Ingram BarssWhen it comes to rock music, there’s few things that can be said to be asking to fail more than the double album and the concept album. To the former, most artists have trouble coming up with enough quality material to pad out a conventional 10-song set and to the latter… well, I don’t think there’s any explanation needed there. And let’s not even get started on the double- concept album. So the fact that Joel Plaskett’s latest is a triple-album with a running theme should be a recipe for glorious catastrophe… and yet it’s not. Far from it, actually.

But let’s be clear – Three may be ambitious, but it doesn’t overreach. The only real “concept” at work is the number three, which applies to the number of CDs in the set, manifests itself in a number of song titles (“Pine, Pine, Pine”, “Run, Run, Run” for example) and crops up in the lyrics from time to time – hardly a rock opera. And all 27 songs could have easily fit on two compact discs, but that would have spoiled the fun. And besides the numeral three, fun is the prevailing theme of this set – proceedings are dominated by an easy, laid-back vibe that finds Plaskett knocking off the sort of genial, unpretentious roots-pop/rock that has earned him the mantle of one of this country’s most reliable songsmiths.

And that reliability applies across the entire set. By sticking to what he does best and keeping the delivery simple and straightforward, Plaskett manages the remarkable feat of not including a single standout clunker. They’re certainly not all classics – many drift by with just an amiable nod – but anything that does catch jump out and grab the ear does so because it’s exceptional, and there’s no shortage of those, particularly on disc two. Generally, these are the quieter, more thoughtful compositions – a fact that may mark Plaskett’s transition from rocker to balladeer complete, but one that should be celebrated. Unless you still light a candle nightly in hopes of a Thrush Hermit reunion, in which case I cannot help you.

Plaskett has just begun a cross-Canada tour that will place him at Massey Hall on May 23, and courtesy of Maple Music I have a pair of tickets to give away to the show, along with an autographed copy of Three. To get in on this, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Joel Plaskett” in the subject line and your full name and mailing address in the body, and get that to me by midnight, May 19.

There’s interviews with Plaskett about his reasonings behind crafting a triple-album at The Edmonton Journal, The Gateway, Vue, FFWD and The Vancouver Courier.

MySpace: Joel Plaskett

PopMatters and The Sun talk to Steve Earle about his new album Townes, which you can stream in its entirety right now at Spinner.

Stream: Steve Earle – “Townes”

The Arkansas Times checks in with Richard Buckner. He’s beginning work on his next album which will be out next year.

There’s a new MP3 available from Iron & Wine’s forthcoming rarities collection Around The Well, out next week. You can also stream the whole double-disc collection at their MySpace.

MP3: Iron and Wine – “Belated Promise Ring”
Stream: Iron & Wine / Around The Well

Blurt talks to Andrew Kenny of The Wooden Birds, whose debut Magnolia is out now. Imagine American Analog Set unplugged, sans vibraphone and Farfisa and you’re pretty much there. Check out a track from the album and also their WOXY Lounge Act session from SxSW in March. Muzzle Of Bees and Black Book have interviews.

MP3: The Wooden Birds – “False Alarm”
MP3: The Wooden Birds – “Sugar” (live at WOXY)
MP3: The Wooden Birds – “The Other One” (live at WOXY)
MP3: The Wooden Birds – “Believe In Love” (live at WOXY)

Bowerbirds have released the first MP3 from their new album Upper Air. It’s out July 7 and they’re at Sneaky Dee’s on July 14.

MP3: Bowerbirds – “Northern Lights”

NPR has a session with Vetiver, who will be at the Horseshoe on May 15.

Bob Dylan has a new video.

Video: Bob Dylan – “Beyond Here Lies Nothin'”

Beatroute and Canadian Press interview Grizzly Bear. Veckatimest is out May 26, they’re at the Phoenix June 5.

Wayne Coyne tells Billboard that the next Flaming Lips album, due out later this year and still untitled but possibly to be called Embryonic, is looking like it’ll be a double-album.

Metromix interviews Thao, whom I won’t be seeing in New York tomorrow night because I will instead be hoofing it to Connecticut to see Leonard Cohen. I’d like to think Thao would understand.

Drowned In Sound, Express Night Out and Charleston City Paper interview The Thermals’ Kathy Foster.

KEXP has a session with Telekinesis, in town at the Horseshoe on June 10.

The Bygone Bureau talks to John Vanderslice about Romanian Names, out next week. He plays the Horseshoe July 10.

Ohbijou, who are currently gallivanting around Europe, have set a CD release show for Beacons when it comes out on June 2. The party will be on June 25 at the Opera House, tickets $13.

MP3: Ohbijou – “Black Ice”

The Veils and Foreign Born will be at the Horseshoe on July 27, both with new albums to promote – Sun Gang for the former and Person To Person, out June 23, for the latter. Tickets for that are $13.50.

MP3: The Veils – “The Letter”
MP3: The Veils – “Killed By The Boom”
MP3: Foreign Born – “Vacationing People”

Lykke Li is coming back to town yet again on August 9, and this time she’s playing the Sound Academy. Tickets are $26.50.

Caribou are returning to live action this year and have something special planned for their September 10 show at the Opera House. They’ll be performing as The Caribou Vibration Ensemble and according to Exclaim, that means “Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden, Koushik, John Schmersal, Kathryn Bint and Ahmed Gallab, along with a choir, a horn section and a quartet of drummers”. Um, okay. Bring it.

MP3: Caribou – “Melody Day”

Frank YangIt was the sort of pairing that seemed so perfect, that the reality almost seemed fated to disappoint. Two nights of Neko Case at Trinty-St Paul’s church, arguably the city’s best combination of intimacy and acoustics, in support of her new record Middle Cyclone – her first shows in Toronto in over three years. And to sweeten the deal, if that were at all possible, the support act would be Crooked Fingers. Was there any way it could meet these loftiest of expectations? In a word, yes. In two words, hell yes.

This was Eric Bachmann and company’s second visit to town in the past little while, following their October 2008 support slot for Okkervil River, and while I obviously have no shortage of love for the artists who bring Crooked Fingers on the road with them, there’s a small voice in the back of my head that cries out at the unfairness of an artist of the calibre and longevity as Bachmann still having to open up for others. In a just world, he would be playing his songs of gorgeous, wistful gruffness in beautiful church venues to rapt audiences… which, I guess, he just did.

I’d commented in my review of the Phoenix show that their set suffered from poor mixing – this show more than made up for that, being acoustically sublime and with songs perfectly selected from the entire Crooked Fingers discography (as well as Bachmann’s 2006 solo record To The Races) to suit the setting. Put simply, they delivered a set of staggering beauty, and one that didn’t go unappreciated by the audience who, presumably, were not nearly all as huge fans coming in as I was. Each song finished to enthusiastic applause that was far from just polite, but more akin to the sound of hearts simultaneously melting, breaking and being won over. It’s difficult to pick a high point from a set so flawless, but “Sleep All Summer” would have to be it, with Bachmann and Miranda Brown dueting over weepy steel lines contributed by guesting Neko guitarist Jon Rauhouse. Tears would not have been out of place.

And this was just the opener.

In all the times I’ve seen Neko Case live, she’s taken a decidedly dressed-down approach to stage attire so a double-take was in order when she strode onstage in a stunning red gown. As if we needed another indication that this show was an occasion. But even glammed up, Neko was still Neko, yukking it up with backing singer/comic foil Kelly Hogan and, oh yes, singing like an absolute force of nature.

Having debuted at #3 on the Billboard charts, Middle Cyclone is unquestionably a breakout record for Neko Case. But artistically, it’s not the huge leap forward that Fox Confessor was – that record took Case, the alt.country torch singer, and reinvented her as a superb and restlessly creative songwriter whom you could certainly still classify as country if you had to file her somewhere, but whose reach and vision went far beyond just the genre. Cyclone reaffirms this while delivering some of Case’s purest pop moments outside The New Pornographers and while it hasn’t supplanted Fox Confessor‘s special place in my heart, it’s still a superb record in its own right.

And damn, does it sound glorious live. If you’ve never heard Neko Case sing live, then you haven’t experienced one of the seven musical wonders of the world (a list I just made up and whose other six spots are open to nomination). I had thought that experiencing it from a couple feet away in a tiny club like the Rivoli would be an unbeatable experience, but seated in the gallery at Trinity whilst being enveloped by her voice wins. Backed by the stellar band with whom she recorded Middle Cyclone and in front of a screen displaying projected films matched to each song, Case was spellbinding in delivering songs old and new to the packed house, some of whom – like myself – I’m willing to bet hadn’t set foot in a church in many years in any religious context but on this evening, when faced with a talent as unearthly as Case’s, were finding God.

Following an hour-long set, Case returned for an extended encore that, had the fans had their way would have never ended but as it was, ran the show to a good 90 minutes. And as undeniably special as the whole performance was, they managed to take it just that little bit further when Garth Hudson joined them on accordion for the final two songs. A fitting finale to an unbelievable night of music. And if you were one of the many who weren’t able to get tickets to the show, take heart – Neko announced during the show that they’d be returning in July for another show at Massey Hall. No, the Old Lady of Shuter Street isn’t as intimate as Trinity, but it’s hosted a good show or two in its time. Expect even more magic.

Acoustic Guitar and Chart have interviews with Neko. Her North American tour continues through this week. I think it goes without saying that you should go if you can.

Photos: Neko Case, Crooked Fingers @ Trinity-St. Paul’s – April 18, 2009
MP3: Neko Case – “Middle Cyclone”
MP3: Neko Case – “People Got A Lotta Nerve”
MP3: Neko Case – “Hold On, Hold On”
MP3: Neko Case – “Star Witness”
MP3: Neko Case – “If You Knew”
MP3: Crooked Fingers – “Phony Revolutions”
MP3: Crooked Fingers – “Call To Love”
MP3: Crooked Fingers – “Big Darkness”
MP3: Crooked Fingers – “Devil’s Train”
MP3: Crooked Fingers – “New Drink For The Old Drunk”
MP3: Eric Bachmann – “Lonesome Warrior”
MP3: Eric Bachmann – “Carrboro Woman”
Video: Neko Case – “People Got A Lotta Nerve”
Video: Neko Case – “Maybe Sparrow”
Video: Neko Case – “Furnace Room Lullabye”
Video: Crooked Fingers – “Let’s Not Pretend (To Be New Men)”
Video: Crooked Fingers – “New Drink For The Old Drunk”
Video: Eric Bachmann – “Man O’War”
Video: Eric Bachmann – “Lonesome Warrior”
MySpace: Neko Case
MySpace: Crooked Fingers

Toronto has been waiting some time for Fleet Foxes to come back to town. Their only appearance so far was a year ago at the El Mocambo as support for Blitzen Trapper, just before their buzz meter went through the roof, and while well-attended it wasn’t nearly a sell-out. They were supposed to return as support for Stephen Malkmus at the Phoenix in July but cancelled due to exhaustion and haven’t made up the date, being far too busy topping almost every critic’s year-end list for 2008. The point of this ramble being that I’ve been playing a little game with myself trying to guess what size room they’ll play if/when they finally did return and, well, let’s just say the winning venue had never even crossed my mind. Fleet Foxes at Massey Hall in August. Yeah, seriously. Details still forthcoming, but wrap your head around that. There’s interviews with the band at The Times-Standard and The Times.

MP3: Fleet Foxes – “Mykonos”
MP3: Fleet Foxes – “White Winter Hymnal”

Spin talks to Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy about their new album – still title-less and release date-less – and Washington City Paper talks to the folks who put out the just-released Ashes Of American Flags DVD. Locals may note that there’s no Toronto on their just-announced Summer tour, but note that the July 19 date at Lewiston, New York is barely 90 minutes away if you’re one of those speed limit-observing types, just across the border north of Niagara Falls. So you can go, like, outlet shopping and then Wilco watching on the same day. Something to consider.

There’s a track up from Sonic Youth’s next album The Eternal, set for release June 9.

MP3: Sonic Youth – “Sacred Trickster”

Iron & Wine will release their double-disc compilation of rarities Around The Well, on May 19 and SubPop has wisely chosen “The Trapeze Swinger” as the MP3 to provide gratis to generate interest. Wisely, because this song which originally appeared on the soundtrack for the 2004 Topher Grace vehicle (you’ll not likely ever hear THOSE words again), In Good Company is one of Sam Beam’s greatest musical creations and really, one of the most beautiful things I’ve heard in the past, well, maybe ever.

MP3: Iron & Wine – “The Trapeze Swinger”

Pitchfork has info on how to get a copy of the long-awaited, previously tour-only The Mountain Goats/John Vanderslice collaborative vinyl-only EP Moon Colony Bloodbath.

I think I’m all out of adjectives for the day.

Ingrid ZThose who sought to ride out the global recession by investing their money in Patrick Wolf should be pleased – the project has already yielded dividends! What had originally been intended to be a double album entitled Battle will now instead be two single-length albums entitled The Bachelor and The Conqueror.

In an interview with Spinner, Wolf describes the differences between the two as follows – “The Bachelor [has themes of] loneliness, hedonism, depression and melancholy, the second album is all my depression being suddenly lifted by true love.” The Bachelor will be released in June, The Conqueror sometime before the year is out. He also talks to Black Book about approaching Tilda Swinton to appear on the new record and his rather unique sense of style and assembles his dream band for The Independent.

Wolf blogs that tthe first single from Bachelor, entitled “Vulture”, will be released in early March but until then, there’s a “megamix” sampler of songs from the new record streaming at his MySpace. There’s also regular updates at his YouTube channel.

Myspace: Patrick Wolf

Stereogum gets a progress report on Kingdom Of Rust from Doves, though with its April 6 release date less than two months off, I hope there’s not much progress left to be made. Which is to say it better be done. The video for the title track is done, at least.

Video: Doves – “Kingdom Of Rust”

Drowned In Sound and Contact Music make conversation with Sky Larkin. My copy of The Golden Spike arrived yesterday. That made me happy.

Nouse and The Irish Independent interview Emmy The Great, who continues her own interview duties for Drowned In Sound by talking to Beach House and Sleeping States.

The Ting Tings have a new video. They’re at the Mod Club on March 14 as part of CMW.

Video: The Ting Tings – “We Walk”

Art Brut will release their third record Art Brut vs Satan on May 12. Pitchfork has specifics.

Clash and Virgin Music interview Saint Etienne, who will release a new best-of comp in London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne next week.

NME reports that The Stone Roses‘ debut album will be reissued this June to mark its 20th anniversary in a fancy pants box set form and a less fancy “legacy” edition (yes, they already did this ten years ago for the 10th anniversary). But what might make this more than just a naked cash grab is the fact that the album has been remastered by original producer John Leckie – considering that the original record could do with some sonic polishing, I may be interested to hear if the new version actually gives the album some low end.

Billboard has details on the forthcoming Iron & Wine rarities double-CD set. It’s entitled Around The Well, will be out May 19 and most importantly, will include “The Trapeze Swinger”.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs give Spin the lowdown on their new album It’s Blitz!, set for release April 14.

Matablog has everything you need to know about The Eternal, the new album from Sonic Yough, out June 9.

Making up for their cancellation in support of Calexcio last fall, Bowerbirds will be at the Drake Underground on May 2.

MP3: Bowerbirds – “In Our Talons”

NPR is streaming a session with Shearwater.

The Wrens have put together a video to go along with the new song they unveiled a few weeks ago.

Video: The Wrens – “Marked Up”

MPR is featuring a session with School Of Seven Bells and The List has a short interview with Alley Dehaza.

There’s now a trailer available for Ashes Of American Flags, the Wilco live DVD due out on April 18

Trailer: Ashes Of American Flags

The Georgia Straight talks to The Airborne Toxic Event, whose March 4 show has been moved from the El Mocambo to The Mod Club.