I once knew a guy who loved Bruce Willis’ near career-killer Hudson Hawk unabashedly and unironically. This is apropos of nothing, save for the fact that the third album from Brooklyn’s Bottom Of The Hudson – in stores yesterday – is called Fantastic Hawk and it, thankfully, features no guest appearances of Bruce Willis or Danny Aiello singing Paul Anka tunes.

What it does feature is thirteen songs that touch on a wide breadth of styles yet feel like a single, cohesive musical arc. Built off of a simple, occasionally stark template of jangly, folkish guitar and Eli Simon’s plaintive, head cold vocals, Hawk leads off with the simple clarinet orchestration of the title track and builds to “Over Engineered”‘s soaring shoegazey crescendo before easing back down to the meditative and fingerpicked “Calculating Wire”, with all points in between filled with anthemic guitar pop reminiscent of Tobin Sprout’s GBV contributions.

The production is kept clear but not necessarily clean – things fuzz and feedback where necessary but there’s nothing superfluous in the mix, helping maintain the rather sad and austere atmosphere. Even when it’s rocking out or casting melodic lines heavenward, it doesn’t crack a smile. Okay, maybe a slight one, but it’s forlorn. Bottom Of The Hudson are in town on Friday night with Athens, Georgians King Of Prussia for a show at the Tiger Bar. You should be there, all the cool kids will be. Philadelphia Weekly has a profile of the band.

MP3: Bottom Of The Hudson – “Bee Hive”
MP3: Bottom Of The Hudson – “Handwriting”
MySpace: Bottom Of The Hudson

Kevin Drew tries to justify tacking “Broken Social Scene presents” onto the title of his solo album to Billboard. Spirit If… is out September 18.

NME checks in with Ambulance LTD to see how their new album is coming. Not especially well is the response, though they do have a 42-second clip of a new song streaming on their website as well as a probably over-optimistic ETA of this Fall for a new release.

AOL Music Canada profiles Montreal label Secret City, which has fully half its roster nominated for the Polaris Music Prize this year.

Basia Bulat’s Oh My Darling is finally getting a domestic release on September 18 via Hardwood Records, home of Hayden. Celebrations will occur on September 22 with a CD release show someplace. Via For The Records.

Macleans‘ Taste Police pits Interpol against Editors in a battle of nonsensical yet dramatically delivered lyrics. It’s a shame that while both bands are playing V Fest in Toronto, they’re doing so on different days (Interpol on September 8 and Editors on September 9). Otherwise the meeting of the minds backstage could have been epic. Gasoline has an interview with Interpol and Harp Q&As Carlos D while AZ Central and The Scotsman talk to Editor-in-chief Tom Smith. The new Editors record The End Has A Start was released yesterday – stream it below and watch the first video.

Video: Editors – “Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors” (YouTube)
Stream: Editors / The End Has A Start

After releasing Under The Blacklight on August 21, Rilo Kiley will be hitting the road to support – they’re in town at the Phoenix on September 18. Tickets $21.50, on sale Friday. BrooklynVegan has complete tour dates.

The AV Club lists off ten tribute albums that, in their estimation, don’t suck. I haven’t heard the whole of the Wire one, but they are spot-on about that My Bloody Valentine track. Check it, and also check out the latest from the rumour mill, namely that Kevin Shields has been telling people that 2008 will bring a new MBV album AND tour. Uhhhhhh.

MP3: My Bloody Valentine – “Map Ref 41N 93W”

And finally, Paste reports that documentarian Eric Green is assembling a shoegaze documentary called Beautiful Noise which will feature over 90 interviews with key players in the original scene as well as their present day stylistic descendants.