Photo by Marc Rimmer

The Chad Van Gaalen aesthetic is one that I’ve never been able to fully wrap my head around. Though the extremely tall Calgarian is obviously full of ideas and talent, the kitchen sink/everything goes approach that seemed to dominate his first two records didn’t quite jive with me. Though there were moments of shining pop glory that poked out of the lo-fi ramshackleness, I would have preferred things to be tidier. But that’s me.

On his new record Soft Airplane, things haven’t changed too much but I think I’m starting to come around or at the very least no longer wishing Van Gaalen would be something that he’s obviously not. It still sounds like he spent his advance trolling local garage sales for new noisemaking equipment rather than book time at the poshest studio in town, but the production has reached a comfortable state of mid-fi that retains the fingerprints of Van Gaalen’s quirky creative process while sounding fuller than past efforts. Soft Airplane is thirteen tracks of soft and gentle, singer-songwriter cores anchored by Van Gaalen’s high, tremulous voice, dispensed in a wide variety of ear candy coatings, from crunchy rock to shiny electronica to just plain odd sonic concoctions that only Van Gaalen knows what went into them. Getting frustrated with Van Gaalen’s musical ADD is a waste of energy – it’s far more interesting to simply sit back and enjoy the ride.

Van Gaalen is in town on October 4, though the venue has been changed from the Mod Club to the El Mocambo. I had noted before that he’d be doing an in-store at Sonic Boom the following day, October 5, but I can’t seem to find anything to back that up so double-check with the store before heading down. Or surprise yourself. And courtesy of Killbeat Music, I’ve got a pair of passes to give away to said show along with a copy of Soft Airplane on CD or LP, your choice. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to ride the Soft Airplane” in the subject line and your full name and mailing address in the body along with your preference for analog or digital media. Contest closes at midnight, September 30.

CMJ has an interview with Van Gaalen.

MP3: Chad Van Gaalen – “Willow Tree”
Video: Chad Van Gaalen – “Molten Light”
MySpace: Chad Van Gaalen

NOW, The Georgia Straight and The Boston Herald talk to Oliver Ackerman of A Place To Bury Strangers, playing tonight at Lee’s Palace.

Pitchfork has details on the Belle & Sebastian BBC Sessions comp mentioned yesterday, including the cover art, source of the tracks and a North American release date of November 18. And yes, it’s a two-fer.

The split 12″ between The Acorn and Ohbijou isn’t out till October 7 or thereabouts, but you can now preorder it as well as stream the whole thing (all four songs!) and download the cover of Ohbijou by The Acorn to hold you over. Their joint tour stops at Lee’s Palace on November 27 and The Acorn’s Heron Act collection is out September 30.

MP3: The Acorn – “Steep”
Stream: Ohbijou / Acorn split 12″

Jaymay turns in a couple new songs in her Daytrotter session.

Daniel Hunt and Helen Marnie of Ladytron talk to Prefix.

Tuscon Weekly and The Houston Chronicle converse with David Berman of Silver Jews.

Ryan Adams will release a new album in Cardinology on October 28.

The Georgia Straight and Boise Weekly profile Ra Ra Riot.

Hercules & Love Affair are at the Opera House on October 18. Full tour dates at Pitchfork.

Video: Hercules & Love Affair – “You Belong”
Video: Hercules & Love Affair – “Blind”

England’s Foals are coming back to dispense some Antidotes – look for them at Lee’s Palace on October 24, tickets $15.

MP3: Foals – “Balloons”

Those who like their roots music on the creaky and creepy side will be pleased to know that O’Death will be at the El Mocambo on November 4. Paste has complete dates.

MP3: O’Death – “Lowtide”

Stars have added a second date at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre – in addition to December 12, they will also be playing on December 13.

And FYI – next Thursday’s My Bloody Valentine show has been moved from one acoustically dubious venue – Ricoh Coliseum – to another – the Kool Haus. At least at 1/3 the size, it’ll feel that much more intimate. And deafening. Also note that this weekend’s MBV-curated All Tomorrow’s Parties in New York will be streamed in its partiality at WFMU.

And tangentially, next Friday’s Gemma Hayes show at Supermarket was billed in the print ad in this week’s NOW as “…& Special Guests”. I’m not saying it means anything, but maybe I am.

Photo via Noah & The Whale

Another day, another English “anti-” folk act coming to town soon. Today is dedicated to London quartet Noah & The Whale, who are on tour across North America and will be at the Horseshoe on Tuesday night for a free show (on at 10:50PM).

Calling them folk, no matter what the prefix attached, is actually a bit misleading. Though the tools of their trade – acoustic guitars, fiddles, ukuleles, etc – certainly fit the bill, if you could go with only one word in description of their debut album, it would have to be “pop”. Their debut album Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down is a sunshine-y gem, whose buoyant hooks and melodies – to say nothing of Laura Marling’s angelic backing vocals – are the perfect contrast to Charlie Fink’s charmingly sad-sack lyrics, delivered in a matching deadpan voice but with a healthy dollop of humour.

Though their name is a nod to screenwriter/director Noah Baumbach and his film The Squid & The Whale, their aesthetic is much more in line with his frequent collaborator Wes Anderson, with a penchant for bright colours, costumes and whimsical videos. Some might find it all a bit too precious, but even when stripped of all the theatricality it’s hard to argue that songs like “Rocks And Daggers”, “2 Atoms In A Molecule” and the Saturn-soundtracking “5 Years Time” are insidiously catchy bits of songcraft. They may not quite offer the raw emotional depth or heft of some of their peers, but if you’re looking for someone to soundtrack a party or a college film project, look no further.

Fink talks to The Columbia Spectator about the logic behind playing three disparate venues in New York City and to the The Daily Free Press about the band’s origins. Music Snobbery also has an interview. Both Fink and Marling took part in a Black Cab Session a little while back and they also shot a Takeaway Show back in May.

MP3: Noah & The Whale – “2 Bodies 1 Heart”
Video: Noah & The Whale – “Five Years Time”
Video: Noah & The Whale – “2 Bodies 1 Heart”
Video: Noah & The Whale – “Shape Of My Heart”
MySpace: Noah & The Whale

A band who knows a thing or two about being twee – Belle & Sebastian – still don’t seem to have much to report on the new album front but This Is Fake DIY reports that there’ll be a new collection of BBC session material coming out on November 17 and will include unreleased songs, early versions and the entire, oft-bootlegged 2001 Christmas show. Sounds like a double-set to me!

JAM talks to Verve bassist Simon Jones about the band’s unlikely reunion.

Doves give NME a status report on all things Doves. ETA for a new record is Spring of next year.

VBS has a video interview with Jason Pierce of Spiritualized in his dressing room, while The Portland Mercury and The Georgia Straight have regular interview features.

PitchforkTV invites M83 to rock out in the basement. M83 are in town at the Opera House on November 20.

Sloan and Will Currie & The Country French have collaborated on digital 7″ single (is that not a contradiction in terms?) that they’re offering for free download. Details and virtual art/liner notes available here. Patrick Pentland talks to JAM and according to Pollstar, they’ve got some upcoming dates as support for none other than… Lenny Kravitz. Yeah, that won’t be weird at all. The Toronto date is October 22 at the Air Canada Centre.

MP3: Will Currie & The Country French + Sloan – “Push Pins”

If you’ve been wondering just who these Everest guys who’ve been tapped to open up for Neil Young and Wilco at the Air Canada Centre on December 4 and 5 – and all of Neil’s dates – are, Filter makes the introduction.

Prefix tallies up the ten best albums to spin out of the dissolution of Uncle Tupelo.

USA Today meets The National.

Will Sheff of Okkervil River discusses Stand Ins with The Montreal Gazette and The Vancouver Sun. They’re at the Phoenix on October 12.

Photo via Lost Highway

With Laura Marling covered in yesterday’s post, let’s now turn our attention to the other co-headliner of the “Fee Fi Fo Fum Tour” wrapping up at the Rivoli on October 4 – Johnny Flynn. The 25-year old, who just released his debut in A Larum, is either a Shakespearean actor with a musical side-gig or a musician who moonlights as a Shakespearean actor, but is a rare talent whichever way you look at it.

With his band The Sussex Wit and armed with mandolins, banjos, cellos and spoons, Flynn cuts a more traditional-sounding path than his musical peers, and as such is perhaps a little less accessible from the indie-pop world than, say, Noah & The Whale but in a world where The Decemberists can achieve as much as they have, it’s hard to imagine Flynn and company will be discriminated against for their faithful approach to folk music.

On A Larum – a term from old English for “alarm” and used frequently in Shakespeare’s stage directions, if you needed some context – the material veers from thoughtful, almost mournful ballads to more rollicking fare that wouldn’t be out of place pouring out of an old English public house on a Saturday night. Tying them together is Flynn’s strong, authoritative voice and densely poetic and evocative lyrics – early Dylan is a lofty but not inappropriate reference point. Though tourmate Marling is currently getting the bulk of the attention from media types, they and audiences will ignore Flynn at their peril.

WNYC and NPR are both offering up sessions with Flynn and his band while For The Records helpfully points out that he will also be playing an in-store at Criminal Records at 5PM on October 4, in advance of the Rivoli show. As mentioned yesterday, the Rivoli is mighty small so those of you who hesitate to get tickets, this may be your best bet to catch him.

Video: Johnny Flynn – “Tickle Me Pink”
Video: Johnny Flynn – “Leftovers”
Video: Johnny Flynn – “Brown Trout Blues”
MySpace: Johnny Flynn

Nick Cave discuss inspiration and Los Angeles with The Los Angeles Times. Cave, in addition to coming to with the Bad Seed on October 1 at the Kool Haus, intends to release his second novel as well as score the adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road.

Metro talks to Will Sheff of Okkervil River about the joys and pains of touring. They’re in town at the Phoenix on October 12.

QRO talks to Kelly Crisp of The Rosebuds, who will release Life Like on October 7.

Video: The Rosebuds – “Life Like”

There’s a second MP3 now available from Land Of Talk’s forthcoming Some Are Lakes. The album is out October 7 and they’re playing Lee’s Palace on September 27.

MP3: Land Of Talk – “Corner Phone”

Daytrotter welcomes Ra Ra Riot to their studios for a session.

Pitchfork reports that the security hijinks at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis last month so enraged Ted Leo that he quickly recorded an EP entitled Rapid Response that’s now available for download with all proceeds going to Democracy Now and Food Not Bombs.

Lucinda Williams has also put together a digital-only protest song EP entitled Lu in 08, scheduled for release on October 28 – one week before the US elections. Details at Billboard. Lucinda is at Massey Hall on October 11 and releases Little Honey on October 14.

Pitchfork interviews Shudder To Think’s Craig Wedren.

PopMatters interviews Joey Burns of Calexico, in town at the Phoenix on November 18.

Tiny Mix Tapes has a phoner with Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite while Express Night Out talks to John Cummings and you can now stream their new record The Hawk Is Howling in advance of its release next Tuesday at their MySpace. Remember, I’m giving away Mogwai goodies including passes to their show at the Phoenix on September 24.

Stream: Mogwai / The Hawk Is Howling

Wireless Bollinger talks to Frightened Rabbit front Scott Hutchison. They’re at Lee’s Palace on October 21.

Photo by Phoebe Mitchell-Innes

It’s sheer coincidence that Ireland’s UAE’s National Newspaper chose to run this piece last week about three of the bright lights of the London “anti-folk” scene – Laura Marling, Johnny Flynn and Noah & The Whale – all of whom are coming to town in the next few weeks and all of whom I’d been planning on writing pieces on in the next few days. But they did, and thus anything I might have to say is completely redundant so read the article – I’m going to have a nap.

I kid, I kid. But the piece does do well to offer some context to how these artists are interrelated so it’s worth your time if you find this stuff at all interesting. And in the meantime, I’ll start things off talking about Ms Marling. Of the three acts, she’s probably the highest profile at the moment thanks to the nomination of her debut Alas, I Cannot Swim for the Mercury Prize. And while she didn’t win, the boost to her visibility is incalculable – after all, that was one of the factors that kicked me in the butt sufficiently to seek out a copy of the record, which was just released domestically last month.

And I’ll admit that the first few listens didn’t make that much of an impression. She had a good voice, rich and oaken and similar to Beth Orton’s though not as as lived-in – but save a few of the more extroverted numbers, it’s a decidedly subtle record and one that requires some time to properly seep into one’s consciousness. Which it did and before I knew it, it had worked its way into heavy rotation. Just as her voice is more worn and knowing than you’d expect from an 18-year old, yet still angelic somehow, her songs also carry a weight that should by rights belong to someone much older. But this implicit wisdom isn’t affected – the sentiments contained in the songs come from a place of first loves, heartaches, insecurity and hopefulness – intrinsically youthful but never juvenile. Anyone who’s ever re-read a diary or poetry from their high school days years later knows how difficult that can be, and Marling pulls it off marvelously. Couple the voice and words with musical accompaniment that resides mainly on the intimate and acoustic side but is capable of swelling up into bigger and broader when necessary and you’ve got a record that – had it walked away with the Mercury as many expected – would have been difficult to argue against.

Marling’s co-headline North American tour with Johnny Flynn – dubbed the “Fee Fi Fo Fum Tour” – will wrap up at the Rivoli in Toronto on October 4. Note that this room only holds 100 so if you’re at all interested in going, get tickets now. The Boston Globe has an interview with Marling, who blogged her experience as a Mercury nominee for The Guardian. WNYC also has a studio session available to listen to.

And courtesy of Press Here Publicity, I’ve got three Laura Marling prize packs to give away which consist of a limited edition tour-only 7″ with the track “I’m A Fly”, a limited edition 180-gram LP of Alas, I Cannot Swim accompanied by a live CD and an autographed poster. In other words, GOOD STUFF. Unless you don’t have a turntable in which case it’s mainly decorative stuff but still good. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want the Laura Marling stuff” in the subject line and your full mailing address in the body. The contest is open to residents of North America and will close at midnight, September 25.

MP3: Laura Marling – “Ghosts”
Video: Laura Marling – “New Romantic”
Video: Laura Marling – “Ghosts”
Video: Laura Marling – “My Manic & I”
Video: Laura Marling – “Cross Your Fingers”
Video: Laura Marling – “Night Terror”
MySpace: Laura Marling

Chatanooga Pulse and The Louisville Courier-Journal welcome Basia Bulat to the American midwest with interviews.

The Duluth Budgeteer says hello to Neko Case.

Indy Weekly talks to David Berman of Silver Jews.

Chart reports that Antony & The Johnsons will release a new EP entitled Another World on October 7. It’s the precursor to their new full-length The Crying Light which is due in January. And Antony Hegarty of said Johnsons appears in the new video from Bjork.

Video: Bjork – “Dull Flame Of Desire”

Cadence Weapon has a show scheduled for October 9 at Lee’s Palace, tickets $10. The Strand has an interview with Rollie Pemberton.

MP3: Cadence Weapon – “Real Estate”

The Awkward Stage bring their rather splendid new record Slimming Mirrors, Flattering Lights to the Horseshoe on October 16 along with Mint-y labelmates Vancougar and Saskatchewan’s Sylvie.

MP3: The Awkward Stage – “Anime Eyes”
MP3: Vancougar – “Obvious”
MP3: Sylvie – “Rise And Fall”

Justice are at Circa on October 29.

Roots-rock veterans The Skydiggers will be at the Mod Club on November 1 in support of their new record City Of Sirens, tickets $25 in advance.

Holly Golightly has a date at the Horseshoe on November 12, tickets $11.50. Her new record is Dirt Don’t Hurt and it’s due out on October 14.

Ani DiFranco will be at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on November 26, her new album Red Letter Year is out September 30.

MP3: Ani DiFranco – “Emancipated Minor”

The King Khan & BBQ Show will make a mess of Lee’s Palace on December 5.

Stars invite their fans to come and be sad and robotic with them on December 12 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre (that place again!). Tickets are $29.50.

And while I don’t normally link to individual reviews – just too damn many out there – this one for The Acorn’s Glory Hope Mountain over at Drowned In Sound – it was just released in the UK – made me smile and feel awful proud of the band, because I know where the writer is coming from in being blindsided by something so unexpectedly wonderful. The comments are heartening as well. The Acorn are releasing the companion record Heron Act on September 30 and will be on tour across North America this Fall with Ohbijou, including a November 27 show at Lee’s Palace in Toronto.

Photo via MySpace

When I wrote up Mogwai’s show at the Phoenix back in June, the main thesis of the piece was that Mogwai will always sound like Mogwai and that’s alright. There’s nothing wrong with sticking to formula if said formula is still potent, which based on that show it most obviously was.

And then just a day later, they released the first MP3 from their forthcoming album The Hawk Is Howling, out next Tuesday. Built around a steady synthesized bass throb and with a distinctly electronic sheen, “The Sun Smells Too Loud” was melodic, thoughtful, and melancholic whilst decidedly upbeat – no mean feat for an instrumental song. And besides being the most immediately ear-catching thing I’d heard from the band since their previous high-water mark, “2 Rights Make 1 Wrong”, it sounded rather unlike anything Mogwai had done before and thus disproved my theory from just 24 hours previous. Thanks a lot, guys.

So it’s with equal bits relief and disappointment that I can report that the rest of the album sticks largely to boilerplate Mogwai circa their last few records. Slow, sweeping and sinister with occasional forays into all-out guitar-mageddon and with some of the more synthesized touches from “Sun” manifesting themselves elsewhere, but subtly so. Conceptually the same, but it’s noteworthy that only two of the album’s ten tracks clock in at less than five minutes and that pair only barely so. This is in contrast to the last couple records in which the extended forays were the exception, not the rule, and the remainder were pop-length songs that were hardly pop. The decision to allow themselves to stretch out is beneficial as ideas and atmospheres are allowed to develop at their own pace, whereas previously they might have been prematurely truncated. It’s something that might escape notice at first, but it’s significant. Yes, Mogwai are still Mogwai but they’re getting better at being Mogwai every time out.

As the band prepares to kick off their North American tour, they’re doing press with the likes of Caliente, Tuscon Weekly, LA Weekly and Seattle Weekly. The Guardian also has a piece from Alan McGee about the band. They’re in town next Wednesday night, September 24, for another gig at the Phoenix alongside Fuck Buttons and courtesy of Against The Grain and Beggars Canada, I have contesting. Not “contesting” as in, “I contest the suggestion that hawks howl” or “I contest the attempt to pass off a bald eagle as a hawk”, but “contesting” as in “I’ve got stuff to give away”. And said stuff is as follows: five pairs of passes to the show at the Phoenix, four copies of The Hawk Is Howling on CD and two copies of the Batcat EP on 12″ vinyl. And to maximize the goodness, I’ll dole them all out separately. If you want to win the passes, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Mogwai” in the subject line and your full name in the body. If you want the CD, put “I want The Hawk Is Howling” in the subject line and your mailing address in the body. And if you want the vinyl, put “I want the Batcat” in the subject line and your mailing address in the body. And if it wasn’t clear from the sponsors of said giveaway, it’s open to residents of Canada only. Contest closes at midnight, September 21 – next Sunday night.

And don’t forget that live Mogwai recordings are available en masse at Archive.Org.

MP3: Mogwai – “The Sun Smells Too Loud”
Video: Mogwai – “Batcat”
MySpace: Mogwai

Sigur Ros tells The Times they’re not really all that highbrow. They play Massey Hall next Monday night, September 22.

The Quietus talks to Manic Street Preachers James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire about their early days on Heavenly Records.

Scotland On Sunday and Times & Transcript interview Bloc Party.

The Raveonettes are releasing three free digital-only EPs this Fall, starting with Raveonettes REMIXED, now available, Sometimes They Drop By next Tuesday and two more coming in October and November. Get the at Vice Records.

So just how many tribute albums to The Cure does the world need? At least two, apparently. In the next few months there will be two covers compilations for everyone’s favourite goth-poppers, one entitled Just Like Heaven from American Laundromat Records and Perfect As Cats from Manimal Vinyl. Wired has an interview with the folks responsible for the former,set for a January 27 release and featuring arguably the more impressive list of participants, and The Tripwire has info on the latter collection, set for release on October 28, and a download of one of the tracks from Bat For Lashes.

MP3: Bat For Lashes – “A Forest”

Billboard reports that Bob Mould is working on his autobiography along with author Michael Azerrad and is looking at releasing the story of Husker Du and Sugar from his POV in December of 2010. He’ll also have a new solo record out in March of next year.

Paste gets Matt Berninger of The National to explain some of the lyrics from Boxer.

Support for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ now sold-out show at the Kool Haus has been announced – Vancouver’s Black Mountain will be warming things up. Now don’t you wish you bought tickets so many months ago when I told you to? Black Mountain are also playing their own show at the Opera House a few nights earlier on September 27.

The Guardian profiles a few of the UK independent record labels who, contrary to the general doom and gloom usually associated with the music industry, are doing quite well.

Oh, and to all you RSS people, you may have noticed I changed my feed to a Feedburner one. Appreciate your re-pointing your readers to the new one, apologies for any inconvenience.