Frank YangWith a wealth of options on the Toronto social calendar last Friday night, I rather feared that posting up Lee’s Palace might draw the short end of the stick. I didn’t know how much draw Junip would have, but I needn’t have worried. With their main attraction – frontman José Gonzalez – having not released a new record under his own name in some three years, there was apparently a good amount of pent-up appetite to see and hear him in any configuration.

Happily, this resulted in a good-sized crowd already in place for opener Sharon Van Etten, whom I will freely admit was the main draw for me just as she was when I saw her open for Megafaun at The Horseshoe back in April. Unlike that show, however, this time Van Etten was operating in a three-piece band format rather than solo, a change necessary to recreate the broader sonic palette of her gorgeous second album Epic. And though the full band format sounded glorious when Megafaun backed her for one song at the Horseshoe show, that she was only a few shows into the tour with these players was evident at times – mainly in the bassist and drummer playing too loudly and at the expense of the delicacy and nuance that’s essential to Van Etten’s songs. It’s a sensitivity that will no doubt come with time, but on this night at least the comfort level wasn’t where one would have liked. That said, the beauty of the songs still came through, particularly on the harmonium-led “Love More”, and by choosing to close her set solo and with a couple of audience requests from Because I Was In Love, her set ended on a beautiful note.

I don’t think it’s untoward to use Jose Gonzalez’s solo output as a reference point for Junip; the differences lie not in him or his songwriting but in what he surrounds himself with. Solo, it’s just that – Gonzalez, classical guitar, space and silence. With Junip and their debut Fields, those elements remain the centre but the addition of drums and keys, courtesy of Elias Araya and Tobias Winterkorn respectively, do allow the band to be its own distinctive thing. Live, the sound was expanded even further with the addition of a percussionist and bassist and if you were to compare Junip to an acoustic Zero 7, the English electronic outfit that introduced Gonzalez to much of his fanbase, you wouldn’t be wrong. Their set lasted only an hour but it felt much longer – in a good way – as they held the audience with their rhythmic, droning take on folk music. Understated but hypnotic, it sounded like Gonzalez being remixed live, his distinctive meditative vocals being utilized like another instrument in the mix. While I expect that many/most came to the show as José Gonzalez fans, they left as Junip fans. And hopefully Sharon Van Etten fans.

City Pages talks to Junip drummer Elias Araya while The Georgia Straight has an interview with Sharon Van Etten.

Photos: Junip, Sharon Van Etten @ Lee’s Palace – November 5, 2010
MP3: Junip – “Rope & Summit
MP3: Sharon Van Etten – “Love More”
MP3: Sharon Van Etten – “Don’t Do It”
MP3: Sharon Van Etten – “I Couldn’t Save You”
MP3: Sharon Van Etten – “For You”
MP3: Sharon Van Etten – “Consolation Prize”
Video: Junip – “Always”
Video: Junip – “Black Refuge”
Video: Sharon Van Etten – “For You”
MySpace: Junip
MySpace: Sharon Van Etten

Sorry to everyone excited about that Rhett Miller & Murry Hammond acoustic show at the El Mocambo announced a few weeks ago – its been cancelled.

Husband-and-wife retro pop duo Tennis have made a date at the Drake Underground for December 8 to build up anticipation for their debut Cape Dory, due out on January 18. Check out their Daytrotter session from earlier this Fall.

Phantogram return to town for their fourth and probably final Toronto show of the year, stopping in at Wrongbar on December 11 – tickets $15.50 in advance.

MP3: Phantogram – “When I’m Small”

The Music Tapes are putting together a North American “Lullabies and Bedsides” tour that is eschewing conventional venues in favour of house shows and sleepover parties – check out Merge for details on how it’ll work, but the itinerary calls for a Toronto date on January 2 of the new year.

MP3: The Music Tapes – “Majesty”

Call it some coincidence, call it prescience, but barely a day after posting about goings-on in The Radio Dept. camp, the full dates for their 2011 North American tour were revealed. There will be much rejoicing when the reclusive Swedes make their Toronto debut at Lee’s Palace on February 7, 2011. Update: Pitchfork has the tracklisting of the Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002-2010 compilation coming out early next year.

MP3: The Radio Dept. – “Heaven’s On Fire”

The Tallest Man On Earth has released a video from his new Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird EP, out tomorrow.

Video: The Tallest Man On Earth “Love Is All”

Jonsi will release a live document of his 2010 solo tours on November 29; Go Live will include a CD and DVD and be available exclusively through his website. He talks to the Detroit News about creating his live show.

Trailer: Jonsi / Go Live

The Dumbing Of America and News Times chat with Bettie Serveert.

The Scotsman talks to Scotsman James Graham of The Twilight Sad.

Clash has an interview with White Lies, whose sophomore effort Ritual comes out January 18. They will be at the Mod Club on January 29 to promote – tickets $25.

Duffy discusses the dancier direction of her second album with Billboard. Endlessly arrives December 7.

Pulp are back. London or Barcelona. London or Barcelona. This must happen. Dates for both Wireless and Primavera are convenient as far as timing and holidays go, both are bloody expensive to get to, never mind accommodations, and either one might snooker my Japan plans for Autumn 2011… but, um, PULP. WWJCD?

Max WeilandI was actually going to skip posting today entirely, so meagre was the amount of post-worthy material I had ready, but then there trickled in juuuust enough that the night/day off went out the window.

And it took some Radio Dept. news to do it. On the short term end of things, there’s the fact that their new single/EP for “Never Follow Suit”, taken from this year’s divine Clinging To A Scheme, is coming out next Tuesday. It’s limited to 1000 pieces of 12″ vinyl and is advertised as exploring the band’s dubbier side. Yeah. And to prove their point, one of the b-side tracks is available to download.

A little further out, Under The Radar has some more details on the double-disc compilation from the band due out in January 2011. Whereas initial reports made it sound like it was going to be all b-sides and rarities, and as someone who’s collected a good number of their older EPs I can attest that there’s a lot of great non-album material to be compiled, it now sounds as though it’s going to be a mix of proper singles and rarities. The set will be called Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002-2010 and I can accept it containing material I already own if it provides them the excuse to finally stage a proper North American tour in the new year, as they’ve hinted they will. And if/when that happens, you bet your sweet bippy there’ll be a blog post about it.

MP3: The Radio Dept – “The One”

NOW and Chart preview Friday night’s Junip show at Lee’s Palace.

Pitchfork has a stream of the new single from The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, taken from their forthcoming record Belong, out in March.

There’s a new video from Of Montreal’s latest long-player False Priest.

Video: Of Montreal – “Famine Affair”

The Ash Gray Proclamation talks to Tobin Sprout, once again of Guided By Voices.

Even though it was just rescheduled last week, Lissie’s Toronto debut has been moved again – it will now be happening on January 24, still at the Opera House. Tickets for both the October El Mocambo show and the short-lived January 18 show will be honoured. Relix has a short feature on her.

A studio performance is doubling as the new Grinderman video, just in time for the start of their first North American tour at the Phoenix in Toronto on November 11. Guess they blew their whole budget on the special effects spectacular for “Heathen Child”.

Video: Grinderman – “Worm Tamer”

Mike Mills spills to Spin on some of the guest stars who will appear on the next R.E.M. album Collapse Into Now, due out next Spring.

Deirdre O’CallaghanThe lines between Grinderman and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds aren’t always very clear. Quantitatively, you’ve got a few less members (which must make for some awkward scenes at the rehearsal space – “oh, I thought it was a Bad Seeds day… I’ll show myself out…”) and Cave strapping on a guitar and avoiding the piano, and qualitatively, you’ve got an even rawer, darker sound than the Bad Seeds craft and they’re hardly all sunbeams and unicorns.

Their seedier-than-Seeds 2007 debut Grinderman was soaked in the blues and testosterone and was a welcome jolt of energy from a group of players whose works had become increasingly ornate, particularly relative to their more anarchic Birthday Party origins. And when the reawakening of their rocking, raunchier side carried over to the next Bad Seeds record, 2008’s scorching Dig, Lazarus Dig!!!, it would have been reasonable to think that Grinderman had served its purpose and run its course. But no, Cave’s not done with the six-string as a songwriting tool and so we get Grinderman 2, out today.

Though still noisy and guitar-driven, 2 dials down the front-to-back pelvic thrust of its predecessor in favour of a more fully-produced sound that feels less beholden to a rigid aesthetic. And while it’s hard to imagine a video as ridiculous (in a good way) as that for “Heathen Child” being released under the Bad Seeds marque, any one of these songs could easily pass as having come from that main project, particularly the glorious “Palaces Of Montezuma” which has to rank as one of Cave’s best pop compositions in years. I’m sure that in the heads of their creators, there’s a clear distinction between these songs and those, but from the listener’s point of view all that really matters is that there’s another set of intensely and inimitably Cave compositions to absorb. No matter what the band is called.

Spinner, The Australian, The Herald and The Courier-Mail have interviews with Cave and The Line Of Best Fit talks to drummer Jim Sclavunos while The Quietus and Montreal Gazette chat with them both. The New Yorker has a profile on both The Bad Seeds and Grinderman by Sasha Frere-Jones and Pile Of Vinyl has got demos fo the first album available to download. Their North American tour starts November 11 at the Phoenix in Toronto.

Grinderman 2 is available to stream this week at Spinner.

MP3: Grinderman – “Heathen Child”
Video: Grinderman – “Heathen Child”
Stream: Grinderman / Grinderman 2
MySpace: Grinderman

Last week I was bemoaning the fact that Superchunk were crossing the border next week for a show in Montreal but weren’t coming down the 401 to play their first Toronto show in some nine years. Turns out the reason why is they’ll be here on December 9 opening up for Broken Social Scene at the Sound Academy. Yay, Superchunk, boo Sound Academy. Tickets will be $30 and go on sale Friday. In other ‘Chunk news, they’ve taken the editorial reins at the Magnet website kicking off with a Q&A and there’s features on the band at The Daily Tarheel, Billboard, The Washington Post and Chicago Reader. Finally, Videogum has premiered the hilarious first video from Majesty Shredding, out today.

Video: Superchunk – “Digging For Something”

In other announcements, Johnny Flynn’s second record Been Listening has been given an October 25 release in North America and he’s doing some solo dates to support, including an October 18 date at Lee’s Palace. About. Time.

Video: Johnny Flynn – “Kentucky Pill”

Bruce Peninsula must be about done their second record as they’ve scheduled an October 28 date at the Horseshoe. Tickets $10 in advance.

MP3: Bruce Peninsula – “Crabapples”

John Stirratt and Pat Sansone of Wilco will bring their Autumn Defense project to the Drake Underground on November 9. Their new album Once Around is out November 2.

Oxford’s Stornoway, whose debut album Beachcomber’s Windowsill was enthused about in this space back in July, have put together their first North American tour and it includes a November 30 date at the El Mocambo. Former Hold Steady moustache Franz Nicolay supports. There’s a session with the band up at NPR’s World Cafe.

MP3: Stornoway – “Zorbing”
MP3: Franz Nicolay – “This Is Not A Pipe”

After a goodly number of supporting dates, Freelance Whales will be playing their own show at the El Mocambo on December 7, tickets $15. They’ve also just premiered a new video from their debut album Weathervanes.

MP3: Freelance Whales – “Generator Second Floor”
Video: Freelance Whales – “Hannah”

The Radio Dept. getting political? This new song is apparently “directed at the swedish election coming this sunday”. Of course, the salient point here is new. Radio. Dept. Their “Never Follow Suit” EP is out November 9 and a double-disc of rarities – of which this track qualifies, I think – is out in January.

MP3: The Radio Dept. – “The New Improved Hypocrisy”

The Fly, Clash and eMusic have interviews with Interpol.

The Georgia Straight talks to Matt Berninger of The National.

Another track from Sufjan Stevens’ new album The Age Of Adz is making the rounds. Stevens is at Massey Hall on October 13.

MP3: Sufjan Stevens – “Too Much”

The Irish Times interviews Joanna Newsom.

Steve GullickThough English – they hail from Brighton, England – most reference points for the duo of Laura-May Carter and Steven Ansell, aka Blood Red Shoes, hail from this side of the Atlantic. With she on guitar and he on drums, they’re a touch too polished to really call punk but are much indebted to the grunge movement of the ’90s and all that followed and some of what preceded it. Which is to say they deliver a loud, punchy attack that’s light on frills, heavy on distortion and informed by angst but with enough pop hooks and charisma to be worthy of attention.

Ansell handles the majority of vocals from behind the kit but Carter’s backing vox and occasional leads offer some welcome compliment and contrast to his decidedly aggressive approach to the mic. This is not to suggest that Carter’s contributions are any more gentle than Ansell’s – she’s behind all the furious guitar riffage on their records, and there’s a lot of it. Though there’s just the two of them, they make a righteously large and full sound.

Their 2008 debut Box Of Secrets showcased their tried and true approach effectively, but their follow-up Fire Like This doesn’t sacrifice the intensity but adds just enough sophistication and nuance to their sound to keep them interesting over extended listens. It’s this foot that they’re putting forward when album number two, released in the Spring in the UK, becomes their North American debut on October 5 (following an appearance on the Scott Pilgrim vs The World soundtrack), which will be followed by a two-week North American tour, including an October 27 date at the Horseshoe in Toronto.

Glasswerk documents the “smash your shit” ethos that went into the making of their new video for “Heartsink”.

MP3: Blood Red Shoes – “Light It Up”
Video: Blood Red Shoes – “Heartsink”
Video: Blood Red Shoes – “Don’t Ask”
Video: Blood Red Shoes – “Colours Fade”
Video: Blood Red Shoes – “This Is Not For You”
Video: Blood Red Shoes – “Say Something, Say Anything”
Video: Blood Red Shoes – “I Wish I Was Someone Better”
Video: Blood Red Shoes – “It’s Getting Boring By The Sea”
MySpace: Blood Red Shoes

BBC6 gets a status update on their new album from Elbow. Its current working title is Lippy Kids – somehow I don’t expect that one to stick.

Digital Spy reports that Patrick Wolf’s next record will no longer be called The Conqueror nor be a thematic sequel to last year’s The Bachelor. Nor is it on pace to be complete in time for release this year, as originally intended.

The Twilight Sad have released a video for the title track from their new EP The Wrong Car, due out on September 28. It’s long, angsty and puppet-powered.

Video: The Twilight Sad – “The Wrong Car”

The Line Of Best Fit and Clash talk to Barry Burns of Mogwai, whose live audio/video experience Burning/Special Moves is out tomorrow.

Kele gets critical of his output with Bloc Party in conversation with Spinner. He will be at the Mod Club – solo-style – on September 3.

Manic Street Preachers are building anticipation for their new record by giving away a non-album track to download. Postcards From A Young Man is out September 28.

MP3: Manic Street Preachers – “I’m Leaving You For Solitude”

Shut Your Fucking Face And Listen talks to frontman Wesley Patrick Gonzalez of Let’s Wrestle. Wrestling does not ensue, at least not on the record.

Isobel Campbell talks about her working relationship with Mark Lanegan to The Guardian and to The Herald about making their new album together, Hawk. It’s out this week and streaming in its entirety at Facebook. They’re at Lee’s Palace on October 20.

Stream: Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan / Hawk

Also streaming in whole is Rose Elinor Dougall’s solo debut Without Why – it’s out next week.

Stream: Rose Elinor Dougall / Without Why

Exciting news from The Radio Dept. – following the release of a new single on November for “Never Follow Suit”, the reclusive Swedes will be coming to North America for a pair of shows in New York City on November 30 and December 1. And while I flew down there the last time they paid a visit, I’m hoping that won’t be necessary this time as they’re also promising more US (North American dates?) in early 2011 following the release of a double-disc compilation of b-sides and rarities in January. Radio Dept! Doing stuff! Yay! More details on the above available at Under The Radar.

Eva EdsjöIt’s not an unusual tale for young acts to be discovered by veteran ones, but when the youthful protagonists of the story are Klara and Johanna Söderberg of Sweden’s First Aid Kit and the mentor is Karin Dreijer Andersson of the decidedly strange and oft creepy Knife and Fever Ray, it’s understandable that one’s imagination drifts to more Brothers Grimm territory. The truth isn’t all that sinister, though, as the Söderberg’s brother attended the same kindergarten as Andersson’s children and that connection led to the duo’s debut EP – 2009’s Drunken Trees – to be released on Andersson’s own label in Sweden before being picked up by Wichita in the UK and abroad.

Their proper full-length The Big Black & The Blue followed last month, and like its predecessor its a gorgeously out-of-time folk album built around the unconventional yet riveting voices of the two teenage sisters. Rich, rangy and emotive, their voices sound as though their owners were raised in some lost range of the Appalachians hidden under a nordic glacier and for all their individual quirks, intertwine in stunning, intricate harmony the way that only siblings can. Their material is perfectly matched to their delivery; acoustic and spare with just the right amount of embellishment and a world-weary lyricism that’s at odds with their tender ages but typically Scandinavian in tone. Their work isn’t as sophisticated as it could be or should be to be hailed as a great record, but keeping in mind that they are still just in their teens, it’s a remarkably assured work that can only get better.

First Aid Kit are currently in the midst of their first North American tour, and will be in Toronto this Saturday – June 12 – for a free in-store at Criminal Records at 4PM and a proper show at the Rivoli later that night. They’re keeping a tour diary for Filter and were interviewed by The Georgia Straight. And reaching back a bit, there’s a Take-Away Show with the sister act.

MP3: First Aid Kit – “I Met Up With The King”
MP3: First Aid Kit – “You’re Not Coming Home Tonight”
Video: First Aid Kit – “Hard Believer”
Video: First Aid Kit – “I Met Up With The King”

The Line Of Best Fit interviews The Radio Dept., who are about to re-release Clinging To A Scheme on limited-edition (1000 pieces) white vinyl on June 16. I know everyone goes on about how vinyl sounds great – which it does – but as the owner of a copy from the first run of vinyl, I can say that Clinging sounds AMAZING on vinyl.

The National Post reports that The Raveonettes will be releasing a compilation of b-sides and rarities this Fall, followed by a new studio album in early 2011. They will be at NXNE next week opening up for Iggy & The Stooges at Yonge-Dundas Square on the evening of the 19th.

Stereogum points the way to not one but two new Fanfarlo videos – though for the same song. “Fire Escape” gets the choose-your-own-adventure treatment with a ceiling cat version and a basement cat version.

Video: Fanfarlo – “Fire Escape” (dark version)”
Video: Fanfarlo – “Fire Escape” (happy version)”

The Times profiles Teenage Fanclub, whose new record Shadows is out today and streaming in its entirety at AOL.

Stream: Teenage Fanclub / Shadows

Clash checks in with The Futureheads at the start of their North American tour, which hits the Mod Club on Thursday night.

National Public Radio has a World Cafe session and The National Post an interview with The National. They kick off two nights at Massey Hall tonight.

Spinner talks to Danger Mouse of Broken Bells.

Exclaim interviews Sleigh Bells, in town at the Phoenix on July 20.

Handsome Furs have found themselves with a free night and will be playing Lee’s Palace on June 23; tickets are $16.50 in advance.

MP3: Handsome Fus – “Radio Kaliningrad”
MP3: Handsome Furs – “I’m Confused”

Los Angeles’ Autolux return with their first record in six years with Transmit Transit on August 3, and will follow that up with a tour that brings them to Lee’s Palace on August 24, tickets $17.50. The first MP3 from the new album is available to download PWYC-style – the track below is from their first record.

MP3: Autolux – “Here Comes Everybody”

The Horseshoe gets all Merge-y on August 28 when Lou Barlow and Wye Oak come to town. Both have new digital EPs out as of today – Barlow with the digital-only = Sentridoh III and Wye Oak with My Neighbour/My Creator. Pitchfork has details on the Barlow release and full tour dates, as well as an MP3.

MP3: Lou Barlow + The Missingmen – “Losercore”
MP3: Wye Oak – “Take It In”
Stream: Lou Barlow + The Missingmen / = Sentridoh III
Stream: Wye Oak / My Neighbour/My Creator