Photo from Paetec Music Tour. One of history's greatest voices will be serenading the Sony Centre tonight as Al Green kicks off the Downtown Jazz Festival. After taking a very long break, The Reverend has been busy in the past few years. He recruited ?uestlove of The Roots for help on the just released Lay It Down. Although there will be plenty of new songs, we hope that Green struts his stuff on classics......

It's a special edition of the Stone's Throw MOVE Toronto party as label head Peanut Butter Wolf will be headlining the night. Working since the Golden Era of hip hop where he partnered with Charizma as a duo, Peanut Butter Wolf overcame Charizma's tragic death to found the label that now houses acclaimed acts like Madlib, MF Doom, and Jay Dee. With impeccable tastes in artists, you can expect Peanut Butter Wolf to spin a......

Photo by cobrasnatch. Everybody's favourite Elastica video directin', acclaimed stencilin', and self-proclaimed "super Indian babe" is rocking the Sound Academy stage on Monday. What can be said about M.I.A. that hasn't been said before? She's so talented that she can make a song about robbing you and you can't not dance to it. The multitalented Ms. Arulpragasam will be joined by local upstarts Holy Fuck, who you have to wonder after four years how......

Photo by Runs with Scissors. Watch out kids, Nas Is Coming. The Queensbridge legend will be performing at the Koolhaus on Friday, and the stage may be a welcome respite for Esco considering his week: Nas has abandoned his much-publicized decision to name his upcoming album Nigger, and Al Sharpton may have been involved. Instead Nas will leave the album untitled, content that fans will know what the real name is. While many are......

It's May 24 long weekend, and you know what that means: clash of the mega-parties. On Sunday, the Guvernment complex will be hosting Freedom 08. Two-time DJ Mag anointed No. 1 DJ Paul Van Dyk will be rocking the Koolhaus. Electro lovers should not miss Chicago's Felix da Housecat and local favourite Nasty Nav spinning at The Drink. The Guvernment will feature house icons Bad Boy Bill and Erick Morillo. For people that prefer their......

Parkdale is most definitely in the house this weekend. On Friday, the Elizabeth Shepherd Quintet will be playing a CD release show at the Gladstone Ballroom. Parkdale (at right) is the follow-up to Shepherd's acclaimed debut Start to Move and is being released by Do Right! Music. John Kong has acquired an eclectic label roster and the label is top notch. They've already promoted Parkdale with a making-of video and a podcast. It's worked too,......

Photo from Skratch Bastid. It's a night of east coast hip hop at the Danforth Music Hall on Friday. Acclaimed party-rocking DJ Skratch Bastid will be manning the decks first as an opening act and then accompanying Buck 65, who headlines the night. The Halifax-raised DJ is well-known for his Imperial Death March beat juggling routine and is an accomplished turntablist. Recently, he laced Buck 65's latest album Situation, which has produced a video......

It's a Hollertronix weekend as Wrongbar hosts Diplo on Saturday and Eli Escobar on Friday. While he may have dipped a little under the radar in the last couple of years when was the ambassador for baile funk, Diplo has serious skills. He has secured a place in many a music lover's heart for producing M.I.A.'s fantastic "Paper Planes." The Philly based DJ is also responsible for acclaimed remixes for Kanye West and Yeah Yeah......

Since its opening last October, Wrongbar has been a blessing to the Parkdale area. This Friday, it'll be hosting the second edition of the Stone's Throw Move Toronto party. The respected California indie hip hop and funk label will be sending off one of its biggest stars as Madlib spins a set. One half of Madvillian and Jaylib, Madlib also releases records under his Quasimoto guise. He will be joined by label mates Egon and......

Photo from The Chameleon Project. Local livetronica trio Chameleon Project celebrate their sophomore album ...if it takes all night with a two set-show at Revival on Friday. The instrumental group has undergone a number of changes since releasing their debut Stereoscopic five years ago. The new record features a stripped down sound and smooth guitar tones, which isn't surprising since their guitarist threw a Yacht Rock–themed party last year. Joining the group will be......

A historic tour rolls into town this Wednesday, as Jay-Z and Mary J Blige bring their Heart of the City co-venture to the ACC. Since 1996, Jigga has released ten studio albums, two collaborations with R. Kelly, a mash-up album with Linkin Park, and an MTV Unplugged with The Roots. He also managed to squeeze in a three-year retirement, during which he served as Def Jam president. When no major labels would sign him, he......

Photo by Rafael Style. It's Easter weekend, and it's the perfect time to resurrect your love of psy-trance. Israeli goa dance pioneers Infected Mushroom return to Toronto as part of the Guvernment's massive Decadance party on Thursday. They'll be joined by hometown heroes MSTRKRFT and famed boyfriend to pseudo-celebrities DJ AM. Since the party takes place in the entire Guvernment and Koolhaus complex, get ready to have your elbows ready when trying to walk......

Photo by Caesar Sebastian. Justice brings their gigantic glowing cross and their hot electro-house beats to the city on Monday. While the Sound Academy (ex-The Docks) is usually an awkward place to see music, it's well suited for this show. There will be plenty of space for people to "D.A.N.C.E." and the duo has a sound large enough to match the venue. They'll be joined by fellow Parisian Busy P and Fancy at the......

It's Canadian Music Week and that means there's an unusually large number of hip hop shows going on. KRS-One will be teachin' at The Opera House on Saturday as he continues his Stop the Violence movement. RZA dons his Bobby Digital mask on Sunday at the Phoenix. There's also grimy New York hip-hop (M.O.P. on Friday), French rap (DJ Orgasmic and Cuizinier on Thursday), and a strong showcase of local talent (Friday's Exclaim! event). Also......

Photo by Linnea Helmersson. There's something about Sweden and disco that is as perfect as America and apple pie or Toronto and complaining. Following the footsteps of ABBA, Ace of Base, and Robyn onto the dancefloor is critic's darling, Sally Shapiro. The mysterious singer will be making her first public appearance in North America spinning a set with her producer Johan Agebjorn at Wrongbar on Tuesday. Shapiro has other links to Toronto as Paper......

Photo by Darryl Scott. Danger! The Mothership descends onto the Phoenix this Monday, bringing George Clinton and his ace group of funkateers, Parliament Funkadelic, into town to tear the roof off the mutha sucka. Meer mortals are powerless to Dr. Funkenstein and his bop gun. All attempts to fake the funk are punishable with potential exile to the Zone of Zero Funkativity. Accept that it's one nation under a groove. (Note: resistance to groove......

If you're looking for some place to take your special someone dancing, nothing screams Valentine's Day like Andrew W.K. The man who is dedicated to partying hard will be performing his live show and a DJ set at the Sound Academy this Thursday. His set kicks off a weekend that is busier than usual due to the new Family Day long weekend. Every holiday has their own set of unique traditions and clubs are working......

Photo by nevbrown. The last couple years have been tough ones for fans of the Wu. Their last album, 8 Diagrams w,as marked by group infighting and public denunciations of the album by Raekwon and Ghostface Killah. Still, GZA's appearance at the Sound Academy is expected to be a great show. GZA (aka. The Genius) will be performing his classic album Liquid Swords in its entirety. The Friday night show will be as much......

Two giants in the New York rap scene will be spinning sets at CiRCA this Friday as part of Sneaker Pimps. Although G-Unit DJ DJ Whoo Kid has been dominating the East coast mix tape game these past few years, this night belongs to legendary producer DJ Premier. In addition to his work as one half of Gangstarr, Primo shaped the sound of 1990s New York gangsta rap by lacing tracks for Nas, Biggie, and......

Photo by Media Eater. It's hard to believe that it's been 12 years since DJ Shadow dropped his groundbreaking debut, Endtroducing .... Since then, the Bay Area DJ has helped form the respected indie hip hop label Quannum Projects and released a couple of lesser acclaimed albums including 2006's hyphy influenced, The Outsider. Since then, DJ Shadow has been working with fellow crate digger and former Jurassic 5 DJ, Cut Chemist. The pair will......

Photo by Jeff Croft. Since The Beastie Boys dropped an album last year, their resident DJ Mix Master Mike has had some time to fill. The turntablism legend and three-time winner of the DMC World DJ Championships will be spinning a set at This is London on Wednesday night. Undoubtedly, he will bust out a crazy scratching display like this one from his appearance at Republik last September. Indie-electro dance nights are a dime......

Photo from Monolith Festival. One of Chicago's finest, Kid Sister makes her return to Toronto at Wrongbar this Friday. Ever since landing the cover of Urb's Next 1000 issue, Kid Sister's career has been moving firmly in the fast lane. She landed a Kanye cameo for her debut video Pro Nails and she's already proven that she can rock a Toronto crowd. Kid Sister will be joined by Ottawa's Jokers of the Scene and......

Photo from Plexifilm. For lovers of Detroit techno, the new year keeps on giving. This Saturday, legendary DJ Derrick May hits up Footwork. He will be joined by local favourites Greg Gow, Derrick Ramirez and Gerald Matrix. With his high school friends, Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson, May became known as one of the Belleville Three. The trio invigorated the 1980s Detroit house music scene and are credited with pioneering techno. May continues to......

Photo from Deko-ze. The holidays are normally a time for rest but nobody told that to Deko-ze. The man dubbed Canada's hardest working DJ has a doozy of a week. On top of the Christmas Bash he is throwing at Footwork on Friday, Deko-ze will be spinning a six hour extended set at CZ on Sunday for Mass and is a part of CZ's Christmas Come Get Your Fcukin Beats party. He's also at......

Photo by Jeremy Farmer from Flickr. It’s an end of an era as the popular indie night Easy Tiger shuts it down on Friday after a 14 month-run. A hipster haven, Easy Tiger is responsible for introducing hundreds of people to the booze can downstairs of College Street Diner that is Tiger Bar. Midland’s finest, Born Ruffians (pictured), will take the stage and the Easy Tiger DJs will spin the tunes. Expect plenty of......