Zunior.com Turns Five

Zunior.com turns five this year and the music retail website has organized a few special events to celebrate its birthday.

The first is the Independent Music Hall Of Fame, which the site describes as "a new award that we will present every year to two of the best independent Canadian artists of all time." You can nominate your favourite musical acts and vote on acts others suggest until May 31. A jury of Canadian music bloggers will deliberate for two weeks about who should receive the award.

Two winners will be announced on June 27 at the Zunior 5th Anniversary Extravaganza at Toronto's Tranzac Club. The victors will receive "in-depth profiles" on the Independent Music Hall Of Fame website, which is still being created, along with Zunior prizes and more.

Mike O'Neill, The Violet Archers, Forest City Lovers, Andrew Vincent, Wax Mannequin, Entire Cities, Selina Martin and By Divine Right's Jose Contreras (who'll play as My Divine Light) will play the Extravaganza. O'Neill will play some songs from his 2000 What Happens Now and 2004 The Owl solo albums.

We think it would be ridiculous if O'Neill flew all the way to Toronto for one show and there wasn't an Inbreds reunion. Just putting it out there...

The anniversary bash will take over the Tranzac's main, front and acoustic rooms. Tickets are $10 through Zunior.com and come with a free 12-track compilation featuring unreleased B-sides and rarities from the bands playing the bash.

Here's the schedule for the Zunior 5th Anniversary Extravaganza:

Main room:
9 p.m. The Violet Archers
9:40 p.m. Forest City Lovers
10:15 p.m. Mike O'Neill
11 p.m. Andrew Vincent

Front room:
9 p.m. Murmurers
9:45 p.m. Culture Reject
10:30 p.m. Entire Cities
11:15 p.m. Wax Mannequin
12 a.m. Ben Gunning

Acoustic room:
9:15 p.m. Dog Is Blue
9:45 p.m. Selina Martin
10:30 p.m. Megan Hamilton
11:15 p.m. My Divine Light

Here are the artists and songs on the Zunior 5th Anniversary Show compilation:

Mike O'Neill — "She Believes In Me" (99% acoustic mix)
The Violet Archers — "Rearview" (demo)
Forest City Lovers — "Oh Humility" (CJLO acoustic B-side)
Megan Hamilton — "Cat-Tail Legs"
My Divine Light — "We F N'R"
Dog Is Blue — "Alligator Song"
Paul Linklater And His Murmurers — "Sick Of Songs" (remix)
Ben Gunning — "Flourescent Glare" (acoustic)
Andrew Vincent — "Bus Stop" (live)
Culture Reject — "Fanny's Church" (unreleased)
Wax Mannequin — "Things To Do With Rage"
Entire Cities — "Marshall's Five Lost Years"