Michael WilsonWith all respect to the albums that came before and those that came after – Southern Rock Opera included – history will probably hold the Drive-By Truckers albums recorded between 2003 and 2006 with Jason Isbell in the lineup – Decoration Day, The Dirty South, and A Blessing And A Curse – as the band’s finest, at least on a song for song basis. Isbell’s more personal, human-scale songs were the perfect foil to Messers Hood and Cooley’s Southern mythology epics, and his melodic contributions – his songs were arguably the most pop the Truckers ever put out – are still missed years after he left the band to go it solo.

A solo career that’s turned out a goodly number of albums, both live and studio, and whose number will increase by one with the release next week of Southeastern, the first record to be credited to Isbell without his band The 400 Unit since his 2007 debut, Sirens Of The Ditch. Which isn’t to say that it represents a dramatic shift from its predecessors, but being a little less plugged-in and more thoughtful in pace, it’s different enough that the change in branding probably makes sense to those involved.

The 400 Unit will be on hand when Isbell takes to the road in support of the record, though, an itinerary which brings them to Lee’s Palace on August 2, tickets $17.50 in advance. There’s a feature interview and advance stream of the new record at MTV Hive, and extensive profiles at both The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

M4A: Jason Isbell – “Traveling Alone”
Stream: Jason Isbell / Southeastern

Though he’s proven he can sell out four nights at The Sound Academy, Toronto R&B star The Weeknd is keeping things small to preview material from his new record Kiss Land, due sometime this year; he’ll be at The Mod Club on June 13, tickets $40 in advance and probably sold out already.

MP3: The Weeknd – “Heaven Or Las Vegas”

So the good news is that Still Corners’ NXNE showcase has been confirmed, their continued absence from the schedule until now being a bit of a concern. The bad news is they’re on at the exact same time as The National – 10PM on June 14 at The Horseshoe. Which may not be bad news for you if you weren’t planning on being at The National or were going to see them a couple nights earlier on June 12 supporting CHVRCHES at The Hoxton, but we’re not talking about you, here. Try to keep up.

MP3: Still Corners – “Fireflies”

Lemonheads leader Evan Dando has been added to this year’s NXNE lineup; he’ll be anchoring the showcase at The Rivoli on the Saturday night, June 15.

Video: The Lemonheads – “Into Your Arms”

If you were wondering who’d step in for the injured Big Boi at NXNE’s closing Sunday night gala at Yonge-Dundas Square on June 16, wonder now more – it’s Ludacris. Who, apparently, has a bunch of chart-topping platinum albums and a starring role in the Fast & Furious films. I had no idea. Still don’t.

Video: Ludacris – “Stand Up”

Because sometimes you just can’t look away – Courtney Love will be playing solo and Hole-less at The Danforth Music Hall on July 20. Expect to pay $35 to $50 for the experience. Bust has an interview with Love wherein she insist she’s sane. Because that’s necessary.

Video: Hole – “Celebrity Skin”

With their new record Stills set for a July 16 release, Chicago noisemaker duo Gauntlet Hair have made a date at The Drake Underground on August 5. Consequence Of Sound has the full tour itinerary and the new video from the new record.

MP3: Gauntlet Hair – “Human Nature”
Video: Gauntlet Hair – “Human Nature”

Chicago indie-rock veterans Joan Of Arc are coming back to town for a show at The Garrison on August 22, tickets $12.50, as part of a tour behind their new record Testimonium Songs, which is out July 11.

MP3: Joan Of Arc – “White Out”

Washed Out – whose Ernest Greene would probably prefer not to be known as the guy who did the Portlandia theme but whom you probably know best as the guy who did the Portlandia theme – will release his second album Paracosm on August 13 – there’s a trailer below – and who will be touring behind it, the Toronto date coming September 15 at The Opera House, tickets $20 in advance.

MP3: Washed Out – “Eyes Be Closed”
Trailer: Washed Out / Paracosm

Veteran Anglo-Dutch experimental rock outfit The Legendary Pink Dots are coming to town, ostensibly in support of their new album The Gethsemane Option – out June 25 – but more likely to explore many corners of their 30-plus year history. They’re at Lee’s Palace on September 23, tickets $20. The Jerusalem Post has an interview with the band.

MP3: The Legendary Pink Dots – “Puppets Apocalypse”

With the August 27 release of Carrier creeping ever-closer – okay, not THAT close yet – The Dodos have made a date at Lee’s Palace for September 24, tickets $17.50 in advance.

MP3: The Dodos – “Don’t Stop”

Welsh meat-and-potatos rockers Stereophonics have figured their latest album Graffiti On The Train has done well enough at home to justify a North American release – it’s out August 20 over here – as well as a tour; look for them at The Danforth Music Hall on September 25, tickets $36.50 in advance.

Video: Stereophonics – “Graffiti On The Train”

Completing what I will call the live music hat-trick – which for these purposes is playing three shows in a year in ever-larger venues – Britain’s Daughter are coming back to build on last October’s debut at The Drake and this past May’s show at The Great Hall with a performance at The Phoenix on September 29. Tickets for that are $20.50 in advance.

MP3: Daughter – “Love”

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s announcement of their third album Big TV coming out August 21, White Lies have announced a North American tour that brings them to The Opera House on October 1, tickets $25.

MP3: White Lies – “Getting Even”

Anyone wondering why UK buzz band Peace abruptly disappeared from the NXNE listings now has their answer – they’ll be supporting Two Door Cinema Club on their just-announced tour, which puts them at The Danforth Music Hall on October 15.

MP3: Peace – “California Daze”

FacebookLike the act they’re frequently compared to – The Knife circa Silent Shout – Aussie-fronted Swedes Kate Boy put a lot of stock in image and mystery, and the intersection of the two. And so while assumptions might be that the band’s name is a pseudonym for frontwoman Kate Akhurst, they in fact insist it represents an entirely fictional fifth member because why not. Their visual aesthetic also speaks to the strength of the concept behind it, their greyscaled, silhouetted, and baseball-capped guises being well-maintained through their press photos and three videos.

But it’s their sound that has elicited the Knife comparisons, and yeah – there’s definitely something of the Dreijer siblings’ influence in their spooky, yet hooky, electro-pop built on synth tones whose square waves have the edges left on. Whether there’s more to them than that remains to be seen – three singles do not an identity make, but it is enough to create a solid amount of buzz. A full-length is expected out before year’s end and the band just played their first show ever a month ago, but they’ve already got a short North American tour booked and will be in Toronto at Wrongbar on Sunday night, June 9.

Tickets for the show are $12.50 in advance but courtesy of LiveNation, 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 to see Kate Boy” in the subject line and your full name in the body, and have that to me by midnight, June 6. And if you’re curious how their look translates live, Pitchfork has some photos from a show in Berlin last week.

MP3: Kate Boy – “Northern Lights”
Video: Kate Boy – “The Way We Are”
Video: Kate Boy – “In Your Eyes”
Video: Kate Boy – “Northern Lights”

Consequence Of Sound and Interview talk to Tracyanne Campbell of Camera Obscura, whose new album Desire Lines is out today. They play the Toronto Urban Roots Fest at Garrison Common on July 4.

Mr. Porter solicits some musical suggestions from Jamie Smith of The xx. They play Echo Beach on Thursday night, June 6. Denver Westword also grabs an interview.

Pet Shop Boys are streaming a second single from their new album Electric, lined up for a July 15 release date. They’re here at The Sony Centre on September 25.

Stream: Pet Shop Boys – “Vocal”

Exclaim has a pair of features gleaned from an interview with Jehnny Beth of Savages. She leads her band into The Mod Club on July 16.

A new, non-album single from Hot Chip has been made available to stream; Pitchfork has details on the 12″ or 10″ EP, depending on where you live, which will be released July 22. Hot Chip are in Toronto to play The Grove Fest at Garrison Common on August 3.

Stream: Hot Chip – “Dark & Stormy”

English gloom merchants White Lies have announced an August 21 release date for their third album, Big TV. The Line Of Best Fit has details and the first track is available to download below.

MP3: White Lies – “Getting Even”

There’s Something Hard In There has an interview with Carol and Peter of Bettie Serveert.

NPR welcomes Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds for a World Cafe session.

Lisa DevineAll’s been quiet from camp Ladytron since they finished up touring in support of 2011’s Gravity The Seducer, but frontwoman Helen Marnie hasn’t been idle. Working under her surname, Marnie took to crowdfunding site Pledgemusic last Fall to finance a solo record. Unsurprisingly, it was fully funded within days – even without anyone taking the top reward of one Marnie’s own car, a 1998 Mini Cooper, at five thousand quid – and since then, fans have waited patiently while she decamped to Reykjavik to record the album.

While the record, entitled Crystal World, just missed its release date of this past weekend – mastering of the album pushed things back slightly – it should be out very shortly and the window to pledge and get a copy is closing soon. Last week, Under The Radar premiered the first song and video from it; it and another sample of a new song confirms that whatever name she operates under or whomever she plays with, Marnie make sleek, seductive electro-pop.

Stream: Marnie – “Hearts On Fire” (excerpt)
Video: Marnie – “The Hunter”

Keyboardist Carey Lander discusses Camera Obscura’s new album Desire Lines with The Skinny. It’s out as of tomorrow and they play the first night of the Toronto Urban Roots Fest at Garrison Common on July 4.

Swedish up-and-comer Elliphant, who opens up for Twin Shadow at The Phoenix on June 7, has made another new song available to stream.

Stream: Elliphant – “Music Is Life”

The Quietus talks to Beady Eye about their new record BE, out in the UK on June 10.

Gold Panda is streaming his new album Half Of Where You Live in full at NPR ahead of its June 11 release, and has also put out a new video from it via Nowness. He plays Lee’s Palace on October 8.

Video: Gold Panda – “My Father In Hong Kong, 1961”
Stream: Gold Panda / Half Of Where You Live

The Line Of Best Fit has an interview with Still Corners, who open up for CHVRCHES at The Hoxton on June 12, and should have a NXNE date to announce shortly thereafter.

Icona Pop are streaming their newest single. They’re here playing the Grove Fest at Garrison Commons on August 3.

Stream: Icona Pop – “Girlfriend”

Spin takes the news that Elvis Costello and The Roots have given their collaborative album a title – Wise Up Ghost – and a release date – September 17 – and wonders if copies haven’t already been circulating since April. Though probably not.

The Horrors tell NME that they’re just about done recording the follow-up to 2011’s Skying. Nothing is on the schedule but a late 2013 release seems reasonable.

James Dean Bradfield of Manic Street Preachers confirms to NME that the band have two new records in the can, one primarily acoustic and another that sounds “European”.

Suede have released a vandalism-infused video for the new single from Bloodsports, which is also leading a new EP that comes with two new proper b-sides.

Video: Suede – “Hit Me”

MTV Iggy has an interview with Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds.

Thom Yorke and Flea discuss their preparations for the upcoming Atoms For Peace tour with Billboard, rehearsals for which have produced an in-studio video of Thom going through some deep cuts that aren’t even his own.

Video: Atoms For Peace – “Rabbit In Your Headlights”

Tina TyrellWho: Twin Shadow
What: The pseudonym of Brooklynite George Lewis Jr., who adds a dash of soul to his synthpop/New Wave revivalist stylings.
Why: Even though he’s already come through town in support of last year’s Confess – twice, if you count both nights of his Lee’s Palace stand last Summer – this outing, entitled the “True Story Tour”, will be different in that he will bring his dad out for each show to tell a different story about their lives.
When: Friday, June 7, 2013
Where: The Phoenix in Toronto (19+)
Who else: In addition to Lewis’ dad tellin’ tales, Swedish up-and-comer Elliphant will open up.
How: Tickets for the show are $27.50 in advance but courtesy of Collective Concerts, I’ve got a prize pack consisting of a pair of passes for the show, a signed tank top, a copy of Confess on CD, and admission to soundcheck at The Phoenix the day of the show to give away. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Twin Shadow” in the subject line and your full name in the body, and have that to me by midnight, June 4.

MP3: Twin Shadow – “Slow”
MP3: Twin Shadow – “Castles In The Snow”
MP3: Twin Shadow – “Changes”
MP3: Twin Shadow – “Five Seconds”

Ana KrasWho: Devendra Banhart
What: American freak-folk scene leader who may have cut his hair, but is definitely still folky and probably still kind of freaky.
Why: His eighth album and first in four years – Mala – was released back in March, so now he’s touring it for his first visit since late 2009.
When: Monday, June 3, 2013
Where: The Danforth Music Hall in Toronto (19+)
Who else: Rodrigo Amarnte, also of Los Hermanos and Little Joy, supports.
How: Tickets for the show are $31.00 in advance but courtesy of LiveNation, 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 Devendra Banhart” in the subject line and your full name in the body, and have that to me by midnight, June 2.
What else: Seattle Weekly, Oregon Live, and MyDesert.com have interviews with Banhart.

MP3: Devendra Banhart – “Baby”
MP3: Devendra Banhart – “Golden Girls”
MP3: Devendra Banhart – “A Gain”