The gorgeously-shot video for “Time of the Assassins”, Charlotte Gainsbourg’s third single off IRM, revisits the wilderness that Gainsbourg’s character explored in her twisted film Antichrist.

But instead of Antichrist’s talking demonic foxes and female genital mutilation we see serene shots of the meadows, forest and water with Charlotte defying the laws of gravity thanks to some cool special effects.

The song itself is definitely one of the stand-outs of the album, with its sublime, dream-like melody and a dark lyrical edge.

I’ll admit it: I’m a sucker for films that celebrate the joys of connecting with other people through music. Even the particularly dreadful ones (Pirate Radio, Across the Universe) I’ll enjoy on some level.

For instance, the sickingly sentimental Pirate Radio was almost worth the two hours of my life I gave up for one of the final scenes where a stoner radio DJ risks drowning inside a sinking ship (spoiler alert!) because he stubbornly refuses to leave behind his prized record collection.

In 2006 I was excited to see acclaimed filmmaker Michael Winterbottom’s 9 Songs, a film that centered around the tumultuous love affair of two young music nerds living in London, as they hop from show to show.

Combining live concert footage with provocative sexual scenes, the film was pretty much just scene upon scene of hardcore porn and concert performances filmed with a shakey camera. And all of that would be forgiveable if the film wasn’t an utter bore.

Then in 2008, I saw Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film follows two young music fans in New York City as they spend all night trying to find the location of a secret show from their favourite band.

Despite the fact that the film’s two leads and the source material (it was adapted from the young adult novel of the same name) showed promise, the film was a total disappointment.

Now, another film is set to tell the now familiar story of a young couple going to a show and falling in love. Only this time, I’m pretty sure it can’t go wrong.

This Movie Is Broken is the half concert film, half fictional love story of two 20-something’s spending one incredible last night together as they try to find their way into an outdoor Broken Social Scene bash.

Directed by Bruce McDonald (Hard Core Logo) and written by Don McKellar (Last Night, Blindness), the film premiered to great reviews at SXSW back in March, so here’s hoping it won’t disappoint. 

Here’s the studio’s synopsis of the film:

Unbelievable! Bruno (Greg Calderone) wakes up in bed next to Caroline (Georgina Reilly), his long time crush. But tomorrow she’s off for school in France, and maybe she only granted this miracle as a parting gift for her long time friend. So tonight — tonight is Bruno’s last chance. And tonight, as it happens, Broken Social Scene, her favourite band, is throwing a big outdoor bash. Maybe if Bruno, with the help of his best pal Blake (Kerr Hewitt), can score tickets and give Caroline a night to remember, he can keep this miracle alive.

This Movie Is Broken will be released on June 25th in Canada, but before that, the film will premiere as part of the film component of NXNE 2010, held June 14 to 20.

Sorry Americans, no word yet on when the film will be released in your backyard. Consider this payback for the fact that we can’t access Hulu in Canada.

Here’s another highlight from the May edition of My Liner Notes Presents… at Sky Blue Sky Sandwiches, perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon. This is Lowlands performing “I Hope They Treat You Well”.

Thank you to everyone who came out last night for our May installment of My Liner Notes Presents…, where Lowlands played an incredible, stripped-down set of their gritty folk-rock tunes.

We knew things were on the right track when we started getting noise complaints from Joon’s Kitchen downstairs that the band was “stomping too much”.

One of the night’s highlights came from Lowlands’ haunting cover of Timber Timbre’s “Oh Messiah”, which sort of left us all speechless.

Just a reminder to all the Torontonians reading this: join us at 7 pm tonight at Sky Blue Sky Sandwiches (605 Bloor St. West) for My Liner Notes Presents… Lowlands. Here’s another Southern Souls/Lowlands performance, “I Hope They Treat You Well”.

The model-turned-singer career path has been a relatively inconsistent one. For every Nico or Carla Bruni success story there are at least a dozen Cassie or Tila Tequila disasters (although, let’s be honest: Tila Tequila is more of a crazed sexpot-alien than a model).

Fortunately, this is not the case with supermodel/Mrs. Jack White, Karen Elson. After marrying the White Stripes frontman in 2005 (the two met on the set of the “Blue Orchid” video shoot), it only makes sense that Elson would further pursue her passion in music, first with her cabaret troupe The Citizens Band, and later joining Cat Power on the English cover of the Serge Gainsbourg/Jane Birkin duet, “Je t’aime… moi non plus”.

Next Tuesday Elson will release her debut album, The Ghost Who Walks, on White’s own Third Man Records. And while it’s clear she has the advantage of having one of the most brilliant minds in rock backing her up on production and drums, Elson proves she can hold her own.

Her delicate, yet gorgeous vocals soar atop these lonesome melodies, which serve as hillside lullabyes for lonely. Elson also shows off her songwriting chops, with all but one of the album’s tracks written entirely by her.

The album’s title track, “The Ghost Who Walks”, is a haunting acoustic performance recorded live at Third Man Records in Nashville.

Elson is now on the road for a short tour. She’ll play Toronto’s El Mocambo on June 16, but we’ll catch her opening set for the Grizzly Bear and Band of Horses show in Brooklyn on June 20.

Since their self-titled debut dropped on Sup Pop last month, Long Beach, California’s Avi Buffalo has been in heavy rotation here at My Liner Notes.

The four-piece’s refreshingly laid-back brand of psychedelic folk-pop is the perfect soundtrack to a hot summer night.

The frail, Neil Young-esque quality of frontman Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg vocals may seem halfway between The Shins’ James Mercer and Woods’ Brad Cohen, but this never feels forced or false.

This whimsical video for lead single, “What’s In It For” is like one of those accelerated plant growth cycle scenes in Planet Earth, combined with the nostalgic warmth of the intro for Fred Penner’s Place.

(A quick apology to all the non-Canadian readers if that last reference went completely over your heads.)

Avi Buffalo is currently touring throughout Europe, but will find their way to Toronto for two NXNE shows on June 18th (Great Hall) and 19th (Lee’s Palace), as well as open for Blitzen Trapper on August 3rd.

A Southern Souls performance by Lowlands, who you can catch at My Liner Notes Presents… this Friday at Sky Blue Sky Sandwiches.