The Minus Story have come a long way. Cf. this Delusions of Adequacy review, where the writer finishes by saying "On more of a positive note, the artwork and layout of the CD were done in a very professional manner." Moebius Syndrome, the group's second record, was certainly a challenging work. Electric guitars stagger and fall into the drums, twined voices wail. Like the Frog Eyes drowning, Modest Mouse after twenty years stranded in Siberia. There's a lot to explore, strange notes to learn to understand, yet I couldn't help but hope they would pull things together a little for their next LP. And here we are in 2004 - The Captain is Dead, Let The Drum Corpse Dance has been released on Jagjaguwar, and while the band's "Wall of Crap" sound is still clearly present, the pieces slip more coherently together. An expressionistic mess that hints at (or even points to) meaning: it's only as confused as your own shakingblinking mind.

The Minus Story - "It All Ends". This fractured track from Moebius Syndrome shows the band stepping down their familiar trail - a conventional indie-rock guitar in the middle, gnarled engines in the ditches, sharp&ugly bushes to either side. While the guitars sound a bit like Pinback, you'd never confuse Jordan Geiger's whine for Rob Crow's chant. Someone's crying for help, berating the clouds, tearing and scratching at canvas. It's sour and gnashing, but skillfully so. (And when it comes to the Moebius Syndrome artwork, Delusions of Adequacy is absolutely right. One of my favourite album covers of all time [and you may recognize some cough sympathetic imagery...])

The Minus Story - "Gravity Pulls". Like the bulk of The Captain Is Dead..., this is much easier to listen to than the above track: it's neither alienating nor even unpleasant. Backwards spinning guitars weave into a xylophone-dingling pop song, lyrics both desolate and warm. It's like a reassembled mirror; a dilapidated disco ball. There are shades of Olivia Tremor Control in the bustle, or even, by the time things really hit their stride (cue the choir!), the Flaming Lips. A gloomyjubilant hang-your-hat single.

The Diskettes - "Girl with Sunglasses". The Diskettes are on a cross-Canada tour from most-of-the-time home Montreal to some-of-the-time home Victoria. Go see them. This is a clip from their lofi debut (the follow-up's on the way) - an orangesegment of sweet and near-perfect pop: boygirl harmonies, vinyl strings, road sounds in the background, a photosnap of love's highs. The Diskettes make it look so very easy; behind bedroom recordings and muffled laughs, we can forget the sheer genius of Dave's tumbling vocal melody at the chorus. Over Emily's soft held note, he speeds giddily by: "I really wanna go outside / just find a place so we can hide." Gosh!

Slatch/Chromewaves broke the news this morning, and I confirmed it with the label this afternoon - Montreal's grandest band, The Arcade Fire, has signed to Merge. A 7" in June and a new LP in September. Colour me deliriously excited.

A fond farewell to The Rub.

Many, many thanks to those who contacted me about a gmail account. You deserve to have bands named after you.