Piper FergusonI suspect most of your inboxes aren’t reminding you of it quite as insistently as mine is, but the fact is that the CMJ Music Marathon kicks off in New York next week. Retirement or no, heading down is always on the table because hey – week/end in New York that I can write off. What’s not to like? Unfortunately, that’s not happening this year because of work and other logistics, and it’s especially unfortunate because this year I’ve teamed up with the good folks at Hype Machine and some other blogger types from YVYNL, All Things Go, and No Fear Of Pop to put on a couple nights of free shows.

My night is Wednesday, October 17, at Brooklyn Bowl where you can, indeed, bowl as well as see live music – what will they think of next – and the impressively international bill stacks up as follows: New York’s own Virgins, who had no small amount of buzz circa their 2008 party-friendly self-titled debut and are looking to recapture that with a new lineup and a second album, due out in early 2013. Ameri-Kiwi psych-pop trio Unknown Mortal Orchestra, who’ve been turning heads whilst opening for Grizzly Bear on their Fall tour and have just announced they’ve signed to Jagjaguwar for the February 5 release of their second album II. From Los Angeles, The Neighbourhood do a kind of dark, neo-soul writ rock and have been making an impression with their debut EP …I’m Sorry. Copenhagen’s Indians, who recently found the perfect home for their dream-induced folk-pop with legendary label 4AD; their debut full-length is due out in 2013 and they’re opening up for Other Lives on tour this Fall – which is good, because it means I can catch them at The Horseshoe on November 23. And finally, there’s JJAMZ, the improbable West Coast electro-pop supergroup drawing DNA from Rilo Kiley, Phantom Planet, The Like, and, um, Maroon 5. Hey, it’s eclectic!

So if you’re going to be in New York next week – be it visiting or residing – do RSVP and show up, knock down some pins, cut a rug, whatever being in Williamsburg compels you to do. And if you do go, let me know how it is, yeah?

MP3: The Virgins – “Venus In Chains”
MP3: Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “I’ll Come Back 4 U”
MP3: Indians – “I Am Haunted”
Video: The Neighbourhood – “Female Robbery”
Video: JJAMZ – “Heartbeat”

Closer to home, it really doesn’t seem like there’s been a time in the past few years when Ty Segall didn’t have an album coming out and/or a show coming up. His third record of 2012, Twins, just came out this week and even though he was just here at The Hoxton a few weeks ago, he’s already scheduled a return engagement – and this time the show will be Phoenix-sized. He’s back on February 6, tickets $16.50 in advance.

MP3: Ty Segall – “Don’t Talk To Me”
Video: Ty Segall – “The Hill”

Savoir Adore gets some blog love as BrooklynVegan has premiered a new video and My Old Kentucky Blog has a stream of their new album Our Nature, out next Tuesday. They’re at Rancho Relaxo tomorrow night.

MP3: Savoir Adore – “Sparrow”
MP3: Savoir Adore – “Dreamers”
Video: Savoir Adore – “Empire Of Light”
Stream: Savoir Adore / Our Nature

Spinner talks to Benjamin Gibbard about his solo debut Former Lives, out next Tuesday but available to stream in whole now. He’s at the Danforth Music Hall on Sunday, October 14.

MP3: Benjamin Gibbard – “Teardrop Windows”
Stream: Benjamin Gibbard / Former Lives

The Aquarian, amNY, and PopMatters talk to John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats while The AV Club solicits a goth playlist and The Fader a reading list. The Mountain Goats are at The Phoenix next Saturday, October 20, and they’ve just released both a new video and download from Transcendental Youth.

MP3: The Mountain Goats – “Amy aka Spent Gladiator 1”
Video: The Mountain Goats – “Cry For Judas”

There’s been a flurry of Sharon Van Etten goodness over the last few days – a new video from Tramp, a Black Cab Session, and a stream of a duet with Rufus Wainwright taken from a forthcoming Starbucks-assembled holiday compilation called Holidays Rule, available where you buy coffee come October 30.

Video: Sharon Van Etten – “Magic Chords”
Stream: Rufus Wainwright and Sharon Van Etten – “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”

Spin reports that Dinosaur Jr will release a vintage live recording on vinyl come November 19; Chocomel Daze (Live 1987) is available to preorder now and a sample from it is streamable below.

Stream: Dinosaur Jr – “The Lung” (live 1987)

DIY talks to Jason Lytle, in town opening for Band Of Horses at Massey Hall on December 5.

A new video from M. Ward’s A Wasteland Companion has premiered over at Team Coco.

Video: M. Ward – “Me And My Shadow”

Paul Westerberg talks to Rolling Stone about the covers benefit EP that will eventually be coming out credited to The Replacements.

Toro has an interview and Chart a video session with The Antlers.

The Alternate Side welcomes Bob Mould to their studios for a video session.

KnotanWith her 2005 (2006 in North America) debut Until Death Comes, Swedish songstress Frida Hyvonen established herself as a distinctive new voice, capable of veering from stark confessionals to demented whimsy at the drop of a hat. I base this as much on my recollections of her deliciously entertaining March 2007 performance at the Mod Club as I do from whatever impression the album itself made because, well, I no longer seem to have a copy of the album around to refer to.

But I do have the follow-up, Silence Is Wild, and it does reaffirm those impressions. This time out, she chooses to frame her compositions in richer and at points, more theatrical trappings which suit her quite well – better, in my estimation, than the simpler presentation of the debut. The focal point is still her voice – huge yet fragile – and piano, but the grander arrangements lift everything up and offer a broader emotional and musical range that Death simply didn’t have.

Considering my favourite tracks from the album – “Dirty Dancing” and “London” – are also the biggest, I obviously like this change in tact for Hyvonen. The vivid imagery of her lyrics combined with the exuberance of their delivery strike just the right chord in me, and offer a stronger contrast to the smaller, more intimate moments of the album. But even with what some may consider to be a more conventional musical approach, Hyvonen’s innate eccentricity still shines through and sets her apart.

Ms Hyvonen did some solo dates on the east coast in October, so I don’t know if there’s any further North American touring in the cards. But if so I do hope there’s a band involved, even though it’s probably cost-prohibitive. As charming and engaging as she was in the solo context last time, I couldn’t imagine a lot of the new material being done proper justice without all the proper sonic accouterments.

Hyvonen picks her favourite song of the year for Line Of Best fit, gives Aquarium Drunkard a guided tour of her hometown of Flarken and subjects to herself to an interview at RCRDLBL, where you can also download an MP3 of “Birds” from the new album. And check out a live performance of “Dirty Dancing” at PSL.

MP3: Frida Hyvonen – “The Enemy Within”
MySpace: Frida Hyvonen

Clash talks to Lykke Li about her really big 2008. She’s at the Phoenix on February 6.

The video for the first single from A Camp’s forthcoming Colonia is now up. The album is out February 2.

Video: A Camp – “Stronger Than Jesus”

If you were one of those bummed about the cancellation of Noah & The Whale’s North American tour, maybe this Basement Tapes session with the band, recorded their last time through the continent and featuring downloadable live tracks, will ease the pain a bit.

MP3: Noah & The Whale – “5 Years Time” (Basement Tapes session)

The Courier-Mail discusses the art of songwriting with Mountain Goat John Darnielle.

LAist interviews John Dragonetti of The Submarines. They’re at the Drake Underground on February 15 and The Morning Benders have been added as co-headliners on the whole tour.

New York City’s Virgins have a date at the El Mocambo on February 5, tickets $12.50.

MP3: The Virgins – “Rich Girls”
Video: The Virgins – “Rich Girls”

Dose.ca, The Montreal Gazette and The McGill Tribune spend time with Stars, gearing up for a three-night stand at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre December 11 through 13.

Gentleman Reg, who is opening up the middle of those Stars shows (the 12th) as well as playing his own gig at the Drake Underground tonight, will release his new album Jet Black on February 24.

Le Blogotheque takes away a show with Margot & The Nuclear So And So’s.

Prefix talks to Mark Lanegan about working with Isobel Campbell.

JAM interviews Richard Thompson.