Sunday, April 10th, 2011
TV On The Radio cover Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Frank YangIf there’s anyone who has the know-how to cover Yeah Yeah Yeahs, it’d be fellow Brooklynites TV On The Radio. Both emerged as leaders of the Brooklyn scene around the turn of the century and TVOTR axeman David Sitek produced all of their albums, including their debut Fever To Tell, which closed with the stark and meditative “Modern Romance”.
So it’s not surprising that their 2004 single for New Health Rock, taken from their full-length debut Blood Thirsty Babes, would simultaneously stay faithful to the original while sounding distinctively TVOTR – if anyone could pull that off, it would be the man behind the boards for each band.
TV On The Radio’s new record Nine Types Of Light is out this week and the band are following up with a tour that hits the Sound Academy in Toronto on April 18. Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been quiet since the release and tour cycle for 2009’s It’s Blitz, but they’re not on any kind of official hiatus so one would expect some new material coming from them hopefully sooner rather than later.
MP3: TV On The Radio – “Modern Romance”
Video: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Modern Romance” (live)
Saturday, April 9th, 2011
FacebookWho: Ron Sexsmith
What: Torontonian who somehow manages to be amongst the most respected and underappreciated singer-songwriters the country has to offer has just released his twelfth album, the unexpectedly Bob Rock-produced Long Player Late Bloomer.
Why: In addition to capping off a Canadian tour in support of the new record, Sexmith was also the subject of a documentary film Love Shines, released last year, and will be the subject of the Canadian Songbook show at Massey Hall in June as part of LuminaTO. Maybe he’s finally getting his due after all.
When: Thursday, April 21, 2011
Where: Lee’s Palace in Toronto
Who else: Support comes from Winnipeg duo Ash Koley.
How: Tickets for the show are $25 in advance but courtesy of Collective Concerts, I’ve got two pairs of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Ron Sexsmith” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Contest closes at midnight, April 18.
What else: Sexsmith is the subject of features at The Vancouver Sun, The Calgary Herald, The Ottawa Citizen and See. In addition to the show at Lee’s, Sexsmith will play an acoustic in-store across the street at Sonic Boom at 6PM the same evening.
Video: Ron Sexsmith – “Late Bloomer” (live)
Saturday, April 9th, 2011
Christina VendittiWho: Sean Rowe
What: Implausibly deep and resonantly-voiced singer-songwriter and naturalist from upstate New York blends soul, blues and folk and yes – has a beard.
Why: Rowe is currently on tour in support of his recently-released debut album Magic.
When: Thursday, April 14, 2011
Where: The Dakota Tavern in Toronto (19+)
How: Tickets for the show are $11.50 in advance, but courtesy of Anti, I’ve got a pair of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at chromewaves.net with “I want to see Sean Rowe” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Contest closes at midnight, April 12.
What else: American Songwriter has a interview with Rowe.
MP3: Sean Rowe – “Jonathan”
Friday, April 8th, 2011
This Record Store Day, buy some records and see a bunch of bands for free
sistermusic.caNext Saturday, April 16, is Record Store Day and no matter what your feelings on the event itself and its attempts to convince you that you really need those songs you already have on a coloured 7″, you can’t argue with some of the perks. Specifically, the fact that many of the local retail establishments around town like to entice you into their stores with the promise of free live music.
So far, Sonic Boom has the biggest lineup, running from day through night and pretty impressive. There’s no one quite the stature of Sloan, as they had last year, but there’s both Canadian indie rock veterans with pedigree and rookies with promise on offer this year. Things will shake down as follows:
1PM – Modern Superstitions
2PM – Teenanger
3PM – Bidniband (ex-Rheostatic Dave Bidni)
4PM – Light Fires (Gentleman Reg and Ohbijou’s James Bunton)
5PM – Ben Gunning (former Local Rabbit)
6PM – Sister (two-thirds of Scott Pilgrim-inspiring Plumtree)
8PM – Zeus
9PM – The Wooden Sky
MP3: The Wooden Sky – “Something Hiding In The Night For Us”
MP3: Zeus – “Marching Through Your Head”
MP3: Sister – “Orion”
MP3: Modern Superstitions – “Visions Of You”
Further downtown at Criminal Records, you’ve got a 7PM acoustic set from The Grey Kingdom, aka the solo project from Attack In Black’s Spencer Burton. They’ll also be the only ones with the vinyl edition of his debut album Eulogy Of Her And Her And Her, so if that’s your bag then that’s the place to be. And even if it’s not, the rather exhaustive list of RSD exclusives that they’ve ordered – and usually get at least some if not a lot of – should be enough to entice you.
If memory serves, both Kops and Sunrise had bands in last year – no word yet if they’ll do so again this year, but I’ll update if they do.
And not associated with Record Store Day but definitely worth your time and costing you exactly zero dollars will be The Sadies at The Toronto Reference Library as part of their Make Some Noise series – there’s no advance tickets, so show up before doors at 7:30PM on April 16 – the show starts at 8 – and enjoy. The Toronto Public Library has a chat with drummer Mike Belitsky.
MP3: The Sadies – “Another Year Again”
Ron Sexsmith will play an acoustic in-store set at Sonic Boom on April 21 at 6PM in advance of his sold-out show at Lee’s Palace that evening.
Video: Ron Sexsmith – “Late Bloomer” (live)
This one’s half-free – Cults’ show at Lee’s Palace on the Friday night of NXNE will be standard ticket/wristband/badge admission, but they’ll also be on whatever bill gets put together for the free shows at Yonge-Dundas Square the next day, June 18 – perfect if you’d rather, you know, go outside. Their self-titled debut will be out on June 7.
MP3: Cults – “Go Outside”
Twin Shadow is also coming to town for NXNE – he and his band are at Lee’s on June 18 – but that one will cost you unless you’ve got a wristband or badge and feel like walking into the shows just by flashing it is close enough to free for you.
MP3: Twin Shadow – “Castles In The Snow”
Back to the gratis but on a completely different scale is the opening event for this year’s Toronto Jazz Festival – which will feature the legendary (and that’s putting it mildly) Aretha Franklin at Metro Hall on June 24, showtime 8:30. Aretha. For free. PEOPLE.
Video: Aretha Franklin – “Respect” (live)
And on Canada Day, given that there doesn’t seem to be a Harbourfront Centre show for the first time in years, your best bet will be Shad – also at Metro Hall – starting at 5:30PM. Too early in the day for fireworks so we’ll have to settle for some freestyling.
MP3: Shad – “Rose Garden”
And finally, one you’ll have to pay for but should be worth it: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart have added a bunch of tour dates through the Summer in support of new album Belong and their itinerary brings them back to Toronto for the first time since September 2009 – they’ll be at The Opera House on August 2. Blurt has an interview with frontman Kip Berman.
Video: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – “Heart In Your Heartbreak”
The Head & The Heart have released a new MP# from their self-titled debut which should be on every one of your shopping lists for Record Store Day (when it’s released).
MP3: The Head & The Heart – “Lost In My Mind”
Blurt is streaming the whole of The Submarines’ new record Love Notes/Letter Bombs. They play The Horseshoe April 22.
Stream: The Submarines / Love Notes/Letter Bombs
TV On The Radio is streaming the whole of their new record Nine Types Of Light at The Guardian. The album is out next Tuesday and they’re at The Sound Academy on April 18. Interview has an interview. Fancy that.
Stream: TV On The Radio / Nine Types Of Light
Thursday, April 7th, 2011
Steve Earle may not make it out of this world alive but will make it to Toronto this Summer
New WestBlue Rodeo’s annual Summer shows at the Molson Amphitheatre are pretty much a Toronto tradition and they never have a problem getting people to come down to the lake’s edge and lounge about listening to old favourites, whether there’s a new record to support or not (their last release was 2009’s The Things We Left Behind). But this year’s edition is notable for offering the extra incentive of having Steve Earle & The Dukes and Duchesses on board as support.
That’s right, after a good long while of being Dukes-free – the last album with them on board was 2004’s The Revolution Starts Now – Earle has regrouped his long-time backing band to support his forthcoming album I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive, though I’m not certain if they’re actually on it – haven’t gotten my hands on the record or its liner notes yet. What is evident is that the band has gone co-ed, and presumably includes more than just Earle’s missus, Allison Moorer.
In any case, the record is out April 26, Earle’s debut novel of the same name is out on May 12, the new season of Treme, on which Earle appears, begins April 24, and the show in question goes down August 20. Right now, however, you can download an MP3 of the album’s opening track and a chapter of the novel by liking Earle’s Facebook. Yeah, that doesn’t sound very outlaw but what can you do.
Video: Blue Rodeo – “Diamond Mine”
Video: Steve Earle & The Dukes – “I Ain’t Ever Satisfied”
In other show news – having sold the hell out of her show at the Opera House back in January, Lissie returns for a show at the Phoenix on May 28, tickets $24.
MP3: Lissie – “Everywhere I Go”
Austin instrumental outfit This Will Destroy You will bring their new record Tunnel Blanket, out May 10, to Lee’s Palace on May 30. Tickets $13.50 in advance.
MP3: This Will Destroy You – “The World Is”
Sweden’s Wildbirds & Peacedrums will be coming to town for a show on May 30 at the Drake Underground in support of last year’s Rivers, an album made up of their Retina and Iris EPs. Supporting them will be New York’s Yellow Ostrich, whose album The Mistress came out earlier this year.
MP3: Wildbirds & Peacedrums – “Fight For Me”
MP3: Yellow Ostrich – “Whale”
Ireland’s Bell X1 have made a date for The Mod Club on June 1 in support of their new record Bloodless Coup, out April 12.
Video: Bell X1 – “Velcro”
There’s no specific venue announced yet but Julianna Barwick, recipient of a “Best New Music” for her new record The Magic Place, will be in town on June 17 as part of NXNE, though that’s some interesting routing – Salt Lake City to Toronto to Seattle is not an especially common path to take across the continent.
MP3: Julianna Barwick – “The Magic Place”
Wrongbar gets just a little bit punk when JEFF The Brotherhood, The Strange Boys and White Fence hit Wrongbar on June 21.
Video: JEFF The Brotherhood – “Mind Wire”
Video: The Strange Boys – “Be Brave”
Montreal by way of Michigan saxophonist Colin Stetson, whose new record New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges is getting a lot of praise, will be at the Music Gallery on June 29. Timber Timbre talk to Exclaim about Stetson’s contributions to their new record and NPR is streaming one of his SXSW showcases from last month.
MP3: Colin Stetson – “Fear of the Unknown and the Blazing Sun [ft. Laurie Anderson and Shara Worden]”
NYC Taper is sharing another live recording of Godspeed You! Black Emperor from last month. They’re at Lee’s Palace from April 22 to 24.
Also on offer from NYC Taper – a recording of Destroyer’s show at the Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan last week. Uptown and Square have conversations with Dan Bejar.
Owen Pallett has put out a new video from Heartland and a live show from Paris is available to watch at Grand Crew.
Video: Owen Pallett – “The Great Elsewhere”
Beatroute talks to The Rural Alberta Advantage, whose April 29 show at The Phoenix is almost sold out if not already.
It’d be nice if Southern Souls had a more scannable/searchable index of their content, but the sheer volume of on-the-street video sessions with Canadian artists still makes it worth becoming intimately acquainted with. And if that’s not enough, I just noticed that there are MP3s of many of the performances available to download – don’t know if that’s a new offering or if I just never noticed before, but yeah. Go to it.
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