This song ROCKS

If you need a new ditty to jump around and dance to in your underpants this is that song. I've never heard of Vancouver's No Sinner before, but I read that this is their debut single. Way to hit the ground running!

Architour

Today Oli and I totally architecture nerded-out. We did walk number 15 (Queen Street West) from Toronto Architecture- A City Guide by Patricia McHugh. This walk focuses on 20 different buildings around Spadina and Queen. It took us about 4+ hours but we stopped for a long and yummy lunch at Kensington Espresso Bar (we both had the ham, spinach and feta cheese crepe) and we also did a good share of window shopping including poking around the pet shop at the Dragon City Shopping Mall in China Town (they had albino frogs!)

I'll probably post more photos later but I wanted to post about this beautiful Victorian gem on 25 Augusta Avenue. The building has housed the Felician Sisters Convent since 1938, and the nuns have diligently preserved the building, and it is in much better shape than most of its pals downtown. The picturesque house features bonnet dormers, canopied windows, bracketed eaves, filigreed veranda and gabled tower. The house was constructed in 1876 for a Toronto manufacturer named Edward Leadlay.

Beauty History- 1940s Part 2

Some more beauty history because I just love this stuff! Here are some girlies from 1943- beauty pageant contestants from the General Engineering Company (Canada) munitions factory in Scarborough.

 

Wooden Sky- my oh my

Yes YES! A thousand times YES!
This is what I was saying to myself last night at The Wooden Sky show. I am going to explain my reaction in list form for the sake of brevity:
- Opera House is a killer venue
- all the people standing in front of me were shorter than me = great view! (seriously, this never happens)
- solid folk- rock
- delectable vocals from Gavin Gardiner
- tight vocal harmonies
- tasty guitar riffs
- killed it on the fiddle (also- buddy looked like a hobo who used to panhandle near my high school. nice.)
- egg shakers and a wood block
- a little tribute to Levon on the drum kit <3
- a song called "Angelina"

OK- y'all need to go check out The Wooden Sky now because ages ago Will and Courtney told me I'd love Wooden Sky and for some reason I waited months to look them up. Remember, everyday you wait to check out Wooden Sky is a day you could be listening to Wooden Sky. Don't waste your life not listening to Wooden Sky. WOODEN SKY WOODEN SKY WOODEN SKY.

Here's a little video I took:

Goodbye Levon

http://www.ctv.ca/canadaAMPlayer/index.html?video=662754

Levon Helm

Levon Helm's family just announced that he is in the final stages of his battle with cancer. We all need to join together in sending our good vibes out into the universe for Levon. He has not only been a huge influence on me personally but also on pretty much every band and musician I love. Levon wrote some of The Band's greatest songs including "The Weight" "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" "Cripple Creek" and "Ophelia". I cannot emphasize enough how much I love this man and his music and how sad this makes me. I am not sure I am mentally or emotionally prepared to live in a world without Levon and where Justin Bieber is still making music. I will likely name my first born son Levon (although through a quick google search I just found out that Elton John named his son after Levon Helm).

 

Dear Friends,
Levon is in the final stages of his battle with cancer. Please send your prayers and love to him as he makes his way through this part of his journey.

Thank you fans and music lovers who have made his life so filled with joy and celebration... he has loved nothing more than to play, to fill the room up with music, lay down the back beat, and make the people dance! He did it every time he took the stage...

We appreciate all the love and support and concern.
From his daughter Amy, and wife Sandy 

Beauty History- 1940s

Previously we looked at some photographs of the Miss Toronto beauty pageant from the 1930s. Now lets have a gander at some lovely girls from the 1940s!

Mayor Robert H. Saunders with first place winner Irene Ayers- 1946