NXNE 2012: Best Fit Recommends

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Toronto’s North By North East is kicking off once again in Toronto this week, showcasing some of Canada’s finest new artists alongside a selection of international acts. While Best Fit won’t be at the event this year, we’ve created a day by day breakdown of some of the best the festival has to offer.

To get your NXNE off in style, the festival have laid on shows at Pearson airport on Wednesday and Thursday including performances from the likes of The Sadies and Justin Rutledge – which should be plenty to get you in the mood for what lies ahead.

The Sadies

Thursday:

Thursday night sees a handful of Label Showcases from some of Canada’s finest: Hand Drawn Dracula present Beliefs, Army Girls, Rituals (featuring members of Bruce Peninsula) , Brian Borcherdt of Holy Fuck’s new project Dusted and A Place to Bury Strangers at the El Mocambo, while in the Great Hall You’ve Changed’s showcase features Baby Eagle, The Weather Station, Marine Dreams, Daniel Romano and Julie Doiron. Over at the Rivoli, Arts and Crafts showcase features sets from Bishop Morocco, Zulu Winter, Still Life Still and Gold & Youth. We could happily pitch up at any of these shows and stay for the whole line up.

Marine Dreams- Painted Toes

Friday:

Loud things will be happening at the Wrong Bar all week, with the volume turned up a couple of extra notches for the outstanding lineup on Friday night with the likes of Bass Drums of Death, The Death Set, DZ Deathrays as well as the phenomal locals Metz and Montreal’s Uncle Bad Touch (featuing Mikey of Priestess). Meanwhile The Garrison will be playing host to the remarkable ‘Noh-Wave’ force that is Yamantanka // Sonic Titan.

Saturday:

There are so many parties happening at NXNE that it is likely you might stumble across one of your favourite acts at one of them. Not all of them require you to have a NXNE ticket. Sonic Boom will play host to a number of instores on Saturday including not to be missed performances from the likes of Yamantaka // Sonic Titan and Parlovr amongst others. Simply bring a non-perishable food item as a donation to the Ft York Food Bank and you can have access to up to 7 hours of shows.

Yamantaka // Sonic Titan – Hoshi Neko

Live in Bellwoods returns will be running shows throughout the festival, but PEI’s Paper Lions (Saturday) are sure to be among the highlights. For those not seeing enough bands, 218 Brock Avenue on Saturday is the place to be – 20 bands play 10 minute sets including Doldrums, Army Girls and Sean Nicholas Savage amongst others.

Younge Dundas square will host what is bound to be a spectacular show, again for free: Brasstronaut, Hollerado, Of Montreal and The Flaming Lips. No doubt Wayne will go on a walkabout and the experience will be something akin to being trapped inside a pinball machine. They will be picking up confetti for weeks.

Those who are in possession of a NXNE ticket should consider heading to The Garrison to witness the fuzzy goodness of Montreal’s CTZNSHP, the electro-pop of Mozart’s Sister as well as the burbling electronics of Warm Myth, featuring Casey of Ohbijou.

Sunday:

Army Girls and Octoberman are amongst the delights on offer at Live in Bellwoods afternoon picnic sessions, while over at Younge Dundas Square having relocated to Toronto with a mission to put Canadian hip-hop on the map via his IceH20 Label, Raekwon hooks up with Ghostface Killah.

And to round off your festival experience, we suggest heading to The Garrison to catch the breathtakingly powerful and intense drone of Aidan Baker’s Nadja and the sparse, haunting Picastro.