Shitloads of concert news for Hogtown today. Let’s begin.

This year’s edition of the Over The Top Festival has been shaping up over the last few days. While the official website hasn’t been updated yet, promoter Eric Warner has been announcing shows on the 20 Hz message boards. There’s too much to list here, but some of the acts appearing are: Decibully, The Unicorns, Volcano, I’m Still Excited, The Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players, Japanther, K and Don Caballero, and new stuff is still being added. Past editions of this festival have been wonderfully eclectic and this year looks to be no different – I usually catch at least a couple of the shows, but I haven’t made up my mind about which of this year’s offerings I’ll be taking in.

Current buzz-girl (that’s not the same as bee girl) Nellie McKay will play the El Mocambo March 25, tickets $10. Unfortunately, that’s the same night Ted Leo demolishes the Horseshoe with his rock action, so I’ll have to miss it. No doubt ducats to see Ms McKay the next time she comes to town will be much more dear.

Shannon Wright is at the Rivoli May 20, tickets $10 in advance. Her new record, Over The Sun is out April 6. Sample mp3 on Touch & Go’s website. Update: Julie Doiron has been added to the bill as support.

Califone are at the ‘Shoe May 6 in support of their new one Heron King Blues.

Norwegian pretty-boy Sondre Lerche will make the indie girls swoon May 8 at the Horseshoe whilst kicking off the North American tour to promote his new one, Two Way Monologue.

Half of The Smiths are coming to town! No, not Moz or Marr – the other guys. Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke are going to be doing a DJ set at Ciao Edie in Little Italy next Wednesday, tickets are $15 in advance – you can get em at Rotate. And please, if you go, don’t be the guy who requests “How Soon Is Now”.

Some ticket prices for previously announced shows – Destroyer/Frog Eyes on May 6 will set you back $10.50, Snow Patrol April 22 is $10. Both shows at Lee’s Palace.

And not a concert announcement, but concert-related: an Old 97s tour diary from the Dallas Observer. From Burned By The Sun.

And finally, an item totally concert unrelated. Travis Morrison is pissed at The Vines, and it’s not just because they suck ass. It’s because they stole the idea for their video for “Ride” from that for The Dismemberment Plan’s “Time Bomb”. But you know what the very worst part is? I had to sit through any part of that Vines song to form an educated opinion. You can feel unclean by watching the video here. From Largehearted Boy.

The Guardian talks to Kevin Shields about Loveless, Alan McGee, his extended absence from the public eye and chinchillas. It’s not his first interview in over a decade, as the headline states, but it is still an insightful one. But Yo La Tengo a “far less talented band”? Them’s fighting words. From The GPC.

np – The New Pornographers / Mass Romantic

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