What's better than roasted corn? Free roasted corn at St. Lawrence Market

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9:41 am

Nothing tastes more like summer then shucked corn cooked over an open flame. This weekend, the St. Lawrence Market is hoping that charred kernels dipped in melted butter are enough to lure Torontonians away from their air conditioning and down to its farmer’s market, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

The Market is hosting its annual corn roast, where Marvin’s Produce and Ponesse Foods will be providing free corn on the cob. In an effort to advertise locally grown produce, other vendors will be sampling corn bread, watermelon and fresh lemonade.

Special guests Massimo Capra, Michael Bonacini and Jason Parsons — on-air chefs from CityTV’s CityLine — will be on hand in the Market’s kitchen from 11 p.m. to 12 p.m. demonstrating some of their finest recipes and signing autographs for their new cookbook. (No word on what they’ll be cooking, but we’re guessing it includes corn.)

With the middle of summer officially here, join the expected crowd of 500 people, meet Ontario’s finest farmers and indulge in the season’s freshly picked fruits and veggies before it’s too late.

Straw hats and chewing twigs not included.

St. Lawrence Market Corn Roast, St. Lawrence Market, Aug. 6

Yes, it is 2011: Agassi joins McEnroe and other tennis greats at the Rogers Legends Cup

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Professional tennis returns to the city this weekend as the Rogers Cup takes over the Rexall Centre at York University from Aug. 6 to 14. In addition to the world’s top women holding court, the event marks the inaugural Rogers Legends Cup, featuring top legendary players Michael Chang, Jim Courier, John McEnroe and recent International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Andre Agassi.

The Las Vegas native is considered one of the top 10 players to ever play the game. We caught up with Agassi to talk Rogers Cup, Rafa and Milos Raonic.

What advice do you have for our local phenom Milos Raonic? First of all, get healthy. I know he had a very unfortunate injury in Wimbledon. Second, be very smart with your choices and your body. Train to get one day better, not two days better. Always think about improving and don’t worry about the competition.

How do you see his potential? I think his potential is right there at the top of the world. Here’s a guy who has a huge game on many levels. But, beyond that, the intangible I look for is that he moves from the back court to a big stage and actually believes he belongs there. He has that sense, that presence about himself. A year ago he was ranked 400, now he’s 25 in the world. He’s the highest ranked Canadian — he has everything it takes to be at the top of the game.

How did you prepare for the Canadian Open (now Rogers Cup)? Well, the good news was everything about the Canadian Open fit my game. I loved the surface, loved the court speed. Historically in my career, if I enjoyed being there, I had success.

How has the game changed for you? I don’t miss the competition,that’s forsure. Relieving the pressure of competition has freed me to enjoy the game differently. The older I’ve gotten, from 27, I’ve learned to enjoy and love the sport.

How do you compare your generation with the current stars of the game? I believe wholeheartedly that Roger [Federer] and (Rafael ‘Rafa’) Nadal have pushed the game much further than I or Pete [Sampras] ever did. They have options on a tennis court that are considerably more than ours.

What player today is doing what you did, in terms of being a global ambassador? That’s a hard question to answer. What Federer has done for so many who love the sport, watching that happen, is a luxury in one’s life. For me, what is really compelling is looking at the three best players in the world, two of which are unquestionably the top to ever play the game. The third (Novak Djokovic) is well on his way to proving he should be in that discussion.

Rogers Cup, Rexall Centre, Aug. 6-14

T.O Sales Roundup: sporty and stylish deals

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With the last month of summer in full swing, we’re feeling pretty adventurous lately. Thanks to the beautiful warm weather, we’re apt to try anything that gets us outside (even if we do lack any sort of physical prowess). Whether you’re cycling around the city, hitting the trails or trying kayaking for the first time, this week’s sales roundup blends the sporty with the stylish.

Biking Beauty

Stay cool and cute as you cycle through the city or up at the cottage in this babydoll sports tank from Roots, on sale for $30.
100 Bloor Street West, 416-323-3289

Pretty Pigeon Pose

As any diehard yogi knows, you can never have too many yoga pants. Pick up this pair from Lululemon for only $64.
130 Bloor Street, 416-964-9544

Smashing Style

Match point your style with the ladies of the Rogers Cup this weekend in this cute tennis dress from Sporting Life. It’s on sale for $50.
2454 Yonge Street, 416-485-4440

Haute Hiker

If you’re hitting the trails up north this weekend, you’re going to need a really sturdy – yet stylish – pair of hiking boots. Lace up with this pair from Get Outside. On sale for $80.
437 Queen Street West, 416-593-5598

…Snow Bunny?

Okay, we know: you don’t want to think about snow right now. But there are amazing deals happening for winter jackets, and if you’re an avid skier or snowboarder, you might want to pick this one up for a cool $60 from SportCheck.
Eaton Centre, 218 Yonge Street, 416-598-3785

Q&A: Random Family, bringing their sonic dreamscapes to Lee’s Palace tonight

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1:53 pm

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Random Family want to be your favourite band. It’s music by way of collage: pop meets post-rock meets indie, before a delay pedal devours the whole thing and regurgitates it in a glittery shower of sound. You can catch Marcus Retterath, Aaron Lyons and Alec Forbes filling Lee’s Palace with sonic dreamscapes tonight at 9:30 p.m. Try them on for size, wear them like a coat.

Your songs grow out of very different seeds — upbeat pop; washed-out psychedelia that wouldn’t be out of place on a “chillwave” (sorry) album; ambient Explosions in the Sky-type instrumental barn-burners. Do you guys set out to make a certain "type" of song, or does it just come out that way?
Often I’ll bring the initial riff to the band, and we’ll just kind of work organically off of it. It all really depends on that initial riff and where it takes us. We never set out to make a certain type of song, but we might pull on influences once we realize where a song is headed. We’re a really adaptive band, and we love to play our songs in different ways every time we get together to practice. We never force it, and rarely will a RF band practice ever dissolve into ‘I think the song should go here next…’ It’s just not how we operate.

How do the songs evolve? Is there a central songwriter, or is it totally collaborative? You’re the rare band where I’m not sure.
I suppose that I’m the central songwriter. I say ‘I suppose’ because I bring the original riff to the table, but it often changes so much once the boys get the rhythm behind it. Better too. Each member is a self-taught musician, and that frees us from the pressure of working within convention. Sometimes the ideas don’t start with me, though. The verse bassline in ‘Trouble’ was written by Aaron, and it kicked off the creation of that song. I added my guitar, he figured out the drum beat, and Alec filled in the bass for the rest of the tune.

I’m reading Broken Social Scene into the feel and vibe of these songs, especially the crescendo-to-relaxed-to-crescendo-to-relaxed dynamic. Do they figure into your thinking, or if not then who?
We really dig BSS, and most of the acts on Arts and Crafts for that matter. BSS definitely influenced songs like ‘Wait’ and ‘Touble,’ the more upbeat stuff. A lot of the instrumental tunes are influenced by Do Make Say Think, who are one of our biggest influences. That record changed the way I felt about music a long time ago. We also pull from more ambient influences like Sigur Rós. When I listen to Sigur Rós and Do Make Say Think I feel something. And that’s what I want RF to do. I want people to listen to these songs, and not necessarily the words, and feel something. Feel a movement in the music, whether it’s happy, or sad, or reflective.

Listeners have remarked on your MySpace about the cinematic quality of your music. Who would (hypothetically) direct the (hypothetical) Random Family film, and what would it be about?
The obvious answer for me here is Spike Jonze, just because I like his work and I especially love what he did with Arcade Fire and The Suburbs. His movies, whether you like them or not, are very immersive and he knows how to develop character in a short amount of time. I suppose the film would have to include lots of different locations and backgrounds to cover the different moods we convey. I think a good RF movie would just be entirely based off the story in The Gun. We’d be covering all the bases (laughs). Father issues, war, love, redemption, purpose. ‘EverythingReturnstotheWater’ may be our most cinematic song — definitely an apocalypse scene. We’d love to get some videos together, and it may be one of our upcoming projects.

What’s in the future for Random Family?
Well, we put out a CD in May and we’ve just been promoting it with shows. So we’re looking forward to playing more in Toronto and just spreading the word about that. We’re planning on recording once again in the late fall/early winter. Just an eight song EP to get some new material off our chests. We also want to release the songs we didn’t put on the CD on the Internet for free download. There are some gems there that just didn’t make it on due to time constraints or us feeling that 19 songs was too many for a first release. Fourteen seemed a more reasonable number for an indie band (laughs). So expect all of that in the next few months. We’re really excited to be playing our first gig with Collective Concerts tonight at Lee’s Palace, and hopefully they’ll pick us up to play the area more. We’re dedicated and we’re having fun.

Random Family, Lee’s Palace, Aug. 4

Bier Markt to become the Shops at Don Mills’ newest purveyor of beer, exotic spelling

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12:40 pm

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The Shops at Don Mills has been growing rapidly over the past couple years, and Robert Medal has been keeping watch. The general manager of Toronto’s Bier Markt — currently with one location on King Street West and another on The Esplanade — knew that the evolving outdoor shopping center was the perfect spot for a third Bier Markt location.

“We’re big fans of the area. It’s a premium environment,” Medal says.

The Don Mills Bier Markt, set to open in November, will take after the King St. location’s style and The Esplanade location’s larger beer list. “The beer offerings are the same as Esplanade, which has about five more than King Street,” says Medal. Altogether, the Bier Markt offers over 100 different beers from over 24 different countries.

Montreal designer Margaret Rudi will be taking care of the interior. “It will carry on the design cues from King Street.”

On the food front, a chef is being trained from within the Markt system, but the name will have to remain a mystery until opening. The menu will remain close to its King and Esplanade roots with dishes such as a cheese and lager fondue ($20), an Ahi tuna burger ($19) and a bacon mac and cheese ($16).

“[Entertainment] will be same as the others. DJ Wednesday, live bands Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.”

Sticking with Medal’s philosophy that "bars should never charge," there will be no cover price for live music patrons.

The Don Mills restaurant will be the Bier Markt’s first North York location and third overall. “We’re excited to be up in a new part of Toronto.”

The show must go on: despite budget cuts, SummerWorks is back, for now

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11:04 am

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The SummerWorks Festival kicks off today. This indie theatre fest has been around since ’91, and has grown from its fringe-like beginnings to the respectable breeding ground for local artists it’s known for today (over 20 of this year’s Dora nominations came from past SummerWorks productions). But with such great responsibility also comes great controversy. We caught up with the fest’s artistic director, Michael Rubenfeld, to chat about theatre and the festival’s future.

In your opinion, what makes good theatre?
Anything that challenges the status quo. Good theatre is wide-reaching. Even popular musicals can be good theatre. It’s anything that challenges and provokes and connects emotionally with the audience.

As a juried festival, is there anything in particular that stands out when it comes to the selection process?
The jury is of experienced professionals. Our personal mandate is that all art should be asking something of the world we live in. The shows selected usually aim to be representative of the city we live in, so there’s a tendency towards cultural diversity.

What’s most exciting about SummerWorks?
The risks people are taking with their work. Artists of all calibers are free to take artistic risks at a level that the country doesn’t see. Some risks fail, but many succeed. You won’t see a higher degree of artistry in this country. It’s the number one place for artists to develop new performance in the country. SummerWorks is the breeding ground of theatrical ecology in Canada.

Has the festival recouped the loss from the Heritage Canada funding?
Most of it, for this year. It was a multi-year grant: $150,000 over three years. So only one third of it has been recouped. The long-term sustainability of the festival is still in question.

Without public funding, what does the future of Toronto theatre look like?
It will be survival of the fittest. It forces all theatre companies to become capitalists. The focus will be on who knows how to fundraise the best instead of on the quality of the work.

SummerWorks runs August 4-14.

The above artwork is being used as a promotional image for Morning Glory, one of the festival’s plays. The artist is Karin Bolette Sonne.

Missed Beirut and Owen Pallett on Tuesday? It’s happening again tonight, and it’s a must-see

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9:58 am

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Concertgoers at the Phoenix Concert Theatre received an eclectic, intoxicating one-two punch on Tuesday night, courtesy of Beirut and Owen Pallett. If you’re not much for reading concert reviews, then I humbly suggest you do yourself the favor of clicking those links, listening to the music, falling in love and clearing your evening schedule, because history is going to repeat itself tonight — same time, same venue.

Owen Pallett, formerly Final Fantasy, the one-man band that weaved eccentric, high-concept narratives over pedal-looped violin, has finally, happily, found a touring band. And how. Pallett’s always been a charming performer, capable of putting audiences under hypnosis with his upbeat-incantatory pop hymns, so just picture that with an explosive two-piece rock band adding thrust and muscle. Watching Pallett’s violin work in this environment is visceral; his agile picking and bowing reinvent the instrument, equaling any guitar for impact. And somehow he does it all without compromising his vocal delivery. A whole house sat literally silent through his trapeze act, all eyes watching the man on the wire — not necessarily what you always want at a rock show, but then again, this was not your conventional rock show.

Zach Condon, the 25-year-old orchestrating brain behind Beirut, is a restless soul. Raised by Catholic parents in “unstimulating” Sante Fe, New Mexico, Condon’s dreams were bigger than his bedroom could hold; he dropped out of high school halfway through, went to Europe and came back with big plans. Their fruition is the Beirut ensemble (avec accordion, keys, French horn and dueling trumpets) that’ll haunt the Phoenix for a second time on tonight. This is world music fused to pretty pop, stripped of excess, then fed shots of absinthe until warm.

Readers who have not experienced Beirut are forgiven if they imagine the result as tedious or gimmicky, but as the legions of howling fans that packed the Phoenix on Tuesday will attest, it’s a far cry from. Condon’s troupe is comprised of stoutly professional masters of momentum: big hooks pump the audience from start to finish and the songs find their conclusions at just the right moment. If anything, there were times I found myself looking around after a coda or crescendo, thinking, “I wish they’d rode that melody for a little longer,” but you’ve got to hand it to the boys for leaving the audience wanting more.

And yes, of course, the obvious happened: Pallett joined Condon’s parade of rock and roll misfits onstage for several songs, resulting in total sensory overload for this overly-sensitive music-lover. Don’t have tickets for the Thursday show? That might not be a problem. The National Post reports that the Phoenix released a batch of extra tickets at the door on Tuesday; they may just do the same tonight.

Beirut and Owen Pallet, Phoenix Concert Theatre, Aug. 4

Forget Queen West: these off the beaten path boutiques are well worth the trek

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2:23 pm

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When people ask you where to find the best shopping in Toronto, what do you say? Most likely you name somewhere or something on the Queen West strip between University and Ossington. But awesome boutiques are popping up all over the city, especially off the ol’ beaten track of Queen West, and they’re worth the trek. Here’s our list of the top five boutiques to check out and why they love where they are.

The Narwhal

Situated next to the beer store and overlooking its parking lot, the quirky location of Rosedale’s newest and coolest boutique, The Narwhal, only adds to its mystique. Owners Sydney Wills and Marisa Buchkowsky have filled their shop to the brim with exquisitely-picked pieces from some of fashion’s most coveted ready-to-wear brands. Expect to fall in love with everything from A.L.C., Preen and Helmut Lang to Toronto’s very own Chloe Comme Parris.

Why I heart my area: “We grew up in the area and always wished there was a cool shop we could go to. We love Queen West, but don’t want ‘cool’ to only be downtown.”

Shop pick: feather print French cuff shirt by Rag & Bone, $570

The Narwhal, 8 Price Street, 647-351-5011

290 ION Fashion

After 15 years of business at Queen and Soho, and a ten-year hiatus, Sanghun Oh re-opened the doors of 290 ION Fashion three years ago in Corktown. Best known for her incredible support of Canadian designers — she helped launch the careers of Joeffer Caoc, Comrags and Lida Baday — Oh’s shop floor is now filled with the likes of Montreal’s Marie Saint Pierre, Veronique Miljkovitch and Melissa Nepton, alongside a mixture of designers from Copenhagen to Paris.

Why I heart my area: “I love that when my customers come here, they can park, they can focus and they can shop. They’re not surrounded by distractions and they get to do what they came here to do, which is shop!”

Shop pick: linen-jersey long vest by Melissa Nepton, $165

290 ION Fashion, 380 Queen Street East, 647-283-5321

Tabula Rasa

Located on Broadview Avenue, just south of the Danforth, Tabula Rasa was opened by Ryerson Fashion Design graduate Jennifer Park in Oct. of ’09. Committed to the importance of individual style, Park provides women with a selection of re-worked vintage and new pieces from labels such as: My Teaspoon, Alternative Apparel and BB Dakota.

Why I heart my area: “I’m an east end girl, this is the neighborhood I grew up in and it is home. Plus I’m the only kick-ass vintage store on the Danforth!”

Shop pick: denim chambray bustier by My Teaspoon, $69

Tabula Rasa, 745 Broadview Avenue, 416-465-4450

Woodlawn

The youngest shop of our top five list, business partners Ainaz Maleko and Jennifer Kim opened Woodlawn last April. Having set up shop at Dundas and Dufferin, the boutique offers clothing and accessories for both men and women by labels that include YMC, General Assembly and Whillas & Gunn — notably, most pieces are exclusive to the shop or hard to find anywhere else.

Why I heart my area: “Its great to be a part of a neighborhood where you find all your favourite cafes, bars, restaurants, butcher shops and bakeries. There is a real sense of community on the street and that is one of our favourite things about our location.”

Shop pick: men’s britches by Birdwell Beach Britches, $85

Woodlawn, 1491 Dundas St. West, 416-551-8000

Sara Duke Factory Store

Sara Duke’s little factory on Bloor West offers simple, easy separates in small quantities from her own line as well as other indie T.O. designers at a price range from $18-$108. Why bother with fast-fashion mega-chains when you can now support local and wear something unique at the same price-point?

Why I heart my area: “I picked my location based on the huge space, but when I opened up and started to meet my neighbors, I was blown away by how nice, supportive and wonderful the locals are. The people I meet here are the very best, I heart Bloordale!”

Shop pick: ‘New’ cotton dress by “I made this for you” – Sara Duke, $88

Sara Duke Factory Store, 1244 Bloor Street West

It’s North America’s first-ever queer beer festival this Thursday (why didn’t anyone think of that before?)

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It seems so obvious: queers and beers go together like, um, how they rhyme together. But it took Les Murray, the president of Toronto’s Festival of Beer — plus a Cyndi Lauper concert at last year’s Dyke Day festival — to make it happen. Sitting at the Queen’s Park event, Murray thought to himself, “This would be an unbelievable audience to do a festival with.”

He’s likely right. North America’s first ever Queer Beer Festival happens this Thursday as a precursor to this weekend’s Festival of Beer, both at the CNE. And what, exactly, is queer about the festival? Mostly the entertainment, with Ace of Base headlining and queer favourites Lucas Silveira (from The Cliks) and Hunter Valentine performing, along with comedian Maggie Cassella as emcee.

Like the straight version of the festival, 70 brewers will showcase hundreds of beers, from local to international breweries. On Thursday, queers will get the first taste of some special festival brews, where eight teams of two brewers have created some unique beers. But what those brews will taste like is only for festival-goers to find out.

“[The brewers] keep it under and lock and key,” Murray says.

Along with a grilling tent promising great food options to go with beer, beer expert Mirella Amato is offering a female-oriented beer tour, with the goal of finding at least one beer that every participant will enjoy.

“Not a lot of people are aware that … to the end of 19th century, beer was always brewed by women,” Amato says. “It was always a women’s art and there are still many parts of the world where that is still the case. In Peru, the traditional chicha is brewed by women.”

So there’s beer, and there’s history too. It’s almost like it’s good for you.

By the way, Amato says beer has as many health benefits as wine. What do you know? We’re getting thirsty.

Festival of Beer, CNE, Aug. 4

In light of Toronto Star article, La Palette puts a moratorium on selling horsemeat

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10:41 am

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Last month, Rosedale’s Terroni Bar Centrale pulled horsemeat from its menu. The move — prompted solely by poor sales, apparently — wasn’t a complete surprise, since selling horsemeat is extra risqué for a chain restaurant. But what does it mean when, after over a decade, La Palette stops serving horsemeat, as it did over the weekend?

When La Palette opened its doors in 2000, it may have been the first place in Toronto to sell horsemeat. As far as co-owner Shamez Amlani knows, it could have been the first Canadian restaurant outside of Quebec to serve horse. And it did so enthusiastically.

“I want to be clear that we have no moral qualms about the eating and serving of horsemeat,” Amlani tells us.

And why should they, when they have no moral qualms about serving venison, duck or other animals? To be a non-vegetarian and protest the consumption of horsemeat is to partake in “speciesism,” Amlani says.

It’s no coincidence that La Palette put a moratorium on selling horsemeat on the same day that The Toronto Star published an in-depth investigation into horse consumption in Canada. That article points out several gruesome details about the horsemeat industry.

Most disturbing, for Amlani, is the fact that unwanted horses from the U.S. — where consumption of horsemeat has been banned since 2007 — are apparently making their way to Canada, including the Richelieu meat plant in Quebec, La Palette’s former horsemeat supplier.

Amlani was under the impression that Richelieu used only horses raised specifically for human consumption; that they were raised ethically and with adherence to health regulations. The problem with U.S. horses, experts say, is that they weren’t raised with human consumption in mind — they’re potentially contaminated with drugs like phenylbutazone (PBZ), an anti-inflammatory.

“It’s a health regulation violation,” a professor of neurology told The Star. “We’re sending contaminated horse meat to the people eating it.”

After reading The Star’s article, Amlani called Richelieu to do some first-hand research. He wasn’t confident with the responses he got — didn’t feel like they could guarantee properly-treated and uncontaminated product — so the moratorium went up. As soon as La Palette can source traceable, top-quality horsemeat, though, it’ll be back on the menu.

“We’re trying to protect our customers,” Amlani says. “We’re not capitulating to horsemeat naysayers.”

Still, the move is symbolically important. We’re curious to see whether other restaurants around the city will start bucking the trend.

In the meantime, La Palette is replacing its horsemeat dishes with venison.

Band of the Week: Hamilton Trading Co.

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8:19 am

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On any evening in pretty much any neighborhood in the city there are dozens musicians sitting in bars strumming on acoustic guitars. And while Toronto’s Hamilton Trading Co. does, in fact, revolve around Keith Hamilton and his acoustic guitar, there is one element that makes the experience stand out: surrounding him is a soulful choir belting out harmonies and stomping out the rhythm of the songs.

It makes for a unique atmosphere; something akin to attending an indie-rock gospel church where the preacher is more likely to expound on the merits of medium-gauge guitar strings or seek salvation in delicate vocal melodies rather than revel in any specific doctrine. We got a hold of main songwriter and vocalist Keith Hamilton on the East Coast, where the band is currently on tour.

Hamilton Trading Co. is a pretty unique concept. Can you talk a bit about the inception of the band?
We began as a simple trio with two voices, acoustic guitar and a drummer, but about five years ago we were asked to play a show at Lee’s Palace on very short notice, and seeing as it’s a sizable venue, I wanted to make better and bigger use of the space. There wasn’t really enough time to teach a whole band the imagined instrumentation, but I figured I could grab a good dozen of my singing friends and build a choir. After 12 rehearsals over the next eight days — with never more than four members at a time, and everyone only finally meeting on stage for the show — we had the makings of Hamilton Trading Co. as you know it today!

When I listen to your songs I hear some pretty disparate elements: everything from The Beach Boys to old Sacred Heart gospel singers. What were some of your influences?
Above and beyond those mentioned, I would say CSNY, Hayden, Wilco, Julie Doiron and Guided By Voices would be the most significant influences. I’m also a sucker for oldies AM radio.

How’s the reaction to the band when people see you for the first time?
Almost exclusively positive. As humbly as I can: there are not a lot of groups out there similar to us. As a group, we entertain, and our songs are fresh yet familiar and accessible.

I noticed from all the videos online that you guys like to play some pretty interesting places, including out on the street. Is that preferable to club gig?
It’s a valuable opportunity more so than a preference. Club gigs feel like more of an event. Sometimes I feel like we impose when we play on the street. It’s very situational.

One of my favourite parts about your band is the brevity of some of the songs. Is that a conscious decision to write songs that short, or does it just happen?
I try not to unnecessarily repeat myself. I hear it’s better to leave ‘em wanting more.

There’s also an element of humour in some of the songs. Do you think there are some bands that take themselves too seriously?
Absolutely… I play in those bands, too!

With so many people involved, are there ever any logistical problems getting everyone to be in the same spot at the same time? Does it present any problems when you’re touring?
Does it ever? Always! Outside of myself there’s only one original member left from the first choir. Most members work the nine-to-five life and so scheduling a tour gets real tough to coordinate. But, when a core of us are itching to see another part of the country, we make it happen.

What’s the most people you’ve ever had on stage as Hamilton Trading Co.?
Eighteen members is our highest to date.

I know that a part of the Hamilton Trading Co experience is the minimal instrumentation, but has there ever been any thought to adding additional instruments?
Absolutely. When the time is right that freedom will be explored, but whether I take the route of The Modern Lovers or Pink Floyd is still up for debate.

Have you released any albums? Are there any plans to release anything else soon?
We released an EP last year. No immediate plans to record; that stuff’s expensive to do well and as fun as we might be, we are a tough pitch for record label support.

Any shows coming up, or any other plans for the near future?
We hit Newfoundland this week for the first time. Very excited for that!

Recommended track: 16 Hours

Hamilton Trading Co. are:
Keith Hamilton: Guitar, vocals
Mike Duffield, Brad Casey, Luke Higginson, Anna Mernieks, Heather Mazhar, Juni Bimm, Irene Chu, Jess Luckett and Emily Lawrence make up the core of the choir.

This Week in Sound: Handsome Furs, Beirut, The Sheepdogs and more

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2:04 pm

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Wolf Parade alumni Dan Boeckner and wife Alexei Perry are Handsome Furs (August 2 @ Horseshoe Tavern), maybe my favourite live act going. I’ve seen them blow the doors off at least three Toronto venues with their manic, crisp, minimal indie-pop. That I have to throw a caveat in makes my liver hurt a bit, but I do: their most recent effort, Sound Kapital, is claustrophobic electronica — stripping the propulsive force of Boeckner’s bone-saw guitar out of the mix. The songwriting is no less solid, but it’s worth checking out the new material before you go, just to see if the glitch-and-whirl beats are down your sonic alleyway.

Beirut (August 2 & 4 @ Phoenix Concert Theatre) is musical wunderkind Zach Condon and his troupe of merry men. At 24, Condon is already setting himself up to be a legacy artist. Troubadour’s a word that gets tossed about quite a bit, but this guy is one of the few who can truly lay claim to the title — trotting the globe, collecting musical influences and soldering them onto his hypnotic brand of folk-pop. This one comes off without a hitch: the guy is something to see, and his musical circus is going to be crossing borders and genres for a long time to come.

Opening for Beirut will be Owen Pallett (August 2 & 4 @ Phoenix Concert Theatre), previously known as Final Fantasy. His eccentric brand of pop, which relies on pedal-looped violin and gentle, loping vocals in place of a band, might be too weird for some or too bland for others. Those in the middle will find that he is a radiantly charismatic performer with enough stage presence to fill an auditorium — necessarily so, since it’s just him up there.

Choose your own adventure with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (August 2 @ Opera House): 1) Does the word "twee" mean anything to you? If yes, continue reading; if no, skip to next paragraph. 2) Does it inspire a) nostalgia and rose-tinted images of bike rides, retro clothing and awkward teenage romance (continue), or b) a borderline-homicidal mania (skip it)? Finally: 3) Is My Bloody Valentine a) one of the great shoegaze acts of all time (go see this show), b) an indecipherable, overrated wall of noise (skip it) or c) two hard-sucking horror flicks (time to up your pop IQ)?

Sloan (August 5 @ Echo Beach): Ah, the 90s, the heyday of Canadian alt-mainstream radio rock. Sloan issued a series of solid, jangling power-pop hits back in the Big Shiny Tunes era, with a catalogue of great material to back them up. And where their contemporaries have largely wandered down softer, more meandering roads, Sloan have stayed true to their roots for the most part: delivering pop gems that gracefully walk the line between polished and manufactured. Suffice to say, these guys are a Canadian institution in the vein of The Hip, and deserve to be.

Next up, appropriately enough, are The Sheepdogs and The Trews (August 7 @ CNE’s Festival of Beer), two possible heirs to the CanRock throne. You’re going to be hearing a lot about The Sheepdogs over the next few weeks: they’ve scored a major indie coup, beating out fifteen other bands to win Rolling Stone‘s cover contest, and will bring home the proverbial bacon with an Atlantic Records recording deal. The Trews are, well… The Trews, and you’ve been hearing that ‘Hope and Ruin’ song nonstop on the radio, so you already know whether you like them or not, right?