30 Artists To Watch In 2013
We’re not afraid to say it: 2013 is going to provide an endless amount of music. With MP3 blogs blowing up with new tracks every day and fests looking more like an escapable black hole, it would almost be racist to not dust off that tray and burn a CD-R full of car-ready jams. It’s not quite 2003 but the new “wave” of artists has now become a tsunami with Godzilla slamdancing at the helm. We’re no prophets as we still... Read More
BLARE’s 30 Must-Hear Bands At CMJ 2012
The 32nd annual CMJ MUSIC MARATHON has crept up on us all but that’s a poor excuse not to pack your favourite snapback or fuzzy sweater for a trip to the East Coast. From October 16th-20th in the heart of New York, hordes of bands, bloggers and music junkies will scour the city for their favourite acts and while notables such as Dum Dum Girls, Killer Mike and Com Truise will be beating ears to death, there’s a lot more to sample. 1,300+... Read More
BLARE’s 25 Best Songs Of Summer 2012
With music still shredding waves from sunrise to sunset, it’s sort of unfair to abandon our sanctuaries and give the axe to summer. To be honest, no one wants it to end as everyone’s personal radio is still kicking out jams that leave more than just a routine impression. Punk found its true colours with the emergence of Title Fight and White Lung, MCs like Joey Bada$$ and Killer Mike stitched their roots to their chest to knock hip hop... Read More
BLARE’s 20 MUST-HEAR BANDS AT NXNE 2012
This summer may just hold the NORTH BY NORTHEAST we’ve all been looking for. Why you ask? The festival’s finally legal. Now in its 18th year, the annual destination for new independent music is set to release gorgeous vocal croons and wails, let keyboards surf through your mind and rip apart its shirt Hulk Hogan style to the beat of vintage punk and alternative. While the festival does just that with 780 bands and 40 films over the course... Read More
Select/Start: NXNE 2012 Mixtape
North By Northeast 2012 is pretty much in the air and that means one thing to the city of Toronto: long, restless nights full of totally awesome music. While food trucks roll in, wristband holders plan their five-day schedules and out-of-towners daydream about the undeniable combination of fries, cheese and gravy, we present to you our soundtrack for the annual festival, highlighting must-see acts tearing up hip-hop, punk, indie and alternative.... Read More
BLARE’s 30 MUST-HEAR BANDS AT BONNAROO
People will rave about Coachella and it’s because they often forget about this great American tradition. There’s a reason for that. The BONNAROO MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL may not be flashy and may be secluded in farm lands that most city folk ignore, but the annual event’s history has produced such a cathartic experience to concert-goers over the year that by the time it turns off the stage lights, everything becomes a blur. The... Read More
BLARE’s 5 Best New Artists (June 2012)
It’s hard to ignore the classics, but it’s worse to overlook the rising stars. Each month, we pick five artists worth lending your ears to. June’s picks spotlight emerging artists changing pop, alternative and electronica. ________________________________________________________________ STATE LINES NOTES: Born from a basement demo recorded via 8-track, the Long Island quarter have scratched the paint off the walls trying to find a sound that... Read More
CONTEST: Refused
THE PRIZE: TICKETS TO TORONTO DATE Refused + OFF!. Sound Academy. Toronto. Refused coming to Toronto is a big deal – so much that our staff is already fighting over who can show off the tag “media” – and one lucky winner will get to endure sweat, tears and maybe blood when they hit the stage this summer. With help from our friends at AEG Live, we’re giving away a pair of tickets to the punk icons’ gig with OFF!... Read More
BLARE’s 5 Best New Artists (May 2012)
It’s hard to ignore the classics, but it’s worse to overlook the rising stars. Each month, we pick five artists worth lending your ears to. May’s picks spotlight emerging acts changing garage rock, pop and alternative. ________________________________________________________________ ELECTRIC GUEST NOTES: Frontman Asa Taccone may look like an eerie mirage of his brother/Lonely Island crew member Jorma, but the music he pens with his other... Read More
VIDEO: Yukon Blonde – “My Girl” (Live)
One of the year’s most impressive releases, YUKON BLONDE’s Tiger Talk is a wave of rock n’ roll delight that never ceases to lose its momentum. The same can be said for the Kelowna quartet’s live performances as we were able to take in the group’s first gig at Lee’s Palace in Toronto this month where heart-sinking indie rock clashed with smooth-operator alternative that had legs moving, heads bobbing and hips being... Read More