Natasha TyleaWhen Baltimore duo Wye Oak first came onto the scene in 2008 with their debut If Children, I felt they had all the necessary traits to attain most favoured band status – gorgeously melodic and melancholic songs built on a solid foundation of noise and twang – but didn’t pull it together quite enough to knock it out of the park. That they would do so, however, was a question of when and not if.

“When” would be the very next year with their much more dynamic and assured second album The Knot, which delivered on all the promise of the debut and then some, and this year’s My Neighbour/My Creator EP which affirmed that though they’d arrived, they weren’t slowing down even a little.

So expectations for album number three are pretty damn high, and we’ll find out if they’ve been met or exceeded come March 8, when Civilian is released. Falling short is not an option, and from the sounds of the first released MP3 – the title track of the record – there’s no worries on that count. It encapsulates everything that’s great about Wye Oak, starting out quietly folkish, and led by Jenn Wasner’s vocals, builds into an epic guitar freakout that should seem otherworldly given the song’s starting point but feels perfectly natural. Am I keen on this release? Yes.

Merge has details on the album and Winter tour dates, which will include a February 1 appearance at The Sound Academy in Toronto in support of The Decemberists.

MP3: Wye Oak – “Civilian”

And speaking of The Decemberists: while their next album The King Is Dead, out January 18, is apparently a step back from the high concept folk-rock opera of The Hazards Of Love, Colin Meloy’s apparently not done telling stories in song. In conversation with Billboard about the new record, Meloy mentions that he’s talked to a Broadway director about a future project.

Shearwater, with whom Wye Oak toured with when they visited back in the Spring, will be heading into the studio to make a new record this Spring but first, Matablog reports via a note from Jonathan Meiburg that they’ll be playing their last three releases – Palo Santo, Rook and The Golden Archipelago, aka “The Island Arc” – in order and in their entirety at Austin’s Central Presbyterian Church on January 15. I usually have a baseline state of mind of wishing I was in ATX, but I’d especially like to see that – for those of us who can’t, though, Matador has assembled a digital sampler from the three records just to remind us what we’ll be missing. Thanks. The Oklahoma Daily talks to Meiburg about islands.

MP3: Shearwater – “Red Sea, Black Sea”
MP3: Shearwater – “Sing, Little Birdie”
MP3: Shearwater – “The Snow Leopard”
MP3: Shearwater – “South Col”
MP3: Shearwater – “Castaways”
MP3: Shearwater – “God Made Me”

Superchunk make their long-awaited return to Toronto tonight, and the local media is ready to greet them. eye sends Nick Hune-Brown of local popsters Hooded Fang to interview ‘Chunk guitarist Jim Wilbur and also talk to drummer Jon Wurster about how he spent his hiatus. NOW and aux.tv also get to chat with Wurster. The Detroit News has a piece with frontman Mac McCaughan.

NYC Taper has got audio of Jeff Tweedy’s solo show in New York earlier this week available to download.

Low are giving away a live EP in exchange for your email address. A fine way to get reacquainted before their new record C’Mon arrives early next year.

The first MP3 from J Mascis’ forthcoming solo acoustic record Several Shades Of Why is now available to grab over at Sub Pop. The record comes out March 15 and it looks as though he’ll be at Canadian Musicfest in Toronto the week before.

The New York Times has assembled fourteen short films of actors… acting, soundtracked by Owen Pallett. It’s cooler than I make it sound. Some background on the project at their Lens blog.

NOW dedicates this week’s cover story to The Sadies, who continue their tradition of ringing in the New Year at the Horseshoe this coming December 31. The Press has a conversation with drummer Mike Belitsky.

The Line Of Best Fit and The New Zealand Herald chat with Carl Newman of The New Pornographers.

And also at The Line Of Best Fit is a new Oh! Canada compilation, this one extra special as its a holiday-themed one with a tonne of exclusive seasonal tracks by folk like Basia Bulat, Woodpigeon and Evening Hymns. Even if you don’t like holiday music – and between you and me and the internet, I don’t really – it’s a must-have.

Frank YangJust in case anyone was uncertain, let it be known – Grinderman are not fucking around. The subset of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds made their North American debut at The Phoenix on Thursday night, the first date of an extensive North American tour, and it’s just as well their set dressing consisted of plastic sheeting draped everywhere like one of Dexter’s kill rooms because shit was flying.

Sound, spittle and fury, Cave and company unloaded it all on the completely sold out room and in the process, made the distinctions between Grinderman and their parent project much clearer than they are on record. As the Bad Seeds’ last visit in October 2008 proved, there’s still plenty of fire in the unit even after 25-plus years. But whereas The Bad Seeds operate with an air of elegance and romance, even at their darkest moments, Grinderman functions as that band’s id, trading in any stateliness for an extra dose of sleazy blues and offering it up with pretty much one setting – in your face.

Opener “Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man”, the lead track from this year’s delicious Grinderman 2, set the tone for the night with Cave demonstrating his newfound penchant for guitar abuse – clearly having learned a thing or two from mad scientist bandmate Warren Ellis – whilst rhythm section Martyn Casey and Jim Sclavunos punished their bass and drums for an apparent lifetime of unforgivable transgressions. That vibe of unchecked id permeated the room, given focus through Cave’s mad preacher figure as he climbed around on monitors, leered at the front row and generally reaffirmed his position as one of the most magnetic frontmen in music, no matter who he’s playing with.

Though unquestionably seedy in tone, the show wasn’t all raunch – midpoint “What I Know” had Cave trading in electric weaponry for acoustic and allowed both Cave, who had sounded occasionally hoarse throughout the show, and the audience, who had been on the receiving end of their unrelenting aural thrust from note one, to take a breather. But that tenderness was more foreplay than anything as it set up the exponentially amped-up triple-punch of “Honey Bee (Let’s Fly To Mars)”, “Kitchenette” and “No Pussy Blues” and then smouldering set-closer, “Bellringer Blues”. By the time they left the stage, the show hadn’t even run an hour but after that sort of primal one-two, did we really expect to be held afterwards? And yet they had more than a little gas left in the tank, coming back as they did for a five-song encore that included a guitar-led “Palaces Of Montezuma” and yearning “Man In The Moon”. Running half as long as the main set and feeling a good deal moodier, it was an extended coda that acted as a complex and unexpected punctuation mark on a fierce and memorable performance.

eye, The Phoenix and The Boston Globe have Grinderman features while Spin, Chart and The Globe & Mail were also on hand for the show. And Anti- are running a Grinderman photo contest wherein you can be chosen to shoot one of the shows on the tour.

Photos: Grinderman @ The Phoenix – November 11, 2010
MP3: Grinderman – “Heathen Child”
Video: Grinderman – “Worm Tamer”
Video: Grinderman – “Heathen Child”
Video: Grinderman – “No Pussy Blues”
MySpace: Grinderman

The Guardian is streaming a new instrumental track from Richard Hawley, inspired by a visit to the Glenfiddich whiskey distillery in Scotland. There’s a second such track available to stream at the Glenfiddich website; you just have to pretend you live in the UK to access it. Elsewhere, The Financial Times talks food with Hawley.

Amy Millan of Stars talks to The Dumbing Of America, See and The Gateway while Chris Seligman chats with OC Weekly.

Black Book has a brief chat with Warpaint.

Sharon Van Etten plays a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR.

The Other Paper talks to Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater.

Frank YangIf there’s an upside to getting a full night’s sleep after turning in at 5AM, it’s that it eliminates a lot of the decision-making around what to do with one’s day. Hauling my ass out of bed at almost 1PM meant that all I had to do for the last day of Matador at 21 was shower, cram myself with enough food to get me through till the wee hours of the morning and stand in line waiting for the doors to the Pearl to open. Easy peasy.

The weekend’s grand finale was led of by Shearwater, who this show and ACL aside, were taking a short break before a final, extensive November tour in support of this year’s The Golden Archipelago. And if this performance was any indication, the US cities on that itinerary had best be prepared for a Shearwater that’s making a strong argument for themselves as a rock band. I’d seen Shearwater a number of times through a number of lineups, including their last visit to Toronto in April, but this was the most punchy and aggressive I can recall hearing them and that they were able to convey that kind of energy and dynamicism without compromising the majesty and mystery that makes up so much of their appeal was really remarkable.

Photos: Shearwater @ Pearl at The Palms – October 3, 2010
MP3: Shearwater – “Black Eyes”
MP3: Shearwater – “Castaways”
MP3: Shearwater – “Rooks”
MP3: Shearwater – “The Snow Leopard”
MP3: Shearwater – “Red Sea, Black Sea”
MP3: Shearwater – “Seventy-Four, Seventy-Five”
MP3: Shearwater – “I Can’t Wait”
MP3: Shearwater – “Room For Mistakes”
MP3: Shearwater – “An Accident”

Though only a recent signee to Matador with this year’s Brutalist Bricks, Ted Leo seemed to have been anointed man-about-fest and label ambassador for the weekend – he was ubiquitous at events and after parties, guesting in MC sketches, karakoeing and generally seemed to be having a great time, as someone who’s finally found a stable home after being on way too many failing labels reasonably would. That positive energy gave his set a distinctly different vibe than the last time I saw him in June during a totally different kind of insane weekend. Highlights included bringing Sally Crewe out to add vocals and tambourine to “Bottled In Cork”, a rampaging “Ballad Of The Sin Eater”, the best one-liner of the weekend (“this is champagne, not my own urine”) and being joined by Carl Newman for a closing cover of “I Love My Label”, though delivered sincerely rather than ironically as songwriter Nick Lowe had intended. This weekend, we all loved his label.

Photos: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists @ Pearl at The Palms – October 3, 2010
MP3: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – “Bottled In Cork”
MP3: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – “The Mighty Sparrow”
MP3: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – “Even Heroes Have To Die”
MP3: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – “Bomb Repeat Bomb (1954)”
MP3: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – “The Sons Of Cain”
MP3: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – “Me & Mia”
MP3: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – “Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone?”
MP3: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – “Squeaky Fingers”
MP3: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – “Under The Hedge”
MP3: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – “Come Baby Come”
MP3: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – “Under The Hedge” (Treble In Trouble)

I had spent much of the weekend playing The New Pornographer bingo and had managed to spot half the lineup in the wild before they took the stage. I was excited not just because they were one of only two Canadian acts in the lineup – gotta have some national pride – but because I hadn’t yet seen them on tour for Together. Whereas some of their label peers were using the occasion to do something a little different, be it a guest appearance, deep cut or cover, the Pornographers instead went for maximum content, cramming a dozen of their biggest, hookiest songs into their allotted time. Things were hampered a bit by a questionable mix that was far too light on the vocals for a band with so many great vocalists, but the sheer concentration of tunes and the presence of a happy and chatty Neko Case and a Dan Bejar who didn’t look like he wanted to bolt for the nearest exit as soon as his song was done made for a great set that finished with the unbeatable one-two punch of “Letter From An Occupant” and “Bleeding Heart Show”.

Photos: The New Pornographers @ Pearl at The Palms – October 3, 2010
MP3: The New Pornographers – “Your Hands (Together)”
MP3: The New Pornographers – “My Rights Versus Yours”
MP3: The New Pornographers – “Myriad Harbour”
MP3: The New Pornographers – “Twin Cinema”
MP3: The New Pornographers – “The Laws Have Changed”

Of all the acts playing this weekend, the most intriguing was Liz Phair, who was originally listed as a performer when Matador 21 was announced, then mysteriously removed, then added again weeks later. The prodigal daughter, whose disastrous major label reinvention is used as a cautionary tale for others considering same, had been out of the public eye for some years but was apparently staging a comeback with the recent release of the perplexing and deliberately awful Funstyle and upcoming unearthing of the legendary Girlysound recordings on October 19 (as a bonus disc to the physical release of Funstyle, natch). Who would show up? The mainstream pop punch line or the revered indie queen? Would she be welcomed with arms open or crossed? The answer to both was clear when she strode out on stage, looking as great as ever, to huge applause. And in return, she opened with “Supernova” and the great Liz Phair resurrection was underway. Playing with just a second guitarist, the rest of her set was made up of highlights from Exlie In Guyville and Whip Smart that culminated in a terrific duet with Ted Leo on “Fuck & Run”. In the course of a 20-minute set, Liz Phair was able to largely erase the last 10 years from our memories and remind us why we cared so much about her in the first place. Where she takes things from here is anyone’s guess but either way – welcome back, Liz.

Photos: Liz Phair @ Pearl at The Palms – October 3, 2010
MP3: Liz Phair – “Fuck & Run”
MP3: Liz Phair – “Polyester Bride”

It must have been some bad luck the first couple of times I saw Yo La Tengo live because those shows, way back in the early part of this century, gave me the impression that the trio were first mates on the USS No Fun, so sullen and inward did they seem at those performances. But the music keeps bringing me back and every show since then – particularly in recent years – has been better and better as they’ve found a good balance between the extended jams and the pop gems, the deep cuts and the fan favourites. And while they still seem prone to bouts of moodiness, when they’re feeling good their shows are great and at Matador 21, they were feeling good. The trio – as synonymous a band with Matador as ever there was one – started off with the slow-burning “Our Way To Fall” but all the many sides of Yo La Tengo were represented, including the organ-driven “Autumn Sweater”, the goofy synchronized dance-move enhanced “You Can Have It All”, the eternally wonderful “Sugarcube” and epic drone-to-freakout finale “Blue Line Swinger”. I’d commented earlier in the day that the shortened set time might force them to stay focused and hopefully “Nuclear War”, which had been a 20-minute nadir of the worst Yo La Tengo show I’d ever seen, would be omitted but they made be eat my words as the Sun Ra cover was indeed in the set but flipped around lyrically to shout out to every member of the Matador staff. Hilarious and perfect.

Photos: Yo La Tengo @ Pearl at The Palms – October 3, 2010
MP3: Yo La Tengo – “Here To Fall”
MP3: Yo La Tengo – “Periodically Double Or Triple”
MP3: Yo La Tengo – “Pass The Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind”
MP3: Yo La Tengo – “Beanbag Chair”
MP3: Yo La Tengo – “The Summer” (live on KEXP)
MP3: Yo La Tengo – “I Feel Like Going Home” (live on KCMP)
MP3: Yo La Tengo – “Little Eyes”
MP3: Yo La Tengo – “Don’t Have To Be So Sad”
MP3: Yo La Tengo – “From A Motel 6”

And finally, at long last, after three days or six years – whichever you like – it was time for Guided By Voices. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen them – I caught one of their final tours, and the last to come to Canada, back in the Summer of 2002 at the Horseshoe – but certainly the first time with this “classic” lineup associated with their very best mid-’90s records. To be honest, I was less excited about the who that was going to be performing, though the presence of Tobin Sprout was a definite plus, than the what – a set made up of exclusively pre-1996 material was going to be pretty sweet. My anticipation was nothing compared to many of those in around me, though, waiting for that iconic “The Club Is Open” neon sign to light up. It seems that there had been convoys of Bud Light-wielding proto-bros from Ohio to Nevada and they spent the entire weekend to this point out in the parking lot having a giant tailgate party. That things were going to get rowdy was a foregone conclusion, as was the fact that my spot right up against the stage – claimed and held onto for the past seven hours or so – would get pretty painful as a result. But these are the prices you pay in the name of rock.

And it was indeed rock. Guided By Voices have never been a young band and were clearly even less so now – Robert Pollard in particular looking older than his 57 53 years – but they clearly weren’t going to let a little thing like age slow them down, at least not while they were on stage. Pollard had all his signature moves ready to go – the mic twirl, the skipping, the scissor kick – and he wasn’t even the most enthusiastic of the band. That honour went to guitarist Mitch Mitchell, who was so gleeful to be back out there with his windmills and rock poses, it was as though he’d been waiting by his phone for the reunion call for the past 14 years; bassist Greg Demos’ enthusiasm levels weren’t far off. Sprout, on the other hand, was more reserved with an amused professorial air about him but I suspect that was the case 15 years ago as well. I couldn’t see drummer Kevin Fennell behind his kit, but I will assume he was having a good time.

It wasn’t the old days – the mandatory cooler of beer wasn’t tapped in to nearly as much as it might have been a decade ago and with this being just their third show, the 90-minute set was a far cry from the 3-hour marathons they were once known for – but they certainly couldn’t be accused of not trying their damnedest. 30 songs ranging that dipped into more obscure EPs, but mostly they gave everyone what they wanted to hear – gem upon gem from Propeller, Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes. I would have liked to hear more from Under The Bushes, Under The Stars but couldn’t tell you at the cost of what selections. A show without “My Valuable Hunting Knife”, “Echoes Myron”, “Game Of Pricks” or “Gold Star For Robot Boy” would have been unthinkable. The actual execution of said songs wasn’t perfect; more than once Pollard and his bandmates had to catch their breath and they weren’t overly tight, but even in their heyday slop was part of the mystique and so that it now came from rust rather than beer didn’t matter so much. What did matter was that this was Guided By Voices, one more time, and that they were the perfect cap to an outstanding weekend and something I thought I’d never experience – a good time in Vegas. See everyone at Matador @ 22? Olé.

Photos: Guided By Voices @ Pearl at The Palms – October 3, 2010
MP3: Guided By Voices – “Everyone Thinks I’m A Raincloud”
MP3: Guided By Voices – “Window Of My World”
MP3: Guided By Voices – “I’ll Replace You With Machines”

Las Vegas Weekly, Billboard and North County Times have interviews with Liz Phair, who herself contributed a piece to The Wall Street Journal about the phenomenon of ’90s nostalgia.

Paste checks in with Mitchell and Fennell about the road to the Guided By Voices reunion, and one of the reunion shows is available to download in whole for free at GBV Digital.

The Los Angeles Times, Las Vegas Weekly, The AV Club, Wall Street Journal and Rolling Stone have writeups of the final night’s festivities while Pitchfork, Entertainment Weekly and Spin opt for complete weekend feature pieces. Also check out the oral history of Matador at MySpace, a complete set of festival feature articles and interviews at Las Vegas Weekly and a list of acts who could have/should have played but didn’t and why not at Spinner.

And tomorrow, back to reality.

Frank YangDan Mangan has come through town a few times since his show at the Rivoli last October, but for my purposes that show and the one this past Thursday night at the Horseshoe make for very good comparison points. At that show, I noted he seemed “on the cusp of bigger things” and while the ‘Shoe is physically bigger than the Rivoli by a fair margin, selling it out as fully as Mangan did also represents a sort of watershed moment for a Canadian artist. Dan Mangan isn’t just rising; he’s risen.

And along for the ride (and this tour) was Victoria’s Aidan Knight, who himself has been getting some attention for his debut mini-album Versicolour… though not from me. Though I knew I had a copy, I hadn’t gotten around to checking it out before the show and so basically went into his opening set cold. What I found was an artist possessed of a voice that was simultaneously wearily aged yet earnestly youthful and with a timbre not unlike Tony Dekker’s and armed with a brace of songs whose tones ranged from quirky to weighty. Decent stuff made more entertaining thanks to Knight’s charmingly awkward stage presence and band arrangements that were more intricate and interesting than they probably needed to be. And I did finally give Versicolour a listen afterwards, and must say it’s a much more impressive document of Knight’s abilities than his live set was – well-crafted, musically ambitious and with just the right amount of downbeat mood, it definitely marks Knight as a talent to keep an eye on.

Which, really, is what people were probably saying about Dan Mangan a year or so ago, when his Roboteering EP was released and foreshadowed what was to come later last Summer with his second full-length Nice, Nice, Very Nice. And as much as credit must be given to that record for being excellent and one of my favourites of last year, I think it’s largely Mangan’s work ethic and relentless cross-country touring that was responsible for packing the Horseshoe on this night – the vibe in the room wasn’t so much of fans seeing a favourite performer but of friends visiting with one another, and that sort of rapport is really only built in the live setting.

Nowhere was this more clearly evident than early in the set for “The Indie Queens Are Waiting” – whereas at the Rivoli show, Mangan had a female band member cover Veda Hille’s vocals on the studio version, this time Mangan’s crew were all men so it seemed he was prepared to let the responses to his calls go unmade. The audience, however, would have none of it and quietly and chorally filled in that space, in particular one girl standing just behind me who nearly nailed Hille’s timbre and phrasing. Also unlike the Rivoli show, this time out Mangan had a full-time drummer behind him, giving the set a bit more meat and propulsion than in October but the overall pacing was kept at a fairly even keel and interspersed with corny jokes and anecdotes, such that the evening had less the feel of a performance than a friendly conversation. And for the quality of his songwriting and records, it’s that resonance and relatability that may be Mangan’s greatest talents – you can go far by just making great music, but there are some heights that can only be reached if you’re lifted up on the shoulders of your fans.

BlogTO, The Globe & Mail and Music Vice also have reviews of the show (though the Globe piece is really more of an extended, “I don’t get it”) while NOW and The Toronto Star chime in with feature pieces on Mangan.

Photos: Dan Mangan, Aidan Knight @ The Horseshoe – April 22, 2010
MP3: Dan Mangan – “Road Regrets”
MP3: Dan Mangan – “Robots”
MP3: Dan Mangan with Shane Koyzcan – “Tragic Turn Of Events/Move Pen Move”
MP3: Aidan Knight – “Jasper”
Video: Dan Mangan – “Robots”
Video: Dan Mangan – “The Indie Queens Are Waiting”
Video: Aidan Knight – “Jasper”
Stream: Dan Mangan / Roboteering
Stream: Dan Mangan / Nice, Nice, Very Nice
MySpace: Dan Mangan
MySpace: Aidan Knight

Pitchfork talks to Caribou’s Dan Snaith; they play The Phoenix on May 3.

NYC Taper is sharing a recording of Owen Pallett’s show in New York last week. Dallas Voice also has an interview.

Under The Radar talks to Florence Welch of Florence & The Machine.

Fresh off announcing the release date of her new record – June 29 – M.I.A. has released the first decidedly NSFW video and leaked the corresponding MP3 from the record herself. Clearly, motherhood has mellowed her out. Yeah, right. Update: YouTube has moved the video behind the adults-only curtain. Kids of all ages can watch it and it’s ultra-violence at her website, though.

MP3: M.I.A. – “Born Free”
Video: M.I.A. – “Born Free”

The Hot Chip/xx show from Washington DC this past weekend is now available to stream at NPR, and if you want some visuals to go with the audio, check out the photos over at Photokyle. There’s also a Hot Chip feature at The Independent.

Slow Club are giving away a free EP – head over here and swap your email for their Let’s Fall Back In Love EP.

Idlewild have chosen to call it a day – I guess that rumoured North American tour for the Fall isn’t happening.

An Horse have released a new video from Rearrange Beds. They play the Garrison tonight.

Video: An Horse – “Postcards”

MBV Music reports that the long-awaited new Versus album – their first in ten years – has a title of On The Ones And Threes and will be out this August on Merge and Teenbeat.

It seems I jumped the gun a bit on announcing that Mirah show at the Horseshoe last week. Not because the show’s not happening – it is, on June 26 – but because it’s part of a massive co-headline tour with Thao with The Get Down Stay Down. I can’t speak for the live Mirah experience – or the recorded one, really – but Thao live is terrific. I suspect this show – and tour – is wholly worth your time.

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

Billboard has an extensive feature piece on The National, whose High Violet is just a fortnight from release and who are at Massey Hall on June 8 and 9.

PitchforkTV has a video session with The Antlers; they open up both of those National shows at Massey Hall.

NPR interviews Midlake. They play the Mod Club on May 22.

The Georgia Straight and Tuscon Weekly talk to Shearwater frontman Jonathan Meiburg.

The Line Of Best Fit interviews Band Of Horses’ Creighton Barrett. Infinite Arms is out May 18 and they play Toronto Islands on June 19.

Crooked Fingers has taken to Kickstarter to solicit financing for a most worthy of projects – a follow-up to their 2002 covers EP Reservoir Songs. Pledges can be for as little as $1, but starting at the $6 point you’re entitled to a download of the finished product, while $15 or $25 gets you a limited-edition LP and if you get into the four-figure territory, you can get to pick a song for them to cover or have them come to your living room to perform. For serious. They’re targeting an early Summer release for the EP and a new Crooked Fingers full-length before the year is out.

Seeing as how they initially reported on its existence, it seems fitting that Torontoist have an update of sorts on the Imagine Concert, which is still supposed to usher in a new Age of Aquarius (aren’t we already in one?) emanating from Downsview Park in Toronto starting the weekend of July 10 and 11. It seems the city still hasn’t signed off, never mind provincial or federal authorities and the promoter is tilting at windmills and trying to pay artists fees with peace and love. I also apparently gave them too much credit in assuming they’d secured The Flaming Lips as part of the “Pink Floyd tribute” portion of the show as updated touring itineraries show the Lips as being at Ottawa Bluesfest on the 10th and in Louisville, Kentucky on the 11th. That does, however, leave two days open between Montreal on the 7th and Ottawa on the 10th where the Lips could conceivably make their first Toronto appearance in three and a half years. Presumably at a show that would pay them in actual money, and not just good vibes. Now don’t get me wrong – I still hope this thing happens and that it’s wonderful or at least interesting (in a good way or a train wreck way, whichever) – but it doesn’t look too good right now.

4ADWhat do you get when you combine a slowish news day with the last post of the week and a compulsive inability to take a day off? A post led with stuff I don’t really know anything about! Yay!

Specifically, Californian outfit Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, whom I understand are both credited and blamed for what the kids are now calling “chillwave”. I don’t know what that is, particularly, but what I’ve heard of Mr. Pink is about half interesting trippy pop and about half aimless meandering; “Round & Round”, the first promo track from 4AD debut Before Today, due out June 8, is much more the former – if it sets the tone for the album, I’d certainly be interested in hearing more. That release will be followed by a North American tour that will bring them and tourmates The Magic Kids and Pearl Harbour to the Mod Club on July 22; tickets are $15 and go on sale Saturday.

MP3: Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – “Round & Round”
Video: Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – “Video Demo 2010”

When incredibly prolific bands suddenly go silent, it’s rarely good news but Pitchfork has confirmed what many of us suspected – Voxtrot is calling it quits. One more short US tour and that’s all she wrote; thanks guys, it was a good run.

The Pacific Northwest Inlander talks to Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater, who are currently on a western tour and need some pants.

MusicOmh has an interview with Spoon bassist Rob Pope.

Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard tells MTV that their next album is on track for an early 2011 release.

Tea Party Boston – no relation to the dumbass tea parties – interviews Hutch Harris of The Thermals. Their new record, tentatively entitled Personal Life, is set for a September 7 release.

Marah hit the Horseshoe on May 29; their new record Life Is A Problem arrives June 22 – sample some of it at Soundcloud.

Mirah is at the Horseshoe on June 26.

MP3: Mirah – “Don’t Die In Me”

Under The Radar reports that Dark Night Of The Soul, the album and project from Danger Mouse, the late Mark Linkous and David Lynch, will get an official release on July 13.

The Depreciation Guild’s new album Spirit Youth isn’t out until May 18, but you can stream it now over at Spinner.

Stream: The Depreciation Guild / Spirit Youth

It’s dueling tour diaries as Phantogram and The Antlers both prepare to take notes of their upcoming west coast tour together for Spinner. The Antlers will hook up with The National before coming back to Toronto for two nights at Massey Hall on June 8 and 9.

The Guardian talks to that The National’s Matt Berninger and Aaron Dessner, Hit Fix to Dessner alone, while The New York Times has both a massive feature on the band and a stream of their new record High Violet, well in advance of its May 11 release.

Stream: The National / High Violet

Great Lake Swimmers have released a new video from Lost Channels and have added a number of live dates through the Spring and Summer. That includes two unusual hometown shows: a May 1 performance at the Legion Hall at King and Niagara to tie in with their new Legion Sessions release, and another at the Hot House Cafe on May 3 as part of the Panty Schmooze benefit for women’s shelters.

Video: Great Lake Swimmers – “Stealing Tomorrow”

Also one to file under “unconventional locales”, on May 28 the Toronto Reference Library will host a free show with Fucked Up and $100, intended “for kids and families and punks and book nerds” – no tickets, just show up.

MP3: Fucked Up – “No Epiphany”

JAM talks to Caribou’s Dan Snaith; they play The Phoenix on May 3.

SF Station has an interview with Broken Social Scene drummer Justin Peroff about their new record Forgiveness Rock Record, coming out May 4. They play the Toronto Islands on June 19.

Mines Advisory Group (MAG) is a global charity dedicated to the elimination of land mines, and to that end have started up monthly newsletter called the Plug Five Project wherein bands and bloggers submit lists of new music they’re digging – in packs of five – and they’re delivered to your inbox. The first issue comes out next week and will feature recommendations from folks like John Vanderslice, Wavves, The Tallest Man On Earth, Gorilla Vs Bear, Largehearted Boy and, um, me. A subscription is available for a one-time fee of $2 (or 2 quid in the UK) and does directly to MAG’s work of clearing land mines.