Happy Slacker Canadian Music Week! We’re only a day in and already the jet lag/suicidal thoughts I was having post SXSW have completely disappeared. While there have been a few bumps in the road (get well soon Childish Gambino! xo) the sun is shining, the film and comedy fest lineups are stacked and the music fest, celebrating it’s 30th b-day, is determined to slap that scowl off the faces of any negative Nelly’s out there.

Like any good festival, there is a shit ton going on. Whether you choose one of the stacked showcases presented by Dine Alone Records or Arts & Crafts, or spend some time at Young Lions Music Club’s CMW Artist Select Series feat. Shad, Brendan Canning and Jeremy Greenspan of Junior Boys curating, DJing, and hosting their own CMW showcases, to say you’ve got some options is an understatement. In case you missed Pink Mafia’s annual guide, you can check it out here and FYI I’ve cross-referenced the CMW social media cheat sheet to clear up any namesake confusion, so for all intents and purposes, it’s #CMF ok? Be sure to follow @pinkmafia4life all week long and their army of babes: @amapod @courtneyleeyip @KayLaser @kateswitch for live updates/photos/kisses.

Below is a little #CMF mix to throw on while you hop from venue to venue which you can download here: http://www.mediafire.com/file/or1kvakjm3nvmzh/CMW.m3u

Sweaty, fresh, and illegal; those are the words that come to mind every time I visit PatentLeatherDaddy.com.  If you’re not familiar with the site already, you should be.  P_L_D is all about mixtapes and releasing full album downloads, that might be hard to track down via torrents. Currently I’ve been listening to GYM JAMS: HOT OR NOT over and over again.  Not only has HOT OR NOT reintroduced me to Cassie (how can you forget Me & U), but gets me club ready even if I’m about to go to bed.

Call me crazy, but carving pumpkins, staying up past your bedtime, eating too much candy and drinking pumpkin beer/spiked apple cider while dressed as your favourite ghost, ghoul or goblin is like, an insurmountable amount of holiday fun. On the other hand, listening to John Carpenter’s Halloween theme or Monster Mash on repeat is not.

Enter New Wave revivalists and the rising popularity of goth-infused anything and we’re left with tons of options to bring Halloween playlists into the twenty-tens. Whether you are going out to paint the town a bloody red or slaying in, this collection of songs will ressurect any gathering. Happy haunting!

AUSTRA :: The Beast
Austra – The Beast by pipedreamin
TRUST :: Candy Walls
Trust – Candy Walls by sacredbones
CHELSEA WOLFE :: Mer
Chelsea Wolfe – Mer by One Thirty BPM
CRYSTAL CASTLES :: Baptism
Crystal Castles – Baptism by Jrparado
CRAFT SPELLS :: The Fog Rose High
The Fog Rose High by Craft Spells by goincase
I BREAK HORSES :: Load Your Eyes (Star Slinger Remix)
I Break Horses – Load Your Eyes (Star Slinger Load Your 808 Remix) by Bella Union
BURIAL :: Stolen Dog
Burial – Stolen Dog by ListenBeforeYouBuy
ZOLA JESUS :: Vessel
Zola Jesus – Vessel by sacredbones
PURITY RING :: Belispeak
Belispeak by PURITY RING
MEMORY TAPES :: Offers
Memory Tapes – Offers by gulsah turgut
CHARLI XCX :: Nuclear Seasons
CharliXCX – Nuclear Seasons by charlixcx
GRIMES :: Beast Infection (Cumbia Remix)
GRIMES – BEAST INFECTION (Cumbia Remix) by NOIA (projects)
HOW TO DRESS WELL :: Suicide Dream 2 (holy other remix)
How To Dress Well – Suicide Dream 2 (Holy Other’s Effervescent Mix) by HOLY OTHER
ATELECINE :: 4am
aTelecine – 4AM by P 3 N D V ? N Y C
FEVER RAY :: The Wolf
Fever Ray – The Wolf by Andrew Diego
SALEM :: King Night
KING NIGHT by SALEM official
MASSIVE ATTACK VS. BURIAL :: Paradise Circus
Massive Attack vs Burial – Paradise Circus (Radio Rip) by Behind Color Bars

Words by Kate Masewich

It’s kinda disco, super sexy, but still boppy enough that you can listen to it whislt getting ready to go out and get faced at a club. It’s lip glossing music if we ever heard it.

CLICK HERE TO LIST AND OR DOWNLOAD

TRACK LIST

White Knuckle Ride -Jamiroquai  (Monarchy Remix)

Love Get Out Of My Way -Monarchy (Treasure Fingers Remix)

Poison Lips -Vitalic

True Romance -Golden Silvers (Penguin Prison Remix)

So Down -Yuksek feat. Chormeo

What You Know -Two Door Cinema Club (Cassian Remix)

Looklooklook -Golden Bug (In Flagranti Remix)

Sweet Disposition -The Temper Trap (RAC Mix)

History -Groove Armada (GRUM Remix)

HoneyTrap (Le Matos Remix) We Have Band

Rocket -Goldfrapp (Penguin Prison Remix)

With Every Heartbeat -Robyn (Punks Jump Up Remix)

One -Yeasayer (Tits & Clits Remix)

Stars -The XX (LAZRtag Remix)

To Kingdom Come -Passion Pit (GRUM Vocal Mix)

Radio -Black Cherry (StayGold Remix)

Heavy Cross -Gossip (Yuksek Remix)

Paris Makes Me Feel Like Dancing -Something A La Mode

Shooting Stars -Bag Raiders

Karate -Kennedy

Modern Eyes -Jump Jump Dance Dance (Bit Funk Remix)

Shakedown Street -Grateful Dead (Tommie Sunshine and Figure EC$TACY Edit)

A Funny Thing (Jeffery Jerusalem Remix)

Rain Of Gold (Demo)-Young Empires

House Of Jealous Lovers -The Rapture

Business Acumen -In Flagranti

Shame On Me (Yuksek remix) Amanda Blank

Wild Cat -Ratatat

Round And Round -Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti

Joy Ride -The Killers

We’re in the dog days of one of the best summer’s we’ve had in years. And to commemorate the best season of them all, Le Freak C’est Keek has made us a lovely Summer Mixtape. Here’s what she had to say about it:

“This mix is SUMMER… atmospheric dreamy airy sexy like sitting in the park watching white squirrells run past as yo smoke a huge spliff of kush and daydream away or when you’re at the beach swimming freely staring into the sky like you dont have a problem in the world… These tracks will take you away and put you into that eurphoric mind frame no matter where you are in the city. XO kiki”

Listen to: To Summer With Love HERE

TRACK LIST
1.Helicoptere – Guillamaume & The Coutu Dumonts
2.I Love You But I’ve Chosen Disco – SLG Feat. Smoolny
3. Give You Up – Willie Graff, Tuccillo
4.Moscow After Autumn Rain – Elastic Sound
5.Your Love (Ian Pooley Mix) – Noel Nanton
6.Big Love – Peter Heller
7.Ladada – Josh Hemplering
8. It’s Got To Be – Phil Weeks Mix – Block Commitee
9. Gonna Be Alright – Andre Crom Feat. Martin Dawson
10 Late Night Jam – Sixteen Souls

The Cottage Country mix series by Dougie Boom is an annual homage to the rock radio stations of the near north, complete with corny skits and bogus weather reports, “The Loon 93.5″ rocks the dock once again… Volume 5, dubbed “Cottage Country After Dark”, picks up from where last year left off and has a ‘late night, stare at the fire kind of vibe . But fear not, it still rocks and gets progressively rocking (especially through the next volumes). Instead, fear bears, biting bugs and poisonous plants.

Dmoney pres. Cottage Country Vol. 5 by Dougie Boom
Ready for download, streaming or subscription on Dougie’s Boomcast
page: Click Here

Tinariwen — “Kyardardem”

David Essex — “Rock On”

Map of Africa — “Freaky Ways”

Heart — “These Dreams”

Payolas — “Eyes Of the Stranger (Full Length Version)”

The Police — “Walking On the Moon”

Mott The Hoople — “All The Young Dudes”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience — “Burning Of the Midnight Lamp”

Mountain — “Theme For An Imaginary Western”

Donovan — “Hurdy Gurdy Man”

Bob Dylan — “Lay Lady Lay”

David Bowie — “Song For Bob Dylan”

The Band — “Up On Cripple Creek”

Chicago — “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day”

The Black Crowes — “Remedy”

Aerosmith — “Last Child (Home Sweet Home)”

The Beatles — “Come Together”

David Bowie — “Starman”

The Kinks — “Big Sky”

Deep Purple — “Blind”

The Guess Who — “American Woman”

Andrew Allsgood Experience — “Macho Wizard”

Heart — “Magic Man”

Chilliwack — “Crazy Talk (Diggy & Dougie Edit)”

Led Zeppelin — “All My Love”

Shuggie Otis — “Strawberry Letter 23″

Seals & Croft – “Summer Breeze”

Osanna — “Variazione II (My Mind Flies)”

The Clash — “Straight To Hell”

Brian Eno — “St. Elmo’s Fire”

Toto — “Africa”

Rush — “Tom Sawyer”

It’s a soulful, sexy mix that is one part morning drive and one party hot summer night at the cottage. Soothing and yet silky smooth.  Pal of PinkMafia, Mike Jansen, is letting us give this mixtape a listen, here’s what he had to say, scroll down for the link.

“Got no track list unfortunately but I made this mix when I was living in Asia. I was coming home for Christmas and wanted to get all my friends gifts but definitely wasn’t trying to ball out or buy them shit they didn’t want/wouldn’t actually use. Music is an amazing gift. This is all straight soul and was put together with the intention of having  a dope mix you could play around your family. Starts off all hot cocoa and gets more spiked egg nog later on.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Graham Pence operates West Coast bookings in Vancouver and Los Angeles, a notable events planner, specializing in high-profile functions for the music industry with over 10 years experience.  Recently, as owner and operator of *GRAHAM PENCE ARTISTS*, he has  a growing client list of successful bands, including: Sam Roberts, k-os, The Stills, Metric, Hot Hot Heat, Shiny Toy Guns, Suicide Girls, Bedouin Soundclash,Broken Social Scene…you get the picture and we don’t need to go on about his various other achievements. Graham pulled this one together for the move pof the bans, the love of music and the love of wind in your hair and sand between your toes. It’s one of the best submissions we’re ever had.

Surf Trip Mix* CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

*1. Electric Tickle Machine ‘Gimme Money’: *This track always puts me in the mood to get out of the house and hit the road… or bust open the piggy bank and stock up on strong drink.* *One of my favourite New York bands, but have yet to catch their wild live show which I hear cannot be missed.

* 2. Turbo Fruits, ‘On The Road’: *First time I got to see Turbo Fruits, they were opening for Surfer Blood and stealing the show every night. This must be one the best road trip songs ever written, I defy you to disagree.

* 3. Beach Fossils, ‘Daydream’: *Currently on tour with Bear In Heaven and Twin Sister, Beach Fossils are another great Brooklyn band that can craft an honest mood and take you to the summer year round.

*4. Archie Bronson Outfit, ‘Hoola’: *I just recently became aware of this great group from the UK.  This is how the British do surfer rock, and if you love Foals, you’ll appreciate this new track.

*5. Harlem, ‘South Of France’: *The new surfer rock and garage tunes are all coming out with great stories. All you need are some tasty waves.
*6. Heartless Bastards, ‘The Mountain’: *This is the tune that plays when you commit the perfect crime and get away scott-free while speeding through the Rockies in a convertible salute to freedom.

*7. Turbo Fruits, ‘Mama’s Mad Cos I Fried My Brain’: *This track has such a great old fashioned lyric style. There’s a video of them performing it live in a hotel bathroom, amazing.

*8. Terry Reid, ‘Superlungs My Super Girl’: *So much soul, had to include a great oldie. If you like this, check out ‘Seeds Of Memory’.
*9. Spoon, ‘Got Nuffin’: *An anthem for wasted youth everywhere.

*10. Best Coast, ‘When I’m With You’: *Recently my theme song for Coachella 2010, warm friends and fine summer nights.

*11. O. Children, ‘Dead Disco Dancer’: *This band is starting to get more of the attention they deserve. One of the more catchy tunes to fill the summer.

*12. Broken Bells, ‘Vaporize’:* Still loving this tune, always reminds me of frisbees and sandcastles.

*13. The High Wire, ‘Hang From The Lights’: *Learn to play this acoustic, paint your face, quit your job, move out west, wear sandals, eat potatoes, and let the love in; double rainbow, what does it MEAN!?

*14. Family Of The Year, ‘Surprise’: *Another SXSW darling, great for around the bonfire at the end of the summer.

*15. Laura Veirs, ‘July Flame’: *When I first heard this tune it was stuck in my head for a week, enjoy.

*16. Surfer Blood, ‘Catholic Pagans’: *Surfer Blood had to be included on this list, and this is one of my favourite songs by the group.

*17. Holly Miranda, ‘Waves’: *A song for staring out into the ocean, waiting for your set to come in.

*18. Julian Lynch, ‘Just Enough’: *There is something in the guitar style of this tune that I find very refreshing.  It’s got an Eastern-feel without being Sitar.

*19. Kendal Johansson, ‘Blue Moon (Big Star Cover)’: *A very short cover, but it says all it needs to. When the piano comes in I swear my pupils dilate; the strength of 10 Grinches… plus 2.

*20. Low Sea, ‘Never Yours’: *This new group from Galway are blowing my mind these days. This tune is a bit darker, but uses 50′s and surfer rock influence in a brilliant and haunting way. I suggest you listen to the rest of the album, all gems.

* 21. Zola Jesus, ‘I Can’t Stand’: *Send this to a friend and cheer them up.

*22. Blitzen Trapper, ‘Furr’: *Great storytelling once again, nothing draws you into a song like conflict and unfolding events, (thanks grade 10 English Lit). I don’t know what he’s saying, but I like the way he’s sayin’ it…

* 23. Postdata, ‘Tobias Grey’: *A song for the end of the evening, when it’s time to pack up and head home.

The “Summer of Love” brings images of San Fransisco, long hair, and dirty feet. But Riviera aka Violca Yryku former member of Toronto DJ Duo Mansion has given us a playlist for her summer of love’n, sweet sweet love’n. And no, it’s not all LSD and hand holding. Riviera , having kicked off her own solo career in 2010 comes news of her signing to Paul Oakenfolds very own”Perfecto” Label and Kenneth Thomas’s “Myth Records”. Stay tuned for releases “With Out” on Myth this July, “Break” feat Bless on Perfecto….and a brand new upcoming EP on Kinetika.

As for Riviera’s reasons for picking these songs? In her own words words, “I chose these specific tracks because of their feel good sound and appeal.They are all about love or dancing or just living it up. Its all in the titles really….feel good love shit.”

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

1) Shining Star- GET FAR( Riviera Remix )
2) Alive- GOLDFRAPP (Tensnake Remix)
3) Life-  BUTCH( Edu and Coyu Remix)
4) Love Love Love- SHARAM
5) Dance- EARTH PEOPLE
6) Feelin – PITO ( DIstrict One Remix)
7) Love- LOUIS LA ROCHE
8 ) New Choice-PIRUPA
9) Wanna be your Lover -Prince (White Girl Lusts Solid Bump Beat)
10) Golden Lady- Jose Feliciano ( Riviera edit )

And for more info on Riviera check out soundcloud, facebook, or myspace

The last time we made a mixtape, our pal took pity on our shit skills and made it into a continuous mix.  Be we’re a bit older and miss the real deal. So here goes.

PINK MAFIA SEPTEMBER MIX

This mixtape is suitable for: Wasting Monday mornings at your shit job, rainy days, heartache, writing love letters, wanderlust, generally being a girl, long train rides, and it’s a pretty sweet way to win a bet with people who think you only know about dance music and oldies. P.s If you’re a video geek like we are, you’ll appreciate that all them links go to vids.

Song List:

1. Drumming Song–Florence + The Machine
2. If I Ever Feel Better–Phoenix
3. Skeleton Boy (GRUM Remix)–Friendly Fires
4. L’Amour Et la Violence (Boys Noize Main Version)–Sebastien Tellier
5. We Own The Sky–M83
6. Stillness Is The Move–Dirty Projectors
7. Another Likely Story–Au Revoir Simone
8. The Sun Ain’t Shining No More (Live)–The Asteroid Galaxy Tour
9. Islands–The XX
10. Russia–Ramona Falls
11. I Love How You Love Me–Camera Obscura
12. Stokkseyri–Jonsi & Alex (or Riceboy Sleeps)

Tonight we’ll be shaking and shimmying with the In Crowd at Tattoo Rock Parlor. If you can’t join us this week, download this mixtape for some old-school goodness.

Click here.

Track Listings:
1. (Ain’t That) Good News–Sam Cooke
2. I heard It through The Grapevine–Gladys Knight & The Pips
3. Do You Love Me–The Contours
4. Ain’t too Proud To beg–The Temptations
5. Where Did Our Love Go–The Supremes
6. Bernadette–Four Tops
7. Beggin’–Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
8. Let’s Spend The Night Together–The Rolling Stones
9. For Your Love–the Yardbirds
10. Twist & Shout–The Beatles
11. Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On–Jerry Lee Lewis
12. Wooly Bully–Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs
13. Wild Thing–The Troggs
14. Summertime Blues–Eddie Cochran
15. Sleep Walk–Santo & Johnny

We just love those mixtapes. Here’s our special Barletta fall mixtape. Click the link below to download!

Barletta Fall Mixtape

Barletta – Panther (Zeds Dead Remix)
Amanda Blank – I’d like it better if we slept together (Barletta Edit)
Gingy – Swagger (Barletta Remix)
Green Day – Brain Stew (Barletta Dub Edit)
Anna Cyzon – Reputation (Barletta Remix)
Deadmau5 – Slip
Gingy – Asi9
Barletta + Gingy – Floodlight
John Dahlback – Pyramid (Dirty South Vs Barletta Edit)
Golden Gloves – Casablanca (Barletta Remix)
Bot – Alarma
Joachim Garraud – R U Ready (Chuckie Remix)

We hate Valentine’s Day. It’s a fake holiday. And if you are such a shitty boyfriend that you can only get it together one day of the year, then you don’t deserve the hummer you’re hoping she gets you.

However, we did think of a few things that work on any day of the year, even this one.

Dinner Date

We’re all over this new spot that just opened in Yorkville called, MoRoCo Chocolat. It’s the most opulent, organic, chocolate haven ever to be created. MoRoCo is like the Tiffany’s of chocolate eateries. The meal menus are nothing to write home about, but the high tea service is over the top. You wanna get off easy and take your girl somewhere cool, this is your jam right here.

99 Yorkville Avenue. 416.961.2202

Best Gift For Her

We found this on the Cool Hunter and we drooled right away. It’s a plain looking ring made by artist Yoon Jun Yun, but with a twist because it leaves a message imprinted on the wearer’s finger. The samples say dorky stuff like, “marry me”, but we’d special order something funny. Like an inside joke. Or instead of “marry me”, we’d put Mrs. Blank. Just punch it up a bit. Either way, this is pretty high on the awwww chick meter.

You have to email and special order: yoonjunyun@gmail.com

Best Gift For Him

If you really really want to go all out, then get him a lap dance. From you. Jessica, an instructor at pole-dancing studio, Downtown Aradia Fitness is an expert in how to give him a lap dance and just generally be a sexy tease for your man on Valentine’s Day. Not for nothing, but we did something like this with a Blow Job Class through Come As You Are once, and it was marry-me level good for the men in our lives. P.s. it was a really fun day with all kinds of female bonding, funny stories and barrels of laughs. So it’s like a bonus round.

721 Queen St. West, Suite 202 416.901.2848

Cooking

Cooking is one of the best ways to do something for your lover. If you suck at cooking, you can order their favourite dinner, set the table, get a movie. Doesn’t take much to woo a hard-working woman, trust us. Or, you can learn to cook her favourite meal from her best friend/family member. OR, and this is a real special, you are the best guy ever kind of gift: you could take some cooking classes on the sly and then prepare it for her on the night of. George Brown has a whole bunch of great one-day classes that you can pay to learn.

For more info, give them a call at:  416-415-5000, ext. 2517

On The Cheap

If you don’t have much of a budget it’s hard for us to tell you what to do because no budget requires all kinds of imagination. The best gifts are moments. Creating a really good moment, is going to take a lot of personalization that we can’t give you here. But here’s a couple that we would love, tailored to our individual personalities of course.

Coupons

It’s an old one but a good one if you’re willing to go all the way with it. Get some good crd stock and make her some coupons saying things like, “Foot Massage”, and “Free Car Wash”. The thing about these cards is that she can use them whenever she wants. The proof is in the pudding so to speak, so follow through boys.

Mixtape

Oh the mixtape, how we love you for all occasions. Mixtapes are one of the ballin’ moves we pull around here all the time. You can make it super cheese or you can make it really funny. You can fill it with all the songs that you two have enjoyed together. Then put that sucker on while you make her dinner. After, you can put on the slow jam b-sides and have a bath and hit the sack. That’s if you choose the double disc option (which we recommend highly). She will keep it, gloat about it, and listen to it on the constant. You win! Hummers for everyone!

PINK MAFIA LOVE MIXTAPE From Us To You!

1. This Modern Love–Bloc Party, Silent Alarm
2. Once I Had A Love–Blondie, The Platinum Collection
3. Genius Of Love–Tom Tom Club, Tom Tom Club
4. Let’s Make Love–Cansei de Ser Sexy, Canei de Ser Sexy
5. I Need Your Love–The Rapture, Echoes
6. Between Love & Hate–The Strokes, Room On Fire
7. My Love For You–ESG, A South Bronx Story
8. Where Did Our Love Go?–Soft Cell (cover), The Very Best Of
9. Love My Way–The Psychedelic Furs, Forever Now
10. How Sweet It Is (To be Loved By You)–Marvin Gaye, Motown: The Classics
11. Your Ex-Lover Is Dead–Stars, Your Ex-Lover Is Dead
12. Still In Love Song–The Stills, Logic Will Break Your Heart
13. I Want Your Love–Chromatics, Night Drive
14. Love For Granted–Phoenix, Alphabetical