American Names

I'm not quite up on the musical efforts of ex-Death From Above 1979 drummer Sebastian Grainger except that he has his own solo project with his band The Mountains, but he just got signed to Saddle Creek Records in the US. Saddle Creek just released his digital EP "American Names", which you can stream here. Or check out his MySpace.

Adding more twang to the proceedings, Chicago's Freakwater will be opening for Merge's She & Him at The Opera House on July 23. (via Ground Control Touring)

If you aren't already going (or even if you are going) to one and or both of the King Khan and The Shrines shows at the Horseshoe on July 23-24, you'll be glad to know they'll also be bringing the rock to Sonic Boom for an instore performance at 7 pm on July 24.

Winnipeg Calgary's hotly-tipped Jane Vain and The Dark Matter take part on Nu Music Nite at the Horseshoe Tavern on July 29 playing an early set at 9:10 pm.

The Phoenix will feature the poppy, folk sounds of Matt Costa and the country-folk of Sub Pop's Sera Cahoone on August 6. (via Inland Empire Touring)

90's indie rock stalwarts, Shellac, will be at Horseshoe Tavern on September 16, tickets $18 onsale July 17. (via Stille Post)

NYC's A Place To Bury Strangers' sonic guitar assault comes to Lee's Palace on September 19 with newcomers-to-me UK's Sian Alice Group. There's something quite nice about Sian Alice Group in particular - at least based on their MySpace tunes, they have a nice 4AD-ish quality encompassing pretty(though not quite ethereal) vocals with nicely varied instrumentation and good atmospherics. (tour info via Pollstar)

The psych-rock experience of Black Mountain (whose album "In The Future" was just shortlisted for this year's Polaris Music Prize) and the gentle psychedelia of Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Here After take over The Opera House on September 27. Tickets $18.50, onsale now.

Props to Chromewaves for pointing out (well, it's on his sidebar) that The Wedding Present will indeed be in Toronto for a show on October 3 at Lee's Palace. Thanks, thanks, thanks!

I am so psyched for the bizarre and scary events lined up for this year's Nuit Blanche ('Toronto’s free, all-night contemporary art thing') happening/starting the evening of October 4.

The Notwist come to Lee's Palace on October 10, tickets $18.

Girl Talk and The Death Set come to Kool Haus (really?) for a show on November 12, tickets $20. (last couple items via rootmeansquare)

A venue I've yet to experience, Queen Elizabeth Theatre will have Of Montreal playing a show on October 28, tickets $25.