Directed by Brandan McCarney
Produced by Last Frame Pictures
Photo Credit to Courtney Lee Yip

Here are some shots from just a few of the hundreds of acts that performed, including Joel Plaskett atop the CN Tower, K-Pop Wave showcase at Kool Haus, and the Estonian indie-folk band, Ewert and the Two Dragons.

DZ DEATHRAYS

YOUNG EMPIRES

JOEL PLASKETT

EWERT AND THE TWO DRAGONS

2K12 KOREA NIGHT: K-POP WAVE X SEOULSONIC

Stay tuned for more updates from us in the coming days!

Or is it? Sound it Out, enjoying its Canadian premiere at the CMF Film Festival tells the story of the absolute last independent record store in Teeside, England.  Tucked away in North East England, Sound it Out Records has seen its friends and competitors replaced by big-box stores and behemoth chains. Yet somehow, Sound it Out endures as a cultural haven for a small English community of vinyl fanatics. Sound it Out is filmmaker Jeanie Finlay`s ode to the power of music, the obsessive nature of men, and the importance of traditional places to meet music fans in a world where most of your music comes from the Apple store.

Sound it Out premieres at the Bell Lightbox on Thursday, March 22nd. Buy a ticket here.

I Mother Earth gained huge success in Canada with their alternative rock sound. Their sophomore album ‘Scenery and Fish’ topped the Canadian Alternative Charts in 1996, and their single ‘One More Astronaut’ became a radio hit and a staple of surly Canadian adolescents. The band hired singer Brian Byrne to replace departing singer Edwin in 1997. From there the band released two more albums, Blue Green Orange, and The Quicksilver Meat Dream.

CMW is proud to host I Mother Earth at the Sound Academy this year. After all, we were all surly adolescents once too!

(Dave Abel/Toronto Sun/QMI AGENCY)

Thanks for making the CN Tower Gala such a huge success. Here’s some footage from Sun Media for you to enjoy.

Getting high to start Canadian Music Week

CMW2012 will be hosting a night of music from Quebec on March 22nd at the El Mocambo. The showcase will be a great opportunity for Canadians to get a sample of the kind of work being done in Quebec, and see the much-loved The Dears in concert. Here’s who you can expect to see there.

Martha Wainwright
There’s a strong current of musical talent running through Martha’s family. Her brother is renowned singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright and she’s…just incredible. With a pure, passionate voice and songwriting chops to boot, Martha’s music is best seen live and in an intimate setting.

Galaxie
Combining the blues-rock sound of artists like The Black Keys and The Strokes with the electro-rock stylings of artists like LCD Soundsystem and MGMT, Galaxie create music that is pretty exciting to listen to. Their music videos are completely incomprehensible, so they’ve also got the weirdness card going for them.

Adam and the Amethysts
Hailing from Montreal, Adam and the Amethysts are incredibly talented at creating a dreamy pop landscape. Incorporating a broad range of influences, from indie-rock to folk and punk, means that this band has a wonderful, unique sound. We’re glad to have them this year!

Half Moon Run
Evidently the air in Quebec blows melancholy. This band out of Montreal write hypnotic, somber tunes that have rich, beautiful textures. Reflecting on the themes of heartbreak, loneliness and despair, Half Moon Run are a band best left for a somber rainy day, though it would be a good idea to check them out while they’re here.

La Belle Province Showcase will take place El Mocambo on Thursday, March 22nd. Doors at 8pm.

We’ve all heard the bad news about rock and roll. For starters, it takes a lot of work to be a rock star. There’s touring, writing songs, paying your dues, etc. Another bad thing about rock is that it inevitably leads to sex, drugs and well, more rock and roll.

Bobby Liebling was one such victim of rock. For roughly 30 years he has been the front man of the band ‘Pentagram’, one of the early American innovators of heavy metal. The band enjoyed a good deal of success, despite Liebling’s unstable and difficult behavior. Despite their success however, the band eventually called it quits and left Liebling to his own devices.

Filmmakers Don Argot and Demian Felton found Liebling living in his parents basement, injecting himself into a stupor with a deadly mix of prescription pills and heroin, just as Pentagram’s music was being discovered by a new generation of underground heavy metal fans. Their film Last Days Here premieres at the CMF Film Festival on March 00. It tells the story of Bobby Liebling`s attempt to rid himself of drugs and alcohol, repair his relationship with his bandmates and ultimately, put on an amazing rock show.

Last Days Here premiered at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival. CMW is proud to host the Canadian premiere of this fascinating documentary on Thursday, March 22nd. You can pick up a ticket here.

Well – We made it and made it together. Regardless of who you are that’s reading this: the band, the fan, the A&R rep from Denmark or one of our trusty volunteers – Canadian Music Week simply would not happen without your involvement. From March 21 – 25 we all come together in the great city of Toronto and enjoy ourselves – it’s no more complicated than that. It’s our passion for all things music that brought us here and it’s that same passion that will keep us out until the wee-hours enjoying a late set from the band we love and that even later last call.

A few words of advice before we venture out and a few more thank you’s.

TO THE BAND: play your heart out – you are why we are here. Furthermore, take advantage of all CMW has to offer… you know there’s a conference as well, right? All the right people that can help you make your dream a reality are mingling about the Royal York Hotel during the day and out watching you at night – say hi.

TO THE FAN: catch every band that you want to see and stay for those you have never heard of. CMW should be taken as an opportunity to see that act from Finland that has never played here but will blow you away. Your new favourite band is out there – find them, seriously.

TO THE INDUSTRY: Yes, this is work and yes it is amazing but much like the fan – see something new, something you don’t know. Walk into a venue with eyes wide and ears open. We like to think we have brought the best of the best from around the world and dropped them at your doorstep. Open that dang door and strike a deal!

TO THE VOLUNTEERS: Sincerely from the bottom of our hearts – Thank You. Regardless of how many bands, fans and industry we have CMW simply could not work without you – you are the glue that holds everything together. Work hard but more importantly enjoy every second.

LASTLY TO EVERYONE, A COUPLE INSIDER TIPS: Make sure you check out Passion Pit, Eight and a Half, Bear Hands, The Rubberbandits, Ewert and the Two Dragons, Rich Aucoin, The Sheepdogs, The Suicide of Western Culture, Cold Specks, Nicholas Jaar, Mansions, DZ Deathrays, Kids & Explosions, Lunice, Dope D.O.D and Spoek Mathambo (there are so many great acts, these are just some tips).

…as a final farewell, remember to party hard but conference harder and see the band you love but also fall in love with a new one.

Sincerely,

The CMF team