Torontoist is ending the year by naming our Heroes and Villains of 2007––the people, places, and things that we've either fallen head over heels in love with or developed uncontrollable rage towards over the past twelve months. Get your dose, starting Boxing Day and running into the new year, three times a day––sunrise, noon, and sunset. Toronto is a city full of great venues and great people helping to put on great shows. Sure, we're......

Farmer finds life ring believed to be from the Edmund Fitzgerald. In response, the Tragically Hip grumble about having to rewrite one of their songs. An in-depth report on whether we should demonetize the penny. Short answer: yes, we should demonetize the penny, even though it looks very pretty in its own way and can be used to scam Europeans. David Miller will announce the full list of service cuts either today or tomorrow. A......

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......

Dust off your party shoes and break out your Canada-themed beer (no endorsements here), because Team Canada just beat the Russians 4-2 in the gold medal game at Leksand-Mora, Sweden to win the 2007 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship! With goals by four different players, including Woodbridge's own Andrew Cogliano, Canada's decisive win sealed their third straight World Junior Championship, and their first in almost a decade not won on North American soil. The win......

It seems to be the week of Alexisonfire, who are playing just about every venue in the city over the next 7 days, starting on Thursday. We predict a few bruised ribs and black eyes just in time for Christmas...so kids, if you're going to the show(s), be a little gentler to each other knowing that your parents will be pissed if you're posing for the holiday photos with a shiner. This public service......

Busy, busy week here in Toronto. There are so many good shows to go to, that it's quite possible to be out almost every night. For example, tonight is so chock full of great shows that it's a shame they weren't spread out better over the week...we'd love to see most of these acts! Death Cab For Cutie are in town tonight and tomorrow, and according to the Toronto Sun they will be doing......

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......

Compared to the past few weeks, this one's a bit quieter in the live music world, but there are still some decent shows to check out. Of note, Beck brings his two turntables and a mic to the Ricoh Coliseum tonight (too bad about the location), you can get Comfortably Numb (in a few ways, we're sure) at the Opera House or check out the moustachiod Killers at the Kool Haus on Friday, and......

If you're not completely burnt out from Nuit Blanche, there are plenty of quality shows to check out this week, including Joanna Newsom, Massive Attack, and Myspace darling Lily Allen. Alternatively, you Hip fans can skip out on the live music this week and save up your change for all four (yes, FOUR) of the recently announced shows at the Phoenix a few weeks from now. Can Gord Downie and pals really justify the......

Who Is DJ Cyber-Rap? Depending what circles you run with, this question may have been nagging you for quite some time. If you’re a member of Stillepost, the message board that plays hosts to almost all of Toronto’s scenesters, you’ve known about DJ Cyber-Rap since 2005. That’s when the 59 year-old widower (born Robert “Ronald” Marie MacDougall) first started posting in the Toronto forum of Stillepost from internet cafes, using painfully effortful internet jargon in......

Mayor Miller wants a citizen panel to review a proposed 8.9% pay raise. Currently Toronto City Councillors make significantly less than other southern Ontario city councillors. That being said, good luck with getting that raise during an election year. The Loonie hit a 28-year high probably because we're a major stable oil producer that isn't trying to get a nuclear weapons' program. Our dollar hit, are you sitting down, 91 cents to the US dollar.......

Thus far, rock photographer Andrew MacNaughtan has had a gorgeous and enviable career in photographing Canada’s hottest musicians. Torontoist is sure you are all familiar with his photographic work as he’s captured the likes of K-OS, The Tragically Hip, Avril Lavigne, Sam Roberts (pictured here) and Chantal Kreviazuk over the years. For his latest show "Art Gives Hope: A Decade of Music Portraits" he’s compiled and donated his favourites of the past ten years and......

So apparently there's some sort of thing going on up in Barrie at (Molson) Park Place this Saturday. A whole bunch of bands, raising awareness, blah blah blah. The bill looks something like this - African Guitar Summit, Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo, Bruce Cockburn, Bryan Adams, The Bachman Cummings Band, Deep Purple, DobaCaracol featuring Kna'an, Gordon Lightfoot, Great Big Sea, Jann Arden, Jet, Les Trois Accords, Motley Crue, Our Lady Peace, Sam Roberts, Simple Plan,......

Bob Geldof, the Nobel Prize winning, hunger hating, debt relieving, musician and activist, officially announced Toronto as the Canadian location for Live 8. With less than a month to go before the July 2nd concert and Canada Day events taking place all over the city the on the 1st, planning Live 8 is going to involve a lot of tough decision making. Where is it going to be? Who’s going to play? Torontoist comes through......

For all you Firkin loving, Molson drinking, Tragically Hip listening, Oh Canada singing folks who can't live without hockey, you'll be glad to hear that Canada has advanced to the Semi-finals of the IIHF World Championships following a 5-4 victory over Slovakia on Thursday afternoon. The Canadians completed the comeback triumph with 4:22 left in the third period, as locked-out Boston Bruin captain Joe Thornton found the back of the net over former Nashville Predator......

A brief overview of Toronto music happenings finds some exciting and some not-so-exciting news. Aw yeah. - Dizzee Rasclat Bumbal Squat is coming out with new sneaks. Unfortunately they are Nikes. The up side is he will be at the Opera House on April 28. - Hipe-with-an-'i' NYC band The Bravery make their T-dot debut on April 13. - The RZA is rzarecting the Wu ideology for a new book, Wu-Tang Manual: Enter the 36......

Pretty cool how the CBC got chart topping American R'n'B star Usher to perform at tonight's Canada for Asia Tsunami Relief benefit. Oh wait, that's David Usher. Oscar Peterson and the Tragically Hip will do just fine, though. Besides, who needs Usher when we've got Keisha Chante! Holla!......

Chalk it up to American Thanksgiving, or maybe the NHL lockout, or even Anna Nicole Smith's 37th birthday (today! all the best, Anna), but this weekend got really big all of a sudden. Friday night, if you're outside the BDB-Magneta Lane-Tragically Hip circles, you've got options. There's Ellen Allien's Bpitch beats at the Mod Club (Listen to a neat interview with her here). Then there's the Femme Generation at Sneaky Dee's (read more here). Then......

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......