Frank YangYou can’t accuse Band Of Skulls of playing hard to get – though the trio call Southampton, England home, over the past year they’ve been touring North America more than some domestic acts. By my count, they’ve played at least four Toronto shows since NXNE last June – where I saw them – and their gig here next week makes five in nine months or so. Over-saturation or just meeting demand? I can certainly believe the latter – their garage-y blues-rock isn’t especially innovative, but it is timeless and delivered with plenty of meat and attitude. And they put on a great show, as do their tourmates this time out, The Whigs, so their April 28 engagement at the Mod Club should be the perfect bill for those in the mood for something high on volume and low on nonsense.

Tickets for said show are $17.50 in advance but courtesy of Phi, I’ve got a prize pack to give away consisting of two passes to the show, your choice of their debut Baby Darling Doll Face Honey on two autographed CDs, two LPs or one autographed CD and one LP (because why should the +1 go home empty handed) and two medium-sized t-shirts (if you’re bigger or smaller than that, sorry). To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Band Of Skulls” in the subject line and your full name and mailing address in the body, along with which combination of physical media (2xCD, 2xLP, CD/LP) you’d like the album on and get that in to me before midnight, April 26.

There’s features on the band at The Vancouver Sun and Seattle Weekly.

MP3: Band Of Skulls – “Blood”
Video: Band Of Skulls – “I Know What I Am”
Video: Band Of Skulls – “Death By Diamonds & Pearls”

Frank YangI’m not sure what happened between mid-February when the White Rabbits and Here We Go Magic tour was first announced and now, but somewhere along the line, White Rabbits made their fellow Brooklynites disappear from the bill – now their April 27 show at Lee’s Palace has them in the sole headlining position.

I’m sure that’s a disappointment to those who were keen to see Luke Temple’s new outfit, but the White Rabbits faithful should have no problem filling the room on their own – the band’s last show at the Horseshoe last October was plenty well-attended and the word on their 2009 release It’s Frightening and their intense and sweaty live shows has only spread since then.

Tickets for the show are $14.50 in advance, but courtesy of Maple Music, 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 White Rabbits” in the subject line and your full name in the body; the contest will close at 4PM, April 23.

MP3: White Rabbits – “Percussion Gun”
Video: White Rabbits – “Percussion Gun”

MySpaceWhen Hawksley Workman’s name last graced these pages, it was in the context of announcing a special intimate in-store at Criminal Records. This time, it’s with regards to a gig a little more appropriately-sized to his stature and fanbase – his April 24 show at Massey Hall.

The hometown gig at the grand old lady of Shuter Street will mark the end of cross-Canada tour that has stretched over almost two months in support of his two new records, Meat and Milk. Tickets range in price from $45 to $52 before service charges, but courtesy of LiveNation, I’ve got three pairs of passes to the show to give away. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Hawksley Workman” in the subject line and your full name in the body, and get that in to me before midnight, April 21.

The Chronicle-Herald and Daily Gleaner have interviews and The National Post an in-studio session with Workman.

MP3: Hawksley Workman – “Maniacs”

Jon BergmanKids, they grow up so fast. It was just a couple years ago that those Welsh scamps in Los Campesinos! were causing a ruckus via a free show at The Horseshoe with only their Sticking Fingers Into Sockets EP to warn folks what hijinks they were up to, but since then they’ve already released three albums, including this year’s Romance Is Boring, and have moved on to playing much bigger rooms. Case in point, their upcoming April 20 show in Toronto which will see them doing their thing in front of 1000 people at the Phoenix.

Tickets for the show are $16.50 in advance, but courtesy of LiveNation, I’ve got three pairs of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Los Campesinos!” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Winners will be chosen after midnight, April 15 and because I’ve realized that this is important to some, this is an all-ages show. Come one, come all.

Spin declares the band to be breaking out. As in popularity, not as in their skin. Though that’s probably still happening too.

MP3: Los Campesinos! – “There Are Listed Buildings”
MP3: Los Campesinos! – “The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future”
Video: Los Campesinos! – “There Are Listed Buildings”
Video: Los Campesinos! – “The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future”
Video: Los Campesinos! – “Romance Is Boring”

MySpaceTheir billing isn’t anything more than their names – Daniel, Fred & Julie being Daniel Romano of Attack In Black, Fred Squire of Shotgun & Jaybird and Calm Down It’s Monday and Julie Doiron, all-around Canadian indie-rock heroine. Their album of the same name is just as simple and unpretentious, captured to tape in monophonic sound at Squire’s Sackville, New Brunswick garage and featuring three talents strumming and singing old standards and a couple of original compositions.

It’s a simple and lovely recording that documents a specific week last Summer but the trio are seeking to recreate the intimacy and vibe on tour, and reports from the early shows imply that they’re either doing just that or creating a whole new kind of special. Toronto will see if they can do that at the Horseshoe on Thursday, April 15 – tickets are $12 in advance, but courtesy of Collective Concerts and Pigeon Row, I’ve got two pairs of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want Daniel, Fred, Julie & Me” in the subject line and your full name in the body, and have that in to me by midnight, April 13.

The Coast and SoundProof have features on the project, and now’s as good a time as any to note that Julie Doiron will be opening up for Basia Bulat at the Phoenix on June 4.

MP3: Daniel, Fred & Julie – “The Gambler & His Bride”
MP3: Daniel Fred & Julie – “Runner”