LastFMYou must understand how it pains me to say this, but at long last two of the artists whom I’ve been waiting to come to Toronto for most of this year – Norwegian firebrand Ida Maria and New Zealand ’80s acolyte Ladyhawke – have finally set a date… and I have Perez Hilton to thank. The two are the marquee acts of the first Perez Hilton Presents tour and as much as I hate to think he and I have anything in common besides rudimentary MS Paint skills, in this case, we’ve got some of the same taste in music.

Both Maria’s Fortress ‘Round My Heart and Ladyhawke’s self-titled debut are irresistibly catchy, the former by means of giddy, boozy energy and the latter with big, retro synth-pop hooks. I should have seen both at SxSW back in March but visa issues kept Ida Maria from making any of her scheduled appearances (save Hilton’s party) and while Ladyhawke’s set wasn’t the most dynamic show, just hearing those songs live was plenty to get excited about.

So despite the name that will surely be posted in big, neon letters above the marquee (figuratively speaking), I will trek out to the Opera House on September 17 to see Ida Maria and Ladyhawke along with Frankmusik, another act apparently with the PH seal of approval, and hope that wonderfully sugary pop wipes out the bad taste of the tour sponsor. Whether you’re able to do the same is between you and your conscience. Full dates at The Music Slut.

MP3: Ladyhawke – “My Delirium”
Video: Ida Maria – “I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked”
Video: Ida Maria – “Oh My God”
Video: Ida Maria – “Stella”
Video: Ladyhawke – “Paris Is Burning”
Video: Ladyhawke – “My Delirium”
Video: Ladyhawke – “Dusk Till Dawn”
Video: Ladyhawke – “Back Of The Van”

The Verve reunion that went so triumphantly last year? Exclaim and The Guardian report that it’s – wait for it – history.

BBC talks to Mani Mounfield of The Stone Roses on the occasion of the band’s 20th anniversary, which will include a multitude of reissues of their debut album at all price points as of today. The Guardian, meanwhile, has gotten some video footage of the band in the studio recording “Fool’s Gold”.

QRO talks to Aleks Campesinos! of Los Campesinos! about her impending departure from the band and subsequent reclamation of her surname.

NME has some info on Sigh No More, the debut album from Mumford & Sons, finally ready for an October 5 release in the UK.

The Boston Globe talks to Bat For Lashes’ Natasha Khan.

The Telegraph is the latest media outlet to catch onto the ’80s revival trend in pop music, talking to La Roux’s Elly Jackson about the movement.

Also mentioned in that piece is Little Boots, with whom The Telegraph has a separate feature interview. She’s at Wrongbar on September 14.

The Quietus talks to The Big Pink. There’s a new video from A Brief History Of Love, out September 22, and they’ll be at Lee’s Palace on November 29.

Video: The Big Pink – “Dominos”

Ambient/post-rock outfit Sian Alice Group have a date at the Drake Underground on October 16 as part of a massive Fall tour in support of their new album Troubled, Shaken, Etc..

Video: Sian Alice Group – “Close To The Ground”

Shonen Knife will be at the Horseshoe on October 18, tickets $15.50. Their new album Super Group is out August 25.

MP3: Shonen Knife – “Super Group”
Video: Shonen Knife – “Super Group”

Stereogum has premiered the next video from Yo La Tengo’s Popular Songs, out September 8. They’re at the Opera House on October 3.

Video: Yo La Tengo – “Avalon Or Someone Very Similar”

Sweet Oblivion has an interview with School Of Seven Bells, who have a date at Lee’s Palace on October 15.

Paste gets to know Chairlift.

Bradley’s Almanac is sharing MP3s of a Telekinesis show in Cambridge, MA from earlier this year.

Decider talks to Kim Deal of The Breeders and Pixies, the former of whom are at Lee’s Palace this Saturday and the latter at V Fest on August 29.

I didn’t realize that Magnet was slowly putting their back issue feature content online. This is fantastic news, as they’ve had some terrific stories over the years including this one about the Minneapolis scene of the ’80s, focusing on The Replacements and Husker Du. As I recall, the interviews with the three members of Husker Du were particularly fascinating reading. I’ll be looking through my back issues of Magnet to see what other goodies might have found their way online.

And while looking back to the past, a request from a friend – back on November 20, 1999, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros played a ridiculously good show at the Warehouse in Toronto at which he and I were in attendance. Apparently this show was webcast with state-of-the-art 1999 webcasting technology, possibly also broadcast via radio, and apparently bootlegs exist. My question to any and all out there reading – do you have a copy of this, and if so, can you share? Please and thank you? Thanks.

Jeremy BaldersonBlog? Don’t blog? Blog? Don’t blog? Fuck it. Blog.

Brooklyn’s Jealous Girlfriends have been good to their word of taking 2009 off, but their individual components have hardly been idle. As reported back in January, singer Holly Miranda was working on a solo project and that’s now manifested itself as a five-song EP entitled Sleep On Fire. You can download an acoustic version of one of the tracks on her website, and she’s playing some US dates through June with AA Bondy. She was also recently featured in a Takeaway Show from director Vincent Moon.

Two of Miranda’s bandmates – singer/guitarist Josh Abbott and drummer Michael Fadem – have also been busy, assembling a new band they’ve dubbed New Numbers. They’ve also completed a new EP entitled Islands which they’re giving away digitally for free, and are also touring behind, starting with a June 22 show at the Horseshoe in Toronto. Like Miranda’s work, New Numbers aren’t far removed sonically from the Jealous Girlfriends’ sound, focusing on the more pop-rock side of things whereas Miranda is exploring the atmospheric. Both augur well for the Jealous Girlfriends’ future works, though.

MP3: New Numbers – “Hinterlands”
MP3: New Numbers – “Islands”
ZIP: New Numbers / Islands
MySpace: Holly Miranda
MySpace: New Numbers

Laundromatinee welcomes Chairlift to their studios for a session.

Japan Times and Newsweek have feature pieces on Sonic Youth, whom it was just announced this week will be receiving their own line of Fender signature guitars. Gotta say, those things are pretty sexy. Sonic Youth are at Massey Hall on June 30.

NPR is streaming their World Cafe session with Grizzly Bear.

Drowned In Sound talks to Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan. Their new record Popular Songs will be out September 8.

The Scotsman talks to The Thermals’ Kathy Foster.

Wilco’s Glenn Kotche tells Cincinnati.com that he likes Cincinnati. Wilco (The Album) is out June 30.

The Guardian welcomes Blur back to active duty with feature interviewing all four members and including rehearsal footage.

Stuart Murdoch talks to The Guardian about assembling his “ultimate girl group” for God Help The Girl, the album for which is out June 23. The List also has a feature on the project.

For Folk’s Sake confabs Fanfarlo.

SubPop is previewing some of their upcoming late Summer collection, releasing MP3s from the new albums from Grand Archives and Fruit Bats. Their new records Mind Frankenstein and The Ruminant Band are out September 8 and August 4, respectively.

MP3: Grand Archives – “Silver Among the Gold”
MP3: Fruit Bats – “My Unusual Friend”

She didn’t particularly impress or disappoint in her Toronto debut back in April, but La Roux is coming back to town following the release of her self-titled debut on June 29 with a date at the El Mocambo on July 31, tickets $12.

Video: La Roux – “Bulletproof”

The Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart have apparently found a favourite restaurant or something here in the big smoke because they’re returning for their third show of the year on September 7 at the Horseshoe. Accompanying them will be The Depreciation Guild, who opened up in their T.O. debut back in February, and Cymbals Eat Guitars. Tickets for the show are $12. Drowned In Sound has an interview with the Pains crew.

MP3: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – “Everything With You”
MP3: The Depreciation Guild – “Darklooming”

Regina Spektor has a date at the Sound Academy on September 16, Little Joy support. Her new album Far is out June 23.

MP3: Little Joy – “No One’s Better Sake”
Video: Regina Spektor – “Laughing With”

Brantley GutierrezIt’d be foolish to suggest that the guitar has fallen out of its place of supremacy in the indie rock universe – the six-string remains ubiquitous – but there’s a case to be made that the guitar solo is on the wane. And I’m not talking about the concise melodic instrumental break but the full-on, 32 bar, eye-closing, fuzz-spraying, fret-shredding SOLO. That, you don’t see as much of these days.

So for those of us for whom that’s not a positive development, the impending June 23 arrival of Farm, Dinosaur Jr’s new record and second since reforming the original lineup, is good news. Because where there’s Dinosaur Jr, there’s soloing. Lots and lots of soloing. Farm doesn’t stray far from the template J Mascis has worked from for pretty much his entire career – sleepy, croaked vocals over loud, hook-laden tunes and saturated with guitar – but definitely maintains the sense of rejuvenation that made their last album, Beyond, so much better than most expected.

I’ve still not seen Dinosaur Jr live in any of their incarnations – the 2006 Broken Mascis Scene benefit concert with Broken Social Scene was as close as I came – so I’m hoping that the rumours that they’ll be playing Pop Montreal implies a Toronto date come October. In the meantime, a session the band recorded for Daytrotter has been made available to download, featuring a couple of songs from their debut Dinosaur as well as Beyond. There’s also an interview with drummer Murph at Chart.

MP3: Dinosaur Jr – “I Want You To Know”
Video: Dinosaur Jr – “Over It”

Doug Martsch is another fellow who’s been known to take a guitar excursion or two, and there’s sure to be more than a few of them on the next Built To Spill album, which should be arriving this year. Martsch talked to both Pitchfork and Sterogum about how things are going on There Is No Enemy, due out in October. Denver Westword also has an interview, and there’s also rumours of a Toronto live date percolating… more on that when its available.

Sonic Youth are also no strangers to the abuse of six-stringed instruments. Their latest, The Eternal, leans towards the more conventional side of their oeuvre, but with Sonic Youth that’s a very relative statement. They’re the subject of an interview at Billboard and another on-camera two-parter at Pitchfork TV. PFTV also has another installment in their A>D>D video session with the band, who’re at Massey Hall on June 30.

Guitar heroics aren’t necessarily the first thing one thinks of when they think of Wilco, but with Nels Cline in the band, they shouldn’t be much further than the second or at most, third. CityBeat has a conversation with with Cline about his work both within and without Wilco, while Metromix caught up with Jeff Tweedy while the band was in Spain to discuss their new record Wilco (The Album), due out June 30.

Muzzle Of Bees asks five questions of Son Volt’s Jay Farrar. Their new album American Central Dust is in stores July 7.

JAM talks to Steve Earle. He’s playing Massey Hall solo on July 11.

Under The Radar has details on the forthcoming Drive-By Truckers rarities compilation The Fine Print (A Collection Of Oddities and Rarities 2003-2008), out September 1. The band’s performance for Austin City Limits will also be released on CD and DVD on July 7, and Patterson Hood’s new solo record Murdering Oscar (and other love songs) is out June 23.

MP3: Patterson Hood – “I Understand Now”

Blurt has information on goings-on in Pernice Brothers-land. Joe’s first novel It Feels So Good When I Stop is set for an August 6 release and it will be accompanied by the release of a soundtrack album – essentially a cover album – which will be out August 4. There will also be string of live dates that seek to combine the book reading/concert performance mediums into, well, some combination of the two. Only a few of the dates have been announced yet, none in Pernice’s adopted hometown of Toronto. Come on, Joe. Do it.

Wheat are offering an MP3 from their forthcoming album White Ink Black Ink, which has pushed back May and June release dates and is now set to be out July 21. Any bets on August? PopMatters readies itself for the new record by revisiting the greatness of their first two, Medeiros and Hope & Adams, both recently reissued together.

MP3: Wheat – “H.O.T.T.”

MPR is streaming a session with Grizzly Bear.

Killabeez talks to Caroline Polachek of Chairlift, who’ve just released a new video.

Video: Chairlift – “Bruises”

Jet will be at the Mod Club on July 6, tickets $25.50.

Amber AlbrechtIt seems almost appropriate that there don’t exist any current photographs of Reverie Sound Revue – like a unicorn or your mythical creature of choice, many have never heard of them, those who have probably don’t believe they exist (anymore) and even those who believe will probably never get to bear witness with their own eyes, the odds of seeing them together and out in the wild ranging from slim to none.

Originally formed way back in 2002 in Calgary, the quintet released a self-titled EP in 2003 that largely flew under the radar but ensorcelled those fortunate enough to have heard its shimmery charms. Built on a bed of dreamy, delay-laden guitars and led by the vocals of Lisa Lobsinger – inflected by jazz but dedicated to pop – the outfit captured the sound of morning in the city, filled with the promise of the day. And, of course, they then split.

The members then drifted apart to various locales around Canada, seeking their various fortunes. Lobsinger, most notably, took the daunting role of being the first to step into the lady vocalist role in Broken Social Scene not named Amy, Emily or Leslie. And while immense geographic distances usually do a good job of keeping things that are broken apart, the band decided that it would be the perfect time to get things going again and officially re-formed in 2005, utilizing the wonders of modern technology to craft an album together, each from their own respective home bases.

But even with technology, things can only move so quickly under such circumstances so its taken four years to reach today, or more accurately six weeks and a bit from today – June 23 – when Reverie Sound Revue will finally release their self-titled debut. A bit of a wait for those who’d discovered, forgotten and re-discovered the band in the past six years or so but somehow still worth it. Their sound was distinctive and fresh, while still classic and timeless, the first time around and listening to the new record it’s remarkable that there’s still not really anyone that’s done what they do. There are shades of Ivy, Phoenix and Saint Etienne but without the overt Euro-ness that those reference points probably imply. Instead, the Reverie sounds slightly removed from time and place – the perfect soundtrack for anywhere you might find weekends, sidewalks and early morning dew.

In advance of the album’s release, the band’s 2003 EP will be getting released digitally on May 26. And there’s no plans for the band to re-commence playing live so if you’re smitten with them – and you will be – you’d do well to gather up as much of their recorded output as possible and just put it on repeat.

MP3: Reverie Sound Revue – “Rip The Universe”
MP3: Reverie Sound Revue – “An Anniversary Away”
MP3: Reverie Sound Revue – “Arrows”
Video: Reverie Sound Revue – “An Anniversary Away”
MySpace: Reverie Sound Revue

Laundromatinee has a session with Great Lake Swimmers, available in video and downloadable audio form. Chart talks to Tony Dekker about the band’s upcoming Summer tour itinerary.

NXEW interviews Two Hours Traffic.

I’m not sure when this got released but Land Of Talk have made a video for the title track of their album Some Are Lakes. A smattering of live dates have shown up on their MySpace, which gives hope that Liz Powell has recovered from the throat surgery that sidelined the band through most of the year so far. I also wonder if that means she’ll be with Broken Social Scene at their Olympic Island gig on July 11.

Video: Land Of Talk – “Some Are Lakes”

When I was able to premiere the new Lucky Soul single back in March, hopes were that the new album (tentatively titled Dark Times Ahead) would be out by June. As it’s now May and apparently October is looking more likely. Ack. I guess I’ll just have to keep playing “Whoa Billy” over and over and over again until then. Okay. Soundproof and Sweeping The Nation have interviews with the band.

MP3: Lucky Soul – “Whoa, Billy”

Also highly anticipated and targeted for an October release is Bonfires On The Heath, the new album from The Clientele. Alasdair Maclean talks to Pitchfork about how the next one might be their last. Noooooo.

You Ain’t No Picasso interviews Noah & The Whale.

Fever Ray, aka Karin Dreijer Andersson and the she-half of Swedish electro duo The Knife, was originally slated to play The Phoenix on May 25 but the Spring tour is now a Fall tour and instead, look for her at the Kool Haus on October 2.

Video: Fever Ray – “When I Grow Up”
Video: Fever Ray – “If I Had A Heart”

Jason Lytle has released a new video from his debut Yours Truly, The Commuter, out May 19.

Video: Jason Lytle – “I Am Lost (and the Moment Cannot Last)”

Adelaide Now and Interview interview Chairlift.

Sigur Ros’ live film We Play Endlessly is streaming this week over at PitchforkTV. Sigur Ros frontman Jonsi Birgisson will release the self-titled debut from this side-project Riceboy Sleeps on July 20.

Video: Sigur Ros / We Play Endlessly
Video: Riceboy Sleeps – “All The Big Trees”
Video: Riceboy Sleeps – “Daniell In The Sea”

Spinner has an Interface session and The Boston Globe an interview with Cut Off Your Hands.

thekills.tvWhile I’m very much on record as believing The Kills’ 2008 release Midnight Boom to be a superb album, I’m sure part of that was due to the fact that it was the first Kills record I’d heard. Their reputation to that point was as a garage-blues-scuzz-punk rock duo and that’s not generally my thing, so discovering them to be – at least on that record – all those things but also exceedingly pop was a most pleasant surprise. But this shift in direction, while garnering new fans like myself, probably cost them some as well. Such is the karmic balance of the universe. And with the reissue tomorrow of their debut album Keep On Your Mean Side, The Kills that those long-time fans fell in sleazy lust with is fully on display.

Whereas Boom had me wondering how the duo would recreate all the sounds and textures in a live setting (answer: quite well), there’d have been almost no such question circa Mean Side. Besides some basic drums, Mean Side is all about VV, Hotel, two guitars and a healthy dose of sneering attitude. The prevailing aesthetic is loose and raw, like delta blues by way of The Velvet Underground, and made noteworthy by Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart’s remarkable presence. The songs aren’t all that memorable individually, but collectively they create a definite atmosphere – gritty, grimy and driving – and while what they’re doing isn’t exactly fresh, their execution and charisma commands attention.

Or it did, circa 2003. Since then, The Kills have taken their sound and gone downtown, less juke joint and more nightclub but most importantly, still seedy. I’m not sure what the impetus for this reissue is, and according to this interview with hour.ca neither does Hince, but the most obvious answer is to capitalize on the success of Boom and perhaps get new fans to pick up the old stuff and use the five bonus tracks to reel in some of the older ones. To the former, it’s far enough removed from where they are now to offer another fix while waiting for album four and to the latter, five extra tracks – one new song, one dictaphone piece and three covers – probably isn’t enough to justify the expenditure but either way, there it is.

The Kills are at The Phoenix on Thursday night, May 7, and courtesy of Against The Grain and Outside Music, I’ve got one prize pack to give away consisting of a pair of passes to the show and copies of both Midnight Boom and the Keep On Your Mean Side reissue on CD to give away. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want The Kills” in the subject line and your full name and mailing address in the body. Contest closes at midnight tomorrow night, May 5.

And for this week only, PitchforkTV is streaming the 2005 Kills tour documentary I Hate The Way You Love.

MP3: The Kills – “Black Rooster”
MP3: The Kills – “Cat Claw”
Video: The Kills – “Fried My Little Brains”
Video: The Kills: I Hate The Way You Love
MySpace: The Kills

Ear Farm and Billboard interview Thomas Mars of Phoenix, who will release Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix on May 29 and follow that up with a show at The Phoenix on June 15.

Each Note Secure talks to Aaron Pfenning of Chairlift.

Blurt, Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly talk to Flaming Lip Wayne Coyne about the absurd controversy over their “Do You Realize?” being named the Oklahoma state song.

Beirut’s Zach Condon gives Filter a guide of Santa Fe, New Mexico. They have a date at the Phoenix on July 9.

If you didn’t know, the June 12 Malajube show at Lee’s Palace is free, tickets at Rotate This and Soundscapes and also at the door. Don’t ask why, just go.

The Brother Kite continue to work on the much-anticipated follow-up to Waiting For The Time To Be Right, and a sneak preview of some of the new material in progress can be heard at Bandcamp. And unsurprisingly, it sounds marvelous.

New York Magazine and Decider interview Natasha Khan of Bat For Lashes.

Deer Tick have a date at the Horseshoe for July 17. Their new album Born On Flag Day is due out June 23.

MP3: Deer Tick – “Easy”

This tweet from Labrador certainly seems to imply that we’ll see a new EP from The Radio Dept this Summer in advance of the release (fingers crossed) of Clinging To A Scheme this Fall. Alls I know is that in less than two weeks, I’m going to be in New York City to see the reclusive Swedes live for the first time and I am stoked. And also for Shake Shack. Stoked for Radio Dept and Shake Shack. And Coney Island. I think I’m going to go to Coney Island.

Still not sure if I’m going to make it out to see Thao With The Get Down Stay Down at the Bowery Ballroom the night I get in, though. Will play that one by ear. There’s an interview with her at the Idaho Statesman.

The National Post has an extensive feature piece on Scott Pilgrim, both the comic and the film, and gets creator Bryan Lee-O’Malley to identify and annotate various locales around Toronto that play roles in the comic and will, presumably, make appearances in the film. Filming is ongoing around the city right now and video blog entries on the film’s website now number four.

And a reminder that the Toronto Comic Arts Festival will take place this coming weekend at the Toronto Reference Library at Yonge and Bloor (another Pilgrim location!) and feature appearances from both Lee-O’Malley and Phonogram artist Jamie McKelvie. Issue two of The Singles Club finally came out last week, by the way, and was worth the wait though that shouldn’t be taken as permission for issue three to take another five months to put together, no sir.