Monday, March 31, 2008

BJORK
Wanderlust

Check out Bjork's new video via Stereogum. Directed by the same collective that did Grizzly Bear's Knife (watch it below).


I WILL POSSESS YOUR HEART

Death Cab For Cutie have confirmed their first Toronto date in support of the forthcoming album Narrow Stairs. They will play Olympic Island on June 7th. No word on support, who's putting it on (maybe it will be a mini-festival like the Broken Social Scene show two summers ago) or ticket details (unless you pay $30 to join their fan club). Date via BrooklynVegan. Narrow Stairs is released domestically on May 13th, the iTunes version will contain a bonus demo track of "No Sunlight" and two videos (short and long) for first single "I Will Possess Your Heart". UPDATE: Frank over at Chromewaves has confirmed that this show will indeed be a mini-festival, support will be Rogue Wave, Stars and Young Galaxy. Tickets are on sale April 3rd, $49.50 plus ferry.
HIGHWAY OF ENDLESS DREAMS


Anthony Gonzalez aka M83's new album Saturdays = Youth has made its way onto the interweb a couple weeks prior to its release (April 15th via Mute), and after a few listens I'm completely hooked. I've been a casual fan of Gonzalez' albums, never dug very deep into them, probably out of sheer laziness. It's lush, warm and full sounding, and references mid-90's electronic music at times (see lead single
Couleurs). It may isolate his die-hard fans (there is some cheesy vocals that will grate their nerves), but in actuality its a huge leap forward, the perfect marriage of shoegaze and 90s dance. The album was co-produced by Ken Thomas (who has worked with Sigur Ros, Suede) and Ewan Pearson (The Rapture and Ladytron).

M83 are heading out on a full band short North American tour. His band will include Gonzalez on vocals, guitars and keyboards, Loic Maurin on drums, Pierre-Marie Maulini on bass and guitar and featured album vocalist Morgan Kibby (of LA-based band The Romanovs) on vocals and keyboards. Dates are as follows:

Tue 5/20 - Los Angeles - Echoplex
Wed 5/21 - San Francisco - Great American Music Hall
Fri 5/23 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
Sat 5/24 - Vancouver - Richards on Richards
Sun 5/25 - Seattle - Neumos
Wed 5/28 - Minneapolis - Triple Rock Club
Thu 5/29 - Chicago - Empty Bottle
Fri 5/30 - Toronto - The Mod Club
Sat 5/31 - Montreal - Cabaret Music Hall
Mon 6/2 - Cambridge, MA Middle East Downstairs
Tue 6/3 - Brooklyn - Music Hall of Williamsburg
Wed 6/4 - NYC - Bowery Ballroom
Fri 6/6 - Philadelphia - First Unitarian Church
Sat 6/7 - Washington, DC Black Cat

Sunday, March 30, 2008

A COUPLE MORE THAT I MISSED EARLIER

The reunited Swervedriver play Lee's Palace on June 13th, which apparently will be part of NXNE (via Chromewaves).

The Toronto edition of Virgin Festival slated for September 6th and 7th on the Toronto Island has confirmed the first set of bands. Confirmed for day one are Foo Fighters, Bloc Party, Spiritualized, The Constantines, and Wintersleep. Day two brings the following acts to the island: Oasis, Paul Weller, Stereophonics and The Weakerthans and Pigeon Dectectives. Tickets went on sale yesterday via Ticketmaster, one day tickets are $87 and a two day pass is $159. I don't think I'll be attending this year (unless I get free tickets), the additional line up will need to be really good for me to purchase a ticket.

Radiohead have been confirmed to play Molson Ampitheatre on August 15th. The second leg of their North American tour will be announced tomorrow, with tickets going on sale on April 12th. Underworld are set to open for this leg of the tour (first leg Liars will open, European leg sees Bat For Lashes in tow).
CONCERT ROUND UP

The spring concert season is really shaping up. Tons of great shows have been confirmed since my last post, so let's round them up.

The Dodos, who's album Visiter has been on constant rotation on my iPod in the last couple weeks play the El Mocambo on April 9th. Tickets, $8, on sale at Rotate, read Pitchfork's album review here.

Thunderheist are at Lee's on April 11th. Tickets available now at Rotate. This show is being billed as their last Toronto show for the next while, so if you want to see them, check them out now.

Diplo plays Wrongbar on April 19th. Tickets are $ 15 (tickets for all these shows are available at Rotate). Dan Bejar's Destroyer are at Lee's Palace the same night.

Peter Moren (of Peter, Bjorn and John) in support of his first solo album The Last Tycoon plays Mod Club on April 24th. The Last Tycoon is out April 8th on Quarterstick Records.

Kate Nash, who I want to love because Foundations is such an amazing song, but cannot because I can't get into the entire album is at the Phoenix on April 28th.

Eric Warner's 2008 edition of Over The Top Festival is now on sale. Highlights that interest me: Kevin Barnes (Of Montreal) solo at Mod Club on May 4th, High Places at Ukula on May 3rd, Woodhands at Sneaky Dee's on May 1st and Rock Central Plaza at St. Stephen's on May 1st. Eric has also programmed a film festival for this year's edition, check out the festival site for more information.

The Teenagers show originally scheduled for May 1st at Anti has been moved to Lee's Palace. Apparently Anti were denied their liquor license and will not be opening (the old Spin Gallery).

Tokyo Police Club's two night stand at the Opera House on May 3rd and 4th are on sale (night one is sold out).

Robyn (the new Annie, but not as euro-cheese and not new since her album actually came out a couple years back and is only now getting a North American release) plays The Phoenix on May 5th.

M83 are at the Opera House on May 30th. Their (or is it only one guy now???) new album Saturdays = Youth has leaked and I really love it. So good.

MIA is back in Toronto at Sound Academy (WORST.IDEA.EVER!!!) with Holy Fuck on June 2nd. Tickets are $35 (what?). Let's hope that this time the volumes are kept to an acceptable level, her last show at Kool Haus was a nightmare.

That's it for now.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

BLACK IS THE NEW PRESIDENT, BIATCH

Watch Tracy Morgan's rebuttal to Tina Fey's Bitch Is The New Black on SNL last night.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

CRYSTAL CASTLES HEART SKINS?

I'm a massive fan of a British show called Skins, a show about a bunch of high school friends, their relationships and the trials and tribulations of teen life. It's reminiscent of The O.C., but much racier, think Larry Clark's Kids meets the O.C., and to be honest, I'm always surprised how far they push the limits concerning content (teenage sex and gratuitous nudity, language etc.).

To my surprise, while watching episode three of season two, Crystal Castles make an appearance in a scene set in a club. Someone off camera announces "Up next Crystal Castles" and there appears Alice Glass and Ethan Kath to the sound of their career-making synth heavy mess Alice Practice. It kind of weirded me out a first, kind of like when The Flaming Lips played the Peach Pit After Dark on 90210 in the 90s. But the tune worked within the scope of the plot, and it didn't seem cheesy at all. Watch the clip below.



Skins airs on E4 in the UK on Mondays at 10pm. It can be downloaded from a variety of torrent sites, or if you can a region-free DVD player, you can purchase season one on DVD here.

Crystal Castles play Circa on March 28th. Tickets on sale now at Rotate.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

MISSING IN ACTION

I've been missing in action for the last week or so.....let's catch up then. I've obsessed with Santogold right now. She's from Brooklyn, is a seasoned "pop" writer (she just penned tunes for Ashlee Simpson's new album) and is releasing her debut this spring. Check the video for L.E.S. Artistes below, it's pretty wicked. Also check her myspace and listen to Creator, it reminds me of an American version of M.I.A. (they share the same producers, Diplo and Switch). Can't wait to hear her full length.