Samantha WestWho: Sam Amidon
What: American singer-songwriter who ranges from dense, avant-garde orchestrations as sparse, haunting folk and all points in between.
Why: Hitting the road in support of the release of I See The Sign this past Spring
When: Saturday, September 4, 2010
Where: The Drake Underground in Toronto (19+)
Who else: Forest City Lover frontwoman Kat Burns supports solo
How: Tickets for the show are $13.50 in advance and $15.00 at the door, but courtesy of Collective Concerts, I have two pairs of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Sam Amidon” in the subject line and your full name in the body before midnight, September 1.

MP3: Sam Amidon – “Cabin In The Corner”

Frank YangWho: Vampire Weekend
What: Jangly, chart-topping indie-poppers who tend to drive people crazy in both the good sense and bad sense
Why: Having sold out the Sound Academy lickety-split before Contra was released and topped the charts, they’re returning to play their biggest room yet
When: Tuesday, September 7
Where: The Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
Who else: Even if you don’t feel the Vampire Weekend, the presence of Beach House and Dum Dum Girls should make this a worthy evening
How: Tickets for the show range from $30.75 to $55.75 plus fees but courtesy of LiveNation, I’ve got three pairs of tickets to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want a Vampire Weekend” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Entries due before midnight, August 31.

MP3: Vampire Weekend – “Horchata”
Video: Vampire Weekend – “Cousins”

Frank YangWho: Gramercy Riffs
What: Newfoundland five-piece who released their debut album It’s Heartbreak earlier this year and were one of the best new finds at this year’s NXNE.
Why: Headlining a showcase of rock from The Rock in an event they’re calling The Bonavista Social Club
When: Friday, August 27, 2010
Where: The El Mocambo
Who else: Newfoundlanders past, present and future Jetset Motel and All Day Driver support
How: Tickets are $7 in advance but I’ve got two prize packs consisting of a pair of passes to the show and a copy of both Gramercy Riffs’ It’s Heartbreak and Jetset Motel’s self-titled debut on CD to give away. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Gramercy Riffs” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Contest closes at midnight, August 24.

MP3: Gramercy Riffs – “Call Me”

Frank YangWho: Forest City Lovers
What: Toronto folk-pop outfit who’ve just released their third and far and away best album in Carriage.
Why: The band are capping a cross-Canada tour in support of the new record with a hometown record release show.
When: Thursday, August 12, 2010
Where: The Great Hall
Who else: Support comes from Gentleman Reg and Carmen Elle
How: Tickets for the show are $12 in advance but courtesy of Out Of This Spark, I have one prize pack to give away consisting of a pair of passes to the show, a copy of Carriage on CD and a t-shirt. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Forest City Lovers” in the subject line and your full name and address in the body, as well as t-shirt gender/size. Contest closes at midnight August 10.
What else: The Star Phoenix and Uptown have interviews with Kat Burns. They also play a free in-store at Soundscapes on August 10 at 7PM.

MP3: Forest City Lovers – “Light You Up”
MP3: Forest City Lovers – “If I Were A Tree”
Video: Forest City Lovers – “If I Were A Tree”
MySpace: Forest City Lovers

Frank YangWho: Warpaint
What: Los Angeles four-piece whose debut EP Exquisite Corpse tantalized with its blend of art-rock and dreampop textures, setting expectations for their debut album this October.
Why: A highlight of NXNE in June, they’re back playing some headlining dates around their Lollapalooza appearance before signing up as support for The xx’s Fall theatre tour.
When: Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Where: Wrongbar
Who else: Support comes from Javelin and Beach Fossils
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 Warpaint” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Contest closes at midnight, August 9.
What else: Drummer Stella Mozgawa talks to The Riverfront Times.

MP3: Warpaint – “Elephants”
Video: Warpaint – “Stars”
Video: Warpaint – “Elephants”
MySpace: Warpaint