Diamond Rings

J-J-J-Junos

johno — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:15:22 +0000

Diamond Rings is thrilled to have been nominated for a Juno Award in the New Artist of the Year category. The Junos will be held on April, 1st, 2012 in Ottawa, Canada. Stay tuned!

Everything Speaks

johno — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:48:48 +0000

Thanks to everyone whose time and energy helped make 2011 such an amazing year for Diamond Rings. From great tours opening for Robyn, Twin Shadow, and Junior Boys, to having my album re-released on Astralwerks, to having the privilege of meeting new fans around the world, everything in the past 12 months has been pretty magical.

After a bit of a holiday break in Toronto, I’m back in Montreal and hard at work finishing what will become my next album. I’m really excited about these songs and can’t wait to share them with all of you as soon as possible. I think there’s a little something for everyone.

‘Til Next Time,
XODR

Straight Outta Brooklyn

johno — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:40:00 +0000

Big ups to NYC designer Deryck Todd for bedazzling this bright white LJ just in time for my set at the Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival last week! Thanks are also due to Josh at Straight To Hell and Jimmy at Trash & Vaudeville for giving Deryck such a beautifully clean canvas (er…jacket) upon which to work his magic. You’ll see me sporting this bad boy throughout Europe starting tomorrow night in Stockholm!

Bring The Noisey

johno — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 23:21:27 +0000

The amazing folks at Noisey recently put together a five part documentary showcasing my most recent show in Montreal with Twin Shadow at the Corona Theatre on October 4th. Up top is the first of the five and the rest of them are right here…

Speaking of Montreal, I’m actually back in Canada’s vibes capital wrapping up final production on my next album for the next two weeks. It’s gonna be a major banger, BTW. You’ll probably see me drinking coffee and strolling about town between vocal takes, so please don’t hesitate to introduce yourselves!

XODR

Trans Europe Express

johno — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:29:51 +0000

What’s up? I know it’s been awhile since I’ve sent out any updates but don’t stay mad for long, OK? Because I’ve got some great news and it comes in the form of a massive European tour with Junior Boys (whom if you don’t know) are one of my favourite bands ever.

All the dates are posted here and feature stops in cool places like Dublin, Stockholm, and Warsaw plus all the obvious places like Berlin and Barcelona. My debut album Special Affections will see its European release on November 1st as well so all you Euros have no excuse not to pre-game to my tunes when team DR comes rolling deep right through your area. What’s more, the kind folks at Astralwerks are also pressing a super limited edition tour only 7″ single featuring album cut “You & Me” on the A side and an electrosmooth cover of Scottish pub rockers Teenage Fanclub and their mid 90s gem “Mellow Doubt” on the flip. Surf over to Pitchfork if you can’t hardly wait to hear it…

Finally, I’m also playing what will likely be my last North American show for a good long while at the Music Hall Of Williamsburg on November 11th as part of the Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival. Don’t miss the magic.

Whew! More to come soon. Did I mention I’m half-way finished recording a new record?

XODR

Let’s Shine Brighter!

johno — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:25:16 +0000

Hey Friends!

I’m two dates deep into the Clean Cuts tour with Twin Shadow and want to thank the awesome crowds in Philly and New Jersey that have made getting back into the swing of things so much fun. Oh – and extra props to anyone who’s picked up one of the brand new limited edition Spike Lee/Madonna inspired bike caps at the merch table! You’ve got to see ‘em to believe ‘em.

I also wanted to let y’all know my new video for the Special Affections deep cut “You & Me” is premiering right here today on MTVU. I was blown away and humbled by the talent and energy that everyone brought to this project and can’t say enough about how happy I am with the final cut! Big thanks to director Jeff Scheven, my creative director Lisa Howard, costume designer Vanessa Fischer, as well as our friends at Complex Geometries for hooking me up with such a sweet wizardly outfit. And as usual the whole thing was filmed on location in West Toronto.

Represent! XODR

Clean Cuts

johno — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:20:29 +0000

Yo! So the Clean Cuts tour (featuring both yours truly and Brooklyn’s own inimitable Twin Shadow) officially begins this Sunday on the streets of Philadelphia. We’re going to be playing all over the United States and Canada for the next month so check out the Events page for a show near you. I’ll be bringing make-up artist and creative guru Lisa Howard of Sweet Salting fame along for the whole thing too so expect some tight looks and fun surprises!

Oh, and speaking of looks – just in case you missed it, SPIN Magazine has features on both DR and TS in its’ September Style Issue! See you on the road…

XODR

You & Me

johno — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:33:13 +0000

Summer is here and there’s a bunch of exciting stuff going on that I can’t wait to share! First off, there’s going to be a brand new video for the song You & Me in a few weeks. The team and I wrapped shooting in the wee hours this morning at a top secret location on Toronto’s west end and I can’t thank everyone enough for their hard work and efforts. I’m a bit bleary eyed but I really think this one is gonna be amazing! Stay tuned…

Also, I’m totally thrilled to announce that I’ll be opening for Sufjan Stevens on August 3rd at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY! Outdoor shows are always amazing and this one is extra special because it’ll be the last time Sufjan and Co. perform live in their current neon-electro-party formation. Expect to be picking stray pieces of confetti out of your hair for weeks! Tickets are going quick so get on it while you still can…

See you at the beach – XODR

Remix Rainbow Part Six

johno — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:13:44 +0000

Today’s a big day for me in a few ways. For starters, today marks the completion of the Remix Rainbow Series, a six week long project that has taught me so much about not only myself but also all of my friends and musical acquaintances who have generously trusted me to re-imagine their own hard work in a new and unique form. Trust me when I say that it was an honour and a privilege.

Today’s remix artist(s) hail from Berlin, Germany and Hamilton, Canada – which may not be as weird as you think, if you actually think about it. Junior Boys are one of the top electronic acts in the game right now and getting a crack at their track, “A Truly Happy Ending” (from their recently released album It’s All True) was a real thrill. They’re actually in the middle of a huge North American tour with my main man (and Remix Rainbow alumnus) Miracle Fortress, so check ‘em out in a town near you!

Today also marks the re-release of my debut record Special Affections on Astralwerks. I couldn’t be more thrilled about the way things have worked out with this album of songs that I never really imagined anyone other than my Mom or roommates would ever hear, so thanks to any and everyone who has shown me love and support throughout this past year. I couldn’t have done this alone!

Click to download Remix Rainbow Part Six: Junior Boys – A Truly Happy Ending (Diamond Rings Remix)

Remix Rainbow Part Five

johno — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:14:46 +0000

Chances are most of you are already familiar with Handsome Furs. Singer/guitarist/husband Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade) and eletronic beatsmasher/dance partier/wife Alexei Perry are from Montreal and will be releasing their third album Sound Kapital on June 28th via Sub Pop. I’ve already had the privilege of hearing it and can assure you that it’s some heavy duty stuff.

I had a blast working on this remix and want to thank Dan and Alexei for being extra supportive throughout the whole process! These last few weeks have been crazy busy with touring and press, and getting to EQ that nasty metallic snare sound was probably the only thing that’s kept me sane. Check it out below!

Click to download Remix Rainbow Part Five: Handsome Furs – What About Us (Diamond Rings Remix)