Music

On July 7th, artists, crew, and sponsors from the Vans Warped Tour will be taking a day off from music assist in rebuilding the communities of hurricane victims in Louisiana. It’s been over two years since hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the US’s Gulf Coast, but – sadly – things still haven’t gotten back to normal in many of the areas.

Brooklyn based rockers, The Hold Steady, have announced that they will exclusively release their forthcoming LP, Stay Positive, on iTunes June 17th.

For the Toronto hardcore punk band, Fucked Up, it has been anything but a frivolous year. In January the band filed suit against Rolling Stone Magazine and Camel Cigarettes; in late May they finished recording for a forthcoming LP; on June 13th they announced signing to Matador Records. Now the band has announced that they are set to release an accompanying EP entitled, The Year of The Pig, on July 22nd.

Starting June 21, The Carmichael Gallery’s will open their latest exhibition Take a Deep Breath. The exhibit will feature new works from artists such as Cherri Wood, The Dark, Kngee, Know Hope, and Asbestos.

Give Imaad Wasif a break. Yes, his voice does resemble Jeff Buckley’s, but stylistically the two are oceans apart. Buckley thrived on lush arrangements and theatricality that verged on the operatic. Wasif, by comparison, plays sparse, off-the-cuff songs about aloneness and traveling through darkness. Strange Hexes, his second solo release and first to feature Two Part Beast (Bobb Bruno and Adam Garcia) is a quest for spiritual validation that is every much as exciting as Buckley’s Grace, and equally deserving of praise.

With one of the most exciting and historical presidential elections underway, a satirical account of previous and current leaders entitled Of Great & Mortal Men: 43 Songs for 43 Presidencies, will be released September 9th on Standard Recording. Musicians Christian Kiefer, Matthew Gerken, and Jefferson Pitcher composed and recorded the 3-disc set along with such guest musicians as Jamie Stuart of Xiu Xiu, Marla Hansen, Califone, and Bill Callahan.

After recently signing with Eyeball Records, Willkes-Barre, Pennsylvania-based An Albatross will return to New York City and Philadelphia to perform with Don Caballero and Ponytail! in late August.

Parc Avenue is the first real LP from Plants and Animals, the arty and expressive Montreal trio. Released on Secret City Records, it was recorded before their last EP, With/Avec, yet this album feels like Plants and Animals are now fully realized. Filled with spontaneity and jubilant, Parc Avenue is a joyous work of Arcade Fire-like enormity, set between three friends and many well-wishers.