Andrew SynowiezKnow what week it is? It’s Canadian Music Week, which means it’s also Canadian Musicfest, which means it’s the week where all the Toronto clubs filled up with acts from near and far and folks who would normally be out and about with a fistful of tickets guaranteeing admission were now brandishing wristbands that they hoped would get them into the clubs and prove to be the mathematically superior value that they hoped.

And if those equations included trying to get into the shows of advertised headliners Rihanna or Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, that’s unfortunate – only a handful of VIP passes are being allowed into those, so basically no average punters – but for those willing to do the club-hopping and take a flyer on some unknown quantities, they can still pay off handsomely. So to that end, here’s some suggestions of things to see over the next week; some will be familiar, others not, hailing from near and far.

It’s kind of a shame that in 2013, being described as “rootsy” means your wardrobe could belong to an “Oh Brother Where Art Thou” cosplayer because while the sounds North Carolina’s Mount Moriah make are deeply steeped in folk and country traditions, their just-released full-length debut Miracle Temple is unapologetically modern-sounding. Lead singer Heather McEntire’s voice can twang like Dolly or sigh like Emmylou, but you can also hear her punk-rock bonafides from her time in Bellafea, and the twistingly melodic guitar lines put down by Jenks Miller make no effort to hide his tenure in psych-metalers Horseback. Hurtin’ songs that can still kick like a mule.

Wednesday, March 20, 11PM @ The Drake Underground

MP3: Mount Moriah – “Younger Days”
Video: Mount Moriah – “Bright Light”

Cincinnati trio The Seedy Seeds were a fun time at NXNE 2012 and clearly, they enjoyed the Toronto festival circuit as well as they’re bringing their fun and danceable (but not dance) indie-pop back to town.

Tuesday, March 19, 9:30PM @ The El Mocambo (upstairs)
Wednesday, March 20, 10PM @ Annex Live

Video: The Seedy Seeds – “Telephone The Constrictor”

Before you get too excited, this is NOT the local debut of the Nick McCabe/Simon Jones project that rose from the ashes of the last Verve reunion… but The Black Ships, who hail from just outside of Albany, New York, do a pretty convincing job with their ’80s UK post-punk-influenced sound.

Tuesday, March 19, 1AM @ Rancho Relaxo

Stream: The Black Ships – “Bangalor”

The Scottish synth-pop trio CHVRCHES has been getting more than its share of buzz – including here – but their set merits re-mentioning if just to remind you to get to the Mod Club early because it’s-a gonna fill up.

Wednesday, March 20, 10PM @ The Mod Club

MP3: CHVRCHES – “The Mother We Share”

Dancey, metal-distorted, keyboard-driven, Krautrock from Reykjavik, with a sense of humour – with an elevator pitch like that, how could you now want to catch Apparat Organ Quartet? Their 2012 album Pólýfónía just got a domestic release last week – do let them cave your head in with sound as a hello.

Wednesday, March 20, 12AM @ The Garrison
Saturday, March 23, 6:45PM @ The Hoxton

Video: Apparat Organ Quartet – “123 Forever”

Montreal’s Breezes put on a solid set of harmony-laden guitar-pop at last year’s CMF, and now they’re back with their self-titled debut finished and out so if you’re planning on camping out at the Horseshoe all night as many often do, why not show up early enough to hear some of it.

Thursday, March 21, 8:39PM @ The Horseshoe

Video: The Breezes – “Cross The USA”

Yeah, another Irish-German art-rock duo formed in Paris, but Kool Thing’s blend of beats, guitars, and sexy Euro attitude stands out from the pack. They’ve got enough shows this week that you’d probably have to make the effort to miss them and you really probably shouldn’t.

Thursday, March 21, 8:45PM @ The Drake Underground
Saturday, March 23, TBA @ The Great Hall
Sunday, March 24, 8PM @ The Garrison

Video: Kool Thing – “PLAN.LIFE.GO”
Video: Kool Thing – “Light Games”

I by no means endorse random Twitter messages as a way to get peoples’ ears, but Amanda Merdzan gets a rare pass because the tune she linked – which I listened to in a rare moment of indulgence – was quite lovely. So see her if you can – she’s coming all the way from Australia to play for you! – but if you’re a band, don’t start @-ing me. The odds of this happening again are minuscule.

Thursday, March 21, 9:45PM @ The Church Of The Holy Trinity
Friday, March 23, 11PM @ The Central

Video: Amanda Merdzan – “Afraid”

Prince Edward Islanders Two Hours Traffic are hardly an unknown quantity, but their latest Foolish Blood is proof that lineup shuffles haven’t affected their ability to write classically-styled jangle-pop, but they may be getting even better and more sophisticated at it.

Thursday, March 21, 12AM @ Lee’s Palace

Video: Two Hours Traffic – “Amour Than Amis”

Sóley Stefánsdóttir – Sóley for short, purveyor of haunting electro-folk, and also a member of Seabear – is part of the miniature Icelandic invasion taking place this CMW and possibly part of the advance team, having opened up for Of Monsters & Men at the Kool Haus last November.

Thursday, March 21, 6:30-8PM @ Moog Audio
Friday, March 22, 10PM @ The Drake Underground
Saturday, March 23, 8:15PM @ The Hoxton

Video: Sóley – “Pretty Face”

One of the up-and-coming voices of the London folk scene, Lucy Rose will draw the honour of being the sole international act on the sure-to-be-jammed, Besnard Lakes-headlined Friday night Lee’s Palace lineup. Her debut Like I Used To came out last Fall.

Friday, March 22, 10:30PM @ Lee’s Palace

Video: Lucy Rose – “Shiver”

If memory serves, Sweden’s This Is Head were supposed to play Canadian Musicfest last year, but were one of the many acts to cancel at the last minute. Unlike many of those no-shows, however, they’ve made the effort to come back and share their danceable electro-sonic ideas with you before releasing their new record The Album ID later this Spring.

Thursday, March 21, 6:30-8PM @ Moog Audio
Friday, March 22, 11PM @ The Garrison
Saturday, March 23, 10PM @ Annex Live

Video: This Is Head – “A-B Version”

London quartet Savages entered 2013 as one of the most talked-about new acts thanks to their razor-wire post-punk sound and ferocious live shows, and if you’re the sort to want bragging rights about having seen big bands when they’re still playing small rooms, either of their CMF showcases should be circled in your calendar.

Friday, March 22, 11:10PM @ The Horseshoe
Saturday, March 23, 12AM @ Lee’s Palace

Stream: Savages – “Flying To Berlin”

Rising Toronto-based New Wave revivalists Decades caught my ear out of nowhere earlier this year, so maybe check them out and see if I’m onto something or not before their self-titled debut arrives on April 30.

Saturday, March 23, 9PM @ Lee’s Palace

Video: Decades – “Tonight Again”

Beams are a shiny-new, Toronto-based outfit who are still so green, they’ve but a couple of songs by which to judge them but considering their multi-part harmonies and country-rock instrumentation are as potent on their original compositions as on a Portishead cover, there’s no reason to not believe they’ve got plenty more goodness up their sleeves.

Saturday, March 23, 9PM @ The Silver Dollar

Stream: Beams – “Be My Brother”

Gotta say, after writing a lot of blurbs about artists who work in various subgenres of rock, it’s kind of nice to be able to describe Toronto’s Lost Babies as simply “rock” – dirty guitars, sexy/snarly vocals, and a goodly dollop of attitude.

Saturday, March 23, 11:30PM @ The Shop Under Parts & Labour

Stream: The Lost Babies – “Wasps”

You might think that dance-pop from Germany would be of the stoic, metronomic, Kraftwerk-ian variety but Hamburg duo BOY – who are in fact two girls OH MY GOD I GET IT – are as hand-clappy, swingingly fun as… Germans? Like an Icona Pop you wouldn’t be afraid to take home to the parents or get locked in a room with.

Saturday, March 23, 11PM @ The El Mocambo (upstairs)
Sunday, March 24, 10PM @ The Dakota Tavern

Video: BOY – “Little Numbers”

Have done duty in Shapes & Sizes and Think About Life, Montreal’s Caila Thompson-Hannant is now getting her synth-pop/R&B-funk on as Mozart’s Sister. Comparisons to Grimes are entirely justified, but that doesn’t make it any less catchy – and this comes from someone who really didn’t like Shapes & Sizes.

Saturday, March 23, 1AM @ The Comfort Zone

MP3: Mozart’s Sister – “Single Status”

And if you want to know who’s playing Sonic Boom for their annual CMF in-store fest, check out the Facebook page. I can’t be bothered to type anymore.

Sam JonesShe & Him are not a band given to mystery. Despite the anonymous name, everyone knows it’s Matt Ward and Zooey Deschanel and their sugar-sweet old-timey country-pop sound is pretty well-established at this point. And if you’re at all surprised that their third album, announced yesterday as coming May 7, is called Volume 3, then you really haven’t been paying attention. But residents of the Greater Toronto Area looking at the tour dates that accompanied the announcement can be forgiven for scratching their heads about the local date on the itinerary. Toronto Urban Roots Festival what?

With a lineup comprised so far of She & Him and Scottish pop darlings Camera Obscura – and presumably there’ll be more, else it’s not much of a festival – we also know it’s happening July 4 at a venue that Pollstar not-so-helpfully lists as “Toronto Urban Roots Festival Grounds”. Possibilities include an Olympic Island concert – it’s been a few years since we’ve had one of those though the Thursday date makes it unlikely to be the full-day event that would probably be necessary to justify the logistics – or maybe an evening-into-night to-do at the new go-to outdoor venue of Garrison Commons at Fort York? Surely it’s something besides an indoor venue show, else why the fancy name? The trail of online bread crumbs also tells us who’s running it, but they’re not talking right now. Next week, perhaps. Until then, we’ve got us a little mystery to chew on.

MP3: She & Him – “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here”
MP3: Camera Obscura – “My Maudlin Career”

Far less ambiguous is the return of “The Screaming Eagle of Soul” – Mr. Charles Bradley – in support of his second album Victim Of Love, out April 2. BrooklynVegan has all the tour dates but all Toronto needs to know is that he and his Extraordinaires will be at The Phoenix on May 11, tickets will be $22.50 in advance, his last visit was incredible, and a song from the new record is available to stream below. See how easy it is, Zooey?

Stream: Charles Bradley – “Strictly Reserved For You”

Austin country-rockers Phosphorescent will release their new one Muchacho – stream a song from it below – on March 19, and the subsequent tour dates bring them to The Horseshoe on April 15. Tickets for that are $15 in advance.

Stream: Phosphorescent – “Song For Zula”

With the release of We The Common less than a week out, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down are streaming the new record over at NPR; there’s also an interview with Thao at Exclaim. They’ll be at Lee’s Palace on March 27.

MP3: Thao & The Get Down Stay Down – “Holy Roller”
Stream: Thao & The Get Down Stay Down / We The Common

The 405 and Express Milwaukee talk to Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo, and if you’re more of a James McNew fan you’ll be pleased to know his first two records as Dump are getting reissued on vinyl for the first time ever. Superpowerless is out March 19 and I Can Hear Music on April 16; stream a track from each below.

Stream: Dump – “Secret Blood”
Stream: Dump – “Slow Down”

Mount Moriah are streaming a song from their new album Miracle Temple, out February 26. They play a Canadian Musicfest showcase at The Drake on March 20.

Stream: Mount Moriah – “Bright Light”

Whole lotta Bob Mould on your TV (or the computer you use as your TV). His performance from last weekend’s episode of Austin City Limits is now available to stream, and a new video from Silver Age – premiered via Late Night With Jimmy Fallon – was just released. See Bob in person at The Horseshoe on March 1.

Video: Bob Mould – “Star Machine”

Brooklyn’s The Men have gone the live performance route for the first video from their forthcoming New Moon, out March 5.

Video: The Men – “Electric”

Interview has an interview with Ra Ra Riot, who have made the title track of their new album Beta Love available to download. They play Lee’s Palace on March 6 and are part of the Arts & Crafts Field Trip fest at Fort York on June 8.

MP3: Ra Ra Riot – “Beta Love”

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are streaming the first track from their forthcoming Specter At The Feast. It’s a sentimental choice, being a cover of The Call’s biggest hit; Call frontman Michael Been – father of BRMC frontman Robert Levon Been – passed away in 2010. The album is out March 18 and they play The Kool Haus on May 9.

Stream: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – “Let The Day Begin”

With their new album Hummingbird out this week – and a new MP3 from it available to download – Local Natives are the subject of features at The Line Of Best Fit, The Daily Beast, BBC, Consequence Of Sound, and The 405. They play a sold-out show at The Opera House on March 28.

MP3: Local Natives – “You & I”

The Flaming Lips have confirmed an April 2 release for their new album The Terror and have put out a lyric video for the first single. Details on the release over at The AV Club.

Lyric Video: The Flaming Lips – “Sun Blows Up Today”

The Strokes have released a new single which pretty much guarantees that a new album isn’t far off, but they’re not offering any other details for now. You can download it from their website in exchange for an email address and a promise not to make any a-ha jokes. Update: It’s called Comedown Machine and out March 26.

Stream: The Strokes – “One Way Trigger”

Spin and Washington City Paper have conversations with Widowspeak, who’ve released a new video from their excellent new record Almanac. It’s really excellent.

Video: Widowspeak – “Locusts”

Also with a new video are Grizzly Bear, taken from last year’s Shields. They’ve also offered some director’s notes on the clip via their Tumblr.

Video: Grizzly Bear – “gun-shy”

NPR welcomes Dinosaur Jr for a World Cafe session.

Billboard finds out what Jenny Lewis has been up to – finishing up a new solo record, putting in time on that Rilo Kiley rarities comp, and maybe taking part in the Postal Service tour?

LA Record chat with Redd Kross.

Wears The Trousers and The Telegraph have interviews with Aimee Mann.

NPR are streaming a World Cafe session with Father John Misty.

Pavla KopecnaIn mentioning yesterday that winning the Mercury Prize allowed Alt-J to graduate from playing Wrongbar in September to playing The Phoenix in March, we can also scientifically see what only getting nominated to the shortlist gets you. Django Django, who were shortlisted on the strength of their self-titled debut, also played Wrongbar in late September and have also just scheduled a Spring tour that brings them back to town in March – March 12, specifically, and at The Opera House. So based on the capacities of these two rooms, what can we discern? Winning the Mercury lets you play to about 200 more people. QED. Tickets are $17.50.

DIY has an interview with Django Django, who’ve just released a new video from the aforementioned Mercury-nominated album. There’s also a World Cafe session up at NPR.

MP3: Django Django – “Default”
Video: Django Django – “Life’s A Beach”

Also just announced – Ken Stringfellow of The Posies, R.E.M., and Big Star will be in town as just Ken Stringfellow – solo artist who released Danzig In The Moonlight in October – for a date at The Drake Underground on February 19. Tickets for that are $15, and God Is In The TV has an interview.

MP3: Ken Stringfellow – “Doesn’t It Remind You Of Something”

Chapel Hill’s rootsy Mount Moriah – recently signed to Merge and getting a lot of good press – will release their second album Miracle Temple on February 26 and be in town at The Drake on March 20 to celebrate; that’ll be part of Canadian Music Week, if you were wondering.

Stream: Mount Moriah – “Lament”

The Get Down Stay Down are at Lee’s Palace on March 27 in support of their new album We The Common, due out February 5. Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside support, tickets are $17.50 in advance. Full tour dates at Exclaim.

MP3: Thao & The Get Down Stay Down – “Know Better Learn Faster”

And if you hadn’t heard and were interested, the reunited but still Christine McVie-less Fleetwod Mac will be at the Air Canada Centre on April 16. Stevie Nicks talks to The Los Angeles Times about the upcoming tour, while Rolling Stone also loops in Lindsey Buckingham for a Q&A.

Video: Fleetwood Mac – “Go Your Own Way”

Pitchfork and Rolling Stone talk to ex-Girls frontman Christopher Owens about his solo debut Lysandre, out January 15. He plays The Mod Club on January 18.

DIY has an interview and The Alternate Side a session with The Antlers.

The AV Club have premiered a new video from Crooked Fingers’ 2011 effort Breaks In The Armor and The Line Of Best Fit also has a video session on offer.

Video: Crooked Fingers – “Bad Blood”

DIY talks to Mike Hadreas of Perfume Genius.

Stereogum has an interview with Dayve Hawk of Memory Tapes.

DIY talks to Wild Nothing’s Jack Tatum.

The Austin Chronicle, Phoenix New Times, and Dallas Observer interview John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats.

NPR has a World Cafe session with Stars.

Spin, ABC News, The New Zealand Herald, DIY, and The Daily Swarm talk to Claire Boucher of Grimes.

The Grid and NOW preview Joel Plaskett’s upcoming five-night stand at The Horseshoe next week. That’s December 12 to 16.

Spinner finds out why a Raveonettes-mixed new No Joy album won’t be winding its way to you anytime soon. Or ever.

Modern Superstitions talk to aux.tv about their self-titled debut.

DIY has a quick chat with Wild Beasts.

The Fly has a video session with 2:54.

TOY are interviewed as part of DIY‘s year-end wrap.

Pitchfork reports that Phoenix are planning to rise again with a new album in or around April. That there’s the sound of Two Door Cinema Club’s business model collapsing.

M83 have released the fourth video from Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.

Video: M83 – “Wait”

DIY interviews Tame Impala, in town at The Kool Haus on March 9.

Sigur Rós have released the final installment of their Valtari Mystery Film Experiment – just in time for the screenings happening worldwide and at The Bloor Cinema on Saturday. This one’s another short film rather than conventional video, and is directed by Floria Sigismondi and stars Elle Fanning and John Hawkes. Save the best – or at least biggest-named – for last, yeah? Sigur Rós are at The Air Canada Centre on March 30.

Video: Sigur Rós – “Leaning Towards Solace”

And with that, everything I’ve had in my blog drafts hopper is gone. It’s empty! There’s nothing left! You know what that means? Me neither. I’m scared.