Vivek Shraya

Photo

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:49:00 -0500

w/ Rachael Cantu

rehearsaltown

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:08:00 -0500

WEAKNEES now on MySpace

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:13:25 -0500

There is a lot you can learn about someone by observing what is in their grocery store cart. What someone looks for in an apple or their favorite brand of bagel can have so much significance in the early stage of a crush. The lyric what do you eat? and consequently this song, was born out of this desire to know every. single. detail. Soon after, you get bored of the person but that’s a completely different song.

Special shout out to Danny T. Levin (Julian Casablancas, Rilo Kiley, Robin Thicke) for busting out the Michael Jackson-inspired horns. Amazing.

You can now stream all of Weaknees here. Buy MP3 here. Watch the teaser here.

More shots from November 09 show in Van City. All photos...

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:02:24 -0500

More shots from November 09 show in Van City.

All photos by Julian Makos.

WEAKNEES teaser! From Keys & Machines, now on iTunes!

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:58:13 -0500

WEAKNEES teaser! From Keys & Machines, now on iTunes!

Blast from the past on my bro’s wall.

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:04:29 -0500

Blast from the past on my bro’s wall.

January 1, 2010

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:11:00 -0500

Doing a short reading from God Loves Hair (and maybe singing) on New Year’s Day @ 3pm as part of Mayworks Poetry Marathon in Toronto.

Hope to see you there.

Bad Romance cover! Free download! Merry Gagamas!

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:32:00 -0500

Bad Romance cover! Free download! Merry Gagamas!

November 20, 2009 (Edmonton, Exposure Festival). Photo by K....

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:06:00 -0500

November 20, 2009 (Edmonton, Exposure Festival).

Photo by K. Campos.

fave songs of 2009

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:08:00 -0500

1. This Tornado Loves You (Neko Case): Wild love expressed perfectly. I get you Neko. You get me. Nothing made me happier than the train ride from Montreal to Toronto, basking in sun and Middle Cyclone, my fave record of the year.

2. Empire State of Mind (Jay Z feat Alicia Keys): Holy, chills on the dancefloor. When Keys wails Newww Yorrrrk!! I am right there. Right there. Hands in the air. Also shout out to One To The Next One also on Blueprint 3. Swizz Beats! Justice has never sounded as good as when they are sampled here.

3. Glee Soundtrack: Too. Many. Reasons.

4. On Directing (Tegan and Sara): I listen to this song everytime I walk(/run) to your place. Crush anthem!

5. Hold The Line/When You Hear The Bassline (Major Lazer): This is all I want on a Saturday night.

6. Broken Songs (Jim Ward)/ Rusted Wheel (The Belle Brigade)/ Make A Name For Me And You (Rachael Cantu): Growing up, I would hear artists I looked up to talking about striving to write a “timeless” song. These songs are just that. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

7. Dimestore Diamond (Gossip): What an amazing way to kick off an album. Not even those HUGE drums can outshine Ditto’s big voice.

8. Zero (Yeah Yeah Yeahs): Favourite song to run to.

fave movies of 2009

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:07:00 -0500

2008 and was such a great year for movies, I suppose 2009 was never going to compare. And it didn’t. Worse, it was big disappointment after the next. I kept wanting to leave the theatre mid movie. My money felt way better spent on cheese (hello The Proposal) vs. any big blockbuster. That said, here is what I enjoyed the most:

1) Where The Wild Things Are: The line “will you keep out all the sadness” followed me for days after seeing the movie. Heartbreaking and visually stunning w/ a Karen O helmed soundtrack to boot. Hands down my fave of 2009.

2) Inglourious Basterds: I wanted more from this movie (more blood for starters!). And because it didn’t give me as much as I wanted, I think it could have been stronger if it had been shorter. That said Tarantino’s dialogue is genius and the opening scene alone was worth the admission fare. Christoph Waltz = best performance of the year.

3) The Reader: This technically came out late in 08 but I didn’t get a chance to see it until early this year. Kate Winslet turns everything into gold. It was the second half of the movie that really captured me.

4) 500 Days Of Summer: Best break up movie ever.

5) Bruno: Nowhere as brilliant as Borat but still SO hilarious. I am in love with Sacha Baron Cohen’s balls.

6) I Love You Man: As a man with barely 3% man friends, I was comforted to learn that I am not alone. Paul Rudd’s comedic timing is bang on.

7) The Brothers Bloom: I hadn’t really heard much about this movie, Rian Johnson’s follow up to Brick. No big 5 star reviews. But I was completely engaged from beginning to end. Solid.

Hoping for good things from this month’s A Single Man/Lovely Bones/Sherlock Holmes/Nine.

Fave music of 09 coming next week!

i(heart)music feature

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 06:00:00 -0500

“If there’s any justice, Keys & Machines will help Vivek Shraya conquer iPods and dancefloors all over the world.”

KEYS & MACHINES RELEASE PARTY. Toronto. November 26,...

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:35:00 -0500

KEYS & MACHINES RELEASE PARTY.

Toronto. November 26, 2009.

Photographs by Juliana Neufeld.
http://juliananeufeld.com.

Show photos! Vancouver (Railway Club - November 19, 2009)...

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:44:00 -0500

Vancouver (http://www.sarahbastin.net/)

Edmonton (http://jacksonphotografix.com)

Edmonton: Djs Campvek (shirley tse)

Edmonton: Djs Campvek

Show photos!

Vancouver (Railway Club - November 19, 2009)
Edmonton (Exposure Festival - November 20 & 21, 2009)

Happy Keys & Machines Day

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:14:00 -0500

Big day! Keys & Machines is now available here at vivekshraya.com and iTunes!

“…Keys & Machines is the real deal: it’s an electro-pop fans dream. Smart, intelligent pop that you can dance to, sing along with and play over and over again.” -Quick Before it Melts

I AM A BASS DRUM now streaming on MySpace

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:46:00 -0500

A random song was playing in the background, barely audible except for the drum. Her feet tapped along mindlessly. I AM A BASS DRUM was inspired by that image, that moment. The way our bodies respond mechanically to a beat.

Listen.

Also, check out this interview and contest to win a free copy of Keys & Machines w/ Quick Before it Melts.

The throb in your head.

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:38:24 -0500

The throb in your head.

BIG NEWS! Keys & Machines release date! Artwork! Pre-order info!

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:32:00 -0400

Keys & Machines will be out on November 17th! YES! Here is the artwork designed by Sammy Rawal, the man also behind the fun teaser videos.

Tracklisting:

1) Keys & Machines
2) Where And Tear
3) I AM A BASS DRUM
4) Weaknees
5) In/Out
6) Bump
7) A Little Room
8) The Grind
9) Always You

Produced by Meghan Toohey, mixed by Bryan Cook and mastered by Hans DeKline.

You can also preorder the CD copy of Keys & Machines from vivekshraya.com, starting today! Pre-orders before November 17th will be accompanied by a bonus digital EP* of bsides/demos/other goodies. Here is the tracklisting/info for the bonus Love Wrong EP:

1) Love Wrong (bside)
2) Fevered (Bryan Cook radio mix)
3) Closer Closer Closer (demo)
4) The Grind (demo)
5) Tryhard (demo)

(*A link to the digital EP will be emailed to you on November 17th.)

That’s it for now! Can’t! Wait!

Samsara: The Sketches was recorded in the span of two short days...

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:14:00 -0400

Samsara: The Sketches was recorded in the span of two short days in September 2002. Each song is just voice + guitar.

It is my first record. It features many (non-painful and awesome) adolescent firsts. I was also blonde and emo. At the same time. For proof, it is now available on iTunes for the very first time! Something to tide you over until the release of Keys & Machines.

Stream Cut from Samsara here.

Video

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:02:34 -0400