Hordur SveinssonThey may have lost their most recognizable features when the Valtysdottir twins left the band some years ago and took with them the voices that gave their breakout record Finally We Are No One its uniquely childlike and otherworldly qualities, but Iceland’s Mum have soldiered on. Sing Along To Songs You Don’t Know is the outfit’s fifth release and reflects the continued evolution of their lineup from conventional band into loose collective and their sound from tinkertoy electronica to toybox orchestra.

And their fanbase also continues to grow, as evidenced by their playing one of the larger rooms in the city – The Phoenix – when they visit Toronto on October 27. Tickets are $20 in advance but courtesy of Rootmeansquare, 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 my Mum” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Contest closes at midnight, October 25.

MP3: Mun – “Illuminated”
Video: Mum – “Sing Along”

White RabbitsIt appears to be a Leporidae-themed evening as I write up last night’s Bunnymen show and put together this contest for the White Rabbits show this weekend. And oh yes, I have a date with a pair of Playboy models later tonight. Okay, one of the aforementioned statements is false. I’ve already finished the Bunnymen writeup.

But seriously folks, I’m going to skip any editorializing on White Rabbits or their latest record It’s Frightening because, well, I need the material for the show review. All you really need to know is that the record is great, the show at the Horseshoe this Saturday night, October 24, is going to be great and both support acts – Suckers and The Balconies – come highly endorsed by those who know and are in the habit of endorsing things.

Tickets for the show are $15.50 in advance but courtesy of Against The Grain, 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 wascally White Wabbits” in the subject line and your full name in the body and get that in to me before midnight tomorrow night, October 25.

Okay, back to work.

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

Camilla StephanI commented in passing last week that I was surprised how much I was enjoying The Raveonettes’ latest record In And Out Of Control, and that “they no longer sound like a band that I always feel like I should like more than I do, and like a band that I could actually really like”. And by that, I meant that past records seemed a little heavy on concept and aesthetic but light on actual execution, but with just enough hookery and substance to provide a decent sugar buzz.

In And Out Of Control still has those qualities in spades as well as all the Spector/Wilson-worshipping fuzz-pop production, but just feels more substantial and satisfying somehow, like they’ve found a way to infuse sugar bombs with actual nutritional value. Or maybe they’ve just made them so irresistibly sweet and poppy that you don’t care that they’re wholly empty calories. I actually think that’s it. Either way, those first three songs are fizzy-pop bliss and the rest of the record measures up pretty well as well.

The Danish duo will be in town this Thursday night, October 22, for a show at the Phoenix. Tickets are $18.50 in advance but courtesy of Against The Grain, I’ve got two pairs of passes to give away to this show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to Rave On (ette)” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Contest closes at midnight, October 20. And if you enter this one and the David Bazan one for the same night, note which you’d prefer.

Out has an interview with The Raveonettes – who else could get away with asking, “Are either of you gay?” – and there’s a couple more pieces at hour.ca and The Quietus. There’s also tons of performance videos and interview bits at their own website.

MP3: The Raveonettes – “Last Dance”
Video: The Raveonettes – “Last Dance”
MySpace: The Raveonettes

The OrchardThere’s no question that discussion of David Bazan should center around his music, in particular his latest record and first under his own name Curse Your Branches, but to be honest, far more fascinating to me than his work is hearing the former Pedro The Lion frontman and Christian indie-rock standard bearer speak frankly about his crises of faith that have recently led him to leave those names, titles and beliefs behind.

In particular, this extensive interview at eMusic had me riveted, and for someone as ADD as I typically am (though generally tempered by my OCD), that’s saying something. If you’ve got the time and inclination to delve into some heavy themes, it’s worth a read. And I expect similar ground is covered in these pieces at The Village Voice and Express Night Out, as well as this audio interview at NPR.

But hey, he may be out on the road but he’s not evangelizing (or reverse-evangelizing, as the case may be) – he’s playing music. And he’ll be playing said music at Lee’s Palace this Thursday night. Tickets are $11.50 in advance but courtesy of Against The Grain, I’ve got two pairs of passes to give away to this show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I believe in David Bazan” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Contest closes at midnight, October 20.

And more music, check out his recent session at Daytrotter.

MP3: David Bazan – “Bless This Mess”
MySpace: David Bazan

PitchforkBroadcast are a band whom I’ve not really kept up with since their 2000 debut The Noise Made By People, though I’m aware that they’ve downsized considerably since that album and now exist mainly as the duo of Trish Keenan and James Cargill. Similarly, Deerhunter are a band whom, on paper, I should adore but the little I’ve heard from them appeals superficially but has yet to actually grab my attention and not let go. So I have less to say about Atlas Sound, the solo incarnation of Deerhunter leader Bradford Cox than I do about the main band, which is not a lot.

But I can tell you that Broadcast are releasing a split EP with The Focus Group entitled Broadcast and the Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age, out on October 27, and Atlas Sound have a new record entitled Logos out next week. They are also co-headlining a tour which hits Lee’s Palace next Saturday night, October 24. Tickets are $13 in advance but courtesy of Rootmeansquare, 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 broadcast sound around the atlas” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Contest closes at midnight, October 21.

MySpace: Broadcast
MySpace: Atlas Sound