Happiness

In case you hadn't already caught the info over at Chromewaves, and since I was going to post it anyway, Criminal Records isn't about to let Soundscapes have all the in-store fun this week. Criminal Records will be hosting some instores of their own including The Burning Hell and Jenny Omnichord on March 6, Plants and Animals and Winter Gloves on March 7 and then March 8 which will feature Calm Down It's Monday (feat Julie Doiron & Fred Squire), Julie Doiron (solo), The Superfantastics and Dog Day. Check out the set times for all three days over at Stille Post.

And just when you thought Soundscapes didn't have any more instore left in them they announce that Bon Iver will be there for an intimate performance on March 5 at 4 pm.

If gawking is your thing several CMW attendees will be dropping into the Edge 102.1 FM studios(228 Yonge St.) - Sloan drop in March 4 at 4:20 pm, Danko Jones are there March 6 at 3:20 pm, and Jason Collett drops by March 6 at 6:15 pm. Sloan headline the Murderecords re-launch showcase at Supermarket on March 6 at 12:20 am(good luck in getting in to this one; I wouldn't hold my breath). Jason Collett is at Lee's Palace on March 6 at 11 pm. Danko Jones are at the Horseshoe Tavern on March 7 at 12:10 am.

The first mp3 from the upcoming Tokyo Police Club debut full length, "Elephant Shell"(out on Saddle Creek on April 22nd) is out there now. The band are at the Fairmont Royal York on March 8 as part of Canadian Music Week's The Indies awards show:

MP3: Tokyo Police Club - "In A Cave"

Stereogum has the new Immaculate Machine music video for their song "Dear Confessor". Immaculate Machine open the Chart CMW showcase at the Horseshoe Tavern on March 6 at 8:30 pm.

Apostle of Hustle aren't at this year's CMW, but they do have a new remix of one of their songs. Jim Eno of Spoon remixed "Chances Are" which you can download here.

Shelby Lynne brings her Dusty Springfield tribute to The Mod Club on March 31, tickets $20.00. Her Dustry Springfield tribute album "Just A Little Lovin'" is in stores now, some of which you can hear over at her MySpace.

Buck 65, Cadence Weapon, and Skratch Bastid are at Danforth Music Hall on April 25. Cadence Weapon's new album "Afterparty Babies" is out on ANTI- right now.

Texans' Eisley at at Lee's Palace on April 29 promoting their newest disc "Combinations".

According to Bookie, look out for Rilo Kiley to return to Toronto in late May.

Danish singer-songwriter and sometime Zero 7 vocalist Tina Dico will be back in Toronto at The Courthouse on May 12 promoting her most recent album "Count To Ten". Joining her will be UK singer songwriter Teitur his newest album "The Singer" which was released in Scandinavia last month and hits the rest of the world in March/April(well that's what the artist's website says).

I'm still waiting for Goldfrapp's return to these shores but in the meantime I recommend picking up their latest CD "Seventh Tree" out on Mute. The deluxe edition is one the most beautiful packages I've seen in a while and I'm enjoying it a lot these days. It has elements of the lush pop-tronica of "Felt Mountain" but it's not necessarily a return to that sound. In many ways it's a lot more direct and pop-oriented. Not to say it's simplistic, but the album's combination of acoustic and electronic elements feels a lot more organic and it has some of the prettiest melodies. "A&E", the album's lead off single is the most radio-friendly of their's I've heard so far and it's bound to annoy some Goldfrapp fans but I'm not one of them. Goldfrapp performed "Happiness"(my favourite song off the new album!) for BBC's Jonathan Ross over the weekend(via The Music Slut):

Video: Goldfrapp - "Happiness" (live on BBC Jonathan Ross program - March 2008)

Nicole Atkins performed three songs live("Maybe Tonight," "The Way It Is," and "Together We're Alone") for MPR The Current on February 26, 2008.

BlogTo readers voted for their favourite Toronto live music venues. Definitely can't complain with #'s 1(Horsehoe) and 2(Lee's Palace), although if it were me it should be the other way around.

The Coast Is Clear

In celebration of their debut album "Expatriate" set to be released through Aporia Records on April 1, Toronto's The Coast are lining up tour dates as we speak - a lot dates are up at their MySpace right now. A Toronto date has been confirmed for April 18 when the band will play a CD release show at Horseshoe Tavern with The Wooden Sky, The Ghost Is Dancing and NYC's Mixel Pixel. The preceding day(April 17), they'll be performing a few songs live for MTV Live - to be part of the studio audience call 1-888-491-6888, or email liveaudience@mtv.ca. From a press release I've read, the band's new album's a bit of departure from their atmospheric, shimmering pop-rock sound, a few songs of which I got a taste of when they played NXNE in 2007 - I remember the songs not being as immediate as their self-titled debut EP's material but I hope in the least the new songs are growers.

Chartattack speaks to New Jersey native Nicole Atkins about her hometown-named debut album "Neptune City". She and her band The Sea perform their Toronto debut headlining gig at Lee's Palace this Sunday.

Prior to their show at Kool Haus this coming Monday February 18, Celtic-punkers Flogging Molly will be at Sonic Boom Records earlier that day for a free instore performance and autograph session - autographs at 3 pm and the performance at 4 pm. Via Stille Post.

I thought it strange when I didn't see a Toronto date for Kanye West's upcoming "Glow In The Dark " tour reported by Pitchfork a few days ago, but as Pitchfork subsequently reports more dates have been added putting to the rest all the "WTF, where's the 'insert city name here' date?" questions. Kanye's "Glow In The Dark Tour" featuring himself as well as N.E.R.D., Rihanna, and Lupe Fiasco will hit Toronto on May 21 for a show at Molson Ampitheatre.

Some more quick show news: The Roots are back in Toronto for a show at Kool Haus on March 30 - tickets on sale February 18. As already reported by others, British Sea Power(in celebration of their recently released new album "Do You Like Rock Music?") with openers The Rosebuds hit Lee's Palace on May 16. Funk soul brother Jamie Lidell is at The Mod Club on June 5.

Locate The Pieces

Touring their most recent album "Last Light"[which I still haven't picked up yet], Matt Pond PA have announced more dates which include a stop in Toronto on April 2 at Lee's Palace which will be an opening slot for Carbon/Silicon (The Clash's/Big Audio Dynamite's Mick Jones & Generation X's/Sigue Sigue Sputnik's Tony James, plus Leo Williams of Big Audio Dynamite and Domonic Greensmith of Reef). Matt Pond PA has a new music video below(and Matt's penchant for popsmith-ery continues to be a wonder):

Video: Matt Pond PA - "Locate The Pieces" (music video)

The New Pornographers(including Neko Case) performed a live session of four tunes off of their most recent album "Challengers" at AOL's The Interface. They're at the Phoenix with Okkervil River on April 9.

At least according to Pollstar, Montreal's Plants and Animals will be part of the Chartattack CMW showcase taking place at the Horseshoe on March 6.

Pollstar also points out that White Denim are set to open for Tapes N' Tapes at The Opera House on April 14.

Kathleen Edwards, in celebration of her new album "Asking For Flowers" out March 4, will have a show at the Phoenix on April 23, tickets $22.50.

Torchy crooner k.d. Lang has annouced a whole bunch of tour dates which will include a stop at Massey Hall on May 31. Tickets on sale February 23 at 10 am.

And on today's date in 1964, The Beatles made their US television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, with an estimated viewership of 73 million people[if I recall correctly when I was listening to the radio this morning]:

Video: The Beatles - "I Want To Hold Your Hand" (live on The Ed Sullivan Show - Feb 9, 1964)

ps. Oh, congrats to Anne and Craig for winning the Nicole Atkins CD contest I ran a little while back. They'll be going out in the mail soon[Craig, I still need your address].

Contest - Win A Copy of Nicole Atkins' "Neptune City" - CLOSED

New Jersey's Nicole Atkins describes her music as pop-noir, as apropos a term I could have come up on my own, a mix of melancholic pop with a dramatic, almost cinematic tone. It's not surprising she's caught my ear given my weakkneedness for similiar artists over the last few years like Richard Hawley, A Girl Called Eddy, and to some extent Neko Case. Since posting about her back in August 2007, she's released her debut full-length "Neptune City"(on the heels of her indie ep "Bleeding Diamonds") a collection of songs that's upped the production factor but not to the detriment of it's songs, which run the gamut from girl-group pop melodies("Maybe Tonight"), to the lush and solemn("The Way It Is"), to spright pop-rock("Party's Over"), and the longing melancholic homage to her hometown "Neptune City". By my count, her and her band The Sea have swung through Toronto three times as an opening act, two of which I caught and have only the fondest of memories of. I met her briefly at the merch table once and she was one of the nicest artists I've ever met.

Courtesy of Sony BMG Canada, I have two copies of her debut full-length "Neptune City" up for grabs. Send an e-mail to mligon@yahoo.com with the subject heading "I want the Nicole Atkins CD" and I'll pick two winners randomly. Contest closes January 31, 2008 at midnight.

In the meantime, check out some Nicole Atkins multimedia links below:

Video: Nicole Atkins and The Sea - "Maybe tonight" (live on Late Night With Conan O'Brien)
Video: Nicole Atkins and The Sea - "The Way It Is" (live on Late Show With David Letterman)
Video: Nicole Atkins - "Neptune City" (music video)
Video: Nicole Atkins - "The Way It Is" (music video)
Video: Nicole Atkins - "War Torn" (live at SPIN.com studios)
Video: Nicole Atkins - Journey Through Neptune City Vol. 1
Video: Nicole Atkins - Journey Through Neptune City Vol. 2
Video: Nicole Atkins - Journey Through Neptune City Vol. 3
MySpace: Nicole Atkins

photo from here

Update: Congrats to Anne and Craig - your CD's will be going out in the mail soon[Craig, I still need your address].

Here Comes Mary, All Dressed In Black

concert: The Raveonettes, Nicole Atkins and The Sea @ Lee's Palace (Toronto, Ontario), October 14, 2007





Chromewaves and Eye Weekly review The Raveonettes/Nicole Atkins and The Sea show at Lee's Palace which took place this past Sunday night. Take this as a placeholder for now - hopefully I'll add my own thoughts to this post later.

For the moment, check out my photos from the show are over at my Flickr.

MySpace: The Raveonettes
MySpace: Nicole Atkins

Giddy Stratospheres

concert review: The Long Blondes, Nicole Atkins and The Sea @ Lee's Palace(Toronto, Ontario), June 11, 2007



Monday night, Lee's Palace played host to Sheffield, UK's The Long Blondes' Toronto debut. While I don't think it was a sold-out show it was a more than respectable size crowd especially by the time The Long Blondes hit the stage. It's with a little regret that I didn't get to Lee's Palace in time for the start of opener New Jersey's Nicole Atkins and The Sea's opening set. Of all nights, Lee's Palace actually started the show on time(around (9:15 pm I was told). I managed to catch Nicole's last three songs and above all was impressed with her dynamic vocals and her versatility of musical styles. I picked up her EP "Bleeding Diamonds"(at the merch table directly from Nicole, who was nice enough to chat with virtually everyone who came up to her...I asked her why her NXNE appearance was cancelled she told and she mentioned there was some sort of mix-up). After having listened to it, I'm pretty sure now that the song I'd walk in during her set was "War Torn", a torchy, slow-burner that crescendos near the end into a wonderful guitar melody before finishing off on a quiet note with Nicole's last few lyrics. I remember a subsequent song being more in a general alt pop-rock direction that reminded me of say Juliana Hatfield.



I rarely download album leaks but I felt compelled to give The Long Blondes' debut "Someone To Drive You Home"(out in the UK since last year?) a listen after reading about them many times and being reeled in by the songs at their MySpace. Maybe it was the drawing that adorns their album cover of a sultry blond wearing a French beret leaning on red car that attracted me. I dunno. Downloading their album did have partly to do with that at the time, the album wasn't yet released domestically and I didn't want to pay import prices for it. The album was recently released domestically and includes a 2nd disc which contains 4 extra tracks and the video for "Once and Never Again" - I picked up my copy at the show.

So what of their performance? Lead vocalist is obviously the centre of attention, with her jet black-hair and wearing matching coloour pencil-skirt and the crowd adored her as she struck out poses like a model on a runway. While the band was musically competent for the pop, post-punk sounds for their songs for which they performed, there was a difference in performance energy between the different band members. Kate and the two male members of the band[on guitar and drums] were the most energetic but the ladies[on bass guitar and keyboards] were much less animated except for a few grins here and there. Given the music's obviously danceability and it's ability to get the crowd involved(there were singalongs and handclaps) it's a little disappointing to see half the band energetic and the other half aloof. Although, I must admit I didn't think the ladies weren't NOT into the show, just perhaps more reserved and shy. That aside, I don't think most of the crowd necessarily noticed - too busy dancing, singing, or clapping. Highpoints of the show would be the rousing "Lust In The Movies" as it declared 'Edie Sedgwick, Anna Karenina, Arlene Dahl. I just want to be a sweetheart.' and the vibrant, bouncy pop of "Once and Never Again"(which prompted a bout of crowd pogoing) which the band performed towards the end of the set. The band's greatest achievement that night - making this guy in his thirties(and probably many others there) feel like a teenager all over again.

And thankfully Kate Jackson didn't remind me of Gwen Stefani(not that I have anything against Gwen.) Track back to Fluxblog(and read some of the comments especially).

Chartattack gives a favourable review of The Long Blondes' set.

Lcanthropy has some photos from The Long Blondes' set as does inventor_77 and Songs Without Words.

Update: Chromewaves reviews the show eloquently and also has a bunch of Nicole Atkins & Long Blondes links for your pleasure. Metamorphstuff has a few more photos from the show.

YouTube: The Long Blondes - "Giddy Stratospheres" (live @ Lee's Palace - June 11, 2007 - 1 min 56 sec) (courtesy aNewCanadian)

MySpace: Nicole Atkins
MySpace: The Long Blondes