Tuesday, April 19th, 2011
The Wooden Birds release second album, migrate across continent
Leslie SissonIt was a sad day in late 2005 when Austin’s American Analog Set called it a day, or it would have been if they had bothered to officially do so. They announced prior to touring their last (as in most recent, not final) record Set Free that it would be their final tour before a hiatus, and that while they didn’t have any plans to do anything else together, be it recording or playing or whatever, they weren’t ruling out the possibility. And they invoked the “not dead, only sleeping” clause at SXSW 2009 when they reconvened to mark the 10th anniversary of The Golden Band by playing the whole album at a day show I had the privilege of helping present.
But that special occasion aside, the band’s signature blend of shimmering vibraphone, humming Farfisa and dreamy guitarwork has been silent with frontman Andrew Kenny trading his Jazzmaster in for an acoustic guitar and lending his gentle vocals to a new band, The Wooden Birds. AmAnSet had been extremely consistent in sound and vision throughout their existence, so it’s not surprising that despite the change-up in instrumentation and addition of female vocals from sometime AmAnSet member Leslie Sisson, The Wooden Birds’ 2009 debut Magnolia could easily have passed as a new Analog Set record. It’s more earthy than ethereal, thanks to its simpler presentation, and less drifitly droning but if you were an AmAnSet fan, it’s hard to imagine not finding much to like about The Wooden Birds. Unless, of course, you were all about the vibes, in which case you may want to keep walking.
The Wooden Birds have set a June 7 release date for their second album Two Matchsticks and having passed us by on all tour dates in support of the debut, it’s exciting to see that the first North American dates finally include a Toronto date at The Drake Underground on July 10 – the first time back as bandleader for Kenny since November 2005 (he may well have been here as a member of Kevin Drew’s “Presents…” band). And while you might not guess it from listening to the records, The American Analog Set were always a fantastic live show thanks to the mesmerizing and hypnotic nature of their sound. I expect similar head trips from The Wooden Birds. Tickets for the show are just $12.00 in advance.
Samples from Two Matchsticks aren’t available yet, but there’s no reason to believe the new material strays too far from what surfaced on Magnolia. Update: One of the new songs is streaming at MTV Hive.
MP3: The Wooden Birds – “False Alarm”
Video: The Wooden Birds – “Hometown Fantasy”
There’s been no word of a follow-up to last year’s Goodbye Killer nor would I expect one, given the pace at which Joe Pernice works, but he’s taking the time out of whatever it he’s doing to play a show at The Dakota on May 6, tickets $20.
MP3: Pernice Brothers – “Jacqueline Susann”
That same evening, Peter Bjorn & John will warm up for their show at Lee’s Palace with an in-store at Sonic Boom at 7PM. Admission is free with the donation of canned goods.
Video: Peter Bjorn & John – “Second Chance”
With a new greatest hits compilation in Golden Greats, No. 1 just released, Sweden’s The Soundtrack Of Our Lives have made a date at Lee’s Palace for June 4. Tickets for the guaranteed rock spectacle are $18.50 in advance.
MP3: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives – “Karmageddon”
His show at Lee’s last month apparently a roaring (or dead silent) success, Mark Kozelek is coming back for a pair of even more intimate shows – he’s at The Drake Underground on July 8 and 9, tickets for each show $24.50 in advance.
Video: Red House Painters – “24”
The National Post Q&As Joey Santiago of Pixies; they close out their two-night stand at Massey Hall tonight.
The Antlers are giving away an MP3 from Burst Apart, out May 10. They’re at The Mod Club on June 14.
MP3: The Antlers – “Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out”
Daytrotter has posted a session from The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, in town at The Opera House on August 2.
I Am A Mermaid questions Stephin and Claudia of The Magnetic Fields about mermaids.
NYC Taper is sharing a recording of Sharon Van Etten’s homecoming show in Brooklyn this past weekend and Express Night Out has an interview.
Pitchfork has a feature interview with TV On The Radio.
The Baltimore Sun and Philly Burbs talk to Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak, who have a new video from their new record Civilian. NYC Taper is also sharing a recording of their show in New York last week.
Video: Wye Oak – “Fish”
NYC Taper is sharing a recording of a recent Mountain Goats show while The Sound Of Young America has an interview with John Darnielle.
Hear Ya, Madison Eagle, Jam Bands, Blurt and Paste talk to Jason Isbell, whose new record Here We Rest is out now and who leads The 400 Unit into The Horseshoe on May 22.
Want to hear some of the new My Morning Jacket record, Circuital? You can download the title track below, hear it played live on VH1 Storytellers via Pitchfork and stream another new tune over at Antiquiet. The record is out May 31 and they play The Kool Haus on July 11.
MP3: My Morning Jacket – “Circuital”
Pitchfork 3D – which is exactly what you think it is – has launched with a video session featuring Deerhunter.
BBC talks to Michael Stipe of R.E.M..
NPR is streaming the whole of Steve Earle’s new album I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive a week ahead of its April 26 release. Earle plays The Molson Amphitheatre opening up for Blue Rodeo on August 20.
Stream: Steve Earle / I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive
Spinner caught up with Rhett Miller of Old 97’s before their show in Toronto a couple weeks ago.
Spin, Clash and The Line Of Best Fit have features on Explosions In The Sky, whose new album Take Care, Take Care, Take Care comes out next week and is streaming in whole right now at Exclaim.
Stream: Explosions In The Sky / Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
The Line Of Best Fit reports that Memory Tapes will release a new album in Player Piano on July 4.
Crawdaddy interviews Liz Phair.
aux.tv has a video session with Warpaint while Relix offers an interview.
Spinner talks to Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes. Their new record Helplessness Blues arrives May 3 and they’re at Massey Hall on July 14.
Monday, April 18th, 2011
Review of The Kills’ Blood Pressures and giveaway
Shawn BrackbillOn the surface, Blood Pressures – the new record from The Kills – resembles its predecessor, Midnight Boom, quite a bit; particularly in how it doesn’t really resemble their first two records Keep On Your Mean Side and No Wow very much. This is, of course, a very relative statement – everything that Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince have put out has been been very distinctly them, defined by their two-piece art/garage-rock aesthetic and their sexually-charged/ambiguous/tense dynamic.
But with Midnight Boom, they opened up the range of sounds with which they’d work, amped up the pop elements of their sound and generally tidied things up enough to make for their most accessible work yet; certainly it was the record that got me on board. Blood Pressures continues on in the same direction, but the balance of songs versus sonics seems to have swung decidedly in favour of the former. The groove-first, lyrics-second process that accounted for some of Boom‘s sleazy playground rhyme-like numbers has taken a back seat to more conventionally composed and structured songs, perhaps something Mosshart has brought back from her time in The Dead Weather. And though many are still built on unabashedly mechanical and grimy-sounding backing tracks, even those are sounding more organic and tidier than before.
None of this meant in judgement, just as observation. That The Kills would be getting more polished and sophisticated, even if just in relative terms, should come as no surprise – even from their first release it was inevitable, less a question of “if” than “when” and “how”. But with regards to judgement, as solid as Blood Pressures is – tunes like “Nail In My Coffin” and “Baby Says” are as solid additions to The Kills canon as anything they’ve done – but as a whole it doesn’t have the sense of reckless, unhinged fun that made its predecessor such a treat. It’s wholly on target as a satisfying Kills record but confirms that Midnight Boom was the bullseye.
Spinner and Clash talk to The Kills about their new record while Yours Truly solicits an acoustic video session… geoblocked. What the hell, people. They’re at The Sound Academy on May 1 and courtesy of Domino Records, I’ve got a prize pack consisting of a pair of passes to the show and a copy of Blood Pressures on LP to give away. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to Kills” in the subject line and your full name and mailing address in the body. Contest closes at midnight, April 25.
MP3: The Kills – “DNA”
Video: The Kills – “Satellite
The Guardian talks to Faris Badwan about his Cat’s Eyes project and their self-titled debut which is due out next week.
Video: Cat’s Eyes – “Face In The Crowd”
Video: Cat’s Eyes – “Cat’s Eyes”
The Boston Globe and Under The Radar talk to The Raveonettes.
Arctic Monkeys have a new video from the forthcoming Suck It And See. The album is out June 6 and they’re at The Kool Haus on May 21.
Video: Arctic Monkeys – “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair”
Glasvegas guitarist Rab Allan talks to Billboard and RTE about new album Euphoric Heartbreak, out now in Canada but not until May 17 in the US. They play Lee’s Palace on May 29.
The Vinyl District interviews Eddie Argos of Art Brut about their new record Brilliant! Tragic!, out May 23. They’ve also released a video from said album and play The Mod Club on June 17.
Video: Art Brut – “Lost Weekend”
Oh look, a new Beady Eye video. They’re at The Sound Academy on June 20.
Video: Beady Eye – “Millionaire”
Filter continues Suede week by talking to some of the band’s producers and getting some discography commentary from Brett Anderson and Mat Osman as well as a two–part interview with the founding members. BBC America also talks to Brett Anderson.
Yours Truly has a video session from and The Arty Semite, Georgia Straight, The OC Weekly and San Diego City Beat have interviews with Yuck. They’re at The Phoenix on May 1.
Esben & The Witch have a new video from Violet Cries.
Video: Esben & The Witch – “Chorea”
Been wondering what happened to guitarist Nick McCabe and bassist Simon Jones since The Verve broke up for the millionth time? The Quietus has your answer – The Black Ships.
Ed O’Brien disappoints a legion of Radiohead-spotters by telling BBC that there will not be another album coming from the King Of Limbs sessions. There will, however, be a North American release for the “Supercollider”/”The Butcher” 12″ that they put out for Record Store Day in the UK – Exclaim reports that it’ll be out on June 14 and you can stream both sides right now at some dude’s Soundcloud.
Spin talks to PJ Harvey, who has another video to show off.
Video: PJ Harvey – “On Battleship Hill”
Drowned In Sound talks to Kate Nash about her record label and music education for girls endeavours.
Emmy The Great introduces and performs a new song inspired by the Royal Wedding for The Guardian. The song doesn’t appear on Virtue, due out June 13, but you can download one that does at RCRDLBL while Drowned In Sound has the artwork and tracklisting up. Emmy’s website has also relaunched and yes, I did check the cost of flights to New York on seeing she’s playing Pianos on May 5 (too much).
MusicOmh chats with Jeremy Warmsley and Elizabeth Sankey of Summer Camp.
Artrocker talks to Alan McGee, founder of Creation Records.
Sunday, April 17th, 2011
Mogwai covers Pixies
AmazonFor two bands whose aesthetic can reductively be summed up as “loud QUIET loud” (or “QUIET loud QUIET”), Pixies and Mogwai don’t have all that much in common. For the former, the dynamic shifts were a means towards the end of groundbreakingly fractured pop, delivered in compact packages and defined by Black Francis’ throat-shredding vocals. The latter’s post-rock action, on the other hand, required them to stretch things out, all tension and release, and largely had no use for vocals of any kind.
The Scots do their best Bostonian impersonations on the 2007 tribute album Dig For Fire: A Tribute To Pixies, though, managing to turn in a version of the Doolittle finale that’s even shorter and fuzzier than the original with Stuart Braithwaite stepping up to the mic for the required screaming. It’s less unhinged than the Pixies version, instead affecting an air of determined menace but hey – it wouldn’t be Mogwai if it didn’t threaten to punch you in the face at any given moment.
Pixies are in town tomorrow and Tuesday at Massey Hall doing their Doolittle album recital, while Mogwai are at The Phoenix next Tuesday night, April 26, in support of their new record Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will. Relix and Illinois Entertainer have interviews with members of Mogwai while The Montreal Gazette and Echo have features on Pixies. Update: Visa issues have forced Mogwai to postpone the first five dates of the Spring tour, to be rescheduled for October. The Toronto date is still on.
MP3: Mogwai – “Gouge Away”
Video: Pixies – “Gouge Away” (live)
Saturday, April 16th, 2011
Aaron MillerWho: The Darcys
What: Possibly/probably one of the best unsigned bands in Toronto with a flair for grandiose proggish rock declarations and a pretty terrific debut album waiting for someone to put it out.
Why: They’re leading the bill for the next edition of Steam Whistle Unsigned, a showcase series put on by the local brewery for the purpose of introducing folks to up-and-coming talent and beer while donating door proceeds to the Artists Health Centre Foundation.
When: Friday, April 29, 2011
Where: The Steam Whistle Brewing Roundhouse, Toronto
Who else: Also on the bill are locals Wildlife and Freedom Or Death
How: Admission to the show is just $5, so giving away passes alone isn’t a massive-scale prize. Which is why courtesy of Steam Whistle, I’ve got to give away – in addition to a pair of passes – refreshment tickets, a pair of brewery tour passes and other assorted brewery swag. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to whistle at The Darcys” in the subject line and your full name and mailing address in the body. Contest closes at midnight, April 25.
MP3: The Darcys – “The House Built Around Your Voice”
Friday, April 15th, 2011
Bruce Peninsula blaze out trail for return
Bruce PeninsulaBy rights, we should have seen a new record from Toronto’s Bruce Peninsula ages ago. Their 2009 debut A Mountain Is A Mouth seemed a long time in coming from when the choral gospel-blues-folk collective began dropping jaws with their live shows, but after its release the band was everywhere and it seemed there was no slowing the momentum behind them.
But life, as it is wont to do, threw a curveball and in late 2010, after their second album had been recorded and they should have been planning how next to spread their word, frontman Neil Haverty was diagnosed with leukemia and the healing power of music would have to take a back seat to the healing power of medicine. Happily, some months later, Haverty is in remission and the Bruce Peninsula is getting back into gear.
While the album doesn’t yet have a firm release date, the band are laying down a trail from here to there and calling it the Bruce Peninsula Fire Sale – a series of releases and goodies intended to renew acquaintances and remind folks of why this band was one of the city’s most interesting new acts not so long ago. The first installment is a cover of Loudon Wainwright III’s “Swimming Song” – complete with video – and though it’s someone else’s song, the sound and arrangement is quite unlike anything we heard on Mountain – more refined, less primal and kind of revelatory. If this is just the start, then I can’t wait to hear what’s to come. Welcome back.
MP3: Bruce Peninsula – “The Swimming Song”
Video: Bruce Peninsula – “The Swimming Song”
On a less celebratory note, Vancouver’s You Say Party are going on an indefinite hiatus following a harder year than any group of people should have to endure. They’re being clear not to call it an ending, but taking some much-needed time off. And by way of going away gift, a pretty terrific new video from last year’s XXXX though I gotta say, a touch disappointed by the dearth of dancing midgets.
Video: You Say Party – “Laura Palmer’s Prom”
Pitchfork has details on the new Handsome Furs record Sound Kapital, which will be out on June 28. Grab the first MP3 in exchange for your email at their website.
NYC Taper is sharing a recording of a PS I Love You show in New York at the end of March.
The Leader-Post talks to Mark Hamilton of Woodpigeon about flying solo on his current cross-Canada tour along with Jon Janes of The Mountains & The Trees and Magali Meagher of The Phonemes. The tour is winding down now and will wrap on April 21 at The Tranzac in Toronto. He’s posted a quick summary of the jaunt so far and posted a radio session MP3.
MP3: Woodpigeon – “An Entanglement Of Weeds” (live on CHUO)
The Boston Herald introduces its readers to Shad. He plays a free show as part of the Jazz Festival at Metro Square on July 1.
The Colorado Springs Independent talks to Nate Query of The Decemberists, who’ve just released a new video from The King Is Dead.
Video: The Decemberists – “This Is Why We Fight”
NPR has a World Cafe session with DeVotchKa.
CBC has got a live in-studio performance video of Jeff Tweedy playing what will surely be one of Wilco’s new songs.
The Head & The Heart are gearing up for the release of their self-titled debut this Saturday by putting out a new video and streaming the whole thing.
Video: The Head & The Heart – “Rivers & Roads”
Stream: The Head & The Heart / The Head & The Heart
Laura Ballance’s shiv-wielding, hard-drinking, fight-picking cat takes centre stage in the new Superchunk video from Majesty Shredding. Their vinyl reissue of Here’s Where The Strings Come In is at the top of my Record Store Day shopping list, and beyond the incentive of it being remastered and not being scratched to shit like my CD copy, it will come with a bunch of bonuses including acoustic demos and a download of The Clambakes Vol. 5: Cup of Clams live set circa 2003.
Video: Superchunk – “Crossed Wires”
Parts & Labor have released a new video from Constant Future; they play Parts & Labour tonight.
Video: Parts & Labor – “Echo Chamber”
Drowned In Sound sits down with Alan Sparhawk of Low for an interview, a song-by-song annotation of the just-released C’Mon and a video performance of one of the songs from the record. eMusic also has an interview with Sparhawk and Square with Mimi Parker. They are at The Mod Club on May 2 and have just released an Uncle Jesse-powered video from the album.
Video: Low – “Try To Sleep”
Beatroute and The Ottawa Citizen talk to Pixies. They’re at Massey Hall on April 18 and 19.
And the Soundgarden reunion which rather surprisingly didn’t saturate the festival circuit last year, is coming to town – they’ve a date at the Molson Amphitheatre for July 2, with fan club presale starting next Monday.
Video: Soundgarden – “Spoonman”
1 Comment
facebook
![[Valid RSS]](http://www.chromewaves.net/images/interface/valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed"){kind=small}