Sunday, August 1st, 2010
Versus cover Joy Division
WikidepiaA Means To An End, the 1995 tribute album to Joy Division, is a curious entity. Though their status as legends had been cemented for many years, it was still largely an underground and music geek thing – I’m pretty sure you couldn’t get Closer t-shirts in child sizes as you can now (it’s true, I’ve seen them). And I remember a not inconsiderable marketing push behind A Means To An End when it came out – on a major label – even though there wasn’t really a single act on the track list who was a household name; at best they were dorm room names.
But maybe there was a kid out there who picked up The Crow soundtrack the year before and lost his shit to the Nine Inch Nails’ version of “Dead Souls” and actually learned that it wasn’t a NIN song and thus learned who Joy Division were and, being in the middle of the ’90s alt.rock explosion, wanted to hear their songs done by artists who were relevant to them (and unknown to everyone else, thus increasing their potential cool points). Maybe A Means To An End was for them.
And if so, then they’d have discovered New York’s Versus doing a mostly faithful but still distinctly Versus (thanks to the vocals of James Baluyut and Fontaine Toups) version of “Twenty Four Hours”. And they’d have become fans of that band through the rest of the ’90s, only to lose them when they went on an extended hiatus in 2000. A hiatus that would last a decade until this coming Tuesday’s release of On The Ones And Threes, a Versus record that sounds like Versus never went away. And then they would be happy.
Versus play Lee’s Palace on August 13.
MP3: Versus – “Twenty Four Hours”
Stream: Joy Division – “Twenty Four Hours”
Saturday, July 31st, 2010
Frank YangWho: Arcade Fire
What: Arguably the biggest band in Canada right now. Maybe you’ve heard of them.
Why: After previewing their long-awaited third record The Suburbs to Toronto via a couple of intimate theatre shows back in June, they will follow next Tuesday’s official release with an appropriately big-ass show as far from Toronto’s suburbs as you can get.
When: Saturday, August 14, 2010
Where: The Toronto Islands
Who else: Support comes from the almost-as-buzzworthy-as-the-headliner soul sister Janelle Monáe and psych-country veterans The Sadies.
How: Tickets for the show are $56 including ferry, fees and donation to Partners In Health but courtesy of Collective Concerts I’ve got eight pairs of passes to give away for the show – six for regular admission and two for VIP, which gets you admission to the VIP areas which will allow you to feel superior to those outside the VIP area. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want the Arcade Fire” in the subject line and your full name in the body and get that to me before midnight, August 10.
Note that the prizes do not include the ferry to the islands so that’ll be $6 a head out of your own pockets and VIP winners must be 19+ so if you’re underage, note that in your entry as to avoid any awkwardness on the day of the show.
What else: The Montreal Gazette interviews Win Butler. Their show this Thursday at Madison Square Garden in New York City will be webcast on Vevo and be directed by Terry Gilliam.
MySpace: Arcade Fire
Saturday, July 31st, 2010
Frank YangWho: Maps & Atlases
What: Chicago quartet build mathy, proggy structures from country-inflected, psych-rock implements
Why: Following a series of EP releases, their full-length debut Perch Patchwork came out at the end of June
When: Saturday, August 7, 2010
Where: The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto
Who else: Support comes from Cults and Laura Stevenson & The Cans
How: Tickets are $11.50 in advance but courtesy of Collective Concerts, I have two pairs of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Maps & Atlases” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Entries due by midnight, August 5.
What else: A Daytrotter session with the band went up last month. The Arizona Daily Wildcat, Green Shoelace, Colorado Daily and The Santa Barbara Independent have interviews.
MP3: Maps & Atlases – “Solid Ground”
Saturday, July 31st, 2010
Joel WanekWho: Powerhouse Sound
What: The current project of Chicago-based saxophonist/clarinetist Ken Vandermark, exploring the improvisational intersections of funk, jazz, rock and hip-hop. There will be rhythm.
Why: Touring around their appearance at next weekend’s Newport Jazz Festival and the impending release of their album Overlap
When: Thursday, August 5, 2010
Where: The Drake Underground in Toronto
How: Tickets are $18.50 in advance but courtesy of Collective Concerts, I have six pairs of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Powerhouse Sound” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Entries due by noon on August 4.
Video: Powerhouse Sound – “Coxsonne” (live)
Saturday, July 31st, 2010
Todd RoethWho: Blitzen Trapper
What: Just your usual willfully eclectic country-folk-rock-psych-jam band goodness from the Pacific northwest
Why: Touring the continent in support of their new record Destroyer Of The Void because, well, those voids aren’t going to destroy themselves.
When: Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Where: The Opera House in Toronto
Who else: Youthful Californian indie-poppers Avi Buffalo support
How: Tickets are $15.50 in advance but courtesy of Collective Concerts, I have two pairs of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to blitz that trapper” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Entries due by midnight, August 2.
MP3: Blitzen Trapper – “Dragon’s Song”
MP3: Blitzen Trapper – “Heaven & Earth”
1 Comment
facebook
![[Valid RSS]](http://www.chromewaves.net/images/interface/valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed"){kind=small}