Illustrations by E.H. Shepard

I’ve been waiting approximately a year to use this title and this image for a post, so consider me happy.

The occasion is today marking the sixth anniversary of this blog. If it were a small child, it would be in first grade. I’m so proud. And looking back at my “blogiversary” posts from the last couple years I realize that I still have nothing in particular to say on the matter. Whereas once I’d prognosticate about the future of the site, now I’m just whatever. It’s what I do, and at the pace that I do it. A pace that’s slowed a bit recently, I know, but much to the benefit of my state of mind so let’s hope that quality is compensating for quantity.

And I’ll take the opportunity to thank all of you for visiting and continuing to visit and making this whole endeavour worthwhile. Without you readers there’s really no point, though I confess that I do sometimes secretly yearn for the day when my traffic drops to zero and I can close up shop with a completely clear conscience. But don’t think you’d be doing me a favour by leaving – if I suddenly found myself with that much free time on my hands I’d probably take up a far less wholesome hobby like arson or bingo.

So cheers to you, cheers to me. Cheers all around. Yay.

Also in a retrospective mood is Portastatic, the side project of Mac McCaughan which has obviously been too long-lived and too fruitful to really call a side project anymore. With nine proper albums released under the banner – that’s actually more than Superchunk has released – Portastatic has encompassed everything from instrumental film scores to full-band rock outs to Tropicalia to bedroom recording experiments and the new double-disc compilation Some Small History, out September 9, covers all those bases in the form of b-sides, rarities, outtakes and a whack of covers. A lot of the stuff is kinda sketchbook-y, but there’s a lot of worthwhile material contained therein for fans and a pretty blistering take on Ryan Adams’ “Oh My Sweet Carolina”. Check out the title track from the collection below:

MP3: Portastatic – “Some Small History”

And speaking of the ‘Chunk, they’re not dead – they just played Bumbershoot in Seattle this weekend – but they’re far from an ongoing proposition. Spin lists four reasons why the band still matters after all these years, even seven years on from their last album, and The Stranger has a chat with drummer/comedian Jon Wurster.

Thanks to For The Records for digging up the lineup for the free, Toronto International Film Festival closing gala at Yonge-Dundas Square on the eve of the 13th, which will feature performances from Esthero, The Midway State and Cadence Weapon.

Speaking of TIFF, I had a lovely Labour Day standing in line to claim my tickets for this year and then to find a substitution for the single film that I wasn’t able to get – a total of five hours standing out in the sun, good times all around. But I eventually came away with tickets for It Might Get Loud, the doc on the history of the electric guitar, Gigantic, with Zooey Deschanel, Good, with Viggo Mortensen, RockNRolla, the new Guy Ritchie film, and The Other Man, with Liam Neeson and Laura Linney. A more mainstream batch of films than I usually end up with at the festival but should still be a good lot. I had expected to end up selling off at least a couple pairs of tickets but I may very well be able to make all of these screenings. How novel.

And a final cinematic note, RIP Don LaFontaine, king of the movie trailer voiceover. More tributes at Ain’t It Cool News.

Photo by Autumn De Wilde

This “weekend” thing. I quite like it.

After sneak-releasing In Our Bedroom After The War digitally last year, Stars are embracing the powers of the internet once again. They’re releasing a new EP out as of today with the release of their Sad Robots EP, available digitally at the dedicated website and physically on their upcoming tour. They’re marking the occasion by making a live MP3 of “Going, Going, Gone”, a Nightsongs-era song, available for free download and there’s another new song which may or may not be from the EP streaming on the band’s MySpace. There’s nothing there as of right now, but the download and EP will presumably go live on the site sometime today. It’s a long weekend. Let the robots sleep in a bit.

Billboard talks to Metric management about the band’s intention to stay indie for their next album.

The new lineup for The Dears have been unveiled and while there was much to-do about the band being deconstructed to just Murray Lightburn and Natalia Yanchak during the recording of their new album Missiles, due October 21, it seems they’ve found a whole bunch more people to play with as they’re once again a sprawling seven-piece. They’ll show off the new record and lineup with a couple of intimate shows at the Music Gallery in Toronto on October 9 and 10, tickets $20, on sale now.

Chart talks to New Pornographer Carl Newman about assembling their Stanley Park Singing Exhibition in Vancouver this weekend. The Georgia Straight also has a conversation while 7×7 San Francisco talks food with bassist John Collins.

The Skinny talks to Jim Sclavunos about the differences between Grinderman and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, both of which he’s a member. The Bad Seeds will be in Toronto at the Kool Haus on October 1.

Filter talks to two-thirds of Portishead about the band’s long, slow return.

Richard Ashcroft discusses The Verve’s own return to active duty with USA Today.

It’s a shame that the night of October 21 is already circled in ink on my calendar to see Frightened Rabbit at Lee’s Palace because the bill for Nu Music Nite at the Horseshoe is also intriguing, pairing up California’s Japanese Motors and London’s White Lies. The former have a sort of Strokes gone California garage rock vibe, their debut is out October 7, and the latter do that Chameleons/Interpol thing that’s kinda played out, but they still manage to make it ear-catching. Their album’s not out till January but you can hear some stuff at their MySpace and they’ll trade you an MP3 of a single for your email address over here.

MP3: Japanese Motors – “Single Fins & Safety Pins”
MP3: White Lies – “Death” (Crystal Castles remix)
Video: White Lies – “Death”
Video: White Lies – “Unfinished Business”

Shearwater stop by AOL’s studios to record an Interface session.

An Aquarium Drunkard interviews Joey Burns of Calexico. Carried To Dust is out September 9.

Paste says “what up” to Fountains Of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger.

Reuters consults with The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn about the art of lyric writing. They’re at the Phoenix on November 11.