The 28th annual Canadian Music Week (CMW) hits Toronto in March. One of this music city’s answers to SXSW (the other being NXNE – North By North East), CMW is part conference, part film festival, and part concert series, but is definitely all about Canadian music.
Some of great local artists performing include the Great Lake Swimmers whose ambient folk music, that beautifully incorporates banjos and dreamy vocals, will make good use of the show’s setting in the historic Royal York Hotel.
Vitamins for you aka Bryce Kushnier
Vitamins for You, aka Bryce Kushnier, hails from Winnipeg, but is now based in Toronto. Kushnier’s music is lo-fi and fuses electronic, acoustic folk and psychedelic sounds and he’s playing a homecoming show as part of CMW at the Wrongbar. Given past collaborations with many Canadian indie darlings including Do Make Say Think and Fritz Helder & the Phantoms, chances are some special guests will show up for the gig.
The Born Ruffians are another hot local act hitting CMW. Coming from small town Ontario, the guys moved to Toronto in 2004 (at one point living right next door to me!) and have been on a steady rise ever since with their refined version of indie rock. The band is signed to UK label, Warp Records, and recently toured the world with major talent including Franz Ferdinand, Peter, Bjorn and John and Tokyo Police Club. Their return to local shores will make for a great show at the big capacity Phoenix Concert Theatre.