I went home yesterday and retrieved my old racing bike – it still needs some work, but is in better shape than I thought. It’s a totally different beast from my mountain bike, though. It’s so small! The frame feels absolutely dinky, but the bike is remarkably light. The seat is too low and I don’t have the proper tools to adjust it. My rims need to be trued something fierce. I think the biggest adjustment for me will be the suspension, or complete lack of. This thing is stiff, and I am going to feel the road, yessir. Not really looking forward to discovering just how good Toronto’s road maintenance is. This thing will get me through the Fall but I think next year I’ll have to get something else, better suited to the rigours of city riding. While I’d like to spend the afternoon riding around, I think it’d be more prudent to just bring it into the shop ASAP so I can get it back that much sooner. The brakes aren’t in terrific shape.

Tiny Mix Tapes has dates for the Autumn Shins tour, and there is no Toronto date. There are a couple slots where a T.O. date would concievably fit, but they’d also be logical travel days. Umm, that’s not right. Not at all. And the closest date – Detroit – is on a Monday. Again, not right at all. Didn’t we show you guys love last time you were here? Sure we did. Come to Toronto, Shins. I will buy you a pizza pie. According to the Shins website, Chutes Too Narrow will be released two weeks later than initially reported on October 21. Why don’t you guys just come over and punch me in the kidneys, already? Yer killing me.

The tracklisting for the Doves b-sides comp, Lost Sides, has been announced:

‘Break Me Gently (Incidental)’

‘Darker’

‘Your Shadow Lay Across My Life’

‘Meet Me At The Pier’

‘Down To Sea’

‘Crunch’

‘Zither’

‘Valley’

‘Northenden’

‘Hit The Ground Running’

‘Willow’s Song’

‘Far From Grace’

It contains 7 of the 11 tracks from the original promo-only version of Lost Sides from 2001, with the five new tracks being The Last Broadcast-era material. It’s coming out on the 29th of September in the UK, and while it will be released domestically in North America, I haven’t found a verifiable release date yet.

np – The New Year / Newness Ends

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