Said The Whale
COLLABORATION IS KEY ON THEIR LATEST ALBUM, LITTLE MOUNTAIN Story by Laura Cappe Photo by Johnathan Taggart Vancouver-based indie rock band, Said The Whale (composed of Ben Worcester, Tyler Bancroft, Nathan Shaw, Spencer Schoening and Jaycelyn Brown) are practiced storytellers. Deeply influenced by art, nature and their surroundings, they offer listeners a glimpse inside...
Pond
THEIR NEW STUDIO ALBUM IS OUT TODAY Story by Laura Cappe Photo by Ben Hayes Australian hippie collective Pond creates music that reflects their lifestyle. Recorded in 2010, Beard, Wives, Denim (out today on Modular Records) came to life at a friend’s farmhouse-turned-studio. The story is actually very ’60s; ‘a love-in, be-in’ of sorts, with...
Amen Dunes
DAMON MCMAHON EXPLAINS WHAT’S IN A NAME Story by Adam Steel Photo by Sebastian Mlynarski Damon McMahon, the brains behind Amen Dunes, is something of an enigma. Blessed (or cursed) with a voice that falls somewhere between hedonistic caterwauling and a mutable murmur, as if he were calling up from the bottom of the...
Ben Caplan
TOUR TRIUMPHS, HALIFAX LOVING & A SHOW TONIGHT AT TORONTO’S SUPERMARKET Story by Poppy desClouds Photo by Courtney Lee Yip Before Ben Caplan committed himself to music, he contemplated becoming a Doctor of Philosophy. Inevitably, through our conversation about music, tours, and his feature-length album, this positively passionate and wonderfully well-read musician convinced me...
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
PLAYING TORONTO ON FEBRUARY 6, METTE LINDBERG DISHES ON THEIR HEINEKEN COMMERCIAL, HER FASHION FINDS AND THEIR NEW ALBUM Story by Rachel Martin Photo by Sigurd Grünberger Plaid got the chance to chat with lead singer, Mette Lindberg, of The Asteroids Galaxy Tourabout their new album, Out Of Frequency, their (now underway) North American tour and all...
Young Empires
CELEBRATING THE RELEASE OF THEIR DEBUT EP, WAKE ALL MY YOUTH Story by Laura Cappe Photo by David A. Pike For most musicians, creating music is about connecting with an audience while doing what they love. This holds true for Toronto’s Young Empires. These four guys – Matthew Vlahovich , Jacob Palahnuk, Robert Aaron Ellingson, and...
Los Campesinos!
ROB ‘SPARKLY DEATHCAP’ CAMPESINOS! DISHES ON HEAT RASH, LETTERMAN, AND THE ART OF NOT SELLING OUT Story by Adam Steel Photo provided by Los Campesinos! Don’t let the name throw you: they are not a mariachi band, but rather a unique group of mild-mannered, moderately-tattooed, multi-instrumentalists, six years and four albums into a critically-acclaimed career that has...
Little City
BASEMENT JAMS, A SATURDAY SHOW AND THEIR UPCOMING 7″ Story by Poppy desClouds Photo Provided In an absolutely charming phone-date, Shaun Axani of Toronto’s Little City discusses new records, great shows and busy cities – all the elements that have helped make up the band. They’re a lovely, lively indie-rock ensemble that will be taking Toronto by musical and...
Gabrielle Papillon
WE TALK MUSIC, CANADA AND HER NEW RECORD Story by Poppy desClouds Photo by Kofi Broughton In a coffee shop on a busy Monday morning in downtown Ottawa, I take a seat across the table from Gabrielle Papillon. Surrounded by layers of clothing, bags, and her guitar, she sits smiling, calm and content. In only 20 minutes she is able...
Kristian Noel Pederson
A DIFFERENT SHADE OF CHRISTMAS TUNES Story by Navi Lamba Photo by Jake Chirico When you experience the delightfulness of Kristian Noel Pederson, the discovery that he also writes and records incredibly charming Christmas music makes complete sense. However, it should be noted that Kristian’s songs don’t add up to your average holiday fare of...
Poetry Jazz Café
KENSINGTON JAZZ CLUB OFFERS VENUE FOR PERFORMERS TO SHARE THEIR PASSION Story by Hannah Rittner Photo by Lissa Varga Toronto evenings only promise to get colder; a new place to warm you during the coming winter nights is the Poetry Jazz Café on Augusta Avenue, an electric pulse inside the heart of Kensington. When I last visited, I immediately...
The Balconies
WE TALK ’70s BLONDIE, ’50s STYLING AND MICHAEL JACKSON SHOES Story by Poppy desClouds If you know The Balconies, you probably know how to bust a move without any inhibition. If you’ve seen them play a show, you’ve probably already marked the next one in your calendar. And if you’ve met any of the...
Merz
NO COMPASS WILL FIND MERZ Story by Hannah Rittner Photo by Steve Gullick If you follow a trail of post-its you may one day find Switzerland-based musician Conrad Lambert, known as Merz. He writes all of his musical ideas on these tiny pieces of paper, his pockets stuffed with them as he walks into the recording...
The Darcys
CHEEKY T’S AND BUCKETS OF BOOKS Story by Laura Cappe If you spot someone on the street wearing a shirt that says “Stop Thinking Like A Millionaire” emblazoned on the front, think about taking a second to introduce yourself. You should do so, because we’re telling you that this stranger listens to some pretty rad music. Maybe...
The Stepkids
PSYCHED-OUT SENSUAL TUNES FOR THE MODERN LOVER Story by Kate Kilgour Photo Provided There’s a psychedelic, cultish thing going on with The Stepkids, Connecticut’s three-piece reincarnates from an era past. Their live show plays out like a mellow trip down the bunny hole, with all white outfits and fragmented colored lights, but their music is beyond ‘the...
Little Red
THIS AUSTRALIAN BAND PLAYS THE DRAKE UNDERGROUND TONIGHT Story by Kate Kilgour Photo Provided “I went trick-or-treating once in Australia, but it’s a stupid idea. People are like ‘What are you doing?! We’re not in America’, and we’re like ‘Have you got any lollies or anything??’ They come out with choc chip cookies or something...
Metronomy
JOSEPH MOUNT ANSWERS SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT SHORT LISTS, BEDROOM MUSIC AND METRONOMY’S NORTH AMERICAN TOUR Story by Navi Lamba Photo provided by Metronomy Plaid Magazine had the exciting opportunity of speaking with Joseph Mount. Never heard of him, music nerds? Shame on you! Mount is the man behind British electro-pop outfit Metronomy. With their latest release,...
PAPA
EATING BABY CARROTS, WE CHAT ABOUT BEYONCE’S DANCE MOVES Story by Kate Kilgour “My heart is my choreographer,” Darren Weiss tells me of the music video for PAPA’s single, ‘I Am The Lion King’, out today. “The video is sort of like a boisterous and hilarious GAP ad.” PAPA is the Los Angeles based surf-pop-rock outfit of Weiss (drums/vocals)...
Ohbijou
PLAYING A ROUND WITH THE ARTISTS BEHIND ‘METAL MEETS’ Story by Emily Whalen Photo by Mark Binks When I was told to meet Ohbijou somewhere not west of Bathurst on Queen, I was shocked. A group that had become associated with the hip kids who hang out in Toronto’s west end, releasing albums called Beacons and a compilation titled Friends in Bellwoods,...
Battles
SAVOURING THE LAYERS OF THEIR TEXTURAL TUNES Story by Odessa Paloma Parker Photo by Jason Frank Rothenberg For a sound as textural as that of Battles – the NYC-based noisemakers whose latest album, Gloss Drop, is a disjointedly rhythmic romp – it’s hard to imagine where it all begins. Their drummer, John Stanier, takes centre stage during shows,...
Vivian Girls
SISTERLY ADVICE WITH GRUNGE + SOME SIXTIES SWEETNESS Story by Kate Kilgour Vivian Girls reflect on their third LP, ‘Share The Joy’, following their Toronto show at Parts and Labour. With fuzzed-out vibes and nods towards surf-y psychedelia, these three are like a tiki party in a Brooklyn thrift store. Why did you call your new...
LOWLANDS || POP Montréal 2011LOWLANDS || POP Montréal 2011
HARMONIES AND BANJOS, ROAD TRIPS AND SNACKS Story by Kate Kilgour Photo by Kallie Banks Lowlands‘ music, with their raspy folk and country nuances, is evocative. Their most recent track, ‘First Kill’, has the steady pacing of a chugging train and the delicate subtleties one would expect from the landscape passing by. Guelph, ON residents,...
Street Hearts || Pop Montréal 2011
MONTREAL’S FEMALE HIP HOP DUO TELLS US WHAT THEY’RE ALL ABOUT Story by Kate Kilgour Blending hip-hop rhymes with R+B grooves, the Street Hearts are Gabrielle Godon and Emma Beko, a couple of Montréal gals creating fresh music, with fresh style. What are the basics that you want us to know about Street Hearts? STREET HEARTS: That...
Canon Blue
DANIEL JAMES ON AMISH REFERENCES, SCANDINAVIA AND MUSICAL EVOLUTION Story by Kate Kilgour There’s this period in the lives of some Amish youth when they are given the opportunity to leave the world they know, behind. This is called Rumspringa, a chapter of time riddled with discovery and decision. Also called Rumspringa is the sophomore album from Canon...
Samantha Savage Smith
DOE-EYED SONGSTRESS IS MORE SWEET THAN SAVAGE Story by Ally Hall Photo by Lindsey Baker Calgary-based songbird Samantha Savage Smith might just hold the key to keeping her sanity during the grueling first months of a debut tour. “There’ll be five people there,” she said matter-of-factly. “That’s just the way it is when you’re starting out, you...
Slow Hand Motëm
IN HONOUR OF HIS BRAND NEW MIXTAPE, THE FORTHCOMING MIXTAPE, MOTËM DISCUSSES DRAKE, SQWEE AND HIS GRANDMA Story by Emily Whalen Photo by Colin Medley It’s very hard to describe Motëm. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to witness one of this musician’s performances, you’ll know that Motëm likes to make every show special. He lights...
Lucy ‘Lo
GET TO KNOW OUR LATEST HOUSE-LOVING FIXATION Story by Grace Carroll Photo by Michael Taylor As one half of Toronto’s electro-rap duo, 84.85, Jay Jolliffe gets the best of us furiously scribbling our numbers onto scraps of paper and blowing them over to him with sweet air kisses. Upon discovering his alter ego, house music...
