So I will admit, I was fully prepared to hate Maximo Park. Actually, I already did, though based on little more than watching half a video, I forget which, and thinking they looked way too… dapper? Anyway, I figured they were Franz-alikes and decided I didn’t have any time for them and that was that. But a couple weeks ago, a copy of their forthcoming b-sides comp Missing Songs (which will be out next Tuesday) showed up in my mailbox and I gave it a spin. And another. And another. Turns out that snap judgements based on fleeting superficial evidence might not be the best way to make up one’s mind about a band! Who knew?

For an odds-and-sods collection, Missing Songs is surprisingly solid. There’s a few tracks where they get a little too obviously post-punk for my liking, but a lot of the songs are good catchy, melodic and definitely British tunes. They’re cheeky but not snotty, and that’s a distinction that keeps them on my good side. Their proper full-length album got Metacritic, and If this is how good their cutouts are, I will definitely be picking up a copy of A Certain Trigger soon.

Since Maximo Park counted/counts as a buzz band of sorts, there’s a fair bit of press to catch up on for the newly interested – Drowned In Sound and Ilford Recorder have interviews, while Under The Radar surveyed the band about their 2005 faves while Spin declared them Band Of The Day last month. And proving themselves to be up with the times, the band themselves keep a blog and have not one but TWO MySpace pages. Curiously, the unofficial one has tunes to sample, while the official one does not. They’ve also got some suitably stylish videos for you to enjoy.

Video: Maximo Park – “Apply Some Pressure” (MOV)
Video: Maximo Park – “I Want You To Stay” (eCard)

And according to NME, Maximo Park’s fellow Northern Englanders The Futureheads have completed their second album News And Tributes in time for a release in May of this year. I actually liked their eponymous debut record quite a bit, but never listen to it for some reason. True story.

The Daily Northwestern has words with Greg Wheelan of The Wrens (via Largehearted Boy) and Popmatters catches up with the Little Quill crew about where they’re at with their documentary of the band.

The Fiery Furnaces’ new, got-to-be-better-than-Rehearsing My Choir album Bitter Tea is out April 18. Matthew Friedberger talks to Rolling Stone about their “girly” new record.

Toronto’s Airfields have completed a second EP entitled Laneways, and have a couple tracks posted for your enjoyment on their MySpace page. They hope to have CDs available for sale when they play Wavelength on March 5, and 10″s ready for their gig opening for The Wedding Present at Lee’s on March 10.

This interview between Westword and Amy Millan of Stars is pretty much devoid of value EXCEPT for Ms Millan revealing that her long-overdue solo record Honey From The Tombs will finally be coming out on May 27! Via For The Records. Also, San Diego CityBeat and Boulder Dirt talks to Evan Cranley as Stars tour the western US.

The Globe & Mail profiles current man of the hour Leonard Cohen, who if the writer is to be believed, is only 5’5″. I don’t know why, but I always thought he was taller than that.

Young & Sexy have confirmed their Toronto show, but I was off by a couple days in my guesstimate. They’ll be at the Drake Underground on April 22 and their new album Panic When You Find It is out this Tuesday.

Stylus eulogizes Arrested Development. I’ve only managed to watch the first of Friday’s four episodes, SO NO ONE RUIN THE END FOR ME. I haven’t actually read the Stylus piece for this very reason.

Congrats to Rodney from B(oot)log for winning my Zunior contest – to see his top-ten playlist, click here.

np – Jens Lekman / Oh You’re So Silent Jens

The Metal Hearts / Socialize (Suicide Squeeze) This sophomore record from a pair of Baltimore teenagers sounds like it was recorded by flashlight under a makeshift tent constructed from blankets. It’s got classically DIY indie sonics, though updated for the 21st century. Instead of the hiss, wow and flutter of a cassette four-track, it sounds like drum loops, direct-recorded guitars and ultra-dry, right-in-your-ear vocals, all recorded to a digital home-studio-in-a-box, though flourishes of horns and strings definitely lift things above home demo quality. The songs are filled with a nervous calm, self-assured but still refusing to make eye contact. Charming, yet somehow unsettling. Worth a listen. The album is out February 21. Metal Hearts will be at SxSW on March 16 at Emo’s and on March 17 for at Lucky Lounge. MP3: The Metal Hearts – “Socialize” The Metal Hearts @ MySpace

Ester Drang / Rocinate (Jade Tree) This third release from Okies Ester Drang opens strongly with a pair of excellent tunes that recall the laid-back, atmospheric cool of Ambulance LTD. But where that New York combo could be faulted for too much stylistic hopping in their sound, Ester Drang loses points for just the opposite. While starting on the right foot with “Come Back Alive” and “Valencia’s Dying Dream”, over the course of the record they lose steam by refusing to switch gears out of their mid-tempo groove. The production and sounds are immaculate but maybe a little too measured. I liked this record, but found myself wishing they’d get their hands a little dirty and just throw down for a song. Just one. Ester Drang will be at SxSW on March 18 at Emo’s MP3: Ester Drang – “Come Back Alive” Ester Drang @ MySpace

np – Aimee Mann / Lost In Space

Centro-Matic’s new album Fort Recovery may not be available in stores until March 7, but that doesn’t mean you can’t hear it now. No, I’m not talking about firing up Soulseek – Misra is streaming the whole of the record off their website right now. They’ve also made a second MP3 from the record available to download (see below) and to top if off, they’re already selling the CD and LP from their online store, and at excellent prices. The LP is a double, and comes with three bonus tracks – ooh, temptation. If you do decide to order now, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t, don’t forget to grab the Triggers And Trash Heaps EP which came out at the end of last month.

I’m still waiting on official official confirmation of Centro’s Toronto date on April 4, but their labelmates and tourmates The Great Lake Swimmers already have it listed on their website at a venue TBD (probably the Horseshoe?), so I’m comfortable calling that one as a go. Not that I’ll be there – out of the country and all – but they’ve announced a couple of SxSW shows, so I’ll still get my chance to see them live. On Friday the 17th they’ll be closing out the Misra showcase at Maggie May’s at 1AM and on Saturday the 18th, doing it again for the label’s day party at Red Eyed Fly (probably around 5PM). Centro-Matic are a fantastic band, so make one of those shows if you’re in Austin and definitely see them in Toronto so they’ll feel inclined to come back when I’m around.

MP3: Centro-Matic – “Calling Thermatico”

And firming up another of those rumoured shows – tickets are now on sale for Neko Case’s return to our fair burg on April 2 at the Danforth Music Hall. Tickets will run you a rather dear $34, though.

A couple of unfortunate album release delays – the new album from The Concretes, In Colour, will be pushed back a week until April 4, but that’s not nearly as disappointing as finding out Mojave 3’s Puzzles Of You will no longer be coming out on March 7 but probably sometime around late May.

Dirty On Purpose have made a recording of a recent show in Boston available to download – not the greatest sound quality, but reasonable. The band will be in town at Lee’s Palace on March 6, and I’ll be agitating for people to attend until then, so you may as well get used to it. Via Junkmedia.

Look for Ambulance LTD’s New English EP in stores February 28 March 14.

Wayne Coyne tells MTV that the Flaming Lips’ new album may be At War With The Mystics, but he’s at war with the pop stars. His declaration of ultra-violence against Gwen Stefani comes out April 4.

Some new videos for you to grok – Rogue Wave’s clip for “Publish My Love” and Hamilton’s A Northern Chorus have completed their first ever video for the song “Winterize” off of their lastest record, Bitter Hands Resign. To see it, go here and scroll to the bottom of the page. Both bands will be at SxSW in March.

np – Ester Drang / Rocinate

For a mostly instrumental band, Scottish noiseniks Mogwai never seem to be at a loss for a quote. Here, they talk to Artrocker and offer their thoughts on such weighty topics as Arcade fire (“they’re good”), and religious fundamentalism (“not a big fan of it”) and those deserving of a beheading (“the Queen of England”). They’ve also gotten into the entertaining habit of reviewing their reviews, like this one from FHM and another from NME (both links point to Drowned In Sound). Funny chaps, those Mogwai fellows.

They’re receiving press in advance of their new album, Mr Beast, which is out March 7. The first official MP3 from the record was just released, and is linked below. It sounds like a move back to the quiet/loud/quiet/loud dynamic of their earlier works, but without abandoning the melodicism that they discovered on the last couple records. In other words, it sounds damn good. You can stream a couple more tracks from Mr Beast on their MySpace page, and if you want to go back in time a bit, there’s a lot of worthwhile stuff on audio page. BBC Collective also has a page dedicated to the band, including some live performance videos. The band is embarking on a US tour next month that will include a date at SxSW.

MP3: Mogwai – “Folk Death 95”

Also Scottish news, Arab Strap will be at Lee’s Palace on April 21 4. They’re supporting their new record Last Romance, which will be out later this month.

Early 90s purveyors of sounds both swirly and dancey Chapterhouse are betting that this shoegaze revival thing is for real, and will be rereleasing their debut album Whirlpool later this year complete with the mandatory bonus tracks and whatnot. Whirlpool was a terrific record that combined the more shimmery moments of Ride with some of the ass-shaking rhythms of the Madchester scene, but the follow-up Blood Music was pretty different in style and didn’t do much for me. I can’t quantify exactly HOW it was different because I don’t remember – I sold my copy long ago. But I don’t think I miss it. And I know nothing of their final album, Rownderbowt. Like I didn’t even realize it existed until, um, a few minutes ago. But yeah, Whirlpool. Good stuff. Long out of print, but coming back soon.

And speaking of Ride, Bradley’s Almanac continues his winning streak of great live mp3s with a digitized bootleg show from Australia, circa 1992. Nice stuff, and their best period.

Rob Dickinson is turning up in the oddest places, like in session for AT&T’s Blue Room playing three songs from Fresh Wine For The Horses. For those of us in Toronto without invites to the Blue Room (is that like the Champagne Room?), we can catch Rob live at Lee’s Palace on March 7. Via Torr.

JAM! talks to Supergrass, who were in town a few nights ago for a show at the Guvernment. For The Records was there.

So the final four episodes of Arrested Development air tonight at 8PM, something you may not have known because, true to form, Fox doesn’t seem to have bothered telling anyone. And as a final, fitting “fuck you” to the show, they’re airing the last two hours – probably ever – opposite the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. What’s the matter, Fox, couldn’t find a way to get them on opposite the Super Bowl? That certainly would have been far more keeping in line with the respect they gave the show over the past three years.

Quick question for, oh, anyone. Say I’ve got a power bar full of North American (120V) doodads – some grounded, some not – that I am bring to, say, a hotel in Amsterdam. What do I need to get to make sure that everything gets juice and doesn’t blow up? I’ve seen adapters without transformers (which I don’t undertand at all) or ungrounded adapter/transformer things, but nothing that seems obviously like what I need to get. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

np – Centro-Matic / All The Falsest Hearts Can Try

I was fortunate to get a couple free passes to the advance screening of Jonathan Demme’s Neil Young live documentary, Neil Young: Heart Of Gold last night. It’s hard to say what makes a good concert film, since it really comes down to the performers and the performance – which the director has no real control over – but whatever it takes Jonathan Demme has it.

Filmed over two nights at The Ryman in Nashville last August, the film captures the world premiere of Neil’s latest album Prairie Wind, accompanied by a host of musicians including Emmylou Harris, his wife Pegi, the musicians who played on the album and a string section and gospel choir. The film opens with some brief interviews with Neil and his band, but quickly gets into the concert portion and lets the music handle the rest. I haven’t heard Prairie Wind but if its anything as lush or gorgeous as the live renditions captured in the film, I really should give it a chance (or just pick up the soundtrack to the movie). The difficulties Neil faced in 2005 (the brain aneurysm, the death of his father) are well documented, and those brushes with mortality really inform the tone of the film. There’s a real serenity and vulnerability about Neil in these performances, in both the songs and the somewhat surprising openness of the between-song dialogue – it’s a real celebration of his life, his family and friends. The first half of the film is all new material, but later on he gets into some classic acoustic material which sounds so good, it might well bring a tear to your eye.

On the visual front, the film is appropriately understated, using slow cuts and tight close-ups on the performers in conjunction with simple but warm stage and costume design to create an intimate, elegiac and down-home atmosphere perfectly suited to the mood and setting of the Grand Ole Opry. Most past tour films featuring Neil have concentrated on trying to capture the chaos of his electrified Crazy Horse material, and justifiably so – the Horse in action is something to behold. But Demme shows that Neil Young the folksinger is just as electrifying on the screen as the ragged rocker, though in a completely different way. This is a very special film, not just for the quality of the music but for capturing a brilliant artist at a very key point in his life and his career. Definitely worth seeing for any Neil fan, and stay for the closing credits – they’re mesmerizing.

Collateral material – LA Daily News has words with Demme and Young about the film, and both Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes have collected incandescently glowing reviews of the film. Neil didn’t pick up a Grammy last night in either of the two categories he was nominated in, but I won’t call that an injustice. I think the Grammy Awards are utterly worthless, no matter who they’ve nominated, whether I like them or not.

Arcade Fire were nominated for a pair of paperweights too, but as they told Rolling Stone, they didn’ really expect to win anyway. Which is just as well, because they didn’t.

My Morning Jacket will be releasing a set of At Dawn and The Tennessee Fire demos – so says Pitchfork. Look for the cleverly-titled Tennessee Fire & At Dawn Demos on May 15.

Jenny Lewis tells her story to Scotland On Sunday. Via Largehearted Boy.

The Weekly Dig talks to Mark Eitzel about songwriting and opening for Spoon last Fall. Via Largehearted Boy.

The Harmony Korine-directed video for Cat Power’s “Living Proof” is now online in MOV format. Two words for you – Chan, PVC. Via Prefix.

Thanks to BrooklynVegan for pointing out the embaressment of live Billy Bragg riches over at Archive.org. Bragg is in town at the Opera House on March 11 for what will be a solo show – no Blokes, just Billy and his Burns Bison.

Aus-popster Ben Lee is at the El Mocambo on March 18 and legendary Kink-leader Ray Davies is at Massey Hall on March 30.

np – Emmylou Harris / Wrecking Ball