Karkwa : “like a new debut”

The T.O. Do List: March 5 & 6 

This weekend: Karkwa, Electronica Meets Orchestra, Starting From Scratch, Snowblink, Telekinesis

BY EYE WEEKLY STAFF March 05, 2011, Toronto Notes

Indie-rock lovers nationwide were stunned last September when seemingly anonymous Québécois upstarts Karkwa took home the crown jewel of Canadian music criticism, the $20,000 Polaris Music Prize. Since their formation way back in 1998, Karkwa’s music has slowly evolved into the proggy juggernaut you’ll hear on their prize-winning album, Les Chemins de verre. Though they’ve spent 10 years touring in Quebec and Europe, racking up countless ADISQ awards (Quebec’s answer to the Junos), keyboardist François Lafontaine says their newly elevated profile makes their current tour “like a new debut.”

See Karkwa play Lee's Palace (529 Bloor W) on Saturday, March 5 with Plants & Animals. $15 at RT, SS, HS, TM. 9pm.