Simoneau GuillaumeI first made the acquaintance of Iowa native and Montreal resident Laurel Sprengelmeyer’s stage persona Little Scream almost exactly two years ago, when she opened up for Land Of Talk at The Horseshoe. At the time, she had no web presence whatsoever – not a website, not a Myspace, nothing – but her solo electrified acoustic performance made enough of an impression to stick with me.

Enough so that I made sure to see her again a couple months later during Canadian Musicfest and while she still hadn’t discovered the internet – my previous review seemed to be the authoritative statement about her online – was able to see that while her sound had gotten more electrified thanks to picking up a solidbody guitar, her distinctive approach to folk and rock – but not folk-rock – was still inscrutable and compelling. And I figured that her being relatively local and obviously up for gigging, I’d be getting plenty of opportunity to figure out what she was about.

Or not so much. Though I’m sure she showed up on more Toronto stages over the last couple years, she basically fell off my radar until just recently when she began showing up in concert announcements – a lot of concert announcements. Over the next few months, she’s touring Ontario with Julie Doiron including February 3 at the Horseshoe, returning for Canadian Musicfest at the Opera House on March 11 with Land Of Talk and then traversing the United States with Sharon Van Etten, including her April 12 date at the Drake Underground. Which is to say she’s no longer going to be out of sight, out of mind but rather constantly underfoot.

And the reason is the impending elease of her debut album The Golden Record on Secretly Canadian in the US and Outside Music in Canada, which features production from Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Perry and guitar contributions from The National’s Aaron Dessner, amongst other high-profile contributors. Which is to say Little Scream has made some impressive friends. The record is out on April 12, which makes that Drake show a record release party, and while the first MP3 is a good deal gentler than I’d have expected from those early live shows, the additional samples on her Facebook (she’s certainly got an online presence now) point at a lot more range being captured on the record, to say nothing of the intensity I saw back in 2009. In other words, this is a record that will be worth hearing, start to finish, because if you don’t you’ll likely have missed something crucial.

MP3: Little Scream – “The Heron & The Fox”

Those Who Dig has an interview with Sharon Van Etten who, as mentioned above, will be at The Drake Underground on April 12.

Nicole Atkins discusses her new record Mondo Amore with Knox Road. The album is out February 8 and she plays The Horseshoe on February 26.

Spinner and The Montreal Mirror talk to Lisa Milberg of The Concretes; they’re at The Horseshoe on Monday night, January 17.

Pitchfork and Clash talk to PJ Harvey about her new record Let England Shake, due out February 15.

The Ottawa Citizen profiles Two Door Cinema Club, in town at the Kool Haus tomorrow night, while The State is streaming a documentary feature on the band. And the band’s new video ably demonstrates the perks of being a young man in a rock band… which is to say dancing girls.

Video: Two Door Cinema Club – “What You Know”

It would have been nice if British Sea Power could have announced their North American tour in support of Valhalla Dancehall a couple days earlier so I could have included it with my review of said record, but that’s not so important – what is is that the British are coming and they’ll be at Lee’s Palace on March 24. Incendiary has an interview with Martin Noble while The Guardian has a live session video of the band performing “Who’s In Control?”.

MP3: British Sea Power – “Who’s In Control?”

Patrick Wolf talks to NME about the cleanliness of his in-progress new record, which despite what they say is unlikely to be called The Conqueror but will likely to be out in May.

The Fly checks in with Glasvegas and Elbow amongst others about their 2011 album plans. The former’s build a rocket boys! will be out March 8 while NME reports the latter’s Euphoric Heartbreak will be out April 4.

Condolences to the friends, fans and family of Broadcast’s Trish Keenan, who has passed away from pneumonia. The statement from Warp Records.

Danny ClinchThose anxiously awaiting the January 25 release of Nicole Atkins’ second album Mondo Amore got a little bad news via the Twitter yesterday when she announced that the record’s on-sale date had to be pushed back because of a manufacturing error with the CD booklets. Consequently, the CD and digital editions of the album will now be coming out on February 8, which was the original release date for the vinyl anyways. So that’s the bad news – the good news is that the record is worth the wait, even the extra fortnight, and that the previously announced tour– including the February 26 date at the Horseshoe in Toronto – is still all systems go, and even now kicks off exactly in line with the record release. Hey, you gotta look for the silver lining, right?

MP3: Nicole Atkins – “Vultures”
Video: Nicole Atkins – “Vultures”

The Greenhornes – the band from whence Raconteurs and Dead Weather Jack Lawrence originally came – released a new record in 4 Stars late last year and are setting out on tour this Spring. Look for them April 3 at the Horseshoe and read this interview with the band at Sentimentalist.

The National will be featured on next week’s Austin City Limits and by way of preview, they’ve released the clip of their performance of “Bloodbuzz Ohio”.

Video: The National – “Bloodbuzz Ohio” (live on Austin City Limits)

Rock The Vote talks to Warpaint bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg.

The Economist proves it has other interests besides the economy, including Joanna Newsom with whom it has an interview.

The San Jose Mercury News chats with John Vanderslice, who has made an MP3 from his new orchestrally-enhanced album White Wilderness ahead of its January 25 release date.

MP3: John Vanderslice – “Sea Salt”

NPR is streaming a surprise show in New York last night from Iron & Wine, wherein they performed the whole of their new record Kiss Each Other Clean, out January 25. Note that while the audio isn’t there right now, it’s coming shortly – check back.

Guitar god J Mascis going unplugged isn’t unprecedented – his first solo record was the live and alone Martin & Me – but the first MP3 from his forthcoming Several Shades Of Why has got some sparkly backporch bounce that sounds nice and fresh. The record is out March 15 and he’ll be in town sometime during Canadian Musicfest the week prior.

MP3: J Mascis – “Not Enough”

Destroyer has released a video for the title track of Kaputt, to be released January 25. They’re at Lee’s Palace on March 31 and Crawdaddy has an interview with Dan Bejar.

Video: Destroyer – “Kaputt”

NOW checks in with Evening Hymns’ Jonas Bonetta – they’ll be playing the Out Of This Spark 4th anniversary show at the Tranzac tomorrow night before getting back to work on album number two.

An unexpected collaboration sees the light of day as Shad and City & Colour’s Dallas Green release a collaborative single digitally and on vinyl next Tuesday, January 11. There’s a new song entitled “Live Forever” and a remix of Shad’s “Listen” by Green and all proceeds from the single go to Skate 4 Cancer.

Frank YangTo the person who said they’d hoped S. Carey would play a Bon Iver cover at the Horseshoe on Sunday night – really? Though to be fair, I can understand it – without the angle of Sean Carey also being Justin Vernon’s drummer, there might well have been far fewer people in attendance, and that’d have been a shame as Carey’s solo debut All We Grow is a jewel of a record on entirely its own merits. But even if they didn’t know that in advance, by that point in Carey’s set – nearing the end – any right-thinking person would have been so taken by the performance that they shouldn’t have even been able to muster a “Bon who?”

That should probably say “performances” – plural – because opener White Hinterland was pretty terrific as well. I’d only listened to Casei Dienel’s stuff in passing before, but clearly I’ve been missing out. With Shawn Creeden alongside her, Dienel crafted a set that was earthy and organic despite hardly utilizing a single acoustic instrument. Using keys, samples and loopers, Dienel would subtly loop and layer her birdlike vocals into a swirling cloud of folktronica that had more than a hint of Lykke Li-like sultriness. She also offered up a cover of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” (how I was able to recognize the song without ever having actually heard it, I do not know) before bringing out S. Carey to back her on a couple of songs, a favour which she would later return. I know I have a copy of her latest album Kairos kicking around somewhere… I really need to find it.

If White Hinterland’s set was an exercise in making something wholly organic-sounding out of inorganic instruments, S. Carey’s was a study in rendering a studio-crafted record entirely live. We All Grow is a record rich with layered sounds, clearly indebted to late-era Talk Talk, and I certainly wouldn’t have expected all of them to be recreated live… so I was very pleasantly surprised when they were. Fronting a five-piece band and sticking mainly to keyboards, Sean Carey led his bandmates through one of the simply prettiest hours of music I’ve experienced in recent memory. Be it the immaculate four-part harmonies or the masterful musicianship of all hands with through the gentlest atmospheric moments or the crashing crescendos, they sounded amazing and the only time the only thing greater than enjoying the moment was anticipating how they’d do the remaining pieces from the album justice. I appreciate this sounds a touch overly effusive but it really was lovely, and perfectly capped in the encore when Dienel came out contribute vocals to their cover of The Notwist’s “Consequences”. Just oh so pretty.

Photos: S. Carey, White Hinterland @ The Horseshoe – December 19, 2010
MP3: S. Carey – “In The Dirt”
MP3: S. Carey – “In The Stream”
MP3: White Hinterland – “No Logic”
MP3: White Hinterland – “Dreaming Of The Plum Trees”
MP3: White Hinterland – “Chant de Grillon”
MP3: White Hinterland – “Icarus”
Video: White Hinterland – “No Logic”
Video: White Hinterland – “Amsterdam”
Video: White Hinterland – “Icarus”
Myspace: S. Carey
Myspace: White Hinterland

Pitchfork and The Telegraph have interviews with The National while NYC Taper is sharing a recording of their set opening for Yo La Tengo during their Hannukah residency at Maxwell’s at the start of the month.

My Old Kentucky Blog interviews Nicole Atkins – her new record Mondo Amore arrives January 25 and she will be at The Horseshoe on February 26.

Interview talks to Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes about the rocking direction of their next record The People’s Key, out February 15 and the first MP3 from which is available in swap for an email over at Pitchfork. They’re at the Sound Academy on March 13.

aux.tv chats with Ra Ra Riot.

Spinner chats with Antony Hegarty of Antony & The Johnsons.

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I was still waiting for Minnesota’s Now Now to make up their cancelled Summer 2009 date; good news is they’re finally making it here on February 13 for a show at the Mod Club, bad news is it’s part of a large bill of emo-punk-pop acts that I’d rather not have anything to do with (Hellogoodbye, Gold Motel, You Me And Everyone We Know) so yeah, maybe next time.

MP3: Now Now – “Neighbors”

Rocky Votolato and Matt Pond (presumably solo, sans PA), will be teaming up for a Spring tour that stops in at the Drake on March 23.

MP3: Rocky Votolato – “Red River”
MP3: Matt Pond PA – “Starting”

FacebookThat sound you hear is the sound of legions of Bright Eyes fans, whom having just recovered from the news that Conor Oberst was returning to that project for one more record in The People’s Key on February 15, are swooning and weeping (with joy) even more at the announcement of the first leg of tour dates to support said record.

Oberst last played Toronto as Bright Eyes back in May of 2007 with a show at Massey Hall, but didn’t return with his own Mystic Valley Band solo thing. He did make an appearance last Fall with his Monsters Of Folk compatriots, again at Massey, but TO Conor-ites will finally get a proper fix next March when he leads whomever is in Bright Eyes this time out for a show at the Sound Academy on March 13. Not the classy digs he’s gotten used to over the last couple visits, no, but venue complaints aside you can bet that the date is being circled on a lot of calendars right now, especially if the rumours that this is Oberst’s final kick at the Bright Eyes can are accurate.

Tickets for the Toronto show are $34.50 for general admission (aka those who need to be as close to Conor as possible) and $49.50 for VIP (aka those who need to be as far from those who need to be as close to Conor as possible) and go on sale this Friday, December 17.

MP3: Bright Eyes – “Four Winds”
MP3: Bright Eyes – “Lua”
MP3: Bright Eyes – “Lover I Don’t Have To Love”

Connoisseurs of French pop will be pleased to know that Parisians Revolver have made a date at the Drake Underground for March 3, tickets $10.50 in advance. Their debut Music For A While was released domestically back in August.

MP3: Revolver – “Get Around Town”
Video: Revolver – “Leave Me Alone”
Video: Revolver – “Balulalow”

Those who missed Chicagoan glam-punk moppets The Smith Westerns last month when they opened for Florence & The Machine and played a tiny after show the same evening will be pleased to know they’ve slated a proper tour and will be back in town at the Horseshoe on February 28. And they’ve put out a new video, too. Their second album Dye It Blonde is out January 18.

MP3: Smith Westerns – “Imagine, Pt 3”
Video: The Smith Westerns – “Weekend”

The first sample of The Rural Alberta Advantage’s new record Departing is now up for grabs. The record is out March 1 and they play a sold-out show at Lee’s Palace tomorrow night.

MP3: The Rural Alberta Advantage – “Stamp”

Dodos frontman Meric Long talks to Pitchfork about their plans for album number three.

The Mountain Goats are giving away a new MP3 for a song that won’t be appearing on their next album All Eternals Deck when it’s released on March 29. But hey – new Mountain Goats.

MP3: The Mountain Goats – “Tyler Lambert’s Grave”

NPR has a World Cafe session with Johnny Flynn.

The Quietus interviews Titus Andronicus. The band, not the fictional character.

The first video from Nicole Atkins’ forthcoming Mondo Amore is now available for all to see. The record is out January 25 and she plays the Horseshoe on February 26.

Video: Nicole Atkins – “Vultures”

Colin Meloy previews some of The Decemberists’ new record The King Is Dead in session for NPR. The album is out January 18 and they play The Sound Academy on February 1.

The AV Club’s AV Undercover series from this Summer is over and done, they’re busting out the covers series for the holiday season with Holiday Undercover, which includes Shearwater covering Randy Newman’s bummer seasonal tune “God’s Song (That’s Why I Love Mankind)” and Kate Nash taking on Slade’s “Merry X-Mas Everybody”.

And speaking of Randy Newman, he’s coming to town for a date at the University of Toronto’s Convocation Hall on March 26 of next year.

Video: Randy Newman – “I Love LA”

American Songwriter contemplates the career of Jay Farrar and chooses their 20 favourite songs.

FacebookOf all of the remarkable things that Feist has done in the past few years, one of the most impressive is managing to go from a state of almost complete ubiquity circa The Reminder to one of relative obscurity. Over the last two years, there’ve been the occasional guest appearance on others’ records and even rarer live appearances with Broken Social Scene, but by and large she’s done a fine job of keeping a low profile – presumably working on a new record but no one really knows.

That profile has risen again of late with the upcoming release of Look At What The Light Did Now, a documentary film culled from footage taken during The Reminder tour. Coming out on DVD on December 7 with an accompanying CD of recordings taken from and around the film, it received a hometown screening last night at the Royal Ontario Museum… which probably seemed like a good idea but proved to be an almost disastrous one thanks to the horrible acoustics in the main atrium. But if there was an upside to it, it was that you were forced to pay almost unnatural attention to the film to extract anything comprehensible from the echo- and reverb-drenched audio.

With regards to the film itself, some have questioned if there’s really a need for a Feist documentary when her career isn’t a decade old, and if Light was a biography of any sort, it’d be a valid question. But rather than focus on Leslie Feist the person, it spends most of its running time examining the art around The Reminder – not only the songs and the album itself, but everything surrounding it. The portion focusing on Clea Minaker’s shadow puppet/projections were particularly fascinating; I already regretted not seeing any of The Reminder shows – I last saw Feist perform way back in the Summer of 2005 – and now regret it even more now that I see what I missed.

Other segments recounted the recording of The Reminder in France, the filming of videos for “1, 2, 3, 4”, “I Feel It All” and “Mushaboom”, the last of which is not Reminder period-correct but offered some terrific anecdotes from director Patrick Daughters, and the assemblage of the artwork for The Reminder. Though there were some segments focusing on her early days and ascendancy to stardom, they were kept to a minimum, as were the behind the scenes tour footage that’re typically the bread and butter of musician docs (though the scenes of Feist and her band and crew playing ball hockey was pretty great). Instead, the topic of who she is and how she got where she is was left to be implied by her work, how she approaches her work and how and why she works with others. In focusing on the what and how rather than the who, Look At What The Light Did Now manages to be an engaging and entertaining document of one of Canada’s biggest and brightest musical stars while barely acknowledging that fact.

And in the Q&A with Feist following the screening, the inevitable question of “when is the next record coming” was raised and all that she’d offer in return was that she’d be recording over the Winter – based on that, I wouldn’t expect a new album before next Fall.

Video: Feist & Little Wings – “Look At What The Light Did Now”
Trailer: Look At What The Light Did Now

Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene talks about the KC Accidental days with Spinner. Broken plays the Sound Academy on December 9 and 10.

Planets profiles Dan Mangan.

The Guardian talks to Dan Snaith of Caribou.

Away from the city for far too long – she played here four times in eight months circa Neptune City – Nicole Atkins returns to Toronto for a show at the Horseshoe on February 26 with support coming from Cotton Jones; tickets $15 in advance. Her new record Mondo Amore arrives January 25.

MP3: Nicole Atkins – “Vultures”
MP3: Cotton Jones – “Gotta Cheer Up”

Keren Ann 101, the new record from, Keren Ann will be out February 21 – the rather divine first single “My Name Is Trouble” is currently streaming at her website.

John Vanderslice has set a Janury 25 release date for his next record, which will bear the title of White Wilderness, a record recorded over three days with the assistance of the Bay Area Magik*Magik Orchestra.

The Depreciation Guild have released a new video from their latest Spirit Youth.

Video: The Depreciation Guild – “Blue Lily”

Prefix and The Toledo Blade chat with Craig Finn of The Hold Steady.