The Drake is gearing up for an ambitious week of post-holiday, end of year music celebration. They are calling the short run What's in the Box: 5 nights, 5 bands, 5 bucks—a clever ploy to attract the empty-pocketed portion of the city (that's if you go for the music, not the booze). Despite being known for attracting enemies to the neighbourhood in the past (err...every Saturday night), the 5 nights (5 bands, 5 bucks) of......

Tonight is the debut of a new super-secret short film directed by Toronto indie-filmaker Sara St. Onge (who, by the way, has the absolute best URL -- "awesomology.com"). It's her first flick, and so secret that they're not even telling us the title -- but since she's been responsible for videos by Final Fantasy, The Diableros, and Gentleman Reg, we know it will be good. (BTW, you can see those videos on her web site.)......

The members of Henri Faberge and the Adorables have affectionately called their much touted lakeside CD release party "Afternoon Delights on a Hot Summer Night." Sadly they're only half-right with the last weekend of the summer being cooler than some of the scorching hot days we had back in July and August. Fortunately for us they got the first half right. With Woodhands, Barmitzvah Brothers, Gentleman Reg and the Bicycles joining forces with Henri Faberge......

We've all been to record release parties and book launches, but a party to celebrate the latest music video? Local indiepop crooner Gentleman Reg asks, "why not?" by hosting an event this Friday at the Drake Underground. It's the video debut for "Over My Head," the second single from his adorable Darby & Joan record. Reg's previous outing on video was deemed too risque for MuchMusic. (Who knew they disapproved of make-out parties and sex......

The Scream Literary Festival is back and we decided to highlight a few of the lit's festival choice events for your perusal: 1) Tonight's opening gala at the Gladstone features GG award winner Dionne Brand and Euoniac Christian Bok among others. Free. 2) Poet Lisa Robertson reads her new collection The Men over a four course meal at L'Espress Bar Mercurio, Friday July 7th, 7:00pm. $60 with dinner. 3) The Scream Gala is at Hugh's......

It's a well known joke among indie rock fans that there are tons and tons of "wolf" bands. Everyone from Wolf Parade to Aids Wolf to Guitar Wolf. There's something about the lupine animal that just attracts musicians trying to come up with a band name. With the success of wolf bands the backlash is going to be inevitable. Which makes Torontoist wonder which animal will be de rigeur for struggling indie musicians everywhere. We......

Actually there's really good music too and the Images that we're talking about is actually the dozens of films shown every year at the Images Festival. Last year's fest had groundbreaking film from the Arab world and from a little closer to home Clive Holden's Trains of Winnipeg. We're not sure what's going to be at this year's Images Fest in April but we DO know who's going to be playing at tonight's Images fundraiser......

When Final Fantasy's Owen Pallett, a.k.a. violinist for every cool band in the country, finally made his way onto The Boat's tiny stage during his video launch party last night, he noted ruefully that a long line-up is usually the sign of a bad concert. It certainly was a bad concert for the hundredish folks who stamped their feet to keep warm out in the cold on Augusta for over an hour and did not......

This Saturday marks the fifth and final annual Three Gut Records anniversary party. The Guelph-spawned label will cease putting out new records after the release of the new Constantines album Tournament Of Hearts on September 27. To call Three Gut important in the creation of Toronto's vibrant independent music scene as it stands today is a gross understatement. This Exclaim retrospective offers some insight into how a small group of friends, musicians and artists opened......

If there was ever any confusion, NOW Magazine clears it up in this week's issue: Gentleman Reg is a local homo heartthrob. That's right. A bona-fide heartthrob of the homo variety. So when someone asks, "Who's this Gentleman Reg character?" You need only respond with three words: 'Local,' 'homo,' and 'heartthrob' (in that order). This question-answer scenerio may even come up this weekend, as G-Reg plays Alexander Parkette on Sunday at 6 pm. The heartthrob,......

This weekend you've got two big to-do's vying for your attention - on the mainland, Pride Toronto wraps up a week of festivities with party after party and loads of live music. The full list of performers is too expansive to get into, but it includes David Usher, Carole Pope and Rough Trade, Lesbians On Ecstasy and Gentleman Reg. More detailed schedules of performances and locations available here. If you're more hoodies than cut-offs, there's......

Some links. Some news. Some not. Here are a few things to think about till you're done work today. - Dose cover girl Hannah Sung's got an MMVA blog, amongst other things. - Tonight at Stone's Place (1255 Queen St W), writer/editor/frontman/music guy Stuart "stuberman" Berman will DJ for the Lipstick, Cherry party. - Insult the Triumph Dog takes on Michael Jackson weirdos. - This Gentleman Reg vid is making waves. - Eye know! Play......

With the last Barenaked Ladies album, the city of Toronto has forever etched its name in annals music history. But besides BNL, this is a place that once saw Rick James and Neil Young bump out soul songs in Yorkville; that welcomed John Lennon's first solo concert; that was setting for more than one Mya video. Toronto is a city so steeped in music history that it would be outright irresponsible for the Torontoist to......