Frank YangJust so as we’re clear, I don’t imagine that in the realm of Leonard Cohen giveaways, I’ll ever be able to top the one I held in February 2009 wherein I got to send a few people to the Hamilton date of his comeback tour. That said, having a copy of the master’s new album Old Ideas to give away on CD isn’t shabby at all, either.

It comes courtesy of With A Bullet and if you’d like a shot at having it for your own, leave a comment below with a bit of Cohen-inspired poetry; a simple stanza or haiku is more than sufficient. Make sure to include your email address for contacting – it will be hidden from prying eyes and spambots – and have that in before midnight, February 2. And contest open to residents of Canada only.

There’s an interview with Cohen about the 2009 tour, “Hallelujah” and the new record at Rolling Stone, wherein he reveals that there will indeed be a tour for this new record.

Stream: Leonard Cohen / Old Ideas

thekills.tvWho: The Kills
What: Anglo-American electro-blues duo who’re sexier than you and probably most people you know.
Why: They’ve already toured through once in support of last year’s Blood Pressures but they’re back for another visit, ostensibly because they’re releasing a 12″ EP for “The Last Goodbye” on February 14 and also because it’s the 10th anniversary of their first gig.
When: Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Where: The Kool Haus in Toronto (all-ages)
Who else: JEFF The Brotherhood and Hunters will open things up.
How: Tickets for the show are $26.50 in advance but courtesy of Collective Concerts, 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 Kills” in the subject line and your full name in the body, and have that in to me before midnight, February 2.
What else: The Broward-Palm Beach New Times and Chicago Tribune interview Alison Mosshart and a video featurette on the making of the video for “Last Goodbye”, directed by actress Samantha Morton, is also available to watch.

MP3: The Kills – “DNA”
Video: The Kills – “Last Goodbye”
Video: The Kills – “Baby Says”
Video: The Kills – “Future Starts Slow”
Video: The making of The Kills’ “Last Goodbye”

Sigurd GrunbërgerWho: The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
What: A six-piece cosmic-electro-jazz-disco-psych-pop party-time ensemble from Copenhagen. Yeah, another one of those.
Why: Their second album Out Of Frequency is coming out this Tuesday, January 31, and they’re touring it across the asteroid galaxy we call North America.
When: Monday, February 6, 2012
Where: The Hoxton in Toronto (19+)
Who else: Vacationer open things up.
How: Tickets for the show are $16.50 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 take the Asteroids Galaxy Tour” in the subject line and your full name in the body and have that in to me before midnight, February 1.
What else: Go Pride interviews vocalist Mette Lingberg.

MP3: The Asteroids Galaxy Tour – “Major”
MP3: The Asteroids Galaxy Tour – “Around The Bend”

Shervin LainezWho: Jukebox The Ghost
What: Philly-based, fun-infused, power-pop trio whose last album was Everything Under The Sun.
Why: They’re a little ways removed from the release of their second album, but getting invited along to open up and road-test new material is rarely a bad thing. So they’re doing that.
When: Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Where: The Sound Academy in Toronto (all-ages)
Who else: They’re opening up for Jack’s Mannequin on this tour.
How: Tickets for the show are $28.50 in advance but courtesy of the band, I’ve got a pair of passes to give away for the show, and also a poster. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to Jukebox The Ghost” in the subject line and your full name and mailing address in the body. Contest closes at midnight, January 26.
What else: The band talked to PopBytes last November about their plans for album number three.

Video: Jukebox The Ghost – “Half Crazy”
Video: Jukebox The Ghost – “Schizophrenia”

Paul Valencia PIWho: Cass McCombs
What: American singer-songwriter of many accolades and no fixed address.
Why: After garnering praise for his dark and stark 2011 release Wit’s End, McCombs attempted to let a little light in with his second album of the year, Humour Risk.
When: Friday, January 27, 2012
Where: The Garrison in Toronto (19+)
Who else: Opening up are Frank Fairfield and Jennifer Castle.
How: Tickets for the show are $14.50 in advance but courtesy of Domino Records, 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 to see Cass McCombs” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Contest closes at midnight, January 24.
What else: College Times and The Phoenix New Times have interviews with McCombs.

MP3: Cass McCombs – “The Same Thing”
Video: Cass McCombs – “The Same Thing”