I don’t think it’s ever taken me a week to put together a review – but considering that this is encompassing twelve bands over four days as part of this year’s Over The Top Fest, I think I’m allowed a little extra time.

It’s funny to think that before the festival began, I was speculating that I’d surely end up seeing stuff I didn’t like, based largely on the fact that I didn’t know a lot of the bands playing and one must be realistic about such things. Well in the post-mortem, I can say with no small amount of astonishment that I enjoyed almost everything I saw – I may not be joining some fan clubs or rushing out to buy the records, but as far as the specific performances I saw over the course of last weekend go, almost everything was some degree of terrific.

I spent the first two nights at the Tranzac as well as Saturday afternoon before wrapping things up with another matinee on Sunday at Sneaky Dee’s. I didn’t purposely avoid the bigger-name shows but that’s how things shook out, making for a really laid back festival which suited me just fine. Anyway, let’s get into it (eye also has a wrapup of their weekend).

The Icicles (Grand Rapids, MI) – This four-girl, one-guy outfit started things off with matching airline-themed costumes, synchronized leg kicks and sugary pop confections topped of with tight, sweet harmonies. A late sub-in for a canceled band, they were retro without being kitchsy and so full of smiles they were impossible to dislike. Their new album is Arrivals & Departures and apparently they had a song in a Motorola commercial? News to me, but it explains how they paid for those snazzy outfits.

MP3: The Icicles – “La Ti Da”
eCard: The Icicles / Arrivals & Departures
MySpace: The Icicles

Casper & The Cookies (Athens, GA) – Even if I didn’t know they came from Athens, GA, I’d have guessed this four-piece came from Athens. Sounding like the offspring of Elf Power and early Of Montreal, their glammy psych pop was enthusiastic but also overly generic. Their energy onstage was appreciated but the music, while proficient, was ultimately unremarkable.

MP3: Casper & The Cookies – “Kroetenwanderung”
MP3: Casper & The Cookies – “April 18, 2003 part 4”
MySpace: Casper & The Cookies

The Hylozoists (Toronto, ON) – The room had been rather empty for the first couple acts but by the time the local heroes took the stage, there was a decent-sized crowd in attendance. The eight-piece lineup was only a little smaller than the massive vibraphonic spree I saw in Austin in March but the missing members (a cello and trumpet, at least) took some of the orchestral grandeur with them. Which isn’t to say that their set didn’t sound terrific – it did, whatever their configuration The Hylozoists always sound terrific – but it did reinforce the opinion that that show in Texas, so massive and majestic-sounding, was something really special.

MP3: The Hylozoists – “Smiley Smiley”
MP3: The Hylozoists – “Strait Is the Gate”
MySpace: The Hylozoists

Nick Krgovich (Vancouver, BC) – When someone at an indie rock show says they’re going to cover the entirety of Sade’s Lovers Rock save for one song, it’s hard to know whether or not they’re serious. Nick Krgovich, best known as part of Vancouver orch-pop outfit P:ano, was serious. He opened the second night of the fest with a solo set of Sade covers, accompanying his delicate falsetto with spare synthesizers and loops. The fact that it all sounded really, really good is as much a testament to Sade’s songwriting skills as Krgovich’s musical abilities. An odd but really enjoyable start to the evening.

MySpace: P:Ano

Vague Angels (New York City, NY) – Best known (to me, anyway) as fronted by Chris Leo, brother of Ted, there was definitely something familiar and fraternal in their sound, Chris’ songwriting is a lot less compact pop and more free-form, stream-of-consciousness narrative. There’s an occasional hook thrown in to keep your ear interested but the vibe was rather beatnik bar-like. That Leo spent the set seated on the edge of his guitar case didn’t help much. Apparently Ted got the need to rock out, Chris got the hairline.

MP3: Vague Angels – “Vague Angels Of Vagary”
Video: Vague Angels – “Vague Angels Of Vagary” (MOV)

Casiotone For The Painfully Alone (Chicago, IL) – Apparently this was Casiotone’s first-ever show in Toronto and judging from the sold-out crowd, some folks have been waiting for this for a long time. Looking as casual as you can get in a worn old cardigan, Owen Ashworth set up behind a small fortress of keyboards (largely Casios, natch) and performed the charming bedroom anthems that have garnered endless comparisons to Stephin Merritt. Though he opened and closed the set performing alone (though he didn’t look pained about it), the highlights were when he was joined by Jennifer Hermannsson on vocals, her sunny voice and demeanor offering a counterpoint to Ashworth’s hangdog demeanor. A nice cap to a low-key evening. Check out an interview with Ashworth at Bandega.

MP3: Casiotone For The Painfully Alone – “Young Shields”
MP3: Casiotone For The Painfully Alone – “Cold White Christmas”
MP3: Casiotone For The Painfully Alone – “Bobby Malone Moves Home”
MySpace: Casiotone For The Painfully Alone

Yah Mos Def (Philadelphia, PA) – The weekend matinee shows, as solid as the lineups were, were at a bit of a disadvantage as far as luring attendees went because it was absolutely beautiful out. It’s hard to argue for hanging out inside a dark club instead of a sunny patio. And so it was that Philly punk/hip-hop duo Yah Mos Def (one word away from a lawsuit) found themselves playing to a largely empty room. They didn’t seem to notice or mind, however, because as soon as their ipod DJ kicked in, they were all over the stage doing their thing like early Beastie Boys. I realize that’s a rather obvious and cliche reference point, but I’m not a hip-hop guy. It’s all I got. But I do know they didn’t sound like Mos Def.

Page France (Baltimore, MD) – I’m sort of on record as not being much of a Page France fan, so I was quite surprised how much I enjoyed the set from the stripped down lineup of singer/guitarist Michael Nau and bassist Jasen Reeder. I thought I’d miss the orchestral touches the rest of the band would have added but kept starker and simpler, I found their songs to be less fluffy and even detected a bittersweetness that I hadn’t noticed before. Maybe I need to go back and listen closer.

MP3: Page France – “Hat And Rabbit”
MySpace: Page France

Matt & Kim (Brooklyn, NY) – Also proving they deserved a second look were the duo of Matt & Kim. I had given their album a spin a while back and found the giddy energy contained therein too much to take but in a live context, it makes for pretty much the best time ever. With Matt on vocals and keyboards and Kim a dervish on the drum kit, the pair were like a musical overdose of happy pills, especially with Matt as the almost absurdly effervescent frontman. The crowd was small but I wager we had a good enough time to cover for everyone else in the city. Definite highlight of the weekend.

MP3: Matt & Kim – “No More Long Years”
MP3: Matt & Kim – “Yea Yeah”
Video: Matt & Kim – “Yea Yeah” (YouTube)
Video: Matt & Kim – “5K” (MOV)
MySpace: Matt & Kim

Darling Arms (Montreal, QC) – The Sunday matinee at Sneaky Dee’s promised to be a low key, sedate affair which after four straight days of show-going, suited me just fine. Leading things off were Darling Arms from Montreal, whose debut EP I reviewed last year. Those recordings were mainly Christina Frances solo but the band now includes a drummer and cellist and as nice as the recorded versions of the songs were, they really sounded splendid with the extra instrumentation bolstering Frances’ sad and lovely voice. Really nice stuff.

MP3: Darling Arms – “Beluga”

Wyrd Visions (Toronto, ON) – I caught Wyrd Visions at last year’s Over The Top matinee and wasn’t terribly impressed with his one-man dronefest performance. But it seems he’s learned something of songwriting efficiency in the interim, with his compositions now only seeming to last a really long time instead of an eternity. But seriously, while his stuff continues to fall on the wrong side of the hypnotic/narcoleptic line for my tastes, it’s evident that it’s evolving and someday it could quite possibly be something I’d enjoy. Except for the thing where he spells “w-y-r-d-v-i-s-i-o-n-s” for 10 minutes. That has got to stop.

Mt Eerie (Anacortes, WA) – The works of Phil Elverum, until this day, had been pretty much completely unknown to me. I’d never heard anything he’d done as either Mt Eerie or The Microphones but had always heard it spoken of in hushed, reverential tones so I was pleased for the opportunity to see what he was about. I’d expected a set of the quiet, acoustic-y singer-songwriter stuff that was posted at his websites, but instead the set began with Elverum strapping on an electric guitar and doing the power trio thing with a rhythm section of local players. He seemed to relish the opportunity to rock out, Crazy Horse style, punctuating his songs with ragged guitar solos and occasional bouts of jumping up and down. After getting that out of his system, he settled in with the acoustic guitar and played a set more in line with what I was expecting, Eleverum himself was quirkily charming and his songs that were intimate, a little odd and a lot affecting. Chart talks to Elverum about how he chooses to release his music.

MP3: Mt Eerie – “Woolly Mammoth’s Absence”
MP3: Mt Eerie – “2 Blonde Braids”
MySpace: Mt Eerie

And that was my Over The Top 2007. As I said in the beginning, I opted to see acts that were mainly unfamiliar to me and it was a strategy that paid of very nicely. I don’t know that I came away with any favourite new bands, but by and large I had a good time just enjoying whatever it was that I was seeing at any given show, no doubt part of the festival’s strategy of eclectic lineups. I also heard that the shows I didn’t go to were generally all very successful and well-received. It’s really nice to see the Over The Top Fest continue to grow each year and yet somehow stay just as grassroots as it ever was (I think this was my fifth year of attending the shows). Congratulations to everyone who organized and ran things on a job well done and I’m looking forward to next year.

Photos: The Hylozoists, Casper & The Cookies, The Icicles @ The Tranzac – May 3, 2007
Photos: Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, Vague Angels, Nick Krgovich @ The Tranzac – May 4, 2007
Photos: Matt & Kim, Page France, The Yah Mos Def @ The Tranzac – May 5, 2007
Photos: Mt Eerie, Wyrd Visions, Darling Arms @ Sneaky Dee’s – May 6, 2007

And as long as I’m talking festivals, hello Austin City Limits lineup. Am I going back to Texas again this year? I may very well.

I swear, I had intended to have my reviews of last weekend’s Over The Top Fest done and up by today… but the fact that you’re reading an excuse instead should tell you all you need to know about that. Hoping to have that together for tomorrow, but for today, there’s this.

I can’t imagine there’s any two career moves that any musician is more wary of than a) having a hit with a cover song or b) having a hit via a TV show (note: my definition of “hit” in this context means less a #1 radio smash than simply a song that common folk might recognize). While the exposure from either of these scenarios is surely precious, they can also turn into dead ends or pigeonholes if you don’t have the talent to prove yourself noteworthy on your own merits.

I made these points in January after seeing The Last Town Chorus play a hauntingly beautiful free show at the Horseshoe, but since then I’ve gotten a copy of their new album Wire Waltz and am happy to report that it proves that band principal Megan Hickey is worthy of being known for far more than just a weepy cover of David Bowie’s “Modern Love” in Grey’s Anatomy. While it’s not that far off from the stark, austere sounds of her self-titled debut, it does introduce arrangements that are richer enough to no longer sound ascetic and some tempos that, if not exactly jaunty, do offer some more upbeat numbers that were lacking on the first record. But most importantly, Hickey’s sweet but weary voice and plaintive, otherworldly lap steel guitar are in fine form and ensure that Last Town Chorus sound quite unlike anything else out there right now.

At that show back in January, Hickey promised to be back in town sometime in March and while she’s made good on her promise to return to Toronto, her timetable was off by a couple months. The Last Town Chorus will be playing at the El Mocambo this coming Monday night and courtesy of Against The Grain, I’ve got three pairs of passes to give away to the show as well as two copies of the new CD. Yes, that doesn’t really make for even prize distributions but sometimes that’s how it’s got to be. I’m giving these away as two grand prizes consisting of the passes and CD and one not-so-grand-but-still-pretty-damn-good prize of the passes. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with your full name in the body and “I want to see The Last Town Chorus” in the subject line. Contest closes at midnight, May 11.

Hickey talks to New York Magazine, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and The Hartford Courant about the TV show thing, her choice of instrument and the music it makes.

MP3: The Last Town Chorus – “It’s Not Over”
MP3: The Last Town Chorus – “Modern Love” (live)
MP3: The Last Town Chorus – “Change Your Mind”
MP3: The Last Town Chorus – “Oregon”
Video: The Last Town Chorus – “Modern Love” (YouTube)
MySpace: The Last Town Chorus

Being There offers up an introduction to XTC.

Incendiary offers up a two–part interview with Charlotte Hatherley.

God Is In The TV and Sixeyes talk to Matt Berninger of The National about Boxer, out May 22.

Radio Free Canuckistan digs up an old interview with Jeff Tweedy dating all the way back to April 2002 and the release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The Phoenix talks to Tweedy in the here and now. Update: RFC has posted a second ’02 Tweedy interview, this one from November.

Richard Lloyd tells Billboard that following a June 16 show in Central Park, New York, he’s leaving Television for good “in order to concentrate my own magnetic force and supernatural powers on my own career”. Yeah. While the band has split up before and gone through long, long hiatuses, this has a tone of finality to it that makes me so glad I was able to see them play last June. Lloyd is in town tomorrow night for a show at the Horseshoe wherein he’ll play some Hendrix covers and material from his re-released solo record Field of Fire and his forthcoming album Radiant Monkey – the one that’s apparently too good to play second fiddle to Television.

The Fiery Furnaces are going for an intimate vibe when they come to town on June 25, opting to play the Horseshoe rather than their considerably larger usual digs. Tickets for that are $25, Pitchfork has full tour dates.

And Swedes The Soundtrack Of Our Lives will be doing a couple shows in Toronto during NxNE – one at the Silver Dollar on June 8 and another that I’ve forgotten details about. It was announced at the NxNE press conference last night, but I think I was distracted by the wine and the sight of Dave Foley’s nipples.

I completely lost track of Montreal’s Pony Up! after seeing them in Summer 2004 opening for Camera Obscura – this despite my saying that “I was persuaded enough to pay attention down the line”. Lies lies lies.

But in the interim, they’ve not only stuck around but thrived, signing to a hip(ster) label, releasing their full-length album Make Love To The Judges With Your Eyes last year and touring with the likes of Camera Obscura (again) and The Mountain Goats. Certainly more productive than MY last three years. Anyway, they’re going to be in town on Monday for a show at the Silver Dollar with Forest City Lovers (whom you may remember from this review) and Knock Knock Ginger.

Courtesy of Against The Grain, I’ve got three pairs of passes to give away to this show. Entering is fun and easy! Just email me your full name in the body and “Giddy Up Pony Up” in the subject line to contests AT chromewaves.net. This contest will close at midnight, May 11. That is all.

Video: Pony Up – “The Truth About Cats & Dogs” (YouTube)
MP3: Forest City Lovers – “Oh Humility” (live at CJLO)
MP3: Forest City Lovers – “Doorsteps” (live at CJLO)
MySpace: Pony Up
MySpace: Forest City Lovers

While watching Spider-Man 3 on Sunday night, I couldn’t help but begin assembling my review in the back of my mind. And it was easy – it was going to start something like, “take two of the top-grossing blockbusters of all time, a huge dose of both critic and fan goodwill and a director who’s already publicly declared that this was going to be the final installment in the franchise and you’ve got a recipe for a directorial blank cheque with a healthy side dose of Sam Raimi drunk with power and nothing left to prove”. And then I read this interview excerpt with Raimi at Sci-Fi.com and I had to toss it all.

It seems that Raimi’s breaking the 2-villain rule of comic book adaptations, aka “the Batman & Robin rule”, wasn’t his idea at all but that of executive producer Avi Arad who essentially forced the inclusion of Venom in the film, thus pushing an already busy script over the edge and making the finished product a gloriously technicolour, head-spinning mess. The last-minute grafting of what by rights should have been a film on its own – the alien symbiote storyline is a classic and deserved better treatment than it got – onto the already in-play son of Goblin plotline and new Sandman thread ended up being a disservice to all three. Thomas Haden Church looked terrific as the Sandman but any emotional quotient his story might have had got lost in the process and just ended up super-hokey. Which isn’t to let Raimi off the hook entirely – I’m sure more than a few of the questionable ideas came from his head alone, but it’s evident that the finished product is not the film he originally wanted to make.

Ironically, and even though I stand by what I said above, I thought the Venom storyline was best executed. Not the black costume itself, per se – simply making the red-and-blue black wasn’t nearly as cool-looking as the comic book version (though that may just be the 9-year old nostlgiast in me talking) – but Eddie Brock’s motivations for becoming Venom were well-delivered. The on-screen rendering wasn’t nearly as big or menacing as it should have been and I could have done without having to look at Topher Grace’s mug all the time, but what can you do.

But to this point, it sounds like I didn’t like the film and though there were many things wrong with it – the pacing was uneven, the acting wooden, the dialogue cheesier than ever and whoever was responsible for the Emo Parker look and disco fever sequence needs to be fired, re-hired and fired again – it still managed to be exhilarating and lots of fun. The action sequences were a blast and there were still a good number of genuine and humorous character moments to offset the bad ones.

But unlike the first two, it didn’t really leave me hankering for a fourth film, at least not if this is the direction the franchise is going. Best to quit while ahead least you end up with an X-Men 3 or worse, Superman 4 on your hands to tarnish the whole franchise. Though all the principals insisted that this would be the last one, the record-breaking opening weekend will surely give them second thoughts. Maybe next time, Raimi will manage to avoid Arad’s phone calls.

Trailer: Spider-Man 3

Happy birthday to Take-Away Shows, who are celebrating their first year of filming wonderful informal performances from great artists by sharing six previously unreleased clips from The National, Jens Lekman and more. And speaking of The National, the “Mistaken For Strangers” video I promised yesterday is up now.

Video: The National – “Mistaken For Strangers” (YouTube)

Spinner is streaming the new Maximo Park album Our Earthly Pleasures, out domestically today. They’re at the Mod Club July 10.

Stream: Maximo Park / Our Earthly Pleasures

And remember the new version of “Song For The Fields” that I was moaning about last week? Spinner has got it available to download and you can stream the whole Fields record as well, or you can in theory. Doesn’t seem to be working quite right at the moment.

MP3: Fields – “Song For The Fields”
Stream: Fields / Everything Last Winter

Spin talks to Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy about the upcoming festival season, of which they’re taking part of with a show at Bonnaroo. Also check out a short trailer for the DVD portion of the Sky Blue Sky deluxe edition, out next Tuesday.

CBC interviews and the The San Francisco Chronicle pop quizzes Feist.

Paste profiles The Hold Steady.

Some show announcements – solo Stroke Albert Hammond Jr is at the Opera House on June 10, The Heartless Bastards are at the El Mocambo on June 20 and New Zealand Australian punk legends Radio Birdman will be at Lee’s Palace on July 6. And Do Make Say Think have been confirmed for the Canada Day show at Harbourfront Centre along with Final Fantasy – as always, a free show.

I may have only been born in 1975 (32 years ago this Friday, by the way), but I’ve watched enough old VH1 specials and seen Dazed And Confused before, so I know the 70s when I hear it. And while it’s not really my thing, I still know when it’s done right and Boulder, Colorado’s Rose Hill Drive rocks like it’s 1973 and does it right. Come on, they’re from a town named after rock. We’re talking long haired, tight pants, Les Pauls at the ready and Marshall stacks turned to 11, classic power trio riff rock – the sort of thing that, even if you think you don’t like it, deep down you really do. Or at least would love to see live. Ironically, unironically, that’s your business.

Anyway, the point of this is that Rose Hill Drive are in town this Thursday, May 10, and courtesy of Against The Grain I’ve got three pairs of passes to give away to the show. To enter, leave me a comment with your full name, your correct email (or reasonable approximation) and telling me why you rock. Feel free to interpret that criteria however you like. Since the show is in just a few days, this contest will wrap up tomorrow night at 7PM giving you just under a day to get your case together. And if all you can come up with “because I’m igneous”, well that’s acceptable.

And if you need some further persuasion, check out this super-enthusiastic live review at Glide or read Rolling Stone‘s declaration that they’re one of ten bands to watch. Or read these interviews at The Daily Collegian and The Times Dispatch, get to know the boys.

MP3: Rose Hill Drive – “Man On Fire”
MySpace: Rose Hill Drive