Spirit If

Kevin Drew's been getting around these days. He played a MySpace Secret Show in Cambridge, MA last week, and then at the end of the month goes to Halifax for a show before heading out to Europe in October then back to North America in November. So far he's yet to confirm any hometown Toronto dates, and the nearest show around these parts will be a show at Town Ballroom in Buffalo, NY on November 10. Kevin Drew is currently promoting the officially titled release "Broken Social Scene plays Kevin Drew's Spirit If"(coming out September 18 through Arts & Crafts). He was in the UK yesterday(September 5) to perform an acoustic live session for BBC 6 Music's Gideon Coe program - listen here(session is about 1 hour and 40 min into the program and program is only archived for about a week after the original broadcast date). Having listened to the session as well as the tunes at Mr. Drew's MySpace, everything I've heard so far's been actually quite good. Kevin's songs are pretty much a toned down version of the scrappy indie rock that Broken Social Scene specializes in and with the some of the layers of noise removed, the songs have more room to breathe. Nice. Update: Via Stille Post, Broken Social Scene Plays Kevin Drew's Spirit If.... at Lee's Palace on Sept. 27th, 2007, 19+ show, tickets $25. [photo source]

YouTube: Kevin Drew - "Safety Bricks" (live at McCarren Pool Park, Brooklyn NY, August 29, 2007)
YouTube: Kevin Drew - "Lucky Ones" (live at McCarren Pool Park, Brooklyn NY, August 29, 2007)
MySpace: Kevin Drew

YouTube videos courtesy of dominicvine.
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The Airfields have annouced another upcoming Toronto date - in addition to their show on Sept 26 at The Smiling Buddha Bar, they'll also be playing a free show on September 25 at Mitzi's Sister.

Republic of Safety have an upcoming gig at Ryerson University on September 27, taking part in a uTOpia event put on by Coach House Books.

If you were looking forward to the New Model Army show at Lee's Palace on October 1, well it's been cancelled. Aversion reports that U.S. Customs and Immigration denied the band's application for a visa.

Portishead DJ Andy Smith is coming to North America for a DJ tour in October and will be in Toronto on Saturday October 13 at a venue TBA.

loveorsympathy has a audio bootleg of Joel Plaskett Emergency's set at Yonge and Dundas Square in Toronto on August 30.