Do have a passion for music? Do want to help shape the future of sound? Welcome to the Academy, the Red Bull Music Academy. Started in 1998, the Red Bull Music Academy, hosted in a different city every year (past cities include Madrid, London, Barcelona, Rome, Toronto, etc.) works with two teams of 30 musicians, bridging them together with some of the most influential names in the industry, and works with them through lectures, workshops, studio time, and a chance to perform at some of the most iconic clubs and concert halls in each host city. In short, it’s a sick opportunity.

Can you believe another month is coming to end and spring is literally around the corner- where does the time go?!? If you think time flies in the real world, well in the fashion frontier it goes at runway speed… I mean damn, we’ve already went through four Fashion Weeks!! Before you miss anymore, here’s your fashion fix.

Normally for the Elwins CD release show w/ Meligrove Band & The Bicycles and Songs: Tokyo Police Club we’d have two seperate posts promoting these two seperate events and you’d have to flip a coin to pick which one gets custody for the night, but hybrids are all the rage these days! (see the Jaguar C-X16, The Vampire Diaries) It’s also how Young Lions Music Club rolls. TOMORROW NIGHT, instead of playing favourites to just one great party, they’ve rolled these two awesome events into one mega event, partnered with Toronto Standard and taken over the Burroughes Building for maximium party time! Excellent!

The epic night will kick off with a celebration of the debut release from the Elwins, makers of sweet pop rock and the raddest videos on YouTube. ‘And I Thank You’ is out now and available on iTunes and bandcamp for your eternal enjoyment. Joining them for the night with performances will be The Bicycles and my local heros Meligrove Band. Doors open at 8pm and advance tickets are $8 (RT/SS) or $12 at the door with partial proceeds going to support the Toronto Music Industry Association.

Guess, Happy Valentine’s Day and all crap is in order. If you think things are heating up in the boudoir then you can imagine what the Fashion frontier is on fire, I mean literally I’ve been out and about, rushing from previews to launches and everything in between. So peep my latest adventures…

This past Thursday marked the launch of the By The Pound – Reweighted exhibit. With 100 artists participating, the launch at Goodfellas Gallery (1266 Queen St. W) was a hit with tons of great pieces and enough glam people to make anyone want to become a patron of the arts.

The premise of the group show is to compare ”art to meat in the sense that if quality and long term happiness is at all important to the consumer… although the initial cost may be a little more, the long term reward is greater than the cost”. With a description like that, you can do no wrong.

If you’re worried the 2012 JUNO Awards has already soldout, you needn’t fear any longer. Whilst tickets for the broadcast on CTV don’t go on sale until Friday February 10 at 10am,  there’s still plenty of time to impress host William Shatner with that new sequined cape you’ve been dying to sport to the affair.

On February 15th at Twist Gallery, here in Toronto, the Special Events Planning students of George Brown College are throwing a charity event to raise money for the George Brown College Scholarship Foundation and The SickKids Foundation; to provide modern equipment and support services for new advances in diagnosis, treatment and care.

Midnight in Manhattan will be representing the different neighbourhoods of the New York City, by showcasing their uniqueness through their aesthetic and food. In addition their will be a live band, a New York themed photo booth and a Silent Auction.   This is a great event to support SickKids and GBC students, as well meet up with some fresh faces who within the next few years will be involved with more charity work and event planning here in Toronto.

Tickets for the event are $20 in advance, which can be purchased through Jamila Blackman, or $25 at the door.  Again, the event is February 15th, 2012 at Twist Gallery, 1100 Queen St. W, from 7:00pm – 10:00pm.

Hello, hello, hello – hope everyone is surviving the Good Ol’ Canada winter. No matter how cold the temperature is outside the fashion frontier is always smoking hot… so peep below for this week’s fashion fix.

Do you know what chiptune is? Anamanaguchi’s music comes from the same vein as the structured videogame tones from a hacked 1985 Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) that create those familiar arcade beeps and bloops that were constantly in the background for most of our childhoods only with more of a punk rock edge.

I spoke with drummer Luke Silas. from the band on the telephone all the way from Miami, Florida.  Anamanaguchi are making their way to Toronto on January 21, 2012 with Extreme Animals and Moon King at Wrongbar (http://embracepresents.com/event/anamanaguchi/).  While he took in the warmth on his vacation, we had the chance to discuss what the band was really all about.

Sooo, we’ve barely put a mark in the moleskins and things are already heating up on the fashion frontier, from – collections, collabos to Fashion Week and everything in between… your girl Pinkie has your fix.

If your New Years resolution was to keep your drinking to a minimum, at least for a month, I have bad news for you….the last couple of weeks of January has a lot of blackout nights ahead. We’ll keep in the West end at first for g l o r y h o l e at the Beaver, and Anamanaguchi and Brodinski at Wrongbar, then hustle over to the Opera House for A$AP ROCKY. Take the time now to stay clean, and eat healthy, so you won’t feel so bad when February comes around.

I’ve always admired fashion as a creative outlet. I always felt it to be the most free form of expression, a chance to play dress-up like a child on a daily basis, and reveal to the world what you love and offer a glimpse into who you are. Unfortunately for Toronto’s fashion scene, many in the industry have forgotten the childlike sense of whimsy that fashion holds. They have traded their creativity for pretence, and it always is telling on both the runway and the street. Luckily for all of us in the city, nothing could be farther from the truth when talking about the Parkdale staple, House of Vintage. Being a vintage aficionado myself, I have always admired the work of HOV and their offerings. If you have not yet picked up at least a few great pieces from HOV, it’s definitely time to treat yourself and head over. I guarantee you will find a gem to cherish for many years to come.