The Finger - Die! Die superhero! (Hype 0118)

Nice fresh pop single in the spirit of a Shirley Manson out of Greece!! We tracked this one down through a download to our Soundcloud*.

*Note Yes, we do listen. Not like some of those other grimy Toronto Blogs/publications that wait for the major labels to hand them free CDs (You know who you are!)

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCqqqmhrx3c

Foreigner - Urgent (Retro 004)

For three weeks around September 1981 Foreigner had the number 1 song in Toronto (1050 Chum Charts). I was alittle too young to have discovered music at this point in time and definately this would not have been on my radar during my high school days of the mid/late eighties. My tastes tended to gravitate to the more new wave alternative sounds of the time and not the rock or metal. Funny as how I get older and gravitate back to the older music I find myself actually likeing some of the older rock pop tracks that dominated the early eighties and the flailing sax solos.

If interested, I track the pop hits of the eighties that landed on the Toronto 1050 Chum Charts 30 years later in the following facebook page on a fairly daily basis:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/1050-CHUM-Charts-Eighties-Hits/385431135253



Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA6id4--BDg

Miracle Fortress - Miscalculations (Hype 0117)

Nice chilled out track and new video from Canadian Outfit Miracle Fortress off their Was I The Wave release

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLS6hPF73xI

J.Viewz - Salty Air (Hype 0116)

Holding onto summer with this Cut and Paste track by J. Viewz

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUyy4gcgqaI

Luke Temple - More Than Muscle (Hype 0115)

Quirky indie track from Luke Temple on Western Vinyl.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbBaYOZLiv0

Korallreven-As Young As Yesterday (Feat. Victoria Bergsman) (Hype 0114)

Former Concretes vocalist Victoria Bergsman lends vocals to another cut and paste track from Korallreven track. Nice!!

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWl9l740_wk

Sleep ∞ Over - Romantic Streams (Hype 0113)

Cut and paste dream pop track from Sleep Over. Nice!!

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh5EvhWm8Ao

Pepper Rabbit Rosemary Stretch (Hype 0112)

Hand clapping goodness for today's hype track. Arcade what?

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiGPPK1Wgd0

Groove Armada - The Pleasure Victim (Hype 0111)

Groove Armada are back with a slammin club track taking inspiration from a very popular nineties house anthem called Devotion by Nomad. I have to admit I've been more heavy on the indie posts vs the club posts so hopefully this will inspire more dance stuff on the blog in the near future.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNZ4gMhQwtE

Human League and Men Without Hats Guvernment Setlist Toronto September 18, 2011

Double bill of eighties synthpop ikons in Toronto tonight at the Guvernment. Took awhile but the place finally filled up nicely too. Men Without Hats were on first.

Men Without Hats

Ivan was back in town for his 3rd show in Toronto this year. I've seen all three shows so I was glad he changed up the setlist alittle and gave Toronto a first time opportunity to hear Ideas for Walls. Definately still lots of energy in the band given they have been touring all year. The band is still only playing the one new song This War which they opened up with this time around. The set was short and unfortunately did not include Moonbeam. Here is the setlist which only had nine songs this time around.

This War
Antarctica
I Got The Message
I Like
Ideas For Walls
Pop Goes The World
Living In China
Where Do The Boys Go
Safety Dance

Here is what people said (not many people said anything about Men Without Hats):

@JulianSpillane: Dear Twitter, I will be live-tweeting from the Men Without Hats and Human League show. Prepare for a deluge of drunken excitement.

@IKvsDK: Men Without Hats again #3 #toronto


Human League

Next up were Human League. The League at this point are still Philip Oakey, Susanne Sulley, and Joanne Catherall. 4 backup members supported the music side of things with space age like keyboards and electronic drums. The band came out and put on a nice ninety minute high energy show which captured at least one track from every Human League album while going heavy on the cuts from Dare and the three singles from the new album Credo. Seeing Human League can now be marked off my list of things I need to do before I die.  Fantastic!!! Here was the setlist.

1) Never Let Me Go (Credo)
2) Open Your Heart (Dare)
3) Sound Of The Crowd (Dare)
4) Heart Like A Wheel (Romantic)
5) The Lebanon (Hysteria)
6) Egomaniac (Credo)
7) Empire State Human (Reproduction)
8) Night People (Credo)
9) Human (Crash)
10) Love Action (Dare)
11) All I Ever Wanted (Secrets)
12) Tell Me When (Octopus)
13) Mirror Man (Fascination)
14) (Keep Feeling) Fascination (Fascination)
15) Don't You Want Me (Dare)
Encore
16) Being Boiled (Travelogue)
17) Together In Electric Dreams (Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder)

Here's what people said:

@steve_mcgill: So apparently the type of person who goes to a Human League show is the kind that yells for the keyboard player to take off her clothes #fb

@IKvsDK Guvernment is now filling up. Maybe about 400 now. Men without hats just ended. Human League now setting up. #fascination

@sheryl_kirby Anybody else here at the Human League show or are y'all at home watching the #Emmys? (IKDK: Human League or the Emmys....easy choice)

@IKvsDK: Human League about to take stage in Toronto. Who would have thought. Time to lobby a thompson twin reunion

@beerboozebites At the Human League concert. Following #Emmys tweets because it's more exciting than the show. (IKDK: hmmmmm...)

@ryan_says: some serious keytar action at this Human League show

@beerboozebites: I've passed the point of being annoyed by the Human League concert, and am now reveling in it's awfulness. (IKDK: Okay, only one person didn't like the show)
 
@aeroplanext: I tried a new app. It sent me to a Human League/Men Without Hats concert. It's 1985. Someone just called me "Spaceman." (IKDK: Nice!!!)

@sheryl_kirby The girls from Human League are like two drunk ladies at a wedding. Trying to dance in sync and making a hot mess of it. (IKDK: Nice!!!)

@beerboozebites: I expected Human League to finish their set by reminding us to vote for Prom King & Queen. (IKDK: Who invited this guy.)

@IKvsDK: Emmys over human league! Shame @lau_ally @panicmanual (IKDK: Yes!)

Human League (Keep Feeling) Fascination (Retro 003)

Classic track from new wave outfit Human League which actually wasn't on an album but was issued on the Fascination EP (1983) which was to fill the void between the massive success of Dare (1981) and their next album Hysteria (1994). The EP also contained the massive hit Mirror Man. Human League are in Toronto for a show tomorrow night September 18, at the Sound Academy. Men Without Hats will be opening up.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqqBs6kkzHE

Wild Flag - Romance (Hype 0110)

Not Black Flag but Wild Flag off Merge Records with the single Romance taken from the self-titled debut album for this band containing former members of Helium and Sleater Kinney.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J8n9R8rnB8&ob=av2n

Xray Eyeballs - Sundae (Hype 0109)

Grungy Twee track from Xray Eyeballs

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hogP6txTk6M

Trailer Trash Tracys - You Wish You Were Red (Hype 0108)

Sundrenched california sounding pop from this Domino Records outfit as we enter the colder months.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxFO_1Sthh4

Big Pink - Stay Gold (Hype 0107)

Brand new sonic goodness from Big Pink on the 4AD label. First single taken from the forthcoming album due out in January

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPmkk_W11oM