Broken Social Scene: free MP3 and new album details

Excellent news ahoy: Canadian collective Broken Social Scene will release the long-awaited follow up to 2005's superlative self-titled LP in May. Titled Forgiveness Rock Record, the album is produced by John McEntire of Tortoise and The Sea and Cake - a possibly significant development, seeing that previous producer David Newfeld was regarded as such an integral factor in the sprawling, textured soundscapes of the Scene's previous two albums. Forgiveness Rock Record will be released May 3rd on City Slang/Cooperative Music.

Meanwhile, the first taster of the album has been made available as a free download. The 7-minute long 'World Sick' is a bit tame, if we're honest, a bit safe, but you know...keep the faith. See what you think, visit here for the MP3:

http://www.brokensocialscene.ca/

Dinosaur Jr and Built To Spill double-bills in Galway and Dublin

As far as double-bills go, beat this. Alt-rock legends Dinosaur Jr and Built To Spill are teaming up for a joint tour, which will include dates in Galway's Black Box and Dublin's Vicar Street. It's quite the coup for Galway, as is the fact that Mark Lanegan will be returning to play Roisin Dubh in April after his well-received gig there last year with Greg Dulli.

Dinosaur Jr + Built to Spill, Black Box: May 10
Vicar Street: May 11

Mark Lanegan, Rosin Dubh, April 30

Here's a classic clip of Dinosaur in their prime, taken from the superb film The Year That Punk Broke:

CODES bring Delays along for Irish tour

It's onwards and upwards for CODES, who recently played at the Next Big Thing Festival in London. They'll kick off a short Irish tour on Wednesday night, and support is being provided by Southampton synth/jangle-popsters Delays. Delays are regarded by many as one of the more underappreciated English guitar bands of recent times, although in time-honoured indie tradition I prefer their earlier stuff: debut album Faded Seaside Glamour featured some sublime, harmony-laden, La's-influenced pop songs such as 'Long Time Coming' and 'Nearer Than Heaven', while the synth-pop direction they took afterwards resulted in gradually diminishing returns. Regardless, they certainly have enough top-notch material for a killer support set, that's for sure.

After shows in Belfast, Cork, Galway and Dublin, CODES will then turn their attention to the Choice Music Prize: having been shortlisted for the prestigious award, they'll be performing on the night of the ceremony (March 3rd).

The band have also released 'In Algebra', the title track of sorts to last year's acclaimed debut album, as a single - it's available now from iTunes, 7Digital and Tower Records.

CODES tour dates:

24 Feb 2010 The Limelight Belfast, Northern Ireland
25 Feb 2010 The Roisín Dubh Galway
26 Feb 2010 Cyprus Ave Cork
27 Feb 2010 The Academy Dublin
3 Mar 2010 Choice Music Prize 2010 - Vicar Street Dublin

A Sunny Day In Glasgow for Whelan's

Apparently they played to 12 people last time they were in Whelan's. If the brilliance of last year's Ashes Grammar LP - a suite of MBV/Cocteau-styled dream-pop that was by turns disorientating and blissfully soothing - is anything to go by, A Sunny Day In Glasgow will be pulling in a much bigger audience this time around. They'll be playing the venue on May 18th.

YACHT to support LCD Soundsytem at Tripod

As if the prospect of LCD Soundsystem wasn't exciting enough, DFA labelmates YACHT will be on support duties at the two sold-out Tripod shows coming up in May. YACHT released one of this blog's favourite albums from last year, See Mystery Lights, a record of bouncy, playful grooves and spiritual undertones (check 'The Afterlife' or the gospel-tinged opening track).

Primavera line-up grows in awesomeness

I've been going through the line-up for the Primavera Sound festival (May 27 - 29), and it's actually enough to make your head explode with the sheer volume of great bands playing in the Parc Del Forum in Barcelona. A heap of new acts were announced last week:

Broken Social Scene, Beach House, Les Savy Fav, Diplo, Pet Shop Boys, Sunny Day Real Estate, Titus Andronicus, the Almighty Defenders, Surfer Blood, Best Coast, the Field, the Books, a Sunny Day in Glasgow, Owen Pallett, Matt and Kim, Sleigh Bells, Florence and the Machine, CocoRosie, the Slits, Gary Numan, Scout Niblett, Moderat, Marc Almond, the Smith Westerns, The Charlatans, The Drums.

That's added to an already mouthwatering list of acts that includes the reformed Pavement and the Pixies.

Full line-up and other details available here: http://www.primaverasound.com/ps.php?seccion=home&idioma=en

New Young Pony Club to play Tripod

13 March is the date as the rather excellent New Young Pony Club come to Dublin - the same month will see the release of their second LP, The Optimist. The five-piece seemed to bear the brunt of a 'nu-rave' backlash to a certain extent when their debut, Fantastic Playroom, was released. Which was a shame, because 24-carat tunes like 'Ice Cream' and 'The Get Go' deserved to be acclaimed as the works of sleek pop genius that they were.

NYPC were one of the first bands of the Friday evening at Electric Picnic a couple of years back, and got the party started to such superb effect that I'm not sure they were bettered all weekend. My Bloody Valentine were playing that weekend, people. This one is not to be missed.