Vangelʼs music has been described as “a smooth and rich sounding journey that teeters on the edge of elevator music and avant-garde pop genius”. His Biblio EP, which has generated a lot of respect for him, is a testament to this description. Currently, Vangel is working on his debut LP: Breadth Control. We caught up with this DJ/Producer from Toronto and asked him some questions on the fly.

Take us into the world of Vangel. Tell us a little about yourself and your music.

I’m not sure if I qualify in having a world unto myself, but I can tell you a lil about me and my involvement in music. I’m a dude; music makes me feel uncomfortable on the inside, so I been following that feeling for the last bit. For the last 5 years, I’ve been focussing on instrumental music and releasing theme-based EP’s that dabble in different genres that reflect some of my stylistic interests. I’ve been told people in the music biz think im really serious, so I’ve been working on counteracting this image by posting YouTube videos of me slow dancing to Rihanna in front of the mirror whilst playing the cowbell. Short shorts is a must.

I always have a bit of pressure related to my artistic passion, but most of it is personal, and related to a sense of sincerity about what I’m doing, and why I’m doing it.

When it comes to music, how long have you been in the game and who are you influenced by?

I think I been in the music “game” for my whole life, in that, for me, music is a listening game, not a “let’s go to the studio and lay down butta” type thing. Is it negative or post-hippy of me to say that I would rather listen to the wind in the trees than the newest Lady Gaga single? This is just to say, I been listening all my life, and I’ve developed a preference for certain types of things over others.

Apart from this abstraction of an answer, I did the band, strings ensemble, symphony orchestra thing(s) in my teens, and finally bought a sampler/sequencer in university somewhere around 99.

I’m influenced by tons of stuff: music, books, media, technology, social environments, hypnosis, kettles, apricots; the list goes on.

Your Biblio EP has received some solid reviews. Describe your experience creating the EP. Did you feel any pressure on yourself to do well?

Biblio EP was last year’s EP release; 5 jazz inspired instrumental songs. I’m proud of it, for what it’s worth, but already feel like I’ve moved on. The experience of creating was not much different than usual, except that most of the songs began with samples from public and private Libraries across Toronto, hence the name “Biblio”. I definitely did a lot of digging and ditching before I had the 5 basic structures I felt fit together, and could be built into songs. After that, I had the help of great session players, jazz and non-jazz, and went to chopping town with what they laid down. We released a video for one of the singles, “MoneyMoney” a year after the EP.

I always have a bit of pressure related to my artistic passion, but most of it is personal, and related to a sense of sincerity about what I’m doing, and why I’m doing it. The pressure is also more surrounding calling a song finished. I have way too much material in mid-stride that’s waiting on something, someone, or someday. I’m slowly getting better at calling it quits, soaking in moment of completion, and moving on.

Yesterday, I listened to Charlie Parker’s ‘best of’ compilation. That guy was a beast, and never made it to see 35. I would have laid down some serious Long and Mcquade equipment rental money to work with him. ha!

How did you hook up with 5 & ¼ Records?

Around the time I was writing the PostModern EP, I met Rob. He liked what I was doing and he had label aspirations and a concept, so we ran with it; super independent style. We tapped into an environmental recycling project which reuses old 5 & ¼ inch computer floppies as our custom sleeves for CD release.

People, especially the media, really dug the packaging and hence they also checked out the music and said, “humm, this music ain’t that bad either”. It was all really a ploy to plot and prey on people’s “(don’t) judge a book by it’s cover” psyche and an attempt to draw in computer nerds with vintage gear fetishes. I was helping run the label for a bit, but now it’s Rob’s thing and I’m proud of him and proud to be involved.

If you had the opportunity to collaborate with any artist/group/producer, who would it be?

Tough question. Oddly, I don’t have a definitive list of who my dream collabs are, or it keeps morphing. There are definitely talented and people with expertise in particular areas far superior to mine everywhere I wanna work with, but I feel closest in my connection to collaborating with them when I’m actually listening to their work and connecting.

So, right now, I’m typing away answering this interview in a room with no sound, and thinking of how dope it would be to collaborate with a typist who I could dictate to, cause I’m such a slow and shitty typer. It’s a “in the moment” kinda thing.

Yesterday, I listened to Charlie Parker’s ‘best of’ compilation. That guy was a beast, and never made it to see 35. I would have laid down some serious Long and Mcquade equipment rental money to work with him. ha!

What are you up to for the summer? What does the future have in store for Vangel?

I’m working on my debut full-length LP: “Breadth Control”. I been working up to this for a while now, and actually avoiding it at some points. Like:, “nah, I’ll just release another EP”. But I think it’s time, and I’m happy with what’s become of it so far. There should be a single and release date soon.

I’m also working on mixes (as in 45-60 mins of mixed music by other artists) (..these days, it’s important to qualify what you mean by “mix”). I just jumped into the digital dj revolution a few months ago (albeit, 10 years late) so I’m re-invigorated about Dj’ing, and not being limited to what I actually own on vinyl. It’s a sad and happy affair.

As for future, I’ve been doing remix work for some artist and really enjoying some aspects of that. It’s really artistically challenging to create with something you love or already think is perfect. Makes you “think different-ly”, without the contemporary Apple marketing campaign connotation. Besides remixes, I plan to continue to write songs, experiment with releases, and challenge myself musically and artistically.

To learn more about Vangel, you can visit his website, follow him on Facebook, or check out his tweets on Twitter.

Every now and again, a band will appear out of no where with a lot of buzz, because they have this “something” about them that gets people talking. The Balconies are one of those bands that have this “something”. Their debut album has generated enough buzz to get people talking, as well as listening, to this talented trio. We wanted to find out more about this band, so we hit them them up for an interview and then checked them out live. When the smoke cleared, they not only made us believers, but they also made made us say, “Yup, there’s something about The Balconies”.

The Balconies self-titled debut album is currently available on iTunes. If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can buy their album by clicking here.

If you would like to know more about The Balconies, you can visit their MySpace page, check out their tweets on Twitter, or follow them on Facebook.

Jason: So Chris, how’s life treating you?

Chris: Life is treating me well, man. I can’t complain. The sun is shining in Toronto, and spring is around the corner. I’m really excited because I have a trip to Australia that’s coming really soon.

Jason: Oh man, Australia. You made me jealous on that one.

Chris: Sorry, brother. (Laughs) Life is treating me well, because I have things that matter most in place in life.

Jason: I know how important it is to have that in place. Chris, for those just being introduced to your music, describe your musical style.

I’ll start by saying that the creative experience, for me, is the most magical part of why I love music so much, because it’s something you really can’t put a finger on.

Chris: Ok, I would describe my musical style as folk roots. It’s pretty eclectic music. I draw on a wide range of influences, some rock elements, some reggae elements, but I think at the core, you know, it’s singer song-writer, folk roots kind of vibe.

Jason: When did you first realize you were meant to be a musician? When did that moment come?

Chris: That moment came, I say, pretty late in my life. I started playing guitar when I was 22 years old. So, I was in university, and I was charting a very different path, and my connection with music just sort of exploded. Really, at that point, it was ignited, and it just continued to grow since then. I would say not long after that, I mean, I don’t know if I could pin it down to one exact moment, but I do know that since I started playing music at that stage in my life, it was really just a growing, intensifying passion that the more I played the more it became obvious to me that this was what I wanted to do.

Jason: In your opinion, what was your first big break? When did that happen?

Chris: (Laughs) I think I’m still waiting for my first big break.

Jason: (Laughs) To be where you are, from when you first started playing in university to where you are now. Was there something that happened that…

Chris: Oh ya, totally. When I was playing in my previous band that I started with my cousin, our first big break, then, was probably our first gig at the Horseshoe. That was a pretty big thing. Ya, it’s interesting, because I think at every point there’s always that something that feels like it’s a victory. One of the bigger things that happened was a record label in England that wanted to put out our record. That’s all stuff with respect to the last band, but I would say the straight answer would be: the first time we got to play the Horseshoe.

Jason: That must have been pretty cool.

Chris: It definitely was. Then, we got asked back a month later, and it was a full house. So it was pretty cool.

Jason: How has your life changed since you released your debut album Glory Fire?

Chris: I don’t know man. That’s a tough question. It supposes, or assumes, that a release of an album is going to change someone’s life.

Jason: Well, I compare the release of a new album to getting a new job. You know when you land a really cool job and you’re happy; you’re satisfied. However, over time, you will need another challenge. Another cool job.

Chris: Ya ok, that helps a lot actually. Well, it was my first solo album, and it really allowed me to sort of get back into the game and start getting out there again. I really feel like I have something that’s representative of the direction that I’m going in musically; that’s representative of who I am at this stage of my life and at this stage of my development as an artist. So ya, I think the nice thing, since the release of the album, is that I’ve been back in the game and playing shows. If you want to talk about life changing, I’ve toured in Australia and west coast Canada for the first time in this past year, in support of the album, so it has provided me with the opportunity, or at least a reason, to take my music somewhere and really try to get that music out to the people by being wherever that I’m going. It’s just providing me with a little fusion of energy to keep on going man. This album is a really great thing that happened, and it was a combination of a certain period of time in my life with certain experiences, and then you kind of live with those songs. You know, you’re playing those songs for a year and you’re sharing them with different people and then you get a lot out of that in terms of, ok, how would you go about doing this the next time. What kind of record do I want to make, and what kind of songs do I want to live with for another year or two, you know?

Jason: Describe your experience creating and producing, Glory Fire.

Chris: I’ll start by saying that the creative experience, for me, is the most magical part of why I love music so much, because it’s something you really can’t put a finger on. Sometimes, you know, you get this feeling you want to pick up your instrument and go write a song, and it all just happens right there and then, and sometimes it’s like this labour of love that you just chip away, little piece by piece. In either case, it’s so gratifiying when you finally have something that you can call a complete song, or something that you feel proud enough of to share with somebody else. The experience of creating, Glory Fire, was amazing for me, because it marked a beginning of a new chapter in my career. I had the opportunity to go into a studio and work with a producer who was really getting my vision in what I wanted to create. I really felt like I had ownership of the process in a lot of ways. It was really amazing to get all these talented people involved and aboard for this vision and to go into the studio with some complete songs and some shells of songs and to see it all come to life and come together. The most gratifying part of it was a lot of my life went into the record in terms of what was going on with me leading up to the making of the record or leading up to the writing of the those songs; transition from being in another band to starting my own thing and really affirming just committing to this path of music rather than any alternative.

Jason: A lot of people don’t realize the type of commitment an artist has to make to further their career. I mean, it’s a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.

Chris: That’s right man, a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.

Jason: What’s in store for you in 2010? What are your plans?

Chris: Well, I’m going back to Australia. I went last year around this time, and I’m going back to rekindle the flame. It’s an amazing roots music scene over there. The people there are just unbelievable, and they receive me so warmly. So, I’m going back to see them, and I’ll be touring the west coast of Canada again in the summer time. I’m hoping to make it out east, and I’m writing for a new record. You know, as much as, Glory Fire, still has some work left, in terms of getting it out there, I don’t think it will be too long before I start thinking about recording another album, just because I have a lot of creative energy, and I don’t want to get stagnate. That’s always a challenge though, because to a lot of people that record, Glory Fire, they don’t know it yet. I have to give that chance, but I have to make sure that I’m still connecting with what I’m doing, and it’s relevant to where I’m at now. Thankfully, a lot of the songs still are, and the meaning behind them is always going to be, relevant. For me to feel fulfilled, I think I need to keep the creative juices flowing. So, whether or not I plan on recording the album, I plan to continue to do a lot of writing in the next year, and hopefully 2010 will afford me the opportunity to get on a bigger stage and play for a wider audience.

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, each link will take you directly to the listed song, album, or artist. If there isn’t a link, we couldn’t find it on iTunes.

Chris’s Playlist: 10 songs currently getting heavy rotation on his MP3 player.

1. Strange Desire, by The Black Keys.
2. One Sweet World, by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds.
3. Living in the Moment, by Mason Jennings.
4. Ladylike, by Big Wreck.
5. Second Chance, by Liam Finn.
6. You Don’t Understand Me, by The Raconteurs.
7. Roses from My Friends, by Ben Harper.
8. Old Man, by Neil Young.
9. The Word, by The Beatles.
10. Hold You In My Arms, by Ray LaMontage.

To learn more about Chris Assaad, you can visit his MySpace, Twitter, or Facebook pages.

WolF J is an emerging artist from Toronto, Canada who’s getting a lot of recognition and respect for his album UpSideDownDay TapeMix. His stylistic Grizzly Bears Panda video is also generating a lot of buzz. As a result, people not only from Toronto, but from around the world are slowly taking notice. What’s his story? Who inspires him? What’s next for WolF J? OGLE sat down with the man to find out, here’s what he said:

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, each link will take you directly to the listed song, album, or artist. If there isn’t a link, we couldn’t find it on iTunes.

WolF J’s Playlist: 10 songs currently getting heavy rotation on his MP3 player.

1. Recommendation, by Little Dragon from the album Little Dragon.
2. Repeat, by KJ from the album The Headphone.
3. Stiff Upper Lip, by Mr Hudson from the album Straight No Chaser.
4. Crawl All Over, by J*Davey.
5. Two Weeks, by Grizzly Bear from the album Veckatimest.
6. Heartbreaker, by MSTRKRFT from the album Fist of God.
7. For Real, by KJ.
8. Nothingness/Love, by Brendan Philip.
9. Wait and See, by T.Ana Cole.
10. After the Rain, by Little Dragon from the album Little Dragon.

To learn more about WolF J, you can visit him on Twitter, Facebook, and Vimeo.

Tiana Feng’s article, How do you discover new music?, showcases five online resources where you can discover new tracks and artists from around the world. Inspired by her article, we interviewed eight music lovers from Toronto to find out how they discover new music. Here’s what they said:

As a music student and enthusiast, I’m always looking for new music. Although CD sales are going down, digital music sales are actually going up. In this digital age there are countless ways to discover new tracks and artists from around the world. Here are some music communities you can join to increase your library.

last.fm is an internet radio site and an audio scrobbler site. When you download the last.fm application to your computer, it creates charts on everything you listen to in Winamp, iTunes or on your mobile music devices. last.fm uses the information from your charts to recommend new friends (called neighbors); you can listen to their charts and stumble on something you may like. The information also generates your own radio station that other people can listen to. There are tons of other features for the last.fm community, and it is something you totally need to be a part of if you are a music lover!

The Hype Machine is a music blog aggregator. This means that it follows what the most popular music blogs are talking about. You can also see the tracks that people are tweeting about. You can stream all the music on their own player or you can visit the blog post that each song was originally found on. There are also links to amazon and iTunes where you can purchase the track. Most of the time, the original blog post has a link to download the mp3. Although there are other types of music found on the Hype Machine, the majority of tracks are either remixes, mashups, dance tracks or indie music. This is because these genres tend to get in less trouble with the DCMA if an mp3 is posted on a blog. Another great feature is that anything you listen to on hypem.com can also be connected to your last.fm charts if you wish.

MOG music network is a subscription streaming site. Without subscribing, you can only listen to the first 30 seconds of the song. The other half of MOG is a music blog network. The difference between MOG and Hype Machine blog network is that blogs subscribe themselves to MOG rather than wait for the service to discover them.

Elbow.ws is another music blog community. It is a lot like Hype Machine except that they don’t have a player and it just directs you to the post where the track can be found. It has a slightly larger scope of genres than last.fm because you can apply to be an Elbo.ws blog and therefore more blogs are listed.

THE SIXTYONE is a place where listeners show their love or hate for new music. Everything you click on within the site starts a stream, and you can listen to it streaming. They are testing a new layout right now where you can scroll through and comment on all the current new tracks. The old layout can be found here.

I hope these resources help you expand your library and take you on a new kind of musical adventure. There are tons of other music communities out there, but these are a few that you MUST check out! Tune in for future updates.

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, each link will take you directly to the listed song, album, or artist. If there isn’t a link, we couldn’t find it on iTunes.

1. Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed), by The Raveonettes.

   I cannot get enough of this band. Its impressive that any artist can retain their original direction throughout a progressive output of material, and still be refreshing. The duel boy girl vocal get me where it counts – “…Those Fuckers stay in your head”, so true.

2. Pablo Picasso, by The Modern Lovers.

   Jonathan Richman is a genius beyond comprehension of any human. A true savant. Only people like Vez can honestly say they get it. Me, Andy, and Adam saw JR and Vic Chesnutt this past summer and it could have been the hottest show i have ever been to. Not that I am complaining, I’m unusually accustomed to heat traps with skids flicking their metal locks into my face or some loser skinhead trying to relive an era long gone. Luckily it was just old dudes and a couple of indie nimrods, no need to watch out for head butts. Anyway, this song is dirty and sassy, the way any good song should be.

3. Exploding Head, by A Place to Bury Strangers.

   Its good to see a band who is not afraid to make noise work to there benefit. Indy rock is becoming boring and derivative, and this infuses some piss and vinegar into a limp genre.

4. Lesson No. 1 for Electric Guitar / Hallucination City Symphony For 100 Guitars, by Glenn Branca.

   If it wasn’t for Glenn what would have Lee Renaldo and Thurston Moore turned into? Go watch YouTube Glenn Branca live 1978, its far better than whacking off to chicks on facebook that you will never fuck.

5. Fix It, by Ryan Adams.

   Ryan Adams is a loser. Stop writing too much music, you are boring me and I cannot catch up. Cardinology is the best thing he has put out since Rock’n'Roll and Love is Hell Pts. 1&2 - When he is on, nothing can stop him.

6. Another the Letter, by Wire.

   Do I need to explain? Seriously, get a clue.

7. It Hits Deep, by The Veils.

   This is the kind of sucky crap that I live for. True passion.

8. Babylonian Gorgon, by Bags.

   Bags…all the good band names are taken.

9. My Cabal, by School of Seven Bells.

   Swirling vocals, kind of interesting - reminds me of early His Name Is Alive. The 12″ has some Justin Broadrick from Jesu and Godflesh remixes.

10. Glad Girls, by Guided By Voices.

    This song has the absolute catchiest chorus, yet the shittiest verses. I get so stoked when I put this on, then the loser has to go and ruin it, fuck you.

1. Tomorrow Never Knows, by The Beatles.

   One of the best songs ever recorded by one of the best producers ever and best pop band ever.

2. Hermann Loves Pauline, by Super Furry Animals.

   When I first heard this band / song. I thought it was a weird band from the 60′s or 70′s i missed out on, only to find out they were a bunch of young & crazy welshmen.

3. Le Responcible, by Jacques Dutronc.

   Amazing French artist (circa 1966 – 1969) I’m currently obsessed with.

4. 1983…(A Merman I Should Turn to Be) / Moon, Turn the Tides…Gently Gently Away, by Jimi Hendrix.

   I get lost in this song(s). Headphones are a must with this track.

5. Silver Morning, by Brian Eno.

   Daniel showing he’s not just a great producer, but, an amazing guitar player.

6. Saturday Sun, by Nick Drake.

   Simple arrangement but absolute perfection. Love the vibes!

7. Jealous Guy (live), by Danny Hathaway.

   This song sounds like Stevie Wonder trying to perform Elton John’s Bennie and the Jets but he didn’t know the words so he used John Lennon’s Jealous Guy.

8. The Reeling (Calvin Harris remix), by Passion Pit.

   Here’s the DJ in me taking over … My Favorite remix of last year. 
Great bass line and the kids on the dance floor like it too!

9. It Ain't Love (feat. Lil Mo), by MSTRKRFT.

   I find most electro bands/ DJs / producers aren’t afraid to show their heavier influences … this is one of my current favs.

10. Awesome (feat. The Cool Kids), by The Bloody Beetroots.

    What can I say – It’s awesome. LOL!!

1. Pull Down the Shades, by Jay Reatard .

   Jay will always be one of my favourite musicians ever. He was a force to be reckoned with, he won’t be forgotten. He hipped me on some cool New Zealand bands such as Toy Love – the band who originally performed this song. This is taken from the Chris Knox Stroke benefit album that just came out. It’s a great collection.

2. He Who Cannot Be Named, by Samhain.

   I just got Eerie Von’s new book of photography, Misery Obscura. It’s great and it also made me bust out my Samhain albums again.

3. By This River, by Brian Eno.

   I hate the winter. This song makes me feel cozy; I could listen to it all day.

4. Lifeline, by Husker Du.

   The Huskers were so intense. Bands who want to be intense need to take note of the Metal Circus EP.

5. The Bells, by The Reigning Sound.

   The Reigning Sound show at the Horseshoe a couple months back was easily one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. Greg Cartwright rules. I think they’re such a great band. Love and Curses was my fave record last year.

6. Wild One, by Thin Lizzy.

   Ok, I admit. I never heard much Thin Lizzy until lately. This band is cruelly underrated. I’m pretty sure Greg Sage and the Wipers would have been a completely different band if Lizzy never existed.

7. Slime Time, by Mean Jeans.

   Dirtnap records have been putting out the best punk lp’s in the last little while. Snotty, tight and lowbrow. I like ‘em lowbrow.

8. Rip Up the Streets, by The Spits.

   Kings of low brow…man, the Spits are one of the best bands ever, ok? Buy all of their stuff now.

9. Sea Within a Sea, by The Horrors.

   Yeah, this band is kind of treading the trendy waters, I just think this song rules.

10. Eid Ma Clack Shaw, by Bill Callahan.

    This one takes me back to last summer. Good, good times!

1. Diver, by A Wilhelm Scream from the album The Diver EP
2. Northbound Breakdown, by Lifetime from the album Lifetime
3. Bird On Ice, by Shook Ones from the album The Unquotable A.M.H.
4. This Is Your Life, by Propagandhi from the album Supporting Caste
5. No One's Gonna Love You, by Band of Horses from the album Cease to Begin
6. If My Tongue Could Talk, by The Reason from the album The Brilliant Disguise – EP
7. Absinthe Party At the Fly Honey Warehouse, by Minus the Bear from the album Highly Refined Pirates
8. Tank Park Salute, by Billy Bragg from the album Don't Try This At Home
9. Night Windows, by The Weakerthans from the album Reunion Tour
10. Out Dragging the River, by Mason Proper from the album Olly Oxen Free

To learn more about Eat Me (Suck City), you can visit their Facebook page.

The punk-rock band I Am Committing A Sin (IACAS) is based out of Burlington, Ontario and known for their deep lyrics, catchy riffs, and musical aggression. They recently released their debut album Grow Past Their Promises, in September 2009, to solid reviews. Paul and Kevin, the two lead guitarists from IACAS, have supplied us with playlists of their top 10 songs.

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, each link will take you directly to the listed song, album, or artist.

Paul’s Playlist: The top 10 songs he’s learned to love.

1. Flume, by Bon Iver from the album For Emma, Forever Ago

   I thought the vocals were stupid. I remember saying that, too. I was in my friends car and he insisted that I hear the record. With nowhere to run, I obliged but immediately hated the first song. Then I heard the second song and understood it all. Then I heard the third song and apologized. Now I’m making it public. One of my favorite records from recent years.

2. The Strangers, by St. Vincent from the album Actor

   The same friend forced this record down my throat as well. I tried a few times to like it, turns out that doesn’t work. I tried to figure out why I didn’t like it and I couldn’t find any reason, and upon realizing that something deep within my brain or heart or lungs (or wherever opinions come from) must have twisted itself around. I’m hooked on this song right now and I never want the ride to end.

3. Everything by Regina Spektor.

   As far as I know, I hated Regina Spektor for my entire life just because some overdressed pretentious pseudo-music nerds liked her in high school. Two months ago I was driving our van overnight somewhere in the Northwest United States and myself and Daniel decided to roll the dice. Jackpot! I don’t know if there is a Jackpot in dice, actually. Snake Eyes! Whatever. Point is I love her now.

4. Ebolarama, by Every Time I Die from the album Hot Damn!

   I saw this video, you know the one. Roller rink, combat hat, etc. I thought the vocals were annoying and maybe still do, but I’ve come to realize they are the best kind of annoying.

5. Some Red-Handed Sleight of Hand, by Cursive from the album The Ugly Organ

   I bought a magazine once that reviewed The Ugly Organ. It gave it like 15/10 stars. I listened to it and thought it was completely ridiculous. Two years later, I forgot about all that and bought that same record on impulse. I listened to the whole thing on the drive home and music was never the same for me. I know that’s a tired thing to say. Every asshole says that. “This Jay Z record really changed my life” or “Oh, yeah of course that Hall and Oates record made me who I am today”. Those people are lying. I am not. 100000/10 stars.

6. Living Daylights, by Kid Dynamite from the album Shorter, Faster, Louder. This track is not available on iTunes; the link is to a cover of the song done by the group: No Secrets Between Sailors.

   I always skipped this track because the beginning sounds like U2. Right after that it sounds like Kid Dynamite. This is for anyone who does the same thing. Hold hope, brothers! The song is still good!

7. The Royal We, by Silversun Pickups from the album Swoon

   Finally realized that I could get past the drumming. As soon as I did, everything else made way more sense. Then I started to appreciate the drumming. Weird how that works.

8. Transatlanticism, by Death Cab for Cutie from the album Transatlanticism

   Girls ruin everything, then the girls go away and you can listen to music again. I’m talking about the whole record, I think.

9. Mordecai, by Between the Buried and Me from the album The Silent Circus

   I was young and stupid. Nothing not to like.

10. American Hearts, by Piebald from the album We Are the Only Friends We Have

    I heard I would like Piebald. I listened to the song once and decided the person who referred me to it was an idiot. It was only a matter of minutes before I realized I was the idiot. ‘We Are The Only Friends We Have’ is still one of my favorite records.

Kevin’s Playlist:

1. The opera Tristan und Isolde, by Wagner
2. Tonto, by Battles from the album Mirrored
3. Panasonic Youth, by The Dillinger Escape Plan from the album Miss Machine
4. Big Bang, by Cursive from the album Happy Hollow
5. Goliath, by The Mars Volta from the album The Bedlam In Goliath
6. Blood of a Young Wolf, by Buck 65 from the album Secret House Against the World
7. In Cauda Venenum, by The Dear Hunter from the album Act III – Life and Death
8. Dirty and True, by Hawksley Workman from the album (Last Night We Were) The Delicious Wolves
9. Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue (BWV 903), by Bach
10. I Belong to You / Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix, by Muse from the album The Resistance

To learn more about IACAS, you can visit their MySpace page, follow them on Twitter, or check out their blog.

We asked Larra to kickstart our “Filling in The Blanks” series, where we ask local artists, musicians, and designers who live, work, or play in Toronto to finish off 20 questions that we give them. Here are Larra’s responses:

• Q1. The thing I love most about performing is the instant energy boost you get, and the creativity that happens with the musicians on stage. We play our songs slightly differently at every show.
• Q2. Another singer, band, or performer I would love to perform with would be Al Green, because have you heard his last album? He’s still got it. I’d love to sing a duet with him.
• Q3. The last good movie that I saw was Where the Wild Things Are — weird and wonderful.
• Q4. One thing people would be surprised to learn about me is that I love anime films and might be composing for a Japanese-style video game soon.
• Q5. I believe everyone should have records that they love, and not records that they think they should love in their music collection.
• Q6. My creative inspiration comes from the universe.
• Q7. My idea of a perfect date would be dinner for two at my favourite vegan restaurant on the outdoor patio.
• Q8. If I wrote an autobiography about my life to date, the title of the book would be, I have no idea — maybe something punny? But excluding any kind of play on words with my name, a la “Skye High” or “Skye is the Limit” — that’s too corny, even for me.
• Q9. The best thing about being a creative artist is getting a spark of inspiration, and working furiously on a song until you realize it’s dark outside and you didn’t eat anything for hours because you were so focused on your craft. Playing your creation with other musicians for the first time.
• Q10. The worst thing about being a creative artist is always feeling like you need to create something new; never being completely satisfied and always starting new things before the last is finished!
• Q11. My favorite place to hang out in Toronto is hard to pinpoint – some places that come to mind are Tinto’s in Roncesvalles, Lakeview Diner, Trinity Bellwoods Park, Hammam Spa… for nightlife, I like Sweaty Betty’s, Wrongbar, the Reservoir Lounge and so many more.
• Q12. The thing in life that scares me the most is getting hit by a car while riding my bike, or drowning (I like surfing though).
• Q13. I love it when a guy cooks for me.
• Q14. If I could go on a vacation anywhere in the world tomorrow, it would be to Hawaii or Australia.
• Q15. The most important lesson I’ve learned about the music industry is not to believe most of what you hear.
• Q16. I love Toronto because there’s always too much to do! Opera at the Four Seasons Centre, great food, live jazz, pretty good transit, moderate weather… it’s a good place to live.
• Q17. One of my favourite places to eat in Toronto is Live Food Bar on Dupont.
• Q18. The most influential person in my life is my Mom. I admire the fact that people still think we’re sisters – she looks amazing – and she raised three kids on her own while holding down a few jobs and a bookstore business to boot. I learned about hard work and compassion for others from my Mom.
• Q19. The craziest thing that ever happened to me while performing was when I had a WM (wardrobe malfunction) at a Toronto club and unknowingly tucked the back of my dress into my stockings and then went up on stage.
• Q20. If I could work with any music producer in the world, I would love to work with Quincy Jones or Rick Rubin.

To learn more about Larra, you can follow her on twitter or visit her website.

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, each link will take you directly to the album featured in Brad’s playlist.

Brad’s top 10 playlist:

1. Cover Me (Slowly)/Agoraphobia, by Deerhunter from the album Microcastle
2. If It’s True, by Yo La Tengo from the album Popular Songs
3. Cindy Tells Me, by Brian Eno from the album Here Come The Warm Jets
4. Your Mother and I, by Loudon Wainwright III from the album More Love Songs
5. Do, by Do Make Say Think from the album Other Truths
6. Sister Jack, by Spoon from the album Gimme Fiction
7. Magic Words, by M.O.T.O. from the album Single File
8. Just The Other Side of Nowhere, by Kris Kristofferson from the album Kristofferson
9. Mirage, by Tommy James & the Shondells from the album I Think We’re Alone Now (or Anthology)
10. Sea Within A Sea, by The Horrors from the album Primary Colours