Archive for May, 2005

Sunday, May 1st, 2005

Gatekeeper

I have to say, I rather like the American artwork for Feist’s Let It Die. It’s Smiths-y, but less homoerotic. Another change in the US edition is the tracklist – they’ve dropped the Francois Hardy composition “L’amour Ne Dure Pas Toujour” for another French cover, Blossom Dearie’s “Tout Doucement”. Juding from the soundclip of the new track on Amazon, they must have wanted to give the album a little bit more of an upbeat feel. From Pop (All Love).

The album came out in the States last Tuesday and she’s doing the touring thing to promote it, opening for British Sea Power on almost all their US dates. However, she will NOT be opening their show at Lee’s Palace on May 17 – due to some misinformation from Interscope, there was no small amount of confusion about this. However brand-new Arts & Crafts labelmates The Most Serene Republic will be.

But local fans, fret not – lady Feist will be back in the Big Smoke on July 1 for a Canada Day show at Harbourfront Centre with Apostle of Hustle, Spooky Reuben and Taima. All evidence points to this being a free show, so that’s one good reason to stay in the city for the long weekend.

Still on the Gallic pop end of things, Chickfactor has made their interview with Keren Ann available online. Keren Ann will be in Toronto June 25 as part of the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival.

Early bird tickets go on sale today for this year’s Hillside Festival outside of Guelph. Taking place July 22 through 24, the website doesn’t have a list of performers up yet but the print ads tout Arcade Fire, Weakerthans and Stars among the rock-end of the performers. Those early bird tickets will run you $60 and are available until June 15 or until they run out, which is the more likely scenario. After that, they’ll run you $70 advance or $80 at the gate.

Uncut ran this interview with Mercury Rev’s Jonathan Donahue back in January when The Secret Migration was released in the UK – since it’s not out in North America for a couple weeks yet, it seems appropriate to post it now.

Also from Uncut – an audio interview with Wilco.

Happy May! Now could the weather please WARM THE FUCK UP?

np – January / Motion Sickness