I got to try out BQM Diner today, a new burger joint on Queen St. that was recommended to my by a friend. There is a wave of burger restaurants opening up here lately, which I don’t really have a problem with since it’s one of my favourite foods. Another popular style of restaurant cropping up lately is the Poutineri, but I don’t eat that shit.

I ordered the normal burger which comes with garlic aoli mayo, pickles, tomato, lettuce/greens and red onion. I threw in a bowl of fries on top, because it’s Sunday, and I can…

I had a really good time watching Mugison perform here in Toronto last night. The show was at the, you guessed it, Drake Hotel. He arrived here by way of Iceland, and is playing with a three-piece band.

In his live performance, Mugison plays a great style of heavy blues with a bit of folk. Lots of stories in between songs make him stand out as a real character. The stories also had a way of shocking the crowd cause he’s got a dark sense of humour. Like the time he was very ill and had to cut a show early cause he soiled himself on stage while belting out a loud passage.

I bought his entire catalogue of CDs for $20 after the show. Listening to Mugiboogie, I heard a lot of the songs he played last night. The music is creatively produced and just brilliant. It makes North American blues recordings sound lifeless. He weaves elements of pop, metal and electronica throughout the tracks so seamlessly.

After seeing Little Dragon last year, I don’t know what they put in the water over in Scandinavia to produce such talented musicians.

Mugison will be playing another free show tonight, March 20th at the Drake Hotel.

Also good in town tonight is That 1 Guy playing his CD release at the Rivoli. On the house tip, Jason Hodges and Mike Gleeson will be playing at Wrongbar alongside Famous Players.

Don’t ever complain there is nothing to do in Toronto!

Here’s a video from the Dam-Funk show in Toronto on Thursday, March 4th, 2010. Hope you enjoy!

photo by jamie_hladky

Handmade Music Night is happening this friday here in Toronto.

“InterAccess is hosting a party where DIY/handmade/experimental music performers, makers can get together and show off their stuff. Haven’t made anything yet? Doesn’t matter, just come out and see what people are up to. We already have some confirmed performers but we want MORE!”

February 19th, 2010 10PM

InterAccess Electronic Media Arts Centre
9 Ossington Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M6J 2Y8
Canada

Link

To all the people of the world who enjoy a good schluff while on the meter, this photoshop’s for you.

Had a fantastic time seeing Mr. Scruff DJ at Wrongbar on Friday, January 15th. The event was completely sold out, which doesn’t happen that often here in Toronto for DJ shows. Scruff played a great blend of classic funk, latin and some bass heavy beats.

The place was rammed to the top, but just enough that you could maneuver around. Crowd was in good spirits, as i’m sure many people had been waiting to see the man play for a while now – he hasn’t been back to the city in a few years.

Scruff brought along his own VJ and sound engineer. The sound was extra crisp if I may say so myself. Wrongbar owner Nasty Nav told me that he thought it was one of the best nights of music in his venue since it opened a few years ago. That’s pretty awesome!

The highlight for me was getting to meet him very briefly. He told me that he’s a big fan of what Jason Palma is doing here, which is quite a well deserved compliment for the Torontonian who runs the fantastic Higher Ground Radio show amongst many other activities in the area of rare-groove music.

I have been inspired by Mr. Scruff for many years now. If I can say he’s done one thing great, he’s figured out that keeping things simple is the way to success. His visual brand is largely made out of primitive drawings that he’s done himself, and his beats sound full yet aren’t too complex as to make them inaccessible.

His DJing isn’t focused on long evolving mixes, but rather cutting it out and jumping to a new record or even a new style on a whim. Over the course of a night, not many DJs could possibly come close to covering as much ground as he does. Add it all up and you have a producer who has been maintaining a solid career for a while now. Cheers to Scruff!