Illustration by ImeemThat Diplo would headline the tour that bears his label’s name is a bit of a no-brainer. That he’d fill out the lineup with Los Angeles dance-punks Abe Vigoda, the Brooklyn-based embodiment of the “if you can’t say anything nice…” adage Telepathe and UK electro act Boy 8-Bit is rather more surprising (okay, not so much that last one) but genre shmengre, right?

The tour is now underway and hits Circa in Toronto next Tuesday night, and courtesy of tour sponsors Incase, I’ve got a prize pack to give away consisting of a pair of passes to said show – that’s October 21 for the calendar-challenged – and a 15″ hardshell Macbook Pro case featuring custom tour artwork by artist Jacob Chabot. Don’t have a Macbook Pro? Planning on getting one of the new ones? Not my problem.

To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Diplo” in the subject line and your full name and mailing address in the body. Since this is coming right up, it’ll just run this weekend – get entries in to me by midnight, October 19.

NOW is all over this tour with features on Diplo as well as Abe Vigoda. JAM also has an interview with the former and eye with the latter.

I imagine you’d have to flip a coin.

How else to decide who headlines a double-bill the likes of which are teaming up for the “Rock And Roll Means Well” tour cutting across the continent this November? The Drive-By Truckers or The Hold Steady? Both their latest albums – Brighter Than Creation’s Dark and Stay Positive, respectively – are solid though not career-defining moments. By virtue of their storytelling abilities? The Truckers weave a pretty rich Southern gothic narrative, but the Hold Steady’s tales of parties gone right and wrong resonate with most anyone who’s ever been young and stupid. How about their guitar prowess? Sure, Tad Kubler slings a pretty mean axe, but the Truckers sling in triplicate. Facial hair? Patterson Hood certainly works that beard, but there’s naught that can measure up to the mighty ‘stache of Franz Nicolai.

Well as it happens they’re not keeping score and are instead just alternating headline slots from one night to the next, and when the rock cavalcade rolls into the Phoenix on November 11, it’ll be the Truckers rocking things out well past curfew. And courtesy of Against The Grain, I’ve got two pairs of passes to give away to someone(s) ready to hoist a beer with one hand and throw up the three-finger devil salute with the other. To enter, leave a comment in the post (with your correct email spamproofed as necessary) and tell me who you think should close out the show and why. Contest closes at midnight, November 4 so you’ve got some time to think about it.

Tiger Weekly talks to the Truckers bassist Shona Tucker while The Clarion-Ledger, The Corrie Tandem and Charleston City Paper get some time with Hood.

MP3: Drive-By Truckers – “Zip City”
MySpace: Drive-By Truckers
MySpace: The Hold Steady

Photo via MySpace

With Comets On Fire, Ethan Miller has proven a certain facility with recreating the sounds and textures of a bygone era, namely the sprawling space-rock jams and fuzz-laden psychedelia of the ’70s. With his other band, Howlin’ Rain, he’s demonstrated his stylistic versatility by recreating different sounds and textures of that same bygone era, namely the sprawing blues-rock boogies and organ-laden classic rock and funk of the ’70s. Hey, you can’t say the man doesn’t know what he likes.

The San Francisco outfit are on tour in support of their new album Magnificent Friend and will be at the Horseshoe next Monday night, October 13, with locals Quest For Fire as support. And, courtesy of rootmeansquare, I’ve got two pairs of passes to give away for the show. If you’re looking for an excuse to break out your bell bottoms, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Howlin’ Rain” in the subject line and your full name in the body and get that in to me by midnight, October 9.

The Free Lance-Press and The Lumberjack have interviews with Miller.

MP3: Howlin’ Rain – “Dancers At The End Of Time”
MySpace: Howlin’ Rain

Photo by Steve Gullick

So next Sunday night, when most are sitting down to carve up a turkey or tofurkey or turducken and giving thanks for the last long weekend for more than two months, others – presumably those without families who love them – will be gathering at the Phoenix to welcome Austin’s Okkervil River to town.

And they’ll be giving thanks that the Okkervil M.O. of releasing an album (last year’s sublime The Stage Names), touring to support (last September’s barn-burner at Lee’s Palace), then releasing a second album from those sessions (last month’s The Stand-Ins) and again touring to support (the aforementioned Phoenix show). And odds are, as soon as they’re off the road this time out, they’ll be right back in the studio. Lather, rinse, repeat.

The album that’ll likely be focused on this time out – The Stand-Ins – is a worthy companion to The Stage Names. It’s consistent in theme, focusing on the relationships between performer and audience and the price of fame, but with a more rollicking delivery that gives it a more sprightly and sloppy feel than its more meticulous a-side. It’s impossible to imagine that anyone would enjoy the first record but find the second one in some way lacking, so while it might be a little less a coherent whole or as immediately memorable as last year’s release, it’s still a very worthy work that proves the band to be at the very top of their game. The more music they release whilst in this zone, the better.

And courtesy of Against The Grain, I’ve got two pairs of passes to give away to next Sunday’s show with Crooked Fingers as support. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I give thanks for Okkervil River” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Contest closes at midnight, October 9.

MP3: Okkervil River – “Lost Coastlines”
Video: Okkervil River – “Lost Coastlines”
MySpace: Okkervil River

Photo by Frank Yang

Electro-funk duo Chromeo were far and away the best act at this year’s Rogers Picnic, pulling off the not insignificant feat of getting the crowd dancing even though every move sunk them deeper and deeper into the mud pit that was Fort York. Things should be a little bit drier when they headline the Red Bull Big Bang dance party at Muzik next week on October 9.

They’re performing alongside the likes of Jamie Lidell and Calvin Harris (DJ duties) and courtesy of Last Gang Records, I’ve got two pairs of passes to give away to the festivities. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to show off my fancy footwork” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Contest closes at midnight, October 6.

UGO has an interview with P-Thugg and Billboard talked to Dave 1 about the band’s plans for their next album.

And Muzik is at the Dufferin end of the Exhibition Place grounds in the former Horticulture building, if you were wondering. ‘Cause I sure as hell didn’t know.

MP3: Chromeo – “Fancy Footwork”
Video: Chromeo – “Bonafide Lovin'”
Video: Chromeo – “Fancy Footwork'”
Video: Chromeo – “Tenderoni'”
MySpace: Chromeo