Frank YangI went into this year’s Canadian Musicfest with a pretty basic plan – see as little as possible. Okay, that’s not really accurate since that would have easily been accomplished by staying home and I was still out four nights in a row, but rather than engage in the club-hopping that the fest usually demands, I opted to choose one thing a night that I was genuinely interested in seeing rather than trek around the city hoping to shake something worthwhile out of the lineup. Wednesday night, that honour went to a show that was one of the more hotly-tipped of the festival, despite being able to count both bands on the bill’s officially-released songs on one hand.

Diana may have been a relatively new name on the Toronto scene, but the faces were quite familiar, featuring players whose CVs include Everything All The Time, Donlands & Mortimer, Bonjay, and Warm Myth, to name but a few, but the elevator pitch was that this was the sax player from Destroyer’s new synth-pop project with Carmen Elle of Army Girls on vocals and they’d already arguably gotten more buzz abroad than any of their past projects combined (Destroyer excepted, of course).

As someone who came to the band mainly through Army Girls – and was a bit resentful at them for taking Elle’s attention away from her rock project – it was unusual to hear her voice in such a context, surrounded by smooth synth tones and saxophone lines rather than her spiky guitarwork, her voice was more bruised than sultry. Whether by design or happenstance, it created an odd tension between the image she presented as frontwoman; as charming and charismatic as usual, but interestingly at odds with the music would have conventionally presumed. And that applied to Diana as a whole – slinky, soulful synth-pop, yes, but with something else going on in there and it’s that je ne sais quoi that will, unfortunately for me but great for Diana, probably keep Army Girls fans waiting for those albums a little longer.

Photos: Diana @ The Mod Club – March 20, 2013
MP3: Diana – “Born Again”
Stream: Diana – “Perpetual Surrender”

The hype around Scottish trio CHVRCHES has probably put some off of them entirely already, some six months from the release of their debut album, and that’s a shame. Because as far as I can tell, they’re not being posited as saviours of anything, just a new band with some really good songs. Or maybe that new – none of them are rookies in the music biz, with keyboardists Iain Cook and Martin Doherty having done duty in Aerogramme and Twilight Sad, respectively, and singer Lauren Mayberry formerly doing time in Blue Sky Archives. That past experience might explain why despite being a heavily-feted band on their first tour abroad, CHVRCHES were remarkably confident and assured in their Canadian debut. Taking the stage to the strains of an oddly pitch-shifted version of “Let’s Go Crazy”, they opened with last year’s debut single “Lies” and laid out very clearly what they were about – big synth sounds from the fellows and beguiling vocals from Mayberry.

CHRVCHES haven’t solved the the inherent problem of how to put on a compelling live show when you’re two blokes tethered to keyboards and girl singer who’s not Sarah Cracknell, but when you’ve got the songs, everything else becomes somewhat trivial. While a fairly static performer, Mayberry wasn’t a wallflower and offered up some charming banter – Ryan Gosling topped her list of things to thank Canada for – the best part of the show was the fact that it proved that their songwriting chops were equal to the hype. “Recover”, with its irresistible chorus, remained the high point of their works so far but everything was fairly bursting with hooks and melodies, led by Mayberry’s youthful and yearning vocals. It’s refreshing that at a time when synth acts are a dime a dozen, one can still stand out by sticking to the time-tested rules of pop music. After closing with “The Mother We Share”, they returned for a one-song encore that bookended the set with Prince salutations and their totally straight but still fun cover of “I Would Die 4 U”. And then they doused everyone with a bubble machine.

CBC Music and DIY have interviews with CHVRCHES while NPR has video of one of their sets at SXSW earlier this month. Update: And, just announced, CHVRCHES are back on June 12 at The Hoxton, possibly/probably a NXNE show.

Photos: CHVRCHES @ The Mod Club – March 20, 2013
MP3: CHVRCHES – “The Mother We Share”
Stream: CHVRCHES – “Lies”
Video: CHVRCHES – “Recover”

Peace takes DIY on a walkthrough of their debut album In Love, out in the UK today. They’ll bring it to NXNE on June 15.

CBC Music has an interview with Charles Bradley and an advance stream of his new record Victim Of Love, out April 2, while Clash excerpts an interview with the man. He’ll be at the Phoenix on May 11.

Stream: Charles Bradley / Victim Of Love

Stereogum has an interview with Benjamin Michael Lerner of Telekinesis. Their new album Domarion is out April 2 but streaming now in whole at NPR. They’re at The Horseshoe on May 12.

MP3: Telekinesis – “Ghosts & Creatures”
Stream: Telekinesis / Domarion

A new Jessie Ware track taken from the inevitable deluxe edition of Devotion – the “Gold Edition” – is now available to stream. It’s out in the UK on April 15, the day before the regular (yet slightly enhanced) version of Devotion gets a North American release. She plays The Opera House on April 6.

Stream: Jessie Ware – “Imagine It Was Us”

A track from Kurt Vile’s new record Walkin’ On A Pretty Daze is now available to download. It’s out April 9 and he plays the Toronto Urban Roots Fest at Garrison Commons on July 7.

MP3: Kurt Vile – “Never Run Away”

The Postal Service has made another of the unreleased tracks from the 10th anniversary edition of Give Up available to stream. It’s out April 9 and they play The Air Canada Centre on June 11.

Stream: The Postal Service – “Turn Around”

Room 205 has posted the first of three video sessions with Redd Kross; they’re in town at The Horseshoe on April 11.

Loud & Quiet talks to Palma Violets, in town at Lee’s Palace on May 3.

Primal Scream are streaming the second single from their new album More Light, out May 6.

Stream: Primal Scream – “It’s Alright, It’s OK”

Deerhunter have announced the May 7 release of their new album Monomania. Typically cryptic details on the release can be found at 4AD.

Having let the dust settle from the announcement that their new album would be out in May and be followed by extensive touring, The National have revealed some more pertinent details – specifically that it’ll be called Trouble Will Find Me, that it will be out May 21, and the artwork and tracklisting look something like this. And additionally, in conversation with Gothamist, drummer Bryan Devendorf offers some insight into the recording sessions and what guest artists you’ll hear on the record. The National will headline Yonge-Dundas Square for NXNE on June 14, and the tour documentary on the band Mistaken For Strangers will screen at Hot Docs on April 30, May 2, and May 5.

Stephin Merritt has turned his attention to his Future Bible Heroes project, announcing the June 4 release of their first album in over a decade, Partygoing. It’s available either on its own or part of the Memories of Love, Eternal Youth and Partygoing set which includes reissues of their first two albums as well as a bonus disc of rarities. Details on all that at Merge, first track from Partygoing to stream below.

Stream: Future Bible Heroes – “Living, Loving, Partygoing”

Flavorwire is streaming another track from John Vanderslice’s cover album of David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs, which will accompany the June 11 release of his new album of original material, Dagger Beach.

Stream: John Vanderslice – “Diamanthunde”

The Quietus have confirmed a new Echo & The Bunnymen album is on the way. Ian McCulloch says that it’ll be called The Garden Of Meedlin’ and will be out before the year is out.

The Line Of Best Fit has a video session and The Georgia Straight an interview with Veronica Falls.

To mark the passing of Jason Molina last week, all of his recorded output as Songs: Ohia, Magnolia Electric Co, or Jason Molina is available to stream. The best way to remember him.

NYC Taper is sharing recordings of a Low show in New York last week while Drowned In Sound has a video session and interview with the band.

Jem GouldingSince their first single was released in June 2012, London post-punk foursome Savages have steadily become one of the most-talked about new bands in the UK on the backs of their ferocious live performances, the experience of which they sought to capture on the live I Am Here EP released last Fall. Now, as they come off a series of much-talked about shows at SXSW and prepare to make a similar impression with a couple of shows at Canadian Musicfest, they’ve announced details of their debut album.

Entitled Silence Yourself, it will be released worldwide on the band’s own Pop Noire label and indie giant Matador Records, coming out on May 6 in territories where new records come out on Mondays and May 7 for those who do the Tuesday release thing. Full details on the release are available at Exclaim and a first track from the album is available to stream below. NOW has an interview with the band, who play The Horseshoe on March 22 and Lee’s Palace on March 23.

Stream: Savages – “She Will”

Spin talks to Brett Anderson while The Quietus ponders the difficulty of being a Suede fan in the United States on this, the occasion of this week’s release of Bloodsports. I suppose we’re a little better off in Canada, where we don’t have to call them The London Suede, not that that’s provided enough incentive to tour over here or anything. But anyways, as a little release-week gift, the band have made a live recording from their intimate show at Camden Barfly earlier this month available to download.

MP3: Suede – “Filmstar” (live)

British buzz band Peace is streaming their debut album In Love at NME ahead of its UK release next week. They’re in town for NXNE on June 15.

MP3: Peace – “California Daze”
Stream: Peace / In Love

Depeche Mode have gone with iTunes to advance stream their new album Delta Machine, out next week. They’re at the Molson Amphitheatre on September 1.

Stream: Depeche Mode / Delta Machine

The 405 are streaming one of the tracks from Frightened Rabbit’s forthcoming Backyard Skulls EP, an alternate version of Pedestrian Verse track “Holy”, while City Pages serves up an interview. The EP is out March 31, which is the same day they’re in town at The Phoenix.

Stream: Frightened Rabbit – “Holy” (alternate version)

Pitchfork has official details on the North American release of Jessie Ware’s Devotion, which in addition to different artwork from the UK edition, will have two bonus tracks and be out April 16. Which is 11 days after her April 6 show at The Opera House. So buy a t-shirt, I guess.

The Joy Formidable have a new video from Wolf’s Law, shot from the point-of-view of Ritzy’s guitar headstock. They play The Phoenix on April 12.

Video: The Joy Formidable – “Little Blimp”

It Hugs Back return with their third album Recommended Record on April 29; they talk to The Quietus about it and have a track from it available to stream.

Stream: It Hugs Back – “Sometimes”

DIY has a feature piece on Daughter; their debut If You Leave is out in the UK this week but not in North America until April 30. They’re at The Great Hall on May 7.

Noah & The Whale have released the first video from their new record Heart Of Nowhere, due out May 3.

Video: Noah & The Whale – “There Will Come A Time”

Billy Bragg lists off some of his favourite albums for The Quietus, offers interviews to The Line Of Best Fit, Exclaim, Consequence ORolling Stone, and Canadian Press, and plays a World Cafe session for NPR. He’s in town at the Danforth Music Hall on May 3.

Palma Violets tell DIY that playing a show in Toronto is their definition of having it made. OK, then. They’re back at the high point of their career on May 3 when they play Lee’s Palace.

The Guardian talks to Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream about their forthcoming album More Light, due May 6.

Little Boots is streaming a new song from her forthcoming album Nocturnes, out May 7. Rolling Stone gets a video tour of Victoria Hesketh’s studio.

Stream: Little Boots – “Broken Record”

Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis talks to The Daily Star about their ascension to the status of festival headliners, at least in the UK. Here in North America, they’re still playing rooms like The Kool Haus, where they’ll be on May 11.

Billboard talks to Polly Scattergood about her second album Arrows, which is set for a June 14 release.

Glasvegas have released a first video from their new record Later…When The TV Turns To Static, due out this Summer.

Video: Glasvegas – “I’d Rather Be Dead (Than Be With You)”

Interview, The Village Voice, and The Toronto Star talk to CHVRCHES, whose debut album drops in September.

Tom Cowan of The Horrors tells NME to expect a new album this September.

Another Magazine talks to Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys, while NME gets some details on their forthcoming album from drummer Matt Helder; it’s due out this year sometime.

A Music Blog, Yea, The Telegraph, and The Guardian talk to Kate Nash about music, favourite things, and fashion, respectively.

Django Django have released a new video from last year’s self-titled debut.

Video: Django Django – “WOR”

Clash chats with Dev Hynes about how he came to work with Solange.

DIY has a video session with Veronica Falls.

Frank YangSo this is the first time in nine years that I am NOT in Austin for SXSW; reasons for this are myriad, but the broad strokes can be inferred from this. So while this means rather than embarrassment of concert riches to choose from, my live music options amongst bands not deep in the heart of Texas were decidedly shallower, but still pretty great – after all, Veronica Falls were back in town.

It was at SXSW 2011 that I first made the acquaintance of the Anglo-Scottish quartet, proceeding to catch them at home and abroad, with their show at The Garrison last February the last show I caught in support of their self-titled debut, and just as well – as much as I loved the record, there was only so much mileage to be squeezed out of a single 36-minute collection.

That wasn’t an issue on Tuesday night when they returned to The Garrison with their second album Waiting For Something To Happen exactly one month old and still fresh and delightful. It strikes the perfect balance of keeping what made their debut a gem – the throwback ’80s-styled indie-pop exulting under moodily overcast skies – and improving it with catchier hooks, stronger vocals in all departments – melodies, harmonies, expressiveness – and just enough extra stylistic boundary-pushing. It was everything I would have wanted in a follow-up, and that it gave them excuse to come back to town was all the better.

Openers Cold Showers keep a pretty low online profile – it took more digging than it should have to establish they hail from Los Angeles – but putting a finger on their sound wasn’t nearly as difficult. Their dark, post-punk sound mines the territory of early Cure and Joy Division, but they manage to avoid sounding dismissively derivative. Built on a bed of muscular, mechanical drumming, prone to measured bursts of noise, and surprisingly melodic while maintaining a persistant broodiness. Not the most exciting, presentation-wise, but it sounded good.

It was funny to go back and re-read my writeup of last year’s Veronica Falls show at The Garrison because I noted the problems the band were having with their on-stage monitor mixes – funny because a year later, they still seemed to be having the same issues. But still, except for the drums sounding a bit overloud – more because of Patrick Doyle’s right foot than any sound reinforcement issues – the house mix sounded fine. Though hardly overly-polished on record, live they added an appealing extra layer of grit to the proceedings and were incrementally more energized than they were whilst supporting their debut; frontwoman Roxanne Clifford was bouncing around the stage, whipping her hair about, and even cracked smiles when not grimacing at the sound coming from their monitors. Having twice the material to draw from meant this show was nearly twice as long as their last visit, with the set list split almost evenly between the two records and for the encore, they acquiesced to a fan request for “Starry Eyes”, a b-side that pre-dated their debut. It would have been nicer to see more people on hand – I wouldn’t have put the attendance much more than who came out last year – but at least the fans were ardent.

Photos: Veronica Falls, Cold Showers @ The Garrison – March 12, 2013
MP3: Veronica Falls – “Come On Over”
MP3: Veronica Falls – “Found Love In A Graveyard”
Video: Veronica Falls – “Teenage”
Video: Veronica Falls – “My Heart Beats”
Video: Veronica Falls – “Bad Feeling”
Video: Veronica Falls – “Come On Over”
Video: Veronica Falls – “Beachy Head”
Video: Veronica Falls – “Found Love In A Graveyard”
Video: Cold Showers – “BC”

Spinner talks to Billy Bragg about his new album Tooth And Nail, in stores next Tuesday. He plays the Danforth Music Hall on May 3.

NOW talks to CHVRCHES in advance of their Canadian Musicfest-opening show at The Mod Club on March 20.

For Folk’s Sake and The Chicago Tribune have interviews with Richard Thompson, in town next week at Massey Hall on March 22 opening for Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell.

British Sea Power have gone with the title track as the first video from their new record Machineries Of Joy, out April 1.

Video: British Sea Power – “Machineries Of Joy”

The Alternate Side has posted a video session with Jessie Ware. She makes her local debut at The Opera House on April 6.

British soul singer Laura Mvula – fourth on this year’s BBC Sound of 2013 poll – will make her local debut on April 20 at The Drake Underground in support of the just-released debut album Sing To The Moon. DIY has a feature piece.

Video: Laura Mvula – “Green Garden”

Johnny Marr offers DIY some thoughts on the likelihood of a Smiths reunion, and they’re not encouraging if you’re someone holding out hope for a Smiths reunion. Best just head to his show at The Phoenix on April 27 if you want to see Marr live.

Rolling Stone has premiered the new video from Foals’ Holy Fire; the NSFW warning seems pretty much a given by this point. They play The Kool Haus on May 11.

Video: Foals – “Late Night”

GQ has an interview with Kele Okereke of Bloc Party, who’ve just released a crowdsourced new video from Four. They’ll play Garrison Commons at Fort York as part of Field Trip on June 8.

Video: Bloc Party – “Truth”

The Fly has a feature piece on one of the possible saviours of British guitar rock, Peace; they’re in town on June 15 as part of NXNE.

The Line Of Best Fit reports that Pet Shop Boys have already completed a follow-up to last year’s Elysium; Electric will be out in June and of course there’s a trailer.

Trailer: Pet Shop Boys / Electric

The Vaccines have rolled out a new clip from their second album Come Of Age. They’re sort-of in town on August 24 in Simcoe taking part in the Mumford & Sons-led Gentlemen Of The Road Stopover fest. Mumford & Sons also have a new video from their own second record, Babel.

Video: The Vaccines – “Bad Mood”
Video: Mumford & Sons – “Whispers In The Dark”

TOY have rolled out another new video from their debut, TOY.

Video: TOY – “My Heart Skips A Beat”

The Twilight Sad has made a new song from the No One Can Ever Know sessions available to stream.

Stream: The Twilight Sad – “Tell Me When We’re Having Fun”

PopMatters chats with Patrick Wolf.

Consequence Of Sound and Blurt talk to Robyn Hitchcock about his new record Love From London.

Over at Talkhouse, Shearwater’s Jonathan Meiburg has an excellent essay/review about David Bowie’s new record The Next Day and the evolution of Bowie’s voice through the decades.

Jack Featherstone, Max ParsonsAt long last, Little Boots is finally ready to let the follow-up to 2009’s Hands out of the studio and into the world. I don’t think anyone – not even Victoria Hesketh – expected it to be almost four years between debut and follow-up, but according to Spin, it took her that long to find the sweet spot between being the “proper songs” she wanted to write and the disco dance floor bangers she was expected to.

Still, her fans have been able to accompany her on that journey of discovery as she’s been releasing new songs intermittently since late 2011 as sort of signposts of the journey; two of those three already-previewed tracks will appear on the new record – entitled Nocturnes – when it’s released on May 7. Details on the release can be had at Billboard and the first official single from it is available to hear via free download or watch via video.

Some might argue – and perhaps correctly – that Little Boots didn’t deliver on the massive hype that accompanied her BBC Sound of 2009 win, but there’s no arguing that Hands was a very solid album of catchy electro-pop and if Nocturnes offers more of the same, then we’re all better off.

MP3: Little Boots – “Motorway”
MP3: Little Boots – “Every Night I Say A Prayer”
Stream: Little Boots – “Superstitious Heart”
Stream: Little Boots – “Shake”
Video: Little Boots – “Motorway”

Drowned In Sound, Billboard, MTV Hive, Consequence Of Sound, and NPR talk to Johnny Marr about going solo; The Messenger came out this week and he brings The Healers to The Phoenix on April 27.

CBC Music has an interview and The Alternate Side a session with Palma Violets, whose debut 180 is out this week and streamable at NME. They play Lee’s Palace on May 3.

Stream: Palma Violets / 180

Spin is streaming the whole of Mogwai’s just-released soundtrack for French zombie television series Les Revenants, and keeping on topic, Stuart Braithwaite offers The Guardian his five favourite undead bits of cinema.

Stream: Mogwai / Les Revenants

The Guardian interviews Thom Yorke about Atoms For Peace, whose debut AMOK is out this week.

Spin and CBC Music talk to Kate Nash about her latest Girl Talk, which is also streaming in whole at the CBC and from which a new vide was just released. The album is out March 5 and she brings it to The Horseshoe on March 15.

Video: Kate Nash – “3AM”
Stream: Kate Nash / Girl Talk

The Line Of Best Fit, The Quietus, and Stereogum talk to Robyn Hitchcock about his new record Love From London, out March 5.

Today in David Bowie: The Guardian compiles a profile of the Thin White Duke based on the recollections of those who’ve known him from childhood through today, Mr. Porter offers a guide to Bowie style through the years, NME crows about getting an exclusive cover photo, and Rolling Stone learns more about the Next Day sessions from drummer Zack Alford and guitarist Gerry Leonard. The album arrives March 12 and oh yeah the video for the second single from it is out now.

Video: David Bowie – “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)”

eMusic solicits a list of favourite sophomore albums from Veronica Falls, who are too modest to include their own Waiting For Something To Happen on the list. They play The Garrison on March 12.

Crack has a feature piece on Daughter, whose debut If You Leave is out March 18 in the UK and April 30 in North America. They play The Great Hall on May 7.

The Telegraph has not one but two interviews and NPR a World Cafe session with Richard Thompson, who opens for Emmylou Harris at Massey Hall on March 22.

eMusic and The Scottish Sun interview Frightened Rabbit, who’ve a new video from Pedestrian Verse to show off. They play The Phoenix on March 31.

Video: Frightened Rabbit – “Backyard Skulls”

Spinner and The Independent have features and Yours Truly a video session with Jessie Ware, whose Devotion gets a North American release on April 2 and plays The Opera House on April 6.

DIY has the details of Charli XCX’s long-overdue debut album; True Romance is due out on April 15. MTV Hive also has an interview with the artist, who will be in town at the Sound Academy on May 23 opening for Marina & The Diamonds.

Art Brut will sum up their career thus far with the release of a double-disc best-of/rarities compilation entitled – of course – Top Of The Pops. It’s out April 16.

Still Corners have announced details of their second album, entitled Strange Pleasures, out May 7, and based on the second sample – “Fireflies” was released as a single last Fall – it will not be Creatures On An Hour part two. At all.

MP3: Still Corners – “Berlin Lovers”

Spin has an interview and The Line Of Best Fit an acoustic session with Foals. They are at The Kool Haus on May 11.

The Wedding Present might be getting attention mostly for their Hit Parade recital tour, but they’ve also just put out a new video from last year’s Valentina. There’s also an interview at The New Zealand Herald.

Video: The Wedding Present – “Mystery Date”

Pitchfork has premiered the new video from Bat For Lashes, taken from The Haunted Man.

Video: Bat For Lashes – “Lillies”

The Line Of Best Fit reports that The Big Pink is now officially a solo project for Robbie Furze, with Milo Cordell opting to leave the band. If you’re not sure which was which, if you’ve ever seen The Big Pink live then Cordell was the one you never noticed.

Frank YangIt was an odd thing to realize about a third of the way through The Maccabees’ debut Canadian performance at The Mod Club on Monday night, but it dawned on me that I wasn’t so much a fan of the band than their excellent latest album, last year’s Mercury-shortlisted Given To The Wild. Not that this points to any enmity towards the Brighton-based Brits, but I tend to form longish-term – or at least in-depth – relationships with the bands I like and go and see, but no such bond had been formed with The Maccabees and their almost decade-long history, perhaps because of their until-now reluctance to actively cultivate a North American fanbase.

This was not to say that they didn’t already have one. Though the show wasn’t sold out, the years of pent-up demand ensured that there was a strong showing of those who did have long-term relationships with the band. And while the set did feature an abundance of Wild material, fan service was very much in effect with their first two records Colour It In and Wall Of Arms very well-represented, with the mission statement being less about being a recital of Wild‘s carefully-crafted arc than just putting on a powerful show.

Observations on this new (to me) material from their catalog was that the elegant, atmospheric anthemicism of Wild seemed a bit of a left turn for the band, as the older material felt more straight-ahead with their roots in the Bloc Party-led post-punk scene of some years back clearly evident. It may have been less sophisticated, but it definitely helped make for an energized show with the band’s three-guitar attack helpfully turned up in the mix, though often to the point of obscuring vocalist Orlando Weeks’ powerfully delicate tenor.

Another new dimension to the band that I hadn’t picked up on from the record was that they were quite a charismatic rock band, particularly the shaggy hair and leather jacket-clad, guitar hero-posing White brothers. I don’t know why I had thought they’d be more conservative, art-rock aesthetes but I did and they certainly weren’t. They were unabashedly pleased to finally be playing in this country and the Toronto faction of their fanclub – or Facebook likers, I guess – were most pleased to have them. That said, I would have expected the show to go longer than the hour and change that it did but couldn’t complain about “Grew Up At Midnight” as a main set finale – almost as grandiose live as on record, even with Weeks taking a mulligan on it after botching the opening, nor about the “Heave”/”Pelican” double-header to wrap the encore. A solid show and plenty of incentive to have properly done my homework on the band by the time they return.

Exclaim also has a review of the show, and CBC Music and The National Post both have interviews with the band, though CBC goes one further offering a stream of Given To The Wild for the rest of week.

Photos: The Maccabees @ The Mod Club – February 11, 2013
MP3: The Maccabees – “Go”
Video: The Maccabees – “Ayla”
Video: The Maccabees – “Went Away”
Video: The Maccabees – “Feel To Follow”
Video: The Maccabees – “Feel To Follow” (alternate)
Video: The Maccabees – “Pelican”
Video: The Maccabees – “Empty Vessels”
Video: The Maccabees – “Can You Give It”
Video: The Maccabees – “Love You Better”
Video: The Maccabees – “No Kind Words”
Video: The Maccabees – “Toothpaste Kisses”
Video: The Maccabees – “Precious Time”
Video: The Maccabees – “About Your Dress”
Video: The Maccabees – “First Love”
Video: The Maccabees – “Latchmere”
Video: The Maccabees – “X-Ray”
Stream: The Maccabees / Given To The Wild

MTV Hive chats with Veronica Falls, in town at The Garrison on March 12.

Esben & The Witch have released a new video from their second album Wash The Sins Not Only The Face. They play The Drake Underground on March 25.

Video: Esben & The Witch – “When The Head Splits”

British Sea Power have posted a stream of the title track of their next album Machineries Of Joy, due out April 1.

Stream: British Sea Power – “Machineries Of Joy”

Cool Hunting interviews the directors of Foals’ video for “My Number”, off their just-released Holy Fire; they’ve gone super lo-tech – CCTV-style – for a new rehearsal space clip they’ve shared and are interviewed by BBC. Foals are at The Kool Haus on May 11.

Video: Foals – “Milk & Black Spiders” (CCTV)

Vogue gets Natasha Khan of Bat For Lashes to strap on the Telecaster for an on-video, in-studio reading of “Marilyn”.

Flagpole talks to David Gedge of The Wedding Present about taking their 1991/92 Hit Parade collection on tour.

Keyboardist Gillian Gilbert and graphic designer Peter Saville reminisce about the making of New Order’s “Blue Monday” to The Guardian.

Pitchfork is doing the advance stream thing for Iceage’s new album You’re Nothing, out next Tuesday.

MP3: Iceage – “Coalition”
Stream: Iceage / You’re Nothing

Efterklang have released a new video from last year’s Piramida. Look for them at The Mod Club on March 21.

Video: Efterklang – “The Living Layer”

Indians film a Takeaway Show for Le Blogotheque. They play The Drake on March 4.

Phoenix have come clean on some details of their next album, Bankrupt!. It’s out April 22 and Rolling Stone has the artwork and track listing.

And it hardly answers all the questions raised a couple week back, but the Toronto Urban Roots Fest now has a website and more information for the curious. Like how the already-announced She & Him and Camera Obscura bill of July 4 is only the first of four days – two evenings and two full days – taking place largely at Fort York’s Garrison Commons, though with some club-level overflow. New acts will be announced every week for the new couple months, but if you’re doing some digging then checking out who’s playing Montreal’s Jazz Festival and Ottawa’s Bluesfest are probably good starting points. Think about it.