Jason NocitoFolks were justifiably disappointed when last year’s Broken Social Scene/Explosions In The Sky mini-festival on the Toronto Islands were Molson Indy-ed out, but in hindsight it seems to have worked out for the best. First Broken made up for it in July with a free show at Harbourfront that’s pretty much legendary now (or so I’ve been told – I missed it), and now they’ve bolstered this year’s edition of the Toronto Island Concert – already a must-see thanks to the presence of BSS, who will be able to showcase their new record Forgiveness Rock Record after its May 4 release, the reunited Pavement and Band Of Horses – with Beach House.

The Baltimore duo were part of last year’s ill-fated lineup as well, but at the time were positioned in the lineup largely in a supporting role rather than as a big draw. But now coming off the release of Teen Dream this past January and the pretty much universally acclaim that’s followed, Beach House has been elevated from a band to watch to a band that’s arrived. Like most, I’m of the opinion that Teen Dream represents a big leap forward for the duo – it’s far more engaged, awake and interesting a record than either of their previous releases, which I appreciated but only when I was in the mood for something dozy. If this record was a conscious effort by Beach House to reach for the brass ring, then congratulations to them – it worked.

Beach House’s March 30 date at the Opera House is now sold out, so if you procrastinated, your only option is now to head out to the lovely Toronto Islands on June 19 and enjoy their hazy dream-pop under the Summer sun (or torrential rain, one never knows). Life is so hard, I know. Still, quite a difference from their first visit to Toronto back in November 2006 where they played in front of maybe 20 people in the front room of the Tranzac by a roaring fire. I’ll freely admit I fell asleep during the show – I think that was entirely the point. Anyways, tickets for the Island show are $49.50 plus attendant fees and looking at prices for all the other Pavement shows announced so far, I daresay this is the best value of any of them, save for maybe Pitchfork Festival. And that one doesn’t let you ride a BOAT.

Spin and The Irish Times have feature pieces on Beach House and vinylphiles rejoice – not only has their self-titled debut been remastered and reissued on fancy heavy vinyl, they’re releasing a limited-edition 7″ EP for Record Store Day 2010 on April 17. Be the envy of all your friends with a copy of either/each on your phonograph.

MP3: Beach House – “Norway”
Video: Beach House – “Silver Soul”

Also added to the Toronto Islands show yesterday were Timber Timbre, whom I hope will recruit a band of some sort to make his blues-folk ruminations audible on the big stage, and local stalwarts Zeus, Flash Lightnin’ and The Beauties, under the collective banner of “Toronto Revue”. What’s that mean, exactly? I’ll tell you on June 20.

MP3: Timber Timbre – “Demon Ghost”
MP3: Zeus – “Marching Through Your Head”
MP3: The Beauties – “Wastin’ Time”

As for the Island festival headliners, Pavement kicked off their much-anticipated reunion tour the other night in New Zealand. Spin has a report from the show including career-spanning set list, Matablog checks in with Spiral Stairs on how rehearsals for the tour went and GQ sent pop culture essayist Chuck Klosterman to interview Stephen Malkmus. Quarantine The Past, the Pavement best-of, is out next week and let me tell you – hearing songs which had always been presented in the context of their respective albums in a mish-mash running order is weird. Unless you’ve always made Pavement mixes in which case it’ll probably seem perfectly natural.

Elsewhere in the wonderful world of concert announcements, Fucked Up have been announced as one of the kick-off bands for this year’s Canadian Musicfest – they will play the El Mocambo on March 10. Tickets are $15 with limited wristbands admitted. Chaos guaranteed.

MP3: Fucked Up – “No Epiphany”

Former Dead Kennedy leader Jello Biafra will be coming to town with his new musical (not spoken word) project The Guantanamo School Of Medicine for a show at the Opera House on April 4. They released their debut album The Audacity Of Hype last year. This will be Biafra’s first appearance with band in Toronto in some 25-plus years; tickets are $22.50 in advance.

Portland’s Horse Feathers have scheduled a date at the Drake Underground on April 28. Their listed tour dates also indicate they’ll be back in the area in July for Hillside.

MP3: Horse Feathers – “Curs In The Weeds”

Austin’s Harlem have slated a slew of dates in support of their second album Hippies, due out April 6. Look for them on April 28 at the Horseshoe.

MP3: Harlem – “Friendly Ghost”

Everybody Was In The French Resistance… Now!, the new project from Art Brut leader Eddie Argos, has set a date for the El Mocambo on May 8, tickets $10. Their debut album Fixin’ The Charts, Volume One, came out late last year.

Video: Everybody Was In The French Resistance… Now! – “G.I.R.L.F.R.E.N.”

A correction to last week’s a-ha farewell tour announcement – the Toronto show at Massey Hall is scheduled for May 10, not 11. Tickets are $49.50 and $55.50, on sale Saturday at noon.

With their just-announced show a the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on May 26, The Weakerthans will be undertaking that most curious of musical events: a live show in support of a live album. Their CD/DVD set Live At The Burton Cummings Theatre is due out March 23. Tickets for the show are $35.

MP3: The Weakerthans – “Sun In An Empty Room”
MP3: The Weakerthans – “Night Windows”

Frank YangHarlem
Austin, Texas, USA

Transplanted Arizonan garage-rock trio who released their debut Free Drugs in 2008
– Show review
– interview at Vice

Photos: Harlem @ The Mohawk Patio – March 21, 2009
Video: Harlem – “Witch Greens”
Video: Harlem – “Think I’m Thinkin’ ‘Bout”
MySpace: Harlem

Frank YangA much-needed sleep-in, however slight, threw me off schedule before evening awakening on the final day of SxSW, so I hoofed it to the Mohawk and day two of Hot Freaks without so much as a coffee – a decision that would prove to be very… unwise by that evening. But in the meantime, I had the boost provided by another day of great music and a fresh pair of socks to get me going.

Greeting the early birds at noon were Austin trio Harlem, who seemed to treat the Mohawk patio stage like their own personal garage/rehearsal space – that’s meant in a positive way. Their music was charmingly rough around the edges but eminently hooky and their stage demeanor was that of a group of friends just goofing around and having a good time. There are certainly worse ways to start a day.

I then fled the high noon sun for the cooler climes of the Mohawk’s inside stage, where Brooklyn’s Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers were getting started. I was unfamiliar with them but they were spoken highly of by a few friends so I had a boo. A quartet led by a tiny girl with a harmonium and huge voice, they weren’t nearly as odd as first glances might imply, specializing in raw and wrenching blues-ish tunes… led by harmonium. Charismatic and compelling, and the chorus of voices people speaking highly of her/them is almost certain to keep growing.

Heading back out into the sunlight, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me because I had assumed, for whatever reason, that Jason Lytle – with the number of shows he was booked to do this week – would be working in a solo acoustic context. But no, the former Grandaddy frontman was doing the full band thing and it’s a good thing, because I don’t think his songs would have been nearly as impressive with just voice and guitar. It’s also evident that Lytle isn’t necessarily interested in distancing himself from his old band because, honestly, the new stuff sounds like the old stuff and he even closed out with – I think, correct me if I’m wrong, I haven’t revisited Grandaddy in years – “He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s the Pilot”, which was just beautiful.

Over at Club DeVille, it was then time for Australian fun-meisters The Grates. I was personally quite excited to finally be seeing them – their manic live shows were already legendary – but the venue was only moderately full for them. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, though, as frontwoman Patience Hodgson bounded all around the stage and rest of the venue delivering tunes from their debut Gravity Won’t Get You High as well as new record Teeth Lost, Hearts Won – released last year in Australia and in negotiations for a North American release this year – like a aerobics instructor hepped up on pixie sticks. But the extra space really came in handy for their almost set-closer, when Hodgson whipped out a rhythmic gymnastics ribbon and began whipping it around and then – THEN – was joined, out of nowhere, by another rhythmic gymnast, ribbons a-flying, running around her. I doubt there was any sort of proper routine planned but for sheer, out of nowhere never seen that before ridiculous fun, The Grates won the day.

Back at the Mohawk, Portland’s Viva Voce – who were supposed to play the very first Hot Freaks but cancelled to go on tour with some outfit called The Shins – were making up for the delay with a set of guitar-driven rock that you could equally preface with “prog-” or “pop-“. Brutally loud and breahtakingly delicate, it was a fine showcase for Anita Robinson’s impressive guitar chops – to say nothing of her fine voice – without becoming over-indulgent. I only caught half their set on account of being spun around by The Grates but what I did see reminded me that I liked their last record Get Yr Blood Sucked Out and should be keeping an eye/ear out for their new album Rose City when it’s released on May 26.

My default answer for “what was the best thing you saw at SxSW” last year was Peelander-Z, not because they were any great shakes musically – they’re not – but because of the sheer spectacle of their show. Outrageous Power Ranger-esque costumes, stage climbing expeditions and general over-the-top antics ensured a memorable show whether you actually liked it or not. So naturally we had them back a second year in a row, but with the caveat that they had to keep within the allotted time limit. And I think that was the second most impressive thing about their show – I was familiar with their routine, mostly unchanged from 2008, but they somehow managed to cram everything in – the human bowling, the audience band recruitment, the crowd surfing journey to the top of the Mohawk tent – without running a minute over. The first most impressive thing was seeing Peelander Red climb onto the rafters of the stage canopy and hang upside-down, holding on only by his legs, while still playing his bass. And I’m really glad he was able to hang on because he was directly above me and if he’d fallen, I’d probably be dead as well. Not that I escaped their set fully unscathed – at one point Peelander Green broke a drumstick and whipped it into the audience, nailing me square in the face and hand. But the crowd loved it.

Trying to follow such an act is no easy feat, so it’s probably just as well that Camera Obscura don’t go in for on-stage shenanigans – just wonderful pop songs, perfectly suited to basking in the warmth of the setting sun. Though visibly worn from the activities of their week, the band capped off their SxSW and our Hot Freaks showcase for the year with a compact set of their very best material from 2006’s Let’s Get Out Of This Country and the forthcoming My Maudlin Career, out April 21. Highlights were their new single “French Navy”, the still-brilliant “Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken” and wall-of-noise – who ever thought that phrase would be used in conjunction with Camera Obscura – “Razzle Dazzle Rose”. Pure bliss for the SxSW twee-pop contingent, and another triumphant Hot Freaks for the history books.