When I listed Suede’s Dog Man Star in the “now playing” section of a post recently, I got an IM from Duarte to the effect of, “Suede? Really?” Is it really a surprise that I like Suede and have, of late, been rediscovering just how bloody good their early stuff is? Sure, they were like the polar opposites of the naval-gazing shoegazey bands that generally define my favourite early-90s Brit bands, but that’s precisely why I’m such a fan.

While the singles off the first record are pretty much untouchable, as far as albums go I love the dark, romantic grandiosity of Dog Man Star so much more. It’s hard to believe that even though the sonic architect, guitarist Bernard Butler, walked out of the sessions halfway through due to friction with producer Ed Buller – it just sounds so complete and fully realized. The record is a doorway into a glamorously dystopian world that took “live fast, die you, leave a beautiful corpse” fully to heart. Just consider the singles – the anthemic defiance of “We Are The Pigs”, the desperately gorgeous “The Wild Ones”, the undistilled rapture of “New Generation”. The whole record drips with style, passion and fatalism the likes of which I haven’t heard in, oh, twelve years or so.

Though you’d think that all the strings, the horns, the layers upon layers upon layers of guitars and Brett Anderson’s voice, swooping and soaring overtop it all – would be a recipe for overblown excess but it’s not because that’s precisely the point. I love how unabashedly epic and melodramatic it all is – it’s simply tragic that by the time it was released, the UK had fallen for the decidedly more laddish and uninspiring sounds of Oasis and it was they that would define the Britpop era. Though the two albums that Anderson and Butler did produce together still stand as towering achievements even today, the next three records released by Suede don’t nearly measure up. It must be admitted that Butler’s replacement, Fat Richard (Oakes) was good for one record, the lighter and glammier Coming Up, but the follow-ups Head Music and A New Morning were sadly drab and uninspired. I was relieved when they called it quits at the end of 2003 if for no other reason than there would be no further dilution of the band’s legacy.

And, as it turns out, leaving Suede behind allowed Anderson to look to the future by reconciling with a friend from the past. I’ll get into both Butler and Anderson’s post-Suede projects in a later post (maybe even tomorrow). Unlike those of most legendary UK singer/guitarist duos that dissolve (Morrissey/Marr, Ashcroft/McCabe, Brown/Squire), they’ve actually done stuff that’s worthy of note after the fact. Well, Butler has. Anyway, their story’s not done.

But I leave you with this – vids from all the Dog Man Star singles (some featuring a Bernard stand-in!) and an MP3 of one of my favourite Suede songs (and one of Anderson’s least favourite), “Stay Together”. Release between the first two albums, it was the first sign that the band was looking to expand beyond the compact pop single. The full version (which I’ve posted) is eight and a half minutes of sheer romantic and dramatic musical bliss. Because of the band’s inexplicable disdain for the song, it didn’t appear on the otherwise excellent Sci-Fi Lullabies b-sides comp and remained pretty much out of circulation until the release of the Singles compilation in 2003 and even there it’s the radio edit, not the full version. Truly a shame.

MP3: Suede – “Stay Together”
Video: Suede – “Stay Together” (YouTube)
Video: Suede – “We Are The Pigs” (YouTube)
Video: Suede – “The Wild Ones” (YouTube)
Video: Suede – “New Generation” (YouTube)

Harp asks Johnny Marr how the hell one of the most influential guitarists of the last 25 years ended up as the new axeman in Modest Mouse – apparently Isaac Brock called up and asked. Damn, I wish I’d thought of that. We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank, the new record and first featuring Marr, is out in March.

Austinist has compiled a list of over 80 bands confirmed to appear at SxSW this year. Have to say – going over the list, I don’t see anyone that I’m overly excited about. I mean, there’s a lot of great acts but no one that I haven’t seen or won’t have the opportunity to see without hoofing it to Austin. That said, I know there’s at least a few bands who’ll be in attendance that aren’t on their list so there’s still plenty of time for some must-sees to go public.

And speaking of Austin and festivals, one of that city’s favourite sons – Daniel Johnston will be in Toronto on May 6 for the Over The Top Festival (via BrooklynVegan). I’ve seen him live before and he’s interesting. Very interesting.

More shows – Iceland’s Amiina are at the Music Gallery on March 27, tickets $15 while Electrelane and The Blow are at Lee’s May 18, tickets $13. I likes The Blow but am not likely to be around to attend. Alas.

The Globe & Mail reveals that a little more of Neil Young’s archives are coming to light in the next couple months. Though still not the capital-A Archives, he will follow up the release of last year’s Live at the Fillmore East with an audio document of two shows in Toronto some 36 years ago. Touring solo in support of Journey Through The Past, Young played two sold-out shows at Massey Hall on the evening of January 19, 1971 in what would become a legendary and oft-bootlegged concert (under the name Going Back To Canada). It’s sort of a staple of bit torrent sites and live show blog and while I’ve never actually heard it, I don’t doubt it’s worth hearing. There’s no formal title yet (Live At Massey Hall might be a safe bet though) but the article says that the set, possibly with accompanying DVD, is slated for release in March. Update: Billboard to the rescue – Live At Massey Hall will be out March 13 and the 8-CD and 2-DVD Archives Volume 1 will be out this Fall.

Also just seeing the light of day are the two tracks recorded by Young’s old outfit The Mynah Birds, famous for bringing together Young and the once and future Superfreak Rick James. The band recorded an album’s worth of material for Motown but all but one 7″ single were shelved when James was arrested for deserting the US Navy and for the most part, that era in Young’s career has gone unheard. The two tracks have finally seen the light of day, however, as part of the limited edition Complete Motown Singles box sets – Volume 6, disc 29 to be precise (though I’ve also heard that Young has bought the tracks from Motown for inclusion in his Archives release). The two songs – “It’s My Time” and “Go On And Cry” are really both excellent, the former a classically upbeat Motown pop number and the latter a slow, soulful ballad. It really makes you wonder what might have happened if James had been able to stick around? The seven-year deal they’d signed with Motown certainly showed the label had faith in them.

I’ve actually got MP3s of both Mynah Bird tracks but am reluctant to post them because, well, I obviously don’t have permission and I suspect that they’re the sort of thing that might attract the attention of a much higher-paid class of lawyer than a typical uncleared MP3 normally would. Which is a shame, because currently the only way to hear the songs otherwise is via a $100 box set or by waiting for Neil Young to finally release his own oft-delayed expansive (and expensive) box set. Or if you’re American you can access it via Rhapsody, however that works.

Sparklehorse’s Mark Linkous tells The AV Club that “I hate live performances so much” because “I hate the sound of my own voice”. Which obviously bodes well for their show at the Mod Club on February 23.

AOL’s Spinner 3×3 features three live videos of Neko Case taken from her just-released Austin City Limits CD and DVD.

How’s this for an eclectic bill? Portland’s Menomena, Sunderland UK’s Field Music and Montreal’s Land Of Talk, all at the El Mocambo on March 23. Menomena release Friend And Foe on January 23, Field Music’s Tones Of Town is out February 20 in North America and Land Of Talk will give Applause Cheer Boo Hiss an official US release on March 20.

Say Hi To Your Mom are at Sneaky Dee’s on April 3.

Drowned In Sound has a two–part interview with James Mercer of The Shins. Wincing The Night Away is out next Tuesday.

The Star-Ledger salutes the poster boys of keeping the rock’n’roll dream alive, The Wrens.

Merge Records had a very solid 2006 and they start of ’07 with on a good foot with the January 23 release of I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On, the debut full-length from the Los Angeles outfit formerly known as The Brokedown but now handing out business cards reading The Broken West.

These days, the term “power-pop” brings to mind – for me, at least – tunes that are as smart alecky as they are hooky, possibly with unnecessarily clean production. Not an inherently bad thing, but it can get a little samey after a while. Thankfully, The Broken West recall a time when the term meant big, ragged and swaggering sounds – huge debts are owed to Big Star and The Kinks and the eras they represent. These are names that get dropped a lot, but in this case the influence is true and paid proper respect. Guitars jangle and harmonies are stacked high and it all comes with a appealing amount of roughness and blue-collar grit. Some of the rootsiness more evident in their earlier incarnation still comes through, but mostly this is a fine, no frills rock album of the sort you don’t get enough of these days. Always welcome in my house.

Their Spring tour doesn’t bring them any closer to Toronto than Cleveland (which is to say not very close at all) but I’m sure they’ll make their way up here at some point. The New Pollution has an interview with Broken Westerner Dan Iead about how they ended up on one of the most respected indie labels in America.

MP3: The Broken West – “Down In The Valley”
MySpace: The Broken West

There’s a new video for M Ward’s “Requiem”, taken from Post-War. and intended to accompany the release of the EP for said song next month. An EP for “To Go Home”, also from Post-War, is due out next month and Ward is at the Mod Club next Saturday.

Video: M Ward – “Requiem” (YouTube)

The Washington Times talks to Matthew I Heart Music in its piece about how government funding helps/affects independent musicians in Canada. And speaking of I Heart Music, Matt’s got a recent Asobi Seksu radio session ripped for your listening pleasure.

Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post show My Morning Jacket some love, Colorado-style.

The Globe & Mail and The Gateway discuss the solo life with Emily Haines.

Seattle’s one-man studio project Aqueduct will be rounding up a full band when they stop in town on April 3 for a free show at the Horseshoe. Their/his new album Or Give Me Death is out February 20. Check out a couple songs from it below.

MP3: Aqueduct – “Living A Lie”
MP3: Aqueduct – “As You Wish”

24: First the small bits – when Morris and Milo go head to head, I just stare at their facial hair, trying to decide whose is more dubious. I think Milo wins, though considering that they were fighting over Chloe, they both sort of lose. I love how Jack’s learning to get his badass side back by manhandling yuppies. Maybe by hour eight he’ll be ready to handle a girl scout troop. And you know, you could give dress him up like some Alien/Predator hybrid with Darth Vader’s voicebox, but Kumar’s not threatening. He’s just not. A moot point now, though.

Like I mentioned yesterday, a lot of today’s two hours were standard 24 convention, but more like a whole season’s worth of the usual crammed into the first sixth of the season, almost like they were forcing themselves to get their usual fallbacks out of the way so they could (hopefully) spend the rest of the season trying something new. Like the shock ending which wasn’t really a shock – it was really the only thing they could do, right? It’s like one of the producers suddenly realized, “hey – these aren’t REAL people we’re killing. Let’s take em all out”. But the extra threat of the fallout certainly makes the rest of this season more interesting, though I dunno about those four other bombs. Look at all the hassle they went through to get this one hooked up, and everyone involved is now dust. Are we supposed to believe that a) the other four are in Los Angeles and b) they’re all plug-and-play? But Jack’s having to take down Curtis was definitely pretty rough. And nice touch with the vomit. That’s going the extra mile. And some bonus content – Cracked lists off four thisngs that 24 would have you believe (only four? Via Largehearted Boy) while the Jack Bauer Kill Count is dutifully logging every kill Jack makes this season (as they did the past five).

For the past three seasons, I’ve done a weekly commentary on each episode of 24. Why? I’ve really no idea. Just something to do, I guess. And even when the show got ridiculous, I stuck it out because, well, I’m compulsive like that. But every season, I wonder if I’m going to start it up again – it’d really make my life easier if I just stopped… and yet, here I am again. Damn you, Jack Bauer! Damn you! So here we go again, in SpoilerVision:

Random observations from the first two hours – Is it me or is this the first time they’ve come right out and called the terrorists “Muslims”, and not the slightly vaguer and less inflammatory “Arabs”? Hmm. We’ve also got Chloe in a suit with quite the neckline for a day at the office. I get the impression that the President paid a high price for Jack’s release. Just a hunch. And man, Jack’s looking all “Passion of the Bauer”. Though apparently he only grew that beard for one scene. What a waste. Somehow the idea of Bill and Karen bumping uglies just… unsettles me. But not as much as the fact that Jack buttoned his shirt up to the top button. Man, what’d the Chinese do to him? It’s kind of nice to see Kal Penn isn’t being typecast as “Indian guy”. He can do all types of “brown-skinned guy”. And “evil henchman”. I have to think that telling Jack “You will die for nothing” is probably the wrong thing to say… and he’s going to regret not cutting off his shootin’ finger when he had the chance. And that new sneak-vampire attack thing has to go down as Jack’s most gruesome kill in the past five/six years. For now anyways.

I found the second hour kind of settled into a standard 24 routine – Jack working against the government, scheming government toadie undermining the President, Jack teaming up with an unlikely ally, the drama unfolding in the suburbs. Honestly, the thing that struck me the most was on the subway – is that really how the LA Metro checks tickets? Seems really inefficient. Also, the bomber boarded from the middle of the platform and yet he and Jack were on the last car… hmm. I do like the fact that as all this going down, that terror attacks are happening all over the US. Definitely adds some tension and pressure right out of the gate, and really – why should LA have all the fun? I’m definitely curious to see what the huge twist that they’ve got planned for tonight is. It’s going to have to be something pretty spectacular to shock your typically jaded veteran 24 watcher. But I’ll be watching.

So how about that Friends In Bellwoods CD release show on Friday? Really, how was it? I had no idea that there were advance tickets available at Soundscapes so as a result I, along with a lineup of people stretched around the block from the Tranzac (a small block, but still) were shut out of the festivities when they announced that the show was completely sold out. Disappointing, sure, but at least it undoubtedly succeeded as a fundraiser for the Daily Bread Food Bank. I did pick up a copy of the CD on Saturday and it’s a really fine collection. Radio Free Canuckistan has an interview with Ohbijou’s Casey Mecija.

And also softening the blow is the fact that Ohbijou has been added to the bill with Under Byen and Frida Hyvonen at the Mod Club on March 8. There’s really no way this can’t be an amazing show.

And one to file under “wha?”, The Pipettes – surely one of the buzzier things out of the UK last year – are going to make their Toronto debut on March 10… at the tiny Rivoli which holds around 100 people. Though they’re not the last band on the bill – that’d be fellow Anglos The Smoke Fairies – the midnight slot tends the be the choicest one so I think it’d be fair to call that the Pipettes’ show. But what’s with the venue? Anyway, most of the CMW schedule is now up, save for some of the big venues/shows like at Lee’s, the ‘Shoe, etc. Via For The Records

British Sea Power fans would do well to head over to the band’s MySpace page as they’ve got a cover of Pavement’s “We Dance” a-streaming. Nice. They’ve just returned to Montreal to mix the new record which should be due out in late Spring/early Summer. Via The Tripwire.

This is Simon. He is my new cat. Today is his seven month birthday. Say happy birthday to Simon.