To all of our Live ‘N Loud Magazine readers and fans,

It is with a lot of sadness that we have to say goodbye.

It has been a long, fun and awesome journey covering music news and live concerts for all of you!

Over all these years, writers and photographers came together to bring you the best in music in each one’s region of the World! Most of time, it was all done outside of regular hours, during sleepless nights and by giving absolutely no attention at all to all the people and events surrounding us.

The truth is, as many of you may already know, it is not possible to continue this way without any fundings… Unfortunately the Live Photography World often “works” like this.

We would like to thank from the bottom of our hearts all the collaborators who worked night and days, during insane hours, to make Live ‘N Loud Magazine what it was.

A special thank you goes out to Sandra Elford who was there since the very first day with Claudia and Nour and made a huge difference it the magazine!

We are sure you will continue to see photographs by all of our great collaborators! Be on the look out for all of them and continue to support music!

Love,

The LNL Team

FINCH FULL PHOTO SET

Photos by Genevieve Lui

FRED PENNER FULL SET

HOLLERADO FULL SET

Photos by Sarah Rix

DEFTONES FULL SET

Photos by Genevieve Lui

NICO VEGA FULL SET

ATLAS GENIUS FULL SET

IMAGINE DRAGONS FULL SET

Photos by Genevieve Lui

FULL PHOTOS SET FROM DAY 4

If the closing night of Wavelength 13 was any indication, it’s been a good 10 years for
the Toronto series. Their last night on Sunday, Feb. 17th was both a spectacle, a(n almost)
debut/much anticipated return, and even a surprise.

I unfortunately only caught the end of Legato Vipers, who brought with them The
Harlettes, a team of burlesque dancers. It was certainly the most breast I’ve seen at a
show this year. No, I didn’t get photos of it – so you’ll just have to trust me on this (or
use Google, because thankfully other photographers have you covered there.)

The strange, fun party continued care of Henri Fabergé and the Adorables. The
Toronto band is a collective. Its lead, Henry Fletcher, takes his European character very
seriously – haircut, mustache, lederhosen, high-heeled clogs, et al.

It’s off-the-wall, eccentric pop designed to entertain – a point Fabergé called out to the
audience as he told the crowd, “I noticed a lot of you aren’t dancing. We’re going to
change that.” He then proceeded to jump off stage and start a mosh. The Adorables were
also noteworthy, amongst them Canadian musicians Maylee Todd and Laura Barrett who
are worth seeing in their own right. In a supergroup? Magnifique.

The Magic also brought help with them. The last time I saw the Guelph-based project,
it had just been the Gordon brothers. For Wavelength, they had a much more complete
show – and it changed their dynamic entirely, giving life to the project.

I hadn’t liked them when it was just Evan, Geordie, and pre-recorded backing music, but
their Sunday show at The Garrison changed my mind. Understandably, it’s hard to see
them in their full lineup – the other members of the band appear on the record, but are
committed to other projects. Synth-player and vocalist Sylvie Smith (best known for her
work in Evening Hymns) was particularly impressive, especially on the upbeat “Call Me
Up.”

Speaking of other projects… One of the main draws of the night was Cookie Duster. In
the wake of Broken Social Scene’s hiatus, guitarist Brendan Canning revived the late 90s
project. In 2012, the Toronto band released album When Flying Was Easy. But the five-
piece didn’t tour the album. So, Wavelength swooped in and got the “debut” of the band.

Okay, not entirely true – apparently it was their third show (and the first in a long while,)
but the audience seemed to know they were seeing something special. As far as quote-
unquote “debut” shows go, it was pretty good. They’re at their best with guitar solos, but
would benefit from some fine-tuning. The songs themselves play well live and, fingers
crossed, they’ll keep the whole “playing live” thing going. At least for a little while.

Unannounced special guests Dusted had the privilege of closing out Wavelength 13.
The duo – made up of guitarist Brian Borcherdt and drummer/keyboardist Leon Taheny

– sound like a stripped-down version of The Shins, mostly owing to the quality of
Borcherdt’s voice. Borcherdt (perhaps best known for his work with the very different
Holy Fuck) managed to bust his guitar three songs into the set but thankfully managed to
find a powder blue replacement somewhere backstage.

While much of the audience left following Cookie Duster, those that stayed for Dusted
received a strong reminder of why Wavelength is an event Toronto music fans need to
go to. You never know what you’ll get from the mixed lineup, but there’s always such a
strong showing from the Canadian indie scene. Until next year, Wavelength.

Photos & Review: Sarah Rix

FULL SET OF DAY 2 PHOTOS

Now in its 13th year, Toronto’s Wavelength series has proved time and time again why

people should pay attention to music. There’s a lot of it in the city, but no event seems
quite so lovingly curated. It’s a genuine passion project.

So, while it’s not a festival tied together by genre, it’s one that sees audiences turning up
prepared for anything. And the festival programming makes good on a diverse range of
talent – something the Friday, February 15th showcase at The Black Box Theatre proved.

Take, for instance, the fuzzed-out garage rock of five-piece Blonde Elvis. They’re a band
that may not take themselves completely seriously (as demonstrated by the moniker and
by a microphone check consisting of Russell Oliver’s infamous “Cash Man” song,) but
they certainly helped the night get off to a solid start.

Just when you thought you were settling in for a lo-fi kind of evening, Blue Hawaii
showed up. A stroke of genius in the scheduling department, really, given the actual
Elvis starred in a movie by the same name. But gone was the rock. In its place: danceable
electronic music from Raphaelle Standell-Preston (of Montreal’s Braids) and keyboard-
controller Alex “Agor” Cowan.

Blue Hawaii is a departure from Standell-Preston’s typical experimental art rock. Lack of
familiarity with the material aside, the duo’s Toronto debut had the crowd dancing.

That’s not to say it would stay that way. Shortly after, two-time Polaris Prize shortlister
Cadence Weapon would swing the crowd into hip hop. The Edmonton born and raised
rapper (alongside his enthused DJ) made use of his stage time by debuting new song,
“Come See Me,” and telling the crowd that the first time he played Wavelength, it was
to an audience of “upwards of eight people.” There’s definitely been a sizeable increase
since then.

Doldrums ended the night and unfortunately lost some steam from technical problems.
While the set started much later than originally anticipated, 23-year-old Airick Woodhead
didn’t seem to let it bother him all too much. The experimental indie project was
celebrating the release of their new album.

There were strong moments to be sure, but it wasn’t the finest showing from Woodhead
and his band mates. Their dreamy soundscape came apart in the room, but – like any
hard-working Canadian band should know – they played through and finished their set,
even pulling Cadence Weapon up for a number. It wasn’t perfect, but it was still a show
you wanted to see.

Photos & Review: Sarah Rix

From Metric to Marianas Trench, and Matt Mays to Cold Specks, indie stars came out to celebrate the year in independent music. Artists Canailles and Poor Young Things came out the biggest winners taking the titles of SiriusXM Emerging Artist of the Year in the French and English categories, respectively, and taking home a $5,000 bursary each from SiriusXM Canada.

And the winners are:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Japandroids – Celebration Rock (Polyvinyl Recording Co.)

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe (604 Records)

GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR
Metric (Metric Music International Inc.) 

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Carly Rae Jepsen (604 Records)

FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Cold Specks (Arts & Crafts) 

MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Matt Mays (Sonic Records) 

LIVE ARTIST/GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR
deadmau5 (Ultra Music) 

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Josh Ramsay (604 Records) 

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Marianas Trench – Fallout (604 Records) 

MUST FOLLOW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Said The Whale (Hidden Pony Records)

COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
Artists Against Bullying – True Colors (Wax) 

MOST PLAYED INDEPENDENT ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Carly Rae Jepsen (604 Records) 

BEST-SELLING INDEPENDENT RELEASE OF THE YEAR
Metric – Synthetica (Metric Music International Inc.) 

ALTERNATIVE ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Yukon Blonde (Dine Alone Records) 

BLUES ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer (Independent) 

CHILDREN’S ARTIST/GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR
Jennifer Gasoi (Sparkling Productions) 

COUNTRY ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Dallas Smith (604 Records) 

DANCE ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Massari (CP Records) 

ELECTRONIC ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Grimes (4AD/Arbutus Records) 

FOLK/ROOTS ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
The Wooden Sky (Black Box Recordings Inc) 

FRANCOPHONE ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lisa LeBlanc (Bonsound) 

JAZZ ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Emilie-Claire Barlow (Empress Music Group Inc.) 

METAL ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Devin Townsend Project (eOne Music Canada)

POP ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Marianas Trench (604 Records) 

PUNK/HARDCORE ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
METZ (Sub Pop Records) 

RAP/HIP-HOP ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Cadence Weapon (Upper Class Recordings) 

ROCK ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Big Wreck (SRO Anthem)                                                                

SOUL/R&B ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
The Weeknd (XO&co.) 

WORLD ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
The Souljazz Orchestra (Solidarity) 

INTERNATIONAL GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR
The Black Keys (Nonesuch) 

INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift (Big Machine Records) 

INTERNATIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Mumford & Sons – Babel (Glassnote) 

INTERNATIONAL SINGLE OF THE YEAR
fun. – We Are Young (Fueled By Ramen) 

INTERNATIONAL BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
The Lumineers (Dine Alone Records) 

INTERNATIONAL VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Thrift Shop (Macklemore) 

SIRIUSXM EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR? (English)
Poor Young Things

SIRIUSXM EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR? (French)
Canailles

FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM THE AWARDS CLICK HERE

The Rivoli March 21, 2013

I was thrilled to finally catch Blackie Jackett Jr playing a full set during Canadian Music Week. They were the surprise guests, along with Treble Charger, during The Feldman Agency Showcase at the Rivoli.

When I arrived, new pop-rock act Eleven Past One were on stage – their name didn’t strike a familiar chord with me, then they broke into their radio hit “The World Is Ours” and the crowd started singing along like we were driving down the highway with the windows down and the car stereo blasting.

Every year I have a guilty pleasure, a band that would surprise me if they had staying power in this rough industry – but I still enjoy dancing along to; this year it’s Eleven Past One. They have common, up beat and poppy songs with a mature sound and catchy lyrics. I was immediately reminded of the famous Brit bad boys – The Wanted. They seemed to have a small loyal following at the club during this evening, which was refreshing to see.

While at the showcase, I stumbled upon another indie band, The Zola’s – this band has a solid cult following and I’ve had the pleasure of hearing before. Their songs resonate with being in your mid 20′s, standing on the cusp of the unknown – doused in a lively indie sound. Just a two-piece band, it’s hard to draw your eyes and ears away from their live sets, which to me give you a better feel of their music than their recordings.

The joy that rushed through my body when Blackie Jackett Jr hit the stage cannot be accurately described in words. Featuring Finger Eleven members, James Black and Rick Jackett, they’ve expanded to a full old school country band, Twangy banjo and all. It’s hard to stand still while they’re belting out tunes as catchy as Whiskey and Tears without clapping your hands, stomping your hands and singing along at the top of your lungs.

You find yourself with a goofy smile smacked across your face as all the problems you have sink to the bottom of a glass of whiskey, during their cover of Shel Silverstein’s “I Got Stoned and I Missed It”. With the beautiful Sandra Dee also on vocals that compliment James Black’s voice, Blackie Jackett Jr are much more than just a country side project of a rock band – they’re the perfect band to enjoy on a night out with your friends. They’re also, in my opinion, one of the best throwbacks to retro country around today.

The last band I caught during this showcase is an oldie.  I’m talking your junior high angst filled pop punk phase old. Revived last year around the same time for the 2012 SIRIUSXM Indie Awards, Treble Charger took the small stage around midnight to a packed crowd. Taking the front were original members, Greig Nori and Bill Priddle, who  were joined by Jason Pierce on drums (drummer for Paramore, Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen, Raine Maida, Dallas Green and more)  – they tore through a well put together, but short nostalgic set.

It’s been a while since the NC17 days, first released back in 1994, however; there has been ‘talk’ of the band heading back into the studio in early spring. Will this be the start of their first full-length album in 11 years? I kinda hope so.

More Photos from the showcase can be found right here

On March 20^th, 2013 the Canadian Radio Music Awards were held at the Kool Haus, open to the public for the very first time.  In previous years it had been an industry only event, which made for less awkward moments when artists weren’t there to accept their awards.

I felt the fans excitement as Tegan & Sara, Carly Rae and FUN were announced as award winners – only to be let down at the lack of their arrival.  Rhianna played in the city the previous night, but was not there to accept her International Solo Artist of the Year award as her tour had already moved on.

Dallas Smith, former frontman of Default, walked away with Best New Group/Solo Artist in the Country category – big change from his heavier days; while Monster Truck took the same award for Rock Artist.

Unlike previous years, there were no big winners, Mariana’s Trench were voted Fan Choice of the Year, while lead singer Josh Ramsay co-wrote the SOCAN Song of the Year, Call Me Maybe.

In reality, the live acts were really what the public were there for: Monster Truck, USS, Jesse Labelle, Shawn Hook and Mariana’s Trench were among the performers during the Canadian Radio Music Awards.

For more photos from the event check them out HERE.

WINNERS – 2013

FACTOR BREAKTHROUGH AWARD

WEEKEND

BEST NEW GROUP OR SOLO ARTIST (CHR)

VICTORIA DUFFIELD

BEST NEW GROUP OR SOLO ARTIST (ROCK) OF THE YEAR

MONSTER TRUCK

BEST NEW GROUP/SOLO (DANCE/URBAN/RYTHMIC)

TEGAN & SARA

BEST NEW GROUP/SOLO ARTIST (COUNTRY)

DALLAS SMITH

BEST NEW GROUP/SOLO MAINSTREAM A/C

SCOTTY JAMES

BEST NEW GROUP/SOLO ARTIST (HOT AC)

JESSE LEBELLE

SENNHEISER CHART TOPPER AWARD

CARLY RAE JEPSEN

SOCAN SONG OF THE YEAR

CALL ME MAYBE

FANíS CHOICE AWARD

MARIANAS TRENCH

INTERNATIONAL SOLO ARTIST OF THE YEAR

RIHANNA

INTERNATIONAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

FUN

HEATSEEKER AWARD

SERENA RYDER

SPECIAL COLLABORATION AWARD

ARTISTS AGAINST