Miesha & The Spanks: "Please Don't Blow"

Alberta indie act Miesha & The Spanks have announced the release of their new album.  Girls, Like Wolves has been slapped with an August 20th release date.

The group enlisted Canadian indie legend Ian Blurton to help out with arrangements and work his usual magic.

Listen to the first track, "Please Don't Blow", here:

Miesha & the Spanks play The Rivoli on June 13th and The Bovine on June 14th both as part of NXNE.

Shadow Folk: "When She Smiles At Me"

Shadow Folk are a rock n' roll outfit out of Halifax, NS.  They've got a new single out, "When She Smiles At Me", which gives more than a nod to '60s acts like The Zombies and The Turtles.

Listen to it here:

Brent Amaker & the Rodeo: "Year Of The Dragon" (album review)

Brent Amaker & the Rodeo have been described as road trip music for people who don't like country music.  That's a fairly accurate assessment of their latest record, Year Of The Dragon, which often has more indie rock than twang to it.

The album, which comes out on June 4th, is dominated by Amaker's deep baritone vocals.  His deadpan delivery makes him sound as though someone has surgically removed Mark Lanegan's soul.  It's an original sound, but one that seems at odds with the entire road trip music concept (despite the CB radio effects on "The Tiger Inside").

Inlet Sound: "Young Hearts" (video)

Toronto's Inlet Sound (drummer Kate McLean happens to teach at a music school a couple blocks away from me) have released a new video.  The clip is for the track "Young Hearts" from their 2012 album The Romantics.

Watch it here:

Inlet Sound play the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto on May 25th.

Wind-Up Radio Sessions: "Diane"

Next week Montreal foursome Wind-Up Radio Sessions release their new EP Yeti Sounds.  You can hear the first track from that record now.

Have a listen to "Diane":

If you're on the East Coast, look for the band performing through June and July.

New releases for May 21st: The National, Jadea Kelly

It's a pretty slow week for new releases.  There's a huge one for indie rock fans however.  Can you pick it
out:

• Dark For Dark
• The Front Bottoms
• Have Mercy
• Jadea Kelly- Review
• The National- Review
• Scout Niblett

This week in Toronto concerts: CBC Music Festival, The Boxer Rebellion

The week begins slowly but ends with a heck of a bang down at Echo Beach.  Here's what to expect:

The Boxer Rebellion, Opera House, May 24

UK shoegaze-ish outfit comes to town to support their new album Promises (review).

CBC Music Festival, Echo Beach, May 25
A stellar line-up of Canadian talent includes Corb Lund, Sam Roberts, Kathleen Edwards, and Sloan among others.

...also this week:

Toronto concerts announced this week: Iron & Wine, Gogol Bordello, Danzig

Here's a rundown of the non-NXNE shows announced during the last week:

• Jont, Free Times Cafe, Jun 4
• Jim McCarty, El Mocambo, Jun 6
• Elliott Brood, Harbourfront Centre, Jun 29
• CSS, Opera House, Jul 4
• Jadea Kelly, Dakota Tavern, Jul 11
• JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, Horseshoe Tavern, Jul 12
• Jay Brannan, Lee's Palace, Jul 17
• Goodnight Sunrise, Rancho Relaxo, Jul 20
• Future Bible Heroes, Lee's Palace, Jul 22
• Danzig, Sound Academy, Aug 9
• Baroness, Mod Club, Aug 9
• Gogol Bordello, Danforth Music Hall, Aug 19 & 20
• Pinback, Lee's Palace, Sep 7
• Local Natives, Kool Haus, Sep 21
• Iron & Wine, Sound Academy, Sep 28
• FIDLAR, Hard Luck Bar, Oct 18

Playlist Of The Week: CBC Music Festival

The inaugural CBC Music Festival takes place next Saturday at Echo Beach in Toronto.  I thought I'd get you in the mood, and possibly motivate you to go, with a playlist of the featured artists including Sloan, Corb Lund, and Kathleen Edwards.

Listen here.

Imaginary Cities: "Fall of Romance" (album review)

Imaginary Cities burst onto the scene and captured our imaginations (an a Polaris nomination) with their stunning 2010 debut Temporary Resident.  On May 28th the Winnipeg duo come back with their second full length Fall of Romance.

On the new album, principals Marti Sarbit and Rusty Matyas, take a much more elaborate approach to the music.  The songs are more layered and elegant than the material on their debut.  As a result though, they are also less peppy and contain fewer of the marvelous hooks that made the first record so compelling.