Frank YangWhat’s in a name? If you were at The Drake Underground on Friday or Saturday nights, possibly a lot. Over those two nights the marquee outside the front doors read Jonny and Apex Manor, as the two acts were kicking off their North American tour with a two-night stand in Toronto, but had the top billing read Teenage Fanclub and Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci – as Jonny is the collaboration of those two bands’ Norman Blake and Euros Childs – then maybe there’d have been a little less elbow room for those who were in the know enough to show up.

The identity issue might have also applied to the support, as Apex Manor is the new band of Ross Flournoy, who used to front Los Angeles power pop outfit The Broken West, who once upon a time were called The Brokedown. Got that? Good. Though advance listings had stated that this show would feature Apex Manor as an acoustic duo – presumably Flournoy and bassist Brian Whelan, also from The Broken West – but when things got underway it was just Flournoy, his Martin acoustic and a brace of songs drawn mostly from Apex Manor’s debut The Year Of Magical Drinking. And though the stripped-down nature of the set necessarily diminished the “power” half of the equation, the “pop” of things was still very much in effect thanks to the sophisticated hookiness of the material. It was good to be reminded of how good a band The Broken West were – particularly when Flournoy busted out their song “Down In The Valley” – and satisfying to see that carried over into their new incarnation.

No one would accuse Jonny of being an overly serious side-project, but assuming that Childs and Blake – the former with a couple of keyboards to go with his acoustic guitar and the latter handling guitar, drum machine and laptop duties – would treat it as a joke would have been a mistake. Okay, that’s not entirely accurate; there were plenty of jokes as the duo bantered back and forth in a manner worthy of a seasoned stand-up duo, their ultimately aborted attempt to cover the Saxons’ “It Ain’t Right” was more comedy sketch than musical performance and there were running gags of a sort with Childs’ collapsing homemade keyboard stands and Blake’s orchestration of the drum machine, but with the talents on hand, even the silliest songs were immaculately executed.

Considering the Jonny album barely clocks in at 40 minutes, their set was considerably longer than you might have expected. Of course some of that was for the aforementioned between-song back-and-forth, but they also included a number of non-album songs and made what could have been a brief-ish affair not only feel like a full and proper set, but one that reinforced Jonny as its own entity, separate and distinct from the resumes of the two artists who made the band up. Not so much, however, that one of the biggest highlights of the show was the encore wherein each of them busted out a couple of the former/other bands’ tunes. Jonny was charming and all, but hearing “I Don’t Want Control Of You” and “Spanish Dance Troupe” was the guaranteed way to close the night on the highest possible note.

Photos: Jonny, Apex Manor @ The Drake Underground – June 4, 2011
MP3: Jonny – “Candyfloss”
MP3: Jonny – “Gloria”
MP3: Apex Manor – “Under The Gun”
Video: Jonny – “You Was Me”
Video: Jonny – “Candyfloss”
Video: Apex Manor – “My My Mind”
ZIP: Jonny / Free

With reunions must come reissues, and so Pitchfork reports that Pulp’s first three albums – It, Freaks and Separations – will be reissued with bonus material come August 8.

The Independent finds out Elbow frontman Guy Garvey’s secrets to staying grounded while The Sydney Morning Herald chats with guitarist Mark Potter.

Emmy The Great offers a guide to staying virtuous to Clash. Her new album Virtue is out next week.

Exclaim and Metro interview James Blake, in town at The Phoenix on September 30.

Gruff Rhys has released a new video from Hotel Shampoo, just in time to wrap up the North American tour that hits The Horseshoe on June 11.

Video: Gruff Rhys – “Honey All Over”

TapeDek gets The Vaccines to indulge in some old-school Britpop trash talk. The National Post also has a chat.

Clash interviews Ladytron, whose new album Gravity The Seducer arrives September 13.

Beatroute interviews The Raveonettes.

Billboard has got a live video session from Peter Bjorn & John, while Metro, The Province and OC Weekly have interviews. They play Lee’s Palace on September 2 and 3.

aux.tv talks to The Naked & Famous, in town at Lee’s Palace on August 9.

Austin’s Ume have finally announced details of their new long-player; The AV Club has all the details but the key information is that it will be called Phantoms, be released on August 30 and the band will be in town on June 15 at the Drake Underground as part of NXNE. This is not a song from the new record but a good reminder of why they’re a band worth getting excited about.

MP3: Ume – “The Conductor”

The War On Drugs, last seen hereabouts opening up for Destroyer back in April will be back on August 24 at a venue to be named in support of their new record Slave Ambient, out August 16. Pitchfork has full dates and check out the Springsteen-ish first MP3 below.

MP3: The War On Drugs – “Baby Missiles”

Peter Hook brings his new band the Light and their rather questionable re-production of Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures to The Phoenix on September 24. “Atmosphere” isn’t from Unknown Pleasures but this video should give you an idea of how they’re doing it. The Spectator has an interview with Hook.

Video: Peter Hook & The Light featuring Rowetta – “Atmosphere”

Once again announcing a new show before their last one has actually happened yet, Foster The People will be at The Sound Academy on October 1, tickets $23.50. More immediately, they’re at The Mod Club on June 18 but that’s sold out.

MP3: Foster The People – “Pumped Up Kicks”

Officially back from Europe/vacation, and let me tell you I am thrilled about it. THRILLED.

Frank YangDan Bejar has been Destroyer for a very long time. Since 1995, according to Wikipedia, and in the past 16 years or so he’s put out ten or more albums – depending on your precise definition of an official release – many/most to great acclaim though usually from different corners as his habit of dramatically shifting styles from one album to the next seems to alienate as many as it attracts. So it’s interesting that his least conventionally Destroyer record to date – the smooth jazz/lounge synth and horn-heavy Kaputt – should be the one that has garnered the most universal acclaim. And so it was that while past Destroyer shows would draw respectably, their Thursday night show at Lee’s Palace would be completely sold out and even had scalpers out front. Scalpers for Destroyer.

Tourmates for this outing were Philadelphia’s The War On Drugs, who despite having been around for a few years themselves were perhaps best known for being Kurt Vile’s old band. But if Vile can find an audience then there’s no reason that his old bandmates can’t as well, as there’s a fair bit in common between the two and personally, I found The War On Drugs more interesting. They operate within fairly narrow stylistic margins – there’s a lot of repetitiveness and a general aversion to chord changes – but frontman Adam Granducie’s stream-of-consciousness vocals and shimmering, psych-country guitar excursions offered plenty of musical terrain to explore within them.

The last time I saw Destroyer was at SxSW 2008, circa Trouble In Dreams, and it was a performance that did nothing to improve Bejar’s reputation as a non-fan of playing live but still managed to be a fascinating and memorable show. So with that as a benchmark, the mind boggled at what sort of impression he could make if he actually seemed to care, and given that this tour would see him fronting an epic-sized eight-piece band – his last visit in 2009 was a solo show – it was pretty safe to say that this time out, he cared.

And to answer the earlier question up front: Destroyer made an amazing impression. With horns, guitars, keys, female backing vox at his disposal, the slickness of Kaputt was roughed and sped up in an excellent manner, with the smooth horns of the recordings turning tense and unsettling at points and contributing mightily to the sheer density of sound emanating onstage. Destroyer was sounding huge and Bejar, rarely speaking but still speaking more than usual, would frequently squat down in the centre of the stage with eyes closed, drink in hand and half-smile on his face like an audience member with the best seat in the house.

Given the musical configuration, I’d have expected the show to lean almost exclusively on Kaputt but the set list reached back as far as Your Blues through Destroyer’s Rubies and Trouble, the selections all largely recast in the Kaputt aesthetic and proving that Destroyer songs are as infinitely malleable as the Destroyer identity itself. For the encore, they tackled the epic-length single and Kaputt-closer “Bay Of Pigs”, and despite having lyrics sheets on hand for reference, didn’t make it through without a couple of flubs – not that that’s any grounds for criticism, it was actually pretty endearing to see Bejar crack up, even a little. Some may take some issue with The Guardian declaring Destroyer – who as an entity is almost old enough to drive – as a “new band” but there’s a genuine sense that with Kaputt, they’ve arrived and this show proved that also goes for the live experience.

Exclaim reports that one of Destroyer’s early sort-of-but-not-really albums is being reissued on vinyl – copies were actually available for sale at the merch table – and Metro and Madison.com have interview with Dan Bejar. Panic Manual and Chart also have reviews of the show.

Photos: Destroyer, The War On Drugs @ Lee’s Palace – March 31, 2011
MP3: Destroyer – “Chinatown”
MP3: Destroyer – “Dark Leaves Form A Thread”
MP3: Destroyer – “It’s Gonna Take An Airplane”
MP3: Destroyer – “The Sublimation Hour”
MP3: Destroyer – “Trembling Peacock”
MP3: The War On Drugs – “Taking The Farm”
MP3: The War On Drugs – “Comin’ Through”
MP3: The War On Drugs – “The History Of Plastic”
Video: Destroyer – “Kaputt”

Philadelphian psych-rockers Asteroid #4 have made a date at The Boat for April 29 in support of their new record Hail To The Clear Figurines.

MP3: Asteroid #4 – “Ignition Slated For Eight”
MP3: Asteroid #4 – “Wild Opal Eyes”

Just here a month ago, Telekinesis will be coming back to town next month as support for Portugal. The Man’s May 27 show at Lee’s Palace. They’ve also put out a spanking new video from 12 Desperate Staight Lines and are the subject of features at The Georgia Straight and The AV Club.

Video: Telekinesis – “Please Ask For Help”

David Bazan has announced a May 24 release date for his new record Strange Negotiations and accompanying tour, which includes a June 14 date at Lee’s Palace.

MP3: David Bazan – “Bless This Mess”

Having sold out Lee’s Palace this past weekend, Los Angeles’ Foster The People have already scheduled a return engagement for June 18 at the Mod Club. Their debut Torches is due out May 24. The Pitch and San Francisco Chronicle have interviews with the band.

MP3: Foster The People – “Pumped Up Kicks”

Eels have put together an extensive Summer tour and will be at Lee’s Palace on August 1. They’re also giving away a 3-song sampler of recent works in exchange for an email address – sign up on their tour page.

New York Magazine and The AV Club pay excellent tribute to the now-defunct LCD Soundsystem, while The Feast asks Nancy Whang what it’s like to be hanging it up. You can watch the entirety of their almost four-hour farewell performance from Saturday night on YouTube. Get comfy.

The National have made a video for their soundtrack contribution to the forthcoming film Win Win.

Video: The National – “Think You Can Wait”

Low’s new record C’Mon is now available to stream in its entirety at The Guardian in advance of its release next Tuesday. They play The Mod Club on May 1.

Stream: Low / C’Mon

NPR is streaming a World Cafe session with Janelle Monáe.

Sarah BowlesIf there’s any upside – and I type this knowing that there’s not – to the fact that the holidays are over and it’s back to the workaday week, it’s that my inbox and RSS reader are once again filling up with interesting news bits (and tonnes of uninteresting ones) rather than lists upons lists and year-end retrospectives. And that includes concert announcements, of which there were more than a few yesterday.

Including a return to North America for the first time in a couple years from Brighton, UK’s premiere electro/indie/hip-hop/dance/rock party-all-over outfit The Go! Team. Their third record Rolling Blackouts will be out on February 1 and while their official tour itinerary only goes as far as the end of March and doesn’t cross the Atlantic, a Toronto show at the Opera House on April 10 has just been announced (tickets $23.50), so expect more dates to be announced in the coming days. Spinner has an interview with chief songwriter Ian Parton about the shift in lyrical direction on the new record, while samples of said album can be had via the video for the lead track and the stream of next single “Buy Nothing Day” – featuring vocals from Best Coast’s Beth Cosentino – over at The Guardian.

Stream: The Go! Team – “Buy Nothing Day”
Video: The Go! Team – “T.O.R.N.A.D.O.”

Also coming to town, fond of exclamations and parties are Vancouver’s You Say Party – though apparently the “!” was dropped in their recent name change – and Montreal’s Young Galaxy, whose new record Shapeshifting has got a lot of folks talking in advance of its February 8 release. Both are at Lee’s Palace on March 4, tickets $15.50 in advance.

MP3: You Say Party! – “Laura Palmer’s Prom”
MP3: Young Galaxy – “Peripheral Visionaries”

BBC Sound of 2011 shortlistee Anna Calvi will be in town for Canadian Musicfest with a showcase at Wrongbar on March 11. Her self-titled debut will be out on March 1.

MP3: Anna Calvi – “Jezebel”

Destroyer’s new record Kaputt is out on January 25 and though the tour dates with The War On Drugs are still patchy, there will be a show at Lee’s Palace in Toronto on March 31, tickets $15 in advance.

MP3: Destroyer – “Chinatown”
MP3: The War On Drugs – “The History Of Plastic”

They don’t really have a lot in common, but that’s not stopping …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead and Surfer Blood from teaming up for a tour that stops in at Lee’s Palace on May 3. Trail Of Dead’s new album Tao Of The Dead will be out on February 8 and Surfer Blood will be putting out an EP sometime this year before getting to work on their major label debut.

MP3: Surfer Blood – “Swim”

The new British Sea Power record Valhalla Dancehall is up and streaming in its entirety at The AV Club, one week before it’s January 11 release.

Stream: British Sea Power / Valhalla Dancehall

NPR is streaming the whole of The Decemberists’ new album The King Is Dead two weeks before its January 18 release date. The band play The Sound Academy on February 1.

Stream: The Decemberists / The King Is Dead

Also up at the NPR has also got a new song from R.E.M.’s forthcoming Collapse Into Now, which continues to confirm that this record might well be pretty good. It’s out March 8.

There will be a new Strokes record in March. BBC says bassist Nikolai Fraiture says so.

Titus Andronicus have blogged a farewell to their founding bassist Ian Graetzer, who amicably left the band as of this weekend.

Specifics on the new Okkervil River record are still forthcoming, but Pitchfork reports that the first single “Mermaid” will be out on February 8 on 12″.

Laundromatinee has got a video session with Son Volt.

NYC Taper is sharing a recording of the Drive-By Truckers’ New Year’s Eve eve show in New York. The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Boot talk to Patterson Hood about their new record Go-Go Boots, which will be out February 15.