Arno FrugierUsually when a band says, “we’ll see you soon” as they walk off the stage, it’s a mostly-empty platitude that means “we’ll see you when we’ve got a new record to push”, or “we’ll see you when our next single becomes a huge hit and allows us to come back and play a much bigger room”. For New York rock stalwarts The Walkmen and Los Angeles psych-folk bard Father John Misty, though, at least lately, it’s been an ironclad promise.

The Walkmen were here twice already this year – once in March at The Phoenix as part of their 10th anniversary celebrations, and again in August at the Molson Amphitheatre supporting both Florence & The Machine and their latest album Heaven – and Father John Misty has one-upped them, making his local debut at The Horseshoe in May, opening up for Youth Lagoon at The Opera House in July, and then returning again to headline Lee’s Palace just this past weekend, all in support of his debut Fear Fun. Which is great news for their fans if a bit hard on their fans’ pocketbooks.

But if you reside in that section of their fanbase Venn diagrams that intersect, the fact that they’re teaming up for a Winter tour should be an exciting one. It will bring them to The Danforth Music Hall on January 16 with ticket prices ranging from $33.50 to $45.50, which isn’t the cheapest, but when you consider the two-for-one value proposition, it’s a pretty good deal.

Le Blogotheque has a couple videos from The Walkmen’s 10th anniversary show in New York this Summer. Bullett, The Chicago Tribune, and The Phoenix have interviews with Josh Tillman of Father John Misty, who is continuing on his current tour.

MP3: The Walkmen – “Love Is Luck”
MP3: The Walkmen – “Line By Line”
MP3: Father John Misty – “Nancy From Now On”
MP3: Father John Misty – “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings”

Grantland goes behind the scenes of the first video from Titus Andronicus’ Local Business. That record brings them to Lee’s Palace on November 27 and provides context for this interview at The Guardian

Video: Titus Andronicus – “In A Big City”

NPR has a World Cafe session with Band Of Horses, hitting Massey Hall on December 5.

Pitchfork has details on the solo debut from Christopher Owens, former frontman for Girls. Lysandre will be out on January 14 and a couple songs from it are available to stream.

Stream: Christopher Owens – “Lysandre’s Theme / Here We Go”

The first preview track from Local Natives’ new record Hummingbird, due out January 29, is now available to download. They’re at The Opera House on March 28.

MP3: Local Natives – “Breakers”

Though busy for the last while as being part of Thao & Mirah, Thao Nguyen has gotten back together with The Get Down Stay Down – though grammar geeks will find it interesting they’re now credited as “and” instead of “with” – and will release a new album in We The Common on February 5. Stream the first track below.

Stream: Thao & The Get Down Stay Down – “Holy Roller”

Under The Radar points out that Telekinesis has, for shits and giggles, made a new Hallowe’en-themed song available to download.

MP3: Telekinesis – “Clock Strikes Midnight”

Loud & Quiet and The Huffington Post talk to John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats.

Paul Banks talks to Exclaim and Northern Transmissions about and offers Drowned In Sound a track-by-track guide to Banks.

The Shins’ contribution to the now-available Starbucks holiday comp Holidays Rule – a Paul McCartney cover – is now available to stream in whole thanks to Stereogum, and if that’s not enough Shins for you, the whole of their Austin City Limits episode is available to watch. And if that’s still not enough, well I can’t help you.

Stream: The Shins – “Wonderful Christmas Time”

aux.tv talks to Lou Barlow about keeping the balance between Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh, and all that other stuff he does.

Mojo interviews Bob Mould.

Frank YangFor as many years as I’ve been attending and covering Canadian Music Week and/or Canadian Musicfest, which is now quite a few, I’ve never hit up what is ostensibly it’s big gala show, the Independent Music Awards or, more unfortunately, the INDIES. Usually this was because the lineup of performers wasn’t as interesting as hitting up the clubs and because the awards themselves, being fan-voted, seemed odd and arbitrary. But this year, the combination of a weaker-than-normal Saturday night schedule and a very appealing one-two finale of Janelle Monáe and Shad convinced me that the ballroom at the Royal York hotel was the place to finish the festival off.

Due to some logistics and the fact that their sets were maybe ten minutes long, I missed the first couple performers but arrived in time to see London’s Bombay Bicycle Club, who despite being only moderately successful back home were treated as nigh on royalty over here across their several festival appearances. And it’s not that they’re unlikeable – they ply a sort of scrappy but earnest Brit-rock that’s thankfully not of the snotty post-Libertines/Arctic Monkeys variety, but isn’t especially memorable, either. Though from the cheers that met them and the stories that I’ve heard from the rabid fans at their other shows, I’m in the minority with that opinion, and that’s fine. The Brit-kids need their fix and this week, Bombay Bicycle Club was it.

The National Post and Spinner have chats with the band.

Photos: Bombay Bicycle Club @ The Fairmont Royal York – March 12, 2011
Video: Bombay Bicycle Club – “My God”
Video: Bombay Bicycle Club – “Always Like This”
Video: Bombay Bicycle Club – “Evening/Morning”
Video: Bombay Bicycle Club – “Dust On The Ground”
Video: Bombay Bicycle Club – “Magnet”

Similar can be said for the next act, Ottawa-area natives Hollerado. There’s no doubt the band has earned all the success they’ve achieved so far, what with touring constantly, giving away their album Record In A Bag for free (grab it off their website), making creative videos and generally working their asses off – but while I find their collegiate riff-rock material decent enough from a melodic/catchiness perspective, it just doesn’t come off as all that interesting to me. But even so, they do put on an entertaining show and elicit a tremendous response from their fanbase who were out on this evening in force and by way of saying hello and thanks for their support, frontman Menno Versteeg lept into the crowd for their set’s finale.

The National Post has a Q&A with Versteeg.

Photos: Hollerado @ The Fairmont Royal York – March 12, 2011
MP3: Hollerado – “Juliette”
MP3: Hollerado – “Fake Drugs”
MP3: Hollerado – “Americanarama”
Video: Hollerado – “Juliette”
Video: Hollerado – “Americanarama”

At this point, I’ll talk a bit about the awards themselves which were kind of fascinating to behold. First, there was a disconnect between the performers and the nominees in that half of the former had nothing to do with the awards being given out, they were just there to play a show and accordingly, much of the audience seemed indifferent to the ceremonies being held on the side stage. And since the Indies don’t really rate as a major award, many/most of the winners didn’t show up or send a representative, resulting in a stretch where a bunch of ostensibly big winners were announced in rapid fire succession with the audience cheering a name and an image on the video screen for a second or two. Just odd.

But back to the show. Even though Shad was himself an Indie winner (for Favourite Urban Artist), his set seemed less a part of the awards show and more the start of a separate event altogether, where he was the warm up, Janelle Monáe the headliner and that was it. Now I have never seen Shad in the context of his own headlining show – festivals, in-stores and awards ceremonies yes, and now as support, but his own show? Not yet. But considering that none of the above are what you’d call ideal circumstances for a performer, that he’s been fantastic in every one makes me think that there’s no way Shad ever puts on a bad show. Goodness knows he didn’t on this evening, with a compact but totally entertaining set drawing from his two Polaris shortlisted records TSOL and The Old Prince while backed by a DJ and bassist/keyboardist while he delivered smart, snappy rhymes overtop. He might be a perpetual Polaris bridesmaid, at least so far, but there’s no denying he’s one of if not the top hip-hop artist in the country right now.

eye and The National Post have feature pieces on Shad.

Photos: Shad @ The Fairmont Royal York – March 12, 2011
MP3: Shad – “Rose Garden”
MP3: Shad – “Yaa I Get It”
Video: Shad – “Keep Shining”
Video: Shad – “We Myself & I”
Video: Shad – “Rose Garden”
Video: Shad – “Yaa I Get It”
Video: Shad – “The Old Prince Still Lives At Home”
Video: Shad – “I Don’t Really Like To”
Video: Shad – “Brother (Watching)”

Ultimately, though, the night was about Janelle Monáe. If you were able to exact spot where the best of R&B, soul, funk, rock, pop, singer, songwriter, dancer and out-and-out visionary artistry intersected, it would be in the shape of a tiny pompadoured woman in a tuxedo. Though only on the scene for a few years, her live shows are already legendary spectacles, and not in the all flash no substance way of many pop stars, but in the jaw-dropping musicianship and entertainer sense. Toronto got their first taste of Monáe last Summer when she opened up for Arcade Fire on the Islands, and while for many she nearly stole the show, it was still very much not her audience.

This evening, however, it was and though some might have wished that she’d played a normal show unattached to any awards or festivals, she still delivered a full-length set that bore out her reputation as one of the most electrifying performers going today. Using the futuristic concepts laid out in her ArchAndroid album as a framing device, she and her ridiculously tight band put on a dazzling hour-long show replete with costume changes, extraordinary dancing and just great songs that refuse to be pigeonholed into any specific genre. And unlike the Island show, which curiously put show-stoppers “Cold War” and “Tightrope” mid-set, this time they saved them for a perfect one-two punch finale, and yet still managed to top it with an extended “Come Alive (War of the Roses)” where the stage was first invaded by dancers cast as androids and then the audience was invaded by Monáe, who went for a venue-spanning crowd surf. Awards? What awards? All I know is that Janelle Monáe won. At everything.

Spinner has a wrap up of the entire night, start to finish.

Photos: Janelle Monáe @ The Fairmont Royal York – March 12, 2011
Video: Janelle Monáe – “Cold War”
Video: Janelle Monáe – “Tightrope”
Video: Janelle Monáe – “Many Moons”

Spinner talks to TV On The Radio’s Kyp Malone about their new record Nine Types Of Light, due out April 12. They’ll be at the Sound Academy on April 18 but Pitchfork reports that bassist/keyboardist Gerard Smith won’t be joining them on the road as he’s being treated for lung cancer – best wishes to Smith for a speedy recovery.

Spin and Interview have feature pieces on The Kills, who’ve made a track from their new record Blood Pressures available to download. It’s out April 5 and they play The Sound Academy on May 1.

MP3: The Kills – “DNA”

A week before its release, The Strokes have posted their new record Angles on their website for all to stream, and you can follow along with the song-by-song commentary Julian Casablancas has give to NME.

Stream: The Strokes / Angles

Drive-By Truckers will bring their new record Go Go Boots to The Phoenix on June 15, tickets $29.50 in advance. The Georgia Straight chats with guitarist Mike Cooley.

MP3: Drive-By Truckers – “Used To Be A Cop”

A couple of ladies for whom one name is enough – Thao & Mirah – have teamed up for an album they’ve called Thao & Mirah and will be in town for a show at Lee’s Palace on June 5. That’s just short of a year after their last visit was cancelled on account of a little incident we locals like to call the G20 clusterfuck.

MP3: Thao & Mirah – “Eleven [featuring tUnE-yaRds]”

NXNE is still a ways off but some of the performers at this year’s fest are getting out – the Thursday night, June 16, will find Deerhoof and The Dodos at The Phoenix. Both acts have new records out, Deerhoof Vs Evil and No Color, respectively. Paste talks to The Dodos about their new record.

MP3: Deerhoof – “The Merry Barracks”
MP3: The Dodos – “Don’t Stop”

Pier Nicola D’AmicoI’ve tried this past week, as I barrelled through all the NXNE coverage, to stay on top of the most time-sensitive or interesting announcements, but a lot a lot of stuff has just been filed away for a post that wasn’t tied to the festival… and that post is today’s. Or at least one of them. There’s a LOT of stuff that’s a-backed up.

And the best of it started on Monday, when word got around that there was a new Blonde Redhead song available to download from their website. No announcement of a new record, which would be their first since 2007’s delectable 23, just a song – “Here Sometimes” – to whet the appetite for more of the New York trio’s uniquely artful dreampop. The tease didn’t last too long, though, as details of the band’s eighth long-player were revealed on Wednesday: Penny Sparkle will be released this Fall, again on 4AD, and the first sample – as well as the presence of Fever Ray’s producers – hint at a more synth-driven effort than 23‘s shoegazing six-string salute, though Alan Moulder was once again behind the final mixes so you can be sure that the guitars won’t be lost and will be fuzzy.

All that is really certain is that a 2010 already chock full of amazing album releases looks set to add one more to the pile on September 14 when Penny Sparkle is released.

MP3: Blonde Redhead – “Here Sometimes”

Another trio with an atmospheric bent that have kept their fans waiting for a new record are Los Angeles’ Autolux, who have remained silent since releasing their 2004 debut Future Perfect. That silence ends August 3 with the release of Transit Transit, and they’re now giving away a download of the first single, in lossless M4A format, in exchange for your email on their website. And while my affection for the band has never been as intense as some of my peers – they were always a bit too heavy for my tastes – I’m digging what I’m hearing. I may have to check them out when they play Lee’s Palace on August 24.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart have released a new video for their latest single, just released on 7″.

Video: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – “Say No To Love”

BrooklynVegan talks to Dayve Hawk of Memory Tapes, who’s also got a new video out.

Video: Memory Tapes – “Bicycle”

Filter interviews Phantogram, who’ve got a date at Wrongbar on July 8.

NPR and Pitchfork have feature pieces on LCD Soundsystem.

Pitchfork checks in with Of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes about how work on their new record False Priest, due out this Fall, is coming along. They have a date in Montreal scheduled for July 30 but nothing in Toronto yet – if it were happening, it’d have to be on the 28 or 29 because they’re in Vermont on the 31st.

The San Francisco Chronicle profiles The Morning Benders, who are in town supporting The Black Keys at the Kool Haus on August 3 and 4. They also recently recorded a World Cafe session for NPR.

Wye Oak chats with Anika In London. They’re in Toronto on August 28 opening up for Lou Barlow.

The Line Of Best Fit interviews Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss of Quasi.

Filter talks to Thao, whose tour with Mirah hits the Horseshoe this Saturday night.

The L has a big ass feature on Titus Andronicus – they’re coming to destroy the Horseshoe on July 14.

Cokemachineglow has words with The National bassist Scott Devendorf. The National are also profiled by CNN, alongside Spoon and The Hold Steady as artists who didn’t make it big until later in life.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review talks to Nicole Atkins, who announced this week that she’d signed with Razor & Tie for the release of her second album, now due out in early 2011 and still possibly entitled Mondo Amore. NYC Taper captured some of the new material in acoustic form when Atkins played a backyard session last weekend.

PopMatters interviews Tift Merritt.

The Phoenix and Spinner profile Joe Pernice of Pernice Brothers through the Pernice To Me book of collected tweets from Pernice manager Joyce Linehan that accompanied pre-orders of their latest record Goodbye, Killer.

Each Note Secure, The San Jose Mercury News and The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette profile Blitzen Trapper, in town at the Opera House on August 3.

Aquarium Drunkard has assembled a terrific tribute record to Television’s vastly underappreciated second album Adventure. It features contributions from a host of Los Angeles talents, including Local Natives, The Henry Clay People, The Happy Hollows and more. It’s available for free but donations to the Silverlake Conservatory Of Music are encouraged – so that SoCal can keep putting out great bands and they can keep appearing on great comps like this. It’s like the water cycle, people.

Reuben CoxI’d have gone to see them at the Sound Academy, where they last played in February 2006, even though they swore never to return there. I’d have gone to see them again at the Kool Haus, where they made their first Toronto appearance in May 2002, finally making good on their cancelled debut at the Opera House way back in 1998. I’d have even gone to see them at an Arrow Hall filled with angry hornets. But Belle & Sebastian are finally returning to play the only room in the city where they belong – Massey Hall, site of their glorious beyond words show in October 2003.

Yes, the North American tour hinted at just last week has been announced, and it contains an October 12 date at the Grand Old Lady of Shuter Street, and noting the day off between that show and Washington DC and the fact that they sold out the larger Docks in a heartbeat last time, perhaps a two-fer could be in the offing? Plausible, but let’s not get greedy – most markets on the continent aren’t even getting one show, though considering their last news update implied these shows were being squeezed in between other commitments, you have to think that a proper tour in support of their new record is still to come.

Said record, their first since 2006’s The Life Pursuit is still in the mixing stages, and is without title or release date but Fall of this year – say September-ish – seems reasonable. Either way, speculation will become fact soon enough but all that really matters right now is Belle & Sebastian are coming to town and another sunny day just got a little brighter.

MP3: Belle & Sebastian – “Funny Little Frog”
MP3: Belle & Sebastian – “Another Sunny Day”
MP3: Belle & Sebastian – “Take Your Carriage Clock And Shove It”
MP3: Belle & Sebastian – “Storytelling”

eMusic and The Edinburgh Evening News talks to Norman Blake and California Chronicle to Raymond McGinley of Teenage Fanclub about their new album Shadows, which is out next week. It’s kind of impossible to look at the fact that the Fannies are supposed to tour North America this Fall and are already teaming up with Belle & Sebastian for at least one show in Brooklyn and not hope that they’ll be supporting the Massey show. Such a bill would surely make more than one pop afficianado’s heart melt and head explode…

And because it apparently remains impossible for Isobel Campbell to fully escape the shadow of her former bandmates, it was announced today in the NME that a third album with Mark Langean, entitled Hawk, would be coming out on August 16.

Modern English, whom you may remember from the song below or perhaps the Burger King commercial that utilized said song, are back – or maybe they never went away but were just very quiet for a while – and will be at Lee’s Palace on July 15.

Video: Modern English – “I Melt With You”

Sleigh Bells – whose just-released, sugar-high/sugar-headache inducing debut Treats looks like it’s going to be one of the jams of the Summer, has set a date at the Phoenix on July 20 with Die Antwood as support. ABC News has a feature on the band.

Dirty Projectors are hitting the road this Fall and their itinerary includes a date at the Opera House on September 15.

MP3: Dirty Projectors – “Stillness Is The Move”

Elle is offering a download of She & Him covering Rick Nelson for Levi’s Pioneer Sessions while The Bay Area Tribune talks to Matt Ward. They’re at the Sound academy next Wednesday night, June 9.

MP3: She & Him – “Fools Rush In”

Anyone wondering what it’s going to sound like when Thao and Mirah team up on tour as Thao and Mirah With The Most of All starting next week should check out this video session at Yours Truly, where the pair tackle one of Thao’s new songs. The tour hits the Horseshoe on June 26; These United States will support.

MP3: These United States – “I Want You To Keep Everything”

The AV Club interviews James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem.

Spoon’s Britt Daniel hijacks the Matablog to big up Ted Leo and make their new single “Bottled In Cork” available as a download, complete with demo version. Spoon is at the Molson Amphitheatre on July 7, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists are at Lee’s Palace on June 26.

ZIP: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists / Bottled In Cork

Jonsi talks to MusicOmh and gives The Guardian a list of the music he grew up with, including Sloan’s Smeared.

MySpaceToday’s a day off from the real job, but not the fake job – this job – and the start of a four-day weekend, so you’ll excuse me if this post is a touch… random. I’ve got a stack of links including a bunch of new videos for your viewing pleasure, but no particular focus so I’ll just wade in with what is, to me at least, the most important of them all.

Which is the first MP3 from the first new Versus album in a decade – hell, the last time there was a new Versus album, there wasn’t such a phrase as “the first MP3 from”. I only twigged onto the New York outfit after their last record, 2000’s Hurrah, had run its course and their decade-long hiatus was just underway. Collecting their back catalog kept me occupied for a good while – turning up their super-rare debut EP Let’s Electrify! in the bins of Sonic Boom is a particularly fond memory – as did their various side-projects, but I couldn’t help feeling like I’d missed the boat on a great band, mainly because I had.

But sporadic shows over the past decade kept the hopes that they’d be back eventually alive, and those hopes will become reality on August 3 with the release of On The Ones and Threes, available on CD and as a double-LP with a different running order and two extra tracks. For full details and pre-order information, head over to Merge Records, for the first taste of the new album, click below and for tour dates, stay tuned. Because they’re coming.

MP3: Versus – “Invincible Hero”

Dean & Britta’s contribution to the just-released Sing Me To Sleep compilation of “indie lullabies” is now available to download. Despite the questionable concept, the record has brought together a pretty impressive lineup of talent.

MP3: Dean & Britta – “Making Me Smile”

Filter thinks you should already know Ted Leo. He and his Pharmacists are at Lee’s Palace on June 26.

Matt Berninger of The National talks politics and High Violet with The Huffington Post.

NOW, Time Out New York and The Fly have features on LCD Soundsystem, who play The Kool Haus on May 25. They’ve also just released a video for a non-album track (and cover).

Video: LCD Soundsystem – “Bye Bye Bayou”

North County Times talks to Nada Surf frontman Matthew Caws, who offers Spinner some advice for up-and-coming bands: get a day job. They’ve got a new video for their Bill Fox cover from if i had a hi fi, out June 8.

Video: Nada Surf – “Electrocution”

Which seques nicely into the new video from Drive-By Truckers, which offers a less positive take on the idea of punching the clock.

Video: Drive-By Truckers – “Working This Job”

James Mercer tells Billboard that he’s about ready to get back to work on The Shins but that Broken Bells wasn’t necessarily a one-off effort. They (Broken Bells) will be at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on June 2.

Spinner talks to Josh Ritter.

The National Post, Vancouver Sun, Metro and Clash talk to Ben Bridwell of Band Of Horses, while Spinner spends some time with guitarist Tyler Ramsey. They are at the Toronto Islands on June 19.

Thao with The Get Down Stay Down have released a new video/Oxfam PSA. They’ll be at The Horseshoe on June 26.

Video: Thao with The Get Down Stay Down – “Body”

Eels will release their new record Tomorrow Morning on August 24 and tour it to through the Mod Club on September 29.

Exclaim has the details on the deluxe reissue edition of R.E.M.’s Fables Of The Reconstruction, due out July 13. In addition to the remastered 1985 album, there’ll be a second CD of unreleased period-correct demos and goodies.

The Drums reveal to Exclaim that their self-titled debut will be out on June 14 in digital and vinyl form, and then CD come September.

Video: The Drums – “Forever & Ever Amen”

The Colorado Springs Independent profiles Laura Marling, who will be back in the southern Ontario area on July 23, performing in Guelph on the first night of Hillside.

Prefix has an interview with Kate Nash.

Mogwai have announced that the DVD of their live concert film Burning will come accompanied with a live record entitled Special Moves, and both will be available on August 24. Head over to the Special Moves website for more information.

eye, NOW, Uptown and Vue talk to The Sadies about their new record Darker Circles, from which they’ve just released a new video and for which they’ll be playing a record release show at Lee’s Palace on Saturday. They’re also at Harbourfront Centre on Canada Day, July 1.

Video: The Sadies – “Postcards”

Also with a new video are Tokyo Police Club, whose Champ hits stores on June 8. They are opening up for Spoon and The Flaming Lips at the Molson Amphitheatre on July 8.

Video: Tokyo Police Club – “Breakneck Speed”

Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning talk to Exclaim about why Pavement was the perfect choice to join them at the Toronto Island Concert on June 19, and Canning gives Toronto Life a list of his favourite things. Spinner has also posted up an Interface session with the band.

Fucked Up frontman Damian Abraham talks influences with Spinner, and just generally talks to The Georgia Straight, Vue and See. They play a free show at the Toronto Reference Library next Friday, May 28. It’s unticketed and doors are at 7:30, so plan accordingly.

Dog Day have released a new vid from last year’s Concentration. And why not grab the MP3 while you’re at it.

MP3: Dog Day – “Rome”
Video: Dog Day – “Rome”

Pitchfork gets a guest list from The New Pornographers’ Carl Newman. They’re at the Sound Academy on June 15.

eye talks to The Weakerthans, who play the Horseshoe as a benefit for Library Voices on Tuesday and then the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Wednesday.

The Chicago Tribune talks to Jace Lasek of The Besnard Lakes; they’re at the Mod Club on June 17 for NXNE.

BaebleMusic has a Guest Apartment session and The Daily Growl a quick word with Woodpigeon.

Chart talks to Dan Mangan about his song “Robots”, which they declare the “best song ever” for the moment.

Comic Book Resources talks to Bryan Lee-O’Malley about Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour, the final book in the Scott Pilgrim saga coming July 20, and the Scott Pilgrim vs The World film, out August 13.

And that’s the link hopper cleared out for today. I am going back to sleep.