Free Not Free

Another hodge podge of links and tour reminders today:

The final schedule for the upcoming Pitter Patter Festival(taking place March 27-30 in venues mostly in Toronto but also in London, Oshawa, Lindsay, Peterborough, and Belleville) has been confirmed.

Masked Brits Clinic are offering a free download of their single "Free Not Free". Registration is required(always a catch). They're at Lee's Palace on May 11 - btw they're taking requests for songs you'd like to hear them play at their upcoming shows(I assume they mean requests for their own songs, although I'd be interested in also hearing them do a cover. Hmmm.)

Get an audio/video sample of what to expect at UK's Lightspeed Champion's upcoming show at Horseshoe Tavern on March 4. (The video btw is of Dev performing 4 tracks solo and acoustic for CNET Networks.) [link via Domino Records]

East Coast buzz-band Dog Day have a few upcoming CMW shows, first March 6 at Horseshoe Tavern then March 8(with Jenn Grant and The Night Painters also on the bill) at the Rivoli. Chartattack confirms more of that March 6 lineup at the Horseshow which will also include The Acorn, Immaculate Machine, Kate Stelmanis, plus several more to be announced. Speaking of Jenn Grant above, Hero Hill has a review and video clip of Jenn's appearance at Halifax's recent In The Dead Of Winter festival.

Watch Will Sheff of Okkervil River covering Loudon Wainwright's "Motel Blues", sitting, singing and playing guitar on a motel bed (ME Backstage Session). (Via Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands). Okervill River as well as The New Pornographers are at the Phoenix on April 9 and tickets are $26.50.

In promotion for their sophomore album "Walk It Off"(out April 8), Tapes N' Tapes will be hitting the road and'll stop in Toronto for a show at The Opera House on April 14.

Pitchfork points to video of Feist's recent appearance on Later With Jools Holland. She's at the Sony Centre For Performing Arts with openers Great Lake Swimmers on May 13.

The following tour dates, I'll shoot off quickly: The Duke Spirt, and UK blog buzz band The Pigeon Detectives are at Lee's Palace on March 8(as part of CMW). Louis XIV with What Made Milwaukee Famous and Carolina Liar are at The Mod Club on March 19. Dragonette with Fritz Helder & The Phantoms and Sweet Thing are at the Phoenix on April 3. Chromeo is at The Opera House on March 22. Gary Louris, with openers Vetiver are at the Mod Club on March 30, tickets $20.

And now some other random music news: Stereogum points out that UK's Guillemots have a new song(not the new single) "Kriss Kross" available for download here and you can also hear the band's new single "Get Over It" over at their MySpace. The band's new album "Red" comes out in March.

NME reports that Brian Jonestown Massacre 's new album "My Bloody Underground" will be released March 31.

If you're crossing the pond, BBC News confirms that Jay Z has been confirmed to headline Glastonbury. Interesting choice - I'm not a big fan, but he's not bad.

Pitchfork has an interview with Alison of Goldfrapp. The new record "Seventh Tree" is out in stores on February 25 in the UK and the following day in the US. Only a few select UK dates on the horizon - I don't think they've been in Toronto since circa "Felt Mountain"(and if you were at their show at The Opera House at that time like I was, you know that didn't go well).