GiganticIn doing my cursory research for this week’s selection, I found myself far more interested in the original song than the cover – or more specifically, the video circulating online for the cover.

“I Won’t Share You” was a rather fitting closing track to the final Smiths record, Strangeways, Here We Come, a stripped down number centered around Morrissey’s vocals and Marr’s strummed acoustic 12-string, but it would have made a rather odd single. And despite the fact that I could not find any evidencet hat it was ever actually released as a single, a video – with the rather official-looking “© 1987 Rough Trade” on the opening frame and a rather Smiths-y aesthetic – very much existed. What gives?

A little further digging turned up Passions Just Like Mine, a Smiths trainspotter fansite with a videos page that had the following note:

“I Won’t Share You”
A previously uncirculated video for “I Won’t Share You” was leaked on the internet at the end of 2008. It is credited to Derek Jarman, from 1987 but was supposedly put together in the early 1990s for a multimedia exhibition organised by Rough Trade which would have raised money for the Terrance Higgins Trust. The planning ended when Rough Trade went into liquidation. The video was therefore only half finished, it would have had band footage over-layed (like the “Ask” and “Panic” videos).

Yay internet! As for the cover, its origins are far less esoteric – a couple years ago The Morning Benders, via their blog, gave away (and are still giving away) an album’s worth of covers entitled The Bedroom Covers – probably a hint as to the environment where they were recorded – and this Smiths cover, which finds Chris Chu getting in touch with his inner crooner, was one of the selections and while they probably didn’t know it at the time, it would be a somewhat prophetic move as the band would sign to The Smiths’ label Rough Trade for the release of this year’s Big Echo.

The Morning Benders are in town for three performances next week – two dates opening for The Black Keys at the Kool Haus on August 3 and 4, and a free acoustic show outside of The Big Chill ice cream in Little Italy on August 4 at 5:30PM. The Smiths are and will ever remain broken up.

MP3: The Morning Benders – “I Won’t Share You”
Video: The Smiths – “I Won’t Share You”

FacebookWho: The Hidden Cameras
What: Toronto’s most famous (and probably only) purveyors “gay church folk music”
Why: As part of the Summerworks theatre and music festival, The Hidden Cameras are staging a two-night reimagining of their latest album Origin: Orphan in a theatrical context. What? How? Only one way to find out.
When: August 5 and 6
Where: The Lower Ossington Theatre mainstage
Who Else: The August 5 show also features a set from Allie Hughes at the Performance Bar. On August 6, it’s Maylee Todd.
How: Tickets for each show are $10 in advance, but courtesy of Summerworks, I’ve got one pair of tickets for each show to give away. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see the Hidden Cameras” in the subject line and your full name and which night you’d prefer – the 5th or the 6th – in the body. Contest closes at midnight July 31.

MP3: The Hidden Cameras = “In The NA”
MP3: The Hidden Cameras – “Walk On”

MySpaceWho: Ween
What: Chicagoan faux-bro act who are, quite honestly, too weird to try and describe. If you’re at all interested in going to see them, you know what you’re getting into.
Why: They haven’t released a new record since 2008’s La Cucaracha, but are hitting the road anyways. Why? Probably because they feel like it.
When: July 29, 2010
Where: The Kool Haus
How: Tickets are $46.50 in advance (whew!) but courtesy of LiveNation, I’ve got three pairs of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Ween” in the subject line and your full name in the body, and have that in to me before midnight, July 26.
What Else: Dean Ween talks to AOL and The Portland Press Herald about fishing.

MP3: Ween – “Your Party”

VirginThe short list of nominees for the 2010 Mercury Prize – awarded to what is deemed the best British or Irish album of the past year – was announced this week and somewhat surprisingly, I didn’t find myself immediately hitting up Wikipedia to see who half the nominees were the way I have the last few years. Not only did I know who pretty much all the artists nominated were, but I’d even heard fully half of the records. Come on, Mercury judges, you’re clearly not trying hard enough to be obscure.

I was particularly pleased to see Laura Marling’s sophomore effort I Speak Because I Can get a nod, making her two for two in Mercury nominations in her short but impressive career so far. I was pleased, but not surprised, as the new record is arguably superior to her 2008 debut Alas, I Cannot Swim, and I thought that record was superb. Whereas the debut contrasted Marling’s wise yet youthful words and voice with a folk-pop accompaniment that often tilted toward the jaunty, the follow-up is somewhat starker and with a more traditional folk/Americana aesthetic that might be more conventional, but is perfectly executed and consequently more powerful. By way of example, the opening track “Devil’s Spoke” is darker and more driving than anything on Swim ever hinted at, but it’s offset by the exceptionally gentle and pensive, “Goodbye England (Covered In Snow)”.

Some of the change in tone between records can be attributed to the change in producers from the effective but relatively green Charlie Fink of Noah & The Whale to veteran Ethan Johns, but most of the credit goes to Marling’s growth as a singer and songwriter. On Speak, she taps into a place of even greater emotional depth and honesty, and articulates it with a sort of conversational poeticism that some artists couldn’t even conceive of, let alone practice. And though it’s been said many times, it really does bear repeating: she is just 20 years old, and the amount of talent she’s already been able to harness is staggering. I don’t think that Speak will win the Mercury – it’s probably too traditional for their tastes – but I do believe that every record she releases should and will be nominated. Because they’ll be that good.

Though it seems the Laura Marling tour itinerary checked Toronto off its list with the show at Lee’s back in February, she is in the area right now, appearing tonight at the Hillside Festival in Guelph. She also talks to NME about a 7″ single consisting of Neil Young and Jackson Frank covers that will be due out on Jack White’s Third Man Records on August 9. It’s unclear if plans to release a second album recorded with Ethan Johns this year are still on the front burner – I can’t imagine they’d want to dilute the attention that Speak continues to get.

Video: Laura Marling – “Rambling Man”
Video: Laura Marling – “Devil’s Spoke”

So if I don’t think Marling will take the Mercury, who will? Foals’ Total Life Forever grows on me more with each listen, but I get the sense that The xx are an inevitability. Their momentum has been growing steadily all year and shows no signs of abating. Their Fall North American tour, which sees them booked into some pretty massive halls, including Massey Hall on September 29, won’t seem quite so overambitious if they can bill them as “Mercury Prize winners The xx”. Not that most North Americans know what the Mercury Prize is. And if you don’t even know who The xx are, The Telegraph has an introductory profile.

For Folk’s Sake reports that Emmy The Great is nearly done writing her second album and will soon be headed into the studio to record. Those who sign up for her mailing list at Pledge Music can get an MP3 of “First Love” done live and mariachi style for free.

Spin offers a guide to understanding M.I.A..

Marina & Diamonds’ September 8 Toronto debut appearance has been moved from the El Mocambo to The Opera House. Tickets are $16.50 and all ducats for the El Mo show will be honoured in Leslieville.

With the start of his North American tour postponed by visa issues, Kele has rescheduled the date at the Mod Club which was supposed to happen next week for September 3, same venue. Tickets $20. And to make it up to fans, he’s released a new video.

Video: Kele – “Everything You Wanted”

The Charlatans have released a video for the first single from their new record Who We Touch, getting a North American release on September 14. Look for them at Lee’s Palace shortly thereafter on September 17.

Video: The Charlatans – “Love Is Ending”

Adam Franklin of Swervedriver and Toshack Highway has been driving the Magnet website all week.

Spinner and Spin talk to Spiritualized main man Jason Pierce about the upcoming and final recital of the complete Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space happening at New York’s Radio City Music Hall next week.

The Guardian and Clash profile The Vaselines, whose Sex With An X is out on September 14 and will play The Horseshoe on October 30.

Paste catches up with Fanfarlo.

Pieter van HattemSo all manner of things have been piling up over the past week while I’ve been reminiscing about warm Summer sojourns to Chicago. Let’s get to them.

San Francisco’s Morning Benders are no strangers to Toronto this year, having already come through town twice – once in April for their own show just after their latest album Big Echo was released, and again in June opening up for Broken Bells. They’re back in a couple weeks supporting both Black Keys dates at the Kool Haus on August 3 and 4, but in addition to those performances, they’ve announced they’ll be playing a free acoustic show at the corner of College and Manning in Little Italy on August 4 at 5:30PM in what probably would have been a Soundscapes in-store had the weather not been so nice (or so everyone is hoping). There are rumours that there will be free BBQ and ice cream, but even without refreshments it’ll be a fine, free afternoon of pop music.

MP3: The Morning Benders – “Promises”
Video: The Morning Benders – “Promises”

At long last, after watching her Lilith Fair, Of Montreal and own dates skip us over, Toronto has a date with soul/r&b superstar-in-waiting Janelle Monáe – she is joining The Sadies in supporting Arcade Fire on the Toronto Islands on August 14. Why yes, that is a wacky-ass bill, how good of you to notice. But also an excellent one. Watch this video and tell me that Arcade Fire doesn’t run a real risk of being upstaged by her.

Video: Janelle Monáe – “Tightrope”

Unpronouncable Californian dance-punk outfit !!! (chk chk chk to their friends) have slated a North America tour in support of their forthcoming album Strange Weather Isn’t It?, due out on August 24. Grab an MP3 from their website and look for them at Lee’s Palace on September 26, tickets $16.50 in advance.

MP3: !!! – “Must Be The Moon”
Video: !!! – “AM/FM”

The Dears look to be about done with the follow up to 2008’s Missiles as they’ve scheduled a three-night stand at the Garrison from October 13 to 15 where they’ll surely be previewing new material; tickets on sale Friday (via Singing Lamb). Update: Their label reports that they’ll play the entire new album at the shows and the record isn’t due out till early 2011.

MP3: The Dears – “Disclaimer”

Only in town last month, Swedish sister act First Aid Kit are coming back to North America and will be at the El Mocambo in Toronto on October 15.

MP3: First Aid Kit – “I Met Up With The King”

Blonde Redhead have plotted a North American tour in support of their forthcoming album Penny Sparkle, due September 14. They’ll be at the Phoenix on October 17 with Pantha Du Prince as support; tickets $24.

MP3: Blonde Redhead – “Here Sometimes”
MP3: Pantha Du Prince – “The Splendour”

Helmet are still around and will be at Lee’s Palace on October 17 in support of a new album, Seeing Eye Dog, out September 7.

Video: Helmet – “Unsung”

There are apparently still enough people who want to see The Dandy Warhols live that they can not only book The Phoenix for them, but charge $30 a head. They’re there November 1.

Video: The Dandy Warhols – “Bohemian Like You”

Delorean are back on November 18 for a date at the Mod Club with Lemonade as support.

MP3: Delorean – “Real Love”
Video: Lemonade – “Big Weekend”

Blitzen Trapper tell Spinner that even though Destroyer Of The Void only came out last month, they’re already writing its follow-up. Look for them at the Opera House on August 3.

If it ever looks like Ben Curtis of School Of Seven Bells is sleepwalking through a show, it’s because he may very well be. Hopefully their new live drummer will keep him on his toes when they play the Mod Club on September 15. He also chats with New York Magazine.

Chart has a chat with Beach House; they’re at the Molson Amphitheatre on September 27.

Spinner serves up an Interface session with Stars. They play Massey Hall on October 23.

NPR has a World Cafe session with The National.

Jeff Tweedy talks to Billboard about Wilco’s future as an independent band.

Their own major label experiment come to an ignoble end, Margot & The Nuclear So And So’s will release Buzzard on September 21 on their own.

Paste catches up with John Roderick of The Long Winters, who are so overdue for a new album it’s not funny.

Interview talks to She & Him’s Matt Ward and Zooey Deschanel.

Spinner interviews Holly Miranda.

Rest in peace, Andy Hummel of Big Star.

The final volume of Scott Pilgrim came out this week – The Toronto Star and National Post look at the comic book phenomenon and the film that will be released on August 13, while Exclaim looks at the movie’s soundtrack.