Were I not already planning on seeing Jose Gonzalez in Central Park on the 2nd of July, I would probably have gotten tickets to see him at Trinity-St Paul’s next Tuesday Monday with Juana Molina and Psapp. I’ve no doubt that the beautiful church acoustics will be far more complimentary to Gonzalez’s delicate fingerpicked guitar and hushed voice than the Manhattan outdoors – I had to lean in to hear him at SxSW and I was maybe 3 feet away – but what can you do. Interesting thing about this show – all three acts owe no small measure of their fame and success to television.

Gonzalez, a Swede of Argentinian descent, had his profile increase exponentially in North America thanks to his soundtracking a Sony Bravia commercial (the one with the bouncing balls in San Francisco) but I’d like to think that he’d have gotten some of the deserved recognition based on the strength of his debut album Veneer. The lazy reference point is Nick Drake but with some Latin fire, and since I’m lazy I’ll leave it at that. All you really need to know is that his stuff is beautiful. The New Zealand Herald profiles Gonzalez, who in turn discusses the intricacies of chairs with Harp.

Tourmate Juana Molina achieved fame in Argentina as a comedian with her own television show before giving up acting to become a musician. Her latest album Son is a hypnotic slice of gentle folk suffused with electronic flourishes but still wholly organic. Fascinating listening. Domino Records has a page set up for streaming her works, old and new. Magnet talks to Molina about the influence of nature on Son while The Georgia Straight and Exclaim! both have features on the artist.

Final act on the bill Psapp and are best known as the duo behind the theme song for ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. PopMatters has an interview with the duo. While they’re not Argentinian or Argentinian-descended (they’re from the UK), their eclectic electro-folk sounds like it’ll fit in with the other two acts perfectly. So long as no one brings up the Falklands…

Seattle’s Stranger has a teleconference with Gonzalez and Molina both and all three acts have recently visited LA’s KCRW recently. RBally has the Gonzalez set and The Smudge Of Ashen Fluff has Molina’s and Psapp’s sets ripped and downloadable.

MP3: Jose Gonzalez – “Stay In The Shade”
MP3: Juana Molina – “La Verdad”
MP3: Juana Molina – “Rio Seco”
MP3: Psapp – “Hi”
MP3: Psapp – “Tricycle”
MP3: Psapp – “Wet Box”
Video: Jose Gonzalez – “Hand On Your Heart” (MOV)
Video: Jose Gonzalez – “Stay In The Shade” (MOV)
Video: Psapp – “Hi” (MySpace)
MySpace: Jose Gonzalez
MySpace: Juana Molina
MySpace: Psapp

If you can’t catch Gonzalez next week or can’t get enough, note that he will be touring with Zero 7 this September. The same Zero 7 whose new album The Garden he appears on as a guest vocalist, and the same Zero 7 who are confirmed as an act at the V Fest happening on September 9 and 10 on Olympic Island. You do the math. Don’t forget to carry the zero. And 7. Update: Okay, I just got what seems like official confirmation that Gonzalez WILL be with Zero 7 at their V-Fest Toronto Islands show on September 10.

And while perpetuating more V-Fest rumours, note these just-announced Flaming Lips tour dates and the conspicuous gap over the second weekend in September. Also note the similar vacancy in The Raconteurs’ calendar, which might explain the otherwise inexplicable move of ending their Fall tour in Montreal without a Toronto date…

Pitchfork goes YouTube-crazy, rounding up “100 awesome music videos” and embedding every single one. Epic. Similarly, Tripwire has assembled a YouTube salute to some of the bands who have performed on Top Of The Pops, which has been given the axe by the BBC after 42 years.

The New York Times talks to Paul Westerberg about The Replacements’ Don’t You Know Who I Think I Was? retrospective, which came out last week.

Amy Millan will be performing at Harbourfront on August 26 as part of the “Indie Unlimited” festival. She gets the evening headlining slot on the mainstage while Great Lake Swimmers are on at 2:30 that afternoon. Aloha will be at the Tranzac on August 22 to promote Some Echoes, which I reviewed a few months ago. Other reviewers are far more enamored with the record than I, so it could well be worth checking out – the show and the album.

Seattlest interviews Portastatic’s Mac McCaughan, who is a very happy man.

np – Danielson / Ships