Photos: Jens Lekman [Norway; 09/14-09/15/07]

Bergen photos by Eirik Lande
Oslo photos by Sigurd Fandango

As night fell over Norway this weekend, Jens Lekman came out to play. First, joining a slew of local artists, Jens headlined Bergen's Phonofestivalen, before heading east to Oslo's John Dee club. Pitchfork photographers Eirik Lande and Sigurd Fandango were stationed on separate sides of the country, ready to grab Jens as he oh so silently came marching through.

According to Lekman's Scandinavian label Service, his fantastic new album Night Falls Over Kortedala hit number one on the Swedish album chart in its debut week. Congratulations! Night Falls hits our shores October 9 courtesy of Secretly Canadian. (Pre-orderers get a special treat.)

Dates for Lekman's colossal fall tour and more photos below.

OSLO, NORWAY




BERGEN, NORWAY



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Ghostface, Trail of Dead Play Adult Swim College Tours
Not together, sadly

In a move roughly as unsurprising as RZA soundtracking a samurai cartoon, Ghostface Killah-- whose persona primarily centers around Marvel Comics characters-- is heading out on a tour sponsored by a TV channel that only plays cartoons. Adult Swim is sending Ghostface on a trek to several college campuses this October, and all of the shows are free.

Ghostface will be joined on the trek by long-lost Dungeon Family member Witchdoctor, whose album Diary of an American Witchdoctor drops October 23 on Adult Swim's Williams Street label. Love them tie-ins!

We'd imagine an ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead cartoon to resemble that 300 movie, or any number of bloody animes. Or, I guess, "Metalocalypse", the Adult Swim program with which the terrifying Texans are now intertwined. Like Ghostface, Trail of Dead will go forth on an Adult Swim-sponsored college trek of their own, supported by Dethklok, the fourth-wall-eradicating metal band from "Metalocalypse". Dethklok will issue Metalocalypse: Dethklok The Dethalbum, their "debut" album, on Williams Street on September 25. Their joint tour will kick off October 29, though dates for that leg have yet to be announced.

To clarify: There will be no Ghostface/Trail of Dead dates, much as you might want that. Ghostface also has a whole bunch of non-Adult Swim, non-college, non-free shows scheduled throughout the fall.

Oh, and while we're on the subject of collaborations, in the press release for this thing, there's mention of the time that Ghost and Adult Swim fave MF Doom came together for a "not-yet-released album". Which reminds us: Anybody know when that album's gonna come out? Because, you know, it sounds like it might be pretty good. Though perhaps not as good as this. [MORE...]

MP3: Ghostface Killah: Chunky [from the J-Love Street Savior Pt. 5 mixtape]
Video: ...and you will know us by the Trail of Dead: Another Morning Stoner [from the Source Tags & Codes LP]

Sea and Cake's Sam Prekop Issues CD/Photo Book
Mommy, what's a book?

Stream: The Sea and Cake: Crossing Line [from the Everybody LP]

SMD, Diplo, Switch, Cocteau Twin Do Decibel Festival

Polyphonic Spree Take the Cult on the Road
Not the band The Cult. That would be weird.

Video: The Polyphonic Spree: Section 22 (Running Away) [from the The Fragile Army LP]
Video: The Polyphonic Spree: Live at Oscar de la Renta Fashion Show

Photos: Animal Collective [Portland, OR; 09/16/07]

Maximo Park Return to North America in November
Unfortunately, they're opening for Travis

Video: Maximo Park: Books from Boxes [from the Our Earthly Pleasures LP]

Common and Q-Tip Tour Together
Possibly form a group together

Common and Q-Tip will herald the release of the B-Ball Zombie War compilation (on which Q-Tip appears) with a tour together, sponsored by 2K Sports. Joining them will be Stones Throw MC and fellow Zombie contributor Percee P, who just released his long-awaited debut LP.

Tip has a couple long-awaited, oft-postponed albums in the works; right now, The Renaissance is due in "early 2008" according to a press release. And in a recent interview with XXLMag.com, he announced that he and Common have formed a group together called the Standard. (These guys are probably pissed.)

The two have not, however, started recording together yet, and the remaining details remain unclear, except that Q-Tip will handle most of the production and that a few tracks may feature Kanye West.

In addition to the joint tour, Common has a handful of dates on his own. He's also in the movie American Gangster with Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington coming out soon, and is filming Wanted with Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman and The Night Watchman with Keanu Reaves and Forest Whitaker.

As previously reported, Stones Throw will release B-Ball Zombie War on October 2. [MORE...]

Video: Common ft. DJ Premier: The Game [from the Finding Forever LP]
Stream: Q-Tip: WorkItOut [from the forthcoming The Renaissance LP]

Bloc Party, Of Montreal, Deerhoof Hit Iceland Airwaves
So do !!!, Grizzly Bear, Bonde do Role, Prinzhorn Dance School, Amiina, Múm

Bonde do Role are a brave, brave bunch. Not that the bands that make up the rest of the lineup for this October's Iceland Airwaves festival aren't brimming over with gumption, but going from their steamy homeland of Brazil to chilly Reykjavik takes a special kind of dedication. And a special kind of parka. A big one.

Bonde will join a bundle of their bundled-up brethren for the Iceland Airwaves festival October 17-21 all over downtown Reykjavik. Bloc Party, Grizzly Bear, Of Montreal (expect Mr. Barnes in specially designed fur-line assless chaps for the occasion), !!!, Deerhoof, Trentemøller, Annuals, Buck 65, Loney Dear, Ra Ra Riot, Jenny Wilson, Best Fwends, Chromeo, Late of the Pier, Lali Puna, Heavy Trash, Ms. John Soda, the Duke Spirit, Prinzhorn Dance School, Smoosh, the Teenagers, and many, many, more will don their duckfeathers and head into the streets for the five-day fest.

Natives Amiina, Múm, Benni Hemm Hemm, GusGus, and Ghostigital join a massive list of Icelandic natives walking around in t-shirts and looking smug. The full lineup-- still not complete just yet-- and venue information is available at the festival's website.

Not quite ready to make the trek to Reykjavik? Drop a few ice cubes in the tub and fire up the iTunes, as the festival (and the Icelandic Music Export label) will offer an accompanying compilation of Icelandic artists-- including múm, Ghostigital, Benni Hemm Hemm, Seabear, Bang Gang and others-- for download in late September. The tracklist for the collection is available after the jump. [MORE...]

Chromeo Collaborating With Hall and Oates!
So many mustaches!

Sure, Chromeo are geeked to open for the Beastie Boys on a handful of their upcoming Canadian dates. Who wouldn't be? But that's nothing compared to the other piece of news coming from the Montreal electroids today.

The duo will apparently be working with throwback pop soulsters/unlikely indie stars Hall and Oates on the veteran duo's forthcoming LP. Sez a press release, "Indeed, Chromeo's idols Hall and Oates have asked them to collaborate with them on their upcoming record! Needless to say, the gentlemen are giddy like schoolchildren to be given this opportunity."

Idols! Sweet talk from the Tender lads. Anyway, that's happening, eventually.

In addition to the Beasties dates next week, Chromeo have shows all over the place, from Miami to Moscow, all the way until December. [MORE...]

Video: Chromeo: Tenderoni [from the Fancy Footwork LP]

The Good Life Uproot for Huge Fall Tour

MP3: The Good Life: Heartbroke [from the Help Wanted Nights LP]

Feist Plots Late Fall North American Trek
Who? Oh, yeah, that gal from the commercials

Photo by Rich Orris

To echo a familiar phrase, unless you've been living under a [something heavy] for the last [period of time relevant to context], you've had no shortage of Leslie Feist in your life. You know, cuz she's on TV, and the radio, and Forkcast, and that digital music player nestled snugly next to your keys, all the time. It's all love, real talk-- we're not just doling out that Best New Music to anybody, you know (though these past few weeks it may seem like we are). But we know as well as you do that Feist's not exactly suffering from lack of exposure.

Still, when Leslie comes a-callin', you oughta perk up. She's recently added a stretch of North American dates to her itinerary, following her time in Europe over the next month or so.

Just remind yourself: Out in the real world, "1 2 3 4" may be everywhere you turn, but at a Feist show, you're only gonna hear it once in an hour. You gotta like those odds. [MORE...]

Video: Feist: 1 2 3 4 / I Feel It All / My Moon My Man [live on VSPOT's Unplugged]

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.)