Another holiday weekend token post! Yay!

If yesterday’s Son Volt contest isn’t your speed, I’ve got another option for you to fill out your itinerary for next Thursday night. Austin drone merchants The Black Angels will be at the Horseshoe on April 12 with New York’s VietNam, and 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 The Black Angels” in the subject line, your full name and the answer me this – “Where did The Black Angels draw inspiration for their name?” This is easy – maybe easier than, “Where did VietNam get their name?”. Maybe. And speaking of VietNam, check out their Daytrotter session, if you’re curious.

Also note that even if you’ve entered the Son Volt contest and win, you’re not necessarily ineligible for this one – SV is an early show and it’s entirely reasonable to say that you’d be able to hoof it from the Mod Club to the ‘Shoe in time to see The Black Angels. But if, perchance, you do win both and don’t want to schedule a doubleheader, let me know. Of course, this could have been sorted out by email after the fact and not in the post. But I’ve already typed it and can’t be bothered to erase it. Anyway. Contest closes April 9 at midnight.

MP3: The Black Angels – “The First Vietnamese War”
MP3: VietNam – “Welcome To My Room”
Video: Black Angels – “Black Grease” (YouTube)
Video: VietNam – “Too Tired” (YouTube)
MySpace: The Black Angels
MySpace: VietNam

Son Volt are currently on the road in support of their new record The Search, a jaunt which brings them to Toronto next Thursday, April 12, for an early show at the Mod Club.

I always find it interesting, as the comments in this post last month demonstrate, how riled up some people get when discussing the pros and cons of Jay Farrar – especially considering he’s pretty much the epitome of “keep on doing what I’m doing”, regardless of what others think. But I think it comes down to this: if, after all these years, you’re still interested in what Jay’s doing, you’ll find something to enjoy in all his work, The Search included. And if you’re not, you’d have turned your attention elsewhere long ago. Metromix has some fun with a surprisingly game Farrar while The Press-Enterprise, The Herald and The Colorado Springs Independent also have chats with him about the new record.

And accompanying Son Volt on this leg of the tour is Drive-By Trucker Jason Isbell. As More Cowbell reports, his long-awaited solo record Sirens Of The Ditch will be out July 10 and I’m definitely looking forward to hearing him preview it next week. The Times Daily talks to Isbell about striking out on his own while The News Times talks to bandmate Pattersoon Hood about the current state of the DBT nation.

I guess I should get to the contest portion of this post, eh? Okay – courtesy of Against The Grain, I’ve got two pairs of passes to give away to the Son Volt/Jason Isbell show next week. I’ve ALSO got a copy of The Search on CD to give away. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want me some Son Volt” in the subject line and in the body, your full name if you’re angling for the passes and your full mailing address if you’d rather score the CD. Naturally, if you want the passes please live in Toronto or surrounding areas but if you want the CD, that’s open to whoever. If you’re a local and want a shot at the passes AND the CD, include your mailing address and mention that you’ll take either. We’ll see how this shakes out. Clear as mud? Good. Contest closes at midnight, Monday April 9.

Stream: Son Volt – “The Picutre” (QT)
Stream: Son Volt – “Circadian Rhythm” (QT)
Stream: Son Volt – “The Search” (QT)
MySpace: Son Volt

There’s been a lot of Scotland covered this week so let’s jump across the Irish Sea for a moment and meet Dublin’s The Butterfly Explosion, though this weekend we don’t really need to make the trek since they’re right here in Toronto for a show at Neutral on Saturday as part of Kensington Station, one of the myriad indie/Britpop/dance nights here in Hogtown, and also on Tuesday for a free show at the Horseshoe.

Though Irish they may be, they draw their influences from the UK and in particular, the era in the early to mid 1990s affectionately called “the shoegaze years”. Their first EP Vision, available to download in its entirety from their website, balances a couple of rather unremarkable rock tunes alongside an atmospheric instrumental piece that’s also a bit aimless but does foreshadow the direction of their new EP, Turn The Sky. The new record is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor, with more assured songwriting that runs from spaced-out ambience to fuzzed-out dream-pop. It’s still not much of a challenge to play “spot the influence” but it’s shimmering and lovely in all the right places, and there’s no reason to think it won’t make an excellent soundtrack for an evening out. Or two.

And if you needed another reason to head to Neutral on Saturday night, consider the other band on the bill – The Airfields. I’ve declared my affection for the band many times before and considering it’s been over a year since I’ve seen them perform, it’ll be a treat to see them back in action. They’ve been largely in park over the last eight or nine months – hopefully this and a couple of upcoming shows (April 19 at Sneaky Dee’s, May 18 at Rancho Relaxo) will signal a permanent return to action for one of Toronto’s finest indie-pop outfits.

MP3: The Butterfly Explosion – “Sophia”
MP3: The Butterfly Explosion – “Chemistry”
MP3: The Butterfly Explosion – “The Great Game”
MP3: The Airfields – “Nowhere Left To Go”
MySpace: The Buttefly Explosion

More generosity from Tanya Donelly – after posting a slew of demos from both the Belly days and her solo records, she’s now posted a bunch of tracks from the live shows that made up her last record This Hungry Life but didn’t make the album. Tanya = the best.

Stylus interviews Dean & Britta. NPR also has a session they did for World Cafe.

Spinner asks five questions of Feist. Inanity levels are in the orange but Leslie is game. eye also reports from the set of Feist’s next video, shot at Pearson airport. The Reminder is out May 1.

Remember what I said yesterday about Idlewild not being able to catch a break? Well the streak continues – Billboard reports that their US label Sanctuary is pulling a V2 and going catalog-only after they work their current release lineup (including Make Another World).

Another artist affected by their slow shuttering is ex-Cranberry singer Dolores O’Riordan who will be releasing her solo debut Are You Listening? on May 15 and kicking off her north American tour at the Phoenix in Toronto on July 7.

The London Paper talks to Fields. They’ve also got a video interview alongside it.

Pitchfork talks to Nick Cave and Jim Sclavunos about Grinderman.

Filter has posted online their recent cover story on TV On The Radio.

Some more acts announced for Virgin Festival Toronto – day one will now also feature The Arctic Monkeys, MIA and Mute Math while day two is bolstered by Metric, Peter Bjorn & John and Honeycut. Now this is obviously all subject to personal taste, but taken together with the previously announced headliners, it seems to me that day one is stomping all over day two in a big way. Just sayin’.

Carl Newman talks to Pitchfork about the next New Pornographers album, almost certainly out in August and to be called Challengers.

Stereogum talks to members of The National about their day jobs, literature and touring. The sublime Boxer is out May 22 and they’re at the Opera House on June 5.

Chart talks to Stuart Livingstone about life in A Northern Chorus. Note that their new record The Millions Too Many just got a 4-N review from NOW and also that I’m still giving away passes to their show on Friday at the El Mocambo with The Twilight Sad. If you were to enter right now, your odds would be very very very good. Just so you know.

You have to feel for Edinburgh’s Idlewild. Over the past few years, they’ve not only become the poster children for absurdly staggered release dates in the UK and North America (delays of approximately 8 and 6 months for the last two albums) and non-existant label support when they finally did get released, there was the fact that the most brand recognition they’ve gotten on these shores in the last few years was thanks to the Outkast film that shared their name.

But most frustrating must be the fact that each release, no matter how solid it is on its own merits, always seems to be held up to the measuring stick of their second record, 100 Broken Windows, and found wanting. And that’s fair – 100 Broken Windows was a spectacular record, the perfect blend of the raw, ragged energy of youth, a refined and sophisticated lyricism and melodicism far beyond their years and the artistic ambition of a band with a desire to just be another raw and ragged young act. With their two subsequent releases, The Remote Part and Warnings/Promises the balance swung towards the latter, indulging their more anthemic and bombastic tendencies with slicker production values. They were still commendable records with killer singles, but left one yearning for some of the reckless abandon of their breakthrough album.

After parting ways with Parlophone in 2005, they began work on their sixth record (if you include their 1998 debut mini-album Captain) but opted to set the folkier material aside for singer Roddy Woomble’s solo record My Secret Is My Silence and concentrate on the rock for Make Another World, out this week in North America. And it’s a move that pays off – World is Idlewild’s rawest, most energized effort in years. It doesn’t fully recapture the punkish spirit that informed their early work – there’s no reason it would, they’re not kids anymore – but the guitars are louder, the tempos higher and Woomble’s delivery more fiery than they’ve been in years. Some approach each new Idlewild release expecting to be disappointed and I don’t doubt they’ll find some angle from which to pick this record apart but I found it to be a surprising and welcome return to form. And also note that the North American edition contains two bonus tracks not available on the UK version including a Neil Young cover.

Metro talks to Woomble about the new record and also the Ballads Of The Book compilation that was also his brainchild and to which Idlewild contribute a track. It’s a collection of songs featuring lyrics from contemporary Scottish authors and poets put to music by a who’s who of Scottish musicians. For more info, check out the minisite devoted to the project and also this piece in The Inverness Courier that talks to the pairing of author Ali Smith and The Trash Can Sinatras.

MP3: Idlewild – “In Competition For The Worst Time”
Stream: Idlewild / Make Another World
Video: Idlewild – “No Emotion” (YouTube)
Video: Idlewild – “If It Takes You Home” (YouTube)
MySpace: Idlewild

And while I’m still in the highlands, head over to Pitchfork, who’re streaming Camera Obscura’s cover of ABBA’s “Super Trouper”, a b-side from their single for “Tears For Affairs”. You can watch the video for said single below. Also, Tracyanne Campbell talks to The Highland News.

Video: Camera Obscura – “Tears For Affairs” (YouTube)

According to NME, The View have again canceled their North American tour (including a May 4 show at Lee’s Palace), which itself was a postponement of a tour originally slated for March. The reason given are “visa and immigration issues” – maybe like the fact that the lead singer pleaded guilty to cocaine possession back in February. Guess someone was overly optimistic that the US and Canadian immigration folks would overlook that little indiscretion.

Sea Wolf, who didst impress at SxSW last month, are coming to town on May 9 opening for Silversun Pickups at Lee’s Palace. Not such a fan of the headliners but I may check it out if just to see the support. Also just announced (and nautically named), The Sea & Cake will be at the Mod Club on June 2 – full dates at Pitchfork.

And oh yes, Wilco, Massey Hall, June 30. Thanks Kevin. Full North American tour dates here.

The worlds of professional sports and indie rock rarely bump heads, but I’ve got not one but two bits on that very theme. First off, Over The Top Fest – scheduled for the first weekend of May – recently took on the CFL (that’s Canadian Football League to our American cousins) after learning that they had named part of their 2007 Grey Cup festivities, happening this Fall, Over The Top In Toronto. While there’s little practical chance of a horde of pro football fans mistaking a Daniel Johnston gig for a tailgate party, it was probably still prudent to take some action and as Chart reports, the football league has been amicable to changing their event name to avoid potential confusion. But I think as a gesture of goodwill, Julie Doiron should sing the national anthem at the championship game.

And speaking of anthems, everyone’s talking about The Hold Steady recording a version of “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” for the Minnesota Twins. Craig Finn (now with beard!) talked to MTV about how it came about and they also have a video of them recording said track, but it can only be viewed in the US (boo!). But you can still head to Stereogum for an MP3 of the track.

And finally, The Toronto Star gets a look at the musical tastes of various Toronto athletes and while most of it is what you’d expect, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Boyd Devereaux surprises with the revelation that he digs on Explosions In the Sky, My Morning Jacket and The Besnard Lakes. Devereaux talked a bit about his musical tastes and adventures in indie rock.