The release of a substandard recording is usually reason enough to skip the show promoting it. Yet even though Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! (Epitaph) is far from Nick Cave’s finest work, he at least knows it and will approach the upcoming tour as an opportunity for redemption. So while the studio versions of the new tunes might not seem like grabbers, count on Cave and the Bad Seeds to pull out all the stops to convince you otherwise at the Kool Haus Wednesday (October 1). 416-870-8000.
Innovative new wave threat Devo never really made it beyond novelty status, but that didn’t stop Japan’s jerky Polysics from biting Devo’s cartoony concept, right down to the robotic moves, “futuristic” jumpsuits and eyewear. It sounds crazy, but Polysics appear to be having fun, and it should be interesting to see if they can bring back the pogo craze to the Horseshoe November 5. 416-870-8000.
Over the past year, Hercules and Love Affair have led the charge away from chainsaw synths and distorted beats toward classic romantic house music, reworking disco roots into something much more magical and arresting than we expect from dance-floor fodder. After a series of DJ appearances, mainman Andy Butler is finally bringing the full live band to town October 18 at the Opera House (735 Queen East). 416-870-8000.
The announcement that sideman-to-the-stars Jason Wilson is putting on a two-night record release party to launch his new disc, The Peacemaker’s Chauffer, might not seem like such a big deal to anyone but fans of his old band, Tabarruk, but there’s good reason to celebrate. It’s not just because the album Wilson has been recording for four years is finally done and involves contributions from Jamaican guitar great Ernest Ranglin and legendary James Brown saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis, but that he somehow managed to get both of them to perform with him onstage at Hugh’s Room Thursday and Friday (September 25 and 26). 416-531-6604.
The Big Bang tour promises a lot of bang for your buck, with appearances by UK soul revisionist and techno maverick Jamie Lidell (whose NXNE appearance was one of the highlights of the festival), Montreal electro-funksters Chromeo (who kicked ass at the Rogers Picnic this summer) and blog-house bigwig Calvin Harris (whose collaboration with Dizzee Rascal finally sent the rapper to number one in the UK with Dance Wiv Me), among others. The tour touches down at Muzik (15 Saskatchewan) October 9. 416-870-8000.
In the 17 years since My Bloody Valentine‘s seminal shoegazer masterpiece, Loveless, was released, their legend and mythology has continued to grow, making their reunion tour one of the most anticipated events of the year. The long-promised third album is still the indie rock Chinese Democracy, which means it’s anyone’s guess if it will ever actually come out. But early reviews of the reunion shows have been promising. Bring your earplugs if you’re going to brave MBV’s historic Toronto debut tonight (Thursday, September 25) at Kool Haus (132 Queens Quay East). 416-870-8000.
