She may have been passed over again for this year’s Polaris Music Prize, but Ottawa singer/songwriter Kathleen Edwards did take home the $5,000 2012 SOCAN ECHO Songwriting Prize last week for her song A Soft Place To Land. What really got people’s attention, though, was her announcement afterwards that she’s starting a sexed-up all-girl Canadian band called Modern Beaver. While we’re pretty sure she’s joking, she has started a Twitter account for the project, and interested ladies are already offering to help make it real.
El Mocambo booking shakeup
When the people behind the Cadillac Lounge and 99 Sudbury teamed up to bought the El Mocambo back in July, they promised that changes would be coming to the Toronto rock institution. They started that process by dismissing long-time booker Yvonne Matsell this week.
Matsell had been running things for almost 11 years, taking over bookings when controversial owner Abbas Jahangiri purchased the bar and remodelled it back in 2001.
Her history in Toronto’s live music scene is much longer than that, though, going back to Albert’s Hall in the 80s, Ultrasound for much of the 90s as well as stints at the Horseshoe, the Reverb and Ted’s Wrecking Yard. She’s also one of the founders and directors of NXNE.
The xx check 2:54
Spotted in the audience at the 2:54 show Monday at the Horseshoe were all three members of The xx, in town a day early for their own show at Massey Hall.
See review of the 2:54 show.
Winters are Fucked Up
Toronto hardcore heroes Fucked Up are doing a series of monthly pay-what-you-can multimedia arts events all winter long at the Great Hall. The Long Winter series kicks off November 9 and includes performances by the band along with a slew of other musicians, authors, artists and performers.
For more details, check out torontolongwinter.com, which updates information as it’s confirmed.
Alixander III is cruel
Toronto classic house revisionists Azari & III’s self-titled debut album is finally getting officially released in Canada on Tuesday (October 30), after scoring rave reviews around the world for the past year. In between tours, production whiz Alphonse Alixander Lanza III has started up a new dance label called Idol Hanse, and is also working on a new gritty rock ‘n’ roll project called the Cruelty Party. While he’s keeping pretty quiet about the new band, word is they’ve almost finished recording their debut album. The sneak peek we heard is very promising.
