Holy new albums, Batman! It would seem that with summer underway that most bands are either hitting the road or getting underway recording new albums, so I thought I’d take a minute to tell you about some of your favourite artists who are logging some major studio time these days:
Radiohead has apparently “got the Lego box out and tipped its contents on to the floor” and are in the process of recording a follow-up to the artistically and commercially successful In Rainbows. The band recently spent some time in South America playing with kraut-rock pioneers Kraftwerk (if you’ve never heard of them before, you need to stop reading this immediately go listen to this), so as far as influences go that can only be a good thing.
According to Pitchfork, perennial Singing Lamb favourites Broken Social Scene are in Chicago working on their hotly-anticipated fourth album. I still haven’t forgiven them for canceling Olympic Island yet (a free show that’ll be packed is little consolation for me), so hopefully this album will help the healing process.
Finally I’ve recently gotten myself addicted to the unexplainable cultural phenomenon that is Twitter (and you should add me and the Lamb if you have it, for updates about the site and more randomness) and for Stars fans, I’m happy to report that lead singer Torquil Campbell has starting Tweeting and a fifth album by the band is on the way. Tentatively titled The Black House, The Blue Sky, the album is being recorded at the soon-to be-legendary Hotel2Tango in Montreal, where Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Arcade Fire have recorded before them. More details on the album can be found here and you can listen to a new song called “Division” on the band’s MySpace.
It looks like this year’s edition of Toronto’s TIME Festival, taking place July 25th at the Sound Academy, is gonna be one hell of a party. Just look at this lineup: Crystal Castles, A-Trak, Mark Farina, DJ Medhi, Jeff Mills, Flosstradamus, Felix Cartel, Rye Rye, Nasty Nav, Barletta, TMDP and a whole slew of others. Tickets are available for this 19+ event at your usual suspect music stores for only $30. Fingers crossed that C.C. get their shit together in time to put on a problem-free show.
And just in case you didn’t think there were enough amazing music festivals in Ontario this summer, Kingston’sWolfe Island Music Fest (August 7-8) recently announced its initial lineup, which includes Holy Fuck, Busdriver, Rural Alberta Advantage, P.S. I Love U, The D’Urbervilles, Ohbijou, Attack in Black, Woodhands, Apostle of Hustle and Julie Fader. More acts and prices are yet to be announced, but you will eventually be able find out all the details on the festival’s website, which has yet to be updated. Thanks to Alie L. from Kingston for passing this along.
Speaking of people giving me the heads up about upcoming summer festivals, I have my cousin to thank for telling about the Virgin Mobile Festival, which is set to take over Halifax’s Citadel Hill on July 4th. No longer just confirmed to Toronto, there will be four other events this summer in Montreal, British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario (not Toronto). But the Halifax lineup looks like it’ll be pretty tough to beat, with scheduled performances from the likes of The Tragically Hip, The Offspring, Metric, Dinosaur Jr, Hey Rosetta!, Plants and Animals, and Arkells. Solid. More details about the Montreal and Ontario shows can be found here.
If you are looking for a hot mixtape for the beginning of summer, I would recommend Cool Kids’ Gone Fishing, produced and hosted by Don Cannon. It features nineteen new tracks by everyone’s favourite BMX-riding, hipster-rap duo from Chicago, including a stellar new version of “Pennies” with Ludacris guesting.
The Carps have a new song called “Its Raining In The Projects, But Its Sunny In Africa”, that you can listen tohere. Does this mean a new album is on the way soon?
Thought I’d leave you with the music video for the new Modest Mouse single, “Satellite Skin”. The guys played this on Letterman recently, and it’ll appear on a limited edition EP of B-sides and unreleased songs entitled No One’s First and You’re Next that’ll be out soon. Enjoy!
Cheers,
Max
