img src= http://www.chromewaves.net/images/interface/20070814newPornographers.jpg title= The New Pornographers class= blogPhoto Everyone loved the first A href= http://www.thenewpornographers.com target= new title= TNP The New Pornographers /a record, a href= http://mintrecs.com/index.php?component=releases action=details id=33 artist=the_new_pornographers target= new title= Mass Romantic i Mass Romantic /i /a . Everyone who loved non-stop flume rides of power pop goodness, anyways. This is a statement of record. And even though the follow-up a href= http://mintrecs.com/index.php?component=releases action=details id=32 artist=the_new_pornographers target= new title= Electric Version i Electric Version /i /a was, for my money, just as good and just as monkey barrel-fun, some folks found reasons to say it was inferior to its predecessor. These people are wrong. br / br / But with their third record, 2005's a href= http://mintrecs.com/index.php?component=releases action=details id=31 artist=the_new_pornographers target= new title= Twin Cinema i Twin Cinema /i /a , they chose to mix up the recipe a little and schisms appeared in the Porno nation. While still bristling with hooks, i Cinema /i mixed up the tempos far more than the first two records and was a relatively more downbeat affair. Some interpreted this as the band stalling and failed the appreciate the beauty in those moments of calm. These people probably hoped that i Twin Cinema /i was an aberration and that with their fourth record, they'd return to their breakneck ways. Those people will be disappointed. br / br / A href= http://www.amazon.ca/Challengers-Digi-New-Pornographers/dp/B000TP5SFI/ref=sr_1_4/701-9114087-0241937?ie=UTF8 s=music qid=1186716678 sr=1-4 target= new title= Challengers i Challengers /i /a , out next Tuesday, not only finds the New Pornographers again hanging out on the calmer side of things but getting comfortable there. The production is less '70's electric guitars and synth-heavy, instead favouring textures and orchestration that far more '60s in origin. a href= http://www.nekocase.com target= new title= Neko Case Neko Case /A is again set to handling the more mid-tempo, melancholic tunes and while A href= http://www.myspace.com/destroyer target= new title= Destroyer Dan Bejar's /a contributions are still the perkiest and oddest on the record, even those are less madcap than his past offerings. br / br / But where i Challengers /i flags in the BPM department, it makes up for it in the melodies and the songwriting. It's slow and stately and almost regal-sounding and while it could probably stand to have just one or two more upbeat numbers, it's hard to criticize what did make the cut. There's no immediate standout single, no Letter From An Occupant , no Laws Have Changed - maybe not even a Bleeding Hearts Show but as a complete album it's a top effort that reinforces Carl Newman and company's position as one of the finest pop bands around. br / br / A href= http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12588681 target= new title= NPR vs TNP NPR /a has named Adventures in Solitude their song of the day and you can stream it there or listen to the whole album below, courtesy of MuchMusic. They kick off a href= http://www.billions.com/artists/newporno/ target= new title= New Pornographers on tour their Fall tour /a next month and stop in at the Phoenix in Toronto on October 21, and to confirm - this is the full band lineup, Dan and Neko included. br / br / Finally, courtesy of a href= http://www.lastgangrecords.com target= new title= Last Gang Last Gang Records /a , I've got a slew of New Pornography to give away. There's one grand prize consisting of a poster autographed by the whole band and a copy of i Challengers /i on CD and four runner-up prizes of just the CD. That's five chances to win! Six if you head over to the Last Gang website and enter their contest for a copy of the i Challengers /i executive edition. To enter the contest over here, email me at a href= mailto:contests AT chromewaves DOT net contests AT chromewaves DOT net /a with I want some new pornography in the subject line and your full name and mailing address in the body and if your entry makes it past my spam filters, you're entered in the draw. This contest will close at midnight, August 20 and is only open to residents of the Dominion of Canada. br / br / strong MP3: /strong A href= http://www.buyearlygetnow.com/mp3/the_new_pornographers_my_rights_versus_yours.mp3 title= My Rights Versus Yours The New Pornographers - My Rights Versus Yours /a br / strong MP3: /strong A href= http://www.buyearlygetnow.com/mp3/the_new_pornographers_myriad_harbour.mp3 title= Myriad Harbour The New Pornographers - Myriad Harbour /a br / strong Stream: /strong A href= http://www.muchmusic.com/music/firstspin/thenewpornographers/ target= new title= Challengers The New Pornographers / i Challengers /i /a br / strong MySpace: /strong A href= http://www.myspace.com/thenewpornographers target= new title= The New Pornographers The New Pornographers /a br / br / A href= http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/44821-patrick-wolf-scores-film-boosts-nudity-all-ages-shows target= new title= PF vs PAtrick Wolf Pitchfork /a rounds up what's going on with Mr A href= http://www.patrickwolf.com Target= new title= PW Patrick Wolf /a , now on the record as being pro-nudity. a href= http://www.chromewaves.net/concertPhotos.php?concertID=480 id=37 y=2007 title= Chromewaves vs Patrick Wolf In case we weren't sure /a . But good news about planning a (North?) American tour for this November. br / br / A href= http://laist.com/2007/08/10/laist_interview_29.php target= new title= LAist vs RK LAist /a talks to Blake Sennett of a href= http://www.rilokiley.com target= new title= Rilo Kiley Rilo Kiley /a . Their new one a href= http://search.insound.com/search/showrelease.jsp?from=90804 p=INS36941 target= new title= Under The Black Light i Under The Black Light /i /a is out next week and I'm sorry to have to report that it's not very good. The lead off track, which you can stream below, is great but the rest of it? Eh. More on that at a later date. They're at the Phoenix on September 18. br / br / strong Stream: /strong A href= http://streamos.wbr.com/qtime/wbr/rilokiley/audio/rk_001_silver-lining_128.mov target= new title= Silver Lining Rilo Kiley - Silver Lining (QuickTime) /a br / br / Some show announcements - a href= http://www.ironandwine.com target= new title= Iron Wine Iron Wine /a is at the Danforth Music Hall on September 25, the very day of A href= http://search.insound.com/search/showrelease.jsp?fro=90804 p=INS37220 target= new title= The Shepherd's Dog i The Shepherd's Dog /i 's /a release. Vancouver synth-poppers A href= http://www.bellamusic.org/ target= new title= Bella Bella /a have two dates coming up in Toronto - October 23 at the Horseshoe (that's a New Music Tuesday which means free) and October 28 at the Drake Underground. Their new record a href= http://mintrecs.com/index.php?component=releases action=details id=115 artist=bella target= new title= No One Will Know i No One Will Know /i /a is out September 18. Los Angeles' A href= http://www.seawolfmusic.com target= new title= Sea Wolf Sea Wolf /a returns for a show at the El Mocambo on November 9 to promote their debut full-length i Leaves In The River /i out September 25 and finally, a href= http://www.caribou.fm/ target= new title= CAribou Caribou /a have a date at the Opera House on November 10, which should console those who didn't get tickets to their secret show at the Rivoli on September 30. a href= http://search.insound.com/search/showrelease.jsp?from=90804 p=INS36773 target= new title= Andorra i Andorra /i /a is out August 21. And finally, a href= http://www.theacorn.ca/ target= new title= The Acorn The Acorn /a will be at The Horseshoe on November 24 - it stands to reason that there'll be an earlier date with the a href= http://www.exclaim.ca/grantswhiskytour/ target= new title= Wood, Wires Whiskey Wood, Wires Whiskey tour /a with a href= http://www.elliottbrood.ca/ target= new title= Elliott Brood Elliott Brood /a and A href= http://www.plantsandanimals.ca/ target= new title= Plants Animals Plants Animals /a - there's a five day gap in the schedule between Ottawa and London - but I guess nothing's official there yet. i Glory Hope Mountain /i is out September 25. br / br / strong MP3: /strong A href= http://www.subpop.com/assets/audio/3458.mp3 title= Boy With A Coin Iron Wine - Boy With A Coin /a br / strong MP3: /strong A href= http://www.mintrecs.com/mp3/Give_it_a_Night.mp3 title= Give It A Night Bella - Give It A Night /a br / strong MP3: /strong A href= http://toolshed.biz/asset/resource/6688/101_Melody_Day.mp3 title= Melody Day Caribou - Melody Day /a br / Strong Video: /strong A href= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QklfmJ4vfLs target= new title= Melody Day Caribou - Melody Day (YouTube) /a br / strong MP3: /strong A href= http://www.chromewaves.net/mp3/Acorn-FloodPt1.mp3 title= Flood Pt 1 The Acorn - Flood Pt 1 /a ...read full story