Eels and Smoosh. The enigmatic depressive pop orchestra conductor and the sunshiney, barely-tween sister keyboard/drums duo. Whoever put this bill together was either brilliant or insane – time would tell.

I’ve never been big on E/Eels/Mark Everett. I recall him getting some songs as A Man Called E on a CFNY/HMV sampler thing way back in the early 90s that, while surely gave evidence of Everett’s pop saavy, also came off to me as horribly cliche and melodramatic in its angstiness. Keep in mind that I was what, 17 at the time? I had plenty of angst of my own, thank you very much. When he reconstituted himself as Eels and had his “Novocaine For The Soul” mini-hit, it just reinforced my preconceptions of the guy and I carried on ignoring him for the past decade, even though his albums would often get glowing reviews from the press. But that said, I think I came into the show with an open mind even if I probably wouldn’t have gone had Smoosh not been on the bill.

Though the show was sold out, there was hardly anyone in the audience when Smoosh took the stage. Maybe it was the early 7PM start time or the street festival outside but it took a little while before the crowd began to fill out. Either way, the Smoosh set was short and compact and intense. Not intense like Henry Rollins in your face, but both Asya and Chloe were super-focused on the task at hand and with concentration (and maybe a little nervousness) etched on their faces the like of which you wouldn’t normally see on a 12- and 14-year old. Musically, Smoosh are almost critic-proof. Both sisters are perfectly solid on their instruments and the songwriting on Free To Stay, just released, is a hell of a lot more sophisticated than you’d expect. Yeah, their lyrics can be a little vague but how articulate or open were you at that age? And this will probably be the only time I say this about anyone, but I’d like to hear how their vocals sound when they have the lung capacity of an adult.

And back to Eels. I’d been told their live show was something to behold and you know what? I really was. Ostensibly touring in support of the Eels With Strings – Live At Town Hall album, this tour was dubbed “No Strings Attached” and good to their word, Eels performed as a three-and-a-half piece outfit. The half being a big Altamont-looking dude in a black “Security” t-shirt who acted as MC, dancer and spot guitarist and keyboardist. I don’t know where they found such a Renaissance man, but he was some piece of work, be it with his karate dance moves or his non-sequiter between-song one-liners. He, combined with the rest of Eels performing in matching jumpsuits, goggles and beards made for a suitably surreal visual experience. That it was obviously all tightly coreographed and planned didn’t take too much away from the Jared Hess-ian vibe (unless you really hate contrived absurdism, which I normally do but was willing to let it slide).

Though totally unfamiliar with pretty much every song, I could at least appreciate the energy and arrangements of Eels’ rough and rootsy sound. I suspect that Everett’s compositions are infinitely malleable and these were just one of many incarnations the songs have gone through – after all, there was no way they could have suited a string section the way they performed. On the whole, I enjoyed the show, particularly with the showmanship, though I am not possessed by any strong urge to go out and buy Shootenanny!. I should note the two-song encore was especially fun as the Smoosh girls ran out onstage and danced up a storm with Security Joe – apparently this is what they had been saving up all the energy from their own set for.

I was disappointed that there was a big “no photography” sign at the entrance to the club, so there’s no Smoosh photos. After all – I didn’t want to be the one who got tossed for taking pictures of pre-teen girls… but I did snap a few of Eels – sorry, but you can’t make your show that visual without expecting folks to want to capture some of that. And anyway, I wasn’t the first one to start clicking. Check them out here. I Am Fuel, You Are Friends has an Eels Black Session from 2000 up for grabs and Vagrant has an ecard for Live From Town Hall.

MP3: Eels – “Sweet L’il Thing”
MP3: Smoosh – “Find A Way”
MySpace: Eels
MySpace: Smoosh

Magnet asks Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore about new album Rather Ripped.

And on the cover of the new Magnet is Belle & Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch. The occasion is the 10th anniversary of the release of the band’s debut, Tigermilk. Incendiary has an expansive re-think of their whole catalog and there’s a couple new videos out there for watching – “The Blues Are Still Blue” has been around for a while, but “White Collar Boy” is brand spanking new.

Video: Belle & Sebastian – “The Blues Are Still Blue” (YouTube)
Video: Belle & Sebastian – “White Collar Boy” (YouTube)

Nick White tells Flagpole that he had no problem with making Tilly & The Wall’s Bottom Of Barrels available to download for free. Which they did.

np – Mojave 3 / Puzzles Like You

I haven’t done any movie roundups for a little while and I have been seeing movies – so here’s some that are sort of related. Same studio, similar themes, pure coincidence.

Terry Zwigoff / Art School Confidential (Sony Pictures Classics) Terry Zwigoff, Daniel Clowes. After Ghost World, that should be a recipe for a decent film at the very least, right? Not so much. Remember the scene in Ghost World with Illeana Douglas as the art teacher? This basically takes that gag and stretches it out to feature length with an exceptionally lame murder mystery storyline tacked on. It starts out alright and is amusing when they stick to light skewering of artiste stereotypes but it fails to give any of the characters anything resembling depth or empathy. Not nearly clever enough to function as a satire and just generally clumsy all around. Disappointing, especially from creators who should know better. Trailer: Art School Confidential

Pedro Almodovar / Bad Education (Sony Pictures Classics) I’m a pretty big fan of Almodovar’s films if for no other reason than they a) always look amazing and b) never fail to have some theme or image or something stick with me long after it’s over – no mean feat for someone with an attention span like mine. His latest film (excepting Return, which just premiered at Cannes) is a little bit of a departure as the main story is a sort of mystery-thriller with an extra-twisty story-within-a-story-within-a-story structure. As such, it turns out a bit darker than I’d expected but is still immensely satisfying and stimulating. Gael Garcia Bernal, in particular, is amazing in his two or three roles (I lost track). I only had one question – if you’ve seen the DVD and seen the deleted scenes, wouldn’t those, if included, had completely screwed up the way the entire plot unfolded? I can’t figure out why they were even shot. Trailer: Bad Education

Mike Mills / Thumbsucker (Sony Pictures Classics) A small, charming and only slightly precious coming-of-age film loaded with more star power than you’d expect. Basically the story of a teen who tries to give up sucking his thumb as a rite of adolescence, it’s got your fairly standard crises at school (boy pines for girl, inexplicably gets girl, gets ditched by girl for pot), home (unhappy mom, careerist dad) and dental office. General observations about the cast – Tilda Swinton is terrific, Vincent D’Onofrio and Vince Vaughan almost look interchangable (this is not a compliment to Vince Vaughan’s diet) and Keanu Reeves is a hoot and perfectly cast as a spacey, new-age orthodontist. Trailer: Thumbsucker

np – The Cardigans / Super Extra Gravity

So I’m going to New York City in a couple weeks. It’ll be for an extra-long weekend over Canada Day – yes, I’m celebrating my country’s 139th birthday by leaving. But anyway, I’ll be in Noo Yawk on the 29th of June and heading home on July 3 and I’m looking for suggestions. Preferably related to things to do in New York City while I’m there but general life advice (“Your hygeine is poor”, “You’re paying too much for auto insurance”) won’t be disregarded.

It’s been, oh, 17 years or so since I’ve set foot in the Big Apple and probably even longer since I’ve spent any appreciable time there so let’s call this a first-time jaunt. Naturally, there will be standard-type sightseeing and museum hopping, but what else should be on the itinerary? Where to eat? Etc etc. I’m staying in lower west midtown at 7th and 31st. You may note that the concert calendar has the Central Park Summerstage show featuring Seu Jorge and Jose Gonzalez already marked down and the Celebrate Brooklyn show at Prospect Park featuring TV On The Radio, Matt Pond PA and Voxtrot is definitely on the radar (are there tickets or do we just show up?). But besides that, I’m open to suggestions.

I’m quite excited about this trip. I’ve been trying to get to NYC for 7 or 8 years now and it’s just never happened – kind of lame considering I live barely 10 hours away, but whatever. I’m don’t want to try and cram an unreasonable amount of stuff into the time available, it won’t be 17 years before I come back, but I do want to make the most of the time available. Unless it’s rainy or really hot, then I’ll probably just hide in a mall or something.

Aversion has questions, Neil Halstead of Mojave 3 has answers. And Archive.org has live shows – seemingly far more than the last time I checked.

Synthesis posts their recent cover story on The Flaming Lips online. I am also hearing mumbles about the Lips, Toronto and September… but have nothing concrete to report yet. But have you seen the lineup for the Osheaga Festival in Montreal over the Labour Day weekend? Impressive. Not cheap, but impressive.

The Salt Lake Tribune tells the story of Neko Case. She also talks to Rocky Mountain News about her deep and abiding love for Bob Dylan.

Cat Power hints to The Times the reasons why her Spring tour was abruptly cancelled. But she’s feeling much better now.

Zoilus has linkage to cover art and a first MP3 from the new Mountain Goats record Get Lonely, out August 22. Meanwhile, My Mean Magpie and Marathonpacks marvel at the majesty of Mountain Goats live.

Loose Record interviews Drive-By Trucker Patterson Hood.

Go here to watch Josh Ritter perform “Wolves” on Bill Maher’s show on Amazon.com, Amazon Fishbowl. Bill Maher? Amazon? Is this like Suzanne Somers’ thing on the Home Shopping Channel?

np – Centro-Matic / Fort Recovery

So this Wednesday was the initial deadline for nominations for the Polaris Music Prize and I have a confession to make – I had a very shallow pool of qualifying records in my collection to pick from. Most of the Canadian stuff that most impressed me either didn’t make the definition of album (30 minutes or 8 tracks) or wasn’t released between June 1, 2005 and May 31, 2006 and what I did have seemed kind of obvious, which was a little disappointing (not the albums themselves, just that I couldn’t get creative with my picks). So I went on a little research mission over the past couple weeks trying to catch up on stuff that was homegrown and that I might have missed out on.

One artist whom I’ve liked what I’ve heard but have never really gotten around to really digging into is Calgarian Chad Van Gaalen. His debut album Infiniheart was a (very) small sample of hundreds of songs Van Gaalen had accumulated over the years and it definitely plays like it. Stylistically all over the map, it’s as mesmerizing as it is maddening for its eclecticism. Gentle folk tunes bump uglies with hooky pop moments, ambient instrumentals and bits that would have been symphonies if not for the absence of, well, symphonic instruments. It’s all tied together by Van Gaalen’s high, delicate voice that combined with the breadth of his musical ambition begs Sufjan Stevens comparisons – but not yet. Maybe when he starts writing concept albums for all ten provinces.

Spacelab reports that Van Gaalen will release his follow-up Skelliconnection on August 22 and while I hope there’s a higher level of production fit and finish to it. I would like to hear a more cohesive artistic statement from the fellow rather than, “here are some songs” but it sounds like he once again had a pool of songs to draw on hundreds deep so it could well be another stylistic grab bag.

And yeah, while SubPop re-released Infiniheart in August last year, well within the nomination period, it originally came out on Flemish Eye waaaaaay back in 2004 – a fact that I uncovered after I bought the album. So much for doing my homework. Here’s a sampling of tracks from here and there.

MP3: Chad Van Gaalen – “Clinically Dead”
MP3: Chad Van Gaalen – “Echo Train”
MP3: Chad Van Gaalen – “Somewhere I Know There’s Nothing”
MP3: Chad Van Gaalen – “Traffic”
Video: Chad Van Gaalen – “Clinically Dead” (MySpace)

So who did I end up voting for? After much hemming and hawing, I submitted the following list:

1. The New Pornographers / Twin Cinema
2. Broken Social Scene / Broken Social Scene
3. Destroyer / Destroyer’s Rubies
4. The Diableros / You Can’t Break The Strings In Our Olympic Hearts
5. My Dad Vs Yours / After Winter Must Come Spring

Like I said, kind of obvious, especially the first two. I would have LOVED to be able to get behind something more dark horse or left field, but I had to be honest about it and those are the eligible CanCon releases that got the most rotation in the past year. And I could have voted for Neil Young but I suspect that goes against the spirit of the prize.

Note to all up-and-coming bands – knock it off with the EPs! Or at the very least, make them 30 minutes long. If The Coast, The Airfields or Land Of Talk had managed to squeeze one more song or extended space-rock jam onto their recent releases, it’d have been a very different list, I tell you what. Come on guys – we’re talking a cash money prize! But, alas, such was not the case and so this is what went in to the powers that be. Not meant as a slight against any of the bands I did nominate – all fine records – but a little frustrating nonetheless. But on the plus side, I am planning on being that much more plugged into Canadian music for the upcoming year if for no other reason than to avoid another such embaressing situation. And to everyone who suggested it – Neko Case is not Canadian. Seems like it, sure, but she’s not.

And I note with some interest that My Dad Vs Yours have a show scheduled for July 15 at Lee’s Palace. Opening? Headlining? I do not know. But there you go.

While the new album won’t be out till January of next year, Dean Wareham & Britta Phillips have posted a track from their new album on their MySpace page, an Adam Green cover. And Tuesday is Luna day with the release of The Best Of Luna on CD, Lunafied in digital download format and Tell Me Do You Miss Me on DVD. For appetite-whetting purposes, Rhino has posted a clip of the DVD online – a complete performance of “Bewitched” from the farewell tour.

Video: Luna – “Bewitched” (MOV)

NOW profiles vibraphonic ensemble The Hylozoists who will be having a CD release party for La Fin Du Monde at the Horseshoe this Saturday night.

Ultra-recluse Texan legend Jandek is coming out of hiding to play a Toronto show on September 17 at… well, no one knows. But it’s happening – read here. I’ll be honest – I don’t know boo about Jandek except that his name is spoken in hushed, reverential tones and this is an event of some significance. I’m sure I’ll be hearing more about it as the date approaches.

Calexico discusses the politics of Garden Ruin with The Vancouver Sun and about growing the band’s sound with The San Francisco Chronicle and The Georgia Straight. Those attending the July 6 show at the Phoenix should note that Jason Collett appears to be off the bill and Oakley Hall are on.

Wheat’s Brendan Haney reflects on the major label experience for Loose Record and admits that, yeah, it was a bad idea. I TOLD YOU SO. It’s a shame he dismisses Per Second completely, the original Nude version was a perfectly solid record – but I already proved that. Comeback album Every Day I Said A Prayer For Kathy And Made A One-Inch Square is out this Fall. Thanks very much to Mark for the interview link.

And dig it – Arrested Development Season 3 – on DVD August 29… just a week after Veronica Mars Season 2! No word of bonuses on either disc yet but I expect the AD to be chock full ‘o nuts. And I think I’m far too excited about the opportunity to watch television shows that I’ve already seen.

np – Wheat / Hope & Adams

When/how did Band Of Horses become so damned popular? That’s not a complaint, they’re a fine band and deserve success, but I thought when they originally booked into Lee’s Palace for Tuesday night that they were perhaps overestimating their draw – usually a new band (excepting Carissa’s Weird) coming through town for the first time will do so at the cozier confines of the Horseshoe, but Band Of Horses not only got put in the much larger Lee’s, but sold the damn thing out. And I don’t think these were OC-ADD converts who wanted to hear the hit single and leave, but the whole crowd seemed to be genuine fans and excited for the show.

Contrary to local listings (but consistent with the touring bill) there were two openers along for the ride, The Can’t See and Mt Egypt. The former were a three-piece from Seattle with some nice guitar/keyboard interplay but otherwise kind of generic indie-rock and the singer really couldn’t, well, sing very well. Mt Egypt were more interesting, with a lightly indiosyncratic electri-folk sound reminiscent of Destroyer though less out-there and maybe with a little more cannibas in the diet than bourbon. Each opener had a somewhat truncated set since they had to shoehorn two bands into the time initially allotted for just one, but Band Of Horses got on stage just 15 minutes later than scheduled so all was good.

Band Of Horses took the stage looking quite energized by the audience and seemed genuinely delighted by the enthusiastic response they got before and after every song. Touring as a four-piece (there were five Horses in Austin in March), singer/guitarist Ben Bridwell was unequivocally the centre of attention and not just because his cohorts hid in the shadows for the whole show. His voice soars yet somehow stays rooted firmly on the earth, fingers outstretched to the sky and bolstered by the pedal steel, chiming guitars and gentle keyboards. The set consisted mainly of Everything All The Time, naturally, with a couple of new songs and a Hall & Oates cover thrown in for good measure. The live renditions of the Everything material came off much more dynamically than the recorded versions, which I think are a touch restrained and even samey-sounding across the length of the album – especially now that I’ve heard them performed. But by the same token, having experienced the songs live, I now appreciate the album even more. Yeah, I saw them at SxSW but they sounded much more effective in a packed, sweaty club (and was it ever sweaty) than at a lazy afternoon outdoor BBQ. A superb debut performance and deserving of every person in attendance.

You may ask why all the photos are of Ben. Well a) he’s the cutest and b) he’s the only one who got any light on him at all. What can you do. The Cleveland Free Times discusses the origins of Band Of Horses with Ben Bridwell, New York Press talks about his tattoos and this Monday at 9PM, 94.9 The Rock will have an interview with Ben recorded backstage at Lee’s on Tuesday night. And Even though the media page on their website claims these are tracks from Everything All The Time, they’re actually demo versions that are quite different from the final album versions and are definitely worth having/hearing. SubPop courteously provides downloads of the final verions.

MP3: Band Of Horses – “The Funeral”
MP3: Band Of Horses – “The Great Salt Lake”
MP3: Band Of Horses – “Funeral” (demo)
MP3: Band Of Horses – “Our Swords” (demo)
MP3: Band Of Horses – “I Lost My Dingle On The Red Line” (demo)
MP3: Band Of Horses – “For Wicked Gil” (demo)
MP3: My Egypt – “Battening Down The Hatches”
MP3: My Egypt – “NYC”
MP3: The Can’t See – “Bar Fight”
MP3: The Can’t See – “Suffer And Die”
Video: Band Of Horses – “The Funeral” (MOV)
MySpace: Band Of Horses
MySpace: My Egypt
MySpace: The Can’t See

NOW and The Toronto Star talk to tween sister act Smoosh while The Boston Globe warns against dismissing them as a novelty act. Decide for yourself when they open up for Eels at the Mod Club on Saturday night. Note – it’s an early show with Smoosh taking the stage at 7PM. Early bedtimes, dontchaknow.

Tiny Mix Tapes reports that Magnolia Electric Co mainman Jason Molina has three albums worth of material almost complete and will be looking to release them under his own name ASAP. The first of these, Let Me Go, Let Me Go, Let Me Go, will be out August 22. But wait – Songsohia.com also reports that a new Magnolia Electric Co record of old sessions and whatnot, Fading Trails, will also be coming out on September 12, coincidentally the same day that he is scheduled to be at Lee’s Palace with (hopefully) Shearwater – still looking for official confirmation of this bill. Tickets for the show are $13.50 and went on sale today.

Pitchfork says that Wilco fans who were disappointed their DVD collections didn’t get grow with the shelved Kicking Television live document can look forward to a live DVD of a Jeff Tweedy solo show later this year. And speaking of Jeff solo acoustic, RBally has been posting one of Jeff’s charity living room shows this past week and encourages you to donate to charity if you enjoy listening to the show. And if you don’t enjoy it, well, I guess you’re off the hook. Wilco are at Massey Hall on July 7.

Shows – Sound Team and Cold War Kids are at the Horseshoe July 31, ticket $10. Sound Team intrigues me but that’s the same night at The Hold Steady. What to do, what to do. Elsewhere/when, The Human Television are at Sneaky Dee’s July 24 (have you heard them? I like), Deadboy & The Elephantmen are at the ‘Shoe July 19, Hard-Fi at the Opera House August 8 and Xiu Xiu are at the El Mocambo October 20. Full tour dates at the ‘Fork.

Everyone should read Mocking Music’s writeup about the ongoing battle over Net Neutrality and those of you who have Congressmen or Senators or whatever should do something about it.

np – Camera Obscura / Let’s Get Out Of The Country