Shawn BrackbillYou have to wonder in Kurt Vile ever regrets leaving The War On Drugs after touring their 2008 debut Wagonwheel Blues, considering the level of success the Philadelphia outfit would achieve with their second album, Slave Ambient. Or maybe not. Given that Vile’s laid back, groovingly psychedelic guitar-rock travels a fairly parallel path to what Adam Granduciel is doing with The War On Drugs, their fanbases probably overlap pretty significantly and Vile’s own 2011 effort, Smoke Ring For My Halo, probably did as well as Slave Ambient in terms of sales and raising the profile of its creator. So yes, wondering is reasonable, but the answer is “probably not”.

Vile can probably expect his star to rise even further with his new album Wakin’ On A Pretty Daze; it offers a little more variety in pacing than Smoke Ring – mostly in some of the slower numbers – without messing with its overall hypnotic effect, largely courtesy of the loping guitarwork and Vile’s drawling vocals. The album is out next week, but is available to stream right now courtesy of NPR. There’s also feature pieces at Exclaim, The Line Of Best Fit, and The Guardian. He plays the Toronto Urban Roots Fest at Garrison Common on July 7.

MP3: Kurt Vile – “Never Run Away”
MP3: Kurt Vile – “Wakin’ On A Pretty Day”
Stream: Kurt Vile / Wakin’ On A Pretty Daze

Seattle grunge veterans Mudhoney marked yesterday’s release of their latest album Vanishing Point with the release of a new video and also the announcement of a Summer tour which brings them to Lee’s Palace on September 2, tickets $23.50.

MP3: Mudhoney – “I Like It Small”
MP3: Mudhoney – “The Only Son Of The Widow Nain”
Video: Mudhoney – “I Like It Small”

Pitchfork is doing the advance stream thing for the Rilo Kiley rarities comp rkives, which is out this week.

Stream: Rilo Kiley / rkives

Interview has a talk with Caitlin Rose, who graces The Garrison with her songs and presence this Friday night, March 5.

The Thermals have released a lyric video for the next single from Desperate Ground, out April 16, and you can download the MP3 in exchange for an email via Consequence Of Sound. They play The Horseshoe on May 21.

Lyric Video: The Thermals – “The Sunset”

Rolling Stone has premiered a stream of a new Iron & Wine song, taken not from their new record Ghost On Ghost, out April 16, but the soundtrack of the TV show Copper.

Stream: Iron & Wine – “Hard Times Come Again No More”

Casually buried in the sidebar of this New York Times feature on Yeah Yeah Yeahs is a stream of another new song from Mosquito, out April 16. Sneaky Times. Spin has no such gimmicks in their feature story on the band. If you want an advance listen of the album, hit up Noisey tonight at 3PM EDT, as they’ll be hosting a one-shot listening party for it.

Stream: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Under The Earth”

The Flaming Lips may have a new record in The Terror coming out in a couple weeks on April 16, but they’ve just released a video from last year’s collaborations album …And Heady Fwends, this one featuring one Justin Vernon of Bon Iver.

Video: The Flaming Lips w Bon Iver – “Ashes In The Air”

Deerhunter are streaming the title track of their new album Monomania, due out May 7.

Stream: Deerhunter – “Monomania”

Spin and eMusic interview Charles Bradley, who has released a video for the title track of his new record Victim Of Love. He’ll be at The Phoenix with His Extraordinaires on May 11.

Video: Charles Bradley – “Strictly Reserved For You”

Los Angeles-based, Kill Rock Stars-signed quartet Hands will be at The Drake on June 6 in support of their debut album Synesthesia, out April 30. Tickets for the show are $10.50 in advance.

MP3: Hands – “Magic Fingers”
MP3: Hands – “Warm Night Home”

NPR has posted a World Cafe session with Calexico, who will be releasing a live symphonic album entitled Spiritoso for Record Store Day on April 20; details on that are available at Glide. They’re in town for NXNE at The Mod Club on June 12.

Neko Case updates NPR on the status of her new album, presently with the working title of The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight. The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You. She’ll preview it at the Toronto Urban Roots Fest at Garrison Common on July 7,

Spin talks to Britt Daniel about what’s going on with both Spoon – new album being written – and Divine Fits – a couple new songs coming soon, second album later on. And further to the Divine Fits end of things, Consequence Of Sound talks to both Daniel and Dan Boeckner.

Norman WongIncreasingly, Friday posts are for clearing off the decks of whatever hasn’t gone out earlier in the week, but that doesn’t mean the content isn’t quality – this ain’t no fire sale, son. But it also doesn’t mean I’m not giving some stuff away. Because I am.

Earlier this week, Toronto electro-operatic sensation Austra announced details of their second album, to be entitled Olympia and due out June 18. And because they believe in deeds, not words, they also made the first single from the new record available to stream. And if you want to hear more new material – or are now in the mood to hear some Feel It Break material – you’ll probably want to be at The Danforth Music Hall next Saturday night, March 23, for their late-add Canadian Musicfest performance.

Though a limited number of festival wristbands and passes will be admitted, lineups and attendant stresses can be eliminated with advance tickets. Those are going for $24 in advance, but courtesy of Embrace, I’ve got four pairs of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests@chromewaves.net with “I want to see Austra” in the subject line and your full name in the body and have that me by midnight, March 20.

Stream: Austra – “Home”

The Line Of Best Fit talks to Alan Sparhawk of Low, who are in town at The Great Hall on Saturday night and release their new record The Invisible Way on Tuesday.

Brett Anderson of Suede chats with DIY. Their new record Bloodsports is out on March 18.

Brightest Young Things has an interview with Philip Ekstrom of The Mary Onettes about their new album Hit The Waves, due out next Tuesday, March 19. Ekstrom also proves game for mini Swede-pop summits, with The Line Of Best Fit having Sambassadeur’s Joachim Läckberg interview Ekstrom and vice-versa – Sambassadeur’s new record is due out later this year – and Q gets his label boss – Johan Angergård of Labrador – to ask him some questions.

Southern Souls has a video session with July Talk, taking part in Canandian Musicfest at Lee’s Palace on March 21.

The National Post has a feature interview with Nick Cave; he leads The Bad Seeds into Massey Hall on March 23.

The Strokes have rolled out the first video from their forthcoming Comedown Machine, out March 26.

Video: The Strokes – “All The Time”

The first video from The House Of Love’s forthcoming She Paints Words In Red – the one that went up last month and was almost immediately pulled – is back up, hopefully for good. The album is out April 1.

Video: The House Of Love – “A Baby Got Back On Its Feet”

In addition to announcing a local tour that includes a free show at the Parkdale Library on April 27, Dusted have made an unreleased track available to download and another rarity available to stream.

MP3: Dusted – “No Trouble”
Stream: Dusted – “In Yr Skull”

Exclaim and MTV Hive have interviews with Rachel Zeffira, coming to town as part of a two-date North American tour on May 2 at The Drake Underground.

MTV Hive talks to Airick Wooded of Doldrums. He’ll be at The Horseshoe on May 11.

I don’t know that a musical from the pens of Stephen King and John Mellencamp is something that I’d necessarily want to know existed, let alone hear, but that the Ghost Brothers of Darkland County soundtrack features performances from the likes of Neko Case and Elvis Costello, I can’t not pay a little attention. The album is out June 4 and a couple tracks are available to stream now. Neko Case is in town at the Toronto Urban Roots Fest at Garrison Commons on July 7.

Stream: Neko Case – “That’s Who I Am”
Stream: Elvis Costello – “That’s Me”

The 405 meets Ra Ra Riot, coming back to town on June 8 for Field Trip at Garrison Commons.

Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo compiles a list of his favourite albums for The Quietus. They’ll be at Garrison Commons for TURF on July 7.

The Von Pip Musical Express brings the good news that Nicole Atkins has just about completed her third album, entitled Slow Phaser, and while specific release details are still forthcoming, a first track from it is available to stream.

Stream: Nicole Atkins – “Red Ropes”

The AV Club is running a series of video session musical tributes to various states, and have kicked off in Texas – of course – with Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam offering an unreleased Texas-themed song in the first one and Shearwater’s Jonathan Meiburg covering Roy Orbison in another.

Also in interesting covers: Joanna Newsom tackling a Sandy Denny song in a performance for a Los Angeles clothing designer; watch the video at Spin and get a little background on the session at Style.com.

Exclaim talks to Mark Perro of The Men.

If you hadn’t heard, School Of Seven Bells guitarist Benjamin Curtis was recently diagnosed with T-cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma. While treatable, they have set up a website through which they are soliciting support and donations to help cover the costs. Help out if you can.

Robyn Hitchcock discusses his new album Love From London with Spinner.

Cecil MathieuThere are few musicians out there with a more impressive alt.rock resume than Ken Stringfellow. Starting out as co-frontman of the criminally under-appreciated Bellingham power-pop outfit The Posies, he was part of the final incarnation of the legendary Big Star, he was an unofficial member of R.E.M. both on stage and in the studio for a number of years in the post-Berry era, is part of the massive rotating cast of The Minus 5, he fronts a Norwegian garage rock band called The Disciplines, and oh yeah when he’s not doing all of that, he puts out gorgeous solo records.

Danzig In The Moonlight, out last Fall, is the latest of which and the first since 2004’s Soft Commands. And while that record was commendable for its stylistic ranginess, it lacked the coherence of the gorgeous, country-tinged Touched, which when all is said and done with Stringfellow’s impressive career may well stand as his masterpiece. Danzig does not even attempt to recapture that degree of aesthetic focus, but its forays into jangle-rock, prog, country, and R&B – to name but a few of the flavours that surface – don’t so much strive for authenticity than a reasonably convincing, “in the style of”. This allows Stringfellow’s sweet tenor and melodic gifts to tie it all together, which combined with the rich arrangements let Danzig sometimes feel more like the score to some ambitious musical production than a conventional album. In less deft hands, juggling this many ideas may have resulted in a grandly ambitious failure, but Stringfellow not only knows what he’s doing, he makes it look easy.

MyNorthwest.com and The Santa Barbara Independent have interviews with Stringfellow, who makes a rare Toronto appearance at The Drake Underground on February 19. Tickets are $15 in advance but courtesy of Collective Concerts, I’ve got two pairs of passes to give away to the show. To enter, email me at contests@chromewaves.net with “I want to see Ken Stringfellow” in the subject line and your full name in the body, and have that to me by midnight, February 14.

MP3: Ken Stringfellow – “Doesn’t It Remind You Of Something”
Video: Ken Stringfellow – “Superwise”

Because the ’90s are back and you know you love it, The Breeders have expanded their reunion tour in support of the 20th anniversary of Last Splash and will be playing the whole of the album at the Danforth Music Hall on May 11, tickets $22.50 for balconies and $25 for floors.

Video: The Breeders – “Divine Hammer”

Bon Appetit has an interview with Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan, which is fitting considering the culinary theme of the new video from Fade. They’re at The Phoenix this Saturday, February 9.

Video: Yo La Tengo – “I’ll Be Around”

Ra Ra Riot have released a video for the title track of Beta Love and Jambands has an interview with violinist Rebecca Zeller. They’re at Lee’s Palace on March 6 and are back again for the Arts & Crafts Field Trip fest at Fort York on June 8.

Video: Ra Ra Riot – “Beta Love”

The Strokes have confirmed a March 26 release date for their fifth album, Comedown Machine. Advance word is that despite everyone complaining it sounds nothing like The Strokes, it will indeed sound like The Strokes.

DIY and Interview talk to Thao Nguyen, who leads The Get Down Stay Down into Lee’s Palace on March 27.

Rilo Kiley have come clean on their forthcoming rarities compilation, cleverly entitled RKives and due out on April 2. Further information on that release can be found at TwentyFourBit.

Pitchfork talks to Steve Drozdt about The Flaming Lips’ forthcoming full-length The Terror – out April 2 – while Exclaim uncovers evidence that the real terror may be the fact that the band are endeavouring to record their own version of The Stone Roses’ first album, which it goes without saying would be a TERRIBLE IDEA.

Steve Earle has announced a new album entitled The Low Highway for release on April 16, and it’ll be the first one since 1990’s The Hard Way to be credited to him and The Dukes, though this one also credits The Duchesses, albeit in parentheses. All of which is to say this ain’t no solo record.

Pitchfork has details on the new record from Iron & Wine, entitled Ghost On Ghost and out April 16. You can stream a new song from it below.

Stream: Iron & Wine – “Lovers Revolution”

The Thermals have also settled on April 16 as the release date for their first record for Saddle Creek, Desperate Ground. Pitchfork has specifics.

Consequence Of Sound, Pitchfork, The Fader, and The Quietus all talk to Jim James about going solo. He’s in town at The Phoenix on April 24.

Spinner talks about hair with Widowspeak, who’ve made another track from their latest Almanac available to download.

MP3: Widowspeak – “Sore Eyes”

Beach House have released their long-promised short film Forever Still, featuring a number of live performances of tracks off Bloom.

Video: Beach House: Forever Still

Trespassers William have released a video from one of the songs off their farewell rarities compilation, Cast.

Video: Trespassers William – “Believe Me”

Interview talks to School Of Seven Bells.

The Alternate Side has posted a video session with Wild Nothing.

Le Blogotheque has posted a Take-Away Show with Titus Andronicus, and PopMatters an interview.

trespasserswilliam.comThe new year is traditionally held as a time for fresh starts and new beginnings, but it can also be a symbolic time for drawing things to an end or perhaps more appropriately, wrapping up something to begin something else. Not that that was the only reason it wasn’t a complete surprise when Seattle duo Trespassers William took to Facebook this week to announce that the band would be shelved for the foreseeable future.

Despite completely winning me over with their second album Different Stars – one of my favourites of the decade – their gorgeously sad and languid dreampop led by Anna-Lynne Williams voice and slide guitar never really seemed to catch on beyond a devoted audience to whom the sound of melancholy captured at 100 frames per second and replayed in exquisitely detailed slow-motion was the best thing ever. Even so and despite seemingly endless lineup changes – Williams and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Matt Brown were the only constants – they carried on for a decade and a half and are now moving onto other things. Williams records solo as Lotte Kestner and is half of Ormonde, while Brown performs as Disinterested; Trespassers William may now be silent, but the voices that comprised it are not.

Similarly, while we’ll not be getting the follow-up to 2006’s Having that was promised for this year, that won’t be the final word from the band. In 2009, the released the European EP The Natural Order Of Things and at the start of last year, digitally released a compilation b-sides and to coincide with the announcement of the hiatus, have cleared the vaults with another digital release in New Songs & Outtakes, consisting of a couple of new songs that had been targeted for the fourth record and other goodies.

I’m sad that they never managed to put together a North American tour that brought them to Toronto, but am glad I was able to catch them at SXSW in 2008 and again in 2010, and to have had the fortune of living with their music for so long.

Update: Again, via Facebook, the band have announced that their b-sides/unreleased material currently available via Bandcamp will be getting a proper physical release. Details to come, but the digital sales will be ending this weekend.

MP3: Trespassers William – “Lie In The Sound”
MP3: Trespassers William – “Vapour Trail”
MP3: Lotte Kestner – “Crush The Bird”

Iron & Wine have released a new video from last year’s Kiss Each Other Clean.

Video: Iron & Wine – “Godless Brother In Love”

At The Paris Review, Dean Wareham keeps a tour diary about taking the “Plays Galaxie 500” shows to Japan.

Independent Weekly talks to Eric Bachmann of Crooked Fingers.

Nicole Atkins plays a video session for The Huffington Post.

Cursive, accompanied by Cymbals Eat Guitars, will be in at The Horseshoe on March 31. Tickets are $16.50 in advance. Cursive’s new album I Am Gemini comes out on February 7; Cymbals Eat Guitars released Lenses Alien last year.

MP3: Cursive – “The Sun & Moon”
MP3: Cymbals Eat Guitars – “Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name)”
MP3: Cymbals Eat Guitars – “Definite Darkness”

The Huffington Post profiles and interviews Warpaint.

And another Yo La Tengo Hannukah show is up over at NYC Taper; that’s five of them now.

Pitchfork bears bad news for those who thought the new Sleigh Bells album Reign Of Terror would be the perfect Valentine’s Day soundtrack; it has been pushed back a week from February 14 to the 21st.

Matt PenceConsistency is a fine trait for an artist to possess; so is prolificity. And yet possessing both in great measure isn’t always a formula for greatness as there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Consider Denton, Texas’ Centro-Matic – I discovered them circa 2004’s Love You Just The Same and instantly fell for its ragged and anthemic rock, proceeding pretty much immediately to search out most of their back catalog as one did back in the day when instantly downloading everything wasn’t quite as easy as it is now. There was a good long while that Will Johnson’s rasp was a fixture in my ears.

But keeping up with Johnson’s post Love You releases in his various guises – there was Centro-Matic, South San Gabriel for his gentler songs and his own name for compositions that somehow didn’t fit either – for whatever reason didn’t yield the same rewards and by the time the project-crossing Centro/San Gabriel double set Dual Hawks was released in 2008, my ability to distinguish one record from the last had gotten rather blurry. Each was sure to contain a solid batch of songs but when you’re staring at a dozen CD spines trying to decide which one to listen to, the level playing field can be a bit maddening (and for the record, Love You Just The Same would usually get the nod).

All that said, the latest Centro-Matic album Candidate Waltz sets itself apart from its peers from note one by opening not with a thickly distorted guitar chord or dry, declarative drum hit but an insistent motorik pulse the likes of which I certainly never thought I’d hear on a Centro-Matic record. Granted, the guitar riff and Johnson’s distinctive vocals follow close behind, but already the tenth Centro-Matic album has already made a statement that it’s not going to be business as usual. They’re still in the same business, make no mistake, but there’s a leanness and hunger in Candidate Waltz that I certainly haven’t heard in the last few records. Though uncharacteristically brief with its 32-minute running time, each of Waltz‘s nine songs are standouts in their own way, possessing a distinct personality that makes it the most engaging and satisfying release from any of Johnson’s projects in some time. And the best part is, having had Candidate Waltz on repeat for the last few weeks has made me hungry to re-explore their other records… and it turns out I’ve got a tonne of them.

Quick DFW, The Dallas Observer, NBC and Illinois Entertainer all have feature pieces on Centro-Matic.

MP3: Centro-Matic – “Only In My Double Mind”
Video: Centro-Matic – “Iso-Residue”

Pitchfork reports that Drive-By Truckers will have their eleven-year, nine-album legacy condensed down into 16 tracks on the forthcoming compilation Ugly Buildings, Whores & Politicians: Greatest Hits 1998-2009, due out August 2.

MP3: Drive-By Truckers – “Zip City”

4AD Sessions offers a set of performances from Iron & Wine. They play The Sound Academy on October 15.

NPR has a World Cafe session with Okkervil River.

Jonathan Richman will be in town for a couple nights as part of a Fall tour, camping out at Revival on the evenings of October 5 and 6.

Video: Jonathan Richman – “New England” (live on Top Of The Pops)

Prefix, The Chicago Tribune, Madison Square and The Phoenix interview Erika Anderson of EMA, in town at The Garrison this Saturday night, July 23.

Stereogum talks influences with The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, because the contents of their record collections is so inscrutable based on the music they make. They play an in-store at Sonic Boom on August 1 and a show at The Opera House on August 2.