The Rawside Of

"Life on the road separates boys from men" is how our narrator Julian Richings puts it. This episode follows the Born Ruffians, a trio of young men in their early 20’s from Midland, Ontario as they tour through the United States on their way to Austin, Texas to play the South by Southwest music festival for the very first time. Along the way the boys must navigate the road, conduct interviews and play shows all while learning to deal with their newfound fans and the wanted and unwanted attention that brings. Born Ruffians: Starting as an indie rock band from the small town of Midland, Ontario, the Born Ruffians have come a long way. Comprised of Luke LaLonde (guitar, vocals), Mitch Derosier (bass) and Steven Hamelin (drums), the trio made their way out of Midland, and into Toronto where their popularity grew. Word of the Born Ruffians eventually made it over seas and caught the ear of UK label Warp Records. They were signed and released their first full-length album, Red, Yellow & Blue in 2008.

Follow "band on the rise" The Cliks as they handle their roles both inside and outside of the band. Led by singer and guitarist Lucas Silveira, a transgendered male and up until now the principal songwriter, the group struggles as they try to make the transition into writing their music as a collective. Taking place, of course, while the band keeps up their demanding touring schedule, hoping to open people's eyes to their music and the fact that they’re not just a "lesbian band." The Cliks: Led by transgender frontman Lucas Silveira, The Cliks have exploded onto Toronto's music scene with a bang. Playing their own brand of original rock songs, the Cliks have been touring Canada and the U.S for the past year. Filling out the all-female line-up are Jen Benton (bass), and Morgan Doctor (drums) (former guitarist Nina Martinez has now left the band). Their album Snakehouse was released in 2007.

From grinding it out in the studio, to his favourite place in the world, his kitchen, we follow founding member of Broken Social Scene Brendan Canning as this self described perfectionist struggles to finish his first solo album. As his deadline creeps nearer, he struggles to find time to rehearse with Broken Social Scene AND complete his record before boarding an airplane for Australia and the start of Broken Social Scene's world tour. As narrator Julian Richings says: "It's a fucking marathon making a record." Brendan Canning: A veteran of the Canadian indie rock scene, Brendan Canning played in a number of notable Canadian bands (By Divine Right, Valley of the Giants, hHead) before co-founding the musical collective Broken Social Scene. He has since gone on to record a full-length solo record Something for All of Us for the Arts & Crafts label. Something for All of Us is the second instalment in the Broken Social Scene Presents collection.

"The only safe place is behind her," remarks Mr. Butterscotch, manager of Die Mannequin referring, of course, to lead singer and principal songwriter Care Failure. It's death and heartbreak with Die Mannequin as they prep for a U.S. tour, and try to write a new album. Mr. Butterscotch laments the fact the Care has thrown out everything she's written so far. We follow the band through Boston and beyond for a North American tour, as they deal with the pressure of writing on the road. Die Mannequin: Fronted by 22-year-old guitar player and singer Care Failure, Die Mannequin is keeping punk rock alive in Toronto. Filling out the trio is Anthony Bleed (bass, backing vocals) and Pat M. aka Ghostwolf (drums). They have opened for hard rock heavy-hitters such as Guns N' Roses and Buckcherry, and have recently released their debut album, Unicorn Steak, on their very own How to Kill Records label.

Music, relationships and work commitments are just a few of the things Dodger's founder, lead singer and songwriter Matt Drake struggles to juggle over three marathon days in his home town of Hamilton, Ontario. Battling self-doubt, the pressures of working a full time job, trying to stay creative and searching for time to make a relationship with Canadian pop-punker Skye Sweetnam work, Matt struggles to balance his life. The real question is: how long will he be able to keep this going before it all begins to implode? Dodger: Starting off as a punk band, Dodger's music has matured into a brand of rock/reggae all it’s own. Fronted by singer/songwriter Matt Drake the band consists of Luke Muldoon (guitar, vocals), Andrew Russell (MC/keyboards), Ryan Regimbal (bass), and Stu Fazekas (drums). Dodger has released one album, Musth, and for the past year have been playing shows throughout Ontario.

After ten years and thousands of shows, Canada's best bar band called it quits in 1995. Now after a thirteen year hiatus, singer songwriter Chris Brown must try to put The Bourbon Tabernacle Choir back together for one last gig at the world renowned Hillside Music Festival in Guelph, Ontario. But band members struggle with fractured relationships and the difficult task of staying relevant in this day and age. Will Chris be able to recapture the magic that once was or will he watch his beloved BTC crumble for the last time? Bourbon Tabernacle Choir: Formed in 1985 in Toronto, the Bourbon Tabernacle Choir were a mainstay on Canadian campus radio in the early 1990's. The 8-person band consisted of Kate Fenner (vocals), Chris Brown (vocals, organs), Andrew Whiteman (vocals, guitar), Chris Miller (guitar, saxophone), Jason Mercer (bass), Gregor Beresford (drums) (later replaced by Tom Bona), Dave Wall (vocals) and Gene Hardy (vocals, saxophone). Early on they gained a strong following through independently released cassettes and earned a reputation as one of the hottest bar bands in Toronto. After releasing their album Shy Folk in 1995, the band moved to New York City where they broke up shortly after. In 2008, the band reunited to the play the Hillside Festival in Guelph, Ontario.