This year, NXNE is doing something a bit different with their bigger ticket shows to allow more fans guaranteed access. They're selling tickets for a series they're calling Northby Advanced. This will include shows by Blonde Redhead, Angel Olsen, Real Estate, Betty Who, Ibeyi, Glass Animals and many more. If you're interested in a bunch of the Northby Advanced shows, a Platinum Badge might be just the thing for you.
Check out some of the tunes and decide who you most want to see.
Blonde Redhead "The One I Love" and "No More Honey"
Angel Olsen "Forgiven/Forgotten", "Hi-Five", "Lights Out", and "Sweet Dreams" live on KEXP
Damon Albarn has done many musical things over his long and illustrious career. One of the most notable, successful and award-winning is the virtual band Gorillaz. The Demon Days album came out 10 years ago today and features two tunes that will forever be among my favourites due to their deep grooves, hooks and catchy melodies.
Toronto band Grounders opened for Wolf Alice at The Drake Underground. They're a dreamy indie pop band that eased us gently into the night. They treated us to several tracks from their then-unreleased eponymous début album.
Grounders are appearing at Sneaky Dee's for NXNE on June 18.
Take a listen so some of the tunes they played for us.
Shakey Graves is Alejandro Rose-Garcia. He is from Austin and he creates music that spans rock, blues and country. His début album Roll the Bones came out in 2011 and his latest And The War Came was released late last year.
He's here in Toronto for TURF on Friday, September 18 and I'm very much looking forward to checking out his set. Take a listen to some of his tunes and see if he ends up on your list of artists you've got to see.
Grapes of Wrath got their start when Kevin Kane met Tom and Chris Hooper in Kelowna, BC in 1977. After making punk music for several years, both together and separately, Grapes of Wrath officially formed in 1983.
They started producing a unique folk-pop that caught the attention of music fans and radio programmers alike, especially with the 1987 hit "Peace of Mind" from the Tom Cochrane produced Treehouse. 1989 saw the release of their biggest album, Now and Again with singles "All The Things I Wasn't" and "What Was Going Through My Head". These Days came out in 1991 and featured singles "I Am Here" and "You May Be Right". Kevin Kane left the band in 1992. Starting in 2010, the band played together again, touring and releasing High Road in 2013.
They create cool, easy-listening pop tunes with the most classic of influences. I saw them live at the Ontario Place Forum back in the day. Unfortunately, it was one of those "It's not the band I hate, it's their fans." I was actually turned off by so many screaming teenage girls at the show. As the cliché goes, you couldn't hear the band.
Check out some tunes:
"Peace of Mind" from Treehouse
"O Lucky Man" from Treehouse
"All The Things I Wasn't" from Now and Again
"What Was Going Through My Head" from Now and Again
