'Song of the Week': Still Life Still-"Pastel"

I've been reading a lot about these guys in some of the Canadian magazines and blogs recently, and decided to give them a closer listen. One interesting note on reading some of the bands bio, was that they have been together for over 10 years as a unit and yet they are all only 22 years of age. The Toronto group released their debut album just last week, Girls Come Too, and they have been drawing heavy comparisons to Broken Social Scene, which could be due to the fact that they got signed on to the BSS-run, Arts & Crafts label, and that BSS's Kevin Drew co-produced the band's debut. One of the standout tracks is the heavy swirling guitar, and sexually charged track, "Pastel." Check it out.

Pastel - Still Life Still

Still Life Still upcoming tour schedule:
Sep 9 Pike Room @The Crofoot Pontiac, Michigan
Sep 10 Schubas Tavern Chicago, Illinois
Sep 11 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sep 12 Slowdown Omaha, Nebraska
Sep 13 Jackpot Saloon Lawrence, Kansas
Sep 15 Hi-Dive Denver, Colorado
Sep 16 Kilby Court Salt Lake City, Utah
Sep 19 Vogue Theatre Vancouver, British Columbia
Sep 21 Starlite Room Edmonton, Alberta
Sep 22 The Warehouse Calgary, Alberta
Sep 23 The Odeon Events Cntr Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Sep 24 West End Cultural Center Winnipeg, Manitoba
Sep 26 Lee’s Palace Toronto, Ontario
Sep 27 Lee’s Palace Toronto, Ontario

catch up w/ Still life Still on myspace.

new Lou Barlow- "Don't Apologize"

Legendary indie rocker Lou Barlow, of Dinousaur Jr. and Sebadoh fame, will be unveiling a new solo album, Goodnight Unknown, this October 5th, on Domino Records. Since his last solo LP, Barlow has seen Dinosaur Jr. reunite and reissued three of Sebadohs classic albums. Clearly not ready to rest on his past credits, Lou describes the new disc as as a cross between his later work with Folk Implosion and his earlier work with Sebadoh. You can judge for yourself, as he just came out with a new video for the track, "Don't Apologize."
You can also download a free MP3, "Gravitate" off the forthcoming album, if you go here.

Anna Ternheim gets unplugged- "What Have I Done"

One of my favorite songs of the Summer has been Anna Ternheim's sexy new single, "What Have I Done." The track is off the Swedish singer's latest release, Leaving on a Mayday which hit stores a few weeks back, and here we see Anna play a stripped down version for the folks at Baeble music.

Langhorne Slim gets 'Set Free' this Fall

Brooklyn singer/songwriter, Langhorne Slim is readying his third album, Be Set Free for a release this Sept. 29 on Kemado Records (Marissa Nadler, The Soft Pack). Known for his poetic songwriting, the new work is said to be his most cinematic and complex effort yet, and if the heart-breaking first track to be released, "I Love You, But Goodbye" is any indication of what the album has to offer, you'll be hearing a lot more about Langhorne Slim in the coming months.

I Love You, But Goodbye - Langhorne Slim

Be Set Free track listing:
1. Back to the Wild
2. Say Yes
3. I Love You, But Goodbye
4. Land Of Dreams
5. Cinderella
6. Be Set Free
7. For A Little While
8. Sunday By the Sea
9. Leaving My Love
10. Yer Wrong
11. Blow Your Mind
12. So Glad That I'm Coming Home
13. Boots Boy

check out Langhorne Slim on myspace.

new video: Fanfarlo-"The Walls Are Coming Down"

It was just recently announced that Fanfarlo's moving debut album, Reservoir will be getting a physical release date in the U.S. this Oct 6. Forget all the Arcade Fire comparisons you may have heard about the band, the disc really stands out on it's own, as it's packed with quality tracks.
The band also just came out with a new video for their second single, "The Walls Are Coming Down" featuring a classic Houdini straight jacket escape by Roslyn Walker, one of the few living professional escape artists. The video was directed by visual artists Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard.



upcoming FANFARLO tour dates:
Sep 14*Chop Suey*Seattle
Sep 15*Troubadour*West Hollywood
Sep 17*Popscene*San Francisco
Sep 20*Kungfu Necktie*Philadelphia
Sep 21*Bowery Ballroom*New York
Sep 22*The Bell House*New York

visit Fanfarlo.com

The Wooden Sky: announce U.S. tour dates, new album drops today

I've been a big fan of the Toronto band, The Wooden Sky ever since I stumbled upon their debut disc, When Lost at Sea back in '07, and I've been singing their praises ever since. Their sophomore effort If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone, comes out today, and I've tried describing it to people as a cross between The National's, Boxer and Whiskeytown's, Stangers Almanac, mixing an epic beauty and style with alt-country down home roots.
The band recently announced a round of tour dates in the U.S., which will be their first official shows in the States, playing with Elliott Brood (Six Shooter), starting in Seattle October 9th and finishing up at CMJ in NYC October 22nd.
The new album is available now in Canada, or you can order it now if you head over to their myspace.

THE WOODEN SKY U.S. tour dates:
10/09 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor
10/12 - San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord
10/13 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Cafe
10/14 - Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room
10/16 - Austin, TX @ Emo's
10/17 - Denton, TX @ Hailey's
10/20 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas
10/21 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland
10/22 - New York, NY @ CMJ

Oh My God (It Still Means A Lot To Me) - The Wooden Sky

Something Hiding For Us In The Night. - The Wooden Sky

get familiar w/ The Wooden Sky on myspace.

new music from A.A. Bondy

A.A. Bondy will be releasing his 2nd album, When The Devil's Loose, this September 1st on Fat Possum records. The album was recorded primarily in Water Valley, Mississippi in April and May of this year, and sees the usually bare bones acoustic sounds of Bondy, working with a full band on some of the new tracks. The new disc follows up 2007's, fantastic, 'American Hearts'. You can preview one of the albums new tracks, "I Can See The Pines Are Dancing" below, as well as his recently announced tour dates.

I Can See the Pines are Dancing - AA Bondy

When The Devil's Loose track listing:
1. Mightiest Of Guns
2. A Slow Parade
3. When The Devil’s Loose
4. To The Morning
5. Oh The Vampyre
6. I Can See The Pines Are Dancing
7. False River
8. On The Moon
9. The Mercy Wheel
10. The Coal Hits The Fire

A.A. Bondy tour dates:
SEPT. 8 BOSTON, MA GREAT SCOTT
SEPT. 9 NEW YORK, NY MERCURY LOUNGE
SEPT. 10 WASHINGTON, DC ROCK AND ROLL HOTEL
SEPT. 11 PHILADELPHIA, PA KUNG FU NECKTIE
SEPT. 12 PITTSBURGH, PA BRILLOBOX
SEPT. 14 KNOXVILLE, TN PILOT LIGHT
SEPT. 15 CHAPEL HILL, NC LOCAL 506
SEPT. 16 ATHENS, GA TASTY WORLD
OCT. 12 BERLIN, DE LIDO+
OCT. 13 HAMBURG, DE UBEL UND GEFAHRLICH+
OCT. 14 KOLN, DE KULTURKIRCHE+
OCT. 15 MUNICH, DE ATOMIC+
OCT. 17 LEEDS, UK BRUDENELL SOCIAL CLUB+
OCT. 18 DUBLIN, IE WHELANS+
OCT. 19 BIRMINGHAM, UK GLEE CLUB+
OCT. 20 MANCHESTER, UK ACADEMY 3+
OCT.21 LONDON, UK THE SOCIAL
OCT. 22 LONDON, UK SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE+
OCT. 24 AMSTERDAM, NL PARADISO+
OCT. 26 UTRECHT, NL TIVOLI+
OCT. 27 FRANKFURT, DE BATSCHKAPP+
NOV. 3 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA THE SOUTHERN%
NOV. 4 ASHEVILLE, NC GREY EAGLE%
NOV. 5 ATLANTA, GA THE EARL%
NOV. 6 ST. AUGUSTINE, FL CAFÉ 11%
NOV. 7 ORLANDO, FL THE SOCIAL%
NOV. 9 TALLAHASSEE, FL CLUB DOWNUNDER%
NOV. 10 BIRMINGHAM, AL BOTTLETREE%
NOV. 11 NEW ORLEANS, LA THE PARISH%
NOV. 12 HOUSTON, TX WALTERS ON WASHINGTON%
NOV. 13 AUSTIN, TX THE PARISH%
NOV. 14 DALLAS, TX CAMBRIDGE ROOM%
NOV. 16 LITTLE ROCK, AR STICKY FINGERZ%
NOV. 18 LOUISVILLE, KY ZANZABAR%
NOV. 20 ST. LOUIS, MO GARGOYLE CLUB%
NOV. 21 CHICAGO, IL TBA %
+ with The Felice Brothers
% November U.S. tour with Elvis Perkins in Dearland

listen to A.A. Bondy on myspace.

This Weeks 'New Releases' (WK 8/25)

This Weeks list features new albums from Imogen Heap, Arctic Monkeys, and Blitzen Trapper, along with the new single from Yeah Yeah Yeah's frontwoman, Karen O, and the brilliant sophomore effort from The Wooden Sky.

This Weeks 'New Releases' (WK 8/25):
A Place To Bury Strangers- In Your Heart EP
Air- Sing Sang Sung (single)
Arctic Monkeys- Humbug
Blitzen Trapper- Black River Killer
David Mead- Almost and Always
Dolores O'Riordan- No Baggage
The Hundreds and Thousands- self titled
Imogen Heap- Ellipse
Ingrid Michaelson- Everybody
Jack Penate- Everything Is New
Jet- Shaka Rock
Karen O- All is Love (single)
O+S- We Do What We Want To EP
The Postmarks- Memoirs At The End of The World
Sally Shapiro- My Guilty Pleasure
Sara Lov- Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming
Still Life Still- Girls Come Too
The Thermals- We Were Sick EP
Vandaveer- Divide and Conquer
Vivian Girls- Everything Goes Wrong
Weezer- If Your Wondering If I Want You To ...
Windmill- Epcot Starfields
The Wooden Sky- If I Don't Come Home You'll Know I'm Gone

'Song of the Week': The Rural Alberta Advantage-"Don't Haunt This Place"

Ever since receiving this one in the mail from, The Rural Alberta Advantage I knew I wanted to feature one of the tracks as the 'Song of the Week'. The trouble is there's so many songs off the disc that have caught my ear that it was hard to choose just one to feature. One thing that will stand out right away when you listen to the disc is RAA drummer, Paul Banwatt, who's stellar work gives the LP an undeniable urgent feel. The bands debut album, Hometowns actually has been around since '08 as a self release, but this Summer saw it's re-issue after signing on with the indie label, Saddle Creek. The RAA was born out of Canadian singer/songwriter Nils Edenloff's exodus from Edmonton, Alberta to Toronto, Ontario in 2003 that not only inspired the band's name, but also became the meat of his subject matter on the debut, documenting his loneliness and feelings of being homesick after the move.

Get familiar with the track "Don't Haunt This Place" from 'Hometowns' below.

Dont Haunt This Place - The Rural Alberta Advantage

get chummy w/ The RAA on myspace

Land of Talk-new EP and videos

Land of Talk's 2008 LP, Some Are Lakes was one of my favorites of last year, and even landed in my year end top 20. The Montreal based band will be releasing a new EP, titled Fun and Laughter on Oct 27 on Saddle Creek, which will include 3 videos from the band as well. You can preview the video for, "The Man Who Breaks Things (Dark Shuffle)" below, which was directed by Joseph Yarmush, with Petros Kolyvas producing. The song also appears on their debut full length 'Some Are Lakes'.

Fun and Laughter EP track listing:
Sixteen Asterisk
May You Never (1996)
As Me
A Series Of Small Flames
The Man Who Breaks Things (Dark Shuffle) (Video)
Troubled (Video)
Some Are Lakes (Video)



check out Land of Talk on myspace.

Lucero: takes show on the road this Fall

Memphis' hardest working band, Lucero, will be hitting the road again this fall in support of their major label debut, 1372 Overton Park. The new tour and so-called 'traveling road show' dubbed the, 'Lucero Ramblin' Roadshow & Memphis Revue', sees the band enlisting the help of, Amy LaVere, Cedric Burnside with Lightnin’ Malcolm, Jack Oblivian, John Paul Keith & the One Four Fives and The City Champs.
The new album will be their 6th overall, and first for Universal/Republic, it drops on October 6th.

The dates are as follows, with more to be announced.
Oct 9 - Next Big Nashville @ Cannery Ballroom - Nashville, TN*
Oct 10 - The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA*
Oct 11 - The Pour House - Charleston, SC*
Oct 13 - Cat’s Cradle - Carrboro, NC*
Oct 14 - The National - Richmond, VA*
Oct 15 - 930 Club - Washington, DC*
Oct 16 - Starlight Ballroom - Philadelphia, PA*
Oct 17 - Webster Hall - New York, NY*
Oct 18 - The Middle East - Cambridge, MA*
Oct 20 - Lee’s Palace - Toronto, ON*
Oct 21 - The Magic Stick - Detroit, MI*
Oct 22 - Turner Hall - Milwaukee, WI*
Oct 23 - Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, MN*
Oct 26 - Aggie Theatre - Ft. Collins, CO†
Oct 27 - Ogden Theatre - Denver, CO†
Oct 29 - The Crocodile - Seattle, WA†
Oct 30 - Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR†
Nov 1 - Mezzanine - San Francisco, CA†
Nov 4 - The Casbah - San Diego, CA†
Nov 5 - The Clubhouse - Tempe, AZ†
Nov 7 - Longhorn Saloon - Ft. Worth, TX††
Nov 8 - Fun Fun Fun Fest - Austin, TX††
Nov 9 - Meridian - Houston, TX††
Nov 10 - Alabama Music Box - Mobile, AL††
Nov 12 - Club Downunder,FL State Univ.-Tallahassee, FL††
Nov 13 - Czar - Tampa, FL††
Nov 14 - Lizzie McCormick Stage - Orlando, FL††
Nov 15 - Café Eleven - St. Augustine, FL††
Nov 17 - Visulite Theatre - Charlotte, NC††
Nov 18 - 40 Watt Club - Athens, GA††
Nov 19 - Valarium - Knoxville, TN††
Nov 20 - Orange Peel - Asheville, NC††
Nov 21 - Headliners - Louisville, KY††
* w/Amy LaVere and Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcolm
† w/Jack Oblivian and John Paul Keith & the One Four Fives
†† w/Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcolm and The City Champs

Sixteen (Album Version) - Lucero

check out Luceromusic.com

Tim Williams: mending a broken heart (literally)

NYC singer-songwriter Tim Williams forthcoming album, Careful Love literally chronicles a battle of life and death. Following the release of his last LP and tour, Williams required intensive heart surgery that required his left pulmonary valve be replaced. Williams underwent the procedure in the summer of '08, which left him a long recovery and plenty of time to think, inevitably finding a way into his writing. One such track to be influenced was, “I Hit Another Wall,” of which Williams says ... “I wrote the song as a reminder of how lucky I was to make it through,” .... “It was physically the most painful experience in my life.”
'Careful Love' comes out October 20th on Dovecote Records (Ed Harcourt, Mason Proper).

I Hit Another Wall - Tim Williams

Careful Love track listing:
1. I Hit Another Wall
2. Ozone Street
3. Oceans
4. All In
5. Stilts
6. Love Hate
7. Murderous Air
8. Right All Along
9. 8x10
10. I Want to Die in California

Tim Williams on myspace.

new video: Alberta Cross-"ATX"

Alberta Cross are set to release their full-length debut, Broken Side of Time, on September 22 via ATO Records. The album serves as the bands official introduction to the U.S. and follows their acclaimed EP The Thief & the Heartbreaker, which earned them U.K. touring slots with artists like The Shins, Bat For Lashes, and Oasis. Petter Ericson Stakee (guitarist/vocalist) says of the new LP ... “It’s kind of a desperation album, a darker album; it’s definitely angrier. We’ve been in a crazy place during the whole album and you can hear that.”
You can check out the new video for the track, "ATX" off of 'Broken Side of Time' below.

Alberta Cross - ATX from ATO Records on Vimeo.

listen to Alberta Cross on myspace.