Though my body’s in Texas for ACL, my mind is currently about two weeks from now in Montreal, at this year’s Pop Montreal festival, taking place October 3 through 7. I attended last year and had a terrific time and expect the same this year, but this time I’ve got an extra stake – I’m curating a showcase.

It’s part of a series of shows in conjunction with the good people at Said The Gramophone and I Heart Music we’re calling The Bleating Heart Shows and my installment is happening on October 4 at the Green Room le Gymnase and will feature The Brother Kite, up from Providence, Rhode Island, Toronto’s Airfields, My Dad Vs Yours from Ottawa and hailing from Montreal by way of Toronto, Danielle Duval.

I’m very excited about every band on the bill but have to admit that it’s The Brother Kite, whose Waiting For The Time To Be Right I fell in love with on first listen and have maintained a devoted if not wholly monogamous relationship with. I wrote it up earlier this year and had been patiently waiting/hoping for a local show so that I had an excuse to write them up some more, but since that didn’t seem to be happening anytime soon I decided to make it happen myself. “But wait,” you say, “a Pop Montreal showcase hardly counts as local!” You’re right, which is why I’m happy to report that The Brother Kite will make their Toronto debut on October 5 at the Tiger Bar with Fjord Rowboat. Of course, I won’t be there – still in Montreal – but I am confident that all of you Hogtown peeps will be in attendance to welcome them. Just give their Beach Boys-meets-Ride power-gazey-pop a listen and I’m certain you’ll be won over as well. Specifics on that show are still forthcoming, but rest assured – the next couple weeks will have me going on and on and on about these shows.

As for the other acts on the bill, my affection for The Airfields is very very well documented so there’s not much more that needs to be said there – but I will anyways, as the show draws near. I haven’t seen My Dad Vs Yours in a while but am eager to hear what they’ve been up to since last year’s After Winter Must Come Spring in establishing the genre that some of us (me and another guy, I think) call post-pop. And Danielle Duval is a new discovery for me but I heard stellar things about her set at Hillside earlier this year and she and her band will bring some much-welcome old school rock and soul to the bill. And Toronto show-mates Fjord Rowboat do a tremendous job of keeping the classic shoegazing flame alive without being trapped by the past.

As I said, I’ll be talking this show and these bands up more over the coming weeks but for now, keep the 4th open if you’re in Montreal and the 5th if you’re in Toronto. Regret it you shall not.

MP3: The Brother Kite – “Get On Me”
MP3: The Airfields – “Lonely Halls”
MP3: My Dad Vs Yours – “Bellicose”
MP3: Danielle Duval – “Bright Galactic”
MP3: Fjord Rowboat – “Carried Away”
Video: The Brother Kite – “I’m Not The Only One” (YouTube)
Video: The Airfields – “Red Fox” (YouTube)
Video: My Dad Vs Yours – “No Farm No Food No Future” (YouTube)
MySpace: The Brother Kite
MySpace: My Dad Vs Yours
MySpace: The Airfields
MySpace: Danielle Duval
MySpace: Fjord Rowboat

Pop Preview: The Brother Kite
Pop Preview: The Airfields
Pop Preview: My Dad Vs Yours
Pop Preview: Danielle Duval

Pop Montreal show poster by Cheryl Cheung
Brother Kite/Fjord Rowboat poster by Renée Nault

And of course, I was mostly kidding when I said my mind was in Montreal – I’m in Austin for pete’s sake, and it’s ACL time. The Austin Chronicle has been previewing the fest with interviews with some of the big names playing including Bjork (who headlines tonight, is staying in our hotel and who the Blogotheque guys apparently scared when they asked her to do a Takeaway Show at poolside), Steve Earle, Andrew Bird (who are thankfully not playing against one another anymore) and Bob Dylan, who closes the whole thing out on Sunday night. Things kick off today and the first act I’m for sure going to catch is Blonde Redhead, who brought it so completely at V Fest last weekend. Athens Exchange has an interview and they’re also featured in a special NYC-to-Austin edition of Spinner 3×3. Nicole Atkins discusses Neptune City with The Shreveport Times. It’s finally out October 30 but I’m hoping she’ll have some to sell when she’s at Lee’s on October 14. She’ll also kick things off for me on Sunday here at ACL. 11:45AM! Arcade Fire and Austin360 has words with Matt Berninger of The National, on stage Sunday afternoon.

On Milwaukee has an interview with Okkervil River’s Will Sheff, in town next Friday night at Lee’s Palace and doing a DJ after party at Tiger Bar after the show. Logistical issues have meant that I won’t be trekking to Hamilton to see them Saturday night at the Pepper Jack Cafe, but that means I can see Basia Bulat’s CD release shows at the Music Gallery instead (contest for passes still open). Chart talks to Basia about the unexpected (but wholly deserved) success of Oh My Darling, out Tuesday.

Hey, Rachael Yamagata is coming back to town! Hey… she’s opening for Mandy Moore. See, this is what happens when your musical tastes drift too close to the mainstream. You get caught in the undertow. That’s happening September 22 at the Danforth Music Hall. Still no word on her new record, I imagine she’s along on this trek because she worked on Moore’s latest record.

The Meligrove Band play a super-intimate show at Sneaky Dee’s on October 4. The Cure play a not-so-intimate show at the Air Canada Centre on May 15, a make up for their cancelled Fall tour.

Dane101 talks to Peter Hayes of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, in town at the Kool Haus on October 1.