Higlights from The Reverb, Friday October 10

By Tammy “DJ Roxy” Hillier

Rock, rock, rock, and yes you guessed it … more rock was on the agenda for tonight’s showcase at The Reverb.  Jagermeister hosted the event which presented outstanding performances by AJAR, Breadfan, Process, Moore, and last years finalists, Sons and Lovers.  We also got a big peek into the sound known as CAYM – Jagermeister’s lastest find.  These guys blasted the crowd with music and power as the Jagerettes danced and poured Jager down their throats!  Raise those heavy metal horns in the air!

Highlights from The Rivoli, Friday October 10

by Melissa Girimonte

Morgan David started the night with some solid melodies.  Now I’ve never seen he and his band perform before tonight, so I don’t have a point of reference, but it just seemed like something was missing.  I wasn’t engaged by the performance until close to the end, despite the fact that these are talented musicians, particularly the drummer and bassist.  Could be due to the thin crowd and the early slot, but there wasn’t much energy in the room until the end of the set.

Up next was Brockway Biggs.  He launched his set by doing a shot of tequila and playing a recorded intro by Ed the Sock before launching into a rap.  Most memorable line of his set – “If you’re lazy and you’re bitter, clap your hands.”  Lots of fun, a bit of attitude, b-boy moves, and props like a bunny handpuppet.  This dude is a performer, not just a musician.

Last minute addition Barry Szeto performed three songs, but made the unfortunate choice of opening with a cover song instead of something original.  His sound can best be described as R&B/Dance – think Ne-Yo, Usher or Canada’s Massari.  High energy, good voice, catchy original tunes.  Would like to see what he can do with more prep time.

Selena 7tySix took control of that stage from the second she stepped on it, and brought a sizeable crowd out.  She hasn’t fallen into the trap that most female R&B vocalists have fallen into with the elaborate vocal gymnastics.  She has talent and doesn’t have to hide behind gimmicks.  Ad she plays guitar, too.  I have chills – no word of a lie.  Watch out Alicia Keys – prepare to make way for this soulful songstress!

Final act of the evening was wordPeople.  a six-piece from Toronto.  Hip hop with a live band is always more appealing, in my opinion.  They’ve got a really catchy sound, and it’s hard not to move along to the beat.  Vocalist Missy Cam has a fantastic voice that complements MC Ape X beautifully.  I think we’ll be seeing more of them.

Only one act can be declared winner.  Tough decision, but Selena 7tySix was the champ!  Congrats to her and her band!

Highlights from The Free Times Cafe, Thursday October 9

by Sheryl DaSilva

Indie Week 2008 continued on day two at Free Times Cafe with a great showcases by Ariel Mura, Mandippal Jandu, Ainsley McNeaney and the winner from day one, Larry Bagby.

Although all the artists gave it their all, the clear cut winner was Milestone, Saskatchewan’s Ariel Mura.  With her lush, warm and inviting sound, and a voice similar to a ’soft’ Holly McNarland, she had the crowd spellbound from the first note.

Highlights from Holy Joe’s, Thursday October 9

by Annie Cook

The night had some solid performances and definite potential, but none seemed ready for “the next level”.

The winner was Bella Clava.

Highlights from The Horseshoe, Thursday October 9

by Tammy “DJ Roxy” Hillier

It was a night of great music at The Horseshoe Tavern as Indie Week continued on with performances by Before The Flood, The Hots, SCOBO and Pavlov’s Dogs Orchestra.

All bands put up a good showing, but there was one true winner – Pavlov’s Dogs Orchestra.  This band’s high energy and amazing sound had the audience wanting more.

Highlights from The Rivoli, Thursday October 9

by Melissa Girimonte

Following a brief intro from host Kimberly Carroll, Indie Week 2006 champ, NYC’s Miwa Gemini began the evening’s music.  An elfin folk songstress, she treated this animal loving crowd to some sweet songs!

Ireland’s Vesta Varro, Indie Week 2007 winners, cranked the volume and the energy up to 11!  I think they’ve become one of my favourite bands … this is the thrid night in a row that I’ve seen them, and and I’m nowhere close to tired of their sound yet.  Some of the most refreshing music I’ve heard in a while.  And I’m making up for all of the times that I didn’t catch them when they were in Toronto between Indie Week 2007 and now.

Some of Toronto’s finest, The Free Press, were next to take the stage.  Are there words to describe what talented and powerful performers these boys are?  I mean it in all honesty when I say this band is destined for greatness.  They kept the energy high with their finely crafted tunes.

Of course, everyone is gathered here for a reason … read more about it here http://www.moove.ca/.  Proceeds from the evening are going to “Farm Sanctuary, an inspiring organization devoted to rescuing neglected, abandoned and abused farm animals.”  You can learn about them at www.farmsanctuary.org.  People getting together to support independent music and help animals in need are alright in my book, and a fine addition to the Indie Week programming.

Highlights from The Free Times Cafe, Wednesday October 8

by Shawn Katuwapitiya

First act, Cindy Davis.  Solid voice, much like Chantal Kreviazuk.  Sweet sound.

Second, Adam Crossley.  Great sound, like a cross between Michael Buble and Damien Rice.

Larry Bagby changed the vibe with some straight up country, and it works!  Rocks the house with some slide guitar to boot.

Next up, Darelle London brings a very Sixpence None the Richer vibe in, with solid piano work.

David Martinez closed the night with a mellow set.

Final results – Larry Bagby is crowned winner of Wednesday at The Free Times Cafe, with Adam Crossley named runner up.

Check out the updated Toonage Flickr page for some new photos from Thursday: Econoline Crush, The Ending & Daniel Wesley at Tattoo Rock Parlour.

I caught a couple of the panels offered Thursday at the CMW Digital Media and Music Summit. The first was titled “Recommendation Engines: The Ubersolution To Managing Music Ultra Surplus“. The discussion centered on how people discover new music and how recommendation engines such as Pandora and Last FM filter music to people based on their tastes. The debate is if this is a great new innovation or simply overwhelming to the consumer who now has a million choices at their fingertips.

Tom Conrad of Pandora explained that their site uncovered new music for people by first getting them to choose an artist as opposed to a genre. Through their research done via the Music Genome Project, they were able to analyze basic elements of songs to categorize them by rhythm, melody, instrumentation and determine the sound that appeals to an individual. It was discussed whether this type of recommendation would ever be able to provide the same type of personalization that you would get from your own social circle or the guy at the record store who knew you and your tastes.

Sandy Pearlman pointed out that back in the 60s and 70s, radio and concerts commonly had a variety of styles playing back to back offering the audience a completely diverse listening experience. He suggested that any recommendation search engines should offer a start and an end point to choose from. For example, start with the Doors and end with 13th Century classical music and cover everything in between. With the long tail effect taking place now, the days of huge million selling albums are gone being replaced by a greater number of artists achieving more modest sales. It was questioned where and how new artists could find a place in these recommendation engines when there are already millions of choices available.

When its so common to hear that the music industry is resistant to embrace technology, it was refreshing to hear from a group of people that had not only embraced it but were excited about where it was headed. Unfortunately, the irony was not lost to me that Pandora is currently shut down for Canadian audiences.

The second panel I caught was entitled The Paradise Of Infinite Storage: How This Ultimate Game Changer Will Upset All The Apple Carts. This centered around the idea that as digital storage space becomes larger and cheaper, it will become very easy to carry around massive music collections in your pocket. Not only massive collections but the idea of carrying around literally everything ever produced. The panel initially debated whether it was indeed a paradise at all or whether it would simply become overwhelming having so much choice at hand. It was interesting how different cultures view the distribution of music. In Brazil, it is viewed as a community experience where both downloading and uploading are encouraged. Paul Hoffert discussed how studies in China showed that people commonly viewed music and movies as free for the taking while they were willing to pay for courses and education. Sandy Pearlman hoped these innovations and trends could wake the labels up to what was happening and help them reform their own business models.

Friday was a jam-packed day for this gal, and started at 7:45 am at The Royal York Hotel with the 6th Annual Women in Broadcast “Trailblazers” Breakfast, produced by a trailblazer in her own right, Liz Janik. This year’s breakfast included guest speaker Karen Salmansohn, and Evanov Radio’s Ky Joseph, recipient of this year’s “Rosalie Award”. In case you’re wondering who “Rosalie” would be, she’s none other than Rosalie Trombley, the woman with the Golden Ears, the former receptionist and music librarian who became the Music Director at CKLW-AM in Windsor, famed for her ability to recognize a hit song. Look her up – and you’ll see just how important she was to the classic hits we all know and love.

Next, I was off to “The Bedroom Project: How Young Adults Use, Consume and Interact with Technology & Media”. Fred Jacobs, of Jacobs Media, presented his findings on how youth and young adults use technology and media in their homes through “ethnographic” research. Everything from TV, video, radio, games, music, and the internet were covered. Truly fascinating stuff!

Following that, I sat in on “Guitar Hero and Rock Band: Transcendental Air Guitar and the Object Lesson of the Gaming Phenomenon”. This pitted guitarist Gary Lucas against one of the producers of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, Helen McWilliams in a “Don’t Fear The Reaper” duel. As a recent convert to the Guitar Hero phenomenon, I found it very cool that a woman is one of the developers, and kicks ass at the game, too.

Later that afternoon, I attended the Alanis Morissette press conference, following the Canadian Music Industry Awards, in which she was inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award. I was thrilled that I had the chance to ask her a question during the press conference, and enjoyed hearing what my peers had to ask her. Hands down, since the beginning of Toonage, this tops my list of favourite moments!

Continuing with the Alanis Morissette theme, I ended my day at The Royal York Hotel at her Celebrity Interview. Maie Pauts of 104.5 CHUM FM conducted a great interview, and fans even had the chance to ask a few questions at the end of the session.

It was a fantastic day, and be sure to check Toonage.ca for full reviews on all of these events in the coming days.