The rumours are true. Thunderheist is over. [Insert weeping emoticons here!!!!] Red Bull sales will plummet. Clubs will be just a little less sweaty. But Isis and Grahmzilla from the band don’t have any time for any funerals! Both have solo projects in the works. I talk to them both about the death of one of party rap’s bright lights and life after Thunderheist.

Tracks played on the show...

1) Thunderheist "Jerk It" (bootleg)

2) Thunderheist "Horny" (bootleg)

3) Fan Death "Veronica's Veil" (Nautiluss from the deep mix)

ALL songs CANCON

Growing are a band doing really interesting things with their 2010 record PUMPS. It is easy to see why the Olympia, Washington band has been so readily absorbed by the New York indie art and fashion scene.

The band has three members Kevin, Joe and Sadie. Here's a weird fact about each member of Growing: Kevin once did an interview with Vice Magazine while on DMT; Chloe Sevigny has been quoted saying that Joe was one of the inspirations behind her mens fashion line; and Sadie is in another band called IUD.

Tracks played on the show...

1) Growing, PUMPS "Highlight" (snippet)

2) Growing, PUMPS "Camera 84"

3) Growing, PUMPS "Hormone"

4) Growing, PUMPS "Challenger"

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Dessa is one of the emcees from the legendary Doomtree Collective. For those of you who don’t know, Doomtree is a Minneapolis crew of emcees and producers, headed by alternative hip hop powerhouse P.O.S. Dessa admits she has never seen a group of guys who support each other as artists–and as people–as much as her guys. The whole crew turn out consistently excellent work. Dessa‘s latest record, A Badly Broken Code is no exception. Her track “Dixon’s Girl” is about Dessa‘s chance encounter with another strong female in hip hop… Can you guess who?

Tracks played on the show...

1) Dessa, A Badly Broken Code "Dixon's Girl"

2) Doomtree (ft Dessa & P.O.S.), Doomtree "Dots & Dashes"

3) Dessa, A Badly Broken Code "Dixon's Girl" (snippet)

4) Dessa, A Badly Broken Code "Matches to Paper Dolls"

5) Lupe Fiasco, The Cool "Superstar" (snippet)

6) Dessa, A Badly Broken Code "Chaconne"

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Spring has sprung! I went for a jog in a beach park today and I wanted to hug the nearest tree. It’s the perfect time for the sweet sounds of Toronto’s Ohbijou. I chat with Casey while she plays with her red Labrador retriever.

This band was at the center of the Friends in Bellwoods Toronto scene in the mid-2000s. A scene that included bands like Gentleman Reg and The Acorn. It was a shame when Ohbijou announced a hiatus in 2013.

Tracks played on the show...

1) Ohbijou, Swift Feet For Troubling Times "St. Francis"

2) Ohbijou, Beacons "Black Ice"

3) Ohbijou, Swift Feet For Troubling Times "Steep"

4) Ohbijou, Beacons "Jailbird Blues"

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Like most “artistic types,” I jot down random ideas in a notepad I always keep with me. Brian Borcherdt (from Toronto electronica band Holy Fuck) is no different. In fact, he had two albums of songs stored on his laptop when it went missing in the trunk of a NYC cab. Years of work …gone!

Luckily he got everything back, but the experience made him decide to release these solo songs to the public--since they very nearly disappeared all together.

If you're a Holy Fuck fan, here's a great chance to compare Holy Fuck with Brian Borcherdt solo.

Tracks played on the show...

1) Holy Fuck, LP "Lovely Allen"

2) Brian Borcherdt, Torches "Torches"

3) Brian Borcherdt, Torches "Worn Thin"

4) Brian Borcherdt, Torches "Crime Scenes"

5) Brian Borcherdt, The Ward Colorado Demos "Preserver"

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The Dillinger Escape Plan don’t let silly things like broken down equipment, band break ups, hospital injuries or car accidents keep them from putting on unpredictable live shows--or from making challenging music.

I caught up with Ben from DEP as he pulled off a New Jersey highway into a 7-11 parking lot. The best part of our chat is when Ben starts talking about how to get Taylor Swift and Britney Spears fans into his band.

Tracks played on the show...

1) The Dillinger Escape Plan, Option Paralysis "Farewell, Mona Lisa"

2) The Dillinger Escape Plan, Ire Works "Milk Lizard"

3) The Dillinger Escape Plan, Miss Machine "Panasonic Youth"

4) The Dillinger Escape Plan, Option Paralysis "Widower"

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What were you doing in 2004? If you were watching MuchMusic (the Canadian music video channel), you probably were watching Kyprios and his unforgettable hip hop track “This Is My Hit.” You may also recognize him as one of the members of the west coast hip hop collective Sweatshop Union.

He's is back with a new solo record in 2010 and he was very candid about everything that he has been through since 2004. Listen to his story.

Tracks played on the show...

1) Kyprios "This Is My Hit"

2) Sweatshop Union "Better Days"

3) Kyprios ft Moka Only "She's Gone"

4) Kyprios "Daddy"

5) Kyprios ft Swollen Members "One Of These Days"

ALL songs CANCON

How many of you can imagine completely changing your everything in your life?

This is what Ember Swift did. For years, she carved out a name for her politically-conscious, alternative folk band called Ember Swift. Yes this project was named after Ember herself, but it was mostly a partnership between Ember and violinist Lyndell Montgomery. As a folk duo, Ember Swift earned fans all over the globe, until one day, she realized that it was not enough.

Ember decided that she needed to pursue her degree in Asian Studies and she gave it all up to make a pilgrimage to China. The partnership known as Ember Swift did not survive, but she had followed her heart and a new musical venture was born. Ember created Lentic, a folktronica project inspired by her love of China and a longstanding fascination with electronic music. Listen to Ember tell her amazing story!

Tracks played on the show...

1) Ember Swift/Lentic "Float"

2) Ember Swift/Lentic "Eclipse"

3) Ember Swift/Lentic "What Were You Thinking" (snippet)

4) Ember Swift/Lentic "Hollowed Bones"

ALL songs CANCON

When the 2010 Olympic Games happened in Vancouver, citizens tended to fall into two camps: the grumblers counting down until the party is gone and those wearing facepaint and drinking beer by 10am. This week, I talk to TWO acts who have both used the Olympics to their advantage.

Bohdi Jones is a Vancouver-based busker who claims to have written the unofficial theme song to the 2010 Olympics: “Hey El Nino”. The Team Canada DJs (Grandtheft and Dr One) have turned a one shot gig at the Games into much more.

Tracks played on the show...

1) Bohdi Jones "Hey El Nino"

2) Neil Young "Rockin' In The Free World" (Grandtheft remix)

3) The Guess Who "American Woman" (Team Canada Intro)

4) The Tragically Hip "Ahead By A Century" (Dr One Edit)

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When I reached Tobias Jundt in the wee hours of the night, he was exhausted from training for a horse race between his fellow band members. Even though he was tired, he purred over the receiver as he sat with his two cats.

Tobias is the main man behind Berlin band, Bonaparte.

Bonaparte is one crazy carnival live and they want nothing more than to come to North America. Can anyone help them? I dunno about you, but after talking to him I wanna see them live.

Tracks played on the show...

1) Bonaparte "Do You Want To"

2) Bonaparte "Blow It Up"

3) Bonaparte "Too Much"

4) Bonaparte "Who Took The Pill"

5) Bonaparte "Anti Anti"

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