Soulsavers (With Lanegan) Announce Brief Fall Tour

Like those dudes in the well-starched, short-sleeved shirts and crewcuts knocking on your door when you're making your lunch, Rich Machin and Ian Glover are dead set on saving your soul. And Machin, one half of those well-meaning Soulsavers, is set to embark on a brief but nonetheless powerful evangelical mission. (Seems Glover prefers to worship in the studio.) In November, Machin will tour the U.S. with his friends in good faith Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, QOTSA, Gutter Twins, etc.), Rich Warren and Kevin Bales of Spiritualized, gospel singers Carmen Smart and Wendi Rose, bassist Matt Stravick, and guitarist Steve Gullick.

These dates come hot on the heels of the recent cancellation of the Savers' opening spots on the Jesus and Mary Chain tour. The pious-sounding band name must've fooled 'em until they got their hands on the lyrics to "Kill Surf City". Blasphemy!

The group's latest missive, the Lanegan-heavy It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land, drops October 16 on Columbia. [MORE...]

MP3: Soulsavers: Through My Sails (ft. Mark Lanegan and Will Oldham) [from the It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land LP]

Hold Steady Add Bonus CD to Boys UK Reissue

Hold Steady, Bristol! Soon enough, you'll be up to your neck in sweat and more, uh, Hold Steady. The hardest working dudes in bro business are reissuing last year's Boys and Girls in America in the UK on Vagrant with a bonus disc chock full of tracks from that Live at Fingerprints EP.

According to the tracklist on NME.com, the disc appears to sport two tunes not on Fingerprints: "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" and "First Night". In other words, a dude like myself better start saving for the import right quick.

Er, maybe not: A deluxe version Boys and Girls is being planned specifically for America as well. Details are a bit slim at the moment-- it's not due 'til sometime next spring, we're told-- but it'll come with a DVD shot at the band's October-December 2006 U.S. shows, as well as their European tour earlier in 2007. There'll also be some footage from the band's forthcoming tour with Art Brut, and possibly some new audio as well, just nothing from the Fingerprints EP.

England gets yet another shot of Hold Steady October 22, when Vagrant UK releases "Massive Nights" as a digital-only, bonus-track-free single. [MORE...]

Video: The Hold Steady: Stuck Between Stations [from the Boys and Girls in America LP]

Photos: The Shins [Los Angeles, CA; 10/07/07]

Photos by Akmal Naim

Woodie dominators the Shins continued their fall tour in support of this year's Wincing the Night Away with a show at Los Angeles' Greek Theatre last night. The band continues around the country for the next month, before heading off to Europe and finally all the way to Japan in November. They'll hit "The Tonight Show" tonight, where they'll perform Wincing track "Sea Legs".

Opening band the Shaky Hands are chronicling their adventures on the road with the Shins for Portland paper Willamette Week's music site Local Cut.

[MORE...]

T.V. Eye: October 8-14, 2007

Photos: Sunset Rubdown / Johnny and the Moon / Magic Weapon [Cambridge, MA; 10/07/07]

Photos by Josh Bean

A bandana-wearing Spencer Krug led his excellent band Sunset Rubdown to Boston's Middle East club last night, for the second show on the tour in advance of their new LP, Random Spirit Lover, out tomorrow on Jagjaguwar. At the end of the set, Krug announced that it was the birthday of their sound technician, Dave, who threatened to pull the plug on the mixer if anybody struck up "Happy Birthday". Krug called his bluff anyway, and led the crowd in a rousing rendition.

Opening for Sunset Rubdown on this trek is Johnny and the Moon, the side project of Krug's fellow Wolf Parader Dante DeCaro. Continuing the side project fever, also opening the show was Magic Weapon, featuring Jordan Robson-Cramer of Sunset Rubdown.

More photos and tour dates below.

SUNSET RUBDOWN






JOHNNY AND THE MOON


MAGIC WEAPON

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Thurston Opens for Bright Eyes, Adds Shows
Conor Oberst suddenly realizes what he's going to look like in 30 years

Photo by Jason Bergman

Sure, Bright Eyes are massively popular and have top 10 records and stuff. And Sonic Youth are massively influential and have top 10 records (on critics' polls) and stuff. But one suspects neither young Conor Oberst nor skronkfather Thurston Moore ever thought the elder statesguy of noise-rock would assume the warmup slot for teary rock's poster boy. But lo and behold, it's happening.

Attendees of Bright Eyes' November 19 show at Radio City Music Hall in NYC might want to be extra mindful of punctuality, as Thurston will be knocking over those Trees tracks before Bright Eyes take ya'll to Cassadaga and back.

In addition to the Bright Eyes opening slot, Thurston's added a few more European dates to his own tour, and a couple Stateside in-stores as well. His next gig, in fact, will be amongst the iPhones at NYC's SoHo Apple Store on October 17.

Sonic Youth, who recently wrapped up a trio of Texan dates over the weekend, appear to have no further plans for 2007. Unless "being collectively awesome" is a plan. [MORE...]

Video: Thurston Moore: Trees Outside the Academy preview

Lil' Wayne Arrested on Fugitive Charges in Idaho

According to MyFoxAtlanta.com, Lil Wayne was arrested Friday night in Boise, Idaho following a concert. He was slapped with a felony fugitive charge springing from the fact that he missed two court dates in August relating to a 2006 drug arrest in Georgia.

Wayne was apparently unaware he was due in court in August, according to his attorney, William Head. Head claims that Wayne never received any notice about the court appearances, as he was "under the impression that those charges had either been resolved or dismissed." Wayne is currently out on a $20,000 bond, and is due back in a Fulton County, Georgia court for his arraignment tomorrow. [MORE...]

MP3: Lil Wayne: Seat Down Low [from Da Drought 3 mixtape]
Stream: Britney Spears: Gimme More (ft. Lil Wayne) [Max Methods remix]

Photos: Sigur Ros / Will Oldham at Wordless Music Series [New York, NY; 10/05/07]

SIGUR RÓS






WILL OLDHAM

[MORE...]

The Decemberists Cancel UK Dates

MP3: The Decemberists: The Perfect Crime #2 (Junior Boys remix) [from the Perfect Crime #2 EP]

Photos: Arcade Fire / LCD Soundsystem / Les Savy Fav / Blonde Redhead [New York; NY 10/06/07]

Photos by Ryan Muir

Indiepalooza! Randall's Island, out in the middle of the East River off the coast of Manhattan, was the site of a massive concert this weekend, as the Arcade Fire / LCD Soundsystem tour came to a close, with Les Savy Fav, Blonde Redhead and Boston's Wild Light joining in the fun.

The Fav's Tim Harrington stuffed his face and did a little striptease for the crowd, while LCD's James Murphy tore through some of the Sound(s) of Silver. Arcade Fire blasted out a boisterous set of tunes from this year's Neon Bible, then hit the crowd for a megaphone-blasting encore cover of the Violent Femmes' "Kiss Off".

The only downer? Win Butler announcing that this would be the last time the band would play NYC for a few years. Sounds like the band is taking a well-deserved break.

More photos and tour dates below.

ARCADE FIRE




LCD SOUNDSYSTEM




LES SAVY FAV

BLONDE REDHEAD



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Zach Condon Guests on New Final Fantasy Single
Indie rockers in the mirror are far more excited about upcoming joint project than they appear

There's been no shortage of Final Fantasy music in the year-and-a-half since the release of He Poos Clouds; it just generally hasn't been his own. Whether arranging strings for some band or other, fiddlin' around on the records of several dozen others, or coming up with those loopy covers, Mr. Pallett's been too busy giving himself away to give us anything of his own. Until now. Sort of.

On November 20, Tomlab will unveil the X release in its Alphabet Series of 7" singles, the work of Final Fantasy assisted by the steady hands of Beirut's Zach Condon. It contains two new tracks that are longtime live staples: "Hey Dad" and "What Do You Think Will Happen Next?" According to a press release, "'Hey Dad' begins in an unassuming dream-state only to build to a gorgeous drum-roll and tambourine march. 'What Do You Think Will Happen Next?' seeks a life sans cigarettes with a tight rock drum, nearly synth-sounding violins, and the help of Mr. Condon's signature horns." Sounds a lot better than the patch, eh?

Tomlab's only pressing up 500 of these puppies, and seeing as both these dudes are so hot right now, making haste is probably in your best interest if you'd like one of these things. And, hey, while you're zipping around doing things in a disorderly fashion, maybe you'll stumble upon Owen as he traverses this North America of ours on tour. [MORE...]

Video: Final Fantasy: Cliquot [Beirut cover]
Video: Beirut: The Gulag Orkestar [with Final Fantasy and several members of the Arcade Fire]

Ghostface/Rakim/Brother Ali Tour Features Live Band
Venues take cues from jam scene, sell weed, hemp clothing, grilled cheese in parking lots

Rakim photo by William Kirk

It's not quite the animated mayhem Ghostface is currently enjoying on his Adult Swim tour, but with Brother Ali and legendary old-schooler Rakim in tow, the first annual Hip Hop Live! Tour is hardly sneeze-worthy.

While we've already reported most of the tour's dates, the new dirt is that 10-piece band Rhythm Roots Allstars will provide the live licks for all three MCs. Those who attended Rakim and Ghost's set at SXSW in March got an early taste of the tour, as the Allstars played with both gentlemen there. They have also performed and recorded with a few other notable names: Outkast, Justin Timberlake, and Christina Aguilera, among others. So if the R busts out a tongue-twisting freestyle over "Beautiful", don't say you weren't warned.

Rakim's place on the tour is in support of two forthcoming releases, the Live DVD and new album The Seventh Seal.

Brother Ali is also touring his ass off this fall; he's in Canada right now, and hits NYC for CMJ. He's touring in support of his new album The Undisputed Truth.

Ghostface also has some other stuff going on. [MORE...]

Video: Kanye West, Nas, KRS-One & Rakim: Classic (Nike Remix) [single]
MP3: Ghostface Killah: Chunky [from the J-Love Street Savior Pt. 5 mixtape]
MP3: Brother Ali: Truth Is (Clean) [from The Undisputed Truth LP]

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.)