Frank YangThe Wedding Present play Bizarro – seems like it should be a pretty straightforward thing, right? Just as they did for their debut George Best in 2007, the Leeds UK legends are marking the 20th anniversary of their sophomore effort with a tour wherein they’ll play the entirety of the record live, but unlike the George Best tour, they’re bringing this one over to North America.

But which Bizarro? The original Bizarro, clocking in at 10 tracks and 47 minutes? The extended US edition which inserted the Brassneck EP between tracks 9 and 10, resulting in a, er, bizarre listening experience that gave the American listener “Brassneck” twice – albeit two different versions (the one on the single was recorded by Steve Albini) – or the 2001 “Camden Deluxe” reissue, which had the good sense to add the “Brassneck” tracklisting after the original running order and three more period-correct songs. Clearly the last of these would offer the best value, though any show dedicated to reproducing the Bizarro experience really should end with “Be Honest”.

We’ll have to wait and see come Wednesday night, April 14, when the Gedge and company arrive at the Horseshoe. Tickets for the show are $17.50 in advance but courtesy of Collective Concerts, I’ve got a pair of passes to give away for this show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want a bizarro Wedding Present” in the subject line and your full name in the body, and get that in to me before midnight, April 12.

New York Press talks to David Gedge about the anniversary tour, and before you ask, word is there will be more songs performed before they begin the Bizarro run-through and no, there will not be an encore.

Video: The Wedding Present – “Brassneck”

Last.fmThe latest in the string of lo-fidelity heroes is Bethany Cosentino, who plies her languid, fuzz-laden trade under the guise of Best Coast. Along with her partner in crime Bobb Bruno, she sings simple, catchy throwback tunes about boys that are more suited to buzzing out of a transistor radio – perhaps resting on a beach blanket – than computer speakers though given the internet buzz surrounding the project the last few months, that’s probably where the songs are mostly being heard. Good thing those generally sound pretty crap as well.

Their official output currently consists only of a couple of 7″s but an album is being prepped for a late Summer/early Fall release and the band are testing out the new material on the road, including a date at The Garrison in Toronto on Tuesday, April 13. Tickets are $10 in advance but 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 to live on the Best Coast” in the subject line and your full name in the body – contest closes at midnight, April 11th.

There’s a couple interviews with Cosentino at Spinner, and also pieces at The Breeze and eye.

MySpace: Best Coast

Shawn BrackbillOnce up a time, Sub Pop was synonymous with big, loud, sloppy rock music, making their name by releasing records from the likes of Mudhoney, Soundgarden and Nirvana. Then at some point in the past decade or so, they reinvented themselves as the home to soundtrack-friendly indie-pop, a la The Postal Service and The Shins, and sensitive singer-songwriter types like Fleet Foxes and Iron & Wine.

Anyone worrying that the label’s A&R department has gotten too soft, however, need look no further than Allentown, Pennsylvania’s Pissed Jeans, who’ve released their last two albums – 2007’s Hope For Men and 2009’s King Of Jeans – on the venerable Seattle-based indie. If their name didn’t tip you off, Pissed Jeans are kind of the farthest thing from bearded Americana – certainly more hardcore than grunge, but loud, abrasive and honestly kind of unpleasant. Which I suspect is the point.

They’re hitting the road next week and will be bringing their bodily fluids to the Horseshoe on April 12; tickets are $12 in advance but courtesy of Union Events, I have two pairs of passes to give away to the show – to enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want Pissed Jeans” (don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone) and your full name in the body. Contest closes at midnight, April 8.

MP3: Pissed Jeans – “Dream Smotherer”
MP3: Pissed Jeans – “False Jesii (Part 2”)
MP3: Pissed Jeans – “People Person”
MP3: Pissed Jeans – “I’ve Still Got You (Ice Cream)”

Tessa AngusWhen Black Rebel Motorcycle Club first surfaced nigh on a decade ago (egads), they were both hailed as garage/psych-rock revivalists clad in scowls and black leather jackets and dismissed as, well, garage-psych-rock revivalists clad in scowls and black leather jackets. They’ve since managed to forge a respectable career that’s taken them from the the aforementioned drone rock to stripped down, acoustic blues-country and back again while losing members, regaining members and losing them again (all of the above referring to founding and now departed drummer Nick Jago).

Their latest album Beat The Devil’s Tattoo – their first with new permanent drummer Leah Shapiro – is perhaps their most realized effort in fusing their amplified and acoustic sides, featuring plenty of volume and riffage but some bluesy swagger injected into their big rock sound, more dynamics across the breadth of the album and improved songwriting of the sort that only comes when you realize you can’t hide always behind a distortion pedal or ten.

Through all the changes the band’s gone through, their fans have remained steadfast – so much so that when their show at the Phoenix this past Thursday sold out, they had to add a second date a week and a half later at the same venue – they’re back next Sunday, April 11 – and that one’s almost sold out as well. Tickets are $25 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 join the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club” in the subject line and your full name in the body, and have that in to me before midnight, April 7.

And if that’s two shows in a fortnight isn’t enough Black Rebel for you, the band have announced they’re playing an in-store – presumably acoustic – at the Sunrise Records at Yonge and Dundas the afternoon of April 11 at 4PM. Obviously getting there early is advisable.

The Aquarian and News Of The World have interviews with BRMC.

MP3: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – “Beat The Devil’s Tattoo”
Video: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – “Beat The Devil’s Tattoo”

Bao NguyenOne more appropriately-named act and they could have billed it as, “Girls! Girls! Girls!”; instead, the Phoenix will have to settle for hosting Girls, Dum Dum Girls and Leisure (would it kill them to change their name to “Leisure Girls”?) on April 9. Not bad, considering that Girls were one of the breakout new bands of 2009 with the fuzzy, lo-fi pop of their cryptically-titled debut Album and Dum Dum Girls appear set to follow in their footsteps with their just-released first record, I Will Be.

Tickets for the show are $16.50 in advance but courtesy of Collective Concerts, 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 Girls” in the subject line (though that’s probably sure to go straight to the spam folder) and your full name in the body. Contest will close at midnight, April 7.

Philadelphia Weekly and Exclaim interview Dum Dum Girls.

MP3: Girls – “End Of The World”
MP3: Girls – “Laura”
MP3: Girls – “Lust For Life””
MP3: Dum Dum Girls – “D.A.L.”
MP3: Dum Dum Girls – “Jail La La”