh Huh Her, back with a poetically sweet serving of music for your introspective soul.

Out with a sparkling-new EP titled Black And Blue, Los Angeles duo Camila Grey and Leisha Hailey have taken on a slightly darker and ever more so melodiously mysterious presence since their 2007 debut. Back on the tour circuit after a working absence, the constant hustle of the past few years has proved to be in large part an influence behind their new sound – an ode to ups and downs of life in general. Although it is a theme of the new, you can expect a mix on their forthcoming sophomore album, Nocturnes; “[It] was written before the EP, so it all kind of came to a head.” “We’ve both been through a lot, personally, in the last year”, adds Leisha. “The record was more the ramp to Black And Blue. The journey to the bruises.” “Also, being dropped by a label, we’ve been through so much shit, to be honest, in the past two years – all the material is kind of inspired and derived from that kind of experience of having to start from the ground up. Just life, like anybody else”, agrees Cam. “Travelling, touring non-stop, getting beaten up on the road — that definitely had a little to do with the title”.

It was in Autumn of 2008 when Uh Huh Her last came through Canada, but a restful hiatus it was not. For the past year, Cam has been touring with Adam Lambert, playing back-up keys in his live band. After an extended break from travelling together, the girls are happy to be back on the road as partners-in-crime. “We were scared coming back out because we’ve been away for so long, we weren’t sure if people would come see us again, but I’m glad they remembered”, says Leisha. Uh Huh Her’s unique sound feels effortless; a charming collection of ambiguous love songs. Being fans of artists such as Ladyhawke, Cut Copy, and Sufjan Stevens, there is a clear genre-inspired correlation and they Uh Huh Her are quickly generating a league of their own.

Sultry sound aside, Uh Huh Her’s image exudes an aura of equal mystery and luster. Contrary to claiming being clueless non-trend-setters or followers, Cam and Leisha’s style-subconscious definitely knows what’s up. “Because I’ve been living out of my suitcase for so long, I’ve literally been wearing the same outfit for a year, which is a tee-shirt, skinny jeans, and boots”, says Cam. “Cam has a really large suitcase and we can’t figure out why, because she wears the same thing everyday.” Leisha has a penchant for oversized tee shirts, tights, boots, and dresses. “Fashion is tricky, you can call us anti-fashion.” They may not know it, but the sequins like them. This is, in part, a humble contribution to their appeal.

Enter 2011 and Uh Huh Her have made their way back to Toronto, dodging literal storms throughout the Midwest to get to this East Coast leg of their North American tour. And people have definitely not forgotten. The Mod Club was filled to the max with loyal fans of the girl-variety, some still reeling off Leisha Hailey’s The L Word adoration. Although comprising the majority of their demographic, Uh Huh Her are receiving recognition on their own terms, separate from the past association. Appreciative of the music itself, the crowd was eagerly lust-induced and entranced by the girls’ cooing, soft vocals and whimsical melodies; a near hour-long set which combined tracks off of first album Common Reaction, with new, harder, and more rock-sounding songs, ending in an energy-filled encore of single Not A Love Song. Both on guitar, keys, bass, and vox (along with a backing guitarist and drummer), these girls plays their own instruments — no faux here.

Opening for Uh Huh Her on this tour is Diamonds Under Fire – fellow LA-based singer Vanessa Silberman, described as 90s-influenced grunge pop-rock.

And showing the Canadian nation some adoration; Justin Bieber can proudly add Uh Huh Her to his list of fangirls, as Cam admits to loving him based on fascination — and some suspicion. She has a conspiracy theory involving everybody’s favourite specialty haircut icon; “I don’t even know where he came from, he’s like a cute, talented, little alien baby”. “Cam’s got a crush”, says Leisha, who disagrees with Cam about preferring Bieber’s shaggy haircut. These are very pressing, debatable issues which should be discussed post-viewing of Justin Bieber’s “kind of amazing” movie. Suggested serving: “Have a glass of wine before you go.”

In terms of future endeavours for Uh Huh Her (other than catching tween movies in their downtime), putting together a tour with New Zealand’s Ladyhawke is on the horizon-of-potential. Leisha wants to continue with acting, as well as tapping into her visual arts creativity and taking painting more seriously; “I don’t know what the hell I’ll end up doing. Sometimes I just want to move from LA and become a little hermit.” And Cam: “I’d just like to produce and keep writing, I’m doing stuff with Adam [Lambert] at the moment, and other bands.” Suggesting they make documentary tour video blogs, it was revealed that there is a reality show in the works. It is all very enigmatic. But have no fear, they will never quit; Uh Huh Her will continue making music for the next five, ten years, and beyond.

Stay highly tuned for Uh Huh Her’s second upcoming album Nocturnes, slated for release in the Summer of 2011. Check out EP Black And Blue currently available internationally on iTunes.

Interview and Photos by Melania Fedyna

With most bars licensed until 4AM for the enjoyment of us crazy vamps, the past 5 days have included multiple all-nighters, bass-induced heart palpitations, and temporary loss of hearing. All worth it. The madness kicked off on Wednesday, and my musical inclinations lead me to assorted destinations around town. Here is a lowdown of where my eargasm-seeking self prowled to check out some familiar and unfamiliar goodness; It’s the best of the best.

DAY 1: Wednesday, March 9th

Courage My Love @ The El Mocambo

17 year-old twins Mercedes Arn-Horn (guitar, lead vocals) and Phoenix Arn-Horn (drums, vocals), along with David Blake-Dickson on bass make up Kitchener trio Courage My Love. Their confidently charismatic presence is just icing on top of extremely catchy tunes and relatable teenagehood lyrics. There are few artists who can shine on stage without the comfort of studio tuning, and CML are a part of that rare exception. They may even exceed themselves live. You can currently catch their debut single and video Bridges being played all over MuchMusic. You will be humming it all week. But do not be deceived by the pop-rock image; these girls have a definitive metal-esque edge and slay their instruments like no tween starlet tartlet ever could. Big things… Just saying.

Check them out in action below.

(Video by Julia Stacey)

Next stop, an evening of bands at everyone’s favourite bar, formally known as Cherry Cola’s Rock N’ Rolla Cabaret and Lounge. I caught sets from Monday Rose (Toronto), WOLFHEART (Victoria), and The Lines (UK). A visit to this radiantly cozy establishment is highly encouraged, if only for the elegant Victorian-chic ambience and sexy staff. (But you’re guaranteed good music, live or otherwise, any given day.)

*  *  *

DAY 2: Thursday, March 10th

Back To Cherry Cola’s. The night’s line up included Preachers Son (Dublin), Venice Queen (Vancouver), and In My Coma (Toronto). CC the Cherry Cola’s bar cat judged each accordingly.

*  *  *

DAY 3: Friday, March 11th

Good Charlotte @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre

Armed with a feeling of nostalgia, I missioned East to check out Good Charlotte. Having not listened to their music since 8th grade, the punk-rock set brought back musical memories of mild angst and a subconscious remembrance of early-2000′s GC lyrics. The set was a throwback to their old tracks, performing an assortment of their greatest radio hit singles. The sweaty crowd of all ages karaoke’d along to every single song, obviously studied up on their albums and scenester stylings. If anyone is missing an empty black-patent coin purse with a double-sided silver skull print, I am this gem’s proud new owner.

Below, the Good Charlotte fan base, circa 2011.

Next stop… Cherry Cola’s. The 3AM time-slot brought back the bar’s favourite underagers Courage My Love for another fabulous and intimate set.

*  *  *

DAY 4: Saturday, March 12th

Spitfist @ Sonic Boom

This blurry photo of 4-piece girl band Spitfist is pretty much an accurate summary of their vibe and sound. With a beer permanently in-hand, lead vox Stacey McCool passionately and melodically screams into the mic about starving baby birds (probably metaphoric) and “Bring A Gun To Work Day”. Life lessons 101: “Don’t put your mouth where it shouldn’t be. Don’t put your dick where it shouldn’t be… Don’t put your dick inside of me.” La la la!

Jakalope and Die Mannequin @ The Horseshoe Tavern

Canadian band Jakalope date back to 2003 when they first formed with original vocals by Katie B, having since evolved and now feature lead by Chrystal Leigh. Founded by producer Dave Ogilvie (who has worked with David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, and Marilyn Manson), their sound can be described as electro-pop, with an edge of rock-ness and subtly gothic image. Aside from announcing their love for Care Failure, Jakalope’s set was very much equally lust-worthy and worth checking out.

There are only so many adjectives for amazing that can be used to describe Die Mannequin. If you’re looking for a truly solid rock band to spice up your shit (and you most definitely are this day in age), go see DM live. With their set timing in at around an hour, they tossed in a stellar cover of Michael Jackson’s Beat It to a rewardingly warm reception. Having the power to sell-out venues like The Sound Academy, The Horseshoe‘s small dance floor provided an intimate setting for happily sweaty moshing kids. Up for a Juno nomination this month for New Group of the Year and Rock Album of the Year, this recognition is well-deserved and a long time coming. Care Failure’s powerful and delightfully raw vocals on top of poetic lyrics are often a soundtrack to my life. A perfect end to CMW’s busiest night.

*  *  *

DAY 5: Sunday, March 13th

A final-night outing proved exhaustively overwhelming and outdone by what the normally functioning may call “rest”. But was is rest, really?

*  *  *

With a work-week’s worth of music, old and new, CMW/CMF 2011 proved to be an overall success.

See you March 2012!

The approximately 45-minute show had a solid delivery of a 10-track set list. For saucy song Goin’ Down, Tay Tay asked for stage dancers to grind with: “I don’t touch dudes, I’m a ladies lady.” The banter was kept to a minimum, yet enigmatically charming and fitting of her on-stage persona and image. Taylor picked up the guitar for My Medicine (a personal favourite), cooing in a low, raw, yet strong voice, while Factory Girl and single Make Me Wanna Die ended the show with inspired karaoke.

Gyrating around in black lamé boy-shorts and a tank that states everybody’s obvious collective feeling of “I FUCK FOR SATAN”, the 17-year-old definitely feeds off the shock value of her underage provocativeness. The seemingly-inappropriate feeling of Taylor’s style is an ode to vintage scandalousness a la The Runaways and Cherie Currie‘s Cherry Bomb-status corset. Yet as hooker as the superficial aesthetic may seem, it comes off less-cheap than the Miley Cyrus girlies of the industry.

Coming from teenage-aimed television fame, The Pretty Reckless have finagled a strong following of young girls. Usually skeptical of acting-to-music transitions, Taylor is owning it by straying from the generic pop-electro-yawn genre and doing exactly what she wants without being perceived as cheap fame-seeking and empire-chasing. Gossip Girl co-star Leighton Meester, take note.

Currently on tour across North America, The Pretty Reckless’ debut album Light Me Up is a musical collection worthy a play-through, unrestricted to a specific demographic.

I love to hate and hate to love. Yeah, pretty fucking reckless.

P.S. Below, TPR’s first single and your new anthem… (If it’s not already your ringtone. Ahem.)

Words by Melania Fedyna
Photos by the fabulous Al D

“The Plastics are back!” — No, they are not. How dare you. How dare you taint the brilliantly crafted piece of cinematic history that is director Mark Waters and writer Tina Fey‘s masterful original (and one-and-only) Mean Girls. Have you no respect for the sanctity of the institution that revolutionized Glen Coco?

Presenting, for your consideration… Mean Girls 2.

Why even bother? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This cringe-worthy excuse of a wannabe-sequel “stars” some Disney bitches you’ve never heard of — and if you had, you are most likely in the target demographic of the under-12-and-underdeveloped-mind set. The poster may be identical to its predecessor, but unfortunately (or fortunately), the movie is in an entirely separate league which vastly pole-volts the border of suck. And stays, and lingers, and seeps into any being of possible goodness.

The majority of this film’s plot directly parallels the original version, i.e. down-to-earth new girl at North Shore High School, befriending Plastics-victimized awkward outsider, hot jock jealousy, schemes back-firing a la joke on new girl earns new girl points after she “owns” a “wardrobe malfunction”, causing the entire female school population to copy said look — a twisted jumble of Regina George’s nipple-cutout tank. The Mean Girls 2 sabotaging is lame camp-prank un-funny, far-fetched, and, clearly, un-fetch. Lindsay Lohan‘s split-personality did a better job in The Parent Trap. The Plastics negative-2.0 make Cady Heron’s plotting against Regina George look like high-militant operations of extremely finely-tuned execution and awe-inspiring intelligence.

While the original cast steered clear of this gem, SNL alum Tim Meadows questionably reprises his role as Principal Duvall and dryly delivers the very few decently enjoyable lines of this made-for-TV movie; “The cheerleading squad will be going to the public library for a field trip. Now, last year we had some problems with that where we had 12 girls go and we had 15 girls come back.” Well, it seemed smirk-worthy amidst the rubble of my scattered low expectations.

To appeal to the youth of today, a heavy use of social media and abundance of cell phones has been thrown in, which, to me, cheapens the entire look of the movie (not that I was expecting gold, but they are running on fumes). This just makes it all very “current”, as opposed to the staying power Mean Girls has and will carry… for eternity.

If you so choose to subject yourself to this catastrophic audio/visual situation, below is a preview of what to expect. That is basically it.

Overall rating: Infinite Kvetches out of Zero Fetch.

Side note: A review is barely necessary when one of IMDB‘s recommendations for this straight-to-DVD prize is something titled Thong Girl 3: Revenge of the Dark Widow. You go, Thong Girl.

End. Of.