Currently rocking tha pod this week:

Shout Out Louds - Howl Howl Gaff Gaff
Wolf Parade - 2nd EP
DFA1979 - Luno (Block Party cover)
Depeche Mode - Black Celebration

Do you have an iPod? Need an amazing case for it? Check out this site. The girls at Lime hand sew their cases, cleverly named “iPod Peels”. Check them out, they’re totally awesome indie girls with amazing style. They have also just launched a line of iPod Slips, that come in wicked cool colours. They also make purses for girls, and neat buttons for everyone Buy away all.

www.limelimelime.com

The Mountain Goats have confirmed a short North American tour, stopping in Toronto on October 17 at Lee’s Palace. If you haven’t heard their lastest disc The Sunset Tree, pick it up, it’s quite good.

Xiu Xiu’s tour has also be confirmed and revamped. Check out the listing here (courtesy of Tiny Mix Tapes). The Toronto show at X-Space has been added, but no ticket details are available as of yet.

More concert news:

Interpol are finally returning to Toronto, they play Kool Haus (yeah! no Docks!!) on Septemeber 28, 2005, tickets on sale saturday here. I missed them last time they came through for Antics, as it was the night after the Morrissey show, and I was concerted out!! Here is a list of all their new North American dates via the bands site. Ps. There will probably be tickets released early via the bands site this week, so keep checking back!

Arcade Fire have announced a Canadian date out west. They will be playing MacEwan Hall in Calgary on October 5th. Tickets here. Could this mean a full-scale Canadian tour??

UPDATE!! The Arcade Fire have confirmed two more dates on the west coast. Here they are:

09/30/05 Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
10/02/05 The Odeon Event Centre - Saskatoon, Sask.

Both these shows also go on sale this saturday at 10am here.

The Stellastarr* show at the Shoe on the 10th of Septemeber is back on according to promoters Emerge.

The Hillside Festival this past weekend seemed to be a hit. According to the Toronto Star, the Toronto hipster elite were out in full force, partying it up along side the cowboy-hat wearing hicks. Stars and The Arcade Fire drew the largest crowds (…who knew that capacity was only 5000 people??)> Check out the Star’s review here (reg. req’d).

There is also a review of Lollapalooza (the reason I missed Hillside…but had to cancel at the last minute). From what I heard, it was incredibly HOT, the two main stages were too close together, and Weezer were horrible (and were overshadowed by the sweet sweet Pixies). Here’s the review. The article was written by my favourite Toronto music critic, Ben Rayner. Check out more of his work here.

M.I.A. has announced a short fall tour of North America, with a stop in Toronto on Septemeber 26th at the Phoenix. Here are the dates:

Aug. 7: New York (Central Park Summerstage)
Sept. 19: Athens, Ga. (40 Watt Club)
Sept. 21: Washington, D.C. (9:30 Club)
Sept. 23: Boston (Paradise)
Sept. 24: Montreal (Spectrum)
Sept. 26: Toronto (Phoenix Concert Theatre)
Sept. 27: Detroit (St. Andrews)
Sept. 28: Chicago (Metro)
Sept. 29: Minneapolis (Fine Line)
Oct. 1: Denver (Gothic Theatre)
Oct. 4: Los Angeles (Henry Fonda Theater)
Oct. 5: San Francisco (Grand Ballroom)

DCFC have announced two dates in Vancouver (lucky west coasters!!!)

Oct. 3, 2005 - Commodore Ballroom
Oct. 4, 2005 - Commodore Ballroom

Tickets for both shows are already on sale. Check this link.

Warner Bros. have launched the official Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire website.

Went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory last night and it was incredible. Tim Burton did an amazing job (he had more than 50 squirrels trained to shell nuts!!!) with the Wonka factory, and as always, Johnny Depp’s performace was hilarious. The only problem I had with the re-make was the flying glass elevator. The Oompa Loompas musical numbers were pure genuis, at one point, there were over 165 of them singing and dancing. If I was a kid, I think they would have totally freaked me out.

Now Magazine has a great cover piece on the incredible Loretta Lynn, just in time for her show this weekand at Massey Hall. Also check out the glowing review of last sunday’s Dinosaur Jr. show at the Phoenix.

Franz Ferdinand.org has many great live MP3’s including their new single and a cover of my favourite Pulp song “Mis-Shapes”. Click on the audio tab. In other FF related news, Cut Copy are also on the bill for the Toronto show.

The Dirtbombs play Lee’s again on September 22, tickets only $10.50 at the usual outlets.

Guelph’s Hillside Festival (aka. Hipster Heaven) is getting a lot of press this week, due to the fact that all advance tickets for the entire weekand have sold out in advance (a first for the festival). Jam has an article here. Since I was suppose to be in Chicago this weekand for Lolllapalooza, I didn’t get tickets, and now an KICKING myself. If anyone has extra tickets for saturday OR sunday, let me know…

According to Chromewaves, Bloc Pary are playing The Docks Sept. 12, 2005. Yet another great show in this horrible venue!!! Tickets are $21.50 and go on sale through the regular ticket outlets on this saturday (07/23/05)…

Word has it that J.K. Rowling, in a live televised interview on a major U.S. network yesterday said that Aunt Petunia supports and helps out Harry more in the new book, and in later installments, we will find out why. Does this mean that she’s a witch??? I think so!!

Have you heard the new Stellastarr* album, Harmonies For The Haunted yet? I got an advance copy today, and it’s quite good. A lot less Joy Division sounding, they seem to have grown into their own skin. Street date is August 23, 2005.

J.K. Rowling’s sixth installment of the Harry Potter series sold 8.9 million copies in the first 24 hours. Read all about it here. Rowling is also said to be “dreading” the end of the series (Myabe it has something to do with the money that’s rolling in from sales…

The Pixies are recording their first new album in fourteen years!!!

According to tons of sources, Eminem is set to retire at the end of the summer. The story was first reported by The Detroit Free Press, and can also be seen on NME…but according to Scott Stereogum, it’s all a rumor.

Check out the new Maximo Park video (link from Ultragrrl).

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