If the abundance of ‘one hit wonders’ that have made their way onto radiowaves and mp3 playlists anywhere have taught us anything, it is that one great song can catapult a band into superstardom as quickly as they disappear into the massive black hole in Whogivesashit land. But instead of music videos and radios being the main medium of today’s music, we have the Internet, which filters through good and bad music at a monumental rate, leaving us with huge heaps of both to filter through even more. …

It wasn’t surprising that The Mod Club wasn’t exactly packed to the brim for The Dillinger Escape Plan’s co-headlining (ish) tour with Thursday.  It was indeed a Monday, and for some reason – maybe a combination of odd timing (Thursday’s Common Existence has been out for awhile, and the next Dillinger album isn’t out until March), venue, and the tour itself having little publicity – people just didn’t know about it.  Regardless, the bands played anyways.  More importantly, they played to a group of fans that were there because they …

This decade has been asking for a lot of sacrifices from aggressive music in its latter years. No more is this plain than Toronto. The door is closing on acts that died young, asking for more to herald the painful virgin era that will end up defining another ten years worth of dry throats and bent spines. And after all that vindication and misery, kids will be discussing Eating Glass while I remember their gravestone. Make no mistake; this hyperbole is a eulogy, a filthy salivating one.
“Ten years from now, …

Harvey Milk and Torche shouldn’t need an introduction. Both bands play sludge metal with a twist; one utilizes southern and classic rock influences while the other isn’t afraid to show that they have melodic sensibilities. Harvey Milk kicked the bucket during the 90s before resurrecting themselves in 2006 while Torche evolved from the ashes of stoner-rock icons Cavity and Floor. Each band uncannily suits one another, ushering the opposing dirt and gloss inherent in classic and modern sludge. Earning a chance to see both bands co-headline a venue is not …

The venue is sweltering. As the temperature drops outside in the downtown Toronto streets, the inside of the El Mocambo pumps up the heat. It’s hot, it’s sweaty, and the patrons are growing impatient. Countless men and women sip back beers and fancy drinks in the hopes of cooling off, but after a few they realize it’s not getting any cooler in here. Everyone grows a little stirred after the first two hours, and it’s exactly how Japandroids want it. At the stroke of midnight, Vancouver-grown guitarist Brian King and …

While Toronto’s music scene has been flourishing as of late, with Arts & Crafts bands like Ohbijou and Still Life Still, Broken Social Scene still remains the city’s (and the label’s) treasure, and they’ve proved that time and time again, not only with their impressive live shows, but with their dedication to the city in general.
With the cancellation of the pricey Centre Island show, due to the Indy Race being on the same day, the band quickly announced they’d be doing a free show to make up for their inefficiency …

Upon entering the Mod Club, the first thing that came into my head was “Jesus Christ, what are Dillinger going to do to this place?” Though not as small as other venues around Toronto, it’s relatively small for a band like The Dillinger Escape Plan to play in, and the lack of security like their last show at the Opera House (not necessarily meaning there was less security, but they weren’t assholes, to put it bluntly) made for a much more personal experience with the band.  And by personal, I …