On Craig Finn’s outstanding new solo album We All Want The Same Things Finn continues his stellar storytelling ways. But he also opens up his cloak a bit more, providing more personal notes and honest assessments of life in which turmoil is assayed and peace (as much as possible) is meted out. In the current morass, sometimes we just need some honesty and a bit of peace. On We All Want The Same Things Finn has delivered a masterful album on which God is in the details.

To get a better feel, watch below as Finn performs the album’s aching closing song Be Honest on The Current. Once again Finn delivers sheer poetry (full lyrics at bottom) with lines such as: “The lust burns off into handshakes and hugs,” and “If revolution’s really coming then we all need to be well, so maybe it’s best if we both take care of ourselves.” The performance is deft and heart-rending. Bravo!

Do yourselves a favor and buy-into We All Want The Same Things HERE.

Be Honest:

“Her body was an outpost for ideas that didn’t work
A nation failed and broken
Invaded and then burned
And the crumbles and the ashes that settled in her purse
Were the ruins of an empire and the people we once were

We were limping up towards Lake Street and she motioned towards the church
Said the hardest question thing they ask me is “Amanda does it hurt?”
‘Cause it’s not pain, it’s more like pressure on the edges of my eyes
I see scales and bloody feathers when I look into the lights

And my password is “be honest”
And my network is evolved
And I can’t guarantee I’ll pick up every time that you call

Ain’t it spooky when they all go away?
Ain’t it strange when they just disappear?
It really sucks getting sick on the bus
It’s even worse when the teenagers cheer
Ain’t it funny how we all get by?
But not the way that makes us laugh
The lust burns off into handshakes and hugs
In the end it comes down to the cash

I was calling from the carpark when they kicked in the door
They pulled the pistols from the holsters
Put the people on the floor
It’s not the fear, it’s the frustration
Getting sick of being scared
They pulled your princess to her feet
Made a handle from her hair

Spoon today released a new video for their smoking-hot track Hot Thoughts, which video features grainy vignettes from their recent SXSW gigs. Check it out below.

Spoon also announced dates for a co-headlining tour with the similarly-captivating Shins in the fall. Now that’s a dream double-bill to get on your radar screens. So far, the bands have announced they will play The Greek Theater in Berkeley on September 30th, San Diego’s Cal Coast Credit Union on October 1st, Phoenix’s Comerica Theater on October 3rd, and Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheater on October 5th. Here’s hoping for the addition of a Santa Barbara Bowl date.

Both bands have released superb new albums. Spoon will head out on its tour on April 18th in Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City, and The Shins will head out on April 20th in Raleigh, North Carolina.

After the Hot Thoughts video below, check out both bands’ tour dates.

And go buy Hot Thoughts HERE.

Spoon Tour Dates:

04/18 – Cuahuhtemoc, MX @ El Imperial
04/19 – Atizapan De Zaragoaza, MX @ Foro Indierocks
04/20 – Atizapan De Zaragoaza, MX @ Foro Indierocks
04/27 – Mobile, AL @ Soul Kitchen
04/28 – Oxford, MS @ The Lyric %
04/29 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Varsity Theatre %
05/01 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz Ybor %
05/02 – Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues %
05/03 – Athens, GA @ Georgia Theater %
05/05 – Charleston, SC @ Music Farm %
05/06 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel %
05/07 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz %
05/09 – Knoxville, TN @ The Mill & Mine %
05/11 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall %
05/12 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
06/17 – Berlin, DE @ Festaal Kreuzberg
06/18 – Mannheim, DE @ Maifeld Derby Festival
06/19 – Munich, DE @ Technikum
06/20 – Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefahrlich
06/22 – Oslo, NO @ Piknik i Parken
06/24 – Copenhagen, DK @ Amager Bio
06/25 – Ewjik, NL @ Down the Rabbit Hole
06/27 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
06/28 – Glasgow, UK @ The Arts School
06/30 – London, UK @ O2 Forum
07/02 – Arras, FR @ Main Square Festival
07/03 – Cologne, DE @ Gloria Theater
07/05 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie
07/06 – Bilbao, ES @ Bilbao BBK Live
07/07 – Madrid, ES @ Mad Cool Festival
07/08 – Lisbon, PT @ NOS Alive Festival
07/15 – Birmingham, AL @ Sloss Festival
07/16 – Louisville, KY @ Forecastle Festival
07/18 – Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre &
07/19 – Charlottesville, VA @ Sprint Pavilion &
07/21 – Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
07/22 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre &
07/23 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis &
07/25 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall #
07/26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE &
07/28 – New York, NY @ Panorama Festival
07/29 – Camden, NJ @ XPoNential Music Festival
07/30 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion ^*
08/01 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore #
08/03 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/06 – Hollywood, CA @ Hollywood Bowl ^
08/08 – Aspen, CO @ Belly Up Aspen
08/09 – Bellvue, CO @ Mishawaka Amphitheatre
08/27 – Portland, OR @ MusicFestNW Presents Project Pabst
08/28 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory +
08/30 – Edmonton, AB @ Winspear Centre +
08/31 – Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall +
09/02 – Vancouver, BC @ Malkin Bowl +
09/05 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory +
09/06 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot +
09/10 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theatre $
09/11 – Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium $
09/13 – Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater $
09/14 – Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theatre
09/15 – Saint Paul, MN @ Palace Theater $
09/16 – St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theater $
09/30 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theater !
10/01 – San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union !
10/03 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theater !
10/05 – Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheater !
10/17 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
10/20 – Columbia, SC @ Music Farm
10/21 – Jacksonville, FL @ Mavericks

% = w/ Tennis
& = w/ The New Pornographers
# = w/ Cherry Glazerr
^ = w/ Belle & Sebastian
* = w/ Andrew Bird
+ = w/ White Reaper
$ = w/ Twin Peaks
! = w/ The Shins

The Shins Tour Dates:

04/20 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
04/21 – Nashville, TN @ Vanderbilt University; Rites of Spring
04/22-23 – North Charleston, SC @ High Water Festival
05/13 – Saint Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live
05/14 – Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Music Festival
05/16 – Norfolk, VA @ The Norva
05/17 – Richmond, VA @ The National
05/19 – Saint Louis, MO @ The Pageant
05/20 – Council Bluffs, IA @ Harrah’s Hotel & Casino @ Stir Cove
05/21 – Moorhead, MN @ Bluestem Center for the Arts
05/23 – Edmonton, AB @ Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
05/24 – Calgary, AB @ McEwan Hall
05/27 – Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
05/28 – George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
05/29 – Boise, ID @ Summerfield at Memorial Stadium
06/01 – Kansas City, MO @ Midland Theatre
06/02 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bunbury Music Festival
06/03 – Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall
06/04 – Houston, TX @ FPSF
06/10 – Anchorage, AK @ Moose’s Tooth Pub
06/15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Prospect Park Bandshell
06/16 – Portland, ME @ Thompson’s Point
06/17 – Cooperstown, NY @ Brewery Ommegang
06/18 – Dover, DE @ Firefly Music Festival
06/21 – Troutdale, OR @ Edgefield
06/22 – Ogden, UT @ Ogden Amphitheatre
06/23 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas @ The Chelsea
06/25 – Pasadena, CA @ Arroyo Seco Weekend
07/05-09 – Winnipeg, MB @ Winnipeg Folk Fest
07/11 – Niagara Falls, NY @ Rapid Theater
07/12 – Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Bluesfest
07/28 – Oro-Medonte, ON @ WayHome Music & Arts Festival
07/29 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
07/30 – Burlington, VT @ Lake Champlain Maritime Festival
08/01 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE — Indoor
08/02 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
08/04-05 – Montreal, QC @ Osheaga Music Festival
08/06 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/13 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega
08/14 – Hamburg, DE @ Grobe Freiheit
08/15 – Berlin, DE @ Astra Kulturhaus
08/16 – Cologne, DE @ Live Music Hall
08/17-20 – Beacons, UK @ Green Man Music Festival
08/22 – Manchester, UK @ Academy
08/23 – Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
09/30 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theater ^
10/01 – San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union ^
10/03 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theater ^
10/05 – Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheater ^

Feist will at last return on April 28th with her new, highly-anticipated album, Pleasure. Feist has now revealed the second song (following Pleasure) entitled Century . The song was co-written with and features Pulp leader Jarvis Cocker. The song mines similar gritty ore as Pleasure, with continued intriguing vocals and a mathematical interlude from Cocker.  But oh those three repeated stanzas…magic right there. Listen below (lyrics at bottom).

Feist has also announced additional tour dates, including two-night stands in LA, Chicago, NYC, and more. Check the dates at bottom. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10 am.

Feist — 2017 Tour Dates
4/27 Toronto, ON Trinity St. Paul
4/30 Mexico, DF Teatro de la Ciudad
5/1 Mexico, DF Teatro de la Ciudad
5/2 Mexico, DF Teatro de la Ciudad
5/5 Los Angeles, CA Palace Theater
5/6 Los Angeles, CA Palace Theater
5/9 San Francisco, CA Fillmore
5/10 San Francisco, CA Fillmore
6/1 Boston, MA Sanders Theater at Harvard
6/2 Boston, MA Sanders Theater at Harvard
6/4 Toronto, ON Field Trip Music & Arts Festival
6/7 Washington, DC Lincoln Theater
6/10 New York, NY Town Hall
6/11 New York, NY Town Hall
6/14 Chicago, IL The Vic Theatre
6/15 Chicago, IL The Vic Theatre
6/17 Eau Claire, WI Eaux Claires Festival
6/30 Saskatoon, SK Saskatchewan Jazz Festival
7/2 Ottawa, ON Ottawa Jazz Festival
7/9 Winnipeg, MB Winnipeg Folk Festival
7/22 Wiesen, AT Out of the Woods Festival
8/4 Katowice, PL OFF Festival
8/5 Luhmühlen, GER A Summer’s Tale
8/10 Oslo, NO Oya Festival
8/11 Gothenburg, SE Way Out West Festival
8/12 Copenhagen, DK Haven Festival
8/14 Brussels, BE Brussels Summer Festival (Place des Paleis)
8/19 Winterthur, SWI Winterthurer Musicfestwochen

Century:

“I find my feelings
And guide them away
Could’nt have been easier
Like a tick in a day

Objection
Your marriage
Lighting the stage
I wanted feelings
Think got in my own way

Then wrote that letter
That had nothing to say
Still got your vision
Like a kingdom of days
Oh, lonely, or not lonely
Century away
But still that’s the vision
As if help’s on its way

Someone who will lead you to someone
Who will lead you to someone
Who will lead you to the one
At the end of the century

The air is clearer
A decade away
Singing to a market
That was empty all along
Oh, lonely, your marriage out of the way
She wanted feeling
But got in her own way

Someone who will lead you to someone
Who will lead you to someone
Who will lead you to the one
At the end of the century

Someone who will lead you to someone
Who will lead you to someone
Who will lead you to the one
At the end of the century

Someone who will lead you to someone
Who will lead you to someone
Who will lead you to the one
At the end of the century

A century
How long is that?
Three billion one hundred and fifty five million
Nine hundred and seventy three thousand six hundred seconds
Eight hundred and seventy six million hours
Or thirty six thousand five hundred days
Almost as long as one of those endless dark nights of the soul
Those nights never end
When you believe you’ll never see the sun rise again
And a single second feels like a century

A century
A century
A century
A century
A century
A century
A century
A century
A century”

Seth Meyers’ and Lefort’s literate-fave Craig Finn (The Holdsteady) appeared last night on Meyers’ Show with a big backing band (clarinet and flute included) and delivered God In Chicago (love that chorus–check out official video at bottom) and the autobiographical Preludes off his critically-acclaimed new solo album We All Want The Same Things on Partisan Records.

Check both performances below and go HERE to pick up Finn’s new album.

These are better times for talented female rappers. It’s taken a long time baby, but in addition to Britain’s fab Kate Tempest (watch her own tempestuous Tiny Desk Concert HERE), Chicago’s Noname is a serious word-force-of-nature. Aided and abetted by some chance encounters with Noname (first on Chance The Rapper’s Acid Rap and Donnie Trumpet’s/Chance’s Surf and then Chance’s subsequent Coloring Book), we strained for years to learn more of this eloquent and emotive rapper. Thankfully, last summer she revealed far more with her first mix-tape, the impressive and critically-acclaimed Telefone (centered around important phone conversations she’s had).

You can now check her out via her Tiny Desk Concert below. Though Noname (Fatimah Warner) evidently almost missed her Tiny Desk owing to illness, watch below as she fights through and delivers impressively and movingly throughout her set. Served well by bandmates Connor Baker (drums), Brian Sanborn (guitar), Phoelix (bass, vocals), and Akenya Seymour (piano, vocals), Noname tugs hard at the synapses and hearts of listeners. Yours truly anyway. Great stuff. Go forward and prosper.

Noname and band are out on tour. They’re playing the Observatory in Santa Ana this Friday and you can get tickets HERE. Other dates can be found HERE.

Telefone is available now on iTunes or via Spotify.

Feist is soon to deliver a brand new, highly-anticipated album Pleasure on April 28th. But she took time out to honor the late, great, fellow-Canadian Leonard Cohen at last night’s Juno Awards. Watch below as Feist is introduced by Prime Minister Trudeau (fils) and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau. Cohen would go on to win Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for his outstanding final album, You Want It Darker. Check out below (at the 2:40 mark) the gorgeous performance and harmonies with Snowblink’s Daniela Gesundheit and @shesingsseashells. Now THAT’S a great way to say goodbye.

We can go weeks without finding a new song that stands as our Song of the Week. But at other times it couldn’t be any easier. Take this week for example. Broken Social Scene delivered a masterful new song entitled Halfway Home from their first new album (release date unknown) in seven years. The song is a quintessential BSS anthem, but the band doesn’t just sit on their laurels here. They’ve elevated their songwriting, performing and production games to new levels. Halfway Home is easily our Song of the Week.

As leader Kevin Drew says at the song’s outset: “Turn it up!” 

Broken Social Scene yesterday released their first new song in seven years, Halfway Home. The song (easily our Song of the Week) is a powerful and propulsive resurrection of the band’s signature sounds, teamed with uplifting lyrics and resounding chorus. It’s been a long wait, but the new song is a tour de force return from this Canadian collective. As Drew says at song’s start: “Turn it up!!”

Leader Kevin Drew said this week in a SiriusXMU interview: “It’s been 17 years together as a band, and you just pick up where you left off. It’s always been that way. We’ve been working on this album on and off for the last year, and we thought that, since we’re an anthemic band, we wanted to bring the celebration with this first song. We wanted this to be unity, and we wanted this record to be all of us. And that’s what it is. At this time and in the state of the world as it is, the one thing we knew we could do is come back as friends. It was important for all of us to come together because it’s the only thing we can politically do at this moment in time.” Amen!

Last night the thirteen-member band (including four horns) took over Colbert’s Late Show studio and performed Halfway Home. The electrifying performance included band members Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, Andrew Whiteman, Charles Spearin, Sam Goldberg, Ariel Engle (purple jumpsuit), Metric’s Emily Haines (white jacket) and Jimmy Shaw, Stars’ Amy Millan (silver jacket) and Evan Cranley, David French, and Dave Hodge. The only person missing was Leslie Feist, who’s busy readying her own new album for release. Maybe next time.

On Colbert, the joyful interplay, first between Engle and Haines, and then between Engle and Millan, interlaced with the vocals and chants of Drew and Haines, is simply infectious. And that chorus!

Drew closed out the performance by reminding: “Friendship, ladies and gentlemen, friendship!” Indeed.

You can stream Halfway Home on Spotify – http://spoti.fi/2nRTwGS or download it on Apple Music – http://apple.co/2nmyeNU

By all accounts Lefort-faves Broken Social Scene have been toiling diligently on an impending new album, their first since 2010’s Forgiveness Rock Record and after a much-lamented (but seemingly necessary) hiatus. Moments ago the band introduced a new song entitled Halfway Home that will appear on the new album. The song is titled Halfway Home and it’s a quintessential BSS anthem featuring original members Feist(?) and Emily Haines(?), and horns and….wowwwww! This is what we’ve been waiting for! Halfway Home bodes incredibly well for the band’s new album. BSS will also appear on the Colbert Show tonight.  Don’t ya miss it.

As leader Kevin Drew says at the song’s outset: “Turn it up!” And watch ’em on Colbert tonight.

We discovered Hurray for the Riff Raff in 2014 with the release of their superb, much-lauded album Small Town Heroes. Thankfully the band (led by Puerto Rican-descent New Yorker Alynda Segarra) is back with its critically-acclaimed new album The Navigator on ATO Records. The album was superbly produced by Paul Butler. The songs were evidently “inspired by Segarra’s own journey from the South Bronx to the downtown punk scene and beyond, in search of her identity.” And you can hear that and more in these great new songs. Check out below three songs from the album: the ravishing protest of Rican Beach (deriding the gentrification of the South Bronx and the co-opting of Puerto Rican culture), the lamentable inhospitable life of Living In The City, and the official video for soul-searching track Hungry Ghost. And finally, check out Segarra’s solo performance of Living In The City on The Daily Show and NPR’s capture of the band’s vibrant set at SXSW.

The band is currently touring in Europe in support of the new album and will eventually make their way to the West Coast and California in June. Be there! Check out their tour dates HERE.

You can pick up The Navigator HERE.