So that’s it. Though they managed to make a game of it, the Leafs just couldn’t force game 7 and their season is over. I’m obviously disappointed, but not surprised – Consider that of the 13 games they played in the post-season, they only played well enough to win maybe four of them. Their inconsistency did them in. Sadly, this was a team that was put together to win NOW – There is no future for most of these guys, at least not in the blue and white. Even assuming there’s a season next year, which isn’t a sure thing by a long shot, I figure we can say goodbye to Mogilny, Belfour, Nieuwendyk, Francis, Roberts, Marchment, Reichel, Renberg… and any of them who do come back will be in greatly diminished capacity. They ain’t youngsters anymore. Welcome to Rebuilding Land. Sigh. I would also turf Quinn – he’s had a hell of a run, but he’s not getting the job done and isn’t the guy to handle a roster of up-and-comers. We need some defence (what else is new), we need to get Antropov’s head examined or just ditch him… It’s time for a change. The Star’s Damian Cox agres with me.

Go Flames!!!

Iron & Wine will be at the Horseshoe June 29. Langtry support, no I don’t know who that is.

I can understand the Victoria’s Secret commercial – Lord knows I can – but Bob Dylan as a guest judge on American Idol? No no no. Or if he does do it, make it so all the contestants have to sing his songs. I would pay money to see that.

Alas, I wasn’t able to watch 24 last night as I was at Five Seventeen’s going-away-to-New-Zealand get-together, so commentary will have to wait until tomorrow. Sorry.

I will also apologize for the fact that I don’t have much newsworthy to post today. But if you’re looking for interesting reading or downloads, head over to Largehearted Boy – he’s always got good stuff on offer.

np – Mean Red Spiders / Places You Call Home

More Magnetic Fields press – this time Salon takes on Stephin Merritt. Yeah, you need a free day pass but it’s worth it. i is out today. From Neil Gaiman, who also offers some thoughts on the new album and tries to reconcile the Stephin Merritt he knows with the one who seems to show up for all these interviews. And 517 has graciously posted some live mp3s from a Magnetic Fields show in Toronto circa 1998. They’re on my server, of course, so it’s my bandwidth that he’s using up, so really, I’m the one who’s graciously providing them. Anyway. Click here. Now to segue into some news from the band’s old label…

Holy shit with the Merge Records signings. Slatch reports that Montreal art-poppers The Arcade Fire have signed to the legendary North Carolina label (and they will be playing in Toronto at either the ‘Shoe or Lee’s on June 23 – the same day we tenatively have a show scheduled, natch), they’re putting out Lou Barlow’s next couple releases – an EP this Fall and an album next year, and to top it all off, they’ll be putting out American Music Club’s You Better Watch What You Say in October. About five months later than promised, but hopefully with the promotion it deserves and the pockets to fund a proper tour.

Also from Slatch – Bubba Ho-Tep on DVD May 25! Bonus features a-plenty. Hallelujah.

Even before the playoffs started, I was telling everyone – “Look out for Calgary, they’re the real dark horse this year”. But did anyone listen? Noooooo. Bully for Detroit, the Flames are in the conference finals. Go Flames.

Of course, I also predicted an Original 6, Detroit-Toronto final, so I obviously don’t know what I’m talking about.

We once again bid farewell to The Rub – Paul has given up his own blog, but won’t be departing the blogosphere at large entirely. He’ll be doing duty as a writer for both Donewaiting and 75 Or Less.

np – American Music Club / Everclear

Whoever has the task of giving albums titles at Lost Highway just doesn’t seem to care anymore. Case in point – the two Jayhawks records coming out on September 28. First off, there’s a live album cleverly titled Live, and then there’s the re-release of their long out-of-print eponymous debut record which originally came out on Bunkhouse Records. You’ll be able to find that on store shelves with the fancy moniker of The Bunkhouse Record. Yessir, someone is earning their porridge money today.

My Morning Jacket are releasing a live acoustic EP to shill on their upcoming tour with M Ward. Acoustic Citsuoca is out May 18, and they’re at the Opera House in Toronto May 28.

Can someone please tell me what kind of a world we live in where you can go to Toys R Us and choose from a selection of hundreds and hundreds of XBox, Playstation2 and GameCube games, but you can’t get a chess set that’s not made of cardboard? I weep for humanity.

And on a related note – PacManhattan. New Yorkers simultaneously manage to be exponentially cooler and dorkier than everyone else at the same time.

I’m confused. Usually the Leafs wait until game 7 before they choke big-time and play like shit. Guess they’re just that keen this year, or they’ve got something even stinkier up their sleeve for game 6. Feh.

np – Bob Dylan / Blood On The Tracks

In hindsight, I should have seen the ‘twist ending’ of The Others coming a mile off… but I didn’t. I don’t think that I really think too heavily on films as I watch them – if you spend the whole thing trying to outsmart the filmmaker, then you’re really just ruining it for yourself. I prefer to just watch them and only consider them critically after the fact. In this case, director Alejandro Amenábar did a pretty good job of keeping me off the scent until the end, and when he did show his hand, it made perfect sense. And for that, I commend him. However, that won’t stop me from ruining the ending for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet… Nicole Kidman? She’s a dude.

Exclaim talks to The Magnetic Fields about i, and manages to extract pretty much nothing new out of Stephin Merritt.

They also have a piece on Leslie Feist about the release of Let It Die on May 18 and the cross-Canada tour which brings her to Toronto for NXNE on June 12, venue TBA. I also linked the article cause it’s got a damn fine pic of Ms Feist.

Today’s as good a time as any (read: slow news day) to draw your attention to some new blogs that have found their way onto my blogroll of late:

• Nevercamehome – interesting and eclectic mp3 blog complete with helpful commentary
• Teaching The Indie Kids To Dance Again – Another mp3 blog whose manifesto is self-explanatory
• Thrasher’s Blog – A blog about all things related to Neil Young
• Supermodel Personals – You really have to see it to understand.

And a farewell to some blogs who seem to have closed up shop, whether temporarily or permenantly – Ypersound.com, Flotationdevice.org and Thrownaskew.com. Hmm, all Canadians. Hmm.

np – Johnny Cash / The Essential Johnny Cash

Your first look at Christian Bale in the new Batman outfit. Little horns? Check. No nipples? Check. It’s hard to get a feel for how much padding/armour is involved but hopefully it’s at a minimum. It’s very Year One – no yellow oval around the bat-symbol, even. The Batman Begins website has a couple more pics and Entertainment Weekly is also running some exclusive first looks in their new issue. See a scan from the magazine here.

Rachel Goswell’s website is finally live, though some content is still to be populated. Lovely pictures.

The new Drive-By Truckers album will be called The Dirty South and be in stores August 24.

Aaron Sorkin has finally put down the shrooms and started work on a new project. He and West Wing co-conspirator Tommy Schlamme have begun working on a new feature film, The Farnsworth Invention, which deals with Philo Farnsworth – one of the inventors of television in the 1920s. I’m laughing already. Thanks to Soaring With Eagles for reminding me that Sorking and Schlamme already paid Farnsworth a tribute on Sports Night.

I’m pleased as punch to see that the Leafs team I’m not embaressed to cheer for has finally showed up in the last two games against Philly. They’re hitting and finally figured out what ‘forecheck’ means – if they can keep this up and get Nieuwendyk and Nolan back, I think they can take Philly and Tampa. I will not, however, ever walk down the street bellowing, “Go Leafs Go!”. I went to a pub last night to get some dinner and watch the game, and had to leave after the first – the patrons were so goddamn annoying. Hey stupid screechy-voiced guy – no one gives a rat’s ass what you think, so shut the hell up.

np – The Mountain Goats / We Shall All Be Healed