Frank YangWith all sympathy to Brooklyn’s Beach Fossils, who thanks to some lost passports were unable to get across the border, and to the fans who had been waiting to see them, I can’t say I was too disappointed that they had to cancel the engagement at Wrongbar on Wednesday night because it meant that my night out would be that much shorter and that I would get to see Warpaint that much sooner. We’re talking a difference of maybe an hour, but still – I’d been waiting to see them again after they bent my mind on the opening night of NXNE in June. Yeah, that was barely two months ago, but what can I say. I’m not a patient man.

Up first, though, were Javelin – also from Brooklyn but with their papers in order. With the stage festooned with old gutted boomboxes as props, the duo staged a live mixtape/mash-up dance party built around R&B and world music sounds, even though initially not many people seemed to feel like dancing. Their energy was relentless as they multi-tasked between drums, keys, stompboxes, kazoos and cowbells overtop taped backing tracks and samples and while it got a little exhausting towards the end of their set – it went on maybe 10 minutes longer than I’d have liked – but still a fun set if oddly paired with Warpaint.

The Warpaint portion of the evening got off to a good start even before they took the stage, what with being able to pick up a copy of their debut EP Exquisite Corpse on vinyl; not an easy find in Canada. And things just got better when the Los Angeles-based quartet did come onstage and soundcheck turned into a rhythm section jam over the house DJ’s tunes and then transformed seamlessly into the start of their set, all signs were that they were going to be on this night.

The musical chemistry of this unit is remarkable to behold – more than a band, they’re like a single, wholly organic unit with drummer Stella Mozgawa the musculature, bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg the blood and the pulse and guitarist/vocalists Theresa Wayman and Emily Kokal the two hemispheres of the brain, though which is the right and left seems to change moment to moment. Together, they seem to operate almost subconsciously or on pure instinct, effortlessly pushing and pulling each other as they sculpt their dreamy, sensual rock that’s as beguiling as it is unsettling, simultaneously chaotic and utterly in control. Watching them exchange looks and smiles on stage as they did their thing, seemingly as fascinated with seeing what they created as the audience, was almost as much a highlight of the show as the music.

This performance wasn’t as beautifully brutal as the Horseshoe show, instead feeling more limber and textured, and was built mainly around the new material which seemed to allow Wayman to more equally share lead vocals with Kokal. Still, the couple of Exquisite Corpse selections they did perform, they jammed the hell out of and set closer “Elephants” was positively explosive. The only facet of the show that could be considered disappointing was that it was all over in 40 minutes, their headlining show running only slightly longer than their more rigidly-timed festival appearance. Though the promotional push around their full-length debut – due mid-October – hasn’t begun yet, the buzz has been building steadily since last Fall and using this show as a barometer, they’re ready to take that and blow it right up.

Warpaint return to town as support for The xx at Massey Hall on September 29; The Daily Times has an interview with drummer Stella Mozgawa. Daytrotter just posted a session with Javelin and another with Beach Fossils which will hopefully hold fans over until they can get new passports in hand.

Photos: Warpaint, Javelin @ Wrongbar – August 11, 2010
MP3: Warpaint – “Elephants”
MP3: Warpaint – “Billie Holiday”
MP3: Javelin – “Oh! Centra”
MP3: Javelin – “World MIDI Classics, Vol. 2”
Video: Warpaint – “Stars”
Video: Warpaint – “Elephants”
MySpace: Warpaint
MySpace: Javelin

After turning in an awesome free show at the Horseshoe back in May, great Welsh hopes The Joy Formidable will return to said venue for another show on November 3 as part of a Fall tour – this one you’ll have to pay for, but it will be worth every penny. Their full-length debut is now set for release in early 2011.

MP3: The Joy Formidable – “Whirring”

Drowned In Sound goes through Sky Larkin’s new record Kaleide track-by-track with the assistance of the band. They also interview and are interviewed by Michael Lerner of Telekinesis, who will be in town on September 4 for a show at the El Mocambo.

M.I.A. was busy on the YouTubes this week, releasing not one but two new videos from /\/\/\Y/\.

Video: M.I.A – “XXXO”
Video: M.I.A. – “Illy Girl”

Chart has the full transcript of an interview with Beach House which ran a little while back in much abbreviated form. They’re at the Molson Amphitheatre on September 7.

NYC Taper is sharing a recording of a Holly Miranda show at a wine bar last week.

The Line Of Best Fit and Chart interview The Morning Benders.

Spinner has a feature and also a Q&A with Greg Edwards of Autolux; The Georgia Straight also has a chat. They’re at Lee’s Palace on August 24.

NOW previews this Saturday’s Arcade Fire show on the Toronto Islands with a cover feature. The Los Angeles Times talks to Merge head honcho Laura Ballance about their road to the #1 record in the US, UK and Canada while Nylon also talks to Ballance, but in her capacity as bassist of Superchunk. Their new record Majesty Shredding is out September 14.

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World finally opens today, and the media blitz continues. eye has a cover feature interview with Edgar Wright and Michael Cera, Interview gets Jason Schwartzman to interview Cera, The AV Club talks to Schwartzman and Anna Kendrick and both Under The Radar and Spin get some face time with Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

Frank YangThe Friday night programme of NXNE didn’t have, at least for me, any must-see anchor act around which to plan my evening so, instead, I assembled an itinerary of acts I was curious about, had recommended or were just conveniently slotted. A smorgasbord of showcases, if you will, which could either turn out great or… not so great.

Things kicked off at Bread & Circus in Kensington, partly because of its proximity to Big Fat Burrito and partly because Christopher Smith was playing at 8PM. The Beckon Call was both the name of the Vancouverite’s band and his debut album, and though just a four-piece when their show began, there were still more of them in the room than audience. And while obviously no one wants to play to no one, the emptiness was quite suited to the spectral qualities of Smith’s delicate voice and slow motion folk-pop songs. And by their set’s end, there were many times more people in the room than on stage. Well, three times. Or so.

Photos: Christopher Smith & The Beckon Call @ Bread & Circus – June 18, 2010
MP3: Christopher Smith – “Gently, Gently”
MP3: Christopher Smith – “Piece By Piece”
Video: Christopher Smith – “Gently, Gently”
MySpace: Christopher Smith

It should have been a quick shot down College to get to the Whippersnapper Gallery, but that plan was foiled by the massive Taste Of Italy street fair which slowed things down considerably, but I still got to the space in time for Inlets. The project led by Sebastian Krueger wasn’t a far stretch from what I had just seen Smith do, but his compositions from Inter Arbiter had a more jazzy or baroque feel to it, and with more blood and sinew. Though nominally a three-piece live, they were a bassist and performed quite effectively as a two piece, putting the focus squarely on Krueger’s unconventional melodies and Intricatley shifty guitarwork. Music suited for sitting quietly on the floor of an art gallery to.

Photos: Inlets @ The Whippersnapper Gallery – June 18, 2010
MP3: Inlets – “Bright Orange Air”
MP3: Inlets – “Spotsylvania”
MP3: Inlets – “In Which I, Robert”
Video: Inlets – “Bright Orange Air”

Six-string prowess was also on display at Lee’s Palace the next hour, courtesy of The Happy Hollows’ Sarah Negahdari. The frontwoman of the trio was like 2/3 of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in one, combining the on-stage energy and charisma of Karen O (and similar looks) with some insane guitar chops, a la Nick Zinner, albeit more shreddy than sound effect-y. Carrying the copious guitar solos which had Negahdari skipping and whipping around stage were punchy tunes from their debut Spells, equal parts glam, punk and prog. A wicked wake-up call for what had heretofore been a pretty sleepy night.

Photos: The Happy Hollows @ Lee’s Palace – June 18, 2010
MP3: The Happy Hollows – “Faces”
Video: The Happy Hollows – “Meteors”
Video: The Happy Hollows – “Big Bad Wolf”
Video: The Happy Hollows – “Vietnam”
Video: The Happy Hollows – “Death To Vivek Kemp”
Video: The Happy Hollows – “My Wet Tongue”
MySpace: The Happy Hollows

A trip down a Bathurst St jammed with traffic – road closures would be the recurring theme of the weekend – to Czehoski would bring the tempo back down, thanks to Denmark’s Katerine Ottoson, aka CALLmeKAT. The one-woman act offered a set of moody, slinky electro-lounge that thanks to an array of keyboards and her elastic voice, was able to engage but over the course of a set, the limits of her aesthetic became clear. The good songs were great but in the long run she needed more to offer the ears.

Photos: CALLmeKAT @ Czehoski – June 18, 2010
MP3: CALLmeKAT – “Flower In The Night”
Video: CALLmeKAT – “My Sea”

From there I doubled back to Kensington and Chinatown and the El Mocambo, where Haligonian Rich Aucoin was gearing up to show why people got so excited about his live shows. And even before they played a note, it was pretty clear what we could expect – the balloons, tambourines, beach balls and other party favours strewn about the stage telegraphed Aucoin’s dollar store Flaming Lips ambitions, and indeed his set was all about the party. With his bottomless bag of audience-engaging tricks, from songs comprised of call-and-response slogans and parachute play (like in grade school gym class), fun was pretty much guaranteed but taking a step back, it was hard to ignore that the songs didn’t really have much substance and were more soundtracks for the antics than standalone statements. Which is fine, but also kind of unfortunate. If he could couple the shenanigans with good and proper songs, then he’d really be onto something.

Photos: Rich Aucoin @ The El Mocambo – June 18, 2010
MP3: Rich Aucoin – “10,342 Cuts For The US”

And then it was back to where the night began – Bread & Circus – though by this time of night it was quite full of NXNE-ers. The draw were Gramercy Riffs, in all the way from Newfoundland. Though their debut It’s Heartbreak didn’t make the Polaris Prize long list, it did garner enough positive chatter amongst jurors to warrant a look- and listen-see. And yeah, the pop-rock from the band ably fronted by Lee Hanlon and Mara Pellerin is eminently likeable and catchy, even when it’s delivered in as much of a state of inebriation as the band seemed to be. Straight ahead and built on big melodies and choruses with just enough frills and flourishes to catch the ear, Gramercy Riffs are still relatively unknown outside of The Rock but seem well on their way to rectifying that. Spinner also caught the show and talked to the band afterwards.

Photos: Gramercy Riffs @ Bread & Circus – June 18, 2010
MP3: Gramercy Riffs – “Call Me”
MySpace: Gramercy Riffs

For one week, PitchforkTV is streaming the Rian Johnson-helmed concert video for The Mountain Goats’ last record The Life Of The World To Come.

Video: The Mountain Goats – The Life Of The World To Come

JAM and The Toronto Star talk to Sarah Harmer about plugging back in on her new record Oh Little Fire, out now. It’s streaming over at Spinner this week and she plays a sold-out record release show at the Palais Royale tonight.

Stream: Sarah Harmer / Oh Little Fire

Hercules & Love Affair will play a live set at the Mod Club on July 26.

Video: Hercules & Love Affair – “You Belong”

Obviously waiting until their NXNE set was done to announce, Warpaint are coming back on August 11 for a show at Wrongbar supported by Javelin and Beach Fossils. Their debut album will be out on or around September 28. Update: Warpaint will also be opening up for The xx at Massey Hall on September 29. HMM.

MP3: Warpaint – “Billie Holiday”
MP3: Javelin – “Oh! Centra”
MP3: Beach Fossils – “Youth”

Pop rules as Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin and Telekinesis team up for a Fall tour – SSLYBY in support of the forthcoming Let It Sway and Telekinesis for last year’s self-titled debut. The Toronto date is September 4 at the El Mocambo.

MP3: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – “Sink/Let It Sway”
MP3: Telekinesis – “Coast Of Carolina”

And it will get a little bit astrological when Stars and Young Galaxy play Massey Hall on October 23 as part of Stars’ Fall tour in support of the just-released The Five Ghosts. The Vancouver Sun, Spinner and Edmonton Journal have features on the band.

MP3: Stars – “We Don’t Want Your Body”
MP3: Young Galaxy – “Long Live The Fallen World”

Pitchfork has details on the soundtrack to Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, opening August 13.

ShearwaterIf there was a reason I finally got off my ass this past month and got my turntable fixed up with a shiny new cartridge, it’s this. Shearwater’s forthcoming The Golden Archipelago. The Austin band’s latest album, which is due out on February 23, has enormously high standards to live up to thanks to its two predecessors Palo Santo and Rook, but based on the just-released first MP3 from the album, the third part of this triumvirate will more than measure up if not eclipse the others. “Castaways” is nothing short of majestic, capturing the grand scope of Shearwater’s vision without giving up the the structure and immediacy of the pop song. It is amazing.

And it will look as grand as it sounds. Firm believers of the art of the album, both as an artistic statement and a physical package, Shearwater will be releasing The Golden Archipelago in distinct vinyl and CD formats that both appear to be essential to own. The CD will come with a 50-page perfect-bound book containing, as Matablog puts it, “a set of extracts from a dossier of records, photos, regulations and images collected by Shearwater’s Jonathan Meiburg” – probably not unlike that which you see in the video trailer released a little while back. As for the vinyl edition, the LP has two extra tracks making for a different running order and a coupon for digital downloads of the album and a PDF of the dossier, though those who pre-order will also receive a physical copy of the book.

As for the “why” of the differing editions, Meiburg chimed in with an explanation on the Shearwater message board in October. He described the CD as having “one running order, which we selected to be as concise as possible, so that it’s easiest to take in at one sitting” and the LP as “the version of the album I prefer, and the song that’s been placed back in the sequence was one of my favorites (and the one our co-producer, John Congleton, liked best of all). These songs make the LP about 20% longer than the CD”. So there you have it, the digital and analog offer two different experiences of the record though, obviously, if you have to choose one and are equipped to do so, the vinyl would be the way to go. Hence my getting the ol’ Rega serviced. February 23. I am ready.

MP3: Shearwater – “Castaways”

Pitchfork talks to Will Schaff, whose wonderful and often creepy artwork adorns the albums of Okkervil River. Buy one of his shirts, scare the neighbourhood children.

Blurt and New York talk to John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats.

There’s a new video out from The Dodos.

Video: The Dodos – “Long Form”

Spin declares Thao with The Get Down Stay Down to be a “hot new band”.

Interview and Stereogum interview Sufjan Stevens.

The Submarines have a new video from Honeysuckle Weeks.

Video: The Submarines – “Submarine Symphonika”

Spiral Stairs tells The Age that Pavement’s “no new material” edict for their 2010 reunion tour is doomed to fail.

Matt Ward and Zooey Deschanel tell Paste that She & Him Volume Two will be coming in Spring 2010. Deschanel also talks to The Wall Street Journal about her favourite music. I declare that this year, I will finally watch Elf. I’ve never seen it and it’s not the sort of film you can trot out in May. This year.

Holly Miranda records a Black Cab Session in the streets of New York.

Ca Va Cool interviews The Antlers.

Telekinesis stops in for a session with Daytrotter.

The Thermals certainly believe in long deadlines – Paste reports the band has gotten to work on album number five and are looking at a September 2010 release.

Craig Finn discusses the differences between Lifter Puller and The Hold Steady with Spinner.

You simply don’t get more French than Phoenix, Takeaway Shows and the Eiffel Tower. All you need is a fellow in a beret, striped shirt carrying a bague They’re at the decidedly un-Parisian Sound Academy this Saturday night, there’s an interview at The Detroit News and Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix was just nominated for a “best alternative album” Grammy.

Billboard reports that the Arcade Fire’s third album is on track for a May 2010 release and that they’ll likely be doing (headlining) the Summer festival circuit.

The Varsity interviews Think About Life.

Malajube discuss their touring schedule and plans to release an EP entitled Control with Chart.

Quick Before It Melts and The Brock Press interview Two Hours Traffic.

Steeltown label Sonic Unyon is going for a ghosts-of-Christmas-past/ghosts-of-Christmas-present theme for their annual holiday fete, drafting SIANspheric and Tristan Psionic out of retirement/hiatus/whatever to perform alongside Spirits and Quest For Fire at This Ain’t Hollywood in Hamilton on December 19. Admission $10, $5 with a donation of a non-perishable food item or a toy donation.

Some previews of the new Final Fantasy album Heartland are available via live videos on PitchforkTV’s “Tunnel Vision” series and a free download of “Lewis Takes Action” from Domino Records.

Fans of $100 may be interested to know they’ll be performing as a duet this Saturday night at the Royal Canadian Legion Hall (Bathurst and Niagara) as part of a special fundraising event – details here and here.

Canadian Interviews talk to Jenn Grant.

Spinner enumerates the best Canadian songs of the decade.

Ian DarkenSomething I learned yesterday – I wasn’t able to get by on three hours of sleep when I was young, I sure as hell can’t do it now. Blogging isn’t so easy when your brain has the consistency of porridge, so I’m thankful that there’s been a pile of new videos, sessions and streams amassing in my drafts folder which I can hopefully distill into some sort of post.

And we’ll begin with Athens, Georgia’s Venice Is Sinking, who’ve got a new video, stream AND MP3 to share, all in honour of their just-released EP Okay. As previously reported, it’s a single, a tribute and outtakes record, all in one. The title track comes from their lovely AZAR album from earlier this year, two tracks are covers of San Francisco artist Okay and the final two are alternate versions of AZAR tracks. Like the parent album, Okay is wistfully orchestrated ambient pop, forlorn even when it’s trying to be cheery. Venice Is Sinking does glumness exceedingly well. They do have a playful side, however, as the boot camp-themed video for “Okay” demonstrates. And a penchant for gunplay.

In addition to the new EP, the band have completed album number three – a mostly live recording due out sooner rather than later – and have begun writing album number four. Considering how this band seems to get better with every new thing they put out, their newfound prolificness can only bring good things.

MP3: Venice Is Sinking – “Okay”
MP3: Venice Is Sinking – “Compass”
Video: Venice Is Sinking – “Okay”
Stream: Venice Is Sinking / Okay

Yo La Tengo have also done the “rock band boot camp” thing in video before – witness the classic “Sugarcube” clip – but have just put out an awesome video of another sort – a Takeaway Show. Yo La Tengo are at the Opera House on October 3.

Video: Yo La Tengo – “Sugarcube”

A Place To Bury Strangers have released a video from their new album Exploding Head, due out October 6. They have a date at the Mod Club for October 27.

Video: A Place To Bury Strangers – “In Your Heart”

They Shoot Music recorded an acoustic performance from The Dodos, who released Time To Die last week and will be at Lee’s Palace on October 17. There’s interviews with the band at Austinist and Click Music.

Telekinesis have finally gotten themselves a proper website and play a Tiny Desk Session for NPR to mark the occasion. Okay, the two probably have nothing to do with each other. Or this video of them performing at the Merge XX festival this Summer.

St Vincent has released a new video from Actor.

Video: St Vincent – “Marrow”

Paste, Taipei Times and The Los Angeles Times interview Monsters Of Folk, whose self-titled debut was released this week and a new video to go along with it. They play Massey Hall on November 2.

Video: Monsters of Folk – “The Right Place”

BrooklynVegan interviews Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips, who have a new video from Embryonic, out October 13. The response to the new recordseems pretty split between a return to genius form and further evidence of their irrevocable decline. Which is it?

Video: The Flaming Lips – “I Can Be A Frog”

This week was pretty crazy for new releases, and so there’s plenty to stream over at Spinner – or at least there is if you’re not in Canada. Hereabouts, their Polaris promotion is still up so all the links shunt to streams of the short list but I’ve been told that’s going to change sometime today so Canucks, check back. Assuming that’s accurate – you’ve got Hope Sandoval & The Warm Intentions’ second album Through The Devil Softly which they’ll bring to the Mod Club on October 7 – she gives an interview to The Georgia Straight, White Water, White Bloom from Sea Wolf, who’re at Sneaky Dee’s on October 9 and Amy Millan’s second solo record Masters Of The Burial, for which she has a date at the Mod Club on October 14 – ChartAttack also has an interview.

Also out, streaming and coming to town this Fall are Girls whose debut album Album will receive an airing at the El Mocambo on November 10 and who are featured in a “Don’t Look Down” video session at PitchforkTV, J Tillman’s new one Year In The Kingdom which brings him to the Horseshoe on November 11 and Origin: Orphan from The Hidden Cameras – their hometown show will take place at the Opera House on December 5.

Stream: Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions / Through The Devil Softly
Stream: Sea Wolf / White Water, White Bloom
Stream: Amy Millan / Masters Of The Burial
Stream: Girls / Album
Stream: J. Tillman / Year in the Kingdom
Stream: The Hidden Cameras / Origin: Orphan

Also with a new record out this wee but sadly not coming to town any time soon are Early Day Miners, whose latest is The Treatment. There’s a feature piece on the band at Blurt.

Stream: Early Day Miners / The Treatment

In And Out Of Control isn’t out until October 6 but The Raveonettes are already streaming it for all to hear at their MySpace. They’re at the Phoenix on October 22 and there’s interviews with the band at Paper and Billboard.

Stream: The Raveonettes / In And Out Of Control

City Sonic talks to Tony Dekker of Great Lake Swimmers about how his daily commute influenced some of his early songs.

A couple of days before she takes the Horseshoe stage – Thursday, September 24 in support of The Antlers – it’s been announced that Holly Miranda has signed with XL Recordings to release her debut solo album early next year. I’ve been tracking her solo career since early this year and am pleased to see that her record will not only be coming out but will be properly promoted, but I wonder what to make of the fact that the press release mentions nothing about her band The Jealous Girlfriends… hopefully nothing. A video session with said band went up at FreqControl earlier this Summer.

Exclaim reports The Weakerthans will be releasing a series of 7″ singles saluting their home province on Manitoba starting on October 30.

FacebookThere’s a good run of albums, there’s career consistency and then there’s Yo La Tengo. The New Jersey outfit has been turning out full-length gems for almost a quarter-century now, and while some are held in higher regard than others, their consistently high standard has been nothing short of astonishing. And this isn’t a case of a band finding a style they excel in and working on variations of that theme, at least not unless you consider “restless creativity and experimentation in the realms of pop music” to be a single theme. So in sitting down with their twelfth proper album Popular Songs, you would have an excuse to not be surprised by what they have to offer, but none to not be delighted.

2006’s I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass was a welcome dose of energy for those afraid that the two preceding records were finding the band settling into a comfortable, somnambulant zone, bringing back not only the band’s noisier side but also their genre-hopping aesthetic. It wasn’t as many individually sublime moments as their previous highwater mark I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One, but as a collection it was a more than worthy addition to their discography. If this was as good as Yo La Tengo could be 20 years in, then we should consider ourselves lucky. But if Ass was the luck equivalent of finding a $20 bill in the street Popular Songs is like winning the lottery.

Okay, that’s probably overstating it but Songs has a certain something that you didn’t even realize Ass lacked. It’s hard to articulate exactly what that is, but it’s the ineffable quality that distinguishes a classic Yo La record from just a great one. I’ll put it down as a sense of fun. Ass had the sense of the band exploring terrain that they hadn’t visited in a while (and tinged with the sense of looking for a way to stay interested) and that sense of curiosity yielded its own rewards, but now it sounds like they’re comfortable again and are having fun with it. Everything that makes Yo La Tengo wonderful is present in abundance – the quiet, extended meditations (“The Fireside”), the skronky garage pop (“Nothing To Hide”), the gentle folk of “When It’s Dark”, the jazzy grooves (“Periodically Double Or Triple”) – and all points in between. For most bands, it’s probably too much to expect them to turn in one of the best albums of their career after the 20-year mark. Once again Yo La Tengo have defied expectations.

Spinner talks to the band about the secret of their longevity as well as the secrets of their songwriting. Paste also has a feature peice and also gets Ira Kaplan to offer up a recommended listening list.

Yo La Tengo are at the Opera House in Toronto on October 3.

MP3: Yo La Tengo – “Here To Fall”
MP3: Yo La Tengo – “Periodically Double Or Triple”
Video: Yo La Tengo – “When It’s Dark”
Video: Yo La Tengo – “Nothing To Hide”
Video: Yo La Tengo – “Avalon Or Someone Very Similar”
Video: Yo La Tengo – “Periodically Double Or Triple”
Video: Yo La Tengo – “Here To Fall”
MySpace: Yo La Tengo

DCist salutes Velocity Girl’s wonderful Simpatico! record, talking to most of the band about the making of the album. I loved that record. Must put it back into rotation this weekend.

Video: Velocity Girl – “Sorry Again”
Video: Velocity Girl – “I Can’t Stop Smiling”

Decider talks to The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart.

Wye Oak have released a new video from their excellent second album The Knot.

Video: Wye Oak – “Sight, Flight”

Billboard talks to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s Robert Been about the live CD/DVD set – creatively titled Live – due out November 10. Their new studio album is targeted for a Spring 2010 release.

The upcoming tour that pairs like-it-loud Asobi Seksu with like-it-low Loney Dear and Anna Ternheim was a bit of a head-scratcher until it was announced that Asobi would be releasing an acoustic album entitled Rewolf November 10, recasting old songs originally done loud in a quieter setting. The Village Voice confirms that the band is taking this setup live, so expect to see them as you’ve never seen them before when they play the Horseshoe on October 14 – no bad thing if you’ve already seen them many times before.

The Flaming Lips’ continues to talk smack about Arcade Fire to The Independent. Embryonic is due out October 13.

The Times Daily checks in with Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers. They just released a rarities and b-sides comp entitled The Fine Print last week and will have a new studio album out in February.

Under The Radar mind-melds with Telekinesis.

New Grizzly Bear video.

Video: Grizzly Bear – “While You Wait For The Others”

The endlessly prolific The Fiery Furnaces, whose latest album at the time of this writing is I’m Going Away but may well be something new by the time you read this, will be at the El Mocambo on November 7, tickets $20.

MP3: The Fiery Furnaces – “The End Is Near”

Obviously not ones for verbosity, San Francisco’s buzzy, fuzzy poppy Girls have set a September 22 release date for their debut album Album and Fall touring bring them to the El Mocambo on November 10.

MP3: Girls – “Lust For Life”
Video: Girls – “Lust For Life”

The Quietus talks to Warren Ellis about the second Grinderman album, which should be out sometime next year.

Doves have rolled out a new video from Kingdom Of Rust

Video: Doves – “Winter Hill”

Little Boots recorded a Black Cab Session in Austin during SxSW in March. So THAT’S what the Tenori-On does! And technically, Austin cabs are not uniformly black but that’s neither here nor there. Little Boots plays Wrongbar on Monday night.

Video: Little Boots – “Stuck On Repeat” (live on Black Cab Sessions)

BeatRoute talks to Arctic Monkeys. They’re at the Kool Haus on September 29.

Shanghaiist chats with Handsome Furs.

Blare grabbed an interview with Jay Ferguson of Sloan a couple weeks back at V Fest, where he revealed there were plans to release a new digital EP this Fall and that he’s done with making CDs. Not albums, just CDs. The band also just announced they’ll be playing a free show outside the Air Canada Centre next Wednesday night, September 16, before the Leafs-Bruins pre-season game. This may well be the highlight of the season for Leafs fans.

And speaking of free public shows, that Neil Young performance that was supposed to happen at Yonge-Dundas Square on Monday is off. You can stop lining up now. Why? The Toronto Star, who reported the event in the first place, got a hold of Young and he says he had no idea he was supposed to perform in the first place and was never going to be in town. Hmm. The Jonathan Demme concert film Neil Young Trunk Show is still coming to the Film Festival though, so you can try an line up for that.

Trailer: Neil Young Trunk Show

Pitchfork invites an array of indie-rock luminaries to make “best of” lists for the century so far.