Gonna do a little six degrees of something something today.

How often does a single listen to a band you’ve never heard before grip you immediately? For me, not that often but lately, surprisingly and delightfully, a fair bit. Case in point – Vancouver’s Ladyhawk. My listening of late has been veering towards the rootsier/rocking end of things and as such, Ladyhawk fits my moods to a tee, at least based on the one song I’ve heard. “The Dugout” is raucous, melodic and hooky in all the right places. It comes from the band’s self-titled debut which will be out on June 6 via Storyboard Label in Canada and Jagjaguwar everywhere else. The Badger Herald already has a review of the complete album and gives it the Badger thumbs up. The band will be touring with The Magnolia Electric Co later this Summer, but apparently not until after their July 21 show in Toronto at some venue to be named later.

MP3: Ladyhawk – “The Dugout”

Aside – I used to listen to the soundtrack of Ladyhawke a lot.

Ladyhawk’s labelmates in Okkervil River are also in the news a bit. In addition to rereleasing Black Sheep Boy and Black Sheep Boy Appendix as a double-disc set over in Europe this Spring, April 28 to be exact, they spent ten days in February writing and recording 22 new tracks – a double album’s worth that apparently, we will never hear. The band is insistent that the recordings were for their benefit only and that they not be released, insted to remain locked away forever somewhere deep in the heart of Texas. Yeah. The signups for the official Will Sheff Home Invasion Team start in the comments. Sorry Will, but you’ve brought this on yourself. Also, there’s a video for “It Ends With A Fall” from Down The River Of Golden Dreams. I’d no idea such a thing existed, and yet there it is.

Video: Okkervil River – “It Ends With A Fall” (.MOV)

Okkervillian Jonathan Meiburg’s other outfit, Shearwater are just a couple weeks away from releasing their new album Palo Santo – it’s out May 9 – but you can now order it from Misra for frankly less than you’d get it in stores for. Get it early and for cheap – how can you say no? To entice you further, they’ve made a second MP3 from the album available, and you can hear yet another from NPR, who made it their “Song Of The Day” a couple weeks ago.

MP3: Shearwater – “White Waves”

Will Johnson of Centro-Matic, another Misra band, has somehow found time to give a couple interviews in the midst of their non-stop touring for Fort Recovery. Actually, it looks like the touring has stopped, at least for now. At any rate, here’s some conversations with Captain’s Dead, Chart and Austin 360.

I guess that’s just four degrees, because I’ve got no segue into this Pitchfork news item that Sparklehorse are set to release their first album in five years – FIVE YEARS. While I can’t wait for this to eventually actually happen, I ain’t holding my breath. It took them forever and a day to get their freaking website up, and it SUCKS. But said website says the album is done and is looking at a September release… which raises the question of if the record is done, why wait five more months? Virginians move in mysterious ways.

Harmonium talks to Mountain Goat John Darnielle about 45s, major labels and file-sharing, among other sundry topics.

Thanks to For The Records for pointing out the Nidus festival taking place in Kitchener – it’s a three-day Christian arts and social justice festival which is remarkable if for no other reason than it’s actually gotten the notoriously Canada-shy Starflyer 59 to dig out their passports and come for a visit. I guess that’s what it takes. God. The fest takes place August 4 to 6 at Bingeman’s in Kitchener… I went to Oktoberfest there once. Saw someone vomit fluorescent orange. Not so divine. Danielson will also be performing at the fest on the 4th, but the unsaved can catch them in Toronto on the 3rd.

I doubled the RAM in my computer last night! Zoom! Okay, maybe not zoom, but definitely a higher rated of “putt putt putt”.

np – Band Of Horses / Everything All The TIme