Katie Stemanis

Austra at Fun Fun Fun Fest (more by Tim Griffin) Toronto's Austra, whose past videos defintely got people talking in 2011, have released a new one to kick off 2012...

Diamond Rings at Europa in June (more by Diana Wong) As mentioned, My Brightest Diamond opens the first (8/2) of two Sufjan Steven shows at Prospect Park in August...

"Fireworks at the pier!!!! Wtf!!! And a full moon. Amazing!!!" - Austra Hudson River Rocks kicked off their 2011 season in a big way last night (7/14) with tUnE-yArDs and Austra...

There's already one post today up about Austra's show tonight (7/14) at Pier 54 with tUne-yArDs. To supplement that, here's an unposted interview we did back in the spring with the group's frontwoman Katie Stelmanis, who talks about the transitioning from a solo act to a full-band, the importance of the live show and the process of putting out the group's debut record...

DOWNLOAD: Austra - Lose It (MP3) Austra @ Mercury Lounge - 5/23/11 (photo by Carina C)"With the singer's ethereal Kate Bush-meets-Siouxsie (by way of Nico) vocal style dominating proceedings, it's impossible to deny 's gothic undercurrent, but there is no place for tear-streaked mascara in Stelmanis' world...

Austra played twice this past weekend: Friday night at Santos (which these pictures are from) and Saturday night at Glasslands. I caught the Glasslands show and, despite some truly horrible sound that buried the vocals for the first half the set, I left really impressed...

DOWNLOAD: Austra - "Beat & The Pulse" (MP3) The last time Austra played New York was the tail end of last year at Glasslands with Diamond Rings. We...

Zola Jesus (singer Nika Roza Danilova & band) played an early evening set at Toronto's Sneaky Dee's on Thursday as part of NXNE. For some she was the first act of the festival (the official opening was only an hour before), and a moody introduction at that, with the setting sun flickering through the windows next to the stage...

Best Coast @ Knitting Factory in April (more by Dominick Mastrangelo) Greetings from Toronto. NXNE, the Toronto music/film/interactive fest is happening this week...

"...The bands were running late at Club Deville, but I was pleased to hear Centromatic on the stage. They sounded like classic rock and when Steve Miller Band's "Rock'N Me" came on after their set, it was in the same vein, but Centromatic was above and beyond...