Jagjaguwar

Many were disappointed when Wolf Parade made good on their promise to call it a day – at least for the foreseeable future after a couple of final shows at the end of may, but if anything that means fans will have even more opportunity to hear their two principal songwriters’ distinctive voices. For starters, while Spencer Krug kept a ridiculous number of side project going concurrently with Wolf Parade over the years – Sunset Rubdown and Swan Lake chief amongst them – his “proper” solo project has him operating under the name of Moonface, and following an 12″ EP in Dreamland EP: Marimba and Shit Drums last year, he’s readying his debut album Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I’d Hoped for an August 2 release. One album track and one non-album track are available to preview, and for those looking for a more up close and personal experience with the songs, Krug kicks off a month-long tour leading up the album’s release next Wednesday night, July 13, at The Horseshoe in Toronto.

MP3: Moonface – “Fast Peter”
MP3: Moonface – “The Way You Wish You Could Live in the Storm”

Meanwhile, Dan Boeckner’s Handsome Furs talk to The Vine and are profiled by Billboard in the capacity of taking the dubious honour of having the fastest album announcement to leak in recent history with their latest release, Sound Kapital. They’re at The Horseshoe on August 1 and 2 – if you were one of those who downloaded the leak, make good by buying a Handsome Furs t-shirt or tea cozy.

Herohill marked Canada Day in style by posting the Gordon Lightfoot tribute album Turning Back The Pages Of My Sweet Shattered Dreams, featuring reinterpretations of Lightfoot’s songs but the likes of Olenka Krakus, Slow Down Molasses and Shotgun Jimmie, amongst many others.

The latest instalment in Bruce Peninsula’s “Fire Sale” series is out, and it’s a video for new song “Leaves”. They play Summerworks at the Lower Ossington Theatre on August 11.

Video: Bruce Peninsula – “Leaves”

Miracle Fortress has released a couple of tunes from the mostly-abandoned Hoop Dreams sessions as a free digital single. Some of the songs made it onto Was I The Wave?, others are just laying around and Graham Van Pelt still wants them to be heard. They’re playing Summerworks at the Lower Ossington Theatre on August 12.

MP3: Miracle Fortress – “Gestures”
MP3: Miracle Fortress – “Possession”

Origin: Orphan might be a couple years old at this point but that doesn’t mean The Hidden Cameras can’t continue to mine it for singles or videos. Which they’ve done.

Video: The Hidden Cameras – “Do I Belong”

The Galway Advertiser chats with Katie Stelmanis of Austra.

JAM profiles The Dears.

And some show announcements – this one slipped a bit under the radar, but could be of interest – UK electro-producer SBTRKT brings his self-titled debut to Wrongbar this Friday, July 8 – tickets $12.50 in advance. He’s interviewed by Clash and was recently The Guardian‘s new artist of the day.

MP3: SBTRKT – “Wildfire”
Video: SBTRKT – “Wildfire”

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart will be in town a day before their August 2 show at The Opera House and they’ll spend it playing an in-store at Sonic Boom on August 1 at 9PM; not sure if Sonic Boom will have moved to its new digs around the corner by this date or if this will be one of the final hurrahs for the best in-store space in the city, but either way it will be a good time. Admission free, canned good donations highly appreciated.

Video: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – “Heart In Your Heartache”

If you missed the update to Thursday’s post, Wilco has announced all kinds of things – like a September 27 release date for their new album The Whole Love, album art for said record and a first leg of North American touring that includes September 16 and 17 dates at Massey Hall in Toronto and will feature pop legend Nick Lowe as support. On-sale dates will be announced this week, so expect pre-sales to go next week. Details at Exclaim, and if you need a fix now, there’s three live shows available to stream at Wilco’s Roadcase.

Though they were both just here a couple weeks ago for NXNE, the first couple of Cali-garage rock – Dum Dum Girls and Crocodiles – are teaming up for a Fall tour that brings the double-bill to Lee’s Palace on October 16; the occasion being the September 27 release of the Dum Dum Girls’ second record Only In Dreams.

MP3: Dum Dum Girls – “He Gets Me High”
MP3: Crocodiles – “Sleep Forever”

Okay, that wasn’t as brief as I thought it’d be.

sheandhimfan.com

A quality cover also relies, of course, on the strength of the source material so Hawley couldn’t go wrong with his contribution to the Sweetheart compilation, released earlier this year by Starbucks for Valentine’s Day. He went with a tune by Gordon Lightfoot that’s practically a standard now, having also been been recorded by Elvis, Dylan and Peter Paul & Mary to name but a few. For his version, Hawley gussies up the arrangements some gives it maybe a bit more spring in its step, but largely stays faithful to the original. After all, he’s a man with a firm appreciation for the classics.

Gordon Lightfoot wraps a Canadian tour with a four-night hometown stand at Massey Hall in Toronto this week, running from the 18th to the 22nd. There’s interviews with the man at NOW and The Orillia Packet. Richard Hawley released a new record in Truelove’s Gutter earlier this Fall and is generally awesome.

MP3: Richard Hawley – “Early Morning Rain”
Video: Gordon Lightfoot – “Early Morning Rain” (live)