Everyone waiting for a Jack White Toronto date can chill out because there’s now a Jack White Toronto date

Jo McCaugheyTwo, actually.

Typically big albums come with big tours, but while Jack White’s solo debut Blunderbuss has been inarguably one of the biggest releases of the year for the adjectiveless rock set, his touring itinerary – at least in North America – has been relatively scattershot, favouring short stretches anchored by festival dates. And while no one would call the dates announced yesterday any kind of cross-country marathon, it does include the first three eastern Canadian dates since the end of The White Stripes, two of which are in Toronto.

White and his two backing bands will be at The Sony Centre for a two-night stand on October 3 and 4 – maybe one night for the all-she Birds backing band and one for the all-he Buzzards? The venue is a bit surprising of a choice since the room holds only 3200 or so; that’s hardly nothing, but remember that that this is a guy who headlines major festivals and who has a fanbase that will think nothing of shelling out to hit both nights. So even though the usually seated venue will have a standing, general admission area set up to increase capacity and rocking out real estate, that’s still not a lot of tickets up for grabs. So when the $45, $59.50, and $75 – plus service charges, natch – tickets go on sale Friday at 11AM… well good luck.

MP3: Jack White – “Blunderbuss”
Video: Jack White – “Sixteen Saltines”
Video: Jack White – “Freedom At 21”
Video: Jack White – “Love Interruption”

Chicagoan outsider folk artist/poet Willis Earl Beal is back in town at The Drake on October 1 for a show in support of his debut, Acousmatic Sorcery; tickets $15.50 in advance. Pitchfork has full Autumn tour dates and details on his plans for an animated short film.

MP3: Willis Earl Beal – “White Noise”

Ben Folds Five, reunited and ready to release their first album in 13 years in The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind on September 18, have put together a tour that brings them to the Kool Haus on October 15, tickets $37.50. On one hand, I loved their first two records. On the other, I don’t know how much of my college years I necessarily need to revisit. Hmm. Folds talks to Spin about why he decided to re-form his old band now, and the answer is a bit longer than, “cha-ching”.

Video: Ben Folds Five – “Song For The Dumped”

The impeccably punk-pedigreed OFF! are back in town for a show at Wrongbar on October 23. I guess this is why we won’t be seeing a proper Red Kross tour this Fall… The Village Voice has an interview with frontman Keith Morris.

Video: OFF! – “Wiped Out”

Matthew Dear and Light Asylum will team up for a show at The Hoxton on November 9. The Skinny talks to Dear about his new album Beams, out August 27.

MP3: Matthew Dear – “Earthforms”
MP3: Light Asylum – “A Certain Person”

Portland electro-rock duo The Helio Sequence will release their new record Negotiations on September 11, and have slated a full North American tour to support – look for them at The Horseshoe on November 12. One preview MP3 was released a little while ago and Rolling Stone has just debuted a second.

MP3: The Helio Sequence – “October”
MP3: The Helio Sequence – “Hall Of Mirrors”

Pitchfork has details on the long-awaited third album from Titus Andronicus: Local Business will be out September 23. And okay two years isn’t really such a long time since The Monitor but still. Woo?

Fang Island have released a first video from their latest effort Major. College Times has a quick interview.

Video: Fang Island – “Sisterly”

Rolling Stone talks to Band Of Horses’ Ben Bridwell about working with legendary producer Glynn Johns on their new record Mirage Rock. They play Echo Beach tomorrow night, August 15, and release said record on September 18.

Grizzly Bear have released another track from their forthcoming album Shields, out September 18. They play Massey Hall on September 26.

MP3: Grizzly Bear – “Yet Again”

Rolling Stone and Prague Post check in with Greg Dulli on the The Afghan Whigs reunion, rolling into The Phoenix on October 3.

Rolling Stone talks to Victoria Legrand of Beach House. They play The Kool Haus on October 13.

OVRLD checks in with Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater.

Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips submits to an interview with QRO because goodness knows he hates being interviewed.

jackwhiteiii.comCan I let you in on a little secret that probably puts me at odds with most of the music-verse, but I’ve never really been a fan of Jack White in any of his incarnations. Not The White Stripes, not The Raconteurs, not The Dead Weather, and not as just Jack White. He just mines a particular vein of classic blues-rock that I have no affinity for; but I do respect him. His work ethic, his devotion to a particular ideal of American music, his belief in the power of analog, his strong sense of aesthetic, and the fact that despite indulging his eccentric tendencies – this Guinness world record stuff is pretty absurd – he’s managed to become maybe the last bona fide rock star in popular music.

And so his solo debut Blunderbuss, released late last month, has been one of 2012’s big releases. And I would imagine that a goodly number of you out there would like it and perhaps like to own a copy. And so, courtesy of With A Bullet, I’m happy to give away one copy of Blunderbuss on vinyl LP – just like Jack would want it – and two on CD – just like Jack accepts is a necessity of the modern age. Hey, it’s better than giving away MP3 download codes, no? To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want a Blunderbuss” in the subject line and your full name in the body along with whether you want the LP, the CD or either, and have that in to me by midnight, May 31. And sorry, contest open to residents of Canada only.

And oh hey, I have a White Stripes story. You know the 2007 tour they took across Canada – documented in the Under The Great White Northern Lights film and live album – where they played a secret intimate show in each city? The Toronto one at the downtown YMCA took place right next to my apartment. And though I was at work when it went down, my cat could have watched it if there were windows strategically placed in the outer walls of the Y. Not that he would have, he doesn’t dig The White Stripes either. He’s an Iron & Wine cat.

Video: Jack White – “Sixteen Saltines”
Video: Jack White – “Love Interruption”