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Lael Neale, post-Polaris wrap + Toronto live music listings

Yves Jarvis won the Polaris Music Prize on Tuesday, for his album All Cylinders. Though he’s a new name to many, it was the three-time-longlister’s first time on the shortlist. I would say that it was a shocking upset win over favourites Nemahsis, Saya Gray and Mustafa, but—this is Polaris. It’s always surprising; tables are always turned.

If you’re unfamiliar with and/or baffled by All Cylinders, I recommend Stuart Berman’s Pitchfork review from earlier this year, where a name-droppy run-on sentence pretty much sums up the album:

Jarvis has cited the influence of Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies on his methodology, and many of the album’s highlights play like the results of counterintuitive prompts—like, “Disrupt your smooth boudoir slow jam with a gnarly guitar solo” (“Gold Filigree”), or “Reimagine John Mayer’s ‘Helpless’ as an Around the World in a Day-era Prince track” (“One Gripe”), or “Write a tune about peeling down an Alberta freeway to hurry home to see your girl, but make it sound like a dainty Dreamworks-era Elliott Smith tune if he listened to as much There’s a Riot Goin On’ as Abbey Road” (“All Cylinders”). “I’m firing on all cylinders of this V8, and I’m flying,” he declares, sounding less like a highway speed demon than someone out for a casual Sunday-afternoon stroll.

At the gala, the clearly gifted guitarist delivered a somewhat ramshackle performance (featuring Joseph Shabason on EWI) and a mildly ambivalent acceptance speech. Similarly, the overall reaction to the news amounted to a shrug.

The day after, the Globe and Mail ran this beautiful portrait series and quotes from each nominee. Pitchfork wrote a short brief, the first time they acknowledged this year’s prize after ignoring the shortlist. Gala sponsor CBC ran a proper story, as did Canadian Press, and Richard Trapunski wrote in Billboard about how Jarvis’s win was apt for the 20th anniversary.. Though the Toronto Star eventually ran the CP story by noon the next day, that morning the online entertainment section led with stories about new seasons of two American streaming series. O, Canada.

Most exciting for this old man were the two Heritage Prize winners: Jane Siberry’s The Speckless Sky and the Organ’s Grab That Gun, both personal favourites, and both being major stories in my books Have Not Been the Same and Hearts on Fire. Both are examples of powerful records that were not recognized by the Junos and risk being written out of Canadian history, though both artists maintain a devout niche audience abroad. (Plus, Siberry had actual Canadian pop hits, and videos in high rotation on MuchMusic.) Both Siberry and the Organ were present to give lovely speeches at the gala. Siberry has a new album out this fall; the Organ’s Katie Sketch has a long-gestating solo project afoot.

The gala itself: the OBGMs slayed with an expanded lineup (four singers, including Sate, and keyboardist Jem Roberts); Nemahsis was oddly underwhelming; Population II and Bibi Club left a strong impression on the uninitiated; Saya Gray was solid and left me thirsty for a whole set; while Lou-Adriane Cassidy came alive with an arena-pop performance fronting a large band: “Voici le loup!” indeed. Great to see many old friends and meet new ones, including my city councillor. Thanks especially to devoted readers of this newsletter I met—thank you so much for your kind words, and for making the act of writing a less solitary experience.

Lael Neale – Altogether Stranger

(Sub Pop)

Lael Neale, raised in rural Virginia, has the aura of woodsy folk singer who can probably summon cute wildlife with the sound of her voice. “I pledge allegiance to tree and meadow,” she sang on “I Am the River” from her last record. But she’s spent much of her career in L.A., where her songs seem to conjure the ghosts of broken dreams, the scent of long summer nights, and the same kind of nocturnal late-night radio vibe of Cindy Lee. This album is a kiss-off of sorts to the city, as detailed in this PopMatters review.

It’s perfect hangover music: droning organs and Omnichords, a lovely female voice, Velvet-y guitars and minimal tambourine, like Jennifer Castle fronting the Young Marble Giants, although most reviews (and her bio) cite Suicide and Spacemen 3.

The Guardian ran a profile at the time of her 2023 album.

Lael Neale plays with local Isla Craig and L.A.’s Guy Blakeslee for a Wavelength show of “tones and drones” at St. Ann’s Parish (Dundas W./Dufferin) on Thursday, September 25. Details here.

All news no snooze

Personal plug: dear friend and former bandmate Nick Craine, the acclaimed illustrator who designed this newsletter’s new logo, will be releasing the final instalment of his early ’90s alt-comic The Cheeseheads, as well as a career retrospective (for which I wrote the intro). Craine directed Leslie Feist’s first music video and has made music with Kevin Breit and members of Cowboy Junkies. He also did the graphic novel of Bruce McDonald’s Hard Core Logo, which was reissued by House of Anansi in 2017. I urge you to check out his work.

Now that Polaris season is over, check out the Mercury Prize shortlist in the U.K.

Hearts on Fire readers: There is a new Hidden Cameras album out, Bronto, and it sounds nothing like the Hidden Cameras. The Guardian talks to expat Joel Gibb about his new Berlin electro project, which got some remix assists from the Pet Shop Boys and Erasure. Jim DiGioia raves here. Back to Stuart Berman again, who convinced Pitchfork to give it an 8.0—on the same day a new record by Gibb’s 2000s twee-pop peer Jens Lekman got a 7.6. Lekman plays the Great Hall on Nov. 10; no hometown Hidden Cameras dates are yet announced.

The mighty Neko Case talks about power, aging, death, delight and Dallas Good in this Pitchfork interview with Nina Corcoran. Her new album is out next Friday; Richard Reed Parry is one of several contributors.

The new documentary Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery premiered at TIFF, and is now streaming on CBC Gem. Tab Siddiqui talked to Sarah McLachlan for the Star, while the Globe and Mail interviewed director Ally Pankiw, who also helmed Mae Martin’s Feel Good and the film I Used To Be Funny (both of which I highly, highly recommend). Fun fact: Neko Case played a Lilith Fair in 1998, where she met Emmylou Harris.

Speaking of building mysteries: whatever happened to Michelle Shocked? Well, the singer-songwriter—who would definitely have been on Lilith Fair had it launched five years earlier—would now like to tell you all about it directly, and has launched a new Kickstarter to do just that. In the early 2000s she was cancelled for alleged homophobia (FWIW she claims she was misunderstood), but before and since then she’s also been railing against YouTube and Big Tech’s grip on artists’ rights, keeping all her music offline—resulting in an exile imposed both externally and internally. One thing I did not know: she played Toronto in 2019, around the corner from my house, and talked to a Toronto queer publication before the show.

Another one might bite the dust: Long-running campus radio print publication Stylus, run out of CKUW in Winnipeg, is set to fold. (Not to be confused with the mid-2000s American music blog, which shuttered in 2007.)

Following up on the bizarre cases of French festival-goers being stabbed with needles, a suspect has been arrested in Montreal for the Ile-Soniq incident.

For Toronto venues, it’s easy come, easy go: Dina’s opens this weekend in the former Silver Dollar at College and Spadina, with free shows and $5 “picklebacks” (I had to look that up.) But the Velvet Underground at Queen and Portland will be closing at the end of October. Meanwhile, David McPherson writes about 40 years of Lee’s Palace for the Star.

Pitchfork’s Sunday Review ran a lovely piece on the first album by Anna Domino, an artist whose music helped epitomize ’80s NYC bohemia to me as a teenage Brave New Waves listener. If ’80s NYC bohemia is your thing, Luscious Jackson’s new newsletter details life as downtown Manhattan kids in the early ’80s, coming up alongside (or in) the Beastie Boys.

Most surprising Ontario news: the province has as much of an unsealed-gas-well problem as Alberta, the type of which blew up the Ontario town of Wheatley in 2021, and as a result much of the province is “living on a volcano,” reports The Narwhal.

Least surprising Ontario news: 99% of what you put into the recycling slot in Toronto’s public garbage bins goes straight to landfill, reports the Star.

Finally, please enjoy a terrifying and hilarious article about one of the most powerful billionaires in America and… the Antichrist.

T.O. SHOWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

An entirely subjective and by no means comprehensive look at Toronto’s concert calendar, tailored to musically curious people who are probably (but not necessarily) over 40. My strong recommendations in bold.

Suggestions welcome. So are advertisers! Each post gets more than 1.5K unique views. Drop me a line.

Don’t live in Toronto? Most of these artists are on tour, so check your local listings. Just kidding! There are no local listings anymore. Check the artists’ websites.

JUST ANNOUNCED (mark your calendars):

Land of Talk: Sept 27 at Music Garden (Harbourfront) 1 p.m. Presented by Polaris Music Prize’s 20th anniversary.

Ian Blurton’s Future Now: Sept 27 at Bovine Sex Club

Begonia: Sept 28 at Music Garden (Harbourfront) 7.30 p.m. Presented by Polaris Music Prize’s 20th anniversary.

The Klezmatics, Lemon Bucket Orkestra: Oct 4 at Parkdale Hall. Info here. NYC’s Klezmatics celebrate 40 years; Lemon Bucket turn 15. Great way to kick off your Nuit Blanche.

Charlotte Cornfield: Oct 4 at Music Garden (Harbourfront) 7.30 p.m. Presented by Polaris Music Prize’s 20th anniversary.

Fortunato Durutti Marinetti, Ira Dot: Oct 10 at Cameron House (back room) 9 p.m. Album release for Bitter Sweet, Sweet Bitter

Jane Siberry plays “raw new songs”: Oct 14 at Sellers & Newel #HaveNotBeentheSame

Eucalyptus, Critical Band: Oct 15 at Music Gallery. Album release for Brodie West’s big band. Part of X Avant XX Festival.

Sisso & Maiko, Violence Gratuite, Krish︎: Oct 16 at Music Gallery. Part of X Avant XX Festival, for fans of Nyege Nyege Tapes from central Africa.

Yaz Lancaster, Colin Fisher, Roa Lee: Oct 17 at Music Gallery. Part of X Avant XX Festival, presented by TNIT supporter David Dacks.

Rachel Bobbitt: Oct 17 at Monarch Tavern

AfroHORN, Milena Casado: Oct 18 at Music Gallery. Part of X Avant XX Festival.

Tom Waits Appreciation Congregation: Oct 19 at Sellers & Newel

Barney Bentall: Oct 30 at Horseshoe Tavern

S/he is Still Her(e): The Official Genesis P-Orridge Documentary: Nov 6 at Revue Cinema 9.30 p.m.

Andy Stott: Nov 8 at Standard Time (Geary)

NY80: A Celebration of Neil Young and His Music feat. Jim Cuddy, Kathleen Edwards, Donovan Woods, Joel Plaskett, Dallas Green, Serena Ryder, Julian Taylor, Skye Wallace, Gordie Johnson, more: Nov 12 at Massey Hall. Celebrating eight decades on his birthday, can’t believe they didn’t bill this as “Shakey at 80.”

Stephen Stanley & No Electric: Nov 22 at Sound Garage

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson: Nov 29 at Allied Music Centre (Massey Hall). New album soon.

Stars: Dec 4 at Living Arts Centre, Mississauga; Dec 5 at Danforth Music Hall #HeartsOnFire

Skydiggers Christmas: Dec 20 at Danforth Music Hall

Gregory Alan Isakov: Jan 26 at Massey Hall

Julian Taylor Band: Feb 28 at Allied Music Centre (Massey Hall)

Cardi B: March 30 at Raptors/Leafs Arena

Madison Cunningham: April 6 at Danforth Music Hall

Tonight and every night!:

The Tranzac and Drom Taberna boast several acts a night and have the most eclectic lineups — just go! The equally busy Cameron House has mostly roots vibes; jazz is always happening at the Rex Hotel. Jazzintoronto.ca’s Instagram page has essential daily jazz listings at various venues. Check out the eclectic lineup at the micro-intimate Sellers & Newel bookstore. For the best in Toronto’s Latin and Caribbean scene, check Lula Lounge. East-enders: always something on at Castro’s or Sauce on the Danforth or jazz at Hirut. The Whole Note does heroic work listing classical events and more.

Coming this week:

Ministry of Phonic Services’ Back to School Field Trip: until Sept 27. Experimental music in secret locations, details here. Performers include Christine Duncan, Charles Spearin, Nick Storring, Del Stephen, Yoshi Maclear Wall, many more.

It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley: Sept 18 at Fox Cinema

Doobie Brothers: Sept 18 at Ontario Place Ampitheatre

Lynn Miles: Sept 18 at Hugh’s Room

Kula Shaker: Sept 18 at Mod Club

Kid Congo Powers: Sept 18 at the Monarch

Ted Leo (solo): Sept 18 at Sound Garage

Justin Karas, Geordie Gordon: Sept 18 at Burdock

Tanika Charles: Sept 19 at Hugh’s Room. Album release. Reviewed here.

The Slackers: Sept 19 at the Mod Club

John Southworth: Sept 19 at Tranzac 7 p.m. Final instalment of the Spheres of Southworth residency

The Bouncing Souls: Sept 19 at Danforth Music Hall

X, Los Lobos: Sept 19 at Massey Hall. There are a lot of tickets available for this.

Freeman Dre & Kitchen Party: Sept 19 at Cameron House 10 p.m.

Kensington Market Jazz Festival: Sept 19-21. 10th anniversary. Details and schedule here.

Viagra Boys: Sept 20 at History. For reasons I can’t explain, my young child was obsessed with this song when it came out. Weiner dog!

Jacques Greene, Nosaj Thing: Sept 20 at Mod Club

Ronley Teper’s Lipliners: Sept 20 at Rex Hotel 5 p.m.

Drabarni Ensemble: Sept 20 at Drom Taberna 6 p.m.

Culture Reject: Sept 20 at Burdock 6 p.m. (note early show). Rare Toronto sighting! This band features two of my favourite people, musically and otherwise.

Phantom of the Paradise: Sept 20 at Revue Cinema 9.30 p.m.

Billy Joel: And So It Goes: Sept 21 at Hot Docs 12.30 p.m. Free. Yes, it’s the whole five-hour movie. Just like Einstein on the Beach!

Morgan Wade: Sept 21 at Horseshoe Tavern. The good Morgan W. of country music.

Tropical Fuck Storm: Sept 21 at Lee’s Palace

Kevin Breit and Don Rooke: Sept 21 at Tranzac 7.30 p.m.

Micah Barnes sings Leonard Cohen: Sept 21 at Hugh’s Room

Ada Lea: Sept 21 at the Garrison.

Rebecca Hennessy, Katie DuTemple, Angie Hilts: Sept 21 7:30 p.m.

Run With the Kittens: Sept 22 at Cameron House 4 p.m.

Jerry Leger: Sept 22 at Sauce on Danforth 4 p.m.

Robert Priest: Sept 22 at Tranzac 5 p.m. Book launch and show.

Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree): Sept 22-23 at Danforth Music Hall

The Cribs: Sept 23 at Lee’s Palace

Cactus Blossoms: Sept 23 at Horseshoe

Ray LaMontagne: Sept 23-24 at Massey Hall

The B-52s, Devo, Lene Lovich: Sept 24 at Ontario Place Ampitheatre. There are a lot of tickets available for this show.

Garbage: Sept 24 at History

Isabella Lovestory: Sept 24 at the Garrison. Polaris-longlisted reggaeton artist from Montreal.

Lorde: Sept 24 at Raptors/Leafs Arena

Dry Cleaning, Bria Salmena, JayWood, Slash Need, DJ Born Ruffians: Sept 24 at Lee’s Palace. Hot Brits headline the debut of the Second Summer festival, which promises to be more than just one club night next year.

Cafuné: Sept 24 at the Great Hall

Ducks Ltd: Sept 25 at Lee’s Palace. From one of Toronto’s best young rock bands, whose sound should be beloved by any indie rocker who lived through the ’80s, please enjoy this entirely fictional video of fast-moving traffic in the city.

The Damned: Sept 25 at Danforth Music Hall

Múm: Sept 25 at the Mod Club

Lael Neale, Isla Craig, Guy Blakeslee: Sept 25 at Wavelength @ St. Anne’s (Dufferin/Dundas W). See above.

Sarah MacDougall, Andrea Ramolo: Sept 25 at Hugh’s Room

Venusfest feat. Myst Milano, God’s Mom, more: Sept 25-27 at Allan Gardens. Details here.

Key fall dates

Lankum, Circuit Des Yeux: Sept 26 at Concert Hall. Cancelled due to “unforeseen circumstances” related to “health and well-being,” the band said in a statement to ticket-holders. Dammit! Wishing them well.

U.S. Girls: Sept 26 at Mod Club

Elvis Costello & the Imposters: Sept 26 at Massey Hall. Playing exclusively music from 1977-86.

Minami Deutsch: Sept 28 at Dance Cave (Lee’s Palace)

Deltron 3030: Sept 28 at Concert Hall

Project Nowhere festival: Oct 2-4 at various venues on Dundas St. W., featuring Ribbon Skirt, Water From Your Eyes, Bonnie Trash, No Joy, many more freaks. Details here.

Swans: Oct 3 at the Phoenix

Fembots: Oct 3 at Sellers & Newel

Elbow: Oct 4 at History

Hayden: Oct 5 at Lee’s Palace #HaveNotBeentheSame

Stereolab: Oct 6 at Danforth Music Hall

Frankie & the Witch Fingers, Population II: Oct 7 at Lee’s Palace

Destroyer, Cass McCombs: Oct 8 at the Opera House #HeartsOnFire

Air: Oct 9 at Massey Hall.

The Cult, Death Cult: Oct 9 at Fallsview Casino. For the day-one fans.

Jeff Tweedy, Macie Stewart: Oct 10 at Concert Hall

Dan Mangan: Oct 10 at Danforth Music Hall

Grandaddy: Oct 11 at Danforth Music Hall.

Doechii: Oct 17 at CNE Coliseum

Neko Case, Des Demonas: Oct 20 at Massey Hall

David Byrne: Oct 21-23 at Massey Hall

Autechre: Oct 22 at Danforth Music Hall

The Beta Band: Oct 25 at Danforth Music Hall

Dream Serenade: Oct 25 at Massey Hall, artists TBA.

Suzie Ungerleider: Oct 26 at Hugh’s Room

Little Simz: Oct 27 at History

The Shitty Beatles: Oct 31 at the Horseshoe

S.G. Goodman, Fust: Nov 4 at Great Hall

The Beaches, Talk: Nov 6 at Raptors/Leafs Arena.

Cindy Lee: Nov 6 at Massey Hall

Sarah McLachlan: Nov 7 at Casino Rama; Nov 8 at Massey Hall. #HaveNotBeenTheSame

Robert Plant’s Saving Grace feat. Suzy Dian: Nov 10 at Massey Hall

Ron Sexsmith: Nov 14 at Danforth Music Hall #HaveNotBeentheSame

Hawksley Workman: Nov 15 at Danforth Music Hall #HeartsOnFire

Rheostatics’ Great Lake Suite: Nov 21-22 at Allied Music Centre

The Beths, Phoebe Rings: Nov 27-28 at Danforth Music Hall

The Dears: Nov 28 at Lee’s Palace. #HeartsOnFire

Gowan: Nov 29 at Massey Hall

Elisapie: Nov 30 at Danforth Music Hall

Mac DeMarco: Dec 8-9 at Massey Hall

Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band: Dec 11 at the Garrison

More Toronto concert listings until August 2026 are here and updated weekly for paid subscribers.

Here come the regulars

Every Monday: Tranzac open stage, 6.30 p.m. (Sign up at 6 p.m.)

Every Monday: Sean McCarthy’s Taproom Gang (trad jazz) at Steadfast Brewing 7 p.m.

Every Tuesday: Julian Fauth at Sauce on the Danforth 6.30 p.m.

Every Tuesday: swing night at Drom Taberna

Every Thursday: Strangetooth (bluegrass) at Tranzac 7 p.m.

Every Thursday: Good Enough Karaoke (live band) at Wheat Sheaf Tavern

Every Thursday: Corin Raymond at Cameron House, 6 p.m.

Every Saturday: Neon Eagle at the Rex, 5.30 p.m.

Every Saturday: Michael Louis Johnson and the Red Rhythm at Communist’s Daughter 4 p.m.

Every Saturday: Robertson & Kerr at Cameron House 8.30 p.m.

Every Sunday: Eastern European Brunch at Drom Taberna 1-4 p.m.

Every Sunday: John Borra at Communist’s Daughter 5 p.m.

Every Sunday: Paul Reddick at the Rex 5.30 p.m.

Every Sunday: Doghouse Orchestra at Cameron House, 10 p.m.

Are you over 40 and/or did you grow up with freeform radio?

If so, curated Toronto concert listings from now until May 2026—are here for paid subscribers, and updated weekly.

Be kind to each other.

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