Chicago is known for producing a lot of good things: Chicago deep dish pizza, architecture, wind (aka. The Windy City) but it's also known for producing a lot of good bands. One of those bands would be A Lull, an indie rock / experimental band that I had the chance of interviewing at NXNE during the Slapback Media BBQ at the Analogue Gallery on Thursday June 16, 2011. Thankfully, I tried to take it pretty easy on Nigel Dennis, Todd Miller, Mike Brown, Aaron Vincel and Ashwin Deepankar who had just driven in from Cornwall, Ontario (where...

Honestly, the last week give or take has been a complete blur... Luminato, NXNE, and MMVA need we say more, but some how I managed to make it out to a few stops on the circuit. I kicked off  Thursday night with the grand opening of GUESS' brand's new 5,000 square foot retail space, it was a vibe great the space filled with familiar faces chatting, sipping wine and munching on tasty nibblets.   FLARE magazine partnered with GUESS for the launch we...

You know that closing scene in Ang Lee’s 'Taking Woodstock' where Elliot stares into the sea of disarray and says “beautiful”? That’s how I feel about this year’s edition of NXNE. If you were following @pinkmafia4life on Twitter at all during the week then you’d know that we partied worked our asses off! This year’s festival was an explosion of awesome parties and incredible showcases - and we have the pictures to prove it. On top of all of the festival highlights we somehow managed to squeeze in hang outs with some of the best new Canadian bands for...

Here’s the deal: NXNE has begun with a pretty serious bang. In the schedules of 50+ bands you’ve all made to see this week I sincerely hope The Dodos are one of them. They’ll in town tonight for what should be an incredible show at the Phoenix with the amazing Deerhoof. The only catch is that it’s sold out (whomp, whomp!) but get there early with wristbands securely fastened and you may be granted admissions. If you don’t already know The Dodos from their unique approach to soundscapes (or their Miller Chill beer commercial) Logan Kroeber helps fill you in on...

Yet again, we get to give to you our top picks of where to go past your usual bedtime. A few of our usual contenders are on here, and you'll see a couple additions. This year has a 27 bars open til 4 am - you can sleep when you're dead. Crawford 718 College St. NXNE is taking over the basement! Wednesday 2 am brings us a Moombahton party with the always fabulous Lucie Tic (she can also be found at Wrongbar on Thursday - see below). On Thursday after NXNE go back to High School: 90's Hip Hop...

San Diego’s Tape Deck Mountain (TDM) are playing NXNE on Thursday June 16th with their counterparts A Lull, Gauntlet Hair and Woodsmen at the El Mocambo. TDM first started making waves when they released their full length album, Ghost, back in November which had a mix of electronic and shoe-gaze.  Pitchfork and PreFix Magazine both gave Ghost favorable reviews and since then, Tape Deck Mountain has been on the road. Frontman Travis Trevisan took a few moments before getting into Toronto to speak to me about the album, life of the road and their upcoming NXNE show. Amanda from Pink...

Summer in the city just wouldn't be the same without NXNE - the one amazing week every June we've all grown to worship love. Each year the onslaught of unreal parties and exciting performances of the very best that music has to offer pretty much guarantees this festival will be the most fun you can have without taking your clothes off! If you don't believe me, the 4am last call is sure to sway, or at the very least remove said clothes. I've sifted through the talent-packed schedule (honoree Brian Wilson purposefully not included) and picked the top showcases each night to...

This Summer I'll be taking a page from Pamela Des Barres and hitting the open road, journeying across Canada to take in some of the best festivals this country has to offer. It doesn't matter where you live because frankly if we've learned anything from Planes, Trains & Automobiles it's that mobility has nothing but hilarious consequences. A music festival can be the perfect punch in the gut to the lazy, hazy days of summer; you'll need a few key things to ensure the ultimate in successful road trips first though. Keep good company, bring lots of snacks (a few roadie pops...

Speaking of incredible music festivals, some artists have been announced for NXNE and can I just say they're amazeballs! The burgeoning romance with SXSW has turned into an Austen-grade love story that each year just continues to get bigger and better. Since there are 650 or so bands participating this year, I’ll be featuring a few that you most definitely need to check out leading up the festival. First up: The fervently rockin’ Royal Bangs from Knoxville, Tennessee. Listed as one of Spin’s 5 Best New Artists for April and currently touring Europe with Cold War Kids and The Walkmen,...

Clothes Make The Man, The Darcys, & Hollerado @ Le Boat

Exclaim! Rooftop Party W/ The Flatliners @ London Tap House, June 18th

After this year's NXNE, I've decided that I want my life to only consist of going to fun parties and drinking and eating for free. Seriously. Do you know how awesome free beer is? Because, it's awesome.

My photographer Steph and I headed over to London Tap House on Friday for an "exclusive" Exclaim! bbq. After waiting outside due to the venue already being at capacity (FYI--it opened at 3, was at capacity by 3:30pm) we headed up to the rooftop patio for a seriously wicked party. Upstairs,...

Stones in Exile is brand new documentary all about the recording of their album Exile on Main St. It chronicles their insane drug use and exile from England due to the fact that they couldn't afford their taxes. It features some never-before-seen video footage and photographs of the band, as well as the other key people involved with the making of Exile (the album, that is). The Good Stuff: I love that the movie was produced and narrated by the Stones, themselves and wasn't made with a bunch of half-true facts told by third-party sources. Since I...