Excellent Online reports that ex-Ride frontman Mark Gardener is trying to raise funds to complete and release his first proper solo album this Fall. By pre-ordering the record through Oxfordmusic.net, you not only help him finish the record, you also get a limited edition DVD documenting his evolution as a solo artist over the past two years. If you want in on this, you better hurry though – as of yesterday, only 64 of the 2500 available were left.

While the track record of post-Ride projects has been, quite frankly, abyssmal (hello Hurricane #1 and The Animalhouse. Please go away), I would like to hope that Mark has managed to put together a worthwhile album that can break that particular curse. The premier Ride fansite on the web, Ticket 2 Ride, put together a Mark Gardener minisite a while back to document his North American adventures and there are a number of live shows available to download and enjoy. Or you can check out this track that Gardener contributed to Excellent’s Flirt compilation a couple years back as well as an oldie but a goodie…

MP3: Mark Gardener – “See What You Get”

MP3: Mark Gardener – “Chrome Waves” (solo acoustic, live at the Kitting Factory, NYC – April 13, 2003)

Also be sure to check out the two live shows that Mark Gardener and Andy Bell played together in Stockholm in the Fall of 2003. Barring a full-blown reunion – and I honestly think they’d still sound great, even ten years hence – that’s about as good as it’s going to get.

Cheers to Magnet, who had the guts to put Ride on their cover a couple of years ago, for once again daring to go against fashion and make Husker Du the cover story of their July/August issue as part of a feature on the 1980s Minneapolis scene.

Sleater-Kinney scores the triple-crown of local media coverage in advance of their show at The Phoenix this Saturday with pieces in NOW, eye and The Toronto Star. Update: Make that the quadruple crown – The Toronto Sun also has a piece.

Check out some behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the video for Longwave’s “There’s A Fire”, the title track from their new album due out in a fortnight. It was shot by new keyboardist and all-around cool frood Jeff Sheinkopf. Note – I could only get it to work in IE. Some plugin nonsense wasn’t cooperating with Mozilla.

Tiny Mix Tapes compiles a list of musicians they deem worthy of hero worship. Apparently singing ability is not a prerequisite.

Of Montreal should just buy a house here. For what I think is their third show in the city in the past 12 months, they’ll be at Lee’s Palace on August 30. Also, FOC (Friends Of Conor) Neva Dinova are at the Horseshoe on July 18. And Sufjan tickets go on sale next Tuesday the 21st. No pricing info yet.

Once again, I’ve rounded up some of the shows going on in town over the next seven days for Torontoist. I will be at the Eisley show at Lee’s next Wednesday, but that’s about it. You know, I thought this was going to be less work than reviews, but it’s really not…

Behold the new trailer for Mirrormask. Still with the awful music and voiceover, but the visuals are great. It’s due for limited release on September 30.

I just realized that I’m missing most of the Toronto International Film Festival this year. Boo. I will be around for the first few days, though, so hopefully I’ll be able to get tickets for at least one screening. A book of ten like I did last year, however, is right out unless I find someone to split them with.

I need to get a mouse for my laptop. This touchpad thing ain’t cutting it for me. I need my center wheel button!

np – Pernice Brothers / Discover A Lovelier You

Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.