Monday, April 16th, 2012
Review of The Shins’ Port Of Morrow and giveaway
Annie BeedyI’d like to, if I could, refer you back to my writeup of The Shins on the occasion of their visit to Toronto last September. In it, I mused about how this band had a Forrest Gump-like knack for getting pulled into conversations bigger than themselves and how all of that seemed out of scale with James Mercer’s desire to simply write pop songs. That hasn’t necessarily subsided as some of the pieces I’ve read surrounding last month’s release of Port Of Morrow were built around the very questionable thesis that The Shins are already a reunion or nostalgia act (four albums over eleven years is hardly a snail’s pace these days, people).
Having already gotten that end of things out of my system with the aforementioned live review, I’m going to try and just talk about Port Of Morrow in the context of being a new Shins record, and nothing else. And it’s actually not too difficult to do because even with all that’s happened between this record and 2007’s Wincing The Night Away – namely the sacking of the band and shelving the whole thing in favour of Broken Bells – Port makes it feel like nothing has transpired and no time has elapsed.
The sonic aesthetic seems a bit shinier than before, more distinctly in line with ’70s studio pop but still following the path laid out by the albums that came before. Mercer’s distinctive, reedy voice manages to keep up – sometimes barely – with the looping melodies he writes for his cryptically evocative lyrics, accompanied by some ratio of jangly guitars to moody synths. The songwriting is also as solid as before, peaking with lead single “Simple Song” – it easily belongs on any post-career best-of compilation – and while it doesn’t again reach those heights, there’s an admirable lack of filler across the other nine tracks. It seems that it really doesn’t matter who’s along for the ride with James Mercer, The Shins remain as The Shins ever were. It’s funny that a band that was sold to so many as being life-changing should find their greatest strength in their constancy.
The Shins premiered their new video for “The Rifle’s Spiral” on the Nintendo DS platform last week, because they’re cool/annoying like that – it should be available for those of us without portable video game systems this week. They open up for The Black Keys at The Molson Amphitheatre on August 4.
Also, courtesy of With A Bullet, I have several copies of Port Of Morrow to give away – one on LP and three on CD. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want The Shins” in the subject line and your full name and mailing address in the body, and indicate if you’d like to be eligible for the vinyl, digital or both. Contest is only open to residents of Canada – sorry, rest of the world – and closes at midnight, April 29. Update: The prizing has been upgraded to four LPs; if you’re CD-only, sorry, can no longer oblige. Maybe buy a turntable?
Video: The Shins – “Simple Song”
Video: The Shins – “Bait & Switch”
I still have fond memories of seeing The Shins for the first time back in Summer 2002 – just before this blog came into existence – at The Rivoli in Toronto, opening up for Los Angeles’ psychedelic-country outfit Beachwood Sparks. The Shins would eventually go on to great things while the Sparks went on hiatus shortly afterwards… a hiatus that is now over. Pitchfork reports the reconvened band will return with their third album The Tarnished Gold on June 26. One of the new tracks and a couple of old ones are posted below.
MP3: Beachwood Sparks – “Forget The Song”
MP3: Beachwood Sparks – “Confusion Is Nothing New”
MP3: Beachwood Sparks – “Drinkswater”
The Fly talks to Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast. Her new record The Only Place is out on May 15 and they’re at The Phoenix on July 21.
Wears The Trousers has an interview with Dee Dee of Dum Dum Girls.
School Of Seven Bells have a new video from Ghostory. They’re at The Hoxton on May 2 and are the subject of interviews at The Star-Telegram, The Citizen-Times, The Pitch, and The National.
Video: School Of Seven Bells – “Reappear”
tUnE-yArDs has released a new video from WHOKILL, featuring some face that may be familiar if you’ve seen the old videos from WHOKILL. There’s also interviews with Merril Garbus at OC Weekly and The Santa Barbara Independent; she plays The Phoenix on August 1.
Video: tUnE-yArDs – “My Country”
Lambchop have squeezed a new video out of Mr. M. Indy Week, Magnet, and The Washington Post have chats with Kurt Wagner.
Video: Lambchop – “2B2”
M. Ward is the subject of feature pieces at Spinner, Paste, The Vancouver Sun, Clash, American Songwriter, Ventura County Star, and Flagstaff Live.
NPR welcomes Perfume Genius to WFUV for a radio session featuring a new song. There’s also features at The Georgia Straight and Dazed, and the second part of the interview between Michael Stipe and Mike Hadreas is now up at East Village Boys.
NPR has made The Magnetic Fields’ day show at SXSW available to stream, and also have a radio interview with Stephin Merritt available. There’s also pieces at The Guelph Mercury and Creative Loafing.
Rolling Stone caught up with Annie Clark of St. Vincent to talk about her next album – a collaboration with David Byrne that should be out in the Fall. Pitchfork also points out that her entire Coachella set is available to watch online and a new song which appears on her Record Store Day 7″ makes its live premiere and scorches.
Video: St. Vincent @ Coachella 2012
QRO talks to Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater.
Greg Dulli talks to DIY about the Afghan Whigs reunion.
New York electro-rock/soul/funk acts Penguin Prison and Class Actress are teaming up for a co-headline tour which brings them to Wrongbar on June 7;
Video: Penguin Prison – “Don’t Fuck With My Money”
Video: Class Actress – “Weekend”
You have the Toronto Jazz Festival to thank for bringing Janelle Monáe back to Toronto for the first time since CMW 2011; she’ll be playing the outdoor stage at Nathan Phillips Square on June 22, and hopefully you can find a spot to watch from the unticketed area because admission is a rather dear $62.50.
Video: Janelle Monáe – “Tightrope”
Also in town for the Jazz Festival is Nellie McKay, whose boycott of Canada in protest of the seal hunts is apparently over. She’ll be at The Horseshoe on June 30, tickets $20 in advance.
Video: Nellie McKay – “Real Life”
San Francisco electronic artist Tycho is back in town on July 10 for a date at The Hoxton.
MP3: Tycho – “Hours”
MP3: Tycho – “Coastal Brake”
And Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – perhaps you’ve heard of them – have finally added a Toronto date for their Wrecking Ball tour. They’ll be at The Rogers Centre on August 24 with tickets going on sale April 20; no pricing as yet but you can bet it won’t be cheap and that it’ll still be worth it. They’ve also released a new video from Wrecking Ball recorded at the Moody Theater show at SXSW in March. If you look really closely, you can see me in the stands! Okay, no you can’t. Update: Tickets are $35 and $115. Nicely done, Bruce.
Video: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – “Death To My Hometown”
Sunday, April 15th, 2012
Luna covers Guns N’ Roses
WikipediaDespite their having a great number of great and interesting covers to their name, I genuinely didn’t think I’d have occasion to post any more Luna on account of the fact that they ceased to exist seven years ago as of this past February and the ’90s reunion bandwagon has not yet rolled through Luna-ville, nor is it likely to anytime soon. So with that in mind, the fact that the last two Luna albums – 2002’s Romantica and 2004’s Rendezvous will be getting released on vinyl for the first time this Friday for Record Store Day as part of a reissue campaign is as good an excuse as any.
Not that 1999’s The Days Of Our Nights, which this Guns N’ Roses cover closed, is part of those reissues. I don’t know if there are rights issues to the record, what with it being issued on an imprint of an imprint of a major label that ceased to exist shortly after this album came out or if it’s just not high enough in the hierarchy of popular Luna releases, but I do know that it was hard enough to find when it was technically in print – I had to go all the way to Dean Wareham’s old stomping grounds of Cambridge, Massachusetts to get my copy (okay, I didn’t go expressly to buy it there but that’s where I found it). In any case, it’s a rare occasion of a cover being included on an album proper rather than saved for b-sides, but as the interview with Dean and Sean preceding the live version also included below indicates, it was supposed to catapult the band to fame and fortune. Or not.
The half of Luna that was Dean and Britta carry on as Dean & Britta, and have been busying themselves with their 13 Most Beautiful and Plays Galaxie 500 shows, though one would think that some new material of their own is percolating. Sean Eden and Lee Wall also seem to be keeping busy.
As for GN’R, you’ve probably heard the kerfuffle that ensued when questions of would the original lineup of the band reunite to play the induction ceremony last night were downgraded to would they even show up together and then even those were dashed earlier this week when Axl announced via Facebook that he was declining the induction altogether. They inducted him anyways. I would like to think that if/when Luna are inducted to the Hall Of Fame, they’ll reunite for the occasion. They’re eligible in 2017.
MP3: Luna – “Sweet Child O’ Mine”
MP3: Luna – “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (live on World Cafe)
Video: Guns N’ Roses – “Sweet Child O’ Mine
Saturday, April 14th, 2012
Dan Burn-FortiWho: Nick Lowe
What: Legendary – a term not to be used lightly but wholly appropriate in this case – English singer-songwriter whose wit and songwriting greatly influenced punk and new wave in the ’70s and ’80s and is still going strong; his last record The Old Magic came out last Fall.
Why: Though he came through town back solo in September whilst opening up for Wilco, he’s coming back for his own show and a full band.
When: Monday, April 23, 2012
Where: The Phoenix in Toronto (19+)
Who else: Local boy Peter Elkas gets to warm things up.
How: Tickets for the show are $35 in advance but courtesy of Collective Concerts, I’ve got a pair of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Nick Lowe” in the subject line and your full name in the body and have that in to me before midnight, April 18.
What else: Macleans has a lovely Q&A with the man.
Video: Nick Lowe – “Sensitive Man”
Saturday, April 14th, 2012
Natalie EscobedoWho: Good Old War
What: Philadelphia folk-popping three-piece who just released their third album Come Back As Rain in mid-March.
Why: Said album landed the band at the top of the Billboard heatseekers chart – they debuted at #1 – meaning a lot of people wanted to hear them, and presumably see them. And so they tour.
When: Friday, April 20, 2012
Where: The Horseshoe in Toronto (19+)
Who else: Support comes from The Belle Brigade and Family Of The Year.
How: Tickets for the show are $12.50 in advance but courtesy of Collective Concerts, I’ve got a pair of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want a Good Old War” in the subject line and your full name in the body and have that in to me before midnight, April 17.
What else: The band are featured in pieces at The Daily Nebraskan, The Phoenix New Times, College Times, Blare, The Gauntlet, and The Georgia Straight.
Video: Good Old War – “Calling Me Names”
Friday, April 13th, 2012
Iceage coming, Iceage coming / Throw him in the fire
FacebookOr perhaps that should read, “Vikings coming, Vikings coming”, seeing as how the last few days have seen a flurry of excellent concert announcements from Scandinavian bands.
Not the biggest but certainly of interest is the return of barely out of their teens if even that Danish post-punks Iceage. Their debut New Brigade was as intense as it was brief – not even 25 minutes to get through a dozen tracks – but with enough melodic sensibility to appeal to those who need a little melodicism to make this much angular aggression palatable. Like myself. In any case, their live shows are infamously raucous affairs so it’ll be interesting to see what they do to The Horseshoe when they roll in on July 18, part of a North American tour to get them to Pitchfork Fest; tickets for the show are $12.50 in advance.
MP3: Iceage – “White Rune”
MP3: Iceage – “Broken Bone”
MP3: Iceage – “New Brigade”
With the announcement of his second album There’s No Leaving Now, out June 12, Kristian Matsson – aka The Tallest Man On Earth – is back for a show at The Queen Elizabeth Theatre on June 15. Tickets for that one are $27.50 in advance, on sale today at 10AM and there’s a two-per-customer limit on those so if you’re travelling in a group, you probably won’t be sitting together. Sorry.
MP3: The Tallest Man On Earth – “King Of Spain”
MP3: The Tallest Man On Earth – “Burden Of Tomorrow”
MP3: The Tallest Man On Earth – “Like The Wheel”
And perhaps most excitingly, Sigur Rós make their first return to Toronto since September 2008, though surprisingly it will be their first show in a decade to not happen at Massey Hall; this time, they’ll take advantage of the fact that their show is being geared towards festival season and take things to the outdoors, playing at Echo Beach down at Ontario Place on August 1 before heading to Osheaga and Lollapalooza. Tickets are general admission and go on sale April 19 for $49.50 plus fees. Their new album Valtari is out on May 28.
MP3: Sigur Rós – “Starálfur”
MP3: Sigur Rós – “Svefn-G-Englar”
MP3: Sigur Rós – “Gobbledigook”
MP3: Sigur Rós – “Hoppípolla”
If only a Norwegian band could have announced some dates this week, I’d have had the full set. They’ll have to settle for representation from Ane Brun, who’s now based in Sweden, and has made a track from her new album It All Starts With One available to download; it’s out May 1 and she’s at The Great Hall on May 10. Contact Music also has an interview.
MP3: Ane Brun – “Do You Remember”
The Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, and Georgia Straight welcome First Aid Kit to the west coast with questions. So many questions.
Londonist interviews Amanda Mair, whose self-titled debut is out in North America on June 5.
Niki & The Dove’s debut album Instinct now has a North American release date and it’s three months after the European one – it will be out via Sub Pop on August 7 over here. Until then, you can hear five tracks from it via a YouTube stream.
Stream: Niki & The Dove / Instinct sampler
NPR welcomes Fanfarlo for a World Cafe session.
The Amelia Fletcher-fronted Tender Trap returns with Ten Songs About Girls, aka ten songs of indie-pop goodness, this July and the first single is now available to stream. Clash has more details on the release.
Stream: Tender Trap – “Love Is Hard Enough”
Also making a return – Neil Halstead with his third solo record Palindrome Hunches, due out in August.
The Joy Formidable may have wrapped up their North American tour and gone back to the UK, but they’ve left parting gifts in the form of a live mini-concert recorded for YouTube Presents.
Video: The Joy Formidable @ YouTube Presents
New Twilight Sad video.
Video: The Twilight Sad – “Dead City”
Summer Camp are put in front of the camera for video sessions with Gold Flake Paint and All Saints.
Charlotte Hatherley’s Sylver Tongue electro-pop persona has premiered a new video via The Guardian.
Video: Sylver Tongue – “Creatures”
Yuck has a new song; let them stream it for you.
Stream: Yuck – “Chew”
Justin Young of The Vaccines updates BBC on the recording of album number two.
Spin, The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Wall Street Journal talk to Spiritualized’s Jason Pierce about their new record Sweet Heart Sweet Light, out next week. They’re at The Phoenix on May 5.
The Fly and Edinburgh Evening News chat with Graham Coxon.
Both Rolling Stone and Spin talk The Smiths with Johnny Marr.
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