It was a festive sort of night last night at the Horseshoe – Swedish pop orchestra The Concretes was kicking off their North American tour in support of In Colour and in addition it was head Concrete Victoria Bergsman’s 29th birthday. As they got started, she pleaded jet lag as an explanation for any discombobulation that might occur during the show but such excuses weren’t necessary at all – for the hour and change that they played, the eight-piece band, dressed (almost) all in white, were as lovely and entertaining as could be.

Bergsman and guitarist Maria Eriksson are something to see up there at the front of the stage, providing you were close enough – so very tiny they are. Actually, all the band were rather small save for one of the horn players. He was huge. While Eriksson swaggered around the stage in baby-doll dress and guitar, Bergsman spent much of the show anchored to her mic, eyes closed and barely moving. But as lead singer, she was naturally centre of attention and while she didn’t seem uncomfortable, it seemed for most of the show she might explode from shyness or cuteness, whichever reached critical mass first.

But the combination of her druggy, low-key vocals and the energetic Motown-driven pop of the band sounded damn near perfect. I’ve heard some bemoan In Colour‘s sprightlier tone, preferring the more melancholic tone of the debut, and that’s fine. Personally, I was only a moderate fan of the first record and definitely like the second one more, whichever side of the fence you’re on I defy you to tell me that the rotating lead vocals between Bergsman, Eriksson and drummer Lisa Milberg on “Song For The Songs” are anything but pure pop perfection. There were moments where I missed some of the extra-lush production touches that appear on the record (oh the strings) but that’s a miniscule complaint. If it’s true that they were off their game, I didn’t notice and it bodes well for anyone with an opportunity to catch them at a later date. If you get the chance to see them, you should. So says me.

Opening things up was Sally Seltmann, aka New Buffalo, who would be along for the ride for the whole tour. Notable as being Arts & Crafts’ first international signee, the ‘Shoe was crawling with Broken Social Scenesters out to support the extended family from down under. I’d never heard a note of New Buffalo before, and am happy to say I was pleasantly surprised. A girl (or guy) with just a guitar can be a hard sell, but a girl with a guitar, keyboard, iPod and maraca has my attention. While fundamentally singer-songwriter material, New Buffalo had a curious amalgam of styles going on that sounded rather fresh. She was like a folksinger subbing in for a lounge singer playing torch songs while backed by half a big band. Or something like that. I particularly liked how she managed to come off as confident yet shy and her music strong yet wounded.

Photos will be up in a day or two – this delay will now be more the norm than the exception. ‘m doing more processing, etc these days so while it takes longer, I’d like to think the results will be worth the extra time and effort. Update: Photos are up.

Just a couple days too late to piggyback onto Tuesday’s post, The Ottawa Sun offers a brief conversation with local sons (and daughter) My Dad Vs Yours. I Heart Music has also got a nice profile of the band up right now. I like his description of their sound – “post-pop”.

And tangential to a point I made in that post, The AV Club lists off 10 acts who’ve found success despite awful band names.

Wondering what David Bowie’s been up to? The answer – Nothing. Via Brooklynvegan.

Editors return to… edit. August 2 at the Opera House. Bring your red sharpies. Full North American tour dates at The Tripwire. Tripwire was a great G.I.Joe figure. He came with a metal detector. So when not fighting Cobra, he could go looking for pirate treasure on the beach.

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

Oh, Mates Of State, if only we could bottle your energy and pep and sell it to the masses. Well until someone comes up with a way for us to mainline Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel, we’ll have to settle for aural fixes. Though on paper there’s many angles from which to apply the gimmick tag to the drum-and-keyboard duo (They’re married! They have no guitars! They’re as cute as kittens riding puppies!), the bottom line with them is they make some unbelievably hooky pop records and their latest Bring It Back may well be their best one yet.

What I’d heard of Mates Of State in the past was undeniably fun and catchy, but was always a bit too much on the saccharine side for safe prolonged exposures. Something about the new record is different though – while all they’ve still got all the exuberance, there are some laugh lines showing, a little bit of weariness. It’s subtle, oh so subtle, but I hear it and it gives things a little more emotional heft. There’s some newfound sonic heft as well, the arrangements being unbelievably full for just a two-piece act.

But the husband-wife angle does make for some entertaining interview dynamics. Nerve asked the duo about their porn habits and groupie action (of course they did), Suicide Girls wants to talk about their daughter and Indieinterviews does the podcast thing with the band.

The band has material new and old available on their MySpace page while new label Barsuk has put together an eCard for the new album with a bunch of songs streaming as well as the video for the single “Fraud In The 80s”, which you can download below:

MP3: Mates Of State – “Fraud In The 80s”
Video: Mates Of State – “Fraud In The 80s” (MOV)

NME has the whole of Howling Bells’ self-titled debut album available to stream right now. The record is officially out in the UK on Monday, but pre-orders were sent out in advance – I’ve had mine since Tuesday and it’s good. Go listen.

And more previews – the Golden Smog MySpace page has got one complete track and three teasers from their new album, Another Fine Day, out July 18. Smogger Gary Louris tells The San Francisco Chronicle that despite all the “yes we’re broken up no we’re not” back-and-forth last year, The Jayhawks are basically done.

And a Louris segue – Billboard finally has info on the all-star (including Gary) live Sadies album recorded at Lee’s Palace back in February. It’s a 41-track (!) double-disc set called In Concert Volume One and will be out August 8. Yep Roc has the official release.

NOW and The Toronto Sun preview the Over The Top Fest, happening right now. As we speak. This very second.

And on the concert tip – The Concretes will be performing an instore at Soundscapes tonight at 7 before their headlining show at the Horseshoe later this evening. Pitchfork previews the tour. Tap-tacular sugar buzz Tilly & The Wall will be at the Mod Club June 11 (tickets $13.50) to celebrate their new album Bottom Of Barrels, out May 23, and alt.country veterans The Bottle Rockets are at Lee’s June 12 ($10.50). Their new album Zoysia is out June 6. July 26 sees The Futureheads, whose News And Tributes is out June 13, along with new XL Recordings signees and blogosphere darlings Tapes N Tapes at the Phoenix.

Some of the festivals taking place at Harbourfront this Summer are getting announced. Some highlights – The Dears and Jason Collett as part of Power of Place, happening over Canada Day weekend, Konono No 1 and Jamie Lidell with Beats, Breaks & Culture the following weekend while The Weakerthans headline rom the Peg!, a salute to the music of Winnipeg, July 28, 29 and 30.

The AV Club’s rundown of this summer’s movie crop is almost certainly more entertaining than most of the films coming out between now and September.

np – Wilco / A Ghost Is Born

I’ve been grappling with Hind Hind Legs, the debut from The Lovely Feathers, for a few weeks now, trying to figure out what I think of it. Is it silly? Is it catchy? Is it a put-on? Is it amazing? Is it annoying? I think the answer to all of these is yes, and sometimes all within a single song. As is practically mandatory for indie bands hailing from Montreal, the Lovely Feathers produce frantic, demented, smart-ass, ADD indie rock with kitchen sink instrumentation and hepped up, yelpish vocals from Mark Kupfert and Richard Yanofsky. Stuff like this walks a fine line for me and depending on my mood, Lovely Feathers can fall on either side of it at any given time. But not matter what my disposition, Hind Hind Legs runs a little bit long for my tastes, thirteen tracks of maniacism (word? Not a word?) does try the patience.

But as they told The Toronto Sun, they’re more about the live experience than the studio and I’m inclined to believe they’d put on a damned entertaining show – what can come off as overly awkward or odd on record is often much more engaging in its undiluted live incarnation. Torontonians can see for themselves when the Feathers headline the Pop Montreal showcase of Over The Top this Friday night at the Drake Underground with Duchess Says and Telefauna. Advance tickets are $10 or $12 at the door.

To hear some Lovely Feathers and determine if you fall on the “amazed” or “annoyed” side of the fence (or sit on the fence), check out the MP3 and video from Hind Hind Legs below, with more available at their MySpace and New Music Canada. And the once again MIA Teaching The Indie Kids To Dance Again’s last dispatch has some more Feathers tracks for grabbing.

MP3: The Lovely Feathers – “Fudgicle”
Video: The Lovely Feathers – “Frantic”

The Lovely Feathers’ album was produced by one James Shaw of Metric, who also tapped the Feathers as opening act for some of their recent shows – no doubt a polarizing experience for some of Metric’s fanbase. Prefix talks to Shaw about Metric and Canada in general.

Voxtrot have bolstered their otherwise skimpy website with a vault of live, unreleased and otherwise unavailable goodies for your downloading pleasure. Covers-heavy at the moment, which naturally makes me happy.

Paste has made their recent cover story on Flaming Lips available online.

Since the Wilco website still lists ticket info for the July 7 Toronto show as “TBA”, I think it’s safe to assume that the presale does NOT start this morning at 10AM. Note that other Canadian shows are selling for around $30-$32 USD a ticket, so not too dear.

And if you can’t scrape together the dosh for Wilco tickets, maybe The Fiery Furnaces show are at the Phoenix that same night will be a little more in line with your budget June 7. Please disregard any previous attempts to segue from the last item to this one. Nothing to see here. Move on. (via For The Records). Update: I’ve been told this info is incorrect by one who would no. So disregard for now.

Oh, and I’m officially maintaining ye olde blogroll again – it had fallen into neglect recently, but I think I need to expand my universe again. What am I missing that I should be reading?

np – Howling Bells / Howling Bells

What’s that you say? You like that dense, beautifully chiming instrumental post-rock sound but you’re a busy person and don’t necessarily have the time for epic-length songs? Well fear not, for I present to you Ottawa’s rather unfortunately-named My Dad Vs Yours. This five-piece outfit craft beautifully dense and melodic instrumental pieces in pop-sized pieces that somehow still sound fully-realized. Their interest in the song rather than orchestral dynamics, visceral impact or sheer sonic terrorism (though those are all there in appropriate amounts) set them apart from a lot of other bands who don’t need no stinking singer. There’s a place in this world for the Mogwais, the Godspeeds and the Explosions In The Skies and there’s definitely a place for My Dad Vs Yours.

Here are a couple tracks from their debut Winning Hearts & Minds EP – pretty, but kind of restrained and a bit the sound of a band feeling itself out. It looks like the whole of the EP is available to hear on New Music Canada. You can also watch a Hearts & Minds-era television session they did for CBC’s ZedTV. But in addition to these, be sure to click through to their MySpace page and check out the two tracks from their new full-length, After Winter Must Come Spring. They’re superb. The album is due to come out this week and the band are currently travelling all around Southern Ontario to get the word out. Tonght they play Pitter Patter Nights at The Session on Queen W in Toronto, admission free. Free!

MP3: My Dad Vs Yours – “Law Of Unintended Consquences”
MP3: My Dad Vs Yours – “Sea Song”
MP3: My Dad Vs Yours – “Canyons (grand or otherwise)”

Update: Okay, linking those files no workie. Go here. The one MP3 that is available isn’t the most representative, so do yourself a favour and check out the other tracks.

Ted Leo tells Billboard that he’s “not very far along” on his new album , but still hopes to have it out by year’s end.

Stylus wonders why albums these days sound so bad, audiologically speaking, and makes a very valid point in saying “Keane should NOT be twice as loud as Nirvana”.

A nice concentrated dose of local buzz will be hitting the Drake on May 20 with Tokyo Police Club, The Coast and The Ghost Is Dancing. Tickets are just $5 and available in advance at Rotate and Soundscapes. New York City’s Levy are in town at the Drake on June 17 and looking WAY ahead, it appears that Clinic will be at Lee’s Palace on October 6.

The Washington Post profiles a little tastemaking website called Pitchfork, and a little tastemaking website talks to Calexico’s John Convertino about their upcoming tour which includes a stop at the Phoenix on July 6 with Jason Collett as support.

24: One of the stewardesses should have told Jack it’s not safe to use cellphones on planes. They can interfere with navigational systems. They seem to be doing whatever they can to fill time now, witness the Chloe with taser gags. May as well be a rimshot in the soundtrack. I’m definitely counting down the hours, as much to get my Monday nights back as anything else. You know what would have made this episode better? If there was a crate full of snakes on the plane.

np – Shearwater / Palo Santo

Most bands go out of their way to avoid having their sound labeled, but it takes a certain kind of sassy band to make up their own genre. Los Angeles’ Bedroom Walls have that requisite sass, producing a shimmering sort of narcolepsy rock they call “Romanticore”. If that word brings to mind certain album by a certain dearly departed rock band, well it’s appropriate. Adam Goldman has a similarly pinched and slightly distracted sing-songy voice to Mr Wareham and their music is orchestrally lush, sleepy, and shiny and playfully sad.

They were on my short list for SxSW this year after them completely missing my radar last year, but circumstances beyond my control – namely my inability to be two places at once – forced me to miss them a second year running. Maybe 2007 will be the charm. Garage Radio talked music and Billy Joel with Adam Goldman earlier this year. Their second album All Good Dreamers Pass This Way will be out May 23 on Baria. You can hear some demo versions of songs from the new album on MySpace or on their website or sample a couple of finished tracks from their first album, I Saw You Coming Back To Me, below.

And apparently I already reviewed them last year. I totally forgot.

MP3: Bedroom Walls – “Winter, That’s All”
MP3: Bedroom Walls – “Do The Buildings And Cops Make You Smile?”

Full Of Wishes has posted the final part in their Luna interviews, concluding with Tell Me Do You Miss Me director Matthew Buzzell. The documentary premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on Friday and will be out on DVD June 20.

Grok the video for The New Pornographers’ “Sing Me Spanish Techo” over at iFilm. Via For The Records.

The Tufts Daily reports on Mission Of Burma’s Clint Conley’s visit to a “History of Punk Rock” class at Tufts University.

The Wrens tell Billboard that they’ll be reissuing the Abbott 1135 EP this Fall and working on a new album hopefully to see release before year’s end. In other words, pretty much the same thing they’ve been saying for at least a couple years now…

Musictap says the new Radiohead album will be out July 18. Of course, they also say that it’ll be called My Iron Lung, which implies their information may be about 12 years old… Update: But this is definitely up to date – Radiohead at Hummingbird Centre, June 7 and 8. Tickets $71.65, on sale May 6. Yes, in fact, they did make that price up out of thin air. No, this is not a NxNE gig and I’m sure the festival organizers are thrilled about this show stealing all of their thunder. Update 2: More Cowbell has more complete Radiohead tour info and a denial that there will be any new album in 2006. It’s funny that this is getting people all excited, I haven’t been able to bring myself to care about Radiohead in some years, despite the fact that they were once my favourite band on the planet. Why? I told you why.

Popmatters ponders Billy Bragg’s Volume 1 box set, inside and out.

<irony>The Guardian profiles agitator, non-patriot and anti-American Neil Young. His seditious new record Living With War is out May 9. Buy as many copies as you can so you can burn them and send a message to this CANADIAN who hates America just go home to Canuckistan. As always, Fox News offers a fair and balanced counterpoint.</irony>

np – Yo La Tengo / Prisoners Of Love