The third annual Toronto Independent Game Development Jam ran from the 9th to the 11th of May this year with over 125 developers managing to produce 34 different games across the intense three day period, and their pain is now our pleasure as all of the successfully completed games have been released online. As if trying to produce a full game in three days wasn't hard enough, developers were asked that their game relate......

That’s right! Ontario Power Generation, that ever-so-lovable corporation owned by the Government of Ontario (responsible, according to their Wikipedia page, for 70% of Ontario’s electricity) are being forced to change their name by Prince, after he noticed that “Ontario Power Generation” (founded in 1999) is suspiciously close to the name of his backing band, the New Power Generation Or! We’re lying, and it’s in fact Ontario Power Generation, the local band (unrelated to Prince or......

This Friday's Steam Whistle Unsigned is already the fourth in a series of independent music showcases at the Roundhouse, but it's the first we're really excited about. Really excited. Check out this lineup: The Carps are the best thing to come out of Scarborough since... er... hmm. Right. Anyway, the punk-soul duo recently opened for MIA at the Kool Haus, and if they're good enough for Maya, they're good enough for you. Opopo sound like......

We don’t tend to post too often about video games here at Torontoist, what with basically the entire rest of the internet being devoted to it (well, that and anthropomorphic Star Trek slash fiction), but we do like to make special note when some pleasant news of local interest comes up, such as Toronto as a Half Life mod or the Toronto Indie Game Jam (Which we, er, forgot to mention this year. Our......

Swedish garage rock band Mando Diao seem to be quite fond of making up words. First, their band name came to singer Bjorn Dixgard in a dream, then they named their recent release Ode to Ochrasy, which is a made-up term meaning, well, we're not sure exactly, since we've read so many variations on the story. What's not made up, however, is the fact that the band is in town tomorrow night at The Horseshoe,......

There are quite a few bands in town tomorrow evening and we happen to have tickets to two of the shows, courtesy of Against The Grain. First up is St. Louis, Missouri's Son Volt. Jay Farrar and mates will be at the Mod Club for an early show, in support of their latest release, The Search, along with Jason Isbell, who recently decided to leave Drive-By Truckers. We have two pairs of tickets to throw......

Tokyo's Zoobombs played their final show last night at the Silver Dollar after playing five shows in Toronto in the last week. Organized by the infamous Dan Burke, the shows were an effort to attract industry interest in the Japanese band without any help from the industry at all. In a direct offensive against last week's CMW festival, Burke's aim seemed to be to have a successful slew of shows with the same band "without......

On any given weekday, around 5 p.m., you can expect to find a bit of a mob gathered around the corner of Queen and John. That’s when MuchMusic's Much on Demand airs live and excitable teens like to gather to catch a glimpse of a celebrity—any celebrity. And since it's March Break this week, you can expect double the crowds as guests like Christian rock band Relient K and High School Musical's Jordan Pruitt drop......

In case you're not into any CMW bands playing this year like these guys, or you want to avoid the boozing and schmoozing music industry folks (who are desperately clinging to their jobs), you might consider checking out the Pitter Patter Festival running concurrent to CMW. Featuring more than 80 local and non-local bands playing in Toronto, Hamilton and Oshawa, this year's line-up is a competitive, if not superior alternative to Canadian Music Week. Organizer......

Some of our favourite people ever are getting together to throw a mayoral party and we're all invited. Toronto's champion, David Miller, will spar with challenger Jane Pitfield in the ring at Revival, 783 College Street at 8 PM (barring any unforeseen interruption, of course!) Each mayoral hopeful "will outline their visions for Toronto's public spaces" and face the Spacing Inquisition from a panel of journalists. Followed by a set from HOT ONE, "a......

Eleanor Friedberger, one half of the sibling duo that forms The Fiery Furnaces, is setting up the merch stand at the Opera House. The indie rock band from New York are just wrapping up soundcheck for their show Monday night, in support of their latest album Bitter Tea. While her brother Matt stays on stage testing out a keyboard, Eleanor comes over to introduce herself, before setting about the t-shirt display. New tour percussionist......

Ater 21 years and countless multi-night stands at the Horseshoe The Rheostatics have announced that they are breaking up. Their last show will be a March 30, 2007 concert at Massey Hall. From their website: "The Rheostatics may continue to persevere in one form or another in the future, but not with their current lineup intact. For fans of the group, it will be the last chance to see this band as they've appeared heretofore;......

Wilco (everyone's favourite alt-country turned rock band) played an incredible show last night at Massey Hall. Lead singer Jeff Tweedy [pictured] looked particularly frazzled: long, shaggy hair, Bob Dylan's beard, and a cast on his right leg. He sung his heart out, and was quite the charmer, dancing by dragging his hurt leg along the stage floor, and apologizing to the audience twice: one for not speaking until a half-dozen songs into the set,......

The true story of two British track athletes competing in the 1924 Summer Olympics. One is a devout Scottish missionary who runs for God, the other is a Jewish student at Cambridge who runs for fame and to escape prejudice. God, fame, escaping prejudice, qualifying for the Francophone Games/Jeux de la Francophonie: All valid reasons for running in this Sunday's Toronto Waterfront Marathon. There's that, and of course the mega-concert of "Canadian classic rock band......

It must be tough having famous parents, especially if you choose to follow in their footsteps, professionally. Consider a case like Los Angeles' The Like, three girls in a rock band whose fathers include Attractions drummer Pete Thomas, highly-regarded producer Mitchell Froom and producer/exec Tony Berg. While inheriting ridiculously musical genes can only be considered a plus, you can bet that critics will be watching extra-carefully, ready to trot out the n-word (that's "nepotism", folks)......

...and not the pre-Rod Stewart 60's rock band! Though they were much better before Stewart infused his trademark pub-rocking, scratchy-throat voice. Anyway, not the Faces at all. This is called "Faces of the Global Village" exhibit, and it's at BCE Place starting yesterday. Over 100 images from documentary photographer Irving Posluns will be on display throughout the Allen Lambert Galleria (you know, that main hallway thing there), depicting the humanity and compassion needed for our......

Phoenix will surprise you. This seemingly skipped over Parisian band are known to put on an amazing show and have the music to back it up. Phoenix are a synth-pop rock band that play a fairly eclectic range of music, but holding it all together are truly enjoyable well written songs. They are making their first Toronto appearance tonight at the Opera House and it hasn’t sold out yet. If you are looking for something......

You’ve heard it here before.  You’ve read it in the New York Times and Spin magazine and countless other publications.  Montreal is where it’s at and the Arcade Fire is THE Canadian band.  Why even bother to offer an adjective, there’s just too many too choose from.  The critically-and-David Bowie-acclaimed Arcade Fire is “Canada’s most intriguing rock band,” as declared by this week’s Time Magazine’s Canadian Edition, on newsstands now. Laura Blue and Hugh Porter......

Last year, the blatant ripping off of U2 hit its most maddening with Pilate's Into your Hideout, the U2 song Torontoist was quite excited about before finding out it wasn't U2. Of course, Coldplay had done a fair job stealing from their elders with the bridge from Clocks. So Torontoist supposes it's only fair that the best rock band alive evens out their ledger of debits and credits. Their latest has been hailed and assailed......

Torontoist woke up with a start. Where was Mr. Cheap Seats (aka former Globe columnist David MacFarlane) and what was he doing with all his pent up journalistic energy? Oh right, being a cool dad, and playing in an oldster rock band, as self-chronicled in GQ. But that was ages ago. Where was he now? And thwack, the latest issue of Toronto Life fell loudly onto Torontoist's porch. On it, a grinning MayDay Miller, article......

For lovers of new music and concerts, Friday night often means making tough decisions. Do you check out the local up and comers, or do you see the established favourites? Or, do you maybe pay a visit to the band just passing through? This particular Friday is no exception, with the Tragically Hip and Joel Plaskett rockin' the Air Canada Centre and Badly Drawn Boy stopping in at the Palais Royale. But really, the Hip......