Photo by Frank Yang

While I’m the last person to look a gift stat holiday in the mouth, I don’t think I’m such a fan of those that drop in the middle of the week. Having Canada Day fall on a Tuesday this year not only eliminated the conventional long weekend (it would have cost me a vacation day to get the four days off), but made Wednesday feel like Monday when it should have been Sunday since Tuesday felt a lot like Saturday. And it’s to this topsy-turvy week that I attribute the relatively light turnout to the annual Canada Day festivities at Harbourfront Centre.

I’d like to think that it wasn’t the quality of the acts on the bill that kept people away – though relatively new to me, Martha Wainwright is a fairly big name both nationally and abroad and her just-released sophomore effort I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too is getting its share of glowing accolades and as anyone who’s been visiting here for at least the past year, I think the undercard, Ms Basia Bulat, is as good as a basket of kittens. In other words, there was serious talent on display, and for free.

None of this is to say there wasn’t a very healthy crowd Tuesday night – there definitely was when Bulat took the stage to an almost comically botched introduction (every name that could possibly be mispronounced was, and Oh My Darling has not been shortlisted for the Polaris Prize… yet). Though she’d performed earlier in the day in Ottawa, Basia showed no sign of tiredness from the jet-setting, leading her band through an effervescent set of material old and new. While this certainly wasn’t the largest crowd she’d played in front of – if nothing else, that day’s Parliament Hill show surely had a larger head count – it was probably the largest crowd I’d seen her play in front of and, consequently, the loudest applause I’ve heard her get, and deservedly so. A basket of kittens, I’m telling you.

As stated above, I’m a newcomer to Martha Wainwright having missed out on her self-titled debut and only hearing her for the first time with the new album. My net impression is a positive one, though not without caveats. One the plus side, she does have a marvelous voice and a sharp songwriting pen. In the cons column, she does have a tendency to over-sing where some restraint might serve better and the eclecticism of musical styles on offer can sound as unfocused as they do bold. But the shining moments – which generally happen to be the bigger pop numbers and a terrific Eurythmics cover – more than compensate for the weaker ones.

And in the pro column, you can add an undeniable live charisma and a penchant for amusing if perhaps family-inappropriate banter (which I won’t repeat here). Though she claimed to have jet lag, having just played at Glastonbury the preceding weekend, she didn’t seem at all off her game. If anything, her voice is more powerful live than on record, though the aforementioned flaws in her material were also more amplified – the middle section of the set where her band left her to play solo allowed her to indulge her most diva-like qualities. I’m sure it’s impressive to some, but vocal acrobatics have never done as much for me as a restrained but emotive delivery. But like the record, the positives of the show outweighed the negatives and she sealed the deal with an encore of a French operatic piece that I couldn’t possibly identify, but was dazzled by nonetheless.

With the release of her new record, much ink has been given to Martha Wainwright. The Mirror talked to the Glastonbury veteran about her tips for surviving the fest, Canadian Press discusses her famous family, The Independent inquires about being sexy (I’d call her more striking than sexy though you can’t argue with the legs on display on her latest album cover), Get Reading catches up with her on tour, Black Book and ClickMusic go for general Q&As while CD Times and The National Post offer longer features.

Photos: Martha Wainwright, Basia Bulat @ Harbourfront Centre – July 1, 2008
MP3: Martha Wainwright – “Bloody Mother Fuckin Asshole”
MP3: Basia Bulat – “In The Night”
MP3: Basia Bulat – “Snakes & Ladders”
Video: Martha Wainwright – “When The Day Is Short”
Video: Basia Bulat – “In The Night”
MySpace: Martha Wainwright
MySpace: Basia Bulat

I was a touch surprised to see a familiar face on stage in Wainwright’s band – Thomas Bartlett, aka Doveman. Bartlett has just released a new album available for download free on his website – a cover of the entire soundtrack to the Kevin Bacon star-maker, Footloose. But before you chalk this up as an indulgence in ’80s irony, check out the very real and touching dedication for the collection (also on the site). It’s all there, rendered in Doveman’s distinctive rasp and slow-motion keyboards, from the Kenny Loggins theme song through the rather over the top “Holding Out For A Hero” by Bonnie Tyler to the for-the-ages duet between Heart’s Ann Wilson and Loverboy’s Mike Reno. Oh man. I’m actually very familiar with the soundtrack as it was part of my brother’s cassette collection when I was a kid and for good or for ill, was probably very formative in my musical development and it’s a little unsettling just how well I still know the songs. Doveman will be on tour with Nico Muhly in August and be in town at the Danforth Music Hall on August 27 along with Final Fantasy.

MP3: Doveman – “Footloose”
ZIP: Doveman / Footloose

Eddie Vedder, sans Pearl Jam, will be playing two nights at Massey Hall on August 12 and 13.

Bob Dylan is coming… to Hamilton. He’s at Copp’s Coliseum on August 20.

A Place To Bury Strangers are at Lee’s Palace on September 19 with Sian Alice Group.

NOW, eye and The Montreal Gazette question members of Ladytron – very much excited for tomorrow night’s free show at Harbourfront Centre. That’s three visits to Harbourfront in a week, surely some kind of record for me.

Pitchfork has details on Of Montreal’s next album Skeletal Lamping, due out October 7.

And the hits just keep on coming at Aquarium Drunkard – next up, an interview with Will Johnson of Centro-Matic.

The Guardian decides that the best career move that bands can make these days is to break up.

MTV picks their top albums of the year so far.

Photo by Frank Yang

Analogy of the day – Mogwai albums, and by extension their live shows, are like visiting the ocean. Technically, if you’ve been once (heard one), you’ve gotten the gist of it. Endless vistas, rolling waves, the majesty of nature (quiet quiet LOUD LOUD, darkly foreboding, mostly instrumental post-rock soundtrack to the end times).

But to take a “been there, done that” attitude is to miss the point – no matter how many times you stand at the coast, you never cease to be stunned by the immense and inspiring beauty of it all (or at least you shouldn’t if you have any kind of soul) and no matter how many times you’ve faced the combined amplified and visceral glory of the Scottish quintet, your pants will still flap and your teeth will still hurt and you will still love it. Or at least you should. Old material, new material, whatever – it’s about the kick in the head.

Closing out a strenuous two-date Canadian tour on Monday night at the Phoenix, the band appeared to be in good spirits. The set list was more about the new, previewing material from their forthcoming The Hawk Is Howling album (out September 23) though their back catalog was visited enough to satiate if not satisfy the faithful – no “Mogwai Fear Satan” or “My Father My King”, though I was a little relieved by that. I don’t think I could have handled the sustained assault. The new material sounded, well, it sounded like Mogwai and continued in the same path they’ve tread over the last couple albums – not as thunderous as the first couple records but not as gentle or “pop” as my personal favourite, Rock Action. The relative softening and expansion of their sound is most evident in the fact that Barry Burns now acts almost as a full-time keyboardist now, only taking third guitar duties for the older material.

Another consequence of their sonic evolution is the band’s former lock on the “loudest in the world” title (unofficial, of course). The first couple times I saw Mogwai live, people were collapsing from the onslaught (or maybe from the booze and drugs, I dunno, but attributing it to the volume is better myth-making) whereas this time, people were standing right up front without earplugs and not even flinching. Not me, but others less attached to their sense of hearing. But even turned down a bit, it was still hellaciously loud at points – a scorched earth “Like Herod” was a pointed response to anyone who might have thought the boys were getting a bit soft in their middle age but my favourite moments were the Rock Action selections – hearing “Secret Pint” and “2 Rights Make 1 Wrong” brought a smile to my face. The sound at the Phoenix was marvelous and the band sounded fantastic – because even though the ocean is still the ocean is always the ocean, sometimes it’s just that much more amazing.

Openers were local trio I Can Put My Arm Back On You Can’t whose name you may recognize as a reference to this and who traded in loud, fast, post-punk/hardcore with screamy/gutteral vocals and would have appealed to Mogwai fans who wished that band were louder, faster and with screamy/gutteral vocals. It’s a style of music that I’m familiar enough with to know I’m not a fan, but also able to recognize and respect proficiency which these guys had.

Mogwai will be back in town on September 24 for a show at the Kool Haus. Fansite Bright Light has the set list for the show and a couple fan reviews.

Photos: Mogwai, I Can Put My Arm Back On You Can’t @ The Phoenix – June 30, 2008
MP3: Mogwai – “The Sun Smells Too Loud”
MP3: Mogwai – “Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home”
MP3: Mogwai – “Tracy”
MP3: Mogwai – “Dial: Revenge”
MP3: Mogwai – “Hunted By A Freak”
MP3: Mogwai – “Folk Death 95”
MP3: Mogwai – “7:25”
Video: Mogwai – “Travel Is Dangerous”
Video: Mogwai – “Friend Of The Night”
Video: Mogwai – “Hunted By A Freak”
Video: Mogwai – “Dial: Revenge”
MySpace: Mogwai

Reveille and Express talk to Scott Hutchinson of Frightened Rabbit, another band of Scots who know a thing or two about making a racket.

Paste talks to Built To Spill about their upcoming Perfect From Now On tour, which will include a show at All Tomorrow’s Parties in New York State in September alongside Mogwai.

The AV Club puts Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Ed O’Brien in the hot seat. O’Brien also goes on The Daily Record about going green, Glastonbury and the amount of love lost between the band and EMI (very very little). They’re at the Molson Amphitheatre on August 15.

Wayne Coyne talks to Paste about the allegedly now-complete Flaming Lips film, Christmas On Mars. I’ll believe it when I see the terrible, terrible reviews.

USA Today interviews Portishead’s Adrian Utley.

The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn chats with Metro about their new jam Stay Positive, out in a couple weeks on July 15.

Photo by Frank Yang

Happy birthday, Canada. You don’t look a day over 140.

It’s become a local Canada Day tradition to trek down to Harbourfront Centre where they offer free concerts featuring the happening Canadian artist du jour – past fetes featuring the likes of Feist, The Dears and Final Fantasy – and that tradition continues tonight with performances from Martha Wainwright and Basia Bulat. But don’t be surprised if before long, you see Ohbijou’s name on that bill.

This year they were on the Harbourfront main stage a couple days early, this past Saturday, not for the Canada Day celebration but for the Rocky Mountain High festival, which kicked off this year’s series of World Routes programming. The context of this event was to celebrate The Banff Centre, an arts centre in Alberta at which Ohbijou spent a week and a half in residency earlier this year, working with other artists and producers in composing material for the follow-up to 2006’s lovely Swift Feet For Troubling Times.

I hadn’t seen the band since their triumphant show at Lee’s Palace last November so it was good to renew the acquaintance. In the interim, they’ve not much changed their sound – if it ain’t broke and all that – but some growth and refinement was evident in the orchestrations and arrangements. Though they had to contend with a few distractions over the course of their set – a bagpipe-led pirate parade and a Jacko-soundtracked yacht party were both difficult to ignore – their sweet sounds wafting out over the lake would win out… though mainly because the pirates kept moving until they were out of earshot. That was tough to ignore. But a splendid way to spend an afternoon by the water and a fine reminder that anticipation for Ohbijou’s second album, hopefully due out Fall-ish, should be high.

CBC Radio 2 is streaming a concert Ohbijou played in March to close out their residency at the Banff Centre.

Photos: Ohbijou @ Harbourfront Centre – June 28, 2008
MP3: Ohbijou – “St Francis”
MP3: Ohbijou – “Misty Eyes”
MP3: Ohbijou – “Steep”
Video: Ohbijou

I’d like to make this post all-Canadian content, but there’s simply not much out there. I’ve got this CBC piece rating various covers of Canadian songs (though the rationale in the comments for including Heart as a Canuck act do not fly at all) and this interview with Hayden over at Aquarium Drunkard, but beyond that, nada.

Back in May, commenter Chuck said “Every time I see the words ‘Mates of State’ in your entries, I always cross my fingers and say ‘please let it be followed by a Toronto show announcement’….sigh. Make my wish come true.” Well Chuck, courtesy of the “Make A Wish Foundation”, your dream has come true. Mates Of State at Lee’s Palace on August 4, tickets $15. Now let me guess – you’re out of town for the long weekend. HA. They’ve just released a new video to go along with the first MP3 made available from their new album Re-Arrange Us. Vindy.com talks to the band.

MP3: Mates Of State – “My Only Offer”
Video: Mates Of State – “My Only Offer”

Mates Of States’ new labelmates at Barsuk in Ra Ra Riot will also be coming to town exactly one month later for a show at the Horseshoe. Their debut The Rhumb Line is out August 19 and their live show is dazzling.

Also out August 19 is You & Me, the new album from The Walkmen. They’re also coming to town and will be at Lee’s Palace on September 10. They stopped in at Daytrotter earlier this year, but don’t look for a preview of the new record – they only recorded Leonard Cohen covers.

The AV Club interviews Silver Jew David Berman. They’re at Lee’s Palace on September 2.

David Bowie picks his favourite David Bowie songs for Mail On Sunday.

Another Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds video? Yes, please. That’s clips now for four of the eleven tracks on Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! released as singles now, and there’s surely at least a couple more in the queue before they play the Kool Haus on October 1. Nick Cave, MTV star – it could happen. Okay, no it couldn’t.

Video: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – “Midnight Man”

Former Mendoza Line singer Shannon McCardle has readied her solo debut Summer Of The Whore for release on August 19. Considering how… untidy the end of her band and marriage was, expect this record to be a touch cathartic. One track from the record is available to download below, another is streaming at her MySpace. Her ex-husband and ex-bandmate was operating as Timothy Bracy’s Collection Agency late last year, but any sign of them seems to have been stricken from the internet (read: their MySpace is gone). Curious.

MP3: Shannon McCardle – “Poison My Cup”

Paste reports that though it was touch and go for a while, Jon Favreau has signed on to direct Iron Man 2. And he knows who’s going to be in the Avengers movie. Beans. Spilt. Everywhere.