Mavericks, Ottawa
Il Motore, Montreal
Tranzac Club, Toronto
E-Bar, Guelph
Human Highway announce first-ever Canadian dates
Human Highway hit the road! If there anyone feared that the collaboration between Jim Guthrie and Nick Thorburn was going to begin and end with Moody Motorcycle, rest easy. In December the duo will bring their melancholy melodies and happy hooks to the stage spanning four shows in Canada. They'll hit Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Guelph. Check the shows section for more details; these are likely to sell out!
Miracle Fortress out on international adventure
Miracle Fortress are off on a quick international adventure. They're the third consecutive band to make the trek out to Iceland for the excellent annual Airwaves festival, and will be playing a showcase tomorrow night in Reykjavik. Then it's off to London for what are sure to be two packed shows. If you're on either island, check 'em out!
Patrick Watson to play two intimate shows at Pop Montreal
Secret City's first ever release, Patrick Watson's Close to Paradise, first hit Canadian shelves two years ago today, so all the more fitting that we come to you with some exciting recording news about the band. After two years of non-stop touring, the boys are finally in recording mode again. They're currently knee-deep in microphones at Breakglass Studios in Montreal, recording their much-anticipated follow-up to Close to Paradise.
They'll be taking a break from studio time (but not recording) however, to play two intimate shows during Pop Montreal at l'Église St-Jean-Baptiste Chapel on October 1st and 2nd. Spaces are extremely limited, and it should get pretty interesting in there...
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On that note, if you're looking for an advance scoop on this kind of thing, make sure and sign up for the new-and-improved Secret City newsletter. We'll be doing a lot of interesting things with it in the coming months. The sign-up field is over in the right column.
Plants and Animals fall tour underway
After a packed sold-out kickstart last week at the Horseshoe in Toronto (check out a quick review and some great pics here), Plants and Animals fall tour begins in earnest tonight in Wakefield. To celebrate, Parc Avenue is going for cheap at the iTunes store as Album of the Week. If you don't have it already, pick it up!
The band will be making a short stop in Toronto over the weekend for Monday's Polaris Prize gala. Secret City wants to wish them the best of luck, and is sorry that they've had to answer so many questions about the young label's history with the even younger prize. Such is the territory!
Plants and Animals on Pitchfork.TV
When Plants and Animals were down in New York earlier this summer for a show at the Mercury Lounge, they spent an afternoon on a rooftop in Manhattan playin' some tunes. If you haven't checked out Pitchfork.Tv's rad show "Don't Look Down," now's your chance ... P&A are the featured band today, with live performances of Faerie Dance, Bye Bye, New Kind of Love and Lola Who?
Plants and Animals announce North American fall dates
Folks dig the P&A. It's been a big year for the trio, and the last quarter of it isn't about to get quieter. The band caps off their summer tour this weekend with a couple Quebec shows. The first in Quebec City on Friday, and then at the FME festvial in Rouyn-Noranda on Saturday. And then the fall tour starts a couple weeks later and doesn't let up until Halloween.
September will see them in Toronto a whole bunch, starting with a big show at the Horseshoe Tavern on the 18th, as well as the big Polaris Gala on the 29th, when the prize (which they're up for) will be handed out. After a few other Ontario stops, the band will hit the road with Born Ruffians for a massive tour that will take them out to Vancouver, down to LA, across to Texas and back up to New York. Check the show dates for the nitty-gritty.
Miracle Fortress to play September dates
Little known fact: the evolved Miracle Fortress live show is the best kept secret of the Canadian indie touring circuit. Anyone who has seen the foursome over the past month or two knows that this band means business on stage. Fortunately for a bunch of you, they've be hitting a smattering of U.S. towns on the East Coast in September to win over your hearts. There's also one big final hometown show in Montreal at La Tulipe before Graham and co. hunker down to record the follow-up to Five Roses in earnest... Details in the shows section!
Moody Motorcycle is out today!
The wait is over. Human Highway's Moody Motorcycle is out today across North America in quality record shops, on iTunes, and via mail-order directly from us.
Plants and Animals to play free show at the Montreal Apple store
Plants and Animals are home for an extended rest after a busy summer of touring, and an even busier fall lined-up (more on that soon...). Before they kick up their feet, though, they'll be busting out one more summer set, this time indoors, at the newly opened Montreal Apple Store. The show is tomorrow (August 19th) at 8:00pm, and is entirely free; first come, first in.
Moody Motorcycle streaming in its entirety on Myspace...
Yup, that's right. If you've been revving to hear more swoony sweetness from Human Highway, look no further. The album is currently streaming in its entirety on the band's Myspace page.
It'll be in stores across Canada next week, and as always, you can pre-order the thing directly from us, too.
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