Great Lake Swimmers announce new album, tour, streaming single
Great Lake Swimmers are readying the release of their new album, New Wild Everywhere, set to be released on April 3. A new single, “Easy Come Easy Go,” is out and available for your listening pleasure. If the first song is evidence, the new album could be a great folk-rock record, with front man Tony Dekker sounding more confident and, dare I say, happy. A tour, including a June 2 date at Toronto's Danforth Music Hall, is imminent, with red-hot singer Cold Specks pegged as the opening act.
Big days ahead for Bahamas
Word on the street is that Barchords, the upcoming album by Toronto's Afie Jurvanen, a.k.a Bahamas — slated for a Feb. 7 release in Canada — is going to blow away his last effort, 2009’s none-to-shabby, Juno-nominated Pink Strat. Jurvanen inked a deal in the United States with Jack Johnson's label, Brushfire Records, and is looking to make a major push into the market south of the border in 2012. It’s hard to think of a more fitting label for his mellow sounds than Brushfire, home to fellow rock relax-inators Johnson, Mason Jennings, Neil Halstead and Matt Costa.
Julie Doiron residency underway at Saving Gigi
As reported in the Globe and Mail, Julie Doiron has set up shop for a series of intimate shows at Toronto café Saving Gigi, where she played last night and will also play Jan. 20 and 26. The talented singer/songwriter and former member of East Coast grunge band Eric's Trip is currently working on a new album that is tentatively slated for a spring 2012 release. The shows are apparently capped at 25 people, and now that word is out, I suspect the place will fill up quickly, so be prepared to head down early.
Wavelength anniversary lineup set
The Wavelength music series has announced a massive festival slated for next month to celebrate its 12th anniversary. Running from Feb. 16-19, the lineup includes Toronto punk rockers Fucked Up, playing Feb. 17 at Steam Whistle Brewing, as well as PS I Love You, Metz, No Joy and others. The landmark concert series began at Ted's Wrecking Yard in 2000 and had a hand in the indie music explosion that happened at that time, with the likes of Broken Social Scene, Feist and the Constantines among others. The festival also includes visual art installations by Wowee Zonk, projections by General Chaos Visuals as well as workshops and a speaker series.
Diamond Rings working on new album
After a successful campaign in 2011, Toronto’s Diamond Rings, a.k.a John O'Regan, announced work on a new album via a posting on his website saying, “after a bit of a holiday break in Toronto, I'm back in Montreal and hard at work finishing what will become my next album. I'm really excited about these songs and can't wait to share them with all of you as soon as possible. I think there's something for everyone.” O'Regan's latest album, Special Affections (2010, Secret City Records) brought the dynamic performer wide acclaim and a big-time re-release in 2011 via Astralwerks.
Woodpigeon ready to fly the coop
Mark Andrew Hamilton, the one-and-only Woodpigeon, is going to be a busy guy this year with an EP being released by Boompa Records next Jan. 24. Big-time plans are afoot including much touring, album-releasing and merry making. For now, the title track of the EP, For Paulo, is available as a free download here.
Rock 'n' roll tweet of the week
Who else? The Weeknd (@theweekndxo) from Jan. 9, directed at American rapper Common: "that was the worst comeback vie ever heard. reminds me of someone's drunk uncle."
