Evening Hymns lets Spectral Dusk settle

Lane MeyersHave I been waiting for this for a while? You might say that. Ever since Evening Hymns’ debut album of gorgeous folk-pop Spirit Guides made my 2009 year-end list, I’ve been eagerly anticipating its follow-up, following along on their Tumblr as it was recorded in early 2011 and keeping an eye for its expected release date of that Fall. I even had a spot on this year’s Polaris Prize ballot reserved for the record, dubbed Spectral Dusk as early as last January, in expectation of its arrival in the eligibility period. That’ll teach me to be presumptuous.

A Fall 2011 release turned into Spring 2012 and then Summer, and while a first taste of the record was offered up last October in the song “Asleep In The Pews”, it has since been quite effectively redacted from the internet; only a live acoustic video featuring band principals Jonas Bonetta and Sylvie Smith remains. But this week, it finally looks like the wait is ending: a Facebook post declared an August 2012 release for the record – though I’ve been told that it’ll be out the 21st of that month – and a stream of a new song from the record which, based on the Soundcloud information, has been sitting around for a good eight months. Maybe someday it will come out just how/why it’s taken so long to get this record out, but for now all that really matters is that a) it’s almost here and b) based on “Arrows”, it will be a stunner.

Stream: Evening Hymns – “Arrows”
Video: Evening Hymns – “Asleep In The Pews” (live)

A few days after making the b-side available as a download, Young Galaxy are streaming the a-side of their new 7″ single.

Stream: Young Galaxy – “Shoreless Kid”

Billboard interviews Feist.

Earshot has an interview with Joel Plaskett.

A couple of interesting tidbits from camp Sloan: first, come Tuesday they’ll be offering another limited edition live vinyl “bootleg” – this one a soundboard recording from their first Australian tour in 1999. It’s limited to 500 pieces and is available to order as of 12PM on June 12. And to keep an eye out for the Fall – a triple-vinyl Twice Removed deluxe box set and supporting tour.

Spinner talks to Emily Haines about the Lou Reed angle of their new album Synthetica, out next Tuesday.

NPR has a World Cafe session with Kathleen Edwards. She plays a free show at Pecault Square on the afternoon of June 16 for LuminaTO.

Also playing that LuminaTO show is Dan Mangan; Creative Loafing has an interview with the singer-songwriter.

Dan Snaith talks to Exclaim about the new Caribou album. They play Downsview Park on June 16 opening up for Radiohead.

Filter, The Line Of Best Fit, MTV, Clash, eMusic, and CBC Music have interviews with Japandroids – they’re at Lee’s Palace on June 23.

eMusic gets to know Al Spx of Cold Specks while NPR welcomes them for a KUT session. They’re playing the Great Hall on August 8.

NPR and BBC talk Americana with Neil Young. He and Crazy Horse are at the Air Canada Centre on November 19.

And proving the cosmos doesn’t give a damn about my carefully cultivated blog themes, here’s some notable bits that arrived too late to make my, “hey here’s a bunch of show announcements!”, “hey here’s a bunch of new album announcements”, and “hey here’s a bunch of Scandinavian/European stuff!” posts from earlier this week. You notice I do that, right?

First, Beach House have announced the dates for what they’re calling their “Frightened Eyes” tour but what everyone is calling “the long-awaited Fall tour dates in support of their new record Bloom“. Toronto gets them at The Kool Haus on October 13 – smaller than I expected but when you look at the full schedule, it’s hard not to notice that there’s off days on either side of it… mayhap a multi-night stand is in the cards? They’ve also released a new video from the album and there’s a piece at The Wall Street Journal about the whole Volkswagen/ad rip brouhaha that’s been going on the past couple weeks.

MP3: Beach House – “Myth”
Video: Beach House – “Lazuli”

While everyone is rightly excited about the Sugar reissues that are coming July 24, let’s not forget that Bob Mould has a new album coming as well. Consequence Of Sound reports that said new album will be entitled The Silver Age and be out September 4. There are also Fall tour dates that will straddle the Sugar/Silver material, but nothing up this way. Alas.

Finally, Jens Lekman has announced his first new full-length in five years – I Know What Love Isn’t will be out on September 4 and the first taste of it is available to stream below.

Stream: Jens Lekman -“Erica America”