Photo by Charles Harris

So there hasn’t been much Wilco talk hereabouts lately, but maybe this’ll make up for it some. They’re playing the last of their five-night stand at the Riviera in Chicago tonight and will be webcasting the whole thing via their Roadcase. The stream starts at 7PM Central time, so 8PM Eastern, and the show itself a half-hour later.

These are the shows, incidentally, where the band has been reaching way back into their catalog and airing out songs from A.M., Being There, Summerteeth and generally all the records that you’ve never heard the current lineup on so since it’s doubtful that anyone reading this is actually on their way out to the concert, this is your next best option. Though I’m sure every note of these shows is being recorded either officially or unofficially and will be heard sooner or later.

Photo by Justine Bursoni

It would seem that Headlights are becoming my de facto “ahh gotta get something up quick” band, which is fine with me. I like ’em, and they just have good timing.

Like for today – their second album Some Racing, Some Stopping came out yesterday and you can not only stream the whole thing below, but you can also check out the new video for the first single, “Cherry Tulips”. And if that’s not enough, Hard To Find A Friend is featuring the band in their new feature, “The Backstage Sessions” and that’s yielded some MP3s and videos recorded – get ready for it – backstage at a recent show in Nashville. How crazy is that?

And, to top it off, I’m now able to attend their Toronto debut show at the El Mocambo on March 2 at the El Mocambo. Yes, that’s a consequence of my no longer being able to go to Noise Pop in San Francisco that weekend – logistical issues – but hey, silver linings and all that.

Stream: Headlights / Some Racing, Some Stopping
MP3: Headlights – “Cherry Tulips”
Video: Headlights – “Cherry Tulips”
MySpace: Headlights

Also out yesterday and streaming now is Lust Lust Lust from The Raveonettes. They’re at the Opera House on March 21 and if you live in the US, you can watch a new video and if you’re so inclined, there’s a non-album track available to grab at www.soundofcolor.com. ET Canada has a phoner with Sharin Foo.

Stream: The Raveonettes / Lust Lust Lust
Video: The Raveonettes – “Aly, Walk With Me”

Largehearted Boy pits Daily Show scribe Sam Means (fresh off the picket line, I guess) against Mountain Goat John Darnielle in a steel cage match of intelligent and reasonable discourse about the new Goats album Heretic Pride. EPIC.

Another taste of Stephen Malkmus’ next record Real Emotional Trash, out March 18, is now available. And Matador is running one of their pre-order package deals if you just canna wait. Drowned In Sound has also got an interview.

MP3: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – “Cold Son”

The AV Club talks to Gutter Twins Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan about their debut album Saturnalia, out March 4. They’re at the Mod Club March 14.

BlogTO interviews Greg Davis, owner of Soundscapes, aka “the best music store in Toronto”. Actually, that shouldn’t have quotes around it. Because it’s simply fact.

Short today. Good stuff tomorrow.

Photo by Remi Theriault

I covered PEI power poppers Two Hours Traffic just a couple weeks ago and I’ve got a lot to do tonight, so I’ll keep it quick. The boys are in the midst of a cross-Canada tour and will be in Toronto this Saturday night, February 23, for a show at the Horseshoe Tavern with locals The Wooden Sky and My Shaky Jane as support.

Courtesy of Killbeat Music, I have a pair of passes to said show as well as a copy of their fine album Little Jabs, autographed by the band, as well as some stickers for sticking and a pin for pinning. If you would like to take a swing at winning this swag, shoot me an email at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to be stuck in Two Hours Traffic” in the subject line and your full name and mailing address in the body and get that in to me by 5PM on Thursday, February 21. All good? Good.

MP3: Two Hours Traffic – “Backseat Sweetheart” (live at the Horseshoe – June 9, 2007, via CBCR3)
MP3: Two Hours Traffic – “Better Safe Than Sorry” (live at the Horseshoe – June 9, 2007, via CBCR3)
MP3: Two Hours Traffic – “Heat Seeker” (live at the Horseshoe – June 9, 2007, via CBCR3)
MP3: Two Hours Traffic – “Stuck For The Summer”
Video: Two Hours Traffic – “Nighthawks”
Video: Two Hours Traffic – “Stuck For The Summer”
Video: Two Hours Traffic – “Jezebel”
Stream: Two Hours Traffic / Little Jabs
MySpace: Two Hours Traffic

Photo by Frank Yang

I came this close to having to title this post “Maybe Not Tonight” as illness forced Nicole Atkins to cancel Saturday’s show in Buffalo, obviously putting Toronto’s show at risk. By mid-Sunday, however, there came another MySpace note declaring that a night off had done a world of good and the show would go on. Buffalo, we thank you for your sacrifice. Good luck with that fire in Cheektowaga.

Local support on the night was Magneta Lane, who were surprising inasmuch as they still existed. Though they arrived on the scene with some fanfare in 2003, they never seemed to manage to break out the “just bubbling under” cul de sac and eventually they seemed to fade from view but they’re back with a forthcoming new album, Gambling With God. I suppose they should be applauded for sticking to their guns – straight ahead, no frills rock’n’roll with a decent melodic sensibility – even after the garage rock bandwagon they rode in was put up on blocks. Though a few new songs indicated they were trying to branch out a bit – incorporating keyboards on a few songs, having frontwoman Lexi Valentine put down the guitar to just sing on another – they were all still built on the same aesthetic framework which will please their long-time fans, of whom there were more than a few in attendance, but not really give others any reason to start paying attention.

For Nicole Atkins & The Sea, this was their fourth show at Lee’s Palace in Toronto on a Sunday night in just over eight months – consider it the most drawn-out residency ever – but their first headlining slot. And while they’d always seemed to make a good impression as openers, I did wonder how well they’d draw on their own. Answer: pretty damn well. Though not a sell-out, there were exponentially more people there than I’d expected in my own mental worst-case scenario and even better, many seemed genuinely enthusiastic about Atkins and her album Neptune City. The set opened with the title track of said record and if Atkins was still suffering from whatever ailment had laid her up the night before, you couldn’t really tell.

Starting out with the quieter number was probably by design, allowing her to test the limits of her voice and as a result the show got off to a slower start than their previous shows. But after a few songs you could see them picking up steam and by set’s close, you couldn’t imagine there was anything in the world wrong with her voice. The set was a bit shorter than one would have liked but aside from that tentative start, the band did not spare the whip in playing the whole of Neptune City (including a glistening, lap steel-powered rearrangement of “Together We’re Both Alone” and audience singalong in “Brooklyn’s On Fire”), a bit of Bleeding Diamonds, a new song (the girl group-perfect “Teen Creep”) and a couple of covers (Benji Hughes and The Doors). This this was the first show wherein another Toronto date wasn’t already schedule a couple months down the road but based on the appetite this town has shown for her music, it won’t be long before she’s back again. And until then, Sunday’s stunning show will have to carry us over – and to assist, Hater High has a decent-sounding recording of Sunday night’s show available to download.

Photos: Nicole Atkins & The Sea, Magneta Lane @ Lee’s Palace – February 17, 2008
MP3: Nicole Atkins – “Maybe Tonight”
MP3: Nicole Atkins – “Party’s Over”
MP3: Magneta Lane – “Broken Plates”
Video: Nicole Atkins – “The Way It Is”
Video: Nicole Atkins – “Neptune City”
Video: Magneta Lane – “Broken Plates”
Video: Magneta Lane – “Wild Gardens”
MySpace: Nicole Atkins

Now speaking of perennial opening acts who deserve a step up to the headline slot, Shearwater will return to town on May 11 for a date at Lee’s Palace opening up for Clinic (full dates here). This jaunt comes before the June 3 release of their new record Rook, so perhaps once that’s been unleashed on the world (do you unleash a bird?) they’ll return in the closing spot they so richly deserve. As for Clinic, their new one Do It! is out April 8 and they’re offering a free MP3 from it in exchange for your soul. Or your email address. Whichever. Coincidentally, it was on May 11 three years ago – my birthday – that I first discovered Shearwater whilst opening for The Mountain Goats.

Speaking of Les Goats, The Guardian, Line Of Best Fit and Paste have interviews with John Darnielle and their new one Heretic Pride is out today.

Some more show notes… Toronto’s Forest City Lovers will be releasing their new record Haunting Moon Sinking on March 11 and are touring out east as well as playing locally – catch them either at an in-store at Soundscapes on March 9 at 2PM or a full show at the Tranzac on March 14 with The D’Urbervilles who they themselves have a new record called We Are The Hunters, out now (and if not, very soon) today. I haven’t heard the former yet but have great expectations (and the samples on their MySpace backs that up) and while I didn’t really have any pre-conceived notions about the latter, I have heard it and am quite impressed.

MP3: The D’Urbervilles – “National Flowers”
MP3: The D’Urbervilles – “Hot Tips”

It was probably too much to hope that a tour date on April 20 at the Opera House would mean that Rachael Yamagata had finally finished her second album. No, she’s touring in support of Sara Bareilles. Which, I suppose is about as productive a form of procrastination as there is, but still.

The Constantines are at The Phoenix on May 1 to celebrate the release of Kensington Heights on April 15. Support comes from Attack In Black, tickets are $20 in advance.

MP3: Attack In Black – “Young Leaves”

That same weekend marks the seventh edition of the Over The Top Fest. Baltimore’s Wye Oak are advertising their participation with a show on May 2. Good news, if you recall this post. Their If Children is out April 8.

Also incoming and with a B-more connection (tenuous, but they got namechecked in The Wire a few eps back), Dead Meadow are at Lee’s on May 24. Their new one is Old Growth and Athens Exchange has a Q&A with the band.

MP3: Dead Meadow – “I’m Gone”
MP3: Dead Meadow – “What Needs Must Be”

Thanks to For The Records for a number of the above show tips.

Get another taste of the new Destroyer record Trouble In Dreams to tide you over till its release date on March 18 and build anticipation for their show at Lee’s Palace on April 19.

MP3: Destroyer – “Dark Leaves Form A Thread”

Bob Mould converses with The Guardian while Bradley’s Almanac is sharing some live audio from a show in Boston last Fall. Mould is at the Mod Club on March 10.

Gary Louris discusses Vagabonds, out today and streamable in its entirety on his MySpace, with The Star-Tribune. He’s at the Mod Club on March 30 and Minnesota Public Radio has a session recorded and up for grabs. Via claudpate.com.

Britt Daniel maps out for Billboard the Spoon master plan in 2008, including the release of an 8-song EP for new single “Don’t You Evah” on April 8 as well as a video for said song, viewable below.

Video: Spoon – “Don’t You Evah”

The Hartford Courant and Boston Herald profile Jason Isbell.

Photo by Frank Yang

Tribute nights are always better on paper than in reality. Whatever the scale of things – be it an all-star salute to Bob Dylan at Madison Square Garden or a low-key night in honour of My Bloody Valentine as occurred at the Drake Underground last Thursday – I find the idea of hearing a favourite artist cover another favourite artist is always more exciting in the abstract.

Note that this sweeping generalization is really only with respect to the live affairs where there’s not really a lot of time or incentive to really learn, rehearse or be creative with their interpretation – covers worked into live sets or recorded are exempt. Add in the fact that in most of these situations you have audiences who are presumably in attendance because they’re fans of the band being paid tribute and would reasonably expect to hear the songs done in, if not a faithful style then at least a familiar one – also known as the least creatively interesting approach for the artist. The net result is almost always some degree of disappointment and in the worst cases, the performance is less tribute than parody.

In the case of the show dubbed Loveless and appropriately scheduled for (My Bloody) Valentine’s Day, it was only announced a couple weeks earlier with some acts added afterwards so preparedness was not to be taken for granted. Five acts in all participated and to their credit, the heavy guitar-based jams were not the norm. Things were led off by Hollowphonic, performing a few more esoteric MBV songs (as if their repertoire wasn’t esoteric enough to begin with) on solo guitar with laptop, followed by Gravity Wave – who claimed to have never heard any My Bloody Valentine until just a few weeks prior – karaoke-style overtop pre-programmed beats in an iPod. Continuing the one-man band trend was To Downcast Your Eyes, who coaxed some fine, thickly-distorted keyboard sounds out of his Yamaha but undermined things with an unnecessarily affected vocal delivery. The night rounded off with a couple of proper bands – Buffalonians Sleeping Kings Of Iona only played one MBV song, I believe, and filled their set out with originals but being the most upbeat tunes of the evening, were welcome anyways and finally Germans, who closed things out with, well, heavy guitar-based jams including an extended (read: didn’t know how to finish) finale with “You Made Me Realize”.

By no means was it a bad night of music, but there wasn’t anything especially outstanding either. But it did get me out of the house on Valentine’s Day, and that’s something of an achievement.

Photos: Loveless: My Bloody Valentine tribute night @ The Drake Underground – February 14, 2008

NME talks to the Coachella organizers about why the much-rumoured My Bloody Valentine appearance isn’t happening this year and offers some comfort for those who were disappointed (and echo what I’ve been telling everyone who’ll listen, which about five people) – “Don’t worry–they’ll come to America.”

Portishead, on the other hand, are going to be at Coachella and their new record – the cryptically titled Third – has a North American release date. Look for it April 29, a couple weeks after the UK release. The Guardian has an interview with the band’s Adrian Utley about their time away and now their return.

Also at Coachella, St Vincent, with whom The Independent has an interview, and The National, whom Pitchfork reports have released a live, digital-only EP that’s also Rhapsody-only.

Thanks to Bradley’s Almanac for the news that a new, Steve Albini-produced record from Wedding Present is due out in May. El Rey – ask for it by name.