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WHAT'S ALL THIS THEN?! Toronto's podcast on musical innovation and eccentricity. Subscribe on iTunes. Because it's good and it's free. | |
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What's All This Then?! is back! We're now producing a weekly show about the music and ideas of Toronto's most interesting musicians. A weekly update on what's happening with creative music, including interviews, music, and occasional forays into the epic intergalactic adventures of co-host Guitar Drone. | |
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What's All This Then?! no. 15 (November 24 2009) The reintroduction of What's All This Then?!: guitar drone berates our host for abandoning the show. Some very deep philosophical and psychological concepts are discussed. Gigs of the week: Drumheller @ the Tranzac (Tuesday Nov.24) + AIMToronto's Interface with Gino Robair @ Somewhere There (Friday Nov.27 to Sunday Nov.29). Links: Drumheller on MySpace / AIMToronto (details on the Interface series) | |
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Session no. 14: Ronley Teper 16/03/09 One of my absolute favourite Toronto
performers! Ronley Teper discusses: her theatrical approach to
performing music; working with a band-in-flux; and her new recording.
Ronley will be having a CD release concert on Thursday, March 19th at
the Tranzac - do come if you're in Toronto. |
Session no. 13: Chris Warren 03/03/09 |
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Session no. 12: The Toy Piano Composers' Collective 07/02/09 A conversation with Monica Clorey and Chris Thornborrow, two artists involved in the up-and-coming Toy Piano Composers' Collective. The enthusiasm and determination of these young composers to build a new and exciting vehicle for presenting new music in a fun, unpretentious way leads your host on an intense emotional journey from the pit of ennui to a new appreciation for the creative spirit. The Toy Piano Composers will be presenting their second concert [featuring works for string quartet by Dan Brophy, Monica Clorey, Igor Correia, Elisha Denburg, Glenn James, Nancy Tam, Christopher Thornborrow, and Fiona Ryan] at Gallery 345 on Friday, February 13th. Links: |
Session no. 11: "Friendly" Rich Marsella 20/08/08 One of my favourite Toronto performing
acts, Friendly Rich and the Lollipop people, will be releasing a new CD
on August 21. I got together with band leader Richard Marsella to talk
about how this unique band got started, what they're up to now, and
what the fuck exactly he thinks he's up to. |
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Session no. 10: Zamfir, Sun Ra, Evil Alien Robots 12/08/08 I've
waited a month-and-a-half for my greatly anticipated interview with
legendary pan flautist Gheorge Zamfir. But when the sinister alien
robot X-4 and his endearingly incompetent sidekick Guitar Drone
XPT101196.4 decide to drop by for a bit of abduction and philosophy the
interview is completely ruined. When X-4 reveals his plan to assemble
the greatest band ever known: The Cosmic Blues-Rock All Stars Big Band,
is becomes clear that only Sun Ra stands between this demented villian
and Universal Harmonic Anilliation. A classic episode. |
Session no. 09: Operatic Composer David Ogborn 26/07/08 David Ogborn's 'Opera on the Rocks' was
a surprise hit as this year's Fringe Festival. A darkly comedic
collaboration between one composer, four librettists, and four singers,
this work strips away the converntional barriers between audience and
performer to offer a socially and artistically relevant chamber opera
with none of the pompous trappings typically associated with the
genre. Ogborn discusses how this project came to happen, its technical
and personal demands, and how it articulates his cultural and artistic
role as a composer. |
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Session no. 08: Somewhere There's Scott Thomson 27/06/08 Scott Thomson discusses Somewhere There,
the venue for creative music he opened recently in Parkdale: heis
reasons for starting the venue; who's playing there; and what the space
has to offer to musicians and audience members exploring this facet of
Toronto's music scene. |
Session no. 07: Jazz Saxophonist Richard Underhill 06/06/08 A conversation with Richard Underhill,
member of the iconic band the Shuffle Demons, legendary saxophonist,
and Kensington community activist. Topics include: the sympathetic
relationship between being culturally confrontational and having a
great time; the psychological differences between playing the Cameron
House and the Air Canada Centre; the positives and negatives to being
vulnerable as a performer on stage; and how the Shuffle Demons went
from being a street band to a bid deal. Plus: 900 saxophonists playing
the theme song from Hockey Night in Canada in Dundas Square. |
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Session no. 06: Wavelength's Duncan MacDonell 20/05/08 A wide-reanging conversation with Duncan MacDonell: smoking pets, children as producers; Wallace Stevens; Greek goddesses; Secret Japanese Girlfriends; the respective artistic values of social discomfort and bodily trauma; the positive result of setting Istvan Cantor loose at the Drake Hotel; and the Wavelength concert series MacDonnell co-founded eight years ago. |
Session no. 05: Mike Smith of Muskox Mike Smith from the band Muskox discusses non-jazz instrumental music and how groups working in this medium interact within Toronto's music scene. Mike talks about what he's trying to achieve musically with this ensemble and some of the problems associated with making quiet music in loud bars. |
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Session no. 04: John Kameel Farah 19/04/08 |
Session no. 02: Composer Scott Good Unfortunately I'm missing my show notes for the first three sessions: listen to them and let me know what they're about and I'll write it in here.
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Session no. 02: Tiny Alligator / Caitlin Smith Unfortunately I'm missing my show notes for the first three sessions: listen to them and let me know what they're about and I'll write it in here. |
Session no. 01: Flautist / Composer Rob Piilonen Unfortunately I'm missing my show notes for the first three sessions: listen to them and let me know what they're about and I'll write it in here. |