Henry and the Nightcrawlers is Henry Alcock-White-- bassist, guitarist, songwriter. Collaborator and member of Vancouver bands Bend Sinister and The Zolas. As the photo above may imply, he's probably also a sombre, poetic guy with a romanticist streak. But with his fingers crossed behind his back. When you first pop Alcock-White's debut full-length 100 Blows into the stereo, what's evident instead is a forest of bouncy pianos, guitar noodling and drum machines. A musical jaunt as opposed to a waltz.
So where in this solitary image is the possibility of beat-driven pop? Alcock-White combines his youthful forays in rhythm and blues with his more recent endeavors in indie rock, and adds influences from Henry and the Nightcrawlers' rotating cast of supporting players, including members of Said the Whale, The Zolas and We Are the City.
----- CONTEST :Henry has generously given me 3 autographed copies of 100 Blows to give to some lucky readers. To win, simply email brendahlee [at] gmail [dot] com with "Oh Henry!" in the subject line and your name and address in the email body. I'll pick a winner shortly and contact accordingly. (The contest is now closed. Thanks to all who entered!)
----- Tour dates (supported by members of The Zolas and We Are the City):
9 NOV Tracks Pub, Olds , AB
10 NOV Bohemia, Edmonton, AB (w/Ghost Cousin) - Facebook info
11 NOV Amigos, Saskatoon, SK (w/Imaginary Cities)
13 NOV Music Trader, Winnipeg, MB (in-store @ 2pm) - Facebook info
13 NOV The Park Theatre, Winnipeg, MB (w/ The Liptonians)
15 NOV The Slice, Lethbridge, AB
17 NOV The Central, Fernie, BC
19 NOV TBA, Kelowna, BC
27 NOV Billy Bishop Legion, Vancouver (Album Release Party - Facebook info)
Nicely done, skater boy. Vancouver's Black Mountain releases the music video for "The Hair Song," which hails from their upcoming album Wilderness Heart (September 14). Hmm... wilderness, that's apt. Be amongst the first to pre-order the album and you'll get it autographed too.
A few tour dates below.
October 31, 2010 Toronto, ON - The Phoenix
November 1, 2010 Montreal, QC - La Tulipe November 30, 2010 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
Mint Recording artists from Vancouver, The Pack a.d. are leaving the fires of B.C. and heading back on tour yet again. This time in Canada. In order to celebrate they are offering up free downloads of fan favourites at the myriad of live shows they have played since releasing their critically acclaimed and chart topping third album We Kill Computers on April 27th.
They are announcing the details of their new contest as well. Here are the contest particulars and rules according to the band:
The Pack a.d.'s Picture Contest
You know we love contests because we like getting things in the mail, right? Anyway, we think that others must like the same thing - so even if your entry doesn't officially win - you still get a handwritten postcard from us. Postcards are cool.
Here's the contest...
You: Draw a picture of us. That's right, however you want to draw it as long as it's by hand. It can be crayon, pencil, ink, oil - whatever medium you prefer. The only guidelines are that it can't be done on a computer and that it's to be somehow of us (Maya and Becky). That means you can draw us as like, even, errr, whalers if you want or perhaps to be more politically correct, you can draw us as The Wailers..minus Bob Marley of course...this isn't a Bob Marley contest.
We: Pick the ones we like. It could be 2 or it could be 30. No matter what the amount, the chosen pictures will be put into the album insert for our next album. Yes, it's true. The winners will be immortalized in a CD booklet just like Christopher Lambert...which reminds me, you can draw us as Highlander too...that would be sweet.
Entry Deadline: November 5, 2010
Send your pictures to:
The Pack a.d.
C/O Mint Records
P.O. Box 3613, M.P.O.
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
V6B 3Y6
CBC Radio 3 Presents The Pack a.d Canadian Tour Dates with Young Rival
09/05 – Vancouver, BC @ Victory Square Block Party (The Pack a.d only)
O9/O8 - Edmonton, AB @ The Black Dog
O9/O9 – Calgary, AB @ Broken City
O9/ll – Saskatoon, SK @ Amigo's
O9/l3 – Regina, SK @ O'Hanlon's
O9/l4 – Winnipeg, MB @ Lo Pub
O9/l5 – Thunder Bay, ON @ The Apollo
O9/l6 – Sault Ste. Marie, ON @ Lop Lops
O9/20 - Montreal QC @ Le Divan Orange
O9/22 - London ON @ London Music Club
O9/23 - Windsor, ON @ Phog Lounge
O9/24 - Hamilton, ON @ Casbah
O9/25 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
O9/28 – Kingston, ON @ The Mansion
09/26 – Wakefield, QC @ The Blacksheep Inn (The Pack a.d. only)
10/22 – Halifax, NS @ Halifax POP Explosion (The Pack a.d only)
Hot on the heels of the August 10th U.S. release date of his Polaris Music Prize nominated album Nice, Nice, Very Nice, and almost a year to the day the album came out north of border, Dan Mangan announces Canadian fall tour dates. From churches to halls to theatres, the “Peculiar Travel Suggestions” tour will see Dan and his band perform at some of the most beautiful and awe inspiring music venues this country has to offer. Supporting Dan on the eastern leg of the tour will be Harbourcoats, the new solo project from Constantines frontman Bry Webb while the western dates will see
Ontario’s The Burning Hell open for the band.
"It's refreshing to take the show to some alternative venues and push for a more intimate and unique concert experience. To boot, I could hardly be more thrilled with the bands we're playing with - having met them both during an unbelievable weekend at Dawson City Music Festival. The Burning Hell blew me away up there, and Bry's solo work is equally as important, cutting and remarkable as The Cons'. Truly humbling acts."
Peculiar Travel Suggestions Tour
**SECOND VANCOUVER DATE ANNOUNCED**
Oct 25. Montreal, QC
Sala Rossa w/ Harbourcoats & The Crackling
Oct 27. London, ON
Aeolian Hall w/ Harbourcoats & The Crackling
Oct 28. Toronto, ON
Trinity St. Paul’s Church w/ Harbourcoats & The Crackling
Oct 29. Kingston, ON
Sydenham United Church w/ Harbourcoats & The Crackling
Oct 30. Ottawa, ON
First Baptist Church w/ Harbourcoats & The Crackling Nov 11. Vancouver, BC - 2nd date added The Vogue Theatre w/ The Burning Hell & The Crackling Nov 13. Vancouver, BC - SOLD OUT The Vogue Theatre w/ The Burning Hell & The Crackling
Nov 15. Canmore, AB
Communitea Cafe w/ The Burning Hell & The Crackling
Nov 16. Edmonton, AB
Myer Horowitz Theatre w/ The Burning Hell & The Crackling
Nov 17. Calgary, AB
Knox United Church w/ The Burning Hell & The Crackling
Nov 19. Winnipeg, MB
The Park Theatre w/ The Burning Hell & The Crackling
Nov 20. Saskatoon, SK
The Broadway Theatre w/ The Burning Hell & The Crackling
Dec 2. Duncan, BC
Duncan Garage Showroom w/ The Crackling
Dec 3. Victoria, BC
Alix Gooldin Hall w/ The Crackling
Dec 4. Tofino, BC
The Legion w/ The Crackling
Belfast, PEI's Paper Lions and Regina, Saskatchewan's Library Voices have teamed up for a co-headlining tour sponsored by CBC Radio 3 starting on September 28, 2010. Paper Lions will hold down headline duties in the East and Library Voices will headline on the Western leg of the tour. Most of the dates will be supported by Vancouver favourites Bend Sinister. Tickets are on sale now.
Library Voices had been proclaimed the “undiscovered band you NEED to hear now” by SPIN. They have been featured in The New Yorker. They’ve received generous airplay on the CBC and BBC. They have won a CBC Radio 3 “Bucky” Award. They have been nominated for a 2010 Western Canadian Music Award for “Independent Album of the Year.” They’ve been mugged twice and lost all their gear twice (once through theft, once through an act of God). Denim on Denim, their debut album, was released on April 13, 2010.
Library Voices
Paper Lions have sold over 12,000 albums independently and honed their live show by touring with some of North America’s finest acts such as Cake, The Rheostatics, Joel Plaskett, The Golden Dogs, and Hey Rosetta!. They have been nominated for 10 East Coast Music awards, taking home “Pop Recording of the Year” (2006), and been awarded the “National Touring Group of the Year” (2007, CAPACOA).
PAPER LIONS / LIBRARY VOICES – CANADIAN TOUR DATES –
**w/ special guests Bend Sinister
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 – St Catherines, ON – Mansion House **
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 – Hamilton, ON – Casbah **
Thursday, September 30, 2010 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe **
Friday, October 01, 2010 – TBA
Saturday, October 02, 2010 – Montreal, PQ – Petit Campus (POP Montreal)
Sunday, October 03, 2010 – Ottawa, ON – Café Dekcuf **
Paper Lions
Wednesday, October 06, 2010 – Charlottetown, PEI – Hunters Ale House **
Thursday, October 07, 2010 – Fredericton, NB – Capitol **
Friday, October 08, 2010 – Halifax, NS – Seahorse **
Saturday, October 09, 2010 – Sackville, NB – George’s Roadhouse **
Tuesday, Oct 12, 2010 – Sault Ste Marie, ON – Lop Lops **
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 – Thunder Bay, ON – Jacks **
Thursday, October 14, 2010 – Winnipeg, MB – Royal Albert Arms **
Friday, October 15, 2010 – Regina, SK – The Exchange **
Saturday, October 16, 2010 – Saskatoon, SK – Amigos
Sunday, October 17, 2010 – Moose Jaw, SK – Cultural Centre **
Wednesday, October 20, 2010 – Yorkton, SK – The Spot **
Friday, October 22, 2010 – Edmonton, AB – Avenue Theatre
Saturday, October 23, 2010 – Kelowna, BC – Habitat (*WCMAs – Library Voices ONLY)
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 – Victoria, BC – Lucky Bar **
Wednesday, October 27, 2010 – Duncan, BC – Cowichan Theatre **
Thursday, October 28, 2010 – Tofino, BC – The Legion **
Friday, October 29, 2010 – Vancouver, BC – Pit Pub **
Now THAT's a show to take a date to. Vancouver-based indie pop darling Hannah Georgas, after wrapping up a summer full of festival dates and touring with the entity known as the Malahat Revue, has announced she'll be hitting the road with Toronto pianist/crooner Royal Wood. They'll be doing a series of theatre shows, from BC through Ontario. She will be opening for Wood on the East leg of the tour, and co-headline on the West coast.
Tickets for all Canadian dates are on sale this Friday August 20, 2010.
On a related note, Georgas will also be releasing a new web exclusive single named "Stranger to Me" on Tuesday August 24. The track is co-written with Matt DeMatteo and Jaylene Johnson.
Related: Hannah Georgasinterview about This Is Good. Royal Woodinterview about The Waiting.
HANNAH GEORGAS – FALL TOUR DATES
September 24, 2010 – Germany – Reepperbahn Festival
September 24, 2010 – Germany – Platzhirsch (CIMA Showcase)
October 7, 2010 – Victoria, BC – Alix Goolden*
October 9, 2010 – Vancouver, BC – Rio Theatre*
October 12, 2010 – Edmonton, AB – Myer Horowitz*
October 13, 2010 – Banff, AB – Banff Centre*
October 14, 2010 – Calgary, AB – Knox United Church*
October 15, 2010 – Saskatoon, SK – Broadway Theatre*
October 16, 2010 – Winnipeg, MB – West End Cultural Centre*
November 10, 2010 – New York, NYC – Rockwood Music Hall
November 11, 2010 – New York, NYC – The Living Room
November 12, 2010 – Peterborough, ON – Gordon Best Theatre*
November 20, 2010 – Ottawa, ON – NAC Studio*
November 24, 2010 – Guelph, ON – Dublin Street United*
November 25, 2010 – London, ON – Aeolian Hall*
November 26, 2010 – Toronto, ON – Queen Elizabeth Theatre*
* Tour with Royal Wood
How do I review a maximally hyped album by a critically and mass-adored band? All I can do is go about it from my own perspective and add to the loud, enthusiastic chorus singing equally the band's praises and along to the anthemic choruses of "Rebellion (Lies)" and "Wake Up."
Montreal's Arcade Fire released their third full-length album The Suburbs after months of rumbling hype and great personal excitement. I had no doubt that this internationally successful, critically acclaimed septet (or more depending on the show) would release the must-hear album of 2010. And since August 2, everything changed... Arcade Fire has managed, in one fell swoop, to unite the independent with mainstream and soaring artistic vision with financial success, debuting at #1 for Canada, the US and UK charts. It can be done, folks!
The album's conceptualizations of modern suburban life, its comforts, frustrations, nostalgia and yearnings, has spoken deeply into my own life as I transition between the suburban life of my teenage years into the wary understanding that in more ways than one, that age cannot be sustained. Alternately, the suburbs are a womb, a launch pad, a conformity factory, and a source of inspiration. It's at once something you hotly pursue and something you fall back into. To say that Arcade Fire has written a concept album about the evils of suburban life is to simplify the complexity of the human experience... Even as the album opens with the bombs and screams of rebellion, Win and Regine closes with a fading call and response, "if I could have it back / all the time that we wasted / I'd only waste it again... and again and again." For the rebellion is not solitary, it's one spent with you.
It's not only the lyrical content that's thematic; the pulsing and restrained instrumentation take the words to soaring heights. The sonic control that the band demonstrate on The Suburbs shows, appropriately, that they've grown up. "Ready to Start" hesitates; the chorus is delayed for several verses before bursting into the titular line. The consistent offbeat kick drum in "Modern Man" verbalizes the stuttering-esque attempts by the song's character to elaborate on his feelings, like a "record that's skipping" and "clock that's ticking." The incredibly subdued "Rococo," whether referring to 18th century French art and interior design style or a 1970's prog band, has the eeriest and catchiest trisyllabic chorus that you'll hear for a long time. And for all the talk of revolution, it's not angry guitar wails that pierce through the monotony, but a sparkling, shimmering dance anthem named "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" -- the undeniable stand out track of a sparkling, shimmery bunch. At a hefty 16 tracks, The Suburbs offers a strong 65-ish minutes of exploration and innovation with more than occasional bursts of brilliance.
So by this point, if you're bewildered by this rabid devotion and hype and have yet to experience it for yourself, let me introduce to you -- my favourite band, my friends' favourite band, my ex-boyfriend's favourite band, your favouriteband'sfavourite band, and the biggest band on earth right now -- Arcade Fire.
Upcoming tour dates - US, Canada, Mexico, Europe (w/ Calexico supporting except LA and Big Sur dates):
Leeds Festival - Leeds, UK - Fri 27th Aug 2010
Reading Festival - Reading, UK - Sat 28th Aug 2010
Rock En Seine - Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, France - Sun 29th Aug 2010
Tempodrom - Berlin, Germany - Tue 31st Aug 2010
Arena Parco Nord - Bologna, Italy - Thu 2nd Sep 2010
Roy Wilkins Auditorium - St. Paul, USA - Wed 22nd Sep 2010
MTS Centre - Winnipeg, Canada - Thu 23rd Sep 2010
Credit Union Centre - Saskatoon, Canada - Sat 25th Sep 2010
Stampede Corral - Calgary, Canada - Sun 26th Sep 2010 Pacific Coliseum - Vancouver, Canada - Tue 28th Sep 2010
Key Arena - Seattle, USA - Wed 29th Sep 2010
Memorial Coliseum - Portland, USA - Thu 30th Sep 2010
Greek Theatre - Berkley, USA - Sat 2nd Oct 2010
Henry Miller Library - Big Sur, USA - Tue 5th Oct 2010
Shrine Auditorium - Los Angeles, USA - Thu 7th Oct 2010
Shrine Auditorium - Los Angeles, USA - Fri 8th Oct 2010
Palacio De Los Deportes - Mexico City, Mexico - Sun 10th Oct 2010
Banamex Theatre - Monterrey, Mexico - Tue 12th Oct 2010
Atlantica Pavilion - Lisbon, Portugal - Thu 18th Nov 2010
Palacio de Deportes - Madrid, Spain - Sat 20th Nov 2010
Palau Sant Jordi - Barcelona, Spain - Sun 21st Nov 2010
Le Dome - Marseille, France - Wed 24th Nov 2010
Halle Tony Garnier - Lyon, France - Fri 26th Nov 2010
Zenith - Munich, Germany - Sun 28th Nov 2010
Philipshalle - Dusseldorf, Germany - Mon 29th Nov 2010
O2 Arena - London, UK - Wed 1st Dec 2010
O2 Arena - London, UK - Thu 2nd Dec 2010
Birmingham LG Arena - Birmingham, UK - Wed 8th Dec 2010
Cardiff International Arena (CIA) - Cardiff, UK - Thu 9th Dec 2010
Manchester Central - Manchester, UK - Sat 11th Dec 2010
SECC - Glasgow, UK - Sun 12th Dec 2010
Owen Pallett will be releasing A Swedish Love Story will be available on 10” and digital download. The first 20 pre-orders will also receive a bonus Lewis Takes Action 7".
"To contrast Heartland's convoluted record process, and also to cut myself a break, I recorded this EP in New York City over a week, using not much more than my violin, my Moog, a bass and a drum kit. It's closer in sound to my first album Has A Good Home than anything else. It's called A Swedish Love Story in tribute to one of my favourite films En Karlekshistoria and as a love letter to the Swedish pop stars who inspired it. This is probably the most posi record I'll ever make, enjoy the mood while it lasts."
Pallett has a few upcoming tour dates in Canada below:
With two Polaris long-listed bands, how can you lose? Vancouver's Yukon Blonde and Toronto's The Wooden Sky team up to tour across Canada, from Vancouver to PEI. Vancouverites willing to brave the fireworks crowds will be able to catch YB play a free show as part of the ShoreFest series prior to the Celebration of Lights fireworks display at English Bay.
To hype you up, here is a track each from their respective Polaris nominated albums; Yukon Blonde's self titled, released back in February, and The Wooden Sky's If I Don't Come Home You'll Know I'm Gone.
Yukon Blonde - "Wind Blows"
The Wooden Sky - "Oh My God (It Still Means A Lot To Me)"
Yukon Blonde Tour Dates
7/ 31 - Vancouver, BC @ Shorefest
8/14 - Burnaby, BC @ Burnaby Roots and Blues Festival – Deer Lake Park w/ Taj Mahal , Serena Ryder & more
9/22 - Rifflandia @ Alix Goolden Concert Hall Victoria, BC, CANADA
Yukon Blonde Tour Dates with The Wooden Sky
9/25 - Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore
9/26 - Kelowna, BC @ The Habitat
9/27 - Nelson, BC @ The Royal On Baker
9/29 - Canmore, AB @ Communitea Café
9/30 - Calgary, AB @ Republik
10/01 - Lethbridge, AB @ TBA
10/02 - Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room
10/03 - Saskatoon, SK @ Amigo's
10/05 - Regina, SK @ The Exchange
10/06 - Winnipeg, MB @ West End Cltr Ctr
10/07 - Thunder Bay, ON @ Crock's
10/08 - Sault Ste. Marie, ON @ Lop Lop's
10/09 - Sudbury, ON @ The Townehouse
10/11 - Quebec City, QC @ Le Cercle
10/13 - Charlottetown, PEI @ Hunter's
10/14 - Fredericton, NB @ The Capital
10/15 - Halifax, NS @ Seahorse Tavern
10/26 - Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rosa
10/27 - Ottawa, ON @ Mavericks
10/28 - Peterborough, ON @ Red Dog
10/29 - Kingston, ON @ The Grad Club
10/30 - Barrie, ON @ At The Five
11/02 - Hamilton, ON @ The Casbah
11/04 - Guelph, ON @ E-Bar
11/05 - London, ON @ Fanshawe College
11/06 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace
Jason Collett is set to embark on a nationwide run of solo acoustic dates slated for the fall of 2010.
Dubbed "The Undressed Tour," Jason will make his way diligently across Canada from tip to tip - including his first ever appearance in Newfoundland - starting October 14th in Peterborough, ON. And to coincide with the tour, Jason will release a special collection of previous works, each re-imagined, taken apart and re-recorded with a focus on the beautiful simplicity and intrinsic storytelling at the heart of each song. Full dates are listed below.
Jason Collett's latest excellent album, Rat A Tat Tat, was long listed for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize.
10/14/10 Peterborough The Red Dog
10/15/10 Burnstown Neat Cafe
10/16/10 Kingston Grad Club
10/17/10 Ottawa Irving Greenberg Theater
10/19/10 St. John's The Ship
10/20/10 Halifax The Carleton
10/21/10 Halifax The Carleton
10/22/10 Fredricton The Capital Bar
10/23/10 Montreal Il Motore
11/10/10 Waterloo Jane Bond
11/11/10 Toronto Church of the Redeemer
11/12/10 Guelph Dublin St. United Church
11/13/10 London Aeolian Hall
11/17/10 Winnipeg Park Theatre
11/18/10 Regina The Exchange
11/19/10 Saskatoon Amigos
11/20/10 Edmonton The Haven Social Club (2 SHOWS)
11/23/10 Calgary The Republik
11/24/10 Canmore Communitea Cafe 11/26/10 Vancouver The Biltmore
11/27/10 Victoria The Lucky Bar
11/28/10 Duncan Garage Showroom
11/29/10 Duncan Garage Showroom
St. John's six piece Hey Rosetta! have announced tour dates that take them from their hometown, to China, to a cross North American tour. The last time they were in Vancouver, they were opening for Stars, and the audience actually booed when an encore wasn't granted. Needless to say, Tim Baker and crew are a band that you need to catch live.
Tour dates:
8/6 St. John's, NL - Bannerman Park (Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival)
8/11 Shanghai, China - Canada Pavilion (World Expo)
8/12 Shanghai, China - Canada Pavilion (World Expo)
8/13 Shanghai, China - Canada Pavilion (World Expo)
8/17 Los Angeles, CA - Hotel Cafe
8/19 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop
8/20 Santa Barbara, CA - Velvet Jones
8/21 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
8/22 Las Vegas, NV - Hard Rock Hotel
8/23 Scottsdale, AZ - Martini Ranch
8/24 Tucson, AZ - The Rock
8/26 Dallas, TX - The Loft
8/27 Austin, TX - Emo's
8/31 Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
9/1 Nashville, TN - The Mercy Lounge
9/3 Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel
9/4 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
9/5 Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar
9/7 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
9/8 Cambridge, MA - Middle East
9/10 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
9/11 Pontiac, MI - The Crofoot
9/12 Columbus, OH - The Basement
9/13 Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Club
9/14 Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews
9/15 Minneapolis, MN - Seventh Street Entry
9/17 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre
9/18 Salt Lake City, UT - Club Sound
9/20 Spokane, WA - The Empyrean
9/21 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
9/22 Portland, OR - Someday Lounge
9/24 Vancouver, BC - The Commodore
9/25 Victoria, BC - Rifflandia
9/27 Kelowna, BC - The Habitat
9/29 Calgary, AB - Republik
10/2 Winnipeg, MB - Pyramid Cabaret
10/4 North Bay, ON - The Wall at Nippissing University
10/6 Hamilton, ON - The Studio at Hamilton Place
10/7 London, ON - Norma Jean's
10/10 Ottawa, ON - Capital Music Hall
10/15 Quebec City, QC - Dagobert
10/16 Montreal, QC - The Belmont
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Head over to MuchMusic to watch Tegan and Sara's latest music video for "On Directing." The track is from their latest Polaris short-listed album Sainthood.
[Edit] It's heeere:
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Toronto's Broken Social Scene has announced 3 additional dates on their Canadian tour. Fan club members can purchase the tickets right now, ahead of the crowd.
December 16 - Ottawa - Bronson Centre
December 18 - Montreal - Metropolis
December 19 - Quebec City - Imperial Theatre
For the rest of the dates, visit their website.
----- Arcade Fire will be playing New York City's Madison Square Garden on August 5. The show will be streamed via Youtube and will be directed by Terry Gilliam. For more details, check out this article.
-----
The Vancouver CBC Broadcast Centre has been hosting a series of what they call the Musical Nooners, where they invite musicians to play outside on the CBC plaza for free at noon, every weekday. I've been able to catch The Malahat Revue, We Are the City and just today, Headwater. Below are some upcoming confirmed artists. For the full list, which will be updated constantly, check out the CBC community blog.
July 27 - Ache Brasil
July 28 - Jon and Roy
July 29 - Kuba Oms
July 30 - Los Paperboys
August 3 - Krystle Dos Santos
August 4 - Mani Khaira
August 5 - Greg Sczebel
August 6 - Eric Lenger et C'est extra Vancouver
August 11 - James Lamb
August 12 - Current Swell
August 13 - Marc Fournier and Hiro Takashiba
August 16 - Kim Churchill
August 17 - Bodhi Jones
August 18 - Andrew Allen
Hawksley Workman will release Milk, the follow-up to his Polaris long-listed Meat, on August 10 2010. The album, which thematically is linked with lust of all sorts, features collaborations with Tosha Dash (Candy Coated Killahz), Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) and Shad, who makes a cameo appearance on the track "Some People."
Hawksley Workman - "Not Your Parents' Music":
-----
The Mountains and the Trees, born Jon Janes, will be gracing us Vancouverites with his presence this Thursday. Below are his upcoming tour dates as he heads out west and back, and then flies across the pond for some European dates. His debut full length, I Made This For You, will drop August 10 2010.
22 July - Vancouver, BC @ Little Mountain Gallery with The Wilderness of Manitoba
24 July - Mission, BC (House Show) with The Wilderness of Manitoba
27 July - Edmonton, AB @ Haven Social Club with The Wilderness of Manitoba
29 July - Bruno, SK @ All Citizens Shop with The Wilderness of Manitoba
30 July - Saskatoon, SK @ Caffe Sola with The Wilderness Of Manitoba
31 July - Winnipeg, MB @ West End Cultural Center with The Wilderness Of Manitoba
1 Aug - Gimli, MB @ Islendingadagruinn
5 Aug - Ottawa, ON - Blackbox Concert Series @ Cube Gallery with Daniel Romano
11 Aug - Windsor, ON @ Phog Lounge with The Wilderness Of Manitoba
12 Aug - Toronto, ON - Summerworks @ Lower Ossington Theatre
14 Aug - Saint John, NB @ Fundy Fog Festival
18-22 Aug - Woody Point NL @ Writers at Woody Point
9 Sept - London, ON @ Borderline with Elliot Brood + Ladyhawk
11, 12 Sept - North Dorset, UK @ End of the Road Festival
24 Sept - Hamburg, Germany @ Reeperbahn Festival
25 Sept - Leipzig, Germany @ Paris Syndrom
28 Sept - Reutlingen, Germany @ Better2Gether
----- K-Oswill be releasing an album named Anchorman Mixtape August 6, 2010 online and in what he dubs the "Motown Model" approach, which includes several physical singles over a span of time. These tracks will be posted in full here for a limited time.
The first singles released will include "Faith," a collaboration with Drake, and "BlackWater," a collaboration with Sebastien Grainger. "BlackWater" will also appear on Playlist for the Planet, a music project sponsored by the David Suzuki Foundation as part of its 20th Anniversary celebrations.
Track list:
Start Me UP
SheClipse
Faith (featuring Drake)
Big City
BlackWater (featuring Sebastien Grainger)
Holy Cow
The Lonely Ones
Beauty Is A Loaded Gun
I Wish I Could Believe
Dance In Your Car
Here's K-Os' latest video for "Zambony" from his current album Yes!.
----- Mishka, raggae/surf-rocker hailing from the Caribbean islands, will be playing a show at Vancouver's Venue night club on August 12, 2010.
The Golden Dogs’ new song “Permanent Record” was recently selected by actor Elijah Woods for his “Elysium” charity compilation. The compilation is available exclusively on iTunes and all the bands, which also includes Vancouver's Black Mountain, have donated their music for children who are battling serious medical conditions.
The track is also available on their upcoming album, Coat of Arms which hits stores July 27. Fans that pre-order the CD, LP or digital album will receive 2 album tracks by email immediately.
Montreal based Leif Vollebekk is touring the west coast for the first time, bringing his minimalist folk that saw him open for artists such as Basia Bulat. He'll be promoting his latest record Inland, which was released back in January. Vollebekk is also returning to the studio with Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire, Godspeed...) at Hotel2Tango in Montreal in order to record his sophomore album, due out sometime in 2011.
TOUR DATES July 20 @ The Lo Pub, WINNIPEG July 21 @ The Club, REGINA July 22 @ Amigo's, SASKATOON July 23 @ Haven Social Club, EDMONTON July 24 @ The Communitea, CANMORE July 29 @ The Media Club, VANCOUVER July 30 @ The Comet Tavern, SEATTLE Aug 3 @ Hotel Utah Saloon, SAN FRANCISCO Aug 4 @ Hotel Cafe, LOS ANGELES Sep 12 @ End of the Road Festival, NORTH DORSET, UK
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Polaris long-listed Toronto band Zeus released their latest music video for "How Does It Feel" off their latest Say Us. I've also included a live recording of "The River By The Garden" from the same album... just because it's a great song.
The Wilderness of Manitoba (above) is set to bring When You Left The Fire To Vancouver with the support of St. John's The Mountains & The Trees, otherwise known as Jon Janes (right). Both are promoting new albums; while the former saw their debut full-length released on June 22, the latter will see his debut I Made This For You released August 10, 2010.
The Wilderness of Manitoba, hailing from Toronto, will bring their folk harmonic tour de force to Vancouver on July 22 @ Little Mountain Gallery, presented By CBC Radio 3. Having just returned from a very successful UK tour, they will be touring coast to coast in support of When You Left The Fire the full length follow up to the band’s head turning debut EP Hymns of Love & Spirits.
CBC Radio 3 Presents The Wilderness Of Manitoba & The Mountains & The Trees Tour Dates:
June 29 – St. John’s, NL @ LSPU Theatre w/the Mountains & the Trees
July 2 – Halifax, NS @ The Company House w/the Mountains & the Trees
July 3 – Charlottetown, PE @ Baba’s Lounge w/the Mountains & the Trees
July 8 – Montreal, QC @, Le Divan Orange w/the Mountains & the Trees
July 14 – Sarnia, ON @ Adams Apple w/ the Mountains & the Trees
July 16 – Sudbury ON @ The River and Sky Festival w/the Mountains & the Trees
July 22 – Vancouver, BC @ Little Mountain Gallery w/ the Mountains & the Trees
July 29 – Bruno, SK @ All Citizen’s Shop
July 30 – Saskatoon SK @ Caffe Sola w/the Mountains & the Trees
July 31 – Winnipeg MB @ ACU Hall, West End Cultural Centre w/the Mountains & the Trees
Aug 1 – Gimli, MB @ Icelandic Festival of Manitoba w/the Mountains & the Trees
Aug 11 – Windsor, ON @ The Phog Lounge w/ the Mountains & the Trees
More Dates To Be Announced Soon.
Here's a small taste of The Wilderness of Manitoba:
Black Mountain's third full-length album Wilderness Heart is due out on September 14, 2010. The album cover reminds me way too much of this straight-to-dvd cinematic gem, which by the way, is amazing and awful at the same time. Knowing the Vancouver-based psychedelic rock band though, the album should be considerably more amazing than awful.
Track Listing:
The Hair Song
Old Fangs
Radiant Hearts
Rollercoaster
Let Spirits Ride
Buried By The Blues
The Way To Gone
Wilderness Heart
The Space of Your Mind
Sadie
Video for "Old Fangs" is directed by Mike Bruce, produced by Zoe Bower and Russell Sanzgiri.
Upcoming Canadian tour dates:
06/23/10
Kamloops, BC - Pogue Mahonew/ Lord Beginner
06/24/10
Calgary, AB - Republikw/ Lord Beginner
06/25/10
Edmonton, AB - Starlite Roomw/ Lord Beginner
06/26/10
Saskatoon, SK - Amigo'sw/ Lord Beginner
06/27/10
Regina, SK - The Exchangew/ Lord Beginner, Orbital Express
06/28/10
Winnipeg, MB - The Garrick Centrew/ Lord Beginner, Sleepy Sun
Hailing from Calgary, eclectic folk/country/rock band Ghostkeeper are celebrating their Polaris Music Prize long-list nomination by offering up two songs off of their self-titled debut for download. They're going on the festival circuit this summer and you can see them all across western Canada.
Sarah Houle, drummer (and vocalist) for Ghostkeeper, has made a video for the track "Spring Fever." Speaking of Houle, when I caught Ghostkeeper opening for Toronto's The Balconies a couple of months ago in the dingy UBC pub, I was very impressed with her simultaneous drumming and singing. Their set was excellent despite the small crowds and poor sound. Mad props.
Toronto band The Balconies are pleased to present five tour dates in support of War Child's Busking for CHANGE initiative. Kicking off in St. Catharines at SCENE Music Festival on June 27th, The Balconies will stop in to different city centers to raise awareness and funds for War Child with support from local bands and friends.
October 2008 marked War Child's first Busking For CHANGE event in downtown Toronto. They had over 50 participating musicians, including Chantal Kreviazuk, Our Lady Peace, Finger Eleven, Neverending White Lights, The Arkells, The Skydiggers and many more, come out and busk for children whose lives have been torn apart by war. Since then War Child's Busking For CHANGE Festivals have spread to Calgary, Vancouver and Montreal. The Balconies will bring Busking for CHANGE through St. Catharines (June 27), Barrie (July 3), Guelph (July 7), Mississauga (July 9), and Belleville (July 18). They will be accompanied by a myriad of local artists eager to support the cause including Crush Luther, Dinosaur Bones, Fox Jaws, and more.
Busking for CHANGE has raised over $100,000 for war affected children through online and on-site donations. It has proved a hugely effective way to raise awareness and funds for children in war torn countries. Supporters in each market are encouraged to come out and donate generously or donate in advance online at http://audioblood.com/warchild. Tour dates and more information below.
June 25 @ The Shadow, GUELPH
June 27 @ Merchant Ale House, ST. CATHARINES (*SCENE Music Festival w/ Still Life Still, Sweet Thing)
June 27 @ Courthouse Steps Acoustic, ST. CATHARINES (*St. Catharines Busking for Change)
July 3 @ Five Points Outdoor Stage, BARRIE (*Barrie Busking for Change, Promenade Days)
July 9 @ Living Arts Centre Outdoor Stage, MISSISSAUGA (*Rock the Coliseum)
July 18 @ SummerFest Outdoor Stage, BELLEVILLE (*Belleville Busking for Change)
Here's the new video for their first single off of their S/T debut, "Serious Bedtime":
The Five Ghosts, the new studio album from Canada’s beloved STARS is available in stores as of today, Monday June 21. It's available in all sorts of ways that you like your music, including deluxe packs available on their website.
The album is truly excellent. It sees the self-proclaimed melodramatic pop band mellowing down and integrating the rock elements of their earlier albums with the ambient, moody electronic elements of their most recent EP Sad Robots. The album is wholly strong, and discussionsonTwitter have indicated that different listeners have different songs that they would deem as favourites on an album full of potential singles. "Dead Hearts" and "I Died So I Could Haunt You" were revealed to Vancouver audiences back in February during their set at the Olympics, both standout tracks. "Changes" sees Amy Millan stepping into the spotlight with her silky vocals in a tune that sounds eerily familiar, like someone whose name you can't place. And "Wasted Daylight," the current single, has been stuck in my head in the most pleasant way possible. An altogether gorgeous album and a definite contender for the next round of the Polaris Prize.
The Montreal pop band recently wrapped a North American pre-release tour where they played The Five Ghosts in its entirety from start to finish, coupled with an encore set of tracks selected each night, by their fans. They will play Osheaga and other Canadian festival dates in July, including the Ottawa Blues Fest, Calgary Folk Fest and Hillside in Guelph. Lollapalooza is confirmed for August.
Canadian tour dates are below. There are perks being offered for advance ticket purchases... fans will get exclusive pre-sale ticket and album packages for their upcoming tour. Digital downloads, souvenir tour merch and pre-show meet and greets are some of the offerings available with an advance ticket purchase.
These special pre-sale packages go on sale Tuesday June 22 via http://www.youarestars.com at 10 am EST.
Young Galaxy will open the October/November run of dates:
October 20 – Kingston, ON – Syndenham Church
October 22 – London, ON – Music Hall
October 23 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
October 29 – Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings
October 31 – Edmonton, AB – Winspear Centre
November 03 – Kelowna, BC – Community Theatre November 04 –Vancouver, BC – The Vogue
Here's an oldie but a goodie - "The Night Starts Here"
FREE STUFF Audio Blood does North by North East Festival! Get a FREE MIXTAPE including artists such as Dinosaur Bones and Leif Vollebekk.
On top of that, Audio Blood is celebrating NxNE by throwing a free, invite-only party at the top of the CN Tower with The Balconies (one of my favourite finds this year), Hollerado and The Meligrove Band playing. Go to their website to win tickets!
NEW MUSIC Arcade Fire has The Suburbs, due August 3rd, up for pre-order. All orders, whether digital, CD or vinyl, come with instant downloads of the two already released singles "The Suburbs" and "Month of May."
Mother Mother is in studio finishing their upcoming album following the huge success of their sophomore album O My Heart. It's due out in early 2011. In related news, they suddenly became a lot more prolific (and friendly-sounding) on Twitter.
Sam Roberts is in studio as well with their upcoming fourth studio release following Love at the End of the World. Unfortunately, some personality conflicts in studio.
St. John's The Mountains & The Trees, otherwise known as Jon Janes, will release his first full-length I Made This For You on August 10 after critical praise for his EP Hop, Skip & A Jump.
Pre-order Stars' upcoming release The Give Ghosts on iTunes in deluxe and you will also get The Séance EP, which includes tracks remixed by the Album Leaf, Montag and Of Montreal - as well as other bonus singles.
REVIEWS
Rah Rah's new album Breaking Hearts is thoroughly enjoyable and all-around stronger than their first release. Their indie pop polish, combined with their tendency of using pop rocks and confetti cannons in their live shows, don't fully conceal their old souls and turns of cynicism. The elaborate album artwork involves some unfortunate passengers falling off the side of a boat and being torn apart by sharks. hmm.
Shad's newest release TSOL sees him solidifying his formidable position in the Canadian hip-hop scene, which involved selling out his (adopted) hometown show in Vancouver last night at the Biltmore Cabaret. The quick rhymes and clever word play, not to mention profound lyrics which touch on everything from politics to the origins of his name, would satisfy the most elitist of English majors. I see it on the Polaris short list.
Jamie Lidell, UK-based soul/funkster loads latest release Compass with grimy, experimental explorations of how technology expresses, however inadequately, sexuality and desire. It leaves you hot and bothered and a bit agitated, kind of like waking up with your lover on a stuffy summer day. This latest effort is joined by friends such as Feist, Beck, Gonzales and members of Grizzly Bear and Wilco. One of my favourite tracks off the album, "I Wanna Be Your Telephone," is below.
TOUR DATES Two Hours Traffic from P.E.I. have released 2009's Territories internationally, more specifically in Australia and in the U.S. They will be touring Oz with Dead Letter Chorus.
The video for "Rose Garden," the second track and second video off of Vancouver-based Shad's latest album. This track features Lisa Lobsinger of Broken Social Scene (total girl crush!).
TSOL is a fantastic album, by the way, and I'm definitely hoping to see it on the Polaris list this year. Make sure you catch him touring with Grand Analog and D-Sisive over the next month.
TSOL tour
6/02 whistler - garfinkel's
6/03 vancouver, bc - biltmore
6/04 victoria, bc - sugar
6/05 kelowna, bc - habitat
6/06 calgary, ab - republik
6/07 edmonton, ab - brixx
6/08 regina, sk - exchange
6/12 toronto, on - opera house
6/15 hamilton, on - casbah
6/16 peterborough, on - red dog
6/17 london, on - call the office
6/18 london, on - call the office
Summer Festivals
6/25 montreal - jazz festival
6/27 st. catharines - s.c.e.n.e.
7/01 ottawa - jazz festival
7/25 guelph - hillside festival
8/07 wolfe island - music fest
So where in this solitary image is the possibility of beat-driven pop? Alcock-White combines his youthful forays in rhythm and blues with his more recent endeavors in indie rock, and adds influences from Henry and the Nightcrawlers' rotating cast of supporting players, including members of Said the Whale, The Zolas and We Are the City.
