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Music

Swann Dive

Monday morning brought us the good news that Vancouver singer/songwriter Dan Mangan is launching a record label, Madic, in partnership with Toronto’s Arts & Crafts – welcome at a time when little indie labels are either going under or merging with bigger ones. (See Nettwerk’s recent acquisition of Bumstead.)

Then Monday afternoon brought us the realization that Madic’s first signing, Astral Swans, is the new project from Calgary’s Matthew Swann, whose previous project, Extra Happy Ghost!!!, was one of our faves. He’s brilliant at merging lazy bedroom pop with experimental dissonance, though Astral Swans is said to marry 60s folk, no wave and 90s sludge.

First single You Carry A Sickness/Park Street comes out March 25. A full-length follows later this year.

Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton

Fans of underground hip-hop label Stones Throw will want to head to the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema (506 Bloor West) tonight (Thursday, March 6) for a screening of the new documentary Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton.

Directed by Jeff Broadway, the feature-length film about the L.A.-based avant-garde label includes interviews with founder Peanut Butter Wolf, Kanye West, Common, Mike D, ?uestlove, Ariel Pink, Talib Kweli, Flying Lotus and many others.

Toronto is one of only a handful of cities getting a screening. It’ll be followed by a Q&A with Peanut Butter Wolf as well as an after-party at CODA (794 Bathurst) with Wolf and Stones Throw musicians J Rocc and Jonwayne. ourvinylweighsaton.com.

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