Emily Haines is hot.

Saw and enjoyed Metric last Sunday, though I haven't bothered picking up their new CD. Very good live show though. Emily Haines is the perfect frontwoman--not steretypically hot but attractive, and very engaging with the crowd.

The openers at the Metric show were a pretty good Canadian band called The Most Serene Republic. They've got that "Canadian collective" vibe going...six members, somewhat experimental, and of course on the Arts and Crafts label. Think BSS but a little nerdier. The lead singer looked like the kind of guy who would be friends with Allen, because he's skinny and has a beard. Preview a track:

The Most Serene Republic / "Content Was Always My Favourite Colour"

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I make no apologies for liking Kasabian...partly because you can tell these guys are having a good time. Sometimes they sound like they're getting a little full of themselves, but then they say something which you can't help but love. Check out their interview/performance on KEXP. Good times.

Kasabian / "Club Foot"

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All the kids are talking about Wolf Parade, so I might as well post a track:

Wolf Parade / "Shine a Light"

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The Arcade Fire hint at the potential triteness of their next album. Using personal tragedy as inspiration for music: cool. Using national tragedy as inspiration for music: lame. But it'll probably be good anyway.

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Interesting article from Business Week about professional video game players.

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Cool idea: subway maps for your iPod photo. Too bad the guy who posted this got sued by the MTA.