Jon BergmanNot much stops Los Campesinos!. The Welsh troupe shook off the departure of two founding members – keyboardist Aleksandra last Summer and drummer Ollie almost exactly a year later – and have ploughed ahead, continuing to release new music at a ridiculous pace, including their third album Romance Is Boring earlier this year and just this week, following up with a new EP entitled All’s Well That Ends. And just last week, frontman Gareth took a header whilst stage-diving and despite suffering “a sprained wrist, ripped ear, mild concussion and a ‘lump on the head'”, finished the song and the gig.

One thing that they couldn’t plough through, however, was a volcano – namely Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull. Said geological entity’s disquiet this past Spring forced the band to scotch a number of North American dates as they sat in a Heathrow departure lounge instead of pogoing around east coast stages, but they’re aiming to make some of those up and more. They just announced a Fall tour which kicks off in one of the cities who lost a show – Toronto – but instead of the spacious Phoenix, where they were slated to play in April, they’ll instead be at the decidedly clubbier Wrongbar on October 8. Considering the new joint is less than half the size of the old joint, expect the $20 tickets to be gone fast when they go on sale at 10AM on Friday.

MP3: Los Campesinos! – “There Are Listed Buildings”
MP3: Los Campesinos! – “The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future”

Paste reports that Noah & The Whale have targeted a March 2011 release for their third album.

Mojo talks to Johnny Marr about his soundtrack work.

Spinner talks to Glen Hansard of The Swell Season about their upcoming projects, which include a Frames reunion and tour for him and a solo record from Marketa Irglova.

Spin talks to Klara S&omul;derberg of First Aid Kit, who will be in town at the El Mocambo on October 15.

Boston post-punk legends Mission Of Burma have booked a date at The Garrison on October 22. So far it looks like a one-off and not part of a tour, but considering they didn’t come up here for last year’s The Sound The Speed The Light and are making it up to us. Either way, if my records are correct, they haven’t been here since Fall of 2006 and while the reunion has been ongoing for some time, do not take them for granted and if you haven’t seen them, do so. End PSA.

MP3: Mission Of Burma – “1, 2, 3 Partyy”
MP3: Mission Of Burma – “Max Ernst”

Exclaim reports that Matt & Kim have given their next record a name and release date. Expect to hear a lot of Sidewalks when they play the Phoenix on October 29, as it will be in stores the following Tuesday, November 2.

Daytrotter has a session with The Depreciation Guild; they’re at the El Mocambo on October 4.

NPR is streaming a studio session with Stars. They will be at Massey Hall on October 23.

Nacho AlegreThere all sorts of interesting angles around the UK’s Mystery Jets, including but not limited to the fact they call the tiny island in the Thames called Eel Pie Island (population approximately 120) home, or that lead guitarist – on their records, anyways – Henry Harrison is frontman Blaine Harrison’s father.

But what’s really relevant is the fact that they make hooky, polished and lightly psychedelic power pop that stands out from the crowd by virtue of not looking to the Libertines or their ilk for inspiration – there’s more mid-era XTC and classic Squeeze influence at work here, though they’d still probably prefer to be called a rock band than a pop one. And it’s also relevant that their new album Serotonin is out next Tuesday in North America after being released in the UK this week, and that North American tour dates are coming together for this Fall, with a just-revealed September 13 engagement at the Horseshoe in Toronto to go along with dates in New York and Los Angeles. Further dates are promised, but with just a day off between NY and LA, fans in flyover states might want to prepare for these Jets to, well, fly over.

There’s features on the band at Clash, The Fly and Purple Revolver. The new record is streaming over at The Tripwire.

MP3: Mystery Jets – “Dreaming Of Another World”
MP3: Mystery Jets – “Flash A Hungry Smile”
Video: Mystery Jets – “Dreaming Of Another World”
Stream: Mystery Jets / Serotonin

The Futureheads have a new video from The Chaos. NME reports the band are planning on making an a capella record next, with track selection assistance solicited from their fans.

Video: The Futureheads – “I Can Do That”

Daytrotter sessions up with We Were Promised Jetpacks.

Two Door Cinema Club have rolled out a new video from Tourist History. They’re at the Phoenix on October 25.

Video: Two Door Cinema Club – “Come Back Home”

The Fly says hello to Kele. He is at the Mod Club on July 27.

The Joy Formidable talks to Spinner about their forthcoming debut album, but don’t spill anything about little details like a title or release date.

Sky Larkin have made their new record Kaleide available to stream in its entirety on their website in advance of its August 9 release. Pre-orders get a high-res digital version of the record to download immediately, though window shoppers can hit up NME where they’re offering a few tracks – including one from the new album – in salute of Wichita Recordings’ 10th anniversary.

Stream: Sky Larkin / Kaleide

NPR solicit a Tiny Desk Concert from Los Campesinos!.

The Line Of Best Fit talk to the members of Peggy Sue.

For Folks Sake has details on the new collaborative EP between Laura Marling, Mumford & Sons and India’s Dharohar Project, available on iTunes now and entitled EP, while The Guardian offers some behind-the-scenes video of its creation. Baeblemusic has got a full Mumford & Sons show from Brooklyn available to stream.

The Clientele are offering up a track from their forthcoming mini-album Minotaur for download. It’s out August 31 – details at Pitchfork.

MP3: The Clientele – “Jerry”

Teenage Fanclub talks about the Creation days with Spinner, and also chat with The Galway Advertiser and The Guardian. They kick off their North American tour with two nights at the Horseshoe – September 22 and 23.

NME reports that work has begun on the new Spiritualized record, and it’s going to be a poppy one.

Clash talks to M.I.A., who is streaming her new album /\/\/\Y/ in advance of its official release next week.

Stream: M.I.A. / /\/\/\Y/\

D.L. AndersonA lot of bands these days lay claim to the adjective of “orchestral” – and indeed, the tasteful addition of some strings, brass and/or woodwinds to one’s aural palette can set one apart from the pack. Those following this path should know, however, that the bar for these sorts of stylings has been raised by North Carolina’s Lost In The Trees. By a lot.

Even if stripped down to just main composer Ari Picker, Lost In The Trees would be a worthy of note – his songwriting is lyrically evocative and his voice capable of ranging from an introspective grumble to a plaintive yelp – but his ambitions go far beyond folk or singer-songwriter. Their third album All Alone In An Empty House – originally released in 2008 but re-recorded and set to be re-released on August 10 – wraps him and his songs in gorgeous tapestries of strings and chorals that are clearly informed by Picker’s Berklee training in classical composition, with the vocal pieces giving way on multiple occasions to full-on insturmental suites. Mixing those in with the more austere numbers and occasional electrified rockers could – and probably should – make for a jarring listening experience but Picker and company – seven in total in the touring configuration but numbering more than a dozen in the studio – make it all blend beautifully. Those other bands can keep calling themselves orchestral – Lost In The Trees are symphonic.

Lost In The Trees are currently on tour and will be in Toronto this coming Tuesday, June 15, for a free show at the El Mocambo. That’s right – the price of admission is the effort it takes to show up. There’s interviews with Ari Picker at The Washington Examiner and hour.ca.

MP3: Lost In The Trees – “Fireplace”
MP3: Lost In The Trees – “All Alone In An Empty House”
MP3: Lost In The Trees – “Time Taunts Me”
MySpace: Lost In The Trees

QRD talks guitars with Anna-Lynne Wiliams of Trespassers William.

Author Michael Chabon offers an eloquent tribute to power pop in general and Big Star in particular.

Drive-By Truckers have a new video from The Big To-Do.

Video: Drive-By Truckers – “After The Scene Dies”

Spinner talks to Tift Merritt about her new record See You On The Moon.

eye‘s cover feature this week welcomes the Pavement reunion to town next Saturday on Toronto Island without actually talking to anyone in the band. It was just announced that the reunion is having a reunion of its own – the band’s June 24 show in their former hometown of Stockton, California will feature their original drummer Gary Young behind the kit. Stockton fans got excited, until they remembered that Young wasn’t a very good drummer.

James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem talks to Spinner.

Phantogram check in at Daytrotter for studio session and with The Visalia Times Delta for an interview; they’ll be at Wrongbar on July 8.

Spin checks in with Of Montreal, presently in the studio recording a new record.

The Drums talk to Spinner and BBC about their self-titled debut, out digitally now, and on vinyl come August 10 and on CD in September.

Sky Larkin have nailed down the release date for their second album Kaleide – it will be available in the UK on August 9.

PopMatters chats with Gareth Campesinos! of Los Campesinos!.

Exclaim reports that The Vaselines will release their first new album in some 20 years on September 14 with Sex With An X, the first MP3 of which you can get from their website.

The Telegraph interviews Richard Thompson, whose new recorded-live-in-front-of-an-audience album Dream Attic is out August 31.

New fatherhood may have kept bassist Ted Malmros from participating in the Shout Out Louds’ recent North American tour, but he kept busy producing a new video from Work. Blast and The Days Of Yore also have interviews with Shout Out Loud-ers.

Video: Shout Out Louds – “Show Me Something New”

Drowned In Sound meets Love Is All.

David GourleyFrightened Rabbit’s 2008 album The Midnight Organ Fight earned itself many adjectives – “grand”, “anthemic” and “gobsmacking” from these parts, and less subjectively, “folk-rock” from most everyone. It certainly wasn’t afraid to get loud and electrified, but the foundation of the record was homespun and acoustic and the Scots rode that formula to great acclaim and a place as one of my favourites of the year.

For this year’s follow-up The Winter Of Mixed Drinks, the sonic dressings have received a significant bump in density and volume. More of the instrumentation is plugged in and turned up and the songs delivered with more aggression and intensity. The extra bombast and general tumult in the production can make for a bit of an exhausting listen and does take a while to adjust to, but thankfully Scott Hutchinson’s familiar thick brogue and the sentiments of angst and melancholy that it delivers are there to anchor things. And just as Mixed Drinks is the most musically confident thing the band has done, the lyrics offer a patina of hopefulness over their signature emotionally fragile core. Whereas Organ Fight was gloriously wracked with self-doubt, Mixed Drinks finds there’s nothing better to bolster one’s confidence than a brace of songs that cry out for mass sing-alongs and dares to stand up, even if its uncertain what it’s going to do once upright.

Though they missed a few dates due to the Icelandic volcanic eruption, Frightened Rabbit’s North American tour is now underway and they have a sold-out show at the Opera House in Toronto next Tuesday, May 4. There’s features on the band at Death & Taxes, NOW and The Boston Herald.

MP3: Frightened Rabbit – “Swim Until You Can’t See Land”
Video: Frightened Rabbit – “Nothing Like You”
Video: Frightened Rabbit – “Nothing Like You” (alternate version)
Video: Frightened Rabbit – “Swim Until You Can’t See Land”

And if you didn’t get tickets to said Frabbits show or are looking for something else to do the evening of the 4th, let me again make by strongest recommendation for Welsh trio The Joy Formidable, whose debut mini-album A Balloon Called Moaning will officially be out in North America that day and who are making their Toronto debut with a free show at the Horseshoe that night.

MP3: The Joy Formidable – “Whirring”
Video: The Joy Formidable – “Whirring”

Under The Radar talk to The Big Pink, who are giving away a free remix EP right now.

ZIP: The Big Pink / Tonight Remix EP

NPR is streaming a World Cafe session with The Clientele. They’re promising a new release soon, as well as more shows – some west coast dates are already up, hopefully they come east again as well.

Hot Chip guitarist Al Doyle discusses their latest album One Life Stand with The Quietus.

Over at her MySpace, Kate Jackson is offering a taste of what she’s been up to since the dissolution of The Long Blondes last year – namely hanging out on Twitter, working with Bernard Butler and piecing together her solo debut. There’s no timetable as to when said record might be finished, but if “Homeward Bound” accurately sets the tone then it will be worth whatever the wait is.

Ian McCulloch of Echo & The Bunnymen talks to Spinner about his feud with Bono in the ’80s about who had the tallest hair.

QRO and Interview talk to a random sample of Los Campesinos!.

Florence Welch of Florence & The Machine gives BBC an update on how sessions for album number two are going.

Doves tell Spinner that following the shows in support of their new best-of compilation The Places Between, they’ll be taking a break of around two years.

Public Image Limited’s May 7 show has been moved from the Kool Haus to The Phoenix.

Pitchfork endorses the brilliant Phonogram comics series, both volumes of which are now available in trade paperback form – on sale no less. The complete first issue of volume two is available to preview online. Also note that artist Jamie McKelvie will be in town next weekend for the Toronto Comics Arts Festival at the Toronto Reference Library, so if you like, swing by and say hi.

Mark SeligerPerhaps cognizant of the fact that their new record would be ripped and leaked to the internet approximately 41 minutes and 20 seconds after the first store opened up on Saturday for Record Store Day and the first of those 600 limited edition LPs sold, The Hold Steady have made Heaven Is Whenever available to stream at NPR in its entirety, more than two weeks ahead of its official May 4 street date. The record is their first since the departure of keyboardist Franz Nicolay and accordingly, first impressions reveal a leaner, more guitar-driven sound though there’s still keyboard flourishes where necessary and, if my ears don’t deceive me, some clarinet action as well.

The first leg of North American touring for the album only covered some American west coast and southeast dates, but after a month in Europe in June, they’re back on the road in July and while full dates are still forthcoming, one is confirmed for July 16 at the Kool Haus in Toronto with The Whigs as support. Yes, it took a while but it appears that everyone’s favourite bar band is now too big to play bars. They’re still trying to make the show special, however. Dubbed “Sneakers & Speakers”, it’s being co-presented by former Toronto Raptor and on-record music aficionado Matt Bonner – the Red Rocket – and a portion of the ticket sales will be donated to the Toronto Boys & Girls Club. Tickets for the show will be $21.50 and go on sale Friday. Update: Full tour dates from the second North American leg are up, and it looks like the T.O. show is the tour closer. If you think THAT’S not going to be beer-soaked, you are dumb.

And if you want to hear how the new stuff sounds alongside the old, NYC Taper is sharing a recording of the band’s show at the Bowery in New York last week.

Stream: The Hold Steady / Heaven Is Whenever

Also coming soon to your ears via advance stream is High Violet, the new record from The National. Starting this Friday, it’ll be streaming at The New York Times for the two and a half weeks leading up to its May 11 release. That’s right, the Old Gray Lady is getting her rocks off. Drowned In Sound and Black Book have features on the band, who will be at Massey Hall on June 8 and 9.

Filter Q&As The Antlers, who have released a new video from Hospice and are opening up both of those Massey shows for The National. There’s a streamable session with the band at WPGU wherein they cover The xx and if you head over to their website, you can currently download two pre-HospiceNew York Hospitals and Cold War.

Video: The Antlers – “Sylvia”

The San Francisco Bay Guardian, Santa Barbara Independent and Aquarium Drunkard have interviews with Beach House. They play the Toronto Islands on June 19.

The Colorado Springs Independent and OC Weekly talk to Alan Sparhawk of Retribution Gospel Choir.

The Courier-Journal, NorthJersey.com and Spinner talk to Titus Andronicus frontman Patrick Stickles.

Filter thinks you should already know Ted Leo. He’s at Lee’s Palace on June 26.

Voxy has an interview with Wilco’s John Stirratt.

MBV Music has got the first MP3 from the forthcoming Pernice Brothers record Goodbye, Killer. It’s out June 15.

New LCD Soundsystem video. I hope they dress their roadies up like pandas whilst on tour. This Is Happening is out May 18 and they play the Kool Haus on May 25.

Video: LCD Soundsystem – “Drunk Girls”

M.I.A. will release her third album, as yet untitled, on June 29.

The Fader have got an MP3 of the Blonde Redhead contribution to 4AD’s Record Store Day 12″ available to download.

MP3: Blonde Redhead – “Not Getting There”

CokeMachineGlow has an interview with A Sunny Day In Glasgow.

A Head Full Of Wishes reports that Dean & Britta’s soundtrack for the 13 Most Beautiful… Songs for Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests film will be getting a release this Summer.

Tonight’s Los Campesinos! gig at the Phoenix has been canceled due to volcanic activity; the band are still stuck in the UK. Refunds available at point of purchase.

Following their April 23 show at the Horseshoe, Heavy Trash will play an in-store at Sonic Boom on April 24 at 2PM.

Daniel, Fred & Julie are scheduled to play an in-store at Soundscapes on April 26 at 7:30PM.

It’s almost a V Fest 2008 reunion when Silversun Pickups and Against Me! hit the road with The Henry Clay People for a North American tour that includes a June 29 date at the Sound Academy in Toronto; tickets $34.50 in advance.

Crowded House will be at Massey Hall on July 12 in support of their new record Intriguer, due out June 12. The Herald-Sun and The Daily Telegraph talk to Neil Finn about the new album.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros have a July 30 date at the Phoenix, tickets $19 in advance.

MP3: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes – “40 Day Dream”

Bernard Butler gives BBC6 a guitar lesson, teaching them – and you – how to play “Animal Nitrate”. Probably the closest we’ll ever come to hearing him play Suede songs again.