FacebookCustom dictates that for tenth anniversaries, the traditional gift is something made from tin and the modern equivalent is aluminum. Or diamond. How on earth do you get from tin to diamond? Happily, Toronto’s Paper Bag Records pays no attention to such convention and to mark their tenth year of releasing great music from both Canada and abroad, they’ve opted to put together three nights of shows at The Great Hall from September 27 to 29 and featuring the best of their current roster as well as a surprise and welcome return – You Say Party.

The Vancouver dance-rock band were riding high on their third album, 2009’s XXXX, when their drummer Devon Clifford suddenly and tragically died onstage in April 2010. They soldiered on for another year and then, promotional duties done, went on indefinite hiatus – a hiatus that would last a year and a half, as they state on their website, “Over the course of the last year, we came to realize a simple truth: that the four of us missed making music together”. Their appearance on the third night of the PBR anniversary shows will mark their first step back and as a four-piece, reconfiguring their old songs to fit and presumably crafting new ones.

Their return will surely be a highlight of that third night, which also features Young Galaxy, The Luyas, and a special guest that you probably don’t need to do too much thinking to guess who it will but all three evenings are pretty stacked. Thursday night features Elliott Brood, Born Ruffians, Woodhands, and The Acorn and Friday brings in The Rural Alberta Advantage, Cuff The Duke, PS I Love You, and Slim Twig.

Tickets for each night are $25 and a three-day pass comes in at $60, on sale now. The Great Hall isn’t that big so if you’re thinking this is something you should be at, turning thought into action soon is recommended.

MP3: The Acorn – “Restoration”
MP3: Born Ruffians – “Sole Brother”
MP3: Cuff The Duke – “Standing On The Edge”
MP3: Elliott Brood – “Northern Air”
MP3: The Luyas – “Too Beautiful To Work”
MP3: PS I Love You – “2012”
MP3: The Rural Alberta Advantage – “Stamp”
MP3: Slim Twig – “Young Hussies”
MP3: Woodhands – “Dissembler”
MP3: You Say Party! – “Laura Palmer’s Prom”
MP3: Young Galaxy – “Peripheral Visionaries”

Under The Radar chats with Torq Campbell of Stars, who released their first albums on Paper Bag and will put their sixth album North out on September 4. They’ve made a new track from said record available to stream and will be at the Air Canada Centre on November 14 supporting Metric.

Stream: Stars – “Hold On When You Get Love And Let Go When You Give It”

The New York Times has a feature piece on Purity Ring, whose much-anticipated debut Shrines is out this week and who’ve made another track from it available to download.

MP3: Purity Ring – “Belispeak”

Damian Abraham of Fucked Up rattles off his favourite records of the past two decades for CBC Music. They’re at Historic Fort York on September 9 as part of Riot Fest.

Melancholy & The Infinite Shadness is the name of a new mixtape from Shad that you need in your life. Get it for free.

ZIP: Shad / Melancholoy & The Infinite Shadness

The Georgia Straight and The Victoria Times-Colonist talks to Kathryn Calder.

CBC Music has five tracks to preview for the forthcoming live Dears album Never Destroy Us, due out this Fall.

Patrick Watson gives Spinner his thoughts on and ambitions for the music video medium; he also chats with Vermont’s Seven Days. He’s at Massey Hall on December 6.

Frank YangIf you’ve been thinking we’re about due for a new Spoon record, what with a good two and a half years having passed since 2010’s Transference, then I’d say you’re probably right. However that’s not going to be happening – not anytime soon, at least – because frontman Britt Daniel has been busy working with Dan Boeckner, ex-Handsome Furs and Wolf Parade, and Sam Brown from New Bomb Turks in a new project called Divine Fits – their debut album A Thing Called Divine Fits is due out August 28.

Last Thursday night, July 12, marked the 50th anniversary of the first ever gig by The Rolling Stones, and while a new record from the legends is anticipated by exactly no one, it’s been widely expected that the band will stage some kind of anniversary tour to mark the event, with Keith Richards having confirmed they’ve been rehearsing and Mick Jagger speculating that they could be back on stage as early as this Fall.

What’s one got to do with the other? Not much, save that it lets me post this recording of Spoon covering the Stones recorded in September 28 at the Fillmore West in San Francisco; it was a fixture of their live sets circa Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, with the band frequently closing their shows with it. That’s all.

MP3: Spoon – “Rocks Off” (live @ The Fillmore West, 2008)
Video: The Rolling Stones – “Rocks Off” (live @ Twickenham Stadium, 2003)

Frank YangWho: Sharon Van Etten
What: Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter who seemed to break out with 2010’s epic until this year’s Tramp came out and showed what breaking out really looked like.
Why: Though she technically already brought Tramp through town in February, her album was only a week old and her fanbase has grown immensely since; a return engagement was most necessary.
When: Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Where: The Phoenix in Toronto (19+)
Who else: Denver’s Tennis make the bill a solid one-two punch.
How: Tickets for the show are $18.50 in advance but courtesy of Collective Concerts, I’ve got one pair of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Sharon Van Etten” in the subject line and your full name in the body and have that in to me before midnight, July 26.
What else: Van Etten talks to The Record about her New Jersey roots and This Is Bristol about the personal investment in her songs.

MP3: Sharon Van Etten – “Serpents”
Video: Sharon Van Etten – “Leonard”

FacebookWho: Aesop Rock
What: New York-born, San Francisco-based hip-hop heavyweight born Ian Matthias Bavitz who’s equally known and respected in indie and rap circles.
Why: He’s touring in support of his sixth album Skelethon, released just last week.
When: Monday, July 30, 2012
Where: The Mod Club in Toronto (19+)
Who else: Tourmates for this outing are Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz
How: Tickets for the show are $20 in advance but courtesy of Union Events, I’ve got two pairs of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want Aesop Rock” in the subject line and your full name in the body and have that in to me by midnight, July 26.
What else: Exclaim talks to Bavitz about the new record.

MP3: Aesop Rock – “Zero Dark Thirty”
Video: Aesop Rock – “Zero Dark Thirty”

Ben MoonWho: Blind Pilot
What: Folk-pop collective who are hoping last night’s Portlandia between-season brunch special got you in the mood for some Portland lovin’ cause baby, that’s what they got.
Why: This will be their second time through town in less than a year, but last time their second album We Are The Tide was but a couple months old. This time you’ll know the songs, yeah?
When: Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Where: Lee’s Palace in Toronto (19+)
Who else: River City Extension and John Heart Jackie are opening this up. If they’re any good, let me know.
How: Tickets for the show are $17.50 in advance but courtesy of Collective Concerts, I have two pairs of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Blind Pilot” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Contest closes at midnight, July 23.
What else: The Baltimore Post-Examiner and Austin 360 have features on the band.

MP3: Blind Pilot – “Keep You Right”