I spent a goodly number of weekends last Summer (okay, three) traversing the Ontario highway system to take in some of the region’s music festivals, as well as make good on my resolution to get the hell out of the city once in a while.

I’m not sure I’m up to doing all that again this year. There’s the matter of fuel costs, car rentals and whatnot being somewhat more prohibitive than they were last year but it’s still fun to see who’s playing what. The first wave of bands for Hillside were announced earlier this week and now I’ve got the list of acts playing this year’s edition of the Wolfe Island Music Fest, a gloriously laid back (and dusty) event that takes place on one of the Thousand Islands just off shore from Kingston, Ontario.

Things begin the evening of August 8 in town, with The Handsome Furs and locals Magic Jordan at the General Wolfe Hotel while the annual kick-off Town Hall Hootenanny Revue will be hosted by Carolyn Mark and a gaggle of guests. The main event goes down on the Saturday starting at 1PM and the lineup will be headlined by Halifax’s Wintersleep, Cadence Weapon, Land Of Talk, Jason Collett, Plants & Animals, Tony Scherr, The Acorn, The D’Urbervilles, Music Maul and P.S. I Love You.

I don’t really know the headliners – they’re an act that has managed to become pretty damn big in this country without me ever having really heard them – but a lot of the rest of the bill certainly comes with a built-in, me-seal-of-approval. Ticket info will be forthcoming shortly, but anyone looking to set up a road trip this Summer could certainly find a worse destination.

MP3: Wintersleep – “Jaws Of Life”
MP3: Cadence Weapon – “Real Estate”
MP3: Land Of Talk – “Speak To Me Bones”
MP3: Jason Collett – “Out Of Time”
MP3: Plants & Animals – “Faerie Dance”
MP3: The Acorn – “The Flood, Pt 1”
MP3: The D’Urbervilles – “Hot Tips”
MP3: Music Maul – “Oilcan Dream”
MP3: Handsome Furs = “What We Had”
MP3: Carolyn Mark – “The 1 That Got Away With It”

The headliners from last year’s festival, Wolf Parade, are back on the road this Summer in support of their new album which may or may not be called Kissing The Beehive but will be out June 17. Their Toronto date is August 9 at the Kool Haus and tickets are $22.50. Update: Pitchfork reports the new album title is At Mount Zoomer.

There’s more in-store goodness coming our way when Aimee Mann stops in at the Sonic Boom rec room on May 9 at 6:30 to preview songs from her new record @#%&! Smilers, out June 3. And for those who can’t make it or just dislike intimate performances, she’ll return on August 28 for a show at the Kool Haus.

MP3: Aimee Mann – “Thirty One Today”

Atmosphere, who had to cancel Thursday night’s gig because of immigration issues, have rescheduled that show for May 28 at the Opera House.

Those who like it loud will be pleased to hear Boris, Torche and Wolves In The Throne Room will be at Lee’s Palace on July 14, tickets $15. I don’t know that last band at all, but judging from the company they keep, I’m guessing they’re heavy.

After an absence of who knows how many years, Stephen Malkmus and his Jicks will be back in Toronto, Real Emotional Trash in tow, for a show at the Phoenix on July 16. Tickets $20 in advance.

Jambands.com interviews The National. They’re at the Molson Amphitheatre on June 8 opening for R.E.M. and will release the A Skin, A Night documentary film on DVD come May 20.

Adele, in town at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on July 10, has recorded a session for Spinner’s Interface. 19 is out June 10.

Many thanks to Pete Ohs and The Projectmill for assembling this terrific video of the first day of Hot Freaks! at SxSW last month. Man, brings back memories. Which reminds me, I need to book my flight for 2009. What, you don’t book your trips 10 months in advance?