Basement Jaxx - “My Turn” Basement Jaxx are known euphoria merchants, but the best songs on their new album are melancholy, angst-ridden, and utterly lovesick. “My Turn” is a desperate plea for reconciliation that nevertheless retains the color and bump of a classic Jaxx production, if not the manic intensity. The up tempo elements are not at odds with the sentiment of the lyrics. Instead, the sound serves to highlight the optimistic, open-hearted love of the song’s protagonist, and make it abundantly clear how much he yearns to make things right. Maybe he’ll feel more crushed and hopeless later on, but in this moment, he is still convinced that there’s still a chance for all of this to work out, despite the complication and frustrations. It’s very sweet.

Buy it from Amazon.

Frank YangThe last time Joe Pernice took a Toronto stage, he promised that as a new resident of the city, he might find himself playing more gigs around town and that he’d see us soon.

That was over four years ago.

Being fair, Joe has hardly been idle in that time. He released another Pernice Brothers record in Live A Little, became a father and wrote his first novel It Feels So Good When I Stop, which was the occasion for him to again get up, guitar in hand, in front of an audience of his neighbours – literally, as the Dakota Tavern was stumbling distance from his west-end digs.

Photos: Joe Pernice, Kate Boothman @ The Dakota Tavern – September 24, 2009
MP3: Pernice Brothers – “Somerville”
Video: Pernice Brothers – “Somerville”
MySpace: Pernice Brothers

Nick Cave is another musician whose recent foray into fiction – in his case his second novel The Death Of Bunny Munro – has been generating press. There’s conversations with Cave about the book at The Winnipeg Free Press, Time, CBC, The Toronto Star, The National Post and The Montreal Gazette, which also offers a full transcript of the interview. The Ampersand also got a musical endorsement for Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers.

The Times talks to Steve Earle, who is working on his first novel I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive.

NPR talks to Fanfarlo about their literary inspirations (their name comes from Baudelaire) while Tourdates also has an interview with frontman Simon Balthazar and if you’ve still not heard it (shame!), Clash is streaming the album right now.

Stream: Fanfarlo / Reservoir

This Is Nottingham has an interview with Charlotte Hatherley, who has released a video for the second single from her third album New Worlds. It will be out October 20.

Video: Charlotte Hatherley – “Alexander”

The Dodos have a new video from Time To Die.

Video: The Dodos – “Fables”

The Rural Alberta Advantage stopped in at Minnesota Public Radio for a streaming session and gave an interview to Decider. They’re also in the new issue of Spin but that piece isn’t online yet.

The first MP3 from El Perro Del Mar’s new album Love Is Not Pop, out October 20, is now available to download. There’s also an interview at the Buenos Aires Herald.

MP3: El Perro Del Mar – “Change Of Heart”

Daily Finance chats with Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance of Merge Records about their 20th anniversary as an independent music label. Babelgum is also hosting a whole slew of video footage from the XX Merge festival in Carrboro back in July.

Pearl Harbor – “Luv Goon”From the Something About The Chaparrals EP, available now digitally, and on 12″ come next month, from Mexican Summer.

(via Pitchfork)

Bon Iver
Ken Taylor, 2009

Phoenix – “Rome” (Neighbours/Devendra Banhart Remix)(via Pinglewood)

Taken By Trees – “My Boys”