The final day of the 2012 North By Northeast Music. Film. Interactive. Conference concluded with a powerful message of unity and awareness. The music at Younge and Dundas square centered around Hip-Hop on Sunday. Those who attended the week of long activities resiliently gathered along with a new crowd of Toronto's Hip-Hop connoisseurs. The mood was undefinable and tense.

On Wednesday night last week the NXNE showcase for SmashMouth Entertainment which was to be held at The Rivoli was canceled at the request of the Toronto Police and the Toronto Gang Unit. They cited potential gang affiliation with some artists in the showcase, and the potential threat for gang related violence that evening. This incident obviously created a stir of displeasure from fans. Rich Kidd, local Toronto Rapper, along with other artists on the bill are involved in community programs. It appears as though there was a gross misunderstanding and singling out of Hip-Hop artists and fans as those who promote gang violence. The festival released no other statement than that the event had been canceled due to unforeseen events. Really it was two events prior that likely had the cops tight. The fatal shooting at the Eaton Centre on June 2nd (close proximity to Sunday's events) and the fatal shooting of an attendee at a Young Jeezy concert at Sound Academy back in April.

I must admit I thought there would be more cops around Younge and Dundas on Sunday evening. Their presence was felt but they weren't getting ready for a riot or anything. When we arrived Tasha the Amazon came out on fire, high energy and whipping her long thin braids around. After two songs, she expressed her disappointment with the Law Enforcement of her own city's decision to facilitate the shut down of Wednesday's showcase. Tasha did so diplomatically. In stride brought out Rich Kidd and allowed him to do one of his tracks during her set! You could tell it was a personal scar for her as she is a voice of Toronto's scene. Then she got more ramped up and rode that energy through the rest of her powerful material.
Next up was Tre Mission, another Toronto rapper of international notoriety because of his association to the UK Grime style. His beats were strait future, and that particularly rapid style of spitting sounds so fitting over bass music. We left during Action Bronson out of spite for his skipping out of his show in Buffalo. Got that one back. Smartly we fueled up on ethnic food and returned for the thralling set of Killer Mike. His performance may have been my favorite of the entire week. Seemingly a large man such as Mike would have little control of his body or give the appearance of apathy, but absolutely every cell of his being was completely engaged in his performance. Talk about someone who is grateful for what they have. He loved the love! Mike also buffered the tension between the Police and crowd, but speaking the truth about people under pressure will rise up and "burn this motherfucker down."

When Mike walked off the stage that's when the Wu Tang fans began to get excited. Now I've experienced a couple Wu Tang reincarnations, and one thing that's always true is that the die-hards go apeshit when they play Wu classics. Personally I would've preferred to hear a couple more of Ghostface and Raekwon's  respective solo songs, but when they came out the plan appeared to be go back-to-back and mix in heavy hitting Wu Tang songs here and there. Since its two of nine members doing other guys' verses  the highlight had to be when they brought up two random people from the crowd to do Mehtod Man and ODB's parts in "Protect ya Neck." The guy playing Meth didn't fair to well, but ODB's stand-in did a hilariously good job! The mid-level Wu-Tang song "Triumph" which features Raekwon was probably my favorite on the night. And towards the end of the set they let the DJ play out Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" while they sang in unison with the fans. A fitting and friendly fuck-you to the haters associating all of Hip-Hop culture with gang violence.

I'm not going to lie to you, this post was supposed to be all about the Radiohead show in Toronto Saturday night, but that show didn't happen so that got scotched. My backup plan for Saturday night and today's post was the NXNE Flaming Lips show with Of Montreal and Portugal. The Man, but James Wild beat me to the punch yesterday with his review of that evening's events. Bereft of ideas and pressed for time I have no choice to inflict an Odds and Sods on you. I'll try to make it worth your while...

• Here's that performance of Radiohead's "Knives Out" from The Flaming Lips show Saturday night at NXNE, along with Wayne Coyne's comments on the situation. For my part, I approved and appreciated Wayne's sentiments (and the dude who yells "show some respect @#$%ers!" at the :25 mark), and I thought that the Lips' set was much better than the rote Lips show I saw in Rochester last year. The band was feeling it Saturday night, and their performance wasn't phoned in at all, instead it was demonstrably heartfelt, and it gave songs like "Waiting For A Superman,""What Is The Light?","Is David Bowie Dying" and "Do You Realize?" even deeper resonance. There was indeed a somber element to Saturday's revelries at Yonge and Dundas Streets, but for the insane crowd that assembled (that was packed in from the stage right back to the Eaton Centre's doors), the Lips kind of made it alright. 

• Check out this preposterous, wonderful, and NSFW new video clip from Sigur Ros for "Fjogur Piano" off of their excellent current release Valtari. And yes, Shia Leboef is still a jackass.

• I'm really stoked about that Fleetwood Mac tribute album coming out in August featuring Best Coast, Lykke Li, St. Vincent, The New Pornographers, and MGMT based on this preview track featuring the Pornographers tastefully covering "Think About Me" (off of the Mac's underrated 1979 Tusk double album).

• The buffaBLOG Beach Party was great. Big ups to the folks who made it happen.

That's all I got for you folks. Stay cool. No really, it's going to be hot the next few days.

The collective mood of music lovers in Toronto was tempered yesterday with the tragic news of the stage collapsing and killing one man at Downsview Park where Radiohead had been scheduled to play the last show of their North American tour. Though the show was not part of the 2012 North By Northeast Conference it would be false to say that those unfortunate events did not have an effect on the rest of the festival. Mainly that those who traveled from far and wide across Canada and from the United States were left in Toronto saddened and soured by the fact that they could not see their favorite band last night. Good for NXNE, right? Well, sort of.

When we arrived at Younge and Dundas square last night to see the live acts, it quickly became apparent that much of the audience had been displaced from the canceled Radiohead concert. Most of the people I talked to were upset but rational, and others where inappropriately angered by the situation.    Brooklyn indie rock band Oberhofer was finishing up their set, and I felt very fortunate to arrive at this moment because I was happily surprised by their performance. Brad Oberhofer the frontman of this outfit is an prolific performer and their sound is really fresh. More to come on him later.

I was there to see Of Montreal. Though I've seen them and their stage performance before, they always seem to exceed expectations. Kevin Barnes took the stage and took two songs to really find his pace. Lately he's going with an even more ambiguous look, with a Skrillex like haircut, blurring the line between his masculinity and femininity. Nothing crazy. Their performance was solid, and they kind of played a quick hit list for the diehard fans, who were there, in hiding.
Next up was Alaskan transplants and talk of the music world Portugal. The Man. They took the stage with great energy, but unfortunately the sound mix was a little off. Now I'm sure that space has many strange sounding anomalies depending on where you're standing, so I made sure to move around a bit, and it was clear that the levels were not correct. But they played with great energy and a genuine respect to be playing at NXNE. The highlight of the set was their cover of the Beatles' "Helter Skelter," and teasing "Hey Jude" epically at the end of their set.
Then it was time for the Flaming Lips, who I intended to give every opportunity to woo me and win me over, and once again Wayne Coyne managed to piss me off. First they took forever to start playing (after they came out on stage) which was fine, I had hoped they were fixing the sound, but after saying they were ready several times, and were not, it became agitating. Finally they got underway. Confetti guns exploding, balloons bouncing, and the smile was plastered back on my face. The show was theatrically going swimmingly. Then after the first 3 or so songs, Mr. Coyne took to the mic to express his condolences to their friends and inspirations Radiohead in reference to the incident. They then played the Radiohead song "Knives Out" which is not a happy-go-lucky song and followed it with a piano ballad of their own that seemed to last forever, completely halting the performance and dampening the mood. And in typical fashion he began placating to the crowd and begging them for their affections in this a difficult time. It totally turned me off. And although it was of no fault to them, I have never seen that many kids pass out of "heat-exhaustion," not even at a Disco Biscuits show.
Needless to say we all needed a change of scenery. At that point I was ready to punch the next person that mentioned a "secret Radiohead show" or "Thom Yorke DJ set." We got the fuck out of there. Horseshoe Tavern was the next spot on our chain of events and it was absolutely overrun with people dying to see the Lumineers. We got the hint that every NXNE venue was going to be this packed for the rest of the night. Remaining there for only a portion of Young Empires set, it was either leave, or pass out in the bar.

Smartly we headed away from downtown to the Drake Underground. I needed to see some DJs spin. I was getting "banded-out." Luckily we skipped the block-long line and kind of persuaded ourselves in coyly. Treasure Fingers put on his headphones and began spinning the moment we walked in. Blissfully, we danced around to his blending of Hard French Nu-Disco music until we began to tucker out around 3:45AM. As we were leaving some of the members from Portugal. The Man were entering the premises, and there at the door getting denied entry was poor Brad Oberhofer, who later told me on the street how he hates nightclubs. I consoled him, and disagreed, but shared a token moment with him in commiseration of how the vibe of the city unfortunately changed over last night.

Yesterday's adventures began with me taking full advantage of the Interactive portion of the 2012 NXNE conference. I wanted to go to school, or at least find out some of the things people were learning about and interested in at this year's event. The first of two seminars that I attended was 'Social Media Marketing: Brands, Bands, and Fans.' The panelists included, Daniel Ewing, John Crooke, Marisol Segal, Kerri Cockrill, and was moderated by Panos Panay. Packed into the conference room at the Hyatt Regency was a large crowd to hear this discussion. The panel talked about the processes of collaborations between bands, consumer brands, and fans. How these relationships are made, and how they can benefit all involved parties was the main conclusion of the conversation. New social mediums are helping to blend said campaigns and break down the walls between artists, products, and fans. Everyone in attendance was completely engaged in the conversation and seemed to take away an appreciation for this type of collaborative work. In the end, artists deserve to get paid.

The next seminar I attended was entitled 'Graffiti Goes Global: How Street Art Culture Thrives Online.' Featuring Graffiti/Street artists Mediah and Other, both from Toronto originally, along with Lisa Martin, and moderated by Joseph Wilson. This topic was of particular interest to me because I am of the opinion that the globalization of street art online is representative of many issues that other artistic mediums have with the advent of the internet, such as originality and the unique creativity of the art itself. While admiring in the creativity of the two artists works, informative conclusions were made about the positive and negative aspects of a street artists having their work go viral. But most importantly the topic of 'over-saturation' of all mediums became apparent in a discussion that focused solely on the one.
After NXNE class, I got to rest up and check the Euro 2012 scores. Then it was of for another night filled with interesting music. And boy-oh-boy it got more interesting as the night went on.

I headed over to Younge and Dundas Square, the "Main Stage," if you will, for the first time since I arrived in Toronto. The square itself is basically Toronto's version of Times Square. Tall buildings and many large advertisements fill one's 360° view. NXNE has many sponsors set up there showing off their products and the large stage is the primary location for the festival's largest acts. When I arrived Montreal based band Plants and Animals began playing immediately, their brand of North American power-rock permeated the surrounding buildings in anticipation of the performance by Canadian treasure, Matthew Good. Admittedly being from the United States, I haven't heard much of Matthew Good's music until recently. It's good, pun intended, but his performance was strange to say the least. Appearing agitated and aloof at times, Good rocked the crowd, but didn't seem pleased about it, even taking a break to have a seat. When it came time to leave, the scene was mobbed with thousands of people, and it took a lot of effort to meander through the masses of drunken people belting his lyrics.
It was time for a change of scenery, so a pal from Buffalo and myself headed uptown to Sneaky Dee's a  famed Toronto venue in Kensington area on College st. We were looking to check out the Daps Records showcase one of the most talked about parties at this year's NXNE. Daps is a Toronto based label and promotion company featuring mostly local artists. When we arrived at the bar immediately I was reminded of Buffalo, with hints of the Pink and DBGB's the venue's upstairs floor was shaking as Toronto hardcore  surf rock unit Odonis Odonis electrified the crowd.
Next up was buzz-band of the century Phèdre. Darlings of music bloggers everywhere, I had to see what this band was like live. It was pretty ridiculous. Taking the stage with a procession of glitter and theatrical props, including giant oversized Chinese fans, a half dozen or so vaguely ethnic looking beautiful young hipsters awestruck the crowd for the next forty minutes. From what I could tell, only one person was playing any instrument while everyone else danced and partied on stage, albeit the main crooner who serenaded the crowd with sexually charged lyrics. They have a lot of work to-do, but their performance was so fucking fun.
At the suggestion of some hotties who were sharing a cigarette outside the venue, we continued down College st. where blocks and blocks were blocked off from vehicle traffic for the "Taste of Little Italy" which to our shock was still going on past 1am. Unlike Buffalo, this Italian heritage festival was immersed with classy younger folks enjoying themselves moderately into the night hours. Something that we as Buffalonians cannot experience at home. On the way back down the same street we saw a crowd gathered outside a public building checking out a street band directly across from Sneaky Dee's. Neither my friend or I would've ever thought that we could possibly witness a stranger band than Phèdre in the same night, but Halifax band Tupper Wear Remix Party absolutely blew our minds with their performance in the street. Donned in spandex and clever costumes, they describe themselves as Daft Punk/Iron Maiden Inspired Intergalactic-Electro-Dance-Metal. And playing as quietly as they could they entertained us for a good while right on the street. Of course not part of the NXNE festival, but completely remarkable in reference to our journeys through the Toronto night.

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.

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.
 

Hailing from East Toronto, Tre Mission is the flag-bearer for Grime music in North America. He will be performing live on Sunday June 17th on the main stage at Young and Dundas Square as part of  the 2012 NXNE Conference. The youthful MC has gained real notoriety in the UK as one of the best spitters from across the pond. With beginnings in Hip-Hop, he became influenced by Grime music and Dubstep; adapting stylistically to rap over those types of sounds. Tre has pride in his music by producing good quality lyrics over good quality music, which is evidenced in his first release the Maxin Everything EP. The 'evil-eye' wearing Tre Mission deserves accolades for the fresh presence and versatility. Check out some of his tracks below and be sure to catch him performing live on the last day of NXNE at Young Dundas Square from 6:00-6:40 pm. and maybe you'll find out what NoSuch Thing means.

Daps Records is an independent label based in Toronto that is getting some warranted attention in anticipation of the 2012 NXNE conference. Headed by members of the band HOODED FANG, Daniel Lee and April Aliermo and Artist Manager Ian Chai, the label features DIY artists from Toronto and beyond who are on the cusp of breaking out. At this years' NXNE festival, the label will have a showcase night on Friday June, 15th at Sneaky Dee's 431 college st. west Toronto, ON. The event will feature these bands:


ODONIS ODONIS (Toronto) - industrial low-fi surf-gaze "From melodic and ethereal to brash and relentless, Odonis Odonis is the metaphysical equivalent of your favourite mixtape." -Odonis Odonis Project. The integral cog of the Tdot DIY musical underworld.
PHÈDRE  (Monte Carlo, Monaco) -lovers spit future pop. This trio of mystery claims to have been bred out of a "three day three-some binge of wine, fish, and recording." They sound as if transported from the ancient world to the present in some sort of sexual ritual.




Along with:
BETA FRONTIERS, HELLALUYA, CARTOONS, HUSSY, and TIMES NEUE ROMAN



All of whom you can check out on their individual sites or below on the DAPS RECORDS Sampler Vol. 1:

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."

Those traveling from Buffalo up to the 2012 NXNE Music. Film. Interactive. Conference can check out some familiar bands on Thursday July 14th. Music news website and exploratory record label I BLAME YOKO, in association with Toronto music blog KATUWAPITIYA, is holding an Unofficial NXNE Day Party Showcase of Seven independent musical acts at the famous Horseshoe Tavern. The lineup includes Buffalo bands THE TINS and SON OF THE SUN, along with SERENA PRYNE AND THE MANDEVILLES, THE WAXBILLS, ALLOSAURUS, ELK, and CAI.RO. If you’re heading up for the weekend, this will be a great way to kick off the time spent in Toronto for the conference without cutting into the scheduled night events. The Showcase is FREE and does not require a NXNE wristband/badge as it is an unofficial event. Show begins at 12:30 and is located at the Horseshoe Tavern, 370 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON. For the schedule of the lineup check out the Facebook event page HERE. Listen below to the I Blame Yoko/Katuwapitiya UnOfficial NXNE Day Party Showcase mix. Check back on buffaBLOG for further coverage of NXNE 2012 in Toronto, as we will have more previews and day-to-day coverage of the international conference.