andPOP » Metric

TD Canada Trust Music Experience: Bringing the Concert to the Campus

Jacob Morris — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 23:56:09 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Last year the TD Canada Trust Music Experience Pump It Up concert series rocked the University of Victoria, Queen’s and St. Francis Xavier with Girl Talk, K-OS, and The Stills. This fall, Canadian post-secondary students once again have the chance to score a free concert for their school.

The Pump It Up concerts this year will feature Metric, OK Go, and Keys N Krates and if you’re a post-secondary student, you have the opportunity to bring them to your school.

The way it works is simple, Canada has been broken up into three regions (West, Central, and East) and the school in each region that gets the most votes wins the concert. University and college students from across Canada will get bragging rights and enjoy a great concert all at the same time.

Although it’s only the second year for Pump It Up, a rep for the concert series says that there’s no better way “to get involved, promote school spirit and vote to win a free concert featuring some of the latest and hottest artists on the music scene.”

Rep for Pump It Up, Amy Chan says, “This program has been great as it encourages students to come together during the first few weeks of school through the enjoyment of music,” continuing, “What better way to do it than giving students the chance to get involved, promote school spirit and vote to win a free concert featuring some of the latest and hottest artists on the music scene?”

At the end of the voting period, the school from each region with the highest percentage of votes (in proportion to the student population) will be seeing Metric, OK Go, and Keys N Krates.

If you want to bring these amazing acts to your school, visit www.tdpumpitup.com and vote.

The Palmerston Group covers SXSW for andPOP Day 2

SXSW2010 — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:13:15 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

The people at Zynga have been ruling Facebook with their ridiculously addictive Farmville and Mafia Wars games. Last night, they ruled SXSW by throwing a private party featuring exclusive performances by Atlanta’s The Constellations and indie-kid fave Metric.

By the time that Emily Haines and company took the stage a bit past 930pm, the invite-only crowd seemed to have gone through a centrifuge… separating out the Metric fanatics towards the front while those there mainly for the free Southern Comfort hung around the back. Neither group of patrons were disappointed in the slightest.

Metric were absolutely outstanding. Playing a long set full of both recent songs and fan favorites, the band has finally gelled into a collective force. Emily captivated all in attendance with her intense stage presence and spot-on vocals. It was such a pleasure to watch a group at the top-of-their game show up and give it their all.

Meanwhile, across Interstate 35… Minneapolis’s Solid Gold played a late night set to an invited audience at The Parish. After a stellar first album and a year of playing the material live, we expected them to sound considerably more polished. The mix was off, the instruments were not balanced and the band seemed to be mailing in the performance. The lack of enthusiasm was particularly disappointing, especially with such outstanding source material. An unpleasant surprise. Thankfully, we managed to catch the amazingly hilarious and funky set by The Bright Light Social Hour… where every song is “about f**king”

The night before the music festival officially begins is always full of surprises.

Even in the media overload that is Austin, everyone here seems to be talking about Broken Bells. It’s the collaboration between the Shins frontman James Mercer and Danger Mouse. Posters are everywhere. Hipsters talk about the band in the hallways of the Austin Convention Center.

Will this live up to the hype, or will it be another surprise?

Only time will tell. SXSW Music officially starts today.

Daniel Berkal leads the trendspotting team at The Palmerston Group, and will be mailing reports from Austin, Texas exclusively to andPOP throughout SXSW 2010.

Canada for Haiti Raises $16 Million

Vanessa Baker — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:21:57 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

The Canada for Haiti telethon and its French counterpart, Ensemble Pour Haiti, both held Friday, raised $16 million for earthquake relief efforts in the country, reports CBC.

Canada for Haiti was held in Toronto and created by CBC, CTV and Global. The funds will go to a group of Canadian charities working in Haiti.

Governor General Michaelle Jean, who was born in Haiti, made an appearance in Montreal for Ensemble Pour Haiti.

“It’s very important to take this time to put our hearts together and put our heads together and see what we can do to support Haiti in this ordeal,” she said. “We are in an era where civil society is big and international and what Haiti has experienced has touched everyone on this planet. Breaking down solitudes is my motto and that is what I hope to do here.”

George Stroumboupolos co-hosted the event and said “now is the time for Canada to take the next step” in giving to relief efforts.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper appeared on the show, promising the federal government would match contributions from individuals up to a maximum of $50 million.

“Our humanitarian workers are already on the ground and Canadians, renowned for their generosity, have already given,” Harper said. “Together we can make a difference so the hope can return to Haiti.”

Several Canadians appeared on the show including Alex Trebek, Joshua Jackson, Sandra Oh, William Shatner and Eugene Levy. Celine Dion and Michael J. Fox spoke on live video feed, while Rachael McAdams made a live appearance at the event.

Nelly Furtado, K’naan, Metric and the Tragically Hip all performed at the event.

Polaris Music Prize On Side B – Want $20 Grand?

Dan Busheikin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:57:16 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Canadians: Want a quick 20 grand? Make an amazing album.

The Polaris Prize awards $20,000 to the Canadian artist or group that creates the best album of the year, based solely on artistic merit. Sales don’t count, marketing doesn’t count. The ten nominees – Elliot Brood, Fucked Up, Great Lake Swimmers, Hey Rosetta!, K’Naan, Metric, Joel Plaskett, Malajube, Patrick Watson, and Chad Vangaalen – all attended and performed at the Polaris Prize Gala, so I made sure to snag a few interviews before the award was given out.

The winner of the $20,000 prize? Well, check out the video and I’ll tell you.

Experimental Toronto Band Takes Coveted Polaris Prize

Sara Harowitz — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:49:48 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Move aside indie-rock. This year’s Polaris Music Prize winners are a little different from the average Canadian alternative style. Toronto hardcore band Fucked Up took this year’s $20,000 award for the best Canadian album of the year on Monday, according to The Globe and Mail.

The band’s album, “The Chemistry of Common Life,” beat out nine other finalists including Metric, K’Naan, Joel Plaskett, and Great Lake Swimmers.

The Polaris Prize is an award decided by a jury made up of Canadian journalists, bloggers, broadcasters and programmers. The jury is determined by the Polaris Board of Directors and is made up of 185 members from both the local and national media.

The way it works is, each jury member submits a ballot with their top 5 albums of the year on it. The results from this determines the Polaris Prize Long List and after a second voting round, the Polaris Prize Short List. An 11-member jury is then selected to attend the Polaris Awards gala, where the winner is determined. There is no submission process to be considered for the Polaris Prize – every Canadian artist with an album of at least eight songs or 30 minutes of music is automatically eligible to win the prize.

As shown on their MySpage, Fucked Up describes their music as “experimental hardcore.” This usually involves songs with screamo singing, in this case done by 300-pound and often shirtless Damian Abraham, overtop of detailed instrumental melodies. Many thought their album was too extreme to win the prize, especially considering hardcore music is not a genre that usually sprouts a lot of attention.

But Fucked Up is anything but conventional.

For starters, each band member has at least one very unique nickname. Lead guitarist Mike Haliechuck has been named “10,000 Marbles”; lead singer Damian Abraham is known as “Father Damian” or “Pink Eyes”; bass guitar player Sandy Miranda can also be called “Slumpy”, Laundry, or “Mustard Gas”; rhythm guitar player Josh Zucker is nicknamed “Concentration Camp” and “Gulag”; drummer Jonah Falco is known as “Guinea Beat” and “Mr. Jo”; and third guitarist Ben Cook can be called “Young Governor”, “Bad Kid”, and “Lil’ Bitey”.

The band formed in 2001 and has been performing and recording ever since. Their hardcore screamo music starkly contrasts with last year’s mellow electro Polaris winner Caribou, and 2007′s indie-alternative winner Patrick Watson.

The Polaris Prize prides itself on judging solely based on musical merit and ignoring all commercial aspects of an artist, such as record sales. Fucked Up’s win is a testament to that belief, particularly in contrast with the 2009 Juno Awards that saw Nickelback and their international success get far more praise than any other Canadian musician.

Polaris jury member Lisa Ladouceur told The Globe and Mail that Fucked Up’s “The Chemistry of Common Life” is “not only the best Canadian album of the year, but the best album of the year in the world – period.” Not bad praise for an underground Toronto band who started out by shunning full-length CD’s and releasing their songs two-at-a-time. And as a photo on the Polaris Prize website shows, the band is ecstatic to have won the award.

To learn more about Fucked Up and hear some of their songs go to their myspace at www.myspace.com/epicsinminutes.

Mstrkrft’s Right To Party

Emma Renda — Mon, 11 May 2009 04:07:49 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

How many people does it take to shut down a New York City block and cause a riot? Two, provided they are armed with a synthesizer, drum machine and a discography under the guise of Mstrkrft.

It’s true, Toronto’s electro-house darlings were slated to play a club in NYC two weeks ago and oversold the venue so much that more than 2,000 hipsters were stuck in line outside. But the hype surrounding the DJ duo drove the mob into frenzy, inciting a riot that was eventually quelled by the NYPD itself.

“It was a pretty proud moment that we double-sold the club and had a street in New York City closed down, even if just for a few hours,” Jesse Keeler, one half of Mstrkrft, tells andPOP. “The fact that that’s happening … that takes a long time to build.”

Mstrkrft was born in Toronto in 2005, storming clubs and parties with their take on the burgeoning electro-house trend. After dominating the GTA scene, the duo made up of Keeler and Alex Puodziukas (otherwise known as Al-P) stepped up their game.

First came the singles “Easy Love” and “Work on You” before an official LP, “The Looks,” debuted in July 2006. Then came the tours: Canada, North America, the world.

Mstrkrft exploded into the hipster consciousness with a force stronger than any drum machine could muster. Though the initial burst of Canadian recognition was partially aided by Keeler’s history as the bassist from underground dance-rockers Death from Above 1979, Mstrkrft is a rather different species.

“We’re just making music. We’re not working with band instruments but it’s the same song-writing process,” Keeler says. “It’s like, ‘Hey, I’ve got a riff’ – it’s not for a guitar, but a synthesizer. A drum pattern idea but a drum machine, not a drummer.”

Without using samples, Mstrkrft compose all their original music, but they caught some high-profile attention based on their remixes. Along with a handful of Canadian acts like Metric, Buck 65 and Chromeo, they have been approached by some of the biggest names in the biz such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, John Legend and Justice. And their remix of “Bounce” by N.O.R.E. is currently spinning as a club anthem across the world, with real potential to become a smash that lasts all summer long.

Keeler offhandedly mentioned being asked by U2 recently to remix a track (though Mstrkrft turned it down), and detailed a brief struggle with a Britney Spears track he and Al-P accepted but couldn’t master.

“A lot of times we say yes to something and try it for the wrong reason and realize after that it was dumb,” Keeler says. “Like with Britney Spears, we worked on it for a week. It was something we both really liked. But sort of listening to it more critically we realized all we used was backup vocals, and had included like five lines of her whole song. So we told them that we gave up.”

Keeler says it depends on vocals, such as the tantalizing yowl of Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O. But hits – real, jaw-dropping, hip-shaking hits – can come from any genre.

“We were asked to do a remix for the All American Rejects. Even still to this day, honestly, I heard the song and thought, ‘Oh my fucking God, it’s going to be a huge club anthem!’ And then when they sent us the song, they had changed their mind,” Keeler sighs. “The song they sent us was just absolutely useless. We tried, but we were so disappointed. We tried for almost a week again and gave up, but the music we made in the mean time became part of another one of our songs.”

Keeler wouldn’t give away any specifics about the tracks he mentioned, but it doesn’t seem like a state secret. He’s just nonchalant.

He admitted to being somewhat jaded, what with tours that have carried Mstrkrft through every major city around the world in front of the hippest crowds at the even hipper venues and festivals. They are playing several major summer music festivals, including being a main DJ act at Lollapalooza, and have club gigs booked straight through to November.

“We’re pretty much always on tour, for the last while, and like I say, it’s tiring,” Keeler says. “It’s not really anywhere near accurate as to just how tiring it is. Exhausting doesn’t sound like the right word either.”

Being on tour as Mstrkrft is different than most other bands on the road, because being a member of Mstrkrft doesn’t mean performing for the audience; it means throwing a party for them every single night.

“That’s an experience very different from other types of music. It has an express purpose. It’s right in the name, it’s there for dancing. If that’s not accomplished, then it’s a failure,” Keeler says. “No amount of press or publicity or whatever can make people do anything on the dance floor than they would with their feet as it’s happening. People don’t dance with a sense of obligation.”

But it comes with the trade, and Keeler certainly knew what he was getting into. He DJ’d throughout Toronto before forming DFA1979, and when he returned to his roots behind the tables, it was on the advice of a friend’s mother. As he says, she told him to find the one thing in life he would do for free, and then figure out a way to get paid for it.
So far, so good.

“It’s really rewarding,” he says. “Anyone who does what we do and has a bad attitude and complains needs to go spend two months at GM putting bumpers on cars to get a sense of what it is to really work. We get paid to do what we love.”

Keeler doesn’t take his career lightly, though. He admits he and Al-P have already started writing tracks for their third LP, although recording can’t get underway until they return to their Toronto studio. (Incidentally, their original studio at Moss Park was sold in a condo deal so they moved literally across the street to a new location that is still under construction.)

Though it’s light-years away from the 9-5, Keeler and Al-P still bust their ass on the regular to give their adoring fans the party they expect.

“The dance party audience is as much a part of what’s happening as what we’re doing,” Keeler says. “It’s not like a rock show where five people can show up. With a dance party, it doesn’t matter how good you might play – if it isn’t a party it’s not right.”

Metric Interview

andPOP Staff — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 03:58:50 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

They are Canadian rock veterans who have been playing and touring for 10 years and they have put in their dues. Their recent album Fantasies is climbing the charts and has been getting rave reviews. andPOP intern Jeremy Singer sat down with Emily and James from Metric to get all the details about their rise to the top.

Metric Goes West For Acoustic Shows

Eva Lam — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 04:36:01 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Metric have announced plans to swing through western Canada later this month for a series of private acoustic shows – but fans won’t be able to buy tickets to see them.

Instead, there are three other ways for you to gain entry to the shows in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria, where the band will support their newly released album, “Fantasies.”

First, you can go to the Metric website and enter a draw to win tickets. Whether or not you win, simply entering your email address will earn you a free download of the band’s acoustic version of “Help, I’m Alive.” You will also have a shot at being randomly selected to win tickets if you order the new album directly from the website.

Finally, you can stayed tuned to one of the group’s “listen-to-win contests” involving local radio station partners. See the tour dates below for the station in each city.

“Fantasies,” Metric’s fourth album and follow-up to 2005′s “Live It Out,” hit stores this past Tuesday. The band gave a free in-store performance at Toronto’s 333 Yonge St. HMV superstore on Thursday and have a handful of other shows scheduled in Ontario and Quebec before setting out on their mini-tour of western Canada.

Following those shows, the group will embark on a string of European and U.S. dates before returning to Toronto for Edgefest on June 20.

Here are Metric’s upcoming Canadian dates:

- April 9 – Toronto, ON @ HMV (333 Yonge St.)
- April 12 – Ottawa, ON (Live 88.5 Lounge)
- April 14 – Toronto, ON (The Mod Club)
- April 16 – Montreal, QC (Apple Store – 1321 Sainte-Catherine St. W.)
- April 20 – Winnipeg, MB (Pyramid Cabaret, in partnership with Curve 94.3)
- April 21 – Edmonton, AB (Avenue Theatre, in partnership with Sonic 102.9)
- April 22 – Calgary, AB (Grand Theatre, in partnership with X 92.9)
- April 23 – Vancouver, BC (The Media Club, in partnership with The Peak)
- April 24 – Whistler, BC (Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival)
- April 25 – Victoria, BC (The Zone/Victoria Dance Connection, in partnership with The Zone 91.3)
- June 20 – Toronto, ON (Downsview Park – Edgefest)

Metric, Tokyo Police Club To Jingle Across Canada

Eva Lam — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 08:17:00 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Several of Canada’s top indie acts are joining forces this holiday season for a six-city tour of the country.

Metric, Tokyo Police Club, Sebastien Granger & The Mountains, The Dears and San Francisco’s DJ Mike Relm will hit the road in mid-December for the Jingle Bell Rock Tour.

Each show venue will feature an indoor retail village to create the feeling of an outdoor festival.

True to the holiday spirit, the tour has a charitable purpose: to raise awareness about disadvantaged youth and to benefit organizations that help get young people off the streets, including Covenant House and MacDonald Youth Services.

Tickets for the tour go on sale this Saturday (Nov. 1) through Ticketmaster.

Here are the dates for the Jingle Bell Rock Tour:

Dec. 13 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
Dec. 15 – Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre
Dec. 16 – Saskatoon, SK @ Prairieland Park
Dec. 17 – Edmonton, AB @ Shaw Conference Centre
Dec. 19 – Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall
Dec. 21 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre

Montreal Music Fest Books Metric, N.E.R.D.

Eva Lam — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 23:03:41 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Metric and N.E.R.D. are among the new additions to this year’s Osheaga Music and Arts Festival.

Other acts joining the lineup for the annual Montreal event are Luke Doucet and the White Falcon, Sebastian Grainger & the Mountains, Payz Play, Shawn Hewitt and the National Strike, Robertson and Chris Velan.

Previously announced Osheaga performers include The Killers, Iggy & The Stooges, Jack Johnson (who is making his Montreal debut) and Broken Social Scene.

The festival, now in its third year, takes place Aug. 3 and 4 at Parc Jean-Drapeau on Île Sainte-Hélène.

It will mark Metric’s return to the festival after their set there in 2006, as well as the latest in a string of North American and European festival appearances for N.E.R.D., who are touring in support of their new album “Seeing Sounds.”

Canucks To Play Inaugural New Jersey Music Fest

Eva Lam — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:38:05 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

The New Pornographers and Metric are among the Canadians who will be taking the stage at this summer’s All Points West Music & Arts Festival in New Jersey.

Chromeo and K’Naan will be the other artists representing the red-and-white during the three-day event (Aug. 8 to 10) at Liberty State Park.

The new All Points West festival is staged by the same people responsible for the famed Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, California.

Radiohead and Jack Johnson will headline, with the Brit veterans closing the show on Friday and Saturday nights and the singer-songwriter playing on Sunday.

The full schedule has yet to be released, but here is the list of performers who will play on the festival’s three stages:

• Radiohead
• Jack Johnson
• Underworld
• Kings Of Leon
• Rodrigo Y Gabriela
• Cat Power
• The Roots
• The New Pornographers
• Youssou N’Dour
• Animal Collective
• Andrew Bird
• Michael Franti & Spearhead
• Metric
• CSS
• Girl Talk
• Chromeo
• The Go! Team
• Amadou & Mariam
• The Black Angels
• Sia
• The Felice Brothers
• K’Naan
• Jason Isbell
• Grace Potter And The Nocturnals
• Alberta Cross
• The Virgins
• Black Kids
• Mates Of State
• Duffy
• Forro In The Dark
• Nicole Atkins
• Juana Molina
• Little Brother
• Rogue Wave
• Neil Halstead
• Your Vegas

See Metric On The Big Screen

Eva Lam — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:39:57 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Metric is ready to go larger-than-life — literally.

Starting next week, you can catch the Toronto-based band on the big screen as their “Live At Metropolis” DVD is shown at select movie theatres across the country.

The DVD was recorded during the band’s show at the Metropolis club in Montreal in support of their 2005 album “Live It Out.”

A three-track audio EP was released on iTunes in December that features live performances from the DVD as well as the DVD trailer.

The DVD itself hits stores on Feb. 12.

“Live at Metropolis” will play at the following venues:

- Jan. 17 Calgary, AB @ Plaza Theatre @ 9:30 p.m.
- Jan. 17-18 Toronto, ON @ Royal Cinema @ 9 p.m.
- Jan. 24 Montreal, QC @ Cinema Du Parc @ 9 p.m.
- Jan. 31 Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Cinematheque @ 7:30 and 9 p.m.
- Feb. 4 Edmonton, AB @ Metro Cinema @ 9 p.m.
- Feb. 4-7 Winnipeg, MB @ Winnipeg Cinemateque @ 9:45 p.m.