I feel quite fortunate in that my list of (active) bands that I still need to see live gets shorter and shorter every year, and many of those that remain unchecked are probably not very realistic prospects unless I go to them, on account of them being mostly smaller international acts who will probably never make their way to Toronto.

Not so for The New Year, however. I appreciate that with members scattered geographically around the United States that logistics can be an issue, but the fact is that they’ve toured the northeast before, but to my knowledge – and certainly not in the last five years or so since I’ve been listening to them – they’ve never come to Toronto. Did their former incarnation of Bedhead harbour a similar distaste for Hogtown? I don’t know, but I’d basically accepted that if I were ever going to get to hear any of their hypnotic and intricate narcolepsy rock live, I’d have to go to them.

And then, yesterday whilst cruising concert listings at work as I am wont to do (shh, don’t tell), I saw this and did a triple take. July 14, at a venue still to be determined, a Toronto show for the Kadane Brothers, aka Matt and Bubba Kadane, aka the principals behind The New Year and Bedhead. In Toronto. On July 14. With Bottomless Pit, the band formed from the ashes of Silkworm. Whoa. Now considering they’re taking care to NOT call this outfit The New Year, it does raise the question of exactly what we’re going to get – just Matt and Bubba on guitars? It could work, but more likely they’ll borrow their tourmates’ rhythm section. Either way. Excitement.

The New Year also reported, via MySpace blog, that their third album is now complete and is set for a September release with European and US touring to follow. Note that nowhere in that message does the word “Canada” appear. July 14. I’ll tell you where when I know, you just be there.

MP3: The New Year – “Sinking Ship”
MP3: Bedhead – “Liferaft”
MP3: Bottomless Pit – “The Cardinal Movements”
Video: The New Year – “Disease”
MySpace: The New Year

Also just announced and itching for a spot on your concert calendar… Brooklyn’s Blood On The Wall are at Sneaky Dee’s on May 20. Full dates here.

MP3: Blood On The Wall – “Hibernation”
MP3: Blood On The Wall – “Lightning Song”

The Helio Sequence is at the Horseshoe on May 26 as part of a tour in support of their solid new release Keep Your Eyes Ahead.

MP3: The Helio Sequence – “Keep Your Eyes Ahead”
MP3: The Helio Sequence – “Can’t Say No”
Video: The Helio Sequence – “Keep Your Eyes Ahead”

Islands, hot on the heel of the release of their new album Arm’s Way on May 20, will be at the Phoenix on May 29, tickets $12.

MP3: Islands – “Creeper”

Grand Archives is the new band featuring Mat Brooke, formerly of Band Of Horses. Grand Archives is also the debut album from Grand Archives. They make their Toronto debut on June 6 at the El Mocambo, tickets $10.50. Full tour dates here. NPR has a World Cafe session. JamBase has an interview.

MP3: Grand Archives – “Torn Blue Foam Couch”
MP3: Grand Archives – “Miniature Birds”

The following night (June 7) at the El Mo will find Adam Green, currently enjoying a Moldy Peaches/Juno-related wave of popularity, pushing his new record Sixes And Sevens. Tickets for this one are $13.50. The Guardian has a chat.

MP3: Adam Green – “Morning After Midnight”

Mercury prize-nominees from the UK, Young Knives, are at the Horseshoe on June 12 for what I presume is a NXNE gig. The Moscow Times talks to the band, who will release their new record Superabundance Stateside on April 22.

MP3: The Young Knives – “Weekends And Bleak Days”
Video: The Young Knives – “Up All Night”
Video: The Young Knives – “Terra Firma”
Video: The Young Knives – “Mummy Light The Fire”

You want weird? Stop in at the Horseshoe on June 23 where Frog Eyes and Evangelicals will bring the weird. Tickets for that will be $12.

MP3: Frog Eyes – “Bushels”
MP3: Evangelicals – “Skeleton Man”

And for the decidedly not weird, try the El Mocambo on June 26 where Maria Taylor and Johnathan Rice will sing you songs and be sensitive for just $11.50 in advance.

MP3: Maria Taylor – “A Good Start”
MP3: Maria Taylor – “Lost Time”
MP3: Johnathan Rice – “We’re All Stuck Out In The Desert”
Video: Maria Taylor – “A Good Start”

A note to those hitting the Peter Moren show on April 24 – the venue has been moved from the Mod Club to the El Mocambo and doors are now at 8 rather than 7.

Liz Phair begins the long, futile quest to reclaim her indie cred with this interview with Billboard. Paraphrased: “oh, those awful vacuous pop records? I didn’t really mean those. Or any of the other records that aren’t Exile In Guyville which, incidentally, I’m reissuing on June 24. Please buy it”.

CokeMachineGlow interviews The Acorn. My CD giveaway ends today, by the way, so if you were procrastinating for some strange reason, now’s a good time to stop.

Chart talks to Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood, is impressed by his name-dropping of Canadian musical icons. Did everyone get their tickets for their show at the Amphitheatre on August 15? I was going to try and get a lawn seat but got tired from watching everyone get all worked up over the presales all this week and decided I simply didn’t care that much… and I still tried this morning and couldn’t even get a lawn. Alas.

The New York Times considers the glut of music festivals across America this Summer and the ensuing lineup redundancy, covering some of the ground I tread on back in January. Which makes me look at Toronto’s V Fest, smaller than most others for sure but thus far the only one with Oasis, and feel pretty good about it.

The Kids In The Hall getting back together (and performing at Massey Hall on June 5) may seem like another piece of the “man, weren’t the ’90s awesome?” nostalgia wave, but as they tell The AV Club they’re going into this with the intention of not only performing new material, but maybe starting another TV show. That’s… good news?