Atmosphere to play the Garrick

Just a quick note today: Minneapolis-based indie-rap pairing Atmosphere will be at the Garrick on Tuesday, May 20th. Look for the duo's new album, Southsiders, on Tuesday, May 6th.

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Polaris Short-listers Hey Rosetta! Return To Peg City

Fresh off scoring a highly coveted 2011 Polaris short-list nomination (10 albums remain), Halifax St. John's indie-poppers Hey Rosetta! have booked a North American tour, which includes a date at the surprisingly busy Garrick on November 17th. Along for the journey are special guests The Jezabels.

Presale gets underway here tomorrow; as a bonus, anyone purchasing advance tickets is automatically entered into a draw to win an autographed vinyl copy of Seeds (one giveaway per show).

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Dan Mangan To Play Garrick In November

Photo by Jonathan Taggart

White-hot singer-songwriter Dan Mangan is releasing his third proper album, Oh Fortune, on September 27th (via Arts & Crafts) and has booked a cross-Canada tour in support. Coined The Oh Fortune Tour, the month-long trek sees the troubadour drop by the Garrick on November 1st. 

You can swap your email here here for the album's title track. 

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In Winnipeg Music News...Jimmy Eat World @ Garrick; Ash Koley @ WECC

My lunch hour is quickly evaporating, so just a couple quick notes for now:

Anthemic rockers Jimmy Eat World will be at the Garrick on May 26th. Ticket sales get underway on Friday @ 10 a.m.

Ash Koley is at the West End Cultural Centre on March 26th.

Speaking of the WECC...Reading Rainbow open for the Dodos on March 25th at the WECC (thanks to Dave for the heads up).

And finally, The Luyas drop by the Lo Pub on April 3rd (thanks to anon for the info).

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In Winnipeg Music News...Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings @ The Garrick; The Provincial Archives @ The Provincial Archives

Acclaimed Soul/Funk group Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings will be at the Garrick Centre on May 20th, as per Rob Williams of the Winnipeg Free Press. No ticket info available just yet.

Add The War on Drugs to the Destroyer show going down at the WECC on April 13th.

And Departures to the Braids-headlined bill at the Albert on April 2nd.

In pretty unique tour news, Edmonton pop-folk band The Provincial Archives have booked a cross-Canada tour where they’ll perform concerts at, well, select provincial archives. This includes a date at the Manitoba Archives Reading Room on May 14th in the evening.

Look for Imaginary Cities to announce upcoming shows in Christmas Town, Gotham, and Caprica City.

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In Winnipeg Music News...Lytics New Video; PoS Onto Round 3!

Just a few quick notes tonight…

Add Cannon Bros to the PS I Love You/Diamond Rings bill going down at the Lo Pub on March 25th. With the Dodos also at the WECC, this unquestionably makes March 25th the best single night of music in Winnipeg since Plants & Animals (WECC) and The Besnard Lakes (Albert) last April 29th.

Quadruple bill booked for April 5th at the Garrick: August Burns Red, Set Your Goals, Born of Osiris, and Texas In July.

Lytics - Last Bit (Lovely Words) from Camobear Records on Vimeo.

Local hip-hop quartet The Lytics have recently released a beautifully shot new video into the world for their song, “Last Bit (Lovely Words).” Catch them at the Pyramid on March 3rd.

And, if you haven’t heard, Painting over Silence is somehow, miraculously, holy-shit-was-I-surprised ONTO ROUND 3 in CBC Radio 3’s Searchlight contest for the “Best Canadian Music Website”. I know what you’re thinking and, yes, I am buying a lottery ticket for tomorrow night. It's been a banner month…

Thank you so much for voting!

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In Winnipeg Music News...Mother Mother @ The Garrick; Imaginary Cities Open For Pixies...

First up, surging indie-rockers Mother Mother are returning to Winnipeg for a date at the Garrick on April 6th. The Vancouver-based quintet are touring in support of their third full-length recording, Eureka, scheduled for release on the Ides of March.

Risky move by Rihanna. The pop diva has signed up Cee-Lo Green as her opening act during her expansive North American tour this spring/summer. Will Green's show-starting set outshine her headlining performance? Find out June 20th at the MTS Centre.

After selling out and bringing down those visually obstructive load-bearing posts the house at the Lo Pub this past Friday, local soul/pop pairing Imaginary Cities’ stock continues to rise high: Pixies have handpicked them to be their opening act for 10 Canadian tour dates.  Sadly, Imaginary Cities will not be part of the two Winnipeg dates.

And finally, please don’t forget to vote Painting over Silence!

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In Winnipeg Music News...Pixies' Second Date Added; Juno Nominations Galore

Editor’s note: from this post forward, I’ll be combining new concert announcements and local band news into one all-mighty, essential, don't-miss post. 

Update: presale password for Pixies' second show is keys. 
First up, bad news, Pixies ticket scalpers. After their April 27th show sold out with Katy-Perry-ticket-like alacrity, the iconic band has added a second Winnipeg date: April 26th at the Centennial Concert Hall. Presalers are up for grabs starting Thursday @ 10 a.m. while general public sales kick off Friday @ 10 a.m.

Newmarket, Ontario’s greatest indie music exports, Tokyo Police Club continue their relentless touring schedule, returning to Winnipeg on April 13th for a gig at the Pyramid. Said The Whale and Dinosaur bones round out the bill.

Luke Boyd, aka Classified, is at the Garrick on April 8th. Show is 18+.

A blogger is trying to review EVERY band playing SXSW this year (2000+) in an effort to help lucky SXSW attendees plot their music itinerary. Some kind and deserving and interesting words for Winnipeg’s own Imaginary Cities (..."one of my favorite new finds so far"), The Lytics ("..a tag team effort of impressive rapping skills."), and The Liptonians (…"at times sounding like if Coldplay decided to become an underground prog rock band").

Juno noms ahoy! Winnipeg was well represented today during the 2010 Juno Award Nominations announcement. Some nominees: Del Barber, Chic Gamine, and, umm, Neil Young, if we can still count Young as one of us. See full list at CBC Manitoba.

Resident songstress Lindsey White has announced a smattering of new live dates including March 12th @ McNally Robinson.

Calgary-based recording artist Jay Crocker is out supporting his debut solo record, Co-Stars, and will be at the Lo Pub on March 24th.

Cape Breton singer-songwriter Carmen Townsend was handpicked by Heart to open for them during their Canadian tour, which includes a date at the MTS Centre on February 17th. Wait. Heart still exist?

Correction: Christine Fellows’s new album is called Femme De Chez Nous not Femme De Chez (Thanks to Michael for the heads up).

And last but not least, local indie-poppers Royal Canoe are offering up a free download of a new song “Today We’re Belivers” on their website. It’s a good one.

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In The Future...Destroyer @ The WECC; Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans @ The WECC; And More!

After the annual December show announcement lull, exciting concerts are starting to materialize all over Peg City:

First up, Destroyer (aka Dan Bejar) returns to Winnipeg for the first time since appearing alongside fellow New Pornographers early last year. The accomplished songwriter is at the West End Cultural Centre on April 13th, touring in support of his latest offering, Kaputt (street date: January 25th).  Tickets went on sale earlier today. War on Drugs kick starts the evening.

After announcing a full slate of cdn tour dates that surprisingly did not include a Winnipeg show, Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans have added one: the collective will be at the WECC on Saturday, March 5th. Presale password is falconlake. SISKYOU is also on the bill.

Local songsmith Matt Epp is releasing his latest record at the WECC on April 23rd.

Add indie-popper Gentleman Reg to the January22nd Sarah Harmer bill at the Garrick.

Speaking of openers, Sweet Thing open for Down With Webster, March 5th @ the Burt.

And last up, Toronto-based indie-folk artist Rob Moir plays the Lo Pub on February 12th.

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In The Know...Interview with Ra Ra Riot

While calling it a grower would be a gross overstatement (and a bad pun), Ra Ra Riot’s new record, The Orchard, certainly requires more time and patience from listeners.

Compared to its album predecessor, that is.

Whereas debut release The Rhumb Line was rife with immediate and familiar hooks, The Orchard houses less direct hooks in favour of more complex arrangements and layered melodies. Overall, the record is more accomplished and more rewarding that anything they’ve done before - just try not to get sucked in by the mellifluous, spirit-elevating strings on “Boy” and the thumping motorik on “Massachuettes”.

Yesterday evening I spoke with violinist Rebecca Zeller on the phone and asked her about the band’s recent appearance on Last Call with Carson Daly, the decision to record the album on a peach orchard, and how their first trek through Western Canada is going.

Catch Zeller and the rest of Ra Ra Riot – vocalist Wes Miles, guitarist Milo Bonacci, drummer Gabriel Duquette, cellist Alexandra Lawn, and bassist Mathieu Santos – this Saturday at the Garrick with Wintersleep.


Painting over Silence: You’ve logged some serious kilometers all over North America the last while, including a stop in L.A. for Last Call with Carson Daly. What was that experience like?

Rebecca Zeller: Well, actually, it was sort of non-traditional because they came to our L.A. show, and they just filmed it, so it wasn’t like we went on set and into the studio. They just came without Carson.

PoS: Oh. So you didn’t actually get to meet him?

Rebecca Zeller: Nope! *laughs* I know.  It’s weird.

PoS:  I read that the new record, The Orchard, was written in a peach Orchard located in upstate New York. What made the band decide to seclude themselves and pen the bulk of the record in such a place?

RZ: It sort of was the best option. We needed a place to write the album. We all live in New York City right now, but rehearsal and practice spaces there are expensive, they’re small, and you don’t really get any windows or anything. We didn’t really think that was, you know, an inspiring place to write our next record, so we started looking in upstate in New York. Milo, our guitarist, had friends who owned the orchard and were actively trying to sell it. It was a big coincidence and we really lucked out and were able to stay there and housesit it from them while they tried to sell it.

We were just looking for more of an inspiring place than what we were able to afford in New York.

PoS: And this experience made you christen the new album after the orchard?

RZ: It surprisingly came much later in the game that we titled it The Orchard. We written it, recorded it, mixed it, and put it in order. Analyzing the themes throughout, it sort of came to light that everything was really influenced by our time on the orchard and our overall experience. It made sense to title it after that.

And then after that came the picture – the album artwork is a picture of the house where we wrote the album.

PoS: Was the recording and mixing also done there?

RZ: No, it was also done in upstate New York but a bit further east: sorta between Saratoga Springs and Albany. It was done in Black Dog studio. We would’ve love to record at the orchard, but they had sold it.

PoS: Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie mixed the majority of the record. How did this relationship come about?

RZ: About two years ago this spring we toured extensively with Death Cab for several months in the early spring and then a bit more in the summer. Through this experience we became friends with all of them and Chris had expressed interest in being involved in our new record. We had decided to produce it ourselves, but when it came time to choose a mixer, it sort of made sense to go with Chris. We have a lot of respect for what he’s done in the past, and we really connected with him as a person. It seemed like a great option.

PoS: And Rostam Batmanglij from Vampire Weekend mixed a track too?

RZ: He actually co-wrote that song with Wes, our singer. It was something Wes and Rostam had worked on for the Discovery record, but I don’t they ever really developed the idea. Wes thought it would be a good song for us, so we thought we should give it to Rostam to mix and see what he could do with it. And we wound up really loving it. We thought it would add a different colour to the album.

PoS: Shifting gears to the tour…you’re playing Winnipeg, my hometown, with Wintersleep this Saturday night. I’m curious: is this your first time through Winnipeg and Western Canada for that matter?

RZ: Yup. We had previously been to Vancouver and Victoria, but already on this tour we’ve been up in Whistler and then yesterday in Nelson. Today we did the drive from Nelson to Calgary, which was about 12 hours.

PoS: That's a long journey!

RZ: *laughs* Yeahh….It’s been really long hours driving, but it’s been really beautiful, which is nice. It’s also nice to see different parts of Canada. It’s a beautiful area.

PoS: Where I live, Winnipeg, because of our population size and geographic proximity to other cities can be, well, unfavourable to bands. What motivates Ra Ra Riot to tour all over and not just hit the major metropolises?

RZ: In general, or on this tour specifically?

PoS: In general.

RZ: Sometimes you get better shows there.

PoS: So then how was the show in Nelson? (Population: 10, 000 or so)

RZ: It was *really* good. Unfortunately, we had low expectations and even when we started playing, no one came to the front of the stage area. But, within five minutes, it was rocking and actually really, really awesome. A lot of smaller cities have music fans that aren’t really as spoiled as people who live in major cities and they don’t get to see a lot of bands.

So people who appreciate music and bands are really enthusiastic because they don’t get it as frequently.

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In The Flesh...Brian Wilson @ Pantages; Sarah Harmer @ The Garrick; The Details @ The Lo Pub

Nary a week goes by when I don’t read “breezy Brian Wilson harmonies” or “channel a warm, feel good Brian Wilson vibe” in an album review. Heck, I may have even written something similar before. But, these comparisons are apropos to the man’s indelible impact on pop music, and his place in the rock ‘n’ roll canon is undeniable. See and hear the icon live and in the flesh at the Pantages Playhouse Theatre on June 22nd. Tickets range from $65.50 - $95.50, which is sorta reasonable, relative to recent exorbitantly priced top level tickets for U2, Young, and Dylan.

Also, the lovely and enviably talented Sarah Harmer returns to town on January 22nd for a date at the Garrick Theatre.  Presale tomorrow. Public sale Saturday. Tix $33.50.

And finally, local denizens The Details rock the Lo Pub on November 27th. Their new EP drops...today.

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In The Future...Two Hours Traffic @ The Albert; Del Barber Opens For The Weakethans; And More!

First up, Charlottetown-based power-pop band Two Hours Traffic just released the above video "Happiness Burns" into the You Tube World. The cut is off their '09 album, Territory, a record the guys are still touring heavily behind including a stop at the Albert on November 6 The Jezebels.

Speaking of the Albert...

IDM maker Otto Von Schirach and Venetian Snares materialize there on October 30th (gate night!).

The Wilderness Campaign and Depatures take care of opening duties for WOMEN on September 25th.

A quadruple bill goes down there on October 2nd: Falklands, Kids on Fire, Forever Dead, and Plus Perfect all rock the dark, dank, cavernous, yet always-enjoyable joint.

Falklands also return to the city on October 19th for a show at the Lo Pub.

In two days time, Whale Tooth take the stage at the Park Theatre.

On November 26th, Vancouver-via-Halifax chanteuse Jill Barber is at the Burton Cummings Theatre w/ Michael Kaeshammer.

Local singer-songwriter Del Barber has a bunch of shows coming up: On November 4th and 5th, he’ll be at Times Change(d); then, on December 16th, he’s opening for the Weakerthans at the WECC.

The Skate4Cancer Dream Love Cure Centre Fundraiser takes place at the Pyramid on October 16th; local acts scheduled to perform: The Lytics, Pip Skid and DJs Co-op and Hunnicut.

And to cauterize this post, here's some bad news, Jared Leto fans: 30 Seconds to Mars' September 18th show at the Burt has been postponed.

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In Giveaways...Tokyo Police Club @ The Garrick

Tokyo Police Club is currently out and about touring heavily in support of their well-received, hook-friendly sophomore LP, Champ. The tour itinerary sees the indie-rockers play a string of Canadian dates, including a stop in Winnipeg at the Garrick on September 26th. The Arkells support.

Interested in seeing the show?

Courtesy of our generous friends at The Union, I’ve got a spot on the guest list (+1) for giveaway, exclusively to readers of Painting over Silence. To enter, fire me off an email (on the right) by noon on Wednesday, September 22nd with the subject line “Tokyo Police Club Giveaway”, and your name in the email’s body. All entrants will receive a confirmation email. Winner will be contacted shortly after contest closes. And, please, only one entry per person.

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In The Future...Luke Doucet @ The WECC; "For the Love of Lucille" Cancer Benefit Social @ The Pyramid; Bahamas @ The Park Theatre; And More!

Hot on the heels of a critically lauded fifth full-length record, Steel City Trawler, Luke Doucet and the White Falcon have announced a cross-Canadian November tour. The high kilometer road trip includes a stop at the West End Cultural Centre on November 6th. Sunparlour Players support. Tickets this Friday.

On September 25th the Pyramid Cabaret plays host to “For the Love of Lucille”, the 10th Annual CancerCare Benefit Social in memory of Lucille Smith, who passed away from breast cancer 10 years ago. Expect food, silent auctions, and raucous live music courtesy of resident party-starters Fighting Hellfish. The event sells out quickly (only $15), so get yours asap by dialing 990-5755.

Jumping over to the Park Theatre, idiosyncratic (in a good way) folk-rocker Bahamas plays there on Thursday, November 30th. Presale starts tomorrow and the password is tahiti.

Montreal-stationed indie-rockers Winter Gloves perform the many nuanced, easily danceable tunes off their just-released (yesterday!) record, All Red, at the Lo Pub on November 3rd.

Alexisonfire is still active and at the Burton Cummings Theatre on December 4th w/ Norma Jean and La Dispute. Presale password is northern.

Abandon All Ships w/ Woe Is Me and Struc/tures make up a triple bill at the WECC on October 8th.

Speaking of triple bills, Blind Guardian is at the Garrick on December 1st w/ Holy Grail and Seven Kingdoms.

And finally, ascending indie-rockers Young Rival have been added to the September 14th Pack A.D. bill at the Lo Pub.

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In The Future...Romi Mayes opens for Danny Michel; Ridley Bent @ The Park Theatre; And More!

First up, let’s fill out a few previously announced shows:

• Add local fave Romi Mayes (above) to the Danny Michel show, going down at the WECC on September 11th.  And if you missed the previous post, I’ve got two tickets up for grabs.

• Arkells and Meligrove Band are both on September 26th’s Tokyo Police Club bill going down at The Garrick.

• Indian Jewelry open for Holy Fuck, October 5th at the Pyramid.

Second bits of very cool news: The always welcoming Park Theatre Café is celebrating its 5th year in style. And by that, I mean three festive days of solid tunes courtesy of:

• Don Ross on September 9th. 
• JP Hoe and the Truly Richards on September 10th.
• Imaginary Cities and Royal Canoe on September 11th. 

Speaking of the Park Theatre, resident roots star Ridley Bent pops in there on October 9th in support of his rave-review-earning LP, Rabbit on my Wheel.

Whilst on the subject of extolled Peg City talent, the Juno-winnin’, roots lovin’, great songwritin’ Chic Gamine are staging their CD release at the West End Cultural Centre on November 13th.

Over at the Albert Calgarian art-rock outfit Women rock the cavern-like joint on September 25th.

Rae Spoon is touring Canada over the next few months in support of his just-released , surprisingly danceable record, Love is a Hunter. This includes a show at The Rocker (above Mondragon) on October 1st.

And finally, Coheed & Cambria are at the Garrick on October 24th.

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In The Future...Arcade Fire Ticket Info; Gord Downie @ Garrick; Et Alia!

Ok. First up, ticketmaster released info about Arcade Fire's upcoming MTS Centre September 23rd date: no presale (as of yet) with generals up for grabs on Friday. Prices are head-scratchingly reasonable, ranging from $41.75 to $57.75 (including taxes and most fees).

Gord Downie & The Country of Miracles get together at the Garrick on October 7th. Never been a hip fan, but I was sure impressed with his band's loose and jaunty set @ Folk Fest '10.

What's in Edmonton's drinking water these days? Dropping by the Lo Pub on September 24th is another highly inventive indie-pop act from Alberta's capital: Hot Panda. If only my Oilers could get some of that top quality H20...

And finally, seasoned shock-rockers GWAR are embarking on their annual pilgrimage to the city this December 4th at the Garrick.

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