FabChannelAfter considerable listens, I think I’ve twigged on to why I’m so taken with The Golden Spike, the debut album from Leeds’ Sky Larkin’s. The crackling pop-punk energy, barely contained in the power trio configuration, the odd and wiry yet undeniably accomplished guitarwork, the raspy vocals that can’t quite conceal the sweetness underneath – they remind me of Land Of Talk. A more youthful version, to be sure, with more exuberance and less anxiety, but the parallels – now that they’ve occurred to me – are obvious.

And, of course, after I’d written that, I did a little archive digging and discovered that in my first post about the band, way back in August 2008, I said the first taste of the band “grab(bed) me in a way that I don’t think I’ve been grabbed since I first heard Land Of Talk”. Technically, though, I was only using LoT as a chronological reference point and not necessarily as a stylistic one, as I’ve now done. But I actually completely forgot I said that and the preceding paragraph was written completely ignorant of that original observation. Okay, I’m boring the life out of me now. Moving on.

Band comparisons notwithstanding, I’m also totally taken with The Golden Spike because it’s a superb bit of guitar pop. Katie Harkin, she of the aforementioned guitarwork and vocals, is a forceful presence and her songs are unconventional and elliptical enough to encourage intensive listening, yet remain utterly melodic and hummable. It’s a corker of a record, and surely one of the finer debuts we’ll see this year. As previously mentioned, their label Wichita Recordings are setting up North American operations and The Golden Spike will be one of their first domestic releases – you can be certain I’ll let you know more about that as information becomes available.

FabChannel webcast the band’s show in Amsterdam this past weekend but don’t have it up in their archives for your eternal enjoyment just yet. They have, however, prepped a couple of songs from the show and have graciously allowed me to share them with you. Please enjoy.

MP3: Sky Larkin – “Fossil, I”
MP3: Sky Larkin – “Molten”
Video: Sky Larkin – “Beeline”
Video: Sky Larkin – “Fossil, I”
Video: Sky Larkin – “Molten”
Video: Sky Larkin – “One Of Two”
MySpace: Sky Larkin

Emmy The Great talks to NME about some of her lyrics and reveals the story of her “first love”. Drowned in Sound also has a two-part interview with the singer.

Details on the debut full-length from Florence & The Machine are still forthcoming, but this pre-order listing at CDWow seems to hint at July 6th release date, or thereabouts. Much more confirmable is the April 28 release of the A Lot Of Love, A Lot Of Blood EP, which collects her singles to this point and an unreleased track.

MP3: Florence & The Machine – “Kiss With A Fist”
Video: Florence & The Machine – “Kiss With A Fist”
Video: Florence & The Machine – “Dog Days Are Over”

Spinner talks to PJ Harvey and John Parish about their working history together. Their collaborative album A Woman A Man Walked By is out March 30.

CD Times interviews The Joy Formidable.

QRO talks to Los Campesinos!. They’re at the Opera House on April 1.

This Is Fake DIY and Clash converse with Tilly & The Wall.

Magnet takes it upon themselves to identify the five most overrated and underrated Radiohead songs.

Exclaim! has a feature-length interview with Neko Case and have also assembled a timeline tracking her life and times. Her new album Middle Cyclone is out next Tuesday and the title track is now available to download. Her label is also giving away autographed copies of the record. She’s at Trinity-St Paul’s on April 17 and 18.

MP3: Neko Case – “Middle Cyclone”

Maria Taylor has a date at the El Mocambo on April 17, tickets $10. Her new record LadyLuck is out April 7. $10

MP3: Maria Taylor – “Time Lapse Lifeline”
Video: Maria Taylor – “Time Lapse Lifeline”

Ladyhawk return for a show at the Horseshoe on April 23, tickets $12.50.

MP3: Ladyhawk – “I Don’t Always Know What You’re Saying”
MP3: Ladyhawk – “S.T.H.D.”

Elvis Perkins In Dearland will be hitting the road in support of their self-titled record, due March 10, and will play the Horseshoe on April 29.

MP3: Elvis Perkins In Dearland – “Shampoo”

Not part of their upcoming Spring itinerary, but Plants & Animals will be at the Mod Club on May 7.

MP3: Plants & Animals – “Bye Bye Bye”

And finally, an incredulous shout-out to Zoilus’ Carl Wilson, who will be appearing on The Colbert Report next Wednesday night to talk about his 33-1/3 book Let’s Talk About Love: A Journey To The End Of Taste. All instigated, if you didn’t know, by the Green Goblin 2. What a strange, strange thing.

Frank YangAnyone who needs a case study in the effectiveness of avenues like commercials and soundtracks to boost a band’s fortunes need look no further than The Submarines. On their last visit to Toronto in May 2008, despite having an excellent debut in Declare A New State under their belt and another fine record in Honeysuckle Weeks just released, they drew a crowd of about 50 people to their show at the Drake Undeground (or so I was told – I wasn’t one of the 50). Seven months, one appearance on a hit soundtrack and one iPhone commercial later, they were back at the Drake and playing to a packed house.

But despite their being the main draw for most of those in attendance, the Submarines were technically on a co-headline tour with Berkeley, California’s Morning Benders and co-headline etiquette dictated that they alternate closing things out and on this night, The Submarines drew the undercard and were up first. Principals Blake Hazard and John Dragonetti seemed a bit of an odd pairing, she adorable and effervescent, he downcast and reserved, but there was no denying they made beautiful music together.

Though reliant on a laptop to map out their rich and shimmery pop as well as fill in the sonic spaces, The Submarines kept things feeling loose and organic thanks to the extra oomph contributed by drummer J Stare. Taking lead vocals on most songs, Hazard switched between glockenspiel, tambourine and guitar while Dragonetti stuck with the six-string, stepping up to the mic when needed. Their set was split fairly evenly between both records and punctuated by Hazard’s hilarious between-song ramblings, mostly centered around her delight with all things Canadian – props were given to our statutory holidays, our traffic signs and our squirrels. Though encore-less, they still played for a solid and eminently enjoyable hour wrapping, of course, with that song from that commercial and that other song from that soundtrack. Hey, they know what the people were there for.

The Morning Benders might have been justified in fearing their full house would empty out before they took the stage, but while a fair number of people did leave a healthy number remained and a good percentage of those seemed genuinely stoked to see them. For my part, I was mildly curious – what I’d heard of them and their latest album Talking Through Tin Cans sounded like decent but not outstanding jangle-pop, and I wanted to see if they brought anything else to the table. And while they did display a facility for getting noisier and more rhythmic than I’d expected, it was still largely better-than-average jangle pop, delivered entertainingly and engagingly. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Black Book lists off 25 random things about The Submarines.

Photos: The Morning Benders, The Submarines @ The Drake Underground – February 15, 2009
MP3: The Morning Benders – “Waiting For A War”
MP3: The Morning Benders – “1940”
MP3: The Submarines – “You, Me And The Bourgeoisie”
MP3: The Submarines – “Waiting For A War”
Video: The Morning Benders – “Waiting For A War”
Video: The Morning Benders – “Damnit Anna”
Video: The Morning Benders – “Boarded Doors”
Video: The Submarines – “You, Me And The Bourgeoisie”
MySpace: The Morning Benders
MySpace: The Submarines

In conversation with BBC, Bernard Butler pretty much dashes any hopes for a Suede reunion. Unconfirmed rumours have Richard Oakes hanging around the BBC offices offering his thoughts on a Suede reunion to an uninterested custodial staff.

This Is Fake DIY and Click Music interview Emmy The Great.

Prefix has an interview with Los Campesinos, in town at the Opera House on April 1.

Jason Isbell talks to Nashville City Paper about the touring life, which brings he and his 400 Unit to the Horseshoe on March 4. Their new album Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit came out this week.

MP3: Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – “Seven Mile Island”

Clash converses with Frida Hyvonen.

Dig For Fire hangs out with Shearwater, video camera in hand.

The Quietus discusses London architecture with Bob Stanley of Saint Etienne.

Pitchfork reports that Superchunk will release their first new material in forever with the Leaves in the Gutter EP, out April 7. It’s unknown if this is a precursor to more new material or just a one-off, but new ‘Chunk is good ‘Chunk. Sloth love ‘Chunk.

Pitchfork talks to Patrick Wolf about his new album(s) formerly known as Battle. The first volume, The Bachelor, appears set for a June 1 release.

Alankomaat and Rolling Stone interview Bishop Allen, whose new record Grr… is out March 10.

CBC Radio 3, The Vancouver Courier and Corriere Tandem all talk to AC Newman. He plays Lee’s Palace on March 11.

The New York Times and Mother Jones have features on Neko Case, whose Middle Cyclone is out March 3. Both her shows at Trinity-St. Paul on April 17 and 18 are sold out.

Question – has anyone ever been to Primavera Sound in Barcelona? Because looking at the lineup so far, and looking at the prices for travel and lodging, I am seriously considering spending the last week of May on the Mediterranean coast… And you may recall that not long ago I exhorted Jarvis Cocker to play somewhere that I could plan a vacation around – well he’s kept his end of the bargain. It’s up to me now. So yes, any thoughts on the Primavera Festival or Barcelona in general are appreciated.

MySpaceSo even though I’ve got a mighty backlog of stuff to cover and even though this has been a long weekend (or maybe because), I’ve still not had time to get to any of it properly. So coverage of the past few days worth of showgoing will start tomorrow. For today, you get this. A free album. Which is probably better than my concert reviews.

Welsh trio The Joy Formidable know how to get media attention. Last Summer, they had a video for debut single “Austere” banned from YouTube on account of it being comprised of video clips of people… well, I’d rather not have my site indexed for THOSE particular keywords but even though it was just a fan-made clip, the band gave it their seal of approval by posting it on their own website. And it’s probably NSFW. The band also made an official clip, but it’s far less controversial. And now, they’ve opted to take their debut album A Balloon Called Moaning and give the whole thing away for frees via NME. It was already released in a limited edition box set which sold out in a heartbeat and will be out in physical form tomorrow, but you can have it digitally now.

Now both of these might seem like gimmicky ways to get people talking about the band, but fact is that even without these talking points, The Joy Formidable would be more than worthy of your attention. Its eight tracks veer from dreamy to wide-awake and in-your-face but always maintain a gleeful enthusiasm, propelled on a wave of fuzzy, barbed hooks and snarlingly saccharine vocals. It sounds like a being hit in the face with a sack of sugar. When anyone asks me next week what I did over the long weekend, I’m going to say (and truthfully) that I listened to this record ad nauseum and didn’t tire of it at all. Is that sufficient endorsement to get you to go download and listen? It’s free for goodness sake. Just go get and listen. Thank me later.

Uncensored has an interview with the band.

MP3: The Joy Formidable – “Austere”
MP3: The Joy Formidable – “Cradle”
Video: The Joy Formidable – “Austere”
Video: The Joy Formidable – “Cradle”
MySpace: The Joy Formidable

The Joy Formidable had been listed as one of the acts heading to SxSW next month and surely would have been one of my highlights, but with the release of the official schedule last week, they’re nowhere to be found. Actually, instead of heading to Texas, they’ve opted to go out on a UK tour as support for Howling Bells, another band I was hoping was going to be in Austin. In fact, the entire Sx lineup is looking pretty weak. I know I said the same thing last year around this time and ended up having the best time ever anyways, but there’s going to be a lot of digging to find acts that will get my attention. But on the plus side, I already know how my Saturday night is ending – seeing Echo & The Bunnymen play a gay Texan cowboy bar.

If you missed the numerous edits to last week’s post about Polly Scattergood, allow me to sum up – rather than her debut album being entitled Other Too Endless and being released on March 9, it will now be self-titled and be coming out on May 19. But there’s a new video for the next single, which would have been the title track but is now just a song. A great song.

Video: Polly Scattergood – “Other Too Endless”

Emmy The Great week at Drowned In Sound wrapped up with another set of interviews conducted by Emmy. First off, she talks with Aidan Moffat, formerly of Arab Strap and who’s just released a new album in How To Get To Heaven From Scotland. There’s also a piece with Darren Hayman, formerly of Hefner and also with a new solo record in Pram Town, a talk with Mica Levi of Micachu. And to wrap up, a heart-to-heart with Dev Hynes, aka Lightspeed Champion, about the genius of Steve Martin. She also lets Metro have a look at her iPod (though they evidently look at her as they’ve run a picture of Los Campesinos with the piece, and helpfully identify the one of them as Emmy) and gives an interview to Virgin Music.

BBC profile Saint Etienne.

This Is Nottingham talks to Bloc Party drummer Matt Tong. They have two dates at the Kool Haus on March 13 and 14.

The Boston Globe, Boston Music Spotlight, Metro and The Village Voice have interviews with various member of Los Campesinos!, in town at the Opera House on April 1.

Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 may be saying Goodnight Oslo on their new album, out tomorrow, but they’ll be saying “hello Mod Club” when they come to town on April 16. Tickets $20.

NettwerkA quick Saturday post to round up a bunch of concert announcements from the end of this week.

Liverpool’s Ladytron are continuing to celebrate the excellence of last year’s Velocifero by laying out a North American tour that kicks off in April and comes to the Phoenix on the 6th of that month. It’s a co-headlining jaunt with The Faint, who themselves are continuing to work their 2008 release Fasciination. Their free show at Harbourfront last July was a highlight of the Summer and I’m very much looking forward to knowing even more of their repertoire this time around, as I’ve had a half-year to devour their previous record, Witching Hour.

Ladytron are also bringing something new(ish) to the table with a new digital EP for forthcoming single “Tomorrow”, which will also feature a number of remixes including the one below. It’ll be available March 3. The band are also working with Christina Aguilera on her new record. Yes, really.

MP3: Ladytron – “Tomorrow” (Vector Lovers Lucky Remix)
Video: Ladytron – “Runaway”
Video: Ladytron – “Ghosts”

Los Campesinos! will bring the second of their two 2008 releases, We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed to the Opera House on April 1, tickets $15. Their current US tour has yielded features on the band at 77 Square, The Tech, Wicked Local and The Houston Chronicle.

MP3: Los Campesinos! – “We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed”
MP3: Los Campesinos! – “Miserabilia”

The band Los Campesinos are currently touring with, Titus Andronicus, are also coming to town this Spring but it’ll be on April 12 at the Horseshoe as support to Lucero. Ben Nichols, singer for Lucero, just released a solo mini-album in The Last Pale Light in the West. Nichols talked to Nashville Scene about the band’s plans for 2009.

MP3: Lucero – “The Mountain”
MP3: Titus Andronicus – “Titus Andronicus”
Video: Titus Andronicus – “Titus Andronicus”

Kings Of Leon have a date at the Air Canada Centre on April 21.

Coldplay have put together another North American tour but the Toronto date, set for July 29, is currently list as venue TBA. Of course, the fact that this is being advertised as an amphitheatre tour makes it likely that the venue will be the Molson Amphitheatre, but maybe they’re just trying to make themselves elusive for Joe Satriani’s lawyers.

Dustin Rabin/Epitaph.comBack in the Spring of 2005, two of the finest rock bands Canada had to offer came up with a great idea and a great name for that great idea. The bands were Constantines and The Weakerthans, the idea was a tour that would traverse all of Canada, not just the obvious markets, and the name they gave it was “Rolling Tundra”. And it was good.

Since then, both the Cons and Weakerthans have grown in audience and profile have released highly-acclaimed records in Kensington Heights and Reunion Tour respectively, but a good idea remains a good idea so next Spring, they’re totally going to do it again. As Chart reports, the 2009 edition of The Rolling Tundra Revue will kick off on March 19 in St John’s, Newfoundland and wind its way across our home and native land before wrapping up May 4 in Whitehorse in the Yukon.

As far as local dates go, they’ll be at the Phoenix on March 31 for an all-ages show – tickets are $25 and go on sale Thursday Friday – but looking at the itinerary, it’s notable that there’s two off days on either side of the scheduled date. Keeping in mind that the 2005 edition had three Toronto shows, one an all-ages matinee, do you think they’ve got a second date ready to go, at least? Yeah, me too.

MP3: Constantines – “Hard Feelings”
MP3: The Weakerthans – “Sun In An Empty Room”
MP3: The Weakerthans – “Night Windows”
Video: Constantines – “Credit River”
Video: Constantines – “Our Age”
Video: Constantines – “Hard Feelings”
Video: The Weakerthans – “Civil Twilight”
Video: The Weakerthans – “Tournament Of Hearts”
MySpace: Constantines
MySpace: The Weakerthans

Solo Pornographer AC Newman will hit the road in support of his new album Get Guilty!, due January 20, and roll into Lee’s Palace on March 11. Tickets $15. And cheers to Matablog for pointing the way to this New Pornogaphers show in Australia, available to watch in its entirety at Moshcam. Update: New MP3 and full tour dates now available!

MP3: AC Newman – “Submarines Of Stockholm”

The Toronto Sun talks to Stars frontlady Amy Millan. Stars are doing three nights at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre starting Thursday night.

Malajube will finally follow up their Polaris-nominated release Trompe-L’oeil with Labyrinthes, out February 10.

eye profiles Oh No Forest Fires. They’ll play Wavelength at Sneaky Dee’s on January 25.

It seems the rehearsals went well, because Blur are back – the first officially announced reunion gig will take place at Hyde Park in London on July 3, though more gigs around that date both before and after are likely to come. Details at NME. Hey V Fest, I think I’ve found your 2009 headliner. Make it happen.

Billboard gets a status update from Doves about album number four. Still untitled, but targeting an April release.

Clash talks to Maximo Park frontman Paul Smith about the making of their third album, which he describes as “Upbeat, upfront, uptight, uppity, uplifting”.

The Quietus talks to ex-Pipette Rose Elinor Dougall about going it solo. Her debut single “Another Version Of Pop Song” was released this week.

Drowned In Sound disassembles and examines the component parts of Florence & The Machine.

The AV Club has an interview with Gareth Campesino of Los Campesinos!.

Clash and Drowned In Sound chat with The Futureheads.

ES Magazine profiles Duffy.