Mixylodian - "Make Me". For his debut LP, Mike Wray has reined in Mixylodian's maximalism. He surveys his resources like he is in a stables, admiring the reindeer. Finally one gets saddled up, dressed in silver, clap-flat horsehoes on the hooves. For "Make Me", Wray lets someone else sing his words. He doesn't need them; he has everything else. This is synth-pop without irony, without cutesy, straight as a trail. The solos are knots pulled tight. The final racket is note-perfect, gorgeous unglued, hammered out gold. A song to pin up over your bed.

[buy Wild In Church / MySpace / the album is formally released this Saturday, at Montreal's Divan Orange, as part of a gobsmacking line-up: Eleanor Thompson (aka Caila from Shapes & Sizes/Think About Life), Cotton Mouth, Jessie Stein (of the Luyas) solo, and Mixylodian. Tickets are only $5 in advance, $10 at the door. / See Mixylodian also at Toronto's The Boat, May 4; and London's EVAC, May 9.]


Reiko Kudo - "Mihoko". Put away the snow and the rain. Put away the sun. Give me your hand. Come closer. Don't start. I will.

[buy]

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Elsewhere:

The Plug Five is a new non-profit mailing list that raises money to clear landmines by giving you hotttt musical tippps. Musicians and journalists (like me) recommend bands and albums, while canvassing for the Mines Advisory Group. Issue 01, to be released this Friday, includes recs from Woods, Hawk and a Hacksaw and King Creosote. There's no website - the only way to keep up to date is by registering for the mailing list. It's a very good cause.

This weekend is Montreal's Portes Ouvertes. Dozens of designers, architects and fashion studios open their doors to show the public their work, and their work-spaces. It's a great chance to learn about the process of Montreal's best design, as well as some of the city's hidden treasures. Nightlife Magazine commissioned me for an itinerary of some of my picks, and I'm looking forward to exploring on Saturday and Sunday. Highlights include a look into the studio of Sid Lee collective, responsible for the new STM/Metro redesign, a collection of vintage matchbooks at Dynamo, and a really exciting podcast audio-tour, looking at drones & hidden noises in the subway system. See my itinerary (with map) here, or make your own.

(photo of Frances Densmore and Mountain Chief)