Frank YangEverything I have to say about The Antlers’ record Hospice has already been said, so I’ll focus squarely on their live performance which I was able to witness yesterday evening despite opting to see Joe Pernice at the Dakota rather than their show at the Horseshoe, thanks to their booking an in-store at Criminal Records before either got underway.

While they could easily have gotten away with doing something simple, short and stripped-down, the fairly packed store was instead treated to something akin to a full and proper set, fully plugged-in and running 40 minutes plus. And it’s just as well, because that extra volume and amplification was crucial to the impact of the set (not to mention allowing keyboardist Darby Cicci to be heard at all). Where the recorded versions of the songs were built on foundation of tension and delicacy, the live renderings were much grandiose in scale – bigger and bolder without compromising the fragile atmospherics so integral to the songs. Rather than evoking images of hospitals, they felt like cathedrals, and perhaps most importantly, felt more uplifting than despairing. The lyrical content of the songs didn’t come across so pointedly, instead taking a back seat to the rawer, more visceral impact of the sound.

So while sorry to have missed their show proper, I’m thankful to have caught close to a proper show and still got to see Joe Pernice, all before the cold which has been stalking me the last couple weeks finally took me victim. Achoo.

Photos: The Antlers @ Criminal Records – September 24, 2009
MP3: The Antlers – “Two”
MP3: The Antlers – “Two” (remastered)
MP3: The Antlers – “Bear”
MP3: The Antlers – “The Universe Is Going To Catch You”
MP3: The Antlers – “On the Roof”
MP3: The Antlers – “Stairs To The Attic”
MP3: The Antlers – “Cold War”
MP3: The Antlers – “Keys”
Video: The Antlers – “Two”
MySpace: The Antlers

And if you opted to see The Antlers last night rather than Pernice, know that Joe will be making an appearance at Word On The Street this Sunday at Queen’s Park. Not performing, but being interviewed at 4PM – though there’s nothing to say he won’t spontaneously break out into song. Details in his cover feature from this week’s eye.

SFAppeal, The Dallas Observer and The Arizona Daily Star talk to The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart.

School Of Seven Bells’ Alpinisms, a highlight of 2008, will be getting a re-release with a second disc of remixes and alternate takes on October 13 – almost just in time for their Fall tour which brings them to Lee’s Palace in Toronto on October 15. Pitchfork has one of the tracks from the bonus disc available to download. The Diamondback and Austinist have interviews with the band.

MP3: School Of Seven Bells – “Iamundernodisguise” (alternate version)

The Hook questions Decemberist Chris Funk.

Spin questions. Monsters Of Folk answer. On November 2, they perform at Massey Hall.

Austinst talks to John Vanderslice, who’s made a demo MP3 from Romanian Names available to download in support of an upcoming 7″ single for “Too Much Time” due out October 6.

MP3: John Vanderslice – “Too Much Time” (demo)

Good news – Ted Leo & The Pharmacists will have a new record out in the early part of next year. Better news – it’s coming out on Matador.

To anyone thinking about attending the October 24 White Rabbits show – note that it has been moved from the Drake to the Horseshoe, and rather than an early show it’s now a regular/late show. Adjust your plans accordingly. You have a month to do so.

Soundproof talks to Reverie Sound Revue.

There’s a new MP3 available from The Wooden Sky’s new album If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone – they’re at Lee’s Palace on November 13. The Sudbury Star talks to frontman Gavin Gardiner.

MP3: The Wooden Sky – “Bit Part”

Spinner gets to know Dog Day and suggests you do the same. They’re at the Horseshoe on November 5.

Young Galaxy have set a date at the Horseshoe for November 13, tickets $10.

MP3: Young Galaxy – “Long Live The Fallen World”

Mew have released a new video from No More Stories.

Video: Mew – “Repeaterbeater”

Filter chats in two parts with Mum, who’ve also made Magnet a mix tape. They’re at the Phoenix on October 27.

MP3: Mum – “Illuminated”

Gavin EvansToday marks Nick Cave’s second foray into the world of fiction – at least in the printed form – with the release of The Death Of Bunny Munro, his follow-up novel to 1989’s And The Ass Saw The Angel. I’ve read neither of these works, but considering the dark and seedy places where his musical muse takes him, I have trouble imagining his prose will be anything but blackly hilarious and disturbing.

And while I’ve never been an audiobook sort – I prefer to multitask and listen to music while reading, and listening to a book leaves my eyes with nothing to do – but the audio version of Bunny Munro offers a certain temptation. Besides having Cave himself read his work, it features musical accompaniment by Cave and Warren Ellis – the Bad Seed, not the comic scribe, though he himself is no stranger to things dark and seedy. The book’s website has audio clips of Cave reading the first four chapters of the book, video footage of him reading four chapters with more to come and Spinner has a text excerpt available. The audio book will come on 7 CDs with a DVD from whence the above video clips are taken, as an iPhone version – prose app or audio download – and in an old-fashioned dead-tree edition. Multi-platform much?

Cave talks to The Times and Scotland On Sunday about the novel and to The Guardian about going with the iPhone as a means of distribution. And if the recorded and printed Cave isn’t enough, he’ll be doing readings and signings in the UK, US and Canada – September 16 at 7PM at the Indigo in the Eaton Centre in Toronto and September 17 at 7PM in Ottawa at the Ottawa Writer’s Festival at St Brigid’s Centre.

MP3: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – “Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!”

Another musician gone author is Joe Pernice, with his debut novel It Feels So Good When I Stop. Though not being promoted as elaborately as Cave’s book, it’s also more than just a book – it has a soundtrack CD that includes a couple of spoken word passages of Pernice reading from his book and the handful of live dates will be combination shows and readings. I fully intend to have read the book before his September 24 date at the Dakota Tavern. Seriously, I will. There’s interviews with Pernice at The National and The AV Club, and there’s a bunch of video session performances available at KEXP’s YouTube channel.

That September 24 date is circled in ink on the ol’ calendar (figuratively speaking, of course), but it’s not without a bit of regret as it means missing seeing The Antlers at the Horseshoe that same night – especially now that Holly Miranda has been announced as opener for the tour.

Resonancity talked to drummer Paul Banwatt of The Rural Alberta Advantage at V Fest this past weekend. I also talked to Paul, but our conversation was along the lines of, “hey how’s it going,” “alright, how’re you?”. Not really worth transcribing. Much more noteworthy is the fact that the band recorded a session for Daytrotter on their last jaunt through the midwest US and that session, featuring two new songs, is now available to download.

Other conversations taking place at V Fest had Fazer and Spinner chatting with members of Mew. ArtistDirect also has an interview, though conducted elsewhere.

Coeur de Pirate performed a new song on CBC’s Q. Metro talks to Beatrice Martin.

Video: Coeur de Pirate – “Place de la Republique” (live on Q)

Brooklyn’s White Rabbits have finally made a local date in support of their latest album It’s Frightening – catch them at the Drake Underground on October 24, tickets $15.50. And also check out their WOXY session from earlier this Summer.

MP3: White Rabbits – “Percussion Gun”
Video: White Rabbits – “Percussion Gun”

Yo La Tengo’s new record Popular Songs isn’t out until next week but it’s currently streaming in its entirety over at NPR and they’ve also released yet another video from the record. And Pitchfork has a chat with Dario Robleto, who crafted the art that adorns the album cover. Yo La Tengo are at the Opera House on October 3.

Video: Yo La Tengo – “When It’s Dark”
Stream: Yo La Tengo / Popular Songs

And support for Yo La Tengo’s Canadian dates has been announced as Chicago outfit The Horse’s Ha. They sound something like this.

MP3: The Horse’s Ha – “Asleep In A Waterfall”
MP3: The Horse’s Ha – “The Piss Choir”

Maxim has an interview with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy. No bikini photo shoot, though. Probably for the best. Wilco are at Massey Hall on October 14 and 15.

If you thought Neil Young was going to take a break from his Archives now that the first box set has been released, think again. Rolling Stone reports that November 2 will see the release of Dreamin’ Man, a live album collecting solo recordings of Harvest Moon circa 1992. Neil will be making an appearance at Yonge-Dundas Square on September 14. He may bring his guitar. He may play it.

eye talks to members of The Depreciation Guild, in town at the Horseshoe on September 7 opening up for The Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart, with whom NOW has a chat. The Chicago Tribune talks to the third band on the bill, Cymbals Eat Guitars.

Frank YangGrey skies, cold winds, threatening clouds… was there any doubt that Trent was coming to town?

It was a foregone conclusion that day two of Virgin Festival would end in a blinding and deafening display of aggression and angst courtesy of Nine Inch Nails, so I rather liked that the day would begin with the gentle piano-pop of Coeur De Pirate. Ms Beatrice Martin utterly beguiled at her Toronto debut during NXNE, and to anyone who complained about booking an act with such buzz behind her into a room as small as the Dakota Tavern, well here you go – is the Molson Amphitheatre big enough for you? And speaking of big, Coeur de Pirate as a live entity was now a five-piece band, which helped fill out not only the mix but the stage. Her two-piece setup at the Dakota befit the cozy venue, but here in this massive space, the addition of the rhythm section really helped carry her tunes out over the sparse crowd. I’ve been completely won over by her self-titled album since that NXNE show so I was more than happy to get to see her live again, and her Rihanna cover was much, much better than the Katy Perry one she’d closed with in June. It was probably a safe guess that most of those there for gate time were NIN hardcores bound and determined to be up front, so the fact that everyone who was there for 1PM seemed to respond to Coeur de Pirate most enthusiastically was a pleasant surprise.

And in what would be a recurring theme, probably more a comment on my own stereotypes than anything else, was how supportive those ultra-keen Nine Inch Nails fans were of all the other acts on the day even though many/most were of a style completely not RIYL NIN. I suppose if you’re going to be camped out on a concrete floor pressed up against a metal barricade for 10 hours you may as well have a good time. But still, kudos.

Photos: Coeur de Pirate @ The Virgin Mobile Stage – August 30, 2009
Video: Coeur De Pirate – “Comme Des Enfants”
Video: Coeur De Pirate – “Ensemble”
MySpace: Coeur De Pirate

Gentle pop was out the window for act number two, Norwegian electro-ironists Datarock. Clad in their signature red track suits, they were all about the audience engagement (and shilling their new album Red) as they tried to get the party started with their clownish stage antics and super-tight, uptempo tunes. As schticks went, theirs was entertaining and the half-hour set was just long enough to please without getting old. Datarock are undeniably goofy, but obviously don’t intend to be taken too seriously. After all, there was enough seriousness coming later in the day – for now, some fun.

Photos: Datarock @ The Virgin Mobile Stage – August 30, 2009
MP3: Datarock – “True Stories”
Video: Datarock – “True Stories”
Video: Datarock – “Fa-Fa-Fa”
Video: Datarock – “Bulldozer”
Stream: Datarock / Red
MySpace: Datarock

I have never been able to get a good handle on Mew, the Danish prog-pop ensemble who were capable of shifting from indescribable tweeness to unrelenting aggression at the drop of a hat, all the while remaining simultaneously weird and accessible. Their September 2006 show at the Mod Club remains one of the most singularly odd shows I’ve ever been to, to say nothing of the most frustrating to photograph – and not for poor light like most shows. Read the review for specifics. Anyways, their new record No More Stories still hasn’t grown on me, seeming to be much less focused than And The Glass-Handed Kites, and on top of that they seemed to be having sound issues both on stage and in the house, Jonas Bjerre’s vocals being largely inaudible. Oh, and he still has the worst mic technique in the world, again largely foiling my attempts to get anything resembling a flattering photograph. But the set was salvaged by a majestic reading of “The Zookeeper’s Boy” from Kites that very much demonstrated why, even though they can be confounding, Mew are still worth paying attention to. When they hit it, they hit it hard.

Photos: Mew @ The Virgin Mobile Stage – August 30, 2009
MP3: Mew – “Repeaterbeater”
MP3: Mew – “Introducing Palace Players”
Video: Mew – “Introducing Palace Players”
Video: Mew – “Special”
Video: Mew – “The Zookeeper’s Boy”
MySpace: Mew

I didn’t know anything about New Orleans’ MuteMath prior to their second Virgin Festival appearance in Toronto (they also played in 2007 but I missed them), but everyone told me they put on a great show. And that they did. Visually, they were tremendously entertaining – anytime you have a drummer who needs to duct tape his headphones onto his head, you’re in for a good time. And it wasn’t just for show – Darren King was a monster on the kit and great to watch and his bandmates not far behind, particularly frontman/keyboardist Paul Meany who gave great photo, striking poses with his keytar and showing off his dental work. Musically, they weren’t as impressive – decent radio-ready modern rock, but nothing that really stuck with me after their set was done. But hell of a performance.

Photos: MuteMath @ The Virgin Mobile Stage – August 30, 2009
Video: MuteMath – “Spotlight”
Video: MuteMath – “Typical”
MySpace: MuteMath

I skipped out on the Cold War Kids blog buzz back in 2006 or so, and watching them dull up the stage on this afternoon, I was at a loss to understand how I was in the minority then of those who wasn’t impressed. Shouty and aimless, the best Cold War Kids could muster from the audience was polite applause and general indifference. If looking for positives, they were one of the more mobile acts I’d seen this weekend, all four of the band members endlessly roaming the stage while they played and swapping up instruments. But beyond that, not much to report.

Photos: Cold War Kids @ The Virgin Mobile Stage – August 30, 2009
MP3: Cold War Kids – “Hospital Beds”
Video: Cold War Kids – “We Used To Vacation”
Video: Cold War Kids – “Something Is Not Right With Me”
MySpace: Cold War Kids

The token hip-hop act on the mainstage for the festival was N.E.R.D., who came with a pretty impressive CV including a Shortlist Prize and extensive top 40 production/writing credits via Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo’s work in The Neptunes. I got this from asking people around me, “so who are these guys?”, just to be clear. But if the crowd needed waking up after Cold War Kids – which they did – N.E.R.D. were the ones to do it. Their set was basically a big party, with dancers recruited from the audience, crowd-baiting shout outs and pandering to the hometown by yelling, “TORONTO!” a lot. It was pretty cheesy but wholly effective – this was a crowd that wanted to get excited. Like Franz Ferdinand the night before, N.E.R.D.’s set was a clear indicator that the evening was ramping up and it was now prime time. Which, with Our Lady Peace up next, meant dinner.

Photos: N.E.R.D. @ The Virgin Mobile Stage – August 30, 2009
Video: N.E.R.D. – “Everyone Nose”
Video: N.E.R.D. – “Sooner Or Later”
Video: N.E.R.D. – “She Wants To Move”
Video: N.E.R.D. – “Rock Star”
MySpace: N.E.R.D.

For many, The Von Bondies are best known for a certain physical altercation with a certain fellow Detroit band a few years back – who, incidentally, were covered/sampled/quoted by N.E.R.D. earlier that afternoon – but for the throngs of V Festers who gathered around the Boardwalk stage around dinnertime, they were known as the band who put on a thoroughly kick-ass rock show and looked to be having the best time doing it. Though an act who’s been around as long as they might have had legitimate complaint about being relegated to the baby stage (they even took the trouble to build a riser for the stage so people could see), there was no grousing from the quartet – just grins, jokes and flat-out rock. They’ve already played Toronto twice this year in support of their new album Love, Hate And Then There’s You but I suspect if they return again, they’ll have a lot more fans in attendance.

Photos: The Von Bondies @ The Boardwalk Stage – August 30, 2009
MP3: The Von Bondies – “This Is Our Perfect Crime”
MP3: The Von Bondies – “Pale Bride”
Video: The Von Bondies – “Pale Bride”
MySpace: The Von Bondies

I had a friend in high school whose favourite band was the Pet Shop Boys. I never understood that until Sunday night. I’d always liked the handful of songs I knew, and certainly had no aversion to the synth-pop, but until Pet Shop Boys were announced as part of the V Fest lineup, I’d never really gave them a second thought. In the weeks leading up to this show, I took the time to brush up on my musical education and before long, I was supremely excited for their set. I didn’t realize just how masterful Messrs Tennant and Lowe were with the pop song, but everything I listened to – whether I knew it beforehand or not – was instantly embedded in my skull. Add in the fact that they’re just as well-known for their elaborate live shows and there was no way this wasn’t going to be great. I know most everyone there was going to be waiting for NIN, but for me the night was all about PSB.

And by god they did not disappoint. With a set comprised of a wall of giant white boxes, Lowe and Tennant took the stage with cubes on their heads and accompanied by a pair of dancers also in box couture. From there, it was an almost non-stop, meticulously choreographed and executed technicolour dance-pop extravaganza of costumes, dancers and massive video wall projections. The set wasn’t quite the greatest hits package I’d expected, but to be fair their latest album Yes did chart at #4 in the UK – hardly the sign of a band needing to rest on past laurels. But still, they busted out “Suburbia”, “Go West”, “You Are Always On My Mind”, an unexpected cover of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” and they closed their main set with an exquisite, silver glitter confetti-exploding “It’s A Sin”. And for a second, I thought that might have been it but when roadies in white lab coats and hard hats came out with brooms and vacuums to clean up the confetti, it was obvious it wasn’t over. Of course not. There still had to be “West End Girls”. And they returned and there was “West End Girls”. And it was brilliant.

I think it’s safe to say that Nine Inch Nails has never had such an opener before, and to their credit Reznor’s army of black-clad fans seemed to eat it up for the most part. I would bet that Trent was watching from the side and had his head bobbing at the very least. If you did not love this set then you must put far too much energy into being a sourpuss.

Photos: Pet Shop Boys @ The Virgin Mobile Stage – August 30, 2009
Video: Pet Shop Boys – “Love Etc”
Video: Pet Shop Boys – “Suburbia”
Video: Pet Shop Boys – “Go West”
Video: Pet Shop Boys – “Jealousy”
Video: Pet Shop Boys – “What Have I Done To Deserve This”
Video: Pet Shop Boys – “Always On My Mind”
Video: Pet Shop Boys – “Where The Streets Have No Name”
Video: Pet Shop Boys – “West End Girls”
MySpace: Pet Shop Boys

While my weekend had peaked, for most everyone else the main event was still to come. I never liked Nine Inch Nails. Back in high school, I was less about aggressive angst and more about mope angst, and that’s not even mentioning the memories of pub nights in university whenever THAT song came on and the floor filled with the jock types who just had to sing along with THAT chorus because, well, it spoke to them. You know what I’m talking about. But since then my attitude towards NIN has softened somewhat and Reznor, for his part, seems to have found a sense of humour. I still haven’t listened to anything he’s released in years, but I bear him no enmity. So while I had no real intention of sticking around for his full two-hour set, I did want to see what was sure to be an impressive performance to say nothing of the sense of occasion, this being the last Nine Inch Nails show in Canada – perhaps ever, if the publicity people are to be believed.

And it really was something to see. A massive light show, huge sounds and the mighty roar of the crowd – still not completely sold out, but enough to make a racket. Reznor and company played the dynamics of the set masterfully, moving from a clenched whisper to hoarse scream and still, after all these years, sounding like he really means it. Impressive. Also impressive was that in the time I stuck around (just under an hour), I heard two songs I recognized and one I actually liked – “March Of The Pigs”. The other was THAT song. Yeah. Anyways, when Reznor decided it was time for a piano recital, I decided it was time to go home.

Photos: Nine Inch Nails @ The Virgin Mobile Stage – August 30, 2009
Video: Nine Inch Nails – “The Perfect Drug”
Video: Nine Inch Nails – “The Hand That Feeds”
Video: Nine Inch Nails – “Wish”
Video: Nine Inch Nails – “March Of The Pigs”
Video: Nine Inch Nails – “The Day The World Went Away (Quiet)”
Video: Nine Inch Nails – “Closer”
Video: Nine Inch Nails – “Hurt”
MySpace: Nine Inch Nails

Finally, agonizingly, the fourth Virgin Festival in Toronto was in the books. For all the complaining that went on leading up to it – justified and not – and the potential for fiasco, it actually went pretty well. The talent assembled was unique amongst the year’s festival circuit and solid to great, though there wasn’t quite enough of it to offer many options to attendees. While some – myself and my feet included – liked being able to stay in one spot at one stage through the day and still get to see most of the acts, it didn’t really feel like a proper festival. Also not helping the vibe was the venue – as mentioned yesterday, the assigned seating left huge tracts of real estate empty for most of the day, and that just suffocated any chance for a real festival vibe to develop. Sure it was the best they could do on short notice and in that context, it was fine – an empty Burl’s Creek would have been even less vibey – but it’s hardly a desirable locale for future events. And I’m really hoping that the festival and brand survives this annus horribilis, learns some valuable lessons and is able to maintain or win back the the faith of festival-goers put off by any number of things surrounding their five events this year. But also keep in mind that people like to complain. Complaining is fun. But put together the right lineup and even the haters will show up again. See you next year, I hope. Islands again? Downsview? Somewhere with wide, open spaces please.

Reviews of the weekend can be found at The Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, National Post, Spinner and ChartAttack.

BeboThough it came out back in May, I had intended to hold off on reviewing Maximo Park’s latest Quicken The Heart until next month when they were scheduled to play Lee’s Palace, but seeing as how they’ve just cancelled the whole North American tour – first The Charlatans, now Maximo, it’s been a bad week for Anglophiles over here – that seems a bit pointless. The other reason I was procrastinating on putting thoughts to paper (such as it were) was that I wanted to give it time to grow on me. Because if I’d tossed off a review when I first got a copy of the album back in the Spring, it probably wouldn’t have been too kind.

Here was an album that I’d been quite looking forward to from a band that had a pretty decent track record – though I was one of the few who preferred the follow-up Our Earthly Pleasures over their debut A Certain Trigger, both were undeniably solid records and even the b-sides compilation Missing Songs was better than many bands’ proper albums. So why did Quicken seem to drift by without leaving much impression at all? Best I can come up with is this.

Maximo Park made their name with wonderfully hyperactive and angular post-punk tunes served up with a healthy dose of melodicism and literate, heartfelt lyricism. Though the sharp edges were smoothed out a bit for the second record, they could still cut and the hooks and anthemic delivery more than compensated. On Quicken, however, the balance tilts too heavily towards articulating singer-songwriter Paul Smith’s emotional issues and the finished product just sags under the weight. Rather than lean and nimble as they are at their best, the songs feel like they’re distended to accommodate the words and while there’s still some solid melodies and hooks, they’re just not big enough this time out. Extended listens over the Summer have softened my opinion of the record as there’s certainly decent songs on offer, but the absence of an irresistible single or two to prop the whole thing up is keenly felt.

Even so, there wasn’t any doubt that they’d put on a good show – their last visit in 2007 was killer – so the fact that they’ve nixed this jaunt is a bummer, regardless of how good the last record is. Here’s hoping they’re good to their word and make it up in 2010.

MP3: Maximo Park – “Wraithlike”
MP3: Maximo Park – “Let’s Get Clinical”
Video: Maximo Park – “Questing, Not Coasting”
MySpace: Maximo Park

Speaking of cancellations, here’s one that apparently was and then wasn’t. For The Records pointed out that a September visit from Micachu had appeared briefly on their MySpace and then disappeared – and some digging revealed this piece at the Phoenix New Times which seemed to confirm that a tour had been planned and then canned. But apparently not the whole thing – Micachu & The Shapes will indeed be in town on September 29 for a show at the El Mocambo, where they totally impressed back in July. Tickets are $13 in advance.

MP3: Micachu – “Lips”

The Times talks to members of The xx about the possibility of the school that they and numerous other current UK artists attended closing its doors while Tourdates.co.uk asks them about their taste in covers. The xx will release their debut XX on October 20 and play the Phoenix on December 2.

That gig is in support of Friendly Fires, who are the subject of interviews with The Advertiser and The Guardian.

Charlie Fink of Noah & The Whale tells The Guardian about the heartbreak that informs the whole of their new album First Days Of Spring, out domestically on October 6. He also contributes a piece about creating the film component of the record and there’s another interview at I Like Music. Fall North American tour dates are forthcoming – in the meantime, check out the first video and grab the title track courtesy of The Times.

MP3: Noah & The Whale – “The First Days Of Spring” (.zip)
Video: Noah & The Whale – “Blue Skies”

Bat For Lashes will be releasing a deluxe edition of Two Suns that comes with a documentary DVD and eight bonus tracks. Well, I suppose if you’re going to milk the fan for every penny they’re worth, you may as well offer some value. The new package is out September 7 in the UK with North American and worldwide release dates forthcoming – assuming the DVD will have various video formats and regions, fans are recommended to wait for their own domestic release before buying. The Georgia Straight has an interview with Natasha Khan.

JAM, Canada.com Billboard talk to Arctic Monkeys about their new album Humbug, out today. They’re at the Kool Haus on September 29.

Elvis Costello may be in town this Friday night at stately Massey Hall, but Exclaim reports that an upcoming series of live bootleg reissues – I guess they’ve finally given up on re-re-re-re-releasing his studio albums – will kick off with Elvis’ oft-bootlegged 1978 appearance at T.O.’s El Mocambo. Live at the El Mocambo was previously released as part of the 2-1/2 Years box set but will finally see a wide release on its own as of September 29. What do you think the odds of Declan snarling, “these guys got the right idea they’re standing UP” on Friday are? Yeah, not great. And oh yeah, happy 55th birthday Dec.

MP3: Elvis Costello & The Attractions – “Radio Radio” (live at the El Mocambo)

The National Post talks to Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, who will be playing day one of V Fest this Saturday at the Molson Amphitheatre.

And playing day two will be Mew, whose new album No More Stories is out today and who are featured in a Daytrotter.

And speaking of V Fest this weekend, the schedule is up and everyone who was anxious about possibly losing their seats in running between stages can relax – pretty much everyone is playing the main stage. Set lengths have surely been truncated a bit relative to what they’d have been with a proper two-stage setup at Burl’s Creek, but they’re still pretty reasonable. And I have to say I’m pleased to see that both Nine Inch Nails and Pet Shop Boys are playing back to back because if there are two fanbases that need to be mashed together, its theirs. And if anyone is wondering, the forecast currently calls for 10 to 15 mm of rain on Saturday and 5 mm on Sunday, though the Saturday forecast dropped from 40mm in the last 15 minutes so it’s probably not too reliable. However if it proves true, everyone moaning about the move to the Amphitheatre may find themselves thankful for the canopy. Those on the lawns will still find themselves wet.

Finally, The Dumbing Of America has posted a little interview conducted with yours truly a couple weeks back. It’s gripping stuff, really.

saddle-creek.comLand Of Talk was supposed to spend this year promoting the hell out of their excellent 2008 full-length debut Some Are Lakes but following a short bit of local touring around the end of January, including an excellent long-awaited show at the Horseshoe, the band had to go on an extended break while frontwoman Liz Powell underwent and recovered from vocal cord surgery.

They returned to live duty with some shows over the course of the Summer, but have now put together a proper if shortish tour for the Fall, taking them from south to north along the Pacific coast, though east coast dates are also promised. And while the current live itinerary will only benefit westerners, they’re also releasing a new EP on October 27 that people can enjoy irrespective of their personal geography. Fun And Laughter will contain four new songs and three videos from Some Are Lakes. The clip for the title track emerged a few months ago, the one for “The Man Who Breaks Things” has just hit the interwebs and the last one for “Troubled” will probably surface closer to the actual release date.

The news of new music from Land Of Talk is certainly welcome, but not as much as the fact that they’re back, presumably in good health and raring to go. Good to have you back.

Video: Land Of Talk – “The Man Who Breaks Things (Dark Shuffle)”
Video: Land Of Talk – “Some Are Lakes”

The Wooden Sky, whose acquaintance you may have made last month, will be playing an in-store at Sonic Boom on Monday night, August 24, at 7PM, to mark the release of their new album If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone, which will be officially out the next day. Of course you’ll be able to buy it early at this show, but don’t tell anyone.

MP3: The Wooden Sky – “Something Hiding For Us In The Night”

Cuff The Duke are also celebrating the release of their new album Way Down Here with an in-store at Criminal Records on September 8, the date of release. They’re also doing two nights at the Horseshoe on October 16 and 17. Exclaim talks to the band about their Fall plans.

The Bravery are at the Opera House on October 6, previewing their new as-yet-untitled album due out November 10.

Boston’s Hallelujah The Hills have made a date at Sneaky Dee’s for October 17 to support their new album Colonial Drones, out September 22.

MP3: Hallelujah The Hills – “Blank Passports”

White Denim will make an appearance at the Horseshoe on November 9 as part of an extensive tour in support of their new album Fits, out October 20. Grab a track at RCRDLBL.

MP3: White Denim – “You” (live at KVRX)

Camera Obscura’s last show here in June was super-sold out on account of being at Lee’s Palace, several degrees smaller than their usual accommodations when the Scots visit. Well those shut out of that performance will be pleased to know that the band is staging a Fall tour that will bring them back to the more appropriately-sized Phoenix on November 26 with Papercuts as support. Camera Obscura recorded a session for NPR which is available to stream.

MP3: Camera Obscura – “French Navy”
MP3: Papercuts – “You Can Have What You Want”

And shocker – The Charlatans won’t be crossing our path after all. They’ve canceled their Fall North American tour on account of drummer Jon Brookes requiring shoulder surgery. This, of course, includes their September 23 date at the Mod Club – the second time in the past year and a bit they made and then broken a date in Toronto.

MP3: The Charlatans – “You Cross My Path”

Luxury Wafers is sharing the audio and video fruits of a session with The Rural Alberta Advantage. They’re playing day one of V Fest at the Molson Amphitheatre on August 29.

Also on day one of V next week will be Franz Ferdinand, whose 2005 mini-doc Tour de Franz is the movie of the week at PitchforkTV.

Video: Franz Ferdinand: Tour de Franz

And appearing on day two of said festival are Mew, who are streaming their new album No More Stories on their MySpace leading up to the album’s release next Tuesday. SF Station has an interview with singer Jonas Bjerre.

Stream: Mew / No More Stories

Spinner talks to Victoria Bergsman of Taken By Trees, whose new album East Of Eden is out September 8.

NPR is streaming a radio session with A Camp.

The Galway Advertiser talks to Okkervil River’s Will Sheff on the Irish influences on his writing and songwriting inspiration in general.

Joe Pernice talks to The Portland Mercury and Oregon Live. He’s at the Dakota Tavern on September 24.

Nick Cave is coming to town, but not for a concert – Exclaim reports that Cave will be in town on September 16 for a live interview and signing at the Indigo at the Eaton Centre to promote his new novel The Death Of Bunny Munro, which will be released on September 4.

And if you can’t get enough rocker/lit convergence, be sure to check out Word On The Street in Queen’s Park on September 27, where in addition to the infinite kiosks of booksellers and publishers, there will be a music stage where the songwriters of Bruce Peninsula, Ghost Bees and Sandro Perri will be discussing their creative process.