Laura WilsonWho: Josh Ritter
What: American singer-songwriter who recently expanded his CV to include novelist – his debut effort Bright’s Passage came out in 2011 – but has returned to music with the recent release of his seventh album, The Beast In Its Tracks.
Why: Written in the wake of the dissolution of his marriage, Beast brings an extra personal dimension to his signature narrative songwriting. He would like to sing those songs for you.
When: Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Where: The Danforth Music Hall in Toronto
Who else: Alex Church will perform as a solo Sea Wolf to open up.
How: Tickets for the show are $29.50 in advance but courtesy of Indoor Recess, I’ve got two prize packs consisting of a pair of passes and a copy of The Beast In Its Tracks on vinyl to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want the Josh Ritter” in the subject line and your full name and mailing address in the body, and have that to me by midnight, April 14.
What else: Exclaim has an interview with Ritter and you can download a live album at Noisetrade for free (or a donation).

Stream: Josh Ritter / The Beast In Its Tracks

Frank YangWho: The Joy Formidable
What: Welsh power trio who put the emphasis on “power”, as well as big hooks, guitar heroics, and general rock.
Why: Despite playing three shows in Toronto last year, most recently in November, this their first official tour in support of their second album, Wolf’s Law. But if the pattern holds, it certainly won’t be the last.
When: Friday, April 12, 2013
Where: The Phoenix in Toronto (19+)
Who else: Brookylnites Team Spirit and RIBS will support.
How: Tickets for the show are $18.50 in advance but courtesy of , I’ve got one pair of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want The Joy Formidable” in the subject line and your full name in the body and have that in to me before midnight, April 9.
What else: The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, The Lantern, and Minneapolis Star-Tribune have interviews with the band.

MP3: The Joy Formidable – “Wolf’s Law”
Video: The Joy Formidable – “Little Blimp”
Video: The Joy Formidable – “The Ladder Is Ours”
Video: The Joy Formidable – “Cholla”
Video: The Joy Formidable – “Wolf’s Law”

AmazonIt was a surprising thing to realize as I cued up my review copy of Delta Machine a few weeks ago, but it would actually be the first time I’d ever listen to a Depeche Mode in its entirety. I’ve heard many/all the big singles, of course, but never sat down with an album start to finish. It’s not been a deliberate shunning of their now thirteen album-deep discography, but their synth-first sounds didn’t click with me in my more impressionable high school days (circa Violator/Songs Of Faith & Devotion), and I’ve just never circled back around to re-investigate.

And while critical reception of Delta Machine has been decent, there’s been no Damascene moment that’s sent me on crash course to fill the Gahan-shaped hole in my musical education. But it’s alright, I guess. Sounds very much like what I would expect a Depeche Mode album to sound like. Maybe I’ll brush up with a best-of and see where that takes me. Maybe even to their Molson Amphitheatre show on September 2? Maybe.

None of which is especially salient to this giveaway, which is this. Courtesy of With A Bullet, I’ve got two prizes to give away – one for analog fans consisting of a copy of Delta Machine on LP and a copy of the “Heaven” 12″ single, and one for digital fans consisting of a copy of Delta Machine on CD – to give away. To enter, email me at contests@chromewaves.net with “I want Depeche Mode on CD” or “I want Depeche Mode on LP” in the subject line, as the case may be, and your full name and mailing address in the body and have that to me by midnight, April 13. Contest is open to Canadians only.

Video: Depeche Mode – “Soothe My Soul”
Video: Depeche Mode – “Heaven”

Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh MatadinIt might seem like Björk doesn’t tour much anymore – after all, it’s been nearly five years since she was last here headlining V Fest 2007 in support of Volta, but that was actually her last album before 2011’s Biophilia. So besides the fact that she’s been working at a slower pace than when the ’90s triumvirate of Debut/Post/Homogenic made her one of the most unconventional pop stars of Alternative Nation, there’s also the demands of raising a family, and anyways – if you could live here just watching TED talks or in hotels on the road watching ESPN, where would you rather hang out?

In any case, Biophilia initially came with an ambitious slate of live shows, but the preference for more intimate, in-the-round, month-long residencies over conventional shows limited the cities that could host her to the likes of New York, Paris, and Manchester and even if there were intentions of adding more cities, the need for vocal polyp surgery last Fall would have probably ixnayed those. All of which is to say, yes Björk has been away for a while but she’s not forgotten us – as I speculated last month, she is indeed making a stop between already-announced engagements at Ottawa Bluesfest and Pitchfork Festival, and will be at Echo Beach on July 16 with whatever wild, weird, and wonderful show she’s put together for this North American jaunt.

Tickets for the show are $64.50 and $85.00 for VIP, but courtesy of LiveNation, I’ve got one pair of passes to the show to give away before the regular onsale happens this Thursday morning at 10AM. To enter, email me at contests@chromewaves.net with “I want to see Bjork” in the subject line and your full name in the body, and have that in to me by midnight, April 3. Yes, that’s tomorrow night. Winners will be informed before the general on-sale goes live.

MP3: Björk – “Verandi”
MP3: Björk – “It’s In Our Hands”
MP3: Björk – “Cosmogony”
Video: Björk – “Mutual Core” (in Times Square)

Titus Andronicus have announced a May 2 date at Lee’s Palace in support of last year’s Local Business. Yes they’ve already been through for that one and yes, they’ll probably be back yet again before all is said and done. And you know why? Because people keep going. Tickets for this show are $18.50 in advance.

MP3: Titus Andronicus – “Ecce Homo”

Australia’s Presets are coming back to town behind last year’s Pacifica with a date at The Danforth Music Hall on May 10, tickets $25 plus attendant fees.

Video: The Presets – “Promises”

A PSA that the Marina & The Diamonds/Charli XCX show originally scheduled for May 23 at the Sound Academy has been moved to Echo Beach, a development that will probably be welcomed by everyone unless it rains, in which case it will be cursed. Noisey talks to Charli XCX about her debut album True Romance, due out April 15, and Consequence Of Sound has a stream of one of the new songs off of it.

Video: Marina & The Diamonds – “How To Be A Heartbreaker”
Stream: Charli XCX – “What I Like”

British rockers The Boxer Rebellion have announced a North American tour in support of their new album Promises, out May 14, and will be at The Opera House in Toronto on May 24, tickets $18.50. They talked to Billboard about what to expect from the new album.

MP3: The Boxer Rebellion – “No Harm”
Video: The Boxer Rebellion – “Diamonds”

With their new album Ultramarine ready for an April 16 release, Young Galaxy have made a May 31 date at Lee’s Palace to celebrate its release, tickets $15. The Line Of Best Fit has an interview with the band.

Stream: Young Galaxy – “Pretty Boy”

Marking the physical release of last Fall’s Heavyweight EP, Rachael Yamagata will be in town at The Mod Club on June 4 as part of her Dealbreaker Tour, tickets $16.50 in advance.

Video: Rachael Yamagata – “Even If I Don’t”

Perhaps realizing that the royalties from the Veronica Mars movie won’t start rolling in for a while, The Dandy Warhols have announced a lace anniversary tour for the only record of theirs anyone ever really cared about and will play Thirteen Tales Of Urban Bohemia in its entirety at The Phoenix on June 5, tickets $32.50.

Video: The Dandy Warhols – “Bohemian Like You”

Rancid will headline the Avenues and Alleways Fest at Echo Beach on June 12, featuring all manner of Rancid-approved punk bands. Tickets for that are $35 in advance.

Video: Rancid – “Ruby Soho”

British soul-funk saviours The Heavy have made a return engagement in support of last year’s The Glorious Dead; they’ll be at The Phoenix on June 19, tickets $17.50.

Video: The Heavy – “What Makes A Good Man”

Barely making himself scarce after being pretty much everywhere during Canadian Musicfest, Mac DeMarco will be at The Hoxton on June 30, tickets $14.

MP3: Mac DeMarco – “Freaking Out The Neighbourhood”

A second official batch of NXNE acts was announced last week, with notable names including punk vets Social Distortion, who will be headlining the free Yonge-Dundas Square show on the Thursday night, confirmation of Big Boi doing the same on the Sunday, Coeur de Pirate making her first appearance post-motherhood, and Fucked Up doing their thing at The Horseshoe on the Saturday night. Also likely to be a hot ticket is Montreal’s Majical Cloudz, recently signed to Matador for the May 21 release of Impersonator. In addition to the NXNE appearance, he/they’ll be at The Great Hall on May 13 supporting Youth Lagoon. And if you’re interested in all the artists officially announced for NXNE thus far, hit the artists page.

MP3: Majical Cloudz – “Childhood’s End”
MP3: Majical Cloudz – “Turns Turns Turns”

Some more additions to Toronto Urban Roots Fest of a decidedly domestic nature; joining a host of others at Garrison Common from July 4 to 7 will be Toronto twang-duo Whitehorse and ascendant Vancouver singer-songwriter Hannah Georgas. The former is playing on the Sunday, July 7, the latter on the Saturday, July 6.

Video: Whitehorse – “Achilles’ Desire”
Video: Hannah Georgas – “Somebody”

Noel Gallagher-approved, One Direction-baiting, Olympic-soundtracking, chart-topping English singer-songwriter Jake Bugg will make his Toronto debut at The Mod Club on August 3, tickets $15.

Video: Jake Bugg – “Lightning Bolt”

Jonathan BarnbrookWhile the surprise announcement in January that David Bowie would be releasing his first new album in a decade was largely met with equal parts shock and delight – though perhaps as much because he’d managed the impossible in keeping the existence of it a secret in hyper-connected 2013 as the actual prospect of new Bowie music. Most remarkably, though, was the fact that an artist who had successfully withdrawn from public life and transitioned into myth – and was alive and well enough to enjoy that status – had chosen to come come down from the mountain and possibly put that all at risk by reopening his legacy. Or maybe it’s not remarkable at all; after all, the man is an artist and artists create.

But strip away the remarkable narrative around The Next Day and you’ve still got a very good record that, while it doesn’t stand alongside his best epoch-defining records, still puts lie to the notion that he’s done nothing worthwhile since Scary Monsters. It is self-referential, but consciously so – the drum outro on “(You Will) Set the World on Fire” is not an accident – and the past is only used as a point of perspective; there’s no intent to try and recreate it or pretend he’s not every day of his sixty-six years.

He does intend, however, to prove that hexagenarians can rock. Fears that the first preview – “Where Are We Now?” – would set an elegiac, fragile tone for this album were wholly unfounded – The Next Day finds Bowie in full rock sophisticate mode, with “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” and “Valentine’s Day” as good as anything he’s done in the past 30 years. And while those who had romanticized the story of Bowie – enabled over the past decade by his “retirement” – may be frustrated that it’s not a work of absolute majesty and proves he’s still very much human and capable of missteps, those of us with more realistic expectations should be more than pleasantly surprised.

Courtesy of With A Bullet, I’ve got two copies of The Next Day – one on LP, one on CD – to give away to some lucky Canadian. To enter, email me at contests@chromewaves.net with “I want Bowie’s The Next Day on CD” or “I want Bowie’s The Next Day on LP” in the subject line, as the case may be, and your full name and mailing address in the body and have that to me by midnight, April 13. And again, Canucks only. Sorry, non-Canucks.

Video: David Bowie – “Where Are We Now?”
Video: David Bowie – “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)”