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Kids & Explosions Goes From Oscar-Nominee to Mash-Up Maverick

Justin Broadbent "People have been stealing music to make music for a long, long time. The only difference is that now people are hiding it less," Kids & Explosions, the Oscar-nominated director ('I Met the Walrus') turned remix artist behind 'S--- Computer,' tells Spinner. K&E, also known as Toronto's Josh Raskin, speaks from ...

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MGMT Play Old and New at Pre-Lollapalooza Gig

Two summers ago MGMT was on top of the world. The Brooklyn-based duo were touring the globe in support of their debut release 'Oracular Spectacular,' dominating music festivals and wowing critics and fans alike with their massive overnight success and surprising new sound. But at Lollapalooza, the band had a new challenge as it embarks on a tour ...

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Martha Wainwright Has 'No Regrets' Despite Tragic Loss

When choosing the final tracks for 'Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, À Paris,' Martha Wainwright's album of Edith Piaf songs, the singer was careful not to select any of her predecessor's best-known tunes for two reasons: For one, she couldn't relate to the material, for another, she couldn't bear to hear them performed by anyone else. "I should ...

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Danger Mouse Battles Self-Doubt in the Recording Studio

With his pensive expression and calm demeanor, Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton), is certainly more mouse than danger. This is not to say that he's meek -- he's just incredibly quiet and surprisingly cautious, despite all of his successes with Gnarls Barkley, Gorillaz, and now alongside the Shins' James Mercer in Broken Bells. Burton is especially ...

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Broken Social Scene Release Fan-Made Video in Response to G20 Summit

During their set at the Toronto Island concert last month, Broken Social Scene lead singer Kevin Drew was vocal about his disdain for the G20 Summit. At the time, no one could have understood the scope of destruction this gathering of the top nations' leaders would bring upon the band's hometown the following weekend -- but now, in the aftermath of ...

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Martha Wainwright Reimagines Edith Piaf for New Album, Tour

It's been a disorienting year for Martha Wainwright -- the Montreal-born singer/songwriter lost her mother (renown singer Kate McGarrigle) to cancer, went into labour early (thankfully delivering a healthy baby boy), and took up residence in a new and somewhat foreign home in Brooklyn. Sitting in a French bistro in Toronto sipping a steaming ...

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Polaris Prize Short List Names Tegan and Sara, Owen Pallett, Shad, Broken Social Scene

From 40 albums the Polaris Music Prize list shortened to 10 finalists this afternoon. Making the cut for the prestigious Canadian music award are: the Besnard Lakes, Broken Social Scene, Caribou, Karkwa, Dan Mangan, Radio Radio, Owen Pallett, the Sadies, Shad, and Tegan and Sara. The list was announced in order by the CBC's Grant Lawrence with ...

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