There are some crazy things happening here in MTL thanks to the good people at M for Montreal . I'll be doing a better dissection of the conference, bands and antics later - honestly, Miracle Fortress fans are in for an (electro) shock and The RAA own every stage they play now - but there are a couple bands that are new to me that I'm super excited to check out. One band is Silly Kissers . These youngens are all about the shimmering, sunshine-y electro pop that makes you want to dance - [...]

A bevy of noteworthy information surfaced in the music world today regarding 2010. None long enough to really write a full post about on their own, but I know I'd regret not providing the information in case you haven't heard it. So, here goes: - Bonnaroo is slated for June 10-13 and ticket holiday pre-sales begin Friday, November 27 at 12 pm (ET). The official lineup will be announced sometime in late January / early February. - Miracle Fortress , whom I briefly discussed here , is releasing a new record in [...]

What a gorgeous city Montreal is, a great backdrop for a music festival highlighting bands from a city that has been cranking out great bands for years. Future Sounds was invited up to M FOR MONTREAL and are getting set for a night of great showcases this evening - check it: 8:30PM NRJ stage (Cabaret) | FINAL FLASH (Montreal) 9:05 CHOM stage (Studio) [...]

Think About Life at Arlene's Grocery | "M for Montreal" Showcase at CMJ (10/21/09) Malajube at Arlene's Grocery | "M for Montreal" Showcase at CMJ (10/21/09) Photos : Jon Klemm M for Montreal 2009 Schedule ( Nov 19-21, 2009 ) Beast , Malajube and Think About Life were three of the bands I caught at the M for Montreal [...]
Snow Patrol Prize Pack Speaking of new releases, on Tuesday Snow Patrol released a 2 CD compilation of singles, covers, rarities and album tracks in celebration of their 15 year anniversary. Here's a little press blurbage about Up To Now , their new career spanning retrospective: Up To Now includes three previously unreleased songs, "Just Say Yes" "Dark Roman Wine" and "Give Me Strength", as well songs from the two albums Snow Patrol released on UK indie label [...]
Buraka Som Sistema @ Bowery Ballroom ( more by Tim Griffin ) tonight in NYC * Shad @ Pianos * John Medeski @ The Stone * The Invisible @ Brooklyn Bowl * Gil Scott-Heron @ BB King's * The Answering Machine @ Coco66 * Zombie Nation @ Santos Party House * The Fiery Furnaces, Cryptacize @ Maxwell's * [...]

Recommended Show: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2009 NOAH AND THE WHALE @ MERCURY LOUNGE 217 East Houston Street Manhattan, NY 10002 $15, 7:30PM We've been holding off recommending Noah and the Whale as they played three nights at Mercury Lounge. This is the last of their three nights with Robert Francis at the Lower East Side venue. Though tonight also joining the bill will be Sharon Van Etten , which totally makes this show worth the $15 cover price. The Mary Onettes @ Union Hall The Invisible @ Brooklyn Bowl She Keeps [...]

While you were trying to have as much fun on Halloween as these guys clearly did, Knox Road was busily writing about all the new music last week. We don't get out much (that's just a lie). But in case you are Mr. Top Hat, Blue Hair or Alien Guy and in case you happen to find yourself in a seizure-inducing space room from the future, dancing undoubtedly some crazed Klezmeric space pop while drinking goblets full of space wine, this is what you missed on Knox Road. Sunday: Knox Road Radio [...]
We got all spooky and Halloweeny on everyone, mixing in a bit of a creepfest (read: a Liars song) with the usual, expected tunes from Knox Road Radio. Lots of inside jokes (I wasn't privy either don't worry,) lots of Sporcle, and lots of affection from Jon for Los Campesinos!. Check out the full show (starts 25 seconds in) and playlist below. Knox Road Radio 10.25.09 [MP3] (available until next Sunday's show) 01| DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince – "Nightmare on My Street" 02| Los Campesinos! – "The Sea Is A [...]

hitler in my heart-antony and the johnsons-2000 hands away-interpol-turn on the bright lights-2002 heroes and villains-brian wilson-smile-2004 hold your secrets to your heart-miracle fortress-five roses-2006 [...]

D.C., we got a grand one coming our way, and it is NOT sold out yet, so get your inner motors going and purchase a ticket to see Liam Finn & Eliza Jane perform November 3 at the Rock N Roll Hotel along with one of my favorites, Miracle Fortress (the project of Graham Van Pelt, from Montreal.) The "children of" wunderkids (Finn and Jane) are sure to put some groove in your step and Miracle Fortress will provide the complementary ethereal moments. Van Pelt's high-pitched, raspy vocals go hand-in-hand with the [...]
One of my favorite albums of the whole wide decade is Liam Finn's debut, I'll Be Lightning (at left). I first saw the New Zealander (whose dad is Crowded House's Neil Finn) at CMJ a few years ago where he and his back-up singer, Eliza Jane, performed as a duo and he took on all instruments by himself. And totally pulled it off. It was amazing stuff! This Sunday night, Liam brings his act to town (including Eliza Jane), playing the Middle East downstairs with support from Montreal's Miracle Fortress and locals Forest [...]

Snow Patrol reveals their Late Night Tales on November 3 The Band Select Fave Tracks on Latest Edition of Acclaimed Series For the 22nd edition of what Uncut Magazine calls "the excellent series of bespoke artist compilations", Snow Patrol presents the world with an impeccably selected and mixed Late Night Tales , which will see release in the United States on November 3, 2009. Buy Music: [...]

At last Thursday's Wilco show at Massey Hall, the second night of a two-night stint, for much of the night I was waiting for Mr. Jeff Tweedy to call us a bunch of motherfuckers like he did back in 2006 at the same venue . To put in more in context, the reason Mr. Tweedy resorted to cussin' us out back in 2006 was that he was trying to get us to all stand up, which we eventualy did. So when the band returned to Toronto to play Massey Hall in June 2007 , there was [...]

Photography by Me, with a shitty mobile phone , then processed through Poladroid ! Well, it's Monday, Craftin' Outlaws is done (and was fucking awesome), my sis (pictured above) has come, had fun, kicked ass, took names, rode bikes, and, unfortunately, flew out ... And all that means is that it's time to start a new week, start some new adventures and start celebrating what is now and what is about to come! So.... what is now? Good question.... [...]
photos by Ryan Muir DOWNLOAD: Think About Life - Johanna (MP3) DOWNLOAD: Think About Life - Havin My Baby (MP3) Some things' strengths rest in the laurels of relative secrecy, allowing them to develop without the burden of public scrutiny or following. The opposite of the former statement applies to Think About Life , who Saturday night - or should I say, Sunday morning [at Pop Montreal ] - proved yet [...]
Miracle Fortress Think About Life (who have a new CD and a CMJ show... info in a sec) member Graham Van Pelt is the main force behind Miracle Fortress , a band that also includes Jessie Stein who is also in popular Montreal band The Luyas . And though they haven't released anything since 2007's Polaris-nominated Five Roses , Miracle Fortress is going on a tour at the end of October with Australia's [...]
It's been three years since Montreal's Think About Life debuted with the self-titled dance record and hyper-energetic live show that made them one worth watching from the seemingly bottomless scene of Montreal circa 2006. In the interim keyboardist Graham Van Pelt earned a Polaris nomination for his more-than-a-side-project Miracle Fortress's twist on Brian Wilson with Five Roses , and scene-profile writers have set up outposts in too many cities to count. TAL are finally back with Family , a ten-song set that expands on their first effort's fuzzy-synth kinetecism with a new array of tricks in service of [...]

7 songs guaranteed to make you get out of your seat and jiggle a little - if you're me anyway. seriously, if i was djing in the pub at atp in camber sands i'd be playing all of these songs. the room might be empty but i'd be having a brilliant time. ::: fool's gold - nadine ::: guillemots - trains to brazil ::: miracle fortress - whirrs ::: mazarin - chasing the girl ::: vampire weekend - horchata ::: akron/family - [...]