Torontoist is ahead of the game for previewing some of the best music choices this week (Queen West fire benefit, Forest City Lovers' CD release) but Musicologist will give you one more recommendation—just for kicks. When UK’s Field Music announced a (begrudged) break last year, who knew David Brewis would be in Toronto playing a show under a different name and clean ethos so quickly? School of Language and their debut LP Sea From Shore......

There are tons of great shows for all you concertgoers this week, including a particularly time-sensitive one tonight. Apparently a sold-out Wrong Bar for Crystal Castles last Thursday was not enough for the electro-punk duo. A last-minute show has been booked at the Wrong Bar tonight (alongside LA’s Health) before they continue on with their extensive North American tour. With no tickets to be purchased in advance, you better drop what you’re doing and immediately......

This week, Musicologist is pleased to share that Wavelength will be hosting a festival celebrating their anniversary. The weekly music series has come a long way since its inception in 1999 and has seen various bookers, venues, and, of course, musicians contribute to the success of the series. Wavelength commits to showcasing great music at an accessible cost (all shows are pay-what-you-can) and most recently, has made a vow to feature diversity in the selected......

The last time Torontoist made mention of local punks The Little Millionaires, it was a few days after a rousing night of rocking and rolling at Sneaky Dee's. This time out, however, it seemed like a good idea to give some advance warning of the band's next Toronto show. So get your black t-shirts ready! This Thursday, February 7, the band will be opening for recent Juno nominees The Saint Alvia Cartel (another Torontoist......

Trampoline Hall, the lecture series/literary salon with a reputation for being playful and inventive, is upping its quirk factor slightly this week in two ways. Instead of being held at its usual venue, Sneaky Dee's, this week's lectures (on robotism, hyperbolic crochet and diverse curiosity) will be delivered at Fort York. The event's organizers have also found an experimental new way to capture the evening's events: a group of Toronto-based comics artists will act......

The last time Torontoist saw local rockers The Guest Bedroom, it was in a tiny dive bar in Mississauga. Warm summer weather had driven most of the patrons to a large outdoor patio, and it was there that the band launched into a passionate set for the lucky few who stuck it out in the dank bowels of the bar. The Guest Bedroom is not an immediately likable band, and this is huge part......

The Little Millionaires are so good, it took Torontoist several days to get over their righteous awesomeness in order to attempt a description of their sonic mightiness. Formed from the ashes of the phenomenal Bombs Over Providence, TLM balance the driving pop elements of Bombs’ punk rock aggression and step up the hardcore element in their sound considerably. The result had a full room at Sneaky Dee’s rocking out sincerely to a short, sweet......

A lot happens in and around Toronto, but we can only write about so much in a week. Here's the best of the rest, in a new weekly feature we're calling Superfluist. Superfluist will appear every Friday night. Cathy Gordon decided to get very, very publicly divorced on Monday, with an art piece she called "On My Knees." For it, she crawled around Toronto for a while (on her knees!), signed divorce papers, and then......

When deciding who to see at this year's Over The Top Festival, we luckily opted to check out Halifax's Rich Aucoin. Between his musical pedigree (he's the brother of the Hylozoist's Paul Aucoin) and the fact that his EP was synched up to How The Grinch Stole Christmas, we knew he would at least be interesting. His set turned out to be far better than just interesting, so it seemed natural to give his Personal......

Weekly indie institution Wavelength started in 1999, setting up shop at Ted's Wrecking Yard, then bouncing between venues until landing at its current home, Sneaky Dee's, in 2002. Past performers read like a who's-who of home grown indie music: Great Lake Swimmers, The Bicycles, Cadence Weapon, Julie Doiron, Peaches, Final Fantasy, Feist—and the list goes on. After a Canada Day hiatus, the Sunday night series is back with a stellar July lineup for its live......

The first time Torontoist encountered Dave Meslin was at the August 2004 Trampoline Hall at the AGO's Walker Court. Ostensibly speaking about "Drinking Games," Mez instead develivered a speech about his first experiences with alcohol, the hegemony of mixed drinks, and the backwardness of the cup half-empty, half-full metaphor. It was one of the most spectacular things we have ever heard. This Monday, July 9, Mez makes his return to Trampoline Hall, this time......

Couple: But we've brought him here before! Bouncer: Yeah, but that was before 9 p.m., right? An exchange overheard this weekend between a bouncer and a couple who were upset that they couldn't bring their toddler into Sneaky Dee's at midnight on a Friday night.......

Attention all families: are you looking for something to do for Mother's Day that doesn't involve cheesy cards or impersonal gifts? If so, gather the kids this Sunday, and take them to the brand new Union Yoga Center (242 Carlton St.) for some quality family time. Ladyfest Toronto will be hosting Celebrating Motherhood at 2 p.m., featuring a yoga warm-up and songwriting workshop for kids. Space is limited and at only $5 (or PWYC)......

Another ticket giveaway! This time it's to check out Toronto's very own Uncut at Sneaky Dee's tomorrow night, courtesy of The Musebox. Also on the bill for the evening are Debaser, Fjord Rowboat and Fire Hydrant, so it's going to be a busy night! We have a pair of tickets to put into someone's hands, and all you have to do to win is be the third person to email carrie@torontoist.com with your full name.......

After a short hiatus, Live Baby Live is back on its feet (along with it's author) with an abridged version of the listings this week. Hurrah! There has been no shortage of concert announcements this year, and it doesn't look like it's going to slow down any time soon. Wilco is back! Meligrove Band! Danny Michel! Modest Mouse! V-Fest has also updated the line-up to include the Arctic Monkeys, Peter, Bjorn & John, Metric,......

Hey kids! Do you like to share files? Do you believe in the public domain? Do you think that mashups and Photoshop contests and having Torontoist publish your Flickr photos are an important or worthwhile part of our media-immersed culture? Would you like to talk about these sorts of things with interesting people while drinking beer and/or eating nachos? If you answered "yes" to that last question, you may be interested in the upcoming......

After an exhaustive three days of Canadian Music Week, we bring you a recap of some of the bands Torontoist had a chance to take in. (You can also read another writer's take on the festival.) Thursday: After doing the requisite Myspace-browsing, Sneaky Dee's seemed like a safe bet. Torontoist first caught The Nymphets (right) at 10 PM and they were far better than their small audience of 30 people suggested. The drummer for the......

Photo by David Topping. As far as picking memorable band names go, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin may be on to something. Right up there with I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness as the best independent-clause-turned-band-name, the Missouri band -- in town last night with Chicago's Chin Up Chin Up at Sneaky Dee's -- has received almost as much attention for their name as for their music. The choice to announce their......

It seems pretty appropriate that we just had Groundhog Day, given that we're feeling a little bit like Bill Murray looking at the concert listings this week. Not only is there very little going on, but most of the bands who are playing seem to be here every week (Apostle of Hustle, The Tragically Hip, Hostage Life, Friendly Rich). Thus, we have nothing left to say about them! So if you've already seen these......

The year is winding down and so is the music, which is kind of nice, actually, because there seem to be a lot of tours already gearing up for 2007. Hopefully Alexisonfire isn't one of them...we have no idea how they can manage to go onstage and scream for 7 solid days (they have a few more shows this week). Insanity. Best bets for this week include Royal Wood tonight at the Cameron House......

Two of our contributors, Shari Kasman and Jenelle Rupchand, are all about arts & crafts this weekend. In this roundup, Shari brings you some of the many weekend fairs going on, while Jenelle's stocking up on some fair trade goods. Baby Liam wants something soft and turquoise, Aunt Priscilla needs a lavender shawl, and Herman the co-worker would love a fashionable paperweight. With crowds galore and awful renditions of the top Xmas hits, the......

Everyone likes free swag, and we happen to have quite a bit of it lately. Our latest offering is for tickets to see Chicago buzz band The Changes, along with +/- and The Sharp Tongues this Wednesday at Sneaky Dee's. Yes, we know that the show is technically free, but hey, this guarantees you'll get in, should it happen to sell out. Perhaps more importantly, you'll also take home a signed copy of their......

It's that time of the year--benefit concert season. There are a number of them coming up in the next few weeks, including The Holiday Jam (Sick Kids), Jason Collett & The Constantines (CARE Canada), and Bedouin Soundclash (Doctors Without Borders/War Child), so if you're in a giving mood, this may be a good way to do it while also catching some great music. Best bets for this week include Tenacious D tonight (love/hate...always entertaining),......

There seems to be something for everyone this week, but let's just call it the 'week of The Hip' and be done with it, since they've taken up residence at The Phoenix for four sold out shows. We're curious to know if anyone actually paid $60 + TM charges per ticket to attend all of them? 'Fess up! If that's not your thing, you can always get spewed on by Gwar tonight at the......

Here we go. The biggest week of the year for book lovers, the International Festival of Authors, is upon us. Torontoist will have extensive coverage of this year’s IFOA. For now, here are a few non-IFOA events taking place this week. Monday Tonight, you have the choice of heading over to the Smiling Buddha Bar – 961 College – for this week’s Freedom Readings, starting at 6pm (and free) or checking out Margaret MacMillan......

This fall is shaping up to be a busy one, as everyone and their dog seems to be touring right now. If you haven't spent all of your OSAP money yet, might want to stash away a few pennies for some concert tix. However, if you've already blown your student loan on cheap beer and (even cheaper) Ikea furniture, take comfort in the fact that you can visit your local public library to catch......

It's a busy music week, this one. There's everything from samba to classical music, so all of you anti-hipsters should be pleased. Most importantly, Torontoist's 'Back to School' Party is this Thursday, and we better see y'all there -- especially you anonymous commenters. You know who you are. As always, if there's a show happening that we haven't listed, let us know in the comments. Recently Announced Oct. 4 - The Long Winters @......

Ok, so the city is in the grip of full-blown festival mania. Red carpets, Gala screenings, and celebrity sightings are all great, but so are poetry readings, right? Right? Anyone??? Tonight at 8pm, head north to Zemra Lounge – 778 St. Clair W. – for this month’s installment of the Diamond Cherry reading series. Stephen Humphries and former director of the Art Bar, Allan Briesmster (The Other Seasons), will be reading. It’s free, and you......

It could be the abundance of shows announced over the past few weeks or possibly the kickoff of the fall concert season in September that's lending to the sparse choice of live music this week, because there are some slim pickins to be had. Unless you love the Marleys, in which case you hit the motherload! If anyone has word on some super secret underground shows happening between now and next Sunday, feel free......

This week Torontoist presents extended literary event listings – you get till Sunday the 27th at no additional cost – as I’m out of town until the end of August. Tonight, Jerry Schaefer presents The Flash Fiction Comedy Jam, which is apparently flash fiction read by a bunch of Toronto comics. Intriguing. Additionally, there’ll be a “live writing contest” and an appearance by storyteller Mark Jenkins. It takes place at Bad Dog Theatre – 138......