Thursday, July 12th, 2012
Patrick Wolf celebrates a decade of being Patrick Wolf
John LindquistPatrick Wolf doesn’t really look old enough to be celebrating a decade of anything save no longer being a teenager but despite having just turned 29 less than a fortnight ago, the dramatic/romantic English singer-songwriter has been making music and releasing records since his debut EP in Fall 2002; his first full-length Lycanthropy followed in Summer 2003.
If he decides that it’s occasion enough for a world tour, I’m certainly not going to argue it. Neither his last album – 2011’s Lupercalia nor its companion EP Brumalia – got a proper (read: physical) North American release so his visits to this continent were limited to a mere handful of token US dates last Fall, meaning that Toronto hadn’t gotten a taste of his legendarily flamboyant – and mercurial – live shows since June 2009, circa the industrial-tinged The Bachelor.
This tour will be an acoustic one, featuring Wolf on harp, dulcimer, piano, and other such instruments and accompanied by a multi-instrumentalist, so while it will be interesting to hear how that material translates, it’s near-perfect for revisiting the material of his first two records and should also work well with the lushness of Lupercalia. And it’s also perfect for the setting they’ve chosen for the Toronto stop of the tour, which wil be September 25 at The Music Gallery. Tickets for that will be $25 and go on sale this Friday at 10AM.
And even as much as he’s in a retrospective mood, Wolf continues to look forward – he’s been working on a new record and aims to have it out this year. Twitter implies that more details on that will be coming sooner rather than later.
Video: Patrick Wolf – “The City”
Video: Patrick Wolf – “Together”
Video: Patrick Wolf – “The Falcons”
Video: Patrick Wolf – “Time Of My Life”
Video: Patrick Wolf – “House”
The only thing dismaying about the scheduling of this show is that it means I have to miss Dry The River’s return engagement. I fear I may have cursed them just a little bit as following their Toronto debut at The Garrison back in March, I said that the next time they came to town they’d surely be playing much bigger rooms. Well it turns out they’ll be playing rooms exactly the same size – the exact same room, in fact. They’re back on September 25 for a show at The Garrison, tickets $12, and while their ascent may not have been quite as rocket-like as I’d expected, they’ll still be fantastic. Promise.
MP3: Dry The River – “New Ceremony”
British funk-soul brothers The Heavy will be at Lee’s Palace on September 23 in support of their new record The Glorious Dead, due out August 21. Tickets for that are $15 in advance.
Video: The Heavy – “What Makes A Good Man?”
Having not released a record in six years or so and having cancelled her last scheduled show (and tour) in Summer 2010, it’s about time we heard back from Beth Orton. She’s announced details of a new record entitled Sugaring Season, due for release October 2, and a first video from said record. There’s also a new accompanying North American tour which brings her to the Mod Club on September 30, tickets $25. Yes, that’s the same room she cancelled out of last time. Bygones.
Video: Beth Orton – “Something More Beautiful”
Bloc Party have released the first video from their new record Four. It’s out August 21 and they play The Danforth Music Hall on September 10.
Video: Bloc Party – “Octopus”
NOW puts Hot Chip on this week’s cover in anticipation of Sunday night’s show at The Sound Academy.
Maxïmo Park is interviewed by DIY.
Prefix talks to Charles from Slow Club.
DIY has an interview with Patrick and Roxanne of Veronica Falls.
Friendly Fires clarifies some previously-made comments made about the direction of album number three, currently in progress, to NME.
Sweden’s Holograms are streaming their self-titled debut, out this week, over at Stereogum. They’re at The Shop Under Parts & Labour on September 11.
MP3: Holograms – “Chasing My Mind”
MP3: Holograms – “ABC City”
Stream: Holograms / Holograms
NPR has a stream of the first sample from Taken By Trees’ forthcoming Other Worlds, out October 2. She opens up for Jens Lekman at The Phoenix on October 4.
Stream: Taken By Trees – “Dreams”
That new Raveonettes song from Observator that was made available to stream a couple days ago? You can now download it. The album is out September 11 and they play The Phoenix on October 2.
MP3: The Raveonettes – “She Owns The Streets”
Justice have released a new video from last year’s Audio, Video, Disco and if it’s any indication of what they’ve got in store for their live show, their headlining slot at Historic Fort York on August 4 should be one to remember.
Video: Justice – “New Lands”
Pitchfork gets some insight into the new Tame Impala record Lonerism, due out October 9.
Wednesday, July 11th, 2012
New album news from (Mountain) Goats, and (Band Of) Horses, and (Grizzly) Bear(s) – oh my!
D.L. AndersonA veritable deluge of new album information came across the desk in the last day or so, though it could well have been delivered in a box of animal crackers.
First and least expectedly – at least I wasn’t expecting one – is a new Mountain Goats album entitled Transcendental Youth due out on October 2. There’s no sample track yet – not even one of those album trailers that are de rigeur these days – but instead and arguably better are a couple of essays about the album, one by John Darnielle, and another by way of the official bio by John Hodgman.
You can see the full album art over at Exclaim and, as something to listen to and keeping with the animal theme, a track from their 2000 album The Coroner’s Gambit.
MP3: The Mountain Goats – “Baboon”
Having teased that it was coming but not offering much in the way of specifics, Band Of Horses have spilled the beans on album number four, to be entitled Mirage Rock and due out on September 18; it certainly gives some context to their show at Echo Beach on August 15 opening up for My Morning Jacket. Pitchfork has some specifics and the first video from the album is available below.
Video: Band Of Horses – “Knock Knock”
And while Grizzly Bear had gone so far as to not only confirm a release date for their next record – also September 18 – and book a tour – Massey Hall on September 26 – they’d been coy about the actual title of the record until now. It’s going to be called Shields and you can see the album art and track listing over at Gigwise.
MP3: Grizzly Bear – “Sleeping Ute”
And while I’m not a fan, it’d be kind of ridiculous to not note that Animal Collective have a new one entitled Centipede Hz; it’s out September 4 and the first single is available to stream.
Stream: Animal Collective – “Honeycomb”
Ty Segall isn’t named for any kind of animal but he works like a mule; Pitchfork has details on his third album of the year – Twins is out October 9, giving some context to his show with Thee Oh Sees at The Hoxton on September 26.
San Diego garage-poppers The Soft Pack have announced a couple dates at The Garrison on October 9 and 10 as part of a tour in support of their second full-length Strapped, due out September 25. The first single is available to stream.
Stream: The Soft Pack – “Saratoga”
And shifting gears to some more concert announcements: After selling the hell out of Lee’s Palace back in April before their debut Boys & Girls was even out – the show was a week after the release date but every ticket was gone weeks before then – Alabama Shakes are coming back for a gig at the much more spacious Kool Haus on October 2, tickets for that $26.50 in advance. Full Fall dates over at Pollstar.
MP3: Alabama Shakes – “I Found You”
MP3: Alabama Shakes – “You Ain’t Alone”
MP3: Alabama Shakes – “Hold On”
Of all the band hats that he has to choose from, Conor Oberst has decided to hit the road as Conor Oberst for a show at Massey Hall on December 8. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10AM and run from $39.50 to $60.50.
MP3: Conor Oberst – “Danny Callahan”
MP3: Bright Eyes – “Lover I Don’t Have To Love”
MP3: Desaparecidos – “The Happiest Place On Earth”
Major, the second album from Fang Island, is streaming over at NPR ahead of its official release on July 24.
MP3: Fang Island – “Sisterly”
MP3: Fang Island – “Asunder”
Stream: Fang Island / Major
The title track of Matt & Kim’s next album Let’s Go – release date still to be determined – is now available to download.
MP3: Matt & Kim – “Let’s Go”
NPR and The New York Times have interviews with James Murphy, who reveals that LCD Soundsystem may not be quite completely dead just yet. But close. And then, luggage. The LCD doc Shut Up And Play The Hits is back in Toronto for a couple screenings next week at The Bloor Cinema, on July 18 and 19.
As promised, Luna’s seminal 1992 album Bewitched is getting its first-ever pressing on vinyl this Summer. It’s out August 21 and is limited to an edition of 2000, so it’s a good thing you can pre-order it now.
MP3: Luna – “Tiger Lily”
A Heart Is A Spade asks a few quick questions of Peggy from The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart.
The Shins have a new video from Port Of Morrow. They open up for The Black Keys at The Molson Amphitheatre on August 4.
Video: The Shins – “It’s Only Life”
NPR is streaming a World Cafe session with Sharon Van Etten, who’s in town at the Phoenix on July 31.
PopMatters talks to Ira Elliot of Nada Surf.
Rolling Stone and The Boston Globe talk to Mission Of Burma about their new record Unsound, out now and streaming in full at Spinner.
MP3: Mission Of Burma – “Second Television”
Stream: Mission of Burma / Unsound
The Village Voice talks to Eric Bachmann of Archers Of Loaf.
PopMatters interviews Eisley.
Spin has posted their latest cover story on Cali power couple Best Coast and Wavves and thrown in a photo shoot gallery for good measure. Best Coast are at The Phoenix on July 21.
Tuesday, July 10th, 2012
Loney Dear at The Horseshoe in Toronto
Frank YangGetting back and forth from Sweden to North America isn’t cheap – trust me, I’ve looked – so having already been through town in November for last year’s chart-topping Hall Music, I really didn’t expect Loney Dear to be coming back anytime soon even though history has shown them to be more willing to tour through North America than many of their countrymen. So the unexpected announcement of a handful of Summer dates including Sunday night at The Horseshoe felt more like a gift than anything else.
That said, and as wonderful as that show at The Drake last Fall was, I really hoped it wouldn’t be a repeat performance. Which is to say that while Emil Svanängen totally managed to beguile as a solo performer (aided by a studio’s worth of gear onstage), Loney Dear shines brightest as a full band – anyone at their previous visit to the ‘Shoe in October 2009 or their Toronto debut at Lee’s in June 2007 could testify to that. So it was pretty nice to walk into the venue and see the stage covered with more gear than one person could possibly play on their own, even though last time out Svanängen certainly gave it a shot.
Interestingly, though Loney Dear was a four-piece this time, Svanängen’s station remained the same as when he was on his own – a chair surrounded by looping equipment, organ pedals, percussion instruments, extra mics – each of his bandmates also had a similarly complex setup; the stage was an incomprehensible morass of boxes, cables and stands. Apparently rather than spread out the workload of recreating his compositions, he was going to increase it exponentially. The core of it may well have been what Svanängen brought in the Fall – even with a drummer on hand, the looped drum and cymbal tricks remained in the mix – the addition of the rhythm section and Malin Ståhlberg on keys, accordian, and backing vocals added a whole new dimension to the songs live. And yet for all the sonic tools at their disposal, the front half of the show – dedicated to Hall Music material – felt intimate, baroque, and elegiac in tone, successfully translating the songs inspired by and meant to be played with Swedish chamber orchestras to a bar in North America, performed without any strings at all. The grand swelling choruses that defined the earlier records felt a thousand miles away.
The older material did come, though, albeit thoroughly recontextualized: “Saturday Waits” was given to Ståhlberg to take lead vocals on; “Ignorant Boy, Beautiful Girl” built to gorgeous heights around the steady “Na Ma Na Ma” vocal lines; “Dear John” was rendered spare and jazzily with an emphasis on some improvised vocal acrobatics. All were markedly different from their recorded versions, yet still immediately familiar and just as beautiful in their way. The gathered crowd wasn’t especially large but it was appreciative, such that after finishing their main set with “Violent”, the band didn’t even leave the stage – they just bowed a few times and acquiesced to play a few more songs. They attempted to make it interactive for “I Fought The Battle Of Trinidad & Tobago” but Svanängen had far too much confidence in the audience’s collective abilities to execute multi-part harmonies, but were content to allow us to bask in “Sinister In A State Of Hope” and “I Was Only Going Out”. I hope some audience member took Svanängen up on his invitation to drink the band under the tables; they’d earned it.
Loney Dear is one of the artists featured in Swedish Music Landscape, a new photographic book focusing on Swedish pop musicians and their environment; I’ve ordered a copy, I’ll let you know if it’s swell.
Photos: Loney Dear @ The Horseshoe – July 8, 2012
MP3: Loney Dear – “Name”
MP3: Loney Dear – “My Heart”
MP3: Loney Dear – “Loney Blues”
MP3: Loney Dear – “Calm Down”
MP3: Loney Dear – “Maria, Is That You?”
MP3: Loney Dear – “D Major”
MP3: Loney Dear – “Largo”
MP3: Loney Dear – “Young Hearts”
MP3: Loney Dear – “Durmoll”
MP3: Loney Dear – “What Have I Become”
MP3: Loney Dear – “Ignorant Boy, Beautiful Girl”
MP3: Loney Dear – “Airport Surroundings”
MP3: Loney Dear – “I Was Only Going Out”
MP3: Loney, Dear – “I Am John”
MP3: Loney, Dear – “A Few Good Men”
Video: Loney Dear – “Loney Blues” (European)
Video: Loney Dear – “Loney Blues” (American)
Video: Loney Dear – “Young Hearts”
Video: Loney Dear – “I Was Only Going Out”
Video: Loney Dear – “Airport Surroundings”
Video: Loney, Dear – “I Am John”
Video: Loney, Dear – “Saturday Waits”
The Line Of Best Fit points to a cover First Aid Kit did of The Rolling Stones for BBC6. They’re at The Danforth Music Hall on September 26.
Stream: First Aid Kit – “Play With Fire”
The lead single from Jens Lekman’s forthcoming I Know What Love Isn’t is available to download; he plays The Phoenix on October 4.
MP3: Jens Lekman – “Erica America”
It may technically be a commercial, but this video performance of The Tallest Man On Earth for Carmel Guitars is worth watching, even if you’re not in the market for a new acoustic.
Video: The Tallest Man On Earth – “Leading Me Now” (live)
Clash finds out what Hives frontman Pelle Almqvist would do if it were his last day on earth.
Pitchfork takes Icona Pop out for a night of karaoke; karaoke ensues. Idolator also has a feature on the duo and Fader pokes through their handbags.
With their early days compilation Early Birds out on July 17, Múm have released both an MP3 and a video from it for your approval.
MP3: Múm – “0,000Orð”
Video: Múm – “Hvernig á að særa vini sína”
Pitchfork has a new track from the forthcoming Raveonettes album Observator, out September 11, available to stream. The play The Phoenix on October 2.
Stream: The Raveonettes – “She Owns The Streets”
Good news for Frightened Rabbit fans: the band’s fourth album is complete! Bad news: it’s not out until 2012. Good news: they’ll be releasing a new EP on September 25 to satiate your appetites. More good news: they’re also touring. Catch them at The Mod Club on October 10, tickets $21.50 in advance. Good news wins!
MP3: Frightened Rabbit – “Swim Until You Can’t See Land”
What F***ing Ian Guy interview James Graham of The Twilight Sad.
The Wedding Present’s David Gedge chats with The Medway Broadside.
Monday, July 9th, 2012
Review of Hot Chip’s In Our Heads and giveaway
Steve GullickIt’s a bit strange to get into a band with what turns out to be a stylistic outlier, but that’s apparently what happened with me and Hot Chip. I liked bits of their first three albums but wouldn’t have counted myself a fan until 2010’s One Life Stand brought me into the fold with its more soulful angle on the distinctive Hot Chip sound. It was only relatively different from its predecessors – the Londoner’s template of cerebral, slightly nebbish, yet eminently danceable electro-pop was wholly intact – but with a more emotional dimension than they’d previously explored. Some didn’t like it as much; I liked it more.
So yeah, the “return to form” comments that have accompanied their just-released In Our Heads got my back up a little bit; who said that Hot Chip needed to return to any particular form? Why couldn’t they simply forge ahead in a new direction? And then I spent a little time with Heads and decided that maybe it wasn’t so important where it went on the plot of their creative trajectory – it’s a good record that manages to maintain much of the songwriting growth evidenced in One Life Stand, just folded back into their old sound, and more importantly, I didn’t like them any less for it.
Indeed, it’s hard to get off on the wrong foot with an opener as strong as “Motion Sickness” and while Heads is largely Hot Chip by numbers (I spent a little while clicking through my iTunes to try and find which of their older songs the opening of “Let Me Be Him” is a carbon copy of and while I didn’t find it, I know it’s out there), that still means it’s an upbeat collection of dancefloor-ready tunes with the requisite number of ballads and epics. If there’s a downside to this, it’s that there’s not much on Heads likely to elicit the same sort of strong reactions – positive or negative – that Life did, nor is there much for their next record to react against. Maybe the best thing about Heads – besides giving us “Night & Day” and “Flutes” – is that odds are by the time Hot Chip returns to the studio, they’ll be creatively restless enough again to try something new.
Hot Chip are in town at the Sound Academy next Sunday night, July 15, and 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 Hot Chip” in the subject line and your full name in the body and have that in to me before midnight, July 12.
There’s features on the band at Loud & Quiet, Clash, The Star-Tribune, Prefix, The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Japan Times.
Video: Hot Chip – “Night & Day”
Video: Hot Chip – “Flutes”
It’s not another “Country House” or “Coffee & TV”, but the studio performance that Blur have released as a video for their new single is still alright.
Video: Blur – “Under The Westway”
Neil Halstead has gotten in the Wimbledon spirit and released a tennis-themed tune which will be available as a bonus 7″ for those who buy his new solo record Palindrome Hunches at independent retailers when it goes on sale on September 11. It’s available to stream now.
Stream: Neil Halstead – “Tennis For Dennis”
The Line Of Best Fit The Quietus talk to Cate Le Bon, who kicks off her Fall North American tour at The Rivoli on September 18. Her Cyrk II is out August 20.
Wonderland has an interview with Still Corners.
DIY talks to Foals keyboardist Edwin Congreave about their new Tapes mixtape thing.
V Magazine gathers together Grimes, Charli XCX, and Sky Ferreira for a photoshoot and some career advice from Genesis P-Orridge, Geri Halliwell, and Elton John respectively. Grimes is at Fort York this coming Friday, July 13, and Chari XCX there on August 4.
Ladyhawke’s press circuit in support of Anxiety has hit Australia, as evidenced by feature pieces in FasterLouder, The Maitland Mercury, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Loud & Quiet, and The Canberra Times.
Tame Impala has revealed details of their new record, to be entitled Lonerism and out in October. Hit up Pitchfork for details and to download the first sample MP3 in exchange for an email address.
Sunday, July 8th, 2012
Graham Coxon covers Mission Of Burma
WikipediaWhen you look at the breathless, “will they/won’t they/are they/aren’t they” drama surrounding the Blur reunion after the end of that initial round of touring in 2009, it’s hard not to wish they’d just stop the hand-wringing and get on with it; maybe take a cue from a far more improbable reunion than theirs – that of Boston’s Mission Of Burma – and just get on with it.
MOB’s career was initially cut short in 1983 by not by interpersonal strife or creative differences, but by guitarist Roger Miller’s debilitating tinnitus. This stalled their output at just a single EP and album, but both would prove to be hugely influential on the burgeoning American college rock scene and by extension, the British artists who drew inspiration from them. Blur guitarist Graham Coxon was one of these, as shown by the decidedly American slant of his solo records and the inclusion of this cover of MOB’s most-famous song on his second album, The Golden D, in 2002 (his eighth solo release A+E came out earlier this year).
But I digress. The point is that Miller got his tinnitus to a manageable state and Mission Of Burma returned in 2002, first with live shows and then four studio albums – the latest of which, Unsound, is out this week – that more than fulfilled the promise of their early works. Blur have proved that they can still turn out great tunes as their new single release earlier this week can attest; just record ten more, put out an album and everyone will leave you alone. Promise.
MP3: Graham Coxon – “That’s When I Reach For My Revolver”
Stream: Mission Of Burma – “That’s When I Reach For My Revolver”
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