Last Friday as news broke that an officer had been charged with assault in connection with the violent takedown of Dorian Barton on June 26, 2010, the official police twitter feed was sending out photos from a welcome-home ceremony at Pearson Airport for some cops returning from a police mentoring mission in Afghanistan.

It's not surprising that the mascots for NXNE are some rather adorable little monsters. Because as fun as the festival is, it is one heck of a beast. Sometimes we have trouble making a Facebook event for our own birthday, so we understand that 650 bands, a three-day conference, a film festival among many other events do not arrange themselves.

Forget compasses, GPS, or helpful Sherpas. From June 13–19 this year, Torontoist is here to be your guide to everything NXNE. Photo by Alex John Beck. Twin ShadowLee’s Palace (529 Bloor West)June 19, 12 a.m.$15 at door or click here for NXNE pass and wristband pricing options. George Lewis, Jr. (a.k.a. Twin Shadow) is far [...]

Forget compasses, GPS, or helpful Sherpas. From June 13–19 this year, Torontoist is here to be your guide to everything NXNE. The Balconies Sneaky Dees (431 College Street) June 19 at 1 a.m. $10 at the door or click here for NXNE pass and wristband options. It’s been a busy year for The Balconies. Their [...]

Forget compasses, GPS, or helpful Sherpas. From June 13–19 this year, Torontoist is here to be your guide to everything NXNE. Chad VanGaalen in 2009. Photo by Corbin Smith/Torontoist. The lineup of events over the weekend is much more extensive because people tend to do more things when they don’t have work the next day. [...]

Forget compasses, GPS, or helpful Sherpas. From June 13–19 this year, Torontoist is here to be your guide to everything NXNE. Sara Froese (left) and Olenka Krakus (right) jammin’ during Canadian Music Week. Photo by Corbin Smith/Torontoist. Olenka and the Autumn Lovers Gladstone Hotel Ballroom (1214 Queen Street West)June 18, 12 a.m.Click here for NXNE [...]

Forget compasses, GPS, or helpful Sherpas. From June 13–19 this year, Torontoist is here to be your guide to everything NXNE. Yes, this is what a Rich Aucoin show actually feels like; this one was at the Drake in February. Photo by Corbin Smith/Torontoist. If NXNE was like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, then tonight, [...]

"I wanted to sing in a choir for country music... so I made one," laughs Megan Flynn, a founding member of the Cowgirl Choir. She, Rebecca Daniels, and Lesley Saliwonchyk had sung in choirs in grade school and high school together, and the three put out a call for other performers to join them. "Within our first couple of meetings, we had more or less the choir we have now"—though they rehearsed for four months before playing their first public performance. Now, the Cowgirls are in high demand, sometimes playing as many as two shows a week.

Allie Hughes has lots of jobs. The vocal instructor at the Toronto Institute for the Enjoyment of Music is also a sometimes-caterer, actress, and swag-bag stuffer for Woofstock. "I just take whatever I can get," Hughes says, laughing, while chatting with Torontoist at Capital Espresso in Parkdale.

We had a section in our NXNE preview talking about artists who (sometimes) do it all themselves. MJ Cyr is one of those. Though she's happy to play with other musicians (we've seen her several times collaborating with as many as a dozen other artists at tribute nights to Neil Young and the Smashing Pumpkins at the Drake Hotel Underground), she's just as comfortable when it's just her, a guitar, a small keyboard, and a couple of looping pedals (for her NXNE gig tonight, "It'll be me and Cam Britton, who'll be playing sax, and looping a bunch of stuff, too").