Arcade Fire's Win Butler Disses Hillary, Backs Obama
"Barack is the first candidate in my lifetime to strip some of this bullshit away, and I just hope we don't blow this chance."
Yet something drew Butler out of blogging semi-retirement here in mid-January, just as his Neon Bible-mongers are about to descend on Australia and New Zealand. And that something, my friends, was politics.
It seems Win has a few reservations about the upcoming political contest in the U.S. (and being a native of Texas, he has every right to vent them). We'll let Butler explain in his own words:
I am watching Hillary Clinton in her victory speech in new Hampshire...they just threw a bunch of college kids behind her, and had her talk about student loans, and had her daughter come out for a long awkward hug...does anyone actually buy it? Surely young people are too media savvy to be fooled by this kind of shit.Fuck, indeed. With this proclamation I think we can safely file Butler alongside fellow Obama-backers Jeff Tweedy, Conor Oberst, and the Cool Kids. (Not to mention Herbie Hancock, Will Smith, at least one Dixie Chick, and the guy who created craigslist, according to this.)
do we live in a democracy so we can just keep electing the same families?
Barack is the first candidate in my lifetime to strip some of this bullshit away, and I just hope we don't blow this chance.
man if we miss this opportunity we don't deserve it...how bad does it have to get?
fuck!!!!!!!!!
The Arcade Fire arrive in Auckland (without incident, let's hope) January 18, but it's those three post-Super Tuesday gigs in Japan fans may have to worry about if Win's pick doesn't pull through. Although when a guy named Win's backing you, well, perhaps that's just what you'll do. [MORE...]
Stars of the Lid Plan Spring U.S. Tour
Weary, perhaps, of forever being relegated to the background (crank them jams, dudes!), the men of Stars of the Lid will place themselves front and center this spring on an ultra-rare North American tour.
Starting in mid-April, Adam Wiltzie and Brian McBride will make their way from art museum to planetarium to concert venue to a whole lotta clubs called TBA (ha) on a three-week jaunt, further refining the taut grooves of last year's stunning And Their Refinement of the Decline LP (Pitchfork's 43rd favorite album of 2007). It's their first trek since 2002.
The touring doesn't stop there though, as the duo promises some UK shows surrounding their appearance at the Explosions in the Sky-curated ATP festival in May. [MORE...]
The Black Lips Issue Live iTunes EP
In case the Black Lips-- Atlanta's touringest band of late-- have managed to elude you on their neverending trek around this globe of ours, why, now you won't even have to stand up from that cushy chair of yours to get in on a little bit (...more) of the live Black Lips action.
Tomorrow, the band cuts loose The Live Sessions EP on iTunes (it's available in the UK today), featuring five Lips gems transposed from stage to screen. The Vice-issued Live Sessions EP is available the world over, so no matter where you rest your rump, you'd best get clickin'.
And what would a good tour document be without a corresponding string of dates? The Black Lips, per usual, have a whole bunch of live engagements lined up, with a Stateside run leading them into a UK jaunt in May. Their next gig oughta be a ball, to say nothing of their appearance at this May's ATP vs. Pitchfork festival. [MORE...]
Taken by Trees Tours N. America, Covers Guns N' Roses
Best to leave ex-Concrete Victoria Bergsman off your dance card. After all, she's taken-- Taken by Trees! Ho ho ho ho! Ha ha! Ha.Ahem. Much more welcome than that completely impotent attempt at humor is the news that Ms. Bergsman will take her Trees solo project across the Atlantic next month. That's right folks, it's a tour, and it pops off February 22 in New York City.
"Young Folks"' secret weapon will then wind her way north-ward, break my heart by not coming to Chicago, and wrap up her tidy little tour in Seattle March 4. Ooh, and she shows some love to her native Sweden on one date beforehand.
And in a bid for honorary U.S. citizenship, Bergsman has gone and covered one of the most goddamned American bands ever, dammit, Guns N' Roses. The Taken by Trees take on "Sweet Child O' Mine" will turn up on iTunes February 19 via Rough Trade. Or scoop it up in 7" format at one of those tour stops. You know, the ones that aren't even remotely near Chicago.
Open Field is out now. [MORE...]
Monday, January 14:
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Lupe Fiasco
Tuesday, January 15:
FUSE: The Sauce: The Mars Volta
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Kate Nash
Wednesday, January 16:
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Bettye Lavette
Thursday, January 17:
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Mars Volta
Saturday, January 19:
FOX: Fearless TV: The Cribs, Gogol Bordello, Klaxons
PBS: Austin City Limits: Coldplay (rerun)
Au Revoir Simone Assemble a Little Tour
As they start work on their follow-up to last year's The Bird of Music, the ladies of Brooklyn keyboard trio Au Revoir Simone have put together a January tour as delicate as their sparse indie-pop tunes. With two shows in Canada, it technically counts as a "North American tour," but since there are only six shows total, let's just call it an apéritour. The first taste is January 16 in Toronto. [MORE...]
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arctic Monkeys Remix the Hives
Hives announce world tour
Photo by Joseph Mohan
Congrats are in order for the Hives, who just this week picked up a Grammi-- the Swedish equivalent of our Grammys, duh-- for "best live act". And congrats to concertgoers the world over for getting a whole mess of chances to check out Sweden's finest show-givers on their recently announced world tour. Come Valentine's Day, the Hives hit Mexico, and for three weeks, they'll boldly go where many a fine live act before them has gone before: the U.S. and Canada. Following a couple weeks for Howlin' Pelle to rest those howlin' pipes, the band will give Europe and the UK about a month of their time.
Support for the U.S. and Canada shows comes from the Donnas. The Hives and the Donnas are on tour together? Hello, 2002!
And if you're looking to get in a little arts and crafts action with these awrd-winning Swedes, now's your chance. The band is asking fans to submit artwork for the forthcoming single for The Black and White Album's "We Rule the World (T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S.)", which emerges from Polydor on a limited-edition 10" single in the UK February 25.
Even non-creative sorts can enjoy the "Rule the World" single, as it'll include remixes of the track from Matt Helders of the Arctic Monkeys and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner. [MORE...]
The National, Ted Leo, Mastodon on Human Giant DVD
Second season begins in March
Since the announcement of their 24-hour-marathon-spawned second season on MTV, everything's turning up Human Giant. The guys are crafting new episodes and documenting it over on their website's production blog, complete with pictures of bloody escapades, guest stars like David Cross and Isiah Whitlock Jr. from "The Wire", and a Christmas monkey.
All the hard work and goofing around will pay off on March 11, when the premiere of "Human Giant"'s second season airs at 11 p.m.
Exactly one week earlier, Human Giant will release Human Giant: The Complete 1st Season on DVD via MTV and Paramount Home Entertainment. In addition to the eight episodes (with commentary from the cast and guests), there will be two hours of never-before-seen footage and a highlight reel from the aforementioned 24-hour MTV takeover. Performances by Mastodon, the National, and Ted Leo are all included, as are appearances from the likes of Michael Cera (Superbad, "Arrested Development"), Zach Galifianakis, Bob Odenkirk ("Mr. Show"), Patton Oswalt (Ratatouille), Andy Samberg ("Saturday Night Live"), Will Arnett ("Arrested Development"), Bill Hader ("Saturday Night Live"), Eugene Mirman, Todd Barry, Fred Armisen, and many more.
Dead Meadow Slay on Winter Tour
Dead Meadow have some fresh new ideas for how to unleash their fresh new Old Growth LP, but this ain't one of 'em. Following their previously announced early-record-release gig at New York's Bowery Ballroom, the dirge-rockers will head to the West Coast and start winding their way through the country for nearly a month's worth of tour dates. After that it's off to Europe.It's a fairly usual move for such an unusual band, but then again, it pays the bills. And we have to assume a band called Dead Meadow goes through quite a bit of dough on landscaping.
Old Growth emerges February 5 on Matador. [MORE...]
A Place to Bury Strangers Recording Live LP
A Place to Bury Strangers have added a show to the tour itinerary we laid out last week. Big whoop. But wait! This isn't just any old show. The band is recording its January 16 gig at its Brooklyn home studio/venue Death by Audio for a live album. Important Records will release the vinyl-only LP sometime this spring. We don't know when exactly, or what they're calling it, or even what's gonna show up on the disc, but one thing is fairly certain: it ain't gonna show no mercy to your earholes.
Let's not forget that A Place to Bury Strangers pop up on another spring release, the environmentally friendly Green Owl compilation. [MORE...]
Om and Lichens Team Up for Tour
Om also tour with Lungfish's Daniel Higgs
Both Om and Lichens are touring behind albums that came out last year. In Om's case, that means Pilgrimage, and for Lichens, it's-- appropriately enough-- Omns. [MORE...]
The Kills Return With a Boom on New LP
Band works with Armani XXXchange on album's production
Partially inspired by the playground songs in a documentary about inner-city school children in the 1960s called Pizza Pizza Daddio, the follow-up to 2005's No Wow hews close to the guitar'n'beats sound found on previous Kills records. This time, however, they had a little help in the beats department, as Spank Rock producer Armani XXXchange lent his hand to some of the production.
The Kills plan to tour the U.S. in support of Midnight Boom; for now they have only a handful of dates, beginning tomorrow night (January 15) at London's Soho Revue Bar. [MORE...]
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.)
Tue: 01-15-08: 07:00 AM CST
New Atmosphere Album Gives You Lemons
Mon: 01-14-08: 05:15 PM CST
Arcade Fire's Win Butler Disses Hillary, Backs Obama
Mon: 01-14-08: 04:36 PM CST
Stars of the Lid Plan Spring U.S. Tour
Mon: 01-14-08: 04:07 PM CST
The Black Lips Issue Live iTunes EP
Mon: 01-14-08: 02:54 PM CST
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arctic Monkeys Remix the Hives
- Taken by Trees Tours N. America, Covers Guns N' Roses
- T.V. Eye: January 14-20, 2008
- Au Revoir Simone Assemble a Little Tour
- The National, Ted Leo, Mastodon on Human Giant DVD
- Dead Meadow Slay on Winter Tour
Browse
- Arcade Fire's Win Butler Disses Hillary, Backs Obama
- Stars of the Lid Plan Spring U.S. Tour
- The Black Lips Issue Live iTunes EP
- Taken by Trees Tours N. America, Covers Guns N' Roses
- T.V. Eye: January 14-20, 2008
- Au Revoir Simone Assemble a Little Tour
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arctic Monkeys Remix the Hives
- The National, Ted Leo, Mastodon on Human Giant DVD
- Dead Meadow Slay on Winter Tour
- A Place to Bury Strangers Recording Live LP
- Om and Lichens Team Up for Tour
- The Kills Return With a Boom on New LP
- Bjork Wilds Out on Kiwi Photographer
- Cat Power Extends Tour
- U-God Sues Wu-Tang Clan's Label
- Jay Reatard to Open for Black Keys
- Goldfrapp Shake Tree for Box Set, Vinyl, "A&E;" Single
- Clinic Do It on New Album, Tour
- Carla Bozulich's Evangelista Says Hello
- Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Bat for Lashes on Xfm Comp
- Update: Rejected Justice Fabric Mix Turned Xmas Gift
- Rhymefest and Lupe Fiasco Debate Politics Online
- M. Ward/Zooey Deschanel Album Details Surface
- Thunderbirds Are Now! Guy Fires Up Friendly Foes
- Sally Shapiro, Johan Agebjorn Cut "Spacer Woman" 12"
- Aluminum Group Wrap Happyness Trio With Little LP
- Why? Reveal New Album Details
- The Monks' Dave Day, R.I.P.
- R.I.P. Olga Sarantos, Fiery Furnaces' Grandmother
- The National Schedule More Shows
- Feist, Of Montreal, Bloc Party on Environmental Comp
- HEALTH, Crystal Castles Tour Dates Revealed
- Castanets Head West for Tour, Work Up New 7"
- Gui Boratto Travels the World
- Dirty Projectors, White Williams Split a 7"
- The Breeders Announce First Tour in, Like, Forever
- Common Does Benefit for Chicago Schools Program
- British Sea Power Tour All Over
- Mountain Goats Add Dates, Darnielle's Book Revealed
- Radiohead to Take Over BBC Radio 1 Airwaves
- Thermals Kick Out the Jams for Live Band Karaoke
- Low Tour, Retribution Gospel Choir Prep Debut LP
- Islands Return to the Road
- Morrissey Reveals Greatest Hits Details, Bonus CD
- Annie Returns With New Single, Preps Album
- Blonde Redhead Plan Brief East Coast Tour
- Dan Deacon Inaugurates Wham City Records With 7"
- Cat Power Checks in From India, Bangladesh
- Xiu Xiu Announce Spring Dates
- Serena-Maneesh Compile Early Tracks, Rarities
- Bodies of Water, Sons & Daughters Announce Tour
- Autechre Offer Up Quaristice Tracklist, Tour
- Fogarino/Franklin's Setting Suns Forced to Nix Name
- Kim Gordon, Lavender Diamond's Stark Appear in Film
- Rare Disco, Electro Gems on Disco Not Disco Comp
- Polly Jean Harvey, John Parish Meet Again for New LP
- Arbouretum, Lungfish Dudes Ready Human Bell Album
- Broken Social Scene Head Out on World Tour
- Hukkelberg's Rykestrasse Leads to North America
- No Age Come up With a Few Good Nouns for Sub Pop
- Nada Surf Get Lucky With Ben Gibbard on New Album
- Radiohead (Sorta) Announce North American Tour!
- Spoon Head Down Under
- Black Kids Tour With Sons & Daughters, Kate Nash
- Jay Reatard Signs to Matador, Plans Singles Barrage
- Sufjan, MBD, Asthmatic Kitty Roster on New DVD
- Malkmus' Real Emotional Trash Album Cover Revealed
- Men [ft. Le Tigre's Samson, Fateman] Play Shows
- Marty Crandall Domestic Abuse Case Dismissed
- Jens Lekman Announces Spring Tour
- Von Bondies Return With Album, EP, Tour
- Baltimore's Wye Oak Sign to Merge, Issue Debut
- Hold Steady Work on LP4, Line up UK Tour
- Black Heart Procession Head Out on Short Tour
- The Black Keys Reveal Danger Mouse-Produced Album
- Kenyan Extra Golden Members Need Your Help
- Silver Mt. Zion Lend Tune to "Lost" Ad
- Blitzen Trapper Announce Giant North American Tour
- R.E.M., MMJ, Robyn, Jens Lekman, Bun B Do SXSW
- Spiritualized's Spaceman Scores Harmony Korine Film
- Justice Announce World Tour, Dates With Diplo
- Son Lux Signs to Anticon
- Sub Pop Responds to Arrest of Shins' Crandall
- T.V. Eye: January 7-13, 2008
- Vampire Weekend Plot North American Tour
- Dan Deacon's Ultimate Reality Tour Kicks Off
- Battles Storm Australia
- The Cool Kids Line Up Winter Dates
- Drive-By Truckers Brighten 2008 With Album, Tour
- Bill Callahan Tours the South
- Echo & the Bunnymen, Orchestra Play Ocean Rain Live
- Six Organs of Admittance Set to Hit the Road
- Band of Horses, McCombs Play Halfway to Forecastle
- Caribou Announces Huge World Tour
- Basia Bulat Brings Darling to U.S., Plans Shows
- A Place to Bury Strangers Announce Spring Tour
- Daft Punk, Hot Chip, Pipettes, T.I. Design Playboy Shirts
- Dizzee Rascal Expands Winter Tour
- Silver Jews' David Berman Talks Lookout, Outlook
- Facing Lockup, Rapper Prodigy Turns Video Blogger
- Belle & Sebastian's Jackson, Oakley Hall Do Guitar Fest
- Flipper Recording New Album With Krist Novoselic
- Radiohead Manager Explains Amplive Remix Snafu
- Califone, Fugazi Members Soundtrack Brent Green Films
- MMJ, Wrens, Mekons Folks Aid New Orleans Musicians
- The Go! Team Tour Away Winter Languor
- Walkmen, White Williams, Bon Iver Play Chicago Fest
- The Streets' Skinner Retires the Beats Label
- Raveonettes Plot Tours of North America, Italy
- Robyn Announces U.S. Tour Dates!
- Jose Gonzalez Goes Green for North American Tour
- Under Byen Enlist Symphonic Help on New EP
- Black Mountain Add Dates With Bon Iver
- Nick Cave's Lazarus Gets Tracklist, U.S. Release Date
- The Long Blondes Set Up Couples, UK Tour
- Antony Designs Dress for Charity
- Amplive Nixes Radiohead Remixes at Warner's Demand
- The Fiery Furnaces Add Dates, Surprise Surprise
- Casiotone Drops a Few Singles, Plays a Few Gigs
- Fennesz Releases Two New Singles
- No Age, Mae Shi, Cline Play Smell Anniversary Shows
- Man Man Adopt Rabbit Habits, Tour U.S.
- Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan DJs on WFMU
- Beyonce PWNS Kanye in Connect Four
- Hot Chip Reveal Made Tracklist, Single, New Dates
- M83 Reveals Full Album Details
- Grand Archives Reveal Sub Pop Debut Details, Dates
- Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks Tour for Trash
- Boredoms to Invade America This Spring
- Xiu Xiu Bolster Lovers With DVD, iTunes Exclusives
- Beck's Odelay Given Deluxe Reissue Treatment
- Smashing Pumpkins Issue New EP Today
- Cat Power Plots Jukebox Tour
- R.E.M. Gear Up to Accelerate on New LP
- Oberst Woos Iowans for Obama
- Evan Farrell (Magnolia Electric Co./Rogue Wave) R.I.P.
- Panda Bear Designs Sweatshirts
- Neko Case Schedules Winter Shows
- Bjork Discusses "Independence", Videos, Grammys
- While We Were Out
- Radiohead Celebrate New Year With Webcast
- Jay-Z Leaves Def Jam Presidency
- R.I.P. Oscar Peterson, 1925-2007