TGIM-W

Unusually, most of the good bookings for shoe-shufflings this week are happening from Monday to Wednesday rather than over the weekend. To wit, Massachusetts’ fantastic synthpop five-piece Passion Pit hit le National Monday, July 12, with Toronto’s ever-enjoyable Woodhands. Passion Pit’s unpretentious, unabashed pop pairs heartfelt falsetto wailings and screwy synth lines with easy beats, the odd bit of brass and catchy keys to create such delights as “To Kingdom Come.” If you can listen to that tune and not want to run out on your balcony and serenade the neighbourhood, you, my friend, have a heart black as charcoal. Keep in mind that they’ll also be doing after-show DJ sets at Blizzarts that same night.

When last we spoke in April, Caribou mastermind Dan Snaith explained to me how his latest album, Swim—for my money, 2010’s best record thus far—was the product of extensive club experimentation. He repeatedly tested the tracks in his DJ sets as he tweaked and developed them to ensure a fully kinetic sound on the disc. Given this, one would be well advised to attend Snaith’s upcoming DJ set, Tuesday, July 13, at Jupiter Room.

Strange, psychedelic, electronic cacophonies are emanating from Edmonton, and this summer they will blast forth across the continent in a continuous travelling dance party. I refer to Cecil Frena aka Gobble Gobble’s Mobile Rave Infinitour, which includes dates in about a zillion cities and towns, delivered everywhere from concert halls to basements to parks to street corners thanks to a portable P.A. The music is a ramshackle garble of chip tweets, driving beats, squealing synths, hooting vocals and the like. The first Montreal date on the Infinitour is Wednesday, July 14, at Playhouse, and he’ll be back for Pop Montreal in September.

PHASE SHIFT! jack.oatmon@gmail.com