Photo via MySpace

When Nottingham’s Seachange quietly called it a day in March of last year, not too many noticed. Never critical darlings nor commercial successes, they also never seemed to get lumped in with any particular musical movement in the UK – the sort of phenomenon that may be maddening for artists but certainly makes getting press and attention easier. And so when they called it a day following the release of their second album On Fire, With Love, it probably got no more than a passing mention in the NME.

And it’s a damn shame, really. As I mentioned two years ago, I’d never paid them much attention until I was sent a couple tracks from that final record and was quite won over by their sound, heavy on words and melody, a dry yet soothing aesthetic and a knack for both a well-placed bit of guitar skronk and violin line. Kind of a slightly snottier yet no less romantic Idlewild, with an similar facility for balancing anthemic rockers with more introspective, folk-inflected numbers. It wasn’t necessarily anything new, but it was done really well and there were more than a handful of really excellent songs on there – it’s quite a testament that even after all this time, it still gets moderately heavy rotation hereabouts and this is from someone with a pretty lousy attention span.

They had one posthumous release in last year’s Disband In Bonn, which as the title implies was a collection of live tracks recorded on their final tour in Germany. They’ve now done a little more cupboard cleaning, however, and the result is the The Stars Whiteout – an 8-song mini-album that they’re giving away as a free download to whoever wants it. It’s mostly new songs, plus an alternate version of an On Fire song and a cover of fellow underappreciated Nottingham-ers Six By Seven’s “IOU Love” (which in itself was a crib of The Church’s “Under The Milky Way”, but let’s not get into that again). While it’s kind of a bit late to act as a way to get into the band – at least in any sense that’ll do them any good – it’s a good listen and maybe it’ll be enough to encourage you to scrounge up a copy of On Fire, With Love and enjoy it as the excellent record it is.

eMusic has pretty much their entire catalog available for download – which reminds me that I still have to grab their Matador debut Lay Of The Land – and if you’ve only got five minutes and forty-three seconds to spare, I suggest devoting them to “In”, my favourite track off On Fire.

MP3: Seachange – “Personal Assistant”
MP3: Seachange – “IOU Love”
MP3: Seachange – “In”
Video: Seachange – “Glitterball”
Album: Seachange / The Stars Whiteout (.zip)

And speaking of scenes (and fitting into them or not), Brett Anderson tells The Guardian that Suede were never a Britpop band, no matter how many Union Jacks he posed in front of in the early ’90s. Sure, Brett. He’s got a new solo record out entitled Wilderness.

NME reports that Patrick Wolf has not one but two new albums in the works.

Head over to The Daily Growl for a taste of Richard Hawley in full-on rockabilly mode, part of his contribution to the soundtrack to British retro horror film Flick.

Austin 360 welcomes Nicole Atkins back to Austin for Austin City Limits in a few weeks.

Santogold is coming to the Phoenix on September 24, though I can’t help notice that that’s the same date as the Mogwai show… Mogwai versus Santogold. That, I would pay to see. I assume this conflict will be resolved one way or another. Full dates – correct or otherwise – at NME. Update: thanks to Daniel in the comments for pointing out that the show is now at the Guvernment. That post-rock/dance-rock showdown for the ages will have to wait for another day, but believe me – it’s coming.

Zoilus has posted the the complete email transcript of his interview with Silver Jew David Berman that went into the piece in Tuesday’s The Globe & Mail. I opted to skip the show at Lee’s on Tuesday night – how was it?

There’s another installment up in the Okkervil River Stand-Ins covers project – this one is “On Tour With Zykos” covered by, of course, Zykos. The Stand-Ins is out on Tuesday and Okkervil are at the Phoenix on October 12.

Video: Zykos – “On Tour With Zykos”

Hamptons.com chats with Aimee Mann.

Illustrations by E.H. Shepard

I’ve been waiting approximately a year to use this title and this image for a post, so consider me happy.

The occasion is today marking the sixth anniversary of this blog. If it were a small child, it would be in first grade. I’m so proud. And looking back at my “blogiversary” posts from the last couple years I realize that I still have nothing in particular to say on the matter. Whereas once I’d prognosticate about the future of the site, now I’m just whatever. It’s what I do, and at the pace that I do it. A pace that’s slowed a bit recently, I know, but much to the benefit of my state of mind so let’s hope that quality is compensating for quantity.

And I’ll take the opportunity to thank all of you for visiting and continuing to visit and making this whole endeavour worthwhile. Without you readers there’s really no point, though I confess that I do sometimes secretly yearn for the day when my traffic drops to zero and I can close up shop with a completely clear conscience. But don’t think you’d be doing me a favour by leaving – if I suddenly found myself with that much free time on my hands I’d probably take up a far less wholesome hobby like arson or bingo.

So cheers to you, cheers to me. Cheers all around. Yay.

Also in a retrospective mood is Portastatic, the side project of Mac McCaughan which has obviously been too long-lived and too fruitful to really call a side project anymore. With nine proper albums released under the banner – that’s actually more than Superchunk has released – Portastatic has encompassed everything from instrumental film scores to full-band rock outs to Tropicalia to bedroom recording experiments and the new double-disc compilation Some Small History, out September 9, covers all those bases in the form of b-sides, rarities, outtakes and a whack of covers. A lot of the stuff is kinda sketchbook-y, but there’s a lot of worthwhile material contained therein for fans and a pretty blistering take on Ryan Adams’ “Oh My Sweet Carolina”. Check out the title track from the collection below:

MP3: Portastatic – “Some Small History”

And speaking of the ‘Chunk, they’re not dead – they just played Bumbershoot in Seattle this weekend – but they’re far from an ongoing proposition. Spin lists four reasons why the band still matters after all these years, even seven years on from their last album, and The Stranger has a chat with drummer/comedian Jon Wurster.

Thanks to For The Records for digging up the lineup for the free, Toronto International Film Festival closing gala at Yonge-Dundas Square on the eve of the 13th, which will feature performances from Esthero, The Midway State and Cadence Weapon.

Speaking of TIFF, I had a lovely Labour Day standing in line to claim my tickets for this year and then to find a substitution for the single film that I wasn’t able to get – a total of five hours standing out in the sun, good times all around. But I eventually came away with tickets for It Might Get Loud, the doc on the history of the electric guitar, Gigantic, with Zooey Deschanel, Good, with Viggo Mortensen, RockNRolla, the new Guy Ritchie film, and The Other Man, with Liam Neeson and Laura Linney. A more mainstream batch of films than I usually end up with at the festival but should still be a good lot. I had expected to end up selling off at least a couple pairs of tickets but I may very well be able to make all of these screenings. How novel.

And a final cinematic note, RIP Don LaFontaine, king of the movie trailer voiceover. More tributes at Ain’t It Cool News.

Photo by Autumn De Wilde

This “weekend” thing. I quite like it.

After sneak-releasing In Our Bedroom After The War digitally last year, Stars are embracing the powers of the internet once again. They’re releasing a new EP out as of today with the release of their Sad Robots EP, available digitally at the dedicated website and physically on their upcoming tour. They’re marking the occasion by making a live MP3 of “Going, Going, Gone”, a Nightsongs-era song, available for free download and there’s another new song which may or may not be from the EP streaming on the band’s MySpace. There’s nothing there as of right now, but the download and EP will presumably go live on the site sometime today. It’s a long weekend. Let the robots sleep in a bit.

Billboard talks to Metric management about the band’s intention to stay indie for their next album.

The new lineup for The Dears have been unveiled and while there was much to-do about the band being deconstructed to just Murray Lightburn and Natalia Yanchak during the recording of their new album Missiles, due October 21, it seems they’ve found a whole bunch more people to play with as they’re once again a sprawling seven-piece. They’ll show off the new record and lineup with a couple of intimate shows at the Music Gallery in Toronto on October 9 and 10, tickets $20, on sale now.

Chart talks to New Pornographer Carl Newman about assembling their Stanley Park Singing Exhibition in Vancouver this weekend. The Georgia Straight also has a conversation while 7×7 San Francisco talks food with bassist John Collins.

The Skinny talks to Jim Sclavunos about the differences between Grinderman and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, both of which he’s a member. The Bad Seeds will be in Toronto at the Kool Haus on October 1.

Filter talks to two-thirds of Portishead about the band’s long, slow return.

Richard Ashcroft discusses The Verve’s own return to active duty with USA Today.

It’s a shame that the night of October 21 is already circled in ink on my calendar to see Frightened Rabbit at Lee’s Palace because the bill for Nu Music Nite at the Horseshoe is also intriguing, pairing up California’s Japanese Motors and London’s White Lies. The former have a sort of Strokes gone California garage rock vibe, their debut is out October 7, and the latter do that Chameleons/Interpol thing that’s kinda played out, but they still manage to make it ear-catching. Their album’s not out till January but you can hear some stuff at their MySpace and they’ll trade you an MP3 of a single for your email address over here.

MP3: Japanese Motors – “Single Fins & Safety Pins”
MP3: White Lies – “Death” (Crystal Castles remix)
Video: White Lies – “Death”
Video: White Lies – “Unfinished Business”

Shearwater stop by AOL’s studios to record an Interface session.

An Aquarium Drunkard interviews Joey Burns of Calexico. Carried To Dust is out September 9.

Paste says “what up” to Fountains Of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger.

Reuters consults with The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn about the art of lyric writing. They’re at the Phoenix on November 11.

Photo by Carolyn Desislets

For alt.country-inclined female artists, the shadow of Lucinda Williams looms large, and justifiably so – an artist could do far worse than to forge a career like hers, channeling toughness and tenderness through a world-worn rasp and masterfully evocative songwriting. No, being compared to Lucinda is no faint praise, assuming it’s justified. So it’s interesting that not one but two such artists would emerge from Canada in the last few years. The first would be Ottawa’s Kathleen Edwards, who has gone on to some considerable success evoking the rockier side of Lucinda, and the other is Montreal-based Angela Desveaux, who takes a more pop-oriented approach to things.

Like her 2006 debut Wandering Eyes, Desveaux’s new record The Mighty Ship is a well-considered balance of jangling, upbeat melodicism and pensive, downcast weepers, perhaps heavier on the atmospherics and with some welcome orchestral embellishments but hardly light years away. Though the recipe at work is a well-used one, it’s made exceptional by the six-string accentuation Snailhouse and Wooden Stars guitarist Mike Feuerstack (another parallel with Edwards is the savvy move of building her band around a shit-hot guitarist) and Desveaux’s own voice – a heartbreaking combination of sugar, twang and sigh – and her pen. Her songs manage to simultaneously emphasize her wide-eyed and optimistic youthful side as well as the experience of one who’s endured her own share of wear, weariness and heartbreak.

Leading up to the release of the record on September 9, Desveaux and band are playing a series of release shows in Ontario and Quebec and courtesy of Sonic Unyon I’ve got some stuff and passes to give away – three copies of the new record on CD and two pairs of passes to give away to either of the September 4 show at the Boat in Toronto or the September 5 show at the Black Sheep Inn in Ottawa. We’re talking three winners – one CD only, two CD and passes. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with either “I want the Angela Desveaux CD” or “I want to see Angela Desveaux in (name of city)” in the subject line and your full mailing address in the body. Contest is open to anyone in Canada, though obviously for the shows you should be in the greater Toronto/Ottawa regions. Or really hardcore. Whichever. Contest closes at midnight, September 2.

Desveaux will also be opening up for The New Year on their Montreal and Toronto dates on October 14 and 15 respectively. Exclaim has an interview with her about her band and eating healthy.

MP3: Angela Desveaux – “Sure Enough”
MySpace: Angela Desveaux

Both eye and NOW get psyched for Tuesday night’s Silver Jews show at Lee’s Palace with interviews with David Berman. The Montreal Mirror also has a piece.

Paste catches up with Calexico’s John Convertino. Their new one Carried To Dust is out September 9.

An Aquarium Drunkard talks to Giant Sand’s Howe Gelb. proVisions is out on Tuesdsay.

Great Lake Swimmers will play a free show at Yonge-Dundas Square at 6PM on September 11 as part of the Toronto International Film Festival. They have a non-free show at Lee’s Palace on October 25.

There’s more installments in Okkervil River’s covers project for The Stand-Ins, these ones featuring Jack Ladder, Bon Iver and Bird Of Youth. That’s more than half of them! The record is out September 9, they play the Phoenix on October 12.

Video: Bird Of Youth – “Pop Lie”
Video: Bon Iver – “Blue Tulip”
Video: Jack Ladder – “Starry Stairs”

Jolie Holland has a date at the Horseshoe on October 29. Her new record The Living and The Dead is out October 7.

Blurt talkst to guitarist Phil Wandscher and waxes nostalgic for Whiskeytown’s Strangers Almanac. In the present, Ryan Adams is releasing a novel as well as getting into blog-wars with Drowned In Sound.

The Miami New Times declares My Morning Jacket the best live band ever. Maybe.

Blurt goes record shopping with Jason Isbell.

Photo by Neal Franc

Logically, I should have run this yesterday in advance of the Final Fantasy show at the Danforth Music Hall last night… but I didn’t. Alas. But the information is still relevant and of interest, so here we go anyways. I last week mentioned that the Owen Pallet Experience was going to be releasing two EPs this Fall in lieu of the Heartland LP that he’d been working on – well details on said releases are now available.

First up on September 21 is Spectrum, 14th Century and is a collaboration with Beirut consisting of five tracks of “fake field recordings” committed to tape in the Quebec outdoors. That’ll be followed on October 21 by Plays To Please, described as an orchestral tribute to the songs of Alex Lukashevsky of Toronto’s Deep Dark United. Obviously anyone expecting the Pallet to follow up He Poos Clouds with more looped violin was underestimating the randomness of his muse.

Both will be limited editions with 1000 copies made available on CD and another 1000 on 10″ vinyl. Stereogum has an MP3 from each release available to download and tireless Final Fantasy booster Zoilus has another Plays To Please track available to download. And for more background on the releases, check out the piece at Exclaim!. Toronto Life also has a profile on the man behind the band.

Land Of Talk have made the first sample of their forthcoming Some Are Lakes available to download. The title track of the album has been kicking around live for some time but it’s nice to hear a final, definitive version of the song – I wasn’t expecting the production to be so clean, though. It’s surprising, but nicely so. The record is out October 7 and they play Lee’s Palace on September 27. Tangentially – eye looks into Saddle Creek’s nefarious plan to annex Canada from Nebraska, one band at a time (including Land Of Talk). The Omaha World-Herald also considers the direction of the label.

MP3: Land Of Talk – “Some Are Lakes”

You may have heard scuttlebutt about this year’s edition of the Vice Festival Ball – the same soiree that last year brought the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to town for a ridiculous gig at the Berkeley Church. Well the deets are as follows – Crystal Castles and The Juan Maclean will be at the Hart House on the University of Toronto campus on September 4 and admission (and booze) is free – you just have to RSVP at festivalball@viceland.com. And I’ve been assured that the Hart House is a damn sight larger than the Berkeley Church so while it’ll certainly be packed, hopefully getting in won’t be quite as much of a drama as last year.

No Age are back for the third time this year with a show at Lee’s Palace on November 21.

Exclaim! has the very tall Chad Van Gaalen as their cover feature this month. He’s playing the Mod Club on October 4, doing an in-store at Sonic Boom on October 5 and releasing his new album Soft Airplane on September 9. There’s also a new video from the record.

Video: Chad Vangaalen – “Molten Light”

Filter talks to Paul Westerberg about The Replacements and their legacy. Sadly, Steve Foley – the band’s last drummer who toured with the band for their final album All Shook Down – passed away last weekend. Details at Billboard.

Greg Kot of The Chicago Tribune talks to Aimee Mann, in town tonight at the Kool Haus.

Chart has details on who’ll be performing at the Polaris Music Prize gala at the Phoenix on September 29, aka all the stuff I’ll be missing whilst sequestered away in the grand jury room. Unlike past years, they’re apparently having all ten nominees perform at the show – seven live, three via satellite. How fancy! Remember, there’re still tickets to the gala to be given away. Never mind.

The Globe & Mail profiles Mathieu Saura, aka Vincent Moon, aka the guy behind Takeaway Shows.