"I'm A Pro But Business Is Slow So I'm Peddling My Opinions"

Sloan's new album, unfortunately titled Never Hear The End Of It, is the album the Halifax-born Toronto-based band have needed to make since their inception. At 76 minutes and 30 tracks, it has been described by some as their White Album. Yep, the Beatles references and comparisons are starting early, but listing every single influence found on Never Hear The End Of It would take a more knowledgeable girl a lot more time and space than I have. I was lucky enough to get my fangirl hands on a press copy (ooh, I'm a big shot now!) and I'm OVERJOYED to write what is (as far as I know) the very first review ofthe album that I feel will redeem the band to the nay-sayers who trashed their past few endeavors.

I heard the album for the first time on Tuesday at Chart H.Q, and I rode out that high until I returned on Thursday (yesterday). I listened to it while fulfilling my data entry duties and took sneaky notes, thinking that I wouldn't have another opportunity to do so until its release on September 19. Those notes were my initial impressions – basically who sang it, what it sounded like and whetherI liked it – and I'm amazed at how accurate some of the predictions made on the Sloan message board were, both positively and negatively. I asked to bring it home with me so as to elaborate on those notes. Upon hearing that I could, I may or may not have told one of the editors that I love him. Yes, I was THAT excited.

Here's my track-by-track review of Never Hear The End Of It:

Customarily with Sloan, the one who writes the song is also the one doing the vocals. It's easy to distinguish tracks written by guitarist Jay Ferguson from those of Andrew Scott, Chris Murphy or Patrick Pentland because there are obvious lead vocalists. Kickoff track "Flying High Again" is their first album-documented attempt at sharing a song between three of them. Chris and Jay split verse duties in "I Hate MyGeneration" off of Twice Removed, but they (in addition to Patrick) each get a verse. Chris goes first, singing the line that gave the album its name. The chorus includes Andrew and the four part harmonies make the repetition of "Flying High Again" sound like a lost track from The Who's Tommy. Though they don't say it, they're inviting you to join them on their Amazing Journey. Townshend would be proud.

There's already been a flood of discussion about "Who Taught You To Live Like That," the Ferguson-fronted first single that sounds like Norman Greenbaum meets new Belle + Sebastian. Most people adore it, including a big group who don't like Sloan as a rule. My own mother (who has endured more secondhand Sloan than should be allowed) said she wouldn't have recognized it as a Sloan track at all. Jay is by far the strongest songwriter on NHTEOI, even if (as Sofi pointed out) "thesis" and "beneath us" is a forced rhyme. Even looking at it critically (which I admit I have been negligent to do in the past as far as Sloan is concerned), "Who Taught You To Live Like That" is near-flawless.

Andrew Scott's first contribution since 2001's Pretty Together is the aggressive "I've Gotta Try." I think there was more pressure on Andrew than the others for this album, and for the most part he comes through for us. With its falsetto chorus, psychedelic ooh-wee-oohs and signature dirge-esque voice, this is exactly what we've been missing all this time.

While the album – for the most part – blows everything they've released since Between The Bridges right out of the water, there are a few clunkers. Upon seeing the tracklist, one girl on the message board commented that the titles of several of Murphy's tracks sounded like they were stolen right off of a Lindsay “Firecrotch” Lohan record. We all had a good laugh about that, but the comparisons ended up being tragically fair. Take the fourth track "Everybody Wants You" as an example: Chris has been reading his diaries from middle school again. Vocally he's stronger than he's ever been before, but lyrics like "Everybody wants youuuuuuuuu / Everybody diiiiiiiiiiiies / whenever they're around youuuuuuuuuu / so it comes as no surpriiiiiiiiiiiiiise / that I feel the way I do today" are NOT the way to showcase his prowess.

What's this at the beginning of "Listen To The Radio?" Is that SYNTH?! Wow, Patrick. You're being very experimental! You took "Loosens" and added a drum line! Chris and Patrick duet and sound great in this lullaby-esque piano pop tune. Patrick said he wasn't writing anymore rock songs and with results like this, I'm totally fine with that. If he keeps it up, I might just have to switch to his team... sorry Chris!

Ah, the probable second single: "Fading Into Obscurity." Chris attempts again to be vulnerable and this time he succeeds. There are about twelve tempo changes and they all work together. The vocal improvements are even more obvious and lyrics about cakes and batter don't seem out of place. This could very well be a signature Chris song: catchy, ridiculous, tongue-in-cheek, self-deprecating and – much like that nerdy guy you secretly loved in high school – inexplicably sexy.

At a mere 52 seconds, Andrew's '60s rocker "I Can't Sleep" is a hard retro-rocker. Patrick sings backup and their contrasting voices have a frenetic electricity when combined. After three less-lively tunes, "I Can't Sleep" is like a kick to the shin – the by the time the shock wears off, there's not much more to experience.

Maybe Chris Murphy should stop trying to be romantic. Almost all the misses and near-misses on the album come courtesy of him, especiallywith tracks like "Someone That I Can Be True With." Actually, I take that back. SICBTW can stay because the cheesy line "You won't forget /a beautiful brunette / with eyes of chocolate" could just as easily be about me, even though I know better. Handclaps make up for the forced rhythm, but he harmonizes with himself and that could be difficult to pull off during a live performance. Also, he goes into detail describing all the things he and his beautiful brunette do together:"She's someone to hate all things new with / she's someone to laugh in the pews with / she's someone to watch Gremlins II with / someone to not watch The View with." While those lyrics will someday make the song feel dated, today they endear him to me even more.

Most people LOL when we talk about Jay's many ladies, but he totally plays in up in "Right Or Wrong." With a piano part to rival Ben Folds', he sings "Right or wrong we're breaking their hearts again /Yeah now, this one's for the girls / there's no particular one in the world." Halfway through the song, though, the roles have reversed and suddenly all his girls are breaking HIS heart. Only Jay could get away with writing a song like that and actually have MORE girls cooing over him by the time it finishes.

While the title may seem like a continuation of the one previous, Andrew's anthemic "Something's Wrong" is about as far from a Jaypop song as it gets. Half "Never Seeing The Ground For The Sky," half obscure-classic-rock-band-most-people-have-never-heard. It's a great combination.

One of my favourite tracks is "Ana Lucia," Chris's ode to Sloan manager / unofficial fifth member Mike Nelson's infant daughter. With lyrics like "You really know how to hurt a guy / when I'm around you start to cry" and "You should pick on someone your own size," the lyrics can be quite confusing without the back story. Though the chorus is annoying with Chris and Patrick yelp-harmonizing, I don't think Ana Lucia will mind once she gets old enough to understand how kick-ass her song is.

A few months ago on their radio show, Jay said "I've recorded some pretty friggin' jaunty piano parts." He MUST have been talking about "Before The End Of The Race." Jay needs a poncey Lord Fauntleroy hatwith a feather when he plays this song live (a cookie to the first person to photoshop that). He rocks it up with tambourines and handclaps (signature Jay!), but there is little sweeter than Jay crooning about lost love. I don't know why, but it's still hard for me to picture Jay "waking up in the arms of another." When the piano isn't played, the song has a very "500 Up" feel to it, especially in the introduction.

Holy crap! How did Sloan get Elvis Costello to perform "Blackout" for them? Oh, it's just Andrew singing about drinking. This song would rock so hard live. I am looking forward to the promotional tour evenmore if just for this song.

If the Meligrove Band's hit "Before We Arrive" was a rip-off of "I Wanna Thank You," isn't it strange how Patrick's song "I Understand" sounds a lot like Let It Grow-era Meligroves? Upbeat and poppy and juvenile… actually, it's very similar to the song he wrote for the upcoming children's program Rollplay. Instead of repeating "Felix the frog" a dozen times, he repeats "I understand." He learned from his Action Pact mistakes and proves that he truly is the most rock'n of all the silver foxes.

Chris needs to make up his mind – are things going to work out between his lady love or not? In "You Know What It's About," he channels his inner Lennon (Beatles comparison #2) and keys up a tragic breakup song. His major error was trying to fit ten syllables in a line made to fit five. If only all breakups were as slow, mellow, short and sweet as this song...

In an interview last December, Patrick informed me that some of his songs would have a psychedelic feel to them. Andrew must have taken Patrick's idea to the next level because "Golden Eyes" is a musical acid trip unlike any heard since the '70s. Andrew never seemed like the tie-dyed t-shirt type until now.

One of my favourite songs off of Pretty Together (admittedly there aren't a lot) is Jay's ode to the younger woman "Dreaming Of You." On Never Hear The End Of It, we have "Can't You Figure It Out," a song that feels like its undeserving sequel. The tone is a poor copy, the feelings aren't as sincere, the confusion more frustrating and this time Jay's got a heartbreaking nonchalance about the affair. Though punctuated by (predictably) handclaps and harmonizing with Chris, this is Jay's weakest song, possibly ever.

Sure, Chris admits to being a fame whore in "Summer's My Season," but nothing to compare with "Set In Motion," the silliest song on the new album. Apparently someone wrote a book about Chris's life and they want to make a movie about it. Chris protested but was told he agreed to everything years ago. He didn't want some stupid actor messing it all up, so he played himself. He just wants to set the record straight, though – he "doesn't do nude scenes or [his] own stunts."Apparently it's a big metaphor for all the things in life we can't stop. I liked it a lot better before I knew there was a lesson.

Like a line from the film Love, Actually, Andrew has a song called"Love Is All Around." It sounds like generic retro song, and I find it hard to get excited about it. It's not as romantic as he thinks it is– it's just lame.

Lindsay's influence over Chris is back by the time he sings "Will I Belong." Apparently Chris is really lonely and would love to just fit in. Pardon me while I don’t care as he reflects on how hard school is for an outcast. You’re what, almost 40? I know you just had your 20th reunion but that’s really no reason to justify this. Thank goodness this song is only 1:20 long… any more elaboration and we’d have the premise for Mean Girls 2: Girls Don’t Make Passes.

Here we go… “Ill Placed Trust” has finally made its way to an album. Every so often Patrick will bust out this rocker at a festival show. Those who have yet to experience it regarded it mythically: how can we be so sure that we didn’t imagine it? Well imagine waking up from a wonderful, rhythm-heavy distorted dream only to find that your friend heard it too. Props go to Patrick for referencing his own song when Chris asks “can you feel it?” and he replies “I can feel it.”

I really hope that Sloan bring a piano when the tour to promote this album, because they’d be hard pressed to play most of their better songs without it. Among those is “Live The Life You’re Dreaming Of,” a forlorn ballad reminiscent of Murph’s glory days. “I’m a pro / but business is slow / so I’m peddling my opinions” made me laugh when I first heard it. My immediate second thought was that I’ve been watching too much Law & Order recently because I swore he meant pro to mean prostitute. Also, Chris has regained some of his smugness in the line “everyone of you knows what it’s like to surrender to me completely.” Well if you write more songs like this, Chris, maybe we’ll surrender again.

While Chris is revisiting his angst-ridden youth, Andrew and Patrick are dealing with grown-up issues in “Living With The Masses:” lousy neighbours and their incessant renovating! What’s a rocker to do when he can’t get any sleep? Turn the amp up to eleven and speak out against them.

“HFXNSHC” (or “Hard Core” for short) is certainly Sloan’s punkiest song. In the aforementioned Patrick interview he mentioned that All Used Up was the closest thing he’d written, but comparing the two is like comparing a blue mohawk to a strawberry blonde mullet. Like all great punk songs, the bass line thumps and the lyrics are indiscernible. He may have used the term “newbie generation” but I can’t be sure. It sure sounds like it. Who knew Paddy was so 1337? Don’t make me make a pwny da l00k joke…

I really don’t know what’s going on with Chris on this album. Whether Firecrotch got to him or if his therapist told him to revisit his adolescence or if he’s trying to cash in on the latest generation of emo bands, there’s no real excuse for songs like “People Think They Know Me.” The title says it all, really. At least he tried something new instrumentally – steel string countrified gee-tar!

Here’s a concept: let’s have Andrew sing a Cardigans song. Obviously they couldn’t get the rights to “Lovefool” so Andrew had to write his own. The result? “I Know You.”

I don’t know why I’ve got such issues with the thought of Chris Murphy settling down. Maybe because it seems that the happier he is, the more he wants to write about it and we end up with songs like “Last Time In Love,” an overly emotional ballad about how he realizes that he might never fall in love with someone else again. Excuse us while we gag. Also his rhyming scheme (the same one used throughout the entirety of his portion of the album) is getting REALLY tired at this point. That particular trend carries over into the next song, “It’s Not The End Of The World.” Oooh Oooh Ooohs and slide guitar can’t possibly compensate for “It’s not the end of the world / Into a ball you are curled.”

As previously stated, Jay songs often take better-than-usual albums and make them extraordinary. “Light Years,” the penultimate track on Never Hear The End Of It, shows that Jay has been spending just as much time listening to lounge singers as he has old-school indie rock. Ferguson realizes that he could never pull off the ol’ Sinatra style with the same flare, so he improvises with – what else – handclaps. Just when I thought Jay’s lexicon couldn’t get more delightful (he coined the term “totes,” after all) he goes and uses the word “aloof” to describe how he acted towards a girl.

Despite his gutterballs, Chris comes through when it really matters – the closer. Usually Sloan albums end with a plaintive, lush rhapsody but NHTEOI ends with a bang. Energentic, strong… I didn’t want to hear the end of it. For all of its mistakes, it serves as a reminder for why Sloan have been my favourite band for so long - they're just full of surprises.

-Cap'n Allegra

Like A Zero Drowning In A Sea Of Higher Numbers...

(I have absolutely no idea how to make a title, so I'll settle for bolding and italicizing for now.)

In light of Death From Above 1979's split - which was not really news to people who followed the band but still shocking enough to everyone else to get media coverage - I wanted to make a post about bands I wish would call it quits. I even discussed the subject with friends Martina, Jay and Andi last Friday. I'm not talking about bands that every music blogger wishes would just disappear... Fall Out Boy and Staind don't top my list. I'm talking about bands for whom indie kids everywhere would fall on their demin-distressed-on-purposed knees and cry woefully "why couldn't they have made another album?!" These are bands I've disliked from the first time I heard them and bands who will never be able to re-create the glory days; bands who have lead and bands who have followed; bands whose time has, well, passed.

1) Metric

Now that she's got a solo album coming out later this year, Emily Haines's already all-encompassing ego doesn't even need her unstellar backup band anymore. Their performances have gone downhill since the release of the lacklustre Live It Out. Here's a snippet from a review I wrote of their Toronto performance at the Kool Haus in February:

"I didn't know what to expect. I know I'm going to get lynched by everyone ever, but Live It Out wasn't all that great and Emily Haines as a person has totally overshadowed my view of Emily Haines as a performer. I don't even think Emily Haines as a performer is as great as people say. Their music isn't really innovative and I've stopped trying to figure out what they're trying to say in their songs. It's catchy, it's fun and it doesn't mean anything to me, and I think that that's why I didn't have an AWFUL time: I didn't care that Emily is terrible at stage banter (She spoke to the audience twice, once to thank the opening bands and once to say that we were the first show on the tour), or that she was more focused on showing off her underwear than she was on acknowledging the crowd.
Here's a suggestion, Toots: It's not cool to spend the whole performance singing to stage left. Maybe you could get the roadies to position the keyboard so that you can look at the audience. You've got a great voice but maybe have the mic a little louder so that the audience doesn't out-sing you. Maybe you could look like you're NOT bored out of your mind. Were you not Emily Haines I don't think the audience would have put up with that kind of malarky."

In an ideal world, the audience wouldn't. My suggestion would be to call it all off now and get Emily more publicity. You know it's not about Joules, Jimmy and The Other One With A J-Name anyway...

2) Audioslave

It's mostly about me hating the sound of Chris Cornell's voice and that I had to wake up to "Show Me How To Live" all through grade 11.

Soundgarden was one of the better uber-popular grunge bands, but now Cornell just seems to be following general trends. After grunge came post grunge (Alice In Chains), followed by a singer-songwriter schtick before finding his home making Generic Alternative Rock. While GAR seems to be losing steam (and thank Murph for that [yes, I diefied Chris Murphy, get used to it]), it was all rock radio would play back when Audioslave formed in 2001. Remember the #1 song of that year? It was "How You Remind Me" by Nickelback, who are arguably the KINGS of the Generic Alternative Rock genre. I never understood the appeal of having Chris Cornell as a frontman. His wikipedia entry says "He is considered to be one of the most talented vocalists and songwriters in the rock industry." Compared to who? Corey Taylor? Fred Durst?! Okay, comparitively I can see it. Just don't make me listen to it.

Following this trend, Audioslave aren't gonna last to make another record - Cornell will have grown a beard and moved on to indie crooning. THAT will be even more painful than "Like A Stone."

3) Modest Mouse

Effing hell, did you hear about Johnny Marr joining Modest Mouse as a permanent band member? Yet ANOTHER thing standing in the way of a Smiths reunion! My friend Evan told me to check them out four years ago, and I was unimpressed with the songs he sent me. Then, just a little over a year later they become super-popular with "Float On" and "Ocean Breathes Salty" off of Good News For People Who Love Bad News. I bought the album secondhand for $6 and I felt like I overpaid. So bored was I that I left the Broken Social Mouse show (which they were headlining) after two tracks. I wasn't the only one - the ferry trip back to Toronto was packed. If a mildly mainstream band can't keep the interest of the mildly mainstream kids both before AND after re-inventing itself as a pop band, you're not doing it right.

Also, Isaac Brock seems like the second most boring interviewee in indie rock.

4) The Arcade Fire

Two lines up I mentioned that Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse seemed to be the second most boring interviewee. The winner of the prize, though, is Richard Reed Perry of The Arcade Fire. I had to transcribe Nardwuar's interview with him and it was the longest three hours of my life. My hate-on for the Arcade Fire isn't even a recent thing (you know, now all the cool kids have disowned them since they became popular). First of all, I REALLY dislike Funeral as an album. Win Butler's caterwauling is ridiculously overrated and the whole business is far too prententious by half. When I express my feelings, I usually hear something like "well don't judge them until you've seen them perform live!!!!"

I have. I saw them play with DFA1979, Sam Roberts, Buck65, BSS, Pilate, The Constantines, The Stills and Sloan. I had no idea who they were and, judging by the turnout for the first two bands (which were DFA1979 and TAF), neither did anyone else. They were tight enough, I guess, but nothing mind-blowing. Régine had a glazed look on her face, and it seemed as though she had no idea what she was doing. The saving grace was Howard Bilerman, their producer/drummer. My friend Bevka and I made up a song about him (and how much he resembled our grade 10 science teacher) to the tune of Spiderman:
Bilerman, Bilerman, friendly neighbour of Spiderman / gets his mail every day / pays his rent / might be gay / LOOKOUT! / here comes the Bilerman. Unfortunately for everyone, he doesn't drum for the Arcade Fire anymore so I have no qualms with saying that the praise heaped on them is undeserved. Besides, aren't there 2057820572 more talented Canadian bands who struggle for a SLICE of the success that The Arcade Fire receive(d)? Time to bow out gracefully while they're ahead.

Have I offended anyone? Good. Get pissy-defensive in the comment box so that I can laugh at you. I need that right now, kay?

Now Listening To: Zero 7 - "Destiny"

As a first post in a music blog, I figured I should cop out and just do a meme. For now, that is. I stole this from my friend Ruh’s livejournal, who stole it from Ross. The only changes I’ve made to the questions were grammatical, as questions often ended with prepositions. This meme hopefully also answers the question, “who is Cap’n Allegra, and what makes her think she’s qualified to have a music blog?!”
(here’s a hint: I listen to songs and I can write. Thus, qualified.)

What was the last concert you attended?
That would be the Weakerthans and Waking Eyes at Harbourfront.
How many people were there?
Two, maybe three hundred? I don’t know. I was in the front with some tall people behind me.
Which bands have you seen in concert the most, and how many times?
Sloan, whom I have seen between ten and fourteen times, depending on your definition of “concert.”
Do you have any setlists? From which bands?
I have setlists from The Organ, Melissa Auf der Maur, Meligrove Band, Buck 65 and Feist. I’m fairly sure that there are more, but those are the ones I can remember right now.
Are there any CDs in close proximity to you? Which ones?
I am currently at work, and unfortunately the CDs in my cubicle are all computer-related (with the exception of a few cyber-press kits). Were I at home, I would be surrounded by Republic Of Safety’s Vacation EP, The Graduate by M.C. Lars, Danielson’s Ships, Sweet Homewrecker by Thrush Hermit and the Meligrove Band’s Let It Grow.
What band are you in the mood to see live right this second?
I’m in the mood for something strange, so maybe the Flaming Lips? I need confetti, aliens and Silver Foxes.
Have you ever been on a tour bus?
No, and that’s all right with me.
Have you ever partied with a band?
Not that I can remember, but aren’t all Adorables shows big parties?
In how many states/provinces have you been to concerts?

Three, which is funny because I’ve only ever been to three states/provinces: Ontario (where I live), Quebec (I saw the Grates and Immaculate Machine in a tiny club a few months back) and New York, where I insisted to my father and brother that we see a showcase at CBGB’s. Terrible! Also, CBGB’s has NOTHING on Sneaky Dee’s as far as Washroom awesomeness is concerned. That whole night was a disappointment.
Which bands did you see live the month of May?

Mary Timony (Music Gallery)

Jon-Rae Fletcher (Music Gallery)

Temporary Grace (aforementioned CBGB show)

Generic Genetic Control (CBGB’s)

Raize Hell (ugh! CBGB’s!)

The Stills (Phoenix)

Royal Mountain Band (Phoenix)

MegaBand2 (Boat)

The Miles (Boat)

The Guest Bedroom (Boat)

Henri Fabergé & the Adorables (Boat)

Pistolita (Phoenix)

The Bled (Phoenix)

Say Anything (Phoenix)

Everyone’s In Love And The Flowers Pick Themselves (Drake)

Dance Electric (Drake)

Castlemusic (Drake)

Wyrd Visions (Drake)

The Bicycles (Drake)

Woodhands (Drake)

Saturday Looks Good To Me (Drake)

Alexisonfire (technically I assisted at a photo shoot, but Dallas Green sang so I’m counting it.)

(Whoa! I didn’t even realize how many I’d seen that month! Excellent!)

What CD are you addicted to at the moment?
Just one? Field Register’s Tire & Caster. Honourable mention is given to the Bella/Columbus spilt 7” EP, Keren Ann’s Nolita and Ones & Zeroes by Immaculate Machine.
What is one band that you used to like, but now you can't stand?
In seventh grade I loved Default. Yeah, I’m just as confused as you are.
Have you ever been on anyone's guest list? Whose?
An awesome local band called No Dynamics have told me that I will be on “every No Dynamics guestlist from now on.” They’ve only played two shows since then (neither of which I could attend) but it’s nice to feel loved.
Last band person that you got a picture with?
I suppose it was Olivier from the Stills. I told him he was my favourite member and he called me a liar. I insisted otherwise. The world needs more lanky redheaded musicians who know what they’re doing.
Do you consider yourself a groupie?
Hey! That's that word my Dad always throws around when I talk about loving bands! :D
How old were you when you went to your first concert?
Fourteen.
Who was it?
Technically Matthew Barber was my very first live performance when he played Tastes of the Danforth years and years ago, but my first ticketed event was – predictably – Sloan.
Which artists haven't you seen yet that you want to see?
Geez, where to begin?

Elvis Costello

Jale

Thrush Hermit

Pavement

Matt Pond PA

Something Corporate

Tegan & Sara

New Pornographers

Belle & Sebastian

Jenny Lewis

Juliana Theory

Ben Folds (Five)

Carnations

Any of Matt Murphy’s 23507207 projects

Harvey Danger

Gogol Bordello

Hawksley Workman

Inbreds

Jason Mraz

Plumtree

(we’ll cut it off there…)

Are you wearing a band shirt right now?
Not currently, as I am at work. Once I return home I will probably change into my pyjamas, which include a Mary Timony Ex Hex shirt.
Of which band do you own the most merch?
Do I even have to think about this? Sloan!
Do you ever do anything crazy at shows?
My friends will tell you I do this arm-molestation thing (basically I choose a victim friend and pet their arm for a while) if I’m really excited, but I’ve tried to stop doing it because it is undignified.
What are your favourite venues?
I love the Boat and Sneaky Dee’s, which is a shame because, as an underaged girl sans fake ID, I can very rarely gain admission to either of those venues.
Of which band do you have the most performance pictures?
I have more pictures of Broken Social Scene than any other band. It just works out that a camera happens to be in my possession for every show of theirs and I've seen them perform a thousand times. Oh, and they’re DAMN photogenic.

Would you ever get a tattoo representing a band?
No, but only because I would never get a tattoo. I’m too square for that shizz.
How many concerts do you average a year?
I’ve only been going to shows for three years. I couldn’t possibly average them out. I’ll lowball and say 25 a year.
Upcoming shows?

August 12 – ALL CAPS! presents the Diableros, I Can Put My Arm Back On You Can’t, DD/MM/YYYY and more @ Dufferin Grove park (SW corner), 3:00 – 9:00 PM, PWYC.

August 19 – The Bicycles CD release party @ Tranzac, 1:00 PM.

August 26 – Hidden Cameras, Amy Millan, Think About Life, Torngat and more @ Harbourfront, free.

August 27 – Bell Orchestre, Hylozoists and more @ Harbourfront, free.

September 9 – Virgin Fest Day 1 with Flaming Lips, Buck 65, Muse, Hidden Cameras, The Dears, Eagles Of Death Metal, Alexisonfire, Wintersleep AND MORE @ Toronto Island, $57.50

September 16 – Henri Fabergé & the Adorables CD release party with the Bicycles, Ultra Magnus, Born Ruffians, the Barmitzvah Brothers, the Basement Arms, the Rural Alberta Advantage, Castlemusic, the Laura Barrett Minuet and MORE! @ Palais Royale

List every band you've EVER seen live, no matter how obscure or shameful.
BLOODY HELL! Well, okay…

Alexisonfire

All-American Rejects

Anberlin

Apostle Of Hustle

Arcade Fire

Auf der Maur

Bled

Born Ruffians

Boy

Bright Eyes

Broken Social Scene

Buck 65

Bicycles

Cartel

Castlemusic

City & Colour

CocoRosie

Constantines

Controller.Controller

Copeland

Dance Electric

Dashboard Confessional

David Usher

Death From Above 1979

Delays

Do Make Say Think

Dr. Draw

Evansblue

Everyone’s In Love And The Flowers Pick Themselves

Feist

Flaming Lips

Finger11

Franz Ferdinand

Fray

Futureheads

Galaxy

Genetic Control

Gentleman Reg

Gordie Samson

Grates

Gratitude

Guest Bedroom

Hawthorne Heights

Henri Fabergé & the Adorables

High Dials

Holy Fuck

Hot Hot Heat

illScarlet

Immaculate Machine

In-Flight Safety

Islands

Jason Collett

Jimmy Eat World

Joel Plaskett

John Ralston

Jon-Rae Fletcher

Keane

Keren Ann

Kyle Riabko

Laura Barrett

Left Of Here

Limblifter

Lullaby Arkestra

Mal De Mer

Magneta Lane

Mary Timony

Matthew Barber

Matthew Good

MegaBand2

Meligrove Band

Metric

The Miles

Miniatures

Mobile

Most Serene Republic

Neverending White Lights

Ninja High School

No Dynamics

Old Soul

Organ

Our Lady Peace

Panic & the Rebel Emergency

Pilate

Pistolita

Pixies

Raize Hell

Republic Of Safety

Royal Mountain Band

Saturday Looks Good To Me

Saves The Day

Say Anything

Sloan

Spitfires & Mayflowers

Starting Line

Stills

Story Of The Year

Suicide Pact

Temporary Grace

Thrice

Tilly & The Wall

Tokyo Police Club

Township Expansion

Triumph Of Lethargy

Two Hours Traffic

Waking Eyes

Weakerthans

Weezer

Whoremoans

Woodhands

Wyrd Visions
I didn’t include any of the bands I’ve seen at various school battles of the bands or buskers for obvious reasons.

Now I hope you know me a little better. I apologize for the cop-out first post, but whatever. Now you know where I'm coming from with my snark. If you really want to know more, check out the Sing It Back podcast (which has been featured in Shameless magazine as part of their article "Radio Free Revolution).