r/CanadianMusic • u/mytorontosaurus • 3d ago
Discussion/ opinion The Weeknd, Raine Maida or someone else?
I have to do a deep dive into a musician for an assignment and there are two criteria.
1 - they must be at least locally famous
2 - they must be from Toronto
I’m looking for someone that has had an interesting career or story. My top picks so far are Raine Maida or The Weeknd, but I am open to other suggestions. Who would you pick to dive into?
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u/Comfortable-Fun-3965 1d ago
Of your suggestions I would choose The Weeknd. You might like to have a quick look at Kardinal Offishall.
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u/Appropriate_Day_1276 1d ago
Steven Page, previously of Barenaked Ladies. They got popular from a Speaker's Corner appearance. Lovely career for all. Arrested for drug possession during their children's album promotion and left the band. Lovely solo career.
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u/Ancient-Passenger-52 1d ago
Kim Mitchell seemed to keep it real. Very local boy made good, but still lived in his before game house/lifestyle.
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u/lovechoke 2d ago
Does it have to be a musician strictly or can it be a producer/songwriter as well? Cirkut is from Toronto and did early work for The Weeknd and moved on to produce for Marina and the Diamonds, Katy Perry, literally so many others!
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u/Cautious_Cry_1280 2d ago
Amanda Marshall. From Toronto, powerhouse voice and talented song writer who had an interesting career from rise to legal battles with her former label manager that went on for over a decade.
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u/No_Snow1928 2d ago
I'd chose Abel, his story is pretty interesting. He also lived in Alexandra Park for a time.
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u/sparks3448 2d ago
Please don't give Raine Maida another once of energy ,he's fucking brutal
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u/yougottamovethisss 1d ago
I've heard that too -- even more so about Chantal. I worked at a salon where the owner had done her hair a few times and had only terrible things to say about her. Also, I saw OLP in concert for the first time and, truthfully, it was one of the worst live bands I've ever heard before (and I go to a lot of concerts).
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u/KindRabbit086 2d ago
May I ask why? I haven't heard much except good things but would like to know if otherwise.
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u/1miserablecurmudgeon 3d ago edited 3d ago
Handsome Ned - he defined Queen Street in the early 80s, inspired an entire movement, influenced bands like Blue Rodeo and Cowboy Junkies, and died of a heroin overdose at 29. But to be fair he is from Stoney Creek.
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u/depressionbingocard 3d ago
Jeff healey was from Toronto, and his parents were the epitome of wonderful people.
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u/CuriousLands 3d ago
Y'know, I'd pick whoever is most interesting to you personally. If I had to take the time to research a musician and write about them, that's what I'd do.
For me that means I'd probably pick Raine Maida, or maybe Emily Haines (from Metric). Cos I like their music and that'd make the project more enjoyable. Personally I don't care much for The Weeknd, so writing about him would be dull to me.
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u/Away_Film7721 3d ago
How about Neil Young?
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u/acimkiss 3d ago
He's from Winnipeg
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u/no_cults_no_problem 3d ago
He was born in Toronto, grew up in Omemee, Ontario.
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u/bentforkman 2d ago
He spent his teens in Winnipeg, and went to Kelvin high school there.
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u/Impossible_Stick_170 3d ago
Kris Maddigan. He composed the CupHead Sountrack that went to No 1 for Billboard Jazz Albums. Independent and came out of nowhere. Interesting story
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u/LengthinessAny2767 2d ago
I agree with you here, except he didn’t come from nowhere, he’s from Regina!!!!
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u/KatieMcCready 3d ago edited 3d ago
Check out The Pocket Dwellers…they were a popular experimental hip hop band from Toronto in the early 2000s…last year they released their remastered album, Digitally Organic. They toured a lot and were nominated for a Juno. I was fortunate to see them at JazzFest in Victoria many years ago and they were amazing. I hung out with a really cool girl and another guy we met in line—she and I both got ghosted by our friends but each still wanted to see the show, then the other guy chimed in with a similar tale, so we all bonded over being ditched by our lame friends and toasted to making new ones….their loss, they missed a fabulous show.
We all wound up hanging out with some of the band after and had the funnest night. I’ve been Facebook pals with their lead singer Nigel ever since. He’s way cooler than I am, but we still do the “like” posts thing or have the occasional laugh about our dorky kids or dumb internet memes like most GenX Canadians. Whenever I listen to their old albums, I can’t believe that I actually met the people cool enough to have created it, and that their lead singer actually still seems to know who I am on Facebook even though we met over two decades ago, drank and smoked a little too much weed, and really only hung out for a few hours with a group other people. But he’s got a great sense of humour, we have friends in common through our respective travels across Canada, and our very casual Facebook friendship seems genuine because our lives on each side of the country seemed to be hitting similar milestones at the same time…marriage, kids, school crap, etc. I’m so old!
Seriously, though, it’s shocking to me that they aren’t household names across Canada. Trust me, they’re really good. They were definitely well known in Toronto, however. Everyone has already heard of The Weeknd…the PDs deserve a deep dive. If you like hip hop, you won’t regret it.
“Pocket Dwellers Digitally Organic was remastered for its 25th anniversary and pressed into a vinyl record for the first time. This Canadian hip-hop masterpiece takes you on a ride of complex lyrical thought, along with funky hits, drum n' bass kicks, and jazzy grooves thicker than a city bus.
The album was remastered by Dan Weston (Shad, Classified, Attack in Black), pressed at Microforum (Toronto), and has a 180g clear vinyl limited release for
Record Store Day Canada 2025.” From Lovetown Records.
Here’s a clip of Nigel and Dennis of Toronto’s Pocket Dwellers being interviewed at the Vancouver International JazzFest 20 years ago…probably the same year I saw them in Vic.
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u/G-Hatts 3d ago
I saw them at least half a dozen times in the Toronto / Hamilton area. I remember posting on their message board a bunch and getting comped tickets from them for a show on my birthday. Very nice guys and a ton of fun to watch live!
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u/KatieMcCready 2d ago
That’s awesome! Well, unfortunately I was only ever able to see them perform once but I would put it up there as one of the most fun live shows I’ve ever been to. I really think they deserve to be known all over Canada (at the very least). How is someone like Drake a worldwide superstar when these talented guys aren’t?!
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u/sweetnuts416 3d ago
The Barenaked Ladies were in the news quite a bit over the years. From Speaker’s Corner to Nathan Philip Square to cocaine and hookers, there’s a lot going on there.
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u/FiZzlenutPrez 3d ago
Geddy Lee, vocalist, bassist, keyboardist and multi instrumentalist of the legendary prog-rock band, Rush. He is an officer of the Order of Canada, was inducted into the Rock and Roll HoF. His parents were Polish Jewish Holocaust survivors who settled in the Toronto area. Wonderful backstory from an immigrant family and whose childhood lifelong bestie, guitarist extraordinaire Alex Lifeson, has embarked on a worldwide tour in the band’s 50th year!
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u/claire_goolihey 3d ago
Okay hear me out - Eric Nagler. His story is pretty wild and although he's not Toronto born I think you could argue that he's a local for the last ... 50 years?
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u/rajhcraigslist 3d ago
Bunch of fucking goofs or the shuffle demons have some interesting things in their backgrounds
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u/Frosty-Ad-2971 3d ago
Deadmau5. Born in Niagara but has lived in toronto for ages.
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u/Same_Rip_392 3d ago
And Joel has spent most of his life being a D bag. And also doesn't live in Toronto.
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u/DC-Toronto 3d ago
Ko Kapaches is from Toronto.
I think the guys from BadBadNot Good are from Toronto. They have a ton of collabs
Metric is from Toronto
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u/iamthexstitcher 3d ago
What about Steven Page? I believe he’s from Toronto?
Or Drake? Get to talk about his Degrassi days.
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u/Delicious_Band_7536 3d ago
Kevin Drew, Glenn Gould, Taylor Kirk of Timber Timbre
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u/lavender_fetish 3d ago
TK is a known rapist and violent abuser
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u/Delicious_Band_7536 3d ago
Right.. I'm not well informed on the allegations. I guess Taylor is a bad choice then.
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u/jiggykies 3d ago
I Mother Earth. I loved them so much back in my High School / University days.
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u/moonlaketrip 3d ago
saw a show of theirs relatively recently in Halifax and they were amazing!! Edwin was back with the band
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u/Own_Event_4363 3d ago
Geddy Lee is an interesting story, dude's from North York. From Rush.
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u/stopthecrowd 3d ago
Brendan canning or Kevin drew… Leslie feist, Emily Haines… so like… all of broken social scene.. or any of the stars (or anyone on arts and crafts records)
Dudes from Barenaked ladies
Arkells,lead singer grew up in Kensington market)
The guys from Finger eleven (although they are Burlington)
Tokyo police club (Newmarket I believe)
K-OS
Shawn mendes
Alessia Cara (Mississauga)
Treble charger
Sum 41
Billy talent
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u/hot_ho11ow_point 3d ago
Since you're saying Raine, I have to assume you can do pepple from bands: both The Beaches and Down With Webster are from the beaches area of Toronto and are filled with some of the nicest people.
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u/Single-Tax-7303 3d ago
Not sure if she's your cup of tea but Peaches Nisker aka. peaches is hella interesting.
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u/MiserableSalt4301 3d ago
You said musician but do you need a single person? I was thinking The Beaches. Even named after a Toronto neighbourhood!
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u/Pucksindeepeh music is my art, music is my muse 3d ago
Snow
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u/DonutChickenBurg 3d ago
I feel like everybody knows somebody who knows him
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u/Pucksindeepeh music is my art, music is my muse 3d ago
And I feel like everyone knows his major one hit wonder and nothing else from him haha
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u/murdershewrote4ever 3d ago
Out of the two Raine Maida. But, Geddy Lee, Maestro Fresh Wes (he's also a nice guy), Kardinal are great options that people have mentioned already. Fefe Dobson (her career should have been bigger!), Amanda Marshall or Serena Ryder are all awesome too!
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u/analogsimulation 3d ago
Glenn Gould - piano prodigy that developed new piano techniques, injured his back so badly as a child he used a special chair to play for the rest of his life, proudly Jewish during the war, known hypochondriac.
Very interesting dude
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u/Responsible_Radio28 3d ago
And OP can watch Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould. So well done.
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u/lizardtime_dj 3d ago
Where is this available to watch?
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u/Responsible_Radio28 2d ago
Because of its age (1993), probably the library is your best bet. There is an episode of Extraordinary Canadians on CBC Gem that features Glenn Gould as well.
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u/lizardtime_dj 3d ago
Yes and widely regarded as the best Bach pianist of all time
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u/Repulsive_Client_325 3d ago
Better than, oh I don’t know… Bach?
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u/lizardtime_dj 3d ago
Yes, because the piano did not exist when Bach was composing his music.
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u/Repulsive_Client_325 3d ago
I see you are right. TIL. I guess technically, the piano was invented when he was about 15 years old and he played a fortepiano when he was older, but not really a true piano.
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u/lizardtime_dj 3d ago
Not the piano as we know it; rather, was a Clavier, which he Tempered Well ;)
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u/Diarmuid_Sus_Scrofa 3d ago
Ge apparently rarely autographed anything. I have an autographed vinyl album of his. :)
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u/analogsimulation 3d ago
Yeah he was a super interesting guy and talented as fuck, also very eccentric
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u/SeanDaRyan 3d ago
Gordon Lightfoot lived in a very famous house in Bridlepath, many musicians went there to jam including Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Ronnie Hawkins, the Byrds…probably countless others
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u/Tuques 3d ago
Geddy lee. Alex lifeson, neil peart, adam gontier
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u/Used-Gas-6525 3d ago
Neil is not from Toronto. Geddy and Alex are from Willowdale so they fit and I assume their original drummer was as well, but not Neil. I really wish Toronto could claim him as a native son, but we can't.
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u/tumorgirl 3d ago
Gord Downie would be great unless Kingston is considered too far away…
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u/mytorontosaurus 3d ago
I love Gord but unfortunately he won’t fit here. But anywhere in Canada would probably love to claim him.
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u/hipsterscallop 3d ago
Well, Kingston is most definitely NOT Toronto so...?
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u/Snoo_47183 3d ago
He did move in Toronto though (which created some tensions with the rest of the band). But yeah, there are better options
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u/tumorgirl 3d ago
I was just wondering how far the limit can be stretched because he’s super interesting. Never hurts to toss an idea out there.
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u/Hot_Secretary_5722 3d ago
Neil Young!
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3d ago
[deleted]
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u/True-North- 2d ago
He was born in Toronto but moved around a lot as a kid before settling Winnipeg when he was 12. He lived in Toronto, Orillia, Florida, Pickering, Winnipeg back to Toronto then back to Winnipeg.
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u/Downtown_Reception83 3d ago
Carole Pope is sure to be interesting
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u/PriorReason4160 3d ago
I love Carol Pope. She is amazing, a riveting performer and a super talent.
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u/Used-Gas-6525 3d ago
Kardinal
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u/lindinator 3d ago
I heard him speaking with Tom Power recently, apparently he gave Nelson Mandela a t shirt.
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u/CryptoDanny22 3d ago
Jacob Hoggard would be a wild one, but might not be the direction you want to go, because it gets dark at the end.
Kardinal Offishal would be great because he has great international notoriety, and represents Toronto so well.
Nelly Furtado for female representation.
Deadmau5 for EDM and international fame.
Neil Young for the most enduring Toronto artist.
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u/KalistoCA 3h ago
I remember raine and the rest of olp along with the og rainbow butt monkeys hanging out in my microplay store on Guelph line in Burlington
Good times