Anton RothsteinWho: Iceage
What: Danish teen (or barely no longer) post-punk who proudly carry on their Viking tradition of visiting foreign lands and causing shit.
Why: Though not even a half-hour in length, the buzz around their debut New Brigade continues to sustain – this is their second North American tour in support of it.
When: Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Where: The Horseshoe in Toronto (19+)
Who else: It looks to be a busy bill with some/all of Milk Music, Odonis Odonis, Urban Blight, and S.H.I.T. being listed as openers. Clearly you’d be getting your money’s worth if you weren’t here angling for free passes.
How: Tickets for the show are $12.50 in advance but courtesy of Embrace, 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 Iceage” in the subject line and your full name in the body, and have that to me by midnight, July 16.

MP3: Iceage – “White Rune”
MP3: Iceage – “Broken Bone”
MP3: Iceage – “New Brigade”

Frank YangWho: Lower Dens
What: Baltimore-based psych-kraut-dream-rock outfit led by Jana Hunter
Why: Their murky and intriguing second album Nootropics was released in May and should translate interestingly to stage.
When: Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Where: Lee’s Palace in Toronto (19+)
Who else: No Joy and Alan Resnick are their tourmates for this jaunt.
How: Tickets for the show are $12 in advance but courtesy of Domino Records, I’ve got one pairs of passes to give away for the show as well as a copy of Nootropics on LP. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want Lower Dens” in the subject line and your full name and mailing address in the body; contest closes at midnight, July 15.
What else: Denver Westword, The Georgia Straight, OC Weekly, and Austinist have features on the band. There’s also a video session from the streets of Barcelona available to watch at They Shoot Music.

MP3: Lower Dens – “Brains”
MP3: Lower Dens – “Propagation”
MP3: Lower Dens – “Lamb”
MP3: Lower Dens – “Candy”

Steve GullickIt’s a bit strange to get into a band with what turns out to be a stylistic outlier, but that’s apparently what happened with me and Hot Chip. I liked bits of their first three albums but wouldn’t have counted myself a fan until 2010’s One Life Stand brought me into the fold with its more soulful angle on the distinctive Hot Chip sound. It was only relatively different from its predecessors – the Londoner’s template of cerebral, slightly nebbish, yet eminently danceable electro-pop was wholly intact – but with a more emotional dimension than they’d previously explored. Some didn’t like it as much; I liked it more.

So yeah, the “return to form” comments that have accompanied their just-released In Our Heads got my back up a little bit; who said that Hot Chip needed to return to any particular form? Why couldn’t they simply forge ahead in a new direction? And then I spent a little time with Heads and decided that maybe it wasn’t so important where it went on the plot of their creative trajectory – it’s a good record that manages to maintain much of the songwriting growth evidenced in One Life Stand, just folded back into their old sound, and more importantly, I didn’t like them any less for it.

Indeed, it’s hard to get off on the wrong foot with an opener as strong as “Motion Sickness” and while Heads is largely Hot Chip by numbers (I spent a little while clicking through my iTunes to try and find which of their older songs the opening of “Let Me Be Him” is a carbon copy of and while I didn’t find it, I know it’s out there), that still means it’s an upbeat collection of dancefloor-ready tunes with the requisite number of ballads and epics. If there’s a downside to this, it’s that there’s not much on Heads likely to elicit the same sort of strong reactions – positive or negative – that Life did, nor is there much for their next record to react against. Maybe the best thing about Heads – besides giving us “Night & Day” and “Flutes” – is that odds are by the time Hot Chip returns to the studio, they’ll be creatively restless enough again to try something new.

Hot Chip are in town at the Sound Academy next Sunday night, July 15, and courtesy of Collective Concerts, I’ve got a pair of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want Hot Chip” in the subject line and your full name in the body and have that in to me before midnight, July 12.

There’s features on the band at Loud & Quiet, Clash, The Star-Tribune, Prefix, The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Japan Times.

Video: Hot Chip – “Night & Day”
Video: Hot Chip – “Flutes”

It’s not another “Country House” or “Coffee & TV”, but the studio performance that Blur have released as a video for their new single is still alright.

Video: Blur – “Under The Westway”

Neil Halstead has gotten in the Wimbledon spirit and released a tennis-themed tune which will be available as a bonus 7″ for those who buy his new solo record Palindrome Hunches at independent retailers when it goes on sale on September 11. It’s available to stream now.

Stream: Neil Halstead – “Tennis For Dennis”

The Line Of Best Fit The Quietus talk to Cate Le Bon, who kicks off her Fall North American tour at The Rivoli on September 18. Her Cyrk II is out August 20.

Wonderland has an interview with Still Corners.

DIY talks to Foals keyboardist Edwin Congreave about their new Tapes mixtape thing.

V Magazine gathers together Grimes, Charli XCX, and Sky Ferreira for a photoshoot and some career advice from Genesis P-Orridge, Geri Halliwell, and Elton John respectively. Grimes is at Fort York this coming Friday, July 13, and Chari XCX there on August 4.

Ladyhawke’s press circuit in support of Anxiety has hit Australia, as evidenced by feature pieces in FasterLouder, The Maitland Mercury, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Loud & Quiet, and The Canberra Times.

Tame Impala has revealed details of their new record, to be entitled Lonerism and out in October. Hit up Pitchfork for details and to download the first sample MP3 in exchange for an email address.

Sean MetelerkampWho: Spoek Mathambo
What: Sub Pop-signed, South Africa-based electro-rock-hip hop futurist/visionary who released his second album Father Creeper in March.
Why: Spoek was here in March during Canadian Musicfest just after the album came out, but he’s back and demands your undivided attention.
When: Monday, July 16, 2012
Where: The Drake Underground in Toronto (19+)
Who else: Dunno.
How: Tickets for the show are $15 in advance but courtesy of Union, 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 Spoek Mathambo” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Contest closes at midnight, July 12.
What else: The Quietus and The Arts Desk have interviews from earlier this Spring.

MP3: Spoek Mathambo – “Let Them Talk”
MP3: Spoek Mathambo – “Put Some Red On It”
Video: Spoek Mathambo – “Control”

Canvas MediaWho: Trust and Light Asylum
What: Two duos from Toronto and New York, respectively, who share a penchant for electronic beats, dramatic vocals, and ’80s goth chic.
Why: Both acts released their debut albums this year – TRST and Light Asylum – so why not team up for a tour?
When: Friday, July 13, 2012
Where: The Great Hall in Toronto (19+)
How: Tickets for the show are $12.50 in advance but courtesy of Embrace, 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 Trust Light Asylum” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Contest closes at midnight, July 10.

MP3: Light Asylum – “A Certain Person”
Video: Trust – “Sulk”