I’ve been meaning to mention this one for days now, but Ryan finally reminded me last night: It’s Yewknee Summer Mix Series time again! Go check it out, there’s already like two-dozen mixes available!

Kaleb posted up a teaser track from the online Magnetic Fields tribute he pulled together. This first track is Brian Michael Roff’s take on “Torn Green Velvet Eyes” (and don’t forget, BMR’s new record Inventory just came out, too). Starting July 3rd, Kaleb’s gonna put up 2 new tracks per week, so keep a-checkin’ back.

Ordinarily, if I saw a writeup of a band that compared them to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Wolf Parade, and the Arcade Fire, I would just close the browser immediately.

That’s laying it on a little bit thick, don’t you think? I mean, come on…

But I didn’t close the browser, I listened to the mp3s, and I’ll tell you, one of the tracks I really like,
though it’s fairly loose + rough. Now, I’m not saying it lives up to those 3 NameDrop Bombs in the description, but still, pretty damn good. Anyway, the band I’m talking about is a group of kids from Victoria BC called The Paper Cranes, and the song you should go listen to is “I’ll Love You Til My Veins Explode”, and
it’s available right here, courtesy of Are You Familiar dot Blogspot.

Kaleb reminded me, in a roundabout way, about the expanded re-release of Chin Up Chin Up ’s s/t EP on Flameshovel. MP3:

::: For All The Tanning Salons In Texas :::

Absolutely Kosher is reporting that Okay will be doing a West-Coast tour in September, including a few dates with Xiu Xiu. Here’s a video for the song “Game”. And go check out High Road/Low Road if you haven’t already.

In non-music news, Paul Feig, of Freaks and Geeks “fame”, has a new book out called out Superstud : Or How I Became a 24-Year-Old Virgin (not to be confused with the upcoming Judd Apatow movie “The 40-Year Old Virgin“). And, he’s doing a book tour tour, if you’re into that sort of thing.

::: Wolf Parade - You Are A Runner And I Am My Father’s Son :::

Man, I’m slippin’. I don’t know how this one got by me, but it did (Pinder even pointed my unhealthy Destroyer obsession in reference to it): Back at the beginning of the month, Sixeyes posted the track “A Room Of One’s Own”, which is a duet between The Vancouver Nights’ Sara Lapsley and Destroyer’s Dan Bejar. It’s from the s/t album from The Vancouver Nights, out now on Endearing Records.

Hey, Stereogum’s got another New Pornographers track up.

And more with the Insound discount tips: they managed to get some jackass to spell out his favorite albums of the past 5 years, and they’re offering all of ‘em at 15% off through July 5th. Go check it.

I heard that starting today, Insound’s doing 25% off for all new customers. Now, 25% is pretty damn hefty, so swing in there and get that shit while you can. I know you may be thinking: “Damn, I’ve already got an account there…”. But I have a solution, in two words: Yo Moms. Just sign your mom up to order that Joy Division box set, then go pick it up from her house later.

And even if you don’t sign your mom up, you should probably at least call her. You never call anymore.

You can now preorder the upcoming The Hidden Cameras upcoming double-gatefold 7″, Learning The Lie, from Evil Evil. It’ll be out in late July and feature 4 4-track demos of songs from the upcoming full-length, Awoo, due out in Spring ‘06. Tracks:

Learning the Lie
Why I Understand
Lollipop
Death of a Tune

And just in case you’re keeping tabs on Canadian 7″ releases, don’t forget to mark down these Final Fantasy discs:

Out in July, on Escape Goat: Young Canadian Mothers:

This Is The Dream Of Emma & Cam (aka “Win & Regine” (new version))
The Sea (new version)
Spell For A Weak Heart
Peach, Plum, Pear

Out in July/August, on It’s A Disaster Records: The George Cedric Metcalf Foundation 7-inch:

What Do You Think Will Happen Next
Many Lives -> 49 MP
Honor The Dead, Or Else…!

Also, Subpop has begun pre-orders for the new Wolf Parade EP, but the sucky part is that you’ll have to pay more in shipping than you will for the actual disc itself…

For those with an inclination toward that Flaming Lips/Grandaddy/Sparklehorse territory, go ahead and download check out these tracks from Flotation Toy Warning. Their disc, Bluffer’s Guide To The Flight Deck came out on the UK’s Pointy Records, but Misra doing a US release.

::: Popstar Reaching Oblivion :::
::: Happy 13 :::
::: Fire Engine On Fire Pt. 2 :::

The new New Pornographers leaked.

I surprised myself my letting that Art Brut “Formed A Band” song worm it’s way into me skull.

If you like the Canadian Pop (as in the New Pornographers’ style, not the Arc*de F*re style), you might dig Novillero’s newest, Aim Right for the Holes in Their Lives.

::: The Hypothesist :::
::: Aptitude :::

The interweb continues to offer parting comments and recollections on the passing of Three Gut– Note Magpie’s great post, featuring fairly old live tracks from Jim (”Three Gut”) Guthrie, Royal City, and Gentleman Reg.

I don’t think Mazarin has released *anything* since 2001’s very-very-good A Tall-Tale Storyline, but whattya know, next month brings us a new Mazarin record, called We’re Already There, on I and Ear Records. Should be worth checking out.

Tim dug up the video for “I Turn My Camera On”. Go check it out.

And speaking of Spoon, here’s an item that you don’t see very often: Soft Effects on numbered vinyl. I had a bid in on that shit, but it got too rich for my blood.