The internet is to Social Media Week Toronto what beer is to Homer Simpson: “The cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.”
At last week’s series of over 100 workshops, lectures, interactive art installations, and even a game of hoops, that sense of dichotomy was the feeling among entrepreneurs jazzed about their new gaming network, and among marketing experts looking intrigued (yet slightly terrified) of the nebulous online space. Even in 2012, the digital world is still a new frontier for those making a living in and off of it. And they seemed, as they have in the past, to dominate the conversation among the events at SMWTO—which is Toronto’s edition of Social Media Week, which took place across 21 cities worldwide.
Stuart Duncan (fifth from left) poses with members of the D'Urbervilles, Forest City Lovers, Jenny Omnichord, and Timber Timbre at the second anniversary of Out of This Spark at the Tranzac. Photo by Fil Zuzarte, photo from Out of this Spark
For many grassroots musicians, the music industry can be an intimidating environment. The daunting challenges of producing and releasing an album can discourage even the most committed artists. One has to wonder: is there a way to build a small, responsive music label that can support artists and allow creative freedom? Can a label be niche and independent while still being sustainable? Stuart Duncan founded his record label Out of This Spark in an attempt to provide that alternative. The company will be celebrating its fifth anniversary on February 25th. Read More…
The men of Tiny Danza have been struggling to keep a secret, even with the writing etched all over the walls. After being declared winners of Indie Week 2011 and self-releasing the acclaimed album You Could Have It All…, they had billed their Saturday show at Cherry Cola’s as a farewell. With all the group’s momentum, and upcoming dates scheduled at CMW and SXSW, that night seemed like anything but an ideal time for the them to call it quits.
So it came as no surprise that the farewell in question was only to the group’s name and unsigned status.
Remember when the city went crazy about Shirley MacLaine coming to town and how the box office went wild when Mrs. Winterbourne finally hit? No, neither do we. This is one of those grand, Toronto-shot films that essentially came and went without a sound, unless you happen to be an aficionado of films in which Brendan Fraser plays a double role.
Fucked Up has spent the better part of a decade flouting the conventions of their own genre and challenging listeners by making music that, while good, hasn’t always been particularly accessible or easy to listen to. The results have often been brilliant, like last year’s critically-acclaimed concept album David Comes to Life. Unfortunately, not every sonic experiment turns out so well.
Fucked Up’s latest two-song offering, Year of the Tiger—the sixth release in their Zodiac series of EPs—is half brilliant and half, well, something else.
ALL CLEAR: The delay both ways at College station has now cleared and full service has resumed on the Yonge University Spadina line. #TTC | 9:48 AM Feb 22
Trains are holding both ways at College Stn due to a power off situation. Response personnel on scene. Expected to clear in 10 mins. #TTC | 9:37 AM Feb 22
ALL CLEAR: The delay eastbound on Dundas at Sherbourne has now cleared and full service has resumed on the 505 Dundas Streetcar line. #TTC | 10:43 PM Feb 21
