festival | june

music conquers all

THE FLAMING LIPS BAD RELIGION RAEKWON & GHOSTFACE KILLAH MATTHEW GOOD OF MONTREAL 1117 NO USE FOR A NAME PURITY RING DEATH GRIPS THE MEN BLEACHED A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS GOOD RIDDANCE METZ CEREMONY PLANTS AND ANIMALS THE DEATH SET YAMANTAKA//SONIC TITAN THE SADIES & ANDRE WILLIAMS OBERHOFER REIGNING SOUND ACTION BRONSON 2:54 DUSTED KILLER MIKE YOUNG MAGIC FRIENDS DOLDRUMS ODONIS ODONIS MAC DEMARCO BASS DRUM OF DEATH THE HUNDRED IN THE HANDS PORCELAIN RAFT EXITMUSIC PHEDRE VIOLENS GRASS WIDOW EIGHT AND A HALF nxne 2012 | 1 DZ DEATHRAYS

the flaming lips

How to nXne

the basics: what, where, how and when. Why? Well leave that to you.

23 music

9 rewind

Portraits of nXne as a younger festival, featuring feist, GZa, Pere ubu, Best coast, iggy Pop, Grimes, Dirty Beaches, cults, ty segall.

77 interactive 89 film
BlacKie Hooded fang

nigh-on-all-you-need-to-know articles on and interviews with our picks of the nXne acts. featuring, deep breath... the flaming lips; raekwon & Ghostface Killah; Bad religion; matthew Good; of montreal; no use for a name; Purity ring; unknown mortal orchestra; Death Grips; the men; Bleached; a Place to Bury strangers; Good riddance; metz; ceremony; the soundtrack of our lives; Plants and animals; the sadies & andre Williams; oberhofer; reigning sound; action Bronson; 2:54; YamantaKa//sonic titan; Dusted; the Hundred in the Hands; rival schools; Killer mike; the Death set; Young magic; Hayes carll; friends; Bran van 3000; the Black Belles; Doldrums; odonis odonis; mac Demarco; Bass Drum of Death; Porcelain raft; exitmusic; Phedr; violens; Grass Widow; eight and a Half; Dz Deathrays; jonathan toubin; art vs. science; B l a c K i e, the nils;

On the Cover Wayne coyne of the flaming lips surfs the crowd in his Zorb. scott D. smith / retna ltd

Knowledge is still power. educate yourself with articles on the analogue revolution, psycho-slacktivism and the importance of earnest social media, and browse snapshots of all the nXnei programming for a glimpse of the avantwider picture.

Where music is the star. alongside selected previews of film festival highlights, unearth a johnny cash treasure trove, salivate over a critic-satiating archers of loaf doc and get high with irvine Welshs latest flick, Ecstasy.

DZ Deathrays

Art Director stephen chester | Sub editor mike tanner | Advertising Coordinators courtney macDonald, sharon arnott
Contributors ryan Bigge, cameron carpenter, lucia mancuso, tracy ann Kosa, ambrose roche, marlon rodrigues, james topham, meghan Warby Photographers Phill Brennen, andrija Dimitrijevic, lisa marie Kruchak, albert lee, steve Payne

Editor tom King

nxne 2012 | 2

NXNE President michael Hollett NXNE Managing Director andy mclean Partnership Development embrace
Published by noW communications inc. for north By northeast conferences inc. 189 church st, toronto, 2012 north By northeast

nxne 2012 | 3

essential nxne
the most up-to-date schedule slot-by-slot critics picks

nxne preview issue june 7 / nxne festival guide june 14

fucked up at nxne 2011 by zach slootsky

NX NE
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look out for the annual nXne Gig Guide and check out nxne.com for the full music, film and interactive programme as well as the latest times and further info. for late-breaking band announcements, secret show tips, in stores, park and airport shows, party news, contests & more download the official nXne iPhone & android apps - and follow us on twitter @nxnefest for second-by-second news. all schedule information was correct at press time - but please check back for further updates. Pick up noW magazine, thursday, june 7 for complete nXne preview and schedule and june 14 for full festival highlights and updated schedule. visit nowtoronto.com for 24 hour coverage.

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SEE IT ALL IF YOU DARE

You need a festival wristband

5-DAy $50 the classic summer bracelet: looks great, guarantees no cover at all for nXne gigs & films and gets you in ahead of the ticket queue. save hundreds in cover charges as you choose from over 650 bands and 40 films. also includes the nXne record show at the Hyatt regency toronto and the nXne comedy showcase. Pick up a wristband at any official nXne venue, the Hyatt, noW magazine, dozens of toronto stores and at Yonge-Dundas square during nXne mainstage concerts. 1-DAy $25 if you have only one night for nXne-ing, the 1-day wristband is your top choice. Buys you full wristband entitlements for the day & night of your choice. Film FEstivAl-oNly $25 for the serious cinephile. Guarantees no cover at all nXne film screenings for the entire 7 days of the festival. CovER CHARGE Yes, you can pay single-venue cover charge. But why? if you hit just one extra club on your way home, or catch just one more flick, youll save by strapping on a festival wristband or pass.

festival passes
PRioRity PAss $250 (Students $125) Your Priority Pass gets you in ahead of the crowds at all nXne films and club showcases. only a Pass lets you dig fully into nXne music, film, and any interactive session from 2pm on each afternoon at the Hyatt regency when the music-focused presentations are scheduled at nXnei. iNtERACtivE PAss $349 (Students $125) for those who dont want to miss a single presentation at our unique idea-fest exploring technology, trends, and the links between music, film, and digital interactive media. 3 days, all day long. (Music and Film access not included)

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1 The Annex Live 296 Brunswick 2 The Boat, 158 Augusta 3 Bovine Sex Club 542 Queen W 4 The Cadillac Lounge 1296 Queen W 5 The Cameron House 408 Queen W 6 The Central 603 Markham 7 Cest What, 67 Front E 8 Crawford 718 College 9 Creatures Creating 627 Queen W 10 Czehoski 678 Queen W 11 The Dakota Tavern 249 Ossington 12 The Detour 193 Baldwin 13 The Drake Hotel 1150 Queen W 14 El Mocambo 464 Spadina 15 Free Times Caf 320 College 16 The Garrison 1197 Dundas W 17 The Gladstone Hotel Ballroom 1214 Queen W 18 The Great Hall 1087 Queen W 19 Harbourfront Centre Redpath 20 Hard Luck Bar 812 Dundas W 21 Hard Rock Cafe 279 Yonge 22 The Hideout 484 Queen W 23 The Horseshoe 370 Queen W 24 The Hoxton 69 Bathurst 25 Lees Palace, 529 Bloor W 26 Mod Club Theatre 722 College 27 Monarch Tavern 12 Clinton 28 The NOW Lounge 189 Church 29 The Painted Lady 218 Ossington 30 The Phoenix 410 Sherbourne 31 The Piston 937 Bloor 32 Rancho Relaxo 300 College 33 The Rivoli 332 Queen W 34 The Shop @ Parts & Labor 1566 Queen W 35 Silver Dollar 486 Spadina 36 The Sister 1554 Queen W 37 Sneaky Dees 431 College 38 Supermarket 258 Augusta 39 Unloveable 1415 Dundas W 40 Velvet Underground 510 Queen W 41 Wrongbar 1279 Queen W

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Sweet deals for all the music, film and fresh thinking you can handle. Whether youve got all week or just one night, weve got something that fits:

sonic boom 512 bloor st. w | soundscapes 572 college st. | rotate this 801 Queen st. w | Kops records 229 Queen st. w | Play de record 357 Yonge st | sunrise records (3 locations): 336 Yonge st; 784 Yonge st; sheppard centre at Yonge/sheppard | t.o. tix Yonge-dundas square | nfb mediatheque 150 John st. | Long & mcQuade (8 gta locations, including bloor/ ossington) | of a Kind 1037 college st. | now magazine 189 church st. | Queen Video (film festival wristbands only), 412 Queen st. w

get wristbands from nxne.com and:

A NFB Mediatheque 150 John B Royal Cinema 606 College C Toronto Underground Cinema 186 Spadina

Interactive

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nXne the 90s

Ultra sound. Ultrabook.

At the Intersection of Music, Technology and Creativity.
The hottest sounds from the next generation in music. This is the 2012 Intel Canada Superstars Competition the chance for hundreds of emerging Canadian artists to vie for fans, fame and fortune. Brought to you by Intel, the inspiration for one of this years biggest tech stories the ultra slim, ultra performance Ultrabook.

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With 18 years of music comes 18 years of photography

Starting June 11, 2012

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Ultrabook Inspired by Intel

This is your chance. Check it out now. facebook.com/intelcanada

Copyright 2012, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel Inside, Intel Pentium, Intel Core, Intel, and the Intel logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. *Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

1999
nxne 2012 | 11

leslie feist in By DiviNE RiGHt

PHotoGraPHeD BY STEVE PAYNE

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rewind

nXne

CONvERSE PRESENTS

THURSDAY / JUNE 14 / DOORS AT 8pM 1AM PURITY RING 12AM THE HUNDRED IN THE HANDS 11pM YOUNG MAGIC 10pM EXITMUSIC 9pM MOON KING FRIDAY / JUNE 15 / DOORS AT 7pM 1AM THE DEATH SET 12AM THE MEN 11pM METZ 10pM BASS DRUM OF DEATH 9pM DZ DEATHRAYS 8pM FIRST YOU GET THE SUGAR SATURDAY / JUNE 16 / DOORS AT 8pM 2AM Dj jONATHAN TOUBINS SOUl ClAP & DANCE OFF 1AM KIllER MIKE 12AM DEATH GRIPS 11pM CEREMONY 10pM DOlDRUMS 9pM DIRTYMAGS
pere ubu
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1997

photographed by steve payne

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rewind

nXne

40 MUSIC STATIONS AS UNIQUE AS YOU.

ITS FREE AND EASY FROM ROCK TO CLASSICAL, POP TO JAZZ, HIP HOP TO COUNTRY AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO HUNDREDS OF LIVE PERFORMANCES THE LATEST NEWS ON YOUR FAVOURITE ARTISTS BY CANADAS TOP MUSIC JOURNALISTS SAVE THE IMPORTANT DATES WITH CANADAS LARGEST CONCERT CALENDAR

Connect with the music you love.

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2009

photographed by aLbert Lee

App Store is a service mark of Apple, Inc.

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rewind

nXne

Presented by

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City and Colour The Sheepdogs Paul Oakenfold

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TOLL FREE 877.788.3267

2010
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best coAst

photographed by Lisa marie kruchak

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Young the Giant

Chromeo

Down With Webster

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rewind

nXne

2010
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iGGy And the stooGes

photographed by phiL brennen

rewind

nXne

cults

photographed by andrija dimitrijevic

dirty beAches

photographed by andrija dimitrijevic

Grimes

photographed by aLbert Lee

2011
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ty seGAll

photographed by aLbert Lee

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music
nXne. 650 bands, 40 venues, 7 days. demystify the latest blog-hypers, catch up with some current favorites and indulge in a few of the most influential acts around. Leave it to the music gods and breeze from band to band, or rush around like a madman and catch everything your schedule allows. either way, we hope the following highlights help you make an informed decision, especially when the 4am late licenses are taking their toll.

have. Fun.

PROUD SPONSOR OF

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2012 highLightS
June 1117

bleached
blond ambition
in their former band the bleached sisters were part of the arts community centred around feted downtown Los angeles venue the Smell. For a few months at the end of the last decade, the club was the centre of the indie worlds attention. their all-girl act Mika Miko - alongside no age, heaLth, abe Vigoda and the Mae Shi - quickly rose from the all-ages, vegan and alcohol-free diy scene to across the global press. they were a freewheeling five-piece with straight-up 1977 tunes played in a the year punk broke spirit and were pretty essential. after a string of scattered yet celebrated limited releases and a final hometown show - at, you guessed it, the Smell - on Jan 1st 2010 they broke up to focus on the honourable pursuits of work and college. Frontwoman Jessica and bassist Jennifer Clavin gave this all a miss, however, and instead poured their achy-breaky hearts into a new bubblegum project more in line with the recent wave of best Coast and dum dum girls-style pop California is producing. bleached finds the sisters harmonising on love and loss over a psychy golden summer soundtrack; as irrepressibly fun and ramshackle as their previous band yet tinged with high-school-vacation-falling-in-on-itself regret. The Silver Dollar / Thursday, Friday, Saturday, June 1416

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Q&A
Theres nothing quite as divisive on the band scene as those who are seen to jump the queue. While most acts slug away at their careers Sisyphus style, waiting for a big break, London sisters Hannah and Colette Thurlow - resplendent in eyeliner, red lipstick and leather jackets in any of their press photos - posted a home demo to Soundcloud a year and a half ago and within months were touring with Warpaint and the Big Pink and had signed with labels on both sides of the Atlantic. Its probably for the best, then, that 2:54 - named in precise reference to their favourite second of their favourite Melvins song - have the talent to justify their ascent. They make smouldering and hypnotic doom-rock thats as seductive as it is arresting, referencing PJ Harveys spikier moments, the XXs hormonal lust, QOTSAs druggy drone and Florence Welshs adroit 21st century reappropriation of Kate Bush goth-pop.

2:54
Given his tag as a one-man noise ordinance violation and the echolalia of distortion and compression covering his tracks, its possible you wont give Houstons Michael LaCour his due.

THEIR TIME IS NOW

Was it at all unnerving receiving so much attention right when you were just starting out? (Colette Thurlow) - It was exciting that the songs reached ears outside of our bedrooms. We have never rushed any aspect of the band. We took the time to develop properly and were still developing, still learning, finding our feet, and I dont think that will ever change. Seeing as you were kinda plunged in the deep end, whats your opinion of the music industry so far? ? I guess it was pretty deep-end, but this is our first experience of all of this so we dont know any different. Our experience of the music industry and the people weve met along the way has been positive and educational. The journey has been incredible - scary, inspiring, the works. It seems to me you have a pretty unique dynamic, and Ive read interviews where you say starting a band was almost a mistake. Could you imagine playing in a band without your sister? Definitely not a mistake, I think what were trying to convey is that its been a natural process. Weve been making songs for ourselves, for fun, forever. But, nope, we cant imagine not playing together in a band. How does the 2:54 point in the Melvins track make you feel? Its more about the moment - we find it in lots of songs. It became a recurring theme, that wed chat about songs we were listening to and be like that bit, that bit when it goes... For us it was 2 minutes 54 seconds into the Melvins track because of the build, the choral frenzy, the doomy fade. Melvins have such a huge canon of work - theres a lot left for us to discover there. Lees Palace / Friday, June 15

ART VS. SCIENCE

Its one thing to be influenced by an act - but its quite another to leave one of their concerts and decide to form a band on the spot. For partystarting Antipodean electro-funk trio Art Vs. Science, Dec 22 2007 was the date; Daft Punk was the band; and I guess you can presume the swift arrangement was just chemistry. The Garrison / Friday, June 15; Yonge-Dundas Square / Saturday, June 16

BASS DRuM OF DEATH

in their own words John plays guitar and sings and Colin plays the drums. The songs are about drugs, trying to make it with religious girls, panic attacks, stealing stuff, mild to severe depression, Elvis appearing in your dreams and giving you advice, gravity bongs and the devil living inside your brain. This record is the soundtrack playing in your head when youre fucked up and walking home in the middle of the night. For this Mississippi garage duo, never a truer press release hath spoken.

BLACKIE

anxieties of a 99%-er age. Hes blessed with both the technology and the will to join obtuse dots such as cutting-edge uK grime and bass music, Southern rap, thrash metal and digital hardcore with ease.

If you can brave the dB levels, his harsh-wave/dontcare mishmash is essential stuff: the sound of a postmillennial Munch stretching the

Despite this inclusive, polystylistic approach, hes not exactly the most diplomatic of musicians - carting his own sound system to shows to channel just a backing track and his vocals, and almost predictably skipping the label system with free online releases. But not many acts can touch his throwdown anytime/anywhere spirit, obvious everywhere from the title of his 2011 EP True Spirit And Not Giving a Fuck down. The Velvet Underground / Friday, June 15
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VIOLENS

Wrongbar / Friday, June 15

Youd think that Violens were aiming squarely at being the latest entry in the list of canonised and cool NYC bands - the Velvet underground, the Ramones, Blondie, Sonic Youth, the Strokes. Instead, theyre a refreshingly well produced and clean-cut cross between the frazzled sunshine-pop of the Byrds or Buffalo Springfield and British post-punks Wire and the Cure. With songs concerning nightmares, the passage of time, speculations on spiritual messages and accounts of drug-induced hallucinations, they also not only share the latters paranoid gothic streaks but the formers breezy transcendentalism. The Horseshoe / Thursday, June 14
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Lifes probably not easy for a true rock and roll kid like Greg Cartwright. Other bands can always sound heavier, get drunker, play faster, act moodier and cooler than you; some get up their ivory towers complaining about authenticity and originality while others will cry faker! each time you bother to tune your guitar. Cartwright must be used to the above and much, much more. A founding member of cult 90s acts Compulsive Gamblers and the Oblivians before them, hes a dyed-in-the-wool rock and roller who cut his teeth on his fathers British Invasion records as a kid, cruised the 80s Memphis punk scene as a teen and toured the garage revival wave of the 90s to death. Reigning Sound, his current troupe, started as a swaggering R&B, gospel and soul group before honing their sound to a fuzzy pysch-pop. This rough and ready approach continued across subsequent records, countless tours and Rolling Stone acclaim before Cartwright shifted his focus to solo and production work at points during the last decade. Hes now back at the altar again to as his label puts it hail, hail rock n roll and fuck your prefab garage. The Horseshoe / Friday, June 15

REIGNING SOuND

See every band for $50 Full details on page 4

Its amazing how far someone can come with just degenerate love songs. A sixth-generation Texan raised in a Houston suburb, Carll found early inspiration in Jack Kerouac and Bob Dylan and hit the road after leaving college. Ten years later and hes now considered an equal with Americana legends Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt. Carll reached the heady heights of #1 on the Americana charts with his 2005 Little Rock self-release, and 2011s twangy countryrock opus KMAG YOYO was the most played Americana album of the year.

HAYES CARLL

DZ DEATHRAYS
A two-piece (not a bad thing for touring you can fit in a small car, share a bed, and sell more guestlist spots for cash) in the DFA 1979 loud and fast mold, DZ are like last nights memories: slightly familiar, possibly painful and very, very fuzzy. Wrongbar / Friday, June 15

These thrash party-punkers from Brisbane, Australia sum up their band history as started playing house parties, will most likely end at one which probably says more about them than anything else ever could.

Hells bells! Its

FICTION (via their PR) FACT
- Olivia Jean (guitar, vocals) began a solo surf rock band to cover any suspicions about her dabbling in voodoo; her presence induces nausea, vomiting, headache, vertigo and slurred speech; her hat weakens the use of her morals. - Shelby Lynne (drummer) was unfortunately born and raised in sunny California; spent a childhood holding seances alone; was kicked out of girl scouts for poisoning cookies. - Ruby Rogers (bass) is rumoured to be a practising witch; was sent to boarding school after her mother discovered a dead bird in her purse; enjoys the dark and alienation. - Lil Boo (keys) was once a freshman class president and vaunted classical pianist; now she now spends her time slashing tires, breaking bottles and making boys cry.

The Horseshoe / Wednesday, June 13

KILLER THE BLAC K BELLES MIKE

- Jack Whites label Third Man signed the Nashville group. He produced their debut and everything from Cramps-style sound to the shrouded PR campaign and art-house wardrobe selection has the ex-White Stripes midas fingerprint laid firm. - They dont share much with the White Stripes beside a crunchingly antiquated guitar sound, but theyre definitely cut from the same dark cloth as the Dead Weather - Whites later project. - Lead single Honky Tonk Horror is a apt overall description of their self-titled debut: wailing vocals and creepy carnival organ floating above the spindly arrangement and minimalist production; an unhinged collection of garage-goth songs soaked in melody and melodrama. The Garrison / Thursday, June 14 The Horseshoe / Friday, June 15

Veteran Killer Mikes fiery, old-school Southern rap has earned him a reputation as a larger-than-life personality armed with a loud, livid message and delivery to match. Aside from frequent collaborations with fellow Georgians Outkast, since his 2003 debut album Monster broke the top 10 hes been almost exclusively an underground figure and one whos not afraid to scream and shout about it. Sixth album R.A.P Music is out this spring and finds his template of gritty, sample heavy beats, stormy soul samples and domineering Ice Cube, Chuck D and Rick Ross-style hollering in finer form than ever before. Wrongbar / Saturday, June 16 Yonge-Dundas Square / Sunday, June 17

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FRIENDS

ACTION BRONSON

Refreshingly free of self-absorption and pretense, Action Bronson makes stupidly fun retro-rap with what is fast becoming one of the most creative approaches in the game. His high-pitched, smooth NYC flow - politely - isnt a million miles from Ghostface Killah and sits over harmless good-time beats heavy on jazz loops, breakbeat samples and witty one-liners. He does it very, very well, with all the loveable perma-delight of a kid in the worlds biggest candy store. The Drake / Saturday, June 16 Yonge-Dundas Square / Sunday, June 17

A quintet of multi-instrumentalists fronted by Samantha urbani and Lesley Hann - pals since school - Friends are five stunning-looking Brooklynites making an ESG or Tom Tom Clubstyle hot summer racket. They formed after urbanis home demos were heard when her soon-to-be bandmates were forced to briefly move into her Bushwick apartment while theirs was fumigated for bed bugs. Grabbing the best bits of new-wave, R&B, kraut, disco, afrobeat, soul, dance, dub and whatever-the-hellelse-they-fancy and whipping it up into a heady and humid polyrhythmic pulp, they played their first show just six days later - and Friends, as the saying goes, were forever. Lees Palace / Friday, June 15

Its fair to say rock and roll lifer Ivan Julian has a free pass to do whatever he wants around an electric guitar, having been a founding member of NYC punk-folklorers the Voidoids and a recording member of the Clash. Whether his glammy Hendrixmeets-New York Dolls solo project pushes the envelope as far as some of his previous collaborations did is pretty irrelevant when hes preaching from a position of such experience. Watch - punks - and learn.

IVAN JuLIAN

Bovine Sex Club / Thursday, June 14

GRASS WIDOW

THE COPPERTONE
Apparently it took a chance meeting between Amanda Zelinas chops and ZZ Tops lank haired Billy Gibbons in a Hollywood guitar shop for the soonto-be frontwoman to realise she had the talent to form a band. Why it took so long for someone to compliment her is anyones guess; Zelina has both Jack Whites electrifying way around an bottlenecking guitar riff and the rootsy, manic voice of the Kills Alison Mosshart. Fast-forward few years later, though, and the transfixing, talented Toronto songwriter is playing primal fuzzed out-blues so thunderous her heroes will probably be able to hear the Coppertones set down Missouri way. Golden. The Horseshoe / Friday, June 15

The archaic term grass widow referred to a woman whose lover was alive but absent at sea or at war yet this all-girl San Franciscan trio arent missing anything at all. Theyre feminine without being girl-group, and honey-soaked without being saccharine. Listening to Grass Widows sweet but edgy tracks, its hard not to recall the Raincoats earnest but endlessly fun racket, but theres also a lot in line with the more naive Beatles tracks and recent rainy 60s elegists Veronica Falls. All members contribute to the oddly enchanting off-key vocal lines, which tangle with the spindly, stop-motion guitars to form a sparse, pastoral sound. Its worth adding that their principles are pretty watertight too. They refuse to elect one of them as frontwoman, sharing songwriting and press duties between them; and they insist on only playing inexpensive - and wherever possible allages shows. Its almost humbling to see a band with such impeccable credentials; harking back to the old-school of the DIY underground. The Garrison / Thursday, June 14
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See every band for $50 Full details on page 4

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ODONIS ODONIS
Sneaky Dees / Friday, June 15

THE HuNDRED IN THE HANDS

Influenced by new wave and industrial mixtapes passed down by frontman Dean Tzenos elder sisters, menacing Torontonians Odonis Odonis beautifully mine the darker trove of 80s and early 90s guitar rock. Their surfy take on Big Black, The Jesus & Mary Chain and The Pixies has a kind of shadowy impressionism - fidelity-shy but structured, direct and accessible - which uniquely colours but does not define their music. Recent album Hollendaze is a hypnotic, abrasive run through these influences with a nervy, spitting anger all its own.

Formed in 2008, this Brooklyn avant-pop duo combine Moroder-style disco, minimal-house and post-punks frenetic spirit with the same carefree verve as James Murphys LCD Soundsystem project. Its a spewed, mutant R&B held together by Jason Friedmans production - mainly deep, deep kicks and tight-as-hell basslines and the ghostly, icecool vocals of Eleanore Everdell. Wrongbar / Thursday, June 14

CEREMONY

PETER KERNEL
ord, in that each song binds to one another better than weve done in the past.

Forward-thinking CaliforIts a lighter, more garage-y fort, entertainment, nian thrash-punks Cereaffair but carries on the schedule, and basic living. mony are a crude, destruc- same stylistic narrative; jag- The problem being with tive throwback to the earlier ged, righteous and spitting existing here on earth days of hardcore, when it with disillusioned rage at comes suffering, suffering was less a touring circuit ex-urban alienation and that often sneaks up on us and more a hideout for the Its trying to understand as bewildermiseries of the downtrodment, and with what it means to be a den. They have both the that suffering wells of visceral energy human living in a world brings people needed to please purists who try to relate that sometimes seems and the ambitious, progresthe state were sive bent necessary to stand too full of everything in, in order to out in a crowded genre. soften the Ross Farrar blows. After a few underground confinement. In the words releases, their unpredictThere are songs on the able and thrilling third full- of frontman Ross Farrar.. record that sound fast, length Rohnert Park was a huge evolutionary step forward for the group. The records slowed, sludgier dynamics and pointed riffs recalled Pink Flag-era Wire more than Black Flag, and it immediately placed them in the scenes same critically revered, vital sphere as Pissed Jeans or Fucked up. Shortly after they signed to Matador Records and released Marchs Zoo. The title Zoo comes from the idea that were all living in a world that has been heavily structured for us, by us, which feels strange because no other civilization has been so extensive in furthering com-

Zoo isnt a concept record, or any attempt at changing peoples minds, or exacting the worlds problems, its just a pursuit in trying to understand what it means to be a human living in a world that sometimes seems too full of everything, because it is its full of us, an extremely complicated people, and were doing all we can to slow, eerie, full, or abrupt, live in harmony, free from each one different, but at whatever it is that closes us the same time very similar. in, bars us, and This is what reviewers call cages the joy of comprehensive. I suppose being here. this record is our first sort Wrongbar / of comprehenSaturday, June 16 sive soundYonge-Dundas ing recSquare / Saturday, June 16

Peter Kernel should be a singer-songwriter, likely curly haired and fresh faced, singing parent-friendly maudlin folk about the tough upbringing he never had. Walk into a show expecting that - however - and youd be in for a bit of a shock. Theyre actually a carefree Swiss-Canadian duo all wrapped up in DIY/riot grrl aesthetics and veering between growling Goo era-Sonic Youth noisepop and tunE-yArDs freakish tribal outbursts. The Garrison / Friday, June 15

DOLDRuMS

The work of Doldrums - 21 year old Airick Woodhead - floats in a sea of chopped-up samples, disembodied vocals and tribal percussion. He is concerned with the loss of the individual in an increasingly altruistic society, overhype and the plasticity of modern youth culture. Accordingly, his androgynous, alienated voice comes across mid-panic attack, while his tracks somehow manage to elevate classic pop melodies above a sample-saturated sound collage. His current releases have combined the beautiful boudoir pop of contemporaries Atlas Sound, Panda Bear or How To Dress Well with Doldrums own genre-hopping tendencies. Track Lost In My Head - from his Empire Sound EP - stands as a frighteningly accurate self-diagnosis of his work as a whole; a new world for listeners to explore. The Drake / Thursday, June 14; The Garrison / Friday, June 15, Wrongbar / Saturday, June 16

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MEN
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RIVAL SCHOOLS

Formed from the ashes of 80s and 90s hardcore bands Gorilla Biscuits, CIV, Youth Of Today and Iceburn, supergroup Rival Schools emo-tinted melodic-rock rode the wave of early 2000s alt-rock to serious success. Now a trio, their mix of discordant, Fugazi-style shredding and radio-friendly stadium rock has matured over a seven-year hiatus. Last years Pedals comeback was worth the wait - as sharp and belligerent as 2001s United By Fate but missing none of the melodic charm which had them labelled as the new Nirvana first time around. Great Hall / Saturday, June 16

When X meets Y

HOODED FANG
It took a calendar on the C-room circuit and a string of limited releases before The Mens confrontational punk got the attention it deserved. Admittedly, with Fucked Ups superb meta-opera LP and Danish teen prodigals Iceages debut, 2011 was a competitive time for any band vying for the critics saviours of punk mantle - but many end-of-year plaudits ended rightly with The Men. The fact that three of the Brooklyn quartet - and yes, theyre all male - share songwriting responsibilities allows the band to draw from a wide range of influences. Like some graphic meltdown of a record store clerks own collection, their bash-your-head-in sophomore LP Leave Home veered between destructive posthardcore, doomy breakdowns, shoegazey post-punk and relentless krautrock rhythms. This Marchs Open Your Heart is a more classically structured and anthemic affair - equally recalling Tom Petty or The Replacements as it does Fugazi and looks set to break the band far beyond their DIY roots.
The Garrison / Thursday, June 14; Wrongbar / Friday 15
See every band for $50 Full details on page 4

DuSTED
After six years of constant touring with analogue-dance instrumentalists Holy Fuck, Brian Borcherdt has emerged from the tangled wires and broken drum machines with a dewy-eyed pop project. Haunting, atmospheric and emotionally bare, Dusted draw on Womens tantalizing, elegiac lo-fi moments; Candy Says-era Velvet underground; and cavernous Microphones-style production. Some bands use reverb as a comfort blanket; Dusted use it as the worlds biggest canvas. unmissably good.
El Mocambo / Thursday, June 14

Led by frontman Daniel Lees impassioned vocals, Hooded Fang are a rough-around-the-edges indie-pop ensemble at the forefront of a group of Toronto acts centred around the Daps Records imprint. Borrowing from 60s good-time garage at points - check the choppy chords and Hammond swells on ESP or Brahma from their second Tosta Mista LP and from mid-period Kinks at others, Hooded Fang plays a riveting brand of scrappy, surfinflected rock and roll. Theyre as beautifully conceived, cohesive and charming as their tunes are ramshackle. Silver Dollar / Friday, June 15

BRAN VAN 3000

Zany Montral electronic collective Bran Van 3000 formed in 1994 but were virtually unknown until 1997s smash single Drinking in L.A (dont pretend you dont know it). A unlikely combination of stoned, mumbling Beckstyle rap and partysoul, the track lumped BV3000 in with MTVs alt-rock crowd and was a huge international hit. After a hiatus in the early part of the last decade, the band shook off their West Coast hangovers and returned to form with Ros, 2007, and 2010s The Garden. The Horseshoe / Thursday, June 14

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music
The three members of Young Magic were guided together by providence from across the globe. Isaac Emmanuel and Michael Italia were on similar but separate travels across Europe and South America, both recording music while escaping their native Australia. Realizing they were chasing the same thing, they arranged to meet in New York - where theyre now based - and invited an old friend, Indonesian vocalist Melati Malay, to begin a new genre-hopping project. This sprawling geo-narrative is pretty key to understanding the group. Debut album Melt was recorded in ten separate countries but is one intense sonic mlange which sounds like it came from a different planet. Although electronically sequenced - its very much the sound of guys hunched over their MacBooks - it has a unique and chameleonic organic groove and takes in West African rhythms, Flying Lotus-style neo-hip-hop and psychedelic 60s soul, melded together with lush, shoegazey textures. Wrongbar / Thursday, June 14,

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TRANSFORMA TIVE

YOuNG MAGIC
JONATHAN TOuBIN
Jonathan Toubin is the most popular, prolific and highest-earning DJ of his kind in North America, known equally for his maximum rock and soul 45rpm dance sets around the continent and his formative New York Night Train club in Brooklyn. Hed played 1200 sets of his hi-octane 50s-80s classics over the last 5 years, before a freak life-threatening accident in January (a taxi driver had a seizure and ploughed into a sleeping Toubin through a ground-floor hotel room wall). Support came quickly from across the music community - including a Yeah Yeahs Yeahs benefit concert - and he made a miraculous recovery. Now, as befits someone who was reported to have made a gotta have my records request in his emergency ward, hes thankfully back in the vinyl groove again. Wrongbar / Saturday, June 16

EIGHT AND A HALF

Eight And A Half is an indie-rock supergroup made up of former members of The Stills - Dave Hamelin and Liam ONeil - and Broken Social Scene drummer Justin Peroff. Though Aprils selftitled debut on Arts & Crafts didnt do too much to disassociate Eight And A Half from the coffeetable indie scene they came from, it did take a more electronic approach to groundswell indie than either of their parent acts. Theirs is instead an arty synth-driven pop focusing on vulnerable, flesh-and-blood melancholy and kaleidoscopic soundscapes. Yonge-Dundas Square / Friday, June 15

1197 DUNDAS ST WEST

THE NILS
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Everyone who knows The Nils loves The Nils. Formed in 1978 by a then twelve-year-old Alex Soria and his brother Carlos, the Montral power-punks are regularly name-checked by acts such as Superchunk, Meat Puppets and Jawbox as a very early influence. Although The Nils played shows from the early 80s onward, they only released two EPs and a single album before breaking up in 1994. Alexs suicide in 2004 didnt stop the remaining members from reforming for 2010s critically acclaimed The Title Is The Secret Song and - if fortune swings back in their favour - they should be rightfully heralded as pioneers for a second generation. Bovine Sex Club / Thursday, June 14
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PLANTS AND ANIMALS

These underground favourites have developed from light, classically arranged baroque-pop purists into a full-blown rock and roll group. 2008s Parc Avenue was a masterpiece, ambitiously blending prog, post-rock and folk influences into slow-burning anthems and intimate ballads. Subsequent albums have moved beyond this enjoyable but typically Montreal, Wolf Parade and Arcade Fire-style pop into a beefier, backboned sound as on Februarys The End Of That. The stoner-speed, beard-stroking tracks have been replaced by an aggressive, riff-heavy swampy sound ripe for live performance. This recent blooming suggests that Plants And Animals are now ripe to grow out from beneath their adopted towns collectivist-indie shadow. Yonge-Dundas Square / Friday, June 15

THE SOuNDTRACK OF OuR LIVES

Formed in 1995 on a mission to prepare the world into the next density of mankind, hype-survivors The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - like fellow Swedes the Hives - rode out a giant wave of hyperbolic press in the early noughties intact to become one of indies most enduring acts. They dont look far beyond the 60s and 70s - cf. The Stones, Pink Floyd and The Who - for their musical inspiration, yet uniquely draw back on centuries of early philosophical, Hermetic tradition for their imagery and lyrical ideas. This mysticism is only furthered by the fantastic, shamanic beard of frontman Ebbot Lundberg, a heavyset cross between Iggy Pop, Jim Morrison, and Erik the Red. Album-wise, breakthrough record Behind The Music was nominated
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for a Grammy in 2001 and is a fantastic run through classic psychrock. This Aprils Throw It To The Universe continues on the same defiant and joyously rocking path, sounding like prime-period Oasis spaced-out by some 13th Floor Elevators zen. Yonge-Dundas Square / Saturday, June 16

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read toronto Sun

MAC DeMARCO
Montreal-based Mac DeMarco it seems - has the magic touch. His previous group Makeout Videotape - which played an epoch-defining 3am set at the Garrison last NXNE - had built up a solid reputation as fantastically sloppy live and sloppily fantastic on record before breaking up late last year. His new project, which was quickly signed to NYCs tastemaking Captured Tracks label, is the real dangerously good deal. You could say theres a unique beauty in the fauxrock star posing or the quasiironic lyrics - cf. Babys Wearing Blue Jeans, One More Tear To Cry, and Rock and Roll Night Club - but really its all just about his incredible songs. Caught up somewhere between Girls 60s influenced cry-for-helpnxne 2012 | 39

Loves last titan

indie, Ariel Pinks weirdostoner-pop and the street level, glammed-up singersongwriter tradition of Jonathan Richman and David Bowie, DeMarcos tracks are svelte and sexy rock n roll tinged with weight-of-theWestern-world-on-his-shoulders melancholy. The Drake / Wednesday, June 13 The Garrison / Thursday, June 14 Silver Dollar / Saturday, June 16

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YAMANTAKA//SONIC TITAN

This Pitchfork approved Asian-Canadian duo fuse Western and Eastern sounds into a yin yang of hauntingly sweet pop melodies and doom metal atmospherics. YAMANTAKA//SONIC TITAN dub themselves Nohwave, in reference to the oft-atonal post-punk fissure no-wave and Noh, the classical form of Japanese musical drama. Their theatrical, psychedelic live shows feature a backing cast of costume designers, artists and lighting techs alongside drummer Alaska B and singer Ruby Kato Attwood and explain much of their appeal. Add to this an outstanding eponymous debut album and a worldly concoction of influences and theyre pretty much everything progressive, idiosyncratic, playful - you could ever really want from an experimental act in 2012.

Q&A

What can fans expect from your live show? And how important are the contributions of any additional members who may join you to your vision of the band?

(Ruby Kato Attwood) An unassuming concert-goer could possibly, inadvertently become a part of the performance spectacle. The specialized skills of each member are integral to the operation of the multidisciplinary projects our collective undertakes. the prevalent cultural symbols in our work are are representation of members from different backgrounds. With an unlimited budget, what would your performances look like? Our goal is to create an octopus like structure, with each tentacle taking care of separate projects simultaneously. If we were to have lots of money, we would create a line of cultural fusion food products, stuffed toys and action figures out of reclaimed and environmentally friendly materials, large visual and multimedia installations, maximalist films, and minimalist clothing. We would take our experimental theater troupe on the road, and found the laboratory for all of our processes. The Garrison / Friday, June 15
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PORCELAIN RAFT
join us in regina

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BREAKOUT WEST 2012 SEPTEMBER 27th - 30th

Festival Conference Western Canadian Music Awards

The dream-pop genre is in an productive, if overcrowded, place. Though M83s Hurry Up, Were Dreaming and Beach Houses Teen Dream remain the genres recent high-water marks, there are plenty of acts e.g. Memoryhouse, Still Corners, Asobi Seksu - quietly and uniquely combining influences like Cocteau Twins, Sigur Rs, and William Basinski to produce fine work of their own. One of these acts is Porcelain Raft, the solo work of Mauro Remiddi. Ageing well at 37 - leading Pitchfork to call him an indie George Clooney - Remiddi is an Italian who has an impressive musical CV. Over the last quarter century, he has performed gypsy Klezmer music with the Berlin Youth Circus; written film scores (including one for the 1997 Italian short La Matta dei Fiori); reinterpreted traditional music in North Korea; and played piano for an Off Broadway tap dance show. Now settled in New York, he has begun

to draw on this diverse experience with his melancholic Porcelain Raft project. Its the sound of a lonely soul waking bleary-eyed from a deep sleep, smoothing the gap between the unconscious and reality with blushes of reverb, a wispy, androgynous voice and sweeping arrangements. Given his worldly roamings to date its likely Remiddi will turn his attention to other projects with time, so you should catch these fleeting moments with him while you can. Appreciate him for what he is now: a dreamer with his head in the clouds, flying too close to the sun. The Drake / Wednesday, June 13

for more info visit us at

WWW.BREAKOUTWEST.CA

Comedy showcase

For the third year, NXNE is proud to present a comedy showcase as part of the festival programming. Run in conjunction with Comedy Records, well have a full programme of stand-up and sketch acts. Bring a towel for Friday and Saturday nights - both will also feature special 2am strip and filthy comedy sets which could get messy. No cover with NXNE music wristband. Acts include The Booms high-energy sketch troupe; underground funnyman Garrett Jamieson and his dark, obscurist skits; acclaimed conversational comedian Mark Debonis; the sardonic Tim Nasiopoulos; the booming baritone of K Trevor Wilson; Monty Scotts intellectual, surrealist wit; laugh-a-minuter Keith Pedro; YouTube stars Rick and Chucks faux-rap; the pant-wettingly funny Desiree Lavoy; and dry Comedy Records owner Barry Taylor. Comedy Records present Comedy showcase at Creatures Creating / Wednesday, June 13 Sunday, June 17
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Desiree Lavoy

Garrett Jamieson

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Agit-hoppers have the X factor

DeATH GRIPS
Controversial by design, Death Grips are a hardcore hip-hop group from Sacramento, California, more than likely to push your primordial flight-or-fight buttons. They play a sprawling, super-aggressive style of experimental hardcore with a dark streak, making Odd Futures bizarrorap look like a sycophantic teenage joke. Even more bizarrely this spring they signed to Epic Records leading major label and contracted home to the annual winners of The X Factor. MC Ride - the de facto leader of the trio, which also includes drummer Zach Hill of math duo Hella - is key to the groups vision. Rapping out his megalomanic inner monologue with the commanding and cynical cadence of RZA, he brings out the brutal energy of the groups sparse, 808led beats and bass drones in every raw note. The overall effect is an paranoid combination of lo-tech industrial, gothic ghettotech and a Bomb Squadstyle wall of sound. Their astonishing yet alienating second record Exmilitary, a concept album about a renxne 2012 | 44 nxne 2012 | 45

turning veteran struggling with PTS, received huge critical acclaim when dropped last April. Its hard to pick out especially disturbing moments from what is a relentlessly bleak experience, though Beware sets the tone with a haunting Charles Manson quote and, during the heady rush of standout track Guillotine, Ride tells the listener to tie the chord kick the chair and youre dead. Epic debut The Money Store dropped this April to identical acclaim. Almost as if to add to the maniacal quality of their records, Death Grips clearly do have a sense of humour. Exmilitary was hosted for free download on their website alongside an iTunes link sneering if thats your thing; track Spread Eagle Cross The Block cheekily samples both Link Wray and the Beastie Boys; and elsewhere Pet Shop Boys West End Girls gets an OTT rework. Like the albums, this paradox is jarring, but as shock therapies go Death Grips are pretty life-affirming. Wrongbar / Saturday, June 16 Creatures Comfort

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* GUI

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World & Jazz Networking Trade Fair Showcase Festival Conference Networking Film Market Awards virtualWOMEX Thessaloniki, Greece 1721 October 2012 www.womex.com

UnKnOWn MORTAL ORCHeSTRA From the bedroom to the grave

Against the everything-in-the-red style of the current lo-fi trend, Ruban Nielsons unknown Mortal Orchestra home recording project favours a AM airwavefriendly sound more comparable to outliers like Ariel Pink or Atlas Sound than crunchy Garagebanders Wavves. His is a mellower, setting-sun pop sound, deep in references to 60s psychedelia. Nielson was formerly a guitarist in New Zealands experimental noise rockers the Mint Chicks, who were known primarily for onstage chainsaw wielding, destroying PAs and lighting rigs, and once hospitalizing their fans when part of a old venue collapsed when the band was playing too loud. He moved to Portland, Oregon and began the uMO project with producer/bassist Jake Portrait and drummer Julien Ehrlichin in 2009. Despite Nielsons initial ambivalence about live gigs, interviews or photos, the online press were quick to pick up on some early Bandcamp demos - including album standout Ffunny Ffriends - and the following year uMO were signed alongside Yuck, Crocodiles and Smith Westerns as part of cult label Fat Possums DIY rock renaissance. The acclaimed eponymous debut album is richly unpredictable and rewarding, equally influenced by Captain Beefheart and the Beatles. It was recorded at Nielsons home studio and laced with falsetto howls buried in a warm analogue production. The band was soon touring globally to support the album. And on their tour bus - you hope - was an a musicians bedroom is for recording bumper sticker. The Horseshoe / Thursday, June 14

IN

congratulates YOU and the NXNE for celebrating emerging artists and major-label headliners, music lmmakers, and digital interactive innovators, who are bridging the gap between technology and the arts!

www.londonmusicawards.com
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The

congratulates YOU and the NXNE for celebrating emerging artists and major-label headliners, for music lmmakers, and for digital interactive innovators bridging the gap between technology and the arts!

See every band for $50 Full details on page 4

THE DEATH SET

Electro-punks The Death Set burst out of Baltimore - via hometown Sydney and latterly Brooklyn - late last decade with all the self-proclaimed Ritalin and Sunny Dinduced energy of Licensed To Ill period Beastie Boys and Minor Threats boom-bap thrash power. Their debut album Worldwide aptly gave founders Johnny Siera and Beau Velasco the excuse to take their party across the continents. Although the record received mixed reviews, they picked up a pretty infamous reputation as a exhilarating and raw live band along the way. Last years Michel Poiccard had a fuller, bassier sound but wasnt a huge departure from their blitzkrieg-pop roots - as the tracklisting suggests (17 in 35 minutes compared to their debuts 18 in 25). One big change, though, was the shift from a brash, hedonistic viewpoint to deeply personal subject matter. Much of the album is a love letter to Velasco, who was tragically found dead in his studio in 2009 after a

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stayin alive

period battling drug addiction. Strangely for the group, even the trashy Death-Set-by-numbers tracks like Its Another Day seem to exude as much existential ennui as more clearly sentimental cuts I Miss You Beau Velasco and album closer Is It The End Again? Its pretty apt that the records partystarting opening cry of I wanna take this tape and blow up ya fuckin stereo! is a posthumous sample of an old Velasco recording. With the Death Set still going loud, fast and chaotic as ever without him, you feel that the band continuing this direction is the best way possible to pay tribute. Wrongbar / Friday, June 15 Bovine Sex Club / Saturday, June 16

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EXIT MuSIC

This New York City duo married couple Aleksa Palladino and Devon Church make an abstract, transatlantic cross between post-rock and trip-hop which recalls Radioheads Kid A, Sigur Ros and Godspeed You Black Emperor! They explore themes of loss, both personal and universal, the destruction of nature and the destruction of our own nature over rhythmic electronics and arrive at an engrossing and operatic sound which avoids the normal pitfalls ie. being boring - associated with the genre. This summers debut album Passage is intriguing and gothtinged, sounding like its been torn from a page of an occult thriller. Wrongbar / Thursday, June 14

TRE MISSION
Sales . Rentals . Repairs . Lessons . Trades In-Store Financing . Print Music . Clinics Now with 56 locations nationally, including 925 Bloor Street West, Toronto, 416.588.7886

As a grime* MC with an East London accent, Toronto born and bred Missions a bit of an anomaly in his own continent. Despite this geographical disadvantage his super-tight and playful flow has already hooked him up with uK scene don Wiley, which is seemingly a rite of passage for any serious urban act looking to make it that side of the planet. With a big 2012 planned it really doesnt take too much imagination to see him following Dizzee Rascal - the scenes only real crossover star - and climbing the pop charts both sides of the pond.

* A uniquely British sub-genre of urban music which distils choppy hip-hop and garage rhythms down to an aggressive, ultra-minimal and bass heavy core, FYI.

Yonge-Dundas Square / Sunday, June 17

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ANDRE WILLIAMS & THE SADIES

Sometimes listening to todays radio R&B - its pretty easy to forget that original rhythm and blues was a pretty out-there movement. And in the first wave of that movement, Detroits Andre Williams was as swaggering, dirty and genuine as it got. He cut his first records in the 50s; worked at Motown, Chess, Fortune; produced Ike Turner, Parliament, Edwin Starr, Stevie Wonder; and - since recovering from a few decades of poverty, alcohol and drug dependency - stepped up to garage rock, recording with the Dirtbombs, Jon Spencer and Jack White. Andres now in his seventies, and his drawlnxne 2012 | 52 nxne 2012 | 53

ing vocal style is as lived-in as ever. Though hits like 1957s Jail Baitor anything from 1998s Silky (reasonably called the sleaziest album ever) might not stand up to much of a contemporary moral critique, the swampy tracks are musically as strong as ever. Among his many collaborators are Torontos much-loved The Sadies. Theyre still pretty weird and hard-living - like crawling into a dark hollow in Appalachia and waiting for the LSD to take effect, apparently - but work from a set of more straightforward country-tinged, blues-y influences. Enough so, in fact, to hook CBC and more mainstream fanbases without compromising their retro roots. Performing together on 1999s Red Dirt and this years Night And Day, they deliver a raw, gritty slice of raunchy-rock steeped in musical history and fronted by a true original. The Horseshoe / Friday, June 15

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METZ
Q&A
GET YOUR BAND IN FRONT OF OVER 3000 INDUSTRY INSIDERS AND 600 MEDIA REPS FROM CANADA AND ALL OVER THE WORLD. PLUS CONNECT WITH INTERNATIONAL TALENT BUYERS, MUSIC PUBLISHERS & SUPERVISORS, BOOKING AGENTS, PROMOTERS AND A&R REPS.

..on finally making first base

As their name suggests, Torontos own Metz are short, sharp and to the point. They play minimal post-hardcore with more than enough of a grasp of melody and dynamics to appeal to the more casual listener. Having been on the live circuit since relocating from Ottawa in 2009, their chaotic performances have quickly gained repute as some of the citys best. And, if a fraction of their on-stage energy translates to their forthcoming debut, a crossover to the precariously fey mainstream indie world - la toast-of-the-town homeboys Fucked up wouldnt be out of their reach. Confrontational without being contrived and contorted without being convoluted, the hyped trio are working rapidly outward from a pretty rare niche and are one buzz band certain to induce violent shaking.

Why no debut album yet? Alex Edkins: Its been a work in progress. We didnt want to rush things and regret it later. We took our time and made the record we wanted to make. We are really excited about how it turned out and are currently firming up a release date. Given the wait, surely you owe us a description? Who did you work with? We were very fortunate to work with a bunch of amazing people on this record. After demoing the record with Leon Taheny (Dusted, Rituals, Bruce Penninsula) we spent a week in a barn with Graham Walsh (Holy Fuck) recording the bed tracks. We came back to Toronto and recorded vocals and overdubs with Alex Bonenfant (Crystal Castles) at Dreamhouse Studios. It was a real pleasure to collaborate with people whose work inspires us. Toronto is such a hotbed of talent and we tried to exploit that as much as possible. I would describe the finished product as the audio equivalent of the film Fitzcarraldo by Werner Herzog. Any other cross cultural masterpieces youd hazard a comparison to? None. We like to joke that making this record was like pushing a steamboat over a giant mountain. How is it being a band very much suited to performing live at a time when - perhaps - thats not as important to acts overall success as at any other point in the last 40 years? I think live performance is as important now as it ever was. If you cant play live, youre not gonna last. You might get some blog love for a minute, but thats not what were about. We take great pride in our reputation of being an exciting live band. That being said, we stand behind our recorded material 100%. Our previous demos were us experimenting and finding our footing - the LP is by far the best thing weve ever done. What does it feel like on stage as Metz amongst the mayhem? Its like getting knocked out for a minute and when you wake up your guitar is broken and youre covered in sweat. Wrongbar / Friday, June 15; The Phoenix / Saturday, June 17
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CANADIANMUSICFEST.COM

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OBERHOFER
Brad Oberhofer is all caught up in the rush of love.
The 21-year-old perma-effervescent and his spiky indie-rock band (named after him as per Bon Jovi) make spontaneous bursts of emotion in pop form - the aural equivalent of mainlining pure joy. Having moved to New York City from his parents basement in Tacoma, Washington, Oberhofer quickly formed a band to play his urgent Strokes-meetsSparklehorse tracks. The group subsequently signed to Glassnote Records and, ever since, Brad has been caught up in a press whirlwind. With his anthems arena-sized, his cheekbones high, and the overall sentiment universal, for each of his broken hearts he sings about hell more than likely be breaking a hundred thousand more. And like that first lost love, hes going to be very hard to forget. Lees Palace / Friday, June 15; Yonge-Dundas Square / Saturday, June 16

See every band for $50 Full details on page 4

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Its all smoke and mirrors with these lovers from Mont Carlo, Monaco, raised in a cave of gold. They surfaced early this year in an explosion of glitter from a three-day threesome, binge of wine, fish and recording and their quirky self-titled debut album was quick to garner them huge amounts of tastemaker coverage online. When we caught them live a few months back they were head to toe in body paint, hand-delivering hamburgers to the crowd and making a gargantuan, chopped and screwed synth-pop racket. Details are still suitably misty, so we got directly in touch with the acts April Aliermo and Daniel Lee to try and find out more.

PHeDR

Q&A
Why, how and when did Phdre form? A couple of years ago we climbed Mount Apo in the Southern Philippine provinceof Mindanao. We had many cuts and bruises from our journey. We met a female Baylan of the Manobo peoples. She was a healer. A priestess. She kissed our cheeks and ran her fingers through our hair. Our wounds went away. She dressed us in fancy linens and married us. Whos in the band? Satan, Zeus, and Aphrodite. Sometimes their lovers and minions. Why so much gold? Money can be burned. It can be replicated. Gold is ancient. Gold is here to stay. Whats with the hamburgers? Jughead wears a paper crown. Sneaky Dees / Friday, June 15

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of Montreal
...in Toronto
The psyche of Kevin Barnes, prolific principal songwriter of Georgias of Montreal, has always been pretty impenetrable. Behind the concept albums and stage-personas, hes existed as some kind of fictionalized, quasi-genius all caught up in uniting intense musical experimentation and his own lyrical flights of fancy around the basic tenets - catchy melodies, big choruses, Beach Boy arrangements - of traditional pop. Over the fifteen years of the project, Barnes has created a sprawling body of work. Early albums Cherry Peel and The Bedside Drama are day-glo indie-pop; middle period highpoint 2007s Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? mines themes of isolation, suicide and depression; and 2010s False Priest is a provocative R&B funk outr. Along the way, Barnes has always found ways to do the unexpected, whether performing live in the nude in Las Vegas, releasing an album 2008s Skeletal Lamping - in 10 different formats, or licensing music to TV ads so the group can act in them. True to form, this years Paralytic Stalks is a tantalizing, fragmented reflection of the endless esoteric possibilities of modern production. Its sonically much deeper than Barnes previous records; theres as much dissonance as there are hooks and the sound palate is so dense its on the verge of rupturing. Scratch below the surface, however, and - as for all of Montreals eleven records - youll be richly rewarded Yonge-Dundas Square / Saturday, June 16

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PuRITY waits RING True love

The futuristic pop project of partners Corin Roddick - producer, formerly of Gobble Gobble - and vocalist Megan James, Purity Ring have quickly became one of the hottest acts around. Despite releasing just two singles last year, theyve received a level of press coverage equalled only by the supernova building around fellow Canadian and 4AD signing Grimes. Unlike the forced acclaim heaped on some buzz bands, Purity Rings stellar reputation is based solely on thrillingly original music. The songs blend the immediacy of 90s club R&B beats with the lush, atmospheric intimacy of contemporary dream pop. James soprano voice is strikingly clear and sits above a gloriously smeary production reminiscent of Clams Casinos skewed, pitched-down hip hop and the icy synth arpeggios of the Knife. Their debut album is finally out this July. I guess, with just a handful of tracks enough to build up the hype to almost unbelievable levels, it paid Purity Ring to keep their tracks innocence.

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Q&A
Do you think theres anything in the Canadian psyche - being just north of the worlds biggest cultural exporter, for example - that incubates acts who take leftfield approaches? The Weeknd, Grimes, Crystal Castles, Fucked-Up, Holy Fuck etc.. (Megan James) I would say our attitude is not because were Canadian. I would say its the internet that incubates us. The border is being blogged away, theres a common misconception that were from New York or even the uK, but then nobody is surprised when we tell them were from Montreal. Not even when we tell the truth, that were actually from an oil town in the prairies of Alberta.. When it comes to making music were not concerned with what is relative to other countries or sounds, its a matter of what comes out of us at a given circumstance or emotion. I dont mean to get sentimental, but its music, its supposed to be appreciated because of the attitude and sentiment in it, not geographical origin or target market. That being said, Im pretty excited about the music industrys perspective on Canada right now, its definitely an area where our country is not lacking. How do you find the transition into playing live considering how much of your sound comes from this production aspect? Our live set-up is constructed to sound and feel as comfortable as we are when were recording. Its like were tricking ourselves (or just myself) into playing for people because for me it feels like nearly the same thing. For now well just stick to our cloth and lights. Like, welcome to our living room. Whats next for Purity Ring? An album and some photos.
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Wrongbar / Thursday, June 14

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Having come from a DIY background, Q&A how do you manage your expectations as one of the bigger indie bands around? (Oliver Ackermann) That is funny, I dont really think of us as one of the biggest indie bands around. At times I feel like throwing in the towel and not ever touring again because I feel like we are unappreciated. We get a lot of bad reviews and it really hurts personally. We spend so much time working on creating something really interesting and unique then people write it off. Do you ever feel youre compromising anything sonically by being so loud? We are so loud because we are not compromising what we want to do. The sounds that we make are made from the speakers being on the verge of destruction; the vibrations then play off of the guitars and this creates our sound. The guitars I use have very little sustain and that point between where they sustain and dont is where I play, and this is only achieved with an amplifier that is very loud. So do you feel people overlook some aspects of the band due to this reputation? I think being described as very loud definitely distracts from other aspects of the band but I dont care. If people are listening to music based on descriptions I think they probably arent listening to the music anyway. Exploding Head verged on being surprisingly melodic. Can we expect a similar direction from your new album? The new record has a lot of melody on it as well. I have always been in love with melody and old pop music so it really does come through in our songwriting. That being said, we really went back to the way we did the first record where we really didnt give a fuck. We spent a lot of time on putting ourselves in dangerous situations - playing with knives, lighting amps on fire while recording, etc. - to give this album a feeling of danger and excitement. Does the sound in your head when recording ever match what youre able to lay down? Or is it completely impressionistic? I realized at some point that it almost doesnt matter what techniques you use to record as long as the feeling is there. Ive heard plenty of good songs recorded by kids on their four tracks with RadioShack mics. Do you ever feel your music is stylistically nostalgic or referential? It must be referential because I am a person who likes things and my experiences must get retransmitted out through our music. We are creating music that we want to hear and we dont focus on what other people think or would want, and I think this makes the creation of our music pure. But dont get me wrong, there is nothing like fucked-up crazy rock and roll so that is what we are here to make.
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Drown in sound with NYCs loudest band

North Americas most recent attempt, after perhaps Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or The Strokes, to crack the great rock and roll band canon would be Brooklyns A Place To Bury Strangers. Like either band, theyre suckers for righteous, bold statements of both musical and quasi-philosophical rockand-roll-as-raison-dtre intent. However, they deal in very fuzzy, very loud shades of shoegazing grey, and are infinitely more nuanced and inward in their approach.

A PLACE TO BuRY STRANGERS

There is nothing like fucked-up crazy rock and roll so that is what we are here to make.

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sake of it, their sonic tendencies are instead a result of years of passionately and carefully cultivating their sound. Frontman Oliver Ackermann runs Death By Audio, a wildly unique guitar effects manufacturer. His clients vary from Kevin Shields to Trent Reznor and the Edge; and the pedals come with a will destroy your equipment if not used correctly warning, which is a pretty good indication of the bands sound itself. Combining this sonic invention with years of touring and small-scale DIY releases before they started receiving attention, its clear the group have a refreshing honesty and work ethic in place to back up their attempts at a genre-defining sound.
El Mocambo / Thursday, June 14

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Called New York Citys loudest band by The Village Voice, A Place To Bury Strangers are a dense and powerful update of The Jesus and Mary Chain or My Bloody Valentine for the 21st century. Far from being loud just for the

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Punks not dead, its just aged a bit. 80s and 90s West Coast legends congregate at YongeDundas Square on Thurs 14 June. Hallelujah!

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KeeP THe
Bad Religion arent your typical punk rockers. Their buzzsaw guitars are straight from the Germs or Black Flag textbook but their chorus harmonies are surprisingly evocative - pure Beatles or Everly Brothers. This contradiction has come to define the group as one of historys most successful and celebrated, but also as one permanently evolving. It also goes some way to explain why, of all the Southern Californian hardcore bands of their period, Bad Religion have lasted the longest. Since 1980 theyve maintained their underground credibility without resorting to churning out formulaic records or compromising their roots. Inflections of progressive rock, psychedelia and metal have crept into their core aggressive punk sound, but their boundless energy

faith
BAD RELIGION
Their third album is routinely referred to as one of the most influential punk rock albums of all time and equally as big a Even mainstream recognition, which came in the early 90s after milestone - their first both fully years of prominence on the US distributed and released by underground scene, failed to Epitaph. Despite suffering change them. Theyve continued numerous line up changes, challenging complacency both drug problems and a three musical and moral ever since, year hiatus, its a short, over the course of more than 5 mil- sharp and sonorous fireball of creativity. lions records sold.

GOOD RIDDANCE
Fast punk with catchy melodies about personal and political alienation, a handful of slower romantic songs and seven full-lengths on Fat Wreck Chords. On the face of it - and this isnt helped by their stereotypical Californian skater/surfer boy look - Santa Cruzs Good Riddance are as close to the pop-punk dictionary definition as possible. Scratch beneath the surface, however, and youll find that those on the circuit widely regard them as urgent, seminal melodic hardcore heroes.

NO uSE FOR A NAME

Ten albums of increasingly lighter and more melodic punk - and frontman Tony Slys recent duo of Stones-y acoustic rock - in and San Joses premier group show no sign of quitting. Since their 1995 crossover fourth album Leche Con Carne - theyve been one of skatepunks most dominant and omnipresent acts. Original power-punks the Descendents were their initial inspiration, but theyve since expanded their oeuvre to include infectious, mid-tempo rock and teary slowies.

and erudite, righteous lyrics have stayed constant throughout. If that wasnt enough for their credentials, guitarist Brett Gurewitz is founder of Epitaph Records and the iconic label has released the majority of the bands records since their 1983 debut album.

ESSENTIAl AlBUM
Suffer (1988)

ESSENTIAl AlBUM
A Comprehensive Guide To Moderne Rebellion (1996) Taking pot shots at the government, conformity, and the dark side of American dream with deadly accuracy, their second album is as catchy as it is serious. The highlight of their early hardcore sound and the periods thinking punks album, period.

ESSENTIAl AlBUM
The Daily Grind (1993) Their first for Fat Wreck Chords; twenty-two minutes of flawless punk with very little in the way of surprises. Tight and super fast, treading the finest of lines between self-parody and self-pity. All killer - as the saying goes - and no filler.

Monster Energy present Bad Religion with Good Riddance and No Use For A Name at Yonge-Dundas Square / Thursday, June 14
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FESTIVALS | CONFERENCE | ETEP | EBBA

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WWW.EUROSONIC-NOORDERSLAG.NL

THE EUROPEAN CE MUSIC CONFEREN AND SHOWCASE FESTIVAL

THE EUROPEA MUSIC CONFE N RENC AND SHOWCA E SE FESTIVAL

MATTHEW GOOD
IS A REAL ASSHOLE
PEAN THE EURO RENCE CONFE MUSIC WCASE AND SHO L The one-time frontman FESTIVA

Eurosonic Noorderslag is the key exchange and networking platform for European music, European artists, international music industry professionals and organizations.

EUROSONIC NOORDERSLAG 2012 IN NUMBERS:

Total visitors Eurosonic Noorderslag (sold out) 33,000

THE EUROPEAN Visitors Conference (soldTHE EU3,150AN out) ROPE Nationalities 41 MUSIC CONFERENCE MUSIC CONFERENCE AND SHOWCASE Acts 293 AND SHOWCASEMedia and journalists 404FESTIVAL FESTIVAL EBU radio stations 28
ETEP festivals 70 International festivals 413 Number of stages Eurosonic 34 Number of stages Noorderslag 11

CONFERENCE REGISTRATIONS AND ARTIST SUBMISSIONS OPEN MAY 1ST 2012

of The Matthew Good Band, one of Canadas most successful alt-rock groups, Good is the guy behind some of the most commercially successful music in Canada over the last 15 years. His big hits - Hello Time Bomb, Weapon, Apparitions - are universally recognizable to a generation, yet he has often been critical of the music biz itself (e.g., refusing to accept any of his three Juno Awards) and just as often, has seemed eager to re-invent himself and his own music. Formed in the mid-90s, The Matthew Good Band came out of British Columbia with a radio-friendly modern rock sound that took over the airwaves across Canada and charted on Billboard in the united States. An early album The Last of the Ghetto Astronauts became Canadas highest-selling indie release ever, and by the end of the decade, THE EUROPE MUSIC was AN the group CONFEREN staple on the Canadian alt-rock radio and a CE concertAND SHOWCAwinning Junos for Best Rock Album and Best scene, SE FESTIVAL Group. Good broke up the band in 2002, and has since released a string of solo records allowing him to explore his interest in politics (hes also a published author and blogger who comments regularly on human rights and uS foreign and covert policy) and exorcise some personal demons (2007s Hospital Music touches on Goods divorce, battles with bipolar disorder, and addiction to prescription pills). Lights of Endangered Species, his 2011 release, is stark and stripped-down stylistically much different from his previous bands catalogue. Meanwhile, its hard to dislike the subversive image Good has developed since his project split. He has self-deprecatingly sold MATTHEW GOOD IS A REAL ASSHOLE shirts at his shows, refused to appear in some publicity photos without a gorilla mask, and according to his web site lives with numerous goats, pigs, rabbits, ducks, chickens, dogs, his family, and a stable of notoriously sly horses.

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Sirius XM present Matthew Good with Plants And Animals and Eight And A Half at Yonge-Dundas Square / Friday, June 15
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thE fLaMiNG

LiPS

Oklahoma psychedelic alt-rock band The Flaming Lips have come from humble indie beginnings to achieve commercial success and recognition as one of pops most unique groups. Over the course of nearly thirty bizarre, surreal and ever-evolving years, theyve surfed the change from the traditional music industry structure to the accelerated, endless possibilities of the digital world, continually and carefully honing their weird, sprawling impulses into a truly original body of work.

ESSENTIAl AlBUMS
Transmissions From The Satellite Heart (1993) Their second album for Warner Brothers after four on Californian indie label Restless. Features the bands first and highest charting single, She Dont use Jelly, and primed the band for future success. The Soft Bulletin (1999) Hugely acclaimed departure from the Lips previous psychedelic alt-rock sound to their more accessible, delicate and intricately arranged latter-day identity. Routinely named amongst the decades best.
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Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (2002) Built on The Soft Bulletins meticulously produced sound with further electronic and symphonic influences; the sound of Coynes melancholic introspections on an unfathomable modern world. Routinely named amongst the decades best. Embryonic (2009) Fearless, experimental double album and the groups third masterpiece. Concurrently fantastically weird and an epic, euphoric consummation of the groups quarter-century development.

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music
The Flaming Lips formed in 1983 when enigmatic frontman Wayne Coyne supposedly stole a collection of instruments from a church and enlisted his brother and friend to form a band. They released a series of albums and EPs before eventually signing to Warner Brothers and scoring a huge hit with 1993s She Dont use Jelly slacker anthem. The tracks absent, ironic tone and the bands dyed hair and stoned expressions sat perfectly with a disaffected post-grunge MTV generation, and with it the band were set The up for future success. Except - at first - success didnt come to them. They appeared lip-syncing on Beverly Hills 90210, had a track - Bad Days - on the Batman Forever soundtrack, toured arenas with grunge-lite flavour-of-the-monthers Candlebox and received acclaim for their two subsequent albums, yet remained nothing more than cult favourites. erations most inventive and conceptually flawless. Centred around lush, manipulated beats, perfect orchestration and expansive production, the two albums are matched by only the Beach Boys Pet Sounds in imagination and execution.

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Did You Realize..? One bands idiosyncrasies

Dead and Now one of the most respected and reNeil Young vered groups around - and therefore uniquely allowed complete creative freedom (check of their generation: the sidebar for their weirder accomplishments) - the band its the last ic journey with thiscontinuesThe sprawling sonmonths Flaming Lips true touch- and Heady Fwends. Joining Coyne are collabJust as their career was stalling, their perstones of orators from across the musical gamut: Bon sonal lives turned upside down. Drummer Steven Drozds hand was almost amputated due the American Iver, Yoko Ono, Ke$ha, Nick Cave, Biz Markie, Chris Martin and Erykah Badu. to an abscess caused by heroin use; bassist counterMichael Ivins was involved in a freak traffic acBrain-frying as ever, still deliciously silly and culture accomplished beyond belief, the albums a tellcident when a wheel fell off another car and
crashed into his; and Ronald Jones, paranoid over Drozds drug use, left the band forever on a spiritual odyssey.

At the same time - as if by interstellar design The Flaming Lips multimedia live shows grew to legendary, festival favourites status. Elaborate and transcendental spectacles, Lips sets now include spaceships, costumed dancers, puppets, large amounts of lips confetti and Coynes signature man-sized, are The crowd-conquering Zorb bubble. The stars had aligned for the band, and they have been Grateful universally popular ever since.

After seven years on an independent label, they were signed by major Warner Brothers in 1990... after an A&R rep saw them nearly burn down a venue with their pyrotechnic show. A taste, perhaps, of the fireworks to come.

In 1996 Coyne developed The Parking Lot Experiment: over 1,000 people gathered in a parking lot in Oklahoma City Mall and the band conducted forty cars to playing pre-recorded tapes at the same time. Said an onlooker: One tape may be nothing more than a drum beat, another, a woman reaching orgasm.

1997s Zaireeka album was split over 4 CDs intended for simultaneous listening. Says Coyne: Its a kind of anarchy in art. It was like an art happening you have to bring four sound systems together. Sometimes you get great synchronicity; other times, it sounds haphazard. You get to hear music in a whole new way.

They finished this chapter of their career disaffected with standard rock music, stripped down to a three piece, meddling with sonic experiments. It wasnt until their turn-of-the-millennium albums 1999s The Soft Bulletin and 2002s Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots - that they actually capitalized on their obvious potential. These releases received almost uniform acclaim and positioned the group as one of their gen-

ing reminder of their relevance. Who else in modern rock could command such a list of contributors? Furthermore, who could persuade them to provide their own blood to press into some runs of the vinyl? With their equally mood-affecting (cf. the impossibly poignant Do You Realize?) and mind-altering (cf. much else) sentiment, the Lips are cemented as The Grateful Dead and Neil Young of their generation: the last true touchstones of the American counter-culture.
They also developed The Headphone Concert in 1999. Audience members were given receivers and headphones and the bands front of house mix was then transmitted on low-power FM radio, giving greater clarity to the bands sound while retaining the power of a live PA. True to their by-now-zany reputation, the band recorded a SpongeBob and Patrick Confront the Psychic Wall of Energy track for The SpongeBob SquarePants movie. The ensuing video featured the band on set with the porous, yellow, pineapple dweller. In 2010 they released The Flaming Lips and Stardeath and White Dwarfs with Henry Rollins and Peaches Doing The Dark Side of the Moon a track-fortrack remake of Pink Floyds Dark Side Of The Moon.

Spinner.ca presents The Flaming Lips with The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, of Montreal Oberhofer and Ceremony at Yonge-Dundas Square / Saturday, June 16

See every band for $50 Full details on page 4

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In the calendar year of 2011, they announced a release per month, including the Gummy Song EP (a seven pound skull made of gummy bear material, containing a uSB flashdrive loaded with 4 songs). The self-explanatory Gummy Song Fetus EP also followed.

That same year, a 24-hour song, 7 Skies H3, was released. It was pressed on 13 real human skull uSB drives and made available on an never ending online stream. This was preceded by the shorter, but still 6-hour, Found a Star On The Ground. nxne 2012 | 73

Wayne Coyne has spent the last decade traversing members of the audience on his Zorb bubble: I dont give a shit that its raining, and I dont give a shit that I just ran into some bitchy woman backstage Im here for you. And if you guys wanna rock, were gonna rock.

RAEKWON & GHOSTFACE KILLAH

Wu-Tang Killa Bees bring tha ruckus to NXNE inna Shaolin style
Its been nearly twenty years since the Wu-Tang Clan revolutionized hip hop with their Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) debut. So iconic are the groups core members that you could play a Beatles-style whos youre favourite Clan member? game. And Ghostface Killah and Raekwon - two of the best MCs in the business - would prove pretty popular choices. Formed in the Staten Island - since renamed Shaolin Island by fans - borough of New York City, the group was lean and menacing at a time when the scene was either pioneering but sonically overblown (Public Enemy) or just plain block-party rockin (95% of the rest) Wu-Tang focused on gritty, streetwise beats and rhymes as violent as the esoteric kung-fu movies that chief producer and de facto group leader RZA sampled. Laced with references to chess, Eastern philosophies and explicit, intense and surreal free-associative lyrics, its clear with hindsight that the Wu-Tang were undoubtedly a bizarre collective to dominate a genre. It would be no exaggeration, though, to say they paved the way for the subsequent East Coast rap renaissance of Nas, the Notorious B.I.G and Jay-Z. Simply put, the Wu-Tang were the C.R.E.A.M of the crop. They also turned the standard concept of a musical group inside out. Critically and commercially wiping the floor with the competition, the group laid down a manifesto - documented in RZAs The Wu-Tang Manual that included a plan to splinter into solo or smaller projects post-debut to maximize the profit they could make from the industry. With such obvious stars-in-themaking as GZA and Ol Dirty Bastard in their ranks, this quickly proved incredibly successful; and it didnt take Ghostface or Raekwon long to roll out their own material. Ghostface, perhaps only second to Method Man, was the one Clan member with the most individual star quality: he was photogenic, had the most commanding flow and was a formidable producer in his own right. Raekwon, also, was plain domineering and a power on the mic, basically writing the gangster blueprint for rap don Rick Ross to follow while mostly continuing to use RZAs nuanced, razor-sharp backing. Solo albums FishScale and Only Built For Cuban Linx are rivalled only by GZAs classic Liquid Swords as the best from the Killa Bees (the collective name for Clan members and affiliates). Raekwon and Ghostface projects since have been sporadic but they show the flashes of genius justifying their standing in the hip hop community. Raekwons Ice H20 label, which has a Toronto base, has seen him enter the business side of the industry, while Ghostface has tried acting for film. Their only albums of this decade - Raekwons Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang and Ghostfaces Apollo Kids - were both timely, expert reminders of their irrepressible talents while trading on the identity of their earlier work. To paraphrase a track from the Wus debut, they definitely still aint nuthing ta fuck wit. Intel presents Raekwon & Ghostface Killah with Kller Mike, Action Bronson and Tre Mission

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ESSENTIAl AlBUMS
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the WuTang (36 Chambers) (1993) The Wus classic debut starts as it means to go on, with Ghostface and Raekwon handling the first two verses on opener Bring Da Ruckus. The G-funk of third single Can It All Be So Simple is exclusively shared between them, and they seem to pop up every other bar throughout hip hops high-water mark. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban linx... (1995) Raekwons solo debut is the keynote delivery on money, crime and violence, and is mafioso raps bible. Measured perfectly to RZAs slower, polished beats, its so lauded that 2009s equally acclaimed sequel Only Built For Cuban Linx... Pt. II was described as the hip hop equivalent to The Godfather 2. Wu-Tang Clan - The W (2000) Building on the same successes as their debut, the Clans muscular third album is full of lyrical jabberwocky and heavy with production sensei RZAs nightmarish, ambient fingerprints. Jazzy single Gravel Pit was a near-crossover hit and the record re-established them as genre giants. Ghostface Killah - FishScale (2006) His fifth album - named after slang for uncut cocaine - finds Ghostface both at the peak of street-storyteller powers and coming across as one of raps supreme elder statesmen. Shying from RZA for the first time, the dreamteam production of MF Doom, J Dilla and Pete Rock sits perfectly with Killahs oft-bizarre, super-smooth mediations on dope-peddling, pimping, and straight-up braggadocio. One incredibly addictive dosage.

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submit a song for a chance to win nxne wristbands!

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interactive
How will the future of media be defined? Ask NXNEi.
By Meghan Warby, NXNEi Lead Curator
After almost 20 years of presenting the worlds best live music, music-themed films, and music business experts, North by Northeast Music & Film has partnered with FITC, a leading producer of design and technology-focused conferences worldwide, to bring the freshest digital content to Toronto via NXNE Interactive (NXNEi). For musicians, filmmakers, marketers, public relations pros and community managers, NXNEi is a perfect mix of expert insights, useful case studies and straight-up inspiration. The unique four-day NXNEi experience includes over 80 presentations, full-day workshops, an immersive demo lounge and unreal parties. Music, film and interactive leaders connect with the hottest tools, coolest companies and smartest agencies, creating an exciting hub in Torontos bustling downtown. The NXNEi daytime conference corrals internationally-minded activists, artists, comics, communicators, creators, and entrepreneurs. Speakers come with their A-game to hold the attention of attendees focused on success and innovation. Dream of hearing from the key catalysts in companies like Hootsuite, Radian6, Universal Records, CBC and SonicBids? Wake up and register for a hotbed of professional development and collaboration. With bright minds from around the world, NXNEi keynotes never fail to deliver jaw-dropping takeaways. Always raucous, panel presentations give you a chance to fire off a burning question or watch sparks fly among competing authorities POVs. Glean tips from music, film and interactives biggest brains, such as Fucked Ups Damian Abraham, director of Ecstasy Rob Heydon, and Toronto Star columnist and professor Dr. Michael Geist. Top themes this year include everyones favourite buzzword - transmedia; the omnipresent mobile platform; financing for artists and startups; and digital culture. Panels explore everything from technologys impact on psychology to digitals increasingly important role in social change and politics. From Epic Meal Time to Picnicface to the Jon Stewart of Iran - Parazits Saman Arbabi - the full spectrum of content creators and distributors shares knowledge at NXNEi. Brace your system for four consecutive nights of old-school networking in the form of unscheduled face-to-face interactions (quaint!). Fully charge your digital devices to capture all the ingenious quotes, contacts and creations. Prepare to explore ideas so far off your radar that youre blipping in places youve never blipped before. So what are you waiting for?
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The NX Lounge
The Lounge is open to the public - which means you dont need a wristband or a pass to get in. Its located close to NXNE Registration and has something for everyone, not just NXNE artists and delegates. Well have a stage for live interviews with featured artists; directors and speakers from NXNE Music, Film and Interactive; exhibits from NXNE partners like PlayStation; drinks; and much more. June 13, 14, 15, 9:00am8:00pm.

the nX Lounge is at the heart of the hyatt Regency toronto - nXnes home base during the festival. the Lounge is the place to meet up, hang out, grab a drink and check out in-depth interviews and more.
deeper exploring cutting-edge thinking with the best minds in the business. Join Justin Kozuch, Research Lead at Pixel To Product and co-host of 49Pixels Live, on the NX Lounge stage for some informative interviews with some of our esteemed NXNE Interactive presenters. June 13, 14, 15, 5:00pm5:30pm on the Lounge stage.

Social Media or Narcissism? Which is the Root Cause?

Lucia Mancuso, president of brand awareness experts The Blog Studio and moderator for Psychology of Narcissism & How It Affects Brands on looking through the social media mirror.
Is social media responsible for widespread narcissism, or is widespread narcissism why social media has rapidly expanded and become so popular? This question pops up with increased frequency on the web, in mainstream media and in the social media world itself. The very nature of social media lends itself to people sharing information about themselves and growing larger-than-life personalities. A completely unscientific examination of social media accounts tells us that the most successful are based around strong personalities. For instance, Lady Gagas account has the most followers on Twitter and, although she does some promotion on that account, she mostly writes about her day-to-day life. The account is essentially about Lady Gaga and mirrors her personality through describing what shes doing. And it turns out millions of people are interested in hearing about the minutiae of Lady Gagas life. For contrast, take a look at any of the corporate Twitter accounts out there, those representing a business as a business. Their avatar is the corporate logo, they tweet exclusively about the business - and there isnt much personality. Despite the fact that these accounts usually have massive budgets and a team of marketing experts composing the Tweets and writing the strategy, they are marginally interesting at best. Its no surprise that they never achieve the success of a personality-driven account. People follow Lady Gaga - but not their bank, airline, or favourite fast-food joint. Its a forceful personality, with a dose of narcissism, that creates social media success. The way the social media universe actually works rewards those with narcissistic traits. The more you speak about yourself, the more photos, Tweets and thoughts you share, the bigger the audience youll attract. Conversely, a social media account lacking personality is pushed aside. Many social media networks consist solely of opportunities to share the users life: Facebook for the most part, and Foursquare for sure. Foursquare addresses the questions, Where are you? and What are you doing? - so to use the network you need to at least dip your toe into narcissistic waters. Over time, as other forms of social media become prevalent, distinctions between narcissism and social media success may emerge. Until then, well just have to accept that online interactions will revolve around the self-absorption of the personalities involved - and if thats rewarding narcissism, then so be it.

On the nX LOunge Stage

NXNE Film Interviews
Hear the stories behind some of the films playing at the festival. NXNE Film programmers give us a glimpse behind the screen as they interview standout 2012 directors and producers. June 13, 14, 15, 3:00pm3:30pm on the Lounge stage. This attendee favorite delivers 5-minute presentations by diverse speakers on rapid-fire topics, including the creative life and making things. More details at http://bikehugger.com/built June 11, 12, 13, 1:20pm to 2:00pm.
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NXNE Music Interviews

The social media universe actually rewards those with narcissistic traits

NXNEs slate of guest interviewers give voice to all the questions youd ask if you had a chance to sit down with some of the music festivals 2012 performers. June 13, 14, 15, 4:00pm4:30pm on the Lounge stage.

NXNE Interactive Interviews

Miss any of NXNEis groundbreaking panels or presentations? Daily Interactive interviews give you a second chance at new-media enlightenment as we go even

Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of chit chat, this unique event rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. Its a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace. Details at http://www.pecha-kucha.org/night/toronto/16 June 14, 6:00pm7:00pm

NXNE Record Show

Also at the Hyatt, the first annual NXNE Record Show a one-day, once-a-year chance to take in all the wonders of the vinyl medium. Presented and curated by historic Toronto mainstay Kops Records, the show features a huge range of retailers and labels - Arts & Crafts, Vinyl Alibi, Of A Kind, Alleycats Music & Arts and many more - all of whom will be lining up their merchandise for you to explore, examine, and experience. And buy, of course. Remember, you cant cuddle an mp3. There will be plenty alongside the vinyl stalls to pique your interest in the world of records. Youll find museum-piece artifacts from across the Kops archives, a kids station for youngsters to get their sticky fingers around some black wax, and first aid-style info on vinyl storage and maintenance. To soundtrack your crate-digging, therell also be a selection of DJs - including Brendan Canning (Broken Social Scene) spinning for your aural delectation. Get reacquainted with the black stuff at no cover with any NXNE wristband or pass, or $5 without. Therell always be more money, there wont always be more vinyl.
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record show
hyatt regency, 370 king w. toronTo

sat, june 16 10am-4pm

NXNE.com

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Dont Blame the Slacktivists

treat a generation as adults, not twit-bots
Ive always been skeptical of the idea of slacktivism that combination of apathy and arrogance that allegedly afflicts younger generations. Like its 90s precursor, donor fatigue, it has always struck me as lazy excuse for charities that readily explains away an inability to generate meaningful engagement with young people. Slacktivism reared its pampered head most recently in the aftermath of the video Kony 2012, made by the Californian advocacy group Invisible Children. By any marketing measure the campaign was a phenomenal success: over 100 million online views, over 3 million pledges of support and the title most viral video ever. But the video and Invisible Children also came in for some withering and justified - criticism by academics and development experts.

Monetize your platform to move forward

Theres Loose Change in a Mobile World

By JaMeS tOphaM, Director of Communications at independent humanitarian It was claimed that the video oversimplified a complex situation, that the film-makers charity Warchild and NXNEi Music & had manipulated the facts to fit their preferred narrative and that they were willfully Advocacy Online nave in suggesting that viewers could change the course of human history by tweeting a panelist. link to their celebrity of choice. This last point, it was claimed, was a prime example of
encouraging slacktivism. But is that correct? The fact that millions of people did tweet the link doesnt make them slacktivists; they were just doing what had been asked of them. This doesnt look to me like a generational problem, its simply basic psychology. There are many reasons people donate to charity but one of the strongest motivators is the feeling that you have made a difference. If a charity offers you an alternate and easier way of getting that feeling eg by retweeting Justin Bieber most people will take it. Charities arent encouraging slacktivism, they are the authors of it. Of course, if Invisible Childrens campaign was an aberration, never to be repeated, then none of this would matter too much. But only a few weeks after that video launched, my twitter feed started filling up with twibbons that icon of conspicuous compassion while a childrens organization that really should know better launched a campaign that actually asked people to donate a retweet. It seems that the lessons learned from Kony 2012 were not the ones you would have hoped that the public is quite capable of understanding complexity and that if theres a picture out there of you posing with a Kalashnikov, it will go viral but rather that vapid online noise is just as valid a campaign goal as real engagement. So next time you hear a charity fundraiser complaining about the problem with Millennials, ask them where they got their twibbon.

By Marlon Rodrigues, Director of Alliances at mobile platform developers Polar Mobile and presenter of the NXNEi Content Is King But Transactions Are Everything panel. 2012 is The Year Of Mobile, they proclaimed. Again. Every year for the past decade was supposed to be the break-out year for mobile devices. The soothsayers and market optimists cant be faulted for their declarations through the recession, mobile device sales and service contracts were among the few products that did not face a market slowdown. Mobile is clearly more than a casual social utility; its a primary way in which we expect to make contact with the world. People will pay for mobile and this gradual consumer shift from fixed to mobile ups the ante for mobile enablers of all stripes: the developers, designers, financiers and marketers. Mobile offers potent commercial potential: rich, flexible displays for merchandising, always-on connectivity and a payment infrastructure. Since processing transactions is no longer just the domain of electronic banking, and since operating close to a transaction generates the greatest value and since the technology already exists to participate what are we waiting for? The keys will lie in the user experience. Sure, concerns about bombarding the end user with offers will arise, as will the usual complaints that a mobile device is too small a window to meaningfully promote and merchandise a product. But theres nothing to be gained from not trying. Lets get on with it.

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COMMODITY
Control your data fingerprint and know your privacy rights
We make choices - thousands of them every day about how much and how often we interact. Everyone has a threshold for social contact, a balancing act that depends on our need for privacy. Information used to be collected on paper, the most sensitive stored in vaults. Now, the computer that houses our information is likely connected to thousands of others. The machine itself generates more information about us as we use it. This evolution represents a virtually unlimited opportunity to learn: social networks, buying patterns and surfing habits provide mass quantities of data about human behaviour to aggregate, correlate and analyze. It turns out we humans are a pretty predictable bunch. Earlier this year, Charles Duhigg wrote an indepth piece for the New York Times on Targets data mining practices. The highlight of the piece was an anecdote about an angry father whose

the Digital Backlash

How analog suddenly became cutting edge By Ryan Bigge

By tracy ann Kosa, privacy advocate and doctoral student in Computer Science at UOIT, and presentor Did It Get Better? A Discussion On Cyber Bullying and Online Privacy at NXNEi.
daughter had received targeted mailings for maternity clothing and nursery furniture. The local store manager apologized. Calling a few days later to follow up, the father shared that hed subsequently discovered that his daughter was indeed pregnant. Its unlikely that Target is the only company with statisticians. For such companies, privacy is about the legislation that applies when they manage customer data. Privacy guidelines can be tackled the same way as other regulatory requirements: finding a balance between 100% compliance (probably impossible) and ignoring them completely until theres a problem. The key legal control mechanism is consent. In Canada, PIPEDA (Personal Information and Electronic Documents Act) applies to companies like Target and Facebook, but not always in the way we might like. Take a look at some of the myths and realities of consent.

Ryan Bigge is host of NXNEi panel Lets Get Physidigital: How To Convert Online Memories Into Offline Artifacts and a Toronto based technology journalist and content strategist.

Despite being a dozen or so years younger than I am my 25-year-old friend Adam shares a surprising number of technological touchstones with me. Hes a part-time DJ who only plays vinyl 45s and owns (and actually uses) a typewriter. Adams predilection for analog media might sound anachronistic, or even sadly unhip, but instead his anti-digital tendencies now put him on the cutting edge of a contemporary subculture. Everyone is familiar with the snub that fans can give their favorite band when the music becomes too mainstream. In the same way, a small but growing number of artists and culture mavens have begun expressing their frustrations with the digitization of everything. The limitations of a world where art and culture are no longer anchored to a physical object (the term for music, books and photographs being converted into 0s and 1s is dematerialization) are clear. Spotify, for example, might be a tremendous service for music fans but likely unimpressive to someone with record shelves of cloud storage; and hard drives worth of photos or mp3s can easily be lost or wiped. To escape this binary trap, during my residency at the Canadian Film Centre Media Lab in December 2010 I began researching the emerging shift toward rematerialization. I discovered a company that prints posters of your Tumblr followers and another that can publish a book of your favorite Tweets . Even Lady Gaga, the high priestess of low culture, noted in a press release last year that her new Polaroid mobile printer would ensure that precious images will no longer die a death on your cell phone or digital camera. Drawing inspiration from these and other examples, my team at the CFC decided to create a physical manifestation of a digital experience. What began as drinking straws in a cardboard box eventually turned into a prototype for txt2hold, a service that debuted in
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May 2011 at Maker Faire Toronto. Txt2hold takes any SMS forwarded to our system and, using a sentiment analyzer called Lymbix, returns you a net shape to print and build an origami pyramid thats colour coded according to the emotional content of the message. The idea proved so popular that for Nuit Blanche 2011 our team was asked to create a modified version of the system that converted Twitter @replies into paper birds. Since then Ive seen numerous rematerialization projects, including BERGs upcoming Little Printer and a hacked telegraph called Tworsekey that can send Tweets via Morse code. Even this piece in the print magazine youre currently holding, which promotes a festival with a strong digital component, provides further proof that paper can still do things that a streaming viral HTML5 jQuery pinterest-cushion cannot. This does not mean, however, that the 21st century will be predominantly Amish, even if a Portlandia sketch joked that the latest hipster crazes involves a return to the 1890s (Remember when kids grew up to be artisan bakers and everyone had homemade haircuts and guys shaved with straight razors?). Instead, the future will be neither purely digital nor analog, but a messy hybrid of the two. To acknowledge the awkwardness of this fusing of the past and the present Ive created a gloriously clunky neologism: physidigital. Novelist William Gibson famously observed that the future is already here - its just not evenly distributed. The past, meanwhile, remains everywhere, and we shouldnt be afraid to get physidigital by jamming an old cassette tape into a USB drive. Even Adam, alongside his typewriter, owns an Android phone that allows him to remotely download and launch a torrent file on his home computer. He might be technologically eccentric, but that doesnt mean hes crazy enough to abandon all modern conveniences.

Myth
A company cant use my data for marketing. A company can prevent me from buying their product if I dont supply my information. Companies can use standard consent forms and processes. A company owns my data once I give it to them. I can only withdraw my consent in writing. Consent only applies to some of my information. Companies cannot share my information with other organizations.

Reality

If a company tells me they will, and I dont specifically say no, they can. Unless its absolutely necessary to provide the product, no company can compel me to give my information. Consent (forms and processes) should vary depending on the situation and type of information. I always have the right to withdraw my consent and ask to have my data destroyed. Consent can be withdrawn at any time and in any format. Consent applies to all of my information; including that which a computer generated about me. My information can be shared to the extent that is reasonable and required; for example, with police if requested by warrant, or with a service provider to provide me with the product Im buying.

Its pretty clear from this list that a lot of these activities do not or perhaps can not happen in the design of a computer system. There are no privacy police though; enforcement happens when we complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (http://www.priv.gc.ca/index_e.cfm) Computing is about connectivity and trust. Next time you go online, use your phone or turn on the GPS in your car, ask yourself if you trust the company behind the product or service youre using. Do you know what information that company is collecting about you? Where it goes and who has access to it? If the answer is no, ask and complain. Its a public service.
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nXnei brings you the freshest in interactive social content. With over 80 presentations listed below, nXnei bridges the gap between creators of all kinds and interactivity. Join us for three days of tech and social media exploration to learn how to boost ingenuity while enhancing your marketing and business efforts.

June 1215

ing to make a buck. This talk will share how our product ended up in the Space Shuttle, Antarctica, pantries, and Grandmas looms Presenter DL Byron

you manage that much content and make it both accessible and engaging to the public? How do you tell that many stories? Presenter Mark Farmer

ter and worse - and social media has changed the rules of courtship. Panelists Stacie Ikka, Kimberly Moffitt, Sofi Papamarko Moderator Kim Hughes

BRIngIng DIgItaL StORIeS tO LIFe: tRanSMeDIa MeetS theatRe In ZeD.tO

LetS get phYSIDIgItaL: hOW tO COnVeRt OnLIne MeMORIeS IntO OFFLIne aRtIFaCtS

the COnVeRSatIOn: pIOneeRIng tRanSMeDIa MaRKetIng & auDIenCe BuILDIng

DeSIgnIng the neW nORMaL

The allure of transmedia is in the opportunity to tell extended, immersive stories; but how can all those media fragments be spun together in a way that sticks with participants? The Mission Business is currently addressing this question with ZED. TO, an 8-month story that plays out online, and in multiple performance events linked to arts festivals across Toronto. Presenter Davian Baxter, Chet Getram

Now that social media has become a black box recorder for countless emotionally significant moments, artists and brands are searching for ways to turn our digital milestones into physical keepsakes. What is driving this newfound interest in physicality? Is it a reaction against the ephemeral nature of digital communication or simply the result of the online world bleeding into the offline? Presenter Ryan Bigge

Designed to build a community and audience for Sarah Polleys film Take This Waltz, several months prior to its release, this user generated art gallery is an experimental marketing campaign, a transmedia project that spans several platforms including web, mobile and live events. Creative Director Anthea Foyer presents a case study. Presenters Anthea Foyer, Shelley Simmons

the eLeMentS OF eXpeRIenCe

Design has the power to contribute richly to creating a new and better world. We discuss the many transformations that will need to take place if design is to fulfil its potential as a problem-solving discipline; the move beyond the design of products to the development of systems, finding the necessary balance between strategy and craft, facilitating more meaningful trans-disciplinary conversations and more. Panelists John Furneaux, Helen Kerr, Dave Watson Moderator Lionel Gadoury

grants and loans. Join FACTOR and accomplished music industry guests for a discussion about what it takes to find funding at FACTOR and how the it can benefit you in more ways than just financial assistance. Panelists Stefan Babcock, David Cox, Natalia Yanchak Moderator Brent Bain

FutuRe OF the MuSIC VIDeO

CuLtuRe haCKIng YOuR BuSIneSS

CROWDFunDIng FueLS

Crowdfunding is a new social ritual that enables the public to directly support notable projects in the creative, scientific, and entrepreneurial space. Built on a foundation of social media, this innovative funding solution has rapidly become a game-changer in new media, science, and the arts, fuelling big change in the creative class. Presenter: Brian Meece

Whether youre a start-up and just on the cusp of hiring your first official employees, or an established small to medium business with a workforce of talented folks - defining a culture, hiring, interviewing, and maintaining that culture is no simple task. Get it right and youll have a stable of rock start team members and people knocking down your door for a job. Get it wrong and youll be in for a long hard slog. Presenter Andre Gaulin

LIVIng In the Map: aDVentuReS In MaKIng DetROIt a MORe uSeR-FRIenDLY CItY

Since 2009 Jerry Paffendorf and friends have worked on a variety of creative crowd-funding, crowd-sourcing, and interactive mapping projects in Detroit. It all started out with an experiment in micro real estate, and levelled up to new kinds of city-size maps and fundraising efforts that help people better understand and impact Detroit at the human scale. Presenter Jerry Paffendorf

Experience is a buzzword that many professionals and companies use. Often times, the term experience is used as a justification or basis in the design of a product or service at both a macro and micro level. But what is an experience? What constitutes a good one, and how do we measure it? What is the essence of an experience? And as designers, how do we design tangible experiences that resonate with somebodys life? Presenter Charles Law

DIgItaL VIXenS anD FeMaLe ZOMBIeS: FROM SCRIpt tO SCReen In gaMe WRItIng
Story development in gaming requires the collaboration of the creative director, lead designer and the game writer. We explore the role of the game writer, what it takes to become one, and discusses some of the issues faced by the female game writer in character development. Panelists Emily Clare Afan, Marissa Roberto, Kimberly Ann Sparks Moderator Renee Robinson

We all know video killed the radio star and it is said that the internet is killing the video star, but perhaps it is more a transformation than a death? The music industry is rapidly changing. MTV is no longer shows video clips, but reality shows 24/7, so musicians have to develop new strategies to maintain their fans attention. Through a panel discussion well explore various ways artists have embraced technology through music videos, apps and art installations. Panelists Matt Coombe, Ciel Hunter, Vincent Morisset Moderator Stacey Horricks

gaMe On! SOCIaL tV & auDIenCe engageMent

TV show fans want to connect with each other and interact in creative ways; whether watching a big drama, a reality show, or a live music event, Social TV can be the glue that keeps fans connected with each other and the story unfolding on the screen. This session will explore the innovative ways content is mashing with social media and gamification to create new ways to engage mass audiences in the battle for eyeballs and social buzz. Panelists J. Joly, Paul Mcgrath Moderator Tessa Sproule

#ChaRItYFaIL

DIgItaL StORYWORLDS: LIneaR StORIeS In a nOn-LIneaR WORLD

Stories have been spoken and written for generations, then we recorded them in audio and video and were happy with that for 100 years. Now we expect nonlinear object oriented worlds, data visualizations, augmented reality apps and geolocation to be part of the story. At least they do at the NFB Digital Studios. Presenters Loc Dao, Hugues Sweeney

neVeR aSK peRMISSIOn: 7 YeaRS OF pLaYIng In the StReet

StRategIeS FOR pItChIng neW CLIentS

Whether its a cold-call, networking, or word of mouth, the pitch is crucial in establishing your relationship with prospective clients. Attendees will learn how to use social media, branding, research, and charisma to land the kinds of clients theyve always wanted to. Presenter: Daniel Schutzsmith

DISaSteRS anD ReVOLutIOnS: SCeneS FROM the SOCIaL MeDIa tRenCheS

For 7 years, Newmindspace has partied, played and pillow fought in the streets of Toronto and New York, spawning a movement that has spread to cities around the world. Beyond the fun and games lies the groups most central problem: without permits, the thousand-person events are technically illegal. However, the duos simple message and social media savvy have allowed the Urban Playground Movement to spread across the globe to over 150 cities. Presenter Kevin Bracken, Lori Kufner

10 nonprofit social media case studies. 10 signs youre doing it wrong. Learn along with this charming panel as they tell you whats wrong, why its wrong and give you strategies for improving your social media performances. Panelists Laura Bradley, Emma Jenkin, Holly Knowlman

DIgItaL WORKFORCe: eMpLOYee engageMent anD CORpORate CuLtuRe

a hYBRID appROaCh tO FILM FInanCIng & DIStRIButIOn

2012: YeaR OF the peOpLe.

There was a recent study showing that people dont reTweet news organizations, they retweet the journalists within. People are at the very foundation of the formation of trust and brands are recognizing this. Its hard for brands to live in all the channels theyre expected to when they are inanimate objects, ideas But when they have personality, or a personality, the connections come quickly. When people become brands, how do brands react? Presenter: Rosie Siman

Social media tools and tactics are used for critical endeavours beyond business marketing and personal expression. However, theyre often brushed off as non-essential or entertaining playthings by media and society despite the proven ability to spread critical messages rapidly. Well discuss the democratization of communication and how civic/cultural changes are sparked and amplified despite attempts to thwart dissent. Presenter Dave Olson

nIChe BLOggIng: MOnetIZIng YOuR ReaDeRShIp

Seems every business has a blog these days but what about businesses where the blog came before the business concept? Many niche bloggers make a living with their blog being the main gateway to their customers. Join us for tips on monetizing your niche. Presenters Kirby Desmarais, Jennifer Hagler, Don Naylor

While the hottest trend in film finance for micro and low budget films is crowdfunding, grants and traditional investor financing still remain. A hybrid approach may now be the best financing plan. Join us in discussion on what your financing options are, how to get donors and investors interested in funding your work and determining what a good budget level is for realistic recoupment in todays crowded media market. Panelists Avi Federgreen, Byron Marin, David Miller, Moderator Jennifer Jonas

From a start-up to a traditional business; defining culture, hiring top talent and maintaining an engaged workforce is no simple feat. We discuss workplace culture, innovation in the workplace, fuelling collaborative teams and the realities of todays work environment. Panelists Mike Dover, Andre Gaulin, Jennifer Bouyoukos Moderator Bianca Freedman

gRaFFItI gOeS gLOBaL: StReet aRt CuLtuRe thRIVeS OnLIne

eaRnIng a LIVIng In the OnLIne MuSIC enVIROnMent

COMMunItY ManageRS: DeFenDIng YOuR BRanD anD CReatIng YOuR auDIenCe

ethnOgRaphIC anIMatIOn: 3D DeSIgn FOR MaRKetIng anD eDuCatIOn

anthROpOCene: the age OF huManS

Humans are now considered to be the greatest force impacting the geology of Earth. It is argued that we have had such a significant physical impact on Earth that our current era will be described as the age of humans. The question is if technological innovationwhich is what brought us herecan also make the future planet liveable, or is technology not enough? Presenter: Christie Nicholson

Animation has proven to be effective at appealing to diverse consumers because studies have shown that people have a heightened emotional response to animation. Learn how animation can be leveraged as a key strategy in communicating human-centered research to decision makers, venture capitalists and customers. Presenter Kate Ertmann

punK ROCK MaRKetIng: MaJORLaBeL DIgItaL In an OpenSOuRCe WORLD

InDepenDent ManuFaCtuRIng WIth SOCIaL MeDIa

Major labels have embraced an opensource world. Justin Erdman presents a handful of specific case studies on the process we use to come up with promos and tools, demystifying the major label digital black box and giving artists, managers and labels a snapshot of how to execute impressive projects on a limited budget and within limited time constraints. Presenter Justin Erdman

As the role of social media continues to expand and evolve in online campaigns, Community Managers have become incredibly valuable allies. This panel talks to experts in the field of community management and moderation services exploring the challenges involved in juggling their jobs as both professional Troll hunters and as purveyors of brand awareness. Panelists Claire Bradshaw, Dustin Plett, Alicia Cox Thomson Moderator Dana Herlihey

People have always shared music and always will. Rather than continuing to engage in increasingly futile efforts to stop people from using new technologies to share music, the Songwriters Association of Canada believe this massive use of creators work should be licensed just as live performances and broadcasting, also initially considered infringement, were ultimately licensed in the past. Panelists Greg Johnston, Greig Nori Moderator Shannon ONeil

Graffiti is an art form that faces public debate on its legitimacy and value in cities and communities alike. This one time underground movement, traded only amongst fellow writers via photo exchanges and homemade zines, finds a thriving new home on the world wide web some 40+ years on. Panelists Evond Blake, Lisa Martin and others Moderator Joseph Wilson

hOW tO StaRt a StaRt-up

FaCtOR aSSIStIng CanaDIan MuSICaL CaReeRS In MORe WaYS than One

In a time when news changes faster than the weather and friends come and go with the click of a button, it is more important than ever to stay up to date with resources that can help you further your career in music. FACTOR is one of those resources and can assist Canadian Artists with financial support though various

Toronto has become a lightning rod for new Internet startups. Everyday more and more web startups are getting founded by entrepreneurs tenured and new. However, most abandon basic business pillars when building a venture in the digital economy. Not every start-up requires the same advice, but there a similar threads that apply to almost every company attempting to build a new digital product. Panelists David Crow, Michael Litt, Dave Senior Moderator Brian Pullen

hOW tO WIn at YOutuBe

DatIng In a DIgItaL WORLD

Ten years ago, we had this idea to make a product thatd keep our coffee and chips fresher. Today people call that being a Maker; back then we were just try-

SIX MILLIOn StORIeS

The Royal Ontario Museum is Canadas largest museum. It has over six million objects in its collections, dozens of galleries, and hundreds of public programs. How do

Technology has progressed so quickly over the past few years that the thought of picking up a landline and asking someone out on a date seems positively quaint. Between texting, tweeting, meetup apps, Facebook and online dating sites, romance has gone digital - for bet-

inteRactive PaSS $349

nxne.com/tickets

(Students get in for $125) For those who dont want to miss a single NXNE Interactive presentation: 3 days, all day long.

Some of the best brands, agencies, and companies have tried their hand at YouTube with varying degrees of success. None have had much of any. The real triumphs have gone to new players in the digital broadcast game. This panel brings you face-to-face with these players, the most successful YouTube entrepreneurs and personalities in Canada. Learn from their victories, mistakes, insights and experiences as we discuss best practices for winning at YouTube. Panelists EpicMealTime, Alex Ikonnikov, Corey Vidal Moderator Guy Gal

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InFLuenCe? VS InFLuenCe!: What InFLuenCe ReaLLY MeanS anD hOW tO FInD It
According to Klout you should only talk to people with a higher Klout score than yourself if you want to increase your own score, but what does a high Klout score even mean? Anyone who really understands how Influence works knows that you cant put a number on overall influence. This panel will explain how to find the real influencers that you want to talk to as well as change your mind on what influence actually is. Panelists Christina Hug, Krista Neher Moderator Saul Colt

complete program

panel will debate the evidence, explore the challenges and discuss theories for how we can plan to deal with such a future. Panelists Alison Burnham, Jon Lax, Ken Seto Moderator Scott Suthren

you got was a little confusing? This panel of web design professionals will discuss The F word and how to deal with it. Panelists Jenn Lukas, Cassie McDaniel, Travis Schmeisser Moderator Brett Harned

COntent IS KIng, But tRanSaCtIOnS aRe eVeRYthIng...

pSYChOLOgY OF naRCISSISM & hOW It aFFeCtS BRanDS

Society spends increasingly more time online, watching and reading about strangers. Is peep culture creating more narcissists or simply helping us connect through the sharing of our intimacies? Do users share content that they are truly passionate about and believe in or do they simply share content that influences how others perceive them? Panelists Jason Howlett, Hal Niedzviecki, Cassie Stewart Moderator Lucia Mancuso

the LISteneR: pOWeR SWItCh - a CaSe StuDY

A transmedia narrative is a story that happens simultaneously on various platforms and the audience must engage with all of them to get the full story. This panel centres on the craft and challenges of spinning out a narrative that is multiplatform and multilayered for the digital sphere. Panelists Jarrett Sherman, Bobby Theodore, Karen Walton, Moderator Peter Mohan

Digital content publishers are facing the daunting proposition of earning money from their mobile apps, when many of them never made meaningful money when in their first foray into digital the desktop web. In these digital environments, brands are attempting to reclaim mindshare by investing in social, online and mobile destinations. You will leave this presentation convinced that only 2 things matter: content, and content that leads to transactions. Presenters Sabaa Quao, Marlon Rodrigues

their own life after reporting that the harassment they endured online is too much to bear. What can we do to keep teens safe online?! Presenter Tracy Ann Kosa, Moderator Anthony McLean, Kids Help Phone Counselor Maddie S

What MaKeS an IDea StICK?

SOCIaL MeDIa In the CLaSSROOM - teaChIng anD LeaRnIng WIth DIgItaL teChnOLOgIeS
Todays students are digital learners in a world of ever-available connectivity, yet schools have been slow to recognize the potential afforded by social media platforms. Are tweeting, texting and Facebook the new dog-eared cahier and time-honoured textbook? What are the challenges faced by educators keen to bring classroom learning into the 21st century? Panelists Danika Barker, Royan Lee, Lisa Neale Moderator Shannon Smith

StaRtup MaRKetIng: teChCRunCh IS nOt a MaRKetIng pLan

Do you ever wonder why certain campaigns take off and others die a slow death? There is a lot more behind the latest viral campaign then meets the eye. This presentation will take a look into the steps that are taken to, dare I say, guarantee success (at least in the clients eye) in a day and age where trying to get someones attention seems impossible. Presenter Mavis Huntley

leg DVD distribution, blogs and Facebook, all of which have driven the program further underground and contribute to its outlaw status and popularity. Saman will also unveil his latest project: Weapons of Mouse Destruction (WMD), the largest global art project against government Internet censorship that has ever been launched. Presenter Saman Arbabi

MaKIng the MOSt OF OuR MuSIC CItY: hOW tOROntO Can MOVe FROM gOOD tO gReat
Toronto is one of the most influential music cities in North America. Imagine what would happen if we actually had a plan. Beginning with the release of key recommendations from a study commissioned by Music Canada about how Toronto can learn from strategies employed in Austin, Texas, this panel will envision ways that Toronto could capitalize on its music assets to accelerate growth of the industry. Panelists from the commercial music community and City Hall will discuss the economic impact of music in Toronto, existing barriers to its growth, and ways in which they can be overcome through collaborative action. Speakers Nikki Rowling, Josh Colle, Jeff Cohen Moderator Graham Henderson

the RISe OF the aRtIStpReneuR & enteRtaInMent InDuStRY 2.0

MaKIng SOCIaL gIVeaWaYS WIn-WIn FOR BRanDS anD FanS

People love free stuff and brands love free advertising. With the right strategy and plan in place, online contests and giveaways can be a win-win for brands and online communities. Through real world examples, this panel will explore how community managers can leverage popular social networking platforms and partnerships with online influencers to get big results. Panelists Matt Juniper, Shannon Hunter, Cassie Stewart Moderator Lindsay Munro

The line between amateur and professional artists is blurring and entertainment industry stakeholders are losing control over whos art gains popularity. Unsustainable industry business models have given rise to a new one: the artistpreneur. Its anyone who sees their creative production from initial concept to a finished, market-ready product; the synthesis of art and business. Panelists D-Sisive, Matt Fullbrook, Jayson Gaignard Moderator Alex Metcalfe

A while back there was a viral video about two people talking over a water cooler and how his startup was going to get huge any day because it was going to appear on Mashable as well as Techcrunch and thats all you need to hit it big. This was funny because people thought it was true. In this talk by Saul Colt he will explain what actual goals and steps you need to be successful in the very different world of tech startups. Presenter Saul Colt

pROJeCt ButteRFLY: eSCapIng the net

SOCIaL MuSIC MaRKetIng: BanDS, BRanDS anD FanS

tO StReaM OR nOt tO StReaM, that IS the QueStIOn

uSIng Data tO LeVeRage VIDeO aS a MORe eFFeCtIVe MaRKetIng tOOL

MuSIC In tRanSMeDIa pROJeCtS

Exploring online, video games and multimedia projects from the music point of view Does music still drive campaigns the way it used to? Why are some brands are steering away from traditional 30 second TV ads and opting for online mood films instead? Why do brands choose the music they do? How do new technologies like apps and mobile devices fit into the music world? How is music being used to drive video games, pop-up concerts, interactive displays and the good ol fashioned TV ad? Panelists Dan Burt, Chris Galvin, Kate Urcioli Moderator Caitlin Veitch

Technology and social media have fundamentally changed the way music is promoted, discovered and funded and how advertising reaches an audience. Lines that were once distinct have become more and more blurred. This discussion will focus on new collaborations between bands, consumer brands and fans. Panelist Kerri Cockrill Moderator Panos Panay

With new streaming services popping up all over the world we are faced with some basic challenges. Should we give them our music? Is this the new panacea or just another tech thing trading in music? Panelists Darlene Gilliland, Ryan A.N. Guay, Ulrika Lindwall Moderator Jeff Rogers

Join Michael Litt, the Co-Founder/CEO of Vidyard as he takes you on a journey through the contextual aspects of online video. Discover how to; build a content delivery framework around analytics, leverage video to generate more leads and optimize click through and digestion with optimized video thumbnails. Presenter Michael Litt

What effect can learning about how sociable people interact in the real world have on the online space? We set out on a multi-city project, both online and in the real world, actively immersing ourselves in a variety of communities so that we could truly understand the elements that contribute to interaction and involvement. This immersive project seamlessly merged social psychology, digital anthropology with cutting edge ethnography and is a collaboration between Torontos The Palmerston Group and Seattles Cole + Weber United. Presenter Daniel Berkal

WORKSHOP: MaRKetIng FOR the ShY CReatIVe tYpe

thIS DuDe aBIDeS: a COnVeRSatIOn WIth ROB heYDOn On eCStaSY-InDuCIng InDepenDent FILMS

the aRt OF MOBILe phOtOgRaphY

unDeRCOVeR: hOW COVeRIng a hIt SOng anD uSIng YOutuBe Can heLp YOu FInD SuCCeSS!

When the InteRnet Met COpYRIght: the StORY OF the CanaDIan COpYFIght

neW Stage DeSIgn

If youre going to watch a DJ spin or your favourite electronic performer cut up tracks off a series of gizmos and gadgets, chances are there will be visuals to accompany the often one-man show. Stage design has risen above the homemade banners and simple light shows to events like Madonnas Superbowl show. These are the creative visual artists and technical minds behind the mind-melting visual shows for some of the top DJs, electronic performers and bands on stage today. Panelists Jimmy Lakatos Moderator Jeff Waye

Over the past few years a new genre of photography has exploded thanks to the availability of the high-quality built-in camera of the iPhone. Well ask the panelists to share their inspiration, tips, techniques as they discuss the stories behind some of their favorite photos. And in the process, get a clearer picture of the trends, business and future of this burgeoning art and technology. Panelists Dan Cristea, Peter Flaschner, Gobi Kim, Carlein Van Der Beek, Moderator Randy Matheson

In todays DIY music business, there have never been more promotional vehicles to find success. However, the competition for the attention of the music industry and your potential audience has never been more difficult. So how do you get the attention of potential fans and pull them in to hear what you have to offer? Moderator Rodney Murphy

WhatS YOuR eMpLOYeR BRanD? : hOW tO attRaCt anD RetaIn SOught-aFteR DIgItaL taLent

Canada has been embroiled in a decade-long debate over copyright reform. As the latest round of legislative reforms head toward a conclusion, this talk will review the evolution of the Canadian copyfight and the newfound voice of user concerns. It will also examine the implications of Bill C-11 as well as tackle the simmering disputes in education, creative industries, and international trade negotiations. Presenter Dr. Michael Geist

CReatIng MInD-BLOWIng uX

the F WORD: FeeDBaCK

pLannIng FOR a pOSt-WeB WORLD

Youve poured your heart and soul in to your work and proudly presented it to your team or your clients, and the response you got back was...not what you expected. Maybe you didnt miss the mark, but they did? Maybe the feedback

When Chris Anderson wrote in WIRED that the web is dead was he being prescient about a new world order or simply an alarmist? Is the changing digital landscape creating a world where the web was simply an evolutionary stage? If we are not already, how soon will we see a transition and what will it look like? This

inteRactive PaSS $349

nxne.com/tickets

(Students get in for $125) For those who dont want to miss a single NXNE Interactive presentation: 3 days, all day long.

As more companies turn to social media in the search for their next, great employees, job seekers are using Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to learn more about potential employers and their workplace cultures. The reasontop professionals often have multiple job offers to consider and likely base their final decision on whether a companys values and culture align with their own. A panel of leading digital recruiters and employers will discuss the importance of a good employer brand in both attracting and retaining top-performing interactive professionals, and how to create a great employer brandeven if you dont have one now. Panelists Sharon Alderson, Felix Wardene Moderator Chris Atchison

User experience has never been more important. Impressing a new user can be hard and you dont get many second chances. This talk cracks open the core UX philosophies and helps you master the usability, user interface and interaction hurdles, in your way, utilizing the latest front-end technologies. Presenter Darcy Clarke

Join us for frank film talk with one of Torontos most internationally-acclaimed filmmakers, Rob Heydon. A proud Torontonian, TIFF and Juno-award-winner and graduate of The Norman Jewison Canadian Film Centre, Heydon will impart lessons from directing and producing over 100 music videos and commercials. In a spirited discussion, youll get the story behind his recent adaptation of Irvine Welshs popular novel Ecstasy. Learn how he financed and produced a festival-favourite film without Telefilm or distributors assistance. Marvel at his juggling of four key roles: writer, producer, director and casting director. Pose questions about his extreme documentary shoots with professional snowboarders, or his work with Woody Harrelson on Go Further. Abide while he shares details of his upcoming feature doc about legendary Jeff The Dude Dowd, who inspired The Big Lebowski. Or just sit back and enjoy. Presenter Rob Heydon

You can make the worlds-best designs, but if no one sees them, you wont get the recognition. It is a fact that marketing is just as important to the success of a creative business as the work produced. Find out how some of the most well known interactive shops have gained their notoriety. Presenter Daniel Schutzsmith

WORKSHOP: ShOOteR CuLtuRe

Photography is everywhere. Were living a life of documentation and it has never been easier to capture a moment with our mobile devices and cameras for others to gawk at. This workshop focuses on the hustle and techniques to create amazing photographs from any given location and setting. Presenter Bram Timmer

WORKSHOP: SOCIaL MeDIa StRategY

WeapOnS OF MOuSe DeStRuCtIOn

DID It get BetteR? a DISCuSSIOn On CYBeR BuLLYIng anD OnLIne pRIVaCY.

Our lives are more connected now than ever but with the opportunity for connection comes the risk of harassment. This year in Ontario, we have seen a disturbing number of students who have taken

Saman Arbabi, co-host, co- creator and Executive Producer of Parazit (the Daily Show of Iran) will talk about evading censorship, challenging the oppressive Iranian regime and reaching the pulse of millions of young Iranians. Parazit, which is illegal in Iran, has quickly gained recognition- becoming an international phenomenon. Saman Arbabi uses his signature wit, street art style and anti-establishment attitude to reach his audience through Web steaming, boot-

The web appears to be one enormous, interconnected digital world. Upon closer inspection, its actually a world made of tens of thousands of distinct subcultures with their own languages, cultural norms, touchstones and unspoken rules of behaviour. How can we craft campaigns and messages that effectively convey our messages to the different corners of the web were trying to reach? Presenters Michael Dolan, Lucia Mancuso

WORKSHOP: WORDpReSS FOR the StaRVIng aRtISt

A full-day workshop designed to introduce non-techies (particularly artists and creative types) to the wonder of Wordpress as a simple and robust platform for creating captivating (and potentially profitable) portfolio websites. Presenter Steve Palmer

JUST BECAUSE IT WAS SHOT, DOESNT MAKE IT A FILM.

TIRED OF CAT VIDEOS? VISIT NFB.ca

film
Now in its 12th year, NXNE Film has grown from a cinematic sidebar attached to the music festival into a full-blown independent film fest in its own right. We take particular pride in having maintained the stellar programming, personal touch, and intimacy of our formative years while growing our film slate, audience base and brilliant roster of visiting directors, producers, and actors with each festival. Fans, filmmakers, musicians and industry executives now look to NXNE Film for the most expertly curated, wide-ranging, exciting musicthemed films of each year.

PARCE QUON A PARFOIS ENVIE DUN PEU PLUS DE CONTENU.

FATIGU DES VIDOS DE CHATS? VISITEZ ONF.ca

All screenings are free with any NXNE wristband or pass. Or if just films your thing, a Film Festival-only wristband is $25 single admissions are also available.
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rob Heydon finally drops Ecstasy

By tom King
Weve been waiting a long time for Ecstasy. Numerous funding issues, an original female leads cancer treatment and problems optioning the story from the books publisher all disrupted the projects progress. Finally, eleven years after author Irvine Welsh of Trainspotting fame - first met Toronto filmmaker Rob Heydon to discuss the adaptation, the film has arrived. The film follows the romance between Heather (Kristin Kreuk) and Lloyd (Adam Sinclair) as they try to Summer of Love halcyon days of early 90s club culture. Heydon depicts it as euphoric and liberating, uniting disparate groups and separate individuals like Heather and Lloyd. To find out more about Ecstasy, we caught up with Rob Heydon himself. Do you feel the film could translate outside the UK as universally as Trainspotting did? It is a love story, so we felt that it was more easily accessible by audiences. We have sold the film in 40+ countries

nxne magazine editor

had. We just needed to find a way to make this experience of living in interesting times entertaining and interesting. Hopefully the film will engage audiences who will have conversations about the subject matter in the film. How tough is it working when you know that many people will directly compare it to Trainspotting? equally, what are the positives of this? Any film about controversial alternative and subversive subject matter has been incredibly hard to fund after the fallout of 9/11. We knew there was a huge market for Irvine Welshs books, electronic dance music culture and alternative lifestyles, but we just had no idea how huge. Did you worry about glorifying casual drug use? No, I think we give drugs a chance and try to portray a balanced view in the film. To quote Irvine; If a film says Say no to drugs you know it is going to be shit! Whats he like to work with? is any part of him like the characters in his books? Irvine Welsh is a quiet man, a brilliant genius and a total c*nt. I love him. I would work with him on another project any day, any time. He gave us the freedom to make the film we intended to make while adapting his novel, which is really the perfect match for any filmmaker - let alone a first-time writer, producer, director. I think at one point in his life, Irvine Welsh was all of the characters from Trainspotting. Now he only relives his past when back in Scotland, and through the therapy of writing about it.

romance
Ecstasy D: Rob Heydon
Ecstasy is a dark romantic comedy based on the controversial book, a bestseller in over 20 countries, by Irvine Welsh. The film combines Welshs provocative characters and superb story telling with shocking thrills and dark comedy, taking us on a journey into a crafty, drug fuelled contemporary satire on modern culture. Shot in Sault Ste. Marie and Toronto, as well as Scotland and Amsterdam, the plot follows a romance between Lloyd and Heather against a background of clubbing and drug dealing. Lloyds emotional experience is at the heart of this film; every step he takes leads him deeper into the secret world of his faith and love, forcing him to confront himself and his own beliefs and prejudices. Using handheld cameras, mixing up drama and real life, shooting fast to capture performance and the ever changing light, the film reflects the hypnotic essence of life that young people face today.

if a film says Say no to drugs you know it is going to be shit!irvine Welsh

fathom whether the growing chemistry between them is true love or purely amphetamine. Surrounding this is an intricate subplot on the power politics of club and gang culture; Lloyd is caught owing money to a career drug dealer and begins to question his involvements in the club scene. The story is along the same black comic - thrills, spills and pills lines as Welshs celebrated first novel/film but, fittingly for a film concerning the stimulant love drug rather than the depressant heroin, has a much lighter tone. I want Ecstasy to be the most viscerally thrilling, emotionally exhilarating and life-affirming film, says Heydon in the press release. Many of the events are violent and shocking, but above it all I feel passionately this is a story of great hope, love and rekindling faith. Just as Trainspotting was a fantastic portrayal of an economically depressed 1980s Britain, so Ecstasy is a relevant look back at the Second and the clubbing culture is global. Young people fall in love and go to nightclubs every weekend around the world. i feel some of the success of that movie was due to the wider cultural experience esp. Britpop and new Labour in the UK offered at the time. also, is there anything similar happening right now that you hope the film could relate to? The Iraq invasion is a reference point in this film. Scots are often recruited to fight on the front lines of the wars for the English - the Royal Engineers, the Highlanders, etc. and also corrupt politicians who work for corrupt bankers who really control the global economies behind the scenes. These are referred to by Mr. Welsh as The C*nts in Control. The Occupy Movement has a similar point of view of working class Scotland and the unions have always
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gorman Bechard answering machine

By Cameron Carpenter
NXNE Film Festival Manager
Gorman Bechard is quickly becoming a favourite of NXNE Film. Last year the Connecticut-based filmmaker (and author, and screen writer) thrilled festival audiences with the Canadian premiere of his rock and roll documentary Color Me Obsessed: A Film About The Replacements. He has a world premiere treat for NXNE this year with What Did You Expect? The Archers Of Loaf At Cats Cradle. We sat down with Gorman to discuss these movies, all things music and what hes working on next. in Color Me Obsessed you let the fans do the talking and never interviewed the Replacements or showed them in performance. With What Did You Expect? it is nothing but live archers of Loaf footage and band interviews. Why the two polar opposite treatments? Im not a big fan of repeating myself, just as I always hate when a band puts out a record that sounds exactly like every other record theyve released. Which is part of my attraction to both these bands - they were constantly changing, evolving, growing as musicians. They always kept us as fans on our toes and I love them for that. Color Me Obsessed was original. It was a concept that had never been done before, and I truly doubt it would have worked for any other band in history. With The Replacements there was no way to have gone back in time and captured the original members on stage, and what little footage that does exist is poorly shot and just not that exciting. there are quite a few similarities between these bands. Why did you gravitate towards them? When I discovered the Archers Of Loaf were reuniting for a tour, and after seeing two of their shows in L.A., I knew this was something that needed to be documented. They are one of the greatest live bands in history but I also knew the film needed to be different from every other concert film that came before it. I wanted the audience to feel as is if they were there, in the front row of an Archers show. As if Eric were sweating on them, as if they were in danger of their lives from Matts bass neck. As if their ears would be ringing for days. I wanted this film to be in-your-face real. As for talking to only the bandThe concept was mainly to shoot a concert film. The interviews break up the songs nicely, give the viewers a chance to catch their breath and fall in love with these guys as people. The guitars first and foremost. The two greatest guitar bands in history. The vocalists next. The energy. The songwriting. The sense of humour. The gorgeous pop melodies hidden behind a blissful wall of noise. The songs themselves. I often say Web In Front is the greatest song ever, and I do believe that. And if theres a better ballad than Here Comes A Regular I have yet to hear it. I still remember the first time I saw the Archers. Id been looking for a replacement for The Replacements since they disbanded in July 1991. So this was a little over two years later, at a CMJ showcase at Tramps in NYC. They took the stage, and within thirty seconds I knew I had found my next favourite band. I still get goosebumps thinking about that moment. It was almost lifesaving for me. I had just about given up on the hopes that a new band could rock. the bands you have documented seem fearless, independent, innovative and immune to what critics have to say about them. are you the same way as a filmmaker? More than even Id want to admit. I love biting the hand that feeds me. Ive always said (a lot more recently because of Color Me Obsessed), that I make my films for me. I wont sign my name to a film now unless I believe in every frame. Its been that way since I went completely indie with You Are Alone (2005). When I came up with the idea to do Color Me Obsessed with no music and no band, I knew it was a crazy idea. I knew it was probably impossible, but goddamn if that didnt turn me on even more, and make me try even harder. You HAVE to make art for yourself. A simple look around at most mass releases, at most commercial music, and you can see immediately what happens when you try to make art for other people. Whats in the pipeline for you? Youll be one of the first to learn of this, but we are doing a rock doc on (Hsker D founder) Grant Hart. Its tentatively titled Every Everything, and will give Grant the fog of war treatment, with him as the only interview subject. The film will tell the story of his life, from his beginnings, through his days in the band and up to the present. Youll hear about his influences, his obsessions, his loves, his passions, his art, his music, and everything in between, leaving no stone unturned. For the first time ever, youll hear everything about Grant Hart as told by Grant Hart - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Gorman Bechard will once again be in attendance at NXNE, and we are thrilled to have him back. As an added bonus, Archers Of Loaf will also be performing at the festival. Theres a website set up for the Grant Hart film at www.everyeverything.com and, if you are feeling the love like we are, throw a little money in the films Kickstarter kitty to make sure it makes it through production and to NXNE 2013.

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What Did You Expect? The Archers Of Loaf At Cats Cradle D: Gorman Bechard

Indie rock icons the Archers Of Loaf reunited in 2011, and during the course of their reunion tour played two legendary concerts at Cats Cradle in Chapel Hill, NC. Combining in-your-face concert footage along with rare interviews of the band, this film by director Gorman Bechard documents those concerts, and captures the excitement and explosive energy of what its like to see this extraordinary band perform live.

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SeLeCteD hIghLIghtS
Once In a Lullaby: the pS22 Chorus Story
D: Jonathan Kalafer The PS22 chorus from Staten Island became world famous after their YouTube videos went viral. In December of 2010, Hollywood star Anne Hathaway visited PS22 as a surprise guest during the choirs Annual Winter Concert and announced to the choir that theyd been invited to the Academy Awards and that they would be singing the finale. This feel-good documentary follows PS22 to their big show at the Academy Awards, where creative differences, lost voices, and homesickness threaten their performance. Can these 5th-graders entertain the entertainment elite?

Its not all Ecstasy, Archers and Cash. Here are further picks from the 40+ movies showing at NXNE Film...
My hometown / I Met the Walrus
D: Jerry Levitan, Terry Tompkins / D: Josh Raskin The seven minutes of My Hometown are written and narrated by Yoko Ono, produced and directed by Jerry Levitan and Emmy-winning Terry Tompkins of Eggplant, and features animation direction by Sharmil Haladeen and illustrations by Jerrys daughter, Rebecca Levitan. The five-minute I Met The Walrus is the 2008 Academy Award-nominated animated short produced by Jerry Levitan. The film tells the story of a famous 1969 encounter in which the then 14-year-old Jerry snuck in to a hotel room in Toronto, and, armed with a reel-to-reel tape recorder, interviewed John Lennon and Yoko.

InHerItIng
Jonathan Holiffs new documentary is more than just another addition to the bottomless pit of archival footage dedicated to legend, man, myth and flawed mortal that is Johnny Cash. This film is a universal and troubling tale of the very real walls that parents can build around themselves... walls that not only obscure but hurt, confuse, confound, damage and exclude those the parents claim to love most: their kids.
D: Jonathan Holiff A new documentary featuring Johnny Cash promises to be unlike anything youve seen before. Written and directed by Jonathan Hollif, the son of Johnnys former manager, Saul Holiff , the movie features huge Holiffs dad Saul had a pretty unique peramounts of unseen maspective as the one-time manager of the ever- terial. Father and son challenging Johnny Cash. It was Saul who was had been estranged for responsible for trying to impose and maintain 20 years when Holiff committed suicide in an aura of professionalism during Cashs in2005. Six months later, tense periods of doubt and faith, addiction, Jonathan discovered a self-destruction and much more. No small feat storage locker his father had kept for 30 years. It and its fair to say the manager managed the unmanageable. This professional identity contained audiotapes of phone calls his father was so ingrained in Saul that he followed the had made with Cash, hundreds of letters and same approach in raising his sons. Saul went other personal memenall-in for this kind of control, even picking the tos. Brought together boys outfits for family BBQs. from more than 60 hours The real kicker to the film is that the parent- of audio described as al wall in question has a cinematic equivalent eyewitness contemporaneous accounts of what - Saul kept his meticulously archived life happened to Johnny and locked, literally, in a vault. Saul, this film will likely rewrite much of the hisSaul and Jonathan never achieved catharsis tory books.

By ambrose Roche NXNE Film Fest Programmer

the Ballad Of hugh

D: Marco DiFelice Poet, musician, novelist and sculptor, Hugh Oliver may be an octogenarian, but he dreams the dreams of an 18-year-old. This is the story of a complete unknown trying to make it in the youth-obsessed entertainment biz, along with the rest of the up-and-comers out there. Centering on a golden day of recording at Canterbury Studios, The Ballad of Hugh is a heart-warming, inspirational documentary that sheds a hopeful, lyrical light on the realities of aging.

happily Dysfunctional: the Story Of transistor 66 Records

D: Steve Ward Happily Dysfunctional is the story of one of Canadas best kept secrets: a Winnipeg, Manitoba-based record label with a roster full of genre-defying artists and a renegade owner who refuses to acknowledge trends, fashions or market considerations. This is the story of Art MacIntyre and the happily dysfunctional family that comprises Transistor 66 Records. Its a candid, intimate portrayal of an uncompromising soul, a person accustomed to fighting for others in their pursuit of artistic purity.

casH
Thank you, Jonathan.
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Disposable Film Festival 2012 Competitive Shorts

D: Dr Carlton Evans Selected by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the worlds coolest film festivals, the Disposable Film Festival supports and celebrates the democratization of cinema made possible by new, inexpensive video technology. Disposable offers a legitimate forum in which the work of zero-budget and non-traditional filmmakers is taken seriously and exhibited in theatres around the United States and internationally. Through workshops, competitions, panels, and other events intended to educate and inspire, the Festival promotes experimentation and innovation and helps build the track record needed for a new generation of filmmakers to enter and change the industry.

KMS - Jewish negroes

D: Moran Ifergan Rappers KMS are black Israelis, Ethiopian Jews whose families came to the promised land expecting a land of milk and honey. Like immigrants in many lands, KMS encounter an almost casual daily racism, which they counter with their own aggression, reflected in their music. They live in the large ghetto of central Israel. The film observes their daily life and catches the reality of black generation trying to find their identity in white Israel.

ages and Stages: the Story Of the Meligrove Band

D: Brendan McCarney Ages and Stages takes a raw but heartening look at the frustrations of The Meligrove Band, one of the best but most overlooked bands in Canada. Follow the band s three core members, who have been together for fifteen years despite weathering all kinds of colossal bad luck, legal wrangling, being in the wrong place at the wrong time and the ever present feeling that it might just be time to hang it up.

in the form of a face-to-face, heart-to-heart moMy father and the Man in Black ment. But after Sauls suicide (this is not a spoiler),

Fugitives: Wax Live

D: Shawn Thomsen On August 20, 2010, Def Jam rapper Wax (still unsigned at the time) arrived in Toronto to play a series of shows, only to be turned away at the border. Fugitives: Wax Live recounts the story of those who literally smuggled the star into the country, the live performances he belted out on that day, and the legal repercussions suffered by all - simply to throw one most badass hip hop concert.

Jonathan discovered a way to see his father as others had. It was the stuff of pulp novels or gimmicky Oscar-winner plots: the son found a key, the key opened a vault, the vault housed the life of the father. And this key presents us with the physical material for a professional, emotional and cinematic autopsy on the father of the films title. There is much great music, oodles of exclusive visuals (stills and film clips) and - think panelled dens, tiki bars and vintage 50s and 60s dcor - seamless re-creations of the past. With more plot points and twists than a Syd Field screenwriting seminar, the narrative is strong, exposing more faces of the multifaceted Man In Black himself than ever before. From the films perspective, it seems the drugs and drink werent the real cause of Cashs professional self-destruction, but well leave that for the film to explain Refreshingly, My Father And The Man In Black does not slip into the realm of tabloid. Its an intense personal adventure with universal themes and appeal that just happens to feature one of 20th-century musics great icons.

embracing Voices
D: Elisa Palosch Jazz luminary Jane Bunnett came back from the brink after facing depression, and the fear that she would never be able to make music again. The film follows Janes personal and musical journey from Ontario to Cuba and then to the Canadian Rocky Mountains in Banff, as she produces her most ambitious CD to date. Yet the final Juno-winning recording is more than just a jazz album. It is a re-evaluation and reflection on her life and a tribute to the people that enable her to reconnect with her music. This is the story of a musician who contemplates her relationships, her career, and growing old, both as an artist and as a woman, while asking the universal question: what does it all mean?

Down: Indie Rock In the pRC

D: Andrew Field, Judy Willmont From underground clubs to outdoor concerts and festivals, Down documents the indie rock music scene in China today and features some of the hottest bands in the PRC. Filmed and narrated by Andrew David Field, the film highlights the disenchantment of youths resisting mainstream society. It touches on universal themes of youthful alienation and freedom of expression, while also highlighting the power of music to bring people together.

going Deaf For nothing - the Story of a Rock n Roll Band

D: Susana Halfon For years, Sacramentos Magnolia Thunderfinger were a mainstay of the Sacramento music scene. There are a million stories; motorcycles ridden through clubs, instruments and bars aflame, altercations and fistfights. Its the stuff of rock n roll legend, really. And like all legend, within lies a grain of truth. This is the story of the music business as seen through the life of a real band, a primer on Music 101 and a must-see for anyone interested in music, rock n roll, and 25-year-old piss.

Slaughter nick For president

D: Liza Vespi, Rob Stewart, Marc Vespi When a little-known Canadian actor accidentally discovers through Facebook that hes been wildly famous in Serbia for almost two decades, he sets out to discover the reasons why. Slaughter Nick For President examines how Rob Stewart inexplicably became a symbol of freedom through the long-forgotten TV role of Nick Slaughter in Tropical Heat (aka Sweating Bullets) during the non-violent Serbian protests which led to the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic.

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last word

PHOTOGRAPHED BY phIL BRennen

Lighting up the stage tonight.

Lighting up the airwaves tomorrow.

SiriusXM is a proud supporter of Canadian music artists and invites you to discover emerging talent at NXNE.

Fucked Up at Yonge-Dundas Square, NXNE 2011

2012 Sirius XM Canada Inc. SiriusXM, channel names and logos are trademarks of Sirius XM Radio Inc. and are used under licence.

Love to listen.
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M SIC FILm InTeRACt V

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