Complete CMW schedule + band bios

All shows are 19+ unless otherwise stated. Admission to CMW events with festival wristband (unless stated otherwise) or by paying listed cover charge; all admissions are subject to venue capacity. Advance tickets and $35 wristbands can be purchased through www.cmw.net, Ticketmaster or Ticketbreak.com.

ALL ARTIST BIOS WRITTEN AND PROVIDED BY CMW. SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. CHECK WWW.CMW.NET OR WWW.MYSPACE.COM/CANADIANMUSICWEEK FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION.


THURSDAY, MARCH 6

ANNEX WRECKROOM $8 adv./$10 door
9:30pm – Katchphraze Inspired by all music and driven by a love for the culture, his distinctive style is laced with spitfire delivery and relentless wordplay.
10:15pm – Kizzy One of a new breed of tough, talented, commercially viable female emcees to hit the rap scene. She made her name as a rough, profane rhyme spitter whose hardcore attitude and lyrical skills were never in doubt. She flips her flow back and forth, fast and slow, punchy and smooth.
11pm – Politic Live A hip-hop trio born in one of urban music’s most unlikely places, Edmonton, AB. Fusing their West Indian roots with past and modern day hip-hop influences, Politic Live have diversified the genre and set a stylistic precedent for Canadian hip-hop releases. Their latest album is Adaptation.
12am – RED1 As the leader of the Rascalz, Red-1 is one of the most recognized and respected MCs in the Canadian and international urban community. He has recorded with KRS-ONE, Beatnuts, k-os, Kardinal Offishall and has toured globally. He now has a solo album, Beg For Nothing.
1am – Aristo Backed by freshly crafted beats, his lyrical content takes listeners through a whirlwind experience as he speaks on his cultural, family and day-to-day struggles in his music.

BOVINE SEX CLUB $10
9pm – Survivor Screams A six-piece band who all went to high school together in Wainwright, AB. The band is hardcore/metal and the general consensus would be that we draw inspiration from the same, although each member respects all forms of music.
10pm – Forty Birds Soaring vocal melodies seep through the cracks of a wall of pulsating rhythms and percussion. It’s street corner metal straight out of Montreal rising from the rubble of other musical endeavors in early 2006 to form an earth-shattering collective of sound.
11pm – Minority The Toronto-based hardcore metal band is now armed with new music, a new attitude and a new passion for performing. With a high energy in-your-face style, Minority fuses raw heavy metal with stark, yet ambient riffs to create a unique sound.
12am – The Beat Poets Formed in May 2005, they have become one of the most excitingly tipped new Irish rocks to emerge in recent years. Described by BBC ATL as Ireland’s hardest working unsigned band, no one disputes their level of intensity and drive.
1am – Architects This metal band from Brighton, England has released its second album, Ruin, in Canada on Distort Entertainment.
2am – Johnny Truant The album No Tears For The Creatures will be released in the spring, and the band will be hitting the road as much as humanly possible. “Exudes brains, brawn, great songs and fascinating hidden depths.” — Kerrang!

CADILLAC LOUNGE $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Jenn Marino A 2007 London Music Award winner, the 20-year-old southern rock artist has been playing events with her band since age 15. High energy show (old-school meets new school), originals and covers.
10pm – Ryan Shearing and The Ghost of Belle Starr Shearing’s ragged and honest style of alternative folk ranges from story songs to drinking ballads to country stomps. He is backed by The Ghost of Belle Starr who elevate every song with inspired and nuanced arrangements.
11pm – Yonder Armed with a string section, a horn section, pedal steel, banjo, fiddle, upright bass, harmonium and even a musical saw, the album Skywalk To Crescent Town truly toes the line between city and country.
12am – The Painted Birds “Running the gamut from jittery, angular rock numbers reminiscent of Radiohead to gentle, Coldplay-esque piano ballads, and even a haunting, string-drenched track that wouldn’t seem out of place on an Arcade Fire album.” — review of So Much For The Rain in Nerve Magazine.
1am – The Schomberg Fair Three handsome assholes, bewildering crowds with energetic speed-gospel and folk-punk.

CAMERON HOUSE $7 adv./$8 door
10pm – Rich Aucoin A one-to-nine-piece band with a wall of sound, playing lush indie-pop to projections of classic films, which the music was written to sync up to in the same manner as the Pink Floyd/Wizard of Oz sync.
11pm – I See Rowboats With refreshing new music from Halifax that is “changing Canada’s strings-happy indie scene,” i see rowboats has quickly established itself as one of the most exciting new bands on the Atlantic Canadian scene. Its sound is a confident and original mix of melodic, strings-infused rock.
12am – Colin Munroe Munroe has signed a worldwide deal with Dallas Austin/Rowdy Records. Don’t Think Less of Me is his 11 song debut album written, performed, arranged and produced entirely by Munroe. The album features lots of blocky piano chords, jangly guitars and hooky melodies.
1am – The Superfantastics Now returning with the new EP Choose Your Destination, The Superfantastics have pushed pop music to its borders. Each track delivers hook after hook through a mesh of synths, fuzz soaked guitars and pounding beats.

CLINTON’S $8 adv./$10 door
Scene Magazine Showcase
9pm – Redinger Charging gritty rock; Jeff Redinger’s solo project incorporates soulful vocals, haunting lyrics, tasty guitar riffs and a driving bottom end. Impacted by classic rock, he conveys raw passion and conviction both on stage and in his albums.
10pm – Szeryk Music – especially guitar playing – dominates Szeryk’s life like a Jimi Hendrix guitar solo took over a stage. In fact, he counts Hendrix, as well as Frank Zappa, Nicolo Paganini and John Coltrane as major influences on his dynamic rock.
11pm – Sara Westbrook With a voice that combines power, grace and inspiration, motivational singer/songwriter Sara Westbrook is a talent to remember. Captivating and boundlessly energetic, her skills as a writer and performer have won her fans of all ages.
12am – Illatease Hailing from London ,Ontario Illatease (ill-at-ease) is a feisty, hard-rocking foursome. The songs are heavy and technical, while still maintaining a pop sensibility riddled with hooks, which will have you singing and screaming along.
1am – Nerve Their intense ‘in-your-face’ sound and live performances are fueled by heavy driving rhythms, thick grooves, sonic guitars and searing vocals wound tightly together to fuse a unique punk-rawk-metal sound that is dared to be seen and heard.

DAKOTA TAVERN $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Deon Blyan Deon is a pop songwriter and mixes story-based lyrics with well-barbed tunes. You’re going to recognize the Blue Rodeo in his rural roots and the Crowded House in his late ‘80s musical education.
10pm – The Audreys South Australia’s The Audreys feature the sultry voiced Taasha Coates and her four dapper suited boys. They burst onto the scene in early 2006 when their debut album, Between Last Night And Us, was released. They went on to collect that year’s ARIA Award for Best Blues & Roots Album.
11pm – Deep Dark Woods The mixing of traditional folk music with rock and roll, alt-country and psychedelia takes the band’s powerful original material from eerie gospel numbers to upbeat murder songs, covering plenty of ground in between.
12am – Shuyler Jansen If you can picture Shuyler Jansen dressed in a suit and tie, a beaten banjo in one hand and his life’s dreams in another, transfer that into notes and chords and you’ve got Today’s Remains. This is a record that lives up to, and possibly surpasses, the previous discs released by Old Reliable.

DRAKE UNDERGROUND  $5
9pm – Young Flux The band is self-described as “Giorgio Moroder being assaulted by a crystal meth addict.”
10pm – Sunriser With hit songs like, “The Joke You’ve Become” from its acclaimed debut EP, All My Big Plans End In Miserable Failure, featured in TV and film, continuous radio airplay and international touring, Toronto’s own Sunriser sound like “a mix of Supergrass and Travis” — Soulshine
11pm – Hexes & Ohs The electropop duo begins with a pair of highschool sweethearts and spans a decade of couplehood and musical projects. With Goodbye Friend, Welcome Lover, Edmund and Heidi have crafted their best, most focused work to date.
12am – Small Sins Mood Swings starts with a bang — literally. “If you give me the gun, well, I’ll shoot myself in the foot” are the first words on the album. Mood Swings is a hypnotic tapestry of shimmering electronics, organic instrumentation, and D’Arcy’s shameless pop hooks.
A.P.E Presents
1am – Cuizinier (Alexandre Miranda) is a French rapper. Cuizinier, or Cuizi, is a member of the Parisian group TTC and is also signed as a solo artist to Institubes.
2am – DJ Orgasmic Influences? “The sound of fingers snapping.” Sounds Like? “The group Snap! making snap music.”

EL MOCAMBO $10 adv./$15 door
SIRIUS Bloc Du Rock
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
9pm – Creature With its explosive concoction of pop, hip-hop, new wave and dance-punk, Creature has the mandate to get people shakin’. Get ready to dance!
10pm – Chocolat “With its stoned grooves, infectious tunefulness and solid musical variety, Chocolat’s EP offers consistently engaging listening.” — Exclaim!
11pm – Karkwa The members of this quintet see themselves as a collective of artists who use music to share their reactions to the world around them. The band’s latest album, Les tremblements s’immobilisent, was produced by Pierre Girard.
12am – Besnard Lakes Rich with Beach Boys harmonies, Roy Orbison reverbs and orchestra, Pink Floyd’s pacing and Freddy Mercury’s falsetto, The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse is a luxurious foray into sound. This is the second record by The Besnard Lakes, Montrealers by way of Western Canada.
1am – Les Breastfeeders Montreal’s rock outfit Les Breastfeeders conquered both the public and critics after their first release Déjeuner sur l’herbe, in 2004. Since then, the band has travelled throughout Canada and the U.S. to present its frenetic shows. In 2006, they returned with Les Matins de Grands Soirs.

GLADSTONE HOTEL BALLROOM
Indica Records Showcase
8pm – Flicker A fireplace, red wine, good company and Flicker playing in the background are sometimes what the doctor orders. At least we hope so!  Organic, real and personal is all you need to know about Flicker.
8:45pm – Krista LL Muir While mastering the art of baritone ukulele strumming, Muir composed a whole new body of creative work that she recorded in Toronto with Fembots and Montreal with Shane Watt. Leave Alight, is a playfully winsome family of pretty songs underpinned by melancholy.
9:30pm – Bonjour Brumaire The francophone indie rock quintet equals singular voices, a good dose of rhythms, syncopated guitars while being melodic and sprinkled with organ lines that can be confused with an accordion. Bonjour Brumaire plays conventional pop structures while incorporating progressive elements in their hooks.
10:15pm – Final Flash
11pm – The Junction Toronto trio The Junction’s self-titled full-length is a masterful rock offering from a band that doesn’t put parameters on its music. There are ripping rock songs, jangly rock, atmospheric instrumentals, falsetto pop, playful pop, buoyant damn-happy pop, and lighter jazzy funky fare.
12am – Colin Moore He’s been writing acoustic tunes since he was 13, and just was too busy doing other things. He then got his hands on a Fostex digital 8-track and started recording his songs. Now with the help of some good friends, he’s been able to record some pretty cool tracks.

HARD ROCK LIVE $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Kim Koren and Punchbuggy Yellow Her music is described as a blend of country, rock, and blues. Live performances are Kim’s strength. Lyrically, her songs speak of love, loss, truth, and things that make her happy.
10pm – Laganza The band has played over 1000 shows in Ontario alone and opened for acts including Big Sugar, Kim Mitchell and Bedouin Soundclash. Its original material is a melting pot of rock, reggae, blues and roots. It released The Black Creek Sessions in 2006.
11pm – Chris Koster A multiple threat on keyboard, guitar and vocals, Chris continues in the tradition of Prince and Trent Reznor — self-contained, self-produced visionaries. Sex, Love & Morality is the long-awaited follow up to 2005’s debut album Secrets of the Lonely.
12am – Eric Solomon Also known as Zayne to his friends, he takes us all to a place unique and yet familiar with his array of styles. Raised in Congo, Africa and evacuated from his home and family as a young child, his stories speak of heartbreak, successes, failures, and raising yourself beyond the norm.
1am – The Roman Line “Someone’s been paying attention to their Social D records, and all the records that the guys in Social D probably paid attention to.… The Roman Line rock the kind of sensitive, cool melodic punk rock that Mike Ness and company made awesome in the ’90s.” — Exclaim!

HEALEY’S $22 adv./$27 door
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
8pm – Alex J. Robinson This 22-year-old Sudbury, ON native recorded her debut country album with producer and co-writer Tim Thorney (Alanis Morissette, Jimmy Rankin, Brian Byrne, Chisai Jackson).
8:40pm – Hey Romeo Hey Romeo is the best band you’ve never heard of; mix Fleetwood Mac with country music and you get the picture. From Edmonton, this band has had two top 50 songs on country radio. Its latest album is called Sorry That You’re Leavin’.
9:25pm – Jessie Farrell Jessie Farrell’s latest album, Nothing Fancy, is a wonderful collection of joyful country-pop; a Dixie Chicks/Shania/Alison Kraus-esque magic that a wide variety of ages and audiences are drawn into.
10:20pm – Jason Blaine Blaine has moved to Nashville, where he has signed his first publishing/production deal with Anchor Down Entertainment and New Millennium Music. He has just completed a record and the first single, “Rock In My Boot” is charting in Canada.
11:15pm – Aaron Pritchett A 2007 Juno Award nominee for Country Recording of the Year, this artist’s third and newest album, 2006 Big Wheel, had a top 10 hit with the title track for eight weeks — not bad for an indie artist.
12:35pm – The Divorcees From Moncton, New Brunswick, they are The Divorcees — replete with haunting jukebox ballads, truckstop classics, and rough-and-ready barn burners — where Austin, Bakersfield and LA’s Sunset Strip have been brewed together as cool and refreshing as a Canadian ale.

THE HIDEOUT $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Sharko Belgium’s best-loved indie pop band, Sharko’s From Zappa to Mika could be our above-the-title punch line. The album features stadium chants (“Excellent”, “Spotlite”), phony storytelling (“Rip off a phone call”), power emo rock (“Sweet  protection”) and cartoonish tunes (“Clash P”).
10pm – Still Life Still Music are about the biggest picture inside the smallest frame. In love and just happy to be here scared. That is how this Toronto indie band describes what it does.
11pm – My Shaky Jane A four-piece band from Toronto, built on big guitar hooks, a powerful rhythm section, and infectious vocal melodies. Its sound evokes ‘60s pop and ‘70s rock, yet sounds right at home in the world of contemporary indie rock.
12am – Moses Hazy The best live band in Finland 2007 (chosen by Rumba, the biggest Finnish rock magazine), Moses Hazy was formed in 2003.. After quite a few praised EPs, its 2006 debut album, The Incredible Flow Of Life Show, received a great response. The new album is Break It Down Or Shake It Loose.
1am – Sacha Korn
2am – Inner City Surfers There are enough mental problems to declare the Inner City Surfers HQ a mental institution... after our meds, we get to go to the ”room WITH electricity” and plug in all the instruments we have stolen over the years and ROCK.

HOLY JOE’S $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Matt Barbeau His music has been described as “rock/pop with heavy world music influences — thick underlying beats melded with hushed poetic lyrics — a natural born storyteller.” Now back at the Metalworks Studio to record his new solo project, Matt is once again reinventing and redefining himself.
10pm – Ali Eskandarian The Iranian-American troubadour draws upon influences such as American folk, rock and traditional Persian music to craft songs about love, travel, politics and loneliness.
11pm – Angie Nussey Once described as “Jewel on whiskey”, Nussey’s soulful voice, engaging stage presence and sincere writing style offers audiences enough to feel familiar, but it’s never predictable.
12am – Mark Berube and The Patriotic Few “Mark is foremost a singer and a songwriter. His combination of skill, clarity, and ambition is impressive.” — The Georgia Straight. “Nina Simone’s baritone brother.” — Echo Weekly.
1am – David Porteus The Canadian singer/songwriter and documentary filmmaker began writing music at age 11 and making his own films at the age of 12. Since 1999, he has produced and recorded 16 independent releases, including nine LPs and seven EPs, and written numerous film scores.

HORSESHOE TAVERN $9 adv./$10 door
Annual CHART–SHOE Showcase
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
8:30pm – Immaculate Machine Immaculate Machine has toured North America and Europe, collaborated with Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos and it shares a keyboardist/singer with The New Pornographers. They have two CDs on Mint Records.
9:20pm – Dog Day Two girls and two boys create indie pop/rock with minimal beats, keyboard lines with arrow straight guitar and bass, which lay the foundation for vocal melodies that glide effortlessly from one mood to the next. Their full-length is called Night Group.
10:10pm – Katie Stelmanis “Stelmanis’ songs are mercurial mixes of MIDI, tumultuous waves of near-gothic synthesizers and post-apocalyptic click-and-whirr percussion, swirling around her multi-tracked vocals, close in tone and feeling to Kate Bush and Thom Yorke’s solo work.” — EYE WEEKLY.
11:10pm – Plants & Animals Three years in the making, Parc Avenue is a sprawling on-the-road opus filled with three-part epics, beautiful folky ballads and sea-shanty anthems.
12:10pm – The Acorn The experimental folk band’s new full-length album entitled Glory Hope Mountain is an experimental blend of The Acorn’s art-folk sound and traditional Honduran Garifuna percussion and rhythms.
1:10pm – Sunparlour Players With an intense brand of rootsy, bluesy, foot-stomping, soul-surging rawk, frontman Andrew Penner sings like a man with gospel conviction, while pounding it out on the kick drum and playing the banjo, guitar, or electric bass. Accompanists Dennis Van Dine and Michael “Rosie” Rosenthal play instruments including drums, glockenspiel and clarinet.
2:30am – Oh No Forest Fires One reporter wrote: “I’m excited about this band for two reasons: former Most Serene Republic drummer Adam Nimmo (one of the most fun drummers to watch live) and Toronto-via-Newfoundland frontman Rajiv Thavanathan (of Five Blank Pages fame).”
 
KATHEDRAL $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – 40 Sons and Daughters Influenced by such bands as Alice in Chains, A Perfect Circle, and Dream Theater, this Hamilton, ON band combines alternative rock with heavy riffs and melodic vocals.
10pm – Art of Dying The first single, “Completely,” from the Vancouver rock band’s debut self-titled album peaked at #6 on HTZ FM in St. Catharines, ON and is still in the top 20. The second single is  “Get Through This.”
11pm – Traffic Island The sweetly aggressive Finnish rock band Traffic Island signed a deal with Universal Music in November 2006. Traffic Island’s boundary stretching debut album, Enough Is Enough, takes no prisoners as it powers its way into the consciousness. Enough Is Enough was released in Finland in April, 2007.
12am – Ashes
1am – Dean Lickyer (formerly High Voltage) Remember the days of killer guitar riffs and blistering solos? They’re back thanks to Dean Lickyer — four dynamic, talented, award winning teen rockers with a reputation for electrifying performances inspired by legendary rockers from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

LEE’S PALACE $15 adv./$18 door
RMS Concerts presents
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
9pm – Rebekah Higgs The 24-year-old Halifax musician plays within the borders of folk-tinged rock much like her influences Feist and Julie Doiron. Yet she infuses her work with experimentation, incorporating vocal loops and electronic flourishes like Björk and Radiohead.
10pm – 6ixty8ights Combining soothing harmonies, savage guitars, kaleidoscopic keys, and a spastic drum drive, this brother blending variety of carnivalesque rock provides a theatricality and urgency all its own.
11pm – Jason Collett Collett’s new album, the effervescent and elegiac Here’s To Being Here, is named after a line of poetry by his friend Emily Haines’ (Metric) late father, a well-known avant-garde jazz poet. “I think of it as a toast, a raising of the glass to the notion of being present to the moment,” he says.
1am – Birds of Wales A melding of folk with indie rock, Birds of Wales’ sound has evoked comparisons to Coldplay, Ryan Adams, Wilco and Belle & Sebastian, to name a few.

LIBRARY BAR – ROYAL YORK HOTEL
9pm – Daniel McKenzie Dynamic piano based pop/soul with powerful melodies that will repeatedly get stuck in your head and lyrics that will keep you up at night with a smirk on your face or a tear on your pillow.
10pm – Emma-Jane Thommen Thoughtful and passionate not only in her songs but also in her engaging stage presence, this up and coming U.K. artist has been likened to the classic singer-songwriter style of Joni Mitchell and Jewel with a melodic twist of Fleetwood Mac, and has been hailed as “Polished, quick to impress.” — Edinburgh Evening News.
11pm – Dan Mangan In 2007, Mangan wrapped four international tours in the U.S., U.K. and Australia, and performed alongside Canadians Patrick Watson and The Acorn. Described as perfect for fans of Bright Eyes or M. Ward, Mangan is a lyrically ambitious and magnetic performer.
12am – Caroline Keating “I’m just a girl who likes to tinker on her piano at 2am and make up stories. My neighbours don’t appreciate this so much. But sometimes other people do.”
1am – The Passengers The Passengers is a pop-rock band led by a Jamaican and English singer-guitarist, Mark Kelly. He came to Montreux to mix his unparalleled groove and sensitive voice with three pop-rock musicians. What’s the result? Pop-rock coloured with a touch of soul, funk, reggae and world music.
2am – Daniel Gray “I draw most of my musical influences from 60’s pop, rock and folk music as well as a lot of modern indie rock. My music consists of (but is not limited to) acoustic-based jangly folk-rock dipped in an electric edge with who knows what else.”

LULA LOUNGE $10  (includes shuttle service from Royal York Hotel)
Music Dish presents
8:30pm – Ralston Bowles “Carwreck Conversations, Ralston Bowles’ debut, is a mature, thoughtful portrait of age, youth, and the place ‘where dreams and truth collide.’ ” — All Music Guide.
9:30pm – Karlex Afro groove: a blend of funk, soul, pop, urban sounds and Caribbean influences. Karlex’ songs radiate emotion and thoughtfulness with themes of love, love lost, loneliness and the quest for freedom and liberty. Currently residing in France, he released his debut album, Ghetto Fabulous, in 2006.
10:30pm – PorkBelly Futures PorkBelly Futures takes writers, rockers, classical musicians and does the only logical thing. It creates a jazzy, alt country, blues band. The Porkers reunite the singer/songwriting team of Paul Quarrington and Martin Worthy for PorkBelly Futures’ debut release, Way Past Midnight.
11:30pm – Kobo Town Exploring the rich lyrical tradition and compelling rhythms of calypso’s formative years, Kobo Town also demonstrates contemporary relevance by covering today’s issues.

OPERA HOUSE $13.50 adv.
Against The Grain Presents
All ages.
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
8:40pm – Hello Operator Hello Operator is energetic, fun and exciting. The band has toured Canada with Hilary Duff, and played shows with Switchfoot, Simple Plan, Mobile, Hedley, Neverending White Lights, Thornley, Loverboy, the Miniatures, the Marble Index, Immaculate Machine and more.
9:30pm – Brian Melo The winner of Canadian Idol 2007 has released, Livin’ It, produced by Jeff Dalziel (Edwin, Thornley). He co-wrote five of the album’s 12 songs, which range from soft ballads to rock.
10:45pm – Faber Drive The BC-based rock band wrote Seven Second Surgery over a three-year period, some in the back of a tour bus, while others were crafted in the studio.

PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE  $18.50 adv.
Live Nation Presents
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
9pm – Hayes Carll Whether he’s facing an intimate audience or a packed dance hall of patrons hungry for the headliner, it’s always the same Hayes: shambling on stage like a guy who’s just woken from a restless sleep with a horrible hangover, reaching for an acoustic guitar when black coffee seems more in order.
10pm – Corb Lund For his fifth album, Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier!, the Alberta native was armed with plenty of books on military history — as well as some Gabriel Garcia Marquez and tales of the French foreign legion — and set out to write about timeless themes.

RANCHO RELAXO $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Leave With Me Blink 182 meets My Chemical Romance meets Fall Out Boy meets Panic at the Disco!
10pm – The Details We are: driving guitars, catchy melodies, soaring harmonies with keyboards, electronic programming, glockenspiel, ebows & capos all wrapped up in three-and-a-half minute pop songs.
11pm – The Woodenelves The Woodenelves fuse catchy atmospheric rock with melody-driven pop on their award-winning debut album Trips Between Worlds, produced by Tim Powles of Australian band The Church.
12am – Elias “Elias’s songs are mostly about love, heartache, inner turmoil and betrayal, [Brian] Healy belts out the lyrics as the guitars and drums create a loud — often fast — wall of sound” — Vancouver Sun
1am – The Framework The Replacements meets Morrissey meets The Killers... The Framework were a top 3 finalist in the 2007 Mix 99.9 FM Radiostar contest for the song “She Thinks I’m Famous.” They sold out the 600-capacity Mod Club, and are a buzz band.

REVERB $10
Distort Entertainment Presents:
All ages.
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
8pm – A Textbook Tragedy The progressive hardcore band has been playing more places than one ever knew there was in Canada. The Distort Entertainment release is entitled Intimidator.
8:45pm – Architects The metal band from Brighton, England has released its second album, Ruin, in Canada on Distort Entertainment.
9:30pm – Johnny Truant See March 6, Bovine Sex Club, 2am.
10:15pm – The Holly Springs Disaster With their crushing live show and killer tunes, this band has cemented the foundation of an army of followers. There is nowhere for this band to go, but straight up. See them live and you won’t look at shows the same way again.
11:30pm – The End Appropriating modernity’s attributes to forge art that is so hyper-actively reasoned and accelerated, The End has demonstrated that agonizing brutality can be generated within the parameters of superfluous order. This is where The End’s heaviness lies, not so much in the band’s monstrous guitar tone, deafening volumes or vociferous vocals, but in its manipulation of time, order and velocity.

REX HOTEL JAZZ & BLUES BAR
All ages.
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
6:30pm – Kevin Quain Kevin Quain is a musician, songwriter, award-winning playwright and bar fly. He’s best known as leader of the “garage jazz cabaret noir” ensemble Mad Bastards. Quain’s two indie CDs have won a following that spans from Los Angeles to Tokyo.
9:30pm – Kirk MacDonald Quartet Kirk MacDonald has worked with many leading jazz musicians, including Claude Ranger, Dave Young, Sam Noto, Sonny Greenwich and Kenny Wheeler. Kirk has appeared on over 25 jazz recordings. In addition, Kirk has recorded over 30 of his own compositions on CD.

RIVOLI  $10
Paquin Entertainment Presents
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
9pm – Julie Doiron With her signature intimate songwriting style, the first half of Woke Myself Up details the joy and awe that her family has given her. The second half sees Julie making mistakes and coming to terms with the sad truth that one cannot live up to expectations set by herself or those she loves.
10pm – Jenn Grant and the Night Painters Grant’s first full length album was produced by Glen Meisner of the CBC along with Jason MacIsaac and Dave Christensen of The Heavy Blinkers. Special guests on the recording include Jill Barber, Ron Sexsmith, Matt Mays, Rose Cousins, Dale Murray and many others.
11pm – Wil Wil’s sophomore album is purpose-built for the road by a guy who lives in the woods; a solo effort made with a massive cast; complex production resulting in straightforward songs; and archetypal love stories tinged with fear, doubt and yearning hope.
12am – Young Rival Formerly known as The Ride Theory, Young Rival have chiseled their sound and arrived at something effortlessly cool. They have the subtlety of The Zombies and the brashness of Arctic Monkeys. They make intense guitar music influenced by a time when rock and roll was young and fearless.
1:45am – TBC

SAVANNAH ROOM  $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Ruut A songwriter in her twenties, Ruut’s songs fuse folk and pop with solid piano playing. Growing up in Finland, Ruut is soulful as Alicia Keys, lyrical as Sarah McLaughlin and timeless like Carole King, her latest recordings include a US self-released EP, and full album being released in Japan.
10pm – Good Lovelies Sporting instruments from guitar to piano and mandolin to banjo, this award winning trio is not to be missed. A combination of clever songwriting, solid musicianship, witty repartee and three-part harmony will leave you wanting more.
11pm – Kyrie Kristmanson Kristmanson sings, writes songs and plays the trumpet. She lists her music as acoustic, a capella and alternative on MySpace.
12am – The Ease Down The singer found a tiny room with an antiquated upright piano and began writing out songs: each one composed of lyrical vocal melodies, jazz influenced harmonies and crunchy pop/rock rhythms, then the band, The Ease Down, and its piano-driven feel-good indie-pop was born.
1am – Down With The Butterfly “The disc [2005’s Rise] is confident and tuneful with David Scholten’s dramatic vocals offset by Kris Pope’s sawtoothed guitar work. Down With The Butterfly mix atmospheric soundscapes with direct emotional telegrams.” — The Chronicle Herald.

SILVER DOLLAR $8 adv./$10 door
Harvard Broadcasting and X92.9 present Alberta Xposed
10pm – Secret Broadcast Pioneers of the Post-Pop movement, Secret Broadcast combine the groove and energy of Talking Heads, the “I couldn’t give a fuck” attitude of Elliott Smith, Pink Floydian sonic landscapes and the pop sensibilities of The Beatles.
11pm – Jane Vain & The Dark Matter From somewhere beneath the swelling strings and synths, the angular guitars and pulsating beats, cleaves the voice of Jamie Fooks of Jane Vain & the Dark Matter. Now with a full complement of four permanent members, the group have released a full length on Edmonton’s Rectangle Records.
12am – The Rocky Fortune On their new record, Back of the Beeside, you will hear guitars, synthesizers, banjos, and B-3. Bass, fiddle, a ton o tambourine, a flailing rope, some random pipes, the wooden spoons, rhymin’, stealin’, and all of it with feeling.
1am – Hot Little Rocket Hot Little Rocket fills a need in every indie rock fan’s life: violent guitars, memorable hooks, urgent live performances, and lyrics that stay with you long after the fact. Its carefully-crafted songs and desperate sonic delivery make it hot property.
2am – Rebekah Higgs See March 6, Lee’s Palace, 9pm.
3am – Gran Casino Gran Casino have just finished sessions in New York City with producer Alex Newport (At The Drive-In, The Mars Volta), the resulting EP Five Days Above Ground will be released this spring.

SMILING BUDDHA BAR  $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – The Love Machine Its eponymous debut EP established the band’s sound. Jangly yet intense guitars, huge synth melodies, pulsing bass, stomping drums, and more vocal harmonies than should be legally allowed compose their energetic pop sound. Every member in the band contributes vocals. The new album is If You’re A Bird, I’m A Bird.
10pm – One Eleven Archer Constantines meets Hot Water Music meets Springsteen. After two years and two recordings at the Hive Studios in Vancouver by Jesse Gander, One Eleven Archer is a self-motivated machine which produces sounds that displace decaying molecules in dead musical atmospheres.
11pm – The Miles After years of rehearsaing and songwriting, The Miles are ready to break out onto the music scene with short, fiercely energetic songs, which demand a dance party. These spunky teenagers enjoy wearing suits and making people flail uncontrollably.
12am – Lifestory: Monologue A singer who doesn’t sing, but rather a theatrical magnet who speaks and yells. A guitarist who plays with a bow; another who sings high. Cymbals, snares, bass, keys and a DIY light-board, attached to a guitar strap. An art-rock collective.
1am – One Man’s Opinion One Man’s Opinion is extremely innovative in its sound, mixing tight and catchy melodies riddled with thick harmonies and intelligent contrapuntal guitar work. In an era of over-production, One Man’s Opinion proves solid live acts still exist.

SNEAKY DEE’S $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Misteur Valaire We are 20 years old and we’ve been playing together since age 6. Our last album, Friterday Night, combines trumpet, saxophone and drum to sequencers, turntable, computer and various electronic gadgets. We recently won the “Quebec Wallonie-Bruxelles for Youth” prize and the “Radio-Canada’s Galaxie Grant” award.
10pm – Camouflage Nights Camouflage Nights is an electro-rock band from Toronto headed by Rob Benvie and Ian McGettigan, former members of Thrush Hermit. Their self-titled debut album will be released on Labwork/Sonic Unyon/Caroline/EMI.
11pm – The Cansecos Bill Halliday, Gareth Jones, Paul Prince + Dan McCormick = The Cansecos. New Album Juices! (November 20, 2007). Baseball reference = yes. Original Band Name = The Cansecos Against Racism.
12am – The Russian Futurists Matthew Adam Hart, aka The Russian Futurists, creates electronic epics that cost a shoestring but sound as if they were spun from gold. With three acclaimed releases, Hart will release a new album in the 2nd half of 2008 on Upper Class Recordings (NA) and Memphis Industries (EU).
1am – OPOPO Using analog synthesizers, harmonic vocals, heavy bass and crushing beats, the group takes the audience on a trip, teasing the senses with playful yet foreboding sounds. One of the freshest live acts to rock the Toronto dance floor, OPOPO pushes creative boundaries in songwriting and stage antics.

SUPERMARKET $12 adv./$15 door
murderecords label re–lauch
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
9:20pm – Will Currie and the Country French Their piano pop and energetic stage shows have resulted in packed clubs and dance parties wherever they play. The band are currently putting the finishing touches on their debut EP A Great Stage, to be released in early 2008.
10:20pm – Pony Da Look They’ve been described as “medieval ghost pop” and “ABBA and the B-52s meets a history of organ music.”  The ladies themselves prefer “four gargoyles spewing juices from our throats.” Pony Da Look’s new disc is Shattered Dimensions.
11:20pm – Meligrove Band After two acclaimed indie albums, in 2005 the Meligrove Band became the first Canadian group to sign a worldwide deal with V2 Records. The band’s V2 debut, Planets Conspire, was near-finished before the deal was signed that August, and was recorded by José Contreras (By Divine Right).
12:20am – Sloan The beloved pop group from Halifax released its eighth studio album, Never Hear the End of It, in 2006. “The group’s music tends to fall into Sloan’s two traditional categories: Beatles-esque stylings or ‘70s-influenced rock tunes.” — Amazon.ca

TATTOO ROCK PARLOUR $13 adv.
The Agency Group Presents
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
9pm – Econoline Crush The reunited industrial-tinged rock band Econoline Crush, helmed by frontman Trevor Hurst, just released its new album, Ignite, produced by Sylvia Massy (Tool) and completed a successful sold-out tour with Three Days Grace.
10pm – The Ending
11pm – Daniel Wesley Their sound, which is reminiscent of beach, roots, reggae and rock has earned the BC band heavy rotation on The Fox and several weeks as the best selling album at Zulu Records.
12am – Rides Again Musically and on the stage Rides Again combines the best elements of Switchfoot and Foo Fighters. The band’s new single, “Wonder Why,” was produced by Gavin Brown (Billy Talent, Three Days Grace). The album is Into Existence.
1am – Grady Gordie Johnson, formerly of Big Sugar and now based in Texas, recently stated in an interview with Guitarist UK, “I like to think we sound like Motorhead just got the job of backing up John Lee Hooker.”

FRIDAY, MARCH 7

ANNEX WRECKROOM $8 adv./$10 door
8pm – Colin Munroe (DJ Set) See March 6, Cameron House, 12am.
9pm – wordPEOPLE wordPEOPLE (noun): 1) A seven piece collective whose interest is to keep things bouncing like bad cheques. 2) A crew incapable of lie-abilities, known for shaking assets. Currently recording its first full-length for release in early 2008, wordPEOPLE delivers carefully crafted Canadian hip-hop.
10pm – Hilltop Hoods “The Hoods’ latest album reinforces their place at the forefront of Aussie hip-hop. More than any other band, they’ve defined that genre and continue to go from strength to strength. For my money, they are the best live band in Australia” — J

BOVINE SEX CLUB $10
Indica Records Showcase
9pm – Leaf–Fat The unique post hardcore/rock band comfortably swims in quite a few genres, its punk-rock roots somewhat present. Its new album, RockPaperScissors holds 11 tracks full of energy, wit and diversity.
10pm – Punish Yourself Sex’n’beats’n’rock’n’roll, voodoo guns, fatal dolls, synthetic drugs, super-zeroes, rusting needles, spaghetti-cyberpunk, self-destruction. The band is techno-punk, industrial-glam, electro-metal.
11pm – The Sainte Catherines Think of Motley Crue taking a bath with Tragedy while Hot Water Music rubs your toes while rhyming with immortal technique. They want to play your show, drink your beer, do your drugs, eat your vegetables and sleep on your floor.
12am – GrimSkunk Heavy rock songs with punk, melodies and psychedelic tendencies, their sound has made GrimSkunk legends. Three years since its last release, the band teamed up with producer Gggarth Richardson for its latest album, Fires Under the Road.
1am – Alpha Galates The Toronto-based progressive metal act is signed to EMI Music Canada and just released its debut album, A Stimulus For Reason. Prior to that, it put out three albums and an EP under the name The Hollow.
2am – Latefallen The Kings Of A&R newsletter used the words “edgy, yet addictive, melodic-driven hard rock/alternative” to describe their powerful sound. The sound is a combination of heavy-influenced guitars, youthful energy and unrelenting melody.

CADILLAC LOUNGE $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Brad Cole One of Australia’s hottest new independent country singer/songwriters, with his debut music clip in the CMC Top 40 charts and national radio airplay, Cole’s growing popularity is gaining him serious recognition not only in Australia but also overseas.
10pm – Shelly Rastin Timeless tunes, crossing over from rock to pop to country; an insatiable thirst for excelling in her craft; displaying an unequaled work ethic – this is Shelly Rastin. In 2001, Rastin initiated a songwriting and recording relationship with Randy Bachman.
11pm – B & The North Based in Toronto, the 22-year old daughter of Francis Rossi of Status Quo has a voice that stands alone, its conquering beauty challenged by a vulnerability that lends itself to songs that recall a time when rock, Motown, soul and folk ruled.
12am – The Wheat Pool “An addictive mix of sincere, heartbreaking melodies and rock enthusiasm” — Exclaim!. Welcome to the new face of country rock. Dark driving music. Whiskey-soaked stories of grown-up disappointment told on highways across Canada.”
1am – Alana Kurtis & The Tumblers Combining flavours of traditional country music and irresistible modern day hooks, the band recorded its EP, Dead End Days, with Justin Gray (Joss Stone, Emma Bunton).

CAMERON HOUSE $7 adv./$8 door
SaskMusic Showcase
10pm – Tim Vaughn His energy and professionalism have the music community calling him a “Renaissance Man” beyond his years. His style is derived from funk, soul/R&B,  blues, rock and reggae. He names Prince, Stevie Wonder and Shuggie Otis as key influences.
11pm – Little Miss Higgins Little Miss Higgins captivates audiences with her original, gutsy, spirited country blues songs. She is mostly accompanied by guitar player Foy Taylor.
12am – Volcanoless in Canada Laborious songwriting, energetic performances and passionate creativity collide like atoms in a particle accelerator crafting Volcanoless’ triple acoustic guitar offensives.
1am – The Rebellion This is a band of brothers that has literally come together from the far corners of the world, escaped Soviet occupation, and wrestled with the constant emotional conflict of finding your place in this world.

CANADIAN ROOM – ROYAL YORK HOTEL
$110 adv.
Astral Radio Presents: Canadian Radio Music Awards, 1pm
Hosted by Jully Black
Featuring performances by:
1:05pm – Suzie McNeil At the end of July, 2006, McNeil finished singing back-up vocals for P!nk on her North American tour. In 2007, she starred in the Toronto debut of Queen’s musical We Will Rock You and released her debut CD, Broken & Beautiful, that spring.
1:20pm – Faber Drive See March 6, Opera House, 10:45.
1:30pm – Elise Estrada Incredible talent; marketable good looks; these are just a few ways to describe the exotic and charismatic Estrada. The 19 year-old Asian Canadian pop artist has charted at radio and is working on her album.
1:40pm – Hayley Sales Based on Vancouver Island, for her album Sunseed, Sales co-mixed, and did the recording, the producing, and the engineering, in addition writing the songs and contributing acoustic guitar, piano and vocals.
1:45pm – Jessie Farrell  
1:50pm – State Of Shock State of Shock’s first album, Life, Love + Lies has yielded a top 10 single at three radio formats (Rock, CHR and Hot AC) with the infectious “Money Honey”.

CLINTON’S TAVERN $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Fully Loaded Winners of MusicBC’s Songwriter of the Year Award and Vancouver’s prestigious 99.3 The Fox Seeds Competition, the band’s edgy, melodic sound has garnered spins on major rock stations in Western Canada and their high-octane live show is consistently making heads spin.
10pm – Moses Hazy See March 6, The Hideout, 12am.
11pm – ADA The Toronto rock act is influenced by bands like At the Drive In and Coheed & Cambria.
12am – The River Raid References for the lyrics and arrangements came from groups such as Os Mutantes, Roberto Carlos and Tim Maia. Its first official record was produced by Felipe Tichauer (Red Traxx Music, Miami) and co-produced by Leo D and William P (Mr Mouse, Recife).
1am – Tin Bangs Tin Bangs’ sound incorporates the most exciting elements of rock, fusing the raw power of ‘70s punk with the melodic hooks of today’s headlining acts. The band has opened for such bands as The Killers, Editors, Art Brut, Datarock and many others.

DAKOTA TAVERN $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – My Little Problem Having changed members, the UK’s My Little Problem has changed its sound. Once a lo-fi Americana band, it now sits comfortably within the genre of bands like Explosions in the Sky and Yo La Tengo. 2007 saw the release of their debut album All These Things.
10pm – Dukes of the Archipelago The Dukes play fervent rock and roll, fiery lamentations, drunken hymns. The songwriting and lyricism is greatly influenced by Leonard Cohen and Smog. Their orchestration and performance is influenced by Flaming Lips and Wilco.
11pm – Brad Monk and the Union Band Brad Monk is a Toronto born singer/songwriter. While he enjoys writing for other artists, he has recently released his second disc Down To The River. Monk’s music gets people standing.
12am – Tom Fun Orchestra The Tom Fun Orchestra is a nine-piece cluster-rock ensemble from Cape Breton Island, featuring an ambitious mix of electric and acoustic instruments and enough skilled musicians on stage to intimidate even the largest crowds.
1am – Foxfire Forest Foxfire Forest is the danciest, most soulful explosion of rock music to emerge from Toronto in nigh on 12 years. We bring energy back to the stages and to the masses.

DANFORTH MUSIC HALL $32.50 adv.
Emerge Presents
All ages.
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
8pm – Hawksley Workman Hawksley Workman is a mastermind producer, performer, writer and composer. He’s covered miles of sonic landscape from hip-rolling hip-hop to gut wrenching dirges. His latest album is Between The Beautifuls.

DRAKE UNDERGROUND  $5
Paper Bag Records
and EYE WEEKLY present
9pm – Huckleberry Friends The arty music trio recorded five songs with Dale Morningstar and has since been focusing on writing more epics. Now, the girls can’t wait to boat back to Toronto Island to see Dale the Man.
9:45pm – Tropics Tropics is made up of two barely-legal noisemakers, Simone and Twig. Banging and wailing together for several years resulted in an angry, gritty new-wave sound and some excellent photo booth pictures.
10:30pm – Laura Barrett Futuristic sci-folk about mind-body dualism, amorphous terror, planned obsolescence, cynicism and hope!
11:15pm – Slim Twig “Electronica and rockabilly finally got drunk and hooked up for one twisted night of cross-pollination, resulting in a local enigma that goes by the name Slim Twig…[his] music is definitely out there on its own in the grating-yet-catchy expanse of experimentation.” — EYE WEEKLY
12am – Winter Gloves About A Girl EP is about seduction and urban lifestyle. This release has been recorded with one single microphone in Montreal between a rehearsal studio and a three square feet apartment.
12:45am – Woodhands Equipped with a keytar, boy and girl vocals, and live pounding drums, Woodhands will melt your souls and make you sweat it out on the dancefloor with its heavy, dirty, dancey, electro-pop.
Drake Hotel Presents
1:30am – Skratch Bastid Years of sleepless nights practicing routines for competitions have left him with more than ample DJ skills and not much of a social life. He dropped his first album, Taking Care Of Business, in 2005 and recently produced Buck 65’s Situation.

EL MOCAMBO $8 adv./$10 door
Curve Music
9pm – Shaun Verreault The solo sets from the Wide Mouth Mason frontman feature his expressive vocals — a Buckley-esque falsetto segueing into Chris Robinson’s mid-range rasp one second and Son House’s whiskey-drenched moan the next — yet Verreault’s voice is entirely his own.
10pm – Grand:PM The Grand:PM singer Paul Mayer defines its sound as “modern pop-rock with synthesizers. Our aim was not to jump on any kind of indie scene bandwagon but just to make something that had solid songwriting, with strong hooks and melodies.” Mission accomplished with Party In Your Basement.
11pm – Peter Katz Winner of the CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award and the Grand Prize Winner of Toronto’s IndieWeek, Katz creates a captivating blend of folk, pop and rock music.
12am – The Dunes The Dunes album, Socializing With Life, is a confident mixture of Radiohead-inspired dynamics and a Beatles-esque knack for harmony laid over Clash-styled boisterous, energetic backbeats.
1am – Special Guest

GIBSON SHOWROOM
Mission Entertainment Presents
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
6pm – Benjamin Keith With a blend of catchy pop hooks, and endearing ballads, the Vancouver singer-songwriters’ sound has been compared to the likes of Matthew Good, Jason Mraz, and Rob Thomas.
6:30pm – Ryan McMahon McMahon’s rock ‘n’roll roots album, Better Days Gone By, showcases his love for playing rough, honest music. With themes ranging from infidelities (“Liar”) to the music industry itself (“Song Says So”), its is a well-rounded honest album.
7:30pm – Cory Woodward A singer/songwriter with traces of Will Ferrell humour, Woodward has released an EP called Princess of the Skies — roots music blended with melodic guitar hooks, and a powerful voice you won’t forget.
XM Satellite Radio Showcase
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
9pm – Hey Rosetta! hey rosetta! is lyric-driven independent music with piano, guitar, bass, drums, cello and violin. Its sound can be intense and moving — it is shaking rock then it is a quiet calm — always maintaining memorable lines and melodies.
10pm – Zuku Although Zuku classifies itself as pop rock, the music is multi dimensional in that it lends itself to classic rock, country and bluegrass, progressive rock and heavy metal. The brilliant and haunting sound of Zuku includes manipulation of multiple instruments.
11pm – Octoberman Fans of Stephen Malkus’ wordplay, Bright Eyes’ earnestness and Elliott Smith’s tunefulness will find themselves readily enthralled with Octoberman’s latest offering. Run From Safety brims with inspired instrumentation, accomplished orchestration and newfound urgency.
12am – The Mark Inside The present day shows the band heading to England to record its long overdue second full-length record with producer Jim Abbiss (Arctic Monkeys, Björk). They have honed their skills, spent long hours answering questions of faith, politics, love, art and are now coming out the other side.

GLADSTONE HOTEL BALLROOM $10
Astral Media Radio in Association with Songwriters Association of Canada Present: Canadian Radio Star Showcase Finals
Hosted by Shaye.
The twelve Canadian Radio Star finalists will perform their winning songs in the round to a live audience. Finalists include: Blind Army, Catcher, Chad Hatcher, Dylan Starr, Fenom, Jennifer Jade Kerr, John Boswell, Long Way Down, Sexually Attracted To Fire, Shobha, Skytone, Stephen “Voyce” Ngoka. Featuring Special Performance by Shaye.

HARD ROCK LIVE $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Wise, Young and King Wise, Young and King, hailing from the Ottawa area, formed its five-man lineup in the summer of 2007. Drawing influences from classic rock, grunge and alternative, the band has blended these styles into rock that is uniquely its own.
10pm – The Nods Though the Nods sound cannot be easily classified, they’re quite partial to the term “rock band.”  Influences include Nirvana, The Beatles, Queens of the Stone Age, Led Zeppelin and the Foo Fighters.
11pm – Ruthie Lamb Lamb’s passion and writing style of her new material is typically hot AC with pop and country influences,  which she has combined to create her own sound. Think Sheryl Crow meets Dixie Chicks.
12am – Braintoy As with bands like The Mars Volta and Muse, Braintoy has absorbed and transcended the heavy art-rock tradition and created an intensely current sound that is distinctly its own.
1am – Secret Suburbia Compared to such bands as Linkin Park and Filter, Secret Suburbia’s music blends lush electronic sounds with pop sensibility and the punch of rock and roll to create an unforgettable music experience.

HEALEY’S $15 adv.
9pm – Steve Strongman Hamilton, Ontario’s scorching guitar ace raises the bar in his highly anticipated release Honey. In a return to his roots, Strongman has sewn a seamless blend of old school and contemporary sensibilities and is one of blues’ most exciting newcomers.
10pm – Roman Carter and Tom Rothrock In a unique collaboration, blues and gospel vocalist Roman Carter and producer/composer Tom Rothrock have completed a project entitled Never Slow Down. Carter, part of the original R&B blues trio known as The Carter Brothers, is the featured vocalist and co-composer.
11:30pm – Son Roberts Band They present a fresh new energy and a current sense of storytelling in their blues-infused grooves. Something distinct and original is emerging in the Canadian “roots” music scene.

THE HIDEOUT $8 adv./$10 door
Amnesty Rocks
9pm – The Passengers See March 6, Royal York Hotel — Library Bar, 1am.
10pm – UXL From Birmingham UK, the Tierney brothers formed UXL with friend Dan Clark and draws on the varied musical influences of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and U2. UXL is essentially a melodic rock band with an epic sound but it can do controlled minimalistic, pop-rock, semi-acoustic and everything in between.
11pm – Scrambled Eggs In 2005, Scrambled Eggs went back into the studio to work on the soundtrack of A Perfect Day, directed by Lebanese filmmakers Joanna Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige. The finished album received the Best Soundtrack Award at the Festival des Trois Continents in Nantes (France).
12am – The Woodenelves See March 6, Rancho Relaxo, 11pm.
1am – Blurred Vision Take a journey through the unique and exotic world rock sounds of this potentially ground breaking group, and hear why its music and its message of unity and compassion shines through.
2:30am – Opus Road They paid our way through school with acoustic shows in front of thousands of students in the Brock University/St. Catharines area. Upon grad, the acoustic trio grew into a very cool rock band of five.

HOLY JOE’S $5
Mastermind Records Launch Party
8:15pm – In the Quiet Morning With the release of In The Quiet Morning’s debut, self titled CD, their talent bleeds through in every riff and hook. Tracks such as, “No Thank-You” and “Nothing Changes” are sure to place them in a radio-friendly category.
9:05pm – Lucas Hunter An up-and-coming singer-songwriter, he recently paired down his 12 best for his debut solo album entitled, All The Wares. His influences include James Taylor, Neil Young and even Bon Jovi.
9:55pm – Alysha Brillinger With a voice possessing both power and versatility, Brillinger is a singer/songwriter writing with a maturity beyond her 19 years. Her pop/soul tunes are touched by her influences of blues and folk.

HOLY JOE’S $5
11pm – Don Brownrigg With a spirit born from Canada’s East Coast, Brownrigg’s music has evolved to blur the lines between roots, blues, folk, and country. Wander Songs is 11 songs of pensive, self-reflective, and morose imagery.
12am – Tim Chaisson & Morning Fold Five-time Music PEI Award winner and East Coast Music Award nominee Tim Chaisson is on the rise as a talented singer songwriter and multi instrumentalist.

HORSESHOE TAVERN $10.50 adv./$12 door
Annual CHART–SHOE Showcase
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
8:30pm – Magneta Lane Since forming in the fall of 2003, the female rock trio has steadily evolved into a mature, modern, and melodic band — from 2004’s brilliant debut, The Constant Lover, through 2006’s Dancing With Daggers, to this year’s Gambling With God.
9:20pm – Hollerado Describing its sound as “an acid and piñata party at a country bar,” on its MySpace page, Hollerado is a cool rock band with such songs as “Americanarama” and “Do The Doot Do Doot.”
10:10pm – Arkells The soul-rock act from Hamilton, ON is signed to Dine Alone and the album was described by Chart as having “an earthy, rootsy vibe that’s also quite bright.”
11:10pm – Inward Eye They drip with alluring swagger and conviction that betrays their youth. Brothers Dave, Kyle and Anders Erickson form the energetic group that doesn’t shy away from experimentation. The band is part of the SonyBMG family.
12:10am – Danko Jones After five years of gigging on five continents and 30 countries, the Toronto hard rock trio called time out at the end of 2006 to record its fourth full-length, Never Too Loud, with Grammy-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (Rush, Foo Fighters).
1:20am – Hey Rosetta! See March 7, Gibson Showroom, 9pm.
2:20am – Hail The Villain Hail The Villain has spit forth its stage-smashing album, Population: Declining which offers an escape to the dark side. It’s every adrenaline junkie’s fantasy, every teenager’s caffeine shot, and every conservative parent’s worst nightmare.
3:20am – Age Of Daze The New Brunswick rock act’s sophomore album, Hollywood Ending, leans more towards the hard rocking sounds of Hinder and Three Days Grace than a roots-oriented sound. The band’s self-titled EP and full-length were produced by Mike Turner, ex of Our Lady Peace.

KATHEDRAL $10
Mastermind Records Launch Party
All ages.
8pm – Syrum A new band emerging from Hamilton, ON. With music influences diversifying from heavy rock, punk, jazz, classic rock and even tribal beats, the band signed on Paul Roussel from Mastermind Studios and BLR Entertainment to produce their debut 10 song album.
8:50pm – Drowning Girl Rock/pop/alternative:  rock ‘n’ roll homosapiens being bitchslapped by life. Influences include The Pixies, The Breeders and No Doubt (to name a few). The band’s debut disc is Bang!
9:35pm – Vesta Varro Their debut album, Exit Here, has spawned two singles in the Irish Top 40. The album was recorded in Dublin with triple Grammy winning producer Richard Rainey (U2/Mansun). Their first single “Blue Mirror Boy” was recorded and produced by Nick Seymour (Crowded House).
10:25pm – .Unit The music flows together in a solid hard punch that forces the listener to move to the crunching guitars and bass, while the drums keep your body moving.
11:15pm – Raggedy Angry For fans of Suicide and Marilyn Manson, Raggedy Angry’s debut CD, Take Me, Break Me, Make Me Pretty, has taken the Internet by storm racking over 106,000 plays on its MySpace page.
12:15am – Jeffree Star What can you say about Star that hasn’t been scrawled in blood and other assorted bodily fluids in dirty bathrooms all over the southern United States?

LEE’S PALACE $10
9pm – Pat Robitaille Over the past two years, he’s performed with The Beach Boys, Ziggy Marley and the list goes on. Pat’s first indie acoustic album and indie demos have sold nearly 10,000 copies off the stage and the new album is Summer Of Love.
10pm – We Are The Take Take one singer/guitarist with a penchant for writing songs with catchy, danceable rock melodies combined with heart-wrenching lyrics; add a young singer/guitarist with a bent for upbeat pop songs filled with wry observations; throw-in a world-class drummer and brash bassist who lays down a thundering foundation. WATT’s new album was produced by 3x Grammy Award-winning producer/mixer David Bottrill (Tool, Peter Gabriel, Muse).
11pm – Casey Baker & The Buffalo Sinners The band’s music follows one simple rule: brutal truth! A fresh blend of folk rock and country sets a calm, musical harness for lyrics that have proven to silence crowds. “I’m not afraid to reveal who I am in these songs” says Baker, ex of Sleeper Set Sail. “These songs are about absolute honesty, and admitting what you desire even if it makes you look like the bad guy.”
12am – Rebel Emergency An eclectic mix of rock, reggae and ska, the band formerly known as Panic and the Rebels remained low key while undergoing a transformation in image and sound. The new EP was co-produced by Grammy Award winning producer/engineer Commissioner Gordon Williams (Lauryn Hill, The Fugees, Santana).
1am – Down With Webster Then we get some Odies cause we all prefer a bigger beer. Solo raps packin’ chaps. (Groupie love gets double wrapped.) Find a loop, play it back get the whole band tracked. Always on the level cause the pop world’s flat. The boys deserve a medal cause we’ve been there, done that!
2am – Gentlemen Husbands

LIBRARY BAR – ROYAL YORK HOTEL
9pm – Sara Haze Influenced vocally, lyrically and musically by Sarah McLachlan, Joss Stone, Jewel, or Etta James and Aretha Franklin, Haze delivers her words and music in a powerful and emotional voice.
10pm – Drew Smith Smith was up for vocalist of the year and his album, Fossils, for Alternative Recording of the year at the Hamilton Music Awards. His song “The Trouble With Us” was featured in the TV crime drama Shark.
11pm – Steph Frazer Eva Cassidy, Katie Meluah, Cyindi Lauper, Suzanne Vega, and Joni Mitchell all have had an influence on Steph. She is not just a singer songwriter but an effective interpreter as well. She can hold an audience just with a guitar and her voice.
12am – Zameer “It was less than two years ago that I played a gig for four drunk middle aged men in a run-down Toronto bar. Some months later, I found myself before tens of thousands at the Skydome just around the corner. And recently on a cruise ship performing along with Grammy award winning John Mayer,” says singer/songwriter Zameer Rizvi.
1am – Will Kevans The singer-songwriter recorded with Brixton-based producer Andy Hughes from The Orb, who worked on the Basement Jaxx new album, Ian Grimble who produced Travis and The Manic Street Preachers, and two tracks with Gavin Monaghan who produced The Editors, Ryan Adams, The Twang and Nizlopi.
2am – Emma–Jane Thommen See March 6, Royal York Hotel — Library Bar, 10pm.
3am – Ryan Wotherspoon Ryan performed opposite Sally Struthers in Hello Dolly. Ryan has also collaborated with Michele Vice-Maslin and Harry Maslin (producer of David Bowie’s Station to Station and Young Americans.)

LULA LOUNGE $15 
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
8pm – Satabdi Express Featuring sounds of a 20-string Indian Slide guitar, Satabdi Express combines Indian music with classic jazz instrumentation and modern funky style, bringing in influences such as country blues, folk and funk, with hints of other Asian sounds.
9:30pm, 11 – Alex Cuba The Cuban-born multi-instrumentalist now makes his home in Canada and is kept busy pushing Cuban sounds into the mainstream.

MASONIC TEMPLE
CHUM-FM FanFest
7pm – Alanis Morissette The Canadian singer, songwriter, producer and occasional actress has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. Her new album, Flavors of Entanglement, is due late spring.
7:40pm – Elise Estrada See March 7, Royal York Hotel — Canadian Room, 1:30pm.
8:20pm – Jully Black From her debut album This Is Me to her role in the theatre production Da Kink In My Hair and writing for such artists as Nas and Destiny’s Child, she is one of the most well respected singer-songwriters in Canada. Her latest album, Revival, is the soundtrack to her new awakening.
9pm – Brian Melo See March 6, The Opera House, 9:30pm.
9:40pm – State Of Shock See March 7, Royal York Hotel — Canadian Room.
10:20pm – Finger Eleven Burlington, ON-spawned rock act Finger Eleven released follow up 2003’s self-titled breakthrough disc with the Johnny K-produced Them Vs. You Vs. Me, featuring another hit single from left-field, the grinding, groovy stomper “Paralyzer.”
with k-os DJing between acts

MOD CLUB $20 adv./$25 door
SIRIUS Songwriters Café
All ages.
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
7:30pm – Faber Drive See March 6, Opera House, 10:45pm.
8:10pm – State Of Shock See March 7, Royal York Hotel — Canadian Room.
8:50pm – Ill Scarlett After self-releasing a series of EPs, the band signed with Sony BMG Music Canada, and the Mississauga, ON natives went to California to work with Matthew Wilder (No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom). The results are the fist pumping punk/pop/reggae jams of All Day With It.
9:30pm – David Usher Easily his most aggressive and consistent album to date, Strange Birds represents a fresh new direction for Usher, and highlights his introspective lyrical style without sacrificing the commanding intensity of the voice he brings to the stage.

OPERA HOUSE  $25 adv.
Just Entertainment Presents
All ages.
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
9pm – DJ Shortcut Whether it’s rocking the crowds in clubs or scratching and mixing that real raw dog hip-hop on the radio, DJ Shortcut always breaks down his sets with undeniable turntable skills. He also knows how to blend and remix the hottest new club joints.
10:15pm – Bozack Morris Bozack Morris can be heard every Monday on Toronto’s CHRY 105.5, hosting Backroad Radio. He has toured with DJ Neill Armstrong, DJ Eleven and Peter Rosenberg on several dates in Ontario.
10:30pm – F.B.I. F.B.I. (Fuckin’ Baddass Indians) is a hip-hop collective from America that has been paying dues since the early ‘90s and has released numerous mix tapes and many original recordings. F.B.I.’s new banger is Rock Out Wit Ya Cock Out.
10:45pm – Mayhem Morearty Whether rapping about the challenges he has faced (incarceration, street conflicts and teenage fatherhood), spirituality (his religious beliefs) or the better side of life (Women, parties and finances), Mayhem draws you in. His intense stage show has led to opening slots for Mobb Deep, The Clipse, The Roots, and others.
11pm – M.O.P. M.O.P., short for Mash-Out Posse, is an American hardcore hip-hop group. The duo, comprised of Billy Danzenie and Lil’ Fame, is known for its loudly aggressive delivery. They maintain a strong underground following and had minor mainstream success in the early 2000s with”Ante Up” and “Cold As Ice.”

PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE  $15 adv.Emerge Presents
All ages.
7pm – Hayley Sales See March 7, Royal York Hotel — Canadian Room, 1:40pm.
8:30pm – Justin Nozuka One of the most talented newcomers Canada has ever seen, the 19-year-old soulful singer-songwriter has built a dedicated fanbase by touring. His indie album, Holly, produced by Bill Bell (Shaye), has been licensed to various labels worldwide.

RANCHO RELAXO $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Yellow Wood Yellow Wood means elaborate arrangements, sonic exploration, poignant lyrics and strong melody rooted in carefully crafted songs. We despise insincerity, arrogance, and defensive irony. Hopefully, you won’t find that here, but instead honest vulnerability, hope, hate and love. We want to move you.
10pm – Raised By Swans Raised By Swans has built an international audience with its debut, Codes and Secret Longing (2005). Haunting and atmospheric, their music has drawn comparisons to Sigur Ros and The Cure.
11pm – People Noise Cross Smashing Pumpkins rock guitars with Radioheads inventiveness and sonic textures with a little bit of Nirvanas growl and heavy folk approach. You then have People Noise.
12am – Pooma Pooma’s music is the perfect soundtrack for the dark Northern winter nights. In its lucid shoegazing, the band combines strong, heart-breaking pop melodies with the majesty of post-rock and rich electronica.
1am – Love Kills A blend of sugary, radio-friendly harmonies, fuzzed-out feedback, and twangy guitars, Love Kills write tightly-crafted, melodic songs reminiscent of Phil Spector-era girl-pop and bring them to life with their raw, noisy, energetic stage show.

REVERB $8 adv./$10 door
Music BC & The Georgia Straight Present:
9pm – Lotus Child “This intelligent, immaculately arranged, piano-infused alt-pop should appeal to fans of Ben Folds, Bright Eyes, and especially Spoon. With songs this cleverly written and this artfully played, it’s only a matter of time before the A&R hyenas start circling.” — Georgia Straight.
10pm – Dan Mangan See March 6, Royal York Hotel — Library Bar, 11pm.
11pm – Daniel Wesley See March 6, Tattoo Rock Parlour, 11pm.
12am – Octoberman See March 7, Gibson Showroom, 11pm.
1am – Ghost Brothers Growing up in places such as Hawaii, Detroit, West Virginia, India, and currently Vancouver has helped to create an original musical style. Influences of pop, reggae, urban, world and surf rock combine flawlessly to create a sound unique to the Ghost Brothers.

REX HOTEL JAZZ & BLUES BAR
All ages.
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
4pm – Hogtown Syncopators The five young musicians with authentic 1930s style combine the tight, elegant sound of Django Reinhardt’s Quintette of the Hot Club de France with the dazzling group vocals of the Boswell Sisters and Mills Brothers. With the release of 2007’s self-titled CD, Drew Jurecka (violin, saxophone, vocals), Terra Hazelton (snare drum with brushes, vocals), Mike Daley (archtop guitar, vocals), Jay Danley (flat top guitar, vocals) and James Thomson (upright bass) have been expanding their fan base.
6:30pm – Artie Roth Trio The Toronto-born jazz bassist is an active composer, bandleader, performer and educator in the national and international jazz communities, As a side-person, he has been recorded on over 35 CDs including Rich Underhill’s 2003 JUNO award winning Tales from the blue lounge and Rockit 88’s 2004 JUNO nominated Too Much Fun.
9:45pm – Kirk MacDonald Quartet See March 6, The Rex Hotel, 9:30pm.

RIVOLI $10
TMB Presents “One Night Stand”
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
8pm – Melissa–bel Melissa-bel’s influences range from the Beatles, to Aretha Franklin, to John Mayer. She feels her album has something for everyone — from funky, R&B influenced tracks to heartfelt ballads to some pretty kickass rock.
9pm – Lindi Ortega Her newest offering, Fall From Grace, is a collection of 10 songs displaying vulnerability and brutal honesty. Her songs are created from the embers of yearning and the ashes of lost love. Possessing a voice so intoxicating, it is well over the legal limit.
10pm – Lights My name is Lights. I’m a small girl who dwells in Toronto and makes music. Most of what you hear comes out of my bedroom. When I write songs I think about how it makes people feel, and I hope that when it goes into your ears you feel happy too. Not sexy happy but apple pie happy.
11pm – Flash Lightnin
12am – Frankie Whyte and the Dead Idols The band has been working with Our Lady Peace bassist Duncan Coutts.
1am – Spirits Spirits is the new project from Ian Smith and Brad Germain — on one side lies two accomplished frontmen, vocalists and multi-instrumentalists with a history of album releases and international touring; on the other, lies a self-contained duo that is as comfortable channeling The Clash and The Cure as it is U2 and Hall and Oates.
2am – Reykjavik! You keep waiting for them to fall down, sometimes they do. And it looks really cool, too. While their assault is indeed schizophrenic and cacophonic, the songs make sense and are pretty awesome, all shouty and then a bit soft.

SAVANNAH ROOM  $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Jessica Beach “Jessica’s songs are relatable, hooky and very radio-friendly… well-written, well-produced material ,”  says Mike Savage of A&R Worldwide. She is currently in the studio with producer Jay Evjen (Hot Hot Heat, Wide Mouth Mason).
10pm – Anna Neale Hailing from the U.K. comes a sensual, playful and feisty young singer songwriter, who performs her unique acoustic rock or ”sex folk,” as dubbed by the national Canadian press.
11pm – Lindsay Ferguson Ottawa Citizen says Sound is one of Canada’s best new albums of 2007: “Hand-on-hip boldness from this woman whose patented celestial soul & growly boom should be measured on the Richter scale. This is hipsterized hippie rock…”
12am – Sick of Sarah Sick of Sarah’s sound has been described as merging the best of Michelle Branch, Joan Jett, John Fogerty, and Sleater-Kinney. Lead singer/songwriter, Abisha Uhl, describes their music as “crazy, fun and obnoxious.” The band recently won the MTV virtual Kaya’s Battle of the Bands contest, was named Minneapolis 93X Radio Local Band of the Year, and a “Buzzcatcher” in the December 2007 Spin.
1am – Carmen Townsend Often compared to Jeff Buckley, Björk and Led Zeppelin, Cape Breton’s guitar wielding phoenix will rock your world.

SILVER DOLLAR $8 adv./$10 door
(weewerk) Presents
9pm – Jenny Omnichord Jenny Omnichord is a solo side-project of 22 year-old Jenny Mitchell, vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist for Guelph, ON’s noted young indie band The Barmitzvah Brothers.
10pm – Ox American Lo Fi features 11 songs that give a nod to Velvet Underground meets Bruce Springsteen, trading New Jersey urban fairground for Pacific interstate moonscape.
11pm – The Burning Hell “Led by Mathias Kom, the band is a strange mix of gospel, folk-ish rock, gorgeous country and whatever you’d call all that mixed with ukulele. It’s easy to see why weewerk loved Kom and his band enough to sign them and release their new album early in 2008.” — i(heart)music.net.
12am – United Steel Workers of Montreal An original alt-country/citygrass band from Montreal, The United Steel Workers of Montreal have forged themselves a unique sound that’s been described as “rousing, old-style cowboy punk with an urban edge.”
1am – Proof Of Ghosts Proof of Ghosts is going to take you home down country roads. Proof of Ghosts is pure pop perfection. Proof of Ghosts is going to tear your crying heart from your throat. Proof of Ghosts is going to sing you to sleep and Proof of Ghosts is going to chase the Devil back through the forest and out to sea.
2am – Tokyo Sex Destruction Spain’s most recent calling to MC5 is the radically refined garage rock ‘n’ roll explosion Tokyo Sex Destruction. Their songs are filled with yeah yeahs, syncopated claps, guitar breaks, vocal leads and more.

SMILING BUDDHA BAR  $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – juxtaposse Reggae meets rock describes this young talented and energetic band. The strength of its lyrics and unique sound will be sure to engage. Juxtaposse was awarded Best New Original Band at the 2007 Buffalo Music Awards.
10pm – Jodie Resther She mixes her Quebec and Jamaican roots to create a style of her own: ragasoul. The word raga, from Sanskrit, means color and passion — two words perfectly describing the young artist whose stage presence and vocal strength have drawn comparisons to Janet Jackson, Beyonce and Mariah Carey.
11pm – Kae Sun The MC/singer crafts hip-hop inspired music that borrows from all genres and cultures. His repertoire focuses on intense, literate lyricism and boundary crossing musicianship. “Imagine k-os backed by Ben Harper’s band and you’ve got Kae Sun,” — National Post
12am – MicLordz & Sauce Funky MicLordz with Sauce Funky reminds you of Nas and Kid Rock jammin’ with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. The live show is award winning (COCA 2007) and will be hitting Panama City Beach Florida for Spring Break 2008.
1am – Reggae Cowboys A unique blend of reggae with country, rock and blues, Toronto’s Reggae Cowboys take reggae to a new dimension. This is classic “one-drop” rhythm with rock ‘n’ roll, six-string spaghetti-western and island influences, especially calypso, layered on top.

SNEAKY DEE’S $8 adv./$10 door
SoundProof Magazine Presents
9pm – Hot Panda The square root of the Pogues times Iggy Pop over Supergrass, to the power of a pod of whales, Hot Panda is catchy indie rock with gypsy tendencies and a flair for the theatrical.
10pm – Restlesslist Restlesslist will appeal to fans of The Brakes and The Electric Soft Parade, but with influences from a host of obscure and mainstream artists including The Books, Anticon Records, The Unicorns, Joe Meek, The Chap and Gorillaz.
11pm – The Pack A.D. The Pack A.D. is a duo. But do not expect a stripped down drum and guitar outfit. The Pack A.D. is two women. But do not expect “girly” music. The Pack A.D. blends traditional blues and rock, with the focus on rhythm guitar, solid drum lines and singing straight from the gut.
12am – Hot Springs Montreal’s Hot Springs don’t want to be your Facebook friend. They don’t care about what haircut you have. They don’t care about your blog. They simply want to freak you out.
1am – The Hoa Hoa’s Pronounced The Wah Wahs, Hoa is the Vietnamese word for flower. Through performing, they provide a world of true human expression as they alluminate that “ecstatic” feeling that is playing or taking in music. 100% true to pop rock and roll music!
2am – Special Guest DJs

SOUTHERN CROSS LOUNGE – TRANZAC
$5
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
10:30pm – Share With a glowing merger of the folk delivery of Share’s debut, Ukulele Tragic, and the electronic heart of the sophomore Can Can Missile, Pedestrian is at once a hybrid and an evolution.
11:30pm – The Two–Minute Miracles The Miracles’ main songwriter, J. Andrew Magoffin, is also an established producer and engineer who has worked with The Constantines, The Hidden Cameras, Royal City, and many more.

SUPERMARKET $10
Exclaim! Presents the Beats and Rhymes CMW showcase
10pm – Justis Just like his rhymes, his tag is all about clever word play. It can be pronounced as “Just Is” or “Justis.” He has shared stages with k-os, DL Incognito, Scratch from the Roots and Shad K, among others.
10:45pm – Grand Analog Grand Analog is unbalanced and dirty; never clean. The music is a beautiful mess of rap ’n’ roll dub and soul; a hip-hop slop shop of times good and bad. Calligraffiti: for the tired heavy heart, ridden with struggle and happiness.
11:30pm – Notes To Self The hip-hop juggernaut Notes To Self features rappers Swamp Donkey and Roshin, producer/rapper Bronze One, world renowned DJ/turntablist DJ Dopey and writer/illustrator Elicser. For six years, Notes To Self has successfully created a group dynamic reminiscent of early De La Soul and Dilated Peoples.
12:15am – Abdominal Escape From the Pigeon Hole features strong lyricism, detailed imagery, plenty of humour, and the illest of flows. “Pedal Pusher” won the 2007 SOCAN Echo Prize for Canadian song of the year.
DJs John Kong & Catalist spinning between sets

TATTOO ROCK PARLOUR
S.L. Feldman & Associates Presents
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
8:45pm – Summerside The band spent the early part of 2007 writing and rehearsing. When it was time, the band enlisted producer Tim O’Heir (All American Rejects, Say Anything) and spent the summer of 2007 in New York City recording and refining its new music. Upon completion, Summerside returned home and continued to play shows and steadily build its fan base.
9:45pm – The Painted Birds See March 6, Cadillac Lounge, 12am.
10:45pm – Chad Hatcher This cool singer-songwriter just toured with Classified and his video for “Do It All Again” is in medium rotation, and featured on Much AXS as one of the Fresh Videos. His album is called Tunnels & Pathways.
11:45pm – Hey Ocean A young Vancouver band with an infectious musical style and onstage charisma, its first full-length album is called Stop Looking Like Music (2006). Since its release, Hey Ocean! has been spreading its feel-good grooves across the country.
12:45am – Dearly Beloved Dearly Beloved returns to the indie rock scene with its sophomore album, RepoRepoRepo.  Since the release of the band’s debut, You Are The Jaguar in 2006, it has received critical praise from coast to coast.
1:45am – Steve Hill The Montreal guitar hero has already influenced so many guitar players in eastern Canada. His blues background is the perfect foundation for his hard rock sound.

SATURDAY, MARCH 8

ANNEX WRECKROOM $8 adv./$10 door
8pm – Boys In A Band From the Faroe Islands, the group combines reckless and danceable rhythms of revivified classic rock n roll, the vitality of pre-Elvis black gospel and blues, the epic grittiness of old-school country, the bare idealism of hippy protest singing and the flashy groove of seventies cock rock.
9pm – The Mission District The Mission District cites the likes of ‘80s Britpop bands as The Cure, Tears For Fears, and Talk Talk as sources of inspiration, alongside such contemporary American power-pop outfits as Weezer, Jimmy Eat World, and The Get Up Kids. “One of our favorite new Canadian bands.” — Perezhilton.com
10pm – Your Favorite Enemies Well known for their commitment towards the promotion of human rights, Your Favorite Enemies delivers a crisp and unique sound forged with edgy guitars, dirty yet polished melodic textures, introspective vocals and empowering lyrics.

BOVINE SEX CLUB $10
Gasoline Magazine Presents
9pm – High Deafinition This young band consists of members who are 16-20 years old. They are so good that they were invited to play the 2005 Vans Warped Tour and they just recorded a demo for Warner Music Canada.
10pm – Morning Electric A few years back, Sway moved into a second floor apartment in Toronto’s west end. Eric lived on the first floor of the same building. They hung out and jammed. Eric knew Chuey from playing in bands as teenagers in Brampton. Swizz, E and Cheuy got together, and jammed a little jam.
11pm – Yesterdays Ring “Members of The Sainte-Catherines strip down the sonics and speed and deliver a truly great record that is peppered with all the good stuff: Drinking, missing home and ruthless heartbreak” — Montreal Mirror
12am – Hell Yeah Fuck Yeah Remember the first time you heard a rock band that was so exciting, loud and raw you just had to share their music with everyone you knew?
1am – A Primitive Evolution An anthropological experiment: D34+H-R0(k), featuring the former frontman of Lye and the co-creator of Playdead Cult clothing/art.
2am – Mongrels Mongrels are divine and love is real. Powers combine to worship at the altar of mind & body with honey-licked rock and sweat burning their eyes.

CADILLAC LOUNGE $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Gregg Hobbs Hamilton-born Hobbs has established himself in Toronto’s folk/roots music scene with honest and entertaining lyrics that bring out the beauty of blue moods. His fifth CD is Thunder and Dust.
10pm – Little Birdie Little Birdie’s uniqueness lies in poignant vocal sand writing. Rooted in folk, shaped by country and bluegrass and moved by rock and blues, “Little Birdie is a talented group that deserves wide recognition.” — Mike Hill (music director at Mariposa)
11pm – Lee Mellor The 25-year old is slowly garnering attention as one of Canada’s most underrated songwriters. His words have been compared to Canadian author Timothy Findlay, his songwriting and delivery to such greats as Steve Earle and Stan Rogers.
12am – The Jamestown Union The Jamestown Union creates indie pop and ‘70s Americana rock, contemporary songs laced with beautiful harmony and stunning musical abilities, weaving a landscape of wild extremes.
1am – The Keats The Keats (Jolene and Sharlene) are identical twin sisters originally from Newfoundland. They have settled into a contemporary country sound full of rich harmonies that would be comparable to other family acts such as The Judds and The Wilkinsons.

CAMERON HOUSE $7 adv./$8 door
10pm – The John Henrys The John Henrys hail from Ottawa Ontario. They straddle the divide between sweet country and ‘60s R&B, and they do it in their own distinct way.
11pm – The Audreys See March 6, Dakota Tavern, 10pm.
12am – Catherine MacLellan A singer/songwriter in the folk genre who is the real deal, she has a great voice, is a talented songwriter and a super musician. Her stage presence is understated, powerful and hypnotic.
1am – The Weather Station The Weather Station draws deeply from the rich well of folk tradition, but the music itself comes from personal experience. It is rural music for city folk.

CANADIAN ROOM – ROYAL YORK HOTEL $25 adv./$35 door
InDiscover Presents: The 8th Annual Independent Music Awards
All ages.
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
7pm
Hosted by Jeff Leake
Featuring:
7:30pm – Spirits See March 7, The Rivoli, 1am.
8pm – Young Galaxy Their sound is kaleidoscopic, with heavy tones and hypnotic male/female vocals. The self-titled debut album also features collaborations from The Dears, Besnard Lakes, Stars, Patrick Watson, and others. “We wanted to marry the grand cosmic sound of Spiritualized with the emotional resonance of Fleetwood Mac,” says Stephen Ramsay.” 
8:30pm – Attack In Black Hailing from Welland, Ontario, with roots in punk and folk, the culmination of the two amounts is singalong anthems juxtaposed by sweeping ballads.
9:00pm – The Cliks “... the Cliks’ music kinda sounds like what might happen if Chrissie Hynde and the Murmurs’ Leisha Hailey fell in love, got Bowie to help out with insemination and gave birth to an indie rock love child. It’s all kinda raw but sweetly melodic, with a ballsy cabaret swagger.” — Sarah Liss
Indies Hall of Fame Inductees:
9:30pm – Lowest Of The Low
10pm – The Besnard Lakes See March 6, El Mocambo, 12am.
10:30pm – Tokyo Police Club Winston Churchill, that master of the verbal thrust and parry, described Tokyo Police Club thus: “Like a swift kick in the pants followed by a raucous dance party.” Touche, Mr. Churchill, touche.
11:00pm – The New Pornographers The New Pornographers formed in 1997, and almost immediately recorded the classic “Letter From An Occupant”. The new album, Challengers, is their most organic-sounding record, reflecting a conscious decision to use less “beepy synth” and almost entirely “real” instruments.

CLINTON’S TAVERN $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – A Plot Against Me $45,000 richer in talent development gold from the 2oo7 Live 88.5fm Big Money Shot, the rock band is strapping on its kill holster to deliver more high energy, full throttle sets.
10pm – Tempered Mental What sets Tempered Mental apart from its peers is the band’s sound; an eclectic mix of styles and influences performed with progressive rock panache and always kept together by memorable vocal melodies.
11pm – Virtue & Vice After the band released their first EP in early 2007, Virtue & Vice became one of Garageband.com’s most successful groups in the Modern Rock genre.
12am – Wickhead Wickhead is a driven, passionate alternative rock band that hails from the beautiful yet volatile city of Johannesburg, South Africa. They have risen through a challenging time in an evolving country.
1am – Brane This Toronto based group has taken the modern sounds of bands like Finger Eleven and Three Days Grace, fused it with classic Metallica and Pantera and then sprinkled a little Dream Theatre on top.

DAKOTA TAVERN $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Tin Bird Choir Led by husband-and-wife duo, Eric and Heather Hurlock, they’ve earned acclaim in the Philadelphia region for their distinctive “alt-folk barn rock” sound.
10pm – Ry Moran Moran is a blend of the best of the Canadian roots: the heart and soul of our native people, the lyrics of Joni Mitchell or Leonard Cohen and the timeless guitars of Neil Young.
11pm – Heather Morgan Heather Morgan is an incredibly versatile singer-songwriter whose rootsy, and sometimes jazzy, country-soul sounds are “a natural, an original and unmistakably distinctive,” — Howard Druckman.
12am – The County Boys The County Boys are a high energy trio. Their foot stompin’ performance includes banjo, guitar, upright bass and three part harmonies.
1am – Andrew Neville + the Poor Choices The rowdy Winnipeggers create original roots with alcohol-soaked songs about trucks, trains, and a lot of heartache.

DANFORTH MUSIC HALL $32.50 adv.
Emerge Presents
All ages.
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
8pm – Hawksley Workman See March 7, Danforth Music Hall, 8pm.

DRAKE UNDERGROUND  $5
Pop Montreal Presents
9pm – Rawalpindi
10pm – Giselle Numba One The girly from Hot Springs does a whole other thing! Loop pedals, glockenspiels, flute, melodica, random beats, kalimba… you name it. She raps about witches, and convinces her pals in trippy rock bands to make beats with her.
11pm – Bocce Bocce uses keyboards, more keyboards, fake keyboards, omnichords, voices, drum machines, percussion and a rock and roll drum kit to make sounds.
12am – Socalled Montreal’s Socalled is a musician, photographer, magician and writer. He rocks the machine in David Krakauer’s Klezmer Madness!, sings with Toronto’s Beyond the Pale, performs with home-base band Shtreiml, with LA’s the Aleph Project, and  conducts the Addath Israel choir for High Holidays.
1am – Khiasma “Long recognized as one of Montreal’s finest DJs, the man behind that city’s pan-genre Baile MTL parties brings his mixing flair and ear for a catchy cross-cultural fusion to shake up rock fans’ expectations”. — EYE WEEKLY
2am – DJ Rekha Her debut album, DJ Rekha Presents Basement Bhangra, invites the listener to go with her into a world that merges the traditional Bhangra music of South Asia and the Hip-Hop beats of today.

EL MOCAMBO $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Porcelain Youth Porcelain Youth signed to V2 Records Canada in 2005 and subsequently headed into the studio for its second recording, The Therapy Sessions EP.
10pm – Paper Lions Paper Lions (formally Chucky Danger) is composed of 10-time East Coast Music award nominated artists John MacPhee, Rob MacPhee, Colin Buchanan, and David Cyrus MacDonald. The band’s self-titled 2007 album was produced by Danny Blume of Grammy Award-winning team Good and Evil. They incorporates a stylistic mix of classic rock, pop, folk, blues, and barber shop.
11pm – Zuku See March 7, Gibson Showroom, 10pm.
12am – The Marble Index This is good, old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll spirit, with nothing airbrushed, steroid-pumped or collagen-enhanced — but sexy indeed.
1am – How I Won The War This Toronto act released their debut album You Are Caught Thinking About Killing Anyone You Want in January of 2008. Vocalist Alex McKee is expressive in a way that recalls a less self-conscious and more personal John Lennon.

IMPERIAL ROOM – ROYAL YORK HOTEL
$125 adv.
WAVE 94.7FM presents: Warren Hill and Chris Smith
5:30pm – Reception
6:30pm – Dinner

HARD ROCK LIVE $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Amanda Rheaume Her third release, If You Never Live, is an organic and emotionally-charged disc from the impassioned single “All That You Are” to the upbeat and bluegrass-y “Out of Hiding.”
10pm – Kenny Mehler Stripped down, straight forward rock, with pop reggae undertones” describes Mehler’s debut album, Now. Writing most of the songs in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, gave his music a crisp warm sound. Taking cues from Jack Johnson, Rob Thomas, and fellow Connecticut native John Mayer, Now is filled with energetic guitar riffs, catchy choruses, and melodic harmonies.
11pm – The Joys 19,000 CDs sold independently, “Best Live Act” 2007 Toronto Indie Awards, “Best Pop / Rock Act” 2004, 2005, 2006, & 2007 London Music Awards. Perform over 200 shows a year all across Canada.
12am – The Travezty They have written solid tunes, hard hitting lyrics and guitars matched with drums that solidify their presence.
1am – Scarlet Sins The sinister, mysterious passion put forth on Scarlet Sins proves this quartet’s ambition is matched only by its technical prowess and undying aural allure.

HEALEY’S $20 adv.
Bodog Battle of the Bands Canadian National Finals
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
Doors open at 5pm.

THE HIDEOUT $8 adv./$10 door
Music From Ireland
8pm – Paddy Casey “Steaming, funky, sexy beast of an album” — The Sunday Tribune. “...on his new LP (Casey) seeks to coax his inner-soul to the surface...Casey’s songs have always testified to his skills as an arranger, featuring parping horns, jazz-inflected drums and even flute solos...” — The Irish Independent.
9pm – Angel Pier The Irish rock band went into the studio with Kieran Lynch (U2, Elvis Costello, REM) for its debut EP, Bullet Holes & Broken Sectors, and recently recorded with producer Leo Pearson (U2, Elvis Costello & David Holmes) for the forthcoming Sacrifice EP.
10pm – Delorentos The Dublin-based four-piece released In Love With Detail, which entered the Irish charts at number 7. It is comprised of 12 songs of achingly melodic, guitar-fuelled tales of modern romance.
11pm – The Lost Brothers Oisin Leech and Mark McCausland are well known in their Liverpool base for their previous musical exploits in The 747s (Ark Recordings) and The Basement (Deltasonic Records). As The Lost Brothers, the duo has been working its way around the UK for the past year.
12am – Iain Archer Archer is an Ivor Novello award-winning songwriter, for co-writing the smash hit “Run” during his time with Snow Patrol. His fourth, most open-hearted solo album, Magnetic North, is a confident mix of pop nous, emotional nakedness and frayed experimentalism.
1am – Fight Like Apes Hailing from Dublin, the band combines the synth with the sword in this heroic tale of anger, jealousy, greed and goblins, with an emphasis on loutish vocals, brutish bass and digital distortion.

HOLY JOE’S $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – blueVenus blueVenus continues to impress audiences, both as an acoustic duo and as a five-piece band with a unique brand of pop/rock with jazz and Latin influences. Imagine Fiona Apple and Feist joined by the Police and Radiohead.
10pm – Erin Lang With her bandmate and songwriting partner Roger O’Donnell, the U.K. based Lang creates a mysterious mix of ethereal pop, ambient electronic and effected guitar music the pair calls “electromantic.”
11pm – The Vicious Guns Boy meets girl — an undefinable union...The Vicious Guns is a duo who churn out ‘80s-tinged danceable tracks exposing intimate glimpses of a relationship both sweet and sour.
12am – Costanza After the collaboration with trip-hop guru Tricky, New York singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist and producer Costanza releases her self-produced solo project, ZerOKilled.
1am – Closethuman Michael Jackson joins Nine Inch Nails and proceeds to kick everyone out except the synth player and the drummer. He then hires Jonny Greenwood and the bassist from Portishead. Robert Smith drops by. They are, “The Cure for Nine Inch Michael Head.”

HORSESHOE TAVERN $10.50 adv./$12 door
Jägermeister presents: Annual CHART–SHOE Showcase
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
8:30pm – Maybe Smith Maybe Smith’s third full-length album, Second Best Death, showcases a unique evolution of his sample-heavy electro-pop, combining flourishes of lap steel guitar, dense electronic backdrops and mournful lyrical imagery.
9:20pm – Said The Whale The collective brainchild of Ben Worcester and Tyler Bancroft and recently turned 5-piece band, Said the Whale’s eclectic indie rock captures the essence of what it means to be young, free, and occasionally heartbroken in your early 20s.
10:10pm – Black Lungs A tragic mix of liquor, late nights and fast women, Black Lungs is the side project of Alexisonfire’s Wade Macneil, along with Sammi Bogdanski.
11:10pm – The Saint Alvia Cartel “So we liked A Poet’s Life, Tim Armstrong’s first solo album which reminded us we love this punk flavored spin on the roots and island sound. But sorry, it wasn’t the kind of pioneering work found on the refreshingly non-punk, self-titled release of The Saint Alvia Cartel...” — Alternative Press
12:10am – White Cowbell Oklahoma A daring journey into the deepest, darkest corners of rock ‘n’ roll majesty! From the arid deserts of the south-west to the Bayou swampland, to the infernal rock stadiums of the underworld — Casa Diablo is Sin and Salvation incarnate!
1:20am – The Creepshow Sarah Sin will now takeover as lead singer/guitarist of The Creepshow. She learned the songs super fast, and immediately got in the van and toured Europe for six weeks, sharing the stage with bands like The Meteors, Demented are Go, Frantic Flintstones, Mad Sin and Frenzy.
2:20am – The Ghost Is Dancing The Ghost is Dancing is an indie-pop conglomeration formed out of a group of friends in Toronto. Their self-titled EP was released in January of 2006, and there is now a full-length album.
3:20am – The Tom Fun Orchestra See March 6, Dakota Tavern, 12am.

KATHEDRAL $8 adv./$10 door
9pm – Late Nite Access 2008 heralds the return of Late Nite Access to promote its debut album, Kid In A Candy Store. Armed with a captivating, high-energy stage show the band generates a buzz that continues to gain momentum long after the feedback dies away.
10pm – Maximum the Hormone A punk band with nu-metal and funk influences, the band’s style is reminiscent of System Of A Down and The Ramones. Striking contrasts from pop-punk to thrash-metal sum up the sound.
11pm – Reykjavik! See March 7, The Rivoli, 2am.
12am – Fake Shark–Real Zombie! Fake Shark Real Zombie is a mix of the chaotic genre changes of Mr. Bungle meets the fashion punk of the Blood Brothers.
1am – Kid Gib The band’s 10-song, self-titled album was described by Edmonton’s Vue Weekly as “tight and upbeat, with the right amount of crunchy guitars and hooky pop melodies.”

LEE’S PALACE $12 adv./$15 door
Emerge Presents
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
9pm – Sunriser See Thursday, March 6, Drake Underground, 10pm.
9:50pm – Rock Plaza Central Are We Not Horses is about robotic horses who think they are real horses, caught in a battle between good and evil, angels and humans, and after eradicating the world of the angels, wondering if they fought for the right side.
10:50pm – Yoav Imagine a record that matches the leftfield edge of Beck or Radiohead with the kind of sure-footed hooked Justin Timberlake’s people would write a blank cheque for.
12:15am – The Pigeon Detectives Songs like ridiculously infectious single “I Found Out” and “Romantic Type” make up wall-to-wall bellow-along classics on their debut album, Wait For Me.
1:45am – My Shaky Jane See March 6, The Hideout, 11pm.

LIBRARY BAR – ROYAL YORK HOTEL
9pm – Hans Munoz A rising performer whose jazz inspired tone and unique melodic voice has captivated audiences with his humble and inspiring stage presence. He has performed with top class choirs and has shared stages with Tom Cochrane and others.
10pm – Allister Bradley The adult-contemporary singer-songwriter is releasing his second album of original songs in March, and is also working on a second independent film score.
11pm – Julie Crochetiere The smoothness of Sade, the gut-wrenching vocal sound of Roberta Flack, and songwriting reminiscent of Bill Withers all boiled into one: Julie C. She was once a member of Sugar Jones.
12am – Irene Atman She is a fast rising star on the jazz music scene. She’s appeared on the same bill as Tony Bennett and performed with Peter Appleyard and Guido Basso.
1am – Alex Cuba See March 7, Lula Lounge, 9:30pmpm.
2am – Daniel McKenzie See March 6, Royal York Hotel — Library Bar, 9pm.

LULA LOUNGE $15 
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
8pm – The Café Ole The Cafe Ole’s original flamenco-jazz debut recording Cuanto Tardare is an organic mix of Spanish, Latin American, and jazz, fueled with hot rhythms, sultry vocals, and fiery solos. The Café Olé forge passion and energy for a superbly sensuous session.
10pm, 12am – Cache One of the leading bands of the Latin Scene and has received the Best Latin Alternative Band of the Year at the Indies, Best Instrumental CD at TIMA and Featured Latin Artist at New Music Series, among others.

MASSEY HALL  $38.50 adv.
Live Nation Presents
All ages.
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
8pm – God Or Julie Their debut album, This Road Before, was recorded with help from Aaron Johnson (The Fray) and Canadian producer David Bendeth (Breaking Benjamin, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus). All the songs are a little bit darker, but it’s not necessarily dark music.
9pm – Chevelle “Chicago-based trio Chevelle’s aggressive, heavy sound is all about mounting tension exploding into raw guitar bursts,” — All Music Guide.
10pm – Finger Eleven See March 7, Masonic Temple, 10:20pm.

OPERA HOUSE $35 adv.
Just Entertainment Presents
All ages.
Limited wristbands/passes accepted.
9pm – DJ Big Jacks Through his radio shows, persistence, and hard work, Big Jacks has risen from a DJ that not only can be heard but seen. He makes various live appearances from concerts/clubs to radio and television.
10pm – Alex Dimez The Toronto-based hip-hop artist has shared the stage with almost every urban artist from far and wide, including Raekwon, Divine Styler, Remedy from Wu-Tang Clan, Lupe Fiasco and Pharoahe Monch.
10:15pm – Mindbender In the past five years Mindbender has managed to open for national touring acts like Cage, Aesop Rock and many others, tour cross Canada and the U.S, appear in local and international press, and ink distribution deals with Sonic imprint (UK) & Urbnet.
10:30pm – 9th Uno He was the winner of the National Just Entertainment Demo Showcase contest,