Evangelicals / So Gone (Misra) It must be tough to be in an indie rock band from Oklahoma, especially if you lean towards making hepped up, psychedelic pop in the vein of, well, those other Okies. But the Evangelicals, hailing from Norman, OK, seem to be up for the challenge. Their debut album So Gone, out Tuesday, comes off like a hyperkinetic melding of Satellite Heart-era Flaming Lips and a wide-eyed, ADD Wolf Parade with maybe a touch of Clap Your Hands’ off-key yowling. Cacaphonous and melodic with the occasional delicate interlude, you’ll either find this record exhilerating or exhausting depending on your mood – probably a little of both. MP3: Evangelicals – “Another Day (And Yoor Still Knocked Out)” MP3: Evangelicals – “Here Comes Trouble”

Brandi Carlile / Brandi Carlile (Red Ink/Columbia) Brandi Carlile plays and sings alt.country. No envelope-pushing, genre-bending or ground-breaking. If that doesn’t interest you, move on. If you’re still here, good. We don’t need them around anyway. Born in the backwoods of Washington state, Carlile’s got one of those voices that sounds wearier and more lived in than you’d expect, but still with traces of the ingenue visible under the surface. Wounded but not surrendered. Thankfully the production isn’t as glossy as you might expect from a major label release but most importantly, the heart is real and the songs are solid. Brandi Carlile plays the Phoenix with The Fray on June 13. MP3: Brandi Carlile – “Fall Apart Again” MP3: Brandi Carlile – “Throw It All Away” (live) Brandi Carlile @ MySpace

Bad Flirt The title of Montreal combo Bad Flirt’s debut album is 6 Ways to Break Your Heart and if that brings to mind underrated teen flick 10 Things I Hate About You (introducing Heath Ledger!), well it’s not a complete non-sequiter. Bad Flirt owe a debt of the alt.pop girl bands of the mid ’90s and Letters To Cleo in particular – the same LTC who soundtracked and appeared in, that’s right, 10 Things I Hate About You. There’s less bubblegum in singer-guitarist Jasamine White-Gluz’s voice than in Kay Hanley’s and the music has a little more lo-fi roughness to their tunes. And whether by design or by accident, Bad Flirt tend not to go for the killer chorus but there’s still enough charm and hookiness in their sound to please. Bad Flirt play Rancho Relaxo on June 16 with Eux Autres, Terror Lake and Ratsicule. MP3: Bad Flirt – “Head On” MP3: Bad Flirt – “This Song Is Romance” MP3: Bad Flirt – “Kisses Kisses” Bad Flirt @ MySpace

np – Gregor Samsa / 55:12

I should let you know that in the interest of saving time, I had already partially written an awful review of X-Men: The Last Stand before going to see it last night. Just to give you a sense of my expectations for the film. Well I have to say, when I got home I felt compelled to rewrite it. IN ALL CAPS. Note in advance – I have been reading X-Men comics for 25 years. Yeah, I’m one of THOSE people. Just so you know.

Seriously, that was… a most unfortunate cinematic experience. I’m tempted to post many spoilers so you won’t feel compelled to go see it in the theatre, but that’s a little unsporting. After all, it appears that some people enjoyed it. I don’t know who these people are, nor do I want to.

But generalities should be enough to convey my impressions. While it opened reasonably promising, after around 20 minutes things started to go off the rails and – like Juggernaut – gained momentum and became unstoppable. The dialogue was bad, the pacing was bad, the plot – while not fundamentally flawed in concept – was terribly executed. And even as major characters shuffled ignobly off the mortal coil, sometimes even off-screen – there was no emotional resonance to their passing, just the sound of actors celebrating the end of their contracts with Fox. Basic laws of reality that even comic books don’t normally ignore – like how long it takes to get from New York City to northern Alberta and San Francisco are out the window. That may seem extra nitpicky, but come on X-Men 3, you’ve already taken my dignity. Leave me physics. The whole thing felt like one of those half-assed fill-in guest artist/writer issues you used to get back in the day. Not well thought out, produced, or showing the slightest bit of care from anyone involved. Which is actually pretty close to the truth – if I recall, they began shooting before the script was even complete in order to make the scheduled release date.

Still, there were some positives. Kelsey Grammar was quite good as Beast. Some of the action scenes were pretty exciting (if you ignored the fact that most of Magneto’s mutant army seemed to have no usable powers besides running and yelling). Juggernaut vs Kitty Pryde was a pretty good demonstration of both characters using their powers effectively. Kitty was cute. Um… it wasn’t that long. That was also good.

It’s a real shame that what started out as a fine franchise should end on such a sour note. Bryan Singer, I hope you see this film and feel shame for what you’ve done. Or not done. But with it taking in such huge box office money, it wouldn’t surprise me if the studios greenlit a fourth film – maybe with Ratner in charge again. Chris Tucker as Bishop, anyone? Seeing as how almost all the principals from the first three films have perfectly good reasons (like pride) to walk away from the series, it would open the door to a whole new team of younger, cheaper mutants and really, isn’t that the real point of the films for the long-time X-fans? To see their heroes adapted to film and then complain about what a shoddy job they did?

Miami Poetry Review cobbles together a list of 10 directors who know how to make a comic book movie. NOTE THE ABSENCE OF BRETT RATNER’S NAME. Of course, their top guy has never actually adapted a comic book to film, and their #3 and #4 picks have done it exactly once. But still – NO RATNER.

And thanks to whoever anonymously sent me the YouTube link to this Secret Wars Re-Enactment Society clip. It is the awesome. Far better than X-Men 3.

Wilco’s Glenn Kotche answers questions from drummers for Harp and reveals just what it is he does during “Poor Places” live when he sticks those tubes in his mouth. No, he’s not taking massive bong hits, he’s altering the pitch of his toms. Madness. Sheer madness.

You Ain’t No Picasso has news that The Decemberists will release their major label debut The Crane Wife on October 3.

I got linked from today’s Anti-Hit List in The Toronto Star for a song I never posted or linked to. Weird.

Thanks to Dodge for premiering the new Margot & The Nuclear So And So’s video.

Video: Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s – “Quiet As A Mouse” (YouTube)

The latest Matador news update has a couple interesting tidbits – Belle & Sebastian have a new video for “White Collar Boy” premiering online June 13 and are releasing an iTunes-only single for same with four b-sides June 26. Also releasing a digital download single is Mogwai (apparently iTunes is all the rage with the Scots) for “Travel Is Dangerous” on June 20. The UK gets a physical CD version the following week. And check out the artwork for the new Yo La Tengo album, out September 12. I’m a little disappointed it doesn’t actually say I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass in big block letters, but this is probably more tasteful. If you’re into tasteful.

A little bit of Victoria visits on August 5 as Wolf Parade and Frog Eyes play The Phoenix. Tickets $15, on sale next Saturday.

Harbourfront has released details of some of their free Summer concert series – of particular interest are “Power Of Place” which has Jason Collett and The Dears ringing in Canada Day on July 1, “From the Peg” (July 28-30) which will feature a performance by The Weakerthans and “Indie Unlimited”, which in addition to mainstage shows by Great Lake Swimmers on August 26 and Bell Orchestre on the 27th, will feature loads more bands (TBA) playing the Brigantine Room, organized by the folks (or folk, really) behind Over The Top.

I’m pleased to see that The Diableros are opening up for Camera Obscura at the Horseshoe on July 4. I’ve failed miserably in catching any of their many, many local shows in the past but I’ve already got my ticket for this one.

Filter has posted their almost unbearably precious Cat Power cover story from a couple issues back online for all to see. While the writer did seem to get a rather uncommon degree of access to Chan and there is some insight to be had, the delivery is almost unbearable. Read at your own risk. And though widely reported (not just by me) last month, I can’t find any evidence that Ms Marshall’s July 3 show at the Danforth Music Hall is actually happening. She is still in Montreal on the 2nd, however, so perhaps it’s just i-crossing and t-dotting that is holding things up (though I get the feeling that’s not the case). However the Montreal show – part of the jazz festival – will be a solo event so maybe we’d be better off holding out for a full band show. The Greatest is a record that really needs the full instrumentation.

BrooklynVegan has Fall tour dates for The Raconteurs. No Toronto date, but BV’s list ends September 30 in Montreal. Anything can happen after that. ANYTHING.

np – The Hylozoists / La Fin Du Monde

…So starting next Wednesday, NxNE officially descends upon the city and we will be inundated with bands from (mostly) near but some from very far all hoping to… well, to be honest, I’m not sure what they’re hoping for. To become beloved by Canadians, I guess.

Though we’ve got the acronym and the stylish lower-case “x”, this ain’t SxSW – not by a long shot. Locals don’t even refer to it as “North by” (actually what many locals call it is far less flattering, but that’s another topic). But as easy as it is to be cynical about NxNE, the fact is is that there really is a fair bit of excitement amongst a lot of people for the fest. Seeing people club-hopping, lining up for shows or otherwise just taking it all in is really quite heartening. Of course, those warm fuzzies are offset by bands travelling halfway around the world to play to an empty delicatessan with a 2×4-on-cinder-blocks stage, but that’s rock’n’roll for ya.

One act that’s coming to town from afar and is somewhat surprisngly generating approximately zero hype is Jason Falkner. Something of a pop legend in certain circles, Falkner cut his teeth with such acts as The Three O’Clock, Jellyfish and The Grays (with uber-producer Jon Brion) before striking out on his own. He’s since achieved no small amount of success as a solo artist and producer (Brendan Benson, Magnet) as well as a sideman to the stars (Beck, Air). Falkner’s thing is pure, classic ultra-melodic West Coast pop and while his records tend to be densely produced, he’s up here all by his lonesome for the 9PM slot at the NOW showcase at the Reverb. If you’re curious, go early – there’s some more heavily-hyped acts later on the bill and the club is almost certain to be full.

Check some of his stuff out at MySpace or thanks to his SxSW 2005 profile.

MP3: Jason Falkner – “Lost Myself”

Since I’ll be making some effort to at least half-assedly cover NxNE this year, I’ve done a little digging through the lineups looking for possible shows to hit and I figured I’d share my findings with y’all. Some of these are artists I’ve seen or heard before, others are sort of random picks from the NxNE sched based on some MySpace clips or whatever. Sorry I didn’t have the energy to write more than a short descriptive blurb for each of them but if you have the time, I encourage you to at least click through to their MySpace and sample stream a song. That’s pretty much what I did… for almost every performer… Note to bands who submitted too-clever, non-descriptive one-paragraph bios? You’re helping no one, especially not yourselves. NOW has assembled an guide to the fest (which they also sponsor) but considering they make their recommendations based on groups of similarly-themed band names, take em with some salt.

Thursday, June 8
Nathan Asher & The Infantry (Raleigh, NC) @ Healey’s, 9PM (MySpace) – Tense, verbose indie.
MP3: Nathan Asher & The Infantry – “Turn Up The Faders”

As The Poets Affirm (Ottawa, ON) @ The Savannah, 9PM (MySpace) – Instrumental post-rockingness.
MP3: As The Poets Affirm – “A Lie Told Before Breakfast”

City Field (Halifax, NS/Toronto, ON) @ The Silver Dollar, 9PM (MySpace) – Eclectic pop.
MP3: City Field – “Linda’s Hair”

Land Of Talk (Montreal, PQ) @ The Boat, 10PM (MySpace) – Brooklynvegan-approved indie.
MP3: Land Of Talk – “Breaxxbaxx”

Kill The Lights (Toronto, ON) @ The Boat, 11PM (MySpace) – Kinda Cure-ish, but not derivative.
MP3: Kill The Lights – “Orestes”

Mission To The Sea (Dallas, TX) @ The Savannah, 12AM (MySpace) – Latin-tinged folk.
MP3: Mission To The Sea – “Red Light”

Frontier Index (Toronto, ON) @ Healey’s, 12AM (MySpace) – Cosmic twang.
MP3: Frontier Index – “Someday”

Fjord Rowboat (Toronto, ON) @ Crowbar, 1AM (MySpace) – Good ‘ol shoegaze.
MP3: Fjord Rowboat – “Paragon”

Friday, June 9
Lullaby Baxter (Montreal, PQ) @ The Drake Underground, 10PM (MySpace) – Gallic torchy loungy.
MP3: Lullaby Baxter – “Rattled Little Clam”

Royal Wood (Toronto, ON) @ The Art Bar, 10PM (MySpace) – Great pipes, opened for My Morning Jacket.
MP3: Royal Wood – “Weigh Me Down”

The Besnard Lakes (Montreal, PQ) @ The Silver Dollar, 11PM (MySpace) – Spacey and kinda creepy.
MP3: The Besnard Lakes – “You’ve Got To Want To Be A Star”

Mike Doughty (New York, NY) @ Lee’s Palace, 12AM (MySpace) – Dude from Soul Coughing.
MP3: Mike Doughty – “Bottom Of A Well”

Any Millan (Toronto, ON) @ The Reverb, 12AM (MySpace) – NOW”s easy, breezy, beautiful cover girl.
MP3: Amy Millan – “Skinny Boy” (ZIP)

Novillero (Winnipeg, MB) @ The El Mocambo, 12AM (MySpace) – Keyboard pop from the ‘Peg.
MP3: Novillero – “The Hypothesist”

The Coast (Toronto, ON) @ The El Mocambo, 1AM (MySpace) – Anglo-inspired shimmer pop.
MP3: The Coast – “The Lines Are Cut”

Saturday, June 10
Paper Moon (Winnipeg, MB) @ Healey’s, 9PM (MySpace) – Sublime girl-pop.
MP3: Paper Moon – “String Of Blinking Lights”

Pedestrian (Toronto, ON) @ The Black Bull 10PM (MySpace) – Unknown quantity with Intriguing MySpace samples.
MP3: Pedestrian – “GrasStains”

Doris Day (Barrie, ON) @ Holy Joe’s 11PM (MySpace) – Highly regarded by people who know.
MP3: Doris Day – “Quarantine Girl”

Jo Mango (Glasgow, Scotland) @ The Drake Hotel 12 AM (MySpace) – Beautiful folky music.
* No MP3s but Jo Mango also plays Dundas Square at 1PM on the 10th.

Aberdeen City (Boston, MA) @ Lee’s Palace, 1AM (MySpace) – Beantown alt rock.
MP3: Aberdeen City – “God Is Gonna Get Sick Of Me”

Also note there’s a series of “bonus” shows featuring bigger local and out-of-town names that are mostly ticket-only, but will admit a limited number of NxNE wristbands and badges. These shows are Be Your Own Pet at the Mod Club on June 7 (75 wristbands), the June 10 Hawksley Workman show at Massey Hall (60 wristbands) and Amy Millan show at the Mod Club (50 wristbands) and on Sunday June 11, Tilly & The Wall at the Mod Club (75 wristbands) and Pink Mountaintops at the Horseshoe (75 wristbands). Also note that the Television show at the Phoenix June 9 is also very limited wristband/badge, so if you’re dead set on going (as I am) get a ticket (as I have).

There’s also some good non- (or anti-) NxNE shows going on next weekend, mainly at Sneaky Dee’s. On June 8 catch Great Lake Swimmers, Mean Red Spiders and friends while on June 9, the venue hosts The Diableros and The Paper Cranes, amongst others. Your silly wristband is no good here.

And another “looks like it should be a NxNE show but isn’t”, courtesy of Paper Bag Records – controller.controller, Magneta Lane, Uncut, Cities In Dust and Tokyo Police Club will play two shows at the Mod Club on the 9th – one an all-ages matinee and one a licensed evening show, each $15. Hey, that’s a Friday. What are the kids doing at a rock show on a school day?

Finally, Zoilus talks about the just-announced Polaris Music Prize, which is intended to be a Mercury Prize for Canadian artists. One $20,000 prize for “Best Canadian Album”. Like Carl, I’m honoured to have been asked to be on the jury for selecting the winner, so all you prospective nominees? Start sending the bribes now. I like how the name of the prize is quintessentially Canadian – reflecting our national inability to not remind others (or ourselves) that we are, indeed, in the north. And cold. And snowy. It’s quaint, isn’t it? Anyways, expect to hear more about this over the next week. Update: JAM! has more info on the Polaris prize.

And that’s it for today. Gawd.

np – The Flaming Lips / At War With The Mystics

For reasons unknown, Lambchop never seem to get any respect. While they certainly qualify as “critically acclaimed”, and deservedly so, they don’t seem to generate much excitement from the hipsters and tastemakers when they release a new record or tour or whatever. Maybe it’s because they’re possibly about as uncool looking a collective as you can get. Or because their name conjures images of that annoying puppet that I wanted to inflict unspeakable harm to as a child.

It’s a cliche to say that an act is unclassifiable in sound, but in Lambchop’s case it’s really true – there’s a case to be made for calling them country, soul, rhythm & blues, chamber pop, lounge, jazz, rock, indie, and they’re all as inaccurate as they are accurate. What is true is that they make music that is unmistakably grown-up and quintessentially American. Boasting upwards of a dozen members, this Nashville-based mini-orchestra is led by one Kurt Wagner, whose droll, smoky and conversational singing style often leaps into an unexpected and endearing falsetto. As befits a band of Lambchop’s size, the music is rich and lush and nimble, able to shift from country shuffle to torch song to rocker without missing a beat. Truly an aural treat.

Relatively quiet since releasing 2004’s double-album set of Aw, C’mon and No, You C’mon, 2006 saw them release two rarities/unreleased/incidentals collections on either side of the Atlantic in April – one for their UK label City Slang and one for their American label Merge. Cheekily titled The Decline Of The Country & Western Civilization (1993-99) and The Decline of Country & Western Civilization, Pt. 2: The Woodwind Years respectively, the two collections have about half their tracks in common making them a maddening proposition for the completist – especially since they’d surely have at least some if not most of the material in their original formats.

But less frustrating will be the release of their new album of all-new material Damaged on August 22. Wagner tells Billboard it’s a blend of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin, some electronica music, Dylan, and even [HBO series] Deadwood“. Clocking in at only 10 tracks, it would seem to be laser-focused compared to the C’mon volumes but for all their sprawl, I quite enjoyed both of those discs. I often forget how much I like Lambchop until it occurs to me to play one of their records. If the September tour Wagner mentions includes a T.O. stop, I think I’d have to work that into my calendar. I do love string sections.

Here’s a couple of tracks from the Country & Western Civilization comps, a track from 2000’s Nixon and a video for the title track of 2002’s Is A Woman. The band’s unofficial MySpace also has some audio. Update: And thanks to Ned No-Love for pointing out this NPR piece that also has a stream of the first official track from Damaged. And there’s also a podcast courtesy of Merge.

Stream: Lambchop – “Paperback Bible”
MP3: Lambchop – “The Distance From Her To There”
MP3: Lambchop – “Mr Crabby”
MP3: Lambchop – “You Masculine You”
Video: Lambchop – “Is A Woman” (YouTube)

A labelmate also putting a record on August 22 is M Ward. Billboard also got some info about his new one, Post-War.

File under “kinda nuts” – someone went to the trouble of creating/recreating/adapting the video for Okkervil River’s “For Real”… in Lego. Check it and the original out:

Video: Okkervil River – “For Real – Lego version” (YouTube)
Video: Okkervil River – “For Real – non-Lego version” (MOV)

Sarah Harmer makes her feature film debut in The End Of Silence, which will screen at NxNE next week. Chart talks to Sarah about stepping in front of the camera. Catch Sarah in more familiar environs July 27 when she plays Harbourfront.

Exclaim! discusses the solo life with Amy Millan. Amy has got two NxNE shows on the sked – a June 9 solo gig at the Reverb and then her full-band hoe-down at the Mod Club June 10.

Australian rootsies The Audreys have signed a Canadian record deal and are playing the Horsehoe on July 5 to celebrate. Maybe someone can persuade them to post a complete song – streaming is fine – somewhere for folks to sample? Only posting 30-second clips is SO 1998.

Ex-Sunny Day Real Estate/Fire Theft dude and general idol to sensitive kids everywhere Jeremy Enigk will be in town for a solo show at the El Mocambo on August 7. He has a new solo album due out this Summer but if you can find any more specific information than that, you’re a better person than I.

And a couple more shows – French Kicks are at Lee’s Palace on August 4, tickets $12.50, and Mouse On Mars is scheduled at the Mod Club on November 9.

np – The Sleepy Jackson / Personality – One Was A Spider, One Was A Bird

One of my birthday gifts a few weeks ago was a pair of tickets to the gala premiere of SARSical. As the name implies, it’s a musical based on those fun-filled halcyon days of Spring 2003 when dear old Toronto was made an international pariah for our dalliance with the SARS virus.

It originally debuted at last year’s Fringe Festival and was a big enough hit that it’s being restaged for a three-week run at the Factory Theatre. Brimming with song and dance and wit to spare, it was a hell of a lot of fun and I don’t think I stopped laughing for almost the entire duration. While it follows a few storylines, the main target of the satire is the media’s coverage of our fair city during the crisis and how our then-mayor, Mel Lastman, handled/bungled the whole thing. I don’t know how well it would translate outside of Toronto as you really have to have lived through that time to truly appreciate it, but for me it was a blast. I don’t remember the last time I had this much fun at the theatre – granted, I don’t remember the last time I was AT the theatre, but whenever that was, I think this was better.

The show has gotten a fair bit of local and national coverage with pieces in Macleans, NOW, CBC and The Toronto Star. And I could help but be reminded of this tasty treat I saw in a vending machine in Taipei a couple months ago. Mm mmm good!

Mars Needs Guitars offers up a list of his top ten shoegaze songs. Only one I don’t have/haven’t heard is Loop’s “Arc-Lite (Sonar)”. Motel De Moka also has a two part tribute to shoegazing. It’s apparently the meme of the week.

And speaking of old-school British music, YouTube has House Of Love videos! That shirt in “I Don’t Know Why I Love You”? That, Guy Chadwick, is why you guys were never big. I admit I am a little concerned about the total lack of news from the House Of Love camp since November – generally not good news for a band that rather famously imploded the first time around. It’d be a shame if they’d packed it in again – Days Run Away wasn’t a total triumph but it was solid enough to prove there might still be some gas left in the tank. Or, it appears, not.

Video: The House Of Love – “I Don’t Know Why I Love You” (YouTube)
Video: The House Of Love – “Shine On” (YouTube)
Video: The House Of Love – “Christine” (YouTube)

Bradley’s Almanac has got the recording of Film School’s recent show in Boston all nicely MP3-ed for your enjoyment to go along with the Margot & The Nuclear So And Sos set from the same show he posted last week. The Tripwire has a live acoustic video of a percentage of the band performing “Jen Is Bringin The Drugs” while The Nashville City Paper has a chat with lead Margot Richard Edwards. And hey look – the band has a Flickr account which apparently confirms “MNSS” as the official band acronym. Duly noted.

Stylus ponders magical moments from the Mountain Goats. Their new one Get Lonely is out August 22.

Dose – dead as a print publication but carrying on in a zombie online form – talks a bit with Mogwai’s Barry Burns.

Concretes drummer Lisa Milberg gives Chart some Q&A action.

Mates Of State gives Paste a five-point guide to being in a band with your spouse. Harp gets some baby talk.

So thanks to everyone who entered the Mission Of Burma contest over the past week – it’s closed now and I’ll sort out the winners in the next couple days. I’ve got the eight 12″s I’m to give away as prizes and let me tell you, they’re something else. Whoever gets these is a lucky pup. Next up in the freebies queue is a Tilly & The Wall prize pack. I’ve got three pairs of tickets to the band’s June 11 show at the Mod Club as well as copies of their new album Bottom Of Barrels, which came out last week. Because the tickets and the CDs go together, this’ll only be for locals or people willing to come to Toronto to see/get em. More info here.

np – Sonic Youth / Rather Ripped