Toronto band Great Lake Swimmers have released a beautiful new song and video entitled “The Great Bear” in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund Canada. The song is in support of the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia currently under threat by the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline. Those interested can add their names to the askacanadian.ca site to get a free download of the song.
Roberts fights his way into a Paper Bag
Rocker Sam Roberts has joined the crew at Paper Bag Records, a Toronto-based independent record label in preparation for his first studio album release in three years. Lo-Fantasy is slated for release on Feb. 11 and Sam Roberts Band worked with producer Youth on the album. Check out the first single “We're All In This Together.”
Slo-vember
Toronto rockers Sloan, who released a new live bootleg album Tokyo Japan 2002 last week, will be playing a seriously intimate live show at Caplansky’s Deli on College Street. A benefit for Movember, show tickets will be included with any donation of more than $100. Get your free download off the new album by following the link below:
Walk off the runway
Ever-so-clever pop-stets Walk Off The Earth have released a new video for the holiday classic “Little Drummer Boy.” The video features the band festooned in kitschy Christmas wear courtesy of local shop Retro Festive. Also sitting in with the band are three dogs on cello, piano and possibly congas. The band has also announced a new iTunes session release and upcoming tour including stops in North America and Europe. Check it out below.
Bob's Your Uncle redux
Sook-Yin Lee, host of CBC’s Definitely Not The Opera, artistic vagabond and former singer for B.C. band Bob’s Your Uncle is in a new band dubbed LLVK, so named for the members: Sook-Yin Lee, Adam Litovitz, Brandon Valdivia and Benjamin Kamino. They've booked their first show, the Punchclock Showcase & Print Sale, slated for Nov. 30 at Double Double Land followed by a performance on Dec. 13 at The Great Hall as part of the Long Winter concert. Other bands on the bill include Doldrums and Hooded Fang. There will also be art installations, video, dance and much more.
Bulat, huge in Sweden
Toronto musician Basia Bulat's latest album Tall Tall Shadow is the sixth best album of 2013 according to the Swedish magazine Sonic, the country's leading music magazine. The album, released this past fall, sits one place behind the latest from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. The top album, according to Sonic, is Daft Punk's Random Access Memories. Bulat is currently in the middle of a North American tour. Check out the video below live from the Art Gallery of Ontario in August, 2013.