I Heart the Music: Your Online Source for Live Music Reviews and Interviews in Toronto!

When you think of Newfoundland, specific things come to mind: fishing, the sea, fish, water…you get the idea. What normally doesn’t come to mind is music (sorry Great Big Sea lovers). This is all changing however, as there appears to be such an influx of amazing acts coming out of the east coast these days, that that stigma is rapidly evolving. This is where Hey Rosetta! step in. Hey Rosetta! are a six-piece hailing from St. John’s, Newfoundland who have been able to break out of their small hometown and make it big time all over Canada. With the release of their 2007 EP Plan Your Escape, these friends were followed with eager ears as they toured and tried to make a name for themselves in the “big city”. Well they certainly made an impact during that time and have since released their full length album Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your ) which saw them grab three East Coast Music Awards, album of the year at The Verge Music Awards and most recently a Polaris Music Prize nomination (for the second time). It appears as though there is no stopping this group and we got the chance to speak with lead vocalist Tim Baker to hear how they handle this new found fame.

iheartthemusic: You guys have had a tremendous year so far, including being nominated again for the Polaris Prize. What was your reaction to hearing you had been recognized?

Tim: I was certainly expecting not to win it given the competition. I mean I didn’t think we really deserved to win. I don’t know much about the Fucked Up record so I can’t really comment on that, but I wasn’t really particularly surprised hearing what I’ve heard about the record and how forward thinking and new and groundbreaking it is. Polaris seems to be in the business of awarding that, which I think is great.

iheartthemusic: How did it feel to win Album of the Year last year at The Verge Awards and what has that money done for you as a band?

Tim: It was great and very surprising. A pleasant shock and it has done a lot. The money itself took us to Australia on tour and we got a trailer that we can stash our gear in. It certainly didn’t take long to spend all that money but it was extremely helpful. The publicity of it has just given the record sort of a second life, which I think is extremely helpful. This is what these awards are about really. Also, just being rewarded for work was excellent.

iheartthemusic: What I found interesting to hear is that you don’t actually listen to music yourself. Can you give us the lowdown on that statement?

Tim: It is a bit of an overstatement. I mean I listen to music, but I’ve never really been an avid music listener and I never really went to shows. I saw maybe three or four bands play in my life before I started this [Hey Rosetta!]. I grew up in St.John’s and I didn’t hang out with people who were into music. I was the only musician in our group of friends. It was just something I did because I liked it and was also skilled as a piano player. I don’t know how to play anyone else’s songs, I mean the simple ones I could learn but I enjoy making stuff up.

iheartthemusic: This album was the first time that you didn’t take recording to the bedroom- literally! How was that?

Tim: This album was recorded in The Sonic Temple; a really nice recording studio in Halifax. It was a great experience. A little rushed though as it took only two weeks. There are a lot of tracks on thealbum so it was kind of stressful, but we tried to keep calm and confident.

iheartthemusic: Well clearly it payed off!

Tim: Apparently two weeks was enough time then! [laughs]

Hey Rosetta! play two sold out shows at the Horseshoe this weekend; Friday, December 4th and 5th w/ Julie Fader and La Strada

photography provided by Sara Collaton

NO SHAME is an independent music series in Toronto that puts the talent first. This isn’t about making money, it is about exposing up-and-coming acts that are making a name for themselves on the indie circuit. NO SHAME have been one of the largest advocates for indie talent and we are very excited and proud to announce their 100th showcase at the Horseshoe this Friday, September 18th with live performances by Green Go, Ruby Coast, Pick a Piper and The Skeletons Four. Founder Lauren Schreiber has been the driving force behind this concert series and is a firm believer in promoting local talent. As a huge thank you to everyone that has supported NO SHAME over these past 100 shows we have two tickets to give away, as well as a copy of Green Go’s album Borders.

To win No Borders and two tickets to Friday’s show please email concerts@iheartthemusic.com with your name and number and we will pick a winner on Thursday!

“NO SHAME strives to present bands that are passionate, innovative, creative, thought provoking and fun; and often all of the above. NO SHAME strives to present the best local artists, the best up and coming artists, and the best long-overlooked artists. NO SHAME seeks to be non-discriminate; every genre is welcome, and if you have something to say and you can say it well, you will always have a place here. Thanks to everyone who has made NO SHAME a success thus far.”

-Lauren Schreiber

When iheartthemusic heard that Chicago math rock band Maps and Atlases was hitting up Toronto, we knew it was a show that could not be missed. Having already followed this band for quite some time, we were excited to see that Toronto-based group (and friends of iheartthemusic) Arietta was set to open the show. Arietta never disappoints their fans, but sadly (for us) we ended up missing their set as we were busy entertaining members of Maps and Atlases at Sneaky Dee’s for a quick bite before the show. To hold you Arietta fans over in the meantime, here are some shots from their album release party at Horseshoe a few weeks back!

We arrived back at the El Mocambo just in time to see the last few songs from St. Louis, Missouri’s So Many Dynamos. This young band is currently on tour with Maps and Atlases and, if the response from the crowd was any indication of what’s to come for this band, we are happy to have caught some of their set! Signed to Vagrant Records and about to drop their latest album entitled The Loud Wars (their third, might we add), So Many Dynamos blew us away. The crowd ate up their pop/punk sound, but for us it was Aaron Stovall’s voice and keyboarding skills that really stood out as he actually played (fairly well) with his chin at points throughout their set. It was also interesting to see the punk influence of his voice mixed in with such an indie pop vibe, which worked to their advantage quite well. These guys just seemed to be having a great time onstage, which only pushed the crowd even further to participate in the fun.

It was finally Maps and Atlases’ turn to take the stage. We spoke with them earlier about what makes their live performance so appealing to fans, and lead vocalist Dave Davison assured us that it is the crowd that gives them the energy to put on a good show. This is probably one of the most technical bands we have seen in a while with their signature finger tapping on the guitar and almost trance-like state while they are onstage. We have to add that there was a group of (underage) fans at the front who were clearly enjoying the sound and talent as they each sang along and appeared to be trying to get up onstage with the band. The rest of the crowd overall didn’t seem as enthusiastic as they did for So Many Dynamos’ set, which was surprising to see since they were the headliners for the night. It might have to do with the fact that this was their first time playing in Toronto, or perhaps that the crowd interaction was lacking, either way, they played all the favourites seamlessly. “Israeli Caves” started off the show with it’s incessant finger tapping by guitarist Erin Elders and Davison’s mellow voice that never fails to disappoint. Near the end of their performance they pulled a Broken Social Scene-esque manoever and had So Many Dynamos up on stage playing with them for a few songs. When they were finally finished their set, the chants for an encore began almost immediately and miraculousy Dave appeared on stage sans band to play a personal favourite, “Pigeon”. If you haven’t already picked this album up, then we suggest anyone hoping to get into the music industry get it, study it and let it blow you away.

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