Very little is known about the archduke’s long-anticipated third album, besides apparently false reports that the Scottish band has worked African influences into their sound. They’ve been in and out of the studio for almost a year now, but they have been busy producing the third, and best, Cribs album (just Alex), and with side project bands such as Correcto and The Royal We.

As of a few days ago, Alex Kapranos and the gang have unleashed a glimpse of the new album with “Lucid Dreams,” which is available for your listening pleasure in the music section of their homepage.

Franz Ferdinand - Lucid Dreams [albeit with pops]

In completely unrelated news, I’ve discovered some really enjoyable videos of New Order in 1984 performing songs live in their studio. Click on the (more…) link to enjoy!

Temptation

Blue Monday

Age of Consent

The fates seemed destined to make my first experience at a Radiohead concert a terrible one. Between the torrential downpour, getting stuck in the muddy lawn of the Molson Amphitheatre, and being surrounded by a group of drunken assholes, I was finding it a little hard to get into the show. Luckily, the rain stopped the minute the band walked on stage, and I managed to ignore the jerks for most of the show. Walking through the Exhibition, there were two rainbows ending directly at the amphitheatre, which I now know was a good omen.

The opener was 15 Step, going in line with the new album. The light show kicked in after the second verse, and it was pretty impressive. I knew beforehand that In Rainbows would be played in its entirety, so the rest of the set would have to be made up of older material. While all the albums (minus Pablo Honey) got some representation, they surprisingly skipped out on their mainstream hits (by which I refer to stuff like Karma Police, Just, and the like.) That’s not a complaint, as you can see below it was a pretty diverse set. Notable surprises were Talk Show Host and Climbing up the Walls. The atmosphere was just haunting. Other highlights for me were All I Need, Wolf at the Door, Planet Telex, and Street Spirit. Planet Telex in particular had the best moments of the light show, with a psychedelic rainbow backdrop on the stage. Thom Yorke’s thanks for braving the elements was followed by advice to find someone to take home and get warm. While the stage banter was light, what was given was enjoyable.

I could’ve used Fake Plastic Trees or Let Down, but I was pleased with what I got. The only song I would’ve booted off the setlist was Pyramid Song. Not my cup of tea. Hopefully my next Radiohead experience will be drier and closer to the stage, but it was definitely an awesome show.

Setlist

15 Step
Reckoner
Optimistic
There There
Morning Bell
All I Need
Pyramid Song
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
The Gloaming
Wolf at the Door
Faust Arp
No Surprises
Jigsaw Falling Into Place
Idioteque
Climbing Up The Walls
Nude
Bodysnatchers

First Encore

Like Spinning Plates
Videotape
Airbag
Talk Show Host
Street Spirit (Fade Out)

Second Encore

House of Cards
Planet Telex
Everything In Its Right Place

I just checked out Montreal’s Plants & Animals this weekend at the Wolfe Island Music Festival and couldn’t have been more pleased. A bit Wolf Parade, a bit Apostle of Hustle, but undeniably their own, Plants & Animals is definitely becoming one of Canada’s indie bands to watch. They released their debut album on Secret City Records this February, which was announced in July as one of the contenders for Canada’s Polaris Music Prize.

Plants & Animals - Bye Bye Bye
Plants & Animals - Good Friend

The winner of Polaris will be announced on September 29. The 2008 shortlist is as follows:

• Basia Bulat, Oh, My Darling
• Black Mountain, In the Future
• Caribou, Andorra
• Kathleen Edwards, Asking for Flowers
• Holy Fuck, LP
• Plants & Animals, Parc Avenue
• Shad, The Old Prince
• Stars, In Our Bedroom After the War
• Two Hours Traffic, Little Jabs
• The Weakerthans, Reunion Tour

I’m rooting for Two Hours Traffic because they’re pretty much my favourite Canadian band right now, their album rules, and they’re the underdog. Any other favourites?

I hadn’t intended to write a post on the break up of Nashville garage rockers Be Your Own Pet. In fact, I’ve never been able to make it through either of their albums, the self-titled disc or Get Awkward. The reason I’m writing is because I’ve finally enjoyed one of their songs, “Becky”, but if I showed you the video and didn’t mention the break up, I would appear pathetically misinformed, which at times I am, but not this time.

On August 1, the band posted this announcement on their homepage:

“To all of our fans, we are sad to bring you the news that our upcoming shows in the UK are going to be our last as a band. We thank you for all your love and support these past few years. It’s been a blast, but the time has come for the four of us to go our separate ways.”

For those of you killin’ em in the UK, enjoy the shows. For those of you anywhere else, enjoy this video for “Becky” which wasn’t included on Get Awkward’s North American release because record execs figured the lyrics were too violent (along with a few other songs). And if there’s anything we’ve learned from Hostel, it’s that violence can be cool. But please kids, play safe.

Mike Skinner’s fourth album, Everything Is Borrowed, will be released in the UK on September 15. Principal Skinner has said that the album with feature “positive peaceful vibes” similar to those on the first album. I thought all of the albums had this vibe, but I wouldn’t mind a return to the dance sound of 2002’s Original Pirate Material and a bit of the R&B from 2004’s A Grand Don’t Come for Free.

The title track will be the first single released later that month. For now, the song “The Escapist” is availabe for free download on The Streets homepage with a music video to accompany it. The song has exactly the vibe promised, so relaxing. Can’t wait to hear the album. Check out the mp3 and video below:

The Streets - The Escapist

Cold War Kids, definitely one of the better bands and band names of recent years, will be releasing their sophomore album Loyalty to Loyalty on September 23. Fans and fans-to-be should definitely check out their website, which is chock full of new videos and music. They’ve made a low quality version of the song “Something Is Not Right With Me” from the new album available for download on their homepage, check it out below:

The low quality version of “Something Is Not Right With Me”

And if you missed the first Cold War, then click on the [more…] link below for some videos from 2006’s Robbers & Cowards.

“Hang Me Up to Dry”

“We Used to Vacation”

DeVotchKa - “Transliterator”

You probably heard DeVotchKa on the soundtrack to Little Miss Sunshine, and if you haven’t, get on that. Their new album, A Mad & Faithful Telling, takes their gypsy/folk/rock style to dizzy new heights.

Cajun Dance Party - “The Race”

There was a time when good british guitar bands came in handfuls. Now they’re few and far between, but it’s nice to know that there’s still bands like Cajun Dance Party releasing some classic guitar pop.

Caesars - “Boo Boo Goo Goo”

These guys are way too good to just be known as the band that had one of their songs in an iPod ad, even if it was the best iPod ad. Their new album, Strawberry Weed, and it’s first single prove that they can pump out more hits.

Dizzee Rascal feat. Calvin Harris - “Dance Wiv Me”

This video is absolutely ridiculous. I can’t take the song seriously, but I still love it. After seeing Dizzee Rascal at the Rogers Picnic in Toronto, I found out how much fun he is live, even when performing to a crowd that has never heard of him at 2 in the afternoon. Who likes to rock the party?

M83 - “Graveyard Girl”

I’ve coined this “hardcore pop music”. Anthony Gonzalez has created another pseudo-shoegaze (because of the almost absent guitars) masterpiece with the help of his computer on Saturdays = Youth.

No Age - “Eraser”

I could care less that this duo is part of the apparently somewhat important punk rock / noise pop / experimental music scene living at The Smell in downtown Los Angeles, but this song rocks.

Scarlett Johansson - “Falling Down”

She may not be a very good actress, but her movies are good. She may not be able to sing, but this album is great. This is mostly due to the very atmospheric and melodic production by Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio, and the starlet may have had something to do with it too. I just like it, so sue me. 

There is no timely reason for this post, only to inform you that E is a genius and anyone who dislikes the Eels loses some serious cool points in my books. I defy you to listen to the album Electro-Shock Blues and tell me that is not a mind-altering piece of art. Beauty, love, sorrow, life, death. This album covers all of that. Well, mostly death, but still, this is one of my desert-island albums, if it came to that.

Plus, the video for Last Stop: This Town features a singing carrot. That’s what being signed to Dreamworks Records got you, when it existed.

Eels - Ant Farm

For the past couple of years, a free music and arts festival has been put on in downtown London in September, this year from the 18th to the 21st. Last year saw Final Fantasy, Grizzly Bear and The Constantines on the bill, this year has a bunch of relative unknowns. Holy Fuck returns from last year, and I know of Do Make Say Think, Plants and Animals, Bocce and the Hylozoists, but the rest is new to me. I would’ve preferred more star power to the line-up, but since it’s free, I’m not sure how much I can complain. Any recommendations from the rest of the bands playing?

LOLAFest

The Lineup
Do Make Say Think
Plants & Animals
Holy Fuck
The Drift
Hylozoists
Torngat
Sandro Perri / Silences Sumire
Laura Barrett
Feuermusik
Off The International Radar
Muskox
Bocce
Tin
Olenka & The Autumn Lovers
We Are Wolves
Woodhands
Megasoid
Lowfish

Has anyone been feeling a particular lack of sweet summer tunes this season? Quite a letdown after I spent months last year with Miracle Fortress‘ “Five Roses” on repeat, and 2006 was a tie with Phoenix’s “It’s Never Been Like That” and “Puzzles Like You” by Mojave 3. Maybe it’s just me living in relative isolation from pop music and hipster culture, but I’m not feeling any particular surge of interest toward one artist.

Since it’s not looking like I’m going to find my summer musical blockbuster analogous to The Dark Knight, I’ve taken to sampling artists fervently and settling quickly one a decent song or two. It’s not the love affair I would like, but it’s a love-’em-and-leave-’em world sometimes. Here’s a few decent tracks:

She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?

I hemmed and hawed about this track back when it was available as a live video, and I finally decided I like it. You got me, Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. Well, M. Ward had me at End of Amnesia….

Hilotrons - Emergency Street [Happymatic, 2008]

I find this album is a bit hollow and fluffy (as Nigel would say from So You Think You Can Dance, “like cotton candy: sweet, but no substance”), but this track is slick. Yes, I quoted SYTYCD. And yes, I just used the acronym. Wanna fight?

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Buriedfed

Now, this CD with the extended moniker holds some potential for me. Soulful, dense, unique, lovely. Check his myspace.

Madrid - Reply (to Everyone) [Madrid EP, 2008]

Madrid have been described as a cross between Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Kraftwerk. Wonderful musical offspring.

Veda Hille - Luckyluck [This Riot Life, 2008]

This year’s Canadian answer to St. Vincent (although Veda’s been around for a while).

So, I issue a challenge to any readers/fellow contributors: do YOU have an album for summer 2008?