I mentioned yesterday that due to visa problems, Aereogramme were no longer headlining the show at the El Mocambo on Friday – they won’t be getting into North America until the second week of April and will pick up the tour on April 13 in Seattle. But this isn’t to say that it’s not still worth your while to spend Good Friday at the venerable ElMo or to catch any of the Aereogramme-less first leg of the tour. The rest of the bill will still be playing and you’ll still be able to get a dose of epic-style Scottish rock thanks to The Twilight Sad.

Led by James Graham’s wonderfully thick brogue, their latest album Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters (out tomorrow) is like nine feature-length soundtracks of anthemic melancholy, bellowed from the rooftops. Taken all together they can sound rather alike from one to the next but it’s a bit like complaining that Die Hard 2 was a lot like Die Hard. Not incorrect, but also irrelevant. I would say that they sound like Arab Strap’s Aidan Moffatt fronting Mogwai, but they’ve already done that and it sounded nothing like this. But if they hadn’t then maybe it would.

I heard some impressive things about their numerous shows at SxSW last month so there’s no reason to think that they won’t be equally impressive here on Friday, more than making up for the absence of their countrymen. Volume-wise, at least. Bring earplugs.

MP3: The Twilight Sad – “That Summer, At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy”
MP3: The Twilight Sad – “And She Would Darken The Memory”

Also on the bill are Hamilton’s own A Northern Chorus and the always reliable purveyors of dream-pop have actually managed to surprise me with their new album The Millions Too Many. The gauzy drift that heretofore defined the ANC sound has been brought into sharp focus, with a drier, vocals-up-front production and shorter, more concise song structures. It’s a welcome shift as on record, I’d always found them to be more dream-inducing than dream-invoking. This isn’t to say that they’ve given up their signature sound – keening vocals still dance upon swirling guitars and strings – it’s just that however good you thought they were half-asleep, they’re even better awake. You can stream the whole album right now at Sonic Unyon.

MP3: A Northern Chorus – “The Millions Too Many”
MySpace: A Northern Chorus

Spinner has a video interview with Land Of Talk. Nothing of consequence is revealed.

This week on Daytrotter – Tilly & The Wall in session and in conversation.

Aversion talks to Low about drums, guns.

Lou Barlow talks to NME about the working dynamic in the new old Dinosaur Jr: “J doesn’t say anything directly, he only speaks through his manager. It’s weird, but it’s part of the comedy.” The new album Beyond is out May 1 and they’re at the Phoenix on June 8.

Norway’s DATAROCK will be opening up for Brazil’s CSS on June 4 at a show that has apparently been moved from the Horseshoe to Lee’s Palace, at least according to their booking agency. Bonde Do Role was also supposed to be on that bill though the aforementioned booking agency says nothing about that – they do, however, say they’re playing at the Social in Toronto this Thursday night and are opening for Klaxons next Sunday at Lee’s…? Brazilians. Who knows.

Fujiya & Miyagi will follow up their opening gig for Peter Bjorn & John at the Phoenix on May 6 with a show of their own at the Horseshoe on July 11.

Watched Children Of Men on the weekend – holy hell what a good film. Bleak yet utterly engaging, and man – that one-take battle in the refugee camp. Wow.