Archive for the ‘News’ Category
4/7/10 News briefs: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, No Age, Mates Of State, The National and Refused
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart are releasing a brand new single called “Say No to Love.” On the flipside will be a track called “Lost Saint.” You can pick it up via Slumberland Records on June 8th. But more good news comes in the announcement of a North American tour. Okay, so it won’t come to Canada, but it will hit border cities like Buffalo and Rochester, New York, which are pretty close to Ontario. Even better is the news that fuzzy indie kids Surfer Blood will support them.
No Age is giving away a live album they recorded in Los Angeles recently. The gig was a performance of the score they wrote for a short film by Todd Cole for Rodarte titled Aenteni. You can grab it here.
Mates Of State’s next album will be strictly covers. The married couple of Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner recorded/produced the album themselves, which they’ve cutely named Crushes (The Covers Mixtape). Some artists’ songs you’ll hear include Death Cab For Cutie (“Technicolor Girls”), Belle & Sebastian (“Sleep the Clock Around”), The Mars Volta (“Son et Lumiere”), Daniel Johnston (“True Love Will Find You in the End”), Girls (“Laura”), Nick Cave (“Love Letter”), and Tom Waits (“Long Way Home”).
More details have emerged from the forthcoming album by The National. Due on May 11th, High Violet will feature Richard Reed Parry from Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens and Justin Vernon from Bon Iver in different capacities.
Finally, the rumours of legendary hardcore fusionists Refused reuniting were false, we know this, but the band will be reissuing their landmark 1998 album The Shape of Punk to Come on two gorgeous slabs of blue wax limited to 500 copies. It won’t be out till June 8th, but pre-orders are underway and for something like this, it’s best not to wait.
Tags: Mates Of State, No Age, Refused, The National, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
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4/6/2010 News briefs: The Drums, Robyn, Bloc Party, Thurston Moore and Record Store Day
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
Hotly tipped Brookyn band The Drums have finally announced both a release date for their debut album and the label behind it. On the band’s website they confirmed that the album will come out on June 7th. Meanwhile, during an interview with Interview Magazine, the band’s label was revealed as Island/Universal. If you’re familiar, however, with North American release dates, June 7th could pose a problem seeing as it’s actually a Monday and not the standard Tuesday. Oh well, hopefully they’ll strike a deal over here soon…
On that same day (and label), Robyn will also release the long awaited follow-up to her 2005 self-titled album. Titled Body Talk Part 1, this will be the first of three albums Robyn has promised to release before the end of the year. The eight-track LP will feature the recently released track “Fembot” as well as a new single called “Dancing On My Own.”
Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke, however, has struck a North American deal to release his curious new solo album. Now going under the name Kele (like Madonna, Rihanna and Shakira), the album will be called The Boxer and will drop on June 22th via Glassnote Records (Phoenix, Temper Trap). Produced by Spank Rock’s XXXChange, Kele says “The key for the sound of the record was to take things as harsh and as physical as I could make it. The reason for going there was that these are the sounds that make me the happiest in the world.”
Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore will become a proper professor this coming Sunday, April 11th. The influential indie/noise rock legend will deliver a “Dissertation on White Noise” to a class of eight to 12 year-olds as part of the Partners & Spade “Avant Garde Preschool” in New York City.
And speaking of Sonic Youth, the band will be offering up some goodies for Record Store Day on April 17th. Not only will they be reissuing early LPs Confusion Is Sex and EVOL on white vinyl, but they’ll be bringing back their mysterious Starbucks “greatest hits” comp Hits Are For Squares for a double LP release. Other cool exclusives planned for the day include a split 7″ between Dum Dum Girls and Male Bonding, The Flaming Lips’ cover of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon (on seafoam green vinyl no less) and a mouth-watering reissue of Rhino’s 4LP Joy Division vinyl box set.
Tags: Bloc Party, Kele Okereke, Record Store Day, Robyn, Sonic Youth, The Drums, thurston moore
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4/5/2010 News briefs: Wolf Parade, Joy Division, Gang of Four, Doves and LCD Soundsystem
Monday, April 5th, 2010
Wolf Parade have embraced their Montreal roots by naming their forthcoming album Expo 86. Speaking with Pitchfork, co-frontman Dan Boeckner said it “was definitely the most fun I’ve had recording a Wolf Parade record.” He also elaborated on the possibility of a double LP, saying “I’d really love to just release a single album and then, later on, an extended EP. But we’re still trying to figure out what format to put all the stuff out in. We want to release it all. I don’t feel that any of the songs are ugly cousins or duds.”
Former Joy Division/New Order bassist Peter Hook is planning to celebrate the 30th anniversary of former Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis’ death with a series of gigs recreating the band’s debut album, Unknown Pleasures. Billed as “An Evening Of Unknown Pleasures,” Hook will perform the album in its entirety with special guests (not named Bernard Sumner or Stephen Morris), exhibit never-before-seen Joy Division and New Order footage, as well as give talks about his music career and even field some questions.
Post-punk legends Gang of Four have partnered up with Pledge Music to help come up with the money needed to record a new album. A press release states that the band “is offering lots of extras and content exclusives to believers, including artwork, a scratch-n-sniff booklet, and even vials of blood.” Yes, if you donate the right amount of money, you could own the blood of Go4.
Despite the release of a new “singles and B-sides” collection called The Places Between and an announcement that they’ll be doing their “last” tour, England’s Doves are not breaking up. Guitarist Jez Williams told the Observer that he was misquoted and confirmed the band have no plans to disband. “It is our last tour for a bit. I never said forever,” he added.
And if you’re excited about This Is Happening, the forthcoming album from LCD Soundsystem, well, more good news comes in that James Murphy will be taking his band on the road this spring. They’ll stop off in Montreal on May 24th, Toronto on May 25th and Vancouver on May 31st.
Tags: Doves, Gang of Four, Joy Division, LCD Soundsystem, Wolf Parade
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4/1/10 News briefs: Superchunk, F**ked Up, Lightspeed Champion, Foals and The xx vs Notorious B.I.G.
Thursday, April 1st, 2010
Note: None of the following stories are April Fool’s pranks. I just don’t have the energy folks.
Indie rock heroes Superchunk have announced they’ll release their first album in nine years. Frontman Mac McCaughan told The Canadian Press that the band are “not too far from being done” and that “it’s more guitar-oriented than [2001's] Here’s to Shutting Up. And maybe a little louder in general.”
Fucked Up are being sued by Thriller Energy Inc., an energy drink manufacturer that sponsored one of the band’s SXSW shows. The lawsuit is accusing guitarist Mike Haliechuk for making defamatory comments after he blogged that the company sells “some of the most vile stuff you can put in your body” and stated that “we can say with force that Thriller Energy Drinks is a bullshit company and we won’t be working with them ever again.”
Lightspeed Champion (aka Dev Hynes) had to have emergency surgery this week on his throat after his face and throat began swelling up. In a blog post, Hynes wrote that the problem was pre-existing, dating back a few years to an infection in his gums and teeth.
Sub Pop has announced that it will release the sophomore album by UK math rockers Foals. Titled Total Life Forever , a press release from the label describes the album as “the sound of a band settling into and surveying the decay of old protocols. With this new album, Foals strip their sound back and turn themselves inside out searching for that invisible human thing.” Total Life Forever will be available in digitally on May 11, 2010, and on CD and double-LP June 15, 2010.
Have you ever wondered what a collaboration between The xx and Notorious B.I.G. would sound like? There’s a good chance you haven’t since it’s a pretty random pairing, but if you are interested a blog called Wait What has posted an 11-track free download of “The xx’s debut album chopped, sliced, and mashed up with Biggie’s vocals.” You can download the album here.
juicy-r [the notorious b.i.g.'s juicy vs. the xx's vcr] - wait what (mashup) from wait what on Vimeo.
Tags: Foals, Fucked Up, Lightspeed Champion, Notorious B.I.G., Superchunk, the xx
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3/31/10 News briefs: Modest Mouse, Hercules & Love Affair, Black Mountain, Alan McGee vs Anton Newcombe and Danzig
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock is writing music for the Cartoon Network’s The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. The show, which follows a boy searching for candy, was created by Thurop Van Orman, who confirmed Brock’s involvement on his blog, adding “He is about the greatest guy around, and is doing some kickass music with us. And Flapjack is his favorite show! WOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”
Hercules & Love Affair have finished their second album. The group confirmed the news on their blog, writing that they’re currently in Vienna and that the process was “a very colorful and interesting ride.” Their one word to sum up the record? “Emotional.”
Speaking of finishing up records, stoner dudes Black Mountain are just wrapping up their third album. Speaking to Exclaim!, frontman Stephen McBean said “This one’s maybe a bit more folky. There’s some heavy songs on it, but there’s no 18-minute opus on this one.”
Clash Music hosted a pretty fascinating chat between former Creation Records boss Alan McGee and Brian Jonestown Massacre leader Anton Newcombe. Both are outspoken characters, and they get into some pretty cool topics like their mutual love for The Cult, The Beatles and the making of My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless.
Finally, it’s been a long time coming but Danzig will release his/their first studio album since 2004’s Circle of Snakes. Deth Red Sabaoth will be released jointly between The End Records and Danzig’s own Evilive imprint. Glenn Danzig says the album has “a cool vitality to it” and that he “wanted to have an organic sound, bigger and thicker.”
Tags: Alan McGee, Anton Newcombe, Black Mountain, Danzig, Hercules & Love Affair, Isaac Brock, Modest Mouse
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3/30/10 News briefs: LCD Soundsystem, The Libertines, Crystal Castles, Rival Schools and The Chemical Brothers
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
LCD Soundsystem has named their HIGHLY anticipated new album This Is Happening. The band’s third album will be released on May 18th. You can hear the first single, “Drunk Girls” right here.
It feels a little late, but English rockers The Libertines have announced they will reunite for the Reading and Leeds Festivals this summer. Carl Barât and Pete Doherty have officially buried any outstanding hatchets and according to the Guardian, they’ll be paid more than $2 million to play. Let’s hope Pete doesn’t invest that coin into any more chemicals.
Sleazy Toronto electro punks Crystal Castles have announced they have a new four-track 12″ on the way. Alice Glass and Ethan Kath will release the brand new “Doe Deer”, which is backed by three older tracks. The single will be released just in time for Record Store Day, on April 17th. It’s strictly limited to 500 copies, so you’re gonna have one shot at getting yours before it hits eBay for a three-figure price. Crystal Castles are also set to play Toronto’s Twist Art Gallery this Saturday (April 3rd).
Post-hardcore heroes Rival Schools will return on September 21st with their first album in eight years. Speaking with Exclaim!, frontman Walter Schreifels said that the band’s own Photo Finish label will put out the yet-to-be-titled record through a distribution deal with Atlantic. He also added that a reunion with his old band Quicksand is never gonna happen!
Finally, The Chemical Brothers are set to make a comeback with a new album they’re calling Further. Clash Music calls it “a stunning return” that moves “from Beach Boys harmonies to relentless Krautrock rhythms.” Ed and Tom will also release eight short films made in conjunction with long-time visuals collaborators Adam Smith and Marcus Lyall.
Tags: Crystal Castles, LCD Soundsystem, Rival Schools, The Chemical Brothers, The Libertines, Walter Screifels
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3/17/10 News briefs: Robyn, Saint Etienne, Chapterhouse, Girls and Little Boots
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
Robyn is talking about her three new albums. She told Pitchfork, “Right now I’m finishing the first one, which is going to come out in June. I’m already working on the second album so I hope that’ll come out sometime after the summer. Then later on maybe another release.”
Having already reissued four albums last year, English dance pop institution Saint Etienne are continuing their reissue series with two more out on May 4th. The trio will re-release Tiger Bay and Finisterre with bonus tracks, the latter of which will include the Doctor Who-sampling “There There My Brigadier.”
Shoegaze pioneers Chapterhouse have announced a handful of tour dates that includes one Canadian date in Toronto at the Horseshoe Tavern on May 1st. The band told Under The Radar, “This really is a one off deal for us so there are no plans for any further shows after these North American dates. It is the original line up except for Greg Moore who is filling in for Russell Barrett on bass.”
Girls have announced a new EP set for release in the spring. Frontman Christopher Owens told Drowned In Sound that he’s written 70 songs and picked the six best. He added, “I want to call the a-side ‘Fucking A and the b-side ‘Fucking B’,” said Owens, “and I want it to be the best EP of all time!”
Finally, Little Boots has cancelled her North American tour. She was scheduled to play two Canadian dates: April 29th at Montreal’s SAT and the 30th at the Phoenix in Toronto. “Unforeseen circumstances and commitments in the UK” are the reasons given.
Tags: Chapterhouse, Girls, Little Boots, Pitchfork, Robyn, Saint Etienne
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3/10/10 News briefs: Ash, Beck, Flying Lotus, Neu! and Sub Pop
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
Britpop survivors Ash will release a compilation that gathers the first 13 singles of their 26 single A-Z series. A-Z Volume 1 will be released in a limited CD/DVD package featuring a film of their UK tour last autumn.
Beck’s Record Club has announced a few new members. Liars, St. Vincent and Os Mutantes will join the “loser” in his bid to record cover versions of his favourite albums in one day.
Flying Lotus has revealed that he will support Thom Yorke’s non-Radiohead band on their U.S. tour. FlyLo told BBC 6Music he will be opening up seven dates for Atoms For Peace, which also features Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, REM drummer Joey Waronker and instrumentalist Mauro Refosco. He also added that he “might make a contribution or two to the next Thom Yorke album.” This would be a return favour, as Yorke appears on the upcoming Flying Lotus album, Cosmogramma.
Influential Krautrock band Neu! have announced details of a career-spanning vinyl box set. Neu!, Neu! 2, Neu! 75, Neu! 4 and ’72 Live! In Dusseldorf will be released on May 10th.
Sub Pop Records has announced it has a list of limited edition exclusives lined up for Record Store Day on April 17th. Beach House 12″! Dum Dum Girls/Male Bonding 7″! Happy Birthday 7″!
Tags: ash, Beck, Flying Lotus, Liars, Neu!, Os Mutantes, St. Vincent, Sub Pop
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Cam’s 10 Bands You Must See At CMW
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010Canadian Music Week or Canadian Music Fest, as the festival part is now being called, has always been a platform to bring awareness to what Canada’s music scene has to offer. I have to admit though, I’ve really been enjoying how over the past few years, the annual conference/festival has been luring more and more international acts into its roster. I know, I know, this is supposed to be a week of celebrating CANADIAN music, but if you’re a regular gig-goer, especially in the city of Toronto (of which there will be many), this worldwide inclusion brings some much-needed variety and let’s face it, bigger names at bigger venues.
So I present to you my list of bands - both Canadian and otherwise - you’ve gotta check out if you’re hitting the bars this week. Ta-da!
PARALLELS
From: Toronto, ON
Recommended if you like: Glass Candy, Donna Summer & Giorgio Moroder, Little Boots
Why you need to see them: Well, singer Holly Dodson is a sight to see herself, but some people still like dancing these days and Parallels make dreamy, bubbling disco that you can indeed lose yourself to.
Fun fact: Drummer Cameron Findlay used to be the live drummer for Crystal Castles (good choice!).
Tester song: “Find the Fire”
MySpace: myspace.com/parallelsfm
Wednesday March 10, 2010 @ 11:00PM, The Roosevelt Room, 2 Drummond Place
DIAMOND RINGS
From: Toronto, ON
Recommended if you like: Patrick Wolf, Handsome Furs, Owen Pallett
Why you need to see them: Well, John O is quite the performer and looker, just check out his video for “Wait and See”.
Fun fact: When he isn’t caked in makeup John O’Regan is the lead vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist for post-punk band The D’Urbervilles.
Tester song: “Wait and See”
MySpace: myspace.com/diamondringsmusic
Friday March 12, 2010 @ 12:00AM, Silver Dollar, 486 Spadina Ave.
NEON INDIAN
From: Austin, Texas
Recommended if you like: Todd Rundgren, Animal Collective, Cut Copy
Why you need to see them: Alan Palomo recently showed off his stuff on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and proved his bedroom, pop synthphonies are actually now ready for an audience.
Fun fact: Neon Indian formed as a sort-of apology by Palomo when he was a no-show for a scheduled acid trip with a friend.
Tester song: “Should Have Taken Acid With You”
MySpace: myspace.com/neonindian
Thursday March 11, 2010 @ 10:30PM, Lee’s Palace, 529 Bloor St. West
BRASSTRONAUT
From: Vancouver, BC
Recommended if you like: Grizzly Bear, The Sea & Cake, Radiohead
Why you need to see them: As their name suggests, there is plenty of brass horn action, plus they make the notion of jazz cool… no really!
Fun fact: Frontman Edo Van Breeman owns his label, Unfamiliar Records.
Tester song: “Slow Knots”
MySpace: myspace.com/brasstronaut
Friday March 12, 2010 @ 11:00PM, Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. West
MEMORYHOUSE
From: Guelph, ON
Recommended if you like: Washed Out, Small Black, Memory Tapes
Why you need to see them: Because Evan Abeele and Denise Nouvion have just put together a live band and you’ll have bragging rights to say you saw them first when they blow up.
Fun fact: The duo are giving away their debut EP free! You can grab it here.
Tester song: “To the Lighthouse”
MySpace: myspace.com/wearememoryhouse
Sunday March 14, 2010, Wrongbar, 1279 Queen Street West
HARVEY MILK
From: Athens, Georgia
Recommended if you like: Melvins, Torche, Floor
Why you need to see them: They’re long-time veterans on the metal scene and they might just perform an entire set of Hank Williams covers.
Fun fact: It’s pretty obvious, but they took their name from the real Harvey Milk, the gay politician Sean Penn portrayed (and won an Oscar for) in the film Milk.
Tester song: “War”
MySpace: myspace.com/harveymilk
Thursday March 11, 2010 @ 10:20PM, Annex Wreckroom, 794 Bathurst Street
LITTLE DRAGON
From: Gothenburg, Sweden
Recommended if you like: Sia, Portishead, The Knife
Why you need to see them: Frontwoman Yukimi Nagano, whose constant movements are a bona fide showstealer.
Fun fact: The band appear on two tracks from the new Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach: “Empire Ants” and “To Binge.”
Tester song: “Fortune”
MySpace: myspace.com/yourlittledragon
Thursday March 11, 2010 @ 11:30PM, Lee’s Palace, 529 Bloor St. West
MALE BONDING
From: London, England
Recommended if you like: Vivian Girls, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Sonic Youth
Why you need to see them: They’re the coolest band in England right now and sing “funny songs about werewolves, pirates and getting high in the cinema.”
Fun fact: The band’s slogan is “we put the harm into harmony.”
Tester song: “Carrying”
MySpace: myspace.com/malebonding
Wednesday March 10, 2010 @ 11:00PM, Wrongbar, 1279 Queen Street West
WOODS
From: Brooklyn, New York
Recommended if you like: Kurt Vile, Mount Eerie, Ariel Pink
Why you need to see them: Their ability to deliver harmonies as well as experiment on stage with knobs and tape-loops is both aurally and visually arresting.
Fun facts: Woods also perform/record under the name of Woods Family Creeps, another variation of the band. They also release their music on Woodsist, the indie label owned by member Jeremy Earl.
Tester song: “Sunlit”
MySpace: myspace.com/woodsfamilyband
Sunday March 14, 2010, Horseshoe Tavern, 370 Queen St. West
METZ
From: Toronto, ON
Recommended if you like: Pissed Jeans, The Jesus Lizard, Drive Like Jehu
Why you need to see them: They make the kind of scraping racket that will make you froth at the mouth and lose your shit entirely… plus make you go deaf, so where earplugs.
Fun fact: Umm… they’re name sounds like the Mets (as in New York) but spell their name with a “z”. Sorry, that’s not actually very fun.
Tester song: “Dry Up”
MySpace: myspace.com/metztheband
Friday March 12, 2010 @ 12:00AM, The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. West
Tags: Brasstronaut, Diamond Rings, Harvey Milk, Little Dragon, Male Bonding, Memoryhouse, Metz, Neon Indian, Parallels, Woods
Posted in News, The New Music | 1 Comment »
3/8/10 News Briefs: Sparklehorse, Radiohead, Justin Bieber, Band of Horses and Sofia Coppola + Phoenix
Monday, March 8th, 2010
Mark Linkous, better known as indie/alt-country artist Sparklehorse, committed suicide on Saturday in Knoxville, Tenn. Linkous reportedly shot himself in the heart in an alley outside a friend’s home, according to his manager, Shelby Meade. Linkous leaves behind him a legacy that spans 14 years. He debuted as Sparklehorse with 1996’s critically lauded Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot, and followed up with three more albums. While touring his first album, Linkous collapsed after an overdose on Valium and was pronounced dead. He was eventually revived and spent the next six months in a wheelchair, but still managed to perform. Most recently, he worked with Danger Mouse and filmmaker David Lynch on an album called Dark Night of the Soul, which was shelved after legal problems last year (it was reported last week that the album is now set to see a proper release). Mark Linkous was 47.
Radiohead do not have a new album coming out. NME.com reports that an email detailing the band’s new album is completely false. “Most of it is made up and there is no album or album title,” a spokesperson told the site.
Aziz Ansari, Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Nick Zinner and TV On the Radio’s David Sitek have declared war on Justin Bieber in a new Funny Or Die video. In the spoof, Ansari plays his obnoxious comedian character Raaaaaaaandy, who claims the 16-year-old pop star shot him, stole the song “Baby” from him and threatened to “take a dump” on him. A dramatic re-enactment shows Bieber (played by Josh Simpson) shooting in the studio with Raaaaaaaandy, as he records his “Baby Baby.” Bieber whips out a gun, shoots Raaaaaaaandy and hilarity ensues! Watch the video here.
Band of Horses have revealed details about their new album. Infinite Arms will be released on May 18th by three, count ‘em, three labels: Brown Records, Fat Possum and Columbia! So, an indie, a major indie and a major, got it.
Sofia Coppola is reportedly working on a new film based on Phoenix’s “Love Like A Sunset.” Coppola’s baby daddy/Phoenix lead singer Thomas Mars told The New York Times that the filmmaker is working on something new, using the two-part song, taken from the band’s 2009 album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, as inspiration. Mars didn’t elaborate as to whether it was a feature film or music video, but the possibilities are endless!
Tags: Aziz Ansari, Band of Horse, Funny Or Die, Justin Bieber, Mark Linkous, NME.com, phoenix, Radiohead, Sofia Coppola, Sparklehorse
Posted in News, The New Music | 3 Comments »
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