Photo of Matt of Epigram by Richelle Forsey Beneath a pile of attractive shows in the city this week (Brooklyn’s Au Revoir Simone at Lee’s Palace on January 16, not one but two Elliot Brood shows at the Dakota Tavern on January 18 and 19), there lies a very distinctive show Musicologist whole-heartedly recommends. On Thursday, January 17, Windsor’s What Seas What Shores, Toronto’s Epigram, and Tunturia will be playing at The Boat for......

An excuse to post Feist's "1234"? Yes, please. In October, i (heart) music asked 30 music bloggers across the country––Torontoist included––to rank the 10 hottest Canadian bands in 2007. What defined "hottest" was up to each panelist to decide; we figured it meant "rank good bands by their popularity," and voted accordingly. One month later, with 150 bands receiving nominations, i (heart) music announced the top 33, with Feist edging out the Arcade Fire......

Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend (top) and Jona Bechtolt of Yacht (bottom). Photos by David Topping Bands like Vampire Weekend and Yacht aren't supposed to work together live. In fact, they're not really supposed to work at all.......

For live music junkies, the week between Christmas and New Year's can offer very little in terms of quality shows. The folks at The Drake Hotel are trying to remedy the situation with their What's In The Box? week of shows. Running from the 26th to the 30th, the Drake Underground and Lounge are featuring the best acts from 2006. Each day is five dollars and features five bands, leading to a nice "5 Bands......

Carnival enthusiasts unite this evening at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre for The High Fashion Show, touted as a "runway cabaret" with the spirit of an antiquated midway. Part fashion show, part indie rock concert and part charity gala, all proceeds go to Camp Ten Oaks, a one-week summer camp for children with LGBTQ parents. Admission to this big top is $7, or $5 with the donation of warm hats and scarves for youths in......

It's old news now, but just in case you didn't hear, Boing Boing editor and former Torontonian Cory Doctorow is one of three judges for the 2006 Blooker prize. The Lulu Blooker prize is awarded to the best non-fiction, fiction and comic books inspired by a blog (or blog turned into books). The most impressive title on the short list, in Torontoist's humble opinion is Julie Powell's Julie and Julia, the New York secretary that......

- Adam Nayman slaughters Cameron Crowe's Elizabethtown on the Eyeblog. It's a rough cut, but the trailers (and Kirsten Dunst in a beret) have been scary enough. - Pop Wherry reports that Thursday's Hard Rock Cafe Tribute Bands Katrina concert may or may not include New Orleans is Sinking. - How close have you ever gotten to Bono's right hand? - A bummer: Zoilus will be retiring his Overtones column. Can Gary Michael Dault......

Ear to the Ground, a new independent arts festival, won't take hold of the city until next September, but in the interim your ear can be the first to the floor when the group holds a fundraiser tomorrow night at Rancho Relaxo. Snoovy, Bandwidth X and Convertible Robots will play, with DJs spinning intermittently. On top of that, there will be raffles for Bloor Cinema passes, CDs and "fine, fine merch." Doors open at 8pm.......