Exclaim!‘s cover story this month is on Grinderman, the new band from Nick Cave and a subset of Bad Seeds. The new identity was chosen to reflect the different working process, whereas normally Cave would bring finished songs in to the band, here he was using the band’s musical chemistry to inspire his writing.

The net result? Some of Cave’s rawest, nastiest and most abrasive musical output in years. Many are comparing it to his earliest work with The Birthday Party, and while I’m not familiar enough with that period to comment, it’s definitely not the Bad Seeds. This is the sound of a man tired of simply singing murder ballads and is looking to get his nails dirty with some first-hand experience. Don’t get me wrong, I really like Cave’s stately, dignified work but hearing his blues amplified to 11 in a raging garage band is exhilarating as well.

The band’s self-titled debut is out on April 10 and there’s some video interviews available from the BBC and Spinner’s DL. The band’s website is also rich in audio and video content – check it out.

Video: Grinderman – “No Pussy Blues” (YouTube)
MySpace: Grinderman

Also in the new Exclaim! – a short feature on Great Lake Swimmers, whose Ongiara was released on Tuesday. Michael Barclay has the whole interview for the piece with Tony Dekker posted at Radio Free Canuckistan and The Gateway also talked to Dekker about the new album. Great Lake Swimmers play two shows at the Church Of The Redeemer on April 14.

So Much Silence has ripped The Broken West’s session for WOXY at SxSW a couple weeks ago.

Centro-Matic’s Operation Motorcide EP will be available starting April 3.

Stylus has finished the countdown of their top 50 one-hit wonders. The presence of The Cardigans on the same list as Right Said Fred makes me sad.

Whole bunch of show announcements in the last day or so. Quickly: Silversun Pickups, who are at the Ricoh Coliseum tomorrow night opening a sold-out show for Snow Patrol, will be back on May 9 for a headlining show of their own at Lee’s Palace. Tickets for that will be $17. The Clipse are at Tonic (in everybody’s favourite entertainment district!) on May 19, tickets $27.50. May 28 you’ve got a choice between seeing The Bravery at The Opera House (noooo) and The Rosebuds at the Horseshoe (yesss), tickets $10.50 – full tour dates at Pitchfork. Their new one Night Of The Furies is out April 10. And finally The Ladybug Transistor will be in town at a venue to be announced, one day after their new album Can’t Wait Another Day is released.