img src= http://www.chromewaves.net/images/interface/20070803okkervilRiver.jpg title= Okkervil River class= blogPhoto So I'm still trying to get on some sort of schedule after losing the weekend to Hillside, so no great meme to today's post. Just some link clearing as I try to crawl into the long weekend. And while normally I'd be thrilled about having Monday off - and I am, don't get me wrong - I'm also a bit frustrated because that means one day that I won't be getting mail delivery and thus one day that my copy of a href= Http://www.okkervilriver.com target= new title= Okkervil River Okkervil River's /a a href= http://search.insound.com/search/showrelease.jsp?p=INS36265 target= new title= The Stage Names i The Stage Names /i /a remains in some sweltering Canada Post warehouse and not in my CD player (unless, of course, it shows up today in which case I shall be as happy as a little girl). br / br / The album is officially out on Tuesday and technically, I - and you - can hear it right now, as the band is streaming the whole thing off their A href= http://www.myspace.com/okkervilriver target= new title= OR @ MySpace MySpace /a but that's not how I want to hear the record, one of two that had the inside track on January 1 for title of album of the year , for the first time. I want that thing busting out my speakers like the Kool-Aid Man. Oh yeah. But just because I'm all picky about that stuff doesn't mean you should be - go listen now to an album that a href= http://www.eyeweekly.com/eye/issue/issue_08.02.07/music/ondisc_1.php target= new title= eye vs OR i eye /i /a just gave five out of five to. Or join me in my mailbox vigil over the weekend with the one officially-released MP3 on repeat. They're in town at Lee's Palace on September 21 and then in Hamilton at the Pepper Jack Cafe on September 22. See you at both. br / br / strong MP3: /strong A href= http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/ourlifeisnot.mp3 title= Our Life Is Not A Movie Or br / Maybe Okkervil River - Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe /a br / strong Stream: /strong A href= http://www.myspace.com/okkervilriver target= new title= The Stage Names Okkervil River / i The Stage Names /i /a br / br / Mr a href= http://www.jasonisbell.com target= new title= Jason Isbell Jason Isbell /a has been getting a lot of press while on tour for A href= http://www.amazon.ca/Sirens-Ditch-Jason-Isbell/dp/B000QUU2UW/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/701-3474383-2029111?ie=UTF8 s=music qid=1184117833 sr=8-1 target= new title= Sirens Of The Ditch i Sirens Of The Ditch /i /a - witness interviews with A href= http://www.straight.com/article-102979/ex-trucker-isbell-heeds-the-siren-call-of-the-ditch target= new title= Georgia Straight vs Jason Isbell i The Georgia Straight /i /a , A href= http://www.seattleweekly.com/2007-08-01/music/former-trucker-jason-isbell-navigates-rocky-roads-in-search-of-his-own-voice.php target= new title= Seattle Weekly vs Jason Isbell i Seattle Weekly /i /a , a href= http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Content?oid=381665 category=32741 target= new title= Portland Mercury vs JAson Isbell i The Portland Mercury /i /a and A href= http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/ent_index/194225 target= new title= Arizona Star vs Jason Isbell i The Arizona Star /i /a . And yes, they almost all certainly cover the same ground. What can you do. br / br / A href= http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/arts/story.html?id=9c63ca4a-643d-4ac9-96fc-4b1bb0bb9665 target= new title= Vancouver Sun vs Ryan Adams i The Vancouver Sun /i /a talks to a href= http://www.ryan-adams.com target= new title= Ryan Adams Ryan Adams /a and finds him rambling -- and at times, incoherent . Good ol' Ryan - still crazy. A href= http://blogs.westword.com/backbeat/2007/08/ryan_adams_isnt_taking_it_easy.php target= new title= Westword vs Ryan Adams i Westword /i /a also has an extensive interview. br / br / Tunde Adebimpe tells A href= http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07214/806092-388.stm target= new title= Post-Gazette vs TVOTR i The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette /i /a the long and winding story of a href= Http://www.tvontheradio.com target= new title= TVOTR TV On The Radio /a . br / br / A href= http://www.theage.com.au/news/music/going-gaga-for-spoon/2007/08/02/1185648016760.html target= new title= The Age vs Spoon i The Age /i /a chats with Britt Daniel of A href= http://www.spoontheband.com target= new title= Spoon Spoon /a . br / br / a href= http://www.roguewavemusic.com target= new title= Rogue Wave Rogue Wave /a will be at the Mod Club on October 26 in support of their new record i Asleep At Heaven's Gate /i , out September 18. br / br / A couple of high-profile Canadian bands are trying novel new ways to combat pre-release leaks of their upcoming albums. A href= http://www.arts-crafts.ca/stars target= new title= Stars Stars' /a Torquil Campbell discusses with a href= http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1565749/20070727/id_0.jhtml target= new title= MTV vs Stars MTV /a their decision to release their new record a href= http://search.insound.com/search/showrelease.jsp?from=90804 p=INS36997 target= new title= In Our Bedroom After The War i In Our Bedroom After The War /i /a two and a half months before the CD release date of September 25. There's also an EPK movie available to watch below. br / br / strong Video: /strong A href= http://brokentelephone.ca/videos/quicktime/stars-epk.mov target= new title= Stars EPK Stars / i In Our Bedroom After The War /i electronic press kit /a br / br / A href= http://www.thenewpornographers.com target= new title= TNP The New Pornographers /a , on the other hand, opted to give fans who pre-ordered a href= http://www.buyearlygetnow.com target= new title= Challengers i Challengers /i /a before its street date of August 21 access to a stream of the album and a slew of bonus materials including some non-album MP3s. That was the carrot - Carl Newman tells a href= http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2007/07/30/4380489-cp.html target= new title= JAM vs TNP JAM /a about having to wield the stick when some of those bonus MP3s began appearing on blogs. Congratulations, by the way, to Newman who's getting hitched this weekend. The New Pornographers are at the Phoenix on October 21. br / br / And while on the subject of leaks, a href= http://www.spin.com/features/magazine/2007/07/0708_leak/ target= new title= Spin vs leaks i Spin /i /a has an interesting piece on just where, when and how albums leak to the internet. Via a href= http://idolator.com/tunes/magazines/we-want-a-leak-team-of-our-own-for-christmas-284950.php target= new title= Idolator vs leaks Idolator /A . br / br / A href= http://www.thespacelab.tv/spaceLAB/2007/08August/MusicNews-01-VIDEO-SecretlyCanadianFeature.htm target= new title= Spacelab vs Secretly Canadian SpaceLab /a profiles indie label a href= http://www.secretlycanadian.com target= new title= Secretly Canadian Secretly Canadian /a as well as sister labels a href= http://www.jagjaguwar.com target= new title= Jagjaguwar Jagjaguwar /a and A href= http://www.deadoceans.com/ target=new title= Dead Ocean Dead Oceans /a . br / br / And finally, thanks to a href= http://www.muzzleofbee.com target= neW title= MoB Muzzle Of Bees /a for tipping me off that registration for a href= http://2008.sxsw.com/music/ target= new title= SxSW SxSW 2008 /a is open - and I'm already registered and have a hotel booked. Sure, it's seven months early but it's not going to get any cheaper. I'm going whole hog next year - badge, downtown hotel, swag bag, the whole nine yards. Past years I've tried to do it on the cheap and it's just never been all that cheap and certainly not worth the stress. So it might be costing me a few bucks more, but come next March you WON'T see me begging anyone for a wristband. For a change. ...read full story