Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012

Through The Grass

Wild Nothing streams Nocturnes; clever headline eludes blogger

Shawn BrackbillWhen I first started playing guitar in high school, I spent an inordinate amount of time in music and pawn shops looking for pedals – they were (relatively) cheap, fun, and would obviously make me a far better player than, oh, practice. And one thing that these shops’ stock had in common were chorus pedals. So many chorus pedals. Some shops were like a veritably baby blue sea of Boss chorus pedals. Because this was the early ’90s, when grunge was king and everyone wanted distortions and no one wanted to sound like Andy Summers.

If I’d only known that in about 20 years, that shiny, shimmery guitar tone would be back in style courtesy of bands like Real Estate and DIIV, I’d have grabbed a few. Jack Tatum certainly did, and you can hear it all over his recordings as Wild Nothing, the second album of which – Nocturne – comes out next Tuesday. I actually rate Wild Nothing ahead of most of his stylistic peers as in addition to having great melodic chops, Tatum is able to give his songs some tension to go with the pretty.

If you don’t want to take my word for it, the album is available to stream in whole right now at Death & Taxes; take it for a spin. They’ve also got a stream at Dazed but their interface is kind of terrible so maybe just go there for their interview with Tatum, and if you want more there’s also features at Under The Radar and Stereogum. And if you agree and want to see them live, be reminded that Wild Nothing is on tour with the aforementioned DIIV this Fall, stopping in at The Great Hall in Toronto on September 18.

MP3: Wild Nothing – “Shadow”
MP3: Wild Nothing – “Paradise”
Stream: Wild Nothing / Nocturne

A whole brace of concert announcements to get through… Former emo kids – though I guess they’d be emo adults, now – rejoice. Movement forebears Mike Kinsella and Bob Nanna will be in town as Owen and Braid respectively for an acoustic evening at Wrongbar on September 20. Tickets $18.50 in advance, details at Facebook.

MP3: Owen – “Places To Go”
MP3: Owen – “Abandoned Bridges”
MP3: Braid – “Consolation Prizefighter”
MP3: Braid – “Eeyore And Easel”

Austin’s Ringo Deathstarr will release their second proper album Mauve on September 24 and follow it up with a world tour that brings them to The Garrison on October 13 with Halifax’s previously endorsed Kestrels. Fuzz pedals will be stomped, shoes will be gazed upon. Vice has an interview with Ringo Deathstarr.

MP3: Ringo Deathstarr – “Imagine Hearts”
Video: Kestrels – “The Past Rests”

If you remember Laura Burhenn from her tenure as half of Georgie James or have heard some of the praise for Generals, her new album under the name The Mynabirds, you may be interested to know she’ll be supporting AC Newman on most of his Fall tour dates including the kickoff at Lee’s Palace on October 21. Colorado Daily, The San Francisco Examiner, and College Times all have interviews with Burhenn.

MP3: The Mynabirds – “Generals”
MP3: The Mynabirds – “Body Of Work”
MP3: The Mynabirds – “Radiator Sister”

Because I’ve learned it’s not worth it to aggravate the still-legions of Corgan apologists, I offer this without comment. Smashing Pumpkins will be at the Air Canada Centre on October 25 as part of a cross-Canada tour, tickets available in $39.50, $49.50, and $79.50 brackets. They will perform their new album Oceania in its entirety and then delve into their back catalog for selections both obvious and not. It will be a half-arena configuration, not full, because not even Billy is that deluded. Oh damn, almost made it.

Video: Smashing Pumpkins – “Cherub Rock”

If that Ringo Deathstarr/Kestrels bill is the sort of thing that gets your juices flowing, take note of the bill hitting The Garrison on November 3, as a double-bill of Bay Area dreampop in the form of Tamaryn and Young Prisms will be taking the stage. The former release their new album Tender New Signs on October 16 and the latter are still riding their sophomore effort In Between, released back in March. Tickets for that show are $10.

MP3: Tamaryn – “Sandstone”
MP3: Young Prisms – “Floating In Blue”

Brookyln’s The Men, who tore the shit out of the Garrison during NXNE, return to do the same thing to The Hoxton on November 9, tickets $16.50 in advance.

MP3: The Men – “Ex-Dreams”
MP3: The Men – “Open Your Heart”
MP3: The Men – “A Minor”

Though he put the Pedro The Lion name to bed back in 2006, David Bazan will be revisiting their beloved 2002 album Control in its entirety on a Fall tour that hits The Horseshoe on November 11, tickets $14.50 in advance.

MP3: Pedro The Lion – “Rapture”
MP3: Pedro The Lion – “Penetration”

Austin’s …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead will be in town in support of last year’s Tao Of The Dead with a show at Lee’s Palace on November 20, tickets $18.50 in advance.

MP3: …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – “Mistakes And Regrets”
MP3: …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – “Crowning Of A Heart”

Rolling Stone, The Guardian, and Pitchfork both have feature interviews with Chan Marshall of Cat Power, while Exclaim offers a bullet point chaser to their cover piece. Cat Power’s excellent new record Sun arrives September 4 and the second sample from it is now available to download. She plays The Kool Haus on October 20.

MP3: Cat Power – “Cherokee”

Daytrotter has a session with Wye Oak, stopping in at the Horseshoe on September 17.

Dinosaur Jr has released the first video from I Bet On Sky, out September 18. They play three nights at Lee’s Palace from September 24 to 26.

Video: Dinosaur Jr – “Watch The Corners”

The first sample of Mark Eitzel’s new solo record Don’t Be A Stranger is now available to stream. It’s out October 2.

Stream: Mark Eitzel – “I Love You But You’re Dead”

Richard Avery talks to Greg Dulli of The Afghan Whigs. Their reunion tour hits The Phoenix on October 3.

The Skinny has an interview with Mike Hadreas of Perfume Genius. He plays 918 Bathurst on October 5.

Wayne Coyne gives Rolling Stone a preview of the next Flaming Lips record, which might be called The Terror and might also be out as early as this Fall.

Interview talks to Jim James of My Morning Jacket.

The Hook interviews Will Sheff of Okkervil River.

Tom Tom hosts a drummer summit between Georgia Hubley of Yo La Tengo and Rachel Blumberg, formerly of The Decemberists and now of Norfolk & Western.

Magnet has an interview with Steve McDonald of Redd Kross ahead of giving he and his bandmates control of their website for the week.

Friday, February 1st, 2008

One Step Ahead

A slew of tour dates to cover – most excitingly from my perspective is the return of American Music Club to Toronto for the first time in maybe 14 years (based on this tour history). As part of their tour in support of The Golden Age, out this Monday in the UK but not till the 19th in North America, the band will be hitting Lee’s Palace on April 17.

If I’m not mistaken, this’ll be the first time Mark Eitzel has paid Hogtown a visit since opening for Low back in October 2002. I did see AMC back in 2003 in support of Love Songs For Patirots – a record that was one of favourites of the year – but had to go to Chicago to do so. So I’m obviously very pleased they’re making it easier for me this time, though I’ll miss the frequent flyer miles. It’s true that Eitzel can be a mercurial frontman, to say the least, but if he’s on, they’re awesome.

And thanks to John in the comments a few days back for pointing to this, a download of an American Music Club promo album from 15 years ago that combines the band’s best songs to that date, interview clips and a handful of rarities. Essential if you’re a fan and a great primer if you’ve simply not heard them before. There is no in-between.

MP3: American Music Club – “All The Lost Souls Welcome You To San Francisco”

I made a note that Deerhoof were going to be at the Phoenix on March 5 as part of a CMW-associated show, but cannot find anything to back that up right now. So file that under “maybe”, and if you can confirm it let me know. Update: Confirmed! See the comments for details.

Also in the “somewhat ambiguous” file, the UK’s Duke Spirit. They made some noise in 2005 with their debut Cuts Across The Land and then promptly went silent until now. They’ve finished their sophomore record, Neptune, and will be releasing it on April 8 but before that, they’ll be in town for not one but two shows on March 7 and 8 at a venue to be determined and may or may not be a CMW-affiliated events (if not, good luck finding a venue). I remember seeing them back in November 2005 as part of the Ukula Bright Lights Festival. They were alright.

Video: The Duke Spirit – “The Step & The Walk”
Video: The Duke Spirit – “Lassoo”
Stream: The Duke Spirit / Neptune

The band that headlined that mini fest, Elbow, are also back soon with a new record in The Seldom Seen Kid. It’s out March 17 in the UK and frontman Guy Garvey talked to the BBC about the sanctity of the album form. He also mentions that the band will have a b-sides collection out sometime this year entitled Dead In The Boot. Until then, there’s a video from the new record.

Video: Elbow – “Grounds For Divorce”

Gary Louris drops his first solo album Vagabonds on February 19 and drops by the Mod Club to play songs from it on March 30. Tickets $20 in advance.

Also on March 30, Morcheeba – still kicking, apparently, are at the Opera House. Via For The Records.

Brooklyn’s Dirty Projectors are at Sneaky Dee’s on April 1.

Eels are in a retrospective mood with the release of both a best-of compilation in Meet The Eels and a rarities collection in Useless Trinkets – the former a single CD and DVD, the latter a double-disc set plus DVD. They’ll be here to trip down memory lane on April 4 at the Mod Club. – full tour dates at NME.

The Kills return with a new record in Midnight Boom, out March 18, and a tour that includes a stop at the Opera House on May 6.

Just yesterday I was wondering what the date for this would be… well here it is. The New Pornographers and Okkervil River tour will kick off in Toronto on April 9 at the Phoenix. Full dates at Pitchfork.

Billboard reports that Whiskeytown’s classic Strangers’ Almanac will get the deluxe reissue treatment on March 4, with one disc containing the original album and a second disc of live tracks, rarities and whatnot. Ryan Adams will be in town on February 23 at Massey Hall not on his own, but as a part of the Cowboy Junkies – along with other special guest Vic Chesnutt and Natalie Merchant – as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Trinity Sessions by playing it live just down the street (or through the mall) from where it was originally recorded. Also marking the occasion is Trinity Revisited, a new recording of that seminal album made in the same church two decades later. Details here.

Graham Coxon explains to both Drowned In Sound and NME that Blur weren’t reuniting – just having dinner. Damon Albarn thinks it’s because the others hate him and bassist Alex James tells The Guardian that cocaine is bad. Very bad.

The Dean in Dean & Britta admits to Chart that the duo prefer Toronto to Montreal. Oooh, burn! They’re at the Mod Club next Saturday night.

Minnesota Public Radio has an acoustic studio session from Editors.

M Ward talks to Billboard about both the new She & Him record Volume 1, out March 18, and his own next record due out later this year.

Megan Hickey of The Last Town Chorus talks to The Boston Globe.

Daytrotter got a taste of the next Early Day Miners record, due out this year, when the band stopped by for a session.

Elf Power return with a new record in Head In A Cave, due out March 25. Details at Pitchfork.

CMJ has information on April, the new record from Sun Kil Moon. It’s out April 1. Of course.

The ‘Fork talks to Anthony Gonzalez about Saturdays = Youth, the new album from M83 currently slated for an April 15 release.

Last week’s post about Sweden’s Sambassadeur not convince you? Maybe another sample will help make up your mind. And move your butt.

MP3: Sambassadeur – “Final Say”

BeatRoute and Exclaim! find A Place To Bury Strangers. They talk. And are no longer strangers.