MergeAlright, everyone who expected Dan Bejar to follow up Destroyer’s last record, 2008’s excellent but still underappreciated (hey, it took me months to “get”) Trouble In Dreams, with a 14-minute, absent-mindedly poetic, gently meandering yet almost-danceable synth-pop single ostensibly about the almost-US invasion of Cuba but probably about anything but, hands up? Yeah, uh huh. Liar.

Trying to predict where Bejar’s muse will take him is an exercise in folly that probably even he wouldn’t want to partake in, so it’s probably best to just try to keep up and enjoy the trip. The new tune, which is currently streaming at Stereogum, is the a-side of a limited edition 12″ single due out August 18. I find it quite pleasant and soothing, but I’ve learned to not try and comprehend Destroyer – just accept. eye doesn’t seem quite as zen about it, attempting to liveblog their first listen to it. Pitchfork, of course, loves it a lot.

Destroyer is doing a smattering of touring this Fall and my question is, considering his October 3 show at the Horseshoe in Toronto is billed as a solo performance, will he perform his latest opus? Conventional wisdom would imply that it’s impossible to recreate in that context which means, of course, that he’ll open with it and extend it out to nearly 30 minutes in length. And it will be glorious.

Stream: Destroyer – “Bay Of Pigs”

Your – and I mean my – other primary musical option that same evening of October 3 is Yo La Tengo, who will be down the street (though some distance) at the Opera House. They’re ramping up to the September 8 release of Popular Songs with a series of videos, so far one for each of the promo MP3s already let loose on the world.

MP3: Yo La Tengo – “Here To Fall”
MP3: Yo La Tengo – “Periodically Double Or Triple”
Video: Yo La Tengo – “Here To Fall”
Video: Yo La Tengo – “Periodically Double Or Triple”

Spin has excerpted a portion of their interview in this month’s issue with Jarvis Cocker.

Rolling Stone has, a mere eight months into the year, boldly named their artists to watch for 2009. Included amongst them are two British ladies with anatomically-oriented debut albums – first is Little Boots, whose Hands still awaits a North American release and whom you can watch in person on September 14 at Wrongbar, and also Florence The Machine, whose debut Lungs will be out here on October 13. They’re also offering up an MP3 from the album and The Yorkshire Evening Post has an interview with Florence Welch.

MP3: Florence & The Machine – “I’m Not Calling You A Liar”

Also deservedly getting a North American release is Fanfarlo, whose Reservoir will be out here on October 6. They’re doing a smattering of touring in September, but nothing up this way.

MP3: Fanfarlo – “Luna”

But a bunch of bands have just announced visits. Swedes The Sounds will be at the Phoenix on September 13 in support of their new record Crossing The Rubicon.

MP3: The Sounds – “Beatbox”
MP3: The Sounds – “Dorchester Hotel”

Born Ruffians and The Acorn are teaming up to fill the Opera House on September 19, tickets $15.

MP3: The Acorn – “The Flood, Pt 1″
MP3: The Acorn – “Crooked Legs”
Video: Born Ruffians – “Hummingbird”

Two Hours Traffic will mark the release of their new album Territory on September 8 with relentless touring – look for them on October 16 at Lee’s Palace.

MP3: Two Hours Traffic – “Territory”

Having retired the Pedro The Lion pseudonym, David Bazan will set out on tour in support of his debut album under his own name Curse Your Branches, due out September 1. He and Say Hi will be at Lee’s Palace on October 22. There’s a feature piece on Bazan at The Chicago Reader and his struggles with spirituality.

MP3: David Bazan – “Bless This Mess”
MP3: Say Hi – “Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh”

Dan Deacon is at Sneaky Dee’s on November 3. His latest album is Bromst, tickets to the party are $12. I suspect this will be bedlam.

MP3: Dan Deacon – “Crystal Cat”

Fuck Buttons and Growing seek to make a racket at the El Mocambo on November 23. Witness said racket for $10.

MP3: Fuck Buttons – “Bright Tomorrow”
MP3: Growing – “Swell”

Their show at Lee’s Palace on Monday night long sold out, Friendly Fires have made yet another date to visit Toronto, this one on December 2 at the Mod Club, tickets $16.50, and accompanying them on this trek are The XX.

MP3: Friendly Fires – “Jump In The Pool”
MP3: The XX – “Basic Space”

An immovable medical appointment has forced Dinosaur Jr to postpone their September 30 show at the Phoenix all the way into the new year, with the new date set for January 21, 2010. Seriously.

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

The Toronto Star looks at how the soon-to-wrap production of Scott Pilgrim has stayed faithful to the image of Toronto both in the comics and in real life.

Frank YangSo yes, I sort of wimped out on the first couple days of Canadian Musicfest, but like to think I made up for it with Saturday, hitting up something from the evening’s start to the very end although I did skip out on a couple of very attractive pre- and post-showcase events. But anyways.

Scottish septet We See Lights were making the most of their visit to Canada, playing three shows in the week – this one at Bread & Circus in Kensington being the last – though from what I’d heard from others, they weren’t what you’d call the best-attended performances. And that’s a shame because they have a lot to recommend and really, an overabundance of talent. Boasting four more than capable lead singers, they crafted lush and beautifully open-hearted alt.country-pop whose sentimentality and earnestness was extra endearing given the youthfulness of the band – like a teenager absolutely convinced that they’re the first ones to have ever had their heart broken. They’re like the melancholic, mirror universe version of Los Campesinos! and by god they deserved to have people hear them. Dear We See Lights, please don’t hold our city’s indifference against us – please visit again.

Photos: We See Lights @ Bread & Circus – March 14, 2009
MySpace: We See Lights

After the Scots cleared out all their gear, Swedish singer-songwriter Sofia Talvik took the stage with her decidedly more stripped-down band, made up of one cellist, one percussionist and one fellow tapping out synth notes on an iPhone. The spare but thoughtful accouterments worked well at accenting Talvik’s fairly straightforward singer-songwriter fare, which was a bit disappointing in that it didn’t seem to exhibit the sort of sunny exterior/dark subtext that a lot of Swedish acts seem to imbue their work with. I thought I got whiffs of that on her latest album Jonestown, but she also didn’t play some of my favourite tracks from that record so perhaps she was just smoothing out the set list for the audience. Either way, a lovely voice and a lovely girl – hard to complain too much about that.

Photos: Sofia Talvik @ Bread & Circus – March 14, 2009
MP3: Sofia Talvik – “My James Dean”
Video: Sofia Talvik – “It’s Just Love” (with Bernard Butler)
MySpace: Sofia Talvik

At this point the plan was to again hoof it up to the Tranzac for The Morning After Girls but after seeing two streetcars zip by while walking to the stop, the transit line seemed to dry up and there was nothing else in sight. At this point it was obvious that I’d be 10-15 minutes late for their set at best and I bailed – just as well, too, as I’ve heard that their set was cut short due to technical difficulties.

Instead, plan B became the El Mocambo and Regina’s Library Voices and goodness, all consolation prizes should be so satisfying. I should say that at this point, I’m utterly skeptical about bands whose rosters could also be fielded as a baseball team, but Library Voices – nine members strong – won me over. Yes they indulged in the same sort of antics other big bands do – instrument swapping, raucous on-stage behaviour, general shenanigans – but they did it so well and so infectiously, that my cynicism was melted away within a couple songs. And in more quantitative terms, they may be a big-ass band but their sound is surprisingly focused and the songs are grand and hooky. I’m not sure I could subsist on a diet of what they’re serving, but for one musical meal, at least, it was tasty.

Photos: Library Voices @ The El Mocambo – March 14, 2009
MP3: Library Voices – “Step Off The Map And Float”
MySpace: Library Voices

This was only halfway through the night? Egads. When discussing my CMF schedule with someone, don’t remember who, mention of The Assistants reminded said unknown person that he’d seen them at a Jesus & Mary Chain tribute night once upon a time, whereas my only live experience with them was a few years ago at a shoegaze tribute night. The point of this being that The Assistants really don’t sound anything like shoegaze, so their presence at these shows and ensuing mental associations is erroneous to say the least. What they do sound like, as their set at Neutral confirmed, is good to great ’80s-inflected jangle-pop. A little Go-Betweens and New Order for the hip influences, a dash of Tom Petty and Dire Straits for the not-so-hip though, for the record, I like Tom Petty and Dire Straits and make these comparisons flatteringly. They play next April 11 at the Mod Club.

Photos: The Assistants @ Neutral – March 14, 2009
MP3: The Assistants – “Fiction”
MySpace: The Assistants

I’d originally planned to wrap the night at this point, but I still hadn’t seen the band I had circled before this whole week began, and since they were on at 1 it I had some time to kill – back to Bread & Circus. On stage were Abbey, hailing from Pembrooke, outside Ottawa, and notable for being the new project of Jordan Zadarozny, ex of Blinker The Star, who were almost the next big thing for a moment in the ’90s. And that brief shining moment definitely comes across in the music, which is big, downstroke-heavy guitar rock with just enough pop in it to not be rawk. Not offensive, but the most memorable thing about their set was the band blowing a fuse a couple songs in.

Photos: Abbey @ Bread & Circus – March 14, 2009

And then, finally, it was around the block to the El Mocambo for The Week That Was – an appropriately-named act to finish things off, I think. I’ll tell myself that everyone who wanted to see them had done so Thursday night at the Gladstone because the turnout for this show, hastily scheduled last week after they were removed from the Ting Tings bill, was pretty meagre. The Week That Was, however, are pros and didn’t let something like that dissuade them from putting on a performance that was worth the wait, somehow managing to recreate the breadth and impact of their densely prog-pop self-titled debut with only four players, even though the record was recorded with upwards of ten members. Though not exactly overflowing with stage presence – frontman Peter Brewis spent kept his eyes shut most of the time – the playing was tight and impactful. With Brewis returning to concentrate on Field Music after this North American tour is done, it was possibly the last time these songs would be aired so it’s good that they were done justice.

Photos: The Week That Was @ The El Mocambo – March 14, 2009
MP3: The Week That Was – “Scratch The Surface”
MP3: The Week That Was – “Learn To Learn”
Video: The Week That Was – “Scratch The Surface”
Video: The Week That Was – “Learn To Learn”

And yeah, that’s another CMW/CMF in the can. There’s a crapload of CMF coverage at eye, Chart, The Toronto Star… oh hell, just google the rest.

And here’s a smattering of non-CMF/SxSW stuff to hopefully appease those who have no interest in either.

Billboard profiles Bob Mould, whose The Life & Times is out April 7.

Bob Dylan’s next album will be entitled Together Through Life and be released on April 28. Billboard has more details.

Spin has details on the forthcoming Bloc Party remix album Intimacy Remixed, due out May 11. There’s also a downright disturbing video for for one of the mixes. Egads.

Video: Bloc Party – “Signs” (Armand Van Helden remix)

Swedish rockers The Sounds have a date at the Mod Club on April 28. Their new album is Crossing The Rubicon and due out May 26.

And one to file under “didn’t see that coming” – Charlotte Hatherley has joined Bat For Lashes. She will be guitarist in Natasha Khan’s touring band through the Fall while they promote Two Suns, out April 6. So the good news is that Ms Hatherley will finally be coming to North America on tour, the bad news is she’s not doing any of her own songs. The more good news is she’s still going to be playing some great songs. The more bad news is this means the release of her next solo record Cinnabar City has been pushed back from the Spring to September. The even more good news is that it looks like the record will get a North American release and that proper touring of her own will follow. Oh hell, just read her MySpace blog for details. And be at the Mod Club on April 25 to welcome Charlotte – and Bat For Lashes – to Toronto.

And now if you’ll excuse me, I have a plane to catch.