The Drake Underground has stepped up their programming recently, bringing more up-and-coming bands to their subterranean cabaret room. Case in point: this week's double bill of Dub Thompson and Montreal's current band-of-curious-intrigue, art-rockers Ought.

Don't let the "dub" in Dub Thompson fool you - this isn't King Tubby or Lee "Scratch" Perry - but that's not to say the name isn't warranted. It's hard to put a label on Dub Thompson's sound since - like their 9 songs debut album - it's too varied to pinned down. What keeps everything in line is a groove that emulates the steady beat associated with dub, but never fully gets there thanks to noise-rock elements, hidden hooks, and fuzzed-out vocals. This mix held everyone rapt for the entire set.

It was only a matter of time before rising Ought made it back to town with a headlining show of their own, hot on the heels of their first Constellation Records release. For familiar label rather than the band (Montreal-based home of Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Do Make Say Think, The Silver Mt. Zion, Sandro Perri, Colin Stetson, and more), Ought don't sound like a "Constellation" band.

Immediately you're hit with comparisons to Tim Beeler and David Byrne: the high tone of his voice paired with the spoken delivery of songs - it's all there minus the theatrics, landing closer to Television than Talking Heads.

However, their chaotic sound is all their own. The lyrics may be driven home by shouting and repetition, like the refrain of "Wanted! Wanted!" during "(Are You) Gemini", with the band landing every hit in time, but by the end it doesn't seem like filler. Much like opener Dub Thompson, there's something really compelling about their live show that's tough to put your finger on, but will have you checking listings to see when you can take another stab at figuring it out.

Toronto fans won't have to wait long for their next chance to solve Ought's sonic riddle - they'll be back to play Silver Dollar on July 25th with Freelove Fenner and Blonde Elvis. In the meantime, pick up More Than Any Other Day and listen on repeat.

Matt Forsythe

This popular bakery started out of the owner's home kitchen, expanded to a storefront in Cambridge, and has now finally settled in the Big Smoke with a location just north of Pape station. All your favourite baked goods are here - cakes, cupcakes, cookies and breads.

Read my review of Tia's Bakery in the bakeries section.

Toronto Restaurant Openings highlights the latest restaurant openings and closings in Toronto and also gives a preview of what's coming soon. Find us here every Thursday morning.

OPEN NOW

• Pulp Kitchen has opened another juice bar at 565 Danforth Ave.
• Ossington Stop is now open at 1154 Dundas St. West. Today (Thursday July 17), the shop is offering a free lunch of BBQ ribs, pork steamed buns, and chicken 'n' waffles from noon until 5pm.
• Yunaghi, a new Japanese bistro, aims to be open this Saturday, July 19. The new spot takes over the address where Ici Bistro used to be at 538 Manning Ave.

RECENTLY REVIEWED

• Duffy's Diner
• Patois
• Tilde

OPENING SOON

• Lobster Monster at 3249 Yonge St. (north of Lawrence) is aiming for a mid-August opening.
• Local Public Eatery, the West Coast import from the same hospitality group behind Joey's, is opening its first Toronto location on July 26 in what was formerly the short-lived Origin Liberty Village at 171 East Liberty St.
• Tutti Pizzeria is opening in Yorkville where Montreal boulangerie MBCo used to stand at 100 Bloor St. West.

CLOSING

• After 23 years in business, Zorba's has confirmed it is closing as of Sunday, July 27.
• As previously reported, the all-accommodating Bickford Flexitarian (326 Harbord St.) has shuttered.

Have you seen restaurants opening or closing in your neighbourhood? Email tips to liora@blogto.com

The top zine fairs and small press events in Toronto are a great way to discover countless unsung and under-distributed literary works - and an entire artistic community unto itself. From creators of do-it-yourself zines to independent magazines and small publishing houses, Toronto's indie publishers are passionate about the written (and collaged, and Xeroxed) word. But, as any artist knows, there's not a ton of money in creativity - which has led creators to band together, creating events that showcase and sell their work.

In honour of International Zine Month, I've rounded up the top recurring events for zines and small press books. (Keep your eye out for more one-off events this month too, including a zine-making workshop hosted by Shameless magazine this Saturday.)

Here are my picks for the top zine fairs and small press events in Toronto.

ZINES

Canzine
It's the granddaddy of all Canadian zine fairs. Broken Pencil magazine's annual extravaganza of all things small-press-related has been giving Canadian zinesters and fans a meeting ground for nearly 20 years (and has since been joined by sister events in Winnipeg and Vancouver). The festival's current home is the 918 Bathurst Community Centre, which gets filled top to bottom each year with indie writers, artists, cartoonists, and crafters; somehow, the organizers still find space to host panel discussions and workshops. Mark your calendar for November 1.

Zine Dream
This small press/art fair, now in its seventh iteration, has been going strong at the Tranzac (conveniently, also home to the Toronto Zine Library) every summer since 2008. This year's three-day event (August 8-10) is set to feature more than 60 exhibitors at the Sunday zine fair, in addition to a panel discussion (moderated by DUMB Comics' Georgia Webber), and live performances.

Toronto Queer Zine Fair
The Toronto Queer Zine Fair was launched in 2013 in response to what organizers called a lack of queer representation in the zine community. Last year's inaugural event featured more than 30 zine creators (and they mean zines - books, crafts and other indie-fair staples take a backseat here), as well as a free vegan lunch and an after-party. It's set to return on October 4 at the United Steelworkers Hall.

OCAD Zine Fair
OCAD's very own zine library loans out titles all year long, but once a year, they'll help you build a library of your own with the school's annual zine fair. Every spring, OCAD students pack the lobby of 100 McCaul, selling their own zines and self-published works. The sixth annual event was held in March; keep your eyes peeled for next spring's event, and you might just discover the indie publishing world's next big thing. Follow the OCAD Zine Library on Facebook for updates.

Toronto Zine Library AGM
Buying zines is easy, but if you want to get directly involved with Toronto's zine community, the Toronto Zine Library - located in the upper floors of the Tranzac - is a great place to start. Each year, Toronto zine creators and aficionados gather to discuss and sign up for volunteering opportunities, shape the library's future, and share a bunch of snacks. Keep your eyes peeled for the next meeting at the start of 2015 - and in the meantime, stop by and read something.

ZINES AND SMALL PRESS

Toronto Indie Arts Market
The Toronto Indie Arts Market hosts a gaggle of seasonal events focusing on fashion, crafts, and other handmade bits and bobs; occasionally, they'll cede the floor to small-press publications and zines with a Small Press and Literary Festival. Previous iterations in winter 2013 and spring 2014 have featured everything from comics and indie magazines to paper card creators and all manner of authors. Follow them on Facebook for future fair announcements.

Toronto Comic Arts Festival
As the name suggests, this massive fair, held every spring at the Toronto Reference Library, skews far more toward the comics-oriented side of publishing.The artists and publishers taking part, too, are often more established than your average home-publishing zinester. But there's still plenty of independent and DIY genius to be found, from self-published zines, comics and novellas to indie publishers from the U.S. and beyond. The 2015 festival has already been announced for May 8-10.

Word On The Street
Sure, it's a good place to pick up discounted paperbacks straight from the publisher and some back issues of your favourite Canadian mag. But this outdoor publishing fair, which takes over the Queen's Park Circle every September, does make some space for small presses and independent authors, and events like poetry slams lend an extra helping of independent culture. This year's event is set for September 21.

Did I miss any? Leave your favourite zine and small press events in the comments.

With the all-too-common short turns, delays, and random outages, using the TTC on a regular basis is tough enough without seat hogs, backpack wearers, and other transit monsters screwing up your ride. A half-century ago, the TTC printed cartoon etiquette guides that taught riders to have change, hold on to handrails, and move back through the bus or streetcar. Maybe it's time to revisit that idea.

As something of a passive aggressive anthropological exploration, here's a list of the 10 worst people on the TTC.

Why can't we all just learn to get along?

Cellphone talkers
Admittedly, some overheard conversations are pure gold, but 99% of the time it's enough to make those in earshot lose their minds. Despite being a common faux-pas, somehow the loud cellphone talkers find the guts to persist. The dedication would be admirable, if it wasn't so annoying. Kindly text so other people can read over your shoulder.

Food eaters
That chicken biryani probably tastes great--it's the smell that's not so hot once it mingles with odours of a hot streetcar or packed train. Surely that tasty morsel can wait for the sake of the harried people of the TTC.

Cargo carriers
I once had to catch a flight that required me to get to Pearson on the subway during rush hour. I spent most of the ride avoiding angry glances as I tried to find a place for my suitcase. Travel bags aside (until there's another way to get to the airport,) unwieldy objects like refrigerators and cathode tube TVs are best moved at a quiet time. Trust me.

Those with BO
Food smells are one thing, but a bad human smell is something altogether worse if you happen to be stuck right beside some with BO on a packed train. Yes, the daily grind is rough, but if you had to skip the shower, just make sure to load up on the deodorant.

Backpack wearers
The TTC is a busy place. Space is at a premium. So please wriggle out of that backpack and give yourself (and your fellow riders) a break.

Seat hoggers
A transit seat is the ideal place to put one thing: your butt. No feet, no bags, no slumped torsos. Oh, and if you would be so kind, please shove over that empty window seat. OK? Thanks.

Doorway blockers
Come inside. We won't bite. Or just get the f*ck out of the way so we can get off the train.

Angry/indifferent drivers
Driving a streetcar through a congested city is, no doubt, a patience-sapping task, but there's nothing worse than the furious driver who leans on the horn and is snappy with passengers. Customer service is part of the job, too. That means learning to use the loudspeaker as well (surely there's a volume dial somewhere.)

Litterers
Tim Hortons cups and rolling half-full bottles of mystery liquid belong in the garbage, as does most of the stuff left behind on the TTC. Minor exception granted for newspapers that are still in readable condition and have a blank crossword section.

Turnstile blockers
Bicycles do not fit through the subway's revolving door turnstiles, yet, roughly twice a week, a TTC technician has to extricate bike trapped in the maw of a station entrance. Go around to the main entrance and be spared the blushes.

SEE ALSO:

• A TTC etiquette guide, vintage edition

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Images: Jeff Smith, Laurie Brown/Twitter, asianz/blogTO Flickr pool.

Two members of the Ruby Watchco team have created this casual new spot on the east side. Specializing in "coastal cuisine", the restaurant is offering an approachable, affordable menu featuring snacks, chowders, fish schnitzels and even a house-made Hamburger Helper.

Read my profile of Eastside Social in the restaurants section.

What are the best hospitals in Toronto? What are ones that could use some love? In a country with universal healthcare and hard working doctors, nurses and staff, it's sticky to call out a hospital for its old facilities or long wait times without considering all of the factors. Hospitals in busy downtown neighbourhoods often have higher traffic volumes and older buildings, and construction for necessary updating and streamlining, takes place in already tight quarters.

I'm personally very grateful I can walk into an emergency room and be treated without worrying about the bills that will follow, and I'm happy to pay the taxes and/or wait a little longer so that everyone can be taken care of.

In any work place there is often one bad apple spoiling the bunch. With hospitals an overworked or tired night nurse or doctor with gruff bedside manner, can make for a rotten experience in an otherwise stellar environment. But, as many have experienced, not all hospitals are created equal so take this post as simply a starting point to discuss some of the discrepancies.

UPDATE: As noted above, this article is meant simply as a discussion starter and is not meant to be interpreted as a definitive ranking of any kind. The list below was largely based on suggestions from our Twitter followers and is not based on any analytical or other comprehensive research.

BEST

SickKids
What can you say? It's clear everyone who works at SickKids wants to be there, and the number of non-medical services and care workers, plus the celebrity connections (Argos, Maple Leaf players) keep Sick Kids moneyed, high profile, and as close to a pleasure to visit as any hospital given the unfortunate circumstance that might land you there. Bonus points for an emergency room that's well-streamlined for kids.

Mount Sinai
The cafeteria ain't great, but the service is stellar. Mount Sinai is well known for quality of natal care, as well as having a wonderful broad community feel. Previously named one of the GTA's top employers (in 2010), the hospital is a major research facility thanks to the presence of Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, which employs over 600 staff.

Sunnybrook
Like Sick Kids, You can see that the staff enjoys their jobs. There is amazing all-round quality of care. Highlighted by the recently overhauled and gorgeous birthing unit, the hospital is one of the most up to date in the city (save for its power lines). Once part of Sunnybrook, Women's College also deserves major kudos and is getting a major overhaul.

Credit Valley
Currently ranked best hospital in outer Toronto in multiple reports, the Credit Valley Hospital is huge and sprawling. It was opened in 1985 so buildings are comparatively new, and are noted for fine natal care, responsive ER, and professional staff. It's crucial medical stats (including mortality and readmission rates) are some of the best in the GTA.

St. Mike's
Any downtown emergency is going to be swelled with patients, and St. Mike's is no exception, taking in a ton of traffic- increasing wait times and chaotic ambiance. But St. Mike's has a great reputation for men's health, amongst other care. While it's key clinical stats put it at national averages, patient care services are highly endorsed.

COULD USE AN UPGRADE?

Toronto East General
Aging buildings with a history of long wait times won't win you any favours (the average ER wait time is pegged at over six hours). There is an overarching tired, weary feeling which doesn't create the most welcoming energy in times of need. On the plus side, clinical stats have it as comparable with other hospitals of its size in Canada.

St. Joe's
People love to hate on St. Joe's. It's an old, rather confusing building that's in need of some updates, and the emergency can be slow (almost a six hour average wait). Good news is they have moved away from a paper-based filing system to an electronic one (see video here) so things are on the upswing. Also, we received many kudos directed toward St. Joe's nurses and doctors.

Toronto Western
A world-class brain and ortho treatment centre, facilities especially designated for artists, the open atrium and other perks can't deflect some of the criticism of the Toronto Western hospital. ER can be slow (over a six hour wait is average), the building a little confusing to navigate, and readmission rates are above the national average. That said, it's important to bear in mind that this is still a world class facility.

What do you think are the best hospitals in Toronto? What are the ones that could use a bit of an upgrade? Add your thoughts to the comments.

YC Condos at (surprise, surprise) Yonge and College is a dramatic development that while shorter than nearby Aura to the south, is far nicer looking. The two-toned rectangular sections nicely split up the 66-storey tower and the seven story podium retains a good relationship with the neighbouring Odd Fellows Hall (you know, where the Starbucks is on the northwest corner), which is the same height. Let's be clear, this is not on par with, say, Frank Gehry's designs for the Mirvish project on King West, but it's well above average for Toronto condo developments.

SPECS

Address: 460 Yonge St.
Storeys: 66
Number of units: 600
Unit types: 1 bedroom through to 3 bedroom PH suites
Unit sizes: TBD
Price: TBD
Architect: Graziani + Corazza Architects
Interior Designer: Burdifilek
Developer: Canderel

FEATURES

• 24 hour concierge/security
• Bicycle storage
• Car sharing services
• Fitness facility with exercise and aerobics/yoga room
• Outdoor barbecue stations
• 64th floor amenities include an infinity pool, bar area, fireplace, billiards table and dining area
• Miele appliances

THE VERDICT

This is a winner in the aesthetics department. Yonge and College is also a place that can handle this type of density, given the proximity of basically every amenity you could ever hope for and the immediate subway access. There are only 156 parking spots to the 600 units in this condo, so that should give a sense of the degree to which the developer's are banking on the central location as a way to woo non-drivers. For many, I suspect, this will also prove something of a turn off, but it's good enough planning to me.

Amenities-wise, most of the predictable boxes are ticked off, and you can bet that the 66th floor lounge and pool will be a nice place to spend time. Miele appliances is a nice touch, as is the promise of a hefty dose of two bedrooms plus den units (still not sure on the exact number of these, though).

Read other posts in this series via our Toronto Condos and Lofts Pinterest board.

Road closures in Toronto for the weekend of July 19 and 20 rounds up the key transportation shut-downs affecting the city, including street and TTC closures.

KEY ROAD CLOSURES IN TORONTO

Strachan: Lake Shore--Fleet, Lake Shore: Strachan--British Columbia. The Honda Indy Weekend has closed portions of Lake Shore and Strachan. The roads will re-open Sunday, July 20 at 11:59 p.m. Access to Ontario Place via Lake Shore and Strachan.

Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival's Junior Parade and Festival Multiple road closures on Saturday, July 19 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to accommodate the parade route, which is as follows: 30 McLevin Avenue to Sewells Road, west on Sewells Road to Neilson Road, north on Neilson Road to Neilson Park Drive, and east on Neilson Park Drive to the entrance of Neilson Park.

Yonge: Edward--Queen. A portion of Yonge from just north of Dundas to Queen will be closed for the Live Green Toronto Festival, Saturday, July 27 from 6:30 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

St. Clair: Winona--Christie. Salsa on St. Clair requires the closure of the road from Saturday, July 19 at 8 a.m. to Sunday, July 20 at 11 p.m.

Dundas: Spadina--Beverley Street. Street closed from Saturday, July 19 at 12:01 a.m. to Sunday, July 20 at 11 p.m for the Chinatown Festival.

Bloor: Dufferin--Lansdowne. Closed in both directions from Saturday, July 19 at 9 a.m. to Sunday, July 20 at 9 p.m. for the Big on Bloor event.

Danforth: Broadview--Jackman. The Thrill of the Grill event means the Danforth will be closed from Broadview to Jackman in both directions from Saturday, July 19 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Yonge: Queen--Dundas. Yonge will be closed again between Dundas and Queen for a Youth Day event Sunday, July 20 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

TTC CLOSURES

510 Spadina: Dundas. Water main replacement work (and later streetcar track replacement) means Spadina and Dundas is closed to all streetcar traffic until Aug. 11. The 505 Dundas streetcar will divert via McCaul, College, and Bathurst. The 510 Spadina is being replaced by bus until July 28.

Line 2 Bloor-Danforth: Islington--Kipling. The final western stretch of the Bloor-Danforth line will be closed this weekend for track replacement work. Shuttle buses from Islington station will cover the remainder of the route. Wheel-Trans vehicles will leave from Jane. Normal service resumes Monday, July 21 at 6 a.m.

504 King, 505 Dundas: Broadview. For six weeks starting Sunday, July 20, the 504 King and 505 Dundas streetcars will be unable to reach Broadview subway station due to construction on Broadview. The 504 will turn south at Dundas and Broadview and return to King via Queen and Parliament. The 505 will divert via Parliament, Gerrard and Broadview. Both routes will be completed by shuttle bus.

ONGOING CLOSURES

Over and above the special closures this weekend, construction projects across Toronto result in numerous other road restrictions across the city. For a comprehensive list of such closures, you can consult the official map maintained by the City of Toronto (also available as a PDF.)

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

It looks like relief is in sight for the businesses of Riverside. The TTC says it is planning to reopen the intersection of Queen and Broadview a week earlier than scheduled following streetcar track replacement work.

TTC spokesman Brad Ross attributes the rare good news to "a lot of really good timing and hard work by everybody involved to get things finished ahead of schedule."

"The big push for us was to reopen that intersection, to resume our service, to allow traffic to start flowing through there again," he says. "Queen East this spring and summer has really borne the brunt of a lot of important work that had to get done."

As in Leslieville with the closure of Queen and Leslie earlier this summer, businesses that rely on the 501 Queen streetcar complained of a precipitous drop in revenue. Michael Summerfield of the bar Prohibition estimated business had fallen by 30 to 35 per cent earlier this week. He said the business had considered temporarily closing down.

Ross says some sidewalk work still needs to be carried out but that it will be undertaken at a later date. The east-end streetcar headache isn't quite finished yet, however.

The Broadview streetcar tracks between Danforth and Broadview subway station are due to close for six weeks starting this Sunday for rail replacement and overhead wire upgrades, just hours after the reopening of Queen and Broadview.

As a result, the 504 King will divert up Parliament, travel east on Dundas, then south on Broadview to Queen, back to Parliament. The 505 Dundas will divert up Parliament to Gerrard, travel east to Broadview, turn south and rejoin Dundas (see graphic.)

Shuttle buses will complete the connection to Broadview subway station for both routes.

Queen and Broadview is due to open late on Saturday when the TTC completes a series of safety tests. There are no diversions planned on Queen for the remainder of the year.

Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated the scope of the closure on Broadview. Although the planned construction work is north of the Danforth, streetcars will not be able to go north of Gerrard on Broadview. Shuttle buses will run between Dundas and Broadview station, stopping at Gerrard.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Photo by Steven Hoang

Photo by Lisa on the Run in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Toronto Food Events rounds up the most delicious events, festivals, pop-ups, winemaker dinners, supper clubs and other food related happenings in Toronto this week and next. You can find us here every Friday morning.

THIS WEEK

• Taking place on Saturday, July 19 from noon to 4pm, the Thrill of the Grill, organized by the Danforth BIA, will raise funds for kidney cancer research while showcasing local restaurants and merchants. Five Danforth restaurants and one butcher will compete to win over crowds and celebrity judges with delectable racks of BBQ ribs.
• Taste of Thailand, a free outdoor festival celebrating Thai food and culture, takes place at Nathan Phillips Square th July 19 and 20 from noon until 8pm. The event will feature free cultural shows, Thai delicacies for sale, cooking demos and carving workshops.
• The 26th Ontario Oyster Festival at Rodney's (469 King St. West) promises a shuckin' good time, featuring fresh oysters, mussels, and lobster, on Sunday, July 20 from 2pm to 10pm. Tickets ($32) get you admission plus two drink tickets, and one plate of oysters or one hot food item. Additional food and drink tickets are $5.
• Summer Sundays, happening July 20 and 27, will transform the rooftop terrace at Malaparte (at the Bell Lightbox) into a champagne garden featuring full service brunch stations catered by O&B. Tickets are $45 and include two complimentary Perrier-Jouët champagne cocktails.
• The Sausage League at Marben (488 Wellington St. West) continues this week with, Valdez facing off against Caplansky's on Tuesday, July 22, and Geraldine taking on The Drake Hotel on Wednesday, July 23. From 5:30pm on, diners will have the chance to taste and vote for the winner.
• Fancy Franks (326 College St.) is partnering with SickKids for National Hot Dog Day on Wednesday, July 23, serving up free hot dogs from its patio from noon until 7pm. Enjoy a free weiner and support a good cause with a donation or purchase of a drink or merchandise.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• The Depanneur (1033 College St.) hosts chef Michael Kirkwood for a supper club on Sunday July 27 featuring curried cauliflower soup, 12- hour braised beef cheek, grilled corn, sautéed rapini and fresh Ontario strawberries with shaved goat cheese for dessert. Tickets are $40 and as always, it's BYOB.
• Borealia Restaurant, set to open this fall at 59 Ossington Ave., presents a five-course sneak preview pop-up at The Yukon (1592 Queen St. West) on Saturday, August 2 at 7pm. Reservations are being accepted now for the $45 dinner, and seating is limited.

OTHER NEWS

• The Stop Community Food Centre 's Farm to Fork Brunch, originally planned for Sunday, July 27 fhas been cancelled. Ticket holders will be refunded.

The top alt-country bands to watch in Toronto may be under-the-radar now even to long time fans of twang, but y'all (sorry) better plan on seeing them around. Toronto continues to be home to both established and emerging alt-country (alternative country - think country for indie fans) artists. More recognizable names include Justin Rutledge, The Wooden Sky, The Strumbellas, Elliott Brood, Cuff the Duke, and now in Nashville, Lindi Ortega.

It was Grant Lawrence (CBC) who said, "Blue Rodeo were alt-country before the genre existed." Even those country-rockers who started in '84 owe a slight something to Handsome Ned (Robin Masyk). As much of Toronto's alt-country scene still lives on Queen St., Handsome Ned began his country music career there in the early '80's, leading to a residency at the Cameron House, and a few 45rpm singles. Ned, who died of a suspected drug overdose, remains an influence on later artists Blue Rodeo, the Skydiggers, and the Sadies.

Here are five alt-country bands worth keeping on your radar.

The Lovelocks
Ali Raney and Zoe Neuman have accomplished a lot with their combination of vocal harmonies, fiddle, mandolin, and acoustic guitar in only a few years. Their crowdfunding campaign raised $30,000 and they continue to chart on the iTunes country list. Fans also know them for their natural charm, hilarity - and limes and tequila.

Dani Nash
There's more to Dani Nash than just her bio-advertised leather pants. This rising musician is brimming with talent. Nash delivers her own country rock and also performs with The Pining, Samantha Martin and the Haggard, and others. Also keep an eye out for her visual art, which reflects her Northern Ontario roots.

Animal Parts
Joshua Cockerill looks to have made the rights moves, as far as his music career - he knew he wanted to be a musician since age 10. Cockerill moved from Alberta to Toronto, and self-released "The Trick With Your Heart I'm Learning To Do" after forming the alt-country band (with a touch of pop) Animal Parts. The band has gone on to release 3 albums in 14 months. Dubbed mammalites, they all claim to be good for a hug at their shows.

Local 164
Local 164 bring murder ballads, harmonies, and big dreams to the Big Smoke with their alt-country/roots sound. Gordon Bolan (vocals), Jenny Young (banjo), Dave Chan (drums/mandolin), and Jason O'Brien can be regularly found playing the Tranzac on the 2nd Wednesday of the month.

Kayla Howran
Kayla Howran's debut album "Pistol" has been called, "a twangy back-to-basics alt-country album." After finding her way from Peterborough to Toronto's Queen St. and the Cameron House, Howran established a Friday night residency there for a year. She can now be seen live on most first Fridays of the month at the Cameron House.

Writing by Ryan Ayukawa. Photo of Dani Nash via Facebook

Drake is attention seeking again - or that's what my parents used to call it whenever I cried out for love. Amid dissing Macklesnore and gripping a Polaris shortlist nomination (has anyone told him yet?) the hip hop star / unofficial most important person in Toronto has renamed his hometown without consulting, seemingly, anybody.

While speculating what Drake's newly revealed album title Views From The 6 might mean, pieces were slowly put together by, according to BuzzFeed, "people" - Twitter users? - who deduced that "6" is the only common number shared by "416" and "647" area codes. Well, that and the "4." So is Toronto's new name "the 6" for realsies? Are we "in the 6" right now?

We know Drake shares rap's love of area code drops, but I don't think I buy the interpretation of the album title. Smooth talking Drizzy's not about to forget his east end girls with 905 numbers, first of all. Complex dished on these fake OVO billboards featuring "6" branding in the spring, which further muddies the situation.

Yet with our wayward mayor, one couldn't really be surprised to wake up tomorrow to find out that Drake has been allowed to re-brand the city on a whim. He saved the Raptors, didn't he? It's dry, but anything's an improvement over "Hogtown." Maybe Hogtown Vegan should rename themselves 6 Vegan - would you rather be reading blogThe6.com right now? Should Drake team up with spooky DETH Records for a "Triple 6" dance night in Kensington? Let us know in the comments.

Update: a tipster whom for whatever reason is too cool to comment on blogTO (but might have commented on blogThe6, right?) has informed us Drake's pal Jimmy Johnson originally coined the nickname. Good work, team Drake Watch.

Photo courtesty of Ron Turenne/NBA photos

National Hot Dog Day in Toronto is a relatively new invention, though similar celebrations have taken place since as early as the 1970s south of the border. Our homegrown version was started by Fancy Franks, who will once again carry the torch in support of SickKids charities on July 23rd. The promotion runs at Fancy Franks College St. location between 12-7pm on the patio, where guests will be entitled to one free dog.

Piggybacking on Fancy Franks' efforts, Craft Dogs will also be giving away some free dogs next Saturday, though only for the first 50 who show up.

One's thirties are the new twenties so they say, but for our embattled Nation's Music Station MuchMusic it's the new euthanasia. Launched with great gusto 30 years ago this August, MuchMusic (original tagline: "It's a lot!") has been slowly dispossessed of its magical powers over the last decade as the channel lunged from an embarrassing identity crisis into full blown televisual catatonia.

While its overlords at Bell Media are quick to blame a T.K.O. combo of YouTube guzzling kids and a side of strait-jacketed conditions of licence courtesy of our proudly tone deaf Government regulatory agency the CRTC, the sad truth is that a profound lack of vision and imagination have killed this once indomitable golden goose.

Seismic waves triggered by CTVglobemedia's (now Bell Media) purchase of the CHUMCity assets in 2006 are still felt today, as one by one those colorful assets fade into a beige blur of TV mediocrity; Citytv, the incendiary local channel which gleefully re-wrote the rules of a vanilla medium is now a wasteland of second tier sitcoms, reality shows, and mind numbing infomercial loops. Bravo and Space, once bastions of high quality niche series catering to high and low brow viewers alike, are now home to sloppy seconds, practically indistinguishable from one another never mind everything else.

In other news, Netflix, piracy and SVOD are kicking everyone's ass because even us Hoi Polli are better at imaginative programming than most major broadcasters.

Reporting on the gutting of what was left of MuchMusic's original programming, the Globe and Mail (also owned by Bell Media) quoted Bell Media president Kevin Crull as saying "Kids do not watch music videos on television. You're not going to wait for somebody to program a music video when you have a million available on Vevo". It's almost as if some people have forgotten why the peons bothered to watch Much in the first place.

Music videos may well have been the bricks and mortar out of which the original condition of license was constructed back in the early 1980s, but the true pedigree of MuchMusic was always attitude.

MuchMusic was a hard partying Frankenstein's monster forged together by pieces of Citytv's creative maelstrom in the late 70s/early 80s - The New Music (alternative principles and magazine style reportage), Toronto Rocks (edgy rock and street cred), CHUM 30 Countdown (Video countdowns) and City Limits (irreverent commentary, comedy and bizarre stock footage). Unifying all of this wayward mayhem were some remarkable hosts - J.D Roberts, Jennie Becker, John Majhor, and Christopher Ward, respectively.

Later shows on MuchMusic such as Soul in the City, The Wedge, Power Hour, R U Receiving, French Kiss, Electric Circus, The Punk Show, Life on Venus Avenue and Rap City fostered an eclecticism that is difficult to find in the current online megaverse of curation-less content, where we technically have access to everything but limited or no guidance on the journey.

When it was first unleashed onto Canada via the madhouse at 99 Queen Street East, Much's cadre of VJs included electric personalities such as Michael Williams, Erica Ehm, and Denise Donlon, later Steve Anthony, Terry David Mulligan, Kim Clarke Champniss, Tony "Master T" Young, Ed the Sock, Ziggy Lorenc, Monika Deol, Dan Gallagher, Simon Evans, Sook-Yin-Lee, Rick "the temp", Daniel Richler, George Stroumboulopoulos, many others.

Regardless of your preferred musical genre, this motley crew of misfits chilling in their open concept work space invited you to hang out with them 24/7, learn stuff you didn't know, hear amazing tunes, have a laugh and feel like part of something much larger. Just like the best kind of cool older brothers and sisters.

The visionary man upstairs Moses Znaimer and his co-conspirator John Martin were the hip parents who let their children run amuck and experiment as much as they liked, just so long as they did it under his roof. First at 99 Queen Street East, and then later most memorably at 299 Queen West, the ChumCity building was a buzzing sentient cathedral of good vibes, good music, and good people: "The living movie" as it came to be known.

Nowadays 299 Queen West is a gated mortuary, where everything is hidden away from the public. Long before social media transformed our toys, its ethos was apparent in every facet of MuchMusic's soul. It was live, interactive and approachable. The VJs were actually die-hard music fans. They enjoyed nothing more than turning people onto new bands and genres. It was an adroit educational experience, and everyone including sponsors and advertisers came out smiling.

With virtually nothing, the original brains behind Much delivered on their promise of giving us "a lot". With a lot, the new owners of Much gave us virtually nothing. Reruns of The Simpsons, Degrassi, and The Mentalist might look good from a R.O.I perspective on O&O economies of scale, but they sure won't buy you a dedicated cult following.

With Much's epitaph basically written (but not yet carved in stone), it seems to be all over but for the crying. Bean counters are not usually interested in straying from their scripts, which seems all the more mystifying when you recall that kind of punk flavoured disobedience to rules was what turned Much into the cash money piñata they bought in the CHUMCity package all those years ago.

Grassroots movement #GivethembacktoMoses sprung up this week with a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Givethembacktomoses) ostensibly to show Bell Media there is still an appetite for the brand under new (old) management. They should return their broken purchase - if they no longer want it - to its prophetic creator Moses Znaimer, who no doubt could turn things around sharpish.

Properties like Much worked best with small overheads and big ideas, and with instant access to virtually every song and music video ever created, we sorely need expert curation more than ever before. It need not be a rerun of the first 30 years, and it's no longer just about videos. The next chapter in this exciting saga is beckoning. Who better to save the wounded and confused monster than Dr. Frankenstein himself?

Besides which, Much Master T thinks it's a good idea.

Retrontario plumbs the seedy depths of Toronto flea markets, flooded basements, thrift shops and garage sales, mining old VHS and Betamax tapes that less than often contain incredible moments of history that were accidentally recorded but somehow survived the ravages of time. You can find more amazing discoveries at www.retrontario.com.

The TTC's Rocket subway trains could get some pricey new ceiling hand rails as part of a series of safety upgrades over the next few years, if a new report is adopted by the TTC board next week.

The areas beneath the heating and air conditioning units, located near the doors of the Rocket trains, do not contain any hand-holds, posing a safety issue during rush hour. One of the new Rocket trains (pictured above) has been fitted with prototype rails and plastic straps to positive customer feedback.

The cars will also be fitted with exterior speakers as a result of feedback from riders with visual disabilities. The devices will make the three-note door chime easier to hear from the platform.

The total cost of the work is estimated be in excess of $15 million, but thanks to a series of credits owed to the TTC by manufacturer Bombardier, the net price has been reduced to $465,000. Before the discounts were applied, the design, engineering, and installation expense of the hand rails alone was $4.3 million. The speakers were marked at $11 million.

"Our engineers review these issues very carefully. Given the number of cars, material and time it will take, I trust the professionals got [the price] right," TTC spokesman Brad Ross said in an email.

The hand rails and speakers are due to be in place on all 70 of the Rocket trains by the end of 2016.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: twurdemann/blogTO Flickr pool.

Their name might be Burgatory, but this brand-new food truck wants to send you straight to burger heaven. The mother-son duo behind the truck took their theme to new depths with a menu themed around the seven deadly sins, from the spicy Wrath burger to the decadent truffle-and-parmesan Gluttony fries.

Read more about Burgatory on Toronto Food Trucks.

There are not many of them, but Toronto boasts several bars and pubs that have been serving drinks for more than a century. In a city that a little over 220 years ago was no more than a cluster of tents, that's quite impressive. In fact, two of the bars on this list predate Canadian Confederation; all of them opened before the second great fire of Toronto and the first electricity reached the city from Niagara.

Naturally, the process for definitively determining the oldest bars in the city is subject to some debate, as business this old have often changed focus over the years. While we've researched our list, please feel free to make other compelling suggestions in the comments section.

Here are some of the oldest pubs and bars in Toronto.

The Wheat Sheaf
Only one place in Toronto can claim to have been serving beer for 155 years, and that's the Wheat Sheaf at King and Bathurst. The historic pub, which predates confederation, can trace its history to the days of soldiers at nearby Fort York and the wild wind storm that severed the Toronto Island's last natural connection to the mainland. The persistent rumour that the basement of the Wheat Sheaf is linked to Fort York by way of a tunnel is (sadly) completely bogus.

The Black Bull
Queen Street West's Black Bull can rightfully claim to be among Toronto's oldest bars, if not the oldest. The establishment opened in either 1833 or 1838, depending on the source, in a different wood-framed building on the same location at Queen and Soho streets. Writing in the late 1800s, newspaper owner John Ross Robertson said the Black Bull was "a favourite stopping place for farmers on their way to town from the west and north-west." It was called the Clifton House for several decades until 1977.

The Brunswick House
What the grimy Brunswick House lacks in luxury it makes up for with history. Since 1876, the Annex stalwart--"The Brunny" to its friends--has been serving food and libations, more recently to a raucous student crowd thirsty for cheap drinks and dance parties. During prohibition, the hotel was raided at least once for "having liquor in a private place other than a dwelling."

Dominion on Queen
Now sadly shorn of its tower and many of its finest exterior details, the Dominion on Queen was opened in 1889 by Robert Davies, a member of the family that founded the neighbouring Dominion Brewery (now converted to office space.) The hotel originally housed a performance space on its top floor, but it was demolished in the 1940s. In his lifetime, Davies was also financially involved in the running of the several paper mills and the Don Valley Brick Works.

The Gladstone Hotel
The Gladstone Hotel opened in 1899 across from North Parkdale, a lost Toronto railway station. According to the building's historical plaque, the 60-room hotel was considered one of the safest in the city for many decades--it was "the only safe place for one's Great Aunt to stay alone" and for that reason was a popular choice for traveling workers. In the 1950s, the hotel bar was called the Melody Room.

BONUS: Miller Tavern

Opened as the York Mills Hotel in 1860s, the Miller Tavern was a popular road house and resting point for horses on the trail out of Toronto. The name was changed to The Jolly Miller in the 20th century, and it became "infamous for the site of suburban high-school student debauchery," according to The Globe and Mail. The brick building dropped its happy moniker in 2004 after undergoing a renovation and conversion to a seafood restaurant.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Public Library

The best huevos rancheros in Toronto is an alternative to the pancake and benny-saturated menu options that dominate the city's brunch landscape. The Mexican breakfast standard has a number of merits: not only will it satisfy hunger pangs with its hearty base of eggs and refried beans, but it also has this power to simultaneously wake-up taste buds and tame hangovers thanks the delicious combination of spicy salsa, creamy guacamole and salty queso.

Here are the best huevos rancheros in Toronto.

See also:

The top 50 brunch restaurants in Toronto
The Best Brunch in Toronto
The Best All Day Breakfast in Toronto
The Best Mexican Restaurants in Toronto