Photos: Battles / Caribou / White Williams [Chicago, IL; 11/08/07]

Photos by Sanchez and Kitahara

A lot went down at Metro last night, but if one impression lingers from the night-- which featured four fairly disparate acts, each threatening to spill over the edge of the stage, rocking before a sold out crowd-- it'll be the powerhouse drumming. The sweaty, lockstep, violent sort of drumming where even the little dust particles that fly up with each hit seem to do so with particular alacrity.

Battles' (and Helmet alum) John Stanier, of course, brought it all home; he was so caked in sweat halfway through the first song that he looked like a wax sculpture of himself. Caribou boasted two ace kit-kickers, including project mastermind Dan Snaith, who multi-tasked with guitar and electronics as well. Even the sticksman for Warp-signed Toronto trio Born Ruffians held his own among this accomplished company. All of which made White Williams' show-opening airy electro-rock thing-- which uses a drum machine-- that much more ironic.

Dates and more photos ahead.

BATTLES








CARIBOU






WHITE WILLIAMS



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Black Kids Add Dates
None with Whitest Boy Alive, alas

Photo by Jason Bergman

Flags, Dice, Keys, Dogs, Mountains, Lips, Strobes, Swans, Eyes, Angels, Devil Disco Clubs, Rebel Motorcycle Clubs, and Moth Super Rainbows: there is a whole lotta Black covered in these pages.

And fast making their way to the upper echelons of Bands With "Black" in Their Names are Jacksonville, Florida's Black Kids, darlings of CMJ, creators of a Best New Music-stamped EP, evaders of labels (for now), and masters of punnery (just check that EP title).

The Kids' native Florida and the UK mega-metropolis of London may not have too terribly many things in common, but that'll all change soon, as both locations can look forward to a hearty helping of Black Kids shows in the weeks to come. The next one pops off in Orlando tomorrow night (October 10), and the kids have a couple previously mentioned gigs in Georgia too. All may be yours with but a click. [MORE...]

Polvo Reunite for All Tomorrow's Parties
Explosions in the Sky weekend also adds Animal Collective, Four Tet

With their signature guitar whirl and crunch, Chapel Hill band Polvo helped define the American indie rock sound of the mid-90s. (Singer/guitarist Ash Bowie also did the same as the bassist in Helium.) After releasing several albums on Touch and Go and Merge, Polvo broke up in 1997, and haven't played together since. Until the weekend of May 16-18, 2008 that is.

Curators Explosions in the Sky have gotten Polvo to reunite for their first show in over a decade for their edition of the 2008 All Tomorrow's Parties festival, taking place that weekend at Butlins Holiday Resort in Minehead, England. And it will be a full-on reunion: original members Bowie, singer/guitarist Dave Brylawski, bassist Steve Popson, and drummer Eddie Watkins will all be there. For now, this is the only scheduled Polvo reunion date, though a London show is a possibililty.

UPDATE: It will not be a full reunion, as Watkins is not participating. Brian Quast, formerly of the Cherry Valence, will be drumming.

Explosions in the Sky have also added quite a few other noteworthy artists to their ATP: Animal Collective, Four Tet, Ola Podrida, Eluvium, Lazarus, A Hawk and a Hacksaw, and the Paper Chase. They will join previously reported performers Dinosaur Jr., ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Iron and Wine, Broken Social Scene, Adem, and EITS themselves.

As you know, the Explosions in the Sky weekend is just one of many events All Tomorrows' Parties has planned in the coming months. There's Portishead's fest, Don't Look Back shows, and, of course, ATP vs. Pitchfork.

Dirty Projectors Take on More Touring

Photo by Daniel Cantó

Determined to Rise Above any fatigue incurred from playing shows pretty much every damn night of every damn week this year, pop discombobulators Dirty Projectors have gone and extended their tour all the way into December.

The latest dates find the chirping, braying, fleet-fingered quartet roaming about the New England area, but not before they turn a bunch of European settlements on end throughout November. And even if your geographical stars aren't aligning with these guys right now, you can still catch them on that Worried Noodles project, that Esopus magazine comp, or Grizzly Bear's Friend EP.

In related news, Rise Above called. It wants you to listen to it right now. [MORE...]

Goldfrapp Reveal Seventh Tree Tracklist

What's this, hidden amidst the branches of Goldfrapp's Seventh Tree? Why, good golly, it's a tracklist! Let's add it to our collection of details surrounding the release of Goldfrapp's fourth long-player, shall we?

Now our collection has a label (Mute), a couple release dates (February 25 in the UK and February 26 in the U.S.), a lovely new press photo (that's it over there), and these here song titles (reprinted below). Pretty much all we need now is, like, the music!

And perhaps a tour? No word there quite yet, but Mr. Gregory is still doing his silent film soundtrack thing in December. Ruminate on those dates-- and these evocative new song titles-- below for now. [MORE...]

Trans Am Hit the Road With Tool

Sure, there's blogs, downloading, and Radiohead changing everything about everything ever, but one of the most unexpected music-world happenings we've seen in the last couple years has been the way Tool subtly became pals with all these smaller, good bands. Touring with Isis and Mastodon? Getting namedropped by former Low bassist Zak Sally in an ABC News report? There's just something a little strange about it all.

Nevertheless, the trend continues with the naming of Thrill Jockey proggers Trans Am as Tool's newest tour BFFs on an upcoming round of North American dates. For Trans Am, the shows come sandwiched in between their appearances at the Thrill Jockey anniversary parties in London on November 11 and Chicago in mid-December.

Trans Am are still riding high on the release of Sex Change, LP8 for them, which came out via Thrill Jockey earlier this year. [MORE...]

Sharon Jones Adds Dates, Great Debaters OST Revealed

With American Gangster now in theaters, The Great Debaters is now the most anticipated Denzel Washington film of 2007. As you know, neo-soul's reigning queen Sharon Jones not only shows off her acting chops in the film, but those pipes of hers as well.

The tracklist for The Great Debaters' soundtrack has been released. In addition to a ton of stuff from Ms. Jones, fellow revivalists Alvin 'Youngblood' Hart and the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Al Green sideman/songwriter Teenie Hodges, and badass choir Billy Rivers and the Angelic Voices of Faith help fill out the rest of the disc. All "pre-1935 blues, folk, jazz, and gospel classics," the tunes were handpicked by Denzel himself, with a handful of age-appropriate tunes from Art Tatum, Papa Charlie Jackson, and others rounding out the set. The soundtrack's out December 11 from Atlantic, while the film hits theaters on Christmas (December 25).

Sharon and her Dap-Kings, fresh off the release of the wonderful 100 Days, 100 Nights LP, will kick off a month-long string of North American dates tonight (November 9) in Boston. On January 4, the band will head out for nearly a week at sea on the floating "Jamcruise". [MORE...]

Whitest Boy Alive Issue Dreams in the UK via Modular

King of Convenience Erlend Øye and his Whitest Boy Alive project-- with their debut LP, Dreams, which dropped elsewhere last year and finally hits the UK November 26 via Modular-- certainly break several of electronic music's main rules: their disc was recorded entirely live, sans layering or overdubs. How organic of them!

Dreams follows its first UK single "Burning", which dropped just this week. Watch the Whitest Boy break all the rules on a handful of tour dates lined up over the next few weeks in Mexico. [MORE...]

Sufjan Announces Christmas Song Exchange Contest
Win the rights to an original Sufjan composition

Sufjan Stevens writes a lot of songs-- and if word is indeed bond, we can expect at least 48 more albums worth of them from the guy-- so I suppose, being a jolly old soul, he can part with one of them.

But rather than just pimp the thing out to a mutual fund commercial or hide it away as some Japan-only bonus track, Sufjan has decided to give the song to one lucky fan. However, in the spirit of the season, Sufjan also wants something outta you. It's "The Great Sufjan Song Xmas Xchange"! And those Asthmatic Kitty cats explain it much better than I ever could, so here's them:

Here's how it works: write an original Christmas song, record it, and email the song to us. Asthmatic Kitty will pick a winner, and that person will trade rights to their song for rights to Sufjan's song.

Just like a gift exhange, Sufjan's song becomes your song. You can hoard it for yourself, sell it to a major soft drink corporation, use it in your daughter's first Christmas video, or share it for free on your website. No one except Sufjan and you will hear his song, unless you decide otherwise. You get the song and all legal rights to it. We get the same rights to your song.

In summation: you get an original Sufjan Stevens song all to yourself! And Sufjan gets to have at your song! As if he didn't have enough Xmas jams.

Check the details and legal mumbo-jumbo here. All entries are due by midnight on December 1, and AK expects to announce the winner around December 15. They'll also be streaming entries on their site.

Finally, Sufjan, fresh off his "BQE" extravaganza, visits some exotic locales in the new year. [MORE...]

The Go! Team Plot "Wrath of Marcie" Single
Cancel Italian shows

Brighton bombshells the Go! Team have chosen the latest single from Proof of Youth: "The Wrath of Marcie", aka the one that sounds like some gals rapping over the "Odd Couple" theme song. The single will be available three different ways: as a 7", an iTunes exclusive, and a digital download everywhere else that isn't iTunes. The vinyl and the regular download come backed with a live take on "Flashlight Fight", while iTunes also gets a live "Marcie" for kicks. Each and every one will be available November 19 from Memphis Industries in the UK.

The Go! Team launch a brief European trek tonight, which got briefer yesterday when the band canceled their three shows in Italy due to promotional commitments. [MORE...]

Unreleased 1978 Talking Heads Live Cut on KALX 7"
Plus tunes from Ride's Mark Gardener, Dengue Fever, Supersystem

Berkeley, California-based KALX has been disseminating goodness via radio waves for 45 years now, and to celebrate its sapphire anniversary, the station has assembled an extra special, super limited double 7".

This being the information age, you probably encounter descriptors like "extra special" and "super limited" all the time, so perhaps some qualification is in order. Just how special is this 7"? Well, it contains a never-before-released live recording of Talking Heads jam "Stay Hungry", captured on tape on the UC Berkeley campus way back in 1978, the same year said song appeared on More Songs About Buildings and Food. I'm no scholar of diction, but I'd say that's pretty darn extra special.

What's more, the 45 rpm 45th anniversary double 7" is rounded out with KALX studio recordings from Ride's Mark Gardener (rocking Ride's trademark tune "Vapour Trail", no less), Dengue Fever, and the now defunct Supersystem. And if that doesn't have you sufficiently geeked, know that the two 7"s-- one on blue vinyl, one on red-- come housed in a nifty gatefold package.

And just how limited is this thing? A mere 500 copies have been pressed. Get yours by pledging $75 or more (tax-deductable!) to the station right now, or add $25 to any other pledge package of $50 or more. Details here-- and although the station's big fall pledge push has ended, they will still gladly accept your donations and hook you up with 7"s while supplies last.

The 45th anniversary festivities don't stop there, however. Greg Ashley, a DJing Yoni Wolf of Why?, and more roll on into San Francisco's Rickshaw Stop tonight (November 8) to fete KALX. [MORE...]

Nirvana's Novoselic Blogs, Talks Anarchy, "Teen Spirit"
"I know for sure that Kurt Cobain did not have any odor problems."

Photo via Seattle Weekly

Krist Novoselic-- the other other guy from Nirvana-- has put the bass (that he nowadays plays in the current incarnation of Flipper) down for a spell, picked up the keyboard, and plunged headlong into the dangerous world of blogging.

The politically-minded Novoselic posted the first of his bloggy musings for Seattle Weekly on the publication's website this week. Topics covered? Well, Nirvana, whose "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video was recently profiled for a special on the Fuse network. As Novoselic tells it, he agreed to be interviewed for the special, but was miffed about the edited quotes that resulted and the relative lack of air time reserved for himself and other guy from Nirvana Dave Grohl.

Novoselic also addressed his late former bandmate Kurt Cobain (choice line: "I know for sure that Kurt Cobain did not have any odor problems.") and devoted a good portion of his writeup to a somewhat muddled discussion of anarchy. Hmm, perhaps the relative lack of structure in his piece is actually an anarchic gesture?

Still, it's good to see this guy up and doing something, so might as well bookmark his blog and see what he dishes out next.

Do you have a news tip for us? Anything crazy happen at a show you attended recently? Do you have inside info on the bands we cover? Is one of your favorite artists (that's not somebody you know personally) releasing a new record you'd like to see covered? You will remain completely anonymous, unless we are given your express permission to reveal your identity. (Please note that publicists, managers, booking agents, and other artist representatives are generally exempt from this rule, but will also be granted anonymity if requested.)