Patrick Wolf celebrates a decade of being Patrick Wolf

John LindquistPatrick Wolf doesn’t really look old enough to be celebrating a decade of anything save no longer being a teenager but despite having just turned 29 less than a fortnight ago, the dramatic/romantic English singer-songwriter has been making music and releasing records since his debut EP in Fall 2002; his first full-length Lycanthropy followed in Summer 2003.

If he decides that it’s occasion enough for a world tour, I’m certainly not going to argue it. Neither his last album – 2011’s Lupercalia nor its companion EP Brumalia – got a proper (read: physical) North American release so his visits to this continent were limited to a mere handful of token US dates last Fall, meaning that Toronto hadn’t gotten a taste of his legendarily flamboyant – and mercurial – live shows since June 2009, circa the industrial-tinged The Bachelor.

This tour will be an acoustic one, featuring Wolf on harp, dulcimer, piano, and other such instruments and accompanied by a multi-instrumentalist, so while it will be interesting to hear how that material translates, it’s near-perfect for revisiting the material of his first two records and should also work well with the lushness of Lupercalia. And it’s also perfect for the setting they’ve chosen for the Toronto stop of the tour, which wil be September 25 at The Music Gallery. Tickets for that will be $25 and go on sale this Friday at 10AM.

And even as much as he’s in a retrospective mood, Wolf continues to look forward – he’s been working on a new record and aims to have it out this year. Twitter implies that more details on that will be coming sooner rather than later.

Video: Patrick Wolf – “The City”
Video: Patrick Wolf – “Together”
Video: Patrick Wolf – “The Falcons”
Video: Patrick Wolf – “Time Of My Life”
Video: Patrick Wolf – “House”

The only thing dismaying about the scheduling of this show is that it means I have to miss Dry The River’s return engagement. I fear I may have cursed them just a little bit as following their Toronto debut at The Garrison back in March, I said that the next time they came to town they’d surely be playing much bigger rooms. Well it turns out they’ll be playing rooms exactly the same size – the exact same room, in fact. They’re back on September 25 for a show at The Garrison, tickets $12, and while their ascent may not have been quite as rocket-like as I’d expected, they’ll still be fantastic. Promise.

MP3: Dry The River – “New Ceremony”

British funk-soul brothers The Heavy will be at Lee’s Palace on September 23 in support of their new record The Glorious Dead, due out August 21. Tickets for that are $15 in advance.

Video: The Heavy – “What Makes A Good Man?”

Having not released a record in six years or so and having cancelled her last scheduled show (and tour) in Summer 2010, it’s about time we heard back from Beth Orton. She’s announced details of a new record entitled Sugaring Season, due for release October 2, and a first video from said record. There’s also a new accompanying North American tour which brings her to the Mod Club on September 30, tickets $25. Yes, that’s the same room she cancelled out of last time. Bygones.

Video: Beth Orton – “Something More Beautiful”

Bloc Party have released the first video from their new record Four. It’s out August 21 and they play The Danforth Music Hall on September 10.

Video: Bloc Party – “Octopus”

NOW puts Hot Chip on this week’s cover in anticipation of Sunday night’s show at The Sound Academy.

Maxïmo Park is interviewed by DIY.

Prefix talks to Charles from Slow Club.

DIY has an interview with Patrick and Roxanne of Veronica Falls.

Friendly Fires clarifies some previously-made comments made about the direction of album number three, currently in progress, to NME.

Sweden’s Holograms are streaming their self-titled debut, out this week, over at Stereogum. They’re at The Shop Under Parts & Labour on September 11.

MP3: Holograms – “Chasing My Mind”
MP3: Holograms – “ABC City”
Stream: Holograms / Holograms

NPR has a stream of the first sample from Taken By Trees’ forthcoming Other Worlds, out October 2. She opens up for Jens Lekman at The Phoenix on October 4.

Stream: Taken By Trees – “Dreams”

That new Raveonettes song from Observator that was made available to stream a couple days ago? You can now download it. The album is out September 11 and they play The Phoenix on October 2.

MP3: The Raveonettes – “She Owns The Streets”

Justice have released a new video from last year’s Audio, Video, Disco and if it’s any indication of what they’ve got in store for their live show, their headlining slot at Historic Fort York on August 4 should be one to remember.

Video: Justice – “New Lands”

Pitchfork gets some insight into the new Tame Impala record Lonerism, due out October 9.