Concert Annoucements / Music News (January 6, 2010)

Not an essential purchase for me by any means but I may still pick it up at least for the artwork and of course to hear REMASTERED audio of Pavement classics (ok I'm being sarcastic), but Pavement will be releasing a mid-priced 23-track compilation entitled "Quarantine The Past" on March 9 through Matador Records. Tour dates have already been announced for New Zealand, Australia, Europe and New York City and the buzz around the T.O. Community is perhaps they'll play this year's Olympic Island Festival. Of course that's just speculation but I'm sure some of us will be glued to the Olympic Island Concert website on January 11 at 7:30 pm EST when details of this year's Olympic Island Concert is announced. C'mon Pavement!

Against The Grain's been busy with concert announcements these days (and in the process providing me with much thinking to do about what shows I might take in - and just when I thought I might take it easy this year)

With the assistance of Beck's backing band, Parisian singer-songwriter Charlotte Gainsbourg plays the Phoenix on January 29, tickets $21.50 in advance($25 @ door), onsale Friday Jan 8 @ 8 am. Update: The show is cancelled. Bummer.

Cuff The Duke have introduced few more local dates including a stop at Lee's Palace on March 20. Tickets $15 in advance($18 @ door), onsale January 8 at 8 am.

Nada Surf will be promoting a new covers record entitled "If I Had a Hi Fi" and taking it on the road including a stop at Lee's Palace on March 29. Tickets $16.50 in advance($20 @ door), onsale January 8 at 8 am.

Vampire Weekend played live on Letterman yesterday in promotion of their new album "Contra" (out next week) and are hitting the road soon. Big enough to play Sound Academy in Toronto? We'll see - they're booked for a show there on March 30. Tickets $27.50 in advance($35 @ door), all-ages/licensed, onsale January 8.

I always assumed band A Sunny Day In Glasgow, where y'know, from Glasgow and I'd imagined them to be indiepop. OK, so they're from Philadephia, and their music's described as using "samples, guitars, and melodies". Lest not judge a book by it's cover anymore - they'll be playing The Garrison on April 2, tickets $10 in advance($12 @ door).

Polyvinyl will be releasing Sweden's Love Is All's third album "Two Thousand and Ten Injuries" on March 23, with the band touring thereafter. They'll be joining Japandroids on April 3 at the Horseshoe. Tickets a measly $12 in advance($15 @ door), onsale January 7.

Owen Pallett will give fans a 2nd chance to see him live(for those unlucky not to get a ticket to his sold out show at The Mod Club next week on January 12) when he plays a significantly larger show at Queen Elizabeth Theatre on April 8. Tickets $25 in advance($30 @ door), all-ages/licensed, onsale January 7.

So it seems to be confirmed now that UK's The xx will be playing with jj on April 4 at Lee's Palace as both record label Beggars Group Canada and booker The Windish Agency are listing it.

On Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 8 pm, Eye Weekly's Stuart Berman will be hosting a free event, Inside The Musician's Studio, down at the Harbourfront Centre Brigantine Room featuring The Happiness Project in performance and interview. And again, it's FREE. Here's a link to the Facebook event details.

While not much CMW/Canadian Musicfest scheduling info has yet to be released, Billions is listing a March 12 show at Lee's Palace which I'm guessing is a CMW-related event and as lineups go it's fantastic - the bill will include Plants and Animals, The Acorn, Russian Futurists, Winter Gloves, and Think About Life. As with CMW usually, I fully expect brief sets at most but that night should still be a good time. Although I don't usually like to stay in one venue during CMW for an entire night, I could definitely imagine making an exception that night.

According to Pollstar, The English Beat return for at show at Lee's Palace on May 18.

Cleveland's enigmatic Baby Dee plays The Music Gallery on April 13. Via The Windish Agency.

chartattack reports that The New Pornographers' Carl Newman had tweeted on January 1 that the recording of the new New Porns' album has been completed. No confirmed release date as of yet but charttack does say the band want to release it this year.