Results tagged “finalfantasy”

"When you see eight large columns and three heads of Zeus, you will know you have arrived in the correct spot."

Over the past month, Final Fantasy has plopped down two music videos, both for songs from Spectrum, 14th Century, the better of Owen Pallett's two new E.P.s. "Blue Imelda" (up top), was directed by M Blash; "The Butcher" (down low) was directed by Jesi the Elder and also stars the kids of Alex Lukashevsky, who wrote the songs that Pallett covered on Final Fantasy's other E.P., Plays to Please E.P. Both videos totally make sense.*

Well, Owen Pallett is mortal.

MUSIC: Tonight, head out to the Danforth for what will likely be one of the best shows of the summer (sorry, Dave Matthews Band). Final Fantasy is playing!!! He's joined by the similarly electroclassical Nico Muhly, along with experimental musician Doveman and indie acoustic singer Samamidon, who are all visiting us from New York. Just yesterday, new tracks from Final Fantasy's two upcoming EPs were released to Zoilus and Stereogum, and they are predictably awesome; we cannot encourage you enough to go tonight. Danforth Music Hall (147 Danforth Avenue), 8 p.m., $20.

Photo of Owen Pallett by Heidi Slimane from his MySpace.

Vintage postcard of the Toronto General Hospital (1913) from Mars Discovery District.

Rejoice! Final Fantasy finally has a new version of his website!

Photo by Stig Nygaard.

When local promoter Dan Burke so unabashedly declared “less drugs, more shows” as what he looks forward to for this calendar year, no one believed the drugs portion of that resolution—but Friday is reason to start believing the show portion.

As the subject for a serious music book, Céline Dion––amazing or not––seems like an odd choice. In the latest book in the 33⅓ series, however––a series which typically looks at albums like the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds or Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures or the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St.––Carl Wilson, probably Toronto's pre-eminent music critic, takes it upon himself to "[strive] to understand Céline's global popularity," in the process "fac[ing] the question of what drives personal taste––and whether it's possible to change it." Wilson, needless to add, is a brave, brave man.

Kincardine-born, Mississauga-bred, Toronto-based, and Berlin-bound, Joel Gibb is the musical and managerial head of The Hidden Cameras, the fantastic and always well-populated music collective whose members have included Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy), Reg Vermue (Gentlemen Reg), Laura Barrett, Maggie MacDonald (Republic of Safety), Dave Meslin (founder of the Toronto Public Space Committee), Bob Wiseman, Steve Kado (founder of Blocks Recording Club, member of Barcelona Pavilion and Ninja High School), Ohad Benchetrit (Do Make Say Think), Don Kerr (The Rheostatics), and many, many others.

When Austrian company Wiener Stadtwerke approached Owen Pallett/Final Fantasy about using the song "This Is The Dream of Win & Regine" in a commercial, Pallett declined (probably nicely). So, naturally, Wiener Stadtwerke used the song in a commercial in June of this year anyway––or, at least, the most similar re-recorded version of Final Fantasy's song possible, changing a few notes in the violin part, adding some guy awkwardly singing "can you feel it?" and crediting...

An excuse to post Feist's "1234"? Yes, please.

Finally, another excuse to write about La Blogothèque's Take-Away Shows. The last time we covered the France-based music filmmakers, they were psyching us up for the Arcade Fire's May concert with the best concert footage we've ever seen of the band. Before that, they won us over with The Hidden Cameras parading along boardwalks. Now they've given us Owen Pallett plucking away at two songs––"Your Light Is Spent" (above) and "Horsetail Feathers"––in Paris. If you've always wanted to hear "Your Light Is Spent" sung by an out-of-breath Owen running down a Paris street to avoid the noise from traffic, consider your wish fulfilled.

While Hilary Clinton was content to let her supporters choose her theme song, the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party has asked Dalton McGuinty's detractors to pick one for him. "What tune best represents Dalton McGuinty's campaign?" asks their website, accompanied by a Say Anything–inspired pic of the premier (pictured at right). "Which lyrics do you think of when you see Liberal red? Their election campaign needs a theme song and here's your chance to play political DJ."

A lot happens in and around Toronto, but we can only write about so much in a week. Here's the best of the rest, in a new weekly feature we're calling Superfluist. Superfluist will appear every Friday night.

Photo of Cadence Weapon by David Topping.

Weekly indie institution Wavelength started in 1999, setting up shop at Ted's Wrecking Yard, then bouncing between venues until landing at its current home, Sneaky Dee's, in 2002. Past performers read like a who's-who of home grown indie music: Great Lake Swimmers, The Bicycles, Cadence Weapon, Julie Doiron, Peaches, Final Fantasy, Feist—and the list goes on.

Photo by Sylvain Dumais from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.

Photo by Carrie Musgrave.

"Do you trust your friends? Would you let them redecorate your apartment, or do your homework for you? Would you let them buy your groceries? Would you leave them in charge of your kids? And if you did, what would they change?"

Final Fantasy alert! Over the past week, the always-lovely Good Hodgkins has twice graced us with new Owen Pallett tracks.

Doctors urged to use tape measure to see if medical advice is necessary due to excess abdominal fat. I'm all for anti-obesity measures, but surely this is counterproductive? Did we really need another reason to dislike going to the doctor for a checkup?

It just never ends. Never. Ends. The stream of tour announcements is still going strong, and we're now at the point where there are 3-4 shows to choose from on some dates -- our calendar is starting to look as busy as a CEO's! As suspected last week, The Police added a second Toronto date to their tour schedule, on July 23 (tickets on sale now)...good thing Sting practices tantric sex so he'll have enough stamina for all of these dates. Sorry, bad visual...shake it off. We're looking forward to the ever adorable Lily Allen, who will be back in town April 5, and is hopefully bringing a bigger setlist with her this time; Feist will be gracing us with her presence at Massey Hall on May 26, in support of her new album The Reminder; and Muse is apparently opening for My Chemical Romance on May 11, but since it's not confirmed, we won't get too excited yet (about Muse, not MCR).

Part Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys, part Animal Collective, part something else completely, Grizzly Bear have a unique sound that's tricky to categorize. This is not music you will necessarily dance to, but you will be moved. The Brooklyn-based band hits Toronto on Tuesday at Lee's Palace with Dirty Projectors to promote their newest (and critically acclaimed) record Yellow House.

Photo of Owen Pallett by chichibebelolo on Flickr. Photo of Steve Kado by Shakeer on Flickr.

Tonight is the debut of a new super-secret short film directed by Toronto indie-filmaker Sara St. Onge (who, by the way, has the absolute best URL -- "awesomology.com").

The slow move from Torontoist to FinalFantasyist is nearly complete. Owen Pallett is pretty great and all, but to date we've talked about his song "This Lamb Sells Condos"; the video for that song; the inspiration for that song; the prize that Pallett won for the album that the song appears on; the love that Canadian bloggers have for him; the love that we, specifically, have for him; previewed and reviewed his library show (and a regular show); and shown his cover of Joanna Newsom's "Peach Plum Pear" some love. Even though we're running out of ideas for Final Fantasy article titles, there's yet another interesting Pallett project that we thought that we'd share -- one that, as the press release handily tells us, "IS NOT A CONCERT!"

Special guest Victoria Kent sent us this article, and, since it's about Final Fantasy and "This Lamb Sells Condos," we're pretty much obliged to post, especially now that we've interviewed Brad J. Lamb, whose advertising slogan inspired Owen Pallett to write the song. Thanks Victoria!

Once a month Torontoist would like to encourage you to drag yourself off the couch and across the room to that nice, comfy swivel chair in front of your computer, to experience something from the wonderful world of streaming. Anyone who's visited YouTube or eBaum's World knows how gratifying watching two Asian kids lipsynch to Jessica Simpson can be! So in the interest of expanding your horizons (or at least giving you some way to kill time at the office without actually having to do any work), we'll find some interesting, funny, or just plain stupid and entertaining way to amuse yourself with your computer (without the need for pornography).