Spinner http://www.spinner.com Spinner http://www.spinner.com/media/feedlogo.gif Spinner http://www.spinner.com en-us Copyright 2012 Blogsmith, LLC. The contents of this headlines and excerpts feed are available for limited commercial distribution. You may repost this feed to your site provided you link back to the original story, do not edit the material, and do not remove this copyright notice. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ Handsome Furs Break Up http://www.spinner.com/2012/05/18/handsome-furs-break-up/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/05/18/handsome-furs-break-up/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/05/18/handsome-furs-break-up/#comments Filed under: , ,


Handsome FursSub Pop

Sad news rocked the indie world late Thursday May 17 when electro-punk duo Handsome Furs, also known as husband-and-wife Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry, announced on their website:

"With a heavy heart the time has come to let all of you know that Handsome Furs are no more.

The most important thing that needs to be said right now is how extremely grateful we are to all the fans all over the world that showered us with love and support over the years. Thank you for everything! It's been an incredible 6 years and we owe it all to you."

Handsome Furs initially began as a spin-off of Boeckner's other (also sadly defunct) band Wolf Parade but never reaching a similar crossover success, despite being equally deserving. Since the release of 2009's unimpeachably epic Face Control, which perfected their mix of Bruce Springsteen-esque anthemics, floor-filling analogue synths and foreign land lyrics, the Handsome Furs had settled for being one of indie music's best groups. ]]> alexi perrydan boecknerHandsome Furshandsome furs break uphandsome furs breaking upHandsomeFurs Joshua Ostroff 2012-05-18T08:45:00 00:00 El-P Says Obama and Republicans are the Same, U.S. Election is Like 'American Idol' http://www.spinner.com/2012/05/17/el-p-obama-republicans-american-idol/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/05/17/el-p-obama-republicans-american-idol/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/05/17/el-p-obama-republicans-american-idol/#comments Filed under: , ,


Fat Possum


When legendary indie rapper-producer El-P took the stage at Pitchfork's SXSW dayparty, he introduced his agit-rap jam "Up All Night" by boasting about his last visit to the festival in 2008, when he was booed for saying there was no difference between Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain.

"Are we so out of the delusion that we can admit now I was right?" he asked with a wide grin. Though the crowd response was tepid to his politics, they certainly went wild for the new songs off El-P's new solo album Cancer for Cure, out May 22 on Fat Possum Records.(Advance stream here.)

El-P later spoke to Spinner about why he doesn't vote, what he thinks of the Occupy Wall Street movement and other political views that inform lyrics like "I see you all regardless / I know what lies are like / I might have been born yesterday, sir / But I stayed up all night."

You ended that SXSW show by saying that you were right about there being no difference between Clinton and McCain and Obama.

Yeah, I just wanted to rub that in everyone's faces. The sad fact is that I'm always right about all this shit. And the reason it's sad is because I'm only always right about shit that's terrible. I'm never right about anything else. It's like my curse. ]]> El-pel-p musicel-p obama Joshua Ostroff 2012-05-17T17:00:00 00:00 Rufus Wainwright: Gay Marriage, Obama and 'the End of the American Empire' http://www.spinner.com/2012/05/11/rufus-wainwright-gay-marriage-politics/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/05/11/rufus-wainwright-gay-marriage-politics/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/05/11/rufus-wainwright-gay-marriage-politics/#comments Filed under: , , ,


Getty | AFP

"Tell me do you really think you go to hell for having loved?" sang Rufus Wainwright on his cutting 2007 song "Going to a Town," punctuating it with "I'm so tired of America."

Wainwright, now engaged to his boyfriend, wrote it prior to Barack Obama's election, but as we saw in North Carolina this past week, there are still many people -- if not, now, the president -- who feel that gay men and women will be damned for simply wanting to get married or have kids.

"So, how do I feel now? Well, once again we're approaching an election year in the United States, and I'm getting ready to make that next commitment in terms of my relationship, in terms of getting married, and we're at the outset of a child's life," Wainright told Spinner in an interview last month. "I don't know. I'm worried to say that it's positive; I would certainly say that the Republicans at this point are far less frightening than they were back in the Bush era. We don't have any [Dick] Cheneys around, really." ]]> barack obamabarack obama gay marriagebarackobamagay marriageobama gay marriagePresident Barack Obamapresident obamaPresident obama gay marriageRufus WainwrightRufus Wainwright gayRufus Wainwright gay marriageRufusWainwright Joshua Ostroff 2012-05-11T10:30:00 00:00 Maurice Sendak, Dead: Remembering the 'Where the Wild Things Are' Author's Love of Music and Carole King Collaboration http://www.spinner.com/2012/05/08/maurice-sendak-dead-carole-king/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/05/08/maurice-sendak-dead-carole-king/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/05/08/maurice-sendak-dead-carole-king/#comments Filed under: , ,


Getty | Getty

Maurice Sendak, the beloved and cantankerous children's author, died today at 83. He, of course, would deny that title, if perhaps not the cantankerous part.

"I don't write for children," he recently told Stephen Colbert. "No. I write, and somebody says 'that's for children.' I didn't set out to make children happy. Or life better for them. Or easier for them. I like them as few and far between as I like adults. Maybe a bit more, because I really don't like adults."

Of course, that unsentimental attitude is precisely what made books like Where the Wild Things Are so enduringly powerful amongst the similarly unsentimental knee-high set. Sendak's prickly yet majestic aesthetic is also what paired his work so brilliantly with Arcade Fire's specially re-recorded "Wake Up" in the unbeatable trailer for Spike Jonze's live-action Wild Things and provided wonderful inspiration for Karen O and the Kids' end-credits theme song "All is Love." ]]> Carole KingCaroleKingChicken Soup with RiceMaurice SendakMaurice Sendak DeadMaurice Sendak RIPMauriceSendakWhere the Wild Things AreWhereTheWildThingsAre Joshua Ostroff 2012-05-08T12:35:00 00:00 Kid Koala on Fatherhood, Yo Gabba Gabba and Crafting 'Space Cadet' for a Decade http://www.spinner.com/2012/05/04/kid-koala-space-cadet/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/05/04/kid-koala-space-cadet/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/05/04/kid-koala-space-cadet/#comments Filed under: , , ,



Ninja Tune

Kid Koala, the Canadian DJ and cartoonist otherwise known as Eric San, no longer quite fits his nom de turntable. Though he started out young -- self-distributing his demo mixtape way back in 1996 on audio cassette -- the Ninja Tunes turntablist is now in his late-30s and has a kid of his own.

Over these years he's refined his unique cut-up musical style and quirky illustrations to the point where he has arrived at current triumph Space Cadet, a wordless and wonderful graphic novel with an equally wordless and wonderful "still picture score" soundtrack CD.

Kid Koala spoke to Spinner about being a dad, cutting his own vinyl and why one-eyed Muno is so scary. ]]> Kid KoalaKidKoalaSpace Cadetyo gabba gabbaYo Gabba Gabba Music Joshua Ostroff 2012-05-04T15:30:00 00:00 Rufus Wainwright: How His Mother's Death, Daughter's Birth Got Him 'Out of the Game' http://www.spinner.com/2012/04/27/rufus-wainwright-out-of-the-game-interview/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/04/27/rufus-wainwright-out-of-the-game-interview/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/04/27/rufus-wainwright-out-of-the-game-interview/#comments Filed under: , , ,


Universal

Rufus Wainwright has had a manic couple of years. Though it has culminated in the heights of the Canadian singer's acclaimed new album, Out of the Game -- produced by Mark Ronson, who cut his teeth working with Amy Winehouse and Adele -- it has not been an easy ascent.

His mother Kate McGarrigle, of much-loved folk duo Kate and Anna McGarrigle, died in January 2010 after a long struggle with cancer. It was devastating for Rufus, who was famously close with the mother who raised him alone after she split with his father, singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III, when he was young.

Later that same year Wainwright got engaged to his partner Jörn Weisbrodt. A few months after that, Rufus and Leonard Cohen's daughter Lorca had a daughter together, who will be raised by all three. For the rest of the 2011 Wainwright worked on Out of the Game, an album which proved to be his most personal as he processed his mother's death and his daughter's birth by turning tragedy and triumph into song.

In a similarly personal interview with Spinner, Wainwright opens up about life, death and Grandpa Leonard. ]]> rufus wainwrightRufusWainwrightWainwright family Joshua Ostroff 2012-04-27T10:30:00 00:00 10 Hot Rock Star Wives http://www.spinner.com/2012/04/25/10-hot-rockstar-wives/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/04/25/10-hot-rockstar-wives/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/04/25/10-hot-rockstar-wives/#comments Filed under:


Getty Images (2)

Rock stars get to live the life most of us mortals can only dream to live. Whether it's getting to travel the world to play music in front of arena-sized crowds, or living in massive mansions in the hills, the Gods of Rock 'n' Roll have it pretty good.

In this photo gallery, our colleagues at Noisecreep pick 10 hot-as-lava rock star wives for your daily fix of eye candy. With women this gorgeous at home, it's a wonder how any of these rockers get any touring done! ]]> chester benningtonChesterBenningtondee sniderDeeSniderDuff McKaganDuffMckaganguns n rosesGunsNRoseshot rock star wiveskings of leonKingsOfLeonlinkin parkLinkinParkmatt sorumMattSorumrock starsted nugentTedNugenttrent reznorTrentReznor Joshua Ostroff 2012-04-25T09:36:00 00:00 Flaming Lips, NXNE: Indie Icons Headline Free AOL Spinner Concert in Toronto http://www.spinner.com/2012/04/17/flaming-lips-nxne-free-concert/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/04/17/flaming-lips-nxne-free-concert/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/04/17/flaming-lips-nxne-free-concert/#comments Filed under: , ,


Wayne CoyneShirlaine Forrest, WireImage

Do you realize how long we've been keeping this amazing news to ourselves?!? The Flaming Lips are headlining Spinner Canada's free all-day NXNE concert on Saturday, June 16 at Toronto's Yonge-Dundas Square! Yes, the Flaming Lips. I know, right?

Toronto's annual NXNE festival seems to grow bigger and more ambitious every year, much like SXSW, its sister fest down in Austin, but the 2012 edition is looking to take the cake, run it out the door, jump into a getaway car and drive across the county line.

And, appropriately enough, the candles on North-by-Northeast's cake are the freaking Flaming Lips. Last year's Spinner.ca NXNE free party featured the likes of Cults, Men Without Hats and the legendary Devo, but we've raised the stakes even further with this year's line-up. ]]> flaming lipsFlamingLipsfree concertnorth by northeastnorthbynortheastnxnethe flaming lipsthe flaming lips - music artistwayne coyneWayneCoyneyd squareyoung-dundas square Joshua Ostroff 2012-04-17T08:45:00 00:00 Massive Attack Score 'Halo 4' and Scarlett Johanssen http://www.spinner.com/2012/04/11/massive-attack-halo-4-neil-davidge-scarlett-johanssen/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/04/11/massive-attack-halo-4-neil-davidge-scarlett-johanssen/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/04/11/massive-attack-halo-4-neil-davidge-scarlett-johanssen/#comments Filed under:


Fin Image | Bungie

OK, so it's not "technically" Massive Attack, but two of the pioneering British electronic act's primary players are staging unorthodox comebacks.

Producer and co-songwriter Neil Davidge has been hired to score the upcoming videogame Halo 4, the first entry in the epic Xbox sci-fi series not made by Bungie. Martin O'Donnell was the acclaimed composer behind all the previous Halo game music, but the reins have been picked up by Davidge who worked with the franchise's new studio, 343 Industries, to raise the scoring stakes.

Davidge hired a 16-person male tenor/bass choir and a 10 female Bulgarian vocalists as well as a full 50-piece orchestra to help realize his Hollywood blockbuster-sized vision. Oh, and then he did much of the recording at Abbey Road. Of course. ]]> HaloHalo 4Halo 4 SoundtrackHalo SoundtrackHalo3Halo4HaloXboxMassive AttackMassiveAttackNeil Davidge Joshua Ostroff 2012-04-11T15:30:00 00:00 Juno Awards 2012: Drake Loses Best Album to Michael Buble 'Christmas' Album, Feist Wins Best Artist http://www.spinner.com/2012/04/01/junos-2012-juno-awards/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/04/01/junos-2012-juno-awards/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/04/01/junos-2012-juno-awards/#comments Filed under: , , ,


Getty I CP I Getty

The Juno Awards have made great strides in credibility in recent years, but that may have culminated in last year's Drake-hosted crowning of Arcade Fire. The 2012 Junos took a great big step backwards -- and a curiously unnecessary one -- by overlooking Drake's critical and commercial hit Take Care in favour of awarding Michael Buble's Christmas album.

Perhaps sensing this impending award show trainwreck, both Canadian superstars stayed away from the Junos broadcast in Ottawa. (As did Buble's fellow Christmas album nominee Justin Bieber, though he accepted his Juno Fan Choice Award, presented by new protégé Carly Rae Jepsen, via taped message.)

Drake's loss to a Christmas album is as egregious as Kanye West not being nominated for a best album Grammy for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Up against two holiday records and a pair of critical failures from Nickelback and Avril Lavigne, it shouldn't have been a contest. Buble's Christmas album is really good for what it is, but what it is is a freaking Christmas album. It's hardly an artistic achievement on the level of Drake's Take Care.

As an aghast Deadmau5 said backstage, "Really? Was it any good? I mean, it better be one hell of a Christmas album."
]]> city and colourCityAndColourdan manganDanManganDeadmau5dragonetteDrakeFeistjuno awardsJuno Awards 2012juno2012junoawardsjunosjunos 2012justin biebermartin solveigmichael bubleSheepdogsTheSheepdogs Joshua Ostroff 2012-04-01T23:20:00 00:00 Junos 2012: Feist, Drake, Dan Mangan and Sheepdogs Win Juno Awards http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/31/junos-2012-feist-drake-dan-mangan-sheepdogs-juno-awards/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/31/junos-2012-feist-drake-dan-mangan-sheepdogs-juno-awards/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/31/junos-2012-feist-drake-dan-mangan-sheepdogs-juno-awards/#comments Filed under: , ,


Juno Award winners Sheepdogs, Feist and DrakeJoshua Ostroff, AOL/WireImage (2)


As with any award show, the 2012 Junos Gala, the un-televised Saturday dinner ceremony where the vast majority of the gold is doled before the big Willam Shatner-hosted Sunday show in Ottawa, was full of expected wins, unfortunate losses and not a few shockers.

Feist, who swept her last Junos with five wins back in 2008, nabbed another pair of statues for her mantle. To no one's surprise -- except perhaps Feist herself, who admitted at the podium "I really didn't know this category was up tonight so I'm shocked" -- the indie superstar took home Adult Alternative Album of the Year for Metals as well Music DVD of the Year, for Look at What the Light Did Now. She has a chance at another two on Sunday in the best songwriter and artist of the year categories.

Drake, who lost last year's Rap Recording of the Year -- and all of his other nominations -- in a shocking upset since he was also hosting, saved some face with Saturday's win for his acclaimed album Take Care. Of course, we didn't see his face since the Toronto rapper is currently touring the UK even though he's also up for artist of the year, Juno Fan Choice and album of the year on Sunday night.

]]> Dan ManganDanMangandrakefeistjuno 2012juno awardsjunoawardsjunos Joshua Ostroff 2012-03-31T21:35:00 00:00 Arkells + CanRock All-Star Team Cover Neil Young's 'Harvest Moon' -- Exclusive Video http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/31/arkells-harvest-moon-live-exclusive-video/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/31/arkells-harvest-moon-live-exclusive-video/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/31/arkells-harvest-moon-live-exclusive-video/#comments Filed under: ,


ArkellesUniversal Music Canada

What better way to celebrate this Juno Awards weekend's, er, celebration of Canadian music than with this exclusive, maple syrup-coated cover of 2011 Juno-winner Neil Young's "Harvest Moon" by this year's nominees Arkells and CanRock cohorts from Cuff the Duke, Great Lake Swimmers, City and Colour and Ladies of the Canyon.

The working-class Hamilton, ON, rockers are nominated for Group of the Year and Rock Album of the Year for Michigan Left, which will see a long-awaited U.S. release on April 10 and a American tour.

Arkells recently played a fundraiser at Toronto's Legendary Horseshoe Tavern for MusiCounts, a charity supporting children's music education. "We were fortunate enough to share the stage with many of the Canadian musicians that we have looked up to for a very long time," said bassist Nick Dika. "The night was a lot of fun, and not one that will soon be forgotten; bucket list kind of stuff."

Spinner can now present you exclusive footage from that event in the form of Arkells' awesome all-star cover of "Harvest Moon." Enjoy! ]]> arkellscity and colourCityAndColourcuff the dukeCuffTheDukeGreat Lake SwimmersGreatLakeSwimmersharvest moonJuno AwardsJunoAwardsjunoawards2012junosLadies of the Canyonneil youngNeilYoung Joshua Ostroff 2012-03-31T13:30:00 00:00 Deadmau5 Beefs With Michael Bublé, Says Modern Raves Lack Adventure http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/30/deadmau5-juno-awards-michael-buble/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/30/deadmau5-juno-awards-michael-buble/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/30/deadmau5-juno-awards-michael-buble/#comments Filed under: , , ,


Josh Ostroff for AOL

Deadmau5 is no newcomer to the Juno Awards, having taken home gold in every year that he's been nominated for the Canadian music award. But this year his giant mousehead didn't just pop up in the dance category, but also in several major slots.

Not a bad way to cap off a stretch where he dominated dance music, went platinum, helmed a record-breaking run of shows in New York and then became the first Canadian headliner to sell-out Toronto's Rogers Centre football stadium, a show so massive he even made a concert DVD of it.

So Spinner talked to the Canadian DJ/producer also known as Joel Zimmerman about awards, raves and, of course, Michael Buble.

It seemed like dance music was dead for a long while, and now you're up for the Junos' Fan Choice Award and Artist of the Year, that's something that's never happened in this genre.

That's a first this year. It's kind of been playing with this for the last three at the Junos, but this year it's a little bit different, it's kicked it up a little notch. It's kinda f---ed up because now I'm up against the biggest pop acts. Like Drake is not just like the biggest pop act in Canada, he's one of the biggest pop acts, period. I don't know about Michael Buble but, f--k, I mean he's still doing big things.
]]> Deadmau5Juno AwardsJunoAwardsJunosMichael Bublé Joshua Ostroff 2012-03-30T11:30:00 00:00 Coeur de Pirate Hearts Drake and Weeknd: 'As a White Girl, I Feel Really Inspired' http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/30/coeur-de-pirate-drake-weeknd-juno-awards/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/30/coeur-de-pirate-drake-weeknd-juno-awards/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/30/coeur-de-pirate-drake-weeknd-juno-awards/#comments Filed under: ,


Marwa Hamad

Coeur de Pirate, the nom de chanson of French-Canadian crooner Béatrice Martin, is all about juxtaposition. She looks like a tat-covered skater girl and started out singing about meeting cute boys at Warped Tour, but she also wears pretty dresses and sounds like an old-fashioned singer from France.

Her latest album Blonde -- which is nominated for Francophone Album of the Year at the Juno Awards and debuted at number one in Quebec and number five in France -- takes its cues from '60s French music, but she blew up in the Anglo world last fall with a YouTube cover of avant-R&B hit "Wicked Games" by Drake's cutting-edge compatriot, The Weekend.

"You know, it's really funny, I'm obsessed with The Weeknd," Martin tells Spinner. "If there's a fangirl in me, it's with The Weeknd and Drake and the whole culture around those two and the themes that they talk about in their songs. It really relates to the things that I want to say in my music as well." ]]> beatrice martinCoeur de PirateCoeurDePirateDrakeJuno AwardsJunoAwardsJunosThe WeekndTheWeekndweeknd Joshua Ostroff 2012-03-30T11:00:00 00:00 The Sheepdogs Enlist Black Keys to Fight Radio 'Turds,' 'Stupid' Music Industry http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/29/the-sheepdogs-enlist-black-keys/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/29/the-sheepdogs-enlist-black-keys/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/29/the-sheepdogs-enlist-black-keys/#comments Filed under: ,


Joshua Ostroff for AOL

Just over a year ago, the Sheepdogs were unknown, unsigned and unloved by the music industry after years of small-town struggle. But then Rolling Stone and AOL Music assembled 16 acts to compete to become the first unsigned one on the mag's iconic cover. They won.

Fast forward to now, and the Saskatoon neo-classic rockers are pretty much everywhere, most recently taking home four Indie Awards last Saturday during Canadian Music Week and rolling into this weekend's Juno Awards with another three nominations: New Artist of the Year, Rock Album of the Year and Single of the Year.

"I think a lot of people want to know if we're for real or if we're just some story - and that's totally acceptable," scruffy singer Ewan Currie tells Spinner before headlining the Canadian Blast BBQ during SXSW in Austin. Independent-band-makes-good is a great story, of course, but it's also interesting that all these industry accolades have been for Learn and Burn, an album they recorded by themselves long before they emblazoned on that cover.

"The industry is kind of stupid," Currie says bluntly.
]]> junoJuno AwardsJunoAwardsJunosPatrick CarneyThe Black Keysthe sheepdogsthesheepdogs Joshua Ostroff 2012-03-29T09:30:00 00:00 Kids & Explosions, Slakadeliqs and Airbird Blow Up CMW 'Artist Select Series' (VIDEO) http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/26/kids-and-explosions-slakadeliqs-and-airbird-cmw-cmf/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/26/kids-and-explosions-slakadeliqs-and-airbird-cmw-cmf/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/26/kids-and-explosions-slakadeliqs-and-airbird-cmw-cmf/#comments Filed under: , ,


Kids & Explosions

Spinner joined forces with the Red Bull Music Academy and Young Lions Music Club for the Artist Select Series at Toronto live music hotspot The Garrison during CMW's Canadian Music Fest. The first two nights were curated and hosted by, respectively, Canadian rapper Shad and Jeremy Greenspan of Hamilton, ON heroes Junior Boys.

We've captured video from the event, including highlights from Toronto singer-producer-rapper Slakah the Beatchild's new project, The Slakadeliqs and local Oscar-nominated filmmaker-turned-remix artist Kids & Explosions, who describes himself as "a boy who makes songs by stealing other people's songs and making them worse" but was more aptly introduced by Shad as "mind-blowing."

Greenspan's bill featured a turn from electronic pop experimentalist Airbird, a New York artist also known as Joel Ford who has most recently been making music as part of Ford & Lopatin. Greenspan predicts, and with reason, that Airbird "will undoubtedly be getting huge attention all over the place."

Come back tomorrow for video from the final 'Artist Select' bill curated by Broken Social Scene's Brendan Canning.

Watch exclusive 'Artist Select' footage of Kids & Explosions, the Slakadeliqs and Airbird below: ]]> Canadian Music FestCanadian Music WeekCMWcmw2012kids and explosionsshad Joshua Ostroff 2012-03-26T16:15:00 00:00 Best Movie Soundtracks: The 15 Film Music Compilations That'll Change Your Life http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/23/best-movie-soundtracks/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/23/best-movie-soundtracks/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/23/best-movie-soundtracks/#comments Filed under: , , , ,


TrainspottingCapitol

Much ado has been made about this Hunger Games film, but what impressed us the most was the franchise's attempt to give movie soundtracks back their pop-cultural import with the film's heavily curated compilation. Produced by rock legend T-Bone Burnett, an Oscar-winner for his O Brother, Where Art Tho? soundtrack, it aims for iconic with a playlist ranging from a Biblically inspired Arcade Fire and a Civil Wars-assisted Taylor Swift to Neko Case, Miranda Lambert and Kid Cudi.

Most soundtracks are still quickly assembled cash-grabs, but The Hunger Games clearly hopes to join the ranks of the best collections of movie music. Many of the most meaningful ones have come from youth culture films like Hunger Games, so we dug into the stacks to look at similar soundtracks that matched or transcended the films they came from, and sometimes even helped define a generation. ]]> hunger gamesHungerGamesSoundtrackthe hunger gamesthe hunger games soundtrack Joshua Ostroff 2012-03-23T16:45:00 00:00 Junior Boys' Jeremy Greenspan Explains Picks for CMF 'Artist Select' Show (LISTEN) http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/22/cmw-cmf-junior-boys-red-bull-music-academy/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/22/cmw-cmf-junior-boys-red-bull-music-academy/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/22/cmw-cmf-junior-boys-red-bull-music-academy/#comments Filed under: , ,


Domino

Spinner is joining forces with the Red Bull Music Academy and Young Lions Music Club for the Artist Select Series at Toronto live music hotspot The Garrison. As the title portends, each of the three shows during CMW's Canadian Music Fest will be curated and hosted by a different artist. Canadian rapper Shad kicked things off and now it's Junior Boys all-star Jeremy Greenspan's turn before Broken Social Scene mainstay Brendan Canning takes over on Saturday.

Below, we've got some sonic samples from the artists Greenspan (and Malcolm Levy of NEWFORMS Festival) selected for the Friday night bill. Stay tuned for more exclusive next-day video and a preview of Canning's lineup picks for Saturday.
]]> canadian music festivalcanadian music weekcmfcmwcmw2012junior boysjuniorboysred bull academy Joshua Ostroff 2012-03-22T15:00:00 00:00 CMW, CMF: Joel Plaskett Ushers in Canadian Music Week Atop the CN Tower http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/22/cmw-cmf-joel-plaskett/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/22/cmw-cmf-joel-plaskett/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/22/cmw-cmf-joel-plaskett/#comments Filed under: , ,


Josh Ostroff, AOL

Canadian Music Week kicked off its 30th anniversary on a high note -- literally. Toronto's annual music conference's Canadian Music Fest began with a party atop the world's second-tallest structure, the CN Tower (shakes angry fist at Dubai) featuring the country's second-tallest musician, Joel Plaskett (shakes angry fist at Win Butler).

The beloved Can-rocker, whose solo career has by now long outlived his glorious run with his '90s band Thrush Hermit, boasted about being "the highest band in the world right now" and played a mix of his older solo songs like 'Deny, Deny, Deny' off his aptly-titled triple album 'Three' and some brand-new cuts off his upcoming (and apparently also aptly-named) record 'Scrappy Happiness.' ]]> Canadian Music WeekCMFCMWcmw2012joel plaskettJoelPlaskett Joshua Ostroff 2012-03-22T12:30:00 00:00 CMW, CMF, Shad: Rapper Explains Picks for RBMA 'Artist Select' Show (LISTEN) http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/21/cmw-cmf-shad-red-bull-music-academy/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/21/cmw-cmf-shad-red-bull-music-academy/ http://www.spinner.com/2012/03/21/cmw-cmf-shad-red-bull-music-academy/#comments Filed under: , ,


ShadBlack Box Recordings

Spinner is joining forces with the Red Bull Music Academy and Young Lions Music Club for the Artist Select Series at Toronto live music hotspot The Garrison. As the title portends, each of the three shows during CMW's Canadian Music Fest will be curated and hosted by a different artist, beginning this Thursday with Canadian Rapper Shad.

The 'TSOL' star has assembled an ace lineup to kick off the series, which also features Junior Boys' Jeremy Greenspan and Broken Social Scene's Brendan Canning holding down the fort Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Below, we've got some sonic samples from the artists Shad picked for his bill. Stay tuned for posts from Greenspan and Canning previewing their showcases, plus exclusive next-day video from each night, too! ]]> CanadianMusicWeekcmwcmw2012IAN KAMAUkids and explosionsMATTHEW JOHNSTONshadSLAKEDELIQSTHE MIGHTY RHINO ORIJIN Joshua Ostroff 2012-03-21T16:00:00 00:00