If you're not from Toronto, or living in Toronto, then any headline with the word "Toronto" in it might cause you to click to another page. But in this particular case, you might want to read on, for the benefit of your ears...
Elliott Brood and Ohbijou - two very different-sounding Toronto bands - have now been at it long enough to have developed a national presence and profile. Elliott Brood was Polaris Prize nominated in 2008. They even got a Gemini nomination for a film score they wrote for the 2010 film "Grown Up Movie Star". They're at the Gros Morne Summer Music Fest, in Woody Point, NL tonight.
Ohbijou's latest album "Metal Meets" got released across North America in 2011. They play tomorrow night in Yellowknife at the Folk On The Rocks festival.
Both Elliott Brood and Ohbijou will play the Hillside Festival in Guelph this year. Hillside's always been a hotbed for Canadian talent. in fact, the saying has been "Hillside stage one year, Juno stage the next". Let's see if the pattern holds true.
Whatever you think of Toronto, the bottom line is that "The Big Smoke" still manages to generate artists and bands that can capture the ears of a nation
Related:
CBC Music's folk festival playlist
Zeus, The Great Lake Swimmers and Elliott Brood, Up Close at the 2012 Hillside Festival
5 tips to make your summer music festival experience even better