PJ Harvey "The Words That Maketh Murder" / "The Last Living Rose" (music videos)

The new video for PJ Harvey's song "The Words That Maketh Murder" made it's way online last week. Her last album 2007's piano-based, stark White Chalk was the biggest musical departure yet for PJ Harvey whose music had previously been quite entrenched in a raw, sort of punk aesthetic, but by the likes of this newest song from her upcoming new album Let England Shake (out February 14 in the UK and February 15 in the US) shows a folkier side, with a hint of perhaps an Appalachian Folk influence, melded with a more conventional rock rhythm section. The more I listen to it, the more it's growing on me:

PJ Harvey - The Words That Maketh Murder


Uploaded by spektorholic (via Pitchfork)

According to info at NPR, this 'film' directed by Seamus Murphy is one of a series of 12 shorts to accompany the 12 songs that make up PJ Harvey's forthcoming album, Let England Shake.

And somehow I missed the first Seamus Murphy directed short film released last month for PJ Harvey's "The Last Living Rose", a song also from the upcoming new album. Musically, it sounds more like PJ Harvey - uncomplicated drum arrangement, stark vocals, simple guitar melodies, - oh and a bit of saxophone? Great song:

PJ Harvey - The Last Living Rose

PJ Harvey - "The Words That Maketh Murder" (new single)

When's PJ Harvey making return to Toronto? Ok so I don't have that breaking news since there isn't any. The last time she came to town was back in October 2004 when she played a most fantastic show at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in support of her album Uh Huh Her. And she never did come to Toronto for her 2007 album White Chalk which was such a shame because that album was so starkly beautiful. She's currently only has some select dates in Europe coming up (with a promise to the festival stage this summer) but with her 8th studio album entitled Let England Shake coming out this Valentine's Day, at least that's something to look forward to.

The first single from the new album is entitled ‘The Words That Maketh Murder’ and will be available for digital download on January 17th. The single will also be available on 7” vinyl on February 7th, and will feature an exclusive B-side - ‘The Guns Ca...lled Me Back Again’ – which was recorded during the Let England Shake album session.

You can sample the first single over at Amazon UK. And yes, that's the artwork for the single above.

Egg Hunt

Just clearing out some links and info below before the weekend's done and hopefully I'll have my review of The Raveonettes show at The Opera House from this past Good Friday up tomorrow:

Just around the corner on April 7 and 8, the one and only Jens Lekman returns to Toronto for two shows at The Music Gallery. The first night local Katie Stelmanis will play a short set and the second night Final Fantasy, Mr Owen Pallett will be there. Presented by Wavelength, the two shows are part of a fundraiser for The Music Gallery as well as a special addition to the Images Festival. Tickets are $20 advance at www.ticketweb.ca, on sale now(oh, and $25 at the door - advance tickets for the April 8 show might already be sold out.) Full details of the shows over at Stille Post.

Eye Weekly lists the The Teenagers at Lee's Palace on May 1, although the band's MySpace is still saying the venue's suppose to be Anti. Things should hopefully get sorted out soon according to Danieljosef in my last post's comments.

Brooklyn, NY indie bad Mobius Band have been added to the Black Kids/Cut Copy bill at Lee's Palace on May 9.

Kids, get your dance on - Diplo and Nasty Nav stop at Wrongbar on April 19 while Berlin DJ Ellen Allien is at The Mod Club on May 7. I believe both of these shows are performance(not DJ shows) but I'm only guessing since their respective MySpace sites don't seem to indicate they are DJ gigs.

Stay tuned this March 25 for the announcement of the lineup for the 2nd annual Sled Island Festival which takes place in various venues around Calgary from June 25 to June 28.

Looking to the summer, for more cultured events look to the Luminato Festival - there's already a schedule of events posted over at the festival MySpace.

Brooklyn Vegan has tour dates for Toronto comedy troupe Kids In The Hall who are jumping on the reunion bandwagon for a series of live shows in the US and Canada. Things get underway on April 4 and culminate with a hometown show at Massey Hall in TOronto on June 5.

Thank God for Youtube and for someone posting the videos for PJ Harvey 's recent performance/interview on VH1 Jo Whiley's Inside Track(and no, still no news of any North American tour dates):

Video: PJ Harvey - "Grow Grow Grow" - VH1 Inside Track (3/21/08)
Video: PJ Harvey - "Interview" - VH1 Inside Track (3/21/08)
Video: PJ Harvey - "The Devil" - VH1 Inside Track (3/21/08)

Tonight The Streets Are Ours

Apparently, tickets for the Richard Hawley show at the Horseshoe Tavern this upcoming Wednesday(December 5) are selling briskly(Rotate This is sold out, Soundscapes is almost sold out, Horseshoe/Ticketmaster.ca still have sometickets). I picked up my ticket at the Horseshoe today just to be safe. My impression of Mr. Hawley's music is based solely on a few samples I've heard so far - romantic and lush, with a sound that melds Morrissey with Roy Orbison. Perhaps, music for wusses some might say, but I'll wear that badge proudly. Check out Mr. Hawley's live performance on Later...With Jools Holland from a few weeks back:

Video: Richard Hawley - Interview
Video: Richard Hawley - "Valentine"
Video: Richard Hawley - "Tonight The Streets Are Ours"
MySpace: Richard Hawley
:
:
I got through Popmatters' interview with PJ Harvey yesterday and I'm glad to have found out two things: one, she's enthusiastic about touring and two, her current gigs have been solo performances of her performing her new material as well as stripped down one-person arrangements of her older tunes. As I said recently, I'm really looking forward to seeing PJ Harvey live performing her new material or the quieter tunes of her older repertoire. Polly read my mind.

White Chalk

Gotta love YouTube. Here's a couple of clips of PJ Harvey performing live on Later...With Jools Holland on November 16, 2007:

Video: PJ Harvey - "White Chalk" (live on Later...With Jools Holland - Nov 16, 2007)
Video: PJ Harvey - "Silence" (live on Later...With Jools Holland - Nov 16, 2007)

The more I listen to her new material, the more I'm convinced that when she eventually tours she either has to perform just the new songs or a combination of the new songs and the quieter material of her repertoire. As exhilirating as PJ Harvey is during say her big-sounding "Big Exit" or her punk-ish "50 Foot Queenie" days I'm looking forward to spending a quiet evening with Polly Jean when she hopefully hits town in the future.

The Piano

I've been on a PJ Harvey kick lately with her latest album "White Chalk", so I'm glad to see she hasn't been shy about making the rounds to promote the new album. It gives me hope that she'll likely make it back to North America for a tour in the new year. Here's more recent Polly Jean-related multimedia for you:

Video: PJ Harvey - Interview & Live Session @ Spinner (Oct 11, 2007)
Video: PJ Harvey - Live Session @ BBC 6 Music - The Hub Sessions(Nov 7, 2007)
Video: PJ Harvey - The Piano (music video)

Also Polly Jean was on the BBC Radio London Calling progam with Gary Crowley yesterday(November 10, 2007) when she was interviewed and performed a few songs. Listen here(the session is about an hour and a few minutes into the progam and the progam will only be archived for about a week).
:
:
Did anyone catch the Radiohead live webcast a few nights ago? Wish I'd known about it sooner because from what I've seen of it so far it looked like a lot of fun. At least we can all catch it after the fact. As with every live television/webcast performance it seems, someone has uploaded the webcast in its entirety onto YouTube, and Stereogum's collected the videos into one convenient blog post. Radiohead's cover of New Order's "Ceremony" doesn't necessarily outdo the original but it stilled brimmed with energy. Deaf Indie Elephants has mp3's of all of Radiohead's performances from the webcast.

To Talk To You

While I still continue to absorb Ms. Harvey's latest album "White Chalk"(a few songs of which you can sample here) which is far mare subtle than I'd anticiapated but so far is stunning, here are a few PJ Harvey-related links for ya':

PJ Harvey filmed a session for Yahoo! Live Sets which she recorded during her most recent trip to The States. It features an 8 song set, in front of a studio audience, and a Q & A session with fans.

The Smudge of Ashen Fluff has converted Ms. Harvey's recent KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic session(from Nov 2, 2007) for your downloading and listening pleasure. Thank you.

Polly was on the BBC Radio George Lamb program yesterday(Nov 7, 2007) when she performed a live session. Listen to the session here(I think it's only archived for a week). View photos from the session here. Supposedly their should be video of the session very soon so keep on checking back here.

Check out the live session that Jens Lekman did for KEXP over at the radio station website's streaming label archive[the session was November 6, 2007 at 9:30 am].

Record label woes no more, the news is that The Raveonettes haved signed with Vice Records and the label will be releasing the band's new album "Lust Lust Lust" in early 2008, with a US tour to follow.

Vampire Weekend will be at El Mocambo on December 13, tickets $10. I'm digging the tunes over at their MySpace, especially their song "Mansard Roof", creative pop mixing equal parts melodicism and quirkiness. Their upcoming show is on my maybe list for now.