Mastodon

This post was originally written for April 17th, 2009

Sunshine and temperatures in the mid-teens? Could it be spring at last? Here’s some news!

After recent, massive lineup announcements for festivals including Osheaga, Over The Top and Olympic Island, there has been a lot of rumors as to who might appear at the 15th annual North by Northeast Music & Film Festival Conference (NXNE), which takes place June 17-21. Thanks to this little story from NOW, we know several acts confirmed, including Black Lips, Fake Blood, HEALTH, King Khan & BBQ Show, No Age andMatt & Kim. The Singing Lamb can also confirm that Halifax’s Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees and Calgary’sWoodpigeon. We of course will be covering the festival, and look for some special announcements from us in the upcoming weeks about NXNE and other events this summer.

For those of you with tickets to the sold-out The National show on May 21st at the Kool Haus – only 35 days! – opening for the band will be Brooklyn’s Colin Stetson. An avant-garde multi-instrumentalist – but most notably as a baritone saxophonist, I discovered today that Stetson has a remarkable musical resume, which includes touring alongside Arcade Fire and Bell Orchestre and recording with the likes of Tom Waits and TV On The Radio. He recently released a mostly experimental jazz album, entitled New History Warfare Vol. 1, that you can listen to songs from on Stetson’s website or his MySpace.

Atlanta heavy metal band Mastodon know a thing or two about concept albums, and their fourth full-length Crack The Skye, tackles “art aesthetics of Tsarist Russia, astral travel, out of body experiences and Stephen Hawking’s theories on wormholes”. A combination of metal riffs, prog rock, average song lengths over five minutes and the crushing vocals of Troy Sanders and Brent Hinds, this album will knock you flat on your ass and not stop to apologize. Alas, I hadn’t noticed that these guys are going to be at The Opera House on May 5th and the show is now sold-out, but this album is still one of the best I’ve heard this year.

If you want to catch Apostle of Hustle in a more intimate venue, the band will be playing an all-ages show at The Music Gallery on May 29th. This of course will all be a warmup for the band’s July appearance at the Olympic Island Festival. The band’s third full-length album Eats Darkness is scheduled to drop May 19th.

Scottish garage-poppers 1990s will be at The Horseshoe Tavern on June 3rd. Check out the band here where you can listen to songs off their upcoming sophomore album, Kicks.

The Decemberists are coming to Toronto! Oregon’s favourite orchestral folk-rockers will be coming to the Kool Haus on August 3rd in support of their new album The Hazards of Love. Opening for The Decemberists will be Cincinnati’s Heartless Bastards – tickets are on-sale now, but don’t expect them to last that long. Colin Meloy and his merry gang of men and women will also be on The Colbert Report April 27th.

Is there anything that Justin Timberlake can’t do? Front one of the biggest boy bands of the 90s? Check. Have a respected solo career? Check. Date pre-crazy Britney? Been there, done that. Climb Mount Kilimanjaro? Check…wait, what? JT will be joining rapper Lupe Fiasco and singer Kenna in this trek up Africa’s highest mountain, in order to raise awareness for the world water shortage. Read the full story here.

By way of apology for missing the 15th anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s tragic death, here is Winter Gloves covering Nirvana’s iconic “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Rest in peace Kurt, you will never be forgotten.

Before I return to (not) studying for my two exams next week, I thought I leave you with “8 Songs Not to Shag To” – I’d advise checking it out before you plan your next sexual escapades (thanks to Radio Exile for this one).

Cheers,
Max