Jeremy R. JansenA birthday party is a bit of an odd time to announce a memorial, but such was the case this past February when, at the end of the successful 9th anniversary bash for Toronto’s venerable Wavelength weekly music series, it was announced that the 2010, 10th anniversary shows would also mark the final edition of the showcase… at least in its present form. While the weekly showcases are ending, the Wavelength marque and ethos will continue on via monthly showcases and one-off events, thus ensuring that the stages that gave countless Toronto acts – including Broken Social Scene, The Hidden Cameras and Constantines to name but a very few of the better known – will remain open and inviting.

But before the new Wavelength can begin, the old must be celebrated and put to bed, and that’s what the second weekend of February is going to be all about. Wavelength 500 will bring together acts from all throughout its history, some of whom have gone on to bigger things and some who have simply gone but all of whom are crucial parts of Toronto’s musical tapestry over the past decade. The festival will run over five nights at five venues, starting on February 10 and running through to February 14 for what’s sure to be the loudest, sweatiest Valentine’s Day bash on record. The lineups and locales for each night are as follows:

February 10 @ The Music Gallery: Bruce Peninsula, Evening Hymns, Pony Da Look, Deep Dark United, Canaille ($12)
February 11 @ The Steam Whistle Roundhouse – Holy Fuck, The Russian Futurists, Fembots, Diamond Rings, Professor Fingers ($18)
February 12 @ Sneaky Dee’s – From Fiction, The Bicycles, Laura Barrett, Magic Cheezies, Young Mother ($12)
February 13 @ The Polish Combatants Hall – Constantines, Rockets Red Glare, Donne Roberts, Picastro, Danger Bay ($20)
February 14 @ The Garrison – Kids On TV, Barcelona Pavilion, Mean Red Spiders, Neck, Boars (PWYC)

Advance tickets for the first four nights are available at the prices noted, while the fifth and final night will be pay-what-you-can. In addition, festival passes guaranteeing admission to all five shows will go on sale January 7 at the wholly reasonable price of $50. The timing of the festival is a bit unfortunate as there’s a lot a lot of other stuff going on before, during and after that weekend, but it’s not Wavelength’s fault – they’ve had this date circled on the calendar for, oh, a decade.

MP3: Laura Barrett – “Robot Ponies”
MP3: Bruce Peninsula – “Crabapples”
MP3: Canaille – “Vincent Massey” (live)
MP3: Constantines – “Nighttime Anytime It’s Alright”
MP3: Diamond Rings – “All Yr Songs”
MP3: Evening Hymns – “Dead Deer”
MP3: Fembots – “Good Days”
MP3: Holy Fuck – “Lovely Allen”
MP3: Picastro – “Hortur”
MP3: The Russian Futurists – “Paul Simon”

Constantines are no strangers to anniversary parties, having just wrapped up four Toronto shows to mark their own decade mark this past weekend. Spinner talked to frontman Bry Webb about the milestone.

Southern Souls is featuring a couple of video performances from Evening Hymns, who in addition to playing the Wavelength anniversary will be at the Garrison on January 22 for the Out Of This Spark 3rd anniversary show, alongside The D’Urbervilles, Forest City Lovers and Jenny Omnichord. Evening Hymns are also on HeroHill’s “best of 2009″ list with a couple of unreleased tracks up for grabs and interviews with many of their picks.

Forest City Lovers frontwoman Kat Burns offers a couple of solo performances and an interview in this video feature from The National Post.

BlogTO has a feature on the Third Floor Sessions which have been happening at Ryerson University and yielding downloadable sessions from the likes of Ohbijou and The Wooden Sky… and yes, that is your cue to make with the clicky and download the goods (while watching the videos, of course).

NXEW is offering a free Christmas EP from Oh No Forest Fires that’s probably louder and fuzzier than your usual holiday fare. Thank goodness.

The Line Of Best Fit’s “Oh! Canada” series of compilations is also back with another volume, just in time for the holidays. Go get.

Caleb BuyersLet’s be honest, there’s not a lot of reason for there to be a Carl Newman solo record. The man is the chief songwriter in The New Pornographers, an outfit that turns out material at a pretty decent rate all things considered, and it’s not as though he has a metal jones to itch that wouldn’t work in the context of the Pornographers – when he puts on the AC Newman hat, he’s still the consummate popsmith.

But the whys and wherefores are his business – for the rest of us, there’s no sense in looking a gift horse in the mouth. And in this case, that gift is entitled Get Guilty. Like 2004’s The Slow Wonder, any of the songs on Guilty could have easily appeared on a Pornographers record but unlike that record, which seemed to deliberately apply a more traditional rock band ethos to the proceedings, Guilty seems more willing to incorporate the more ornate flourishes that you’d associate with a proper Pornographers release.

That said, without having to balance out the large cast of players in the Pornographers, the AC Newman experience is leaner and punchier – more of a raiding party than the mothership of the New Pornographers. And for those wondering where all the fast songs that weren’t on Challengers went, well, at least some of them are here – “Like A Hitman, Like A Dancer” and “The Palace At 4AM” have a rhythmic drive and energy that hasn’t really been there on the last couple Pornographer records. Of course, whether they’d have fit is another discussion altogether – the important things is that they’re here now and they’re excellent, as is pretty much all of Guilty.

Get Guilty is out today, and courtesy of Last Gang Records, I’ve got copies on CD to give away to five lucky Canadians (sorry Americans, you’ll have to console yourselves today with a new president). To enter, leave me a comment below telling me something you’re guilty of and make sure your email is there, spam-proofed as need be, so I can contact you. Contest closes at midnight, January 26. Also remember that AC Newman are heading out on tour in February, including a March 11 date at Lee’s Palace in Toronto.

NPR has a short interview with Newman, Magnet a longer one, and Allmusic has traced out his musical history from the early days with Superconductor through to the present. Update: Stereogum has another live session video from Newman to follow up the one premiered at Pitchfork last week. Update 2: The whole album is streaming at Spinner.

MP3: AC Newman – “There Are Maybe Ten Or Twelve”
MP3: AC Newman – “Submarines Of Stockholm”
Stream: AC Newman / Get Guilty
MySpace: AC Newman

Co-Pornographer Neko Case will release Middle Cyclones on March 3 and blow into town for two dates at Trinity-St Paul’s on April 17 and 18. Tickets for each of those shows are $35.50.

MP3: Neko Case – “People Got A Lotta Nerve”

And Neko’s ex-Boyfriends The Sadies will be Jon Langford’s band when he plays the Horseshoe on February 27 – tickets are $12.50 and that gets you not one but TWO sets of country rocking goodness.

Not your speed but still seeking something to do that night? The Music Tapes, featuring ex-Neutral Milk Hotelier Julian Koster, will be at Lee’s Palace that same night in support of last year’s Get Guilty. Like 2004’s Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes. Tickets also $12.50.

MP3: The Music Tapes – “Majesty”
Video: The Music Tapes – “Majesty”
Video: The Music Tapes – “Ministry Of Longitude”

There’ll be a lovely little show taking place at The Central in Mirvish Village next Thursday night, January 29, featuring the songwriters from a few of Toronto’s finest bands in a solo and acoustic setting – Casey Mecija of Ohbijou, Kat Burns of Forest City Lovers, Jonas Bonnetta of Evening Hymns and Gavin Gardiner of The Wooden Sky. Admission is pay-what-you-can.

The Coast are heading over to the UK for some dates next month and Clash has not only conducted a feature interview with the the Toronto boys, but set up a fancy little microsite about the band. And they’re making available to download a Born Ruffians remix of “All The Boys” from Expatriate.

MP3: The Coast – “All The Boys” (Born Ruffians remix)

The schedule for Canadian Musicfest (why do I think I’m going to be the only one not calling it Canadian Music Week?) is partially up, and by partially I mean barely. But there’s still some good information on lineups now available, foremost those of the Chart-sponsored shows at the Horseshoe. And they’re kinda stacked. Just a little. Thursday, March 12 you’ve got Chad Van Gaalen, Gentleman Reg, Women, $100, The Lovely Feathers, The Delinquints and Quest For Fire. The Friday night bill will be led by Handsome Furs and also feature Human Highway, The Bicycles, Daniel Wesley, Dinosaur Bones, Hot Panda and The Schomberg Fair. And finally, Saturday will wrap things up with The Golden Dogs, Two Hours Traffic, Young Galaxy, Rebekah Higgs, The Hundreds And Thousands, Vancougar and Hexes & Ohs. Admission to these shows is via CMF wristbands and needless to say, get there early. Of course, once in you probably won’t be able to leave but really, why would you want to?

But if you do, there’s a few other dates and venues to note. Malajube, who will release Labyrinthes on February 10, are at the El Mocambo on March 12. That same night both Angela Desveaux and The Rural Alberta Advantage are at the Gladstone and 6 Day Riot are at Rancho Relaxo. On the Saturday, Basia Bulat and Herman Dune are at Lee’s Palace while The Ting Tings are at the Mod Club. Still more to come, obviously, but things look to be shaping up alright.

Joel Plaskett will play Massey Hall – yes, Massey Hall – on May 23. Tickets from $29.50 to $39.50.

BlogTO talks to the members of Bruce Peninsula, who have a string of local dates surrounding the February 3 release of A Mountain Is A Mouth. There’s a January 31 date at the Horseshoe, a February 4 in-store at Soundscapes and the February 22 album release party at the Polish Combatants Hall.

listentofeist.comThis past Friday, I (Heart) Music posted the results of his fourth annual, “Hottest Bands In Canada” poll – the ultra-unscientific survey of online Canadian music types wherein we submit a ranked list of the Canadian acts that we deem the “hottest” by whatever definition of the word we wish to use.

Though I managed to get my list in just under the wire, on account of being ultra-busy and distracted the last few weeks, I don’t know if I gave it the utmost amount of thought that I might have otherwise. But going over my picks again, I’m fairly comfortable with the my blend of realistic and idealistic though after seeing the final list, I’m reminded of a lot of acts that I perhaps should have given more consideration. But what can you do. Listed below are my 10 picks along with the blurbs that I submitted alongside. The bracketed number is the artist’s actual ranking on the final list.

Obviously I’m not as in touch with the Canuck zeitgeist as perhaps I should be. I was a little more in sync with the top ten last year, whereas this year I seem to be pretty firmly ensconced in the bottom half of the list or so. I realize that if I were a little more objective about things, then acts like Fucked Up and Crystal Castles should have been given credit for making waves around the world, but whatever.

1. Feist (15) – We’re a long way removed from The Reminder but anything Feist does, including her first arena tour, still makes headlines. Objectively and quantitatively speaking, she remains the hottest musical thing with a Canadian passport.

Video: Feist – “1 2 3 4″

2. Basia Bulat (13) – 2007 was very good to Basia Bulat with Oh My Darling receiving critical acclaim in Europe and Canada – 2008 was just as good, as the record did just as well in the US and garnered a Polaris nomination. The fairy tale just keeps on going.

MP3: Basia Bulat – “In The Night”

3. Woodpigeon (-) – This Calgary collective probably falls more under the category of “ought to be hot but aren’t”, releasing record after record of gleaming folk-pop that is making small, but definite waves in Europe and landing the band tours with the likes of Calexico and Iron & Wine. Big things coming. I hope.

MP3: Woodpigeon – “Knock Knock”

4. Caribou (3) – Even though it’s technically an off-year for Caribou with no touring and no new record, winning the Polaris Prize for last year’s Andorra makes Dan Snaith’s project a shoo-in

MP3: Caribou – “Melody Day”

5. The Rural Alberta Advantage (19) – This Toronto trio’s Hometowns record is an absolute jewel, and yet almost no one has heard it. But I am, just for a moment, pretend it’s a just world and include them anyways.

MP3: The Rural Alberta Advantage – “Don’t Haunt This Place”

6. Shad (9) – Though he didn’t win the Polaris, it can be argued that Shad – helped out by his spot-on, ultra-viral video for “The Old Prince Still Lives At Home” – benefitted the most from the exposure gained by the nomination. Hell, he got me listening to hip-hop – that is no mean feat.

MP3: Shad – “The Old Prince Still Lives At Home”

7. Land Of Talk (21) – Finally, after long last, released their debut full-length and while it’s not the kick upside the head that Applause Cheer Boo Hiss was, it’s still a worthy effort. But factor in that Liz Powell is the newest Broken Social Scene chanteuse and that Land Of Talk is opening up for BSS on their North American tour…

MP3: Land Of Talk – “Corner Phone”

8. Two Hours Traffic (18) – Utterly relentless touring machines and purveyors of note-perfect power pop. It’s amazing that a band from such a wintry country can so perfectly capture the spirit of Summer.

MP3: Two Hours Traffic – “Stuck For The Summer”

9. Bruce Peninsula (5) – The first recorded fruits of this Toronto collective have shown that the otherworldy power of their live shows can indeed be captured on tape, which means that soon they’ll no longer be just the secret of those who’ve seen them perform.

MySpace: Bruce Peninsula

10. The Acorn (25) – Glory Hope Mountain has been garnering praise everywhere its been released and… well, it’s a terrific album and they’re nice folk.

MP3: The Acorn – “Crooked Legs”

I’m sure some would like to use this poll as a mid-year barometer for next year’s Polaris Music Prize noms but considering the sample group for this was a lot smaller and narrower, that’s probably reaching a bit. And speaking of the Polaris, the gala ceremony from September will be broadcast on CityTV across the country this Saturday night, November 8, at 7PM local time. Considering I missed out on most of the show, I’d like to see this… but I don’t have cable. So I will miss it again. But at least I know how it ends.

Feist – my number one but the list’s number fifteen – has been making the most of her return to Toronto this past week. There was a pair of secret club shows , one at the Rivoli and one at the Cameron House, a relatively intimate gig at Massey Hall on Saturday night and tonight, her big show at the Air Canada Centre. And it was just announced that November 25 will bring a deluxe edition of The Reminder, featuring a bonus disc of remixes, all the album’s videos (The Toronto Star has an interview with the director of them all) and the cover of Kenny and Dolly’s “Islands In The Stream” with Constantines – and for everyone who bought the album a year and a half ago when it was released, the bonus goods will be available for sale digitally on their own.

Wired has an interview with Murray Lightburn, frontman of the 27th hottest band in Canada, The Dears’. They’re playing the Sound Academy on December 13.

Hour.ca talks to Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene, who hang in at #20 on the list despite being on fake hiatus the last couple years. They’re at the Sound Academy on November 27 and 28.

The D’Urbervilles, who come in at #17 on the list, have announced a two-night stand at the Tiger Bar that they’ve playfully named “Rock Em Sock Em 1 and 2″ on December 12 and 13th. Night one will feature The D’Urbs along with Katie Stelmanis (also of band #5, Bruce Peninsula) and Mantler while on night two, they’ll welcome Bocce and Slow Hand Mortem as their guests.

Woodpigeon rated highly on my list, but evidently not many others’. I prefer to think of myself as simply being that much ahead of the curve instead of being out of touch. Just wait. Noize Makes Enemies talked to frontman Mark Hamilton about the origins of their first album Songbook, which was just released in the UK.

Environmentalist and car junkie Neil Young talks to The New York Times about his efforts to win the Progressive Automotive X-Prize. He’s at the Air Canada Centre on December 4 and 5.

The Bicycles will release their new album Oh No It’s Love on Tuesday, the same day they play a release party at Lee’s Palace and an in-store at Soundscapes at 7PM the instore at Soundscapes is on Tuesday at 7PM, the Lee’s gig is on Saturday. Sorry for the confusion, which appears to have been mostly mine.

Whilst on the topic of hottest things in a respective geographical area, I was pleased to see that NOW named this site as “Best Music Website” in this year’s “Best Of Toronto” issue – not just for the kudos, but because in the six-plus years I’ve been doing this, I think this is just the second time the magazine has acknowledged my existence. Not that I’m keeping score or anything.

NPR enumerates their musical love of Canada.