Evel Knievel Sues Kanye West!
"Touch the Sky" video hits a little too close to home

In the grand tradition of Rosa Parks vs. Outkast and Mariah Carey vs. Mary Carey comes this wacky bit of legal news, straight off the wires of the Associated Press: Yes, daredevil motorcyclist Evel Knievel is suing Kanye West over Kanye's "Touch the Sky" video, in which the rapper/producer portrays a daredevil motorcyclist named "Evel Kanyevel." Evel, are you kidding?? That video rules!

Apparently, Knievel doesn't think so. "That video that Kanye West put out is the most worthless piece of crap I've ever seen in my life," vented the legendary cyclist, "and he uses my image to catapult himself on the public." Guy has a point-- would anyone even know who Kanye West is if he hadn't siphoned all his fame and credibility from a 70s pop culture footnote?

Evel, whose real name is Robert Craig Knievel, filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against West, video director Chris Milk, and Roc-A-Fella records in U.S. District Court in Tampa, Florida on Friday. And not only does Knievel want money, but he wants distribution of the video to be stopped.

The court papers can be seen on The Smoking Gun here.

Exclusive MP3: Parenthetical Girls: "Festive Friends (Forever)"

Who better to bring good Yuletidings to you and your friends than Zac Pennington's Parenthetical Girls, whose bells- and chimes-frosted songs-- such as those collected on 2006's Safe as Houses (Slender Means Society)-- pretty much sound like twisted carols anyhow?

The P-Girls (in various incarnations) have made a habit out of stuffing stockings with limited edition holiday EPs on the even-numbered years, including 2002's Christmas With Swastika Girls and 2004's Christmas With Parenthetical Girls-- and this being 2006, and six being an even number and all (fact-check it if you don't believe us), it's time for another one.

Santa Pennington and his merry elves will make A Parenthetical Girls Family Christmas (previously sold on tour in limited quantities) available for free download on the band's website very soon-- but the good boys and girls of the Pitchfork readership may download a chestnut of the joy this five-song EP will bring to the world right now.

"Festive Friends (Forever)" glides along at idle sleighride pace, glimmering in garlands of twinkling bell and xylophone percussion, Pennington and backing vocalists' declarations billowing like Yule log smoke from a snow-touched chimney. That's a rather hokey description, but I can't help it-- Christmas songs just make me so damn sentimental. [MORE...]

Nine Inch Nails Announce DVD, Mammoth Tour

Nine Inch Nails are busy readying Beside You in Time, a 19-track DVD chronically their early 2006 With Teeth­-supporting tour, and judging by the stunningly clear trailer on the band's website, it looks like the work is beautifully filmed.

Time will be released in three formats: standard, high-definition, and Blu-Ray, with the latter two featuring "true high definition video audio," according to the NIN MySpace. In addition, three cuts ("Eraser", "Right Where It Belongs", and "Beside You in Time") are viewable from alternate camera angles.

The DVD is due February 27 via Interscope in the U.S. (an international release will follow on an unconfirmed date), and, in addition to the aforementioned content, it includes a variety of bonus features: five songs ("Somewhat Damaged", "Closer", "Help Me I Am in Hell", "Non-Entity", and "Only") recorded during Nine Inch Nails' summer 2006 trek, music videos for "The Hand That Feeds" and "Only", rehearsal versions of "Love Is Not Enough", "The Collector", and "Every Day Is Exactly the Same" (all from 2005), and an image gallery.

Trent Reznor and co. are currently working on a new album, which is scheduled to hit shelves in spring of 2007. They will launch a lengthy European tour in February.

Finally, the band is up for a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance for "Every Day Is Exactly the Same". [MORE...]

TV on the Radio's Sitek Freaks Over Karen O Leaks
Later comes to his senses and apologizes

Ah, the Internet. Where nothing is sacred, and where if something exists, you can damn well bet it will find its way onto a blog at some point-- especially if that something remotely involves Karen O.

Such was the case for handful of O demos collected on a CD-R labeled "KO at Home" and left in a suitcase at Dave Sitek's former residence by a friend. Apparently a private gift to the TV on the Radio guitarist from Karen, the demos found their way onto the blogosphere the other day after someone (a certain "Mike") found the suitcase and thought it apt to share them with the world. Fair enough, maybe you would too?

Anyhow, mistakenly thinking this Mike had rifled through his trash or obtained the demos by some other "dubious" means, Sitek posted a pretty gosh darn enraged diatribe on his personal blog yesterday evening, essentially tearing the O-leaker a new orifice and declaring him worse than a "GREEDY CORPORATION".

This prompted an apology e-mail from Mike himself, which in turn prompted Sitek to write a follow-up post on his blog today, essentially apologizing for the outburst-- and a valuable lesson was learned by all!

"By flipping out i connected with something i had lost," wrote Sitek, Springer "Final Thought" stylee. "i am not taking down the post because i want to be reminded how much of an ass i can be, and if i forget , i am comforted by the fact that the blogs... the web... will always be there to remind me. i really do need to get "offline". in a real way."

I'll drink to that.

Here's Dave's original post, followed by the apology: [MORE...]

Bonnaroo Announces Dates

The sixth annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival has a lot to live up to, as artists who have performed at the Tennessee fest in the past include Radiohead, Sonic Youth, Modest Mouse, Beck, My Morning Jacket, Joanna Newsom, Cat Power, Devendra Banhart, and many, many more.

Bonnaroo 2007 will run from June 14-17 on the same 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee as last time around, but its lineup remains under wraps for the time being.

High rollers can purchase pre-sale tickets here on the morning of December 13.

The Stooges Give New LP Title, Release Date

Iggy Pop. Steve Albini. Kelly Clarkson buddy Mike Watt. Along with the other still-living Stooges (guitarist Ron Asheton, his brother and drummer Scott Asheton, and original saxophonist Steve Mackay), these are the elements of the Stooges reunion record that might just make it work. Among the elements that might be indications it will fail miserably: the album and song titles.

The album is called The Weirdness, and songs include "Trollin'", "Greedy Awful People", "Mexican Guy", "Claustrophobia", "I'm Fried", "ATM", "O Solo Mio", "She Took My Money", and "End of Christianity". Billboard.com also reported that the album has 16 songs, including "My Idea of Fun", "You Can't Have Friends", the title track, and "Free and Freaky", the latter of which features vocals from the Raconteurs' Brendan Benson.

The songs are culled from over 30 that the band wrote at a Florida cottage earlier in the year before rehearsing in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and, as previously reported, ultimately landing in Chicago to record at Electrical Audio with Albini in October. The album is now being mastered at Abbey Road Studios in the UK, and the band will follow its March 20 release on Virgin with a world tour.

Despite the largely bland or frustrating nature of reunions, we want to like The Weirdness, so we're biting our tongues and holding our breath. Bloody tongues, blue faces: we're in quite a bit of pain over this whole thing.

Clientele's MacLean Talks New Record, New Member
"It's a record that can laugh at itself."

"You should only make records if you've got something to say," remarked the Clientele's Alasdair MacLean in an interview with Pitchfork's Scott Plagenhoef that took place late last year. Lucky for us, MacLean and his bandmates still have plenty to say, and thus, God Save the Clientele, the band's third full-length proper, should be gracing audio-playing devices in April 2007.

This time around, however, as MacLean told Pitchfork today, the Clientele have some slightly more positive things to say. "It's a lot more cheerful. It's a lot more of a happy record. It's an upbeat record, a fun record. Whereas the other records were very neurotic and depressed, I think."

Merge, the Clientele's longtime U.S. home, will deliver the new artifact, while the band haven't settled on a UK label. And although the tracklist has yet to be finalized, God Save the Clientele should include the telling "These Days Nothing But Sunshine", "Here Comes the Fountain", "Wench on Victoria Street", "The Dance After Hours", and "Bookshop Casanova"-- a disco number.

"There's a groovy, disco song, which still sounds like the Clientele," according to MacLean. "I said to the people at Merge, 'This is going to make us millionaires.' And they just laughed at me.

"But we'll have to wait and see." [MORE...]

Arcade Fire Announce More Shows

Arcade Fire news is coming in bits and pieces, but hey, that's better than nothing. Which is what they gave us for quite some time before making a very, very welcome tour announcement last week.

Now, Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, and their crew have added five dates to their previously reported assault on London. And they're all in the Montreal.

The collective will take up residence at their hometown's Ukrainian National Federation from February 6 through 10. After that, maybe they'll disappear back to wherever it is that they hide. Or maybe they'll tour the U.S.? We sure hope so.

And need we remind you that the band's as-of-yet untitled sophomore LP is slated for a spring 2007 release? No? Okay, deal.

As for you folks in England, sorry to say that tickets for all of their London shows sold out in two minutes. Bummer. [MORE...]

XTC Become Action Figures
Vanquish enemies with sharpnness of their angular guitars, weight of their box sets

2006 has been a banner year for musicians undergoing toy-ification, and now it's time to add the members of XTC to the pile of tiny, limited edition musical figures.

The band's Idea Records has commissioned Irregular Miniatures' Ian Kay "to bring to life what is hoped will be a whole range of XTC collectors' figures in metal. Each set will show the band from a period in their history commencing with the White Music era. You'll get Andy [Partridge], Colin [Moulding], Terry [Chambers], and Barry [Andrews] in a live setting with relevant instruments (e.g. Barry comes with his Crumar Organ and Lawrence Piano), dressed in their monochrome best. All figures (55mm high) and equipment are cast in white metal and are hand painted, held securely in foam, and clad in a pictorial card sleeve which will be signed by Andy and Colin. Andy says, 'These figures are going to be charming. I know; I've seen them. So hurry and order yours today,'" according to a press release.

The White Music figures are in a limited edition of 200 sets, and as you can see from the picture on the left, Barry Andrews not only comes with his organ and piano but is also apparently wearing a Nixon mask. More pictures of the figures can be seen here... if you dare.

Flaming Lips Launch Dance Contest
Shake it like an acid-drenched polaroid picture

Another day, another band video contest. On Friday, the Flaming Lips added to the fray with their very own dance contest.

"Hello, this is Wayne from the band the Flaming Lips," Wayne Coyne stated in a YouTube video. "We're doing this wonderful New Years show in Los Angeles and we need just a few dancers to round out the side of the stage. I want you to get your acts together and send me a little tape of your dance routine or your costume or your character, and we'll see if we put you on the list to dance with us at this wonderful New Year's Eve celebration in Los Angeles. So get them ready. Send them out to us, all right? Get to work."

In order to be eligible, fans (18+ only) must upload YouTube footage of their own to the Flaming Lips Dance Contest Group page and also fill out this form. Applicants are instructed to film themselves "auditioning to be a member of the Lips on-stage dance troupe" and "in-costume, showcasing...skills." Dancers can select their favorite Flaming Lips song (or whatever else inspires them) to serve as the soundtrack to their fierce moves. We say bonus points if you trek to Oklahoma City and use the newly coined Flaming Lips Alley as yr backdrop.

Keep in mind, however, that travel accommodations will not be provided by the band, so buy a plane ticket and prepare to sleep on whatever your L.A. friend's floor is made out of.

Which reminds us, the gig is at the city's Galen Center (at the University of Southern California) and also features Gnarls Barkley and Cat Power. The three groups will also play together on December 30 at San Francisco's Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.

[MORE...]

Stream/Video: Black Affair (Steve Mason, ex-Beta Band)

When it's not King Biscuit Time for former Beta Band frontman Steve Mason, it's apparently Black Affair time. "Possibly the best known and most discussed modern songwriters and thinkers," according to the act's MySpace (golly, seems we're behind the times here), Black Affair dish out retro beatbox electro and synth pop, slightly spacey, slightly disco, sometimes seedy, generally fun.

Because Black Affair prefer to shroud themselves (himself?) in secrecy, it's unclear whether it's just Mason making the racket or whether he's grooving in cahoots with some cohorts (presumably the former). Band members, according to that nutty MySpace page? "??????????????????"

Anyhow, what we do know: Black Affair has four tracks streaming from his/its/their/thurr MySpace right now, a video, and a podcast on the Olo Radio website linked via Poptones (home to Mason's King Biscuit Time).

The new tunes include seedy come-on cut "It Goes Like This", the spacey, clip-cloppy "You and Me", synth call-and-response ditty "Japanese Happening", and breezy, cheesy love jam "Will She Come". [MORE...]

Stream: Pharoahe Monch: "Desire"

Finally, a new Pharoahe Monch song where he raps for more than 30 seconds. The Alchemist-produced title track from Desire, still with a record label (SRC) but without a release date, finds him nasty as ever, spouting lines like, "I protect my name like your anus/ in prison," and, "My book is a ovary."

He's been listening to the best rap album of the year, too: "Make you feel the clips like Pharrell." Hopefully Desire's release will come smoother than Hell Hath No Fury's.

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.)