Saturday, March 31st, 2012
Steve GullickWho: The Cribs
What: Band of brothers who for a while included in their ranks a brother from another mother – Johnny Marr of The Smiths – but are now back down to being an all-Jarman affair.
Why: Having taken a short hiatus following 2009’s Ignore The Ignorant, the band returns In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull, out May 8. Which is a good while after this show takes place, but what can you do.
When: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Where: Lee’s Palace in Toronto (19+)
Who else: The Hounds Below – whose bandleader you may recall from The Von Bondies – will support.
How: Tickets for the show are $17.50 in advance but courtesy of +1, I’ve got one pair of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want The Cribs” in the subject line and your full name in the body, and have that in to me before midnight, April 8.
What else: The Oregonian has an interview with Gary Jarman of the band and there’s a career-spanning 5-track sampler of the band available to download for free. Follow the band on Twitter, like them on Facebook and catch them on this North American tour:
4/3 – Portland, OR @ Holocene
4/4 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Café
4/7 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Eatery
4/9 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas
4/10 – Pontiac, MI @ The Pike Room
4/11 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
4/13 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
4/14 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
MP3: The Cribs – “Chi-Town”
Video: The Cribs – “Come On, Be A No-One”
Friday, March 30th, 2012
Frank YangThe final day in Austin for SXSW went a little something like this.
Gary Clark, Jr.
– Blues-rock axe-slinger who’s only got the 2010 Bright Lights to his name, but is already well on his way towards joining the ranks of Austin-bred guitar heroes. The Chicago Tribune has a feature interview.
Photos: Gary Clark, Jr @ The Mohawk Patio – March 17, 2012
Video: Gary Clark, Jr. – “Don’t Owe You A Thang”
Video: Gary Clark, Jr. – “Bright Lights”
The War On Drugs
– Spacey Americana-rockers hailing from Philadelphia, who enjoyed a breakout 2011 thanks to their second full-length album, Slave Ambient.
Photos: The War On Drugs @ The Mohawk Patio – March 17, 2012
MP3: The War On Drugs – “Come To The City”
MP3: The War On Drugs – “Baby Missiles”
MP3: The War On Drugs – “Taking The Farm”
MP3: The War On Drugs – “Comin’ Through”
MP3: The War On Drugs – “The History Of Plastic”
Video: The War On Drugs – “Come To The City”
Video: The War On Drugs – “Baby Missiles”
Video: The War On Drugs – “Needle In Your Eye #16”
Blitzen Trapper
– Jam-friendly roots-rockers whose 2011 release American Goldwing was their sixth record of genre-melting Americana. The West Australian and The Daily Texan have feature pieces.
Photos: Blitzen Trapper @ The Mohawk Patio – March 17, 2012
MP3: Blitzen Trapper – “Love The Way You Walk Away”
MP3: Blitzen Trapper – “American Goldwing”
MP3: Blitzen Trapper – “Dragon’s Song”
MP3: Blitzen Trapper – “Heaven & Earth”
MP3: Blitzen Trapper – “Black River Killer”
MP3: Blitzen Trapper – “Gold For Bread”
MP3: Blitzen Trapper – “Furr”
Video: Blitzen Trapper – “Love The Way You Walk Away”
Video: Blitzen Trapper – “Black River Killer”
Video: Blitzen Trapper – “Furr”
Video: Blitzen Trapper – “Wild Mountain Nation”
Video: Blitzen Trapper – “Woof And Warp”
Video: Blitzen Trapper – “Devil’s A Go Go”
Bob Mould
– Legendary leader of Husker Du and Sugar who has taken to performing the whole of the latter’s debut Copper Blue live in concert, as he did this day. He’ll release a new solo record this Fall on Merge. Filter has an introduction to the greatness of Copper Blue.
Photos: Bob Mould @ The Mohawk Patio – March 17, 2012
Video: Sugar – “Helpless”
Video: Sugar – “Changes”
Video: Sugar – “If I Can’t Change Your Mind”
The Roots
– Groundbreaking hip-hop/soul virtuosos, collaborators with everyone, house band for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and maybe one of the best live acts going. Their last record was 2011’s Undun.
Photos: The Roots @ The Mohawk Patio – March 17, 2012
Video: The Roots – “Tip The Scale”
Video: The Roots – “Make My”
Video: The Roots – “Stomp”
Video: The Roots – “Sleep”
Video: The Roots – “The Fire”
Video: The Roots – “Dear God 2.0”
Video: The Roots – “How I Got Over”
Video: The Roots – “Rising Up”
Video: The Roots – “Birthday Girl”
Video: The Roots – “Get Busy”
Video: The Roots – “75 Bars (Black’s Reconstruction)”
Video: The Roots – “Don’t Feel Right”
Video: The Roots – “I Don’t Care”
Video: The Roots – “Star”
Video: The Roots – “Don’t Say Nuthin'”
Video: The Roots – “The Seed (2.0)”
Video: The Roots – “Break You Off”
Video: The Roots – “The Next Movement”
Video: The Roots – “You Got Me”
Video: The Roots – “What They Do”
Video: The Roots – “Concerto Of The Desperado”
Video: The Roots – “Clones”
Video: The Roots – “Silent Treatment”
Video: The Roots – “Proceed”
Video: The Roots – “Distortion To Static”
Video: The Roots – “Pass The Popcorn”
Friday, March 30th, 2012
Housse de Racket, The Weather Station, Big Scary and more at Canadian Musicfest
Frank YangNeither of Toronto’s club-level music festivals do especially well at recreating the day show culture of the likes of SXSW – NXNE obviously has the edge in this department on account of being in the Summer and not the trailing edge of Winter, but that’s not stopping Canadian Musicfest from trying, at least a little. Case in point, the Aussie BBQ that took over both floors of the El Mocambo on Saturday afternoon and offering a second (or third or fourth) showcase for many of the acts in town from Down Under. And while the “barbecue” end of things could stand with some improvement – somehow I don’t think that slightly undercooked sausages wrapped in a piece of white bread is how they do things in Canberra – the musical component did just fine.
I got there in time to see Husky, a foursome from Melbourne who had the fortune of arriving to the festival on the back of having just signed a deal with Sub Pop – the legendary Seattle label would be giving their debut album Forever So a North American debut on July 12. And though they don’t hail from the Pacific northwest, it’s not hard to see the outfit – named not for the dog or their size but for frontman Husky Gawenda – fitting in just fine with the more plaid-clad portion of the label’s roster. They take the ’60s beard-folk sound into ’70s, incorporating jazz, prog, and classical elements alongside their rich, three-part harmonies. Expect some Fleet Foxes references when the album comes out, for though Gawenda’s voice doesn’t soar like Robin Pecknold’s – it’s more of a warm blanket – the parallels are there.
Photos: Husky @ The El Mocambo – March 24, 2012
MP3: Husky – “The Woods”
Video: Husky – “The Woods”
Video: Husky – “Dark Sea”
Playing immediately after and upstairs was Teeth & Tongue, whom from press photos I’d assume were at least a duo but was in fact just transplanted New Zealander Jess Cornelius, her keyboard, and a bushel of electronically-crafted pop. The backing tracks were well-arranged to make things sound full without crossing the line into karaoke territory, and Cornelius kept the attention on her with a big voice that was impressive without being showy. Moody and just a bit shy of goth-y, I imagine Teeth & Tongue excel in a full band setup but still did quite well on her own.
Photos: Teeth & Tongue @ The El Mocambo – March 24, 2012
Video: Teeth & Tongue – “Unfamiliar Skirts”
Video: Teeth & Tongue – “Sad Sun”
Stream: Teeth & Tongue / Tambourine
Next up were Perth’s Voltaire Twins, who may have been siblings – at least professionally, Jaymes and Tegan share the Voltaire surname – but were most definitely not identical twins; they couldn’t look less alike with her a pixie-like blonde and he a Michael Cera lookalike. But superficial nitpicking aside, they put on a fun and energetic set of electro-pop heavy on synths, percussion and hooks. The songwriting felt a bit shallow but this wasn’t sit, stare into your drink and ruminate music – it was bounce around tuneage and in that department, the band led by example – even when Jaymes lost power to his setup for half of the last song, he didn’t miss a step.
Photos: Voltaire Twins @ The El Mocambo – March 24, 2012
MP3: Voltaire Twins – “Animalia”
Video: Voltaire Twins – “Animalia”
I think a lot of people have pre-conceived notions about how a two-piece, guitar/drums band will sound – blame The White Stripes, I think – but Melbourne’s Big Scary refused to fulfill those stereotypes. Rather than bombast, they focused on tightly-arranged vocals and instrumentation with Tom Iansek moving from guitar to keys and Jo Syme holding down the kit and both singing rather soulfully. Their songs were earnest and full and covered territory from moody ballads through bluesy – but not blues – rockers.
Photos: Big Scary @ The El Mocambo – March 24, 2012
MP3: Big Scary – “Autumn”
Video: Big Scary – “Leaving Home”
Video: Big Scary – “Gladiator”
Video: Big Scary – “Mix Tape”
Video: Big Scary – “Tuesday Is Rent Day”
Stream: Big Scary / MixTape
At this point it was nice – and necessary – to take a little break from the live music, but the proverbial second wind arrived just in time to carry me down to Parkdale to see The Weather Station at The Drake Underground. I knew Tamara Lindeman as one of the newer members of Bruce Peninsula but also knew that her second solo album All Of It Was Mine was getting as much praise (if not more) than that band. And rightly so; though it’s a simple recording, it’s also intricately detailed both literally and metaphorically and the arrangements may be spare but they’re also meticulously considered. Both on record and on stage, where Lindeman played guitar or banjo and was accompanied only by lap steel, a couple backing singers and drums for a couple songs, it’s evident there’s tremendous depth to the songs and the space left around them just afforded a better view and when they ended suddenly, as they sometimes did, it’s because they said what they needed to and nothing more. A remarkable set and a remarkable record. Pitchfork has an interview with Lindeman, who plays The Mod Club on April 13 in support of Bahamas.
Photos: The Weather Station @ The Drake Underground – March 24, 2012
MP3: The Weather Station – “Everything I Saw”
It was then down the street to Wrongbar for the last venue of the night and the festival. First up was Montreal five-piece The Breezes, who were a last-minute addition to the fest when Iceland’s Bloodgroup pulled out. My understanding is that the band have been somewhat… chameleonic in their musical stylings in the past, but it seems that they’ve settled – for the moment at least – on a classic guitar pop template for their sound. With their three lead vocalists, comparisons to Teenage Fanclub came to mind but are offered only with the caveat that The Breezes bring a little more swing to things and aren’t as brilliant as those Scots but that’s not really a slight – who is? They were genial performers despite the slim crowd in the early going, and really got most interesting towards the end of their set with some of their noisier or more experimental tendencies began to bleed into their songs. If they decide to shift gears again, that might be one way to go.
Photos: The Breezes @ Wrongbar – March 24, 2012
MP3: The Breezes – “Promethean Eyes”
Video: The Breezes – “Oceans”
Video: The Breezes – “Count To Eleven”
Having known Reg Vermue for some years and seen Gentleman Reg countless times, adjusting to his new identity as Regina Theegentlelady in Light Fires, his/her new project with Ohbijou’s James Bunton, has taken a little time. But that’s also because it’s taken a little time for it to coalesce from concept to execution and based on this show, it might be just about there. Though Reg/Regina’s vocals are still as distinctive as ever, their disco-ish electro is a far cry from the guitar-pop of Gentleman Reg and oh yeah, seeing him/her pulling off some fairly elaborate and aerobic dance routines to go with the songs – though climbing on top of two wobbly barstools to sing would not have topped my list of smart things to do – was also new. There’s only been a single released but an album is in the works, and if you’re waiting for more Gentleman Reg material, it might be a while – Light Fires would seem to be the priority right now.
Photos: Light Fires @ Wrongbar – March 24, 2012
Video: Light Fires – “Ten Feet Tall”
And finishing things off in grand fashion were Parisian duo Housse de Racket. Their elevator pitch would sound something like, “Phoenix meets The Strokes” and while that’s not wrong – their second album Alesia certainly has some of that eminently danceable guitar/synth-pop with that distinctive Gallic sheen to it – it wouldn’t have done the intensity of their live show justice. Pierre Leroux had synths at the ready but spent most of the show attending to – or abusing – his Telecaster while co-conspirator Victor le Masne dazzled with his heavy, yet nimble drumming. Not dancing was not an option, and while the room wasn’t nearly full – if this show had taken place outside a festival or if they’d been rightfully identified as one of the must-sees of the week rather than be overlooked, I wager at it’d have been at least 50% better attended – those there took advantage of the extra space to bust a move or two; you couldn’t not. With plenty of French charm, they worked the room like it was a much bigger crowd and by set’s end, having built up a real head of steam, were damn near heroic-sounding; a grand and dazzling end to the festival. The Georgia Straight has an interview with the band.
Photos: Housse de Racket @ Wrongbar – March 24, 2012
MP3: Housse de Racket – “Roman”
Video: Housse de Racket – “Chateau”
Video: Housse de Racket – “Roman”
Video: Housse de Racket – “Oh Yeah!”
Video: Housse de Racket – “Synthétiseur”
Video: Housse de Racket – “1-2-3-4”
And before I collapse into the weekend, which I need to do – writing up festivals is arguably more tiring than actually attending them – there’s some show announcements you should really know about.
Sweden’s We Are Serenades used to be called just Serenades but presumably they ran into some legal troubles on that front. In any case, it’s still Adam Olenius of Shout Out Louds and Markus Krunegard and their rather Euro-pop debut Criminal Heaven gets a North American release on April 17. In support, they’re putting together a North American tour and will be at The Garrison on May 14. They were one of the bands I wanted to but failed to see at SXSW, so I may try and hit this one up.
MP3: We Are Serenades – “Birds”
MP3: We Are Serenades – “Oceans”
Video: We Are Serenades – “Oceans”
One of the show announcements I’ve been waiting for all year is finally here. As Eric Bachmann promised last Summer, the Archers Of Loaf reunion is coming to Toronto on June 16 at The Phoenix as part of NXNE. Tickets are $24.50 in advance and go on sale today. Yeah I know you’ve bought Radiohead tickets. Your loss.
MP3: Archers Of Loaf – “Harnessed In Slums”
MP3: Archers Of Loaf – “What Did You Expect”
MP3: Archers Of Loaf – “Wrong”
Nashville’s JEFF The Brotherhood – just here in February – are coming back for a show at Wrongbar on June 23, tickets $13 in advance.
Video: JEFF The Brotherhood – “Whatever I Want”
And I never listened to Swedish hardcore punks Refused back when they were still around – almost the definition of not my thing – but apparently they were big enough that their reunion tour can support not one but two nights at The Sound Academy, with OFF! – themselves sporting impressive punk credentials – as support. Those dates are July 22 and 23 and tickets are $35.99 in advance.
MP3: OFF! – “King Kong Brigade”
Video: Refused – “New Noise”
Thursday, March 29th, 2012
Frank YangWe’re almost done, I swear. The writeup for the Friday night of SXSW 2012 is over here.
Tashaki Miyaki
– Mysterious Los Angeles duo who perform as a trio and prefer nothing to be known about them besides that they dig The Velvet Underground, Everly Brothers and Jesus & Mary Chain who’ve just released the equally mysteriously-titled EP.
Photos: Tashaki Miyaki @ Latitude 30 – March 16, 2012
MP3: Tashaki Miyaki – “Somethin’ Is Better Than Nothin'”
Video: Tashaki Miyaki – “Best Friend”
Video: Tashaki Miyaki – “Somethin’ Is Better Than Nothin'”
Video: Tashaki Miyaki – “Get It Right”
Stream: Tashaki Miyaki / EP
Fort Lean
– Brooklyn-based five-piece that sounds like what you’d expect a Brooklyn-based five-piece in 2012 to sound like; all dreamy guitars and complex rhythms. They’re in town at Lee’s Palace on April 14 opening for We Were Promised Jetpacks. The Vinyl District and EastScene have features on the band.
Photos: Fort Lean @ Karma Lounge – March 16, 2012
MP3: Fort Lean – “Sunsick”
Video: Fort Lean – “Beach Holiday”
Video: Fort Lean – “High Definition”
Video: Fort Lean – “Perfect”
Stream: Fort Lean / Fort Lean
Razika
– Just another Norwegian all-girl ska-pop band; a dime a dozen. Just kidding about that latter part – a bit understated but fun times.
Photos: Razika @ The Iron Bear – March 16, 2012
MP3: Razika – “Eg Vetsje”
MP3: Razika – “Nytt pa Nytt”
Video: Razika – “Vondt i hjertet”
Team Me
– Exuberant gang of Norwegian youths with a penchant for acting out (in a good way). Their debut To The Treetops came out earlier this month.
Photos: Team Me @ The Loft – March 16, 2012
MP3: Team Me – “With My Hands Covering Both of My Eyes I Am Too Scared To Have a Look At You Now”
Video: Team Me – “Dear Sister”
Video: Team Me – “Show Me”
Howler
– Youthful Minneapolis outfit who’ve been tagged as the next saviours of garage rock. Whether it’s actually true or just hyperbole, their debut America Give Up is pretty good and their live show is better; see for yourself at The Drake Underground on April 5. The Vancouver Sun, Georgia Straight, and San Francisco Examiner have feature pieces on the band.
Photos: Howler @ Latitude 30 – March 16, 2012
MP3: Howler – “Back Of Your Neck”
Video: Howler – “Back Of Your Neck”
Video: Howler – “Told You Once”
2:54
– London-based Thurlow sisters who recall the goth- and dream-pop acts of the ’80s with an added dose of sultriness. Their self-titled debut is due on May 28; look for them in Toronto for NXNE – June 15 at Lee’s Palace, to be precise – as part of a North American tour. The Fly has an interview with the pair.
Photos: 2:54 @ Latitude 30 – March 16, 2012
Stream: 2:54 – “You’re Early”
Video: 2:54 – “You’re Early”
Video: 2:54 – “Scarlet”
Thursday, March 29th, 2012
July Talk, Chains Of Love, The Big Sleep and more at Canadian Musicfest
Frank YangDespite only seeing four bands, I like to think that I covered a fair bit of ground – stylistically, geographically, exploratorily (?), what have you – on the first night of Canadian Musicfest. The Friday night stuck slightly closer to home on all fronts but yielded much better and consistent results.
The evening kicked off at Rancho Relaxo with Neufovin in all the way from Finland (I mistakenly called them Norwegian in my festival preview and apologize profusely). Besides having an affinity for anything Scandinavian, the foursome impressed me with the samples posted online – they’ve yet to release a debut album but already sound like a tight and creative unit only somewhat all over the place with respect to what they want to sound like. But based on their set, they were leaning towards a low-level orbit brand of space-rock, propelled by their nimble drummer whose work reminded me of The National’s Bryan Devendorf and that’s basically the highest praise I can give a drummer; I could have just sat and listened to him play all night. The vocals could use a little more expressiveness but hearing their confident transitions from sonic grace to chaos and back again, I would definitely like to hear that debut whenever it’s done.
Photos: Neufvoin @ Rancho Relaxo – March 23, 2012
MP3: Neufvoin – “Drunken Captain”
MP3: Neufvoin – “Polar Song”
MP3: Neufvoin – “Villasukka”
MP3: Neufvoin – “Mouse On Mars”
Video: Neufvoin – “Polar Song”
I’m not sure who booked New York’s The Big Sleep into The Painted Lady, but it was a weird venue for them, being better suited to singer-songwriter acts than heavy, lumbering rock acts – to wit, they kept getting asked to turn down their amps through their set. But while the band had a track record, their third album Nature Experiments had just come out in January and was their first in four years; they probably had to work to get back onto peoples’ radars. I for one had lost track of them after seeing them at Pop Montreal 2006 circa their debut Son Of The Tiger, but remembered them well enough to know I wanted to see/hear them again, given the chance. Happily, time hadn’t messed with my memory and they were as good as I recalled, coming across equal parts intense and cool and heavy all around. Sonya Balchandani and Danny Barria have distinct vocal styles but maintain a similarly detached personality, offering a nice balance to their decidedly pummelling guitar-bass-keys instrumental groove. I imagine it’d make great car chase music.
Photos: The Big Sleep @ The Painted Lady – March 23, 2012
MP3: The Big Sleep – “Ace”
MP3: The Big Sleep – “Bad Blood”
MP3: The Big Sleep – “Pinkies”
MP3: The Big Sleep – “Murder”
MP3: The Big Sleep – “You Can’t Touch The Untouchable”
Video: The Big Sleep – “Ace”
Video: The Big Sleep – “Valentine”
Video: The Big Sleep – “Murder”
At this point, the best laid plans kind of fell apart as catching a streetcar across College from Ossington to Spadina turned into walking across College from Ossington to Spadina, an exercise that took quite a bit longer than intended (it wasn’t by choice). But being late for an 11PM showcase means you’re early for an 11:30 one, so I managed to slip into the El Mocambo between sets and get in position for one of the festival’s hotter acts, Vancouver’s retro-soul revivalists Chains of Love. They’d been a highlight of last year’s NXNE and their just-released debut Strange Grey Days was a solid one, so I was pretty content with this plan B. This show was somewhat less gleefully chaotic than that Silver Dollar show – the ElMo stage affording enough space that the band weren’t falling over each other up there – but while that was part of the fun last time, its loss was mitigated by the fact that the band were more polished and all-around better sounding than last time, and the extra space allowed for frontwoman Nathalia Pizarro’s dance moves and tambourine workout. They wisely stuck to their uptempo material for the set and while that meant that it was all over extra fast – I don’t think it even clocked in at half an hour – they definitely proved that NXNE show wasn’t any kind of fluke. Spinner has an interview with the band.
Photos: Chains Of Love @ The El Mocambo – March 23, 2012
MP3: Chains Of Love – “In Between”
MP3: Chains Of Love – “Breaking My Heart”
MP3: Chains Of Love – “You Got It”
And if Chains Of Love were going to pass on their title of “best new discovery at The Silver Dollar during a music festival” – it’s a real thing, look it up – then across the street July Talk were ready to take it. I didn’t know a thing about them ahead of time, but The Silver Dollar is usually a pretty safe bet during either CMF or NXNE – at the very least, whatever you see will be loud and rocking and at the very most, it’ll be amazing. That might be overselling July Talk a bit, but they were definitely one of the most entertaining sets I’d see all week. Fronted by the duo of Peter Dreimanis and Leah Fay, they offered a sort of rowdy, sleazy blues punkabilly take on June & Johnny/Gram & Emmylou with not a little Sailor & Lula/Mickey & Mallory dynamic thrown into the mix. They two were electric onstage, whether playfully shoving, biting or rubbing up against each other or working the audience – Fay graciously put lipstick on more than a few members of the crowd – all the while leading their band through some foot-stomping, ass-shaking tunes that were almost as tuneful as they were theatrical. Tremendously fun, and I don’t know what is says about me that I assumed they were an out-of-town act from Los Angeles or the like… and not from right here in Toronto. Who knew we had it in us?
Photos: July Talk @ The Silver Dollar – March 23, 2012
M4A: July Talk – “Paper Girl”
M4A: July Talk – “The Garden”
PS I Love You are gearing up for the May 8 release of Death Dreams with a second MP3 and a set of tour dates that includes a May 15 date at The Garrison.
MP3: PS I Love You – “Princess Towers”
The AV Club gets to know Army Girls; they’re opening up some of those PS I Love You dates, no word if they’re going to be doing so in Toronto but one can hope. Update: Yup, they’re opening the Garrison show.
And not to give up the title of pre-eminent loud Canadian rock duo, Japandroids will release their new one Celebration Rock on June 5 and have plotted their own Summer tour which brings them to The Horseshoe on June 23. A stream from the new record is available now.
Stream: Japandroids – “The House That Heaven Built”
It almost goes without saying that the just-announced Fucked Up show at The Power Plant art gallery space at Harbourfront on May 1 will be something more than just a concert, but they haven’t said what yet. But if you’re looking to get some Fucked Up in you life, keep the date open.
MP3: Fucked Up – “Queen Of Hearts”
The Wooden Sky have released the third instalment of their “Grace On A Hill” video session series at Chart. They play The Opera House on April 20.
Exclaim and The Awl talk to Tony Dekker of Great Lake Swimmers, whose new album New Wild Everywhere is out next week and streaming in full over at aux.tv. They’re at The Music Hall on June 2 and have just announced an in-store at Sonic Boom for April 3 at 6PM.
Stream: Great Lake Swimmers / New Wild Everywhere
Opening up that Great Lake Swimmers show will be Cold Specks, who was profiled by NOW and The Globe & Mail. I Predict A Graceful Explosion will be out May 22.
The Globe & Mail, Willamette Weekly, Edmonton Journal, and NOW talk to John K Samson.
Exclaim and aux.tv talk to Joel Plaskett about his new record Scrappy Happiness. He’s at The Queen Elizabeth Theatre on May 18 and 19.
The National Post and Spinner chat with John O’Regan of Diamond Rings about his second album and how it feels to be a Juno nominee.
Also up for a Juno is Dan Mangan; The Vancouver Sun has an interview with the singer-songwriter.
Spin points to a stream if another of Arcade Fire’s contributions to the Hunger Games soundtrack.
Stream: Arcade Fire – “Horn Of Plenty”
Pitchfork reports that Caribou’s performance at the 2009 ATP festival as the Caribou Vibration Ensemble is available to watch in its entirety at Vimeo. Caribou opens up for Radiohead at Downsview Park on June 16.
A track from Moonface’s new album With Sinai: Heartbreaking Bravery is now available to download. It’s out April 17.
MP3: Moonface – “Headed For The Door”
DIY interviews Claire Boucher of Grimes.
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