This Week In Music

This Week in Music: Drake gets $300k, TURF, Holy F*ck, CMW lottery, Childish Gambino, Venus X, WTCHS

This Week in Music rounds up the latest news, releases and concerts coming to Toronto.

TURF Fest adds bands to line up
TURF, which will take place over three stages July 4 - 6th this summer, has added Beirut, Jeff Tweedy, and July Talk to an already stacked line up (Neutral Milk Hotel, Violent Femmes, Jenny Lewis, etc). Early bird tickets are available here.

OVO Fest receives $300,000 in provincial funding
Drake stirred up trouble in his hometown again last week, as people took note that while the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport's Celebrate Ontario didn't give a penny's worth of money to the 2014 Beaches Jazz Fest, it granted $300K to Drake's 2-day star-studded show OVO Fest at Molson Amphitheatre, which was previously all funded by Drizzy himself (because he loves us). Debate raged for a couple of days, but the clear financial solution is for Drake to promise to stop by the Beaches Jazz Fest and autograph some sweatpants.

CMW announces more bands
More bands! Send in those soulful and doleful schmotes by the bowlful, bands. Additions include Little Dragon, Born Ruffians, The Hidden Cameras, Hollerado, Brendan Canning, DIANA, The Strumbellas, The Balconies, The BB Guns, B-17, Tre Mission and more. The new addition list is here, or check out the full line up on over here. If you have like ten hours.

Canadian Music Week introduce lottery to get into hot ticket shows
CMW also announced a new lottery system which could be considered controversial, but CMW are not Drake, so no one noticed. BUT. If you want to see City and Colour, Neko Case, the 1975, Owen Pallett, and Mastodon gigs, take note. From their site: this "new program that offers wristband holders the chance to guarantee their spot at some of the larger shows during the festival. The Concert Lottery will be announced via CMW's social platforms: Twitter, Facebook and the CMW website along with an RSVP link for fans to follow." Weird? Good luck?

SiriusXM Indie Nominees announced
Check out the list by clicking above. Everyone from The Weeknd and deadmau5 to THE DARCYS (why all caps? Are they doing that now?), Maylee Todd, and July Talk have received nods. The awards show is May 10th.

New Toronto Songs & Vids

Holy Fuck - Sabbatics
Holy Fuck are back with their first new single in four years, a seriously great, Halloween-in-the-club track from their upcoming Australian Tour 7" which will drop April 24 on Mistletone.

WTCHS - Over Kilmer
WCHES are a Hamilton band who will hit Toronto this weekend and they're creeping on some mannequins in this video, which was maybe made before WTCHS were born, somehow. The track is from It's Not A Cross, It's A Curse! which is out on April 4th on Sonic Unyon.

BADBADNOTGOOD - Can't Leave the Night
The BBNG dudes put out this video featuring a pomo-in-cheek take on the usual music video lasers/champagne/confetti/fog tropes that's pretty endearing and original. Their album III is out on Innovative Leisure/Pirates Blend May 6th.

This Week's Hot Tickets

Mar 24, 25 | Childish Gambino | Sound Academy
Ex-Community star and stand-up comedian Childish Gambino has been pretty serious about progressing musically. He's coming to Toronto for back-to-back nights at the Sound Academy, starting tonight.

Venus X and GHE20GOTH1K | March 27 | Tattoo | $15
Yes, that GHE20GOTH1K. No, Rihanna isn't invited. Just kidding about that second part, but if she shows you know she's just gonna stand in a corner acting bummed that everyone's having a legendary time and not talking to her. More importantly: seapunk girl from Leslieville, will you be there? See more dance parties in our March dance parties post.

How to Dress Well | March 29 | Mod Club | $15
Tom Krell is finally returning to Toronto, and he's bringing Forest Swords with him because he's just that nice. While aliens three of four galaxies over can hear his surreal voice breaking on recordings, seeing him up close and personal is a whole different thing (though Mod Club won't be the bessst place for getting intimate, I trust that Krell can pull it off). It's okay to let go and cry.

Local Hot Ticket

WTCHS / Wolfcow / Huren / Slender Loris | March 29 | 9pm | Izakaya Sushi House
Trick pick -- three of these acts playing Izakaya Sushi House (294 College) are break-outs from Hamilton music scene. Then there are TO weird surf stars Wolfcow, who just dropped cleverly title This Was Wolfcow on Inyrdisc and are a must see if you're into witchcraft, Thee Oh Sees, or guys in skinny legged pants. Huren is terrifying and you can preview WTCHS in a video above. The show is a steal at $6.

What We Got Up To Last Week

Photo of Venus X via Electronic Beats


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