buffaBLOG - The Buffalo music blog: i blame yoko

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allosaurus, audio blood, beer, hue, i blame yoko, james, nxne, the tins, Toronto — 0 comments

NXNE Explorations: Day 1 of 4

Yesterday, I arrived in Toronto with great relief from the anxiety that comes with leaving home for several days. My explorations of the North by Northeast conference would begin that day. After checking into the hotel, my first priority was to go check-in at the NXNE headquarters at the Hyatt Regency. The NXNE conference is very organized at this, it's heart. Checked in with no issue, received my badge, and was instantly deluged by flyers and people telling me what cool things I needed to go check out. In the Hyatt's many conference rooms is where all of the Interactive happenings of NXNE take place. I lingered here for a few minutes which meant I was missing the first portion of the I Blame Yoko NXNE showcase at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern that buffaBLOG was a part of as well.

Quickly I headed up the street to see what was going on there. I was immediately greeted by some familiar faces, fellow buffaBLOGers Mac and Tom and the guys from Buffalo band the Tins Mike, Adam, and Dave. When I arrived they were all enjoying the sounds of Hamilton, ON synth-pop duo Allosaurus, who were donned in matching blue suit jackets. They played some up-tempo dreamy stuff and impressed the sparse crowd. Despite their awesome performance, it was at the suggestion of Mike from the Tins, that we decided to seek out a secret NXNE rooftop party in the University district, where there were rumblings of free beer! I had also gotten this invite, and with my rudimentary knowledge of Toronto's geography we decided it wasn't all to far and something worth checking out. So here we were, a crew of the Tins and buffaBLOGers, bumbling through Chinatown in search of free beer. When we arrived at the address it didn't look like much was going on at all; however, three flights upstairs there was a rocking hip party hosted by Toronto artist and brand development company Audio Blood and record label Bonsound. The sun was jarring when we crossed the threshold onto the roof and immediately we were handed ice-cold Steamwhistle pilsners.

The band Hue was about to start. Hue is a 5-piece pop rock band from Toronto, and their sound was absolutely befitting of a sun drenched rooftop party. The soundtrack was great. The female vocals added a harmony that was as beautiful and intense as the sun itself.

And after 5 or six free beers we were all feeling pretty good! Not good enough however, to get a $3 haircut, which they were also doling out to anyone feeling so inclined.

With no shade in site, and Mac and Tom having to catch a ride back to Buffalo, we headed back to the Horseshoe Tavern and were just in time to catch the last few songs of Serena Pryne & The Mandevilles. After a couple shots, they took off and I was left to vices the rest of the evening, Got to see a few more bands, but the beer in the sun had done me in, and I was spent. Besides, I had to rest up for today and the next several days of my NXNE explorations.

i blame yoko, mac, nxne, Son of the Sun — 0 comments

Support a charity via Son of the Sun

Those looking to purchase music (on the cheap mind you) while helping a cause take note! Through August 18th, PATH:one, part of Heyday Media Group, is offering the sale of a few dozen tracks from artists across the country with 30% of all sales going to various charities including the American Red Cross, the Boys & Girls Club, and the Humane Society. Each song on the album, including local act Son of the Sun's "My Best Mistake", is available for individual purchase at only $.75, or if you wish to purchase the complete 35 track release, it will cost $20. After a couple members of Son of the Sun played a night full of 90's tunes to a packed house this past Friday at DBGB's under the name of Kurt & the Loders, the group will be back together tomorrow at the offical NXNE Day Party Showcase at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto with fellow Buffalo act the Tins and many more. The party is free and begins at 12:30.

Artist Spotlight, i blame yoko, nxne, the waxbills, tom — 0 comments

NXNE Artist Spotlight: The Waxbills

Last, but not least, we have Niagara Falls, ON locals, The Waxbills in the NXNE Spotlight, who will also be playing a set at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern tomorrow (June 14) as a part of the NXNE Day Party Showcase presented by I Blame Yoko, which is being co-sponsored by buffabLOG. The indie-pop trio's origins can be traced back to 2006, when lead singer/songwriter Nathan Warriner released a solo EP which required the help of a backing band for playing live gigs. That’s were John Albers and Brandon Ainsley came in. Knowing they had a good thing going, the three musicians began writing and recording together and released their first LP as The Waxbills, The Way It Goes, in 2008 after recording in Hamilton, ON. About a year later another full-length was released independently entitled, Hard To Lose. After playing an abundance of shows all over The Great White North, and gaining an increased following, the group unveiled their latest and third LP, When Love Comes, in April.

My first impressions of the 10-track record are that the songs are incredibly catchy and pleasantly familiar. Sonically, the songwriting style of track by track is quite versatile, making it difficult to find any distinctively labeled box to put them in. Tracks like “First Aid Kit” and “Shattered” give off rays of upbeat mid-60s guitar-pop, paired with relaxed background vocal lulls. You'll also find a few straitforward indie rock tracks sprinkled in such as, “When Love Comes” and “Break Free”, that deliver the same buoyant pop vibe filtered through a reverb-buckled lens. When Love Comes becomes its strongest when it turns to its folk-rock charm on “Blood On The Road”, where burly hollow-bodies are made to let out deep sighs, lamenting to their harmonica counter-part, as Warriner huffs a dark tale of what could only happen on any one of those long, deserted roads in the far-reaching wilderness of Northern Ontario.

The Waxbills' prove to be a resourceful flock as they sound their ambivalent chirp across the stylistic landscape of their latest record, and I am excited to see how this will fair on stage, especially one as celebrated as The 'Shoe. There's no doubt it will be an excellent day of great local music. So get yourself up to Toronto tomorrow by 12:30pm. Admission is free.

allosaurus, i blame yoko, nxne, Son of the Sun, the tins — 0 comments

NXNE Artist Spotlight: Allosaurus

Hamilton, Ontario’s Allosaurus will be featured on buffaBLOG’s co-presented Official NXNE Day Party Music Showcase at the Horseshoe Tavern on Queen Street, along with Buffalo’s Son of the Sun and The Tins, and many others on June 14. This Canadian synth-pop duo is known for their high-energy, attention grabbing performances. Fans of DVAS, Shout Out Out Out Out, or Hot Chip would definitely dig this. More information about the party along with the full line-up can be found on the event's Facebook page. In the meantime, check out Allosaurus in their incredibly goofy music video for their single “Emma-Jane."

good neighborhood, i blame yoko, mac, nxne — 1 comments

I Blame Yoko NXNE Party bus tickets now available

North X North East, or NXNE for the impatient typers, is right around the corner. The week long music, film, and interactive festival will begin in Toronto on Monday June 11, capping off with a live performance by the Flaming Lips on Saturday, June 16th at Yonge and Dundas Square, and buffaBLOG will certainly be on the scene. As we previously reported, the blog will be co-presenting a day party at the Horseshoe Tavern along with our friends at the Good Neighborhood, record label I Blame Yoko, and many others. While the party is free, there is still the matter of getting from Buffalo to Toronto and back. Beginning at noon today, limited bus spots will be available for $40, with $5 going to support Buffalo First, at ECE Presents. Additional perks included with the $40 seat purchase will be forth coming. For more information on the bus, please click here. Also, make sure to check the blog over the next week or so for NXNE artist spotlights and other events we feel you should check out should you make the trek up north for the fest.