In what has been a long time in coming, both in the sense of waiting for the show to be officially confirmed and in the sense of waiting for the band to actually dare to come north of the border for some shows, Starflyer 59 will finally be playing a show in Toronto at Lee’s Palace on August 5. You may recall that they confirmed a show in Kitchener at the Nidus Christian music festival for August 6, but the news of a secular and local show is good news all around.

The band is about to release a new EP, I Win, on or around July 1 and will follow it up with a full-length My Island on September 12. If the sample on the band’s MySpace is indictive, it’s in keeping with the tone and timbre of the last few SF59 records. Jangly and textured and maybe a little more upbeat, but kept from straying too far from formula by Jason Martin’s vocals – still sleepy and a little hazy. It’s interesting to listen to the progression SF59 has made from the monolitihic grunge-gaze of their earliest works to the gently sparkling pop of their recent work. You’d think I’d like the fuzzier stuff but my favourite is easily 2001’s Leave Here A Stranger, which is probably the most laid back of all their records (of the ones I have, anyway). Starflyer 59 will rarely surprise you – except by, say, touring Canada – but if you like what they do they won’t disappoint either.

SF59 downloadables are hard to come by, but here’s a song from their last full-length Talking Voice Vs Singing Voice and a video that dates all the way back to 1995’s Gold. There’s also more at their PureVolume and an eCard for Talking Voice.

MP3: Starflyer 59 – “Good Sons”
Video: Starflyer 59 – “A Housewife Love Song” (YouTube)

Also performing at the Nidus festival is Danielson, though he has also booked a non-Christian friendly show at Lee’s for August 3, a curious bill they will share with Black Heart Procession. Danielson’s newest, Ships, was the first I’ve heard from him in any of his incarnations and, well, it’s interesting. It’s cacaphonic in sound but joyous in spirit though I think it’s safe to say he has a love-it-or-hate-it voice and I don’t think it’s necessarily my cup of orange crush. Black Heart Procession have also just released a new record called The Spell and the stuff linked below is actually the first I’ve ever heard from them. Sounds alright. CokeMachineGlow has a two-part feature interview with Danielson and Drowned In Sound gets to know Black Heart Procession.

MP3: Danielson – “Did I Step On Your Trumpet?”
MP3: Black Heart Procession – “Not Just Words”
Video: Black Heart Procession – “Not Just Words” (MOV)
MySpace: Danielson
MySpace: Black Heart Procession

PopMatters interviews The Futureheads. Their new one News & Tributes is out now, they play the Phoenix on July 26 and there’s a second MP3 from the album circulating.

MP3: The Futureheads – “Worry About It Later”

Today’s V-Fest scuttlebutt – The Flaming Lips have confirmed the September 9 date at Toronto Islands on their website. So to recap, officially: September 9 – The Flaming Lips, Gnarls Barkley. September 10 – Zero 7. And The Big Takeover has posted the first of a three-part interview with the Lips’ Michael Ivins.

One day too late to make my themed-post, NOW profiles Jose Gonzalez, at Trinity-St Paul on Monday.

eye talks to J Mascis about his double-bill weekend in Toronto with the Broken Mascis Scene gig at the Mod Club tomorrow night and then the Olympic Island gig on Saturday. J… doesn’t really seem to know what’s going on. Or care.

np – Monsters Are Waiting / Fascination