Archive for July, 2010

Saturday, July 17th, 2010

CONTEST – Black Mountain @ The Horseshoe – July 23, 2010

Photo By Frank YangFrank YangWho: Black Mountain
What: Epically-inclined Vancouver stoner/space-rock heroes
Why: This warm-up tour is to preview material from their their new record Wilderness Heart, which is out on September 14
Where: The Horseshoe Tavern
When: July 23, 2010
Who else: Quest For Fire support
How: Tickets for the show are $20 in advance but courtesy of Collective Concerts, I’ve got two pairs of passes to give away for the show. Email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to climb the Black Mountain” in the subject line and your full name in the body before midnight, July 20.

MP3: Black Mountain – “Tyrants”
Video: Black Mountain – “Old Fangs”

Saturday, July 17th, 2010

CONTEST – Calexico @ The Phoenix – July 22, 2010

Photo By Gerald von ForisGerald von ForisWho: Calexico
What: Veteran Arizonan outfit evokes the sounds of the southwest by combining rock, country, folk and Tejano styles like no one else
Why: Despite not releasing a new record since 2008’s Carried To Dust, Calexico are so good of a live act they don’t need an excuse to go out and tour. But it’s probably safe to assume a new record is in the pipe.
When: July 22, 2010
Where: The Phoenix
Who else: Elliott Brood support
How: Tickets are $22.50 in advance but courtesy of Collective Concerts, I’ve got three pairs of passes to give away for the show. Email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “Yo quiero Calexico” in the subject line (yes I use that every time I run a Calexico contest but it still amuses me) and your full name in the body before midnight, July 20.
What else: Mass Live talks to Calexico’s Joey Burns and there’s a complete live album available download at CASH Music.

MP3: Calexico – “Two Silver Trees”
Video: Calexico – “Two Silver Trees”

Saturday, July 17th, 2010

CONTEST – Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti @ The Mod Club – July 22, 2010

Photo via Force FieldForce FieldWho: Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
What: Los Angeles lo-fi art-popper who is apparently one of the progenitors of what the kids are calling “chillwave”.
Why: Their ninth album and first for 4AD Before Today was released last month.
When: July 22, 2010
When: The Mod Club
Who else: The Magic Kids, Puro Instinct
How: Tickets are $15 in advance but courtesy of Union Events I’ve got two pairs of passes to give away for the show. Email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Ariel Pink” in the subject line and your full name in the body before midnight, July 20.
What else: The Fly has a feature piece on Ariel Pink

MP3: Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – “Round & Round”
Video: Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – “Mistaken Wedding”

Friday, July 16th, 2010

Souls Travel

Bettie Serveert plan inspection of North American pharmacies (of love)

Photo By Phil HarderPhil HarderI was going to skip posting today entirely but a few choice bits came up on the radar that merited a quick mention – most notably, the announcement of Bettie Serveert’s Autumn North American tour that had been promised since their latest album – the surprisingly rowdy Pharmacy Of Love – was released back in march.

Amongst those dates is a September 28 appearance in Toronto at the Drake Underground, the Dutch rockers’ first visit since a barn-burner of a set at the Horseshoe back in February 2005. It’s a bit surprising that their tour routing doesn’t take them through Vegas for Matador 21 – they released three terrific college rock-defining records on the seminal label back in the ’90s and I thought for sure that their Fall visit would be timed to coincide with the anniversary festivities, but hey, I’m perfectly happy to see them closer to home.

MP3: Bettie Serveert – “Semaphore”
MP3: Bettie Serveert – “The Pharmacy”
Video: Bettie Serveert – “Deny All”

The Sadies have been added as support for Arcade Fire’s August 14 show on the Toronto Islands. It’s unclear if anyone else is being added or if that’s going to be it.

The Globe & Mail profiles Shad. He plays the Kool Haus on August 1.

Paste catches up with Tokyo Police Club.

The Deli features Fang Island.

Band Of Horses have released a new video from Infinite Arms; they’re at the Kool Haus on October 21.

Video: Band Of Horses – “Laredo”

The Los Angeles Times gets She & Him to compile a musical mixtape dedicated to California.

The Posies will release a new album entitled Blood/Candy on September 28. Blurt has details.

Tim Burgess of The Charlatans talks to NME about their forthcoming album Who We Touch, out in North America on September 14. They’re at Lee’s Palace on September 17.

Spinner continues to talk to The Joy Formidable.

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

Wake Up, Sleepyhead

Azure Ray return from hiatus with album, tour

Photo via Saddle CreekSaddle CreekMany little bits and pieces to get through before I head out to Chicago for the Pitchfork Music Festival, and any randomness in this post was compounded by the fact that I became an uncle for the first time last night. Yay babies.

With seven years past since their last album and numerous solo projects and albums between them in the interim, you’d be forgiven for assuming that Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink had gone their separate ways for good. But their hiatus has turned out to be just that, as Georgia’s Azure Ray is back in action – or at least as much action as can be expected from a band known for languid, hazy pop – and will release their first album since Hold On Love with Drawing Down the Moon on September 14. Exclaim has some details on the record, which was produced by Crooked Fingers’ Eric Bachmann.

They’ve also put together a Fall tour in support – their first in six years or so – and it includes a date at the Horseshoe on November 10 with Tim Fite as support. There’s no samples from the new record as of yet, but odds are they’ll pick up approximately where they left off and not stray too far from their older material.

MP3: Azure Ray – “If You Fall”
MP3: Azure Ray – “Sea Of Doubts”
MP3: Azure Ray – “November”

Amongst other shows announced yesterday – The Airborne Toxic Event will have some fancy digs on their next visit to town, as they’ll be playing Trinity-St. Paul’s on September 13 and they’re bringing a string section along with them. This is insupport of their concert film with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, All I Ever Wanted, which is out September 7.

Video: The Airborne Toxic Event – “Neda”

2007 Mercury Prize winners Klaxons are releasing the follow-up Surfing The Void on August 23 and are coming to North America to support it, including a date at the Mod Club on September 27.

MP3: Klaxons – “Atlantis To Interzone”

I’m not sure if Neon Indian ever became the soundtrack to Summer they seemed tipped to be back in the Winter, but after paying a visit back in the Spring, they’re hitting the road come Fall and the itinerary includes an October 12 date at Lee’s Palace.

MP3: Neon Indian – “Deadbeat Summer”

Irish stars Bell X1 are coming to North America this Fall for an acoustic tour that includes a stop at the Drake Underground on October 12.

MP3: Bell X1 – “How Your Heart Is Wired”

The Vaselines, who are releasing their first new album in forever with Sex With An X on September 14, have slated a North American tour that wraps in Canada, the second-to-last date being at the Horseshoe on October 30.

MP3: The Vaselines – “I Hate The ’80s”
MP3: The Vaselines – “Son Of A Gun”

U2 has rescheduled their canceled Summer 2010 tour for Summer 2011 – the Toronto make-up date will be July 11, again at the Rogers Centre.

Video: U2 – “Cedars Of Lebanon”

Paste reports that R.E.M. have completed work on a new album, and are aiming to have it out in early 2011.

Superchunk have released the MP3 for the first single from Majesty Shredding, out September 14.

MP3: Superchunk – “Digging For Something”

The Village Voice talks to Ted Leo about his retirement plans or lack thereof.

Check out the new video from Miles Kurosky, taken from his album The Desert Of Shallow Effects.

Video: Miles Kurosky – “The Night Won’t Last”

Judging from the new Gayngs video from Relayted, the question is not, “will there be a disco ball when Gayngs play The Phoenix on October 1”, but “how big will it be”.

Video: Gayngs – “The Gaudy Side Of Town”

Each Note Secure has an interview with Matthew Houck of Phosphorescent conducted after $40,000 worth of gear and merch was stolen but before it was all improbably recovered a few days ago. Their tour continues on with the only net casualties being the Toronto and Buffalo dates, and they aim to make those up around the end of the Summer.

The Quietus gets a track-by-track breakdown of the new Autolux album Transit Transit from guitarist Greg Edwards. The record is out August 3 and they play Lee’s Palace on August 24.

eMusic, The Line Of Best Fit and The Music Slut interview School Of Seven Bells about their just-released Disconnect From Desire. They’re at the Mod Club on September 15.

Pitchfork talks to Spiritualized’s Jason Pierce about the decision to play Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space in its entirety before retiring it.

Sky Larkin are giving away an MP3 of the title track from their new record Kaleide. It’s out August 9 but is available to pre-order now with downloads available immediately.

MP3: Sky Larkin – “Kaleide”

Bandstand Busking welcomes The Clientele for a session. Their Minotaur mini-album – eight tracks is too many to just call it an EP – is out August 31.