Posts Tagged ‘JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound’

Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

Axis

Pet Shop Boys release new album, tour west (life is peaceful there)

Photo By John WrightJohn WrightThe last time that Pet Shop Boys were in town, it was for V Fest 2009 and while I was excited for their performance, it was more because I wanted to see their audience intersect with the Nine Inch Nails fans who were there to see Trent and company, who were playing immediately afterwards, than out of any real sort of fandom. Their show, however, blew me away with its technicolour visuals, elaborate choreography, and top-notch pop songcraft that they were easily the highlight of the weekend and, having since gotten to know their discography much better, I’ve been patiently waiting for them to return.

It didn’t happen for last year’s electro-orchestric Elysium, but apparently the duo decided to head back into the studio rather than stay on the road and record their just-announced new dance-centric album Electric, due out July 15, behind which they WILL be touring North America. Slicing Up Eyeballs has their full, worldwide, 2013 itinerary but Toronto can circle September 25 on their calendars as the date messrs Tennant and Lowe will be at The Sony Centre For The Performing ARts. Tickets will run $49.50, $69.50, or $99.50 and go on sale this Friday, May 3, at 10AM.

Stereogum has an interview with the band about the new record, and they’ve released a video for the album’s opening track (though it’s not an official single).

Video: Pet Shop Boys – “Axis”

Lovelife – whom you may remember in a previous incarnation as Brit-rock also-rans Brother/Viva Brother though they’d prefer you didn’t – will bring their new synth-powered sound to The Mod Club on May 13, tickets $16. They’re interviewed by Noisey and will release the Stateless EP on June 11.

Stream: Lovelife – “Dying To Start Again”

Under The Radar has the first North American dates in support of Laura Marling’s new album Once I Was An Eagle, coming May 28. She’ll be in Toronto on May 25 at 99 Sudbury, which is indeed a venue.

MP3: Laura Marling – “Sophia”

With their second album Limits Of Desire set for a May 14 release, Brooklyn electro-pop purveyors Small Black will be at Wrongbar on May 31, tickets $13.50.

MP3: Small Black – “Free At Dawn”
Video: Small Black – “Free At Dawn”

The Uncluded may not have much name recognition but their component parts of Aesop Rock and Kimya Dawson rather do. They’ve got a show at The Black Box Theatre in The Great Hall on June 2, tickets $20, as part of a tour in support of their debut Hokey Fright which comes out May 7 but is streaming now at The Current.

Video: The Uncluded – “Delicate Cycle”
Stream: The Uncluded / Hokey Fright

Alaska’s Portugal. The Man are readying a new album in Evil Friends for June 4 and will be at The Phoenix shortly thereafter – June 11 – to promote it; tickets for the show are $18.50 in advance. Jambands.com has an interview and The Fader has premiered a video from the new record.

Video: Portugal. The Man – “Purple Yellow Red & Blue”

Montreal’s Braids talk to Exclaim about their new, more electronic direction which will be previewed on the “In Kinds/Amends” 12″ when it comes out June 11 as prep for the release of their second full-length album in the Fall. They’re streaming one of the new tracks and will be playing NXNE on June 13.

Stream: Braids – “Amends”

Oakland’s Soft Moon have also been confirmed for NXNE; their showcase will be at The Garrison on June 14. Their last release was 2012’s Zeros.

MP3: The Soft Moon – “Breathe The Fire”

Florida’s garage-pop-making Beach Day are another NXNE confirmation, previewing the June 18 release of their full-length debut Trip Track Attack with festival appearances on June 14 and 15.

Video: Beach Day – “Beach Day”

Ireland’s Villagers will also be NXNE-ing it up behind their new record {Awayland}, anchoring the June 15 lineup at The Great Hall.

Video: Villagers – “Passing A Message”

San Diego’s Crocodiles will be supporting Japandroids at Adelaide Hall on June 17, just in case you needed a little more rock in the linuep; presumably they’ll be previewing material from the follow-up to last year’s Endless Flowers. Tickets for that are $25.

MP3: Crocodiles – “Sunday (Psychic Conversation #9)”

It might be the Toronto Jazz Festival, but things will get Motown-awesome on June 21 when Smokey Robinson and Martha Reeves & The Vandellas play Nathan Phillips Square – for free. You won’t find a better legend-to-dollar value than that.

Video: Smokey Robinson – “Tracks Of My Tears”
Video: Martha Reeves & The Vandellas – “Nowhere To Run”

Australian up-and-comers Atlas Genius have put their geographic know-how to work and booked a North American tour behind their debut When It Was Now; they’ll be at The Opera House on June 23. The Daily Cougar and Tonedeaf have interview with the band.

Video: Atlas Genius – “Centered On You”

Though quiet for the last few years, Atlanta’s Snowden are back with a new album – their first in seven years – in No One In Control coming out May 14 and an accompanying tour which brings them to The Drake Underground on June 25.

Stream: Snowden – “So Red”
Stream: Snowden – “The Beat Comes”

Indiana’s not especially southern, but Houndmouth have got some pretty convincing twang to them; with their debut From The Hills Below The City coming June 4, they’ll be swinging through town a couple times shortly thereafter – on June 20 supporting Alabama Shakes at Echo Beach, and just a week later for a headlining show at The Garrison on June 28. Their session for The AV Club Undercover is also now up, featuring their take on Billy Bragg, Wilco, and Woody Guthrie.

Video: Houndmouth – “On The Road”
Video: Houndmouth – “Penitentiary”

California Wives – who are not, in fact, wives from California but indie rocker types from Chicago – will bring their carnival of lies and deception to The Drake on June 30, tickets $12. Their debut Art History came out last year.

MP3: California Wives – “Blood Red Youth”
MP3: California Wives – “Purple”

Cayucas, on the other hand, do hail from California – Santa Monica to be precise – but their hearts lie in New York, specifically Brooklyn or wherever Vampire Weekend are hanging out. Their debut Bigfoot just came out – you can stream it at Stereogum – and their tour itinerary brings them to The Drake on July 1.

MP3: Cayucas – “East Coast Girl”
Stream: Cayucas / Bigfoot

With their debut Tradition Ritual Habit finally out, Vancouver’s Belle Game will come east for some shows including a free show at Harbourfront Centre on July 12, part of the Soundclash festival thing that Born Ruffians are also playing. Green Couch Sessions have also posted a video session with the band and The Georgia Straight an interview.

MP3: The Belle Game – “Blame Fiction”

Chicago soul saviours JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound are back for a gig at the Horseshoe on July 12 in support of their new album Howl, out May 21. Tickets are $12.50 in advance, and MTV Hive has a quick band chat as well as a stream of a new song.

Stream: JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – “Howl”
Stream: JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – “Rouse Yourself”

Cleveland punk rock pioneers Pere Ubu will be at Lee’s Palace on September 18 behind their new album Lady From Shanghai, released back in January. Tickets for the show are $20 in advance.

MP3: Pere Ubu – “Free White”

Though just here in March, New Zealand/American psych-rock outfit Unknown Mortal Orchestra will be at Lee’s Palace on October 16 as part of a tour still in support of II. So if you’re into making plans half a year off, tickets are $15 in advance.

MP3: Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “So Good At Being In Trouble”

Friday, May 4th, 2012

White Wind

School Of Seven Bells and Exitmusic at The Hoxton in Toronto

Photo By Frank YangFrank YangWhen I think back to School Of Seven Bells’ last headlining show in Toronto in September 2010 circa Disconnect From Desire, two things leap immediately to mind. One, that it was less than a month before Claudia Deheza announced her departure from the band and two, that it was shockingly poorly attended – as in you could count the dozens of people there on one hand from where I stood. That these come to mind before the fact that it was a great show – the best I’d seen from them at and not uncoincidentally the first time I saw them with a live drummer – was unfortunate.

Wednesday night wasn’t their first time back since then – they opened up for Interpol at The Sound Academy in February of 2011 – but it was their first in support of Ghostory, their third album and first as a duo, and first in front of their own local fanbase, however many that would turn out to be. To my ears they’d recovered quite well from losing a third of the band as far as writing and recording went, but was certainly curious to see how their live show adapted. Questions about whether or not they had fans in the 416 were thankfully answered early on as The Hoxton, while not nearly sold out, was respectably full. We’ll call that last show an exception, then.

Support on this tour came from fellow New Yorkers Exitmusic, a new act – their debut EP From Silence came out last year and their first full-length Passage is due May 22 – but one whose face may be familiar to viewers of Boardwalk Empire. Not that this tidbit offered any insight into what sort of music they might make; indeed, you don’t get much further from the sounds of the prohibition era than the dark and goth-y dreamscapes that they offered. They moved at a steady, determined pace that preferred to render dynamics on the scale of their set than in each individual song. Aleksa Palladino’s voice has a great range, but rather than show it off she tended to restrict it to what was necessary for the song – a commendable approach that you don’t hear as much as you should. Utilizing plenty of electronics but with few synthetic affectations, they succeeded at creating a distinct mood but were light on melody and the songs were ultimately only intermittently memorable.

I probably make too much out of the loss of Claudia Deheza from School Of Seven Bells. Certainly it disrupted my sense of symmetry and novelty, but as Ghostory proved it didn’t adversely affect them creatively, this show proved it wasn’t even a speed bump in their ever-improving live show. Recall that when they first started performing, it was as near to a literal translation of a studio project to stage as you could get with the Deheza sisters on guitar and keys flanking Ben Curtis on guitar, all playing over dense backing tracks – it sounded note-perfect, but felt overly mechanical. Now with their sound having evolved towards a full-on dance-rock hybrid, having a live drummer and keyboardist/backing vocalist augmenting Allie Deheza and Curtis may have made them a more conventional band, but also a much better one.

With Deheza as the focal point – okay, the glowing Ghostory glyphs on either side of the stage were also eye-catching – they worked a set that had good weight and flow and stretched equally across their discography, sounding much more organic than you might have expected but still sleek and gleaming where it counted. Allie Alvarado didn’t try to replace all of Claudia’s departed harmonies, but when called on to double Deheza as on “Iamundernodisguise”, she acquitted herself alright – for the most part though, they were able to get the listener to gently accept that that facet of the band was no more but it was going to be alright. It was impressive just how many great songs they’ve produced in just three albums and half a decade, but it was the set-closing selections from Alpinisms that still got me the most – “Half Asleep”, which opened the encore, is still pure and glorious pop. And this time, there were people there to see it.

The Detroit Free Press has an interview with School Of Seven Bells’ Ben Curtis and The Daily Kansan Q&As Exitmusic’s Aleksa Palladino.

Photos: School Of Seven Bells, Exitmusic @ The Hoxton – May 2, 2012
MP3: School Of Seven Bells – “Lafaye”
MP3: School Of Seven Bells – “The Night”
MP3: School Of Seven Bells – “Windstorm”
MP3: School Of Seven Bells – “Babelonia”
MP3: School Of Seven Bells – “Connjur”
MP3: Exitmusic – “The Sea”
Video: School Of Seven Bells – “Reappear”
Video: School Of Seven Bells – “Lafaye”
Video: School Of Seven Bells – “Windstorm”
Video: School Of Seven Bells – “My Cabal”
Video: School Of Seven Bells – “Half Asleep”
Video: Exitmusic – “Passage”
Video: Exitmusic – “The Hours”

Before opening up for Bear In Heaven at The Garrison later that night, Blouse will stop in at Sonic Boom’s Kensington location this Saturday – May 5 – for a little record-shopping and in-store performing at 5PM. There’s features on the Portland dream-pop outfit at The Boston Phoenix and SSG Music.

MP3: Blouse – “Into Black”

Exclaim reports that How To Dress Well – the pseudonym of Brooklyn’s Tom Krell – will bring his take on R&B sounds backed by a full band to The Drake Underground on June 7 as part of a Summer tour, presumably in support of a new record.

Video: How To Dress Well – “Lover’s Start”

!!! have made a date for Lee’s Palace on July 7, tickets $16.50 in advance. Could a follow-up to 2010’s Strange Weather, Isn’t It? be on the way?

MP3: !!! – “AM/FM”
MP3: !!! – “Jamie, My Intentions Are Bass”

After putting on a helluva show at The Horseshoe in November, Chicago soul outfit JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound will return to that same room for a show on July 13, tickets $9. For a taste of what to expect, check out their Epitonic Saki Session and read and interview at Go Pride Chicago. They also just released a new video from Want More.

MP3: JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – “Everything Will Be Fine”
MP3: JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – “Sister Ray Charles”
Video: JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – “Sister Ray Charles”

Reunited San Diego hardcore legends Hot Snakes are coming to town for a show at The Horseshoe on September 21, tickets $20 in advance.

MP3: Hot Snakes – “Who Died”

NPR welcomes Hospitality for a Tiny Desk Concert. They’re at The Garrison tomorrow night – May 5 – opening up for Eleanor Friedberger.

NYC Taper has a recording of a recent Lower Dens show and Paste, Blurt, and The Baltimore Sun have interviews. They’re at Lee’s Palace on July 17.

Design Sponge gets a tour of Sharon Van Etten’s apartment. Can’t say I’m not disappointed that she’s got one of those terribly Crossley turntables… There’s also interviews at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Nashville Scene. Van Etten plays The Phoenix on July 31.

DIY interview Peter Silberman of The Antlers.

Perfume Genius has released a new video from Put Your Back N 2 It, starring Mike Hadreas and his mom.

Video: Perfume Genius – “Dark Parts”

The Alternate Side and The Guardian both have video sessions with The Magnetic Fields and The Silver Tongue an interview.

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

Turn A Light On

Kathryn Calder and JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound at The Horseshoe in Toronto

Photo By Frank YangFrank YangThere’s many great things about the long-running Toronto institution of Nu Music Nites at the Horseshoe – not least of all the fact that they’re free – but the fact that they often feature such random assemblages of acts that each set can feel like its own standalone show and not part of a larger bill is certainly a big part of the fun. Such was the case on Tuesday night when rather than one headline-calibre act, as you’d normally be fortunate to have, they had two – and quite markedly different ones at that.

First you had Kathryn Calder, whom you may remember from her old band Immaculate Machine or know from her current band The New Pornographers but whom you should know for her solo work. Her 2010 debut Are You My Mother? was an unexpected gem displaying a pop acumen that was astonishing, even if she had been apprenticing with some of the country’s finest songwriters for the past half decade and this year’s follow-up Bright & Vivid proved not only that Mother was no fluke, but that Calder was still growing as a songwriter and had even better works in her. Which is to say that it’s as good, if not better, than the first record – and that’s saying quite a lot.

While Calder’s strengths as a singer, songwriter and arranger are self-evident from her records, having missed her solo debut here back in the Summer I still couldn’t comment on her skills as a frontwoman. After all, it’s one thing to do your thing with all eyes on Carl Newman, Neko Case and/or Dan Bejar, quite another to be front and centre yourself. And while she seemed perfectly comfortable in the role, switching off between electric and acoustic guitar and keyboards and offering plenty of low-key charm, you wouldn’t say she’s a riveting performer, at least not yet. But that’s a minor complaint against what she and her band brought to the table.

First off there were the songs, with selections split about evenly between the two albums and well showcasing the range and complexity of her work. It’s no mean feat to fill so many songs with both indelible melodies and emotional depth, but delivering them with her crystalline and dexterous voice – she didn’t miss a move or a note – Calder made it look easy. Points must also go to her band, who were fully equipped with both the tools and talent to recreate the many sonic nuances of the record. They could have easily made it sound good while stripping the arrangements down, but the care they took to make sure all the bits and pieces were there was appreciated.

This show kicked off a three-week North American tour for Calder and company but I almost wish that this was coming at the tail end if just because I’ve no doubt the road-testing would make them sound even better. Make no mistake, they sounded terrific already but if there’s one thing her records have shown, it’s that as good as you think Calder is or can be, she can and will be better.

But wait! There’s more!

It’s probably not fair to expect any kind of funk-soul-rock band to show up and impress when one has just seen Prince a few nights earlier, but for their first visit to Toronto, Chicagoans JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound were sure as spit going to try. Besuited and with Brooks sporting an impressinve Little Richer coif, the five-piece – accompanied by a camera crew – put on a barn-burner of a show. Having just released their second album Want More, they showed off their prowess at classically-styled yet modern-feeling soul – mostly Chicago-flavoured but with forays to Philly to show off Brooks’ ability to slow burn and kill the high notes.

They were at their best when in high gear, though, with the rest of the band being dapper, animated and showing off their impressive chops when called on, all without drawing attention away from their frontman – not that that would have really been possible. Brooks has mastered the fine art of great showmanship without going over the top, engaging the audience without pandering and just basically setting the tone for a wholly impressive show. And while their covers of “Tainted Love” and “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” were set highlights, their original compositions stood tall alongside them – not something you can always say in a genre that’s often more concerned with style and delivery than creation. It’s a shame the audience numbers had thinned from their peak during Calder’s set, but the few dozen that remained got a hell of a show.

Chart and The Calgary Herald have interviews with Kathryn Calder while The Lantern and The Phoenix New Times has features on Brooks.

Photos: JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Kathryn Calder @ The Horseshoe – November 29, 2011
MP3: Kathryn Calder – “Who Are You”
MP3: Kathryn Calder – “Arrow”
MP3: Kathryn Calder – “Slip Away”
MP3: JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – “Everything Will Be Fine”
Video: Kathryn Calder – “Who Are You”
Video: Kathryn Calder – “Arrow”
Video: Kathryn Calder – “Slip Away”
Video: JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – “Everything Will Be Fine”
Video: JC Brooks Uptown Sound – “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart”

Paste talks with Kathleen Edwards about making her latest album Voyageur, out January 17. She plays The Phoenix on February 11.

The Diamond Rings b-side which saw the electro-glammer unexpectedly covering power-pop gods Teenage Fanclub is now available to download courtesy of Spinner.

MP3: Diamond Rings – “Mellow Doubt”

NOW marks Feist’s show at Massey Hall tonight by putting her on this week’s cover; Today Online also has an interview. Meanwhile, Under The Radar reports that she and Mastadon will pair up for a split-7″ single wherein each covers one of the others’ songs as a Record Store Day 2012 release.

Exclaim talks to Bry Webb, who is opening up the aforementioned Feist show tonight.

The Toronto Star, Star-Observer and X-Tra have features on Austra, playing tonight at The Phoenix and have announced that a deluxe edition of Feel It Break, featuring a second CD of covers, remixes and whatnot, will be available in mid-December. One of the new tracks, a cover of Roy Orbison’s “Crying” which has been kicking around since Katie Stelmanis was still playing as Katie Stelmanis, is available to stream below and the third and final instalment of the unplugged Paper Bag Sessions has gone up at Disco Naivete.

Stream: Austra – “Crying”
Video: Austra – “Believe Me” (Paper Bag Sessions)

Young Galaxy, who are playing with Austra tonight, are also capping their very good year with a deluxe edition of Shapeshifting, though it’ll be an iTunes-only release and feature early versions of four songs before they were sent to producer Dan Lissvik for reinventing. That’ll be available on December 13 but as of right now, a remix album called Versus is available for free.

ZIP: Young Galaxy / Versus

Bruce Peninsula have released a new video from Open Flames.

Video: Bruce Peninsula – “Pull Me Under”

The videos for some studio sessions that Kat Burns of Forest City Lovers performed for Exclaim are now available to download as well as watch.

MP3: Forest City Lovers – “Keep The Kids Inside” (Rainy Day Version, live at Exclaim)
MP3: Forest City Lovers – “Tell Me, Cancer” (live at Exclaim)
Video: Forest City Lovers – “Keep The Kids Inside” (Rainy Day Version, live at Exclaim)
Video: Forest City Lovers – “Tell Me, Cancer” (live at Exclaim)

Weakerthans frontman John K Samson will release his first solo album in Provincial on January 24; details at Anti, who are releasing the record.

Exclaim interviews Beatrice Martin of Coeur de Pirate.

There’s a new Fucked Up song available to download courtesy of Stereogum. They play a charity gig at The Great Hall on December 20.

MP3: Fucked Up – “I Hate Summer”

Toronto psych-poppers Heartbeat Hotel are streaming the whole of their new record Intae Woe, while Mechanical Forest Sound has a recording from their record release show for said record last week available to download.

Stream: Heartbeat Hotel / Inate Woe

Memoryhouse have announced a February 28 release date for their debut full-length, to be entitled The Slideshow Effect. Mechanical Forest Sound also has a recording of a show last week.

The Drake Hotel has announced most of the lineup for this year’s What’s In The Box holiday season music series, wherein they line up five acts for each of the five nights following Christmas with a five dollar cover. Still a few “special guest” spots to be filled but there’s at least a couple nights with some acts that I’ve been meaning to check out (Doldrums, Donlands & Mortimer) so I expect I’ll be there at least once that week. You may as well too – don’t pretend you’ve got better things to do.

And another end-of-year institution – New Year’s Eve at The Tranzac – has announced their live music lineup via Facebook and it features The Elwins, Maylee Todd and more. I went to last year’s, it was fun. Tickets are $13 in advance and believe them when they say it sells out every year.

Friday, October 21st, 2011

Back In The Crowd

Tom Waits and other things that have nothing to do with Iceland

Photo By Jesse DylanJesse DylanI promised you I was done with Iceland updates, and really you don’t get more un-Icelandic than Tom Waits. Of course, the only thing Tom Waits is really like is, well, Tom Waits and even then one era of Waits can be wildly different from the next. I say this as someone who’s only very recently begun exploring his expansive catalog and still has a long ways to go – but at least now I find his work intriguing rather than off-putting, as I once did. That’s progress.

I’m definitely glad to be coming around in time for the release of Bad As Me next Tuesday, his first album of all-new material in seven years. It’s available to stream right now at badasme.com if you’ve got an invite code and at first listen it sounds like a pretty good balance of out-there stompers and barstool laments. It’ll take some time but I can see myself getting into this. And if Waits elects to tour for this record and come to Toronto for the first time in what, at least a decade? Double bonus. I hear his performances are incomparable.

There’s interviews with Waits about the new record at Pitchfork, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and if you want to give Bad Like Me an advance listen, I’ve got five invite codes to hand out. They’re meant for friends but hey – you guys are my friends. Whoever you are. And if none of these codes work for you, I guess you’re too late… or you’re not my friend. Either way.

3vb-rhuym | 3cb-w6v03 | 6ob-gd8lz | l4b-6340m | ozb-p31m4

Stream: Tom Waits – “Back In The Crowd”
Stream: Tom Waits – “Bad As Me”
Stream: Tom Waits / Bad As Me

Rolling Stone is streaming the final R.E.M. single, taken from their forthcoming career-ending best-of Part Lies Part Heart Part Truth Part Garbage 1982-2011, out November 15. For their part, Spin has dug up some video footage of the band playing Neil Young’s Bridge School benefit in 1998.

Stream: R.E.M. – “We All Go Back To Where We Belong”

NPR and CMT talk reunions with The Jayhawks.

NPR solicits a Tiny Desk Concert from Wilco.

JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, who caught some ears last year with a swinging soul cover of Wilco’s “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart”, will be in Toronto on November 29 for a free show at The Horseshoe – that’s the same night as Kathryn Calder, so that’s double the reason to not stay home that night. Their new album Want More is out Tuesday but available to stream now at Paste.

MP3: JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – “Everything Will Be Fine”
Video: JC Brooks Uptown Sound – “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart”
Stream: JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound / Want More

Stuff talks Galaxie 500 with Dean Wareham.

The AV Club and Edmonton Journal interview Ryan Adams, in town at the Winter Garden Theatre on December 10.

Blurt talks to Eric Bachmann of Crooked Fingers while The AV Club has one more rooftop performance video to share. They play The Drake Underground on November 8.

Dead Meadow will warm up for their show at Lee’s Palace later that evening with an acoustic in-store at the Annex location of Sonic Boom on October 24 at 4PM. The Pitch has an interview.

MP3: Dead Meadow – “Good Moanin”

Spinner, North County Times and Willamette Week talk to Stephen Malkmus, who has released a new video from Mirror Traffic.

Video: Stephen Malkmus – “Senator”

Matt Berninger of The National puts together a playlist of sad songs for dirty lovers for Rolling Stone.

The Alternate Side has an interview and session with Beirut.

The Georgia Straight profiles The Head & The Heart.

Pitchfork reports that Mazzy Star, after many years of saying they were back together, finally have something to show for it in the form of two new songs entitled “Common Burn” and “Lay Myself Down”, due to be released digitally on October 31.

The Washingtonian and DCist talks to Mary Timony PopMatters to Carrie Brownstein of Wild Flag while NPR has got a stream of last night’s show in Washington DC.

Ume have released a new video from their recently-released album Phantoms.

Video: Ume – “Captive”

CBS gets to know Savoir Adore, who are releasing a new 7″ single. Details can be found at Neon Gold and the A-side can be downloaded below.

MP3: Savoir Adore – “Dreamers”