Playing at warehouses in Bushwick and fashions shows at New York Fashion Week, DJ Venus X has transcended the many facets of the New York music scene. Her eclectic sets have drawn the admiration of both fashion designers, scenesters and the art world. We had the opportunity to sit down with her right before her show in Toronto tonight at the Hoxton.

One of Toronto’s hottest new restaurants has teamed up with one of Toronto’s hottest new bands to bring you the most unique event of the summer!

The inaugural inTO event is the Living Room Jam, taking place Thursday, July 19 at 8 p.m. at the new bar and restaurant Kitch (229 Geary Ave.). Co-hosting the evening is CityNews entertainment anchor Mary Kitchen and Jeffrey Remedios, co-founder of Arts & Crafts Productions. Special guests for the evening will include indie sensation Eight and a Half. Comprised of Justin Peroff of Broken Social Scene and Dave Hamelin and Liam O’Neil of The Stills, Eight and a Half will treat guests to a musical performance and give an insider’s glimpse into the production of their self-titled EP, featuring the single Go Ego.

Despite unintentionally becoming a rapper K.Flay, otherwise known as Kristine Flaherty, is fast becoming a well known name in indie-rap.  A 26 year-old Chicago native and Stanford graduate, she isn’t your run of the mill hip-hop songstress, but she’s got a way with words and a lot to say. I caught up with her during her North American tour, and asked her a few questions.

If you are anything like every other sighted woman on the planet, you probably didn’t go see Drive for the music. Once you were there though, you would’ve heard this amazing song by Toronto’s own Electric Youth and might have been able to focus on something other than Ryan Gosling for a minute (while he was offscreen, of course).

For a chance to win some free tickets to see Electric Youth at The Drake Hotel tomorrow (June 29th) like this post on Facebook.

“I like to bring the heat with me from New Orleans” Big Freedia said casually on the phone yesterday. I’d love to report so much more, but I was all flustered and fan-girl about it and she had such lovely manners that I just kinda got stuck in the awe of it all. Here’s what I managed to muster: She’s excited to play Toronto tonight at the Drake Hotel and promises a “very exciting and energetic show” as usual, and she has fond memories of her last trip to Canada, when “Toronto and Montreal both came out to support”, and she has mad love for Lesbians on Ecstasy who were the first ladies to bring her here.

That’s all I got.

But for serious, do you need any more? Big Freedia is gonna set the Drake on fire tonight. You know it, I know, and she sure as hell knows it. Tickets are 80% sold out, so you should scramble to handle that right here.

Brenmar is also on the bill, it’s 4AM last call for Gay Christmas, so start doing your stretches now.

Make it clap

Premiering her new song “Summertime” on her website (listen to it here) today, Kreayshawn also released this video featuring some seriously SWAG summer beach style — we dare you to wear those false eyelashes to the beach. 

She is launching her European tour tomorrow night in Norway, and we sure wish we could be there. The official release date for her upcoming album is August 14, 2012.

If you can’t wait for August to get more Kreayshawn check out this adorable and hilarious video, and hit up her website, facebook, and twitter.

Well, I can live to say I survived another MMVA weekend – barely though.

As usual, the MMVAs took good ol’ Queen West by storm while also sending every teenie bopper in the city into cardiac arrest. Once again, I got to be a part of the madness.

Striving to give our readers the very best in festival coverage, Courtney and I set out to redefine “the interview.” Our goal was to give readers some insight as to what their favourite artists get up to during a festival like NXNE, so we handed those artists the reigns. Whether joining a band to catch a set, hanging at one of the many day parties or simply seeing an artist on a recommendation, this year we took a backseat.

We’re very pleased to present to you Backseat Driving. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Every summer, Toronto becomes a flurry of BBQs, boat cruises, rooftop parties, secret alleyway shows and in-store previews.  For a week in Toronto, NXNE takes over and becomes every music, media and filmmakers dream destination. Where friends, new & old, come together to enjoy the thing that matters most: music.

This year, Yuli and I took to the streets to check out the who’s who during NXNE and give y’all our opinions, photos, videos and thoughts.

Probably one of the most anticipated summer events to hit Toronto, North to Northeast is back for it’s 18th year of all things awesome. Seven long days of  Live Music, Film Festivals, and music conferences for professionals and enthusiasts alike.

In an innovative new video for White Doves, Young Empires have bridged the gap between fan and band. Harnessing the power of Facebook, it integrates each user’s unique photographs into the video to create a personalized experience which is pretty profound. Click here to check it out. Make sure catch them at NXNE where they’re kicking off their Canadian tour on June 16th at the Horseshoe Tavern. Find the rest of their tour dates here.

I wouldn’t say I’ve got my finger on the proverbial pulse – I jumped on the Lana Del Ray bandwagon at the point when everyone wanted her to fade into oblivion and take her over-collagened lips with her – but this Bonde De Role remix of Major Lazer’s Get Free is HAWT – yet it appears that hardly anyone has even heard of it. I heard it a week ago at Anna’s house, and have been playing it NON-STOP ever since. Everytime I put it on, people are like ‘shit, this track is awesome – who is it?’. I inform them, all aloof and cool like I remixed it myself, and swell with a pride that only tastemakers feel. So, I highly recommend you pump it casually when your friends come over and get street cred before it’s too late and it enters the Mainstream Valley – also inhabited by “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye and its endless remixes, which I could never, ever hear again and die happy.