Toronto: Four Gentleman Reg Shows Coming

Jet Black, the new album by Gentleman Reg is due out Feb. 24 and to celebrate Reg is doing four shows in Toronto in the near future. First of all there is a listening party tonight at the Beaver 1192 Queen Street West - where everyone can listen to the new album and watch two new videos that have been made for the album.

Tomorrow Reg will be at the Tranzac for Wombat Wednesdays:

What a stellar lineup! Please come on Wednesday for a musical show with variety - likely an unlikely duets on the theme of love at the Tranzac.
8-11p.m. $6

Hosts: Kathleen Phillips and Dawn Whitwell

Reg Vermue and Jimmy Guthrie
Mary Margaret O'Hara and mystery guest
Jeremy Singer and Victoria Kent
Casey Mecija and Samir Khan
Tara Azzopardi and Paul Matthew
Bob Wiseman and Magali Meagher
Ian Russell and Julie Faught
Liz Hysen and Graeme Wilson
Katie Crown and Levi Macdougall
Liz Forsberg and Michael Armstrong
Erika Werry and Bob Wiseman
David Dineen Porter and guest

and on February 24, the day the album is released Reg will be playing a instore at Soundscapes (572 College St.) from 6 until 7 p.m.

Finally there is a March 12 show at the Horseshoe for Canadian Music Week: More details on that later. Keep an eye on myspace.com/gentlemanreg for more dates.

Announcing the Green Go Remix Project!

Green Go have been making great sounds emanate from Guelph for a few years now and while they may not be on the tip of everyone's tongue yet they have certainly gotten noticed by people like indiemusicfilter, I (Heart) Music, Bridging the Atlantic and the the Toronto Star. Whether you know Green Go or not (you will, just wait) you definitely know their friends.

Today sees the release of the Green Go Remix Project - with remixes by Green Go of Born Ruffians, the D'Urbervilles, Rural Alberta Advantage, Gentleman Reg, and Women. Visit themeaningofgreen.ca/remix.html to grab you're free copies. It is also all up in the Podsafe Downloads on this site, which means - feel free to downloads, save, listen, share, podcast and enjoy!

For those of you looking for things to do (like discover a new band that you're going to love, dance your ass off and have something interesting to talk about on monday morning) you can check out Green Go tomorrow night (Feb 7.) at Sneaky Dees for the Whale Tooth EP Release Party at Sneaky Dee's in Toronto. If you're not fortunate enough to live in Toronto you can also catch them at the Gordon Best Theatre w/ The Magic & the D'Urbervilles on Feb. 27 or in Peterborough on Feb. 28 at the Starlight with Bocce, the D'Urbervilles & DJ Global Warming!

green go - brains for breakfast- batman redub 2006

Toronto Instores: Bruce Peninsula, Hylozoists and Gentlman Reg

Toronto's Soundscapes (572 College Street) will be home to three instore perfomances (that I know of) in February. They are:

Bruce Peninsula on Wed Feb. 4th - @ 7pm.

Their new album AMIAM is available digitally now and will be in stores (such as Soundscapes) on Feb. 3. They are also playing some dates with the Tom Fun Orchestra around Ontario at the end of January, see myspace.com/brucepeninsula for details!

the Hylozoists will be there on Tuesday Feb 10th 6pm.

The Hylozoists new album "L'ile De Sept Villes" will also hit stores on Feb. 3. Following their instore they have a few dates around Ontario as well - myspace.com/hylozoists - if you can't wait until the 10th to hear them check out the July 19 episode of the now defunct CBC radio program Fuse - with the Hylozoists and Laura Barrett.

Gentleman Reg will be there on Tuesday, Feb 24th @ 6pm

Reg's new and long (long) awaited album "Jet Black" drops on arts and crafts that day - so you can see him live and grab a copy of his new album on it's first day. He'll also be at the Next Church in Kingston on Feb. 27.

Word on the street (um ... ok email not street) is that Soundscapes is soon going to start stocking 'select vinyl' as well, so watch for that.

Breaking Links: A Bunch of Music News

A bunch of music related bits and pieces I found today all crammed into one post instead of 7:

First Ms. Ruby Jean (a.k.a.) Rebekah Higgs who is debuting a new CD tomorrow night talked to the Halifax Business Journal about social media "“I think paying for websites is a thing of the past,” says the Halifax based singer-songwriter and member of the band Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees. The Thoughtful Bees don’t even have a website. The band uses Facebook and MySpace for its Internet presence.

Traditionally, musicians got their music out there through avenues such as live shows, word of mouth and posters, says Higgs. She says social networking sites and the internet are just another way of doing it. “It’s just sort of a faster way of getting things out there, and it’s inexpensive.”

Next up Rock Plaza Central, who are supposed to be taking a break announced a few upcoming shows.

Brent Randall and the Pinecones are all really happy about being named album of the week by the Globe and Mail
and suggest that that's a pretty good reason for you to buy it on Zunior (as always $8.88).

Gengleman Reg has the track listing up for his new album Jet Black (coming on Arts & Crafts Feb. 24)

the Arkells are getting ready to
tour Nova Scotia and Ontario with the Waking Eyes

Aids Wolf has posted an entire live show on their blog via YouTube

Kyrie Kristmanson is predicting the biggest year ever for indie everything! Not too far fetched based on what I've seen in the first 15 days.

and last but not least Spiral Beach reports that they have
18 new songs mostly recorded and are looking forward to playing them at you live this spring.

Spiral Beach



Photo (top left) from AJ on Flickr

The Birth of the Gentleman Reg Video Blog

Gentleman Reg (Vermue) who's next album Jet Black will be released on Arts & Crafts at some point next year has just sent out his first ever video blog along with a note that reads:

Watch the first, in what i'm sure will become a regular and ongoing video blog. All to do with things Gentleman Reg. You'll be amazed!
There really is no other video blog on all of the internet with this exact content.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ64BPJreok

The perfect thing for you and a loved one to do during this holiday season. A little five minute getaway from the hustle, the crowds, the snow, that uninvited guest, the sound of your relatives crying baby, or anything else you're trying to escape.
Trust me. Just Watch it.


xo reg

If you'd like to hear about these things first hand you might want to join http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11830434807.

New Gentleman Reg Album Coming on Arts & Crafts

According to CBC Radio 3 Reg Vermue (a.k.a. Gentleman Reg) has inked a deal with Arts and Crafts and will be releasing his new album "Jet Black" on October 14.

It has been a long wait for Jet Black. Reg's last album "Darby and Joan" was released in 2004. His other albums include "Make Me Pretty" (2002) and "the Theoretical Girl" (2000). He has also been a regular member of the Hidden Cameras

Gentleman Reg - the Boyfriend Song

Pee Wee Herman, Rocky Horror Style

Ever seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show? Sure you have. Ever seen it done by members of Broken Social Scene, Apostle of Hustle, The Hidden Cameras, Kids on TV, Republic of Safety, the Old Soul, the Phonemes, and reportely a guest appearance by Sook Yin Lee? I doubt it. Now scratch Rocky Horror and change it to Pee Wee's Big Adventure and you have what promises to be one of the Toronto events of the year.

The Cast (see below) will reenact the movie as it appears on the screen. All of this as a fundraiser for the Toronto Cyclists Union and will appear for two shows only at the Bloor Cinema, Thursday May 29, at 7 PM and again at 9:30 PM.

Tickets are on sale at

Downtown:
Grassroots Bloor, 408 Bloor St West
Grassroots Danforth,372 Danforth Ave
Soundscapes, 572 College St
Toronto Women's Bookstore, 73 Harbord St
Bloor Cinema box office (as of Monday May 12th)

Etobicoke:
Chain Reaction, 4231 Dundas St W
Bicycle Depot, 835 Albion Road
Daial Cycles, 555 Burnhamthorpe Rd W, Unit 107

The Full Cast for the Evening Includes

Lex Vaugh as Pee Wee Herman
Gentleman Reg as Francis
Joel Gibb as 'the hobo'
Maggie MacDonald as Tina

and

Adrian Heaps (Toronto City Council)
Andrew Whiteman (Apostle of Hustle)
Ariel Garten
Jedediah Smith (Bad Dog Theatre)
Jo-Ann Goldsmith (The Old Soul)
John Caffery (Kids on TV)
John Power (Brutal Knights)
Justin Stayshyn
Keith Cole (Keith Cole)
Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene)
Lisa Smolkin
Magali Meagher (phonemes)
Margaret Hastings-James
Matt Blackett (Spacing Magazine)
Mike EB
Misha Glouberman
Rose Bianchini
Sook Yin Lee (Definitely not the Opera)
Yvonne Bambrick (Toronto Cyclists Union)

More info is available here and here and here and, of course there is a Facebook Event Page at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=24642939648.

See you there! (If you're at the 7 pm show that is)

Last Minute Gentleman Reg Show (Toronto)

According to a note sent out this morning Gentleman Reg (Reg Vermue) will be playing this Wednesday (April 23) at the Tranzac with Gret Aunt Ida and Bellewoods - the show will start at 9 pm and is expected to be over by midnight. Reg also mentioned that this is his first Toronto show since New Years and that this might be a 'disappearing act.' We'll hope not but I'll pass it on if I hear anything.

Gentleman Reg - Over My Head (directed by Sara St. Onge)

Breaking Links: Thursday, December 18

Via J-Source: Reuters is reporting that 64 Journalists have been killed in the past year.

"For the fifth year in a row Iraq was the deadliest dateline with 31 journalists killed, most of whom were targeted and murdered, the watchdog said. All but one of the journalists killed were Iraqi, with nine of those working for international organizations, including Reuters and The Associated Press."

The East Coast Music Award nominess for 2008 have been announced and Halifax's Joel Plaskett has garnered a whopping 7 nominations.

"The band's 2007 album Ashtray Rock has three nominations, including recording of the year and its single Fashionable People earned nods for best single and songwriter of the year for Plaskett."

Volcanoless in Canada have posted their top music picks for 2007

"Damn I love the end of the year... there's something about snow on the ground, a frozen ice world outside, frost that physically hurts, that makes a guy just want to curl up someplace warm, forget about every single outside obligation, and for the first time all year, take the time to nostalgically make reference to breakthrough/amazing music encompassing another completed year. Team Volcanoless recently experienced some warmth by the fire, partaking in mad discussion about 2007 and the albums that made us want to make another one."

68 year-old John Peters, the latest RCMP taser victim is accusing the agency of a whitewash. In related news a new study has determined that tasers do not reduce shootings.

"Peters's wife Ann, who was in the car at the time, said her husband only put his hands over his face after the officer punched him in the mouth, and that the officer used the Taser twice on her husband while he was still in the car. "John never hit the officer. He was never tased outside the car. He was tased both times inside the car.""

The new album from Gentleman Reg is just about done.

"And it became apparent that all the songs we had recorded, even though they were all good, didn't make up a complete album.So, in the last few months many adjustments have been made. Adding songs, taking some away, re-mixing, editing,,,adding horns....And it's finally feeling finished. This week we go through the mixes and pick our favorites, and then assemble the album.It has a name too. I'll tell you later."

Vive Le Canada on the Tory plan to muzzle Canadian minorities.

"If passed, the proposal would give B.C. seven new MPs, Alberta five and Ontario only 10 – fully 11 fewer than if the province was treated the same as Canada's other fast-growing regions. This means effectively disenfranchising some 1 million Ontarians in the next decade, or approximately one in every 10 citizens of voting age."

MTV is referring to 2007 as The Year The [music] Industry Broke.

"In April, Trent Reznor released Year Zero, a concept album about a future society teetering on the brink of apocalypse. It was supposed to be a grand work of fiction, but it could just as easily have been about the music industry in 2007 — a bleak, burned-out world where the sky fell on a daily basis and the rivers ran red with the blood of record execs. (That the album didn't sell well only furthers the analogy ...)"

Police are looking for a man who murder a 74 year old while he was delivering Christmas cards in Kitchener Ontario and in Winnipeg they are looking for a man who abducted and assaulted an 11 year old girl. On the off chance you might know something please read the suspect descriptions in the articles.

RVT: You Make Me Tall by Gentleman Reg

Gentleman Reg: Just back from Europe where he opened for the Stars and Broken Social Scene has photos from the tour.. (Just so you know he was one of last months guests at last months Eyes on Toronto.

Here is a video for You Make Me Tall by Victoria Cheong

RVT, Gentleman Reg - Over My Head

More on Gentleman Reg at http://www.gentlemanreg.com/