Dragonette - Bodyparts

Toronto's own Dragonette has a brand new album, their third. After you get used to Martina Sorbara's high-pitched wails and breathy whispers -- half-Gwen Stefanni, half-Marilyn Monroe -- this is a massive rock-dance-pop record, with loads of hooks, riffs, beats and melodies. Not everything sounds super fresh but there's enough here to get the party started and then some.

Three towers in Toronto

Toronto-born Frank Gehry unveils plans to change the skyline of Toronto.

via designboom

York Quay

Plans for the revitalization of this part of Toronto's Waterfront are underway.

Beaches

Late-summer at The Beaches.

Bat-Toronto

via fuckyeahtoronto

Brazilian art in Toronto

From a small exhibit of migrating Brazilian photographers and artists at the Toronto City Hall.

Toronto on Air Show day

From my friend Andy's balcony.

CNE 2012

Speaking of Canadiana, this week marks the end of the CNE - the annual Canadian National Exhibition - and incidentally the end of summer in Toronto. Some moments from this year's EX.

Butter bust of Toronto mayor Rob Ford, fictionally reading (a book by his arch-nemesis Margaret Atwood, nonetheless).

An alpaca.

And a lamb.

Tiny Canadian images

So the CN Tower projects tiny Canadian images that nobody can see up and down its shaft and a guy with a lot of time in his hands saw this:

Chinese Lanterns in St. Louis

The Missouri Botanical Garden is hosting a Lantern Festival with 26 Chinese silk lanterns spread among its garden paths. The sights were even more fantastical in the misty gardens after a thunderstorm.

Two dragons, each about 100 ft long, entirely made of Chinese porcelain plates, cups and bowls, were a show-stopper.

There was also a demonstration of sand drawing.

Even Toronto got a little sandy nod.